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• Facebook reveals big 'social news' traffic surges
• Apple's Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 ban overturned in Oz
• In Depth: The tech behind London 2012
• Sonos Android app gets Honeycomb tablet update
• Microsoft Office coming to iPad, says report
• Microsoft Office coming to iPad, says report
• Google Maps for Android adds indoor locations
• Google Maps for Android adds indoor locations
• Google Maps for Android adds indoor locations
• Microsoft brings WP emulator to Android and iPhone
• Microsoft brings WP emulator to Android and iPhone
• Microsoft brings WP emulator to Android and iPhone
• Microsoft brings WP emulator to Android and iPhone
• Microsoft brings WP emulator to Android and iPhone
• Spotify set to share the music love with other apps?
• Spotify set to share the music love with other apps?
• Spotify set to share the music love with other apps?
• British Newspaper Archive launches
• British Newspaper Archive launches
• British Newspaper Archive launches
• EU: Programming language can't be copyrighted
• EU: Programming language can't be copyrighted
• EU: Programming language can't be copyrighted
• Microsoft overhauls SkyDrive cloud storage
• Microsoft overhauls SkyDrive cloud storage

Facebook reveals big 'social news' traffic surges Posted: 30 Nov 2011 02:31 AM PST Facebook has donned its hard hat and done a spot of data mining, revealing some statistics about its Open Graph initiative, which allows users to share with their friends just what they are reading online. At f8 back in September Facebook announced it had created a new type of app for media partners that would allow newspapers like the Guardian, the Independent and the New York Times to find out just what articles of theirs were being read by Facebook users. According to Facebook, the Open Graph has been a success and results show the the Guardian's app now reaches four million monthly active users and many of them being from a demographic that the paper has found hard to reach – the 24 and under category. Read all about it The Washington Post app has had 3.5 million active users and 83 per cent of those are under 35 years old. Yahoo News and the Independent have also significant traffic increases – Yahoo by 600 per cent and The Independent garnering 1 million readers for its app. When it comes to what has been the most read, it is the New York Times that has the most popular article – one which centres round before and after pictures of the Japanese earthquake and tsunami. Speaking about the results, Andrew Miller, chief executive officer of Guardian Media Group, said: "As well as increasing traffic, the app is making our journalism visible to new audiences. Over half of the app's users are 24 and under - traditionally a very hard-to-reach demographic for news organisations. "The Facebook app is one of a number of successful launches by the Guardian in recent months as our digital-first strategy gains momentum. We're delighted with the results."

Apple's Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 ban overturned in Oz Posted: 30 Nov 2011 02:06 AM PST Chalk one up for Samsung in the great patent rumble of 2011; the company has had Apple's sales ban on the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 overturned in Australia. Federal Court Justice Lindsay Foster has reversed the sales ban, as was predicted late last week, although it's still in place until Friday this week. Apple could (and, most likely, will) go to the High Court to have the sales ban extended beyond Friday, although Samsung is gearing up to have the 10.1-inch tablet in Australia's shops on Saturday. In a Galaxy far far away It's excellent timing for Samsung, which will be able to take advantage of the Christmas shopping season Down Under, rather than missing out on the country's cash. Cue the soft focus and cries of "It's a Christmas miracle!" from the crowds. "We believe the ruling clearly affirms that Apple's legal claims lack merit," crowed a Samsung spokesperson, handily overlooking the pile of other defeats it has suffered at Apple's hands in court. The two companies are locked in a long, tedious, court-based battle over patents, with each accusing the other of infringing on copyrighted tech. There are cases going on in the UK, US, South Korea, Japan, Germany and a number of other European countries.

