Automated chat bots help smokers quit

According to the New Scientist, automated chat bots may become a cheap and effective way to help smokers defy their cravings. In a reverse-Tamagotchi fashion, the chatbot's aim is to keep its human partner alive, with a round-the-clock task of talking him or her through the tough times. A group from the University of Twente in Enschede, the Netherlands, and the Dutch anti-smoking organisation Stivoro is working on a softly-spoken female chatbot, with a full complement of facial and linguistic expressions, similar to its human counterpart. ...more

Is HCI set for a Budget comeback?

A new version of the Home Computing Initiative (HCI) could be announced in the March Budget - precisely a year after the scheme was controversially scrapped. Industry sources have told PC Pro that a new scheme designed to provide cut-price computing equipment to those on low incomes could be announced in the Chancellor's Budget on 21 March. It comes just 12 months after Gordon Brown shocked the IT industry by pulling the plug on the popular HCI without warning - much to the anger of several PC makers who derived a large chunk of their income from the scheme. ...more

Fujitsu triples the charge on a micro fuel cell

The prospect of fuel cell technology for powering small devices has come one step closer. Japanese electronics giant Fujitsu says it has tripled the charging capacity of fuel cells for mobiles and has now developed a commercial prototype with the Japanese telco DoCoMo. Fuel cells are not only rechargeable but also environmentally friendly. ...more

Napster and Ericsson team up for mobile music

Napster and Ericsson have announced a global partnership that will provide, in their words, the world's first fully integrated digital music service for mobile operators. The Napster-branded service will combine elements of the PC music store and Ericsson's own personalised music service and will grant operators a share of revenue from music sales. It has been designed for existing handsets - so long as they support DRM - and network infrastructures but can also accommodate the next generation of phones built for faster networks. ...more

Microsoft US legal battle nears an end

Microsoft has reached a $21mn preliminary settlement with the US state of West Virginia. This brings to an end the state's appeal of the recent court ruling on the long running anti-trust case against the company. The settlement will leave Massachusetts as the only state still appealing the ruling. ...more