Try our weekly news quiz

Machines to match man by 2029

Machines will achieve human-level artificial intelligence by 2029, a leading US inventor has predicted. Humanity is on the brink of advances that will see tiny robots implanted in people's brains to make them more intelligent, said Ray Kurzweil.

Read here for more.....

EU eyes safer cyberspace for young

Children who use the internet face a slew of dangers, ranging from sex and drugs spam to cyber bullies and paedophiles. Magic Desktop is essentially an operating system for children, which lies like a "protective shell" that over Microsoft Windows.

Read here for more.....

Internet Day highlights web risks

Safer Internet Day is being marked around Europe with events to educate children and parents about net dangers. Themed events will reveal the risks of sharing too much personal data and warn children that their virtual friends may not be who they say they are.

Read here for more.....

Row over isles broadband roll-out

Connected Communities, a publicly funded scheme to roll-out wireless broadband on the Western Isles, has met with fierce opposition on Barra.

Read here for more.....

Broadband rules could be scrapped

Rules covering broadband firms could soon be scrapped in some UK regions. The European Commission has given permission for the regulations to lapse following a review of competition among broadband wholesalers in the UK.

Read here for more.....

Illegal downloaders 'face UK ban'

People in the UK who go online and illegally download music and films may have their internet access cut under plans the government is considering.

Read here for more.....

Nanowires allow 'power dressing'

"Power dressing" may soon have a very different and literal meaning. Scientists in the US have developed novel brush-like fibres that generate electrical energy from movement. Weaving them into a material could allow designers to create "smart" clothes which harness body movement to power portable electronic gadgets.

Read here for more.....

Nokia aiming to banish paper maps

Nokia has launched navigation tools designed to make the paper street map obsolete for pedestrians. The firm's next generation of digital maps gives real-time walking directions on the mobile phone screen, just like sat-nav systems which guide drivers.

Read here for more.....

Village's 'black hole' phone plea

Villagers complain they are living in a communication "black hole" because of phone faults, no mobile coverage and no broadband connection.

Read here for more.....

Net firms reject monitoring role

UK net firms are resisting government suggestions that they should do more to monitor what customers do online.

Read here for more.....

Mobile world pushes new services

The move beyond 3G and driving mobile uptake worldwide are on the agenda at the opening of Mobile World Congress.

Read here for more.....

Google Android phones make debut

The first mobile phones to be loaded with Google's Android software for mobile phones have gone on show.

Read here for more.....

Text scams warning to youngsters

Thousands of young people have been sent fake scam text messages by the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) to warn them about con-artists. The campaign saw 25,000 mobile phone users aged between 18 and 24 receive a message telling them they might have won £1,000 in cash.

Read here for more.....

EU to warn firms on text charging

Europe's mobile phone operators are to be warned to cut the cost of texting and internet access while customers are overseas or face regulation.

Read here for more.....

Robots could reduce animal tests

US scientists are taking the first step towards testing potentially hazardous chemicals on cells grown in a laboratory, without using live animals.

Read here for more.....

EU plans biometric border checks

Visitors to the EU could face digital fingerprinting at airports under plans to beef up border security, EU Justice Commissioner Franco Frattini has said.

Read here for more.....

Hacker crashes government sites

A hacker crashed a number of Northern Ireland government websites last week. The websites, including the Planning Service's, were out of action for a number of days while the attack was investigated.

Read here for more.....

Close to the wire - joys of speed cabling

A new "sport" based around unravelling the mass of wires that can typically be found beneath computer desks the world over is taking off in the western US.

Read here for more.....

Rise of the cyber doormen

Doormen are the eyes and ears of New Yorkers, providing a personalised service to their residents.

But now there is a technological alternative that is becoming more popular - an operator who is stationed miles away who controls the latch.

Read here for more.....

BAA luggage-tracking trial begins

A six-month trial that could revolutionise the way luggage is tracked and monitored has begun at London's Heathrow airport. The scheme - run by BAA - uses radio frequency identification (RFID) to tag baggage.

Read here for more.....

Anger over pupils database plan

The government is being urged to scrap a database of all pupils' school records amid data security fears. Every 14-year-old in England will have their exam results and personal details held on a central database.

Read here for more.....

DNA database swabs over 100,000

More than 100,000 people in Kent have been added to the DNA database in the last five years it has been revealed. According to figures released under the Freedom of Information Act, 103,830 samples were taken and more than a quarter were from people under 18.

Read here for more.....

MPs 'should get free Blackberrys'

A Labour MP has called for handheld Blackberry computers to be made available - for free - to herself and everyone else with a Commons seat.

Read here for more.....

Blackberry back after breakdown

The Blackberry mobile e-mail service has returned to normal after a breakdown on Monday afternoon wiped out the service across the US and Canada.

Read here for more.....

DAB Digital Radio

DAB Digital radio is being portrayed in some quarters as the 21st century's version of Betamax, the video format that lost out to VHS in the 1970s. What is the latest news from the world of DAB?

Read here for more.....

Yahoo rejects Microsoft approach

Yahoo has rejected a takeover bid worth more than $40bn (£20.5bn) from software giant Microsoft, saying it is too low.

Read here for more.....

Double boost for blu-ray backers

The backers of the Blu-ray high definition DVD system have received a twin boost in their ongoing format war with HD DVD.

Read here for more.....