Tidbyte
Illustration: Joe Zeff
Flag Lowered: In a major setback to Hollywood's efforts to control consumers' ability to copy digital TV content, a federal appeals court has ruled that the Federal Communications Commission lacked the authority to impose broadcast flag regulations scheduled to take effect this summer (click here for more information). The broadcast flag is basically a signal attached to programming that contains info on what consumers may or may not do with that content. The FCC's regulation would have required digital TVs and other electronics sold after July 1 to recognize and respect the broadcast flag's copy controls.
Product Pipeline
Super Wireless: Sony's VAIO T Series notebooks are ultrawireless. The new VGN-T350 and VGN-T350P laptops are Bluetooth- and 802.11g-ready and connect to Cingular's Wireless National EDGE Network, which extends wireless coverage beyond LANs and hotspots. Cingular subscriptions cost either $50 (100MB monthly download limit) or $80 (with no limit) per month.
If you want to upgrade your system's memory, now may be the time to act. Prices of RAM should bottom out this summer before inching up this fall, according to research firm IDC.
Source: IDC, May 2005
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