Microsoft facing $1bn Xbox bill

Microsoft has said that it is facing a bill of more than $1bn to cover the cost of offering extended warranties, after failings with its Xbox 360. The company admitted it had been forced to make "an unacceptable number of repairs" to the consoles after key hardware failed more...

iPhone scramble: 02 expected to beat rivals to UK deal

The fight between Europe's mobile phone operators to bring the iPhone across the Atlantic is at fever pitch, with O2 hotly tipped to win the deal for the UK market. The American technology giant scored a big hit launching the combined phone and music player in the US last week more...

Camera add-on bundled with DS game

Following the huge success of its Brain Training franchise, Nintendo is to expand the series with a new game that comes bundled with a special DS camera add-on.Face Training is a game where the object is to make your face become more attractive on-screen using the game's built-in technology more...

Video gaming world cup hits Paris

Thousands of gamers are in Paris over the next four days for the Electronic Sports World Cup grand final. More than 750 players are competing for $200,000 (£99,200) in prize money, with about 5,000 spectators expected more...

E3 show to be broadcast on Xbox Live

Beginning July 10, the gaming world's E3 show in Santa Monica, USA, will get into full swing and Microsoft Xbox Live users will be able to see all the top announcements as they happen. The E3, renowned as the event for games firms and hardware manufacturers to officially announce new products, will take place from July 10 to July 13 more...

Warning of data ticking time bomb

The growing problem of accessing old digital file formats is a "ticking time bomb", the chief executive of the UK National Archives has warned. Natalie Ceeney said society faced the possibility of "losing years of critical knowledge" because modern PCs could not always open old file formats more...

Broadband users unhappy because of technical failures

A quarter of broadband customers are unhappy with their service provider, according to a new survey. A study of 11,000 internet and 9,000 home phone users, conducted by YouGov on behalf of price comparison site uSwitch, found satisfaction has dropped by 10 per cent since March 2006 more...

Wii outselling PS3 'six to one'

Nintendo's Wii console outsold Sony's PlayStation 3 in Japan last month by six to one, says research. Nintendo sold 270,974 Wii consoles last month while Sony sold 41,628 PS3s, according to Enterbrain, a Japanese publisher that tracks console sales more...

HD-DVD gets set of new features

The HD-DVD gang is arranging a counter attack against the Blu-ray boys with disks that can take advantage of its players' built-in Internet connections. According to Associated Press, a Japanese animated feature titled "Freedom" will allow buyers who connect their HD DVD player to a broadband Internet line will be able to download a high-definition trailer for another movie, change menu styles and download additional subtitles more...

Zelda game named 'greatest ever'

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time has topped a poll of readers of Edge magazine and industry experts to find the top 100 games of all time. The 10-year-old videogame for the Nintendo 64 games console helped usher in a new era of 3D gaming more...

Computer games 'may be good for children'

Children who spend hours playing computer games may actually be doing themselves some good, according to a controversial three-year university study published yesterday. Online role-playing games - where players compete against other, unseen players - may give young people vital lessons in learning about other races, the opposite sex and those with disabilities more...

IT recycling laws come into effect

The UK’s new recycling laws for electrical equipment came into effect on 1 July, with IT vendors now responsible for ensuring their products are disposed of in an environmentally-friendly manner. The much-delayed Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (Weee) directive passed into law at the start of the year, but the requirement on suppliers and retailers has only now become effective more...

Wii remote feels the force as light sabre

Rumours of a Star Wars game that uses the Nintendo Wii controller as a light sabre have been fuelled by comments made by Jim Ward, president of LucasArts and a senior vice president at Lucasfilm more...

Waitrose shops for next generation of customers

Supermarket chain Waitrose is planning to add social networking functions to its web site to allow shoppers to swap recipes and chat on message boards. The retailer wants to encourage the one million people that visit its web site each month to debate topics such as organic food and to trade culinary tips more...

Most Are Happy, But Some iPhone Customers Have Complaints

While early reviews for Apple’s new iPhone have been mostly glowing since its release on Friday and early sales have been reported strong, some customers have had complaints about both activation problems and shortages of the phones themselves, the New York Times reported Monday more...

Nintendo Wii outsells PS3 6 to 1 in Japan in June

Nintendo Co. Ltd.'s Wii game console outsold Sony Corp.'s PlayStation 3 by a ratio of over 6 to 1 in June in Japan, a game magazine publisher said, solidifying Nintendo's leading position. Nintendo sold 270,974 units of the Wii in the four weeks ended June 24, compared with 41,628 units for the PS3 and 17,616 units for Microsoft Corp.'s Xbox 360, according to data from Enterbrain more...