Software patents: the directive's cut

Denmark looks set to overthrow the formal adoption of an EU directive on computer implemented inventions when it comes under the scrutiny of an EU meeting on today. The current directive draft has caused a commotion ever since it won majority support in a vote last May - a majority that has subsequently melted into thin air as member states began to have concerns over what this directive might mean to their own burgeoning software industry with the formal legalisation of software patents. The fight against the draft directive is as gripping as the latest page-turning best-seller or DVD release: there's the injustice of the unrecognised majority in opposition; the sinister moves of multinational corporates, with reports of Bill Gates threatening to move business out of Europe should software patents not be recognised in the EU; the coming together of hundreds of small businesses, hopeful that, united, they may be able to apply enough pressure to have the directive changed. ...more

IBM first with 64-bit Java

If you want to play with 64-bit Java, you will have to head over to an AIX UNIX system. Trumpeting its arrival ahead of equivalent offerings for Sun's Solaris or HP's HP-UX, IBM claims the 64-bit version of Java "provides a new dimension of scalability for data-intensive operations". This version of Java is particularly relevant for use with large databases and data-intensive scientific applications that require access to large amounts of memory. ...more

Novel idea of SMS novel

The e-book is a concept that has yet to take off. But a further experiment in this area is being tried in China, with the release of a novel in text message form. The story - which is a condensed version of the Chinese novel 'Outside the Fortress Besieged' - will be made available in instalments via SMS and WAP, courtesy of a Beijing-based wireless business operator reports Reuters. ...more

Linux total cost of ownership cheaper than Windows

A report sponsored by IBM claims that the total cost of Ownership (TCO) of Linux is considerably less than Windows. This is curiously at odds with similar studies, sponsored by Microsoft, which draw the opposite conclusion. The report from the Robert Frances Group looked at the TCO for large application servers, comparing Linux, Windows and Solaris solutions. ...more

The security conscious ThinkPad T23

IBM has added to its T Series of notebooks with security features for protecting corporate data and e-mail. The IBM sales line for the new ThinkPad T23 is that its Embedded Security Subsystem offers "Smart-Card-like features at a fraction of the cost". For more secure 802. ...more