Technology

A routine update of anti-virus software has disabled tens of thousands of PCs in China, according to local media reports. The faulty update caused Symantec's Norton AntiVirus software to remove critical Windows XP system files, the reports state.

A wave of PC failures swept the country this morning as PC users switched on their PCs and the software took action. Some companies have been so badly hit - with hundreds of failed PCs - that they are unable to function, local reporters said.

Sony plans to slow down the rate of PlayStation 3 shipments, according to forecasts the company revealed today. The news follows reports that sales are moving slowly. The company also said it plans to cut PS3 production costs, and predicts a rise in profits. Observers are divided on whether a PS3 price cut is likely in the immediate future.

Wireless network manufacturers are promising that a new standard will end Wi-Fi compatibility problems and other headaches. With the announcement of the 802.11n draft 2.0 standard today, the industry appears to be reaching out to disillusioned consumers.

Pundits who predict a crisis for paid video download services like iTunes are wrong, says a leading technology analyst. The challenge from advertising-supported rivals like Joost will not be a knockout punch, says Mike Wolf of ABI Research.

While TV show downloads will mostly be funded by advertising in future, movies are a very different story, points out Wolf, who is a Research Director with US-based ABI.

Thailand's government is demanding that YouTube help identify the users who posted insulting videos of the country's king. The demands from Thailand's Communications Minister, quoted in local press, reopen a controversy that has been widely reported as over.

YouTube, a Google subsidiary, earlier agreed to remove four video clips that clearly insulted Thailand's King, in a letter to Thai Communications Minister Sitthichai Pookaiyaudom.