Tech addiction 'harms learning'

Researchers have warned that technology addiction among young people is having a disruptive effect on their learning, reports the BBC.

Their report concluded that modern gadgets worsened pupils' spelling and concentration, encouraged plagiarism and disrupted lessons.

A study of 267 pupils aged 11 to 18 found 63% felt addicted to the Internet and 53% to their mobile phones.

Xhead = Green IT saves UK govt £7m

The UK government claims it has saved £7 million in the past year through its green IT strategy. It also cut the carbon footprint of Whitehall technology by 12 000 tonnes - equivalent to taking 5 000 cars off the road, reports Computing.co.uk.

Cabinet Office minister Angela Smith told the Greening Government ICT conference, in London, that simple initiatives, such as extending the lifecycle of PCs, making double-sided printing the default option, and turning computers off at night have contributed to the savings.

The moves are part of the Greening Government ICT strategy announced last year, that has since seen 110 public sector bodies commit to action plans to reduce the environmental impact of their technology. The strategy aims to make the energy consumption of public sector IT carbon-neutral within four years.

France's lower house has approved an amended version of the controversial three-strikes legislation intended to crack down on illegal downloads, says The Register.

The French National Assembly passed the anti-piracy Bill by 285 votes to 225, with the ruling majority UMP in favour and the Socialist Party leading opposition votes.

Before the legislation is definitively adopted, it will go to a parliamentary commission of seven senators and seven members of the lower house to pen a final draft that's acceptable to both houses. However, socialists say they will appeal again to the Constitutional Court to have the Bill blocked.

The European Union has released the details of Intel's appeal in its ongoing European anti-trust case, says V3.co.uk.

In the appeal, the company contends the original decision is flawed and lacks sufficient evidence. Among Intel's arguments are claims the commission never proved an actual attempt by Intel to drive rival AMD from the market by offering discounts to vendors.

"The commission fails to meet the required standard of proof in its analysis of the evidence," Intel argued in the filing.