Ask Jeeves to offer its own version of Firefox?

Ask Jeeves has begun talks with Mozilla that could see a version of Firefox under the search engine's name as early as this year. In the Ask Jeeves blog, Tuoc Luong, EVP Technology, reveals that he met with Mozilla Organisation representatives to discuss 'how Ask can make contributions to Mozilla that make sense', notably in two areas: the Firefox browser and desktop search. 'I shared that Mozilla browser didn't do it for me but Firefox certainly converted many of AJ engineering (including myself) over exclusively to Firefox,' writes Luong. ...more

Navman takes GPS mainstream

As GPS devices strike ever farther into the mainstream, Navman has launched the F20 for ?179 inc VAT. With a 3.5in touch-sensitive colour screen and incorporating an SiRF Star III GPS receiver, the F20 features postcode search and a Back on Track function so that, should you make a wrong turn, you'll still have the quickest route to your destination. ...more

Orange gives away WAP for free

Mobile network operator Orange will offer users free WAP calls at weekends, it has revealed in a letter to customers. According to the communication, the company will allow customers to use their WAP phones free of charge from midnight on Friday until midnight on Sunday 28 February. The promotion only includes WAP calls made to the Orange gateway. ...more

F-Secure patches against critical flaw

Finnish security vendor F-Secure has released a patch to counter a critical flaw in its software for Windows and Linux. The company says that systems left unpatched are open to exploitation by the use of specially tweaked archive files (Zip and Rar formats) which can be used to create a buffer overflow and allow an attacker to run code remotely on the affected system. In addition, the files designed to exploit the flaw can be modified so that they are not scanned by security software potentially duping users into believing they are not at risk. ...more

Covers come off Microsoft's Origami

The Origami project is officially revealed as an ultra mobile PC (UMPC), with Microsoft making the announcement at CeBIT. Asus and Samsung are the first manufactures out of the block, promising support (eventually) in the form of the Asus R2H (pictured) and the Samsung Q1. Base specifications provided by Microsoft, to qualify for the UMPC criteria, include running Windows XP Tablet PC Edition 2005 OS, having a 7in display (or smaller), with a minimum 800 x 480 resolution, being WiFi- and Bluetooth-enabled, having an integrated touch panel and weighing approximately 2 pounds. ...more