Adobe releases Photoshop CS 'tryout'

Adobe has released a 'tryout' version of Photoshop CS so you can give the latest version of the image editing software a trial run before buying. The tryout is valid for 30 days and includes full online documentation but no further support from Adobe. Adobe Photoshop CS tryout is available for both Mac OS X and Windows 2000 and XP. ...more

Microsoft 'talking to publishers over new music service'

More rumours have surfaced that Microsoft is planning to create a rival to Apple's iPod/iTunes downloads service. According to Reuters, which quotes un-named 'sources', the software giant is already having discussions with the big music publishers on licensing their tunes for the new service. Robbie Bach, who led the development of Microsoft's Xbox video game business, is allegedly in charge of the new project. ...more

IBM promises non-aggression patent pact with Open Source community

IBM promises not to use its patents to attack Open Source companies. A keynote speech by Nick Donofrio, IBM's senior VP of technology and manufacturing, at LinuxWorld Conference and Expo in San Francisco has revealed that the patent behemoth will only use its mountain of patents in self-defence, as far as the Open Source movement is concerned. 'As an ally that believes in the positive power that the Linux community is having on Collaborative Innovation, I can assure you we have no intention of asserting our patents against the Linux kernel - unless, of course, we are forced to defend ourselves,' he said. ...more

NEC gets handy with handhelds

NEC Computers has joined the ranks of PocketPC 2002 PDA makers with the MobilePro P300 Pocket PC. As with the army of new PocketPC 2002 PDAs from the likes of Toshiba, HP, Compaq and Casio, the MobilePro P300 houses the standard set of high-end components including Intel's 206Mhz StrongARM processor and a 65,000 colour screen and is aimed squarely at the corporate market. The unit comes as standard with an SD card comprising third-party apps for data management, image editing, a Java runtime environment, VoIP software and a PowerPoint/Excel viewer. ...more

Firefox reaches 10 million milestone

Firefox has been downloaded an impressive 10 million times in the month since version 1.0 was released on 9 November. The open source and standards-based Web browser has already shown signs of eroding Internet Explorer's almost total dominance in the browsing arena. ...more