HP posts modest gains in profits

A week after firing its CEO Carly Fiorina, HP has released its first quarter results. The numbers show a company increasing revenues but not setting Wall Street alight. For the quarter HP posted a profit of $943mn on sales of $21. ...more

Telewest revival renews NTL merger rumours

Telewest shares jumped 10 per cent yesterday after the company's managing director predicted that the cable operator would make a trading profit in the fourth quarter of 2003. The news renewed suggestions that Telewest may merge with rival cable operator NTL in 2004. Talk of merger before now has always been overshadowed by the vast debts both companies had incurred whilst swallowing up the UK's cable franchises However, Telewest is expected to complete the restructuring of its ?5. ...more

UPDATED: Dell goes CE with TVs

Dell is to push further into the consumer space, selling Dell-branded LCD TVs and an iPod-style digital music player (supported with an online music service), as well as projectors and PDAs. Michael Dell, chairman and chief executive officer, said: 'By introducing high-performing consumer electronics products that closely integrate with the computer, we are delivering what is most important to consumers - content and experience - at a better value than they're currently getting.' However, the omission of style and design from Mr Dell's idea of what the consumer holds dear might find Dell with a tough challenge to crack the market. ...more

IDC: Tablet PCs fight for space in mobile device arena

Strong demand has been seen in the US for the Tablet PC, but less so in Western Europe and Asia. According to the latest figures from IDC, the research company, 70,000 Tablet PCs have now been shipped worldwide. While seeing this as a promising start for the new design, IDC notes that penetration into the corporate segment is still at least six to 12 months away. ...more

Panasonic upgrades its Blu-ray disc production line

Panasonic has upgraded its Blu-ray disc production line in preparation for the replication of dual-layer 50GB BD-ROMs. The Torrance, California plant will employ Panasonic spin coating technologies to create the two recordable layers using readily available and therefore cheap UV curable resins. 'Working closely with the movie studios and our replication partners, Panasonic was able to foresee the need for greater disc capacity to give consumers a much richer user experience,' said Eisuke Tsuyuzaki, director of Strategy & Alliances, Panasonic Hollywood Lab. ...more