Samsung's Blu-ray first faces delay

Samsung is delaying the US launch of its first Blu-ray player until June. The next-gen optical disc player is now due to hit the market in the west on 25 June, rescheduled from 23 May, reports Reuters. 'We still anticipate that the Samsung BD-P1000 will be the first Blu-Ray player to launch at a national level in the United Sates,' it quotes a Samsung statement. ...more

And also today (01-June-2001), for the record...

Here, in brief, are some of the day's other stories. Symbian sings Opera No, make that signs Opera - it has announced an agreement to include Opera as the default browser in its reference designs for Communicator devices. "We're moving into a market where for millions of users their first experience of accessing the Internet will be from a mobile device. ...more

IBM tops patent table again

When it comes to registering patents, IBM continues to lead the way in R&D. According to the New York Times, IBM has once again topped the table of patents awarded by the US Patent and Trademark Office. Granted 3,415 patents in 2003, the company claims this reflects a focus on customer requirements rather than being the product of pure research. ...more

Bland to invest ?1m in BT

The new chairman of BT, Sir Christopher Bland, is to invest ?1m of his own money in BT shares, according to reports on the Web. Although we can't verify this, the move will be seen as a statement of faith from the new chairman. However, it won't mean Bland will be destitute if BT's stock continues to fall - he is already a millionaire several times over though investments and high-profile jobs at LWT and the BBC. ...more

Microsoft moves to block vote on Net neutrality stance

Microsoft is trying to block an effort by a shareholder to force it to explain its reasons for backing Net neutrality. According to Reuters, Microsoft has asked the US financial regulators for permission to ignore the shareholder's call for a vote on the issue. The shareholder, The Free Enterprise Action Fund, believes Microsoft should elaborate on its support for Net neutrality which it claims represents 'expanded government regulation of the Internet'. ...more