If you’re got an Xbox, live in Europe and got it before October 2003 I suggest you go take a look at this BBC NEWS article. Good ‘ol M$

I need say no more, read the article over on Ananova

Google has setup a page of links if you want to help with
Tsunami Relief. More information can be found on the BBC news site.

The official site (english version) also provides information. It’s running a bit slow, but that’s not surprising.

Having known 2 sets of people caught up in this a colleague and a family member of a good friend, both home safely thankfully, it’s a bit close to home! Thoughts go out to all who haven’t been as lucky.

It seems that even the biggest of online retailers can have issues with there website, and having seen some errors yesterday they don’t appear to be over. For more information take a look at The Register.

California Senator seeks Google Gmail ban | The RegisterThey’re really not having a lot of luck with this are they!

OK, so it’s out. Anybody else dissapointed with the number 1? I am, yes, she’s fit but not the sexiest in the world. Gimme Rachel Stevens, oh yeah baby!!! Full list is below (couple of pics in there as well).

Ananova – Man’s longstanding condition draws a crowd in hospitalA man has become a tourist attraction in the Dominican Republic after admitting himself to hospital with an erection that had lasted six days.Staff at Jose Maria Cabral and Baez hospital in Villa Gonzalez said nurses, doctors and members of the public had turned up to glimpse his predicament for themselves.Terra reports that unfortunate Igancio Cabrera, 25, was told by doctors that urgent surgery was required because untreated the condition could have left him impotent.The hospital’s director told the paper that since Mr Cabrera denied taking sexual stimulants, he could be suffering from a rare form of anaemia that can give men erections for long periods of time.

The 2004 Budget has not lived up to the impact many observers thought it might. IR35 remains with us, IR591 is not nearly as bad as we feared, and most others taxes have been frozen.The highlights as they affect contractors are:

• As of 1st April 2004 any Company earning less than 10,000 pa and distributing that income as dividends will lose the 0% Corporation tax rate, and pay 19% instead.

  So, what does this mean for contractors?

  If you Company profit is 10,000 or less, and you take the whole amount as dividends you will be 1900 a year worse off. Between 10000 and 50000, again assuming the whole amount is distributed as dividends you will be worse off on a roughly sliding scale by 1900 at 10,000 profits and no worse off at all at the 50,000 threshold.

  Profits over 50,000, or cash not taken as a dividend is absolutely unaffected.Coupled with the recent benefits of the VAT flat rate scheme we believe that most contractors will on the whole be no worse off.

• The Government is introducing a new disclosure measure to counter largescale avoidance of direct taxes. This will require those who devise and market certain avoidance schemes to provide the Inland Revenue with details of these schemes. This will hit ALL IR35 avoidance schemes, therefore even more care should be taken if thinking about one of these.
• The 100% First Year Allowance for equipment purchased is reduced to 50%. This means that instead of getting tax relief for the whole cost of asset purchase in year one, it is spread over two years.
• IR35 will remain, however the Government proposes to consider the issues raised by the interaction with the tax system of definitions of income of self-employment, and the remuneration paid to owner-managers, in a discussion paper which will be issued at the time of the 2004 Pre-Budget Report.

An interesting article over at The Register, titled “Inside the mind of the gay sheep”. I don’t think I need to say anymore really.

Microsoft have had some of their source code stolen/leaked on to the net. Not really very good at security are they!Related Links:

• http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/4/35547.html
  
• http://news.com.com/2100-7349_3-5158496.html?tag=nefd_lede
  
• http://www.crn.com/sections/BreakingNews/dailyarchive…(snip)
  
• http://slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=96614&cid=8266501
  
• http://www.mainsoft.com/news/press_releases/2000_3_22_01.html