Tomorrow's News Today

Please visit our Sponsor

RSS Feeds

• Anandtech

• CNET News

• CrankyGeeks

• DailyTech

• Endgadget

• Security Now

• TechARP

• TGDaily

• Winsupersite

Sony doubles density of CD-RWs.
Posted: 03/16/2001     Source: CNET  Added by: Kim Heise

Wow - imagine doubling CD recordable storage space. The price for the new recorders are going to ship for a very reasonable $249.

Now all we need is for the average CD reader to support this new format so we can double the amount of music stored. The music industry executives are going to "warm up" the lawyers just in case.

Sony is aiming to double the pleasure of CD-R and CD-RW lovers.

On Tuesday, the consumer electronics giant unveiled Double Density CD-R and CD-RW drives and discs.

Dubbed DD-R and DD-RW, the discs can hold 1.3GB of data, or about 300 songs. That is twice the capacity of CD-R and CD-RW discs, which hold 650MB. The technology doubles the capacity of the discs by essentially shrinking the space between the tracks on the media.

The drives will be available in retail stores by the beginning of April and will cost $249. DD-R discs will cost $1.99 each, and DD-RW discs will cost $2.99.

Sony's new products are an attempt to provide a middle solution between CD-RWs and their giant cousin, DVD-rewritable discs, which offer 4.7GB of capacity.

"With a 1.3GB capacity, users can now get the best of both worlds, but not at twice the price," said Bob DeMoulin, a product marketing manager at Sony.

By contrast, Pioneer plans to start selling around May an add-on version of its drive that can play and record both DVDs and CDs. Pioneer's drive is expected to sell for around $1,000, with the discs costing $10 to $20 apiece.

AMD Palomino notebooks running late.
Posted: 03/16/2001     Source: ZDNET  Added by: Kim Heise

AMD has been a little slow on notebook processor releases but that should change shortly. Understandably with using huge amounts of resources directed at the desktop and server market there has been little available for the mobile market.

Athlon-based notebooks from top-tier PC makers will arrive fashionably late this year.
Notebooks that run on Palomino--a version of Advanced Micro Devices' (NYSE: AMD) Athlon processor that consumes less power than standard Athlon chips--could come out as soon as next month.

But models from top-tier PC makers will likely show up a lot later. Industry sources indicate that major PC makers have recently pushed back until June or July plans to introduce notebooks based on the processors. Compaq Computer (NYSE: CPQ) and Hewlett-Packard (NYSE: HWP) are among the major manufacturers expected to adopt the chip.

AMD is expected to begin to more aggressively market the chip midyear.

The belated release comes not because of flaws with Palomino but because of a lack of notebook-specific chipsets, motherboards and other components. The same issue already prompted AMD to push back the release of Palomino from last year's fourth quarter to the first quarter of 2001. Morgan, a power-saving version of AMD's budget Duron processor, was also delayed last year from the fourth quarter to the second quarter of 2001.

TOP    MORE

3DMark2k1 benchmark released.
Posted: 03/16/2001     Source: Madonion  Added by: Kim Heise

If you are wanting to see how well your PC performs under a whole slew of stressful 3D video and CPU tests you should take the new 3DMark 2001 benchmark for a run. Even if you don't care much for benchmarks the program in itself is the most amazing "eye-candy" you can imagine - if your video card and processor can handle the stressful tests. Download the demo from Madonion.

Bugs Fixed in Windows NT 4.0 Service Pack 7.
Posted: 03/16/2001     Source: ActiveWin  Added by: Kim Heise

Microsoft to unveil .Net software for Linux.
Posted: 03/16/2001     Source: Computer World  Added by: Kim Heise

Microsoft is pushing strong to try not turn the ".Net" concept into ".Hype" by offering cross platform support for other operating systems. In this case they will be offering Linux support for .Net.

Still haven't made myself very clear on what this ".Net" is. It appears to be some proprietary Microsoft web tool.

Microsoft Corp. will unveil software next week that will allow Web services created using .Net technology to run on computers that use non-Windows operating systems, CEO Steve Ballmer said in a speech here last night.

"We'll make some announcements Monday where we'll have ways for people who are not running on top of a Microsoft platform ... to implement our .Net services," Ballmer said, speaking at a dinner hosted by The Churchill Club, a Silicon Valley nonprofit group.

Asked if the operating systems supported will include Linux, seen by some as a competitor to Windows, Ballmer replied that they would.

"Do we have a way for people who host Web sites on Linux to build on [.Net]? Yes, we do," he said. "That's not to say our overall strategy is not to get those Web sites over to Windows, but we will provide a way for those Linux servers to use .Net."

