Wearable game weaves clues into cloth

If you find yourself wearing clothes from a new company called Edoc Laundry, beware: strangers may walk up to you on the street to examine the intricacies of your shirt`s patterns, reports CNet.

That`s because Edoc Laundry`s first line, expected to launch on 1 March, weaves an episodic, multimedia game into the fabric of the garments. The US-based company is believed to be the first to attempt such a fashion feat.

The idea is an extension of so-called alternate-reality games, in which people try to solve puzzles that are propagated online but require players to team up to find clues in the real world. Usually, the games are promotional vehicles for other products, including video games and movies.

Intel is planning to build the first IT education centre in the volatile Gaza Strip, reports Wired.

The Intel Information Technology Centre of Excellence is intended to provide IT training to Palestinians and stimulate development of hi-tech industry in an area where half the labour force is unemployed. The centre is being developed in conjunction with Washington DC-based American Near East Refugee Aid and the Islamic University of Gaza.

The centre is the company`s first large project in the Palestinian territories, an area where American corporate involvement is rare. Construction is expected to begin in about two months, with completion a year later.

Google has denied accusations that its new Chinese-language search engine is operating without a licence, according to the BBC. Chinese newspapers have accused Google of not having the Internet content provider licence needed to operate in China.

The Web giant has rejected the allegation, saying it was operating under the licence of its business partner, Ganji.com. Google`s China service blocks politically sensitive material to comply with Chinese censorship rules.

Google.cn, launched last month, complies with these guidelines. A Google spokesperson denied the reports, saying it was operating under the licence of its local partner.

Sony may be planning to surprise PlayStation fans by keeping quiet about the exact launch date and the price of its next-generation video games console. But the silence, so close to its promised first quarter launch, has only increased speculation that PlayStation 3 (PS3) will not be in shops in Japan before mid-year, reports the Financial Times.

A delay to the launch of PS3 will not just embarrass the embattled consumer electronics group but, depending on how long the delay turns out to be, it could jeopardise Sony`s dominant position in the video games market - giving rival Microsoft a major boost.

Sony said on Monday that it still plans a first quarter launch, although it conceded the timing could be affected if specifications for the Blu-Ray disc - the next-generation DVD to be incorporated into PS3 - are not completed in time.

The City of London is to offer ubiquitous wireless Internet access, with hardware installed in lampposts and street signs, reports the Guardian.

Internet provider The Cloud is joining with the City of London Corporation to turn the entire business area into a gigantic WiFi hotspot.

As many as 350 000 workers could get Internet access on the move through their laptops or palmtop computers. Users will pay through business subscriptions or pay-as-you-go accounts. The operators hope to offer access within six months.