dunne keen to commit to man city richard dunne is ready to commit his long-term future to manchester city after turning his career around.  he was once threatened with the sack by city boss kevin keegan but has since responded with impressive performances  prompting interest from other clubs. early talks have taken place and the defender said:  hopefully something will be sorted out as soon as possible.  i definitely want to stay at city because i have really improved as a player here.  newcastle boss graeme souness is said to have been impressed enough by dunne s turnaround in form to be ready to make a bid for the big stopper in the january transfer window. but the 25-year-old dubliner underlined his intention to stay at eastlands. he added:  it s nice to be linked with top clubs but the important thing is this one and what we do.  i really enjoy it at city and i want to keep that going.  keegan is expected to be told there will be no funds to bring in fresh faces in january. dunne s professionalism was famously questioned by keegan  who ordered the defender home after he allegedly turned up for training in a dishevelled state.  but dunne is keen to put that period of his life behind him and said:  i ve grown up a lot and the manager sees me as one of the most experienced players in the squad.  i ve played more games than any other outfield players this season so i can t be regarded as being a kid any more.  i have to use that as added pressure to perform and apart from the games at newcastle and middlesbrough  defensively we ve done quite well.  keegan is set for another boost when goalkeeper nicky weaver makes his long-awaited return in a reserve game at blackburn on tuesday. former england under-21 keeper weaver has missed nearly three full seasons with a succession of knee injuries  which eventually needed pioneering transplant surgery earlier this year.


us trade deficit widens sharply the gap between us exports and imports has widened to more than $60bn (£31.7bn)  an all-time record.  figures from the commerce department for november showed exports down 2.3% to $95.6bn  while imports grew 1.3% to $155.8bn on rising consumer demand. part of the expanding deficit came from high prices for oil imports. but the numbers suggested the sliding dollar - which makes exports less expensive - has had little impact  and could indicate slowing economic growth.  the trade deficit - far bigger than the $54bn widely expected on wall street - prompted a rapid response from the currency markets.  by 1650 gmt  the dollar was trading against the euro at $1.3280  almost a cent and a half weaker than before the announcement. against the pound  the dollar was down about 0.7% at $1 8923.  the dollar s fall has been sudden  violent and appropriate given this number   said brian taylor of wells fargo in minneapolis.  recent exchange rate movements certainly haven t had any impact yet.  treasury secretary john snow put a brave face on the news  saying it was a sign of strong economic expansion.  the economy is growing at such a fast rate that it is generating lots of disposable income... some of which is used to buy goods from our trading partners.   although the white house officially still backs the us s traditional  strong dollar  policy  it has tacitly indicated that it would be happy if the slide continued. the dollar has fallen by 50% against the euro - as well as by 30% against the yen - in the past three years. the main catalyst  most economists accept  is the large budget deficit on the one hand  and the current account deficit - the difference between the flow of money in and out of the us - on the other. the trade deficit is a large part of the latter. in november  the fall in exports was largely due to a decline in sales of industrial supplies and materials such as chemicals  as well as of cars  consumer goods and food. one small bright spot for us policy-makers was a slight decline in the deficit with china  often blamed for job losses and other economic woes. although china s overall trade surplus is expanding  according to chinese government figures  the commerce department revealed the us s deficit with china was $19.6bn in november  down from $19.7bn the month before. but the deficit with japan was at its worst in more than four years.


us top of supercomputing charts the us has pushed japan off the top of the supercomputing chart with ibm s prototype blue gene/l machine.  it is being assembled for the lawrence livermore national laboratory  under the us department of energy. ibm test results show that blue gene/l has managed speeds of 70.72 teraflops. the previous top machine  japan s nec earth simulator  clocked up 35.86. the top 500 list was announced on monday and officially charts the fastest computers in the world.  it is announced every six months and is worked out using an officially recognised mathematical speed test called linpack which measures calculations per second.  once completed in 2005  blue gene/l will be more powerful than its current prototype.  next year with the final blue gene  four times what it is this year  it is going to be a real step up and will be hard to beat   said erich strohmaier  one of the co-founders of the top500 list. it will help scientists work out the safety  security and reliability requirements for the us s nuclear weapons stockpile  without the need for underground nuclear testing. it will also cut down on the amount of heat generated by the massive power  a big problem for supercomputers.  in second place was silicon graphics  columbia supercomputer based at the us space agency s (nasa) ames research center in california. the linux-based machine was reported to have reached a top speed of 42.7 trillion calculations per second (teraflops) in october. it will be used to model flight missions  climate research  and aerospace engineering. the defeated japanese contender  the earth simulator  which was listed in third place  losing the top spot it had held since june 2002. it is dedicated to climate modelling and simulating seismic activity.  since the first supercomputer  the cray-1  was installed at los alamos national laboratory  us  in 1976  computational speed has leaped 500 000 times. the cray-1 was capable of 80 megaflops (80 million operations a second). the blue gene/l machine that will be completed next year will be five million times faster. started in 1993  the top 500 list is decided by a group of computer science academics from around the world. it is presented at the international supercomputer conference in pittsburgh.


mac mini heralds mini revolution the mac mini was launched amid much fanfare by apple and great excitement by apple watchers last month. but does the latest macintosh justify the hype  let us get a few things dealt with at the outset - yes  the mac mini is really  really small  and yes  it is another piece of inspired apple design. there is more to be said on the computer s size and design but it is worth highlighting that the mac mini is a just a computer. inside that small box there is a g4 processor  a cd/dvd player  a hard drive  some other technical bits and bobs and an operating system. a dvd burner  wireless and bluetooth technologies can be bought at extra cost. and if you do not have a monitor  keyboard or mouse then you will need to purchase those also.  it is not the fastest computer for the money but for under £400 you are getting something more interesting than mere technical specifications - apple software. the mac mini comes bundled with mac os x  the operating system  as well as ilife 05  a suite of software which includes itunes  web browser safari  iphoto  garage band and idvd. i doubt many pc lovers would seriously argue that windows xp comes with a better suite of programs than mac os x.  of course  users of open source operating system linux draw up their own menu of programs. for people who want to do interesting things with their music  photos and home movies then a mac mini is an ideal first computer or companion to a main computer.  it s a good little machine with a reasonable amount of power and just perfect for the average computer user who wants to leave the tyranny of window and viruses   said mark sparrow  technical and reviews editor at mac format magazine. he added:  in essence  it s a laptop in a biscuit tin  minus the screen and the keyboard.  the software bundle that comes with the mini makes your average budget pc look a bit sick.  the relatively low price of the machine has also encouraged the more technically-savvy to experiment with their macs. one user has already created a  dock  to enable him to plug in and out his mac mini in his car.  the small size of the machine makes it a practical solution for in-car entertainment - playing movies and music - as well as navigation. another user has mounted his mac mini to the back of his large plasma screen and then controls the computer via a wireless keyboard and mouse. when it was first announced some pundits thought the mini was designed as a sort of stealth media centre - ie the machine would be used to serve tv programmes  music  films and photos - partly due to its small  living room friendly design. but there are obvious reasons why this is not the case - at least not in the here and now the hard drive - at 80gb for the larger model - is too small to be realistically used as media centre.  while commercial personal video recorders are on the market with smaller than 80gb hard drives it is worth remembering that they only store tv content. a media centre computer has to store music  files and photos and as such 80gb just seems too small. most pcs running windows media center have at least 120gb hard disks. coupled with the lack of a tv tuner card  a digital audio out and any kind of media centre software bundled with the machine then the mac mini should be judged on what it is  not what it is not. but that has not stopped more enterprising users from adapting the mac mini to media centre uses. so - is the mac mini just another computer or a revolution in computing  graham barlow  editor of mac format  understandably has a rather partisan viewpoint.  it s just a mac  but we should be very excited - it s revolutionary in its size (smaller than pcs)  looks (looks better than pcs)  and the fact that it s the first mac designed to really go for the low-cost pc market.  the design of the mac mini is further evidence of a future when pcs are more than just bland  bulky boxes. there are a number of companies who already produce miniature pcs based on mini-itx motherboards. but at the moment these pcs tend to be either for the home-build enthusiast or expensive pre-built options based around microsoft s media center software. but for the value the mac mini offers  bringing some of the best software packages within reach of more consumers than ever before  apple is to be congratulated. let us say then that if the mac mini is not a fully fledged revolution - it is a mini revolution.


holmes starts 2005 with gb events kelly holmes will start 2005 with a series of races in britain.  holmes will make her first track appearance on home soil since winning double olympic gold in january s norwich union international in glasgow. she will also run in the grand prix in birmingham in february and may defend her indoor aaa 800m title in sheffield earlier that month.  i am still competitive and still want to win   she said.  i m an athlete and i can t wait to get back on the track.  she added:  these events are also a great opportunity to thank the british public for the enormous levels of support they have given me from the moment i stepped off that plane from greece.  the glasgow meeting will see holmes compete over 1500m in a five-way match against sweden  france  russia and italy.


