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Tech News for Friday September 29th 2000

US PlayStation2 Rollout Half What Expected.
Posted: 09/29/2000     Source: eFront  Added by: Kim Heise

If you haven't pre-ordered a Playstation2 by now you may be in for a long wait.

Beginning on October 26th of this year, American consumers will be able to purchase the much anticipated and talked about gaming console, the PlayStation2. The new unit boasts a barrage of new features including DVD playing abilities as well as super-enhanced graphics capabilities over its predecessor. The only problem is that only half the number of those original users who wanted one will be able to get their hands on one. According to a Reuters report, PlayStation2 production is more than a month behind schedule, leaving only 500,000 units to be initially sold in the states, or half what was originally expected. This will be a major problem for gamers and parents who wanted the unit in time for the holiday season, and there is no word on when Sony will pick up production and catch up to its original mark.

Microsoft Loses Paul Allen From Board.
Posted: 09/29/2000     Source: eFront  Added by: Kim Heise

The news that Paul Allen has left Microsoft's board has been circulating the web all morning. Here's the news in the event you missed it:

Paul Allen, one of the key players in Microsoft Corp's [NASDAQ:MSFT] creation, will quit the software company's board of directors in November. He will, however, be retained as a strategy adviser to Bill Gates and other Microsoft executives.

In a statement today, Microsoft said Allen will not seek re-election to the board. Another director, Richard Hackborn, will also leave the board having already quit as chairman of the board of Hewlett-Packard Co. [NYSE:HWP] last week.

"Paul and I have an amazing friendship that extends back over 30 years," said Bill Gates, chairman of the Microsoft board of directors. "I will continue to value his friendship and counsel in the years ahead."

Allen said his new role as Microsoft's senior strategy adviser will enable him to spend more time on technology and products.

Allen has investments in numerous technology companies, owns the Seattle Seahawks football team and the Portland Trail Blazers basketball team and founded the Experience Music Project in Seattle.

Intel cancels plans for low-end chip.
Posted: 09/29/2000     Source: ZDNET  Added by: Kim Heise

This is not unexpected news as ZDNET reports that Intel has cancelled the plans for the "all-in-one" Timna CPU. The Timna CPU was aimed squarely at low-end PC market and was to be integrated with video and sound controllers.

In a nut-shell - Intel needs the production pipelines to focus on the delayed Pentium 4 in order to ramp up numbers to meet demand. Also the company did announce that the Timna would be delayed which made PC manufacturers rather unhappy. For now the Celeron appears to be Intel's low-end firepower. Expect the mysterious 133mhz FSB Celeron to show up.

Intel Corp. acknowledged on Friday that the company has cancelled its Timna processor. Timna, which was slated to power systems costing $600 and below, was to have launched in the first quarter of 2001. An Intel (Nasdaq: INTC) spokesman said the company cancelled Timna because PC suppliers were not all that keen on Intel's design - which combined processor, memory controller and graphics functions into a single chip - and because existing Celeron processors already are finding their way into low-cost systems. He also acknowledged that Intel needed at least another month before sending the chip to production - a delay which was not acceptable to PC makers. Intel said it plans to reallocate its planned Timna manufacturing capacity to Celerons and 810 chip sets.

Sun Plans 1.5-GHz Processors For 2001.
Posted: 09/29/2000     Source: TechWeb  Added by: Kim Heise

TechWeb reports on Sun's plans to ramp up the clock speed for the UltraSPARC III processor to 1.5GHZ sometime next year.

Sun Microsystems Inc. unveiled its UltraSparc III processor generation here Thursday, with initial speeds of 600 to 900 MHz and an on-chip memory controller that handles up to 8 Gbytes of storage.

Sun (stock: SUNW) also laid out a new product road map, setting a target for 1.5-GHz UltraSparc III processors in 2001 and successive MPU generations that lead to the introduction of a 2.1-GHz UltraSparc V in 2003.

