Microsoft moves into mobile phones

Microsoft will show off its entry into the phone device market tomorrow when the "Stinger" operating system is featured at the 3GSM World Congress in Cannes. Following the market trend of combining PIM (personal information management) and telecom functionality into a mobile phone-sized package, Stinger will be in competition with Symbian and its EPOC system, which already supports Smartphones and Communicators from the likes of Ericsson, Nokia, Sony and Motorola. As with the already-launched PocketPC and Mobile Explorer, the idea is to ensure that Microsoft doesn't get left behind in the move from desktops to mobile devices. ...more

Code Red Internet worm update

Rare display of admin action saves the day. The Internet worm, known as Code Red, threatened to destroy the Internet earlier this week - or rather, security experts threatened that it would. But those same experts now claim that their warnings were timely and helped cauterise the flow of the program's probes. ...more

BenQ to roll out movie based on Hollywood expertise

Double Edge Entertainment (DEE), a movie producer in which BenQ is a main shareholder, will soon start production of a new movie with Chinese ancient occult ghost stories as its theme, although it has a modern western setting and will be produced using Hollywood expertise, according to a DEE press release of February 2. This is the first movie to be produced following BenQ's investment in DEE in September 2004. BenQ's investment in DEE is intended to extend its business into the digital content field since DEE has advanced cinematic digital technology and close connections with Hollywood movie experts. ...more

24-02-2001 Essential news of the week

Brought neatly together and presented on a plate, here is a roundup of some of the week's main news stories from the world of IT. Oftel makes BT pay for local loop fiasco iMacs harness flower power Comment: Internet experts face anti-terrorist threat Eidos WAPS it out Famous Scottish comedian bites at dog Napster's $1bn sweetener Egg ditches current account plans Letsbuyit.com vows repair and renewal Microsoft moves into mobile phones Blair launches government portal Apple recalls G4 PowerBooks Don't forget, we welcome your comments. ...more

Analysts: DRM on music CDs deemed unworkable

Analysts at research firm Gartner said they doubt music publishers will ever find a 'workable DRM scheme for music CDs'. The company has been following the saga of Sony's ill-fated DRM technology closely, and pointed out that aside from the public-relations fiasco that this has become, the technology itself is easily overcome. 'The user simply applies a fingernail-sized piece of opaque tape to the outer edge of the disc,' report the analysts. ...more