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At last a decent blog for blokes - Brandish

Brandish, Shiny Media's new site dedicated to The Coolest Stuff in the World for blokes is now live and kicking. It'll feature must-have gadgets, fashion that won't make you look like a metrosexual arsehead, illegally fast cars, fine Cuban cigars, that sort of thing.

Only the best stuff gets in – Brandish is like an exclusive gentlemen's club, but without the high-backed, red leather chairs, smug ex-Eton schoolboys and extortionate membership fees.

It is edited by Ollie Irish, top pie-eater and freelance gadget-a-soarus.

Bugged bins to monitor your rubbish

  Councils in the UK are about to trial microchips in wheelie bins, which could lead to councils charging for the weight of rubbish collected within a couple of years. It's hoped the monitoring and weighing rubbish could boost the UK's recycling rate, which is currently one of the worst in Europe.

The RFID-based chips are being hidden under the lip of bins used for non-recycled waste. Transponders fitted on rubbish trucks read the chip's serial number when household waste is collected. As bins are lifted, another device on the trucks weighs them. This data is then attached to the chip numbers to create a record of the quantity of waste each household creates.

According to newspaper reports, around 500,000 of the devices have already been deployed in Peterborough, South Norfolk, and parts of Cheshire, Surrey, and Wiltshire - often without the householder's knowledge. If the trials are successful, we could be looking at taxation for excessive rubbish or fines for those who fail to recycle.

What do you think? A sensible idea to improve recycling or the road to increased fly tipping of household rubbish? Let us know below.

Via The Register

Manchester City FC introduces mobile ticketing

Manchester City are expanding their trial of using fans' mobile phones as tickets when they play Arsenal this weekend.

A select group of top customers have been supplied with modified near-field communication Nokia phones fitted with RF chips that enable the user to purchase electronic tickets and then operate turnstiles at the ground using special readers.

The system can also be used for targeted advertising and promotions, such as offering discounts to fans who arrive early, and providing wallpaper, ringtones and club merchandise.

The scheme will then be rolled out from Christmas, though it will only work with the modified phones supplied by Man City.

It will be interesting to see if this is something that can be extended to other clubs, and if some kind of standard emerges. It would be a tad inconvenient needing a different phone for each ground.

Nokia started trailing other forms of mobile ticketing several months ago.

Nearly half of UK homes without Internet access. What do they do all day?

The Office of National Statistics has surprised me today - and that doesn't happen very often.

It's come up with a statistic (that's not the surprise): 43% of UK households don't have any access to the Internet.

Of these:

• About a quarter said they didn't need the Net (who doesn't need the Net?)
• 24% said they lacked the skills to use the Internet.
• 11% said access costs were too high.
• 14% said equipment costs were too high.

The 57% with Net access included people with mobile phones able to access online services. Interestingly the ONS said that mobiles were seen as a cheaper way to get online. I suppose with the increase in mobile Net services and the relatively low cost of equipment (even if ongoing charges aren't lower) this could be true.

Of the 57%, three-quarters connect via broadband, compared to around half in June 2005.

And not surprisingly, age also played a factor. Only 10% of 16-24s had never used the Net, compared to 82% of the over 65s. Mind you, that'll probably shift as the younger techie generations get older.

PayPal freezes account of 'near match' terror suspect

The Register reports that PayPal have been getting rather zealous in scanning the US Treasury's Specially Designated Nationals List, and have come up with a 'near match' on UK Government worker Mohammed Hassan with Tunisian Mohamed Hassan. See the similarity? Kinda like John Smith and, err, Jon Smith.

He received an email telling him that access to his account had been frozen and that he was required to provide copious amounts of documentation to prove his identity. On principle, he's refused, so in around a month's time his Paypal account will be closed - unless PP realise they've made a mistake (which after some of my dealings with them - and no my name's not on that list - is rather unlikely).

I'm not an expert on Arabic names (perhaps someone with more knowledge can help me out here) but my hunch is that "Mohammed Hassan" (and variants of its spelling) is a reasonably commonplace name - and we're talking globally here.

"is it because my name is Arabic? Or is it because PayPal are just plain stupid?", said Mr Hassan to the The Register. Well...

YouTube seeks record companies' music video content deals

We reported yesterday that YouTube was said to be in negotiation with various record companies to get their music video content legitimately onto the service.

The Interactive Investor has reported that both US labels Warner Music and Universal Music, and the UK's EMI music, are all in some kind of discussion with the network. Details are very sketchy at present, and it will be interesting to see how YouTube deals with the issues of copyright and content ownership which the record companies will undoubtedly raise.

It seems that this is a new trend towards getting legitimate music video content from major labels onto video-sharing sites. Whether it will enhance the experience or detract from the home-grown, user-led feel of YouTube remains to be seen.

What do you think? Legitimate music videos on YouTube a good idea?

UK online shopping to grow 70% by 2010

Another day, another survey and prediction about the continually rising popularity of online shopping.

This time it's PayPal, who presumably hope they have a lot to gain from people buying online (maybe with their new credit card). They're predicting that by 2010, annual spend online will be £39bn, with nearly twenty-five million of us lured away from real shops to the virtual malls.

We'll be even more time-poor (and possibly lazy) because the biggest online spend by 2010 will be food and groceries, accounting for £6.24bn spend, up 235% on 2005. Most of the big supermarkets are already well up on the game, as testified by the number of delivery vans seen around town.

Next up will be clothes and footwear, up 160% to £2.27bn, and a continued growth in electrical goods, up 136% to £4.6bn.

PayPal have issued a warning to smaller businesses that it feels could miss out on this new buying behaviour - of course the solution is to sign up with PayPal...

Free giveaways blamed for 'cheapening' DVDs

A new survey has revealed that British newspapers give away as many DVDs as are being purchased in stores, and this is being blamed for a cheapening of the format in consumers' eyes.

Though films given away are often older and may have reached the end of their saleable shelf life, this isn't always the case, and the problem is repeated across Europe.

In the first quarter of this year, about 54 million DVDs were given away free with newspapers. That compares to 130m in the whole of the last year, when shop sales were at 211m.

"It's clear that that kind of quantity of free discs circulating in the market cannot help but have a dampening effect on the purchase of DVDs," said Helen Davis Jayalath, Screen Digest's senior home entertainment analyst.

DVD sales are slowing down significantly across Europe. Most of the large Hollywood studios oppose these giveaways, but smaller local distributors can often do quite lucrative short-term deals with publishers.

I'm not convinced this is the only reason that DVD sales are stagnating at present. I am sure someone else will come along and blame the Internet and film piracy as well.

What do you think?

