Omnis Studio 3.0 shares the load

Omnis has launched version 3.0 of Omnis Studio, the visual database front-end builder. The latest release contains improvements for the faster creation of Web-based databases for e-commerce, and Omnis has added tools to make Omnis 3. ...more

Sandisk intros 8GB MP3 player

SanDisk Corporation has introduced in the States what is claimed to be the world's largest capacity flash-based MP3 player. The Sansa e280 is equipped with 8GB of flash memory as standard. For those who feel they need to put multiple versions of Wagner's Ring cycle on their MP3 player there is also a microSD expansion slot option to plug in up to 2GB of extra memory through a microSD card providing up to 10GB of memory or approximately 2,500 tunes. ...more

X-rays via the Internet

Guys and St Thomas's Hospital in London have introduced a system whereby consultants can access X-rays and other health images over the Internet. The system, developed by Kodak, means that consultants on call can make diagnoses from home or other remote locations, and expert opinions can be sought from consultants across the globe instantly. The records will only be accessible through a secure intranet site and the system is already improving efficiency and reducing stress for both clinicians and patients. ...more

Vista tweak enables iTunes downloads authorisation

Early adopters of Microsoft's Windows Vista have discovered that they are unable to play songs purchased from Apple's iTunes Music Store without tweaking Vista's settings. While iTunes will happily play DRM-free songs that have been ripped from CD, when it tries to play a purchased track it prompts the user to authorise it by entering their Apple ID and password. And although iTunes then says that authorisation has been successful it continues to refuse to play the relevant songs. ...more

Sony music player to gun for iPod

Sony is planning to release a portable music player to go head-to-head with the iPod by the end of this year. Business Week reports that president Kunitake Ando has said, 'We are confident of being able to offer by the end of the year a product that is much more competitive than the iPod.' This sounds like an admission that Sony's Network Walkman, released last year, has failed to set the world alight, despite the company's decision to let later models play MP3s in addition to music encoded with Sony's proprietary and inferior ATRAC format. ...more