At Tuesday's Macworld keynote speech, Apple announced a handful of upgrades to existing software. Of the changes, one of the biggest is the budding online integration found inside two of its software suites: iLife and iWork. The "2009" versions of both of these software packages show a more balanced approach by Apple in integrating third-party services alongside pushing users toward its own online efforts.

In the case of iWork, is a tight integration with a brand new online component called iWork.com. The site, which launches later this month in conjunction with the software release, lets users upload files for sharing with others - up to 1GB. When using any of the three applications included in the iWork suite users are able to export whatever they're working on right from a link on the top of the screen. Once the item has been uploaded it can be shared with other users who can download it in whatever file formats you specify, or leave little sticky-note comments.

The internet telephony company Truphone has turned its client for the iPhone and iPod Touch into an aggregator for a range of popular VoIP and instant-messaging applications.

Truphone announced the new functionality on Tuesday at the MacWorld 2009 expo in San Francisco. From the week starting 12 January, all Truphone subscribers using one of Apple's handhelds will be able to use the free client for Skype, Twitter, Google Talk, MSN Messenger and Yahoo! Messenger two-way communications.

Outsourcing giant EDS has paid back the £71.25m it owed to the UK taxpayer.

In a settlement first announced in 2005, EDS agreed to pay £71.25m to HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) over problems with the tax credit computer system it designed. silicon.com Financial Services Get the latest financial services news straight to your inbox. Sign up for the FS newsletter today!

A £26m revamp of youth justice tech promises to cut the risk of self-harm and reoffending among young inmates.

The transformation, which began in April 2007, has already allowed close to 30,000 workers within the justice system and private sector to share care and risk management information on young offenders in England and Wales via secure email.

Happy New Year to you all! Sometimes it can seem a little miserable, braving the arctic conditions to get back into the office in gloomy, early January after the fun of Christmas, so I'm pleased we can start the year with some great news - we've launched a new site section called silicon.com CIO Insights.

silicon.com is well known for its strong relationships with the CIO community in the UK, and the aim of this new section is to bring together some of the fantastic content from across silicon.com which is not just about but also by CIOs.

Online maps detailing local levels of crime are now available to the public across England and Wales, allowing residents to keep an eye on the performance of their police forces.

The maps allow people to view details of crime trends in all 43 local police force regions, including the volume of crime and comparisons with the rest of the country.

Barclays is to replace its entire fleet of debit cards with new plastic featuring contactless payments functionality.

From March, any replacement cards issued by the bank will come embedded with NFC (near field communications) chips, enabling users to pay for goods under £10 by swiping their card over a reader, without the need to enter a PIN.

National Grid has signed a £5m-plus deal with Vodafone to shift its voice and data network to the mobile provider.

Under the three-year contract, Vodafone will also provide remote working capabilities for National Grid field staff through mobile broadband devices.

Hospitals have been told to allow more patients to use mobile phones on their wards.

Updated government guidelines, issued today, say hospitals should encourage patients to use their mobiles wherever possible, by putting up signs indicating where handsets can be safely used.

Prime Minister Gordon Brown has earmarked £18bn for investment to help UK Plc get through the economic downturn - and with only around £1bn spent so far there's still plenty of cash on the table. Speaking in an interview with The Observer, Brown revealed "digital infrastructure" is one area he's looking to invest in. But what are his options? Here silicon.com looks at five tech investments that could help the UK weather the economic storm - and sail out the other side…

1 - Switch on next generation broadband

Searches at Microsoft's Windows Live Search site dropped again in November from a year ago, while Google's continued to rise, according to Nielsen Online figures released on Monday.

Searches at Windows Live Search fell 16.7 per cent year-over-year, giving Microsoft 9.1 per cent market share in the US in November.

The UK government has agreed to work with the European Parliament on plans to extend police powers to conduct remote searches of computers without a warrant.

The European Union Council of Ministers approved a plan in November 2008 to grant law-enforcement authorities in member states the power to perform remote searches of suspects' computers, as well as to perform 'cyber patrols' of the internet and increase data sharing between European police forces. The plan, to be implemented within the next five years, raises the possibility of cross-border co-operation on cyber investigations.

The iconic Macworld event has been the highlight of Apple's year. So why are they stepping away from it? Seb Janacek has some theories.

Ever had a moment where you're cruising down the motorway in fifth gear, decide to drop it into fourth and accidentally hit the brake instead of the clutch?

The mobile-software company UIQ has filed for bankruptcy, following the decision by its last remaining customer to stop using its platform.

Motorola and Sony Ericsson, the joint owners of UIQ via a Dutch holding company, decided at a board meeting on 29 December to pull the plug on the company. The UIQ platform is being integrated, along with Series 60, into the Symbian Foundation's royalty-free, open-source platform, and Motorola announced in November that it would drop UIQ in order to focus on rival systems, including Android, Windows Mobile and P2K. Latest videos from silicon.comBA CIO - how we attract the best IT gradsGraduates on why they chose ITCIO Profile: Graham YoungCIO Profile: David SwayneThe firm with no IT teamThe birth of hi-tech BritainAll aboard the wi-fi train Check out all videos from silicon.com here

Prime Minister Gordon Brown looks to have given the go ahead to a recession-busting programme of investment that could see super-fast broadband rolled out across the UK.

Speaking to The Observer newspaper yesterday, Brown revealed plans to create 100,000 new jobs by spending on public works, including investments in network infrastructure and backing for jobs in "digital industries".

Video has been hailed a productivity booster and cost saver. But can it deliver? Freeform Dynamics's IdaRose Sylvester explains what video can and can't do.

As we enter 2009, reducing spending, improving productivity of smaller teams, and the perceived imperative to improve the corporate 'green' footprint are three priorities facing corporations.

With 2008 bearing witness to both a mobile broadband boom and a proliferation of iPhone-esque devices hitting the market, suddenly surfing the web on your phone has never been more popular.

Here, silicon.com rounds up five of the best offerings out there and not an IE in sight...

Palm is rumoured to be launching a smartphone on Thursday that runs Nova, its next-generation operating system, according to a report Sunday on CrunchGear.

The report, which cites "a trusted source", says the device will have a full Qwerty keyboard that will slide under the touchscreen.

Web and multimedia research leader Professor Wendy Hall, of the University of Southampton, has been made a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire.

The computer scientist, who was made a CBE in 2000, was awarded the honour for services to science and technology.

Online entertainment retailer Play.com has revealed 24 per cent year-on-year growth in sales over the Christmas holiday 2008. silicon.com Retail & Leisure Get the latest retail and leisure news straight to your inbox. Sign up for the R&L newsletter today!

The results buck the trend of muted growth over the busiest shopping days of the year among web retailers.