Like a scene from all those movies

A new Web site brings digitised cityscapes to your desktop. New York becomes "NY virtual city", with 360-degree views of the metropolis being captured. DizzyCity's site has actually opened with views of Manhattan, but the streets of Brooklyn, Queens and the Bronx are scheduled to be covered in due course. ...more

Nintendo and Sony prepare the field for next-gen console launches

The ongoing console jostle has taken a couple of new twists: Nintendo has announced launch dates and prices for its unique Dual-Screen model, and Sony announces a slimmed-down version of the PlayStation 2. First unveiled at the E3 games show back in May, the dual-screen, wireless network-supporting Nintendo DS will make its worldwide debut in the States, 21 November at a price of $149.99 (?82). ...more

Windows Messenger receives the XP treatment

Microsoft has released details of the XP version of its Instant Messenger, boasting audio and videoconferencing and PC telephone calls made easy. Hidden deep within a press release that attempts to compare the system with Bell's telephone, Marconi's radio and Tomlinson's email, are four paragraphs of interest. The XP flavour of Windows Messenger (WM) will feature "forward error correction" technology that reduces audio and video streaming delays. ...more

SGI allies with Intel for Linux-based NASA supercomputer

NASA has turned to Silicon Graphics and Intel to build what is described as one of the world's largest Linux-based supercomputers. Built on a total of 10,240 Intel Itanium 2 processors, the Space Exploration Simulator will consist of 20 512-processor SGI Altix systems. And there will be 500-terabytes of data storage. ...more

AOL Bertelsmann partnership on the rocks

AOL may sacrifice its partnership with European media giant Bertelsmann in order to keep its merger with Time Warner on track, say industry sources. AOL and Time Warner are being investigated by the European Union, which is concerned that Time Warner's content combined with AOL's distribution channel will force competition out. If AOL shelves its partnership with Bertlesmann, that will reduce its power in Europe and hopefully pacify the EU. ...more