Microsoft signs up ATI for Xbox graphics duties

ATI has officially confirmed a 'technology development' deal with Microsoft. Under the terms of the agreement, ATI will be providing graphics technologies for use in 'future Xbox products and services'. We can reasonably assume this refers to Xbox 2, currently under development. ...more

Criminal gangs threaten online bookies with denial of service attacks

Criminal gangs are trying to blackmail online bookmakers in advance of the Grand National in April, according to the Financial Times. The gangs are threatening DDoS attacks on online web sites servers making it impossible for visitors to contact them to make bets. According to KPMG the British Internet gambling market was worth ?2. ...more

Broadband hits three million mark

The UK now has three million broadband subscribers, according to the latest figures from industry regulator Oftel. In its latest Internet and Broadband Brief, Oftel says that there are 1,674,000 ADSL users and an estimated 1,331,000 cable subscribers. These figures do not include businesses with leased lines. ...more

Bagle worm mutates and attacks again

Antivirus vendors have been raising the alarm over another version of the Bagle worm. Bagle-AQ is being reported in vast numbers by the likes of McAfee, Secunia and Sophos, using a range of sophisticated techniques to slip past antivirus software. 'The Bagle worms in all their various guises are becoming a real pain in the neck for the world's computer users - this is the 43rd variant,' said Carole Theriault, security consultant, Sophos. ...more

Skype users get own number and voicemail services

Internet telephony company Skype, which has recently said to have passed over 100 million downloads has launched two new premium services, SkypeIn and Skype Voicemail. SkypeIn allows users to get incoming calls to their Skype client from ordinary fixed telephones or mobile phones while travelling, providing seamless interconnectivity without the caller having to pay costly roaming charges. SkypeIn customers are assigned a telephone number that corresponds to their home country and local code - so someone in central London will receive an 0044 0207 number. ...more