Brand: MacNews

Apple will be cutting the price of its PowerBook G4 this weekend, MacMinute sources have confirmed. The 400MHz model will drop US$400 in price, down to $2,199, while the 500MHz model will come down $500 to $2,999. Additionally, sources note that Apple will be ending its “Power To Burn” free CD-RW promotion in line with the price cuts. The promotion had been expected to run through Sept. 3.

Microsoft today announced that it will be bringing access to its Hotmail service to mobile phones across Europe via short messaging service (SMS). Once implemented, it will mark the first time that Microsoft has provided wireless access to Hotmail. SMS has been embraced by European nations but has yet to make a foothold in the US; customers are charged per message, instead of per minute.

Former Macworld columnist David Pogue, now the tech columnist for The New York Times, has written an excellent article that advises parents and students on which computer to purchase for college. The article, noted by MacSurfer, offers a fair assessment of computing in general, as well as discussing the Mac-PC question.

AOL Time Warner is the company that consumers trust least, according to a new Gartner study. Thirty seven percent of online consumers said they have a high level of distrust for the company, compared with 29 percent for Microsoft, which has traditionally been the company associated with consumer concern. The survey also found that online privacy and security are the two largest concerns among Web users.

Nikon today introduced the Coolpix 885, its latest three-megapixel digital camera. The Coolpix 885 sports a smaller enclosure than other 800-series cameras and weighs under eight ounces (without battery). Among the cameras other features is built-in USB connectivity, support for additional Nikon lenses, and a video capture mode. The camera will ship in September for US$599.95.