Google Apps go pro

Google Apps Premier Edition is designed for both small and large businesses, and brings together versions of its existing Gmail web email service, Google Calendar, Google Talk instant messaging and voice-over-IP (VoIP) application and its customisable domain home page service. The original Google Apps bundle was launched in August 2006 and quickly proved popular with small business and educational bodies such as schools and universities, which were attracted by its low cost and ability to offer a web-based collaborative working environment. Premier Edition will be sold on a per user basis, priced at $50 in all countries per account per year for the full suite of applications, along with telephone technical support, additional storage and access to system applications programming interfaces (APIs) not available to consumers using the free versions of the apps. ...more

MS defends its right to patent XML word processing technologies

Microsoft has defended its right to patent XML-based word processing technologies. This follows the news, which we reported yesterday, that the company had already successfully filed, in New Zealand, for such patent protection. Specifically patent number 525484 relates to A 'Word processing document stored in a single XML file that may be manipulated by applications that understand XML'. ...more

Carphone Warehouse to pounce on LLU

Carphone Warehouse is poised to make a major investment in broadband technology. The Sunday Times reports that the mobile phone retailer plans to invest 'millions of pounds' on installing local loop unbundling (LLU) kit in BT exchanges. Carphone Warehouse currently has around 70,000 broadband customers connected via BT. ...more

VML zero-day attack targets Windows

Security specialist Internet Security Systems (ISS) has issued an alert for a zero-day attack targeting an unpatched vulnerability within all service pack versions of Windows 2000, XP and Server 2003. The problem is a stack overflow when handling Virtual Markup Language (VML) files - an application of XML that includes vector data and information on how to display it. Successful exploitation of the vulnerability would allow an attacker to gain access to the target system with the same privileges as the user - usually admin level for Windows users - and includes the potential to remotely run code. ...more

Internet radio killed the video star?

There is an abundance of radio stations that broadcast over the Internet, but what can you do if you want to listen to your favourite net radio show yet you don't fancy being hunched over the computer? A new gadget called the Kima is on the market and aims to transform the way we listen to Internet radio stations. The device can only be described as a fancy baby alarm with a base unit that plugs into your PC (or TV or DVD player) and a receiver that transmits the audio as an FM signal so you can tune in your radio to the broadcast. The device uses a wireless signal and can transmit over 1,000 feet away, so you need never have to miss another web broadcast again. ...more