France Telecom showcases VDSL2 broadband

France Telecom, parent of UK subsidiaries Wanadoo and Orange, has demonstrated VDSL2 broadband technology at its headquarters in Issy-les-Moulineaux in Paris. VDSL2 uses an extended frequency range of 30MHz and DMT modulation to massively expand the bandwidth available to as high as 100Mbps, still using standard 'last-mile' copper connections. In the test, the company placed increasing loads on the service. ...more

Linus Torvalds' Linux credentials challenged

Linus Torvalds has admitted that he is not the father of the Linux operating system. Responding to the news of an incendiary study that 'directly challenges Linus Torvalds' claim to be the inventor of Linux,' Torvalds emailed LinuxWorld to say 'Okay, I admit it. I was just a front-man for the real fathers of Linux, the Tooth Fairy and Santa Claus'. ...more

From the cradle to the mobile phone

Believe it or believe it not, but it seems that that electronics company Siemens is targeting its latest mobile phone at toddlers. News has trickled in via a report in the Sydney Morning Herald, which quotes a report in Danish newspaper Berlingske Tiden that the company is testing a handset in Germany which features big, child-sized buttons and weighs 200g. The new Leonie phone could hit European shelves next year and backs up the trend that youngsters are more interested in technology than playing with their toys. ...more

IBM and Sony showcase next-gen Cell processor

The first 'Cell' processor-based workstation has been powered up, declare the joint developers IBM, Sony and Toshiba. The prototype workstation features the next generation microprocessor aimed at digital entertainment devices such as the next-gen gaming consoles. 'Cell processor-based workstations will totally change the digital content creation environment,' boasts Masayuki Chatani, corporate CTO of Sony Computer Entertainment. ...more

Court decision buys Microsoft way out

Yesterday's decision by the Supreme Court to send the Microsoft antitrust case to a lower court first will give the software giant time to expand out of its core OS and application business. This is a key tactical victory for founder Bill Gates as it reduces the likelihood of a ruling to split up the company. The US Government wanted arguments on breaking up the company heard this winter, but justices voted against this by eight to one. ...more