In Depth: The tech behind London 2012 Posted: 30 Nov 2011 02:02 AM PST The man in charge of Acer's London 2012 involvement is sat in front of one of the desktops PCs that the company is providing in the thousands for next year's Olympics, explaining that he would love for his team of engineers to be bored out of their minds when the Games roll around. "If they are bored then everything is going well," explains Michael Trainor, the project manager for the Acer Olympic Project. Acer is just one of a group of tech partners for the London games tasked with making sure that everything runs smoothly; for the Taiwanese computer giant that involves preparing, providing and supporting an estimated 13,500 bits of kit over 107 Olympic venues. The scale of the project is clear, despite there being nearly 250 days until the opening ceremony on 27 July, Acer is already preparing thousands of PCs to hit the eventual total of 11,500 desktops and 1,100 laptops, as well as 900 powerful servers and a variety of monitors. This work is being done in a secret location in Canary Wharf at the headquarters of the London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (LOCOG), and the collaboration between the various tech partners has gone well so far. "There's no room for politics," says Trainor. "The success of the tech team is the only significant thing for everybody involved." Companies involved include worldwide partners like Atos, Airwave, Omega, Panasonic and Samsung, London 2012 partners that include BT, and official London 2012 supporter Cisco – so no shortage of technology stakeholders. Acer's servers are at the heart of LOCOG's operation running all key applications from HR right the way through to accreditation and scheduling applications - and the company is providing Gateway games rack and games tower servers and Altos admin rack servers. But it will be the PCs that garner the most attention, with Acer choosing its Veriton L670G as its standard desktop, which will be powering the specialised Atos software that will keep people across the Olympic venues abreast of what is going on, including commentary teams, other media and athletes. The PC has been designed to be economical in its power use and, critically, to have a small enough footprint to be ubiquitous without getting in the way. "Every PC has the same motherboard and the same RAM," adds Trainor, which simplifies the process of repairing and replacing faulty units. The Athlete's Village will offer up access points to the isolated network, although competitors will also be able to take their own laptops and connect to the internet. The logistics around an operation this size are fascinating - each sport has its own pod of computer equipment laid out in LOCOG HQ, and when a test event is run from an Olympic Venue it is shifted across and then back to the building. Athletics has the biggest pod of computers, but every discipline from the Olympics and Paralympics is represented in the testing lab. When the summer arrives, the computer equipment will be moved to the venues, and when the Paralympics finish it will be up to LOCOG what is done with it. The technology and infrastructure is monitored from a special technology operations centre (TOC) with banks of people and monitors assembled in front of boards reporting any emergencies with Sev 1 the most critical - something that everyone involved is keen to not occur. Trainor explains that the computers being used, including the Veriton desktop and the TravelMate laptops, are running with a 1-2 per cent failure rate. "We can't run the Olympic project like we would any other business," he continues. "The operational requirement over such a large area means we will be doing zero repairs on site. "If something fails then we will swap out the PC immediately. There is a reparation department within LOCOG." When TechRadar asks Trainor what worried him most in terms of what could go wrong he professes to be relatively confident for the time being, although ramping up the staffing for the London 2012 period will be the trickiest job. "We need to go from a relatively small UK operation up to 350 staff, and we are recruiting staff with similar skills to those being sought by other businesses in Canary Wharf," he explains. "And I'm hoping they will be the most bored individuals at the games."

Sonos Android app gets Honeycomb tablet update Posted: 30 Nov 2011 12:00 AM PST Sonos has released an update to its Android app that optimises the controller for Honeycomb (Android 3.x) tablets. Used to control Sonos wireless speaker systems, the controller app for Android has always been compatible with tablets, but today's update gives it a much better look, taking advantage of the 10.1-inch screen sizes to display album artwork and playlists to their best advantages. But it's not just the Android controller that's had a bit of love – the Sonos system has had a bit of an overhaul too, with the release of Sonos System Software 3.6. Sonosify Sonos users will be glad to hear that this includes improved Spotify integration, allowing you to access your Spotify inbox, browse Spotify's new releases and top tracks from within the app, as well as laying the playlists list out better. Other additions include AAC+ codec support and the addition of Danish and Norwegian to the language line up. Sonos has been a busy bee; it's also opening up its Sonos Labs programme to any music service that wants to get itself onto the multi-room wireless system. Sonos owners will be able to test out Beta versions of music services in the labs area of the app – the company is hoping that opening its APIs up, smaller music services like Shuffler.fm will be land on the app. The Sonos 3.6 software and Honeycomb-friendly Android controller app are free updates for Sonos wireless hi-fi systems and are both available from today.

