Graphics battle: Nvidia GeForce FX vs. ATI R350 in the next few weeks

Despite various market rumors, Nvidia said it has not changed its plans to ship its GeForce FX products in early February. Faced with this upcoming competition, ATI Technologies recently revealed that it would release its long-planned R350 chips in the next few weeks to keep its leading position in product specifications. According to sources, the top-end, desktop-version chip in the GeForce FX series will be named GeForce FX 5800 Ultra. ...more

BT appoints new head of Retail division

Telco BT has announced that Ian Livingston has been appointed as the new Chief Executive of BT Retail. He replaces the outgoing CEO Pierre Danon who is leaving in February to join Cap Gemini. Livingston was previously Chief Financial Officer for BT Wholesale and prior to that was Financial Director at Dixons plc where he was heavily involved in the launch of Freeserve. ...more

Broadband users double as Net appeal grows

New research from NOPWorld analysts reveals that the number of UK broadband users has doubled in the past year. It shows a year on year increase of 105 per cent for broadband users, with many of us confident enough to shop around to get the best deals. Twelve per cent say they have changed ISP in the last six months and 14 per cent expecting to do so in the next six. ...more

Google snaps up photo geotagging website

Google has bought a Spanish community photos website that links photographs to the precise geographical location that they were taken - a process known as geotagging. Google Earth already displays images from the Panoramio - its photos have been a default layer in Google Earth since the beginning of the year - using location data entered by the site's users. The site also provides an API that enables web developers to embed its functionality into their own websites. ...more

NTL and 02 seek mobile TV audience

Cable TV network NTL and mobile phone network operator mmO2 are to trial a television service delivered to mobile phones. Next spring, 500 O2 customers around Oxford will be given multimedia phones capable of receiving 16 TV channels. The channels will show music, sport, news, comedy, soaps, documentary, drama, cartoons and specialist content, including interactive gaming and shopping and the companies will analyse how the channels are used and what type of content the triallists value enough to pay for. ...more