Virgin unveils 50Mbps broadband

Virgin have revealed a 50Mbps broadband service. It will cost £51 a month and makes Virgin the fastest ISP in the UK, with BT in second place with their 24Mbps service.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/default.stm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/7783612.stm

IBM, Tesco and Dell Receive Top Scores in First-Ever Ranking of Consumer & Tech Companies on Climate Change Strategies

Dell, IBM and Tesco have responded the best to "the risks and opportunities presented by climate change, primarily by setting GHG emissions reduction targets, boosting energy efficiency efforts, expanding renewable energy purchases and integrating climate factors into product design."

The Ceres Report analysed the climate change practice of 63 of the world's largest company using a 100 point system, in which Dell scored 77.

http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/IBM-Tesco-Dell-Receive-Top/story.aspx?guid=%7BCF3E3AE4-A381-4983-9FFF-C4133BF4A381%7D

LeNovo expects more consolidation in the economic downturn, but will continue investment in emerging markets

Reuters reports on LeNovo's outlook on the current economic climate. The Chinese computer giant reported a 78% drop in its Q2 net profits and its profit margins are reported to have slid dramatically.

However, despite this, the company says it is still keen to drive growth by investing in emerging markets and taking on new acquisitions.

http://www.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idUSTRE4B82WL20081209?pageNumber=1&virtualBrandChannel=10341

Sony to cut plants, jobs and investments

Sony is to cut c. 8000 jobs and shut 10% of its manufacturing plants in a bid to cut costs amid the economic downturn. It is hoping to make savings of $1.1bn by the end of the next financial year and is cutting investment in electronic operations by 30%.

The news follows an annoucement last month of a 71% fall in net profits from July-September.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7772597.stm

Microsoft Office to debut online

Next year, Word, Excel and some other Microsoft programs will be available online, allowing users access to the programs via a web browser rather than installing them on their computer.

Some of the programs will be free provided that users are happy to view advertising alongside.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/7772869.stm

Asus' Green Credentials

ARN (Australian Radio Network) outlines Asus' commitment to green technology. Shawn Yen, Asus' manager for PC components, believes that Asus are ahead of its competitors in the green category: “The green technologies we have invented this year, such as the energy saving hardware, are very different and stand out from the other vendors. We’re also the ones to pioneer and implement green technologies such as this technology into our notebooks,” Yen said. “EPU controls the voltage that goes to the processor and other key components on the computer. By doing so, we can reduce the amount of energy that is consumed when running low performance tasks.”

http://www.arnnet.com.au/article/266687/asus_processing_less_energy

Aldi to offer new Medion Mini netbook

From Thursday, Aldi will be offering the new Medion Akoya netbook in its store for £272 following a similar promotion in September.

http://www.macworld.co.uk/news/index.cfm?newsid=23866

Positivo shares rise after visit from Dell and Lenovo

Bloomberg report that shares in Positivo - one of Brazil's largest computer makers - have risen sharply amid rumours that Dell and LeNovo may be interested in buying the company.

All three parties have refused to comment on the rumour

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601086&sid=adkgZRM6G_wk&refer=latin_america

Lenovo switches F1 sponsorship to McLaren Mercedes

LeNovo is to switch its F1 sponsorship from AT&T Williams to Vodafone McClaren.

http://www.brandrepublic.com/News/867857/Lenovo-switches-Formula-One-sponsorship-McLaren-Mercedes/

PC Pro give the Inspiron 1318 5 out of 6

In short: "Want a desirable 13.3in laptop for less than £500? Look no further than Dell's talented 13.3-incher."

It also wins a "PC Pro recommended stamp".

http://www.pcpro.co.uk/reviews/241245/dell-inspiron-1318.html

e-commerce Times pit Apple, Dell and Acer against each other

Rob Enderle of e-commerce Times identifies that Apple might be out-pricing consumers in the face of an economic downturn; however, Dell, with a strong batch of new products as well as aggressive prices, may be able to swoop in and take the custom.

He also touches on the fact that Dell have gone "ultra-personal" this year whereas Apple are offering less variety, especially in terms of colours. He believes that this lack of choices, coupled with the high prices, could mean than Apple will not do well next year, but Dell will.

http://www.ecommercetimes.com/story/enterprise/65398.html

Asus' RM Minibook is on the Guardian's Christmas list

"RM Asus Minibook. Running Linux, which makes it about £40 cheaper than those which try to squeeze Windows XP onto an unsuitably small screen, it's perfect for children who'd otherwise be angling for your machine."

http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/nov/21/christmas-technology-gadgets

The Guardian discusses Asus' global positioning tactics and the importance of branding

Asus, a company which originated as a manufacturer of mother boards, is branching out with a series of net books. Jack Schofield discusses how they are aspiring to become a "global desirable brand". Stan Shih, the founder, believes that branding is essential to elevate Taiwan onto the global business scene and that it is necessary to invest now.

This year, they are expecting to sell over 6m notebooks and 5m netbooks.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/oct/16/computing-asus