Customised palmOnes for Father`s Day

Palm is pushing customised palmOne devices in time to cash in on Father`s Day. The various models, including Zire 72, Tungsten E, handhelds or Treo 600 smartphone, cater for specific customer preferences, offering work and leisure functions.

Palm OS software applications to suit various interests and needs can be downloaded from the Internet.

Prices range from R3 000 for the Zire 72, to R5 000 for the Treo 600 smartphone.

Reuters reports that Texas Instruments (TI) has staked a claim on the next generation of broadband technology, unveiling a new DSL chip it is promoting as a standard to allow telephone and data carriers to offer video services.

The new technology, called Uni-DSL, raises the bandwidth of DSL so it can carry advanced video services, such as high-definition television, along with voice and data functions on existing telecoms infrastructure, TI said.

Sony`s US video game arm sales of its PlayStation more than doubled in North America since it slashed the price of the video game console a month ago.

Reuters reports that Sony Computer Entertainment America cut the prices of the standalone PlayStation 2, formerly $179.99, and the PlayStation 2 Combo Pack, formerly $199.99, to $149 at last month`s Electronic Entertainment Expo in Los Angeles.

Data released by Sony showed a 216% increase in PlayStation 2 sales during the first week of reduced prices, and continued sales growth of 141% in the ensuing two weeks compared to pre-discount levels, the company said.

Rival Microsoft cut the price of its Xbox video game console in March from $179.99 to $149.99, and also saw a boost in sales.

British music firm, OD2, has launched an online jukebox that costs 1 penny per track, reports BBC.

While it does not allow for download, users are able to listen to songs from a database of 350 000. OD2 chief executive Charles Grimsdale said streaming music - rather than downloading - was a very popular method of listening on a PC. "Most of the music our users listen to on their PCs will be streamed."

The service is available to users of MSN, Tiscali and MTV websites in the UK, France, Germany and Italy.