Australia introduces first anti-spam code

Australia has become the first country to lay down a code of practice to deal with spam. ISPs and other email service providers are now required to give adequate spam filters to their customers or face fines of up to A$10 million. The new Australian code, the 'Internet Industry Spam Code Of Practice - A Code For Internet And Email Service Providers' has been introduced by the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA). ...more

Printers get smart

Hewlett-Packard has introduced its new Internet Enabled Supplies Ordering system which, in conjunction with smart chip toner cartridges, can automate the process of re-ordering toner cartridges for printers. When toner gets low, the Smartchip cartridges send an alert to the user. However, if the printer is equipped with HP's Embedded Web Server (EWS), then the IESO technology can be configured to order a replacement cartridge, either from HP or an approved reseller. ...more

Sony shows super, slim digicam

Sony has unveiled a new 'super slim' digital camera with a pot pourri of technological firsts for a camera of its size. The Cyber-shot DSC-T9 is, Sony says, 'the first super slim digital still camera with double 'anti-blur' technology - combining optical image stabiliser and high sensitivity', added to which Super SteadyShot, 'reduces camera shake for crystal clear photos'. Combine Super SteadyShot with High Sensitivity [Sony's caps] and the camera can shoot happily in the dark without a flash or capture moving objects with the 'reassurance that they will be blur-free'. ...more

Microsoft already at work on Vista's successor, codenamed Vienna

With Vista barely a couple of months old, it seems that we won't have to wait five years until Microsoft unveils the new OS's replacement. Ben Fathi, a corporate VP in Microsoft's Windows Core Operating System Division, said in a media interview that the software company is drawing up plans to usurp the software with a follow-up codenamed 'Vienna'. Fathi said that work on Vista was delayed as the company got to grips with sorting out a number of security flaws in XP that prompted it to release Service Pack 2 in August 2004. ...more

Japan's i-mode makes inroads to the UK

October will see the i-mode mobile phone service launch in the UK on the O2 network. There are already around 100 i-mode sites ready for the launch, and the NEC N411i and N343i, and Samsung S500i and Z320i handsets will be available with support for i-mode. There will be a number of offers at launch to encourage takeup such as free email and MMS messaging until April 2006, three-months' free browsing (on contract) and free subscriptions to i-mode sites until the end of the year. ...more