DSG to stop selling analogue radios

They were one of the first UK retailers to stop selling video recorders, and now DSG (who own Currys and Dixons, amongst others) have announced that they will no longer sell analogue radios at Dixons online.

Dixons have said that sales of digital radios outnumber analogue by 30 to 1. I'm not sure if this is just for standalone radios, as I would think a number of hi-fi combos would still contain an analogue radio. Though this is just an online move at present, it probably won't be long before Currys.digital stores stop selling them as well.

PC Advisor suggests that Dixons may even go further and give the CD player the chop due to the rising popularity of iPods and other digital music players. I'm not sure this makes total sense - after all, people may still want to play the original CDs away from their computers (which they'll need to use to rip them, anyway). Maybe they think that everyone has a CD player now and won't want a new one.

The speed of obsolescence does seem to be increasing, though (thank goodness) Dixons isn't the be-all-and-end-all of consumer shopping.

What do you think? Is it time analogue radio faded away, or is DAB still too new?

YouTube plans free to view music video downloads

Admittedly, most of the music videos you're looking for are probably on YouTube already. Nonetheless, the company is said to be in negotations with record labels to post their music videos online, part of the site's plans to expand from a community web site to becoming a legitimate distributor of commercial video clips, amongst other things.

YouTube wants to obtain the rights to post music videos on the site that will be free to download, possibly supported by ad-based revenue. According to co-founder Steve Chen: "What we really want to do is in six to 12 months, maybe 18 months, to have every music video ever created up on YouTube. We're trying to bring in as much of this content as we can on to the site."

If successful, as well as offering better quality clips, it would provide stiff competition for pay sites, such as Apple's iTunes and AOL Music. Unofficially, it's happening already, with YouTube claiming that 60 per cent of videos watched online are delivered through its site - many featuring copyrighted material, despite YouTube's policy of taking down pirated content upon notification.

YouTube website

Via The Register

More YouTube:
10 ways to make yourself a YouTube star
Selfcast TV - Britain's YouTube?

Win £500 worth of stuff

If you're looking to nab yourself some new gadgets for Autumn, our competition might be what you're looking for. "We've teamed up with Bidclever.com to offer you an auction with a twist: The twist is that the LOWEST UNIQUE BID wins. That means that your bid, as well as being the lowest, has to be the only one at that price when the auction closes . So, if yours is the lowest bid amount in pence that nobody else has placed, you win the item at the price you have bid.

The winning bidder gets £500 worth of vouchers for a supermarket, department or high street store. The list you can pick from is extensive and includes Tech Digest faves like  Selfridges, Harrods, Debenhams, iTunes, HMV and Dixons.

To enter, simply text the word "TECH" followed by your bid in pence to 80211 (eg. TECH 134 or TECH 97)

We will text you back with news on whether your bid is unique AND whether it's the lowest bid so far submitted. Moreover, we will send further free of charge text messages to keep you informed of the status of your bid.

Texts are charged at £1.50 plus your standard network charges. Users must be aged 16 or over to enter this competition. Entry is subject to our terms & conditions that can be found here. Winners will be required to provide proof of age and phone ownership.

London cabbies prefer The Knowledge to sat-nav

The Register reports that London cabbies have been very slow to take up satellite navigation systems in their cabs, despite now being allowed to use the devices. Instead they prefer to rely on their good old fashioned Knowledge.

Only 4-5% of cabbies have taken on the technology. General Secretary of the London Taxi Drivers' Association, Bob Oddy, said that sat nav was more likely to be used by cabbies doing airport runs or in the London suburbs, rather than those in central London. He also said that the machines might be good, but they didn't match the knowledge and experience of a good cabbie.

One driver, David Jacobs, said that the machines weren't easy enough to use to warrant learning to use them, given that most taxi drivers drive by second nature after a while.

So, expect your cheery taxi driver to take his own route rather than rely on a computer for quite some time to come.

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Press Asked to Stop ‘Googling’

In what appears to be a futile attempt to stop the name Google becoming a verb the search giant has been writing to media organisations asking them to avoid confusing the name Google with the act of searching the Internet. Clearly mindful of what happened to brand names like Hoover, Xerox and so on they are also concerned about their trademark losing some of its cachet. If you want to know more just Google ‘googling’…

Couple-surfing by tender electroverts? The 'geeking up' of relationships

OK, there's a blog title that makes sense! It's all to do with how technology and the Internet is changing some couples' relationships, they say for the better.

We know about the rise in online dating services, but the techie trend continues into committed, long-term relationships - assuming both partners are happy to go geek.

Couple-surfing is the act of conducting large parts of the relationship without actually speaking - choosing instead to use tools like blogs, IM, webcams and web sites, even when they're sat right next to each other.

A recent CNN article exposes some of these geeks ('tender electroverts' as blogger Tim H dubs them) and their behaviour:

• a man and woman sitting side by side in a New York café, drinking beer, sharing food, not saying a word, but instead typing on a laptop about tunes played through a shared iPod;
• a couple who, for a while, communicated everything through their blogs, not face to face;
• a mother from Sweden who suggests breakfast tables should be redesigned to accommodate computers.

Though technology is often blamed for harming relationships, these couples tell a very different story.

It helps resolve differences, sort problems, provide shared virtual experiences... it even allows men to be manly ("For my birthday, he upgraded my RAM and I thought it was incredibly romantic," writes Jess.)

However, it only seems to work if both partners are equally enthusiastic about the technology. Otherwise, it remains a solitary, dividing activity that can cause problems.

Are you in a tech-centered relationship, or would spending too long on the Net get you into trouble?

Study reveals how we use different communication technologies.

New research from Switzerland has unravelled how we use various methods of communication to interact with one another.

So how do we use this plethora of new devices and methods: email, mobile phones, instant messaging, text messaging, VoIP, and blogs?

The research suggests that the fixed phone, which is more public, is used as a 'shared organisational tool', as is email. Mobile phones are used for last-minute plan changes, or for telling people you're running late.

Texts are used for more intimate messages like 'I miss you' (ahh) and only close friends and family are connected by it, whereas IM and VoIP are 'continuous channels' which users keep open in the background all day.

Blogging is a bigger networking channel, where personal pages are a centre of communication for friends and people in general.

The study suggests that 80% of mobile users only talk to 4 people, because of all the other methods of communication available.

It also shows that cost is not always the defining factor in people choosing how to contact others - for example people may use their mobile phone at home even though it's often more expensive to do so, because it's more convenient.

How has the changing face of communications altered how you interact with people? And how many people do you actually call from your mobile?

