Storytelling goes interactive

They say that everyone has a book inside them, so how do you fancy helping one of India's top actresses pen a novel? It sounds crazy but that's exactly what Tara Deshpande is doing on her Web site, themotive.net. She's already had success with her first book of short stories and poems, Fifty and Done but now the Bollywood actress has decided to open up a new challenge and interact with her fans. ...more

Penicillin and Pentiums

Over 9,000 people heard Clinton give a speech on the opening day of Oracle's AppsWorld conference in New Orleans. Clinton used the event to call for increased spending on technological research and development. The New York Times reports him as saying: "I know there have been a few dot-coms falling on the NASDAQ for the last several months, but don't kid yourselves, the Internet is still our future. ...more

Amazon leaks look of digital movies store

Amazon appears to have given a possibly unintended sneak preview of a forthcoming digital movies store. A test page has appeared on the Internet retail giant's website, headed 'Lumiere Digital Video Store' although it currently comprises just a handful of cover images from films including The Last Boy Scout and North Country. Despite being contacted about the page, Amazon has yet to remove it, with spokesman denying knowledge of its existence. ...more

Happy 25th birthday, ZX Spectrum

The machine that whetted our appetites for personal computers and got developers developing - the Sinclair ZX Spectrum - marks its 25th birthday this week. Even today, many gamers still spend hours playing games like Chuckie Egg, Jet Set Willy and Manic Miner on their old machines or using emulators. Back in 1982, users could get their hands on the device with 16KB of RAM for ?125 or 48 KB for an extra ?50. ...more

Asus limbers up for Lamborghini laptops

Asus is looking to gain a lead in the Napa notebook design stakes by taking inspiration from the Lamborghini, the Italian sports car marque. The Lamborghini Notebook Series will, the company boldly declares, feature design details and a special mirror painting finish that exude 'power, speed, strength and beauty'. For example, the shell of the new Core Duo technology-based notebook is intended to resemble the shape of a Lamborghini bonnet. ...more