Cutthroat competition spreads to Japan's electronics sector
The price wars that are affecting everything from fashion to fast food in Japan have spread to the electronics sector. Yamada Denki Co. has opened a vast new store selling discounted home appliances in the Shinjuku district of central Tokyo, with another store due to open nearby next year. The other key players in the sector - Bic Camera and Yodobashi Camera - already operate similar large-scale outlets nearby. The firms all have firm presences in the popular shopping districts of Shibuya, Ikebukuro and Akihabara and are considering further expansion plans.
The Independent

Guilty verdict in San Francisco rogue admin case
A former San Francisco network administrator has been found guilty of tampering with the city government's computer network. Terry Childs was found guilty of denial-of-service charges that can carry a penalty of up to five years in prison. He will be sentenced on 14 June. In what would become a textbook case of dysfunctional security and management practices in IT, Childs made headlines in 2008 when he locked city officials out of their own networks following a dispute with management.
V3

Facebook Like hits 50k sites in just one week
Whether you think it's a handy tool or insidious blight on the internet, nobody can deny that the Facebook Like button has been a hit – with a whopping 50,000 sites integrating the latest tool since launch. Facebook's Like button along with Activity Feed and Recommendations were launched on 75 sites, but have quickly become familiar sights on the internet – not bad for something that arrived at the f8 conference on 21 April.
TechRadar

Robot heart surgery to be done by remote control
A doctor will perform heart surgery remotely using a robot arm, in a pioneering operation conducted at Glenfield Hospital Leicester. Dr Andre Ng, Senior Lecturer in Cardiovascular Sciences at the University of Leicester and Consultant Cardiologist and Electrophysiologist, Glenfield Hospital, University Hospitals of Leicester, and quite possibly a man who needs a very large business card, is the first person to carry out an operation remotely on patients using this system.
TechRadar

Arsenal FC sets the pace with NETconsent
Arsenal Football Club is implementing new ways to distribute corporate policies with advanced software from NETconsent. With match day revenues now exceeding £100 million and an increased level of credit card transactions within the high tech Emirates Stadium, the correct handling of data is paramount for the Club. NETconsent allows policies, standards of conduct and customer data-handling procedures for some 400 staff to be communicated and controlled quickly and easily, with the added benefit of recording and reporting on employee’s understanding and acceptance of any changes.
Mobile Business Magazine

Will Vodafone Radically Change The 360 Platform With Android Smartphones?
The Vodafone 845, the mobile phone operator's first Android smartphone, could be a precursor of things to come as it is the first 360 smartphone to come out since Vodafone launched the Samsung H1 and M1. There are currently only four other quasi obsolete Nokia phones that come preloaded with the full set of 360.
ITproPortal

Palm being bought by Hewlett-Packard for $1 billion
Hewlett-Packard is buying Palm for nearly $1bn in cash, ending a brief period when it had looked as though the troubled smartphone maker might be bought by rival phone makers HTC or the Chinese computer maker Lenovo. The $5.70 per share price represents a 23% premium over the price yesterday. Accounting for debt, which HP is also taking on, the transaction has a value of $1.2bn. It is expected to close by the end of July. Last year Palm stock traded at up to $18 - though that is a far cry from its 2000 high of $552.
The Guardian

Microsoft unveils new Messenger service
Microsoft has announced the next generation of Windows Live Messenger, promising better sharing and interactivity. Speaking to students at the Universidad de Sao Paulo, Steve Ballmer previewed a new Messenger service which utilises the cloud more than ever before. The onus of the Messenger redux is very much about creating richer and more meaningful conversations through the service, adding things like social-network integration and better video and photo sharing.
Tech Radar

Apple Buys Siri To Push Voice Search
In a bid to take on Google's Android mobile OS, Apple has acquired Siri, a technology start-up that  develops voice-activated search applications for the iPhone and iPod Touch. California-based Siri, develops voice apps similar to the ones Google offers for its Android mobile operating system.
ITproPortal