NEC unveils the Versa M500 Centrino notebook

NEC has announced new value Centrino machines aimed at the business user. Running on the low-end 1.4GHz Pentium M processor (the 1. ...more

UK youth are below average PC users

An EU survey of 10,000 young Europeans has found that weekly use of a PC in the UK is trailing that of other countries including Germany, France, Italy, Ireland and Portugal. The 15 to 24-year-olds polled, between April and May of this year, were found to be a Web-savvy lot, with 37 per cent using the Internet and 31 per cent email (this compares with 7 per cent and 5 per cent respectively, in 1997). The relatively high usage of technology within northern member states was balanced by the likes of Greece, which had only 20 per cent Internet and 12 per cent email usage. ...more

Blu-ray is 25GB paperback writer

There's a new twist on the concept of electronic paper. Sony and Toppan Printing have developed a paper disc that can store 25GB of data, using the next-generation optical drive format Blu-ray. The new disc - 51 per cent of which is made of paper - is the result of a year-long collaboration between the two companies. ...more

Microsoft extends product lifecycle

Microsoft moves to provide 'predictable and consistent' guidelines on product support. Microsoft has unveiled a Support Lifecycle Policy. This contains official guidelines for product support availability at the time of product release. ...more

UK games chart: Football is the flavour of the week

A number of seasoned games stage a recovery in this week's ELSPA UK games chart. Multi-format football titles such as FIFA 2005, Pro Evolution Soccer 4 and Football Manager 2005 lead the way, but there is no knocking Need For Speed: Underground 2 and Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas from the top of the pile. EA Sport's FIFA 2005 (pictured) is still the top football title, up to three from four, followed by Konami's Pro Evolution Soccer 4, up to six from eight, and Sega's Football Manager 2005, up to nine from fifteen. ...more