The block was imposed by a Texan court following a ruling that its use of formatting language XML in Word 2003 and 2007 infringed patents. 

YouTube has lifted a block on users viewing official music videos after the website reached an agreement with songwriters' group PRS for Music.

In March, the service blocked thousands of music videos to UK users after failing to reach agreement over fees.

YouTube, owned by Google, is paying an undisclosed lump sum to PRS, backdated until January and lasting until 2012.

French consumer groups are investigating reports of iPhones that explode or crack spontaneously.

An 80-year-old from the Paris suburbs was among eight people who said their phones' screens were affected, according to the AFP news agency.

Consumers in the UK, Holland and Sweden have reported similar problems, prompting an earlier EU investigation.

Apple said it was aware of the reports and was waiting to receive the handsets from the affected customers.

The firm has been accused of trying to hush-up cases of iPhones and iPods heating up or bursting into flames in the US and the UK.

Okay, we’ll cut straight to the chase – Sony has used the GamesCom show in Cologne to reveal the new ‘PS3 Slim’, and it’s going to be released worldwide in the first week of September. There!

What else can we tell you? Well, the new model certainly lives up to it name – it’s 32% smaller, uses 34% less energy and is 36% lighter according to smiley Sony Prez, Kaz Hirai, who showed the new box off to the awed GamesCom masses.