wood - ireland can win grand slam former captain keith wood believes ireland can win only their second grand slam - and first since 1948 - in this year s rbs six nations championship.  after claiming their first triple crown for 19 years last season  wood tips his former team-mates to go one better.  things have been building up over the past few years and i think this is the year for ireland   he told bbc sport.  there is a great chance to win a grand slam. a lot of things are in our favour with england and france at home.  ireland have finished runners-up three times  including last year  since the old five nations became six in 2000  and not finished outside the top three in the past five years.  despite being without flanker keith gleeson  coach eddie o sullivan has not had to contend with the sort of casualty lists that have hit england and scotland in particular prior to the tournament.  for ireland to win it we need to stay relatively injury free  and fortunately we are one of the few teams that have done that so far   wood added.  it is going to be tough and we need to take all the luck and opportunities that come our way.  ireland s last game of the tournament is against wales in cardiff - a fixture they have not lost since 1983.  but despite their traditional hospitality when the irish are visiting  wood believes wales might end their four-match losing run against england in cardiff.  so many of the major england players have either retired in the last year or are injured that i think it will be very hard for them down in cardiff   wood added.  wales have had four brilliant games in the last year or so and lost all four  so the time is right for them now to beat one of the major teams.


novartis hits acquisition trail swiss drugmaker novartis has announced 5.65bn euros ($7.4bn; £3.9bn) of purchases to make its sandoz unit the world s biggest generic drug producer.  novartis  which last month forecast record sales for 2005  said it had bought all of germany s hexal. it also acquired 67.7% of hexal s us affiliate eon labs  and offered to buy the remaining shares for $31 each. novartis said that it would be able to make cost savings of about $200m a year following the acquisitions. novartis  shares rose 1% to 57.85 swiss francs in early trading.  the deal will see novartis  sandoz business overtake israel s teva pharmaceuticals as the world s biggest maker of generics. based on 2004 figures the newly merged producer would have sales of more than $5bn  the company estimated. novartis said that it would merge a number of departments  adding that there may be job cuts.   the strong growth outlook for sandoz  which will create jobs  is expected to partially compensate for necessary reductions in the work force   the firm said in a statement. generic drugs are chemically identical to their more expensive branded rivals. producers such as sandoz can copy the branded products usually after their patent protection expires and can sell them more cheaply as they do not have to pay research and development cost.  there are more than 150 generic drugmakers worldwide and analysts have predicted consolidation in a market that they call fragmented. however  not all analysts were initially convinced about the deal.  this is a very expensive acquisition   birgit kuhlhoff  from sal oppenheim investment bank  told reuters.  i find it strange that they are making acquisitions in exactly those markets where they suffered price pressure.


bristol city 2-1 milton keynes leroy lita took his goal tally to 13 for the season as his double earned city an ldv vans trophy win.  the striker finished off scott murray cross from close range just seconds before half-time. lita then made it 2-0 on 52 minutes  but dons  substitute serge makofo then netted a great volley to make it 2-1. the visitors almost took the tie to extra time with a late 30-yard bullet from richard johnson which was well held by steve phillips.  phillips  amankwaah  coles  hill  fortune  murray (anyinsah 59)  doherty (harley 45)  dinning  bell  lita (cotterill 72)  gillespie. subs not used: orr  brown.  hill.  lita 45  52.  bevan  oyedele  ntimban-zeh  crooks  puncheon  kamara (makofo 64)  chorley  herve (mckoy 45)  tapp (johnson 45)  mackie  pacquette. subs not used: martin  palmer.  pacquette  chorley  johnson  mckoy.  makofo 66.  3 367  j ross (essex).


what now for british tennis  tim henman s decision to quit davis cup tennis has left the british team with a gargantuan void to fill.  the world number seven is tied for fourth among his countrymen for wins in the history of the tournament (he has 36 from his 50 rubbers). and great britain s last davis cup win without henman came against slovenia as far back as 1996. worse could follow  according to former british team member chris bailey. bailey told bbc sport:  after tim s announcement  i doubt greg rusedski will be that far behind him.  but without their top two  where does that leave british ambitions in the sport s premier team event  captain jeremy bates has singled out alex bogdanovic and andrew murray as potential replacements. the yugoslavian-born bogdanovic  though  is 184 places below henman in the world rankings and has played just two cup ties - winning one and losing the other.  murray  on the other hand  is 407th in the current atp entry list and yet to make his cup debut. but bailey does see some hope for the future. he said:  now we ve dropped down to the euro-africa zone  the time was right for him to step down and let the young guys come to the fore.  britain s next opponents  israel  are hardly likely to be quaking in their boots ahead of the 4-6 march match against a likely trio of bogdanovic  murray and the 187th-ranked arvind parmar. bailey said:  it will be tough for gb to move up  but there comes a time when our young players have to step up. this was always going to be inevitable with tim and greg s growing years.  i m confident about the future. i wouldn t lay money on us getting back into the world group next year  but i d imagine in five years time we ll be competing for the major honours.  of those lining up to replace henman  the 17-year-old murray  with four futures titles under his belt last year  looks the best long-term bet.  murray is the one that looks likeliest to take over tim s mantle   said bailey.  he has an enormous amount of self-confidence  judging by what he s said in the past.  bogdanovic  three years murray s senior  has had a more troubled time under britain s davis cup umbrella.  while murray has been marked out as britain s golden boy  bogdanovic was warned by the lawn tennis association for a lack of drive at the end of 2003. and bailey said:  despite that  alex is clearly talented as well  while arvind is another contender.  they re among the guys who have experienced the intensity of davis cup tennis - whether as players or on the sidelines.  the lta has always done an exceptional job of ensuring that.  now they ll finally get to play regularly in the cauldron of the cup. and i m confident that will springboard team gb to greater success.


souness delight at euro progress boss graeme souness felt newcastle were never really in danger of going out of the uefa cup against heerenveen.  an early own goal followed by an alan shearer strike earned them a 2-1 win and a place in the uefa cup last 16.  obviously with winning in the first leg it gave us a great advantage   he said after the 4-2 aggregate victory.  we got our goals early and in the minds of some players the job was done but then they got a goal and perhaps made us a bit nervous.  shearer s goal moved him within 12 of jackie milburn s club scoring record of 200 for the magpies. but souness said he did not think beating the record would have any bearing on his decision to retire at the end of the season.  i think if he got it this year he would want to stay next year anyway   he added.   he struck the ball very well - he always has done - and i think it was the power and pace that beat the goalkeeper.  souness also paid tribute to laurent robert  who was at the heart of much of united s attacking play.  in the first half he did really well and did everything you want from a wide player. more of the same in future please   he said.


uk pioneers digital film network the world s first digital cinema network will be established in the uk over the next 18 months.  the uk film council has awarded a contract worth £11.5m to arts alliance digital cinema (aadc)  who will set up the network of up to 250 screens. aadc will oversee the selection of cinemas across the uk which will use the digital equipment. high definition projectors and computer servers will be installed to show mainly british and specialist films. most cinemas currently have mechanical projectors but the new network will see up to 250 screens in up to 150 cinemas fitted with digital projectors capable of displaying high definition images. the new network will double the world s total of digital screens. cinemas will be given the film on a portable hard drive and they will then copy the content to a computer server.  each film is about 100 gigabytes and has been compressed from an original one terabyte-size file. fiona deans  associate director of aadc  said the compression was visually lossless so no picture degradation will occur.  the film will all be encrypted to prevent piracy and each cinema will have an individual key which will unlock the movie.  people will see the picture quality is a bit clearer with no scratches.  the picture will look exactly the same as when the print was first made - there is no degradation in quality over time.   the key benefit of the digital network will be an increase in the distribution and screening of british films  documentaries and foreign language films.   access to specialised film is currently restricted across the uk   said pete buckingham  head of distribution and exhibition at the uk film council.  although a genuine variety of films is available in central london and a few other metropolitan areas  the choice for many outside these areas remains limited  and the digital screen network will improve access for audiences across the uk   digital prints costs less than a traditional 35mm print - giving distributors more flexibility in how they screen films  said ms deans.  it can cost up to £1 500 to make a copy of a print for specialist films.  in the digital world you can make prints for considerably less than that.  distributors can then send out prints to more cinemas and prints can stay in cinemas for much longer.  the uk digital network will be the first to employ 2k projectors - which are capable of showing films at resolutions of 2048 * 1080 pixels. a separate competitive process to determine which cinemas will receive the digital screening technology will conclude in may. the sheer cost of traditional prints means that some cinemas need to show them twice a day in order to recoup costs.  some films need word of mouth and time to build momentum - they don t need to be shown twice a day   explained ms deans.  a cinema will often book a 35mm print in for two weeks - even if the film is a roaring success they cannot hold on to the print because it will have to go to another cinema.  with digital prints  every cinema will have its own copy.


chinese wine tempts italy s illva italy s illva saronno has agreed to buy 33% of changyu  the largest wine maker in china.  changyu said in a statement to the shenzhen stock exchange that illva will pay 481.42m yuan ($58.16m; £30.7m)  once the government approves the deal. the italian liqueur maker will acquire the shares from the yantai state asset management bureau. chinese wine sales are growing  the us agriculture department said  with wine sales in 2003 up 25% at 61.1bn yuan.  china is encouraging state-owned companies to sell shares to foreign investors. anheuser-busch  heineken and scottish & newcastle have all invested in the chinese beer industry in the last two years and now illva saronno is betting on the chinese wine market. yantai state asset management bureau - a government agency in the north-eastern city of yantai - owns 55% of changyu. the state agency will also sell 10% of its stake in changyu to another overseas company  although it didn t say who. the remaining 12% will be retained by the yantai city government. the consumption of wine in china is still low  at just 0.22 litres per capita  said the us agriculture department. this compares with 59 litres in france  12 litres in the us and three litres in japan.