The new UltraSparc III chip is being produced by Texas Instruments Inc., which is using a 0.15-micron process technology to make the RISC processor. The high-end 900-MHz UlraSparc III is being made with copper interconnects, while the initial 600- and 750-MHz processors are being fabricated with aluminum-metal layers. The UltraSparc III has 29 million transistors and seven layers of metal interconnect. The memory controller and system controller functions occupy one-third of the UltraSparc III chip, according to Sun.

Pokemon Browser Ships.
Posted: 09/29/2000     Source: TechWeb  Added by: Kim Heise

It's a Friday and here's some useless information (maybe annoying). My only comment: "AAARGH!".

Another Internet browser has hit the streets. This one features the ubiquitous Pokemon cartoon character, free of charge. The Pokemon Internet Browser is from Nintendo of America Inc., Redmond, Wash., creator of interactive entertainment; and MediaBrowser, Tampa, Fla., an Internet software and new media company. The browser can be downloaded from pokemon.com, or ordered from the site in a CD-ROM.

Sun UltraSPARC III Chip specs.
Posted: 09/29/2000     Source: Sun  Added by: Kim Heise

Sun just recently announced new servers running the new sporty UltraSPARC III processors. For those of you curious to see what's under the hood on the new UltraSPARC III CPU:

Sun Microsystems today said that it has begun volume shipments of its second-generation 64-bit microprocessor, the UltraSPARC(TM) III chip. The cornerstone of Sun's next-generation network computing architecture, the UltraSPARC III microprocessor is designed to meet the demands of the Net Effect. The first implementations of the new processor come in the new Sun Blade(TM) 1000 high-end workstations and the new Sun Fire(TM) 280R workgroup server, both announced today.

• 29 million transistors
• Copper interconnect
• 9.6 Gigabyte-per-second address bus
• 4.8 Gigabyte/second memory pathway
• Dedicated memory controller
• Support for a large 8 Megabyte ECC-protected external cache
• New error isolation and correction ``Uptime Bus'
• Initially released at 900, 750 and 600 MHz
• Clock speeds in the 1.5 GHz
• Scalable to hundreds of processors

Microsoft "Whistler" OS to Beta1 to launch October 25th.
Posted: 09/29/2000     Source: WinINFO  Added by: Kim Heise

What do you get when you merge Windows Millennium and Windows 2000? You supposedly end up with Windows "Whistler". Microsoft will be releasing Beta1 of the new operating system this October 25th to selected testers. 

Here's a clip from WinINFO regarding "Whistler":

Beta 1 release of Whistler, the next version of Windows 2000, has slipped two weeks from October 11 to October 25. The Whistler release schedule--which was reported first in WinInfo Daily Update last month--was to culminate in a final release next April. But Microsoft has publicly stated that Whistler won't ship to the public until Q3 2001, giving the company some breathing room. And with a new policy of shipping products when they're ready rather than sticking to an arbitrary schedule, Microsoft may actually be doing the right thing by delaying the release. Though the reason for the delay is currently unknown, testers can expect to see the official Beta 1 release--and possibly another interim build--in October.

Whistler, which will likely be marketed as Windows.NET 1.0, will finally consolidate Microsoft's Windows 9x and NT/2000 products into a single architecture. As such, the 32-bit OS will ship in Personal, Professional, Server, and Advanced Server editions next fall, while 64-bit versions of Professional, Server, and Advanced Server will also be provided for the Intel Itanium processor. A minor upgrade to Windows 2000, Whistler will feature a "skinnable" user interface, simplification improvements, easier to use security, improved boot times, and a number of other user request features. One nice touch, and this was a topic of some debate during the Windows 2000 beta: An alternate connection setting for network interfaces, so that the same network card can easily be used at the office and home without reconfiguring it every time you move. Whistler will be succeeded by Blackcomb (Windows.NET 2.0), a major upgrade to Windows 2000 that will feature a new user interface and the full set of .NET technologies.

PC makers report Pentium 4 delay.
Posted: 09/29/2000     Source: CNET  Added by: Kim Heise

Intel is delaying the first shipments of the much hyped Pentium 4 chip to PC makers and OEM's. Originally the Pentium 4 was planned for shipping around Halloween but now it has been moved to as late as November 20th or even later.

