LaCie launches a 2000GB hard drive

LaCie has announced the latest addition to Bigger Disk range of desktop hard drives, the 2TB (that's 2,000GB) Bigger Disk Extreme. As well as plug-and-play FireWire 800/400 access, the drives also has a built-in RAID 0 configuration that allows for high-speed data transfers of up to 85MB/sec and for large-scale backup. It has a smart fan system, improved heat dissipation and an automatic on/off feature to increase performance and drive reliability. ...more

MusicMatch service hopes to be match for iTunes

Music management software company MusicMatch has launched its MusicMatch Downloads service, which it hopes will enjoy the same success in the PC market that iTunes has with Macs. Already having some 40 million users as a result of MusicMatch software being bundled with a host of digital music players, the company will be hoping that the relatively lenient licensing rules will tempt a good portion of these to sign up. Like Apple's iTunes, MusicMatch Downloads offers single song purchases for 99 cents from tracks offered by all five major and more than 30 independent record labels. ...more

Microsoft settles up with Minnesota

Microsoft has agreed a preliminary settlement to a class-action suit in Minnesota - one of the few outstanding states where Redmond still faces litigation over antitrust issues. The suit alleged the company overcharged consumers for its operating system and office software products and sought damages up to $425mn. The exact details behind the settlement are as yet undisclosed. ...more

Dutch teenagers arrested over DoS attack

Dutch police have collared two teenagers, accusing them of launching denial of service attacks on government websites. The two boys from the southern Dutch town of Breda were arrested last week after police raided their homes and seized compute equipment. The attacks are said to be in protest against proposed changes in the Netherlands social security provision which drew a quarter of a million people onto the streets of Amsterdam recently. ...more

OLED screens brighten Sony handhelds

Sony may be puling its Clie handhelds out of the US and Europe, but that doesn't mean the company has lost all faith in the handheld market. The latest Palm-powered Clie PEG-VZ90 will feature the first of Sony's Organic LED screens (OLED) - as it drives the technology into mass production. An OLED display differs from conventional TFTs in that it uses an organic layer that emits light when voltage is applied. ...more