TOP    MORE

Boeing puts Linux, AMD supercomputer in orbit.
Posted: 03/16/2001     Source: ZDNET  Added by: Kim Heise

Just an interesting news clip over at ZDNET. Apparently someone else is not concerned over the stability of the Linux operating system or AMD processors.

Boeing on Wednesday bought a 96-processor supercomputer based on the Linux operating system and Advanced Micro Devices processors for use in designing the new Delta IV rocket that launches satellites into space.
The system was built by Linux Networx, a Sandy, Utah-based company that specializes in "Beowulf" clusters--gangs of networked Linux machines that collectively tackle computational problems.

The system is the fourth that Linux Networx has sold to the aerospace giant, but it's the first using AMD (NYSE: AMD) chips, said spokesman Brad Rutledge.

Though AMD is known chiefly for giving rival Intel (Nasdaq: INTC) a run for its money in the desktop computer market, the company also has a modest effort under way to crack into the low-budget Beowulf supercomputer market.

SiS ships Tualatin chipset.
Posted: 03/16/2001     Source: Geek.com  Added by: Kim Heise

SIS is very smart filling the need for developing motherboard chipsets for Intel processors that support DDRAM memory.

Note that DDRAM RAM motherboards are not showing the excessive speed increases that were promised and it may be due to early designs or simple hype. In theory (as in on paper) DDRAM should provide double the memory bandwidth over standard SDRAM.

SiS claims that they are already shipping chipsets designed for Intel's .13 micron Pentium III chips, code-named Tualatin. The SiS633T and SIS635T chipsets are both being sent to motherboard manufacturers. It appears that one chipset will support standard SDRAM and the other DDR. The first Tualatin chip will be a 1.13GHz Pentium III. Intel tried to produce a .18 micron Pentium III at 1.13GHz and failed last year when they had to issue a recall. The new .13 micron PIIIs are due sometime around the middle of 2001.

Intel's 1-GHz Mobile Chip To Launch Monday.
Posted: 03/16/2001     Source: TechWeb  Added by: Kim Heise

It's amazing to see that laptops will be soon clocked faster than the average desktop PC. It appears Intel will win the race for developing and shipping mobile processors that break (or match) the 1GHZ barrier.

Intel Corp. will announce its 1-GHz mobile Pentium III on Monday, sources said, almost certainly beating rival Advanced Micro Devices Inc. to the punch.

Intel and AMD have dueled before, both preannouncing 1-GHz desktop chips last year. But this time is different: Intel's customers—OEMs such as Dell Computer Corp., Hewlett-Packard Co., and IBM—have finished notebooks waiting to ship.

"For anybody who's trying to push the top end of mobile products, this is an important announcement," said Dean McCarron, principal at Mercury Research Corp., Scottsdale, Ariz.

The chip will find a home within high-end "desktop-replacement" notebooks, a segment designed to appeal to corporate customers and other consumers who want desktop-like performance on the go.

TOP    MORE

London—Palm Computing products are losing market share to Microsoft's Pocket PC devices in both Europe and the United States, according to a new study.

The study, released Wednesday by London-based market-research firm Context, reports that from December to January, Palm dropped 4 percent in penetration of the European PDA market, while Pocket PC jumped about 12 percent. Context said Palm (stock: PALM) now has 55 percent of the market, down from 59 percent, compared with Pocket PC's more than 30 percent, up from about 18 percent.

During the same period in the United States, Palm products—including Handspring Visors—dropped to 86 percent market share from 92 percent, according to PC Data, while Pocket PC products grew to 12 percent from 10 percent.

In the face of this trend, Palm, Santa Clara, Calif., said it is working to diversify its product offerings.

Internet Explorer 6 Delayed Again.
Posted: 03/16/2001     Source: ActiveWin  Added by: Kim Heise

Not surprising that IE 6 public preview has been delayed again. It appears Microsoft is planning to release the new browser in parallel to Windows XP beta 2.

I know most of you are wondering why Internet Explorer 6 wasn't released again today from the bunches of e-mails I've received. It seems that since Windows XP Beta 2 was delayed at least another week, so will the IE 6 release. So the next closest day we have a chance (if MS doesn't delay again), is next Wednesday the 21st. We'll have to wait and see!

Windows XP Beta2 & IE6 this Week.
Posted: 03/13/2001     Source: WinINFO  Added by: Kim Heise

Windows XP beta 2 release date is moved almost weekly so I would not hold my breath on this one but it should hopefully surface sometime soon. Also Microsoft will be releasing IE version 6 (preview release) for users to download and test. Basically the preview release is a relatively stable beta release and Microsoft is hoping users will find any last minute bugs.

Make sure you backup your valuable data when taking the new IE beta 6 for a test drive and don't wait up for Windows XP beta 2 since it will only be released for certified beta testers.

