And also today (14-May-2001), for the record...

Here, in brief, are some of the day's other stories. Windows 2000 SP2 jumps gun It seems some people just can't wait for their Windows 2000 Service Pack 2s. In a similar manner to the release of SP1, SP2 has leaked one week ahead of its official release. ...more

US movie industry seeks cinema ban on recording equipment

The US movie industry is pushing for legislation that would make it illegal to take recording equipment into a cinema. A bill is currently being considered that would set a maximum $1,000 fine and a year in prison. Currently anyone caught videotaping a movie can be fined no more than $250. ...more

Dell foresees PC upturn

Dell is being upbeat about its fortunes over the next year, despite having had to lay off 3,000 to 4,000 workers recently. CEO Michael Dell said the firm, which recently had to cut jobs in its US homeland, would nevertheless benefit from a new buying cycle due to start in the second quarter of 2002. "If you fast forward three years from the second quarter of 1999, you get to the second quarter of 2002, which is about the replacement cycle for all those machines installed for the anticipation of the year 2000," he said. ...more

BT's mobile lets you lie in on a morning

BT is developing a handset that will send you a timed wake up call based on downloaded traffic information and the phone's estimate of how long it will then take you to travel to work. The user programs the route they take to work, and the phone then downloads traffic information for that day from the Net, calculates the best route and time needed. If there are no problems it will let you sleep longer, or in heavy congestion it will wake you earlier. ...more

Silver surfing, stage 2

Age Concern continues its quest for silver surfing, encouraging Britain's older people to turn 'techie' and get their hands on new technologies. Along with Barclays Bank, which is funding the 'Web aware' initiative, the charity Age Concern has been surveying the elderly in their use of the Internet. For men aged 55+, it seems, pursuing hobbies and tracking down information was the most popular use of the Net (for 78 per cent). ...more