Washing machines that read the labels

Ariston is acting on manufacturers beginning to tag products with RF chips, by adding in the technology to read them on its domestic appliances. Recently Gillette began manufacturing RF-tagged razor blades to boost efficiency in its inventory and logistics processes, as razor blades are one the products most-often stolen from supermarkets. The technology allows both Gillette and supermarkets to track production rates and stock levels. ...more

OLED screens brighten Sony handhelds

Sony may be puling its Clie handhelds out of the US and Europe, but that doesn't mean the company has lost all faith in the handheld market. The latest Palm-powered Clie PEG-VZ90 will feature the first of Sony's Organic LED screens (OLED) - as it drives the technology into mass production. An OLED display differs from conventional TFTs in that it uses an organic layer that emits light when voltage is applied. ...more

Suse Linux helps push Novell into the black

Novell's Linux acquisition is already paying dividends, pushing the company into the black. Revenues for Novell's fourth quarter ending 31 October, were $301mn, generating a net income of $13mn compared with revenues at $287mn and a net loss of $109mn of a year ago. SUSE, the Linux distribution bought by Novell last November for $210mn, generated $12mn in total, with $7mn from subscriptions to its Enterprise Server line, up 68 per cent year on year. ...more

And also today (19-September-2001)...

Here, in brief, are some of the day's other stories. 1,000 and counting BT Wholesale has announced that it has readied its 1000th exchange for ADSL. Livingston, in East Scotland, is the beneficiary, with BT claiming that 60 per cent of all households - 13 million homes - are now connected to a BT ADSL enabled exchange. ...more

Ballmer promises 'responsible' Microsoft

Speaking for the first time since the approval of the antitrust settlement, Steve Ballmer, CEO at Microsoft, commented on how the company will shape up to the terms of the remedy At yesterday's event, hosted by the Brookings Institute in Washington DC, Ballmer told of the company's committment to complying with the terms, including setting up an antitrust compliance committee. 'We've already made many of the necessary changes, and we are dedicated, from the top down, to really living those obligations. We've taken a number of steps to disclose additional technical details about Windows, and to make the design and contractual changes required by the decree,' he said. ...more