Shut Windows to save power, urges industry

Computer energy bills could be slashed by up to 40 per cent if Windows had its power management settings turned on by default, according to a leading environmentalist. "PCs consume 96% of their power in on-idle mode," said Catriona McAlister, senior consultant for AEA Energy & Environment, speaking at an Intel discussion on energy efficient computing. "You could save 40% of annual energy consumption just by turning on power management on PCs and monitors. ...more

Gameboy Advance fever grips Japan

The new Gameboy Advance goes on sale in Japan on March 21, but before a single unit has hit the shelves it seems that Nintendo's latest little marvel is already a success. Pre-orders for the successor to the Gameboy have already topped 2.7 million units and Nintendo is rubbing its hands with glee. ...more

Toshiba denies agreement on high-def DVD standard

Sony and Toshiba are within a week of agreeing a common standard for high-definition DVD technology, according to Japanese business newspaper Nihon Keizai Shimbun. A new format will combine software from Toshiba's HD-DVD technology and the disc structure from Sony's higher-capacity Blu-ray. Toshiba, however, said that there is no truth in the report. ...more

Interactive digital TV at the forefront of EU agenda

Today the EU welcomed the growth of interactive digital television. Erkki Liikanen, the Commissioner for Enterprise and the Information Society, highlighted the medium's leading role as technologies converge. Speaking at an industry conference in Montpellier, Liikanen envisaged, 'A pan-European digital TV rollout offering interactive services [that] could transform the digital TV platform into a major delivery mechanism for Information Society services. ...more

Comment: Podcasters beware, the marketeers are coming

This year has been earmarked as the tipping point for the new age of online media, with blogs, podcasts and video podcasts beginning to challenge the dinosaurs of broadcasting. The supposed mass migration of people to the web will relieve traditional media firms of their viewers and listeners, putting pressure on the old-school rules of advertising. If you read too much into the meanderings of many online blogs, this new frontier promises a world of free entertainment, bereft of adverts and annoyances such as having to abide by the strict schedules of TV or radio. ...more