- Two tribes go to war
Microsoft is backing HD-DVD. Sony is backing Blu-Ray. But if Microsoft loses, it still wins; if Sony wins, it loses. Jack Schofield explain why "the last physical format" could be a pyrrhic victory. - Gear change speeds Apple
Steve Jobs announced Macs based on dual-core Intel chips - but does Apple now face a piracy problem? - Spam passes its peak
Charles Arthur: While it is premature to suggest that spam is cooked, something's happened: our indifference is slowly killing it. - Will logging your email combat terrorism in Europe?
An EU directive to retain internet and phone data to aid police investigations has been condemned as misguided and intrusive. - A spineless performance
The government's vision for the NHS was shamed by the inconvenient failure of its new "spine" IT system as it was unveiled - prompting users to ask why it was needed at all. - We all want to take the easy option
Victor Keegan: It is great to see companies realising that usability is the best way to create a mass market. - Population explosion puts our virtual worlds at risk
Gamesblog:Aleks Krotoski explains that as more people join multiplayer online games, the designers are less able to control them. - Technobile
Mike Anderiesz: Why do my gadgets make me feel as though I'm the one who's becoming obsolete, rather than them? - Read this week's letters
Send your letters, comments, questions and rants to tech@theguardian.com, and please include your address and telephone number. - Ask Jack
Send your questions and comments to Jack.Schofield@theguardian.com. Published letters will be edited for brevity, but include full details with your query. Please visit our Ask Jack weblog for daily updates. - In short...
- Will Slashdot be overtaken by Digg?
The idea that the "News for nerds" site at slashdot.org could be usurped by a technology news site that has only been around for about a year would have seemed laughable - a year ago. - Are downloads creating apathy?
Researchers from the University of Leicester are warning that near-instant music acquisition is creating a generation that does not appreciate songs or live performances. - Can I buy a £600 camera for £100?
No, you can't - although plenty of people who saw an Olympus E-1 digital SLR advertised on Apple's UK website put in orders, hoping the company might be having a January sale. - Short shrift
Did Google launch its own PC? | What does 'podcast' actually stand for? | Is Windows really more secure than Unix?
- Will Slashdot be overtaken by Digg?
