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The long-awaited new line of all-in-one iMacs has been released by the California-based computer giant Apple.

Brand new 20 and 24-inch widescreen displays encased in aluminum and glass give the machines a modern, sleek look.

Intel Core 2 Duo processors, an iSight video camera and the digital media organiser iLife 08 are all included with the machine.

Apple’s chief executive, Steve Jobs, said: ‘This new iMac is the most incredible desktop computer we’ve ever made.

‘Our new design features the innovative use of materials, including professional-grade aluminum and glass, that are highly recyclable.’

The designers built the new iMacs with an eye on cutting down desktop clutter and creating a streamlined multi-tasking tool.

A new cutting-edge keyboard is only 0.33 inches thin at the front and users have the option to buy the new wireless keyboard.

Apple has also updated some of their other lines such as the Mac Mini and the iLife & iWork software packages.

Last month saw the release of the wildly popular iPhone, which functions as a phone, mp3 player and web browser.

source: InternetWorldStats

A number of businesses are failing to adequately prepare for periods of email downtime, according to new research.

The survey, conducted by Osterman Research for technology firm Neverfail, found that over half of respondents only know they are experiencing email problems when users report issues with sending or receiving messages.

A further 40 per cent of firms said they stand to lose as much as $50,000 (£24,622) for every instance of email downtime, equivalent to almost $1 million a year for each business.

‘The emergence of email as the dominant communications platform signalled a paradigm shift in the way business is conducted, yet companies have been slow to recognise that email should have 24/7 availability,’ commented Andrew Barnes, senior vice president of corporate development at Neverfail.

Earlier this year, research from email continuity solution provider Teneros found that 96 per cent of firms see a significant drop in staff productivity during an email outage.

Read the full report.

Researchers have developed a new form of biometric identification that could phase out the use of passwords, pin numbers and credit card numbers.

Scientists at the University of Houston have developed facial recognition software that recreates faces in three dimensions, providing a completely unique identifier.

The URxD application could be used to help people obtain access to secure facilities and authorise credit card transactions, according to the researchers, led by Professor Ioannis Kakadiaris.

‘Pins and passwords are not only inconvenient to memorise, but also are impractical to safeguard,’ he commented, adding: ‘The solution is to be able to tie your private information to your person in a way that cannot be compromised.’

A recent report by research firm Global Industry Analysts suggested that the worldwide market for electronic access systems, including biometric applications, will grow to $6.1 billion (£3 billion) in the next three years.

Trojans have topped threat lists during the first six months of the year, according to a new report.

Security firm BitDefender Labs says that Trojans were the most popular form of malicious threat in the first half of 2007, along with mass mailers.

The Netsky worm also continued to keep its place in the top ten threat list, with all of the malware in the table accounting for two-thirds of total web viruses.

Viorel Canja, head of BitDefender Labs, called the shift from viruses to Trojans ‘an interesting trend’.

‘Although the popularity of mass mailers is slowly receding, variants are still present and pose a very real risk to computer systems used by consumers and small businesses,’ he added.

A recent report from information security services provider SecureWorks revealed that the number of hackers targeting banking institutions has soared by 81 per cent since 2006, with attackers using the Gozi, Prg and BBB Trojans in particular.