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ATi RadeOn II Info.
Posted: 03/30/2001     Source: Rage3D  Added by: Kim Heise

We are in serious need for strong competition in the PC video graphics market as NVIDIA is sweeping down and cleaning out the competition in one full swoop. ATi's upcoming Radeon II video processor holds many promises but the company's history is making me a little nervous on release dates and specifications.

The early specifications posted on Rage3D's web site looks very impressive. Remember that none of this information is official so anything could change or all this may be fictional indeed.

ATI at Game Developer's Conference announced that RadeOn II won't be out till 4th quarter of this year and a few details would be annouced at E3.
RADEON II, will support DirectX 8 in hardware. The upcoming RADEON may be even more powerful than GeForce3.
ATI will use the new Rage Theater 2 in All-In-Wonder RADEON II cards. The new Rage Theater will support MPEG4 hardware decoding. Also ATI engineers work on the integration a DTS decoder to increase the sound quality.
ATI has confirmed R200 will ship in retail form starting Q4 of this year, which begins in October. The R200 was right on track and is not delayed. ATI will begin sampling RADEON II cards to OEMs in the summer. Until then we can expect the higher clocked RADEON SE cards to be released in April\May.
 

Low cost CPU's to be announced from Intel and AMD.
Posted: 03/30/2001     Source: CNET  Added by: Kim Heise

It is difficult not to get the urge to upgrade your PC every two months or so with the price of hardware components - specifically memory and CPU's - that are just falling through the floor. While you are purchasing a new CPU make sure you beef your system up with enough memory to handle today's (often bloated) software.

Intel to unveil new notebook processor.
Posted: 03/30/2001     Source: CNET  Added by: Kim Heise

I didn't even see this one coming: Intel is very concerned about AMD's and Transmeta's new portable CPU's and has secretly been developing a notable and potential worthy competitor. All these choices of various CPU's and other components can give you a serious head-ache but it simply translates into choices and strong competition that drive better quality/prices.

Intel will try a new tactic to improve laptop battery life when it comes out next year with "Banias," its first chip designed from the ground up to power notebooks.
Banias, due out toward the end of 2002, is part of an increased focus on the laptop market by Intel and other chipmakers. Although desktop PC sales are limping, many manufacturers say that the worldwide market for mobile computers is faring somewhat better. The upcoming chip, which sources say is code-named after an archaeological site in the Middle East, will differ from other Intel notebook chips in two fundamental ways.

First, the chip will contain more power conservation features than current notebook processors. Second, the chip will have a distinct architecture from Intel's desktop chips, with the addition of new features, said Frank Spindler, general manager of Intel's mobile product unit. Intel's current notebook chips share, for the most part, the same basic design as the Pentium IIIs for desktops or even its Xeon chips for servers. These chips do differ when it comes to speed, cache size, packaging and some power management features, but all use largely the same basic chip design.

With Banias, Intel plans to offer a design better suited to machines on the go. Banias is expected to coexist with a mobile version of Pentium 4, but consume less power.

First 0.15 micron processor on the market.
Posted: 03/30/2001     Source: VIA  Added by: Kim Heise

I wish I would have saved the article that stated we would never break the 0.25 micron barrier on CPU's due to the physical limitations on using Silicon wafers. Granted, the article would be at least three years older but it shows that one has to be very careful when describing boundaries and how they can never be beaten.

Most of you should remember the famous quote by Microsoft chairman and chief architect Bill Gates stating that we would never break the 640kb barrier. Microsoft did not see the need to address the limitation issue that plagued DOS and Windows developers.

VIA today announced the launch of the new VIA C3 processor starting at speeds of 733MHz. The first processor on the market to be built using a leading edge 0.15 micron manufacturing process, the new VIA C3 integrates a total of 192KB full-speed cache on the world's smallest x86 processor die measuring only 52mm2. It combines robust mainstream software application and Internet performance with exceptionally low power consumption to provide a compelling solution for Value PCs, Information PCs, notebooks, and the rapidly emerging new generation of Digital PC Appliances. The new VIA C3 processor is available now at speeds starting from 733MHz. Pricing begins at US$54 per unit for 1K orders.

Pentium 4 2Ghz Demonstration.
Posted: 03/30/2001     Source: TecChannel  Added by: Kim Heise

A German web site called TecChannel describes witnessing a demo of Intel's Pentium 4 processor clocked at 2 GHz. The web site is completely in German but the pictures should offer enough insight and awe to this incredible speed.

Click the picture below for a screen shot on the actual clock speed.

IBM Corp. is poised to throw its first high-resolution LCD into the general-purpose monitor arena. The move comes as experts continue to debate the promises and pitfalls of high-res displays.

IBM next month will release a 20.8-inch, 123-pixel/inch device based on Roentgen LCD technology, which the company first discussed roughly two years ago. Packing a 2,048 x 1,536-pixel quad-XGA (QXGA) format into a 20.8-inch diagonal screen, the monitor will be available in May at a price point of around $6,000.

