Remote control rifle range debuts
Soon you could go hunting via the net. A Texas company is considering letting web users use a remote-controlled rifle to shoot down deer, antelope and…
Row brewing over peer-to-peer ads
Music download networks are proving popular not just with an audience of youngsters keen to take advantage of free music but with advertisers equally …
British Library gets wireless net
Visitors to the British Library will be able to get wireless internet access alongside the extensive information available in its famous reading rooms…
'Brainwave' cap controls computer
A team of US researchers has shown that controlling devices with the brain is a step closer. Four people, two of them partly paralysed wheelchair user…
Fast lifts rise into record books
Two high-speed lifts at the world's tallest building have been officially recognised as the planet's fastest. The lifts take only 30 seconds to whisk …
Local net TV takes off in Austria
An Austrian village is testing technology that could represent the future of television. The people of Engerwitzdorf are filming, editing and producin…
'Blog' picked as word of the year
The term "blog" has been chosen as the top word of 2004 by a US dictionary publisher. Merriam-Webster said "blog" headed the list of most looked-up te…
BT boosts its broadband packages
British Telecom has said it will double the broadband speeds of most of its home and business customers. The increased speeds will come at no extra ch…
Global blogger action day called
The global web blog community is being called into action to lend support to two imprisoned Iranian bloggers. The month-old Committee to Protect Blogg…
Broadband fuels online expression
Fast web access is encouraging more people to express themselves online, research suggests. A quarter of broadband users in Britain regularly upload c…
Broadband in the UK growing fast
High-speed net connections in the UK are proving more popular than ever. BT reports that more people signed up for broadband in the last three months …
Warnings on woeful wi-fi security
Companies are getting worse at keeping their wireless data networks secure. A survey of wi-fi networks in London, Frankfurt, New York and San Francisc…
Microsoft takes on desktop search
Microsoft has entered the desktop search fray, releasing a test version of its tool to find documents, e-mails and other files on a PC hard drive. The…
Attack prompts Bush site block
The official re-election site of President George W Bush is blocking visits from overseas users for "security reasons". The blocking began early on Mo…
EU software patent law delayed
Controversial new EU rules for the patenting of computer-based inventions have been put on hold due to a last minute intervention from Poland. Poland …
Tech helps disabled speed demons
An organisation has been launched to encourage disabled people to get involved in all aspects of motorsport, which is now increasingly possible thanks…
Warning over Windows Word files
Writing a Microsoft Word document can be a dangerous business, according to document security firm Workshare. Up to 75% of all business documents cont…
Podcasts mark rise of DIY radio
An Apple iPod or other digital music players can hold anything up to 10,000 songs, which is a lot of space to fill. But more and more iPod owners are …
Reboot ordered for EU patent law
A European Parliament committee has ordered a rewrite of the proposals for controversial new European Union rules which govern computer-based inventio…
Souped-up wi-fi is on the horizon
Super high-speed wireless data networks could soon be in use in the UK. The government's wireless watchdog is seeking help on the best way to regulate…
Google's toolbar sparks concern
Search engine firm Google has released a trial tool which is concerning some net users because it directs people to pre-selected commercial websites. …
Yahoo celebrates a decade online
Yahoo, one of the net's most iconic companies, is celebrating its 10th anniversary this week. The web portal has undergone remarkable change since it …
PC photo printers challenge pros
Home printed pictures can be cheaper and higher quality than those from High Street developers, tests shows. A survey carried out by PC Pro magazine l…
Peer-to-peer nets 'here to stay'
Peer-to-peer (P2P) networks are here to stay, and are on the verge of being exploited by commercial media firms, says a panel of industry experts. Onc…
Latest Opera browser gets vocal
Net browser Opera 8.0, due for official release at the end of next month, will be "the most accessible browser on the market", according to its author…
Web photo storage market hots up
An increasing number of firms are offering web storage for people with digital photo collections. Digital cameras were the hot gadget of Christmas 200…
Wi-fi web reaches farmers in Peru
A network of community computer centres, linked by wireless technology, is providing a helping hand for poor farmers in Peru. The pilot scheme in the …
Domain system opens door to scams
A system to make it easier to create website addresses using alphabets like Cyrillic could open a back door for scammers, a trade body has warned. The…
Kenyan school turns to handhelds
At the Mbita Point primary school in western Kenya students click away at a handheld computer with a stylus. They are doing exercises in their school …
EU software patent law faces axe
The European Parliament has thrown out a bill that would have allowed software to be patented. Politicians unanimously rejected the bill and now it mu…
Hollywood to sue net film pirates
The US movie industry has launched legal action to sue people who facilitate illegal film downloading. The Motion Picture Association of America wants…
Blind student 'hears in colour'