Microsoft Office coming to iPad, says report Posted: 29 Nov 2011 07:30 PM PST Microsoft is 'actively working' on bringing its Office suite of apps to Apple's iPad, according to a report from The Daily. The iPad-only newspaper says a string of updates are on the way, which include Office for iPad, a new version for Mac OS X Lion and Office 2012 for Windows 8, which is currently in Beta form. However, it's an adaptation for Apple's tablet that'll really make the headlines, with the Daily predicting the cost of Word, Excel and Powerpoint will be 'significantly lower' than the full version of Office. Apple's iWork suite, which includes apps like Pages, Keynote and Numbers, have proved popular and Microsoft's offering is set to be around the same £6.99 standalone pricepoint. Office 365 compatible The Daily's report claims that the iPad suite will also be compitable with the Office 365 cloud solution. According to the article, Office for Windows 8 and Office for OS X Lion will arrive near the end of 2012, but Office for iPad will be on the scene a little sooner.

Microsoft Office coming to iPad, says report Posted: 29 Nov 2011 07:30 PM PST Microsoft is 'actively working' on bringing its Office suite of apps to Apple's iPad, according to a report from The Daily. The iPad-only newspaper says a string of updates are on the way, which include Office for iPad, a new version for Mac OS X Lion and Office 2012 for Windows 8, which is currently in Beta form. However, it's an adaptation for Apple's tablet that'll really make the headlines, with the Daily predicting the cost of Word, Excel and Powerpoint will be 'significantly lower' than the full version of Office. Apple's iWork suite, which includes apps like Pages, Keynote and Numbers, have proved popular and Microsoft's offering is set to be around the same £6.99 standalone pricepoint. Office 365 compatible The Daily's report claims that the iPad suite will also be compitable with the Office 365 cloud solution. According to the article, Office for Windows 8 and Office for OS X Lion will arrive near the end of 2012, but Office for iPad will be on the scene a little sooner.

Google Maps for Android adds indoor locations Posted: 29 Nov 2011 04:04 PM PST Google has updated its ever-popular Maps app for Android devices by bringing floorplans for a host of indoor locations. Google Maps 6.0, which is a free update for phones loaded with Android 2.1 and up, will bring you intimate details of many shopping centres and airports in the US and Japan. The location-based app works almost like the "You are here" directories you see dotted around airports and malls, which have confused the living daylights out of us since the dawn of conscious thought. Google's iteration does so with precision GPS guiding your every step in the form of that little blue dot on the landscape. Floor sensitive Better still, the app is also sensitive to which floor you're on, so if you go up an escalator in the shopping centre, the list of stores will update. Likewise at the airport. Some of the participating partners are The Mall of America, Home Depot, IKEA and selected Macy's stores, while airports in San Francisco, Chicago and Atlanta are also on board. The announcement on the official Google blog made no mention of when the new app may be rolled-out to other countries. YouTube : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gy-DI_bWElg

Google Maps for Android adds indoor locations Posted: 29 Nov 2011 04:04 PM PST Google has updated its ever-popular Maps app for Android devices by bringing floorplans for a host of indoor locations. Google Maps 6.0, which is a free update for phones loaded with Android 2.1 and up, will bring you intimate details of many shopping centres and airports in the US and Japan. The location-based app works almost like the "You are here" directories you see dotted around airports and malls, which have confused the living daylights out of us since the dawn of conscious thought. Google's iteration does so with precision GPS guiding your every step in the form of that little blue dot on the landscape. Floor sensitive Better still, the app is also sensitive to which floor you're on, so if you go up an escalator in the shopping centre, the list of stores will update. Likewise at the airport. Some of the participating partners are The Mall of America, Home Depot, IKEA and selected Macy's stores, while airports in San Francisco, Chicago and Atlanta are also on board. The announcement on the official Google blog made no mention of when the new app may be rolled-out to other countries. YouTube : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gy-DI_bWElg

