John Lister

The European Commission has once again attacked Microsoft for bundling Internet Explorer with Windows. The EU (European Union) body recently ruled in principle that such behavior breaches European competition laws. The ruling concludes a year-long ... investigation which is the latest in a series of battles between European regulators and Microsoft. In one case, involving the inclusion of Windows Media Player in Windows, Microsoft was fined a total of $745 million. The European Commission is the executive wing of the European political system: it carries out the laws made by politicians. Its new ... (view more)

Yahoo has unveiled more details about its plan to bring Internet content to television sets. It will be available through several leading makes of TV and will include features from popular services such as YouTube and Twitter. As part of the ... Consumer Electronics Show ( CES ) in Las Vegas, Yahoo announced it has made agreements with Sony, Samsung, LG and Vizio to include the feature on some of their high-definition TV models. The service, dubbed Yahoo Connect, will involve a small Linux-based computer being built into the TV set. This will make several Yahoo functions, such as a news feed and ... (view more)

Apple has announced it will no longer use Digital Rights Management (DRM) copy protection on songs sold through iTunes. The firm also announced prices for individual tracks will vary depending on publisher demands. So far, almost all songs have ... retailed for a fixed rate of 99 cents. That price has upset some record labels which feel their tracks would still sell at a higher price, to the point that overall revenue (split with Apple) would also be higher. The new system will see songs priced at 69 cents, 99 cents or $1.29. (Source: cnn.com ) The new pricing takes effect in April, when Apple ... (view more)

Netflix recently struck a deal with LG that allows its Internet movie-rental service directly to TV sets without any extra hardware boxes required. The news comes as Roku, a firm making set-top boxes for rentals, announced Netflix will no longer be ... its exclusive provider. LG will produce 'Broadband HDTVs' which will be publicly unveiled at an entertainment trade fair this month. The sets will plug directly into an Internet connection without having to be routed via a computer or set-top box. Owners will be able to access a Netflix account directly though the TV and remote control, though this ... (view more)

Pretty much anyone with a basic knowledge of web security knows to look for the padlock symbol and an address beginning 'https:' before typing in personal or confidential details. But security researchers say the system behind this safeguard may not ... be as secure as believed. You shouldn't panic immediately, however: the workaround was found by legitimate researchers and the full details are being kept secret for obvious reasons. It would also take both intensive computer power and some other hacking tricks for criminals to exploit the loophole. At the moment, the security gap is more of a ... (view more)

The Playstation 2 is eight years old, but it's still the most-played console in America. The news comes with figures that also show the 23-year-old game Tetris continuing to succeed in the mobile age. The new stats come from Nielsen Media, the firm ... best known for producing television ratings. As well as asking panel participants to provide details of programs they watch (both through diaries and automatic metering equipment), the firm measures activity across a range of entertainment. The games console figures are based on how long users spend playing games. The figures for 2008 show that of ... (view more)

After the success of the first mobile phone using Google's Android operating system, the tech world is turning its attention to the follow up. So far, there's even a claim that it could involve a touch-screen handset previously pulled from release ... in the United States. Android is an open source system, meaning phone manufacturers are free to use and modify it as they wish. It's a rival to Microsoft's Windows Mobile and Apple's own system used on the iPhone. The first Android phone, T-Mobile's G1, has sold more than half a million so far and is even stocked in Wal-Mart. The first question is ... (view more)

2009 has got off to a great start for a team of iPhone enthusiasts with little regard for Apple's licensing requirements. They've finally figured out a way to get the phone to work with any cell phone carrier (and not just AT ... (view more)

Sprint's promotion of super-speed wireless Internet has taken an important step with the release of a plug-in modem that can work with WiMAX and the slower but more widespread 3G network. Xohm, the name for its service employing the small but ... growing WiMax wireless network, is also dubbed 4G (following on from the 3G network used by devices such as the iPhone) and aims to provide wireless data speeds comparable to fixed-line broadband. Like the 3G network, users don't have to be near a WiFi 'hotspot' (such as a cafe or airport): the data comes over the mobile phone network. At the moment, the ... (view more)

The beta version of Windows 7 has been widely distributed through torrents and other file sharing systems. But now some commentators claim Microsoft deliberately allowed the package to get into the hands of pirates. A beta edition is one which is ... effectively finished: in theory the only changes which would be made before the official release are to solve serious bugs which are found during the beta testing. The beta of Windows 7, the successor to Vista, isn't officially out until later this month (the details will likely be announced at the Consumer Electronics Show which starts on January 7 ... (view more)