Linux body pools patents for open source

An international Linux advocacy body has announced a new initiative aimed at providing a central repository for software patents and patent pledges relating to open source software. The Open Source Development Labs (OSDL) patent commons project, which has the backing of Linux founder Linus Torvalds, will make it easier for open source developers to make their patents available to share. It will also contain patents that are owned by the likes of IBM, Nokia, Novell, Red Hat and Sun but are pledged to the open source community. ...more

Quantum computers offer hope for idle processing

When is a running program not running? When it's on a quantum computer, according to a report in the New Scientist. Researchers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign have devised a method of running a basic database query, via very specialised optical equipment, without actually sending a photon through the program. Instead, by means of a Zeno effect, the photon is prevented from actually entering the program by repeated measurement of it against various components of the program. ...more

Visionary Design awards reward website accessibility

Manchester United and the Citizen's Advice Bureau are among those honoured with Visionary Design Awards for their websites. The awards are part of a campaign to improve the accessibility of material on the Web to the visually impaired. The idea is to encourage designers to consider issues regarding text magnification, the use of text to speech technology and refreshable Braille. ...more

Analyst backs Blu-ray

Blu-ray will win the next-generation DVD format war when it begins in earnest next year, according to a report by Forrester Research. Forrester analyst Ted Schadler believes that Blu-ray's chief backer, Sony has learnt the lessons from the failure of its Betamax technology which lost out to VHS in the first battle for the home video market. Rather than rely on the technology alone, he says, Sony has assembled an 'impregnable' collection of partners, from computer makers to content providers. ...more

BT chops and changes broadband pricing

Customers of BT Wholesale's DataStream products are due for a cut of 50p, while IPStream business services are due for a hike of ?5. DataStream customers, such as Tiscali and Energis, have fought long and hard to get the same price cuts that BT has allowed on its IPStream products. In April, BT announced cuts of ?1. ...more