Google Maps for Android adds indoor locations Posted: 29 Nov 2011 04:04 PM PST Google has updated its ever-popular Maps app for Android devices by bringing floorplans for a host of indoor locations. Google Maps 6.0, which is a free update for phones loaded with Android 2.1 and up, will bring you intimate details of many shopping centres and airports in the US and Japan. The location-based app works almost like the "You are here" directories you see dotted around airports and malls, which have confused the living daylights out of us since the dawn of conscious thought. Google's iteration does so with precision GPS guiding your every step in the form of that little blue dot on the landscape. Floor sensitive Better still, the app is also sensitive to which floor you're on, so if you go up an escalator in the shopping centre, the list of stores will update. Likewise at the airport. Some of the participating partners are The Mall of America, Home Depot, IKEA and selected Macy's stores, while airports in San Francisco, Chicago and Atlanta are also on board. The announcement on the official Google blog made no mention of when the new app may be rolled-out to other countries. YouTube : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gy-DI_bWElg

Microsoft brings WP emulator to Android and iPhone Posted: 29 Nov 2011 12:26 PM PST Microsoft has enabled Android and iPhone users to get a taste of what life would be like on Windows Phone, with a neat browser-based demo. The HTML5 demonstration showcases Windows Phone's Metro user-interface and allows you to follow through and experience the operating system's basic functionality. You can view within the Phone, People, Messaging, Outlook, Calendar, Family, Local Scout and Picture tiles, while the emulator guides you through the main features. Each of the tiles work as they would on any Windows Phone 7 handset. Shedding the stigma Android and iPhone users can reach the Windows Phone demo by typing http://aka.ms/wpdemo into the browser. The demonstration is a nice idea from Microsoft, as it seeks to prize away mobile users from the big two and shed the stigma of previous Windows Mobile iterations.

Microsoft brings WP emulator to Android and iPhone Posted: 29 Nov 2011 12:26 PM PST Microsoft has enabled Android and iPhone users to get a taste of what life would be like on Windows Phone, with a neat browser-based demo. The HTML5 demonstration showcases Windows Phone's Metro user-interface and allows you to follow through and experience the operating system's basic functionality. You can view within the Phone, People, Messaging, Outlook, Calendar, Family, Local Scout and Picture tiles, while the emulator guides you through the main features. Each of the tiles work as they would on any Windows Phone 7 handset. Shedding the stigma Android and iPhone users can reach the Windows Phone demo by typing http://aka.ms/wpdemo into the browser. The demonstration is a nice idea from Microsoft, as it seeks to prize away mobile users from the big two and shed the stigma of previous Windows Mobile iterations.

Microsoft brings WP emulator to Android and iPhone Posted: 29 Nov 2011 12:26 PM PST Microsoft has enabled Android and iPhone users to get a taste of what life would be like on Windows Phone, with a neat browser-based demo. The HTML5 demonstration showcases Windows Phone's Metro user-interface and allows you to follow through and experience the operating system's basic functionality. You can view within the Phone, People, Messaging, Outlook, Calendar, Family, Local Scout and Picture tiles, while the emulator guides you through the main features. Each of the tiles work as they would on any Windows Phone 7 handset. Shedding the stigma Android and iPhone users can reach the Windows Phone demo by typing http://aka.ms/wpdemo into the browser. The demonstration is a nice idea from Microsoft, as it seeks to prize away mobile users from the big two and shed the stigma of previous Windows Mobile iterations.

Microsoft brings WP emulator to Android and iPhone Posted: 29 Nov 2011 12:26 PM PST Microsoft has enabled Android and iPhone users to get a taste of what life would be like on Windows Phone, with a neat browser-based demo. The HTML5 demonstration showcases Windows Phone's Metro user-interface and allows you to follow through and experience the operating system's basic functionality. You can view within the Phone, People, Messaging, Outlook, Calendar, Family, Local Scout and Picture tiles, while the emulator guides you through the main features. Each of the tiles work as they would on any Windows Phone 7 handset. Shedding the stigma Android and iPhone users can reach the Windows Phone demo by typing http://aka.ms/wpdemo into the browser. The demonstration is a nice idea from Microsoft, as it seeks to prize away mobile users from the big two and shed the stigma of previous Windows Mobile iterations.

