Europe sings: Xbox price cut to ?160

Microsoft responds to Sony's cost cutting move this morning by dropping the price of its machine in Europe European gamers got a bumper console package today with a PlayStation 2 price cut to ?170 and now a cheaper Xbox at ?160, effective as of Friday. With the ECTS gaming show beginning tomorrow, the world's eyes are firmly on Europe to lead the price war into Christmas 2002, and Microsoft and Sony have already acted. The winner is you, the gamer. ...more

HP defects to Real, quits iTunes

Hewlett-Packard has announced that it is ditching Apple's iTunes music jukebox software in favour of RealNetworks' rival offering. The computer maker has been pre-installing iTunes on its PCs since 2004, when it began selling iPods under its own brand. However late last year it stopped offering the music player through its online store, hence the decision to despatch with iTunes. ...more

New studio is TV free

Formac has released the Studio DV, a new cheaper version of its video input hardware. Studio DV is a FireWire device that converts video from a VCR, camcorder or DVD player into a DV stream that can be saved and edited on a computer and, if desired, recorded back to VHS tape. However, unlike the Formac Studio it doesn't have a TV/radio tuner, bringing the price down about ?100 to ?249 +VAT. ...more

HP unveils new blade range

HP has announced a new 'c-Class' of blade servers that, the company says, tackles the main problem areas of energy consumption and heat emission and system complexity and management. The aim being to cut costs in the data management department while providing increased adaptability as the business expands. The c-Class is the replacement system for the current P Class blade systems that HP is planning to phase out by 2007. ...more

Trade unionists unhappy with Apple report

Trade unionists have expressed dissatisfaction at Apple's report into working conditions at Foxconn's iPod manufacturing plant in China. While Apple, with some reservations, gave the plant a clean bill of health, the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU)'s director of human and trade union rights, Janek Kuczkiewicz, told the BBC that it has 'serious reservations' about the report. 'We are not impressed either by the report or by the findings of Apple,' Kuczkiewicz said. ...more