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UK and China sign e-learning deal

An online education initiative between the UK and China is being launched - with plans to provide "e-learning" for 20 million Chinese students.

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Online music fees pose digital dilemma

As record labels struggle to find new ways of selling music in the digital age, some companies are clearly more confused than others.

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The high cost of playing Warcraft

A record has been set for the sale of virtual items in an online game as a World of Warcraft account is believed to have changed hands for almost £5,000 (7,000 euros)

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Ofcom looks to future of fast net

Regulator Ofcom has added its voice to the growing debate about how the UK should roll out super-fast broadband.

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Microsoft mulls Facebook stake

Microsoft is reported to be in talks to buy a stake in Facebook that could value the social networking website at as much as $10bn (£5bn).

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BBC backs HD television service

The BBC Trust has given its provisional backing to the establishment of a high definition television (HDTV) channel.

After a series of assessments, the body concluded a BBC HDTV channel would offer "high public value" and cause minimal adverse impact on the market.

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Virtual lessons stimulate students

A virtual reality system which allows children to manipulate planets or watch flowers spring to life has become a big hit in Singapore primary schools.

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Streaming future of internet TV

While the current state of web streamed TV might be considerably less than high definition quality, the ability to watch TV from around the world on-demand could completely change when and how we enjoy our favourite shows.

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Sketching out a better gaming future

Computer game developers may be given more freedom to experiment and innovate much more if a system known as "game sketching" takes off.

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Town tries out Cybercar concept

A driverless car which is controlled by computer and uses lasers to avoid obstacles is being demonstrated in a Northamptonshire town.

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Spy charges for US computer duo

Two computer engineers in the US state of California have been charged with conspiring to steal microchip designs to sell to the Chinese military.

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Bank fits anti-skimming devices

Bank of Ireland is to install new security equipment on all its 160 external cash machines in Northern Ireland to combat card skimming.

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NZ police let public write laws

New Zealanders have been given the chance to write their own laws, with a new online tool launched by police.

The "wiki" will allow the public to suggest the wording of a new police act, as part of a government review of the current law, written in 1958

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Microsoft bows to pressure on XP

Customer demand has forced Microsoft to extend the shelf life of Windows XP by five months.

Microsoft was scheduled to stop selling the six-year-old operating system on 30 January 2008 to leave the field clear for Vista.

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Expert heart monitoring from a distance

Robert, a 36-year-old NHS manager from Southampton, was having to go to the ward at Southampton University Hospital to be monitored. But the new device includes specialist technology that means he can transmit the vital data wirelessly straight to his consultant through the internet.

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British Library books go digital

More than 100,000 old books previously unavailable to the public will go online thanks to a mass digitisation programme at the British Library.

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$100 laptop to sell to public

Computer enthusiasts in the developed world will soon be able to get their hands on the so-called "$100 laptop". The organisation behind the project has launched the "give one, get one" scheme that will allow US residents to purchase two laptops for $399 (£198).

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Time for the IT crowd to go green

Despite the many benefits they bring, society's growing dependence on computers is taking its toll on the environment, says Steve Nunn. In this week's Green Room, he calls for a "strategic shift" in mindsets to curb IT's growing impacts.

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Burma cyber-dissidents crack censorship

Burma's bloggers are using the internet to beat censorship, and tell the world what is happening under the military junta's veil of secrecy.

Images of orange-robed monks leading throngs of people along the streets of Rangoon have been seeping out of a country famed for its totalitarian regime and repressive control of information.

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Apple warning on unlocked iPhones

Apple has warned that anyone attempting to unlock their iPhone to use with an unauthorised mobile network could find their phones irreparably damaged.

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Apple iPhone warning proves true

An Apple software update is disabling iPhones that have been unlocked by owners who wanted to choose which mobile network to use. Earlier this week Apple said a planned update would leave the device "permanently inoperable".

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Pulling the plug on the Internet

Could you survive for 72 hours without the Internet?

Until recently, this would have been a daft question. But two thirds of British homes are now on the net and we spend more of our time surfing than any other Europeans.

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Youngsters prefer TV to family

Children spend little time with their parents - and much more time watching television than reading books, says a survey of primary school-age children.

Research accompanying the government-backed Booktime literacy project shows that youngsters spend little of their spare time with adults.

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Portables to power PC industry

The XO laptop may have been created to help children in developing nations, but its influence is likely to be felt far beyond the classroom.

The PC industry is going to be among the first to feel its impact in November 2007 when, for a week, the gadget goes on sale to almost anyone that wants one.

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