ICANN changes .com, .net domain name transfer rules

The rules for transfers of US-based top level domain names have changed today. The changes are aimed at making the transfer of domains between registrars easier, but fears have been raised that it is also easier to hijack them as well. Under the new rules a domain transfer cannot be held up if the existing registrar fails to respond to a notification concerning the change within five days. ...more

Microsoft offers free Exchange Server 2007 trial

Microsoft has begun offering enterprises a free trial of Exchange Server 2007, its 64-bit only back-office messaging system. The trial will enable businesses to test new features including 'anywhere access' to email, voice mail, calendars and contacts from any PC or mobile device. There are also improvements for protecting against spam and viruses, and support for data handling compliance with government and industry regulations. ...more

Europe cracks down on music royalty collections

European Commission is to investigate the activities of societies which collect royalties on behalf of music copyright owners. The EC says there is evidence that they breach EU competition rules. At issue is the so called 'Santiago' agreement which allows a national society to collect royalties on behalf of all other societies within its territory. ...more

Apple unveils the G5

Apple unveiled the next generation of the Power Mac, the first desktop computer in the world to run on a 64-bit processor, at its Worldwide Developers Conference in San Francisco yesterday. The Power Mac G5s draw their power from IBM PowerPC 970 chips running at up to 2GHz with a high speed 1GHz bus and optimised Altivec velocity engine. With a maximum 8GB of RAM, the G5 is, said Apple CEO Steve Jobs, 'the world's fastest personal computer. ...more

Swatch turns to Microsoft Smart Watch technology

Swatch has announced its Paparazzi watch featuring Microsoft's Smart Watch technology that wirelessly feeds in data via a US network of FM radio signals. The Paparazzi will go on sale for $150 and give wearers access to entertainment news and national news headlines; local weather high and low temperatures; major stock indexes and horoscopes delivered through Microsoft's MSN Direct service. Paparazzi is the result of three years collaboration between the companies. ...more