Stones' new record sells on secure memory card

The Rolling Stones' latest album, A Bigger Bang, will be the first to be released in the new flash memory card format developed by SanDisk. The TrustedFlash format combines SD flash memory cards with a proprietary DRM technology that enables the contents of the card to be played on any compatible device - a phone, computer or PDA for example - but prevents any copying. The same DRM will allow paid-for music downloads to be saved directly to the card, and the technology already has the backing of Yahoo!, as well as record labels and device makers. ...more

Comment: Customer confidence in Microsoft at risk

Microsoft is very good at the belated stable door slam. Fling a few Outlook-reliant viruses around the Web and a security patch will appear, inevitably within the week. Break into Hotmail, its Web-based e-mail system, and only a day or two will pass before the system is back up and running. ...more

Intel development of 90nm technology moving smoothly

Intel has denied rumors that processors based on its 90nm-process Prescott and Dothan cores may be delayed. Louis Burns, vice president and general manager of Intel's Desktop Platforms Group (DPG), speaking at last week's Intel Developer Forum (IDF), said that Intel's development of 90nm wafer fabrication technology is proceeding on schedule. According to its roadmap, Intel will begin 90nm volume production of Prescott-based processors by year-end and then that of Dothan-based processors. ...more

OS X is world's most secure operating system, report concludes

Mac OS X and BSD Unix have been named as the world's safest and most secure online computing environments after a year-long study by enterprise security specialists mi2g. In what is describes as 'the most comprehensive study ever undertaken', mi2g's Intelligence Unit analysed over 235,000 security breaches against permanently online systems and found that Mac OS X or BSD (on which OS X is partly based) accounted for just 4.82 per cent of all successful attacks. ...more

Racing round the Net

Rage releases E-racers today, a street car racing game that is centred around online competition. It works fine as a single player arcade, boasting great 3D-effects and real-time damage, and you can use this offline mode to build up your skills, opening up new cars and tracks as you progress. But once you've mastered your wheels, head to the Web and you can take on human opponents either on your own or as part of a team. ...more