BT looks to IP future

BT Wholesale outlined its vision of the future yesterday, and that vision centres squarely on the Internet. Speaking at the Next Generation Networks Symposium in London yesterday, BT Wholesale's chief executive Paul Reynolds said the days of separate networks for the likes of Internet, telephone and TV are numbered. 'Customers,' he said, 'want a simple, integrated, joined up communications experience. ...more

Analysis: UK makes a mess of waste regulations

Regulations covering the disposal of electrical waste are finally coming into effect, yet the schemes in place for removing hazardous waste from landfills are far from effective. From July, the responsibility for disposing of e-waste passes to producers - everyone from Dell to cornershop system builders, importers and re-badgers - as part of the much-delayed WEEE directive. Under the regulations, producers must register with one of 37 approved compliance schemes that collect and recycle hardware from designated facilities. ...more

BSkyB snacks on ITV shares, casting a shadow over NTL takeover plans

BSkyB has taken an 18 per cent share in ITV in what is widely considered to be a spoiler to prevent a takeover of the terrestrial broadcaster by NTL Telewest. The satellite broadcaster's ?1 billion stake falls just short of the 20 per cent limit that the 2003 Communications Act places on cross-media ownership. BSkyB chief executive James Murdoch stressed that he was not interested in a place on ITV's board, though whether this will be enough to placate industry-regulator Ofcom remains to be seen. ...more

Patent Busting Project names ten 'most-wanted' patents

The Patent Busting Project is riding out to apprehend what it considers a gang of hardened outlaws: the ten patents that have most threatened freedoms of expression online. The PBP, which is the latest offshoot of the Electronic Frontier Foundation, claims that the ten named patents are being wielded against individuals, small businesses and non-profit organisations in a bid to extract licensing fees or shut competitors out of a market. 'Patents are meant to protect companies against giant competitors, not to help them prey on folks who can barely afford a lawyer,' said EFF Staff Attorney Jason Schultz, who leads the Patent Busting Project. ...more

IBM sells the Cell outside the gaming market

IBM has signed a deal with US systems developer Mercury Computer Systems to licence the revolutionary Cell processor. This deal is the first that sells the new design outside of the games market. The Cell chip, jointly developed by IBM, Sony and Toshiba, combines nine processors on a single piece of silicon and is set to revolutionise graphics processing. ...more