Sun custom builds enterprise software

Sun Microsystems officially unveiled its simplified software suites, under the Java brand, that it will offer pre-customised to individual requirements and which it claims will cost about a quarter of the price of its rivals. Scott McNealy, CEO at Sun, said: 'The new Sun Java System totally changes the rules and reinforces Sun's commitment to 'systemsness'. Our total focus on delivering systems for network computing that solve customer problems. ...more

Consumer demand 'skyrocketed' Windows - Microsoft

Computer manufacturers overwhelmingly chose Microsoft products because they were 'innovative, affordably priced and in high demand by consumers', the company's attorney argued yesterday as he continued his opening statement in the Iowa antitrust court case. David Tulchin spent the second full day of Microsoft's opening statement showing the jury documents and depositions from customers and competitors that he said showed that it was the high quality and low prices of the company's software that drove consumer demand. Among those quoted in Microsoft's evidence was an unnamed executive at WordPerfect who said his company was 'scared to death' by Microsoft's Office suite and a former executive who described Microsoft's prices as 'an unbelievable deal'. ...more

Telewest revival renews NTL merger rumours

Telewest shares jumped 10 per cent yesterday after the company's managing director predicted that the cable operator would make a trading profit in the fourth quarter of 2003. The news renewed suggestions that Telewest may merge with rival cable operator NTL in 2004. Talk of merger before now has always been overshadowed by the vast debts both companies had incurred whilst swallowing up the UK's cable franchises However, Telewest is expected to complete the restructuring of its ?5. ...more

Child porn threat increases on the Net

Rome-based group Rainbow Phone has said sites with explicit images of child pornography leapt 70 per cent over the last year. It claims it received reports of more than 17,000 such sites during 2003, with 60 per cent based in the US, although Russia, Brazil, Italy and Spain were also harbours for such online activity. Last year's US investigation Operation Predator has resulted in arrests of some 1,600 people, and it was announced yesterday that it had broken up an international network, detaining 15 people, of which one was 85 years old. ...more

Apple develops iPod Photo

Apple has launched the iPod Photo, a new version of its portable music player which stores and displays photos as well as music. The iPod Photo is the first iPod to come with a colour screen and can store up to 25,000 digital photos alongside a music library. The iPod photo can be connected to a TV to display photo slide shows, and synchs with iPhoto in the same way as current iPods synch with iTunes. ...more