Apple brokers deal to make three quarters of US cars iPod-ready

Apple has announced it has teamed up with Ford Motor Company, General Motors and Mazda to deliver iPod integration with the stereo systems in the majority of their car models. As a result, more than 70 per cent of 2007-model cars in the US will now have iPod integration options. Ford and General Motors will feature iPod integration in the majority of their 2007 models in the US beginning later this year, while Mazda's entire global 2007 lineup of cars and SUVs will offer iPod connectivity. ...more

Cheggers goes Net

Those of a certain age will remember Keith Chegwin with fondness as a presenter on kids' programmes the Multi-Coloured Swap Shop and Cheggers Plays Pop. But now, the Liverpudlian presenter is appearing live 24 hours a day via the Internet. Yes, his career might have hit the doldrums with his naked games show (a memory that still makes me shudder with fear), but now Keith is wowing his fans on the Internet with his Cheggers Bedroom Web site. ...more

First successful BitTorrent prosecution

A 23-year-old man from Virginia is the first person to be successfully convicted of helping to run a BitTorrent P2P node. Grant Stanley has been sentenced to five months in jail and five months home detention for his part in managing the BitTorrent node known as Elite Torrents. Stanley was also fined $3,000 and given three years probation. ...more

Apple patent filing details double-sided iPod

Documents coming to light at the US Patent Office show details of a possible forthcoming iPod-like device from Apple that uses touch-sensitive surfaces on both sides to control a cursor and work the embedded operating system. The filing indicates that the technology could be applied to a mobile telephone, a hand-held computer system, a PDA, a video display unit or a digital music device. It then goes on to specifically name the video iPod, on which it says the 'liquid crystal display ("LCD"), is often to [sic] small to make effective use of finger based touch input'. ...more

Google lets IE use names in address bar

Google has upgraded its popular IE toolbar to include a new 'Browse By Name' feature. Instead of having to type a full URL into IE's address bar, the Toolbar will resolve the address. Thus Toolbar users can type London Eye into the address bar instead of www. ...more