Microsoft settles Iowa antitrust lawsuit

Microsoft has reached an out-of-court settlement with lawyers for the Iowa class action lawsuit, which alleged that the software giant had violated state consumer laws by overcharging for its Windows operating system. The precise terms of the settlement will not be disclosed until it has been given preliminary approval by the court, expected in April. The plaintiffs were seeking compensation totalling $329 million. ...more

IBM takes the Cell processor to industrial applications

IBM is looking to extend the range of applications for its new 'Cell' processor into the area of high performance industrial applications. With an eye to the lucrative defence, aerospace and medical industries where imaging applications are critical, IBM has offered to help out with a number of new design services. Designed in conjunction with Sony and Toshiba, IBM's 'Cell' processor is described as a revolutionary advance in chip architecture. ...more

Wii scrapes a pre-Christmas launch in Europe

The European launch details of the Wii console have been confirmed by Nintendo. A launch date of 8 December will see the games platform priced at ?179 in the UK. Included with every Wii console will be one wireless Wii Remote, one Nunchuk and a collection of five Wii Sports games that can be played using physical movements, taking advantage of the motion-sensitive controller. ...more

We predict...

At this time of the year, many industry analysts publish their predictions for the coming year. Generally, they will charge you many thousands of pounds for their wisdom. However, as we are still imbued with the spirit of Christmas, we present our own predictions for 2003 JANUARY Microsoft announces that Longhorn will launch in 2004 and release details as soon as it has decided what it is. ...more

Tablet PCs yet to top 100,000 in Europe

Devices using Microsoft's Tablet PC operating system are still struggling to make inroads into Europe, according to research group Canalys, with shipments yet to reach 100,000 since last year's November launch. With 91,950 units having been shipped to date, and figures for the quarter 20 per cent down sequentially, Canalys has reiterated its calls for Microsoft to step into the breach, subsidise the OS and establish a dedicated marketing team to drive it forward in Europe. 'Microsoft still isn't doing enough to help Tablet PC vendors - particularly in Europe,' said Canalys director and senior analyst Chris Jones. ...more