Microsoft vision of modelling draws cool response from Open Source leader

Open Source leader Bruce Perens has said that Bill Gates' vision of customisable software won't put Microsoft products on the same footing as Open Source software, which allows users access to the source code so it can be modified to meet their needs. Speaking at the Gartner Symposium in San Diego, California on Monday, Microsoft's Chairman and Chief Software Architect, Bill Gates outlined a change in the way Microsoft's products are built and work which will show up over the next few years - initially in the next release of Visual Studio. Gates defined it as 'visual modelling' and described it as 'expressing - without code - exactly what the steps are that need to take place'. ...more

BT christens Net TV service

BT has named its future TV offering as BT Vision, a service that will combine digital terrestrial TV with on-demand film, TV and music. Due to be launched in the autumn, BT has also announced further details of the service, including a deal with the TV production company Endemol to license and develop interactive content for BT Vision, and an agreement with the Cartoon Network to license some of its programming, such as the Powerpuff Girls and Dexter's Laboratory. BT Vision will be available nationwide and be not restricted to metropolitan areas, stated BT's chief executive of TV Services, Dan Marks. ...more

No copyright on computer game ideas, Court of Appeal rules

Computer game developers are entitled to copy 'ideas' from other games without infringing copyright, the UK Court of Appeal has ruled. Upholding an earlier High Court judgement, Lord Justice Jacob said that infringement only occurs where code or graphics are copied. 'Merely making a program which will emulate another but which in no way involves copying the program code or any of the program's graphics is legitimate,' he said. ...more

HP goes big on grids

HP has announced plans to further embrace grid computing. HP says that it is committed to using open grid standards, such as Open Grid Services Architecture (OGSA) across its range of enterprise products. And in the 'next few years', according to HP, it will grid-enable a wide range of products, from handheld devices to computers. ...more

There's life in the old CRT yet...

NEC-Mitsubshi is launching a 22in CRT monitor for graphics professionals. The Mitsubishi Diamond Pro2060u offers a resolution of 1600x1200 at 85Hz, but can handle as much as 1920x1440 at 80Hz on its Diamontron NF tube. It supports sRGB and has a grille pitch of 0. ...more