Yahoo overhauls e-mail service

Yahoo is planning to overhaul its free Web-based e-mail service to make it work more like a desktop e-mail program, CNET reports.

The service will feature e-mail cache to shorten response time, message preview and drag-and-drop filing, says the company.

A limited number of customers will be able to participate in the beta test of the new service in the coming weeks, with general availability to follow in the coming months, says Ethan Diamond, product director for Yahoo e-mail.

Yahoo mail users will be able to use the new version, stick with the older version or use both, while the new service will work with only Internet Explorer and Firefox, although support for other browsers is expected to follow.

Sun Microsystems received a boost when IBM said it would convert its software products to work with Sun`s Solaris operating system on a new line of Sun computers, the New York Times reports.

Sun`s new line is built around the Opteron dual-core microprocessor from Advanced Micro Devices and is designed for high-end corporate applications.

Sun had been trying to seal a new alliance with IBM for the last year, and executives at both companies said yesterday that pressure from large customers had been a central factor in forcing the renewed alliance.

In addition, IBM has agreed to renew its 10-year licensing agreement for Sun`s Java programming language, which was to expire next year.

Wimbledon may conjure up traditionally English images of strawberries and cream but the tennis tournament is harnessing the latest technology for players and the public, Reuters reports.

This year Wimbledon has added a range of hi-tech features, including wired and wireless Internet-based telephone calls for the organisers that help keep walkie-talkie radio waves free and the grounds clear of unnecessary cabling.

Security personnel carry wireless Internet-enabled handheld computers on which they can watch the games, helping them with the exact timing at which they need to usher players to the courts.

A 'shot tracker`, a three-dimensional animated image of every rally of the main games, has been made available to all visitors to www.wimbledon.org.

Biometric technology is taking another leap towards widespread usage as HP ships new laptops with fingerprint readers, reports CNN.

The nx6125 notebook PC, which includes a fingerprint sensor, is aimed at the business market and sells for $1 000 and up, says HP.

Fingerprint biometrics is a more secure and convenient alternative to passwords, which are often forgotten or stolen, says the company.