Chips for 10-year passports have two-year warranty

Biometric microchips embedded into new ePassports have only two-year warranties despite the ten-year lifespan of the documents, a National Audit Office (NAO) report said. The chip technology is so new there's no way of knowing how long the chips will last, the report said. While it has been tested, the long-term durability is ultimately unproven, leading manufacturer NXP Semiconductors to offer the 24 month warranty. ...more

Fiorina hijacks her own CES demo

Hewlett-Packard chairman and CEO Carly Fiorina has commandeered her own demonstration to defend the proposed $25bn merger between HP and Compaq, reports Reuters. Having kept a low profile since the families of founders Bill Hewlett and Dave Packard spoke out to oppose the merger, Fiorina used these same characters as the basis for her argument. 'We're going to draw upon the same courage, the same determination, the same aspiration that drove our founders,' she told the audience at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas today, and quoted Dave Packard, saying: 'To remain static is to lose ground. ...more

EC receives new US complaint on Microsoft practices

A US group representing computer firms has filed a complaint with the EC about anti-competitive practices involving Windows XP. The Washington-based Computer and Communications Industry Association (CCIA) filed its complaint with the European Commission (EC) today, alleging that Microsoft is continuing to abuse its monopolistic powers with Windows XP. 'Windows XP violates European competition law. ...more

Tesco launches online DIY legal service

Tesco has launched an online, DIY legal service under the tagline 'Lawyers can be expensive - why not see if you can handle the problem yourself?' The Legal Store is a collection DIY kits, CD-ROMs, online forms and books, covering areas such as making a will, getting divorced, letting property, rights at work and starting a business. Tesco.com Chief Executive Laura Wade-Gery said that the store has been introduced to demystify the law. ...more

NetSky versions dominate October viruses

October has closed with some familiar viruses having been most prolific through the month. Sophos' figures puts NetSky P as having caused the most infections for its customers, with Zafi-B in the second spot, taking 35.2 per cent and 28 per cent respectively. ...more