Real defends iPod harmony 'hack'

Real Networks has responded to Apple's accusation that it has 'the tacticas and ethics of a hacker'. In a brief statement the company defended its Harmomy technology, which enables songs downloaded from its own online store to be played on an iPod. 'Compatibility, choice and quality are critically important to consumers and Harmony provides all of these to users of the iPod and over 70 other music devices including those from Creative, Rio, iRiver, and others. ...more

Analysis: MAC codes hijack wantaway customers

Migration Authority Codes (MACs) were supposed to streamline the arduous process of moving from one broadband provider to another. Instead, they remain a source of frustration, because service providers avoid giving them out in a selfish bid to retain customers. Switching broadband ISPs often results in weeks with no service, but a MAC should speed up the process from four weeks to ten days. ...more

Broadband for ?19

A no-frills service from fairADSL will get you a broadband connection for ?18.99 a month. No Web space, no newsgroups, engineers or other frippery, just a self-installed 512Kbits/sec (256 uplink speed) connection on a BT line - which involves the standard set-up fee of ?58. ...more

Judge Penfield on trial, not Microsoft

The second day of the Microsoft anti-trust case passed with the government's representatives again being forced onto the back foot. The judges - with Chief Judge Harry T. Edwards to the fore - again questioned whether the original court had been clear in its findings over Microsoft trying to monopolise the market for browsers. ...more

Pioneer denies dual-format optical drive

Pioneer has scotched reports that its forthcoming BDR-103 optical drive will support both the Blu-ray and HD DVD high definition formats. The company said that rumours originating at the IFA consumer electronics fair in Berlin were inaccurate. 'Currently we have no plans to do so,' the company said although it did not rule out the possibility at some later date. ...more