SME’s not prepared for disaster planning
September 30, 2005
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According to a study commissioned by Cable & Wireless, the telecommunications company, 62% of mid-sized UK businesses make no provision for staff to work from home in the event of disruption or disaster.
The study, which was supported by […]
IE market share holds steady against Firefox
September 30, 2005
According to web analytics company WebSideStory, Firefox’s success in gaining market share from Internet Explorer is beginning to falter. The company says that Firefox, an open source browser, has increased its market by just one percentage point over the last five months - from 6.75 per cent in April to 7.86 per cent in September. […]
Fuel cells to power KIDDI mobile
September 30, 2005
Japanese mobile phone network KDDI is planning to demo a pair of prototype handsets, both powered by fuel cells, next month. The carrier hopes to have versions available for its consumers to try by March 2006.
KDDI co-developed the handsets with Toshiba and Hitachi. The Toshiba handset is a modified A5509T, which has a […]
BT launches Datazone - 3G, Wi-Fi, GPRS combo
September 30, 2005
BT has launched a “BT Datazone†which enables an organisation’s mobile employees to connect wherever they are. The product combines Wi-Fi, 3G and GPRS connectivity in a single, intelligent package.
Users can access the internet and check emails via 7,800 BT Openzone Wi-Fi hotspots in the UK and Ireland. If they are on the move, they […]
Minimum wage increases
September 30, 2005
The minimum wage will increase on 1 October, benefiting over one million workers. The new minimum rate for adults will be £5.05 an hour, up from £4.85. The minimum rate for 18 to 21 year olds will increase by 15p to £4.25.
The increase follows a report from the Low Pay Commission, which said the […]
vBulletin 3.5 release
September 30, 2005
vBulletin 3.5 release promises new era for BBS
The release of vBulletin 3.5.0 promises a new era of functionality for forum admins running vBulletin.
Previously, across BBS platforms, when adding new modifications to a forum, you would have to modify the source code itself. While modding groups could automate this process to some degree, it always meant […]
Microsoft release SP2 for Office 2003
September 29, 2005
Microsoft has released Service Pack 2 for Office 2003, which is designed to improve the reliability of the latest version of Microsoft’s office productivity suite. It also provides support for upgraded applications, security improvements and stability and performance improvements.
While the Outlook email client component of Office 2003 includes spam-filtering functions as standard, SP2 increases security […]
BT to launch IPTV in Summer 2006
September 29, 2005
BT is planning to launch its internet protocol television (IPTV) service in late summer 2006, according to Andrew Burke, CEO, BT Entertainment. Mr Burke made the announcement at the Enhanced TV Show in London.
BT developed its new set-top box technology in partnership with Microsoft. It will combine a digital terrestrial television receiver with a broadband […]
Scheme aims to connect investors and technology in Britain
September 29, 2005
Oracle refused key patent
A new £3m investment scheme, gateway2investment or g2i, aims to accelerate the growth of science and technology firms in London and encourage more firms to relocate to or start up in the city.
The programme aims to position the capital as a global centre for science and technology. It is supported by […]
DSG launch Freetalk
September 29, 2005
Freetalk technology to make voice calls over broadband has been launched in Dixons, Currys, The Link and PC World. Freetalk connects into a broadband connection via an adaptor, enabling users to make calls over the internet using a phone handset and without the need to switch on a computer.
The development of voice over internet […]
Nationwide sees continued property market cooling
September 29, 2005
According to the Nationwide, annual house price growth is continuing to slow, with a price rise of only 1.8% during the 12 months to September - the lowest increase since May 1996, and a further decline on August’s 2.3% growth.
However, the quarter-point interest rate cut to 4.5% in August might now be boosting the market. […]
Intel and Microsoft to support HD-DVD
September 27, 2005
Intel and Microsoft have promised to support Toshiba-led next generation DVD technology, HD DVD, in preference to Blu-ray DVD technology, which is backed by rival Sony.
HD DVD is being promoted by Toshiba, together with NEC, Sanyo and others, while backers of Sony’s Blu-ray discs include Dell and Apple.
The next generation of DVDs will […]
Energywatch warns energy prices will hit business
September 27, 2005
Utility consumer group Energywatch has warned that soaring energy prices are placing UK businesses of all sizes at risk. The group voiced its concerns at a meeting at the Labour party conference in Brighton.
Energywatch and business leaders called for the government to act to help lower
prices.
At the same meeting, the CBI said that […]
PlusNet to enter VoIP market
September 27, 2005
Internet service provider PlusNet confirmed yesterday that it plans to unveil a broadband telephony service shortly. The company, which is based in Sheffield, said its PlusTalk VoIP service is based on open standards. Customers will be able to communicate for free with other open standards-based services.
PlusNet is confident that its tariffs for chargeable calls will […]
Google revamps video search
September 27, 2005
Google has overhauled its video search service and now allows users to plays back search results without the need to download a media player. The results play in a large video window within the browser, meaning that the service runs on Linux and Mac machines for the first time.
A brief description of the video clip […]
IAAC warns companies on computer forensics
September 27, 2005
The Information Assurance Advisory Council (IAAC), has issued new guidelines warning that businesses are putting themselves at risk, by failing to capture essential evidence from their computer systems.
The guidelines, called the Directors and Corporate Advisors’ Guide to Digital Investigations and Evidence, aims to address a knowledge gap among companies about computer forensics. The IAAC […]
CEBR taxes will have to rise
September 26, 2005
The Centre for Economics and Business Research (CEBR), has warned that Chancellor Gordon Brown may have to raise taxes. The group said that “stealth taxes” equivalent to three pence on income tax could be introduced. The comments came after Mr Brown suggested that UK economic growth would be lower than the government had forecast.
Mr […]
Blogs influence shopper decisions
September 26, 2005
According to a survey sponsored by Hostway, shoppers are starting to use blogs as guides to what they should and shouldn’t buy. Seventy-seven percent of those surveyed said they consulted blogs before going shopping.
The blogs were considered to provide trustworthy information, because they are written by real people and based on actual experiences, and […]
Oracle refused key patent
September 26, 2005
Oracle has been refused permission in the UK to patent its method of converting a document from one mark-up language to another, partly because this would give Oracle too much control over sales of computer programs.
The method converted text from SGML (Standard Generalized Markup Language) to another mark-up language, such as HTML. Although this conversion […]
DoCoMo i-mode services to be offered by O2
September 26, 2005
UK mobile phone network O2 is to begin offering i-mode services on Saturday, 1 October. It will be available via four handsets, two from NEC and two from Samsung. According to DoCoMo, the creator of I-mode, they are the NEC N411i and N343i, and the Samsung S500i and Z320i. DoCoMo released the information prior to […]