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News

Read the latest IT news from leading sources in the industry:

BBC News | Technology | UK Edition
Net speed rules come into force
Rules that try to ensure consumers get better information when buying broadband come into force on 5 December.
A step closer to self-powered kit
Efficiency increases in materials that turn vibration into energy could make for devices powered by the sound of your voice.
On-demand video 'not competitive'
Plans by the BBC and other TV companies for an on-demand video service "hurts competition", a government watchdog says.
Firm makes one billionth mouse
Amid claims the computer mouse will soon be history, the world's biggest manufacturer of the device rolls the billionth one off the production line.
Amazon launches music downloads
The online seller best known for books has branched out into offering DRM-free music tracks.
CNET News.com
It's official: Qi Lu to head Microsoft's online effort
Microsoft officially names the former Yahoo search executive. With the appointment, top ad executive Brian McAndrews is leaving Microsoft
Tech layoffs: The scorecard
Follow the companies that are shedding workers with this live layoff tracker, which we'll continue to update as more news surfaces.
Video: The couch potato's game-changer
Boxee, an all-in-one media center for your PC, is slowly gaining momentum as a go-to source for all of your videos, photos, and music. This week, the company has signed up Netflix so users can seamlessly stream movies on their computer by using their TV remotes. On this Daily Debrief, CNET's Kara Tsuboi and Josh Lowensohn discuss why Boxee has the right ingredients to be a game-changer in how we watch our media.
This Kraken fights for good
Yesterday's Pirates of the Amazon plug-in, which adds torrent links to songs and movies in the Amazon.com store, is met today by The Kraken, a plug-in that adds Amazon.com links to torrent Web sites.
Premium LCD TV brands slash prices to compete for holiday shoppers
The biggest names in TV cut prices more than value brands for Black Friday, and could likely stay low.
The Register
Apple prepping $99 Wal-Mart iPhone?

Boy Genius cranks rumor mill

Every December the rumor mills begin to churn with speculation about what Apple will reveal at January's Macworld Expo. The first scintillating scuttlebutt of this year's rumor season, however, focuses not on Steve's traditional "And one more thing...," but instead on Wal-Mart's possible revival of the 4GB iPhone.…

Python 3.0 appears, strangles 2.x compatibility

No more snake jokes. We promise

Python 3.0 is out now. The latest version makes some major changes to the popular programming language, and it's incompatible with version 2.x releases.…

How to customise the Acer Aspire One GUI

Get the look you want

We like the Acer Aspire One netbook's out-of-the-box UI. It's like Mac OS X's Dock writ large: a way of giving you easy access to key apps, but right in front of you, not tucked down at the bottom of the screen. However, you really should be presented with the apps you want, not what Acer believes you should have.…

Blu-ray backers highlight rising demand

Player shortages, consumer fears exaggerated, it's claimed

The Blu-ray Disc Alliance (BDA) has pooh-pooh'd claims that demand for the format is slowing under the recessionary pressures. It even forecast "Blu-ray will enter the mainstream" in Q1 2009.…

Third ex-NASA Ames worker jailed for child porn

Yes, third

A third former worker at the NASA Ames Research Center in California was sentenced Wednesday to federal prison for using a government computer to download child pornography.…

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