Microsoft offers free software to thwart piracy, and other brief reports ...

* The Johannesburg Metro Police Department in partnership with 2BiG Mobile Applications has introduced an integrated information management system that allows officers to log and access information using cellphones. The system allows Metro officers to track traffic offence and by-law violation information by accessing online information on their cellphones. Future releases will enable officers to access other critical crime prevention-related information. Full ITWeb report * Namibia is launching its first computerised voters\' register, which is expected to reduce the processing time to check a voter\'s credentials from an average of 15 minutes to 30 seconds. The register is expected to increase efficiency and encourage voters to participate in the country\'s elections, which take place within the next two weeks, according to Phillemon Kanime, director of the Electoral Commission of Namibia. Full New Era report * Chinese authorities have closed more than 1 600 Internet cafes since February, imposing more than $12m in fines against their operators for allowing children to play violent or adult games. The government has also recently shut down hundreds of Web sites and continues to block access to thousands of offending sites outside China. Full OfficialWire NewsDesk report * Actress Catherine Zeta-Jones has sued The Spice House, a strip club, over its use of her image on its Web site. According to Zeta-Jones, that at no point has she ever visited The Spice House nor did she give permission for the use of her image alongside nude models. Full Out-Law.com report * Japan has redesigned its bank notes in an effort to foil counterfeiters. With the increasing sophistication of home computers, printers and copiers, counterfeiting is becoming a far larger problem. In 1998, only 800 cases of forged yen notes were detected, compared with 14 000 fake bills found in the first half of this year. Full New York Times report * McElroy Hoffman, a computer studies student at the University of Stellenbosch, has designed a plagiarism detection tool that will help to catch students who copy each other\'s assignments. Dr Lynette van Zijl of the computer science department said copying of assignments is a growing worldwide phenomenon. Full News24 report