Net superseded by the Frogan?

Frogan may sound as if it is some kind of Californian frozen yoghurt health drink, but it aims to be an add-on information service for the Internet. French company STG Interactive has introduced the service, which uses multimedia slides to present data and graphics. However, to access this new information layer via the World Wide Web (imaginatively called the Frogan layer), you will need to download a special Frogan player. ...more

Microsoft hopes to set new digital media standard

A number of companies, among them Microsoft and Universal Music, have established a forum hoping to simplify the delivery and playing of multimedia content across different platforms. The Content Reference Forum is aiming to develop standards that will enable content such as music and video to be played on any device in any country, whilst conforming to local contractual and copyright constraints. Rather than devices being sent the content itself, they would be sent an Internet-style link, which would then give them access to the song or video in the correct format for that device and under the terms imposed by the content owners. ...more

Broadband hopes raised for rural Scotland

The Scottish Executive has told an MP for one of the country's Highland regions that it is looking to bring broadband access to the few rural areas where it remains out of reach. Deputy First Minister and Minister for Enterprise and Lifelong Learning, Nicol Stephen told John Thurso, the Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross member of Parliament, that it is hoping to begin extending fast broadband access as early as this year, working into 2007. 'Over the past year, we have been collecting data about potential problem areas and have recently appointed independent consultants to assist us in our policy approach to the reach problem,' Stephen told Thurso. ...more

Mimail-M sent through home computers

British Internet security firms have alerted users to the presence of Mimail-M, which is already in the wild, thanks to thousands of home computers being used to send it out. Mimail-M picks up from the L-variant with the same pornographic message detailing the various love trysts between Wendy and the twins, and again has an attachment that purports to contain pictures of the encounter. The attachment is a password protected zip file - a ploy designed to hopefully bypass any antivirus software as such programs may not scan zip files by default. ...more

Motorola and Apple dial the iTunes phone

Motorola, Apple and US mobile operator Cingular have unveiled the long-awaited 'iTunes phone'. The Motorola ROKR, which initially will be available only in the US, can store up to 100 songs and once the iTunes key has been pressed provide playback via a familiar iPod-style interface on the 176x220 TFT colour display. Music is loaded via USB from iTunes on either a Mac or a PC and much like the iPod shuffle, you can choose the songs you want to hear or let iTunes pick them. ...more