23/04/2008 by swordfish.

Nearly 100 leaks of sensitive personal information have been reported to the data-protection watchdog in the last six months.

Organisations are continuing to lose sensitive personal data - despite high-profile cases such as the HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) data breach — and the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has warned chief executives to protect staff and customers’ personal information following an “alarming number” of security breaches reported to his office in the past six months.

Since the security breach at HMRC in November last year, the ICO said it has been notified of almost 100 data breaches by public, private and third-sector organisations. The public sector accounted for 62 breaches and the private sector for 28.

The ICO said half of the private-sector breaches were reported by financial institutions. Of the public-sector lapses, almost a third occurred in central government, and a fifth in the NHS.

Source: ZDNet

Return to the main QBS site

Posted in Security, Technology News | Print | No Comments »

15/04/2008 by swordfish.

Tesco said on Tuesday it will open an online shop next month selling music, films, games and television programmes for iPods and other digital players.

The supermarket chain’s new download service will compete with Apple’s iTunes site as well as British operators like HMV, 7Digital and Woolworths.

It will replace its existing digital site that offers a limited selection of music in a format that can not be downloaded directly to iPods.

Tesco Commercial Director Graham Harris said he expected the launch in May to “shake up” the download market by attracting a wider range of consumers. “We wanted to create an exciting and easy-to-use entertainment shop that Tesco customers of all ages and technical ability can use and trust,” he said.

Download prices have yet to be announced.

Source: Yahoo News

Return to the main QBS site

Posted in Apple, Technology News | Print | No Comments »

14/04/2008 by swordfish.

The UK music industry has called for Apple and other portable device makers to had over a slice of their revenues as compensation for fair use copying.

The Music Business Group (MBG), which numbers record company trade groups and rights collecting organisations among its members, backs proposals for change in UK copyright law that would provide legal backing for private copying of music to computers and portable players, so-called format shifting.

But it believes that rights holders should be compensated by a voluntary licensing scheme.

“The proposal we have put forward through the Music Business Group would see format-shifting copying (i.e. “CDs to iPods”) brought within the law,” MBG spokesman Richard Mollet explained in an email.

Source: PC Pro

Return to the main QBS site

Posted in Apple, Technology News | Print | No Comments »

31/03/2008 by swordfish.

The Apple brand has the biggest impact on the world’s consumers, while Microsoft and the US nation brand are those considered most in need of a remake, a survey showed on Monday.

The poll by online magazine brandchannel.com asked its readers to identify the brands with the greatest impact on their lives, and say how they affected readers’ behaviour and their view of the world.

The nearly 2,000 professionals and students who voted named Apple overwhelming winner. The creator of the iPod and Mac computer triumphed in six categories including most inspiring brand and the one readers cannot live without.

Source: ZDNet

Return to the main QBS site

Posted in Apple, Microsoft, Technology News | Print | No Comments »

27/03/2008 by swordfish.

Adobe has launched a beta version of its free online image editor Photoshop Express, offering seamless integration with Facebook and Picasa.

Once registered, users are given 2GB of space to store images, which can be edited and publicly shared via the My Gallery feature.

The service works especially well with Facebook, importing all images and albums from an account with titles and descriptions intact.

Source: PC Pro

Return to the main QBS site

Posted in Adobe, Facebook, Technology News | Print | No Comments »

26/03/2008 by swordfish.

Passengers on UK-registered aircraft could soon be able to use their mobile phones to make calls and send text messages, according to Ofcom.

The regulator, which had been examining the proposals since last year, says the plans are subject to approval by the relevant UK and European aviation bodies.

Ofcom says the policy has been developed with other European Union countries and the system could be used in European airspace.

Under the plans, airlines wishing to provide the service would allow passengers to use their own handsets once the aircraft reaches a minimum height of 3,000 meters. They would not be allowed during take-off and landing for safety reasons.

Source: PC Pro

Return to the main QBS site

Posted in Mobile, Technology News | Print | 1 Comment »