Week in Review: Axe falls on HP jobs

HP axe falls on almost 25,000 jobs

A week that had started poorly with the Lehmann Brothers bank collapse got worse with the news the 25,000 jobs were to go at HP. The cause of this was the merger with EDS, rather than a response to the credit crunch, but for those at HP who will be looking for new jobs over the next three years, it's not a fantastic market to be heading back into.

VMware's Paul Maritz goes on the offensiveThis week was WMworld 2008 and it was Paul Maritz's first conference since taking the helm after the departure of co-founder and chief-scientist, husband and wife team Diane Green and Mendel Rosenblum. Added to that VMWare also has the presence of Microsoft to deal with, and that's one that will be anything but virtual.

Insolvency service loses four laptops Despite a spate of high profile losses and thefts it seems that lessons are still not being learned when it comes to data security. The Insolvency Service revealed that four laptops, containing the personal information of 122 directors of bankrupt companies were nicked from its offices in Manchester. Considering the sensitive financial it's almost a relief the companies were already bankrupt.

Texting worse than drinking while drivingIt seems that most research done these days merely tells us what we already knew, but it's hard to admit that at least this one doesn't make a good point. An RAC Foundation study has found that those who text while driving pose more of a danger than drivers under the influence of drugs or alcohol. And yes, iPhone owners, that includes you.

Mick Jagger rocks EU e-commerce debateReading sentences such as, "trained accountant and Rolling Stone frontman Mick Jagger has been invited to an online commerce roundtable", might make you check if the date is actually 1 April but actually it's true. He of the generously lipped is there to give his thoughts on copyright issues and illegal downloads on a road table with the likes of Steve Jobs.

Benny Har-Even

Benny Har-Even is a twenty-year stalwart of technology journalism who is passionate about all areas of the industry, but telecoms and mobile and home entertainment are among his chief interests. He has written for many of the leading tech publications in the UK, such as PC Pro and Wired, and previously held the position of technology editor at ITPro before regularly contributing as a freelancer.

Known affectionately as a ‘geek’ to his friends, his passion has seen him land opportunities to speak about technology on BBC television broadcasts, as well as a number of speaking engagements at industry events.