No word from the Intel P.R. team at this time and I will let you know if I find some updated news. The delay could be anything from CPU production problems/shortages to problems/shortages with motherboard chipsets that drive the new CPU.

Intel has delayed delivery of its long-awaited Pentium 4 processor, according to PC makers.

Two PC makers said today that Intel notified them the processor would not be ready for delivery around Halloween, as expected, while sources at a third manufacturer said Intel indicated it may not arrive by then. The Pentium 4 is not expected until the week of Nov. 20 and possibly later.

Tech News for Wednesday September 27th 2000

FreeBSD 4.1.1-RELEASE Available.
Posted: 09/27/2000     Source: eFront  Added by: Kim Heise

FreeBSD 4.1.1 has been posted for release with a whole slew of new features. Most notably the new release supports ATA-100 drives and now offers full RSA encryption for more secure networking.

What's so special about FreeBSD you may ask? For one, it's for free and secondly nothing could be easier to create a internet sharing "device" using NAT (network address translation). It's almost a joke how easy FreeBSD is to configure and setup as NAT box. I use FreeBSD to share a single internet connection over multiple systems at home and have been very impressed on how stable and simple the OS to maintain. Yes it is possible to use Linux for NAT but it is much easier under FreeBSD.

Download FreeBSD 4.1.1:

4.1.1-RELEASE
ISO for 4.1.1-RELEASE

Motorola unveils next-generation phones.
Posted: 09/27/2000     Source: ZDNET  Added by: Kim Heise

Finally we may see a future without a tangle of cables cluttered up behind your desk as Bluetooth wireless products are starting to slowly (but eventually) emerge into the public arena.

Motorola is set to release new cell phones that allow you to connect up to your laptop for internet access as far as 30 feet away via wireless communications.

Motorola Inc. (NYSE: MOT) introduced its Timeport 270 phone Wednesday, its first Bluetooth-capable mobile phone. Bluetooth is a new short-distance wireless technology that eliminates the need for cables between electronic devices, including personal computers, mobile phones, headsets, handheld computers and printers.

The new phones, to be made available in December, would allow consumers to access the Internet on their portable computers up to 30 feet away from their mobile phones without having to find a physical data connection.

Two New Cameras From Agfa.
Posted: 09/27/2000     Source: iXBT Labs  Added by: Kim Heise

Just another FYI for those of you keeping in touch with digital photography.

Agfa last week introduced two print-ready, dual-mode ePhoto digital cameras - the CL20 and the CL34 -at photokina 2000 in Cologne, Germany. In addition to taking digital still or video images, the new ePhotos come equipped with a PhotoPrint button. Pressing the button immediately uploads the images to AGFAnet Print Service software from which they can be transmitted to a photo lab for professional photofinishing. In video mode, the cameras also can be used for live video conferencing via USB connection.
The first cam, ePhoto CL34, features an optical viewfinder and 1.8” color LCD screen. Maximum resolution is a true 1.3Mpixels. The camera provides 2MB of internal memory. It also has a CompactFlash slot for expanded storage. Besides, CL34 offers a “videoclip” capability for recording live action on location. Maximum video resolution is 320x240ppi at 30fps.
The ePhoto CL20 offers the same features as its sister camera but without an LCD display. It has a convenient optical viewfinder and a CompactFlash slot for additional capacity. The internal memory can hold up to 4 images at the highest resolution (1.3Mpixels with PhotoGenie) and 24 images at VGA resolution. The CL20 offers live video only with the USB interface at a maximum resolution of 640x480 at 20fps or 320x240 at 30fps.
Both cameras operate on AA-sized alkaline batteries; the CL20 uses two and the CL34 four.
Manufacturer's suggested retail price for the ePhoto CL34, which will be available mid-December, is $229. The ePhoto CL20 will be available in November for $149.

Samsung Develops 128MB Smart Media Card
Posted: 09/27/2000     Source: Digital Chosunibo  Added by: Kim Heise

The applications for larger storage capacity on smart cards are endless. Think of portable MP3 players, digital cameras and PDA's.