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TechReviews - a new kind of gadgets website

The UK’s leading new media company Shiny Media has reinvented the gadgets review website with the launch of its latest blog TechReviews.tv ‘

This is the first gadget site to major on video reviews of products,’ says Shiny Media’s creative director, Ashley Norris. ‘For the first time readers, or maybe we should call them viewers, can get a really close look at gadgets like mobiles and MP3 players.’ ‘They will be able to see the way a mobile phone screen twists round, examine the tiny buttons on a music player or see quite how daft a pair of earphones looks when they are being worn.’

Already a hit on Shiny Media's Tech Digest and Shiny Shiny websites the video reviews are also among the most popular technology videos on the video hosting YouTube website. At the time of writing Shiny Media has two of the Top 10 most viewed Science and Technology videos on the site this week.

The site also has traditional style text reviews of products and will feature regular product round ups.

'Shiny recognises that TechReviews isn’t the only great source of reviews online,‘ says editorial director Katie Lee, ‘so each day the site will find out what bloggers and other reviewers around the web are saying about a particular product.’

‘Plus, through the comments section readers can add their own thoughts about products, making this a truly interactive reviews site. After all, while TechReviews may be among the first to publish a review of a product, its opinions aren't necessarily always the last word.’

About Shiny Media

Shiny Media has four of the fastest growing tech websites in the UK in Tech Digest, Shiny Shiny, HDTVUK and Propellerhead. The sites together deliver more than 600,000 unique users each month.

In a poll among PRs for UK trade paper PR Week, Tech Digest and Shiny Shiny were voted as two of the four most influential gadget websites in the UK alongside the BBC and The Sun’s Gizmo.

In an interview for the Financial Times, Sky’s CEO James Murdoch cited HDTVUK as his favourite online read.

Shiny Media facts and figures

* The UK’s first and largest commercial weblog publishing company

* Attracts 1.6 million unique visitors a month to its network of 24 blogs.

* Shiny Media’s blogs have been featured in newspapers and magazines on both sides of the Atlantic including; The Guardian, USA Today, International Herald Tribune, The Sun, Daily Mirror, Vogue, Elle, Time Magazine and the Financial Times.

For more information about the new blog or Shiny Media contact Ashley Norris here.

Microsoft Photosynth creates 3D models from photographs

Microsoft has created software that will generate 3D models from a collection of disparate photographs.

The Photosynth system is supposed to work with any collection of photographs, not just ones that have been accurately measured and shot. The software analyses each photograph, looking for similarities, and then works out the position of the camera in relation to the subject (a building, for example). From this, it can build up a 3D model of the object.

One of the developers at Microsoft, Dr Szellski, said that the system works best when several dozen images are used to build up the model. He said that it could be really exciting to see photo-sharing websites (like Flickr) using this technology to create a virtual model from the many photos shared by its members.

The app will likely be web-based, and available later this year. It's currently due to be shown off at the Siggraph 2006 conference in Boston, which looks at the latest developments in computer-generated graphics.

I'm looking forward to seeing this in action.

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UK Net users increase spending at online auction sites

We're a nation of online shopaholics and part of that increased spending is at online auction sites like eBay.

According to Apacs, the UK payments association, 14% of adult Internet users made their last online purchase from an auction site, some 4.9 million people, based on 2005 figures. I'm sure that figures still increasing.

They also found that the average number of overall online purchases increased from 13.6 in 2004 to 18.5 per person in 2005, with the value increasing from £16bn to £22bn.

Maybe not hugely surprising, particularly as online auction sites aren't just about buying other people's junk, err, precious items any more.

Have you increased the amount you buy online, particularly at auction sites?

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Coke to launch music promotion with iTunes

Coca-Cola will begin giving away millions of free iTunes music downloads in the UK and Germany, in a new partnership with Apple that seeks to get Coke into the minds of the younger generation. Their previous own-brand attempt at an online music service - MyCokeMusic - folded this month.

Traditional advertising isn't cutting it any more, so companies are forced to find new, interesting, interactive ways to engage with potential customers.

Coca-Cola have also jumped on the video website bandwagon, last week launching an interactive site allowing people to submit homemade video clips and photos.

“For Coca-Cola, it is clear that as consumers spend more time online and we need to find ways to become an important, relevant part of their lives,” said Tim Kopp, vice-president of global interactive marketing for Coke.

Apple have already done deals with Nike, Gap and Pepsi, and it seems to me that Apple are the biggest brand winners here.

How to boil the perfect egg: use thermochromic ink, of course

Scientists have been working on something which is, apparently, a big problem - perfectly boiling an egg.

Yes folks, forget the humble egg timer, or intuition: if you really want to know when your egg is cooked to perfection, you need 'thermochromic' invisible ink, which turns dark when it reaches a certain temperature.

According to Lion Quality Eggs, who launched the project, thousands of people have been asking how to boil an egg properly, and so B&H Colour Change came up with this techie solution.

Inks have been developed which change colour after 3, 4 or 7 minutes - for soft, medium, and hard boiled eggs. They've even been promised on supermarket shelves soon - so not only will you be able to choose size, organic, free range, etc. but also how you like them cooked. I suppose you'll have to go back to guesswork if you want to soft boil half the eggs and hard boil the other half.

This is just one application in the development of heat-sensitive technology, which could also be used for talking oven gloves, colour-changing fire doors, sports clothing that can tell when a person is overheating (I thought we had that in the 90s?), or road signs that respond to road conditions.

Modern science, eh?

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Sharp and Currys to sell solar panels

Feeling environmentally friendly and looking at all that lovely sunshine we've had recently? Then pop down to your local Currys store (providing you live in Croydon, Fulham or West Thurrock) and pick up a Sharp solar panel or nine.

Actually, you don't need a whole lot of sunshine these days. New technological advances, plus Sharp's knowledge of the British climate that dictates we don't get more than 3 weeks of sunshine in any year, means that they'll generate electricity from daylight (even our grey daylight).

Customers wanting to invest in solar panelling for their home can have a detailed in-store consultation, followed by a free home survey to ensure suitability.

Installation usually only takes a couple of days, with a small amount of equipment placed in the roof space. Apparently homeowners could cut their bills by around 50% if they install enough panels.

The panels aren't cheap - around £1000 each I've read - but consumers might be able to get a grant from the Low Carbon Buildings Programme.

Sony at sixty: Losing touch with consumers?

Sony, the company that brought us the Walkman and changed the way we consumed music in the '80s, has turned 60 - quite an achievement.

A recent article suggests that Sony is losing touch with what consumers actually want, citing a range of luxury products in the Qualia line that were axed within three years. Sure, it's all very well designing a CD player that self-centers the disc - very swishy - but the price tag doesn't justify it as a mass consumer item.

Part of the current problem is Sony's previous success that now spans a number of different divisions: gaming, consumer electronics, music, film - and sometimes I wonder how much these divisions actually talk to one another.

