Stories by Martyn Williams

DVD Audio Copy System Approval Due Soon

Approval of a revised copy protection system for DVD (digital versatile disk) Audio, drawn up because a related system was hacked, is likely come within the next month, according to the head of DVD business at Matsushita Electric Industrial Co. Ltd., Japan's largest consumer electronics manufacturer.

First Access Joins Bluetooth Alliance

First Access Ltd., an Israeli developer of a mobile log-on authorization system, has joined the Bluetooth special interest group, an industrywide association developing a wireless protocol for connecting computers and related devices together.

China Unicom to Link to A-Bone

China United Telecommunications Co. (China Unicom) is to connect to the A-Bone pan-Asian Internet backbone, operator Asia Internet Holding Co. Ltd. (AIH) announced last week.

Game Makers Announces PlayStation 2 Titles

Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. (SCEI) and 17 video game makers today took the wraps off new titles for the PlayStation 2, SCEI's highly-anticipated video games console.

Any Color as Long as It's iMac

Henry Ford had it all wrong. If this week's MacWorld Expo Tokyo exhibition is anything to go by, he'd have sold a lot more cars had he only opted for tangerine.

Sony Previews PlayStation 2

Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. (SCEI) today kicked off a three-day preview for the Japanese public of its new PlayStation 2 console, two weeks before it is due to go on sale.

Sony Web Site Crushed by PlayStation 2 Demand

Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. (SCEI) began advance sales of its new PlayStation 2 games console at midnight last night but immediately hit problems as its Web site failed to cope with the demand.

Sony's Kutaragi Sees Gradual Broadband Roll-out

Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. may have to wait ten years for a nationwide broadband infrastructure capable of supporting some of its planned online activities, company president Ken Kutaragi said today.

EBay to Partner with NEC in Japan

NEC Corp. today announced plans to take a stake in eBay Japan, the soon-to-be established Japanese unit of online auction site eBay Inc., and work with the company to build its market in Japan.

At Midnight, Windows 2000 Hits Tokyo Streets

With a 10-second countdown and cheers reminiscent of the New Year celebrated just one and a half months earlier, computer stores in Tokyo's famed Akihabara electronics district kicked off sales of Microsoft Corp.'s new Windows 2000 operating system at midnight local time here tonight.

DDI to Liquidate Iridium Japan

Japanese telecommunications company DDI Corp. has decided to sever ties with satellite telecommunications company Iridium LLC and liquidate Nippon Iridium Corp., a local joint venture that provides Iridium service in Japan.

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