Samsung Electronics announced Tuesday that it had produced a 128MB "Smart Media" card, for the first time in the world. A spokesperson said that the company used 0.18 micron technology to double the number of chips in the card. Samsung will mass produce the product from early next year aiming for sales of US$1.4 billion in 2002.

Intel squares off for handset slugfest with Texas Instruments.
Posted: 09/27/2000     Source: EBNEWS  Added by: Kim Heise

Not too much to add to this article but something rather interesting especially for those of us who are watching the wireless industry.

Taking another swing at Texas Instruments Inc. in its grand plan to conquer the market for handheld communications equipment, Intel Corp. is unveiling a technology platform based around its XScale microprocessor.

Immediately distinguishing itself from TI's DSP-driven efforts, the Intel Personal Client Architecture (IPCA) is based on the company's belief that new handheld devices will require more powerful RISC-style processing engines to handle the bulk of the work load.

Not surprisingly, Intel unveiled the architecture this week at the Intel Developer Forum in Japan, where the company already has a presence in cellular handsets.

Sun touts first computers based on new chip.
Posted: 09/27/2000     Source: CNET  Added by: Kim Heise

Sun has a couple of new systems planned for the near future but you won't be able to find one for another couple of months.

Sun Microsystems today will introduce Sun Fire and Sun Blade, the first computers based on its new UltraSparc III chip, but customers will have to wait several more months before most systems go on sale.

The first tentative steps into the UltraSparc III product line are the Sun Fire 280R server, code-named "Grover," and the Sun Blade 1000 workstation, code-named "Excalibur," relatively low-end systems that can accommodate up to two of the new CPUs. Until January, though, the Sun Fire will only be available in a limited $89,000 configuration that comes packaged with Sun's T3 "Purple" storage server, said John Shoemaker, executive vice president of Sun's systems products group.

And if you are looking for some major CPU bandwidth for your application:

In the spring, Sun will unveil "StarCat," a successor to the current E10000. It will accommodate as many as 105 CPUs in a number-crunching configuration and 74 CPUs in a configuration for large businesses, Shoemaker said. And using a technology called "coherent memory architecture," Sun will be able to join four such systems to act as a single computer sharing the same memory and operating system.

"All platforms will be rolled out in the next nine to 12 months, max," Shoemaker said. "We're late compared to our original schedule, but they're not unusual delays compared to the competition."

Intel to sell servers for voice-powered Web sites.
Posted: 09/27/2000     Source: CNET  Added by: Kim Heise

Intel has unveiled dedicated voice powered servers for users to connect via a standard telephone system to retrieve stock, weather or even email.

Intel will sell new servers that will allow consumers to retrieve stock quotes, weather updates or pricing information from Web sites using just a phone.

The new servers, part of the NetStructure line of server appliances, essentially simplify and improve how Web sites can be navigated by verbal commands rather than typed commands. With this sort of technology, consumers can ask for technical assistance from support desks through cell phones, and a computer with an automated human voice will spit back the answer.

True 3D screens for PC's.
Posted: 09/27/2000     Source: Wired  Added by: Kim Heise

For a hefty $7,500 to $15,000 for the integrated system you can purchase a monitor that improves 3D image quality on your PC. 

Try as they might, PCs, even those with 3-D graphics cards, can only give users an illusion of 3-D because of that flat tube in the monitor. Although images may be drawn to convey depth, since they are presented on a flat screen, they will ultimately be flat.

But truly three-dimensional graphics may finally be possible with Deep Video Imaging Ltd.'s pricey new 3-D LCD monitors, which offer a true depth-of-field view. The Deep Video screens are LCD panels approximately 5 inches thick, and are actually two screens in one, with the front screen translucent so the user can see through to the back.

TOP

Fujitsu Demonstrates 2.11 Terabit Fiber Optic DWDM Transmission Over 7,200km.
Posted: 09/27/2000     Source: Electic Tech  Added by: Kim Heise

Imagine having a 2.11 terabit broadband connection to the Internet. Just to think that even the top speed of your existing hard drives would create a major wait-state for the network connection. 

Here's the article in it's entirety because of the importance of this speed break-through.

