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Welcome to the latest edition of the Prompt Communications newsletter. This week Apple revealed a super-skinny laptop, a popular Facebook application got lawyers all over it, and some scientists made a monkey control a robot with its mind. Now that's what we call tech news…

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Technology News

Apple announce ‘world’s thinnest laptop’
By Duncan Heaney

Last week, it was Bill Gates who was making headlines. This week, it’s all about Steve Jobs.

During his keynote speech at this year’s MacWorld expo, Jobs revealed the MacBook Air, which Apple claims to be the ‘world’s thinnest laptop’ Steve Jobs, ever the showman, unveiled the Air by slickly removing it from a standard business envelope during his speech, a reveal that prompted whooping, cheers and astonished gasps from the ever-excitable Apple faithful.

The laptop does seem to be a well-equipped piece of kit. According to PC Pro, the Air weighs around 1.4kg and measures 0.76 inches at its thickest edge. The machine also has 2GB of RAM, an 80GB hard disk, a 13.3 inch backlit display and a 1.6Ghz Core 2 Duo Processor.

There are a number of features missing that could prove detrimental to the machine, however. Despite it including Bluetooth and wireless, the machine has no optical drive. Apple claims it has built the Air to be a ‘wireless machine’, and it comes bundled with software that allows it to connect wirelessly with another computer to ‘borrow’ its optical drive. This still seems like an inconvenience though. In addition, there is only one USB port on the machine. Apple will be selling upgrades to the machine, such as an optical drive, that run through USB, but with only the one port, this could prove to be inconvenient.

Despite these potential problems, the MacBook Air still impresses, and has the looks we’ve all come to expect from Apple too. The machine will start shipping in the US in two weeks, priced $1,799.

Plastic fantastic
By Dave Wilby

European broadband users could soon benefit from a new ultra high-speed service delivered over cheap, easy-to-install plastic optical fibres, claims the New Scientist. In 2006 the EU funded researchers to further develop plastic optical fibres used in niche markets like security. An initiative called POF-ALL (Paving the Optical Future with Affordable Lightning-fast Links) is headed by researchers at the Instituto Superiore Mario Boella in Turin, Italy, with other partners from the Netherlands and Germany. The consortium claims the technology could provide 80 per cent of European homes with broadband that is up to 50 times faster than today's ADSL within 15 years. Unlike glass fibres, which require technicians to install, plastic fibres could in theory be connected by anyone of us.

US Media News

By Tarryn Morley

US

The Washington Post is in the process of its biggest web site redesign since the site was launched in 1996. The new design, which is being created by The Wonder Factory of New York, will focus on reader engagement, multi-media, providing useful data bases for readers, and easing transition from one area to another. The FT hopes to debut the new site before the US elections in November.

The Wall Street Journal recently announced that it is now offering free access to all of its editorials, op-eds, video interviews and commentary. Since 2000, the majority of the newspaper’s daily editorial offerings have been behind a paid subscription wall at wsj.com/opinion, while free site, OpinionJournal.com, offered select stories plus a collection of web-only features. These two sites have now merged into a single free site for all WSJ opinion from both the U.S. and overseas editions. The new site will also include book reviews and leisure and arts. Readers can access the site through wsj.com/opinion or OpinionJournal.com.

The Washington Times has appointed John F. Solomon as executive editor to replace Wesley Pruden, who is retiring after 25 years with the newspaper, including 16 years as editor in chief. Previously, Solomon worked for The Washington Post.

UK Media News

By Tarryn Morley

UK

News International has become the first major newspaper company in the UK to declare itself completely carbon neutral. The company owns The Times, The Sun, The Sunday Times and the News of the World. As part of parent company News Corporation's Global Energy Initiative, News International has implemented an energy-saving scheme over the last 18 months that has reduced its carbon footprint by 21% a year. The programme includes tracking its greenhouse gas emissions annually, using renewable energy sources, engaging readers, employees and business partners on environmental issues, and investing in wind energy projects in India, certified under the Voluntary Carbon Standard.

Jim Martin has been promoted from reviews editor to deputy editor at Dennis Publishing's Computer Shopper. In further changes at Computer Shopper, staff writer Matt Smith has left the title. No replacement has yet been named for him.

Several plans for change are in the works at the Financial Times. The FT is to relaunch its website in the summer with more blogs and international video content on the site. The newspaper is also planning to rejuvenate its FT Weekend supplement during the first half of this year.

