Via plots AC97 demise with next-gen audio spec for mobile devices

Via has announced its successor to the venerable AC97 audio system in the form of the Envy24MT. The audio controller is designed for mobile and small devices that have to balance multimedia demands with the low power consumption and physical constraints that such devices impose. The controller can be integrated onto PC motherboards, Mini-PCI cards and even PCMCIA cards. ...more

LetsBuyIt.com bows out

It looks like it's all over for co-shopping site LetsBuyIt.com, which has finally filed for bankruptcy. The company's troubles began just before Christmas when it asked a Dutch court to protect it from its creditors while it sought extra funding. ...more

Intel reports sales up a fifth

Intel has reported record revenues for its third quarter financial results. Sales of $9.96 billion represent an 18 per cent increase year-on-year, and they put Intel in the black to the tune of $2 billion, up 5 per cent on the same period a year ago. ...more

Lite-ON goes CE with its first hard disk DVD recorder

Lite-ON has stepped further into the consumer arena with its first hard disk DVD recorder. Best-known for its range of optical disc drives for PCs, the Taipei-based company is hoping to stake a claim to the front room with its ?350 LVW5045. It boasts all the features you'd expect of hard disk recording, such as time shifting so that you can 'pause' live TV while it buffers on to the disk, and watch different parts of a program while it is being recorded. ...more

MSN to roll out Microsoft's new search engine

MSN is on the brink of rolling out a beta of its long awaited search engine tomorrow according to reports. Microsoft is preparing to launch two new products - a search engine capable of competing with Yahoo! and Google - and a desktop search tool. The desktop search product is slated to be released later this year. ...more