Fujitsu Laboratories Ltd. has successfully completed the world's first 7,200-kilometer transmission experiment using the multi-terabit optical dense wavelength division multiplex (DWDM) communications technology that will support the larger-capacity and higher-speed Internet of the future. This development is expected to enable trans-Atlantic transmission (over 6,500 kilometers) using a single optical fiber with 211 wavelength channels-each providing 10 gigabits per second data transmission for a total of 2.11 terabits/second. In addition, by adopting Raman amplification*1, Fujitsu was able to extend the repeater spacing from the former 50 kilometers to 80 kilometers, enabling a significant reduction in the number of optical repeaters. Fujitsu presented details of its development on September 7 at the European Conference on Optical Communication in Munich, Germany.

Development Background

The spread of the Internet is bringing global-scale changes to the way companies do business and people's lifestyles, and the worldwide demand for greater communications bandwidth and speed needed to take full advantage of the Internet is increasing by leaps and bounds. Since data transmission capacity increases in proportion to the number of wavelengths transmitted, dense wavelength division multiplexing (DWDM)-which enables the transmission of multiple optical wavelengths over a single optical fiber-has emerged as a key enabling technology to meet this demand. However, in the case of trans-oceanic long-distance transmission systems, a major challenge has been how to achieve large transmission capacity while extending repeater spacing. In order to assure a given signal-to-noise (S/N) ratio in a single stream of light, the optical amplification repeaters need to have a high output. On the other hand, in order to decrease the waveform distortion caused by the fiber non-linear effect*2, the light output from the optical amplification repeater must be decreased, and the trade-off between the two requirements has been a major obstacle. Raman amplification, a transmission method that offsets fiber loss, had been proposed to deal with this problem, but until now it has not been successfully incorporated into broadband technology appropriate for DWDM long-haul transmission. Accordingly, the world record in previous transmission experiments stood at a total distance of 7,000 kilometers at 1.8Tb/s with a repeater spacing of 50km.

Specific features of the new technology follow:

Broadband optical amplifier

1. By making use of an excitation, i.e., pumping light for the Raman amplifier in multiple wavelengths while optimizing wavelength and optical power, a flat and uniform amplification was made possible in broad wavelength bands. And by combining the new Raman amplifier with an existing 1550nm/1580nm band optical fiber amplifier, Fujitsu was able to achieve simultaneous amplification of 211 wavelength channels, combining 103 in the 1550nm band and 108 in the 1580nm band using a 37.5GHz (0.3nm) wavelength spacing.
Broadband fiber

2. Utilizing fibers having two different characteristics between the optical amplifiers resulted in a system suitable for broadband. Specifically, Fujitsu adopted a hybrid fiber, comprising an optical fiber with a large core diameter and low loss at the front portion of the interval between repeaters and, in the back portion, one able to compensate for the dispersion of each wavelength-a factor in waveform distortion. This approach made high Raman gain possible as well as a broad bandwidth of 72nm (9THz when computed in terms of optical frequencies).

Fujitsu conducted an experiment using the aforementioned new technology and was able to transmit a 2.11-terabit/second data signal over a distance of 7,200 kilometers, sufficient for direct trans-Atlantic transmission. In addition, the repeater space was increased by about 1.6 times to 80km, reducing the number of repeaters significantly, from 144 units to 90 units.

Previously, Fujitsu has succeeded in demonstrating an actual 640Gb/s optical submarine cable system that multiplexes 64 channels of 10Gb/s transmission. Capitalizing on the results of this latest experiment, Fujitsu intends to move ahead with development efforts to commercialize trans-oceanic optical transmission systems with even greater capacity and longer intervals between repeaters.

Tech News for Tuesday September 26th 2000

Transmeta CEO Says Crusoe Leaves x86 Stranded.
Posted: 09/26/2000     Source: TechWeb  Added by: Kim Heise

Transmeta has been touting their new Crusoe CPU in that it supposedly leaves the (now infamous x86) CPU architecture in the past and that Intel, AMD & Via would take years to catch up.

Nevertheless, the computer industry is market driven and whom ever runs the show usually sets the standards as Intel has in the past. AMD and Via are about to challenge that.

