PalmSource gathers developers for open-source migration

PalmSource has begun the process of moving its future development onto a Linux platform, following the news last week that the handheld OS maker was considering an open source approach. At the company's developer conference in the US, it said that on the whole the process should be transparent to users, with the interface and core PIM applications remaining unchanged, while existing 'properly written' applications will continue to run. However, by moving to Linux, PalmSource developers will have to spend less time working on the core OS - work that will be done by the open source community - and more time on the UI, applications and software frameworks. ...more

Freeloader.com faces closure

A favourite gaming site, Freeloader.com, is to face closure after Pure Entertainment Games revealed that it could not find enough international advertisers. The Web site, for those of you who haven't paid a visit to Freeloader. ...more

Yahoo!'s database is bigger than Google's, says Yahoo!

Yahoo! has claimed the accolade of the world's most comprehensive search database previously held by Google. Its index now provides access to more than 20 billion items comprising 19.2 billion Web documents, 1. ...more

IBM swipes at security with fingerprint-reading Thinkpad

IBM has released a biometric Thinkpad - the T42 laptop incorporates a fingerprint sensor for managing passwords and controlling access to sensitive documents and data. Placed at the bottom right-hand side of the laptop, the sensor is a 'swipe reader' - you drag a chosen digit over the reader rather than placing it full-square on a larger sensor (which can leave a residue from imprints). The scan-type of reader can also captures more data than the traditional 'picture' approach, which also helps prevent misidentification. ...more

Six-year-old installs keylogger on MP's computer

A six-year-old girl has successfully hacked into the UK Parliament's computer system, installing a keylogger onto an MPs machine. Guildford MP Anne Milton agreed to leave her computer unattended for 60 seconds as part of a test of House of Commons IT security by the BBC's Inside Out programme. Brianagh, a schoolgirl from Winchester, took just a quarter of that time to install the keylogging software without being noticed. ...more