John Lister

Adobe has launched a free online version of its popular Photoshop image editing software, combining it with an online picture storage service. Photoshop Express includes basic features such as airbrushing, red-eye reduction and re-sizing, along with ... some fancy effects that turn pictures into sketches or distort them for comic effect. Users also get two gigabytes of online storage, and images can be shared via on-line galleries or integrated with social networking sites such as Facebook. It seems the plan is to introduce Photoshop to new users in the hope of them buying an upgrade to Photoshop ... (view more)

Movie rental firm Netflix had to delay deliveries by a day after its site was down for nearly 11 hours on Monday. It's thought the problem was caused by a routine weekly maintenance session, scheduled for the middle of the night, mistakenly taking ... place during the day. Engineers noticed the problem at 7am Pacific time and didn't get it fixed until 6pm. (Source: wired.com ) Because the company's distribution centers all rely on the website to access customer data, no deliveries were possible on Monday. A spokesman said on Tuesday that "We're shipping everything that should have been shipped ... (view more)

Apple is using its iTunes software to persuade Microsoft Windows users to ditch Internet Explorer and switch to its Safari web browser. The iPod-maker is taking advantage of an update service in iTunes that tells users when a new version of the ... software, or the accompanying QuickTime program (used for iTunes videos) is available. Around 100 million people use iTunes to manage their iPod players, many of them on a Windows PC. The update service is now suggesting to users that they download the new edition (3.1) of the Safari browser. That's a little cheeky; the message is seen by everyone, ... (view more)

Apple is reportedly considering a plan to sell premium-priced iPods that include unlimited access to the entire iTunes library. The deal would work on both iPods and iPhones, and would either be a flat-fee or a monthly subscription. Users could then ... download as many songs as they like from the iTunes site for as long as they have their device. Subscribers could still be able to keep up to 50 of the songs on their computer even after they stop using the iPod or iPhone. It's possible they might be allowed to legally burn them to CD as well. (Source: chicagotribune.com ) It's thought Apple could ... (view more)

The first major update for Windows Vista is now available for download. Service Pack 1 can be manually downloaded from Microsoft's web site, or through Vista's built-in update facility. The download is between 434MB and 726MB depending on the type ... of computer, so many users will prefer to download it overnight. Those who choose not to install Service Pack 1 now will likely receive it through an automatic update in mid-April. Amazon will be stocking boxed copies of Vista with Service Pack 1 already installed after this week, though it's not clear when retail stores will do the same. Microsoft ... (view more)

The Supreme Court has ruled that Microsoft must defend itself against allegations it unfairly tried to undermine rivals as far back as the mid-1990s. The case stems from a 2004 lawsuit by software firm Novell, which claimed Microsoft "deliberately ... targeted and destroyed" its word processor WordPerfect and spreadsheet Quattro Pro. Novell alleges that Microsoft targeted the programs because they could run on non-Windows PCs. By making these programs less popular, Microsoft allegedly tried to make Windows a more attractive operating system. This week's case is the result of the 2004 lawsuit, ... (view more)

NBC has formally launched its online video site Hulu.com, seen by many as a potential rival to YouTube. The site, which is also backed by Fox's parent group News Corporation, contains more than 250 TV episodes from shows such as The Office and The ... Simpsons, plus movies such as The Big Lebowski. There are also movies and TV shows available in clip-form only. Sports fans can choose from clips of recent NBA and NHL games, or full-length NCAA basketball games from the past 25 years. Around 50 different TV stations, movie producers and websites are represented in the project. Some shows include ... (view more)

After just four months, Wal-Mart has abandoned its once-promising Linux-based PC experiment. Although no longer available for sale in stores, the company will continue to retail these systems through its website. The 'gPC' made by Everex cost just ... $199, largely because the firm didn't have to pay licensing fees to Microsoft. Linux is an open-source operating system which is free to download and modify. Many of its users find and share ways to improve the system. A spokeswoman said the model was more popular among online buyers. That's likely because Linux is generally used by people who are ... (view more)

Hackers have already found a way into the newest iPhone software, just three months before it's officially launched to the public. The new edition of the software is officially titled version 1.2, though will get the snazzier sounding '2.0' tag on ... its formal launch. Hackers got hold of the software because it's included in Apple's new Software Development Kit (SDK). The main gripe between Apple and the hackers is that, while the firm encourages independent development of features to run on the phone, it wants tight control over how this is done. Apple is demanding they become the exclusive ... (view more)

The head of Facebook is recovering from a disastrous on-stage conference appearance and the irony is that rival service Twitter made things far worse. Mark Zuckerburg was speaking at the South by Southwest Interactive Conference and Festival, an ... annual event that recently added technology to its music and film remit. His appearance took the form of an interview conducted by technology journalist Sarah Lacy, a columnist for Business Week. She repeatedly interrupted Zuckerburg, asked 'softball' questions and even gave away news that Facebook is planning a French launch, an announcement he'd ... (view more)