The Timelord returns, online

The BBC is bringing back Dr Who, but not to terrestrial TV - a one off audio broadcast will be appearing on the Web. The Dr Who section of the BBC Web site will carry the 30-minute story on 13 July (a trailer will be online 15 June for those who just can't wait). Death Comes to Time features Sylvester McCoy playing the Doctor, and famous names such as Stephen Fry (good Timelord) and John Sessions (bad Timelord) will cross his path. ...more

A Compaq comeback is not quite enough

Despite posting better-than-expected third quarter results, shares of Compaq Computers fell yesterday. Despite robust rises in revenues for servers and commercial and consumer PCs, the company reduced full year earnings forecasts to take into account the impact of the weak euro. The hard figures are that Compaq earned $550m, or 30 cents a share, on sales of $11. ...more

NTL and Telewest merger 'as early as 2005'

The long-anticipated merger of the UK's two cable providers, NTL and Telewest, may occur as early as next year, the Wall Street Journal reports. Telewest Global has been talking to US investment banks, while NTL is selling off its television transmission business to streamline itself in preparation for a merger. Merger speculation has surrounded the two companies since they hoovered up the UK's smaller cable providers in the mid- to late 1990s. ...more

Germans join Japanese in WAP charging

German telecommunications giant Deutsche Telekom, following the lead given by Japan's NTT DoCoMo, has announced that it will be charging users to access certain Web sites on mobile phones from November, with plans to do the same in the UK in conjunction with One 2 One. The company's mobile Internet portal is set to charge the equivalent of about ?6 for a package of services including sports, financial and music news and a food guide. A similar service is then planned for the UK and Austria. ...more

ClearCommerce warns of online auction holiday scams

Cut-throat thieves are operating a cut-price ticket scam, according to security experts ClearCommerce. Under a ruse known as 'triangulation', gangs operating from Eastern Europe, are promoting online auctions which purport to offer cut price tickets to exotic locations such as the Bahamas. Typically, if a victim buys such a ticket, they will pay the party offering the ticket direct. ...more