HP claims PC top spot

Last year's HP-Compaq merger took the new company to the top of the PC sales league for 2002, according to Gartner Dataquest. Despite selling 9.3 per cent fewer computers than the two separate companies managed in 2001, HP claimed 16. ...more

Intel goes mobile

Intel has recently announced a new business relationship with Microsoft, QNX Software Systems, Wind River Systems, IBM, Fonix and Lerner & Hauspie. With a gaggle of software companies on board, you would expect Intel to be announcing a new processor or something similarly spectacular, but instead the company is trying to get into the in-car computer market. These new telematic systems (the posh way to say in-car computer) will be based upon StrongARM processors and will also utilise speech recognition hardware. ...more

Christmas virus woe

The worse case scenario for anyone this Christmas is to have his or her computer disabled by an errant virus, only to discover that there's no help available because everyone is on holiday. Be warned, a virus called W32.Kriz is doing the rounds and this little monster can get into your system by hitching a ride on the back of other worm viruses such as Happy99. ...more

Music publishers and online providers bond to smooth download business

Companies and organisations involved in digital music have come together to form a new standards body, the Digital Data Exchange (DDEX). All the big players have signed up for the new body. The likes of EMI Music, Sony BMG, Warner Music Group, Universal Music Group and music rights societies from the US, UK and Spain represent the music industry, while Apple, Microsoft and RealNetworks represent the data services side of the equation when it comes to delivering digital music. ...more

Blue-violet laser diodes point to faster high-definition storage

NEC looks to boost writing speeds for next-generation optical discs using blue laser, such as Blu-ray or HD DVD. The Japanese electronics giant has developed a blue-violet laser diode which achieves a light output of 300mW - the most achieved so far - under continuous wave operation, reports NE Asia Online. 'The laser diode is still a prototype,' the website quotes an NEC spokesman. ...more