eBay UK hits 10 million registered users

Online auctioneer eBay UK has chalked up its 10 millionth registered user. According to the company it has doubled the number of users in less than a year. The current growth appears to be phenomenal. ...more

Asahi team up with Hewlett-Packard

The Asahi Optical Company has announced a new digital, single lens reflex camera for its Pentax range. The company has been reluctant to enter the digital camera market for a while, but after Asahi formed a business alliance with Hewlett-Packard in February two cameras have been launched. The first unit was the Pentax EI-200 that was released in July; this new EI-2000 is the second camera to come out of the partnership. ...more

EFF guns for AT&T over privacy of communication

US comms giant AT&T has been sued by electronic civil rights group the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) for its part in aiding the National Security Agency's (NSA) programme to intercept communications across the US. The EFF is suing AT&T on the basis that its activities violate communications privacy laws. It alleges that the company allowed the NSA to intercept traffic over its network and gave it access to its 300 terabyte 'Daytona' database, which includes customer data on emails and phone calls made. ...more

Humans phased out by robots

New computer systems could see the end of two respectable professions. New Scientist reports about the mysterious-sounding Poseidon system, which will be used to save people from drowning. Using a series of cameras dotted around the swimming pool, the system detects whether a swimmer is getting into difficulty and alerts a human lifeguard. ...more

UK games chart: Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas smashes on

With Halo 2 still waiting in the wings to storm the charts, Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas keeps its hold of number one in this week's ELSPA UK games chart. In fact it's very much 'as you were', with the only major change being Sega's Football Manager 2005 going straight in at number three to split the other football titles, EA Sports's FIFA 2005 and Konami's Pro Evolution Soccer 4. The other new entry this week is Lord of The Rings - The Third Age, from x, which is apparently based on an old book written by a Professor of Anglo-Saxon at Oxford many years ago. ...more