Norwich sets UK broadband first

Norwich is to be the first UK city with its own dedicated high-speed broadband network. A system that will cover the city centre, business parks and Norwich Airport could be up and running in 2004. By using existing installations such as sewers, river beds and spare ducting, the project is expected to save some 60 to 70 per cent on schemes that involve digging up the roads, and is designed to provide small and medium-sized businesses - who might be put off by the high cost of leased lines - with affordable broadband access. ...more

Google eyes newspapers ads

Google is starting a Print Ads service to extend its business into offline media. It is set to buy advertisements in 50 US newspapers as part of a new a test, the search giant revealed on Sunday. Google said it has invited more than 100 advertisers already buying ads through its Web marketing system to join a three-month test of a Print Ads service that places ads in daily papers including the New York Times and Washington Post. ...more

Blair shoves a billion into broadband

'We're doing well, but not well enough,' says Blair of broadband in the UK. At today's e-Summit in London, Tony Blair accepted the findings of a series of reports showing that broadband adoption in the UK has some way to go to meet his 2005 goal of making Britain the best place to do e-commerce. He did, however, promise ?1bn towards giving broadband access to hospitals, doctors' surgeries, schools and universities over the next four years. ...more

Microsoft allows commercial modification of its embedded Windows system

Microsoft has opened up the source code that powers its mobile and embedded operating systems to developers: the first time Redmond has allowed developers to freely modify its code. Under what the company is calling a Shared Source licence, developers will be allowed to tinker with the code of Windows CE 5.0 and come up with their own commercial versions that they can then sell on, without having to show their work to either Microsoft or other shared source licencees. ...more

HP launches budget digicam for Christmas

Three HP digicams are under starters orders, including a 2.3megapixel unit for ?179 including VAT. The HP photosmart 318 (pictured) is to launch in October and packs a 2. ...more