The Opera web browser is planning an assault on Internet Explorer 6 and (soon) 7 users, highlighting its enhanced security, customisability, and cross-platform support.

Since Opera 9 came out last month, hundreds of widgets have been produced - little applications that sit on the user's desktop and do countless tasks, from games and graphics through to calculators, dictionary tools and Internet utilities.

Opera wants to build on this in version 10 to create a browser that works on any device and operating system, including mobile and games consoles. Their vision is a widget-full world where the browser and web applications replace many of the current locally stored software.

They also want to make the browser the one of choice for developers and maintain open standards, not tied in to any proprietary system.

Since its launch, Opera has been downloaded 25 million times, so it's no pushover. It'll take a sustained push and grassroots manoeuvres for it to topple the mighty IE, though, particularly with Microsoft's captive audience.

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Last week we reported that the UK leads as the top online shopping nation in Europe.

Another study, by the Interactive in Media Retail Group, showed a growth of 40% in online spending on last year's figures, at £2.25bn. June's online figures were ten times higher than for overall retail sales.

Internet spending broke £2bn-per-month in November last year and have not dipped since.

More evidence that we're a nation of online shopaholics.

Ofcom is proposing an increase to the power of Wi-Fi transmitters in order to help give those in rural areas access to broadband.

The cost of installing any kind of broadband in more remote areas is often prohibitive, so a move to pump out more power over wi-fi transmitters could be the answer.

Hotspots might be the current trend in city areas - where the main choice is how broadband is delivered, not whether it can be delivered at all - but they tend to work fine at current power output levels.

Up to 3% of the British population live in areas that can't get high-speed Internet access. The most likely solution is to up the power on the upper third of the 2.4GHz frequency to 10W (the MoD use the bottom two thirds of the range).

Though some transmitters can get a software upgrade to increase their power output, most would need to be replaced.

Of course, even if this happens, the choice of broadband providers for rural areas won't be as wide as for those in larger towns, but at least it will be a connection.

Miniaturisation is a fine thing - especially when it means music, video, radio and voice recording in a 25mm x 55mm x 13.8mm package, as is the case with the IOPS F5 2GB media player.

Essentially this is a USB storage device, with quite a few added extras. It does music playback, supporting MP3,WMA,OGG music file playback, along with DRM. Added to that is MPEG4 video playback on the 65,000 colour screen, along with jpeg image display (with 5x zoom). There's also an FM receiver (with antenna built into the headphones), direct recording (to WMA format), voice recording (also to WMA) and a built in rechargable Li-Polymer battery, which should give you around 17 hours music file playback or 30 hours of FM radio. Sound can be changed via the 21 presets on the equaliser.

You can pick one up now in the UK, priced at £145.

Find out more

More portable players:
LG's MFJM53 portable media player now available in the UK
Inovix IMP-18 portable music player

Sky's financial results to the end of June 2006 have revealed a 75% rise in the number of UK households with a Sky+ PVR, to more than 1.55 million. That accounts for one-fifth of its subscriber base, with 13% using Multiroom Sky to show content on more than one TV.

Orders for Sky's new high-definition service reached 90,000, and whilst initial service delays due to manufacturing issues and high demand mean that only 36,000 orders have currently been fulfilled, Sky expect to have all current orders installed by this September.

To match this take-up, forecasts predict that 2.73m HD ready TVs will be bought in the UK this year, accounting for around half of all TVs sold.

Sky's total subscriber base rose to 8.2m, which puts it on track to reach 10m by the end of 2010.

Its revenues rose pretty sweetly, except its acquisition of the EasyNet ISP, which it's pinning much of its new broadband service rollout on. But don't worry folks, Sky still has plenty of money.

Good news for some Sony PSP owners - as of today (Friday), you'll be able to pop into your local games retailer to download a range of free content via Sony's new PlayStation Spot service.

Similar to a service rolled out by Nintendo earlier this year, Sony's Spot service will provide users with access to game demos, music tracks, film trailers and multimedia content, which can be downloaded for free from specified UK locations. There is one drawback - it's a limited service initially, covering mainly city retailers, including Gamestation in Edinburgh and Birmingham, HMV and GAME in London and Virgin in Leeds. You can find a full list of locations at the PlayStation Spot website.

If you're not lucky enough to be near a store, a full service should be available by 2007

PlayStation Spot

More gaming:
Will the iPod become a games machine?
Sony trials movies on a Memory Stick

You wouldn't think it but the humble computer keyboard annoys the hell out of a lot of PC users, especially those of a certain age, who like Propellerhead, learned to type on a typewriter. The Caps Lock key is one of the biggest bones of contention, and in particular the way it behaves, which, is quite unlike the way the Shift Lock key on a typewriter works.