Transmeta is smart by dedicating it's CPU design to a dedicated market and not lock horns directly with AMD and Intel. The company plans on marketing the Crusoe CPU towards portables and Internet mobile devices.

Transmeta believes its technology is at least five years ahead of industry giants Intel and Advanced Micro Devices, its CEO said Tuesday.

The once highly secretive Transmeta Corp. burst into the limelight in January when it unveiled its Crusoe chip, which uses software to perform many functions previously done by hardware, enabling lighter PC notebooks with much longer battery life.

"For them to catch up, they would also need a software-based approach," said CEO David Ditzel. "That means they would have to start from scratch, and from my 20 years of experience, it would take at least five years to get a new microprocessor out the door."

Transmeta, which filed for an initial public offering in mid-August, is gaining in stature within the industry and on Wall Street as more and more companies unveil Crusoe-driven notebooks.

New animated graphics format announced.
Posted: 09/26/2000     Source: Core Bitmap Animations  Added by: Kim Heise

Here's something interesting for web developers: A new company has developed a new animated graphics format for web pages that supports 32bit color and has better compression ratios over standard GIF animations. For examples and comparisons you can visit this link or for more information (FAQ) you can visit this link.

Oh, before I forget: The new format is free!

CBA Stands for CORE BITMAP ANIMATION, a completely new compressed graphics and animation format developed by Core Logic Software, designed to avoid the well-known licensing issue associated with Unisys' GIF Compression technology aka LZW Compression. Our software allows you to convert any existing GIF, Bitmap, animated GIF, or a series of individual bitmap images into the CBA format, which can be flawlessly integrated into any software, or easily embedded into any html page via an "object" tag.

Although it was primarily designed for use in software development, it is fully compatible with Microsoft Internet Explorer via an automated, quick, and fully COM compliant activeX control download.

ISS Warns Of New Denial Of Service Hacker Utilities.
Posted: 09/26/2000     Source: Newsbytes  Added by: Kim Heise

Web masters and WAN security specialists may wish to take special note to this article posted over at Newsbytes. In this industry if one is working in the network security field you cannot sit still for 5 minutes or someone is going to exploit a yet-to-be discovered vulnerability in your network.

Here is the complete article:

Internet Security Systems (ISS) has warned its customers and the IT security industry at large of new variants of the distributed denial of service (DDOS) utilities that brought down several major Web sites earlier this year.

The DDOS utilities, which hackers used to down eBay, Amazon, Yahoo and dozens of other major portals, have resurfaced in new variants of Trinity and Stacheldraht, the two main DDOS utilities, the firm's X-Force security alert team said.

The firm adds that the new versions of Stacheldraht include "Stacheldraht 1.666+antigl+yps" and "Stacheldraht 1.666+smurf+yps," while a variant of the Trinity tool called "entitee" has also been reported. All of the variants have been found in the wild - i.e., in general circulation.

ISS said that the new tools were detected in corporate networks, as well as in PC with high-speed network connections. The firm also warned that the prevalence of high speed DSL (digital subscriber line) and cable modem service magnifies these tools' potential effectiveness.

The company has posted a full breakdown on how the Stacheldraht and other DDOS programs work on its Web site at http://xforce.iss.net/alerts/advise43.php .

TOP

Tech News for Monday September 25th 2000

Red Hat 7 Released.
Posted: 09/25/2000     Source: Red Hat  Added by: Kim Heise

Red Hat has released 7.0 of the popular Linux (UNIX) operating system that can be downloaded here. For more information and features read the press release here.

Some of the new features include:

• OpenSSL with 128-bit encryption for secure web communication
  
• 2.4 kernel ready
  
• USB support for mice and keyboards
  
• XFree 4.0.1 for improved video performance
  
• Cleaner, faster, more customizable GNOME desktop and Sawfish window manager
  
• Graphical kernel tuning tool
  
• Graphical firewall configuration tool.

Good luck on the download. It appears as if the servers are very busy.

Palm, Motorola to team on cell phone.
Posted: 09/25/2000     Source: CNET  Added by: Kim Heise

Just as Mindspring (Palm PDA competitor) announces future wireless products for their ever popular PDA's, Palm Computing announces a partnership with Motorola to develop cell phones.

