Apple sues Creative, again

Apple has filed a second patent infringement lawsuit against rival portable music player maker Creative. The computer and iPod maker alleges that Creative is in breach of three patents covering the displaying of data on a computer, editing data using a portable media device, and the creation of icons to organise files on a computer. Apple issued its first lawsuit last month - alleging infringements of four patents - in response to a Creative lawsuit claiming that Apple had breached its patent on software menus. ...more

Samsung unveils 'world first' laptop with detachable screen

Samsung Electronics is set to lure thrifty users with the world's first notebook to come with a reusable monitor. The Korean giant unveiled its latest innovation, the M70, at IFA Berlin 2005 on Friday and said that its unique design will compete with both notebooks and desktops thanks to a mammoth 19in detachable monitor. The M70's LCD monitor can be placed in a dock to give the appearance of a conventional desktop PC, but Samsung's real selling point is that the M70 will allow users to upgrade with minimum expense. ...more

DTI boosts bid for UK grid computing

With ?1 million of DTI funding, a UK initiative has been set up to promote the growth of grid-computing, where computer resources are pooled and made available on-demand to a range of applications. IECnet is a not-for-profit collaboration between the National e-Science Centre, which works out of Edinburgh University, and Intellect, which is the trade association for the IT, telecommunications and electronics industries in the UK. 'There is huge potential for the exploitation of grid within the UK,' said Ian Osborne, Intellect IECnet manager. ...more

Psion takes a dive

Psion Plc has posted its results for the year, and it makes grim reading, with its first loss in nearly ten years. Europe's leading maker of handhelds posted a loss of ?6.51m, excluding one-time items. ...more

Samsung recall mobiles after icon stealing

Samsung has to redesign the user interface for its new Skin mobile phone because the original look copied elements from Mac OS X and MSN Messenger. The company admitted plagiarising several graphic elements from both Apple and Microsoft. Apple's TextEdit and Stickies icons and Microsoft's MSN Messenger icon were reproduced almost identically. ...more