If you've never got used to it, or you just want to see what it was like in the olden days then here's a simple little tip that makes the Shift key work like a typewriter and cancel caps lock. All you have to do is go to Regional and Language Options in Control Panel, select the Languages tab and click the Details button then the Key Settings button and under 'To turn off Caps Lock' select Press the Shift Key'.

So you thought Lego was just for kids? Wrong! There's a whole bunch of enthusiasts out there using the plastic building blocks to construct everything from self-balancing robots and fully functional vending machines to CD throwers. Prepare to be amazed at the pictures and videos on at TechEblog, which features a collection of the Top 10 Lego Gadgets

Along with the upscaling DVD1000 player, Evesham this week also announced the PVR160 - a combined personal video recorder and Freeview receiver for under £150.

The PVR160 is a combined Digital Terrestrial (Freeview) receiver and digital video recorder. which gives you access to all free-to-air digital TV Channels and radio stations in your area via a full 7-day Electronic Programme Guide (EPG), which also alows you to schedule your weekly viewing at the touch of a button. Recording capapcity is 160GB, which should be enough to store up to 80 hours of programming. And as it features twin tuners, you can watch one digital TV channel whilst recording another.

The PVR160 also features a Timeshift function, automatically recording the last 30 minutes of whatever you are watching, which allows you to pause and rewind live TV. It's available now, priced at £149.99

Find out more

More recording:
Funai's 3-in-1 HDR-B2735 video/DVD player and recorder
Hitachi's new Memory Master DVD/HDD recorder

Steve Ballmer, straight-talking (shouting? throwing?) CEO of Microsoft has vowed that Microsoft must become 'multi-core' - in other words, try to take over in multiple markets, even those that they're not currently number one in.

He highlighted their strengths in both desktop and server software, then focused on developing more entertainment and online services. "There really is a Sony that lives inside of us," he said. "There's an aspiring Google or Yahoo that lives inside of us."

Ballmer talked about entering markets where someone else got there first, with the proviso of innovating and going for growth. Presumably this is the rationale behind Xbox and the forthcoming Zune products.

He also admitted that the next gen operating system, Vista, has taken far too long to launch, stating that it will never again take Microsoft 5 years to update major products.

Time will tell, Steve.

Via ComputerWorld

LG has added two new home cinema systems to its range with the LHRH760IA and the LHRH361SE - both featuring a stylish design, along with recordable DVD players, XTS Pro surround sound and HDMI connectivity.

The LHRH760IA 'tall boy' system includes five ultra-slim speakers and a powerful sub-woofer that offers an impressive 700 watt power output. The recorder supports anything from DVD+RW to DVD-RAM, while additional digital devices such as a camcorder or a digital camera can be linked up via the integrated USB entry. The 250GB hard disk drive allows up to 345 hours of recording time, which should cover most people's immediate needs.

Hey, looks like a really good game of chinese whispers has gripped the web. We ran the story below about iPods lasting four years, which was a link from Mac World which picked it up from the Chicago Tribune. Anyhow according to Apple's UK PR the original quote was that 'iPods last for years,' not four years.

Well we can only take Apple at its word. Anyhow four years is a pretty long stint for a portable music player, a few years longer than most devices I have ever owned. Apple has said that its iPod's are designed to last at least four years.

This statement comes in response to criticism that the iPod is prone to malfunctions. An Apple spokeswoman said that the failure rate is less that 5%: "Fairly low" compared with other consumer electronics.

It's not surprising, given the high volumes of the gadget and the demanding environments it finds itself in (being jostled on the Tube, for example).

A previous survey carried out by Microsoft analyst (hmmm) Rob Enderle said that iPods had a 15% failure rate.

iPod users display a fanatical brand loyalty, however, and despite problems seem quite happy to stick with the brand. Good news for Apple. The new Walkman, according to one user interviewed.

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Just as soon as Intel announced its new Core 2 Duo chips, the notebook makers are readying themselves for getting the new models onto the shelves. First out of the blocks is Rock - they have announced plans for two new notebooks using Intel's Core 2 Duo mobile processor, both built on existing designs, but with more power under the bonnet.

First up will be the Xtreme CTX Pro and Pegasus 665 notebooks. The Xtreme CTX Pro is billed as the ultimate mobile gaming notebook, featuring NVIDIA GeForce Go 7900 GTX graphics card and a 17-inch X-Glass screen. The Pegasus 665 is a more compact notebook, pitched at those who want to combine their gaming with more serious applications. It features a 15.4-inch screen and NVIDIA GeForce Go 7600 graphics.

