Apple accelerates iBook and PowerBook laptops and cuts prices

Apple has updated both its laptop ranges, with faster PowerBooks and iBooks. The consumer-oriented iBooks can now be fitted with a DVD-burning SuperDrives for the first time. Both ranges also see welcome price cuts, with the 12in iBook dropping to just ?799. ...more

Mobile Duron hits 1GHz

AMD has released a Mobile Duron chip, clocked at 1Ghz. The chip features AMD's PowerNow! energy-saving technology and Compaq is to ship the processor, immediately, in its Compaq Presario 700 range of notebooks. Intel's fastest mobile Celeron chip runs at 933Mhz and costs $134 each in lots of one thousand. ...more

High Court backs BPI's bid to reveal file-swapper identities

ISPs have just 14 days to hand over the names of alleged file sharers, a high court judge ruled today. Mr Justice Blackburn acceded to a request by the BPI, which wants to take legal action against 28 individuals it alleges are responsible for making large numbers of music files available on P2P networks. However, without the court order, all the BPI would have had was a list of IP addresses, dates and times. ...more

Council of Europe calls for free Internet

The Council of Europe has called for a renewed commitment to the protection of Internet freedom. In a 'Declaration of freedom of communication on the Internet' the Council set out seven principles for its 45 member states, including the UK, to adhere to. Central to these principles is the idea that the exchange of information over the Internet should be subject to no more restrictions than on other media and that control should, on the whole, be exercised through self-regulation. ...more

Mutating Windows exploit puts antivirus firms on high alert

The security community has set alarm bells ringing as a new vulnerability to Windows has been uncovered. The flaw could be exploited using a specially crafted Windows Metafile (.wmf) file to gain full control of the target computer. ...more