Macromedia announces Flash contest

Macromedia has announced the Design a Site competition for Flash developers as part of its ongoing campaign to improve Flash-powered Web site accessibility. The competition involves designing a Web site for Snug Wear, a fictitious clothing company, that conforms with Macromedia's usability tips, like keeping user goals in mind and avoiding unnecessary intros. The site should be "attractive, creative and fun, showing Snug Wear's clothing to be cool and stylish", and should show how Flash can be used to improve the "user experience". ...more

Linux heavyweights agree single standard

The Wall Street Journal reports that various Linux builders have agreed en-masse to support the Free Standards Group's Linux Standard Base 2.0 (LSB) specification in a bid to strengthen their position against Microsoft. The key supporters of the single Linux standard are Hewlett-Packard, IBM and Intel - companies that are taking advantage of the growing acceptance of Open-Source software. ...more

UK tax-payers subsidising AOL, claims Freeserve

Freeserve has laid into AOL over its exemption from VAT in the UK, which could represent a benefit worth tens of millions of pounds a year. In an official statement headlined "AOL cashes in on UK VAT System", Freeserve attacks the tax benefits enjoyed by what it describes as "the world's most sprawling media company". It draws attention to the 1997 Customs & Excise guideline that an ISP not belonging in the UK is not liable for UK VAT, providing its supplies are classed as mainly content, not telecommunications. ...more

Violent games criticised for inspiring German school attack

German lawmakers are demanding a crackdown on violent computer games on Tuesday over concerns that they may have helped inspire a young man to attack his former school with guns and explosives. The masked 18-year-old man stormed the Scholl secondary school on Monday in the western German town of Emsdetten, wounding as many as 27 people before committing suicide. The young man, identified only as Bastian B. ...more

Microsoft Office, Vista reach final straight

Microsoft is entering the final straight towards the launch of its two flagship products. The company has just released what it is calling Release Candidate 2 to a group of between 50,000 and 100,000 testers. The next release is expected to be the Gold code. ...more