Palm and Motorola will jointly develop a cell phone based on the handheld computer maker's software, the companies are set to announce today, a boost to Palm's ongoing efforts to diversify its business.

As previously reported, Motorola and Palm will develop a so-called smart phone, with integrated personal digital assistant (PDA) software, wireless Internet access, and technology to synchronize data with a PC, the companies said. The co-branded phone will be released sometime in 2002 and sold through Motorola.

Rival AMD wins contracts as Intel struggles.
Posted: 09/25/2000     Source: CNET  Added by: Kim Heise

AMD has picked up two new customers - Micron and UK's Tiny PC. All this competition between AMD, Intel, Via and Cyrix for the x86 market is fantastic but I hope we (the customer) are no longer used as testers for premature processors that are dropped on the market it a global chess game.

Two more computer manufacturers have agreed to incorporate processors from Advanced Micro Devices in their PCs, and the timing couldn't be better for the chipmaker.

Micron Electronics has announced that it will incorporate AMD's Duron processor in computers sold at Best Buy electronics stores. AMD also said Tiny PC, a British manufacturer, will begin to use Athlon and Duron chips in consumer PCs.

The deals are being announced a day after Intel surprised the computer industry by stating that third-quarter sales would be lower than expected while gross margins--the percentage of revenue left over after costs are deducted--would also come in lower than predicted.

Although the timing of the contracts is fortuitous for AMD, they are not directly related to Intel's report. Intel said it would miss its earlier forecasts because of slower sales in Europe, a region being wracked by a currency crisis and other economic problems.

Creative Labs purchases Aureal.
Posted: 09/25/2000     Source: Creative Labs  Added by: Kim Heise

We desperately need some more competition in the PC audio area now that Creative has usurped Aureal and there is one less competitor on the playing field. Not that Creative's sound cards are poor it is just that the competition will keep them on their toes. 

It has me a little concerned that Windows Me has been on the market for over a week and still no SoundBlaster Live! drivers are available - not even a press release of upcoming drivers. This is a sign of a company that is overly relaxed in the industry unless I missed the announcement somewhere. 

Creative Technology Ltd. (NASDAQ: CREAF) today announced that on September 21, 2000, the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of California, Oakland Division entered the final order approving the sale to Creative of substantially all of the assets of Aureal Semiconductor, Inc., including patents, trademarks and other intellectual property. The sale will also include settlement of all outstanding litigation claims between Aureal and Creative. Creative will pay US$28 million in cash, plus two new shares of Creative stock for every 100 outstanding shares of Aureal stock, or 208,079 shares of Creative stock. The Creative shares are valued at approximately US$4.35 million, based on the fair market value of Creative stock on September 21, 2000. The new Creative shares constitute approximately 0.26 percent of the enlarged issued share capital of Creative.

Intel unleashes 850Mhz mobile Pentium III.
Posted: 09/25/2000     Source: The Register  Added by: Kim Heise

850mhz on a laptop? Wow - those portable systems are moving into the 1ghz arena. The Register reports that Intel has geared up for 850mhz mobile Pentium III's to try and maintain the lead on AMD and Cyrix.

Both the Pentium IIIs use SpeedStep and run at 1.65V in maximum performance mode and 1.35V and a slower clock speed in battery-optimized mode.

The only surprise was the pricing: $722 for the 850/700MHz PIII and $508 for its 800/650MHz sibling - considerably more expensive than expected.

PC Memory prices.
Posted: 09/25/2000     Source: N/A  Added by: Kim Heise

If you are in the market for extra memory for your PC then you had better purchase your upgrade quickly. Several web sites report that memory prices are about to increase and so today may be a better time than ever although RAM prices are the highest I've seen in a long time. I was able several months back to purchase 133mhz 128MB SDRAM for around $90 USD and now the price for the same memory stick is well over $160 USD. Ram prices might push the $200 USD mark for 128MB modules. 

Keep in mind that the reports may be leaked by the memory vendors themselves to help boost sales so it is somewhat of a gamble.