People-power for cellphones

People-power has taken a big step forward with a Canadian invention that harvests energy as you walk, reports National Post.

Strolling along with one of the devices strapped to each knee generates enough power to run 10 cellphones, or a couple of small computers.

That is without even breaking a sweat. "With a modest increase in effort you get enough for 30 cellphones, or 30 minutes of talk time for a minute of walking," says kinesiologist Max Donelan, at Simon Fraser University, who heads the international team that has created the device for "harvesting people-power".

IBM, Google, Microsoft, Yahoo and VeriSign have joined the board of the OpenID Foundation, which puts consumers a little closer to being able to use a single sign-on when they surf the Web, says the San Francisco Chronicle.

The foundation was created in June, although the technology to support OpenID has been around for a couple of years. It enables people to use a single log-on and password at any Web site that supports OpenID technology.

More than 10 000 Web sites accept OpenIDs, and about 250 million OpenIDs exist. Until now, however, it has been a grassroots effort.

Google is preparing to shake up the mobile sector by unveiling the first "Gphone", reports Times Online.

The search giant, which is angling for a chunk of the potentially highly lucrative wireless advertising market, is expected to produce a prototype mobile handset next week at the Mobile World Congress show.

The move will intensify the battle between the Californian group and its rival, Microsoft. The two are sparring over Microsoft's audacious $44.6 billion bid for rival Yahoo.

Microsoft has cut the price of its HD DVD player for the Xbox 360 in an effort to boost sales. The device now lists for $130, down from $260, says InformationWeek.

Sales of HD DVD players have slumped ever since Warner Bros and several other major Hollywood studios threw their support behind the rival Sony Blu-ray high definition format.

DreamWorks, Paramount and Universal are now the only studios with commitments to continue releasing movies in HD DVD.