Microsoft dumps Smart Tags from XP

Microsoft is dropping its controversial Smart Tags technology from the Windows XP operating system, according to US reports.

A company spokesman confirmed yesterday that the technology will not feature in final release of XP on 25 October.

Smart Tag technology points users to relevant information within other applications or on the web. As you write in Word or feed data through Excel, XP will highlight related information from your computer or beyond and give you the option to include it in the finished document.

Type a stock ticker symbol in an Excel cell, for example, and XP will immediately offer a link to the share page on MSN.

Opponents say this is just another way of spreading Microsoft's influence on the online world via its dominance of the desktop.

Microsoft said the decision was down to delays in development, not the controversy that has surrounded the technology.