KFC is offering consumers an unusual way of getting a free chicken sandwich. All they need to do is record a television commercial, play it back and crack a hidden message.

The aim is two-fold: interested viewers will have to watch the ad. And, according to chief marketing officer Scott Bergren, it creates a little fun on the screen. The ads are airing during NBC's coverage of the Winter Olympics and programs on the major television networks.

South Korean technology giant, LG Electronics, is working on an air conditioner with a filter that uses an enzyme from kimchi, a dish made from pickled radish or cabbage, along with garlic, ginger and hot peppers, to help fight the Avian Flu.

"We developed the filter with the aim of protecting people against bird flu," LG spokeswoman Park Se-won says.

America Online instant messenger users are being warned about a new worm spreading through the network.

The Windows worm installs spyware programs and turns over control of the machine to the creator of the virus.

A man who missed twice while aiming to shoot a friend's cow only to accidentally shoot a passer-by in the leg is fined for what an Australian court called a freak accident.

Rudolf Stadler, 61, agreed in April last year to shoot the meddling cow which belonged to a friend who owns a hobby farm at Caboolture in tropical Queensland state.

A giant soccer ball will hover over the city of Berlin during next summer's World Cup games.

The spherical observation platform towards the top of Berlin's trademark television tower is to be decked out as a soccer ball, given that local authorities will grant permission to do so.