Upcoming Creative Labs Sound cards.
Posted: 03/13/2001     Source: X-Bit Labs  Added by: Kim Heise

Various news sites report Creative Labs is moving out of the video graphics industry due to slim financial returns on video cards. The company has been reported as stating that they will not be producing a GeForce3 based video card at this time because the company feels the new video processor is far too expensive and it is too early for the market to embrace such technology.

Anyway, Creative Labs will be releasing several new audio products for both the Apple and PC clone architecture. One market were Creative Labs still reigns king is in the audio industry and they are smart to keep up the pressure in that sector.

Among the upcoming innovations we can list not only the double power of the new sound processor and more supported effects but also:

• Dual Firewire/1394 support, the newest sound cards will have a Firewire controller onboard;
• Support for Secure Content technology (work with Copyright protected sound);
• 6 channel digital and analogue out (Dolby Digital support);
• Software PlayCenter 2, up to 320kbps coder and 9-time acceleration.

The sound card family based on the new processor will be called Sound Blaster Audigy and will include the following models:

• Sound Blaster Audigy X-Gamer. This sound card is aimed at the gaming market and is to replace the today’s X-Gamer. The price is expected to be around $99.
• Sound Blaster Audigy MP3+. In fact, this is just the same thing as the previous model with that only difference that the developers devoted a lot of attention to MP3 when working on it. The product will cost about $99.
• Sound Blaster Audigy Platinum. The cost of this solution is around $199, however, for this money you will also get a remote control unit, FireWire connectors, etc.

KYRO II Previews.
Posted: 03/13/2001     Source: 3D News  Added by: Kim Heise

We may have another competitor to NVIDIA sneaking in the door and I don't suspect that most people expected this. NVIDIA's new video card - the GeForce3 is very impressive in terms of features but shows very little performance increases over the current GeForce2 GTS using today's software titles. However in about 6-8 months when developers begin developing code to take advantage of the GeForce3's features then the performance gains will be notable. In that time you will most likely see the sequel to the GeForce3 and the prices will have dropped significantly.

Kryo is moving into an area that NVIDIA is leaving wide open and that is the average video card consumer. Someone who is looking to use today's software titles for very acceptable costs and performance gains.  Early performance charts show the new Kryo winning over the GeForec2 MX using beta video drivers.

The RivaStation preview goes into the way tile-based rendering works.

Gamers Depot also gets to the nitty-gritty with some features & benchmarks

Microsoft Windows NT Service Pack 7.
Posted: 03/13/2001     Source: Active Win  Added by: Kim Heise

Windows NT 4.0 is still the most common OS used by major companies so Microsoft is still keeping strong support to make sure the WinNT 4 OS does not fall by the wayside. Not everybody is ready to adopt Windows 2000 or the upcoming Win XP.

We hear that Microsoft is working hard to get out Windows NT SP 7, the final Windows Service Pack sometime by the end of the 3rd quarter of this year (September). Not very many details are available, but has been delayed for so long to ensure it includes as many fixes as possible and extremely stable (lots of regression testing). The pack is rumored to have over 400 bug fixes and counting.

Napster's zero hour approaching on filters.
Posted: 03/13/2001     Source: CNET  Added by: Kim Heise

I still think the entire concept of filtering out songs that can be easily renamed to bypass the system is absurd. It is simply a stall tactic to pacify the music industry.

By the end of Monday, music-swapping company Napster must prove to the court, the record labels and the world that it is officially blocking songs from being traded with the help of its service.

But as cataclysmic deadlines go, it will likely be an unimpressive one. Record companies have provided information on only a limited number of songs that qualify under the court's new rules. At the same time, a host of filter-evading tactics has emerged that has kept many of those songs that are being screened available in some fashion.

A slew of notebooks that incorporate Transmeta's Crusoe processor will hit the United States over the next two months, including one that includes both a Windows operating system and a version of Linux.

This spring, Casio will release its Crusoe-based Fiva notebook in the United States, according to the company. Among other features, the Fiva runs on Windows 2000 but also comes with version of Linux that lets consumers skirt the Windows boot-up when it comes to certain applications.

NEC, meanwhile, will come out with a budget-priced Crusoe notebook and a fancier version containing space-saving lithium-polymer batteries, according to sources close to the company. Others manufacturers are also expected to begin releasing Transmeta notebooks in North America, sources said.

AMD's Athlon Lands Slot In IBM's Server Line.
Posted: 03/13/2001     Source: TechWeb  Added by: Kim Heise

Another win for AMD as IBM is manufacturing upcoming servers using the Athlon processor line.

Putting another dent in Intel's armor, IBM will shortly introduce a line of front-end network servers using dual Athlon processors from Advanced Micro Devices, making it the latest OEM to break ranks and put AMD MPUs in its corporate systems.

