Blu-ray and HD-DVD - no merger in prospect

The backers of Blu-ray and HD-DVD have given up hope of reaching an agreement to merge the two technologies and create a single standard for next-generation, high-definition DVDs, according to a Japanese newspaper. Yomiuri says that both Sony, the main force behind Blu-ray, and Toshiba, HD-DVD's creator, have conceded that even if an agreement could be reached there is no longer sufficient time to develop a single format before the launch of compatible products. 'Late August is the practical time limit,' said Yoshihide Fujii, Toshiba's corporate senior vice president. ...more

UK games chart: Lara Croft still raiding

So many tombs, so little time - Lara Croft is holding sway at the top of the ELSPA UK games chart, reflecting what video games the UK public has been buying in the last seven days. The multi-format Lara Croft Tomb Raider: Legend (PC, PS2, PSP, Xb, Xb360) holds number one for its third week in the charts. Meanwhile, Ice Age 2: The Meltdown (PC, PS2, Xb, GBA, GC, DS), Vivendi's movie spin off, is frozen at number two, with Nintendo's Animal Crossing: Wild World (DS) completing the top three. ...more

Blueyonder abandons phone requirement

Telewest has removed the requirement that users of its ?10 fixed-fee, Blueyonder broadband Internet service spend an equivalent amount on telephone voice calls. From now, Blueyonder surfunlimited customers' ?10 fees will cover all Internet access with no additional stipulations, nor time restrictions. Chad Raube, head of marketing for Internet, explained that, "some people are wary of terms like unlimited and the small print that accompanies many Internet services. ...more

Virgin launches TV-on-mobile service

BT's DAB television service for mobile phones has launched with mobile operator Virgin to offer it to its customers via a phone from HTC. Following successful trials earlier this year, the new service will broadcast BBC1, ITV1, Channel 4 and E4 programming, complete with a seven-day electronic program guide. BBC One, ITV1 and E4 will be simulcast, meaning that everything on their terrestrial counterparts will be seen on the mobile service. ...more

Novell slaps antitrust suit on Microsoft over WordPerfect

As Novell promised when it picked up the $536 million from Microsoft last week, the company has filed an antitrust lawsuit against Microsoft. Novell alleges that Microsoft used its domination of the operating system market to destroy the market share of its word processing application WordPefect and spreadsheet Quattro Pro. Novell says that Microsoft withheld key technical data about Windows which prevented its developers from building products which could compete with Word and Excel. ...more