Stories by Martyn Williams

NEC unveils PDA, Fujitsu to follow

NEC unveiled its PocketGear PDA (personal digital assistant) on Friday, at the same time as rival electronics maker Fujitsu announced it plans to enter the increasingly crowded PDA market.

Fujitsu to enter PDA market

Fujitsu says it plans to enter the personal digital assistant (PDA) market in early 2002.

Sanyo unveils new Symbian-based PDA prototype

Sanyo Electric has taken the wraps off an updated prototype of its planned personal digital assistant (PDA) based on the Symbian operating system at the CEATEC Japan 2001 exhibition, which opened on Tuesday just outside of Tokyo.

Digital video goes mobile

Taking video on the road has never been easy -- cumbersome video cassette players or expensive portable DVD (Digital Versatile Disc) players have meant that recorded TV shows and movies are best watched at home.

Sony previews new Airboard tablet PC

Sony took the wraps off a new model of its Airboard portable IT television Tuesday at the CEATEC exhibition just outside of Tokyo, and hinted that the possibility of a U.S. launch is being studied.

As economies slow, games turn profit for Sony

Sony Chairman and Chief Executive Nobuyuki Idei said Monday the company's game business has recently begun to turn a profit and, despite the economic woes facing many sectors of the IT business, is expected to continue for at least the rest of the fi...

Microsoft announces Plus package for Windows XP

Voice control for Windows Media Player and three-dimensional screen savers are two of the functions that will be included in Microsoft's Plus for XP software, which is scheduled to ship with the new Windows XP operating system in less than one month,...

NEC, SGI strengthen partnership in Japan

SGI Japan, the Japanese unit of Silicon Graphics, strengthened its partnership with NEC and one of its subsidiaries, NEC Soft Ltd., with the signing of an agreement Wednesday that calls for more cooperation and a future capital tie-up between the com...

First sub-$400 LCD monitors appear

IO Data Device has announced the first LCD (liquid crystal display) monitors to carry price tags of less than US$400, on the opening day of the World PC Expo exhibition here.

NEC unveils PDA prototype

NEC has provided the public with a first glimpse at its planned PDA (personal digital assistant), unveiling a prototype of the device at the World PC Expo show which is currently taking place just outside Tokyo.

Matsushita unveils new flat panel displays

Matsushita Electric Industrial Co. Ltd., better known by its Panasonic brand name, unveiled a range of new flat-panel displays and televisions on Thursday, some with built-in DVD (digital versatile disc) players.

Fujitsu introduces humanoid robot

Fujitsu Ltd. began selling Monday a two-legged humanoid robot designed to serve as a test bed for research into more advanced robotic technologies.

Sony to cut PlayStation price, introduce LCD monitor

Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. (SCEI) said Monday it plans to slash the price of its PSone game console on Wednesday -- just two days before Nintendo Co. Ltd. launches its long-awaited Gamecube console.

Via hits back with countersuit against Intel

After finding itself on the receiving end of legal action Friday, Taiwan's Via Technologies Inc. blasted back at rival Intel Corp. Monday, filing lawsuits of its own alleging patent infringement, fair trade law violations and destruction of Via prope...

Sony, SanDisk ink Memory Stick pact

Sony Corp.'s Memory Stick got a boost on Wednesday when the company signed a deal with memory card maker and reseller SanDisk Corp. under which SanDisk will supply Sony with flash memory and Sony will supply finished Memory Stick cards back to SanDis...