VeriSign snaps up rival GeoTrust

Verisign, best known for its SSL secure transaction services, has snapped up the rival GeoTrust for approximately $125 million in cash. Like VeriSign GeoTrust sells digital certificates to enable secure financial transactions across the Internet. It also sells a number of services based around identity verification. ...more

Intel squeezes into a size 0.13

Intel has announced that it has completed development of its 0.13 micron process with which it will begin manufacturing in volume next year with chips running at multi-gigahertz speeds. Intel is the first to reach the 0. ...more

Gnome set to invade Europe

The Gnome Foundation, the open source organisation behind the Gnome desktop environment for Linux-based systems, has announced it is teaming up with the Open Source Consortium (OSC), the pressure group promoting Open Source software to businesses in Europe. The Gnome Foundation is an umbrella group of volunteers and companies who's aim to is supply backing for the Gnome project. Gnome itself is a free desktop environment for use across desktops, servers and portable devices. ...more

Firefox's open source email partner makes it to version 0.9

Thunderbird, the open source email client from the makers of Firefox, is one step closer to completion with the release of version 0.9. This release incorporates two new ways of organising messages. ...more

21st century pogo stick

When you talk about research at the Carnegie Mellon University's Robotics Institute, you expect to hear about advancements in cybernetic technology or the development of a new voice recognition system. You certainly wouldn't expect to hear that the department has developed a souped-up pogo stick! The BOWGO is a product of the Toy Robots Initiative and has been designed around the same technology that produces mechanical legs for running robots. The idea came when the team tried to develop a viable spring-loaded leg for a hopping robot that weighed up to 200lbs. ...more