Microsoft brings WP emulator to Android and iPhone Posted: 29 Nov 2011 12:26 PM PST Microsoft has enabled Android and iPhone users to get a taste of what life would be like on Windows Phone, with a neat browser-based demo. The HTML5 demonstration showcases Windows Phone's Metro user-interface and allows you to follow through and experience the operating system's basic functionality. You can view within the Phone, People, Messaging, Outlook, Calendar, Family, Local Scout and Picture tiles, while the emulator guides you through the main features. Each of the tiles work as they would on any Windows Phone 7 handset. Shedding the stigma Android and iPhone users can reach the Windows Phone demo by typing http://aka.ms/wpdemo into the browser. The demonstration is a nice idea from Microsoft, as it seeks to prize away mobile users from the big two and shed the stigma of previous Windows Mobile iterations.

Spotify set to share the music love with other apps? Posted: 29 Nov 2011 09:54 AM PST Spotify teased the world last week with the revelation that it is about to go in a 'new direction' at an event on 30 November, and it seems this could mean that it is to open its service up to third-party developers. This is according to All Things Digital which is reporting that Spotify is ready to open up its API so that devs can access its library and make wonderful new products from the musical bounty. When it comes to Spotify's game plan so far, the company has relied on apps to get its service into as many places as possible – that and a massive deal with Facebook which upped its subscriber count to 2.5 million users. Sharing the music love If the rumours are true then Spotify is indeed embarking on a new direction that would see many more music-based apps use its content. There are myriad problems with this, however, and most of them involve just what sort of deals Spotify has made with music labels. But if it has convinced the labels that they should open up their music to as many places as possible under the guidance of Spotify then we could soon see the service stretch to many more places and make it not so dependent on the company's own app.

Spotify set to share the music love with other apps? Posted: 29 Nov 2011 09:54 AM PST Spotify teased the world last week with the revelation that it is about to go in a 'new direction' at an event on 30 November, and it seems this could mean that it is to open its service up to third-party developers. This is according to All Things Digital which is reporting that Spotify is ready to open up its API so that devs can access its library and make wonderful new products from the musical bounty. When it comes to Spotify's game plan so far, the company has relied on apps to get its service into as many places as possible – that and a massive deal with Facebook which upped its subscriber count to 2.5 million users. Sharing the music love If the rumours are true then Spotify is indeed embarking on a new direction that would see many more music-based apps use its content. There are myriad problems with this, however, and most of them involve just what sort of deals Spotify has made with music labels. But if it has convinced the labels that they should open up their music to as many places as possible under the guidance of Spotify then we could soon see the service stretch to many more places and make it not so dependent on the company's own app.

Spotify set to share the music love with other apps? Posted: 29 Nov 2011 09:54 AM PST Spotify teased the world last week with the revelation that it is about to go in a 'new direction' at an event on 30 November, and it seems this could mean that it is to open its service up to third-party developers. This is according to All Things Digital which is reporting that Spotify is ready to open up its API so that devs can access its library and make wonderful new products from the musical bounty. When it comes to Spotify's game plan so far, the company has relied on apps to get its service into as many places as possible – that and a massive deal with Facebook which upped its subscriber count to 2.5 million users. Sharing the music love If the rumours are true then Spotify is indeed embarking on a new direction that would see many more music-based apps use its content. There are myriad problems with this, however, and most of them involve just what sort of deals Spotify has made with music labels. But if it has convinced the labels that they should open up their music to as many places as possible under the guidance of Spotify then we could soon see the service stretch to many more places and make it not so dependent on the company's own app.

