J. Mark Lytle

By now, we all know that Sony is supposed to be hitting us with its first netbook PC at CES next month but, amid the various teases, leaks and rumours, how much is clear?

This weekend saw a pair of simultaneous online software releases that, if successful, may just put an end to one of the worst aspects of the Web - vitriolic anonymous comments.

It may seem that the internet is all about the here and now, but a new project from Adobe and a US university shows that there's gold to be mined in the accumulated layers of websites as they age.

As if the notorious anti-piracy lawsuits being wielded like weapons by the music industry weren't bad enough, we now have the same tactic being used by a much darker force - the porn barons.

American bargain hunters eager to snap up £400 plasma TV sets went on the rampage at a Wal-Mart shop on Friday, killing a store employee in the crush.

We've known about it for months and, at last, it's finally available to buy - the Eee Top touchscreen PC is on sale in Taiwan now and we'll be getting ours before long too.

Next time you get caught doing 35 in a 30 zone you might be wishing you had the help of one of the most innovative iPhone applications we've yet seen.

Vista Capable lawsuit airing dirty Intel and MS laundry

Recession and price-fixing investigation create perfect storm

In spite of what many press sources have been saying, AMD made clear this week that it has no intention of producing a low-power processor that will give it leverage in the booming netbook market.

AT&T's mobile boss lets imagination run riot

Not only that, but we're too dumb to go beyond big five anyway

A signature on a piece of paper in Japan this week means that the country can now start work on a new generation of high-tech trains that make the current bullet trains look like push-bikes.

Backup system proves as reliable now as it was in the 1980s

We all should have seen this one coming - a few days after introducing a new cinema-style viewing mode, YouTube has introduced full-length TV shows as it aims to find the juicer revenue streams.

Real and virtual mashed up in advanced sensor game

Eee Boxes in Japan the only ones affected so far

Although they don't directly concern the typical gadget fan, corporate I.T. purchases actually count for a lot in the books of many hardware makers.

While dangling mobile phone charms aren't exactly commonplace in the UK, Japan has the market well covered, with some mobiles home to half a dozen different cartoon characters and peculiar gadgets.

The business of selling games consoles is so much about projecting confidence and inspiring gamers to invest in a particular platform it's no surprise to see Sony continuing to talk up its hardware.

If you've got little to do this weekend and are interested in incredible tedium, then you could always download what its maker claims is the world's longest mobile phone ringtone.

Citizen journalism to blame as CNN site publishes untruth

There's been so much going on at Nintendo this week we've barely even scratched the surface of the company's plans, so here are a couple more pieces of new hardware.

A day after the launch of the new DSi handheld, Nintendo's president Satoru Iwata has cast some doubt on when the machine will be launched outside Japan.

As promised, Nintendo came up with the goods today when it announced its new handheld a few minutes ago and it's calling the device the DSi.