Wake up to MP3

Napster may be on its last legs, but that doesn't stop you enjoying all those illegal MP3 files you've downloaded in the past. You've probably got your own portable MP3 player, but now you can be the envy of all your friends with an MP3 alarm clock. Yes, you read correctly. ...more

Yahoo! follows Google into the research labs

Yahoo! has announced the formation of research labs to develop new Web search technologies. The labs will look at ways in which Yahoo!'s position as the most visited site on the Internet can be exploited, both to increase its popularity and to commercially exploit it. The project, said Farzad Nazem, Yahoo!'s executive vice president and chief technology officer, is 'dedicated to inventive computer science solutions that will help make the Internet experience more efficient, productive, individualised, and even more entertaining. ...more

German company sues Google

A German is the latest company to sue the search engine Google. Metaspinner Media alleges that Google Deutchland infringed its trademarks by allowing competitors to buy ads triggered by keywords using those trademarks. Metaspinner says that when customers searched for its price comparison 'Preispiraten` (Price Pirate) software, ads appeared through its Adwords programme against the search results Metaspinner says it is seeking unspecified damages. ...more

The battle of the front room hots up

While DVD-burning devices hit the PC market and hard disks appear on your set-top box, Panasonic has combined both, this time under your telly. To be showcased at CEATEC JAPAN 2001 in early October, the DMR-HS1 contains a 40Gb hard drive, capable of recording 52 hours of content, and can also burn 12 hours' worth of material onto a double-sided DVD-RAM or DVD-R disc. The unit also reads DV-recordings via i-Link (IEEE1394 or FireWire) and users can set up a Play List - a list of still images that bookmarks sections or chapters of your DVD. ...more

Council spam filter fouls community spirit

A Lancashire man was unable to prevent a neighbour building an extension to his home because of the local council's spam filter. Ray Kennedy, 51, of Middleton, sent three emails to Rochdale Borough Council, but the first two were blocked since they contained the common construction term 'erection'. By the time his third email arrived permission for the extension had been granted. ...more