Europe homes in on home networking - research

According to research, Europe is well on the way to widespread adoption of the networked home, with the PC already having crept into the living rooms of a quarter of homes, and up to half of consumer electronics devices expected to be network-enabled by the end of the decade. Research group Understanding & Solutions expects more than a third of European homes to have an integrated home network by 2010, linking multiple computers, telephones, televisions, Personal Video Recorders (PVRs), games consoles, home security systems and other digital devices. It claims the two driving factors are the wide availability of broadband and the increase of digital multi-room TV networking. ...more

Microsoft promises biometrically authentic Christmas with new keyboards

Microsoft has announced its line up of mice, keyboards and home software for the Christmas season, including new biometric, comfort and Bluetooth devices. Redmond's biometric range includes a separate fingerprint reader that connects via USB for ?59.99, the Optical Desktop, which includes a wireless mouse, and the reader integrated on to one side of the keyboard for ?99. ...more

US Supreme Court will review Microsoft overseas patent case

It is a legal ruling that could determine the reach of US patents overseas. The US Supreme Court has agreed to consider whether Microsoft should have to pay damages overseas for infringing a speech recognition software patent owned by AT&T. The high court granted Microsoft's petition to review an appeals court ruling that held AT&T could seek royalties based on the foreign manufacture and sale of infringing software products. ...more

Microsoft to cut costs and reduce perks to increase profits and boost share price

In his annual email to Microsoft employees, CEO Steve Ballmer outlined how the company is about to get tough on selling, saving and pulling the nose up on its stock price. He noted that although Redmond was outpacing its key competitors, the company stock price has changed little since 1998. With more threats and opportunities than ever facing the company it is time to ring the changes - starting with a $1bn cost-cutting exercise. ...more

EC thwarts 'patent ambush' tactics

The European Commission has approved a proposed change in the way European telecommunications standards are created by forcing stake-holders involved in the formation of new standards to declare any intellectual property as early as possible. The rules have been changed in order to prevent 'patent ambushes' whereby companies involved in creating standards wait until a standard has been ratified before declaring their IP interests. Thus they are able to place licensing and other restrictions that create a barrier to entry and distort competition within the market. ...more