Philips backs out of plans to sell navigation devices

Philips has shelved plans to make mobile personal navigation systems, the chief executive of Philips' consumer electronics unit said today. Rudy Provoost of Philips told analysts at a meeting that Europe's biggest consumer electronics producer would not enter the market for navigation devices, citing existing competition and the low profitability of introducing a new product in a saturated market. Shares in the route-finding market leader, the Dutch company TomTom, were boosted as a result on Amsterdam's blue-chip AEX index. ...more

Mean Fiddler.com buys back venues

UK music company, Mean Fiddler.com has bought back its "bricks and mortar" assets in an attempt to strengthen its brand, from chairman Vince Power, in a deal worth ?32m. The assets include London venues such as the Astoria, Jazz Caf?, Mean Fiddler and the Garage, as well as the Fleadh and Reading festivals. ...more

Nabaztag wireless rabbit breeds new generation

'We are against screens,' states Rafi Haldjian, authoritatively. Haldjian is the man behind the Nabaztag wireless rabbit that is evolving to the next generation; Nabaztagtag. Nabaztag is that strangest of beasts: it has no compelling reason commending itself. ...more

Firefox bug causes breakup with fianc

Step 9 is 'Break-up with fianc?', but steps 1 to 8 detail a bug in Firefox's password manager submitted to Mozilla's Bugzilla flaw reporting service. According to the details of the bug, Firefox isn't very good at keeping details between XP accounts separate, causing the account holders in this case to, well, separate. Just how this particular privacy issue ended up in a relationship breakdown emerges from the bug report. ...more

Production to double at iPod mini disk factory

Hitachi is to double the output of factory that makes that 1in disk drives used in Apple's iPod mini. A shortage of drives coupled with unanticipated demand has created to a six-week waiting list for the portable music player, and delayed the European launch until July. Hitachi will invest $200mn in the Thailand plant, which also makes drives for both laptop and desktop machines and will employ some 16,000 workers. ...more