Sony strengthens high-definition DVD position

Sony's purchase of MGM does not merely give the Japanese company the rights to the entire James Bond back-catalogue, it also puts it in a much stronger position when the default format for high-definition DVDs is decided, writes the New York Times. Currently there are two competing formats, Sony's Blu-ray and HD DVD, capable of storing as much as five times more than the current DVD discs. The HD DVD group is showing off its technology to Hollywood studios this week, and argues that its new discs are cheaper to make and more compatible with existing DVD technology. ...more

Healthcare tops the spam charts

July saw a big increase in Healthcare related spam whilst the proportion of pornographic spam dropped significantly. These are the findings of the monthly Clearswift survey of the spam received by 16 million users across the globe. According to Clearswift the proportions of spam received in July were healthcare 25. ...more

SCO to offer way out of Linux

SCO's next prong of attack is to persuade companies out of using Linux. SCO's SEC filing relating to the $50mn investment in SCO convertible stock details the company's future plans, which include introducing incentives for 'switching back to Unix'. 'We will help them migrate to another operating system with a stronger IP foundation,' we were told. ...more

US takes first steps to shut down spyware peddler

The Federal Trade Commission has taken the first step to crack down on the wave of spyware that is being installed on user's machines without their knowledge. The FTC has asked a court to shut down the operations of a New Hampshire man, Sanford Wallace and his two companies, Seismic Entertainment Productions and SmartBot.Net. ...more

Traxdata debuts rewritable Blu-ray disc

Traxdata, the Flash memory and DVD storage company, has announced its first single-layer Blu-ray rewritable (BD-RE) disc, storing up to 25GB of data. The disc boasts a 2x write-speed and is capable of storing up to 25GB of data. Traxdata employs a hard coating technology to protect against scratches and fingerprints in order to increase durability and extend lifespan. ...more