British Newspaper Archive launches Posted: 29 Nov 2011 09:21 AM PST The British library has announced it has launched a new online archive which features back issues of more than 200 newspapers from the UK and Ireland. The British Library has been busy digitising content for the last year and predicts that the archive will take 10 years to complete. The website, www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk, is a fascinating insight into the history of journalism and contains myriad articles that go all the way back to the 1700s. The idea of the website was to digitise actual newspapers that can be found at the British Library, giving more people than ever before access to these historical documents. If that sounds familiar, it's because Google tried to do a similar thing with its Google News Archive - but this was closed in July of this year. Extraordinary archive Speaking about the new site, Ed King from the British Library, said: "People will find this archive extraordinary on both a personal and historical level. For the first time people can search for their ancestors through the pages of our newspapers wherever they are in the world at any time. "But what's really striking is how these pages take us straight back to scenes of murders, social deprivation and church meetings from hundreds of year ago, which we no longer think about as we haven't been able to easily access articles about them." The archive consists of over 40 million newspaper pages and due to the amount of content on offer it is subscription based. Although you can search for any article, to actually view the content, the price is: £6.95 for 48-hour access; £29.95 for 30 days or £79.95 for a yearly sub.

British Newspaper Archive launches Posted: 29 Nov 2011 09:21 AM PST The British library has announced it has launched a new online archive which features back issues of more than 200 newspapers from the UK and Ireland. The British Library has been busy digitising content for the last year and predicts that the archive will take 10 years to complete. The website, www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk, is a fascinating insight into the history of journalism and contains myriad articles that go all the way back to the 1700s. The idea of the website was to digitise actual newspapers that can be found at the British Library, giving more people than ever before access to these historical documents. If that sounds familiar, it's because Google tried to do a similar thing with its Google News Archive - but this was closed in July of this year. Extraordinary archive Speaking about the new site, Ed King from the British Library, said: "People will find this archive extraordinary on both a personal and historical level. For the first time people can search for their ancestors through the pages of our newspapers wherever they are in the world at any time. "But what's really striking is how these pages take us straight back to scenes of murders, social deprivation and church meetings from hundreds of year ago, which we no longer think about as we haven't been able to easily access articles about them." The archive consists of over 40 million newspaper pages and due to the amount of content on offer it is subscription based. Although you can search for any article, to actually view the content, the price is: £6.95 for 48-hour access; £29.95 for 30 days or £79.95 for a yearly sub.

British Newspaper Archive launches Posted: 29 Nov 2011 09:21 AM PST The British library has announced it has launched a new online archive which features back issues of more than 200 newspapers from the UK and Ireland. The British Library has been busy digitising content for the last year and predicts that the archive will take 10 years to complete. The website, www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk, is a fascinating insight into the history of journalism and contains myriad articles that go all the way back to the 1700s. The idea of the website was to digitise actual newspapers that can be found at the British Library, giving more people than ever before access to these historical documents. If that sounds familiar, it's because Google tried to do a similar thing with its Google News Archive - but this was closed in July of this year. Extraordinary archive Speaking about the new site, Ed King from the British Library, said: "People will find this archive extraordinary on both a personal and historical level. For the first time people can search for their ancestors through the pages of our newspapers wherever they are in the world at any time. "But what's really striking is how these pages take us straight back to scenes of murders, social deprivation and church meetings from hundreds of year ago, which we no longer think about as we haven't been able to easily access articles about them." The archive consists of over 40 million newspaper pages and due to the amount of content on offer it is subscription based. Although you can search for any article, to actually view the content, the price is: £6.95 for 48-hour access; £29.95 for 30 days or £79.95 for a yearly sub.

EU: Programming language can't be copyrighted Posted: 29 Nov 2011 09:09 AM PST The EU Court of Justice's advocate general, Yves Bot, has said that to allow programming language to be copyrighted would only lead to monopolies in the IT industry. Bot offered his recommendations for the case of SAS Institute which is suing World Programing Ltd for infringing its copyrights by copying its programmes. "The functionalities of a computer program and the programming language cannot be protected by copyright," said Bot. "If it were accepted that a functionality of a computer program can be protected as such, that would amount to making it possible to monopolise ideas, to the detriment of technological progress and industrial development." Ro-Bot But Bot argued that the ways in which elements of the programming language are used can be protected, in the same way that a writer putting specific words into a certain order can claim intellectual property over them. "The way in which formulae and algorithms are arranged - like the style in which the computer program is written - will be likely to reflect the authors own intellectual creation and therefore be eligible for protection," he said. Although the opinions expressed by Bot aren't legally binding, his thoughts converge with those of the England and Wales court which went to the European Court of Justice for advice on the SAS Institute case in the first place.

