UPDATED: IBM and Intel go public with design specs of the BladeCenter platform

IBM and Intel have announced that they are to open up the design specifications of their BladeCenter platform. The partners say that the publishing of the specs is intended to enable third parties to design and build compatible kit and grow the market. A Blade Server consists of a motherboard with single or multiple processors, memory, a network connection and sometimes storage. ...more

German company sues Google

A German is the latest company to sue the search engine Google. Metaspinner Media alleges that Google Deutchland infringed its trademarks by allowing competitors to buy ads triggered by keywords using those trademarks. Metaspinner says that when customers searched for its price comparison 'Preispiraten` (Price Pirate) software, ads appeared through its Adwords programme against the search results Metaspinner says it is seeking unspecified damages. ...more

Fire closes BT lines to 130,000 Manchester homes and businesses

Internet connections Manchester have been interrupted this morning following a fire. In a statement, BT said, 'A fire in cable chambers running beneath the streets of central Manchester has caused extensive damage to (underground) cables and widespread disruption to phone services in Manchester and the surrounding area. 'The fire is affecting some 130,000 homes and businesses in the centre of the city. ...more

Download PC Pro's new podcast today

Don't miss the second PC Pro podcast, which is available to download now. On this month's show we discuss what's the best way to spend ?799 - on a laptop or a desktop? Labs editor Jim Martin discusses the pros and cons of each to help you reach your buying decision. Death is also high on the agenda. ...more

Cheaper broadband on the way, says BT

BT announces quarterly financial results and also cheaper broadband access. The results - for the third quarter ending 31 December 2001 - showed turnover increasing by 6.5 per cent with pre-tax profits standing at a better-than-expected ?381m. ...more