Tag: techdigest
Alcatel-Lucent claim massive payout from Microsoft over 'co-development' of MP3 codec
Alcatel-Lucent has successfully claimed in court that Microsoft owes it a massive payout of $1.52bn due to patent infringement of the MP3 audio codec format. A-L insist that they co-developed the technology with German research organisation Fraunhofer Institute, giving them…
Was Sony right to cut European PS3 hardware? Opinions divided
On Friday we reported on the cut down European PS3, and not surprisingly it's caused some murmurings around the Internet. Dan Nicolae Alexa over at Playfuls.com has written a long and generally insightful article, which basically (and this probably does…
Virgin offer subscriber discounts after Sky withdraw channels
Virgin Media has said that it will give its subscribers up to £9.75 in monthly discounts to compensate for the loss of Sky's channels from its basic packages, after talks between the two media giants broke down today. Virgin Media…
Microsoft hikes the cost of putting Vista on a Mac: consumer editions not allowed on virtual machines
The war between Microsoft and Apple continues, as Microsoft bans consumer (ie cheaper) versions of its Vista operating system being used on a Mac. Thanks to the licensing agreement for the consumer editions of Vista, they cannot be run on…
Patient Europeans to get cut down version of Sony PS3
I think it's fair to say that European gamers waiting for Sony's PS3 to finally launch have been a pretty patient bunch, quite apart from the fact Sony have made it plain that it's illegal to import foreign PS3s. Now,…
Eutelsat to launch European satellite broadband service
Though the development may not be of enormous benefit to those in the UK struggling to get a fixed broadband connection, the European satellite operator Eutelsat has announced that it will be launching a satellite-based broadband service in June this…
Cisco and Apple finally agree that both can use the iPhone name
In a move that is probably of greater benefit to Apple, Cisco have agreed to drop their iPhone trademark lawsuit, allowing both companies to use the name for their intended purposes. Both companies agree to drop any pending actions over…
Virgin Media secures more VoD content deals: ITV still absent
Virgin Media have done another content deal, this time with Warner Brothers. This means it will be able to bring the delights of shows such as Nip/Tuck, The West Wing, and The OC, to its on-demand service. Virgin also has…
Drive-by pharming: secure your broadband router, and be careful where you surf
New research from the Indiana University School of Informatics suggests that up to half of all broadband users could be at risk from a new type of threat now known as 'drive-by pharming'. Using JavaScript, it's possible for a hacker…
Sat-nav guided lorries being banned from Hampshire village
Whilst the RAC might think sat-nav drivers are safer, Hampshire County Council doesn't share their experience – not for HGV drivers who've been following sat-nav instructions and carving up the village of Exton, near Winchester, anyway. They responded to damaged…