Stephanie Sim

Philips Semiconductors NV has signed a joint-venture agreement with the China Academy of Telecommunications Technology (CATT), and the research and development arm of China Electronic Corp.'s wireless division (CECW) to design and license TD-SCDMA (time-division synchronous code-division multiple access) technology. The technologies include platform design, chip sets and software within wireless user devices, and end-user equipment within and outside China, according to a statement from Philips.

While the number of women going online is increasing in the Asia-Pacific region, efforts are still needed to promote greater Internet awareness, especially among housewives and the older generation, a panel of women technologists at a worldwide forum said.

The Code Blue worm, which Chinese antivirus researchers uncovered last week, might be a "misguided attempt to protect people against the Code Red," according to a Hong Kong-based security expert.

With the number of instant messaging users exploding in Asia, Microsoft will focus on making the now free-of-charge MSN Messenger service profitable by launching a battery of fee-based services for subscribers.