Be launches its ADSL2+ broadband

Be has announced the launch of its ADSL2+ broadband service, following a brief trial. The 24Mbps uncapped service includes 24-hour access and a free, wireless Be Box modem for ?24 per month plus a ?24 connection fee 'We are thrilled to be the first ISP to roll-out 24 meg broadband in the UK,' said Dana Pressman, managing director of Be. 'For anyone wanting to get the most from the Internet, this is an absolute must - at ?24 per month Be is simply better value than any other broadband service from any other provider. ...more

Microsoft builds path away from Java

Microsoft has updated its Java Language Conversion Assistant (JLCA), which provides the automated conversion of Java source code to C#. The battle for developer hearts and minds over Web programming continues.. ...more

AltaVista: the fall-out

AltaVista's announcement that it is canning its unmetered Internet access service has prompted a flurry of activity. Early this week Andy Mitchell, MD of AltaVista UK, blamed the demise of his company's service on BT's failure to provide flat-rate circuits to Internet Service Providers (ISPs), a claim dismissed by BT as "ridiculous". Oftel, the telecommunications regulator, has now entered the fray in support of BT, insisting that its current offer of a wholesale flat-rate product "provides a sound basis to promote competition in unmetered Internet access. ...more

Lawsuits loaded for memory chip price fixing

Thirty-four US states are primed to file lawsuits against seven companies alleging a conspiracy to fix the price of memory chips, in violation of antitrust laws. Attorney General Bill Lockyer will file the complaint in California later today, claiming that between 1998 and 2002 Infineon, Hynix Semiconductor, Micron Technology, Mosel Vitelic, Nanya Technology, Elpida Memory and NEC Electronics and their subsidiaries fixed DRAM chip prices, artificially restrained supply, allocated the production of DRAM chips and markets for the chips among themselves and rigged bids for DRAM chip contracts. The lawsuit will cite reports that have calculated that the US market was overcharged hundreds of millions of dollars. ...more

Google translates search to translate results

Google has added a new feature to its Translate tool that enables you to search foreign language websites using English search terms. It works by translating the search terms into the specified language - in our example [see picture] the term 'belgian beer' was accurately translated to 'bi?re belge'. If you are not happy with the translation you can edit it. ...more