Tiscali talks up demand for TV on-demand

Demand for on-demand programming is already well-advanced, according to the latest research from ISP Tiscali. In a survey of 1,465 UK adults, 17 per cent were already watching on-demand programmes on their television sets, and 63 per cent expressed a preference to watch on-demand content on TVs via a broadband service. However, many were well aware of the disruptive effects of the on-demand revolution, with 25 per cent expecting mainstream broadcasters to struggle against a wave of smaller niche programme makers. ...more

Sun moves to simplify Java development for Sun One

Sun has announced the availability of a developer studio for Sun ONE (Open Net Environment). This is Sun's platform for delivering Web services, a rival to Microsoft's .Net offering. ...more

Matsushita insulates fire-free laptop batteries

Matsushita has begun production of a new lithium-ion battery using a process that it says is free from the problems that forced Sony to recall almost 12 million batteries this year. The company, which better known by the Panasonic name it uses to brand its products, began manufacturing the batteries in test quantities in April; it expects to begin shipping five million per month by the end of the year. Sony's recall was caused by small shards of metal that got trapped in the battery cells during manufacturer could create a short circuit leading to the battery overheating. ...more

Big Blue a bit green, Sun slightly sour, but Apple solid

Here, in one easily digestible portion, is how the major IT players have fared with their latest financial results: IBM, Sun, Compaq, AMD and Apple. Big Blue is a bit green about the gills according to its latest financial results for the quarter ending March 2002. As per its profits warning of a week ago, profit was down and revenue was down, with the company blaming a sharp downturn in orders. ...more

German military to dump Microsoft

It has been reported in German newspaper Das Spiegel that the German Army will stop using Microsoft's software. The move is out of concern that the United States might be able to gain access to sensitive data. The Germans believe that the US National Security Agency has backdoor access to Microsoft source code and can access confidential files. ...more