More phones can be BlackBerries

The firm behind the popular handheld BlackBerry will make the device's software more widely available.

Research in Motion (RIM) plans to roll out software that will allow multimedia mobile phones running on a Microsoft platform to work like BlackBerries.

The facility will widen the choice of handsets available for Blackberry devotees who want to use its applications, such as wireless e-mail.

But it will only work on mobiles with the latest Windows software.

There are currently few models available running Windows Mobile 6.0, the latest version of Microsoft's platform, but the numbers are expected to increase this year.

Customised

The software is designed to broaden access to Blackberry functions, especially to those who do not want to switch devices to get them.

Once the software is installed, the Windows layout and icons are replaced with the BlackBerry interface, customised to the particular handset.

A user would be able to switch back and forth between the two platforms, the company said.

The Canadian firm said it did not know yet whether downloading the software would incur an added charge, or if it would be included with subscription to the BlackBerry service, which generally costs between $30 (£14.90) and $50 a month.

RIM said it was working closely with a number of mobile phone operators, including AT&T, to make the software available on handsets, possibly by September.

BlackBerries Technology News by BBC News

Net firms tackle Vista headache

Windows Vista is causing problems for some new PC owners hooking up their machine to a broadband connection.



Some old installation discs that simplify the task of configuring a PC for broadband have refused to work on machines loaded with Vista.



One reader was warned by Virgin Media that it would be "weeks" before its software worked with Vista.



Other net service firms have also admitted that the appearance of Vista has caused some hiccups for users.



Disc delays



Microsoft launched the consumer versions of Windows Vista on 30 January and anyone buying a PC since that date is likely to have it installed on their brand new machine.



Many are thought to have suffered the same problem as Swansea-based Rob Evans who found that he could not use his existing Virgin Media account with his new PC from Tesco.



After ringing Virgin for help he was told that Vista support may not be forthcoming for some time.



A spokesman for Virgin Media, formerly NTL/Telewest, admitted that its discs did not yet work with Vista but added that Mr Evans was now using his broadband service.



"We can get people online without the installation disc," he added. "It's not that it does not work, it's just the disc."



The spokesman said that other net service firms were also known to be taking time to get to grips with Vista.



"It's such a big product that to train staff up on it fully and make sure all your services are tested and compliant takes time," he said.



A spokesman for BT said: "I think we are now supporting it though we did have some issues with it."



In particular, he said, Vista was conflicting with the Norton security software that BT sells with some of its broadband bundles.



"That's now been ironed out," he added.



The spokesman said BT had created a help page devoted to Vista to make it easier for people to get their PC connected.



Net service firm Tiscali advises its users to back-up important data on their Vista PC before attempting to connect it to broadband.



Andrew Ferguson, editor at Think Broadband, said: "I suspect Vista is going to break a lot of things as it makes some major changes to how things are done in Windows."



"Many places aren't up to speed with Vista yet," he said.



Windows Vista Technology by BBC

UK hacker loses extradition fight

A British man has lost his High Court fight against extradition to the US for allegedly carrying out the "biggest military computer hack of all time".



Glasgow-born Gary McKinnon, of north London, is accused of gaining access to 97 US military and Nasa computers.



Home Secretary John Reid granted the US request to extradite him for trial.



At the High Court in London, his lawyers argued the 41-year-old had been subjected to "improper threats" and the move would breach his human rights.



His lawyers had argued that, if extradited, he would face an unknown length of time in pre-trial detention, with no likelihood of bail.



He would also face a long prison sentence - "in the region of 45 years" - and may not be allowed to serve part of the sentence at home in the UK, his lawyers had said.



But, on Tuesday, Lord Justice Maurice Kay and Mr Justice Goldring dismissed his legal challenge, saying they could not find any grounds for appeal.



Ben Cooper, for Mr McKinnon, said his client would now seek to make an appeal against his extradition at the House of Lords.



Alleged threats by US authorities, including one from New Jersey prosecutors that "he would fry", would be among issues raised, Mr Cooper said.



"We will certainly be applying for this court to certify a point of law of public importance and to grant leave," he said.



Mr McKinnon had been suffering from ill health during recent court hearings, he added.



Mr McKinnon has never denied that he accessed the computer networks of a wide number of US military institutions between February 2001 and March 2002.



Mr McKinnon, arrested in November 2002, has always maintained that he was motivated by curiosity and that he only managed to get into the networks because of lax security.



Technology News by BBC NEWS

Lenovo tops eco-friendly ranking

Chinese computer maker Lenovo has topped a ranking of the world's most eco-friendly electronics firms.



Compiled by Greenpeace, the quarterly report ranks firms by how green their production processes are and what they do to recycle hardware they sell.



In previous reports Lenovo ranked low for eco-friendliness but in 2007 it scooped the top spot over Nokia, Sony Ericsson, Dell, and Samsung.



Apple came last of the 14 firms Greenpeace profiled in the report.



