UK MPs aim to ban 'extreme` Net porn

The UK government is seeking to outlaw the possession of violent pornography obtained over the Internet, Silicon.com reports.

The Obscene Publications Act prevents the distribution of images of sexual abuse in the UK but does not apply to foreign Web sites or other international distribution channels. This means that possession of such material has yet to be outlawed.

Paul Goggins, parliamentary under secretary of state, said in a statement: "We are proposing to strengthen the criminal law in respect of possession of a limited category of extreme material featuring adults."

HP has warned that enterprises using a key network management product from the company may be vulnerable to a serious flaw allowing remote attacks, Techworld.com reports.

The problem is in Network Node Manager, an HP OpenView product that carries out auto-discovery, control and monitoring of network devices via simple network management protocol.

The company says although a patch isn`t yet available, it has issued an advisory describing a workaround to temporarily solve the problem.

Using computers at home helps kids do better at school, according to a new report from the UK Department for Education and Skills, although it`s the fairer sex that is making the best use of computers for education, Silicion.com reports.

The study, conducted by academics from Leeds and Sheffield, found that maths results in particular were boosted by the presence of a computer in the home.

However, having a computer at home doesn`t always help. The report found that the more pupils used ICT equipment during leisure time, the less likely they were to use it for schoolwork.