Homepage virus invades UK

You may already be a victim of the homepage virus - it's been doing the rounds of UK email servers all day. The virus is identified by a subject line that says "Homepage" and a message that says "Hi! You've got to see this page, it's really cool ;o". Like the Anna Kournikova virus it doesn't trash the hard drive or delete files, but reproduces itself and clogs up email servers. ...more

Samsung named world's fastest growing brand

Samsung has been named the 'Fastest Growing Global Brand' by Interbrand, a global brand consultancy. For a second year in a row the South Korean electronics giant has taken this particular marketing garland. Interbrand calculates that Samsung's brand value has more than doubled from $5. ...more

Nokia previews colour mobile phone

Mobile phone company Nokia has announced the latest addition to its Communicator range - but this time the unit will feature a colour screen. The Nokia 9210 Communicator is a pocket-sized, Epoc-based, mobile phone/PDA hybrid that follows in the footsteps of the current Communicator model, the 9110i. The unit weighs in at 244gm and runs Symbian's "Crystal" reference design, v6. ...more

Euro Commissioner slams US tech companies' China links

A senior European Commissioner has condemned US high-tech companies for pandering to the Chinese authorities and restricting freedom of speech in order to be able to do business in the People's Republic. Writing in her blog Margot Wallstroem, the Commissioner for Institutional Relations and Communication, says that some companies 'have flexible ethical standards depending on where they operate.' Wallstroem says that she was 'disappointed' when she heard that Microsoft had complied with a Chinese government demand that it block blog entries that use words and phrases like 'democracy', 'freedom', 'human rights' and 'demonstration'. ...more

Comment: The fall and rapid rise of PC firms

It hasn't been a good year for the Watfords of this world. The football team looks a dead cert for relegation, while PC maker Watford Electronics recently went into administration. Yet, while the Premiership dishes out a hefty punishment to under-performing teams (namely, millions in lost TV revenue and, cruelly, Tuesday night away trips to Stoke), certain executives behind Watford Electronics have shown remarkable 'bouncebackability'. ...more