edgy agassi struggles past dent andre agassi put in an erratic display before edging into the fourth round of the australian open with victory over taylor dent.  the 34-year-old american  seeded eighth  made a poor start  dropping serve early on and later needing two chances to serve out the set. having secured the lead  agassi still failed to take control as both players forced a succession of breaks. but agassi won the tie-break before wrapping up a 7-5 7-6 (7-3) 6-1 win. fourth seed  survived an injury scare as he battled past mario ancic 6-4 3-6 6-3 6-4. the russian turned his right ankle in the third game of the fourth set and called for treatment immediately. but he showed no sign of the problem when he returned to the court to wrap up victory in two hours 45 minutes.  ancic  wimbledon semi-finalist in 2004  looked set to push safin all the way when he took the second set but safin raised his game to sink the croatian. safin said he was trying to keep his temper under control at this year s tournament. the russian hit himself on the head repeatedly in one second-set outburst but was otherwise largely calm in his victory.  i try to stay calm because if you go crazy against players like ancic  you might never come back because he s a tough opponent   he said.  i m a little bit calmer than i was before because i d had enough.  the russian added that he was not worried by his ankle injury.  i have had a lot of problems with that ankle before - it will be ok   he said.   s route to the fourth round was made easy when opponent jarkko nieminen was forced to retire from their match.  the top seed and defending champion was leading 6-3 5-2 when nieminen pulled out with an abdominal injury. federer had been in patchy form until then - mixing 19 unforced errors with 19 winners. the world number one will play cypriot  next after the former world junior champion beat tommy robredo 7-6 (7-2) 6-4 6-1. federer admitted he was under extra pressure after extending his winning streak to a career-best 24.  they are so used to me winning  but it s not that simple   he said.  i had a feeling this could be a tough match. i had a bad start but i bounced back. i always want to play better than i am  but i thought i was pretty ok.  french open champion  is out of the tournament after a five-set defeat by dominik hrbaty. hrbaty defeated the 10th seed 7-6 (7-5) 6-7 (8-10) 6-7 (3-7) 6-1 6-3 in a match lasting four hours and 21 minutes. the pair traded 16 service breaks during an exhausting baseline battle  with hrbaty taking a decisive advantage in the eighth game of the final set. hrbaty will now play 2002 champion    who outlasted american kevin kim 3-6 6-2 6-7 6-2 6-2.


us prepares for hybrid onslaught sales of hybrid cars in the us are set to double in 2005  research suggests.  research group jd power estimates sales will hit 200 000 in 2005  despite higher prices and customer scepticism. carmakers are starting to build hybrid sports utility vehicles (suvs)  the four-wheel-drive vehicles which now dominate the us car market. hybrids cut both petrol consumption and emissions by combining a petrol engine with an electric motor constantly kept charged by extra engine power. several jurisdictions  notably the state of california  mandate low emissions for new cars. equally  the rise in oil prices over the past year has sparked hopes that consumers may be tempted by potential savings of a few hundred dollars a year on fuel.  at the detroit motor show  a range of manufacturers are prominently displaying their hybrid credentials. toyota has led the market to date with the prius  popularised by a number of celebrities keen to burnish their  green  credentials. in april it will launch a hybrid version of its highlander suv  with an suv from its luxury lexus marque due later in the year.  honda has three hybrids on the market  and between them the two japanese carmakers sold more than 80 000 units last year. ford  which has sold 4 000 of its first hybrid since its launch in august  is bringing a hybrid suv - the mariner - to market a year ahead of schedule  with plans for three more models by 2008. gm has a hybrid pickup on the market and is showing two concept suvs in detroit. even sports car maker porsche may join the race  although it insists it is still considering whether to hybridise its cayenne suv.  others remain more sceptical. nissan has bought toyota s hybrid technology  but plans to bring out its first model only in 2006.  we want to make sure we are not concentrating on one technology   nissan chief executive carlos ghosn said.  we will not be surprised by any acceleration or deceleration in the hybrid market.  volkswagen  meanwhile  says it will focus on clean-burning diesel engines instead. and some watchers point out that the price tag on a hybrid - upwards of $3 000 above that of an equivalent normal-engined car  and suspicion of the technology - may still cool its attraction.  the average consumers aren t willing to pay that premium for a car they won t drive more than six years   said anthony pratt from jd power.


businesses fail to plan for hiv companies fail to draw up plans to cope with hiv/aids until it affects 20% of people in a country  new research says.  the finding comes in a report published on thursday by the world economic forum  harvard and the un aids agency.  too few companies are responding proactively to the social and business threats   said dr kate taylor  head of the wef s global health initiative. nearly 9 000 business leaders in 104 countries were surveyed for business and hiv/aids: commitment and action   dr taylor described the level of action taken by businesses as revealed by the report as  too little  too late . the issue will be highlighted to business and world leaders at the world economic forum  which meets in davos  switzerland  next week. the wef report shows that despite the fact that 14 000 people contract hiv/aids every day  concern among businesses has dropped by 23% in the last 12 months. most (71%) have no policies in place to address the disease. nor could over 65% of the business leaders surveyed say or estimate the prevalence of hiv among their staff. the un programme tackling aids  unaids  pointed out that having a clear strategy for dealing with hiv/aids was a good investment as well as being socially responsible.  one company that does have a plan is anglo-american  the international mining company  which estimates an hiv prevalence of 24% among its 130 000-strong southern african workforce.  over the last two years the company has implemented extensive voluntary counselling and testing for hiv infection  coupled with anti-retroviral therapy for employees progressing to aids. over 90% of the 2 200 employees who have accessed and remained on treatment are well and have returned to normal work.  effective action on hiv/aids is synonymous with good business management and leads to more profitable and sustainable operations   said brian brink  senior vice-president  health  at anglo-american.   companies should encourage all workers to know their hiv status  making it as routine as monitoring blood pressure or cholesterol   he said.  providing access to treatment is a critical part of this.  across sub-saharan africa  even in countries with an hiv prevalence of 10-19%  only around 7% of companies have formal hiv/aids policies in place  according to the report. the gap is even wider in china  ethiopia  india  nigeria and russia  the so-called  next wave  countries  which are predicted to experience the highest numbers of new hiv/aids cases worldwide by 2010. the report adds  an important building block to our understanding of how the business community is experiencing the hiv/aids epidemic and to whether and how it is reacting   said david bloom  professor of economics and demography at the harvard school of public health.  the wef report concludes that businesses need to understand their exposure to hiv/aids risks and come up with good local practices to manage them. a key priority  in both high and low-prevalence settings  said the wef is to establish a policy based on non-discrimination and confidentiality.


nasdaq planning $100m-share sale the owner of the technology-dominated nasdaq stock index plans to sell shares to the public and list itself on the market it operates.  according to a registration document filed with the securities and exchange commission  nasdaq stock market plans to raise $100m (£52m) from the sale. some observers see this as another step closer to a full public listing. however nasdaq  an icon of the 1990s technology boom  recently poured cold water on those suggestions.  the company first sold shares in private placements during 2000 and 2001. it technically went public in 2002 when the stock started trading on the otc bulletin board  which lists equities that trade only occasionally. nasdaq will not make money from the sale  only investors who bought shares in the private placings  the filing documents said. the nasdaq is made up shares in technology firms and other companies with high growth potential. it was the most potent symbol of the 1990s internet and telecoms boom  nose-diving after the bubble burst. a recovery in the fortunes of tech giants such as intel  and dot.com survivors such as amazon has helped revive its fortunes.


cyber criminals step up the pace so-called phishing attacks that try to trick people into handing over confidential details have boomed in 2004  say security experts.  the number of phishing e-mail messages stopped by security firm messagelabs has risen more than tenfold in less than 12 months. in 2004 it detected more than 18 million phishing e-mail messages. other statistics show that in 2004 73% of all e-mail was spam and one in 16 messages were infected with a virus.  in its end-of-year report  messagelabs said that phishing had become the top security threat and most popular form of attack among cyber criminals. in september 2003  messagelabs caught only 273 phishing e-mails that tried to make people visit fake versions of the websites run by real banks and financial organisations. but by september 2004 it was stopping more than two million phishing related e-mail messages per month. worryingly  said the firm  phishing gangs were using increasingly sophisticated techniques to harvest useful information such as login details or personal data.  older attacks relied on users not spotting the fact that the site they were visiting was fake  but more recent phishing e-mails simply try to steal details as soon as a message is opened. other phishing scams try to recruit innocent people into acting as middlemen for laundering money or goods bought with stolen credit cards.  e-mail security attacks remain unabated in their persistence and ferocity   said mark sunner  chief technology officer at messagelabs.  in just 12 months phishing has firmly established itself as a threat to any organisation or individual conducting business online   he said. mr sunner said messagelabs was starting to see some phishing attacks become very focused on one company or organisation.  already particular businesses are threatened and blackmailed  indicating a shift from the random  scattergun approach  to customised attacks designed to take advantage of the perceived weaknesses of some businesses   he said. although phishing attacks grew substantially throughout 2004  viruses and spam remain popular with cyber-criminals and vandals. one of the biggest outbreaks took place in january when the mydoom virus started circulating. to date the company has caught more than 60 million copies of the virus. also up this year was the amount of spam in circulation. in 2003 only 40% of messages were spam. but by the end of 2004  almost three-quarters of messages were junk.


