Google not smiling at Booble 'parody'

Adult portal Booble has been caught wearing the emporer's new clothes, and Google's lawyers aren't happy One of the Internet's most powerful players has got all upset by an 'adult' content search engine which bears a striking resemblance. Google's lawyers have contacted Booble, claiming that the latter's use of the domain name and website, 'constitutes trademark infringement and dilution of Google's trademarks and unfair competition.. ...more

Games producers embrace Xbox

Microsoft announce the names of the 155 games developers that are to support its new console and reveal a snazzy new logo. At a press conference in San Francisco, Xbox supreme J Allard did most of the talking about the project, which should see the light of day late 2001. Microsoft is the late-comer to the world of consoles but still have managed to sign up most of the important names from the world of computer gaming. ...more

Which names 'best buy' dial-up ISP

Consumers' organisation Which has given its 'Best Buy' award for dial-up Internet access to Firenet's PAYG and unmetered dial-up packages. The services were judged on three criteria: file download and upload speeds and the reliability of the service, specifically the number of dial-up errors, engaged tones and connection drop outs. Firenet CEO Alan Castle said, 'This is excellent news, we cannot believe how well our customers talk about us so much, where the likes of Which magazine test us, and give us the best buy ISP for the third time in a row. ...more

The call of the mobile

As dusk settles on the city on a Friday evening, a chorus of marsh frogs can be heard calling to each other. Or is it a flock of Canada geese preparing for migration? No, it's the tech-savvy in-crowd organising their night out on mobile phones loaded with the latest ring tones from the British Library. The British Library has made a collection of 100,000 audio files of nature at its wildest available to mobile companies and ISPs to be used as ringtones on the latest, polyphonic, mobile handsets. ...more

In-store kiosks to offer Palm-based software

Software kiosks to sell Palm apps over the air. A joint venture between PalmSource, maker of the Palm operating system, Handango and WideRay will put kiosks in high street shops from which you can buy new applications and transfer them to your handheld or smart phone wirelessly. Bearing the Trekky moniker 'Beam-Me-App', the kiosks will feature software from Handango's catalogue of Palm-based applications and each application can be activated by a code that is sent to the device. ...more