Price Check: MP3 players

Christmas is around the corner, and for those who can't wait for the Carol singers to turn up, downloading festive tracks to a digital player means you can enjoy aural yuletide cheer wherever you go. Digital music players established themselves some time ago as a more than competitive alternative to portable CD players. And with Apple making its iPod the premium must-have audio accessory this year, we'll also take a look at more budget-friendly players. ...more

AOpen claims Blu-ray drives by the end of November

Taiwanese firm AOpen has claimed that it will begin selling Blu-ray drives for PCs by the end of November, several months before the high-definition storage technology was expected to become available. As you might expect prices will initially be very high. 'When they are first launched, Blu-ray drives will be sold at a premium,' Mike Chiang, senior director, AOpen told ITP Technology. ...more

Apple facing pressure for music download dominance

The music industry is gearing up for an explosion in downloading at its annual get together in Cannes. Download services such as Napster, record labels and mobile phone manufaturers all predict that 2005 will be the year in which Apple's dominance of the market for both music downloads, through its iTunes Music Store, and portable devices on which to play them, such as the iPod, will come under real pressure. Some observers believe that where downloaded music is played - on a computer, portable player or phone - will not be the key issue of the year; rather, the battle will be between subscription-based services and those like iTunes which only offer paid-for-downloads. ...more

CeBIT 2007: Chip makers strike auto deals for in-car tech

Intel and Infineon Technologies AG have announced partnerships with BMW and Hyundai on Thursday, reflecting the growing importance of technology in cars. German chipmaker Infineon and Korean carmaker Hyundai said they would cooperate in the development of automotive electronics and opened a joint innovation centre in Seoul. The companies said in a statement they would develop automotive electronic systems for Hyundai and Kia brand vehicles and enhance Hyundai's current systems. ...more

Broadband Britain still waiting to be activated

A report from the Work Foundation's iSociety has highlighted that the traditional marketing ploy of speed, permanence and film trailers is not what turns the UK public on to broadband services - ISPs need to fix the problems of spam and viruses first. The report - Fat Pipes, Connected People - Rethinking Broadband Britain - shows that public enthusiasm for the Internet, be it narrow- or broad-band has been dampened by the darker side of surfing. Report co-author James Crabtree said: 'Broadband is vital for Britain's future, but the industry must put itself in its customers shoes and see how this tide of rubbish is beginning to ruin the experience of going online. ...more