ferguson hails man utd s resolve manchester united s alex ferguson has praised his players  gutsy performance in the 1-0 win at aston villa.   that was our hardest away game of the season and it was a fantastic game of football  end-to-end with lots of good passing   said the old trafford boss.  we showed lots of character and guts and we weren t going to lose.  i look at that fixture and think we ve been there and won  while arsenal and chelsea have yet to come and villa may have some players back when they do.  ferguson also hailed senior stars ryan giggs and roy keane  who came off the bench for the injured john o shea.  roy came on and brought a bit of composure to the midfield which we needed and which no other player has got.  giggs was a tremendous threat and he brings tremendous penetration.  all we can do is maintain our form  play as we are and we ll get our rewards.


home phones face unclear future the fixed line phone in your home could soon be an endangered species.  research by handset maker nokia shows that more and more people are using their mobile phone for every call they make or take. according to the study  more than 45 million people in the uk  germany  us and south korea now only use a mobile. it showed that people keep their fixed line phone because call charges are lower  but most of those questioned said the future was definitely mobile.  the nokia-sponsored research showed that mobiles and fixed phones were used for different purposes. home phones were used for longer calls but conversations on mobiles tended to be shorter  between mobiles and to friends. in the uk 69% of those questioned said they turned to their fixed phone because it was still cheaper to use than a mobile. however  when pressed few could say with accuracy how tariffs on fixed and mobile phones compared. in the us and germany many of those interviewed said they used the fixed phone because it was more reliable than a mobile handset and let them get access to the net at relatively high speeds. in all the countries where interviews were carried out  older people were more likely to use a fixed line phone more than a mobile. women aged 50 or above almost never use a mobile phone  the research found.  the move to mobile was most pronounced in south korea where 65% of those questioned said they already make most of their calls from a mobile. 18% said they would not get a landline if they moved house.  many of those questioned said they had an emotional connection to their fixed phone that drew on its position in the home and the  cosiness  of making a call there. nokia said these findings had implications for mobile operators who must work hard to ensure that mobiles are seen as cheap  reliable and providing good call quality. the survey also showed that it is not just voice calls that are going wireless. some of those questioned said they were looking to use a mobile or wireless service to get net access within the next couple of years. polling firm mori interviewed more than 6 000 people in the uk  us  germany and south korea for the survey.


gadget show heralds mp3 season partners of those who love their hi-tech gear may want to get their presents in early as experts predict a gadget shortage this christmas.  with apple s ipod topping wish lists again  there may not be enough ipod minis to go round  predicts oliver irish  editor of gadget magazine stuff.  the ipod mini is likely to be this year s tracey island   said mr irish. stuff has compiled a list of the top 10 gadgets for 2004 and the ipod is at number one.  for anyone bewildered by the choice of gadgets on the market  stuff and what hi-fi  are hosting a best-of gadget show in london this weekend. star of the show will be sony s qrio robot  an all-singing  all-dancing  football-playing man-machine who can even hold intelligent conversations.  but he is not for sale and sony has no commercial plans for the robot.  he will greet visitors and is flying in from japan. he probably has his own airplane seat  that is how highly sony prize him   said mr irish. also on display will be a virtual keyboard which projects itself onto any flat surface. the event will play host to a large collection of digital music players  from companies such as creative  sony and philips as well as the ubiquitously fashionable ipod from apple. suggestions that it could be a gaming or wireless christmas are unlikely to come true as mp3 players remain the most popular stocking filler  said mr irish.  demand is huge and apple has promised that it can supply enough but people might struggle to get their hands on ipod minis   said mr irish.  for those who like their gadgets to be multi-talented  the gizmondo  a powerful gaming console with gps and gprs  that also doubles up as an mp3 player  movie player and camera  could be a must-have.  what is impressive is how much it can do and how well it can do them   said mr irish. this christmas  gadgets will not be an all-male preserve.  women will be getting gadgets from husbands and boyfriends as well as buying them for themselves   said mr irish.  gadgets nowadays are lifestyle products rather than just for geeks.


beijingers fume over parking fees choking traffic jams in beijing are prompting officials to look at reorganising car parking charges.  car ownership has risen fast in recent years  and there are now two and a half million cars on the city s roads. the trouble is that the high status of car ownership is matched by expensive fees at indoor car parks  making motorists reluctant to use them. instead roads are being clogged by drivers circling in search of a cheaper outdoor option.  the price differences between indoor and outdoor lots are unreasonable   said wang yan  an official from the beijing municipal commission for development and reform quoted in the state-run china daily newspaper. mr wang  who is in charge of collecting car parking fees  said his team would be looking at adjusting parking prices to close the gap. indoor parking bays can cost up to 250% more than outdoor ones.  sports fans who drive to matches may also find themselves the target of the commission s road rage. it wants them to use public transport  and is considering jacking up the prices of car parks near sports grounds. mr wang said his review team may scrap the relatively cheap hourly fee near such places and impose a higher flat rate during matches. indoor parking may be costly  but it is not always secure. mr wang s team are also going to look into complaints from residents about poor service received in exchange for compulsory monthly fees of up to 400 yuan ($48; £26). the beijing authorities decided two years ago that visiting foreign dignitaries  motorcades should not longer get motorcycle outriders as they blocked the traffic. unclogging beijing s increasingly impassable streets is a major concern for the chinese authorities  who are building dozens of new roads to create a showcase modern city ahead of the 2008 olympic games.


gsk aims to stop aids profiteers one of the world s largest manufacturers of hiv/aids drugs has launched an initiative to combat the smuggling of cheaper pills - supplied to poorer african countries - back into europe for resale at far higher price.  the company  glaxosmithkline  is to alter the packaging and change the colour of the pills  currently provided to developing nations under a humanitarian agreement. it is estimated that drugs companies are losing hundreds of millions of dollars each year as a result of the diversion of their products in this way. this is a very sensitive area for the big drugs companies. they want to maintain their profits  but have been put under tremendous pressure to provide cheap anti-aids drugs to the world s poorest nations.  the result is that drugs supplied to africa are now more than thirty times cheaper than those sold in europe; bringing these medicines within the reach of millions of hiv-positive africans through their government s health care systems.  but the wide difference in price also means that there are big gains to be made from illegally diverting these cheaper drugs back into wealthier countries and re-selling them at a higher price. glaxosmithkline believes that by coating the pills destined for africa in a red dye and adding new identification codes both onto the pills and on the packaging  then this trade can be substantially reduced. the company says that it will then be possible to identify specific distributors in africa who have re-sold humanitarian drugs for profit  as well as those suppliers in europe that have also been involved in the trade. glaxo says distribution of the new-look drugs has already begun and that their chemical content is identical to those currently being sold in europe.


football manager scores big time for the past decade or so the virtual football fans among us will have become used to the annual helping of championship manager (cm). indeed  it seems like there has been a cm game for as many years as there have been pcs.  however  last year was the final time that developers sports interactive (si) and publishers eidos would work together. they decided to go their separate ways  and each kept a piece of the franchise. si kept the game s code and database  and eidos retained rights to the cm brand  and the look and feel of the game. so at the beginning of this year  fans faced a new situation. eidos announced the next cm game  with a new team to develop it from scratch  whilst si developed the existing code further to be released  with new publishers sega  under the name football manager. so what does this mean  well  football manager is the spiritual successor to the cm series  and it has been released earlier than expected. at this point cm5 looks like it will ship early next year. but given that football manager 2005 is by and large the game that everybody knows and loves  how does this new version shape up   a game like fm2005 could blind you with statistics. it has an obscene number of playable leagues  an obscene number of manageable teams and a really obscene number of players and staff from around the world in the database  with stats faithfully researched and compiled by a loyal army of fans. but that does not do justice to the game really. what we are talking about is the most realistic and satisfying football management game to ever grace the earth.  you begin by picking the nations and leagues you want to manage teams from  for instance england and scotland. that will give you a choice not just of the four main scottish leagues  but the english premiership all the way down to the conference north and south. of course you might be looking for european glory  or to get hold of abramovich s millions  in which case you can take control at chelsea  or even barcelona  real madrid  ac milan ... the list goes on a very long way. once in a team you will be told by the board what they expect of you. sometimes it is promotion  or a place in europe  sometimes it is consolidation or a brave relegation battle. it might even be a case of champions or else. obviously the expectations are linked to the team you choose  so choose wisely. then it is time to look at your squad  work out your tactics  seeing how much cash  if any  you have got to splash  having a look at the transfer market  sorting out the training schedule and making sure your backroom staff are up to it. then bring on the matches  which are once more available in the ever-improving top down 2d view. with the exception of the improved user interface on the surface  not much else seems to have changed.  however  there have been a lot of changes under the bonnet as well - things like the manager mind-games  which let you talk to the media about the opposition bosses. the match engine is also much improved  and it is more of a joy than ever to watch. in fact just about every area of the game has been tweaked  and it leads to an ever more immersive experience.  with a game that is so complex and so open-ended  there are of course a few glitches  but nowhere near the sorts of problems that have blighted previous releases. with so many calculations to perform the game can take some time to process in between matches  though there have been improvements in this area. and a sport like football  which is so high profile and unpredictable itself  can never be modelled quite to everybody s satisfaction. but this time around a great deal of hard work has been put in to ensure that any oddities that do crop up are cosmetic only  and do not affect gameplay. and if there are problems further down the line  sports interactive have indicated their usual willingness to support and develop the game as far as possible. in all there are many more tweaks and improvements. if you were a fan of the previous cm games  then fm2005 might make you forget there was anything else before it. if you are new to the genre but like the idea of trying to take margate into the premiership  spurs into europe  or even putting rangers back on the top of the tree  fm2005 could be the best purchase you ever made. just be warned that the family might not see you much at christmas.  football manager 2005 out now for the pc and the mac


