Equipment Breaking News

MPAA, RealNetworks sue each other over DVD copier
RealNetworks and the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) have filed dueling lawsuits against each other over a product that allows people to copy DVDs. More..

Konica Minolta shows prototype communicator headset
Walk along the halls of the Ceatec electronics show here in Japan and you're likely to see all manner of gadgets and gizmos, but few sights might startle you more than Ichiro Kasai. More..

Alcatel-Lucent loses $1.5B award in Microsoft patent suit
Alcatel-Lucent lost another round against Microsoft on Thursday in a continuing court battle over patents for the MP3 digital music format. More..

Staples turns backup into a service
Office-supply company Staples wants small and medium-size businesses that buy paper and scissors at its stores to start going there for their own data, too. More..

Casio's new camera offers high-speed shooting, compact body
The digital still camera market got something new earlier this year when Casio launched its Exilim F1 model with the ability to take super slow-motion video and perform a host of neat tricks thanks to a burst shooting mode. Casio's newest camera, the Exilim EX-FH20, was launched Tuesday and features most of the same technology but is more compact, offers a higher resolution and is cheaper. More..

Juniper invests in Packet Design
Juniper Networks has made a $2 million investment in Packet Design, a developer of routing analysis and optimization software, as part of Packet’s Design’s $12 million fourth round funding. More..

First look: Fourth-generation iPod nano
When it comes to physical appearances, the iPod nano saw the biggest changes when Apple overhauled its iPod lineup this week. The new nano leaves behind the shorter, wider shape of the third-generation model to embrace the taller, slimmer profile of the nanos of old--even slimmer, in fact, than those older models. But along with its new shape, the fourth-generation iPod nano incorporates new hardware features and new software. More..

Sony shows prototype next-gen speakers
Sony has developed next-generation prototype speakers that hang from a ceiling or come with an entire home audio system built-into the base, utilizing the same technology in its distinctive Sountina . More..

OpenMoko users open up about their phones
What you need is a smartphone that's free. More..

Cisco Virtual Office package targets teleworkers
Cisco is announcing a bundle of gear and services aimed at helping companies design and install remote-site communications that replicate the connectivity workers have when they're located in corporate sites. More..

Why China Mobile isn't right for Apple and the iPhone
Apple's discussions with China Mobile about bringing the popular handset to the world's largest mobile market is the stuff of tech journalists' dreams. The potential deal would join together the world's largest mobile service provider with the planet's most talked-about phone. Both companies are tight-lipped, offering us nothing more than confirmations of the talks and statements that indicate that the two sides want to make a deal. More..

Panasonic to unveil new digital SLR next week
Panasonic will unveil a new digital SLR (single lens reflex) camera in its Lumix range next week, the company said Wednesday. More..

Panasonic shows larger thin-PDP prototypes
Panasonic unveiled its largest-yet slimline PDP (plasma display panel) at the IFA electronics show in Berlin on Thursday. More..

Toshiba pushes tech that upscales content to HD
Toshiba promoted its two technologies, Extended Detail Enhancement (XDE) and Resolution+, for turning standard definition content into high definition, at the IFA electronics show on Thursday. More..

Sony to launch centimeter-thin LCD TV this year
Pushing new boundaries in LCD (liquid crystal display) TV size, Sony will launch later this year a set that's considerably thinner than others on the market, it said at the IFA electronics show in Berlin on Thursday. More..

Sharp unveils its thinnest LCD TVs yet
Sharp has developed a new range of LCD (liquid crystal display) TVs that are thinner and have larger screens than its previous thinnest televisions. More..

Maxian to show new PMPs at Berlin's IFA
South Korea's Maxian will unveil a couple of new portable media players at the IFA consumer electronics in Berlin later this week. More..

Consumer electronics will do well, says Philips CEO
The future for consumer electronics looks bright and high oil prices will help the industry, according to Hans-Joachim Kamp, who spoke at IFA in Berlin on Wednesday. More..

Cowon shows new portable media players for IFA
Gadget-maker Cowon is planning to introduce three new portable multimedia players at the IFA consumer electronics show that begins in Germany later this week. More..

Nokia launches N85, N79 and N96 for the U.S.
Nokia has expanded its N series of smart phones with two new models: the N85 and the N79. The company will also start selling an Americanized version of the upcoming N96, it announced on Tuesday. More..

LG to launch consumer, SOHO NAS system at IFA
LG is targeting home and small-office/home-office (SOHO) users with a network-attached storage (NAS) server that it plans to introduce at this week's IFA consumer electronics show in Berlin. More..

Consumer electronics expo kicks off in Berlin
Europe's biggest consumer-electronics show, the Internationale Funkausstellung, kicks off in Berlin this week More..

Microsoft completes Small Business Server 2008, preps for November launch
Microsoft Friday said it has completed development on Small Business Server 2008 and that the software will hit its targeted ship date of Nov. 12. More..

Netflix tech problem persists
A technology problem that has seriously disrupted Netflix's ability to mail DVDs to subscribers enters its fourth day Friday. More..

Netflix: Tech distribution problem solved
Netflix has finally resolved a technology problem that since Tuesday had crippled its ability to mail DVDs to subscribers of its movie rental service. More..