Action plan



The study, which was first compiled in 2006, looks at how big electronics firms make their hardware to see if they use toxic chemicals in the production process and scrutinises what they do to recycle goods when customers have stopped using them.



The campaigning group said that overall scores for the hi-tech firms it profiled had improved but it shied away from describing any hardware maker as "green".



Despite this, Iza Kruszewska, Greenpeace international toxics campaigner, said the industry had made some positive steps in the last 12 months with firms starting to act rather than just issue statements of intent. Of the 14 companies profiled, said Ms Kruszewska, nine now score more than five out of 10.



Top of the table Lenovo, which bought IBM's consumer electronics division in 2005, got 8 out of 10 for offering takeback services in all the nations where its products are sold. This means it will recycle any broken or obsolete own-brand product returned to it.



"Given the growing mountains of e-waste in China - both imported and domestically generated - it is heartening to see a Chinese company taking the lead, and assuming responsibility at least for its own branded waste," said Ms Kruszewska.



However, Lenovo lost marks for still using some of the most toxic substances to make its products.



Other firms in the top five, such as Sony-Ericsson, have already eliminated toxic chemicals including brominated fire retardants, polyvinyl chloride, beryllium and phthalates from their factories.



Greenpeace criticised Apple for not setting a deadline for eliminating some toxic chemicals from its production processes. Apple scored 2.7 out of 10 on Greenpeace's ranking.



In response, Apple said in a statement: "We disagree with Greenpeace's rating and the criteria."



The company added: "Apple has a strong environmental track record and has led the industry in restricting and banning toxic substances such as mercury, cadmium and hexavalent chromium, as well as many brominated flame retardants."



Computer Technology News by BBC NEWS

HP unveils plan for gaming future

US computer and printer manufacturer Hewlett-Packard has unveiled plans it hopes will make it a major force in the global video and online gaming market.



HP bought specialist gaming computer firm VoodooPC at the end of last year, and said it would now expand the hardware the firm was able to offer.



Ideas on the drawing board are a curved computer screen and a handheld device that let users play on the move.



The global computer gaming business is worth some $35bn (£18bn) a year.



Gloves off



As computer software and hardware becomes more sophisticated, so does the taste of consumers who look for ever more interactive gaming experiences.



A number of the world's biggest electronics firms are already fighting for domination in the video console business, including Nintendo, Sony and Microsoft.



However, HP said that it would not go into direct competition with Nintendo's Wii console, Sony's Playstation 3 and Microsoft's X-Box.



Instead the company would focus more on the online, mobile and computer gaming market, where millions of players take part in interactive games such as World of Warcraft.



"When we start playing in that space, the gloves are coming off," said Rahul Sood, chief technical officer of HP's global gaming division and the founder of VoodooPC.



Greater reality



One part of the sales plan will be for HP to offer gaming-specific computers that are more expensive than a normal PC, but less pricey than the custom-built specialized hardware that VoodooPc offers its clients.



HP is not the only company looking to meet the growing needs of gamers, and in March 2006 rival Dell bought computer maker Alienware in an effort to better cater to the profitable if somewhat niche market.



HP also unveiled some prototypes that it hopes will lure consumers.



One idea is a curved computer screen that would allow people playing a driving game to see the road to their left and right, and not just straight ahead.



Another prototype is for a handheld device that would let a users incorporate real landscapes into their games whilst on the move.



HP Technology News by BBC NEWS

Microsoft aims to double PC base

Microsoft software will sell for just $3 (£1.50) in some parts of the world in an attempt to double the number of global PC users.



The firm wants to bring computing to a further one billion people by 2015.



Governments in developing countries can purchase the cut-price software, if they provide free PCs for schools.



Other companies and organisations are also trying to boost computer literacy in developing countries, notably the One Laptop per Child project.



The OLPC are in the final stages of developing a low cost, durable laptop, designed to work specifically in an educational context.



Five million of the laptops will be start to be delivered to developing nations this summer.



The eventual aim is to sell the machine to developing countries for $100 but the current cost of the machine is about $150.



The first countries to sign up to buying the machine, which is officially dubbed XO, include Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, Rwanda, Nigeria, Libya, Pakistan and Thailand.



Business drive



The Microsoft initiative was launched by Bill Gates in Beijing under the banner of its Unlimited Potential scheme, a program aimed at bridging the digital divide.



The scheme aims to bring the benefit of computing technology to the remaining five sixths of the world's population, who currently live without it.



"Bringing the benefits of technology to the next five billion people will require new products that meet the needs of underserved communities," said Microsoft chairman Bill Gates. One of the first products, that is hoped will reach the next billion people is the Microsoft's student Innovation Suite.



The package includes Windows XP Starter Edition, Microsoft Office Home and Student 2007, as well as other educational software.



The $3 package will start to be sold to governments in the second half of 2007.