New boy CEO Howard Stringer seems to have taken a new, and distinctly Western, approach to Sony - downsizing and focusing on growth areas rather than maintaining the cultural status quo of, for example, promoting retired executives to advisory positions.

I've had mixed views about Sony. I used to love their products (yes I was a Betamax kid, sorry). I've had VCRs, camcorders, tape and CD players, and TVs from them. I always felt I was paying a bit over the odds but for quality items - and indeed they were. Very rarely has any Sony item let me down (even my dad's Betamax is still just about going, nearly two decades on).

But then they make some strange decisions. Beta aside, they've created some odd proprietary formats, done stupid things with copy protection and 'infecting' people's PCs when all they wanted to do was play a CD, and perhaps been a little pretentious?

I'm not inclined to by Sony's in the way I used to be. They don't come across as cutting edge any more, nor do they ooze the quality they used to. Maybe that's just my perception, maybe other companies have got better.

They've had successes, sure. Walkman was a defining moment. Playstation is an ongoing success (though it will be interesting to see how PS3 does)

Sony's president Ryoji Chubachi seems to be focused on TVs and portable music players. Sony aspired to being another iPod killer, but it hasn't worked.

We've seen a lot of good TVs being produced by Sony - but are they spectacular? They've certainly got good global market share, so they must be doing something right here. But Sony have grown themselves into much more than makers of good TVs.

If Sony worked better together, they could get back to real innovation (a la Walkman). Listening to consumers wouldn't go amiss either.

Sixty: it's a ripe old age for a technology and entertainment company. Will Sony grow in all areas or become a smaller, niche company. How will the new high-def world affect it (Blu-ray, anyone?). As always, time will tell.

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UK's online spending up 40% on last year

Last week we reported that the UK leads as the top online shopping nation in Europe.

Another study, by the Interactive in Media Retail Group, showed a growth of 40% in online spending on last year's figures, at £2.25bn. June's online figures were ten times higher than for overall retail sales.

Internet spending broke £2bn-per-month in November last year and have not dipped since.

More evidence that we're a nation of online shopaholics.

Microsoft must go 'multi-core' and eliminate delays to major products

Steve Ballmer, straight-talking (shouting? throwing?) CEO of Microsoft has vowed that Microsoft must become 'multi-core' - in other words, try to take over in multiple markets, even those that they're not currently number one in.

He highlighted their strengths in both desktop and server software, then focused on developing more entertainment and online services. "There really is a Sony that lives inside of us," he said. "There's an aspiring Google or Yahoo that lives inside of us."

Ballmer talked about entering markets where someone else got there first, with the proviso of innovating and going for growth. Presumably this is the rationale behind Xbox and the forthcoming Zune products.

He also admitted that the next gen operating system, Vista, has taken far too long to launch, stating that it will never again take Microsoft 5 years to update major products.

Time will tell, Steve.

Via ComputerWorld

It's a hi-tech student culture, says survey

Poor, undernourished, 'only just enough money for 10 pints of lager' students? Yeah, but they're just the ones that were inebriated under the student bar and couldn't take part in the survey that suggests they own a heck of a lot of hi-tech equipment.

Direct Line insurance commissioned the study of 587 students (must've been done in the morning or whilst Countdown was on) which showed that in 1996, students had possessions worth £1,900, compared with £2,900 now.

(Actually come to think of it I had tech stuff of around £1,900 by the time I graduated in 1996, but I had worked for a year. I was poor, man...)

Despite escalating student fees, the ensuing student debt looks like it's being fed in part by techie 'treats' that they feel entitled to - they see study as a job (uh-huh).

Two-thirds of those surveyed had laptop PCs, around half had MP3 and DVD players, whilst 12% had widescreen TVs and 6% had PDAs.

Ahh, student life eh?

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Sophisticated phishing, and a search engine for viruses

Phishing attacks, where attempts are made to get users to divulge personal information by visiting spoofed web sites, are getting more sophisticated, according to Mark Sunner of MessageLabs who talked to IT Week.

Spyware inadvertently downloaded, often thanks to enticing emails for free software and other 'goodies', is now collecting personal information about the victim from their own PC and using it to launch a more personalised, and thus convincing, attack.

So, whereas before you'd get emails supposedly from some bank you'd never heard of telling you that you needed to enter your account details at their spoofed website, now you might actually get email looking like it's come from your bank.

And potentially more worrying is that spyware and viruses could be used to track the keypresses you use to log in to your online banking system, then send those over the Internet to the fraudster.

Criminals may also be looking to the convergence of instant messaging clients, and social networking sites like MySpace, as new ways to get users' personal information.

In other news, Google has launched a search engine specifically for finding the source of viruses. Users can enter the name of a virus or malware and the engine then searches the Net to track it down. Though it's designed to reduce online security attacks, I'm not quite sure which users are going to use this.

More reasons (like you need them) to keep security software up-to-date, and also understand what communications policy your bank and other financial institutions have (most say they'll never ask for your personal information by email)

Read:
Phishers snare victims in customised nets
New search engine to find viruses

Warner signs Apple iTunes deal: when will UK get a look in?

Warner Brothers TV has finally made some of its programmes available for download in the US iTunes store, including Friends, Babylon 5, The Flintstones and The Jetsons.

Simon Kenny, president of Warner Bros Digital Distribution, said that "This deal fits perfectly with our philosophy of providing consumers with access to our world-class entertainment properties across the widest selection of platforms and devices available."

So when are we Brits going to get these TV shows via iTunes? Or even some home grown ones. Despite the UK iTunes being one of the first international stores to open, we do seem to lag behind on some features. Presumably there are some licensing issues in the way - just as certain British downloads (from the BBC for example) are only available to a uK audience - but at the end of the day, more choice for worldwide iTuners would mean more revenue for Apple and their partners.

Is technology addiction a reality?

Yesterday it was reported that Zurich's Department for the Prevention of Addiction had launched a poster campaign warning of Net addiction. Naturally, it pointed potential addicts to its web site, where they could fill in a self-assessment questionnaire.

In a statement, the department warned that increasing usage of the Net - and in particular virtual worlds, chat rooms, online games and sex sites - could lead to dependence comparable to other addictions. The problem may affect 50,000 Swiss, who could be experiencing psychological withdrawal symptoms, problems at work and in real-world social settings.

Earlier this week we reported that 9 out of 10 mobile users couldn't go a day without their phones.

We're being tempted with all sorts of mobile devices, Internet services, broadband, wi-fi, high-def TV, and much more. Are we becoming addicted to technology for entertainment and communication? Are we losing the art of real meetings with real people, face-to-face? Or is this just alarmist? The Net is incredibly useful for all sorts of things, but is it intruding into too much of our lives?

