Sony positions itself to squeeze Apple The newspapers were full of stories during 2004 about how Microsoft or RealNetworks or Napster were going to knock Apple’s iTunes off its perch, and time and time again, nothing really happened. Now we have the reverse. Continued

Thalys promises gaming and video-on-demand too Thalys will introduce broadband internet access to passengers travelling between Paris, Brussels, Amsterdam and Cologne by 2008, the company announced today. It will be the first international high-speed train to provide this service across European borders. Continued

InterDigital claims rights violations Nokia will be investigated by the US International Trade Commission (ITC) over claims that some of its mobile phones violate another company’s patents. Nokia said the patented technologies were agreed parts of a standardised technology. Continued

Software ’streamlined’ Nokia has updated its free satnav application, Nokia Maps, rolling in a range of tweaks designed, the Finnish phone giant claimed, to “streamline” the user experience. It’s also integrating the software into its Ovi online portal. Continued

Smartphone becomes music phone Motorola has unveiled its latest handset Q-series handset, the Q Music 9m. The handset is a fusion of Treo and Blackberry looks, and an update to its original Q model targeted directly at mobile music lovers looking for plenty of storage and multimedia capabilities. Continued

Big brother is listening Compliant Voice has received Vodafone Certification for its voice-recording application, which can catch calls made from mobiles and commit them to the memory of an intercepting server. Continued

Interview Von Tetzchner sings to El Reg Some of Opera’s long-term bets are beginning to pay off. The Norwegian web pioneer has invested in TV and mobile for years, and now Nintendo’s hit Wii console has put Opera into more than eight million living rooms. Mini has made the web usable on millions more phones. And the most recent major release of FireFox has been met with pushback on its performance, usability, and security. Continued

Don’t tap the PM’s phone… Ericsson has been hit with a 7.36m ($10m) fine for its role in tapping mobile phones belonging to the Greek prime minister and members of his Cabinet. Continued

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To subscribe to The Register’s weekly newsletter - seven days of IT in a single hit - click here Hey, Bill! 1999 rang - they want their news back Continued

Fixed: but not saying how Segments of the Orange mobile network flaked out during the week; particularly on Wednesday night, but Orange says everything’s fine now and not to worry about a thing. Continued

Vodafone will launch it tomorrow Palm’s new Euro-centric smartphone, due to be announced tomorrow, is indeed based on the design that’s been doing the rounds of the rumour sites since June. It will be released by Vodafone, under the Treo 500v moniker. Continued

Launches music bore store and portal It’s never been cool, and its critics say that it’s boring and bland, with all the style of a Soviet tractor factory. But it churns out a frightening amount of stuff each year, and it makes pots and pots of money. And its logo is absolutely everywhere. But that’s enough about The Ministry Of Sound. Continued

Carriers taking delivery US mobile phone networks have taken delivery of Motorola’s latest Razr handset - the slightly-skinnier-than-the-original Razr - the phone maker claimed late last week. Putting it on sale to punters may take a little longer. Continued

‘Sh*t, it said full just now’ - a cry of the past? You know the way your phone shows a full battery for ages and ages, then as soon as you make or take a call it throws a double six and shuts down? Or the way your mp3 player drops towards empty while playing, then suddenly climbs up to almost-full again as soon as you press stop? Continued

Less growth SAP has a new tormentor: Salesforce.com CEO Marc Benioff, who’s taken over from Oracle’s Larry Ellison as chief abuser while announcing financial results. Continued

US FCC spills beans The US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) website has revealed some technical specs for an upcoming O2 XDA handset, the Denim. The 3G slider is manufactured by Gigabyte and, despite the absence of a Levis red tab, incorporates a 2.6in touchscreen and two-megapixel main camera. Continued