According to an article on the Tucson Citizen, Niklas Zennstrom (co-creator of Skype) has talked about two new versions of the Skype software in development: "Skype Plus" which will accept phonecalls from regular telephone lines, and "SkypeOut" which allows phonecalls out to regular telephone lines. No release dates or prices have been released. He's also in negotiations with Siemans and Plantronics to build Skype hardware.

A virtual poppy was superimposed on 'Film 2003' presenter Jonathan Ross after he forgot to wear one during part of the filming (poppies are worn to support the Royal British Legion on Remembrance Day). Did anybody see this? How realistic was it?

According to BBC News, sending spam in the UK from December 11 will be punishable by unlimited fines, but not jail time. The law will be enforced by the Information Commissioner, and spam send to business e-mail addresses will not be covered.

When Microsoft and OD2 started digitally selling music in the UK, I signed up immediately and downloaded my first track that night -- a 'temporary' download, with DRM to prevent copying and CD burning. The audio quality was disappointing; I'm no audiophile, but I listened to the track through exactly the same hardware that I listen to my Ogged CDs with, and the audio was definately "muddier" than my own rips.

The FAQs (which I can't link to, thanks to referrer checking) claim "If you wish to return a digital download for any reason within 7 days of purchase simply send an e-mail to drdownload@od2.com, with 'Refund Request' as the subject, attaching your music file and quoting [...] the reason for the refund." I e-mailed the track to them that same night, with my reason being "disappointing audio quality".

After not hearing anything for a week, I assumed I was being ignored and wasn't going to get a refund. With nothing to lose, I decided to spend my remaining account on a few more tracks, which were all still disappointing.

Ten days later, I finally received a response from OD2:

I've discussed the situation with your account with our refund department and as there was nothing wrong with the track you downloaded as we have tested it and you have also downloaded another track. The refund department have decided not to give you a refund.

So "a refund for any reason" has quickly become "a refund if we feel like it". Surely they could simply modify the track license, so next time Media Player checks I have the right to listen to it, I'm denied? And what does it matter if I've downloaded other tracks? What possible reason could they have for looking up my other purchases when I want to return a single product?

Have any other Slashdotters had trouble getting a refund for a digital product? How do other digital music publishers handle refunds, if at all?

The BBC is reporting that organised crime is a bigger threat to the RIAA's profits than the P2P networks. According to the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry, pirate CD sales have doubled in the past 3 years, and now every third CD sold is illegal. The article also claims "the US legal system is complaining about the work the RIAA is heaping upon it." It's true that music sharers are breaking the law, but maybe the RIAA's preferred form of punishment will not be long-lived.

Just in case anyone was curious... To answer my own question, Arizona (along with the other mentioned States) residents cannot enter the competition because the law prohibits sweepstakes with a playing fee. The fee, in this case, is the design submitted.

The BBC is reporting that the London Science Museum will be hosting props, costumes, weapons and special-effects exhibits from the Lord of the Rings movies. Might be worth the journey down there for anyone in Europe, before it moves on to Singapore, Sydney and Boston.