Desktops bounce back, according to latest research figures

Desktops are back, according to research group IDC, which says the stalwart systems are the surprise success story for computer sales in the UK, and indicative that the corporate spend has renewed vigour. This quarter has seen the growth of desktop shipments more than treble to nearly 20 per cent. IDC puts this down to better retail offerings, XP upgrades, and business spending. ...more

Usability and accessibility issues dog councils' online efforts

Barking and Dagenham only site to gain top rating in survey by the Society of IT Management. Of the 468 local authority websites across the UK, just Barking and Dagenham has achieved an excellent rating in a survey by the Society of IT Management (Socitm). The study graded every local authority website on their content, accessibility and level of usage. ...more

Security researchers probe Proactive Worm Containment

A way of tagging worms and containing them before they damage computer systems has been devised by researchers. The research was carried out by Peng Liu, associate professor of information services and technology and director of the Cyber Security Lab at Penn State University. The technology, dubbed Proactive Worm Containment (PWC), doesn't rely on signature databases but looks at a packet's rate or frequency of connections and the diversity of connections to other networks - which, the researcher said, allowed PWC to react far more quickly than other technologies. ...more

BlackBerry shakes with the Mac

BlackBerry maker Research in Motion has begun including software for syncing data on Macs with all its handhelds. IIA's PocketMac for BlackBerry enables data to be synced between RIM devices and OS X applications including Address Book, iCal and Mail, Microsoft Entourage and Now Up-to-date. The software will also be available to download free from both company's websites. ...more

ATI updates Catalyst graphics tuning suite

ATI has updated its Catalyst software for its range of graphics processors. It claims a number of firsts for version 5.6, including a real-time video preview with on-the-fly adjustments, monthly software upgrades for notebooks, plug-and-play HDTV connectivity and a simpler Linux driver installer for open-source uses. ...more