Nokia 'pleased' with N-Gage launch

Nokia has stated that it is pleased with demand for its N-Gage mobile phone/handheld console hybrid, which launched at the beginning of October to a string of hostile reviews and reportedly dismal sales. Though the Finnish company says it has shifted 400,000 N-Gages to retailers, analysts suggest that consumer sales are a fraction of the units shipped to retailers. The price of the phone was temporarily cut by a third only two weeks after launch in two major retailers in the US, while here in the UK the mobile device has been changing hands for as little as 1 pence per unit (subject to additional line rental fees, naturally). ...more

UK record industry on verge of legal action against file sharers

The UK record industry appears ready to carry out its threat of legal action against what it calls serial uploaders. The industry's main body, the BPI, today refused to state outright that action would be taken, saying only that the UK still has a problem with the unauthorised sharing of copyrighted music and that 'it appears litigation overseas has worked'. The BPI's US equivalent, the RIAA, has launched several batches of lawsuits against file sharers, resulting in both out-of-court settlements and successful prosecutions. ...more

BT cuts broadband prices, introduces data cap

BT Retail has cut prices across its range of ADSL broadband services for home users and has introduced a 15GB monthly limit on downstream traffic. The new prices are as follows: BT Broadband 512Kbit - ?24.99; BT Yahoo! Broadband 512Kbit - ?26. ...more

EU sticks to its antitrust guns as Microsoft settles with rivals

The European Union intends to carry on its fight with Microsoft over the long running anti-trust dispute, despite yesterday's announcement that the software giant had settled its differences with Novell and the Computer and Communications Industry Association (CIAA). Following yesterday's deal between Microsoft and Novell, it was announced that Novell would no longer take part in the action against Microsoft. Currently Microsoft is appealing in the European Court of First Instance (CFI) against an anti-trust penalties imposed earlier this year which after the company was found guilty of illegal behaviour. ...more

Microsoft could take Windows from Korea on antitrust move

Microsoft has threatened to withdraw Windows from South Korea if the country's antitrust agency forces the company to remove its Instant Messenger and Media Player from the operating system. South Korea's Fair Trade Commission (KFTC) has been investigating Microsoft over allegations that the company has breached antitrust laws by offering the services as built-in components of Windows, according to Reuters. If the KFTC decide that Microsoft has carried out anti-competitive practices the agency could order the software giant to redesign Windows. ...more