MS outlines new software licensing plan

Microsoft has announced a new software licensing arrangement targeted at larger firms in a bid to make purchasing its products easier and more flexible, reports Computing.co.uk.

The Select Plus Volume Licensing Programme is an alternative to the existing Select Licence and allows companies with several different business units and locations to aggregate purchasing and gain volume discounts.

The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has upheld a complaint lodged by BT about the speeds of Virgin Media's broadband service, says The BBC.

The challenge centred around its advertisement "Hate to Wait?", which ran in the national media and featured download times for songs and TV shows.

BT argued that Virgin's usage caps meant that downloads during peak times would be slower than advertised. The ASA has agreed and ordered Virgin to make it clear that speeds will vary.

US airline travellers may have an opportunity to skip one particular round of manhandling by Transportation Security Administration (TSA) agents this year, reports The Register.

The agency says passengers using new specially designed "checkpoint-friendly" laptop bags won't need to remove their portable from its case when passing through x-ray inspection.

TSA director Kip Hawley says the agency will accept the new cases without the need for additional disrobement as soon as they come to market.

IBM has developed a way to use one of its supercomputers to improve diagnosis and treatment of the widespread bone disease osteoporosis, says CNet.

IBM Zurich Research Laboratory and the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich utilised an IBM supercomputer to develop a method of early diagnosis that they say trumps the current approach to measuring bone mass density.