Dear Reader,

Welcome to another edition of the Prompt Communications newsletter. Another year, another story about businesses failing to adequately delete sensitive data from their unwanted desktops. We have to wonder if things are ever going to change. The IT industry is doing all it can to improve security, but if end users fail to take even the most basic precautions, what hope is there?

For any feedback on our newsletter, or to discuss how we can help you with your technology PR, marketing, social media and blogging consultancy, copywriting or surveys, please email me at hbutters@prompt-communications.com. We are always delighted to hear from you.

Best regards,

Hazel Butters
Prompt Communications

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Enterprise Technology Update

By Lance Concannon

Businesses fail to wipe sensitive data

According to research carried out on behalf of PC manufacturer Lenovo, 30% of decommission business PCs are dumped without having their hard drives properly erased. This puts businesses in danger of allowing sensitive information and customer details to fall into the wrong hands. Unsurprisingly, Lenovo says it has a product which helps businesses to ensure that hard drives are fully and properly erased before PCs are sold or dumped.

This report shouldn't be too surprising for many people. Although these kinds of stories make it into the headlines every year, an impressive number of businesses consistently fail to understand why clearing sensitive data from unwanted hard disks might be a good idea.

Eclipse launches Europa

The Eclipse Foundation, which oversees the development of a popular stack of tools for software developers, this week announced the second annual update of its core projects. Code named Europa, the new release will offer a range of fundamental improvements to the Eclipse platform.

Eclipse encompasses a wide range of software project from numerous different developers working on different timescales. The Eclipse Foundation stepped in last year to help bring all of these efforts together so that they could work in a more coordinated way, thereby making it easier for ISVs to adopt the technology.

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Consumer Technology Update

By Dave Wilby

"More machine now than man; twisted and evil. "

A new study by the Energy Saving Trust (EST), nattily entitled 'The Ampere Strikes Back', claims that a boom in home entertainment technology is undermining the rebellious fight against climate change. The report says the consumer electronics empire is just three years away from becoming the biggest single drain on domestic electricity in Britain, and will overtake lighting, and white goods by 2020 to account for 45 per cent of all electricity used in UK households.

Forces behind the research can reveal that our only hope of combating this phantom menace in our homes is this - to use fewer things and turn those things off when we're not using them. "The Ampere Strikes Back... shows just how easy it is to lose track of what is sucking up energy in our homes and costing us and the environment dear, " warned Sith Lord, we mean EST chief executive, Philip Sellwood in Wednesday's Independent.

Universal marches to its own iTune

Reports on the BBC and elsewhere this week claim Universal Music Group, part of Vivendi, would not to be renewing its annual contract to sell music through Apple's iTunes, instead opting for a more flexible monthly deal. Despite the undoubted strength of Apple's consumer channel, as the world's biggest music corporation Universal may succeed in gaining more favourable terms from Apple or even explore deals to sell its catalogue exclusively through other means, according to the New York Times which ran the original scoop.

Rumours continue to rumble, but Apple did approach a denial of any breakdown in relations between itself and Universal in conversation with the San Francisco Chronicle: "Their music is still on iTunes and their not re-signing is just not true," sulked Apple spokesman Tom Neumayr. Good stuff! Just goes to show it's all fun and games until somebody loses an i...

Wii all over PS3 in console wars

According to new research by Japanese publisher Enterbrain, Nintendo's Wii console outsold Sony's PlayStation 3 in Japan last month by six to one, racking up 270,974 sales compared to just 41,628 PS3s. Enterbrain, which has a history of tracking console sales and trends, also claims Nintendo has now sold about 2.76m Wii consoles in Japan since December's launch, while Sony has sold just 970,270 PS3s since it debut in November. One theory supported by the BBC is Sony's inability to launch any genuine 'killer' titles, like Gran Turismo, Metal Gear Solid or Killzone during this crucial early adoption period.

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US Media Report

By Tarryn Morley

Los Angeles Times managing editor Doug Frantz has left the newspaper to become the Middle East and Africa bureau chief for the Wall Street Journal. Frantz will start his new role in September. He replaces Bill Spindle, who will become the corporate finance editor of the Money & Investing Group.

Ryan Lizza has been named Washington correspondent for The New Yorker. He will begin his new role on August 1. Lizza will cover Washington, politics and the 2008 presidential campaign.

Fast Company has made several changes in its editorial department. Will Bourne has been promoted from deputy editor to executive editor to replace Keith Hammonds. Hammonds is now a contributing editor. Charles Fishman, previously a senior writer for the magazine, will now be editor at large.

Eric Griffith is set to join PC Magazine as a senior writer in mid-July. Griffith is currently the managing editor of Wi-Fi Planet. Wi-Fi Planet has not announced a replacement for Griffith.

Noelle Howey will be joining Real Simple as a deputy editor at the end of July. She is currently editor in chief of Time Out New York Kids. No replacement has been names at Time Out New York Kids.

UK Media Report

By Tarryn Morley

After 40 years with the Times and Sunday Times, Graham Searjeant is joining the editorial staff taking voluntary redundancies. His colleagues Hannah Betts, Dominic Wells, and Neelam Verjee have also accepted voluntary redundancy packages. News International, which owns the Times and Sunday Times, is seeking to cut nearly 100 editorial jobs across its four national papers.

The Daily Telegraph's political editor, George Jones, is retiring after more than 20 years at the paper. He will leave the Telegraph after the party conferences in the autumn. Andrew Porter, currently the deputy political editor of The Sun, will replace Jones.

Sean O'Grady is the new economics editor at The Independent. O'Grady previously headed up the Motoring and Save & Spend sections. Further changes at The Independent include the appointment of Nick Clark, previously the M&A reporter at Financial News, as the paper's market reporter. Clark replaces Andrew Dewson who is now the Investment Column editor.

Luke Peters is the new deputy editor at T3. Before joining the magazine in June, Peters worked for Computeractive as a staff writer and deputy features editor. In his new role, Peters will be covering product news, exclusives, and the "latest gossip from the gadget world".