Movers and stinkers from the world of business

Last week, in honour of the Windows 7 launch, we covered Microsoft's biggest successes in the computing field. This week, in the interest of balance, we're looking to the company's dark side..

Some of the people on this list are successful billionaires, Some Nobel prize winners or high-tech nomads. However, some individuals are weird even by geek standards.

Last week, we looked at the geeks who created iconic technologies. This week, we examine the executives who pushed those technologies into becoming the basis of some of the largest businesses in the world.

Pretty much every new product gets hyped as a potentially disruptive technology these days, and usually nobody outside of the company's marketing department actually believes it.

This week we examine a few of those true 'killer apps,' and what they have meant to computing

Things that make you go aaaargh, including Vista, Bluetooth and other things that may or may not make you mad

From Silicon Valley to Station X during the Second World War, why Romania is teeming with software developers, and Zhongguancun in China where Microsoft is building its Chinese headquarters.

Unless you've been living in a cave for the last week, you've witnessed the wholesale hysteria being launched over the recent Swine Flu outbreak..

Ever wondered which of your favourite Sci-fi films still holds up? Ian Thomson and Shaun Nichols looked at classics such as Jurrassic Park, War Games and The Matrix and found a few surprsies..

'Essjay' episode could change makeup of user-driven encyclopaedia.

Latin America design contest zooms in on local demands.

A group of developers claims to have succeeded in breaking the iPhone's SIM-lock, allowing users to equip the phone with a SIM-card that allows them to operate the device on GSM networks other than AT&T.

Big Blue looks into new method of writing data.

Company touts new security features, but experts question effectiveness.

Flash memory branches to create new company.

Researcher wins US$10,000 bounty with JavaScript attack.

Hybrid device combines advantages of capacitors and alkaline batteries.

Exploit especially dangerous for Firefox users.

Major sites hit with search ranking demotion.