file-swappers ready new network legal attacks on websites that help people swap pirated films have forced the development of a system that could be harder to shut down.  one site behind the success of the bittorrent file-swapping system is producing its own software that avoids the pitfalls of the earlier program. a test version of the new exeem program will be released in late january. but doubts remain about the new networks ability to ensure files being swapped are  quality copies .  in late december movie studios launched a legal campaign against websites that helped people swap pirated movies using the bittorrent network. the legal campaign worked because of the way that bittorrent is organised. that file-sharing system relies on links called  trackers  that point users to others happy to share the file they are looking for. shutting down sites that listed trackers crippled the bittorrent network. one of the sites shut down by the legal campaign was suprnova.org which helped boost the popularity of the bittorrent system by checking that trackers led to the movies or tv programmes they claimed to.  now the man behind suprnova.org  who goes by the nickname sloncek  is preparing to release software for a new file-swapping network dubbed exeem. in an interview with novastream web radio  sloncek said exeem would combine ideas from the bittorrent and kazaa file-sharing systems. like bittorrent  exeem will have trackers that help point people toward the file they want. like kazaa these trackers will be held by everyone. there will be no centrally maintained list. this  said sloncek  should make the system less vulnerable to legal action aimed at stopping people swapping pirated movies and music. the exeem software has been under development for a few months and is currently being tested by a closed group of users. an early public version of the software should be available before february. sloncek said that currently only a windows version of the software was in development. there were no plans for a linux or mac version. he said that costs of writing the software will be paid for by adverts appearing in the finished version of the program. despite suprnova administrator sloncek s involvement with exeem  the basic technology appears to have been developed by a firm called swarm systems that is based on caribbean island saint kitts and nevis.  users of the exeem system will be able to rate files being swapped to help stop the spread of fake files  sloncek told novastream.  dr johan pouwelse  a researcher at the delft university of technology who studies peer-to-peer networks  said exeem was the next evolution in file-sharing systems. but  he said  it would struggle to be as popular as bittorrent and suprnova because early versions were not taking enough care to make sure good copies of files were being shared.  exeem cannot prevent pollution   he said.  the rating system in exeem seems flawed because it is easy to insert both fake files and fake ratings   he said. studies have shown that organisations working for record labels and movie studios have worked to undermine kazaa by putting in fakes. by contrast moderators on suprnova made sure files being shared were high quality.  the moderators are the difference between having a system that works and one that s full of crap like kazaa   he said.  there is a fundamental tension between distribution and integrity   he said. mr pouwelse said that future versions of file-sharing systems are likely to incorporate some kind of distributed reputation system that lets moderators prove who they are to the network and rate which files are worth downloading. when big files were being shared moderation systems were key  said mr pouwelse. he added that the legal attacks on bittorrent had driven people away from sites such as suprnova but many users had simply migrated to other tracker listing sites many of which have seen huge increases in traffic.  it s hard to compete with free   he said. no-one from the motion picture association of america was immediately available for comment on the file-sharing development.


macy s owner buys rival for $11bn us retail giant federated department stores is to buy rival may department stores for $11bn (£5.7bn).  the deal will bring together famous stores like macy s  bloomingdale s and marshall field s  creating the largest department store chain in the us. the combined firm will operate about 1 000 stores across the us  with combined annual sales of $30bn. the two companies  facing competition from the likes of wal-mart  tried to merge two years ago but talks failed. sources familiar with the deal said that negotiations between the two companies sped up after may s chairman and chief executive gene kahn resigned in january. as part of the deal  federated - owner of macy s and bloomingdale s - will assume $6bn of may s debt  bringing the deal s total value to $17bn. directors at both companies have approved the deal and it is expected to conclude by the third quarter of this year.  may has struggled to compete against larger department store groups such as federated and other retailers such as wal-mart. federated expects the merger to boost earnings from 2007 but the deal will cost it $1bn in one-off charges.   we have taken the first step toward combining two of the best department store companies in america  creating a new retail company with truly national scope and presence   said terry lundgren  federated s chairman. some analysts see the merger as a rescue deal for may.  without this deal may would have been  to put it bluntly  washed up   said kurt barnard  president of barnard s retail consulting group. federated has annual sales of $15.6bn  while may s yearly sales are $14.4bn.


uk gets official virus alert site a rapid alerting service that tells home computer users about serious internet security problems is being launched by the uk government.  the service  it safe  will issue warnings about damaging viruses  software vulnerabilities and weaknesses on devices such as mobile phones. alerts tell people how the threats affect them and what they can do to avoid trouble and protect themselves. the service will be free and those who sign up can get e-mail or text alerts. the scheme is aimed at home users and small businesses. the government estimates it will issue security alerts about six to 10 times a year  based on previous experience of virus outbreaks.  there is a clear need for easy-to-understand and simple independent advice for non-technically minded people who use computers either at home or at work   said home office minister hazel blears.  the purpose of this new government service is to ensure computer users are aware of the risks involved and how to deal with them easily and effectively without causing alarm.  those signing up will only be told about the most serious security threats that have the potential to affect millions of people.  full-time staff are being employed to comb through the many hundreds of alerts issued each year by computer security firms to spot which ones have the potential to catch out a large number of people between alerts the service will occasionally send messages giving people advice about safe ways to use their computers and phones.  it safe will take our technical expertise and use it to help home users understand the risks and keep their computer systems  mobile phones and a range of related consumer electronic items  safe   said roger cumming  director of the national infrastructure security coordination centre (niscc).  the niscc  which is running the service  also stressed that those signing up would still need to use anti-virus software  firewalls  and software updates to stay secure. warnings about security problems will tell people what the problem is  how it affects them and what they can do to avoid trouble. alerts will not be issued unless users can do something to protect themselves against the threat. this might include downloading an update from an anti-virus vendor or updating software to close loopholes and fix vulnerabilities. however no software patches or programs will actually be dispensed through the site. the alerts will tell people how to go about getting hold of patches from security firms. the niscc spokesman said the site and alerting service would stay in existence for as long as there were security bugs on home computers and other gadgets.  government statistics show that more than half of all uk households own a home computer. it was estimated that almost 13 million of these were able to access the internet in 2004. the launch comes as the number of viruses and other malicious programs in existence is reaching unprecedented numbers. in september 2004  the number of malicious programs circulating topped the 100 000 mark. some fear that this figure could hit 150 000 by september 2005. the creation of the national alert service follows similar efforts in the netherlands and us. the national alerting service for the netherlands (aka de waarschuwingsdienst) and the us national cyber alerting service also tell citizens of serious security threats.


apple unveils low-cost  mac mini  apple has unveiled a new  low-cost macintosh computer for the masses  billed as the mac mini.  chief executive steve jobs showed off the new machine at his annual macworld speech  in san francisco. the $499 macintosh  sold for £339 in the uk  was described by jobs as the  most important mac  made by apple. mr jobs also unveiled the ipod shuffle  a new music player using cheaper flash memory rather than hard drives  which are used in more expensive ipods.  the new computer shifts the company into new territory - traditionally  the firm is known as a design and innovation-led firm rather than as a mass-market manufacturer. the mac mini comes without a monitor  keyboard and mouse  and a second version with a larger hard drive will also be sold for $599.  the machine - which will be available from 22 january - was described by jobs as  byodkm... bring your own display  keyboard  and mouse . in an attempt to win over windows pc customers  mr jobs said it would appeal to people thinking of changing operating systems.  people who are thinking of switching will have no more excuses   he said.  it s the newest and most affordable mac ever.  the new computer has been the subject of speculation for several weeks and while few people will be surprised by the announcement many analysts had already said it was a sensible move. in january  apple sued a website after it published what it said were specifications for the new computer. ian harris  deputy editor of uk magazine mac format  said the machine would appeal to pc-owning consumers who had purchased an ipod.   they want a further taste of mac because they like what they have seen with ipod.  harris added:  everybody thought that apple was happy to remain a niche maker of luxury computers  and moving into a market dominated by low margin manufacturers like dell is a bold move.  but it shows that apple is keen to capitalise on the mass market success it s had with the ipod. the mac mini will appeal to pc users looking for an attractive   no fuss  computer.  the new ipod shuffle comes in two versions - one offering 512mb of storage for $99 (£69 in the uk) and a second with one gigabyte of storage for $149 (£99) - and went on sale tuesday. the music player has no display and will play songs either consecutively or shuffled. the smaller ipod will hold about 120 songs  said mr jobs. mr jobs told the delegates at macworld that ipod already had a 65% market share of all digital music players.


