When Nokia launched its N-Gage console/phone, it was keen that mobile phone networks shouldn't subsidise the handset and thus limit the scope for games retailers to offer the product competitively. That was the plan anyway but now a UK newspaper is offering what is claimed to be "the biggest invention in gaming since the joystick" for 1p.

Some buyers of Symantec's latest security package have been unable to use the software after its product-activation technology malfunctioned. A few consumers have complained to Symantec that the US and British versions of a package that includes Norton Antivirus 2004, Norton Internet Security 2004, Norton Antispam 2004 and Norton SystemWorks 2004 mistakenly asks for a product activation code every time a PC is rebooted. Eventually, the software informs the consumers that they have reached the activation limit and the software will cease to function.

DVD players are one of the most successful consumer electronics products of all time, and the DVD market has seen unprecedented growth since their debut in 1997. Largely driven by rapidly falling component prices, DVD playback has been integrated into a wide array of consumer electronics devices. According to a new report from IDC, this trend will continue with DVD recording functionality during the 2002 to 2007 forecast period. DVD recording will be a fundamental driver of the DVD market as the average selling price of DVD recorders falls from $699 (£415) in 2002 to $126 (£75) in 2007, and dual playback and recording functionality quickly become the default feature set of DVD players, just as they have been for VCRs.

Our regular contributor Flash has sent us great news of a new and improved Pioneer flasher. The DVD guru says, "Following the success of the flashing of the OEM Pioneer 106 drives made by ASUS, ACER & TEAC I am pleased to be part of the testing team from The Firmware Forum of the Universal Pioneer Flashing Tool. The tool developed by Agent Smith will flash all Pioneer A05/105 & A06/106 to any firmware of your choice." Click for more details before you download it from our download section.

Epson has introduced the Stylus Photo R800, the latest in its new line of photo printers. It has built-in CD/DVD printing capabilities for printing directly onto inkjet printable CDs or DVDs using the printer's straight-through paper path.

Press release: About two dozen manufacturers have announced plans to introduce new DVD recorders using the DVD+R/+RW recording format, the DVD+RW Alliance announced today. According to the manufacturers' announcements many of the new recorders will be available in time for this year's Christmas holiday season.

Press release: Robert Scott Productions, an educational video production company, today announced its new product line, "The Learnit to Burnit Workshop Series", which teaches novice to advances users, through video tutorials, how to use the most popular CD and DVD burning software available today.

A member of MandrakeSoft's kernel team appears to have identified the problem which was causing the latest version of its Linux distribution, 9.2, to make certain CD-ROM drives inoperable.

Chinese researchers are working on a new standard, called EVD, that promises five times the image quality of DVD. Teams in China aim to release full specifications for a higher-end complement to the DVD format next month.

The DVD Forum, the body that oversees the DVD-R specification, has decided to stick with red laser technology and current storage capacities rather than make the move to blue light and more capacious discs. Instead, it will offer Internet integration to tempt upgrade-hungry consuemrs.

We have a copy of the new firmware for the NEC ND1300 which will allow burning at 4x on the very popular Datawrite 4x Reds. You can download the firmware here.

A report on Mandrake's web site suggests that there are some unexpected problems occurring running the OS in connection with Lucky Goldstar (LG) CD-ROMs. But the real question is whether it's the software or the hardware at fault – so we guess LG has to battle it out with the software vendors.

Canadian Federal authorities say they suspect some DVD players may be causing havoc for emergency radios on military aircraft. Ron Houston recently got a visit from Mounties and representatives of Industry Canada, which regulates radio communication, at his home in Cold Lake, 290 km northeast of Edmonton.

Roxio have updated their popular Easy CD/DVD Creator software to version 6.2, adding support for burning to 90 and 99 minute media and a new compression engine to reduce the size of DVD movies so they will fit on DVD discs.

US software company 321 Studios has submitted its response to legal action which aims to stop it selling its DVD back-up software in the UK. 321 declared that it will fight the Warner Home Video lawsuit "all the way", and is facing similar lawsuits from seven major film studios in the US.

BTC (Behavior Tech Computer Corp.) has announced the specifications of its new 8x DVD writer, the DRW 1008IM. Compared with its predecessor, the DRW 1004IM, it's mainly the DVD+R/RW write speed that has changed from 4x/2.4x to 8x/4x.

321 Studios, the software house behind the popular DVD backup program DVD X COPY, has announced the release of three new digital imaging software titles DVD X MAKER, DVD X SHOW, and DVD X POINT.

RealNetworks has signed a deal under which its RealOne Player streaming-media software will be incorporated into Linux-based phones built by Motorola. The companies said on Wednesday that the phones, which will let people access both audio and video content using RealNetworks applications, will become available sometime during the first half of 2004.

Software giant Symantec have said that computers are damaging health because they are turning us all into absolute raving berserkers.

The good news: the MPAA and Hollywood's major studios are about to revoke the Oscar screener ban. The bad news: Academy members will be the only ones to receive tapes, to the exclusion of the directors, writers and actors guilds, members of the press and your hipster friend Bob, who knew a guy that knew a guy who could get him copies.