"We make games for the people that play them. We don't make them for the Daily Mail."

So says Dan Houser, the producer who co-created the Grand Theft Auto computer game series, one of the most successful of all time.

While sales have gone through the roof, the gangster game has attracted waves of criticism from newspapers, parents' groups and politicians, including Hillary Clinton.

She says the series demeans women and contributes to a "silent epidemic" of sex and violence in the media that could harm children.

"They're playing a game that encourages them to have sex with prostitutes and then murder them. You know, that's kind of hard to digest," she said in a speech in 2005.

With the fourth instalment finally here, Houser is unrepentant about its trademark mix of fights, car-jacking and bad language and says computer games are unfairly singled out for criticism.

Violent TV shows like "The Sopranos" or films like "The Godfather" win handfuls of awards, while games with adult themes come under intense fire, he says.

"Most of it's just Ludditism and people having a fear of things they don't understand," he said in an interview. "We see games as being an emergent art form...that will eventually supplant or challenge movies."

Supporters say there is no established link between computer games and violent behaviour.

And anyway, games with adult content are given a rating which means shops can't sell them to children.

Do you think there should be stricter controls on violent video games or is the focus on games rather than TV, films and the Internet unwarranted?

First there was "phishing" - where criminals try to steal people's personal details using dodgy emails that look like they're from the bank.

Then there was "spear phishing" - more sophisticated, targeted attempts to defraud specific organisations or their customers.

Now online fraudsters are trying to land even bigger catches by harpooning company bosses and their senior managers.

This latest and most audacious technique is called "whaling"

Fraudsters attempt to lure executives to reveal sensitive details about their business or click on a link in an email that will secretly download malicious software onto their computer.

Criminals could then attempt to defraud the company using the information they quietly gather.

Guy Bunker of Symantec, the Internet security company, says: "Whaling is basically going after the big fish in the sea. It's targeting people at the top of the organisation."

"There have been attacks in the States where a whole bunch of CEOs get sent a very official looking email that say you've been subpoenaed in court. If you click on this link you'll get the citation."

The link was the bait and the boss has exposed his corporation to fraud.

The extent of that problem was laid bare at Infosecurity Europe, an annual computer security conference held in west London.

A government-sponsored survey carried out by PricewaterhouseCoopers said online fraud costs the British economy alone about 6 billion pounds a year.

And with more business carried out online, the problem shows no signs of going away.

Lord Erroll, a technology expert in the House of Lords, told the conference: "The world isn't going to change with a new generation coming through. It will have gullible and greedy people in it as well.

"So there will be people who do things wrong and are stupid and get conned. Technology alone isn't going to protect people."

Anyone who wants to spend money trying to commune with dead relatives has never had so much choice.

There's a growing array of satellite TV channels, Web sites, phonelines and even psychic churches which offer the services of mediums.

 But from next month, spiritualists will have to abide by strict new consumer protection regulations that are designed to give clients greater safeguards.

Some spiritualists want the government to rethink their plans to replace the Fraudulent Mediums Act of 1951 with new rules.

They say it will lead to the bizarre situation where mediums will issue disclaimers before they get to work in an attempt to stay on the right side of the law.

Psychics may have to tell clients that their service is simply entertainment or a sort of scientific experiment which has no guarantee of success.

The Spiritual Workers Association fears sceptics may bring malicious prosecutions.

They say they shouldn't be treated like other traders. They view their strong beliefs as more akin to a religion than commercial transactions.

But critics say it's high time psychics faced tougher controls. The British Humanist Association says there were only a few successful prosecutions for fraud under the old laws.

Should healers, mediums and fortune-tellers be subject to the same consumer rules as other traders?

The Arctic Monkeys won the best album prize at this year's Brit Awards.

Previous winners include The Verve's "Urban Hymns", "Coldplay's "X&Y" and "This Is My Truth Tell Me Yours" by the Manic Street Preachers.

The Beatles' "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" tops many people's lists of the all-time greatest album.

Radiohead's "OK Computer", Pink Floyd's "Dark Side of the Moon, Led Zeppelin's "Four Symbols" feature in other polls.

How do the current crop of favourites compare with the big names from the past?

And what's your top album of all time?

**Click here for full coverage of the Brits from Reuters**

From the first primitive bat and ball programs of the 1970s, to the latest 3-D epics, computer games have changed beyond all recognition.

Last year's bestselling game was Halo 3, a galaxy-spanning shoot-em-up, according to a new book of gaming records. The top-selling game of all time is Nintendo's Super Mario Bros.

Debate rages online about which console is best: Sony's PlayStation3, Nintendo's Wii or Microsoft's Xbox.

A third of gamers prefer old consoles like the N64 with their simpler graphics and addictive games, according to a survey.

Space Invaders or Asteroids? Mario or Sonic the Hedgehog? Final Fantasy or The Legend of Zelda?

What do you think was the best game ever? And what was the worst?

Anyone who's just spent 100 pounds or more on a smart new digital radio, may be feeling a little underwhelmed now.

With digital stations closing and media firms questioning its future, some critics think you may have picked up the 21st century equivalent of a Betamax video recorder.

For those too young to remember, that was the Sony video format that lost out to VHS in the 1970s and 1980s, despite a huge marketing drive.