IBM Corp. (stock: IBM) will be among the first tier-one companies to design Athlon into a server line. Sun Microsystems Inc. (stock: SUNW) is using older K6-II chips from Advanced Micro Devices Inc. (stock: AMD) in a low-cost front-end server offered through Sun's Cobalt division. Compaq Computer Corp. (stock: CPQ), NEC Corp., and Micron Electronics Inc. (stock: MUEI) have selected Athlons for high-end workstations and business desktop PCs.

TCP security flaw. An age-old problem.
Posted: 03/13/2001     Source: ZDNET  Added by: Kim Heise

Some info I found while looking for this weeks security news.

Researchers have found a serious flaw in one of the key pieces of the Internet's software backbone.
But despite Monday's advisory, the INS flaw is hardly a new problem. The architects of the early Internet knew that the lack of randomness in the way that INS (Initial Sequence Numbers) are chosen would be a problem as far back as the mid-1980s and warned of the potential consequences. AT&T Corp. researchers submitted a paper to the Internet Engineering Task Force in 1996 proposing a fix for the problem.

Security vendor Guardent Inc. on Monday announced it has identified a potentially huge problem in the inner workings of TCP (Transmission Control Protocol), one half of the TCP/IP standard that enables Internet traffic to flow across heterogeneous networks.

IBM, Sony set game plan for PlayStation 3 chips.
Posted: 03/13/2001     Source: ZDNET  Added by: Kim Heise

It's bad enough not to produce enough items to keep up with consumer demand but it is even worse to announce the sequel products this soon.

Sony has hired IBM to develop and produce a high-performance microprocessor for Sony's next generation of consumer electronics, including the PlayStation 3.
The agreement, announced early Monday, could bring IBM (NYSE: IBM) revenue of between $2 billion and $4 billion over three years, people familiar with the matter said.

It marks a big win for IBM's semiconductor business, which had $3.5 billion in sales to external customers last year.

John Kelly, senior vice president in charge of technology for IBM, said the new chip, code-named "Cell," will be designed at the Armonk, N.Y., company's Austin, Texas, lab, and will be produced at a fabrication plant in East Fishkill, N.Y., that IBM is building at a cost of $3 billion.

Peregrine optical chips ready to fly.
Posted: 03/13/2001     Source: ZDNET  Added by: Kim Heise

Watch this new site for updates on new optical chips being announced shortly. It's far too early to say how this may develop but it is interesting news.

The communications chipmaker will announce next week plans to apply its own silicon-on-sapphire technology, currently in wireless and satellite communications chips, to the optical networking market.

The company will make public details on its new Flipped Optoelectric Chip next week at the Optical Fiber Communication Conference in Anaheim, Calif. The new chip will translate light pulses received via a fiber-optic cable into electrical data or vice versa.

The new optical chips, and their associated revenue, become the third leg of the company's business, which also includes wireless chips and communications processors for satellites.

Though Peregrine is more than a decade old, the company is relatively new to the market. But analysts like what they hear so far.

Handspring Unveils 'Thin-And-Light' PDA.
Posted: 03/13/2001     Source: TechWeb  Added by: Kim Heise

Releasing a PDA that does not directly support their own expansion slot format is very strange. You will be able to use Springboard expansion devices on the new Visor Edge but you need to purchase an additional adaptor.

Unless the Visor Edge is dirt cheap I don't see any benefits since one of the strong selling points is the expansion slot.

Handspring Inc. announced the Visor Edge, a “thin-and-light” version of the PDA that also contains a removable expansion slot.

The Edge is only 0.44 inches thick, which means Handspring's unique Springboard expansion slot is actually too thick to fit within the device's form factor.

Instead, the Springboard connector attaches like a removable floppy drive, plugging into an attachment slot.

"We wanted to offer Springboard as an option," said Jeff Hawkins, chairman and chief product officer, in a press conference Monday at Handspring, Mountain View, Calif. "We want to allow users to pop it on when they want to use Springboard, and pop it off when they don't."

TOP    MORE

New Virus Creation Utility Set To Wreak Havoc.
Posted: 03/13/2001     Source: Newsbytes  Added by: Kim Heise

I have two questions here: a) How do these people find the time to do this? b) Isn't there something more productive that can be done to contribute to society?

Disposable Card Numbers Address Web Fears.
Posted: 03/13/2001     Source: Newsbytes  Added by: Kim Heise

Using a credit card on the phone to order a product is far less secure than using a web site that is using SSL encryption. Think about it: the customer support rep on the phone could easily write down your credit card information but via the web site the transaction is handled mostly between hardware.

Also don't forget that it is not uncommon to have "crossed" phone lines and some shady characters could easily be eavesdropping.