Media centre PCs are an increasingly popular option, thanks to the low cost of storage, memory and processors powerful enough to decode and record multiple high-definition TV channels.

If you've got an HD flat screen it makes sense to connect a PC with a couple of digital TV tuner cards - they can be easily upgraded for new formats like the forthcoming DVB-T2 for Freeview HD.

Despite powerful media centre software like Myth TV being free, Microsoft's Windows Media Center is always going to be popular because it's bundled with so many new PCs. A new

Ofcom's research into fixed line broadband speeds has revealed the ISP heroes and villains, with Virgin's 10Mb service head and shoulders above many rivals.

The research, conducted with SamKnows, took samples from ISPs offering fixed broadband speeds of between 8Mb and 10Mb.

Virgin's fibre optic cable was the only one at the higher level – but the research shows that it provided an average speed of 8.1 to 8.7 Mbps – or 81 to 87 per cent of the advertised speed.

The likes of Sky and O2 also gained some credit, with the former's 8Mb line

Apple would have you believe that the Apple TV is the perfect media centre; we disagree. Though the Apple TV is sleek and comparatively cheap, it's too restrictive.

No, for our money you need a Mac mini. It's a proper little Mac, so it's ready to be expanded, added to and turbo-boosted to do everything you need it to.

The Apple TV, on the other hand, is pretty much a closed box and you can't do anything with your films, television shows and music apart from play them back.

Oh sure, it has an HDMI port that makes it easy to hook it up to your

Virgin Media will be offering a branded-up netbook for no added cost to those who sign up to certain packages from the company.

The fairly nifty looking 'Freedom' netbook will be given to those who sign up for two year contracts on both fixed line and mobile broadband products.

Virgin Media's Freedom netbook has an Intel Atom N270 processor, a 10.2-inch screen and comes with Windows XP and Microsoft Works.

Virgin Red or Black

The netbook boasts a gig of RAM, wireless LAN, card reader, (fairly bog standard) 2.5

After pairing your Bluetooth mobile phone with Phone Plugins, you can use your Mac to send an SMS or dial out from your handset.

Just highlight a phone number offered in any application, right or click to access the contextual menu and pick one of the new options, Send Text or Dial Number.

Naturally, the phone number must be an actual character string and not part of a graphic. Thus you could use a number offered in a text document, PDF, email or Address Book, but not from a screenshot or photograph.

It ignores spaces, so numbers that are

A small British company has announced the arrival of its new PMP and is claiming the gadget has enough firepower to outflank Apple's miniature range.

The Sonix7 Media Pro sells for a pinch over £100 and features a 3.2 inch TFT screen with touch capabilities, while boasting a battery life of 30-plus hours for audio and 20 hours for video.

British-designed and proud

The company is very proud of its British roots and feels that in the current economic market, the Sonix7 is perfect.

"Value for money is what people

Virgin Media has changed the limits on its traffic management, with the roll out of the DOCSIS3 standard across its network seeing a lightening to the way in which the company throttles heavy users at peak times.

Virgin's stance on traffic management has always been transparent, although it still remains hugely unpopular to those who believe that uncapped should also mean unfettered access.

Virgin's flagship 50Mb service is completely free of traffic management and the move to the more efficient DOCSIS3 standard has now brought about a lessening of

A US investment bank analyst has suggested that Virgin Media could open its cable network to rivals, in a bid to capitalise on the next-gen broadband infrastructure.

Speaking to the Guardian, the unnamed analyst pointed out that: "Letting rivals use its wires for a fee makes commercial sense. And it could also keep the regulator off the company's back."

Considering strategic options

Currently, Virgin Media has spent around £13 billion in bringing high-speed internet to the UK, dwarfing the likes of BT who announced