EU: state aid is no panacea for digital divide

Cash alone cannot ensure equal access to broadband throughout the EU. This is the message of Europe's Commissioner for Competition Policy, who has cautioned advocates of greater public spending on broadband infrastructure. Speaking at the opening of the Bridging the Broadband Gap conference in Brussels, Neelie Kroes said experience has shown that open and efficient markets are the best method of delivering broadband services to sparsely populated areas. ...more

Dell unveils ultra-small OptiPlex desktop PC

The ultra-small machine is described by Dell as 'the smallest and most flexible desktop computer' in the company's history. It does away with 'unnecessary' PCI slots completely and integrates many components onto the motherboard. The machine measures 247mm x 84. ...more

AMD subpoenas Microsoft in Intel dispute

AMD has added Microsoft to the list of companies it has subpoenaed in support of its allegations that rival Intel has acted illegally in trying to block out competition. Microsoft now joins a list of some of the biggest names in the PC business including Dell, Hewlett-Packard, IBM and a long list of others. The subpoena, which was served on Microsoft on 13 April, asks that Microsoft provide the requested documents by 15 May. ...more

Independent music labels sign up for MySpace

Merlin, a new agency representing the independent music sector, will allow its labels' music to be sold from websites such as MySpace. This has been achieved through a deal with digital music company Snocap. The group announced the deal at the annual MidemNet music conference in Cannes, saying it would allow thousands of independent labels across the world to sell digital downloads of their music from their MySpace pages and other sites. ...more

Intel cuts revenue prediction as chip demand falls

Tech stocks are braced for a fall following news from Intel that it is cutting its revenue forecasts for the third quarter to between $8.3bn to $8.6bn, down from the previous forecast of $8. ...more