UK slow to take up .eu domains

The UK has been slow to take up .eu domains, claims hosting specialist Strato, due in part to the UK's 'special relationship' with the US. Strato's CEO Damian Schmidt described British activity in the first five or six days of the sunrise period, when those with trademarks could pitch their claims early, as 'very low'. ...more

Slackware lets Linux 9.0 loose

Built around version 2.4.20 of the Linux kernel, Slackware Linux 9. ...more

Apple France sued over iPod licensing refusal

Virgin Mega has filed a complaint with the French Competition Council alleging that Apple France has wrongfully refused to license the Fairplay digital rights management technology. Fairplay is used by Apple to control where songs sold through the iTunes Music Store can be played and copied. It is the only DRM technology supported by the iPod. ...more

Linux takes a hit from Dell

The advance of Linux onto desktops has been dealt a blow by Dell. The company, which recently overtook Compaq as the world's number one PC builder, has decided to cease offering Linux as a pre-installed option for its desktop machines, citing lack of demand from consumers. Dell will still be offering Linux for its workstation and server ranges - it was the popularity of the Linux take-up for its servers that led Dell to make the option available for desktop PCs. ...more

BT falls behind targets for unbundling the local loop

BT is falling behind its targets to unbundle the local loop. The Telecommunications Adjudicator has found that delivery of working systems 'continues to lag', with only 50-60 per cent of LLU projects being delivered on time to rivals compared with the target of 75 per cent. The local loop is the copper circuit between the customer and the telco's local switch. ...more