What's your view?

Millions of UK consumers using Internet search to plan their travels

Yahoo have been conducting research amongst Brits using the Net and have calculated that nearly ten million travel purchases were made as a result of an Internet search during the three-month period December 2005 to February 2006.

The study doesn't really shed much light on what kinds of travel was being arranged, and some figures aren't hugely revealing. For example, 85% of people who searched for travel information online went on to book travel either on or offline within 90 days - well yes, that's why they were searching for travel information...

It does suggest that we're more net-savvy than US travellers: 40% of all searchers conducted a travel search in the UK compared to 27% in the US - but then maybe we're spending more time online sniffing out travel bargains.

The survey also showed that search results influenced what sites people visited, with 39% of those surveyed visiting a travel-related web site  they had not planned to visit, and 25% considering a brand based on its high position in the search results.

It seems that there's a lot more being read into these results about how online advertising and direct marketing influences people.

To me it says:

1. Person wants to travel
2. Person uses Internet to research travel information
3. Person clicks on websites near top of search results page
4. Person books travel

That's gotta be too simple.

Yahoo teams up with Symantec as Internet security rivalry increases

Yahoo are pushing forward with an increased Internet security service for its mail, search and toolbar users by teaming up with Symantec, who make the Norton product range.

It seems Symantec will provide virus and spyware protection to Yahoo users at a discounted price, in return for access to the hundreds of millions of contact details.

Yahoo get to boast that an Internet experienced through their services is much safer to use - just as Microsoft and Google will do.

I don't know if users who sign up for Norton protection via Yahoo are then tied into using Yahoo's services, or whether all systems are protected. For example, the spyware protection will work with the Yahoo toolbar - what if you want to use the Google toolbar?

Full details of the service aren't available yet, but it will be important to make users aware of exactly what parts of their PC and internet usage are protected. Personally, I'd rather stick with a standalone product from one of the anti-virus firms than get tied in to co-branded services, but then I'm not particularly in love with any one of the big three search providers - I don't use their online mail or their toolbars on a regular basis. For me, a £10 annual discount on protection just isn't worth it.

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ntl:Telewest raise the stakes with UKs first quad-play service

Pretty exciting news today as UK cable giant ntl:Telewest have announced the launch of Britain's first quad-play service, coming by September.

Quad-play: that's a digital TV, broadband, fixed-line phone and mobile phone package.

Though it has the potential for 'eggs in one basket' worries, I've been pretty impressed with ntl:Telewest's services and innovation to date, and this looks like it'll shake the market up.

Providing they can deliver, there's a pretty tasty package lined up:

• Free digital TV for all home phone customers - the starter package (40+ digital channels) which can be upgraded at any time.
• Free for life of subscription
• Freeview and then some - advanced next gen services (ie high-def and Video on Demand). They claim that even Sky can't match that (yet)
• Home phone service with unlimited local and national weekend phone calls
• Virgin mobile phone contract
• 2Mb broadband service
  

The service is a combo of ntl:Telewest's '3 for £30 quid' service and a Virgin Mobile monthly pay contract, all for just £40 a month.

Pretty impressive.

First impressions?

• 2Mb broadband is rather sluggish these days (there's no mention yet of whether this can be upgraded as part of the deal - Telewest currently offer up to 10Mb speeds on their Elite package) but there's no reason why they won't bump the speed as BT have done.
• The TV package is good - it doesn't come with TVDrive as standard but does have the Teleport VoD service - and can be upgraded.
• It will be interesting to see how BT respond, as before the end of the year they should have all the components in place to offer a similar package (BT Vision and BT Mobile). Whatever they do, ntl:Telewest certainly seem to have the first-to-market advantage.

Is this a deal you'd go for? Would you be happy to take all your communication, digital TV and Internet services from one company?

'Hackers' now using Artificial Intelligence to crack systems

Legitimate software routines designed to test out vulnerabilities and bugs in software are openly being used maliciously by code crackers and cyber-criminals (don't get me started on the popular press using the word 'hacker' to mean 'criminal' - that's a late-night debate that requires a stiff drink) to break into computer systems.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) software uses a technique known as 'fuzzing' to check for bugs and try to force abnormal responses - the same kind of thing a software cracker might want to do to break into a secure site or get your credit card number.

Apparently these exploits are readily shared in chat rooms and news groups.

"Software vendors were already struggling to keep up with patches for software bugs. The use of fuzzing tools by hackers and the flood of newly discovered vulnerabilities may overwhelm software vendors' ability to respond with patches," said Paul Henry, vice president of strategic accounts at Secure Computing.

Potentially worrying stuff, yet again highlighting legitimate tools being used for illegitimate gains.

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Share your computer to help defeat cancer

IBM is devoting the computational power of the World Community Grid to help scientists working on cancer treatments. This could enable the equivalent of 160 years' work to be completed in a single day.

The World Community Grid was formed in November 2003 to use idle clock cycles in users' Internet-connected PCs around the world. The "Help Defeat Cancer" project will let researchers analyse large numbers of cancer biopsy specimens simultaneously.

"As a result of the Help Defeat Cancer project, World Community Grid makes it possible to analyse in one day the number of specimens that would take approximately 130 years to complete using a traditional computer," said Dr David J Foran, one of the scientists leading the project.

Many other projects exist that allow you to be generous with your computer when you're not working or shooting aliens.

If your computer's feeling generous, you can sign up at World Community Grid

Anti-hijack software in development

European businesses and researchers are working on software that would make it possible to remotely regain control of an aircraft overrun by hijackers.

The system "which could only be controlled from the ground would conduct the aircraft posing a problem to the nearest airport whether it liked it or not. A hijacker would have no chance of reaching his goal," according to extracts from Der Spiegel.

Apparently it would be designed in such a way that even a computer hacker on board could not get around it.

Manufacturers include Airbus, Siemens, and the Technical University of Munich.

It's an incredibly worthwhile and highly topical project, and one that must face a mountain of technical challenges. First results of the €36m project should be presented in Britain in October.

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MTV Flux: New social networking channel will allow user-generated content

From September 6th there'll be a new kind of TV channel on the block.

MTV Flux is MTV Network's first dip into the social networking arena - currently dominated on the web by the likes of MySpace and Bebo - and video sharing, popularised by YouTube.

Flux will allow viewers to publish, via mobile phone and the Net, messages and video content to play alongside music videos of their choice. MTV are hoping this will draw a young audience back from Internet services such as YouTube.

Michiel Bakker, managing director of MTV in the UK and Ireland, said that the service would be the first to allow users to influence an entire channel and upload their content to be seen in a television environment.

