Disk-drive maker Maxtor recently announced that the company would trim 400 to 500 positions worldwide in a bid to cut costs, part of a lowered earnings forecast. Maxtor expects to report a loss of between $20 to $30 million on revenue of $820 million to $825 million.

The launch of the Intel 915G integrated chipset may impact the entry-level graphics card market this August, as the part is expected to deliver more than twice the performance of 865G chipsets and perform comparably to the GeForce FX5200 and ATI's Radeon 9200.

A consortium that includes Sony, Panasonic, Royal Philips Electronics and other companies has taken a step toward advancing the use of Linux in consumer electronics devices.