Monkey-powered Robots
By Lance Concannon

This is the story I’ve been dreaming about for the past fifteen years I’ve worked in the technology industry - monkeys and robots brought together in beautiful harmony through the awesome power of geekology. Science nerds have found a way for a monkey to control a robot using only its thoughts. You read that right – this isn’t just a robot controlled by a monkey, which would be a pretty impressive spectacle in its own right, this is a robot controlled by a monkey using only the power of its mind.

If that’s not awesome enough for you, try this on for size – the monkey and the robot are on entirely different continents! The robot is in a lab at North Carolina’s Duke University, while the brain-monkey lives in a lab in Kyoto, Japan, where it’s been compensated for the minor inconvenience of having electrodes implanted in its brain by being given lots of treats, which makes us feel only marginally less uneasy about the ethics of this sort of thing. All the same – monkeys, robots, power of the mind, awesome stuff!

Fans Scrabble to Save Scrabulous.
By Duncan Heaney

An army of Facebook users has dived into action after news got out that the incredibly popular Scrabulous was under threat.

According to the BBC, Scrabulous, the online word game, has been accused by the owners of the board game Scrabble of ‘gross copyright and trademark infringement’. In other words, Mattel and Hasbro are upset because they think Scabulous is ripping off their game, and they want Facebook to remove it.

A ‘Save Scrabulous’ group was set up on the social networking site, and within a day it had attracted over 13,000 members. Many upset fans have bombarded Hasbro and Mattel with complaints and pleas to save the application. Others have decided to boycott the two toy makers’ products.

Although Scrabulous does have more than a passing resemblance to Scrabble, perhaps Mattel and Hasbro are missing a trick here. By working with the creators of Scrabulous, maybe they could get some Scrabble advertising into the application, or perhaps even rebrand it. If this was possible, the conflict could be easily resolved.

But then, I suppose, it would be harder for them to sell the retail version of Scrabble Interactive, a computer game that I find myself buying a new version of almost every year despite it being basically the same game every time!!!

Dear Sir or Madam, will you read my book?
By Dave Wilby

You’d be surprised how many techy people out there feel they have a great novel burning inside them. It doesn’t take too many journeys into the blogosphere to realise that a lot of individuals with high-tech day-jobs are worthy wordsmiths by night. We even have an up and coming author on our very own team! All of which goes someway to explaining why Amazon’s recent writing contest, the ‘Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award’ has proven so successful. The site’s most prolific reviewers this week picked 836 semi-finalists from over 5,000 total entries competing for a genuine book deal with Penguin. The winner will be announced on 7th April, but why not have a say in the matter by reviewing some of the hopefuls yourself? Take on 25 entries and you’ll be entered in a draw for an Amazon Kindle.

Guilt free travel’s a click away.
By Reshma Raghavani

British Airways have announced a green initiative that gives customers purchasing flights online the option to pay extra, in order to offset carbon emissions caused by their flight. The scheme, certified by the United Nations, helps to finance clean energy projects in developing countries.

Eco-programmes like these are nothing new. Easyjet announced a carbon offsetting scheme last summer, as did HSBC.

Is this just another marketing gimmick or is it finally evidence of organisations demonstrating a commitment to corporate social responsibility? Is it a very expensive publicity stunt by the corporate world, a feel-good, easy way out option to offer customers to continue using their services without the guilt? If not, it is a laudable action.

When BA’s customers offset their flight emissions, they will be supporting wind farms and hydro-electric plants in China. With the ratification of the Kyoto protocol, Britain has been given environmental targets to reach, so why not contribute to wind farms and hydro-electric projects closer to home in the UK?

Green issues have gained momentum over the last few years and consumers are becoming increasingly aware of the environmental impact of their actions. The corporate world, however, should carefully think how to support this green wave before earmarking sizeable chunks of their budgets.

Website of the Week

By Sean McManus

Wiidamage

Nintendo’s Wii console isn’t so much ‘the game on the telly’, as ‘the controller in the telly’. Sweaty hands and weak straps aren’t a good mix when playing sports games that involve throwing your arms around the room, as this site shows. When controllers break free, they shatter glass and dent walls. This site shows how playing computer games can cause a whole lot more damage than knocking balls around a real tennis court.

We hope you find the Prompt Communications newsletter an interesting read. For any feedback on our newsletter, or to discuss how we can help you with your technology PR, marketing, social media/blogging initiatives, copywriting or surveys, please contact us using the details below. We are always delighted to hear from you.