It won't have a schedule, but will be overseen by MTV to ensure that it meets broadcasting regulations.

The service will be free to sign up to and will be ad-supported. Naturally, advertisers are keen to find ways of targeting the difficult-to-reachy 16-24 age group.

It will be interesting to see if MTV can create a success from this mix of music and interactivity. It's something they're keen to expand upon, though. "At the end of the day, all of our channels might be Fluxed. It might be the redefinition of our television channels," said Bakker.

This sounds like an interesting progression for MTV, and despite their late entry into social networking, they have enough unique qualities to make their offering attractive. They'll need to find ways of developing their service and making it 'sticky' if they're to hold on to fickle consumers.

There are also ethical issues to grapple with, as with all video sharing services, concerning privacy, legality and copyright.

What do you reckon to MTV Flux?

Yahoo offers MP3 download free from DRM

Anyone here like DRM? Digital Rights Management is a big pain for anyone who has legitimately bought music and other digital content and, quite rightly in my opinion, wants to use it as they see fit.

Apple's been slammed for it - Sony too. Now Yahoo has offered a popular song for sale without any copy-protection.

Jessica Simpson's "A Public Affair" is the honoured track, which also comes with an option to purchase a version of the song with a choice of names in the lyrics.

Though the download is double the price it would be on iTunes, at $2, the price was attributed to the personalisation option, not the lack of DRM.

"...we've been publicly trying to convince record labels that they should be selling MP3s for a while now," Ian Rogers of Yahoo Music wrote on his blog. "Our position is simple: DRM doesn't add any value for the artist, label (who are selling DRM-free music every day -- the compact disc) or consumer, the only people it adds value to are the technology companies who are interested in locking consumers to a particular technology platform."

However, some analysts believe that this is just a promotional offering and won't set the trend for future protection-free downloads.

"It's very, very unlikely that we're going to see any mainstream music sold without digital rights management, without the approval of the record labels," said Michael Gartenberg of Jupiter Research. "The labels are certainly not going to go for it. It's been a staple of their existence."

What do you think of DRM? Is it ever likely to be dropped, or just get more restrictive?

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Microsoft the UK's favourite brand?

Recent research for the branding consultancy Superbrands shows that Microsoft is the UK's favourite brand - and that's apparently across all sectors, not just tech. They beat the BBC (second place), but interestingly they completely trounced Apple, down in 25th. Maybe the iPodders weren't listening when the question was asked.

Google made 6th place, Nokia 12th and BT 21st.

I'm not sure how many people were polled, and whether the survey was undertaken outside Microsoft's UK HQ in Reading, but anyway...

A second survey polling marketing experts painted a slightly different picture, with Apple second, Microsoft fourth, and Google way down in sixtieth place.

What's your favourite tech brand of the moment?

Biometric spoofing: New technology, new crime

Biometric security systems are becoming more popular as a high-tech way to protect financial and other personal information - through fingerprinting, iris scans and facial recognition - so you can bet that thieves and fraudsters are working hard to find ways of cracking them.

According to Bori Toth, who is biometric research and advisory lead at Deloitte & Touche, biometric spoofing is a growing concern.

The fact is, we leave our fingerprints all over the place. Our eyes and faces are not hidden. Voices can be recorded.

"Currently it's only researchers that are doing spoofing and copying. It's not a mainstream activity - but it will be. It's just human nature; if it can be done it will be done if you can achieve some benefit from it." she told Silicon.com in a recent interview.

Research has shown that current fingerprint systems can be fooled with fake fingers.

Of course, biometric systems are continually being made stronger - for example, ensuring that a finger has a pulse (gelatine fingers tend not to) - but this is another tech battle, each side trying to gain the upper hand: one to protect systems, the other for crime.

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Google continues to grow: profits double last quarter

Google excelled in the second financial quarter, even by its own standards, as its profits more than doubled.

In the three months to the end of June, Google's net income was $721m, compared to %342m for the same period last year.

Google has certainly been driving forward with more products and services, and whilst they have diversified greatly since their inception, they are still primarily focused on increasing the quality of search and ads.

Such monumental growth surely can't go on forever, but at present it's hard to see who will come along and take Google's crown. Yahoo don't seem to be a contender, and I still think Microsoft got into the search game too late.

Some saw diversification as a weakness, but continued innovation under the Google umbrella seems to be working, though I think Google could spend a lot more time improving its core business: search.

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Apple's profits soar thanks to iPod sales

Given the proliferation of white earbuds everywhere you look, you might think that everyone now has an iPod, but Apple is still riding high on a wave of popularity thanks to the continued evolution of the device.

Over 8 million iPods were shipped in the last quarter, which is 32% up on 2005. Profits are now up by 48% on last year. 39% of the sales came from outside the US.

Apple also stated that its sale of Macintosh computers had risen by 12% on last year, to 1.33m units, the majority of which now sport Intel processors. That's still a drop in the ocean compared to the likes of Dell, but it's significant enough.

So what's driving Apple's new found popularity?

Well, Apple are still innovators, and they haven't stood still. The iPod has evolved enough to make it continually attractive to first-time users and owners of older iPods.

Their iPod advertising campaigns have always been good. I'm not so convinced about their computer ads - does any lay consumer really care that Apple now uses Intel?

What Windows users seem to care more about is that they can now run their operating system on a Mac. That makes switching much easier.

I think it's fair to say that the old Apple were quite stubborn and avoided standards. The new Apple is much smarter. Releasing Boot Camp - the software that allows Windows and other PC software to run on Intel-based Macs - was a killer move on Apple's part and should work well for them.

I don't think Macs are ever going to go mainstream like their little white-earbudded cousins, but they're definitely getting more attention than they used to.

What do you think of Apple's current run of success?

Online fraudsters use free email accounts - gasp!

According to data collected over the last 3 years by Early Warning UK, a scheme set up to help retailers avoid credit card fraud, fraudsters intent on stealing the details of your credit card to buy things online use free email accounts from the likes of Yahoo and Hotmail.

It's not hugely surprising, is it? After all, even the fraudster needs to use some kind of email address, and they're hardly going to use a legitimate one when they can set up dozens of throwaway identities.

Early Warning have a database running into the tens of thousands of fraudsters - or at least, their temporary email addresses.

The problem has got so bad that some retailers now won't accept any Yahoo or Hotmail email addresses. Too bad for legitimate users, but understandable.

Moira Powley, Director of online store theprinterdatabase.com, an Early Warning subscriber, said that she'd stopped taking orders associated with Yahoo! webmail accounts after repeated incidents of attempted fraud.

