Google launches Wikipedia rival

Google has launched Knol, its user-generated online encyclopedia, which it announced in December but had kept under wraps in private testing, reports ITWorld.

Although its goal and approach are similar to Wikipedia's -- to tap the collective knowledge of Internet users within an encyclopedia format -- Knol is different in several ways.

Knol will encourage writers to use their real names and stand behind their articles, and will give them the possibility to generate income from their work via Google ads.

Hobbyists who create their own video games can now embark on a fully-fledged games developer career through a marketplace Microsoft has created, reports SiliconRepublic

Developers will be able to receive up to 70% of total revenue generated by the sale of their games.

Last year, Microsoft unveiled the XNA Game Studio software to allow developers to create their own games for Xbox 360. The company has described the move as leading to the greater democratisation of games development, allowing individuals and businesses to partake in the multi-billion console games business.

The system administrator accused of hijacking San Francisco's network may have surrendered the passwords needed to regain control of key parts of the system, but the move hasn't gotten anyone very far, reports The Register.

A judge has refused to lower his $5 million bail, and officials say they are still locked out of some portions of the network.

The decision came after prosecutors said during a hearing Wednesday that Terry Childs intentionally rigged the network to fail during maintenance or any time it experience a power failure.

Six of the UK's biggest net providers are believed to be backing a government plan to tackle music piracy online, says The BBC.

The plan commits the firms to working towards a "significant reduction" in the illegal sharing of music.

The first stage of the campaign will involve hundreds of thousands of letters being sent to net users suspected of illegally sharing music.