Richard Wheatley, chief executive of The Local Radio Company, compared DAB digital radio to Betamax.

Analysts say digital radio should have achieved "must have" status last year.

Web chatrooms are awash with gloomy discussions under headlines such as "Is DAB dead?"

Some complain that the sound quality isn't as good as advertised. Others say reception is patchy in parts of the country and that digital radio sets are often expensive and poorly designed.

A report by research firm Enders Analysis said the radio industry is stuck "in the middle of a snowstorm around the future of the whole platform".

The uncertainty has grown after the closure of Oneword and Core and the announcement by GCap Media on Monday that it will shut the Jazz and Planet Rock stations.

Chief Executive Fru Hazlitt said digital radio was too expensive and had not been embraced by consumers in the way it had anticipated.

"We would like to get out of (digital radio) but we can't," she said.

Digital's cheerleaders have played down the negative reports.

Digital radio sales are healthy, more people than ever are listening and new stations will open, they say.

Supporters say digital sounds better and is easier to use than FM or medium wave.

In a joint statement , BBC Radio and 4 Digital Group said they were committed to digital radio: "It is clear to us that DAB has an exciting future."

But that future may not be clear for years.

Sony only pulled the plug on Betamax in 2002 -- years after some studios stopped releasing films on the format.

Are you a digital fan or are you sticking with FM or even Internet radio?

The critics and award judges have their favourites: “Atonement”, “No Country For Old Men” and “There Will Be Blood” crop up on most lists of the year’s best films.

There’s been lavish praise for George Clooney’s portrayal of a corporate “fixer” in “Michael Clayton” and Daniel Day-Lewis’ role as an oil prospector in “There Will Be Blood”.

Julie Christie, who plays an Alzheimer’s sufferer in “Away From Her” and Marion Cotillard, who portrays French singer Edith Piaf in “La Vie En Rose”, are both in the running for an Oscar.

While “Atonement” has won a best picture Oscar nomination, some say the adaptation of Ian McEwan’s novel didn’t work.

Historian Antony Beevor called it the year’s most overrated film.

The worst film award could go to the thriller “I Know Who Killed Me”, starring Lindsay Lohan.

It won nine nominations for the Razzies, the awards for Hollywood’s most excruciating output.

But debate rages on the Internet over whether it really is that bad.

Who would win your BAFTA or Razzie vote?

*Visit our special BAFTA film awards site for all the latest news, pictures and video from this year’s ceremony*

Train delays, fare hikes, line closures. For many passengers, the New Year return to work is bleakly familiar.

Rail watchdog boss Anthony Smith says higher ticket prices are “unfair and unjustified“, while campaigners say people will be forced back into their cars.

Some passengers on First Great Western trains are planning to go on strike, by refusing to buy real tickets.

Instead, they will issue their own special tickets with different wording, such as “Worst Late Western”.

The Association of Train Operating Companies says the higher fares will help fund better trains and stations.

“We are now running a higher-performing railway with new, refurbished and more punctual trains and better stations,” says ATOC’s Director General George Muir.

What do you think?

- Have stations and trains improved?
- Are higher ticket prices justified?
- Is your journey value for money or do you feel priced off the trains?
- Will you join the protesters?

Send us your comments.

Are you suffering from gadget fatigue?

Once upon a time, before leaving the house each morning, you'd check you had your keys, wallet and watch.

For some people that list now includes: mobile phone, iPod, Blackberry, sat-nav, camera, laptop, USB key and portable games console.

Weren't we told that things like the iPhone, with its camera, phone, Internet and email, would finally bring about "convergence", where you only have to carry around one expensive plastic box?

The average U.S. household owns 25 consumer electronics products, researchers say. Many of them never seem to be compatible with each other.

With Christmas looming, millions of people will buy a whole range of new gadgets, each with piles of assorted cables, chargers and accessories.

Nintendo's Wii games console, the Apple iPhone and Microsoft's Xbox are among this year's must-have presents, says research firm Hitwise.

All those shiny new toys will consign thousands of old mobiles, MP3 players and games consoles to the scrapheap.

More than 23 billion pounds worth of unwanted electrical items is gathering dust in drawers, lofts and garages, according to another survey.

Will you be queuing for the latest gizmos this Christmas or have you finally decided that less is more?

And is there any gadget that you really wouldn't leave the house without?

The government says Heathrow must grow to cope with the huge surge in air travel.

A third runway, sixth terminal and thousands more flights over the capital have been proposed.

Transport Secretary Ruth Kelly says “aviation plays an essential role in the UK’s economic growth” and the airport must expand.

British Airways estimates that an expanded airport could be worth 9-10 billion pounds a year to the economy.

But they face fierce opposition from environmental campaigners and many people who live under the flightpaths leading to Heathrow.

Opponents say the expansion would be an environmental disaster, increasing noise, pollution and environmental damage.

Campaigners say the growth in air travel has to be checked.

- Do you support the government’s airport expansion plans? Do you think Britain’s airports need to grow? Would it help your business?

- Or do you oppose the proposals? Do you worry about the effects on the environment? Do you live under the flightpath?

- Would you take fewer flights to help the environment?

Send us your comments.