ICANN votes down .xxx domain

The body governing the top level domains of the Internet ICANN has rejected the proposal for an .xxx top level domain. The Board of Directors voted 9-5 against the proposal from the ICM Registry - a Florida based company set up for the purpose of lobbying for the domain. ...more

EC aims for greater Internet control

The European Commission is hoping to take a more hands-on role in shaping the future of the Internet at a United Nations summit next week. The UN is proposing a new, multinational method of supervising the allocation and management of the domain name system (DNS) - .com, . ...more

Apple, Dell, HP and Lenovo to talk lithium-ion battery standards

Four of the leading laptop makers are to meet to discuss the formation of manufacturing standards for lithium-ion batteries. Apple, Dell, HP and Lenovo hope to have agreed a standard by July 2007 that will prevent the kind of problems that recently led to Dell having to recall more than four million Sony-made batteries. Apple has also had to replace batteries in the past, having recalled 128,000 in 2005. ...more

Comment: Transport systems down the tubes

Comment: With Britain's transport system on the verge of collapse, technology hasn't actually improved matters The Tube drivers are revolting ('Ooh I know,' titters the Carry On fan) over proposed privatisation measures, and the ensuing strikes have brought transport wrangles to the fore once again. Every time London's Tube drivers strike, someone of the Telegraph-reading mentality suggests automated trains on London's Underground. 'Let's face it,' they say, 'all they have to do is press go and stop - it's not as if they can get lost or have to deal with congestion. ...more

'Cheese' activates Philips camera

Philips has unveiled a voice activated webcam that doubles as a desktop scanner. The PCVC750K can capture video at 60 frames per second or scan still images from flat pictures or 3D objects. Mac-compatible bundled software allows for real-time video conferencing, video mailing, image scanning and editing, optical character recognition of scanned text and watermark reading. ...more