Napster boasts world's largest catalogue of digital tracks

With both HMV and Virgin throwing their weight behind the relaunch of their online music services - HMV Digital and Virgin Digital.com, respectively - Napster is keen to remind people of its place in the music download market. The once-illegitimate file-swapping service has publicly updated its UK business stats. ...more

Mandrake 7.2 Linux released

MandrakeSoft today launched Linux-Mandrake 7.2, the latest in its Red Hat-based Linux distributions. This version, which is available as a free download from the company's Web site, includes an Internet messaging program that is compatible with systems run by AOL, MSN, ICQ and Yahoo. ...more

BT Openworld renews waiving of ADSL activation fee

BT Openworld has extended its offer on reduced broadband setup costs. BT Broadband and BT Openworld's Home 500 Plug & Go service will continue to waive activation fees. Also included in the package is a £50 ADSL modem offer and, for Openworld Home 500 Plug & Go customers, an extra £10 off orders placed online. ...more

FSFE takes a pop at Microsoft EU documentation

The Free Software Foundation Europe (FSFE) has called into question the competence of Microsoft after it claimed to have spent more than 120,000 person days documenting its software for the EU to still be found inadequate. Microsoft had previously told the media that it had put 300 people working round the clock on delivering the specification documentation, required by EC sanctions against it for antitrust issues. Georg Greve, president of the FSFE, said: 'For users, this should be a shock: Microsoft apparently does not know the software that controls 95 per cent of all desktop computers on this planet. ...more

Microsoft offers free tech support to comply with EC ruling

In a bid to avert the threatened €2 million a day fine imposed by the European Commission, Microsoft has offered to provide free technical support to anyone wishing to develop software that will work with Windows Server. The move is Microsoft's latest response to EC efforts to get the software giant to comply with the 2004 ruling. This demanded that the company open up Windows Server so that third-parties can provide interoperable products on a par with those from Microsoft itself. ...more