It's an old con but it still works: a "bill" is sent but no order has been placed. Then some mealy mouthed words are added to pretend it's not a con. Don't get sucked in....

The USA's principal single-seat racing formula is run, mostly, on oval tracks (which, technically, are not actually oval). A narrow track, steep banking, high-speeds and solid walls are a recipe for crashes - which cynics say is a major reason many spectators watch the sport. And there are crashes galore - with drivers protected by layers of safety measures. For Dan Weldon, they were not enough.

Russian President Vladimir Putin is the latest political leader to say that his country's government will migrate all its computers to Linux and other open source software. The history of such declarations is at best chequered.

Jenson Button turned up for the Japanese Grand Prix as a surrogate local hero, adopted by the Japanese crowd because of his long-term relationship with model Jessica Michibata - and his time with Honda. Many Japanese consider that Button's title with Brawn was almost a Honda win. And local hero status brought big benefits for Button all weekend. Even so, his win - the third of the season - was not enough to keep him in the running for the World Championship.

The Bank of England is making a massive mistake as it throws GBP75,000 million into an economy that even the usually positive-sounding Bank says is in crisis. That's more than GBP1,000 for every UK citizen.

Steve Jobs died yesterday after a long illness that blighted his last months. Our F1 man, who has never owned any Apple kit, delivers a mark of respect for a man who took on giants and won.

Mr Steven (Steve) Paul Jobs

A week ago, directors at Imperial Holdings Inc, a US company listed on the New York Stock Exchange, admitted that the FBI had executed a warrant at its headquarters in Boca Raton, Florida. The response from the market was swift and brutal with a next-day fall of more than 70% in the share price, although there was a small improvement by the end of the days' trading. Then came the attack dogs.

Simon Finnigan, formerly a director of three Australian companies, has pleaded guilty to using companies to defraud individuals who thought they were joining investment schemes.