FBI salutes Microsoft for help in virus battle

The FBI has officially saluted Microsoft's efforts for tackling a computer worm attack. Specifically, it has awarded Certificates for 'Exceptional Service' to Microsoft employees for their part in the 2005 Mytob/Zotob investigation. When the Internet worm was released in mid-August 2005, FBI teams of computer and forensic experts were deployed to Rabat, Morocco and Ankara, Turkey. ...more

EFF demands evidence of US army blog censorshop

The Electronic Frontier Foundation has filed a lawsuit against the US Department of Defense, demanding information on how it monitors soldiers' blogs. The EFF, a coalition of lawyers to defend digital rights, says that there is evidence that the Army Web Risk Assessment Cell (AWRAC) reviews hundreds of thousands of websites every month, notifying webmasters and bloggers when it sees information it deems inappropriate. As a result, some bloggers have reported that they have cut back on their posts or shut down their sites altogether because of the activities of the AWRAC. ...more

Apple launches iTunes store in UK, Germany and France

Steve Jobs today launched the iTunes Music Store for the UK, Germany and France, which accounts for 60 per cent of European music sales. The Apple CEO was in London to announce a flat 79p per song price, with most albums costing ?7.99. ...more

IBM promises non-aggression patent pact with Open Source community

IBM promises not to use its patents to attack Open Source companies. A keynote speech by Nick Donofrio, IBM's senior VP of technology and manufacturing, at LinuxWorld Conference and Expo in San Francisco has revealed that the patent behemoth will only use its mountain of patents in self-defence, as far as the Open Source movement is concerned. 'As an ally that believes in the positive power that the Linux community is having on Collaborative Innovation, I can assure you we have no intention of asserting our patents against the Linux kernel - unless, of course, we are forced to defend ourselves,' he said. ...more

Dell confirms double digit revenue growth

Dell has confirmed its guidance for the upcoming first-quarter figures of 18 per cent revenue growth year on year. 'We're seeing double-digit year-over-year revenue growth in all regional markets and customer segments,' said Kevin Rollins, Dell's president and chief operating officer. The company is thriving in the poor economic climate thanks to the efficiency of its direct sales business model. ...more