Vending machines to sell music downloads for cash

A new venture will allow consumers to use hard cash to pay for digital music at a huge variety of public places. Inspired Broadcast Networks is working with Entertainment UK, using BT's DSL broadband network to offer digital music to buy via mobile phone, kiosks, vending machines and networked jukeboxes, as well as more sophisticated mobile devices. It means that you can go into pubs, clubs, shops and other places you might expect to find a vending machine and pay for digital music with cash or card. ...more

Sasser author finds gainful employment

The 18 year old accused of unleashing the Sasser worm on the world has been hired by a security firm. In a fine example of poacher turning gamekeeper, Sven Jaschan, who caused chaos in the world's computer systems earlier this year has been hired by northern German outfit Securepoint with a view to train him up to be a security software coder. The company said, in a masterpiece of teutonic understatement, that young Sven 'has a certain know-how in this field. ...more

BT announces June broadband dates

BT has announced that a further 27 exchanges will be broadband-enabled in June. The exchanges and their service dates are as follows. ? 4 June: Bannockburn, Central; Ellesmere Port, Cheshire; Forest Row, East Sussex; Gainsborough Trinity, Lincs; Sandwich, Kent; Stansted, Essex; Tiverton, Devon ? 11 June 2003: Aberdeen Culter, Grampian; Coleshill, Warks; Cross Hills, North Yorks; Goldthorpe, South Yorks; Hadleigh, Suffolk; Hoyland, South Yorks; Melton Mowbray, Leics; Porth, Mid Glamorgan; Radnage, Bucks; Raunds, Northants; St Faith, Norfolk; Turgis Green, Hants; Whickham, Tyne & Wear; Womborne, Staffs ? 18 June: Burntwood, Staffs; Finningley, South Yorkshire ? 28 June: Catleham, East Sussex; Holywell, Clwyd; Market Drayton, Shropshire; Nailsworth, Gloucestershire Furthermore a joint project set-up by Caerphilly County Bourough Council and the Welsh Development Agency has brought broadband two three exchanges in the region: Blackwood, scheduled for 21 April, and Hengoed and Newbridge, 30 April. ...more

BBC to trial TV downloads service

The BBC has announced that it plans to begin making TV programmes available over the Internet. From September the corporation will hold three months of 'intensive trials' of its interactive Media Player (iMP). It will make selected TV programmes available for up to seven days after they were broadcast, alongside the radio broadcasts which are currently being streamed plus additional channels not yet available online. ...more

Sony's battery recall squeezes market - Bloomberg

Sony's global recall of eight million potentially dangerous laptop batteries is creating a shortage resulting in delayed shipment and rising prices, according to Bloomberg.com. Executives from three companies that make battery packs from Sony cells, Gentle Wayeer Electric, ETI Pack and Nexcell Battery said that customers are having to wait an extra two months for deliveries. ...more