European broadband figures gaining on Asian leaders

South Korea still leads the world when it comes to broadband, but Europe is catching - these are the findings of a new survey on the global penetration of fast Internet access. The headline figures are that the number of broadband subscribers in the world (at the end of Q1 2005) has reached 158mn. The Asia-Pacific region is the biggest broadband market in the world - reports TelecomPaper - with more than 61mn subscribers and a 39 per cent share of the global broadband market. ...more

Dreamcast price halved as Sega eyes Palm platform

Following on from the news that Sega is to stop producing the Dreamcast comes the announcement that the company is to halve the price of the console in the US. Sega needs to offload its remaining stock of two million units and so, from 4 February, the price of a US Dreamcast will fall from $199 to just $99. And the indications are that European Dreamcast fans will see a similar price cut. ...more

Apple updates its iMac G5 range

Apple has upgraded its iMac G5 range, with faster processors, double the RAM and souped-up graphics. Three models are available, at 1.8GHz and 2GHz with 17in displays and 2GHz with a 20in display. ...more

British Library welcomes Gowers IP review

The British Library has 'broadly welcomed' the Gowers review of intellectual property law, which we reported today. Among its findings was that a right to private copying should be enshrined into UK law and that libraries should be given greater freedonm of access to digital works for archival purposes. 'We are particularly pleased that the Gowers Review recommends allowing private copying for research and copying for preservation reasons by libraries to cover all forms of content,' said Lynne Brindley, Chief Executive of the British Library. ...more

T-Mobile takes mobile network beyond 3G

T-Mobile is switching on its HSDPA (High Speed Downlink Packet Access) network for commercial use today. Users of the company's web'n'walk data card will be the beneficiaries of up to 380Kbits download speeds. While the data card for laptops has been available for a few months - alongside similar offerings from the likes of BT and Vodafone - T-Mobile is claiming its HSDPA support as a first. ...more