London cabbies spurn SatNav

It maybe all the rage among BMW-driving reps, but London's cabbies are spurning SatNav in favour of the tried-and trusted Knowledge. According to Bob Oddy, general secretary of the London Taxi Drivers' Association, few drivers have bothered to install the technology since they were permitted earlier this year. 'I would say take-up has been about four or five per cent, maybe higher for drivers doing the airport runs and those doing jobs in the London suburbs,' Oddy said. ...more

Real Networks to let iPod users buy from less popular iTunes rivals

Real Networks will unveil new technology tomorrow that enables downloads from its online music store to be played on iPods. The Harmony technology will enable the downloads to be played on any device that supports any of the three online music rights management systems: Real's own Helix, Microsoft's WMA and Apple's AAC. Although this will enable downloads from Real's store to be played on more than 70 devices from the likes of iRiver, Creative and others, it is the iPod - the market leader by far - that Real is targeting. ...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

Euro Commissioner slams US tech companies' China links

A senior European Commissioner has condemned US high-tech companies for pandering to the Chinese authorities and restricting freedom of speech in order to be able to do business in the People's Republic. Writing in her blog Margot Wallstroem, the Commissioner for Institutional Relations and Communication, says that some companies 'have flexible ethical standards depending on where they operate.' Wallstroem says that she was 'disappointed' when she heard that Microsoft had complied with a Chinese government demand that it block blog entries that use words and phrases like 'democracy', 'freedom', 'human rights' and 'demonstration'. ...more

Twentieth Century Fox lines up movie and TV downloads

Twentieth Century Fox has announced that it will begin selling movie and television show downloads in the US through its parent company's digital arm, Fox Interactive Media (FIM). IGN Entertainment will be the first FIM subsidiary to offer a selection of download-to-own content, already having an online distribution model for selling PC games (Direct2Drive), complete with the obligatory DRM. However the downloads service can be expected to take off when it appears, at an as yet unspecified date, on that other FIM site, MySpace. ...more