Stephanie Sim

Pirated copies of Windows XP have found their way into the Hong Kong market. The two-disked "released to manufacturer" version of the software lined the shelves in shops at several computer malls in Hong Kong and was on sale for about HK$70 (US$9) each. Windows XP is scheduled to launch officially in the territory on Friday.

English-speaking countries in the Asia-Pacific region have been quicker in taking up instant messaging than non-English speaking countries, according to a study carried out by Gartner G2, a business strategy arm of Gartner Inc.

The splitting into two of China Telecommunication (Group) Corp. (China Telecom), the largest telecom carrier in China, does not necessarily mean an end to its monopoly and the start of increased competition among telecom players in China.

The PC sector is in recession as shipments around the globe continue to plummet for two consecutive quarters, analysts said, adding that a recovery appears unlikely in the months ahead.

Greater cooperation between the telecommunication and finance sectors will be necessary if China is to be competitive in those industries after its entry into the World Trade Organization (WTO), a Chinese government official said at the Digital Economy Summit held in Shenzhen, China, on Thursday.

The Chinese government is taking steps to safeguard consumer rights by imposing rules to prevent mobile phone vendors from cheating customers, a China Daily newspaper report said.

Broadband home users in Asia-Pacific spend three times longer online than narrowband subscribers, according to survey of Internet users conducted in August, and released Thursday by Nielsen/NetRatings.

Damage to two trans-Pacific undersea cables on Thursday caused Internet traffic from Asia to the United States to slow down around the region, according to the company that operates the cables.