"Do you Yahoo? Well, if you do, then I’m afraid we will assume you are a fraudster! Why? Because the majority of fraudulent attempts to buy online using a stolen identity have Yahoo! free email addresses. So, when we see Fred.Bloggs@yahoo.co.uk, we assume it is fraud," she said.

The top ten free services used for dodgy dealings, according to Early Warning, are:

1. Yahoo.com
2. Yahoo.co.uk
3. Hotmail.com
4. AOL.com
5. Hotmail.co.uk
6. Parrot.com
7. Postmaster.com
8. Lycos.co.uk
9. Lycos.com
10. Msn.com

Boots elearning tills: no more excuses for shoddy sales assistants

Boots has invested in new touchscreen point-of-sale tills that can be used to train staff in the art of selling and handling products.

Now there should be no excuse for poor quality sales techniques and under-trained staff.

Boots are working out how to deliver the training before trials begin this Autumn. Elearning could then be rolled out to its 60,000 staff in 1,400 stores nationwide.

The tills can stream live video and be connected together to allow group training. It's supposed to complement for traditional face-to-face learning.

"Tills are ideal for 10- to 15-minute training modules, but they must be capable of switching back to payment processing when a customer arrives." said IT director Rob Fraser.

Just as well. How will we pay for our deodorant and razor blades if staff decide to launch an impromptu one-hour customer service training module just as we approach their till?

Surgery and the lost sponge: RFID to the rescue

In the future, if you're unlucky enough to have a surgeon leaves something like a sponge inside you after surgery, a RFID chip could come to your rescue.

Radio Frequency Identification Tags are popping up all over the place, to keep track and secure stock, track luggage, and collect road tolls, for example.

Doctors at Stanford University School of Medicine who tested sponges embedded with RFID chips said that the system accurately alerted them when they deliberately left a sponge inside a temporarily closed surgical site and then used a detector over it. However, the RFID chips were said to be too big (about 20 mm) and would need to be reduced to be practical.

Alex Macario, a physician and professor of anesthesia who led the study, said the future probably will see a combination of tags and other techniques such as counting instruments and sponges before and after an operation.

Hmmm. Counting instruments and sponges... Don't they do that already? Oh well, it never hurts to have a bit of technological backup, does it? RFIDs iin sponges, whatever next?

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Online shopping: UK tops European pile

New research from Mintel shows that the UK has overtaken Germany as the number 1 online shopping nation in Europe.

Wow, what an achievement. Well done everyone!

Much of this has been put down to the increased competition between broadband providers that has pushed the price down, raised awareness, and made it easier for people to spend lots of time online surfing the virtual malls.

Fears of online fraud and poor Internet security don't seem to have overly affected sales, with European profits soaring over 50% to 40.2bn Euros in 2005. However, there's still plenty of room for growth as online security tightens and consumers become even more comfortable shopping online.

Are you an online shopper? What things do you buy the most of online?

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Microsoft Denies WGA Will Shut Down Windows XP

You may remember a couple of weeks ago we reported on concerns that the Windows Genuine Advantage (WGA) utility, which most XP users will have on their PCs ‘calls home’ every day, passing heaven knows what information back to the Microsoft mothership.

We also showed how to remove it, and clearly ruffled by the attention this item is generating Microsoft has denied rumours that it plans to use it to shut down copies of Windows that do not have WGA Installed. However, it has warned that there will be extra measures to stop pirate versions of Windows Vista from working.

Shiny's Premiership football blog: Who ate all the pies? launches

INCOMING! A few months ago we launched Who Ate All the Bratwurst, the only World Cup blog with a bigger football brain than Teddy Sheringham's. Until Bratwurst burst onto the international scene, Teddy was owner of the world's biggest 'football brain' – he will donate it to science after he dies and then the FA will use it to help England win the 2046 World Cup.

We stole Teddy's crown though and now we're growing our football brain with the launch of Who Ate All the Pies, a new British football blog that will give domestic football the hairdryer treatment. We may even throw a few teacups around. From the Premiership to the Scottish Second Division, if it's shaped like a ball and it's British, then we'll be on to it faster than Ashley Cole's lawyers.

Btw, Who Ate All the Bratwurst will be continuing (yay!) after the World Cup finishes, but with an emphasis on the global game – or 'soccer', as some people insist on calling it.

Weekly YouTube Round-Up - Simpsons, Snakes On A Plane...And Paris Hilton?!

Bit of an oldie, but such a goodie. So, on the off-chance no-one's seen this video, I'm posting it as this week's YouTube video highlight. Click on the 'play' button to view a professional realistic depiction of the classic Simpsons intro, otherwise on the link below to see several other YouTube highlights for this week. [Katherine Hannaford]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=49IDp76kjPw

Everyone remembers Transformers, well here's a Transformers music video set to the theme tune song. Makes me want to go down to the nearest charity shop and hunt for old Transformers toys.

We featured Paris Hilton's debut music video on Star Trip yesterday, but today I decided to ruin your retnas as well. The song is called 'Stars are Blind', and, as one viewer on YouTube states, 'Oh, thank goodness there's another video of Paris Hilton being a slut on the internet... We sure don't have enough of those!' Perfectly said.

I trust some of you are in the market for an 'orgasm for the eyes', so here it is: 'Visual Masturbation.' Just make sure you clean up after yourselves, okay?

Brokeback Rocky Mountain. The name says it all - a Brokeback Mountain/Rocky mash. See the love between Sylvester Stallone and Carl Weathers blossom like you never saw it before.

See a pirated trailer for Snakes on A Plane, which isn't out until later this year. Featuring Samuel L. Jackson doing what he does best, kicking some mofo snakes ass (on a plane).

This undoubtedly makes Justin and the Nsync boys green with envy, some faux-moustached kid lip-synching to their flop hit 'Tearing Up My Heart'

Weekly Online Music Exclusives - Exclusive Beck Videos

Apple's iTunes are offering a free download of their single of the week, 'Wound Up', by Office. This debut track by the American band is touted as being a mix of classic 60s pop and 80s new wave.

iTunes have their sticky little fingers on an exclusive video album of Beck's greatest hits, simply titled 'Beck'. They're flogging it for $24.99, but I'm wondering how they got it exclusively - is Steve Jobs converting to Scientology instead of Appletology?

iTunes is selling Kiddo's 'Okay Sweetheart' album prior to it's release date of the 1st of August. Kiddo are a Scottish pop band formed late last year who apparently sound like a cross between U2, Radiohead, and The Killers. [Katherine Hannaford]

Predictive Brangelina Spawn T-Shirt In Weekly Bayraider Round-Up

We knew it had to happen eventually, the arrival of The Chosen One, and the inevitable Brangelina t-shirt. Girls, remind Brad Pitt of that drunken snog in the bathroom toilets at the seedy strip-club down the road, and wear this t-shirt in style. Oh, make sure you send Angie pics, she'd really appreciate it.