internet boom for gift shopping cyberspace is becoming a very popular destination for christmas shoppers.  forecasts predict that british people will spend £4bn buying gifts online during the festive season  an increase of 64% on 2003. surveys also show that the average amount that people are spending is rising  as is the range of goods that they are happy to buy online. savvy shoppers are also using the net to find the hot presents that are all but sold out in high street stores.  almost half of the uk population now shop online according to figures collected by the interactive media in retail group which represents web retailers. about 85% of this group  18m people  expect to do a lot of their christmas gift buying online this year  reports the industry group. on average each shopper will spend £220 and britons lead europe in their affection for online shopping.  almost a third of all the money spent online this christmas will come out of british wallets and purses compared to 29% from german shoppers and only 4% from italian gift buyers. james roper  director of the imrg  said shoppers were now much happier to buy so-called big ticket items such as lcd television sets and digital cameras. mr roper added that many retailers were working hard to reassure consumers that online shopping was safe and that goods ordered as presents would arrive in time for christmas. he advised consumers to give shops a little more time than usual to fulfil orders given that online buying is proving so popular. a survey by hostway suggests that many men prefer to shop online to avoid the embarrassment of buying some types of presents  such as lingerie  for wives and girlfriends. much of this online shopping is likely to be done during work time  according to research carried out by security firm saint bernard software. the research reveals that up to two working days will be lost by staff who do their shopping via their work computer. worst offenders will be those in the 18-35 age bracket  suggests the research  who will spend up to five hours per week in december browsing and buying at online shops.  iggy fanlo  chief revenue officer at shopping.com  said that the growing numbers of people using broadband was driving interest in online shopping.  when you consider narrowband and broadband the conversion to sale is two times higher   he said. higher speeds meant that everything happened much faster  he said  which let people spend time browsing and finding out about products before they buy.  the behaviour of online shoppers was also changing  he said.  the single biggest reason people went online before this year was price   he said.  the number one reason now is convenience.   very few consumers click on the lowest price   he said.  they are looking for good prices and merchant reliability.  consumer comments and reviews were also proving popular with shoppers keen to find out who had the most reliable customer service. data collected by ebay suggests that some smart shoppers are getting round the shortages of hot presents by buying them direct through the auction site. according to ebay uk there are now more than 150 robosapiens remote control robots for sale via the site. the robosapiens toy is almost impossible to find in online and offline stores. similarly many shoppers are turning to ebay to help them get hold of the hard-to-find slimline playstation 2  which many retailers are only selling as part of an expensive bundle. the high demand for the playstation 2 has meant that prices for it are being driven up. in shops the ps2 is supposed to sell for £104.99. in some ebay uk auctions the price has risen to more than double this figure. many people are also using ebay to get hold of gadgets not even released in this country. the portable version of the playstation has only just gone on sale in japan yet some enterprising ebay users are selling the device to uk gadget fans.


us economy still growing says fed most areas of the us saw their economy continue to expand in december and early january  the us federal reserve said in its latest beige book report.  of the 12 us regions it identifies for the study  11 showed stronger economic growth  with only the cleveland area falling behind with a  mixed  rating. consumer spending was higher in december than november  and festive sales were also up on 2003. the employment picture also improved  the fed said.   labour markets firmed in a number of districts  but wage pressures generally remained modest   the beige book said.  several districts reported higher prices for building materials and manufacturing inputs  but most reported steady or only slightly higher overall price levels.  the report added that residential real estate activity remained strong and that commercial real estate activity strengthened in most districts.  office leasing was especially brisk in washington dc  and new york city  two of the nation s strongest commercial markets   the fed said.


home loan approvals rising again the number of mortgages approved in the uk has risen for the first time since may last year  according to lending figures from the bank of england.  new loans in december rose to 83 000  slightly higher than november s nine-year low of 77 000. mortgage lending rose by £7.1bn in december  up from a £6.4bn rise in november. the figures contradict a survey from the british bankers  association  which said approvals were at a five-year low.  analysts say the figures show the market may be stabilising but still point to further house price softness.  the modest rise in mortgage approvals and lending in december reinforces the impression that the housing market is currently slowing steadily rather than sharply   said global insight analyst howard archer  commenting on the boe s figures. the bba believes that the property market is continuing to cool down. changes to mortgage regulation may have artificially depressed figures in november  thus flattering the december figures  analysts said. in october last year  new rules came into force  which meant some lenders were forced to withdraw mortgage products temporarily in november and defer some lending until they had made sure they had complied with the rules properly. separately  the bank of england said that consumer credit rose by £1.5bn in december  more than the £1.4bn expected and above the £1.4bn reported in the previous month.


umaga ready for  fearsome  lions all blacks captain tama umaga has warned the british and irish lions will be his most fearsome opponents yet ahead of their summer tour.  but umaga  in england for saturday s irb rugby aid match  also backed new zealand to win the three-test series against the lions. he told bbc sport:  it s potentially the most fearsome line-up i ve ever come up against. they re awesome.  but i d back us all the way to beat them when they come over.  lions boss sir clive woodward is set to announce his squad for the june-july tour next month.  when woodward was appointed last year  it was widely believed he would rely heavily on his former england players. but umaga said:  he d be hard pushed to do that now considering the shape of the six nations.  don t get me wrong  england have got a lot of talented guys and i m sure there are some of them who ll make the lions test xv.  but you can t disguise wales and ireland in particular. some of the tries they ve scored have been great. i ll admit it ll be fairly awesome lining up against the likes of brian o driscoll.   umaga will meet o driscoll in saturday s rugby aid match at twickenham  with the irish captain leading the northern hemisphere side. o driscoll is among a host of players in the northern hemisphere squad  coached by woodward  that are tipped for lions call-ups.  it ll be good for us to get an early idea of some of these guys  although a lot can change between now and june   umaga said. the 31-year-old admitted interest in the lions tour was immense  calling it  the biggest thing to hit new zealand since lord of the rings . he added:  as players  it s enough for us to be driven by the rarity of playing the lions. in fact  it s not just us all blacks - it s the talk of the country.   umaga admitted the fear of injury weighed on his mind ahead of saturday s charity game  which features a host of big names including george gregan  andrew mehrtens and chris latham. but he admitted the value of the cause - proceeds of the match will go to aiding victims of the tsunami - easily won him over.  the second [southern hemisphere coach] rod macqueen made the approach  i didn t hesitate. it was great when new zealand rugby then gave me the all clear.  thankfully i didn t know anyone that was involved in the tragedy of the tsunami but you couldn t miss all the horrific reports on the news.  there are so many people that were affected  are still affected and will be affected for a long time. it s just good to know we can do something minor to help out.   - the match will be televised on bbc one at 1400 gmt on saturday.


france v wales (sat) stade de france  paris  saturday  26 february  1600 gmt  bbc1  radio 4 lw and this website  france may have beaten scotland and england but they were tedious and uninspired throughout both matches. wales  on the other hand  have played some fine rugby and have made their best start since they last won the title in 1994. they also have a good record at the stade de france  having won their first two games there  in 1999 and 2001. wales have made two changes from the team that thrashed italy 38-8 in rome.  kevin morgan takes over from his injured newport-gwent dragons colleague hal luscombe on the right wing. in the pack neath-swansea ospreys forward ryan jones bas been brought on the blind-side flank to beef up the wales back row in place of jonathan thomas. wales coach mike ruddock is determined that his team will not go into their shells after their promising start to the championship.  graham henry (former wales coach) said a couple of years ago that we should  be bold  when going to france  and he was proved right   said ruddock.  that is a great way to approach the game  and something we will further endorse with the players this week.   despite their stuttering displays in their first two games defending champions france are also unbeaten. under-pressure coach bernard laporte has made four changes  with yannick nyanga  the debutant julien laharrague  aurelien rougerie and yannick jauzion coming into the side. france have been criticised for the absence of traditional  french flair  as they have ground their way to victory so far this year but captain fabien pelous sees hope on the horizon.  i get the impression we are getting better   he said.  against wales  which is different from the teams we have beaten  i hope we can show our proper game.   j laharrague; a rougerie  y jauzion  d traille  c dominici; y delaigue  d yachvili; s marconnet  s bruno  n mas; f pelous (capt)  j thion; s betsen  y nyanga  j bonnaire (bourgoin).  w servat  o milloud  g lamboley  i harinordoquy  p mignoni  f michalak  j-p grandclaude.  g thomas (capt); k morgan  t shanklin  g henson  s williams; s jones  d peel; g jenkins  m davies  a jones; b cockbain  r sidoli; r jones  m williams  m owen.  r mcbryde  j yapp  j thomas  r sowden-taylor  g cooper  c sweeney  r williams.


