Gates memo: Microsoft to ride the Web service wave

First touted as leaked - but now broadly and publicly available - memos from Redmond chiefs Bill Gates and Ray Ozzie have opened the window on Microsoft's outlook on the future of Net-based services, and a frank admission of the innovations and opportunities the company has missed. Sent on Sunday to 'Executive Staff and Direct Reports; Distinguished Engineers', Bill Gates, Microsoft's Chief Software Architect, urged staff to assert the company's leadership position and take full advantage of the 'services wave.' 'This coming "services wave" will be very disruptive. ...more

UPDATED: Apple tackles latest OS X security problems

Apple has released the latest security update for Mac OS X 10.2.8 and 10. ...more

Sony recalls laptop batteries en-masse

Sony has now advised a dozen laptop makers to recall batteries, as the true extent of the overheating fault the led first Dell and then Apple to offer to replace batteries becomes clear. Over the weekend Toshiba announced that it had extended the scope of its recall, adding batteries supplied with Qosmio, Satellite Portege and Tecra models to the Dynabook units it had already begun replacing and bringing the total size of its recall to 830,000. Fujitsu followed by confirming the recall of batteries supplied with 19 laptop models, though it declined to say how many were being replaced. ...more

HP starts to show benefits of Compaq merger

One year after its merger with Compaq, Hewlett-Packard is getting a grip on the expanded company. Its Q2 2003 revenues totalled $18.0 billion, compared to $17. ...more

Record companies put squeeze on music download pricing

Online music stores are facing pressure from some record companies to hand over a greater share of proceeds from the burgeoning downloads market. In a move that has reportedly angered Apple CEO Steve Jobs, the Financial Times reports that some labels want to increase wholesale prices, arguing that they had initially been set low to stimulate demand. However two of the largest, Universal and Sony BMG, are believed to be opposed to a price rise as they do not want to disrupt a market that they believe is not yet mature enough for an increase. ...more