New Orleans readies for city-wide WiFi network

Atlanta-based ISP Earthlink has set September 1st as the day it will introduce a new wireless broadband service for the hard pressed city of New Orleans. Following Hurricane Katrina in 2005, the city has been relying on a rigged 'mesh' WiFi network mounted on street lights providing free 512Kb bandwidth to the residents. However, this strategy fell foul of a Louisiana law lobbied for by Bell South, which prevented local authorities running any public network faster than 128Kbps. ...more

Nikon takes a new look at eight Coolpix cameras

A new brand and eight new cameras celebrate the tenth anniversary of Nikon's Coolpix line-up The camera-maker, which pioneered the idea of an articulated body for over-the-head shots is launching new models across its whole range, encompassing both high-end and lifestyle models. The new Coolpix P5000 (pictured), positioned for the more advanced user, boasts a 10-megapixel sensor, and 3.5x zoom lens. ...more

Apple adds FM to iPod

Apple has introduced a new remote control for the iPod that includes an FM radio tuner. The iPod Radio Remote is a wired remote control compatible with both the iPod nano and fifth generation iPods. 'The iPod Radio Remote combines two great features in one elegant product,' said Greg Joswiak, Apple's vice president of Worldwide iPod Product Marketing. ...more

AMD launches new x86 compatible Geode chip

AMD has released a new GeodeLX 800@0.9W processor. Aimed at the embedded and mobile device market, it supports both the Microsoft Windows XP and XP Embedded operating systems. ...more

Laptops outsell desktops for first time

For the first time ever, May saw the value of laptop sales in the US exceed that of desktop machines, according to research firm The NPD Group. NPD's survey also revealed, again for the first time, that more LCD displays were sold during the month than CRTs. Of almost $500mn worth of computers sold in the US in May, more than 54 per cent was from laptop purchases. ...more