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Police fight back on laser threat

Police have new device to fight back against those using lasers to distract aircraft.

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French reject internet piracy law

French politicians have rejected a bill which proposed that people caught downloading music illegally three times should be cut off from the internet.

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Spam overwhelms e-mail messages

More than 97% of all e-mails sent over the net are unwanted, according to a Microsoft security report.

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Hospital to buy 'robotic surgeon'

A Surrey hospital is to spend £1.6m on a robotic arm to make keyhole surgery less painful for patients.

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Conficker begins stealthy update

The Conficker worm has started to update infected machines with a mystery package of data.

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Downgrade plan for Windows 7 PCs

Anyone buying a PC with Windows 7 pre-installed will be able to swap it for XP or Vista.

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Small is big in gaming world

Small can mean big bucks in the world of gaming where micropayments are being seen as playing an increasingly important part in making money for the industry.

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Hunting Easter eggs in software

Easter eggs are not just made of chocolate. With a bit of perseverance they can be found hidden inside DVDs, games and even business software.

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Net firms start storing user data

Details of user e-mails and net phone calls will be stored by internet service providers (ISPs) from Monday under an EU directive.

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Campaigners warn of user data creep

Internet service providers (ISPs) are required to store details of user e-mails and net phone calls from Monday as a European Union directive comes into force. Governments say it will protect citizens but civil liberty campaigners are not so sure.

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Phorm eyes launch after hard year

Online advertising firm Phorm is pressing ahead with plans to launch more than a year after it first drew criticism from some privacy advocates.

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ID cards 'could use chip and pin'

The UK's ID cards could be fitted with chip and pin technology to tackle identity fraud, the head of the agency responsible for them has said.

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Classified adverts booming online

The traditional advertising market may be in decline, but online classifieds are bucking the trend, according to research.

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CCTV cars snap distracted drivers

New CCTV cars to catch drivers using their mobile phones or being otherwise distracted at the wheel are being piloted by Greater Manchester Police.

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New designs for future ambulances

Emergency transport of the future may have ejector seats to launch paramedics quickly into the thick of the action. They may also be capable of driving off-road, allowing access to remote areas of the country, and expandable treatment areas providing 360 degree access to the patient.

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Writer loses job over Wolverine

A US columnist is out of a job after posting an online review of an illegally downloaded copy of X-Men Origins: Wolverine

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Spies 'infiltrate US power grid'

The US government has admitted the nation's power grid is vulnerable to cyber attack, following reports it has been infiltrated by foreign spies.

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EU woos young voters through MTV

Elections can be funky - that appears to be the message of an EU campaign using the MTV entertainment network to stir interest among young Europeans.

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Google addresses newspaper woes

The majority of newspapers should be online, says Google boss Eric Schmidt, amid criticism it should share some of the millions it makes from newslinks.

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Digital model aids ship relaunch

Those dedicated to restoring London's iconic Cutty Sark ship are using computer models to help rebuild her safely and to decide once and for all whether she was the fastest ship of her day.

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Costing Africa's new cable ties

A way may be emerging for East African countries to circumvent the mess in telecommunications in the region - and it is rising out of the sea.

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Australia to get faster broadband

The Australian government has announced a massive project to extend broadband internet systems across the country.

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Testing times for mobile phones

Nokia opened its test centre doors to TV cameras for the first time to show how devices are put through their paces. Engineers carry out more than 200 physical tests - here are a selection of the weird and wonderful ones.

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Playstation outsells Wii in Japan

Sony's PlayStation 3 has outsold Nintendo's Wii console in Japan for the first time in 16 months.

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UK mobile operators told to share

The government may intervene in a dispute between UK mobile operators over the way spectrum is allocated.

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