This week's print edition of the Technology supplement is online too, looking at the problems with Microsoft's Xbox 360 console, the reshuffle of ministers who look after public sector information (and what it means for information businesses), why sploggers use Google's Blogger, not Wordpress.com (even though they're both free), the reasons why you can't watch Channel 4, Sky or the BBC online using Vista or a Mac or Firefox.. plus gadget reviews, newly asked questions and a wife whose husband has a new cybernetic best friend.. who's female.
Features:
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Where the Xbox 360 went wrong
Whoops, there is a problem with the console failing in significant numbers after all, said a reluctant Microsoft this week. So what is the cause? Charles Arthur investigates. -
Can the new ministers make a difference?
Free Our Data: The new prime minister's parliamentary team will need to get to grips with the issue of free data. -
Why Google is the service of choice for sploggers
Spam bloggers are making cash from the search giant's AdSense - but they face opposition from a very determined man. Michael Pollitt reports. -
Why TV on demand insists you use its chosen browser
Channel 4's new download service is restricted to those using Windows XP and Internet Explorer. Kate Bevan reports. -
Silverlight looks better by the Moonlight
After a 21-day 'hackathon,' Novell's Mono group of open source developers managed to show Moonlight - an incomplete version of Microsoft's still-unfinished Silverlight - running on Linux at a conference in Paris last month. -
Removing anonymity won't stop the online flame wars
Why do people attack each other via blogs and online forums? Researchers now think they know. Laura Marcus reports.
Newly Asked Questions:
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Is the Pirate Bay going to be shut down again?
Swedish anti-copyright website the Pirate Bay has been targeted by police before, writes Bobbie Johnson - most notably last year when it was shut down for three days. -
Will ISPs begin to filter their networks for illicit music?
They might after a ruling in Belgium, says Charles Arthur, where the local ISP, Scarlet (which was once part of Tiscali) has been given six months to begin filtering out infringing peer-to-peer content on its network.
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O2 Cocoon
The white plastic finish and the curved shape prompts comment on its suitability as a Star Wars Stormtrooper accessory. -
Logic3 i-Station IS10
Logic3 makes iPod accessories galore, but this is its first foray into the exciting world of alarm clocks. -
Pinnacle PCTV DVB-T Flash Stick
There are plenty of USB stick digital TV tuners on sale, but the Pinnacle PCTV DVB-T Flash Stick raises the bar a little in that it also boasts 1GB of Flash memory.
Opinion and comment:
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Has Britannica co-opted blogging or has it been corrupted by it?
Seth Finkelstein: If you can't beat 'em, join 'em. That's what the venerable Encyclopedia Britannica apparently decided to do in a series of blog posts beginning last October. -
iPhone is more than the sum of its parts
Charles Arthur: In the case of this new device, the only question that some people want to ask is: who's getting all the money? -
Preserving old games is a service to humanity
Keith Stuart: Last week, Microsoft took some time out from repairing Xbox 360s to announce a joint initiative with the National Archives. -
Technobile
Catherine Cooper: Meet Jane, my husband's bossy but desirable mistress - and even I can't live without her now -
If Facebook is just this year's version of AOL, is that bad?
Jack Schofield: Facebook is now scything through the Guardian - even the editor has signed up - thanks to its compelling combination of MySpace, Flickr, forums and Friends Reunited, all done with a bit of taste.
Ask Jack:
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Unfair use?
My ISP tells me I've gone over my 40GB download limit. I am sure I have not. I don't download much or stream anything, so this amount has surprised me. Can I keep track of it so that I can rebut its claim? -
Upgrade for games
My son recently bought Sid Meier's Civilization IV without checking the recommended system requirements so it's a £30 screensaver. Is it worth upgrading a five-year-old PC - in our case an AMD-based Mesh Matrix XP 1600 - or biting the bullet and buying new? -
Upgrade for graphics
I have a five year old AMD 1.3GHz class PC running an nVidia GeForce 5200 with 768MB of memory. Can I upgrade my system with a new graphics card rather than having to shell out for a new CPU and motherboard?
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Letters and blogs
Send your letters, comments, questions and rants to tech@theguardian.com, and please include your address and post town.
