Physicists deploy worldwide computing grid

The European Particle Physics Laboratory, better known as CERN and birthplace of the World Wide Web, has launched it first computing grid, giving physicists access to the processing power of computers in 12 countries spread across three continents. Grids are seen by many as the natural successor to the Internet; CERN believes that, 'they should eventually have as big an impact on society as the Web did, by allowing users to access worldwide distributed computing resources from their desktops as easily as local resources.' CERN is by no means the first organisation to set-up a grid. ...more

Apple fails to patent the iPod interface

Apple has failed in an attemp to patent the iPod interface after the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) ruled that a similar patent had already been registered. In 2002, a few months before Apple's application, inventor John Platt submitted his own application for a menu-based media player. And the description is remarkablty similar to the method for operating an iPod. ...more

Microsoft upbeat as Zune sales slip

Microsoft expects to have sold one million Zune media players by the end of the first half of 2007, an executive said yesterday. Although that is a fraction of the 14 million or more iPods analysts expect Apple to sell in the current quarter alone, Bryan Lee, corporate vice president for Microsoft's entertainment group, said that it is more than a good start, if only because Apple sells worldwide while Zune is currently coralled in the US. 'We think that's actually pretty awesome,' he said, adding that the company ultimately expects to close the gap on Apple and become the market leader. ...more

O2 launches bulk SMS service for SMEs

BT mobile phone subsidiary O2 has introduced a low cost service for businesses to enable them to send thousands of SMS messages with a single email. Business Text allows organisations to send text messages to between one and 100,000 mobile phone users on any network. The service costs a minimum of ?80 for 800 messages up to ?6,100 for 100,000 messages. ...more

Putting the parent in the chat-room

MSN Messenger 5 - Instant Messaging worth paying for? Along with its beefed up, hyped up and paid-for MSN 8 service, Microsoft will also launch a new version of MSN Messenger: MSN Messenger 5. What's new is that many of the best features of the service will only be available to paying subscribers of MSN 8. A free standalone client will be released, as well as a Windows Messenger that offers a few features exclusive to XP users. ...more