Internet auction goes to the chair

Some people are attracted to the macabre so it comes as no surprise that 44 people decided to bid for an electric chair in a recent eBay auction. The chair is said to have been used to execute 125 Tennessee prisoners between 1916 and 1960 and drew a winning bid of over $25,100 (about ?17,000) from Ripley Entertainment, a company famous for the Believe It Or Not museum chain. But the purchase has courted controversy over whether the chair is the genuine article. ...more

Ixus does the flicks

Canon launched a new addition to the digital Ixus stable in the form of the digital Ixus V, but as well as boasting technological enhancements, this one also takes up to half a minute of hi-res VGA movies. A 2.11Mpixel CCD, coupled with a new RGB CCD filter and adaptive DSP (digital signal processor) helps capture vibrant and sharp images. ...more

BT cuts broadband price

BT Wholesale has announced cuts in the price of its broadband services to ?14.75. This is the price that BT Wholesale charges Internet service providers (ISPs) for its BT IPStream services, which allow the ISPs to supply broadband Internet connections to the end user. ...more

Stand-off expected in Blu-ray HD DVD battle

Neither Blu-ray nor HD DVD are likely to achieve a dominant position as the market for high-definition DVDs takes off, according to an industry analyst. Screen digest, the self-styled pre-eminent source of business intelligence, research and analysis on global audiovisual media, says that both will coexist until combi-format equipment become cost-effective and eventually dominates, mirroring the current market for recordable DVDs 'Given the vested interests on either side, we believe that the most likely outcome at present is.. ...more

Psychologists call for clampdown on video game violence

The American Psychological Association is demanding cuts in the level of violence in video games. It has also called for parents and carers to educate their children to be critical of the content of interactive programs. Following detailed examination of various studies on the subject, the organisation's Committee on Violence in Video Games and Interactive Media of the Media Psychology Division of APA says that violence in video games made children more aggressive in both their thoughts and behaviour and contributed to 'angry feelings. ...more