Full details of IBM e-servers released

IBM has officially released full details of the rebranding of its line of servers. Essentially, the term "eserver" will prefix a notional sub-division of its existing range of products. The most obvious change is that the AS/400 identity will be subsumed within one of a range of "Series". ...more

W3C advances XHTML-Print as Web standard

XHTML-Print has been advanced to the status of a Proposed Recommendation by the World Wide Consortium (W3C), the body in charge of Internet standards. It is designed to standardise the support for printing from mobile devices and low-cost printers that might not have a full-page buffer. XHTML-Print is also targeted at printing in environments where it is not always feasible or desirable to install a printer-specific driver, and where some variability in output format is acceptable. ...more

Europe pushes for top level domain

EU ministers yesterday pushed for the creation of a ".eu" top level domain name for Europe. With more companies becoming interested in getting onto the World Wide Web, top level domain names are becoming scarce and many companies are finding it increasingly difficult to secure their very own, unique ". ...more

Sony appoints senior exec to oversee product quality and safety

Sony has appointed a senior executive to oversee product quality and safety, following an overheating problem with laptop batteries that it had supplied to Dell and Apple. It is the first time that the Japanese company has appointed such a high-level employee to the role. Makoto Kogure, formerly president of Sony's TV division, will be responsible for quality and safety across the company's extensive product portfolio. ...more

Schools fingerprinting kids without parents' consent

As many as three-quarters of school authorities allow students' fingerprints to be held in databases - for use as identification for libraries and canteens - according to Conservative Party data. According to media reports confirmed by a conservative party spokesperson, a Freedom of Information Act request revealed that 132 of 171 local education authorities - some 17,000 thousand schools covering 5.9 million children - in the UK allow fingerprinting of students. ...more