Further details including full specification, pricing and availability will be made available at the end of August. We'll keep you posted.

Rock website

More notebooks:
Medion introduces customisable entry-level notebook
Rock first in UK to ship notebook with Intel Core Duo T2700

Forget buying one of those illustrated manuals full of men with beards showing you how to do the nasty. Bayraider has found a Karma Sutra bedsheet (their mis-spelling, but we quite like it), which shows happy couples exactly where to put their hands, feet and bums in order to achieve sexual nirvana (or just put your back out). They're also having a Freaky Friday item-fest, with stuff including electric-shock arm-wrestling, a gothic punk skull with a lizard on top, and the chance to go out in style with a full Viking funeral pyre. All essential purchases, we're sure you'll agree.

We seem to be seeing a lot of outdoor/sports watches right now (must be the hot weather), the latest of which is from Casio, which has introduced the Pro Treck and Sea Pathfinder outdoor watches.

The Pro Treck watch is ideal for outdoors, because it's powered by a tough solar power system, so no need for batteries. It's got an analog-digital configuration means, so you always check the time even while viewing digital data, while a trio of sensors provides up-to-the-minute readouts of barometric pressure and altitude (-700 to 10,000 meters), air temperature, and bearing - just the thing for budding adventurers. It's also water resistant to 100m, low temperature resistant and also features a 1/100 second stopwatch and a daily alarm. Complete with its titanium bracelet, it's available for around £240.

A new survey from the charity Help the Aged shows that 1.5 million over the age of 75 own a mobile phone, with 300,000 using it to text their friends and family.

The study shows that many older people think that it's important to have an understanding of new technology, with 26% of over-65s seeing it as a way of remaining independent.

Even so, not everyone is feeling so tech-savvy. 31% find new technology confusing, with 22% saying that their age or disability will stop them benefiting from it. 20% say that they haven't been taught how to use new gadgetry.

Despite this, it does dispel the image of low adoption rates for technology amongst the elderly.

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If the Roberts Gemini 19 DAB digital clock radio from earlier this week was a little too basic for your bedroom, how about about the Pure Chronos DAB/CD alarm clock - which should give you a bigger blast - and more choice - in a morning.

Based on the original Chronos, the new version is more of a bedside stereo than a radio, combining DAB and CD, stereo speakers and an alarm. In fact, you get four completely independent alarms that can be set for weekdays, weekends, daily or just as one offs - each with the choice of waking up to either DAB, , FM, CD or a traditional buzzer. And there's also a sleep button to ease you into sleep - and a snooze if you can't quite get out of it.

If you're a startup video-sharing service, how do you take on the might of YouTube, which has users (if not actual profits) coming out of its ears? If you're SelfcastTV, the answer is simple: mobile.

The service lets you send video clips via MMS from your phone - a feature that's lacking in YouTube and many of its rivals. According to SelfcastTV founder Suranga Chandratillake (left), that's because they're based in the US, where video-capable cameraphones are still relatively thin on the ground.

"That's filtered through to the sharing sites, so none of them have any real support for mobile phones," he says. "Some support email-based uploads because laptops with Wi-Fi are popular, but that's it."

Sharp explains in excruciating detail how the SD-SP10 surround sound single speaker works, but the gist of it is, it's one speaker, and it sounds like a whole lot of them, even in a big room. It is also small, especially as compared to the typical pile of speakers required to generate a similar effect, and at an MSRP of $349, a pretty good-sounding deal (ack, pardon me). CNet notes that it's not quite as good for people who are off to the side, but if your priorities are aesthetics and budget, you're probably not a Robert Fripp-grade audiophile to begin with. [GT]

SD-SP10 surround sound single speaker [via CNet]

Related stories: Sharp DV-SV97H DVD player with HDMI upscaling | Sharp introduces new range of Aquos HD-ready LCD TVs | Sharp unveils the XV-Z3000 high-definition projector

Now this may seem a bit Orwellian for some, but Mobile Marketing Magazine  reports that from 13 August, parents who want to know where their kids are will be able to find out, so long as they have a mobile phone on the right network.

It's all down to Phonesitter, a new service that tracks the movements of individuals via their handset. Phonesitter establishes locations using the transmitter/receiver networks of Orange, T-Mobile, O2 and Vodafone. Although established in other parts of the world, phone tracking has only recently been permitted in the UK after a change in legislation.

The service costs from £5 per month, for which you can track up to five phones, and though it sounds intrusive, the company behind the service points out that it's not possible to track any phone without the prior knowledge and authorisation of the phone holder, and that once authorised, all registered phone holders are informed that they may be tracked, and may withdraw from the service at any time, by sending a text message to Phonesitter.

Get the full story here.