According to an article on The Register, Fujitsu, the Japanese electronics and equipment manufacturer, is preparing a consumer robot with an Open Source API. The robot, called HOAP-2 for Humanoid Open Architecture Platform, has a standard USB 1.1 interface and an optional 802.11b interface for programming and control …

A new combo DVD and DivX player has been announced at CeBIT last week. According to this article on Design Technica, Kiss Technology announced the DP-450 and DP-500, which provide progressive scan DVD, DivX, MP-4, etc. playback. For those unfamiliar with DivX, it is a high-quality, very high compression (7-10x …

According to a release on the MySQL web site, version 4.0 is now deemed production quality. This version has been in test for a long time, but there are still many who will wait for the .1.

OK, this was neat. I was sitting in a room with a television on mute and all of a sudden, the mute came off and an EAS (Emergency Alert System) message was displayed. Very cool.

OK, I admit it, I'm a cellular phone and portable gadget addict. There, I said it... now, to heck with the remaining 11 steps, because I ENJOY being an addict. The fact of the matter is that this industry is moving so quickly that (with the sole exception of the …

With more people dependent upon laptops or stand-alone LCD displays for their computers, it is about time that somebody did a review of the various policies about dead pixels. The folks at Tom's Hardware have once again done a nice job of putting together a variety of information as well …

According to an article from the BBC News service, UK Broadband installations have surged to the point where the UK now has higher penetration than France, once the Internet center of Europe (and the birthplace of interactive television).

We, as consumers, all look at the idea of a national list of Do Not Call numbers as a great step forward in reducing the cold-call telemarketing that bothers our boudoirs. However, there's another group of people even happier about the new law that we are--the computer software and telephony …

If you liked the old Blackberry, you'll like the new one less... or, rather you'll like the little new one, or two. The new models will operate on existing GSM/GPRS networks or on CDMA2000 networks (one or the other, decide when you buy) and supplements the existing device that …

According to an article in Wired, a group of Indian hackers have released a new variant of the Yaha virus in retaliation against a group of Pakistani hackers who claim to be defacing Indian web sites. Virus makers use the unwilling recipients of the virus to launch a denial of …

PCWorld discusses in this article AMD's new laptop chips. The company announced new low-power chips (25W dissipation max) and new high- power chips (75W dissipation max) aimed at the lightweight laptop and desktop replacement markets respectively.

According to an article on UPI, the German government has new plans to enforce a 3-year old law requiring a ~$13 + 16% tax on computers sold in the country. It's hard to tell where the pre-paid penalty would go once it hits government coffers, but the intention is to compensate …

Apple Computer, Inc. has linked up with CompUSA to provide Apple developers with more virtual shelf space by using a new system called SoftwareToGo. The system is basically a CD burner/printer package to create titles of more limited interest (heh... like all Mac titles?). The output is a CD …

An article out today (no longer available) raises the question of where certain high-profile technology companies really stand on the issues involving the DMCA. In particular, it sites statement releases by the BSA (Business Software Alliance) against new attempts to remove some of the more heinous provisions of the DMCA …

There is a global wISP (wireless Internet Service Provider) directory now available from Brainheart Capital. I don't know how comprehensive it is, but it has over 192 entries now.

Sometimes, the big company gets the good press at the expense of the small company. This is certainly the case with SCO, the Santa Cruz Operation, and their recently filed law suit against IBM. According to an article at Wired, there is a groundswell of support for big blue and …

I just couldn't resist the comparison to Dr. Evil. The Santa Cruz Organization, who brought you fine issues such as sexual harassment and diversity training, has now decided that if they can't succeed on the merits of their business, they are going to sue. According to an article in InfoWorld …

As with any compromise position, the FCC's decision to go forward with some form of "broadcast flag" to limit the reproduction of TV signals that have copyright protection is taking heat from all sides. According to an article on CNet, congress is upset that the FCC might make rules that …

This morning, I'd gone to the Cox High-Speed Internet FAQ to see if they had any limits on the amount of bandwidth consumed. While there, I found this interesting statement amongst the security info they provide to their users: "The majority of our customers use Microsoft Windows 95/98, which …

In the latest salvo in the DMCA war started a couple of months ago by printer manufacturer Lexmark, SCC has filed an antitrust lawsuit against them claiming unfair competitive practices. It appears, based on this article that the manufacturer is going to be the poster child for anti-competitive DMCA fights …