A blind student has developed software that turns colours into musical notes so that he can read weather maps. Victor Wong, a graduate student from Ho…
Smart search lets art fans browse
If you don't know art but know what you like, new search technology could prove a useful gateway to painting. ArtGarden, developed by BT's research un…
New delay hits EU software laws
A fresh delay has hit controversial new European Union rules which govern computer-based inventions. The draft law was not adopted by EU ministers as …
Dublin hi-tech labs to shut down
Dublin's hi-tech research laboratory, Media Labs Europe, is to shut down. The research centre, which was started by the Irish government and the Massa…
Apple sues to stop product leaks
Computer firm Apple has issued a lawsuit to prevent online leaks of information about future products. The lawsuit, against an unidentified individual…
Pandas benefit from wireless net
The world's dwindling panda population is getting a helping hand from a wireless internet network. The Wolong Nature Reserve in the Sichuan Province o…
Google launches TV search service
The net search giant Google has launched a search service that lets people look for TV programmes. The service, Google Video beta, searches closed cap…
Sony wares win innovation award
Sony has taken the prize for top innovator at the annual awards of PC Pro Magazine. It won the award for taking risks with products and for its "brave…
Set your television to wow
Television started off as a magical blurry image. Then came the sharpness, the colour and the widescreen format. Now the TV set is taking another leap…
Web radio takes Spanish rap global
Spin the radio dial in the US and you are likely to find plenty of Spanish-language music. But what you will not find is much Spanish-language hip-hop…
Millions buy MP3 players in US
One in 10 adult Americans - equivalent to 22 million people - owns an MP3 player, according to a survey. A study by the Pew Internet and American Life…
The year search became personal
The odds are that when you fire up your browser, you go straight to your favourite search engine, rather than type in a web address. Some may see this…
Apple sues 'Tiger' file sharers
Apple has taken more legal action to stop online leaks of its new products. The computer giant has sued three men for releasing preview versions of it…
Robotic pods take on car design
A new breed of wearable robotic vehicles that envelop drivers are being developed by Japanese car giant Toyota. The company's vision for the single pa…
Telewest to challenge Sky Plus
Cable firm Telewest is to offer a personal video recorder (PVR) in a set -top box to challenge Sky Plus. Sky Plus is the market leader in the field of…
China 'to overtake US net use'
The Chinese net-using population looks set to exceed that of the US in less than three years, says a report. China's net users number 100m but this re…
Putting a face to 'Big Brother'
Literally putting a face on technology could be one of the keys to improving our interaction with hi-tech gadgets. Imagine a surveillance system that …
Games maker fights for survival
One of Britain's largest independent game makers, Argonaut Games, has been put up for sale. The London-based company behind the Harry Potter games has…
Hollywood campaign hits websites
Movie studio efforts to stop pirated films being shared on peer-to-peer networks have claimed a high-profile victim. The campaign of legal action is t…
Sun offers processing by the hour
Sun Microsystems has launched a pay-as-you-go service which will allow customers requiring huge computing power to rent it by the hour. Sun Grid costs…
US woman sues over cartridges
A US woman is suing Hewlett Packard (HP), saying its printer ink cartridges are secretly programmed to expire on a certain date. The unnamed woman fro…
Apple attacked over sources row
Civil liberties group the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) has joined a legal fight between three US online journalists and Apple. Apple wants the…
Musicians 'upbeat' about the net
Musicians are embracing the internet as a way of reaching new fans and selling more music, a survey has found. The study by US researchers, Pew Intern…
Britons fed up with net service
A survey conducted by PC Pro Magazine has revealed that many Britons are unhappy with their internet service. They are fed up with slow speeds, high p…
IBM frees 500 software patents
Computer giant IBM says 500 of its software patents will be released into the open development community. The move means developers will be able to us…
Net regulation 'still possible'
The blurring of boundaries between TV and the internet raises questions of regulation, watchdog Ofcom has said. Content on TV and the internet is set …
Apple unveils low-cost 'Mac mini'
Apple has unveiled a new, low-cost Macintosh computer for the masses, billed as the Mac mini. Chief executive Steve Jobs showed off the new machine at…
Court mulls file-sharing future
Judges at the US Supreme Court have been hearing evidence for and against file-sharing networks. The court will decide whether producers of file-shari…
'No re-draft' for EU patent law
A proposed European law on software patents will not be re-drafted by the European Commission (EC) despite requests by MEPs. The law is proving contro…
Firefox browser takes on Microsoft
Microsoft's Internet Explorer has a serious rival in the long-awaited Firefox 1.0 web browser, which has just been released. Few people get excited wh…
Broadband steams ahead in the US
More and more Americans are joining the internet's fast lane, according to official figures. The number of people and business connected to broadband …
Microsoft launches its own search
