Report predicts 70in tellies will be standard in two years

With 42-inch flat-panel TVs flying off retailers' shelves this holiday season as prices dip below $1,000, brokerage house Sanford C. Bernstein said in a research note on Tuesday that 70-inch TVs could be the 'right size' in 2009. 'We decided to investigate the optimal screen size for high definition viewing,' wrote analyst Jeff Evenson in the note. ...more

OFT and EU keep the spotlight on spam

The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) and the EU are holding a two-day spam 'summit' in London starting today, to encourage greater co-operation between governments and commercial companies in combatting and prosecuting spam operations. More than 60 public and private sector organisations will attend today's event from more than 27 countries. The organisations are members of the London Action Plan on spam. ...more

Some CDs cheaper than downloads as labels put up prices

Record labels in the US are already trying to cash in on the success of online music stores like iTunes and Napster by forcing up the prices for certain albums from $9.99 to $13.99. ...more

EU shelves MP3 player levy reforms

The European Commission has shelved plans to introduce new laws governing levies on digital music players just days before it was due to unveil its proposals. Denying allegations that it had bowed to pressure from the French government, the Commission said simply that it needed more time to consider the issues involved. The Copyright Levies Reform Alliance, which represents device makers and sections of the music industry, said that it was furious at the last minute postponement and published a letter sent last month by the French prime minister Dominique de Villepin which urged Commission president Jos? Manuel Barroso to delay reform. ...more

Via backs Bluetooth

The short-range wireless technology got another boost yesterday, as Taiwanese processor and board maker VIA licensed Bluetooth intellectual properties from Ericsson. Quite how VIA will deploy it in its product range remains unclear, although adding the technology to the chips it sells to manufacturers of computers and mobile phones is a strong possibility. Jerry Sun, Special Assistant to the President and Head of the Networking Business Unit at VIA, said: 'This licensing agreement on Bluetooth wireless technology extends our range of connectivity options for the PC and mobile arenas. ...more