3 concentrates on voice customers

3G operator 3 has announced special offers on voice calls to tempt customers on to its multimedia network. 'Open your eyes to 3' reads the slogan, but its your ears that 3 is hoping are the fastest way to a mobile user's wallet. Instead of the eye-candy of video calls and multimedia data services, 3 is concentrating on the traditional use for a phone with VideoTalk 500 and VideoTalk 750. ...more

Xbox 2 named...

And we may well see a mini (well, smaller) Xbox this year, too. Circulating US reports are suggesting that Microsoft's second games console, Xbox 2, will go by the rather enticing name of Xbox Next. Supporting evidence comes in the shape of URL xboxnext. ...more

Comment: What does broadband mean?

'What does broadband mean?' might sound like a stupid question, but a spate of new 'broadband' services are leading many to ask whether the word has lost its meaning. Not only are connections which offer only slightly more than twice the speed of dial-up being called broadband - 128 and 150K services from the likes of NTL and Tiscali for instance - but the increased take-up of ADSL in some urban areas is reportedly having a significant decelerating affect on 512K users contending for one fiftieth of a busy pipe. To cap it all, Supanet has just launched a 'broadband-enabled' 60Kbps service; that's a whole 4Kbps faster than dial-up. ...more

Cheaper broadband on the way, says BT

BT announces quarterly financial results and also cheaper broadband access. The results - for the third quarter ending 31 December 2001 - showed turnover increasing by 6.5 per cent with pre-tax profits standing at a better-than-expected ?381m. ...more

RIAA eyes satellite broadcasters

The US industry music pressure group the RIAA is sizing up a new target in its bid to prevent people listening to copyright material for free. It is now said to be in discussions with the US satellite radio broadcasters. At issue, according to the RIAA, the satellite broadcasters are providing music for free by allowing their subscribers to listen, record and play back ad-free radio stations. ...more