Workers want Internet access, not gym access

Would you rather be surfing than bench pressing? Of course you would, and a new report backs this up with statistics. The Mouse in the House report surveyed 2,500 people across Britain, France and Germany. The findings show that 33 per cent of workers said that an Internet connection at home would benefit them more than access to the local gym. ...more

Stephen King loses the plot

Horror master Stephen King has been publishing his latest work, The Plant, exclusively on the Internet, but his story has run out of steam and Mr King has decided to put the novel on the backburner. The story has been published in monthly instalments from Stephen King's Web site and costs $1 each for the first three chapters with all subsequent editions selling for $2 - the overall novel was planned to cost $13 (about the same as a regular book in the US). However, The Plant is, in Mr King's own words, "going back into hibernation" while he concentrates on other projects. ...more

Acer unveils new US-designed notebooks, Grantsdale desktop

Acer is to launch restyled notebooks and business desktops with centralised asset management software. The new notebooks are the result of a year and a half's work by a US design outfit hired by Acer and use a 'folio' design to slim down the appearance, while also offering a carry grip and latchless closing and locking using magnets. They also incorporate Acer's 'e' key that brings up a console for quick access to management functions in the control panel as well as preset environments that can switch to optimised settings for power conservation, maximum performance, presentations and so on. ...more

Mobilexpo 2001 highlight - Samsung

Electronics giant Samsung were showing off three next-generation phones at the Mobilexpo 2001 show in Birmingham in the shape of the TV phone, the combined watch phone and the camera phone. The Samsung SCH-M220 (pictured) allows users to make phone calls and watch TV programmes on the move. It features a 1. ...more

Compaq looks beyond short-term loss

A one-off charge causes Compaq a net loss in its quarterly financial report, but it remains cautiously optimistic about future growth. Reporting revenue of $11.5bn for the fourth quarter ending December 2000, which represents an increase of 10 per cent year on year, Compaq's quarterly net income from operations was $515m, which works out as $0. ...more