Germany unmetered Internet looking shaky

A Dutch telecoms company has withdrawn its unmetered Internet service, blaming Deutsche Telekom's reluctance to provide wholesale rates to ISPs. In a scenario very similar to that of AltaVista UK (except that Versatel actually ran an unmetered service for a while), the company blamed the regulator for failing to act. DT charges ISPs on a metered basis, while they in turn struggle to cover the losses as subscribers stay online for hours at a time. ...more

US BlackBerry users could face cut off

BlackBerry users in the US could find themselves cut off unless the manufacturer, Research In Motion, settles a patent infringement lawsuit after its latest court appeal was rejected. Earlier this year RIM was found guilty of breaching a patent held by NTP that covers the sending of emails to wireless devices. Last week, US District Judge James Spencer rejected RIM's settlement offer of $450mn. ...more

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Sony plans peripheral bonanza

Sony Europe has announced plans to 'significantly strengthen' its computer accessories range over the next six months. This month the company will introduce a new SRS-DZ10 multi-channel speaker system and unveil a headset with retractable microphone. In the second quarter it will unveil new mice, USB multi-format memory card readers and HDMI cables. ...more

Games to blame for rise in UK inflation

The latest figures from the government's National Statistics Office reveal that our love of games, DVDs and computers is fuelling inflation. According to the office, the Consumer Prices Index, by which the Government measures the level of inflation, rose from 1.5 per cent in May to 1. ...more