Dell retains the crown for worldwide PC shipments

Dell is still king of the hill as IDC releases its figures for PC shipments over the quarter. Desktop replacements across the commercial sector drove unit shipments to 44.2mn - about 0. ...more

BenQ boasts a faster shade of grey

BenQ says the technology in its new LCD range will improve fast-motion images. Its Advanced Motion Accelerator (AMA) speeds up response times between shades of grey. It claims that while most monitor manufacturers quote response times in terms of turning a pixel on and off, this is by far the easiest task for the hardware, and the least common in terms of normal use. ...more

Microsoft turns down Bluetooth

The emerging Bluetooth wireless protocol will not be a native feature of Windows XP or the next major Windows release, say executives at Microsoft. XP is to use the 802.11 standard, which is more mature than its much-vaunted rival. ...more

Media to go at CES

Microsoft unveiled the first fruit of its Portable Media Center project at CES, with devices from the likes of Creative debuting the system. Creative, along with iRiver, Sanyo, Samsung and ViewSonic all had devices for the announcement, which at 40GB can hold up to 100,000 images or 175 hours of video. Rob Enderle, principal analyst for the Enderle Group, said: 'Portable Media Centers, particularly when they are coupled with PC-based Media Centers, download services, personal video recorders and digital still/movie cameras, will change the way people acquire, use and share their multimedia experiences. ...more

IBM finds 'holy grail' for processor insulation

IBM has developed a way to make microchips run up to one-third faster or use 15 per cent less power by using an exotic material that 'self-assembles' in a similar way to a seashell or snowflake. The computer services and technology company said the new process allows the wiring on a chip to be insulated with a vacuum, replacing the glass-like substances used for decades but which have become less effective as chips steadily shrink. It is the latest achievement for IBM researchers, who have announced a number of advances in recent months allowing chips to get smaller despite challenges posed by physical laws at those tiny dimensions. ...more