UK record industry on verge of legal action against file sharers

The UK record industry appears ready to carry out its threat of legal action against what it calls serial uploaders. The industry's main body, the BPI, today refused to state outright that action would be taken, saying only that the UK still has a problem with the unauthorised sharing of copyrighted music and that 'it appears litigation overseas has worked'. The BPI's US equivalent, the RIAA, has launched several batches of lawsuits against file sharers, resulting in both out-of-court settlements and successful prosecutions. ...more

USB goes wireless

A wireless form of USB is promising to make cordless keyboards, mice and gaming devices cheaper and more viable. Cypress Semiconductor has announced a chipset that allows up to six input devices to be connected wirelessly to a PC. Unlike other wireless technologies such as Bluetooth, Wireless USB has been designed specifically for low-power, low bandwidth input devices, making it a cheaper and higher-performance option. ...more

Sony converges computer and TV screens

Sony's HT-Series of LCD displays is merging support for entertainment and IT. Starting with 17in and 19in models - with integrated TV tuners, support for surround sound and nimble response times - the LCDs are aimed at both PC and TV needs. 'Really, it's just common sense,' says Sharon Garner, product manager for Sony Displays. ...more

HP launches version 3 of HP-UX 11i

Marking one of its most public shows of faith in Unix to date, HP has launched a major new release of its HP-UX operating system and detailed its commitment to the HP-UX platform beyond 2010, despite growing sales of Linux-based servers. HP-UX 11i v3, which begins shipping today, includes several operational and technology changes, despite having a name that suggests it is merely a point release. The new OS features several operational improvements for use in the data centre, including optimisation and deployment support for virtualisation platforms, improved hot-swap support for hardware components including memory, processors and I/O cards - allowing for direct replacement of faulty components without minimal or often no downtime. ...more

Sober virus set to continue reign

Antivirus vendors have totted up the figures for December, with some showing nearly four in five reports accountable to the Sober worms. Sophos put the Sober-Z worm at number one for the month, claiming 78.9 per cent of reports. ...more