The current Big Brother house may be crammed purely with imbeciles, but don't let that stop you from bidding on one of Kit Kat's many Golden tickets which have finagled themselves onto eBay. Grating personality not included.

If you're one of the mindless twats that rushed out to see the Da Vinci Code, (yes, I got sucked in too), then you'll remember the ever so important fleur de lis Cross key. Make sure you buy a replica key for that special someone in your life, to remind them of the several hours you stole from their lives. Who doesn't want to be reminded of 2 hours watching a sweaty Tom Hanks?

Given that their marriage is pretty much over, it's not surprising to see an invitation to Britney Spears' and Kevin Federline's wedding popping up on the 'bay. Granted, Britney's probably flogging off the leftover invitations one at a time, slowing accumulating the wealth K-Fed has boozed away from her.

More credit-card fun at our brother-blog Bayraider. [Katherine Hannaford]

Weekly YouTube Round-Up

The video below is of Apple's new store grand opening, on the famed 5th Avenue in New York City. The poor chap who filmed the 3.5 min video stood in line for 3 hours before being able to squeeze his pimply Steve Jobs-Loving ass in amongst the other fan-boys. The things we do for love, eh? [Katherine Hannaford]

Bling Bling, an American crack-addict, has been circulating the 'net for the past few weeks for his Jackass-style antics. Err, involving crack, that is. Watch this video to see the addict tied to a pole with his rocks just out of arms reach, and another junkie beating the life out of an innocent woman's car. Bling Bling, the new Johnny Knoxville? I doubt I'll be buying a calendar with his ugly mug all over it.

Myspace - The movie. Need I say more? It's got Myspace camera angles, forwarded emails, and best of all, everyone's beeessst friend, Tom. The only thing missing is a coupla angsty black nailed teens.

Keeping on with the Myspace theme, simple because, well, lol, U n00b, U kno Y!!1!1! We've found 'Myspace Junkie', a realistic portrayal of a myspace addict who craves the cold, sharp needle of Tom's bulletins and daily music updates. The video could possibly be used to warn your kids against the dangers of the ever-addictive Myspace site. Or get them hooked.

Want to see some gamers getting PWND? Click on this link to see what happens when you abuse your character a little too much. R0x0r j00r b0x0rz's off, eh?

Win £500 for writing about football - cool eh?

Ok, so there might be a lot of World Cup competitions around, but this is the coolest by far. How would you like to write for Who ate all the Bratwurst? as well as be the first footy blogger in the UK to go mobile?

And guess what we’ll pay you £500 to do it.

We are looking for four bloggers to write for both Bratwurst and our mobile sister blog Germany 2006 which will be available via the fantastic Mobizines. We want bloggers who can great write great short posts about anything and everything to do with the World Cup. There are four spaces up for grabs and you can find all the details here.

The basics though is that you need to write up to 300 impassioned, maybe witty words about something to do with football or the World Cup.

Germany 2006 will be on Mobizines, which is a fantastic new mobile phone application that offers magazines to go on your handset.

You can read all about how Mobizines work here and what sister blog Tech Digest said about it when it launched here.

So £500 and you could be on your way to be the next Motty. What have you got to lose?

Competition entry form

Do the Shiny Media survey - 14 great prizes up for grabs!

We want to find out a little bit more about you - including what you like to read online, whether you have your own blog and what your favourite gadgets are. OK the Shiny Media survey may not constitute the most fun you've ever had online, but if you spend five minutes of your life answering our questions you might just win yourself one of the following (and yes we know that's called bribery, but hey it sometimes works):

Toshiba 9-inch Portable DVD player
Nokia 3220 - Orange - Star Wars Special Edition Mobile Phone
Creative MuVo TX 256MB Music Player (eight of these to give away)
Sony 1GB Bean music player (we've got four of these to give away)

Go on, we'll love you forever...

Click here to take survey

[Non-UK readers: Sorry - it's not open to you. It's nothing personal, we promise!]

Write for our footy blog Bratwurst and also be the UK's first mobile football blogger and we'll give you £500 to do it.

Ok, so there might be a lot of World Cup competitions around, but this is the coolest by far. How would you like to write for Who ate all the Bratwurst? as well as be the first footy blogger in the UK to go mobile?

And guess what we’ll pay you £500 to do it.

We are looking for four bloggers to write for both Bratwurst and our mobile sister blog Germany 2006 which will be available via the fantastic Mobizines. We want bloggers who can great write great short posts about anything and everything to do with the World Cup. There are four spaces up for grabs and you can find all the details here.

The basics though is that you need to do write up to 300 impassioned, maybe witty words about something to do with football or the World Cup.

Germany 2006 will be on Mobizines, which is a fantastic new mobile phone application that offers magazines to go on your handset.

You can read all about how Mobizines work here and what we said about it when it launched here.

So £500 and you could be on your way to be the next Motty. What have you got to lose?

Competition entry form

Weekly Online Music Exclusives

Once again it's Monday, which means it's time for our weekly look at exclusive tracks available purely through digital means only. Go switch on yer compulator-thingy-majiggy! [Katherine Hannaford]

Apple iTunes is offering Rick Braun's 'Sessions, Vol. 1' ahead of its August launch date for only $7.99 - Smooth jazz at its best

Download NZer Evermore's second album, 'Dreams', before its May 23rd release date - This alt-rock band has been kicking around the Southern Hemisphere for a few years now, but has never seen UK/US attention before now, jump on the ride already!

Napster is offering an exclusive download of Angels and Airwaves' debut album, 'We Don't Need To Whisper', a week before it's available elsewhere - Yes, you're right to recognise that voice, they're fronted by former Blink 182-er, Tom DeLonge

Zero 7's new album 'The Garden' is being sold through Napster ahead of its May 22nd launch date - Featuring smooth collaborations from Jose Gonzalez and Sia Furler, not many can resist

Weekly Bayraider Round-Up

I've searched for the best eBay auctions we've discovered over at our brother-blog, Bayraider recently, hopefully you'll get a few chuckles out of the bizarre items people sell on the 'bay. We've got a few gamer-auctions up there, as a tribute to everyone's favourite time of the year - E3 time! [Katherine Hannaford]

World Of Warcraft Characters/User Accounts/Items - Written Entirely In 1337-speak
Freebies Scored At E3 2006
Pair Of Shorts Signed By Nicole Richie
Replica Pair Of Gene Simmons's 'Destroyer' Boots
Charlize Theron's Coveralls From North Country