Evolution of Pentium M processor anticipated at forthcoming IDF

Greater power efficiency and improved support for multitasking - these are the claims made for a new Intel mobile processor that the company is about to unveil, according to reports on the Internet. Intel usually uses its IDF (Intel Developer Forum) as a showcase for new technologies, and it seems that the evolution of the Pentium M, which powers laptops as part of the Centrino platform, will headline this event. The rumours precede the latest IDF (Intel Developer Forum), which will be held in San Francisco, 23-25 August. ...more

Consumer electronics giants agree on digital rights management

The world's four giants in consumer electronics have agreed to adopt a common method of digital rights management (DRM). The deal opens the way for copy protected music and video to play across devices from any manufacturer. The companies - Sony, Matsushita (Panasonic), Samsung and Philips - have formed the Marlin Joint Development Association (Marlin JDA) in order to establish a common standard for playing 'appropriately licensed video and music on any device'. ...more

US launch for HD-DVD postponed

Toshiba may put back the launch of HD-DVD in the US until next year in order to 'optimise' the release schedule. The company, which is the main driver of the high-capacity optical disc technology, said that it still plans to introduce it in Japan this year. 'We are now in talks with Hollywood studios and large-scale retailers to seek the most effective timing of the launch and best way to launch,' a Toshiba spokeswoman said. ...more

Microsoft denies accusations of pressuring Denmark over EU patent directive

Microsoft is trying to stamp out the fires lit by the Danish media which is reporting Bill Gates has threatened to close down a successful Microsoft-owned software house if the Danish government fails to back an EU technology patent directive. According to Danish newspapers B?rsen and the Copenhagen Post, Bill Gates attended a meeting in November on the issue. They quote Microsoft Chief legal counsel Marianne Wier, who claims that in a conversation with Denmark's prime minister Fogh Rasmussen, Gates said: 'If I'm going to keep my development centre in Denmark, it demands that there must be a clarification of rights issues. ...more

Yahoo offers free phone calls via IM

The Internet portal Yahoo! has introduced a new beta version of its popular instant messenger program. In a bid to take advantage of the world wide interest in VoIP telephony the company is introducing a 'free phone' facility that will allow subscribers to make calls to anywhere in the world. Given that VoIP is becoming an increasingly popular application for broadband subscribers, the surprise is that Yahoo! has taken so long to jump on board the VoIP bandwagon - it has been pursuing an aggressive product development strategy across all its properties, along with other IM vendors. ...more