williams stays on despite dispute matt williams insists he has no thoughts of quitting as national coach as a result of the power struggle currently gripping scottish rugby.  the chairman  chief executive and three non-executive directors all departed in a row over the game s future direction. but williams said:  i want to make it clear that i m committed totally to scottish rugby.  i ve brought my family here and we ve immersed ourselves in scottish life. there s no way that i m walking away.  however  he attempted to steer clear of taking sides in the dispute.  i d like to stress that the national team is separate to the political situation   he said.   when you come to an undertaking like this and you are trying to make a difference then there are always people who will begrudge you  who are jealous and want to try to drag you down.  when you have that situation  you have to have the courage of your convictions to see it through.  there was some very unhelpful and uninformed comment that the national team had received a massive increase in budget at the expense of other parts of scottish rugby and that is simply not the case.  like all good coaches  you go and ask for an increase. but we were told in no uncertain terms that the financial situation did not allow that.  the idea that we are lighting cigars with £20 notes while the rest of scottish rugby flounders is absolutely untrue.  we also attracted criticism because of the number of days players spent with the national team.  but let me give you the truth. our irish counterparts  whom we have to compete with in a few days  time  had 70 days together at the summer.  they are currently in camp now and they will have another 21 days in camp before the six nations.  that means they will have 91 days away from their club from july until the six nations. we  on the other hand  will have 16.  there must be a win-win philosophy and attitude within scottish rugby and that is what we are after - both groups winning  not competing.


gazprom  in $36m back-tax claim  the nuclear unit of russian energy giant gazprom is reportedly facing a 1bn rouble ($35.7m; £19.1m) back-tax claim for the 2001-2003 period.  vedomosti newspaper reported that russian authorities made the demand at the end of last year. the paper added that most of the taxes claimed are linked to the company s export activity. gazprom  the biggest gas company in the world  took over nuclear fuel giant atomstroieksport in october 2004. the main project of atomstroieksport is the building of a nuclear plant in iran  which has been a source of tension between russia and the us.  gazprom is one of the key players in the complex russian energy market  where the government of vladimir putin has made moves to regain state influence over the sector. gazprom is set to merge with state oil firm rosneft  the company that eventually acquired yuganskneftegas  the main unit of embattled oil giant yukos. claims for back-taxes was a tool used against yukos  and led to the enforced sale yuganskneftegas. some analysts fear the kremlin will continue to use these sort of moves to boost the efforts of the state to regain control over strategically important sectors such as oil.


gadget market  to grow in 2005  the explosion in consumer technology is to continue into 2005  delegates at the world s largest gadget show  in las vegas  have been told.  the number of gadgets in the shops is predicted to grow by 11%  while devices which talk to each other will become increasingly important.  everything is going digital   kirsten pfeifer from the consumer electronics association  told the bbc news website. the consumer electronics show (ces) featured the pick of 2005 s products.  consumers are controlling what they want and technologies like hdtvs [high-definition tvs]  digital radio  and digital cameras will remain strong in 2005.  all the products on show really showed the breadth and depth of the industry.  despite showing diversity  some delegates attending complained that the showcase lacked as much  wow factor  as in previous years.  the portable technologies on show also reflected one of the buzzwords of ces  which was the  time and place shifting  of multimedia content - being able to watch and listen to video and music anywhere  at any time. at the start of last year s ces  the cea predicted there would be an average growth of 4% in 2004. that figure was surpassed with the rise in popularity of portable digital music players  personal video recorders and digital cameras. it was clear also that gadgets are becoming a lot more about lifestyle choice  with fashion and personalisation becoming increasingly key to the way gadgets are designed. part of this has been the rise in spending power of the  generation x-ers  who have grown up with technology and who now have the spending power and desire for more devices that suit them. more than 57% of the consumer electronics market is made up of female buyers  according to cea research. hybrid devices  which combine a number of multimedia functions  were also in evidence on the show floor.  a lot of this is driven by just the ability to do it   said stephen baker  a consumer electronics analyst with retail research firm npd group.  some of these functions cost next to nothing to add.   as well as the show floor showcasing everything from tiny wearable mp3 players to giant high-definition tvs  several keynote speeches were made by industry leaders  such as microsoft chief bill gates. despite several embarrassing technical glitches during mr gate s pre-show speech  he announced several new partnerships - mainly for the us market. he unveiled new ways of letting people take tv shows recorded on personal video recorders and watch them back on portable devices. he disappointed some  however  by failing to announce any details of the next generation of the xbox games console. another disappointment was the lack of exposure sony s new portable games device  the psp  had at the show. sony said the much-anticipated gadget would most likely start shipping in march for the us and europe. it went on sale in japan before christmas. there were only two psps embedded in glass cabinets at the show though and no representatives to discuss further details. a sony representative told the bbc news website this was because sony did not consider it to be part of their  consumer technology  offering.  elsewhere at the show  there was a plethora of colour and plasma screens  including samsung s 102-inch (2.6 metre) plasma - the largest in the world. industry experts were also excited about high-definition technologies coming to the fore in 2005  with new formats for dvds coming out which will hold six times as much data as conventional dvds. with so many devices on the move there were a lot of products on show offering external storage  like seagate s 5gb pocket sized external hard drive  which won an innovation for engineering and design prize. more than 120 000 trade professionals attended ces in las vegas  which officially ran from 6 to 9 january.


mobiles get set for visual radio the growth in the mobile phone market in the past decade has been nothing less than astonishing  but the ability to communicate on the go is not the only reason we are hooked. games  cameras and music players have all been added to our handsets in the last few years  but 2005 could see another big innovation that won t just see a change in our mobile phone habits - it might alter the way we listen to the radio. finnish handset giant nokia has been working on a technology called visual radio  which takes an existing fm signal from a radio station and enables that station to add enhancements such as information and pictures. it is not the first time that such an idea has been suggested - the early days of dab digital radio had similar intentions that never really saw the light of day.  one problem is that the name visual radio leads people to think of television but reidar wasenius  a senior project manager at nokia  was adamant that visual radio should not be confused with the more traditional medium. he said:  i m very happy to say it s not television  what we re talking about is an enhancement of radio as we know it today.  if you have a visual radio enabled handset  when you hear an artist you don t know  or there s a competition or vote that you d like to participate in  you pull out your handset and with one click you turn on a visual channel parallel to the on-air broadcast you ve just been listening to.   that visual channel is run from a computer within the radio station  and sends out different kinds of information to the handset depending on what you are listening to. as well as details on the track or artist of a particular song  there is also the ability to interact immediately with the radio station itself  in a similar way to digital television s  red button  content.  possible interactive content includes competitions  votes and even the chance to rate the song that is playing. but the interactive aspect will make the service especially attractive to radio stations  who will be able to track the number of people taking part in such activities on a real-time basis. this in turn should lead to an additional source of revenue  as it is very likely that advertisers will be keen to exploit new opportunities to reach listeners.  as the visual radio content is transmitted by existing gprs technology you would need to have that service enabled by your network. and there will be a cost for the service as well  although it may depend on your usage.  if you enjoy the visual channel occasionally and interact it ll be two or three pounds per month   said mr wasenius.  but typically what we see happening is the operator offering a package deal for an  all you can eat  arrangement per month.  the payment system could therefore be similar to the way that broadband internet works versus dial-up connections. one thing that is for sure - assuming that nokia retains its market share in handsets  it is estimating that there will be 100 million visual radio-enabled mobile phones in circulation by the end of 2006.  basically  visual radio is not really revolutionary  but rather an evolution where we are providing tools with which people can participate in radio much more easily than ever before.   the first visual radio service in the uk will begin in a few months time with virgin radio  who are positive about the impact it could have on their listeners. station manager steve taylor commented:  listeners can interact with the radio station in a new way.  not only does this give listeners more information on the music we play but means they can instantly purchase things they like; mp3 music downloads and the latest gig tickets.  initially visual radio functionality will be limited to two nokia handsets due out soon - the 3230 and 7710 - but if successful  it is very likely that other manufacturers will want to join them.  listen again to the interview on the radio five live website.


steady job growth continues in us the us created fewer jobs than expected in december  but analysts said that the dip in hiring was not enough to derail the world s biggest economy.  according to labor department figures  157 000 new jobs were added last month. that took 2004 s total to 2.2 million  the best showing in five years. job creation was one of last year s main concerns for the us economy. while worries still remain  the conditions are set for steady growth in 2005  analysts said. the unemployment rate stayed at 5.4% in december  and about 200 000 jobs will need to be created each month if that figure is to drop.   it was a respectable report   said michael moran  analyst at daiwa securities.   payroll growth in december was a little lighter than the consensus forecast  but we had upward revisions to the prior two months and an increase in manufacturing employment.   manufacturing is a cyclical area of the economy and if it s showing job growth  it s a good indication that the economy is on a solid growth track.  that means that the federal reserve is likely to continue its policy of raising interest rates. the fed lifted borrowing costs five times last year to 2.25%  citing evidence the us economic recovery was becoming more robust.  job creation was one of last year s main concerns for the us economy  and proved to be a main topic of debate in the us presidential election. while demand for workers is far from booming  the conditions are set for steady growth.  overall  compared to the previous year it looks great  it just keeps going stronger and stronger and i expect that to be the case  in 2005  said kurt karl  economist at swiss re in new york. meanwhile  economists cautioned against reading too much into data from the federal reserve showing an unexpected $8.7bn drop in consumer debt in november. a fall in consumer spending  which makes up about two-thirds of all us economic activity  could help limit the extent of any future interest rate rises. but economists said there could be a number of reasons for a fall in the borrowing  which include credit cards and personal loans  while noting that such figures can vary on a month-to-month basis.


