Microsoft to simplify software

Microsoft will make its software more reliable and easier to use, Jim Allchin, group VP in charge of operating systems at Microsoft, said yesterday.

However, Allchin pointed out that Windows still fell short of the company`s goal of making computing user-friendly, according to Reuters.

"It`s hard to deploy the operating system today, apps [programs] are more difficult than they should be."

Allchin also confirmed that Microsoft would ship a preliminary version of the next version of Windows in 2005.

Reuters reports that the majority of British parents are worried that mobile phones with built-in cameras could compromise the safety of their children.

Children`s charity NCH found that 78% of parents surveyed believe that third-generation (3G) phones will make it "more or less impossible to supervise and support children who use the Internet".

The NCH says it wants every handset being used by a child to have filtering and screening software pre-installed.

ATI Technologies has announced its Radeon X800 high-end graphics card. Initially available in two versions, the XT and Pro, the card promises to double the performance of its current top-flight Radeon 9800.

Reuters reports that the X800 is ATI`s answer to the GeForce 6800, the new top-end graphics card that rival Nvidia unveiled about three weeks ago.

Nvidia used to dominate at the high-end market before stumbling with delays and production problems on a previous top product, the GeForce FX 5800.

That let ATI assume the lead, and for the better part of the last year-and-a-half the companies have fought a neck-and-neck battle for the performance crown.