Get your washing online

Italian washing-machine manufacturer Merloni, makers of Indesit and Ariston products, is to launch a range of Internet-savvy appliances that could appear on the shop floors of Curry's and Comet soon. Users will pay an initial deposit to take a WRAP (Web-Ready Appliance Protocol) machine home, and then a further charge (expected to be about 60p) for each wash. The machine plugs into a phone socket and dials Merloni's nearest Digital Assistance Centre to diagnose any potential problems and servicing requirements as well as monitor energy consumption. ...more

Packet-sizing code doubles WiFi throughput

A new method of predicting wireless network conditions could lead to data throughput ratees doubling. SmartPackets has developed its Smart WiFi algorithm using 'non-linear neural nets' to accurately size the data packets sent over 802.11b wireless channels, boosting throughput by 100 per cent. ...more

Top ten viruses for September 2000

Yes pop-pickers, it's time for the September rundown of computer viruses that are making life difficult for the average computer user. This list has been compiled, surprisingly enough, by anti-virus software company Sophos and is an ongoing monthly roundup. The table lists the Kakworm virus as the most persistent offender (haven't we all been infected by that little fellow?) followed by LoveLetter and Apology. ...more

Fast launches mobile search tool

Norwegian search developer Fast Search & Transfer (FAST) has come up with what it claims is the world's first search product for mobile devices. FAST says that mSearch will offer commonly searched for mobile content such as music, games, ring tones, and images as well as content from the mobile Web, providing users with more relevant personal search for their mobile devices such as localised search. Ali I. ...more

Bragg blasts MySpace terms

UK singer-songwriter Billy Bragg has withdrawn his music from MySpace after discovering that the website's terms and conditions allow it to reuse content without his permission. Bragg has called on other MySpace contributors, of which there are many thousands, to start a 'small revolution' and force the site to remove the clause. 'The real problem is the fact that they can sub-license it to any company they want and keep the royalities themselves without paying the artist a penny,' he said on his now content-free MySpace page. ...more