A federal program that funds "high-risk" technologies is at high risk of going out of business if Congress approves U.S. President George Bush's proposed federal budget for next year. Since it started awarding grants in 1990, the Advance Technology Program (ATP) has distributed some US$2.2 billion in funding to projects focusing on a range of subjects, including information technology, nanotechnology, biotechnology and advanced materials.

Plextor, perhaps best known to Mac users for its external optical drives and personal video recorder (PVR) devices, has entered the Network Attached Storage (NAS) market with the introduction of its PX-EH line. Prices start at US$299.

Google Inc. and Skype Ltd. have teamed up with two venture capital firms, Index Ventures and Sequoia Capital, to invest ?18 million (US$21.6 million) in Fon Technology SL, a Madrid-based startup that wants to build a global network of Wi-Fi hotspots.

Two of the world's largest manufacturers of LCD (liquid crystal display) panels have started making screens at new factories that should enable them to cut manufacturing costs and so lead to further price reductions in big-screen, flat-panel televisions.