Sony intros high-speed CompactFlash cards

Sony has announced its first foray into the CompactFlash memory card market. The company will introduce two 133x transfer speed cards with 2GB and 4GB capacities to target 'more ambitious' amateur and semi-professional photographers, it says. In addition, Sony will ship three 66x transfer speed cards with capacities of 1GB, 2GB and 4GB. ...more

US puts South Korea on piracy 'watch list'

The US has warned South Korea that unless it takes steps to cut the amount of music and film piracy it could face sanctions. The Office of the US Trade Representative (USTR) says that piracy in Korea, which has the highest broadband coverage in the world, cost copyright holders $572mn in 2002. Korea has been placed on the USTR's Priority Watch List, and is required to 'make significant progress in bilateral or multilateral negotiations to provide adequate and effective protection of intellectual property rights'. ...more

Pixar caught in dodgy derivative scandal

Pixar has been dragged into the controversy surrounding Apple and the granting of stock options by the news that it too awarded options to senior executives when share prices were at a low point. In December 2000 creative director John Lasseter was granted an option to buy one million shares at $26.50 per share, just 13 cents above the year's low, according to a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). ...more

Some CDs cheaper than downloads as labels put up prices

Record labels in the US are already trying to cash in on the success of online music stores like iTunes and Napster by forcing up the prices for certain albums from $9.99 to $13.99. ...more

BT gets hip

On your hip that is, with two new belt-dangling wireless gadgets. BT's Mini-DECT 2000 is about the size of a small bar of soap, say a Camay after a few washes. It is in fact a tiny DECT handset you can clip onto your belt while getting on with the ironing. ...more