Apple cuts Cube prices

Apple has cut the price of the 500 MHz Cube from ?1599 to ?1399. The company cut the price of the 450 MHz machine in the New Year. It has also added a new high-end machine to the range, but as yet this machine is only available in the US. ...more

Express takes a dim view of Web sites

Richard Desmond, the new owner of Express Newspapers, is ready to put a stop to the loss making activities of its Web sites and, if necessary, close them down. Staff running the sites have been given three choices: redundancy, redeployment or to start making the sites profitable. Currently the sites suck up ?8m a year, producing revenues of ?240,000. ...more

Scottish Police arrest suspect counterfeiter

A two-year anti-piracy operation in Scotland has lead to the arrest of a 35-year-old man and the seizure of an estimated ?250,000 worth of games, music and film discs. Most of the counterfeit software comprised PlayStation 2, Xbox and Gamecube titles, and there was also evidence of consoles being 'chipped'. Trading Standards officers worked with ELSPA (the Entertainment and Leisure Software Publishers Association) to target five locations in Dumfries and Galloway. ...more

Zopa readies for US invasion

Zopa, the UK online social lending site, has secured additional funding, to the tune of $12.9 million, and appointed a new global CEO. The two items are related because the UK site is preparing to launch in the US where it will look to draw on the experience of Douglas Dolton in the US savings and lending industries. ...more

Yahoo Video to host 'viewer created' TV content

In another twist in the current rush for anything resembling video on the web, Yahoo has signed a deal with Al Gore's (yes, that one) Current TV service to create to create a new social network based around TV style channels. Current TV, a pioneer in what is called 'viewer created content' allows programme makers to put their own videos online. By partnering with Yahoo, the service hopes that the portal's expertise in building communities will lead to a rapid expansion in traffic. ...more