Microsoft does U-turn to support anti discrimination laws

Microsoft has formally reversed its position on anti gay discrimination in its home state of Washington. Steve Ballmer, the company's CEO has announced that in future Microsoft would put its weight behind any legislation that came before the state's lawmakers. A furore broke out recently when Microsoft, which originally supported an anti discrimination bill HB1515 suddenly changed its stance to 'neutral'. ...more

Sony to replace XCP-protected CDs

Sony is replacing its XCP-protected CDs after mounting pressure from all sides. The company had already said it would halt production of CDs using the controversial copy-protection software which has proven both a security nightmare for purchasers and a public relations disaster for the company. It said: 'We share the concerns of consumers regarding discs with XCP content-protected software, and, for this reason, we are instituting a consumer exchange program and removing all unsold CDs with this software from retail outlets. ...more

Orange and ntl in price-cutting alliance talks

Orange and ntl are set to shake up both the mobile and cable markets with an alliance. An Orange spokeman confirmed that the mobile operator is in talks with cable company ntl and an announcement is expected next week. Both firms are partly owned by France Telecom. ...more

Apple goes back to Boot Camp

Apple has released an updated beta of Boot Camp, its environment for running Windows on a Mac. The update provides: support for the latest Intel-based Macintosh computers; easier partitioning using presets for popular sizes; Windows XP installation on any internal disk; support for built-in iSight cameras and microphones; support for the Apple USB Modem; trackpad scrolling and right-click support on Apple laptops; improved Apple keyboard support including Delete, PrintScreen, NumLock, and ScrollLock keys; and improved International Apple keyboard support. Boot Camp 1. ...more

Apple slashes PowerBook prices

Apple has slashed the price of its high-end PowerBook by an impressive ?450. The 500MHz model, formerly priced at ?2,349, is now available from the Apple Store for ?1,899, while many dealers are selling the product for as little as ?1,849. The price cut means that the 500MHz PowerBook is now only ?200 more expensive than its entry-level counterpart. ...more