EU: Programming language can't be copyrighted Posted: 29 Nov 2011 09:09 AM PST The EU Court of Justice's advocate general, Yves Bot, has said that to allow programming language to be copyrighted would only lead to monopolies in the IT industry. Bot offered his recommendations for the case of SAS Institute which is suing World Programing Ltd for infringing its copyrights by copying its programmes. "The functionalities of a computer program and the programming language cannot be protected by copyright," said Bot. "If it were accepted that a functionality of a computer program can be protected as such, that would amount to making it possible to monopolise ideas, to the detriment of technological progress and industrial development." Ro-Bot But Bot argued that the ways in which elements of the programming language are used can be protected, in the same way that a writer putting specific words into a certain order can claim intellectual property over them. "The way in which formulae and algorithms are arranged - like the style in which the computer program is written - will be likely to reflect the authors own intellectual creation and therefore be eligible for protection," he said. Although the opinions expressed by Bot aren't legally binding, his thoughts converge with those of the England and Wales court which went to the European Court of Justice for advice on the SAS Institute case in the first place.

EU: Programming language can't be copyrighted Posted: 29 Nov 2011 09:09 AM PST The EU Court of Justice's advocate general, Yves Bot, has said that to allow programming language to be copyrighted would only lead to monopolies in the IT industry. Bot offered his recommendations for the case of SAS Institute which is suing World Programing Ltd for infringing its copyrights by copying its programmes. "The functionalities of a computer program and the programming language cannot be protected by copyright," said Bot. "If it were accepted that a functionality of a computer program can be protected as such, that would amount to making it possible to monopolise ideas, to the detriment of technological progress and industrial development." Ro-Bot But Bot argued that the ways in which elements of the programming language are used can be protected, in the same way that a writer putting specific words into a certain order can claim intellectual property over them. "The way in which formulae and algorithms are arranged - like the style in which the computer program is written - will be likely to reflect the authors own intellectual creation and therefore be eligible for protection," he said. Although the opinions expressed by Bot aren't legally binding, his thoughts converge with those of the England and Wales court which went to the European Court of Justice for advice on the SAS Institute case in the first place.

Microsoft overhauls SkyDrive cloud storage Posted: 29 Nov 2011 08:25 AM PST Microsoft has announced that its cloud-based storage system SkyDrive has been overhauled to allow 'app-centric' sharing. Microsoft insists that the update, which also offers up better file management, HTML5 uploads and CSS transitions, is based on user feedback. Also included are photo improvements (including geo-tagging support), support for more file types and performance enhancements. Key product SkyDrive is a key Microsoft product, although it has very much been left in the background to date, basically offering cloud storage that can be tied into a plethora of the software giant's other products. Microsoft's changes should mean single file sharing is much easier, and documents in Office Web Apps can be shared from within the program rather than forcing you to exit – a key complaint of SkyDrive users to date. Drag and drop has been implemented for HTML5 file API supporting browsers, and rich PDF files can now be read from within SkyDrive.

Microsoft overhauls SkyDrive cloud storage Posted: 29 Nov 2011 08:25 AM PST Microsoft has announced that its cloud-based storage system SkyDrive has been overhauled to allow 'app-centric' sharing. Microsoft insists that the update, which also offers up better file management, HTML5 uploads and CSS transitions, is based on user feedback. Also included are photo improvements (including geo-tagging support), support for more file types and performance enhancements. Key product SkyDrive is a key Microsoft product, although it has very much been left in the background to date, basically offering cloud storage that can be tied into a plethora of the software giant's other products. Microsoft's changes should mean single file sharing is much easier, and documents in Office Web Apps can be shared from within the program rather than forcing you to exit – a key complaint of SkyDrive users to date. Drag and drop has been implemented for HTML5 file API supporting browsers, and rich PDF files can now be read from within SkyDrive.

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