Jeremy Kirk

Moves by several European countries to tighten laws against computer hacking worry security professionals who often use the same tools as hackers but for legitimate purposes.

In a continuing bid to capture some of the tape-backup market, Microsoft Corp. released a beta version of the upgrade to its file-and-application server recovery software, which includes support for a wider range of the company's server products.

Film-based X-rays are quickly disappearing in England, as its health care facilities switch to a digital system that can send images of broken bones and fractured ribs over a network instantly to different clinics.

The U.S. Commerce Department reported that 1,137 laptops have been lost or stolen since 2001, with 249 of them containing some degree of personal data.

A prominent spam research organization based in London will ignore a US$11.7 million judgment against it by a U.S. federal judge since it can't be enforced in the U.K.

Four European Parliament members warned the European Commission that its actions toward Microsoft Corp. could endanger the competitiveness of European businesses by delaying the release of Vista, Microsoft's next operating system.

Alcatel SA has reached a preliminary agreement to buy Nortel Network Corp.'s 3G (third-generation) mobile phone network business for US$320 million. The deal would make Alcatel one of the biggest suppliers of UMTS gear worldwide. UMTS is a 3G telecoms standard.

Non-profit environmental organization Greenpeace has rated mobile phone giant Nokia Corp. highly for its eco-friendly policies, but gave low marks to Lenovo Group Ltd., Motorola Inc. and Apple Computer Inc., among others.