wall street cool to ebay s profit shares in online auction house ebay fell 9.8% in after-hours trade on wednesday  after its quarterly profits failed to meet market expectations.  despite seeing net profits rise by 44% to $205.4m (£110m) during october to december  from $142m a year earlier  wall street had expected more. ebay stock fell to $92.9 in after-hours trade  from a $103.05 end on nasdaq. ebay s net revenue for the quarter rose to $935.8m from $648.4m  boosted by growth at its paypal payment service.  excluding special items  ebay s profit was 33 cents a share  but analysts had expected 34 cents.   i think wall street has gotten a bit ahead of ebay this quarter and for the 2005 year.  said janco partners analyst martin pyykkonen. for 2004 as a whole  ebay earned $778.2m on sales of $3.27bn. ebay president and chief executive meg whitman called 2004 an  outstanding success  that generated  tremendous momentum  for 2005.  i m more confident than ever that the decisions and investments we re making today will ensure a bright future for the company and our community of users around the world   she said. ebay now forecasts 2005 revenue of $4.2bn to $4.35bn and earnings excluding items of $1.48 to $1.52 per share. analysts had previously estimated that ebay would achieve 2005 revenues of $4.37bn and earnings of $1.62 per share  excluding items.


us consumer confidence up consumers  confidence in the state of the us economy is at its highest for five months and they are optimistic about 2005  an influential survey says.  the feel-good factor among us consumers rose in december for the first time since july according to new data. the conference board survey of 5 000 households pointed to renewed optimism about job creation and economic growth. us retailers have reported strong sales over the past 10 days after a slow start to the crucial festive season.  according to figures also released on tuesday  sales in shopping malls in the week to 25 december were 4.3% higher than in 2003 following a last minute rush. wal-mart  the largest us retailer  has said its december sales are expected to be better than previously forecast because of strong post-christmas sales.  it is expecting annual sales growth of between 1% and 3% for the month. consumer confidence figures are considered a key economic indicator because consumer spending accounts for about two thirds of all economic activity in the united states.  the continuing economic expansion  combined with job growth  has consumers ending this year on a high note   said lynn franco  director of the conference board s consumer research centre.  and consumers  outlook suggests that the economy will continue to expand in the first half of next year.  the overall us economy has performed strongly in recent months  prompting the federal reserve to increase interest rates five times since june.


consumers drive french economy france s economic growth accelerated in the last three months of 2004  driven by consumer spending  a report shows.  gross domestic product (gdp) rose by 0.8% in the fourth quarter compared with the previous three month period  the statistical office insee said. that expansion pushed annual growth to 2.3%  the fastest rate in two years. consumer spending was up by 1.2% in the fourth quarter  and there also was a rebound in business investment that gave the recovery an extra shove.  analysts warned that france still was facing challenges and was unlikely to keep expanding at its current pace.   france still has a strong economic growth   said marc toutai  an economist at natexis banques populaires.  but  if we check the figures in detail  there s a problem.   consumer spending is still high. but french households have spent their savings to consume.  france can t sustain a high growth rate without an improvement in the job market. there s too much of a gap between growth and employment.  unemployment levels are currently stuck at about 10%  and is proving difficult to bring down despite government efforts. another worry is that demand in germany and italy  two of france s main trading partners  is sluggish.  despite the concerns  analysts pointed out that france was outperforming the majority of its european counterparts and that its economy was looking more robust than in previous years. as well as strong domestic demand  exports climbed by 1.3% in the fourth quarter - the biggest increase in foreign sales for a year.  it s an economic growth that seems well balanced   said nicolas claquin  an analyst at ccf.  in the beginning of 2004  growth was mainly driven by consumer spending. here it gets contributions from investment and exports  though household consumption is still strong.  but we expect overall economic growth to fall to 2.0 percent in 2005.


rich pickings for hi-tech thieves viruses  trojans and other malicious programs sent on to the net to catch you out are undergoing a subtle change.  the shift is happening as tech savvy criminals turn to technology to help them con people out of cash  steal valuable data or take over home pcs. viruses written to make headlines by infecting millions are getting rarer. instead programs are now crafted for directly criminal ends and firms are tightening up networks with defences to combat the new wave of malicious code.  the growing criminal use of malware has meant the end of the neat categorisation of different sorts of viruses and malicious programs. before now it has been broadly possible to name and categorise viruses by the method they use to spread and how they infect machines. but many of the viruses written by criminals roll lots of technical tricks together into one nasty package.   you cannot put them in to the neat little box that you used to   said pete simpson  head of the threat laboratory at security firm clearswift. now viruses are just as likely to spread by themselves like worms  or to exploit loopholes in browsers or hide in e-mail message attachments.  it s about outright criminality now   said mr simpson  explaining why this change has come about. he said many of the criminal programs came from eastern europe where cash-rich organised gangs can find a ready supply of technical experts that will crank out code to order. former virus writer marek strihavka  aka benny from the 29a virus writing group  recently quit the malware scene partly because it was being taken over by spyware writers  phishing gangs  and spammers who are more interested in money rather than the technology. no longer do virus writers produce programs to show off their technical prowess to rivals in the underground world of malware authors. not least  said paul king  principal security consultant at cisco  because the defences against such attacks are so common.  in many ways the least likely way to do it is e-mail because most of us have got anti-virus and firewalls now   he said. few of the malicious programs written by hi-tech thieves are cleverly written  many are much more pragmatic and use tried and tested techniques to infect machines or to trick users into installing a program or handing over important data.  if you think of criminals they do not do clever   said mr king   they just do what works.   as the tactics used by malicious programs change  said mr king  so many firms were changing the way they defend themselves. now many scan machines that connect to the corporate networks to ensure they have not been compromised while off the core network.  many will not let a machine connect and a worker get on with their job before the latest patches and settings have been uploaded. as well as using different tactics  criminals also use technology for reasons that are much more transparent.  the main motivation now is money   said gary stowell  spokesman for st bernard software. mr stowell said organised crime gangs were turning to computer crime because the risks of being caught were low and the rates of return were very high. with almost any phishing or spyware attack  criminals are guaranteed to catch some people out and have the contacts to exploit what they recover. so-called spyware was proving very popular with criminals because it allowed them to take over machines for their own ends  to steal key data from users or to hijack web browsing sessions to point people at particular sites. in some cases spyware was being written that searched for rival malicious programs on pcs it infects and then trying to erase them so it has sole ownership of that machine.


veteran martinez wins thai title conchita martinez won her first title in almost five years with victory over anna-lena groenefeld at the volvo women s open in pattaya  thailand.  the 32-year-old spaniard came through 6-3 3-6 6-3 for her first title since berlin in 2000.  it feels really good   said martinez  who is playing her last season on the tour.  to come through like that in an important match feels good.  it s been nearly five years and i didn t think i could do it.  groenefeld was the more powerful player but could not match her opponent s relentless accuracy.  it was my first final  a new experience   said the german.  i think she played a good match  a tough match  but i tried to stay in there. i think the whole week was good for me.


anti-tremor mouse stops pc shakes a special adaptor that helps people with hand tremors control a computer mouse more easily has been developed.  the device uses similar  steady cam  technology found in camcorders to filter out shaking hand movements. people with hand tremors find it hard to use conventional mice for simple computer tasks because of the erratic movements of the cursor on the screen. about three million britons have some sort of hand tremor condition  said the uk national tremor foundation.  using a computer mouse is well known for being extremely hard for people with tremors so we re delighted to hear that a technology has been developed to address this problem   said karen walsh  from the uk national tremor foundation. most commonly associated with tremors is parkinson s disease  but they can also be caused by other conditions like essential tremor (et). tremors more often affect older people  but can hit all ages. et  for example  is genetic and can afflict people throughout their lives.  the assistive mouse adapter (ama) is the brainchild of ibm researcher jim levine who developed the prototype after seeing his uncle  who has parkinson s disease  struggle with mouse control.  i knew that there must be way to improve the situation for him and the millions of other tremor sufferers around the world  including the elderly.   the number of elderly computer users will increase as the population ages  and at the same time  the need for computer access grows   he said. computer users plug the device into a pc  and it can be adjusted depending on how severe the tremor is. it is also able to recognise multiple clicking on a mouse button caused by shaky digits. ibm said it would partner up with a small uk-based electronics firm  montrose secam  to produce the devices which will cost about £70. james cosgrave  one of the company s directors  said it would make a big difference to those with tremors.  i m a pilot and my tremor condition has not limited my ability to fly a plane   he said.  but using a pc has proven almost impossible simply because everything revolves around using the mouse to accurately manipulate the tiny cursor on the screen.  he said a prototype of the gadget had transformed his life.  the device could help open up computing to millions more people who have found shaking to be a barrier. last year  the office for national statistics reported that for the first time  more than half of all households in britain had a home computer. with prices getting cheaper to get online too  computer ownership is increasing. but although 62% of british people have tried the internet  only 15% of britons aged 65 or over have been online. more than six million uk households now have a broadband net. by the middle of 2005  it is estimated that 50% of all uk net users will be on broadband. there are still millions using the net through dial-up connections too.