IT Forum 2004: Bill Gates turns to magic to reduce computing complexity

'Using the magic of software to reduce the complexity of computing' - this was the mantra of Bill Gates in his opening keynote at the IT Forum 2004 in Copenhagen. Announcing the release of a range of server products - Microsoft Operations Manager (MOM) 2005, Virtual Server 2005 and two feature packs for Systems management Server (SMS) 2003 - he said the common theme was reducing the costs of deploying and managing computing systems. He observed that traditionally falling hardware costs had allowed scope for greater software innovation, but reducing general IT costs would now be necessary to allow further innovation. ...more

Creative to acquire 3Dlabs

Creative Technology has announced it is to acquire 3Dlabs Inc as a subsidiary company pending government and shareholder approval. The cash and stocks deal would see 3Dlabs' high-end graphics technology at Creative's disposal along with a heap of IP rights and patents. The talk is of putting the graphics power traditionally found in a ?50,000 CAD workstation into the consumer market space, and challenge the throne of nVIDIA. ...more

Pentium 4 strides in at 1.7Ghz

Intel's 1.7Ghz version of its Pentium 4 processor launches today at a bargain price of $352 (that's if you're buying a thousand of them). Marketed under the banner: "The centre of your digital lifestyle", Intel is actively working with software companies to make sure products come to market optimised to take advantage of the P4's multimedia capabilities. ...more

Siemens surfs the Skype phenomenon

Siemens has thrown its lot in with the Skype phenomenon, launching a USB adaptor that connects to a range of its handsets and relays voice calls wirelessly, as well as information on online contacts and more. The Gigaset M34 USB is compatible with Siemens' Gigaset range of DECT wireless handsets, and is supplied with Skype software that allows you to make free voice calls to other Skype users and cut-price calls to fixed and mobile landlines. As well as relaying voice calls between the USB dongle and the handset, the Gigaset M34 allows SMS and Instant Message messages - including on MSN Messenger and Yahoo! Messnger services - and will also deliver live alerts for news, stocks and weather to the handset. ...more

Apple has no designs on 'podcast' licensing

Apple has categorically stated that it does not license the term podcast, contradicting considerable talk on the Web that it would seek to exercise the same tight controls over use of the term that it exercises over iPod and its derivatives. The clarification was made in a letter to ThePodcastNetwork. 'Apple does not object to third party usage of the generic term "podcast" to accurately refer to podcasting services,' the company's Trademark Department wrote. ...more