EMI boss denies single-price link with music piracy

The chairman of EMI has said that a single price for music downloads does not deter file sharing. Eric Nicoli made the comments after Apple CEO Steve Jobs said that if the record companies forced a rise in price for some tracks on the iTunes Music Store then its users will 'go back to piracy'. That's 'piracy' as in file sharing not rape and pillage on the open seas. ...more

Microsoft to see sales resurgence, says new study

Microsoft appears to be at the start of a resurgence, according to a new survey by SG Cowen. More than half of the 500 companies surveyed for its second quarter report said they intended to spend more with the company, with just 6 per cent looking to cut back. And with penetration levels already in the mid-nineties, that's some achievement. ...more

4-11-2000 Essential news of the week

Catch up on the essential news of this week and find out what the movers and shakers of the IT industry have been up to by clicking on the stories below. BT speeds up ADSL services Microsoft unleashes Whistler beta Napster goes legit Intel chops chip prices Comment: Customer confidence in Microsoft at risk Carrera finds a buyer Orange gives away WAP for free And don't forget, we welcome your comments. Just click on a story and go for the 'Comments' link on the right-hand side of the screen. ...more

Analysts: DRM on music CDs deemed unworkable

Analysts at research firm Gartner said they doubt music publishers will ever find a 'workable DRM scheme for music CDs'. The company has been following the saga of Sony's ill-fated DRM technology closely, and pointed out that aside from the public-relations fiasco that this has become, the technology itself is easily overcome. 'The user simply applies a fingernail-sized piece of opaque tape to the outer edge of the disc,' report the analysts. ...more

Google makes mobile personal; launches search boxes

Google is expanding its Google Personalized Home feature to mobile devices in the US. It means users who have already customised the Google homepage on their desktop will see the same functionality replicated on their phone. It was back in May 2005 that Google began introducing personalisation features. ...more