Second place banking for online customers

Survey shows heap big IT spend, but not much going online. A survey commissioned by tech companies including Microsoft and BT has found that British banks are to plough ?600m over the next year into computer systems at call centres and branches, with a spartan ?69.8m allocated for Internet arms, despite recent (relative) success stories such as Egg announcing it was near to breaking even. ...more

Camcorder man charged in US with copyright theft

A man in the US has been charged under new laws aimed at stamping out illegal distribution of new films. The man, Curtis Salisbury, aged 19 of Missouri, was discovered recording new films with a camcorder while in a cinema. Curtis is alleged to have made copies of the latest films 'Bewitched' starring Nicole Kidman and 'The Perfect Man' for distribution on the Internet through illegal warez sites. ...more

IBM swipes at security with fingerprint-reading Thinkpad

IBM has released a biometric Thinkpad - the T42 laptop incorporates a fingerprint sensor for managing passwords and controlling access to sensitive documents and data. Placed at the bottom right-hand side of the laptop, the sensor is a 'swipe reader' - you drag a chosen digit over the reader rather than placing it full-square on a larger sensor (which can leave a residue from imprints). The scan-type of reader can also captures more data than the traditional 'picture' approach, which also helps prevent misidentification. ...more

Music industry nervous as Xingtone funds ringtones expansion

US startup Xingtone has announced the first round of venture funding from Siemens Mobile Acceleration. The money from Siemens MA, which specialises in investing in wireless and mobile companies, will be used to develop further expansion. The Xingtone software allows users to take an MP3 or sound from a CD to create their own custom ringtones or upload games and images to their phones. ...more

UPDATED: Palm buys Handspring

Handheld maker Palm has acquired rival and software licensee Handspring in a stock for stock deal and approved the spin-off of its PalmSource software arm. In a deal that gives Handspring shareholders nearly one third ownership in the newly merged company, Palm shareholders will end up with around a 67.2 per cent hold. ...more