Orphan phone market exploding

There seems to be a mobile handset for every type of user, in every possible hue, and with huge differences in function - from those with colour screens and email capabilities down to cheap phones that function as, well, phones. But how difficult is it to judge exactly which handsets will get the public's pulses racing? 'Very' is the answer, according to market research conducted by mLoop, an independent online exchange for dual-band GSM handsets. It found that on average, handset demand forecasts for 2001 were out by some 30 per cent, leaving a lot of unwanted phones in warehouses. ...more

IBM unveils 2.5GHz Power PC

IBM has unveiled a prototype of its next-generation Blade server, running on a Power PC chip at between 1.8 and 2.5GHz. ...more

Intel-Mac apps begin to appear

Apple may only have released a limited number of Intel-based Macs to select members of its developer community, but already the first compatible applications are beginning to appear. Unsurprisingly, given its pre-eminence amongst text-based code editors, BBEdit is leading the way. Version 8. ...more

Apple takes lid off Foxconn plant

Apple has begun its audit of the Foxconn iPod manufacturing plant in Shenzhen, China. 'Apple has begun a thorough audit of the manufacturing plant operated by Foxconn, including employee working and living conditions, interviews of employees and managers, compliance with overtime and wage regulations, and other areas as necessary to insure adherence to Apple's supplier code of conduct,' the company said in a statement. The audit was prompted by a Mail on Sunday article which claimed that the plants workers were poorly paid, working 15 hours a day and living 100 to a room in company dormitories. ...more

02-02-2001 Essential news of the week

Brought neatly together and presented on a plate, here is a roundup of some of the week's main news stories from the world of IT. Tesco makes British biggest online shoppers Microsoft shuts Windows 95 An envoy to the land of e Gameboy Advance fever grips Japan Another attempt to crack the glass books Free Internet phone calls Intel follows in Crusoe's footsteps Dreamcast goes back in the box The price of high-bandwidth services Don't forget, we welcome your comments. Just click on a story and go for the 'Comments' link on the right-hand side of the screen. ...more