Punters gagging for wireless versions of consumer electronics

Consumers are gagging for wireless versions of DVD players, plasma screens and other consumer electronic products, and would be prepared to pay extra for this feature, according to Netgear. The company, which unsurprisingly makes wireless products, polled 1,000 punters coming out of Habitat and found 51 per cent would pay at least 10 per cent more to be rid of the spaghetti of cables between various electronic boxes. 20 per cent felt that the more complex a product, the more likely things would go wrong. ...more

Sony and NEC join up for control of CD and DVD drives

Sony and NEC have set up a joint venture to produce CD and DVD drives in an attempt to maintain market share in the face of strong price competition. The combined operation will take the best technologies and expertise from both parties with the aim of increasing their aggregated 20 per cent of the global market and overtaking the 28 per cent share held by HLDS, itself a joint venture between Hitachi and LG. Sony will hold a 55 per cent stake in the new company against NEC's 45 per cent and both companies are preparing to transfer their respective optical disc drive operations to the joint venture before 1 April 2006. ...more

IBM still at number one, patent pickers

IBM generated the most US patents in 2002 with the award of 3,288. For the tenth consecutive year it has topped the US corporate rankings, ahead of Canon, Micron Technology, NEC and Hitachi. Over that period only Canon has run it close for the total of awards. ...more

BT scoops WCA gongs for best carrier

BT has been named Best Global Carrier at the World Communication Awards in London, considered to be the leading global industry awards event of its kind. The company's chief executive, Ben Verwaayen, walked off with the award for Most Influential Person in Communications, and the company was also highly commended in the Best Brand category and a finalist in Best Customer Care and Best Managed Service. The judges said that BT has had an outstanding year. ...more

Microsoft offers new release candidate for Windows Server 2003

Microsoft has posted an R2 release candidate of its upcoming upgrade for Windows Server 2003. Building on the original Windows Server 2003 with Service Pack 1 (SP1), R2 is an updated release of the Windows Server 2003 operating system that aims to extend connectivity and reach throughout an organisation. In particular, Microsoft has targeted servers at branch offices to bring them under the central umbrella. ...more