Year: 2001

Belkin today began shipping its USB 2.0 4-port hub, which it claims is the first such product on the market. Like all USB 2.0 devices, the US$69.99 hub is backwards compatible with USB 1.1.

While work is already underway by a third-party developer on software allowing Windows users to take advantage of Apple’s iPod, ZDNet AnchorDesk‘s David Coursey believes that other MP3 player manufacturers will take cues from Apple’s industrial design and FireWire support to build MP3 players that support Windows out of the box. “…getting a Windows-based iPod, or at least equivalent functionality, won’t take too long, one way or another.

Symantec has released a new Norton AntiVirus 8.0 Beta for Mac OS X, which includes the Norton Antivirus application for scanning and repairing viruses; AutoProtect, which scans for viruses as they are written to disk; and Scheduler, which allows users to schedule various virus scans. To encourage users to test the beta, Symantec will give away 25 free copies of Norton AntiVirus for Macintosh to the first 25 beta testers that report an undocumented bug, as well as free copies for 25 other random beta test participants.

Blizzard Entertainment has released native Mac OS X versions of its popular real-time strategy game, StarCraft, and expansion pack Brood War. The new versions require Mac OS X 10.1 or later.

Apple, which currently operates a procurement office in Taipei, Taiwan that is expected to make $3 billion in purchases this year, is sending staff to open a branch office in Shenzhen, China, according to a Nasdaq report. The report also notes that Taiwan-based computer manufacturer Quanta Computer is expected to deliver between 300,000 and 400,000 notebook computers to Apple next year.