IDF Fall 2003: Winners of Innovative PC Awards revealed

The winners of Intel's Innovative Awards have just been announced here at the IDF Fall 2003. Winners include a PC designed to look like an alien's head, very tough notebooks and an icube Play@TV digital media adapter.. ...more

New mission for Microsoft

Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer told the company's 50,000 odd employees that honesty, integrity and accountability must be the focus of its new mission to 'enable people and businesses throughout the world to realize their full potential. In a long internal email, a copy of which was seen by the Wall Street Journal, Ballmer revealed the outcome of a meeting of Microsoft's top executives held in March, where they held what he called 'some breakthrough discussions about the company's mission and what we value'. 'Customers must see that we take our commitments seriously,' he wrote. ...more

EC hints at fresh moves against Microsoft

The European Commission has hinted that it may bring a fresh case against Microsoft after receiving new complaints about the company. But EU competition commissioner Neelie Kroes said that the Commission would wait for the result of Microsoft's appeal against the first penalties imposed after the first investigation into anti-competitive behaviour before deciding whether to press ahead. 'We have had informal complaints, and we are using our time now to look at them,' Kroes said. ...more

Verizon sues Vonage over VoIP

You know that a technology is about to take off in a big way when the patent lawsuits start to fly. So it is with VoIP. Vonage Holdings has admitted that it has been served with a patent infringement lawsuit, along with its wholly owned subsidiary, Vonage America, filed by Verizon Services and Verizon Laboratories relating to VoIP technologies. ...more

Major notebook brands seek to cut costs with different business model

Intensified price competition has pushed major notebook brands to explore every corner to cut costs, and direct cooperation with component suppliers seems to be the latest strategy, according to sources in Taiwan's notebook industry. More than one major brand has recently bypassed its contract manufacturers and ordered components directly from suppliers, sources said. In the past, notebook makers were in general authorized to handle the deals and allowed to profit from them. ...more