Microsoft has unveiled the finished version of its home-grown search engine. The now formally launched MSN search site takes the training wheels off t…
PC ownership to 'double by 2010'
The number of personal computers worldwide is expected to double by 2010 to 1.3 billion machines, according to a report by analysts Forrester Research…
Robots learn 'robotiquette' rules
Robots are learning lessons on "robotiquette" - how to behave socially - so they can mix better with humans. By playing games, like pass-the-parcel, a…
Software watching while you work
Software that can not only monitor every keystroke and action performed at a PC but also be used as legally binding evidence of wrong-doing has been u…
'Evil twin' fear for wireless net
People using wireless high-speed net (wi-fi) are being warned about fake hotspots, or access points. The latest threat, nicknamed evil twins, pose as …
Broadband fuels online change
Fast web access is encouraging more people to express themselves online, research suggests. A quarter of broadband users in Britain regularly upload c…
Broadband in the UK gathers pace
One person in the UK is joining the internet's fast lane every 10 seconds, according to BT. The telecoms giant said the number of people on broadband …
ITunes user sues Apple over iPod
A user of Apple's iTunes music service is suing the firm saying it is unfair he can only use an iPod to play songs. He says Apple is breaking anti-com…
Seamen sail into biometric future
The luxury cruise liner Crystal Harmony, currently in the Gulf of Mexico, is the unlikely setting for tests of biometric technology. As holidaymakers …
Domain system scam fear
A system to make it easier to create website addresses using alphabets like Cyrillic could open a back door for scammers, a trade body has warned. The…
Speech takes on search engines
A Scottish firm is looking to attract web surfers with a search engine that reads out results. Called Speegle, it has the look and feel of a normal se…
US blogger fired by her airline
A US airline attendant suspended over "inappropriate images" on her blog - web diary - says she has been fired. Ellen Simonetti, known as Queen of the…
File-swappers ready new network
Legal attacks on websites that help people swap pirated films have forced the development of a system that could be harder to shut down. One site behi…
Iran jails blogger for 14 years
An Iranian weblogger has been jailed for 14 years on charges of spying and aiding foreign counter-revolutionaries. Arash Sigarchi was arrested last mo…
US peer-to-peer pirates convicted
The first convictions for piracy over peer-to-peer networks have been handed down in the US. New Yorker William Trowbridge and Texan Michael Chicoine …
Disney backs Sony DVD technology
A next generation DVD technology backed by Sony has received a major boost. Film giant Disney says it will produce its future DVDs using Sony's Blu-ra…
Slow start to speedy net services
Faster broadband in the UK is becoming a reality as more internet providers offer super-fast services. Some lucky Britons can already take advantage o…
Web helps collect aid donations
The web is helping aid agencies gather resources to help cope with the aftermath of the tsunami disaster. Many people are making donations via website…
Broadband takes on TV viewing
The number of Europeans with broadband has exploded over the past 12 months, with the web eating into TV viewing habits, research suggests. Just over …
Savvy searchers fail to spot ads
Internet search engine users are an odd mix of naive and sophisticated, suggests a report into search habits. The report by the US Pew Research Center…
Blogger grounded by her airline
A US airline attendant is fighting for her job after she was suspended over postings on her blog, or online diary. Queen of the Sky, otherwise known a…
Blogs take on the mainstream
Web logs or blogs are everywhere, with at least an estimated five million on the web and that number is set to grow. These online diaries come in many…
How to make a gigapixel picture
The largest digital panoramic photo in the world has been created by researchers in the Netherlands. The finished image is 2.5 billion pixels in size …
'No re-draft' for EU patent law
A proposed European law on software patents will not be re-drafted by the European Commission (EC) despite requests by MEPs. The law is proving contro…
Multi-purpose TV aids India
Two-thirds of the world's population, 4 billion people, live on $2,000 a year or less. You might think that the last thing on their minds would be get…
What high-definition will do to DVDs
First it was the humble home video, then it was the DVD, and now Hollywood is preparing for the next revolution in home entertainment - high-definitio…
Rolling out next generation's net
The body that oversees how the net works, grows and evolves says it has coped well with its growth in the last 10 years, but it is just the start. "In…
BBC web search aids odd queries
The BBC's online search engine was used a record amount in 2004, helping with enquires both simple and strange. More than 277 million enquiries were m…
Voters flock to blog awards site
Voting is under way for the annual Bloggies which recognise the best web blogs - online spaces where people publish their thoughts - of the year. Nomi…
Intel unveils laser breakthrough
Intel has unveiled research that could mean data is soon being moved around chips at the speed of light. Scientists at Intel have overcome a fundament…
Search wars hit desktop PCs
Another front in the on-going battle between Microsoft and Google is about to be opened. By the end of 2004 Microsoft aims to launch search software t…
Ask Jeeves joins web log market
Ask Jeeves has bought the Bloglines website to improve the way it handles content from web journals or blogs. The Bloglines site has become hugely pop…