"This is not a philanthropic effort, this is a business," Orlando Ayala of Microsoft told the Reuter's news agency.



In may developing countries, pirated versions of Microsoft software are sold very cheaply.



Governments will be required to provide free computers to schools, capable of running Windows, to be eligible for the discounted software.



The scheme is one of many launched by organisation and big business to address the digital divide.



Besides the OLPC scheme, chip maker Intel has developed the Classmate PC, while its rival AMD has launched a scheme called 50x15 that aims to put computer technology in the hands of half of the world's population by 2015



Microsoft Technology News by BBC News

More phones can be BlackBerries

The firm behind the popular handheld BlackBerry will make the device's software more widely available.



Research in Motion (RIM) plans to roll out software that will allow multimedia mobile phones running on a Microsoft platform to work like BlackBerries.



The facility will widen the choice of handsets available for Blackberry devotees who want to use its applications, such as wireless e-mail.



But it will only work on mobiles with the latest Windows software.



There are currently few models available running Windows Mobile 6.0, the latest version of Microsoft's platform, but the numbers are expected to increase this year.



Customised



The software is designed to broaden access to Blackberry functions, especially to those who do not want to switch devices to get them.



Once the software is installed, the Windows layout and icons are replaced with the BlackBerry interface, customised to the particular handset.



A user would be able to switch back and forth between the two platforms, the company said.



The Canadian firm said it did not know yet whether downloading the software would incur an added charge, or if it would be included with subscription to the BlackBerry service, which generally costs between $30 (£14.90) and $50 a month.



RIM said it was working closely with a number of mobile phone operators, including AT&T, to make the software available on handsets, possibly by September.



BlackBerries Technology News by BBC News

Apple TV Could Take Living Room by Storm

With 110 million iTunes users, Apple TV already has a foot in the living room door. Apple has also taken care to stay in line with its emphasis on simplicity in designing the device. This could add up to a big start for the soon-to-be-released set-top player, of which the company is expected to sell 4 million in 2008.



Apple TV hasn't shipped yet, but Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster thinks the home theater box is already poised to steamroll over Microsoft's (Nasdaq: MSFT) Media Center. He commented, "We believe iTunes is a Trojan horse media center, which will give Apple (Nasdaq: AAPL) a significant early lead in the digital living room."



Munster estimates there are about 110 million iTunes users -- the key market for Apple TV. In comparison, there are only about 12 million Windows Media Center users, even though the software is pre-installed on about 23 million PCs. Based on those figures, Apple already has a 10x head start over Microsoft in gaining control over digital home entertainment.



"With a wireless media streaming device, simplicity is key, and Apple carried its focus on simplicity to this product," he said. "During our tests of Apple TV at Macworld we found it very easy to use with a simple remote and intuitive navigation."



That ease of use will likely translate into sales for Apple. Wall Street is estimating Apple will sell 4 million Apple TV units in calendar 2008, generating about US$1.2 billion in revenue.



Munster is rating Apple as "Outperform" with a target price at $124. Apple is currently trading in the pre-market at $89.40, down 0.17 cents (0.19 percent).



Apple TV Technology News by technewsworld

EU price probe into Apple iTunes

The EU has launched an inquiry into what Apple's online music store iTunes charges users across Europe, accusing it of restricting customer choice.



Brussels believes agreements between Apple and record companies violate EU laws by preventing users in one country buying music from a site elsewhere.



The move follows a complaint by UK body Which? that British users have to pay more to download songs than others.



Apple said it wanted to offer a single European service but faced obstacles.



Different pricing



The Commission's move is unrelated to an agreement, announced on Monday, between iTunes and EMI to make the latter's music available online without piracy protection.



Brussels has written to Apple and a number of unnamed record companies to notify them of their objections to the way music is sold, the first step in formal proceedings.



Media reports speculated that it had contacted each of the "big four" record companies - EMI, Sony BMG, Warner Music and Universal Music.



The Commission said Apple established customers' country of residence through their credit card details and only allowed people to buy tracks from the website for that country.



"Consumers can only buy music from the iTunes online stores in their country of residence and are therefore restricted in their choice of where to buy music," said EU competition spokesman Jonathan Todd.



Research by Which? in 2005 found that UK users paid 79p (1.16 euros) to download a song, compared with 66p (99 euro cents) in France and Germany.



Apple said it had always wanted to offer a fully pan-European service, but was restricted by the demands of its music partners.



"We were advised by the music labels and publishers that there were certain legal limits to the rights they could grant us," it said in a statement.



'Restricting competition'



The companies targeted by Brussels have two months in which to respond to the charges.



Which? welcomed the investigation, saying the benefits of the European single market should be available to music lovers in all member states.



"This investigation proves that iTunes is overcharging its UK customers, who are paying substantially more for their music," said Alena Kozakova, its principal economist.



"The announcement means that companies can no longer hide behind intellectual property rights to restrict competition for consumers."



Apple iTunes News by BBC NEWS