UPDATED: BT warns strike action will affect end users

BT is seeking an injunction to prevent a planned strike by engineers, on which 40 per cent have voted in favour of striking. BT is to ask the High Court for an injunction preventing three 24-hour strikes by its engineers over a bonus plan. The Communication Workers Union, which is organising the strikes, got a 40 per cent vote in favour of action, representing about 5,600 of its 14,000 workforce. ...more

All I want for Christmas is... part I

What piece of computing technology would you most like to get your hands on this Christmas? Here is the wish-list of another of the writers you've seen in the News section this year - online editor Matt Whipp. Wishing for.. ...more

Apple sets the stage for DRM-free downloads in iTunes

Apple has released an update to iTunes that adds support for iTunes Plus, the area of the online music store that provides DRM-free, high-bitrate downloads from EMI and other participating record labels. That is not to say that iTunes Plus downloads are now available - they're not. This update simply prepares the iTunes software in advance and revises the iTunes Help files to include an explanation of the forthcoming new service. ...more

Microsoft's Office Live moniker under threat

Following the news that it was ordered to pay $1.5 billion in patent infringement damages to Alcatel-Lucent, Microsoft has been hit with another legal whammy, this time regarding its Office Live offerings. Online media company Office Live has announced that it is suing Microsoft for federal trademark infringement of its moniker. ...more

Palm punches out at Pocket PC

Palm splits off its software division and takes a pop at Microsoft's 'bloated' handheld software. Today sees the completion by Palm of the splitting off of its OS division into a separate subsidiary. The new and, as yet, unnamed software unit - amid speculation that it will be spun-off by Palm - will now report its financial performance separately. ...more