Norway upholds 'Napster' ruling
A Norwegian student who ran a website which linked to downloadable MP3 files has been ordered to pay compensation by the country's Supreme Court. Fran…
Computer grid to help the world
Your computer can now help solve the world's most difficult health and social problems. Launched this week, the World Community Grid will use idle com…
Sun offers processing by the hour
Sun Microsystems has launched a pay-as-you-go service which will allow customers requiring huge computing power to rent it by the hour. Sun Grid costs…
Anti-tremor mouse stops PC shakes
A special adaptor that helps people with hand tremors control a computer mouse more easily has been developed. The device uses similar "steady cam" te…
Broadband soars in 2004
If broadband were a jumbo jet, then 2003 would have seen it taxiing down the runway, firing up its engines and preparing for take-off. But this year h…
Google to scan famous libraries
The libraries of five of the world's most important academic institutions are to be digitised by Google. Scanned pages from books in the public domain…
BT program to beat dialler scams
BT is introducing two initiatives to help beat rogue dialler scams, which can cost dial-up net users thousands. From May, dial-up net users will be ab…
China net cafe culture crackdown
Chinese authorities closed 12,575 net cafes in the closing months of 2004, the country's government said. According to the official news agency most o…
Apple makes blogs reveal sources
Apple has won its legal fight to make three bloggers reveal who told them about unreleased products. The bid to unmask the employees leaking informati…
New browser wins over net surfers
The proportion of surfers using Microsoft's Internet Explorer (IE) has dropped to below 90%, say web analysts. Net traffic monitor, OneStat.com, has r…
China 'blocks Google news site'
China has been accused of blocking access to Google News by the media watchdog, Reporters Without Borders. The Paris-based pressure group said the Eng…
Learning to love broadband
We are reaching the point where broadband is a central part of daily life, at least for some, argues technology analyst Bill Thompson. One of the nice…
No half measures with Half-Life 2
Could Half-Life 2 possibly live up to the hype? After almost two years of tantalising previews and infuriating delays it's safe to say that this is th…
Millions to miss out on the net
By 2025, 40% of the UK's population will still be without internet access at home, says a study. Around 23 million Britons will miss out on a wide ran…
A decade of good website design
The web looks very different today than it did 10 years ago. Back in 1994, Yahoo had only just launched, most websites were text-based and Amazon, Goo…
Broadband set to revolutionise TV
BT is starting its push into television with plans to offer TV over broadband. As a telecoms company, BT is moving to a content distribution strategy,…
UK net users leading TV downloads
British TV viewers lead the trend of illegally downloading US shows from the net, according to research. New episodes of 24, Desperate Housewives and …
Search sites get closer to users
Search sites want to get to know you better. Not content with providing access to the millions of websites, many now offer ways that do a better job o…
Man auctions ad space on forehead
A 20-year-old US man is selling advertising space on his forehead to the highest bidder on website eBay. Andrew Fisher, from Omaha, Nebraska, said he …
Lasers help bridge network gaps
An Indian telecommunications firm has turned to lasers to help it overcome the problems of setting up voice and data networks in the country. Tata Tel…
Be careful how you code
A new European directive could put software writers at risk of legal action, warns former programmer and technology analyst Bill Thompson. If it gets …
Movie body hits peer-to-peer nets
The movie industry has struck out at file-sharing networks with another round of lawsuits in the US. The Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) …
Cable offers video-on-demand
Cable firms NTL and Telewest have both launched video-on-demand services as the battle between satellite and cable TV heats up. Movies from Sony Pictu…
US woman sues over ink cartridges
A US woman is suing Hewlett Packard (HP), saying its printer ink cartridges are secretly programmed to expire on a certain date. The unnamed woman fro…
Blog reading explodes in America
Americans are becoming avid blog readers, with 32 million getting hooked in 2004, according to new research. The survey, conducted by the Pew Internet…
Peer-to-peer nets 'here to stay'
Peer-to-peer (P2P) networks are here to stay, and are on the verge of being exploited by commercial media firms, says a panel of industry experts. Onc…
Satellite mapping aids Darfur relief
Aid workers trying to house, feed and clothe millions of homeless refugees in the Sudanese region of Darfur are getting a helping hand from advanced m…
Online commons to spark debate
Online communities set up by the UK government could encourage public debate and build trust, says the Institute of Public Policy Research (IPPR). Exi…
Microsoft gets the blogging bug
Software giant Microsoft is taking the plunge into the world of blogging. It is launching a test service to allow people to publish blogs, or online j…
Ink helps drive democracy in Asia
The Kyrgyz Republic, a small, mountainous state of the former Soviet republic, is using invisible ink and ultraviolet readers in the country's electio…
Broadband challenges TV viewing
The number of Europeans with broadband has exploded over the past 12 months, with the web eating into TV viewing habits, research suggests. Just over …