The high cost of high resolution was an issue at the recent DisplaySearch FPD Conference & High Resolution Symposium here. While academicians and human-factor researchers working in industry testified to the increased productivity that high-resolution displays can bring, executives questioned whether the displays' higher costs would have perceived value in mainstream markets.

New Internet Explorer 6 Build 2463.52 Released to Testers.
Posted: 03/30/2001     Source: ActiveWin  Added by: Kim Heise

On the heels of Microsoft's public beta release of IE 6 the company has issued a newer version for internal testers which I suspect is driven by feedback from the public beta.

Microsoft has just released this new build of Internet Explorer 6 to testers today. No word on what has changed or been updated, but if we find out we'll let you know.

IE bug exposes e-mail and files.
Posted: 03/30/2001     Source: MSNBC  Added by: Kim Heise

IT and network managers should be aware of this security flaw.

A newly discovered bug in Microsoft’s Internet Explorer Web browser could let malicious hackers read the e-mail and computer files of some unsuspecting people.
BUG TRACKER GEORGI GUNINSKI said the exploit is activated when a surfer using Internet Explorer 5 loads a malicious Web page. The surfer’s network also must be running Microsoft’s Exchange 2000 server for the bug to show up.
The bug lists the directories of some servers the Web surfer can access, which could enable viewing of the person’s e-mails or folders if they are stored on a Microsoft Exchange 2000 server. The malicious hacker would have to know some of the Web surfer’s usernames.
Guninski has rated the bug’s risk as “high,” and he said people can alleviate the problem by disabling Active Scripting, a browser setting that offers enhanced functions but has been repeatedly associated with potential security risks.

Emergent virus can infect Windows, Linux.
Posted: 03/30/2001     Source: CNET  Added by: Kim Heise

I had to check the calendar to make sure it wasn't April fools day when this news article was posted on CNET about a computer virus that can infect either a Linux or a Windows platform.

A computer virus that can infect PCs running either the ubiquitous Windows operating system or the increasingly popular Linux operating system emerged Tuesday, the world's first, according to its discoverers.
The virus, dubbed "W32.Winux," by Central Command, the antivirus company that first reported it, is not destructive and does not appear to have infected any computers yet.
Still, the virus sets a disturbing precedent.
"We didn't think this was possible," said Keith Peer, chief executive of Medina, Ohio-based Central Command. "It's a real step forward for virus writers."
Another antivirus maker, McAfee.com, said it had not seen the virus and could not confirm reports of W32.Winux.
W32.Winux spreads by infecting executable programs that run either on later versions of Windows from Microsoft--including 95, 98, Me, NT and 2000--or the various flavors of Linux, a free operating system that is gaining ground among techies and businesses.
People can set off the dormant virus by either double-clicking on an infected program or e-mail attachment. After it is activated, the virus automatically searches for all nearby Windows or Linux applications of at least 100Kb in size, which it then proceeds to infect.

Microsoft Details Tablet PC Plans.
Posted: 03/30/2001     Source: TechWeb  Added by: Kim Heise

If you think Microsoft's new table PC is just another PDA then feel free to read the second paragraph in the clip below. Now tell me you are still not impressed?

The device was first shown to the public by Bill Gates, chairman and chief software architect of Microsoft, at last year's Comdex Fall. It is not a PC, but a concept device Microsoft developed to encourage OEMs to build what it touts as the PC of the future. Key to the Tablet PC is a pen and touch-screen LCD that allows users to write as if on paper.

While the Tablet PC is scheduled to include what Microsoft executives claim will be the world's best handwriting recognition program, the company does not expect most users to convert handwritten notes into text. Instead, it expects users to store the handwritten notes as handwritten notes. However, the Tablet PC does include software that allows the handwritten notes to be edited. Notes can be deleted, inserted, copied and pasted in much the same way ASCII text is edited on conventional PCs. Searches for certain text can also be done.

Instead of reams of notebooks sitting on a shelf, notes can be kept in the Tablet PC without the need to kill a lot of trees, said Alex Loeb, general manager of the Tablet PC. The Tablet PC will be a full-fledged PC running under the Windows XP operating system and so is expected to be compatible with all legacy applications, said Loeb

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House Commerce Committee Approves Anti-Spam Bill.
Posted: 03/30/2001     Source: Yahoo!  Added by: Kim Heise

The only other type of person that irritates me more than over stuffed politicians are people that peddle their garbage by assaulting unsuspecting consumers with their mostly useless products and services.

As a consumer you should have the choice to decide when you want to receive information about any given product or service.

A U.S. congressional committee unanimously approved a bill on Wednesday that would place limits on Internet junk mail, despite the reservations of some committee members. The bill would enable Internet users and access providers to block ``spam,'' or unsolicited commercial e-mail messages that are often sent out by the millions.

Internet users complain that spam clogs networks and inboxes with unwanted offers for everything from credit cards to pornography to pyramid schemes. The House of Representatives approved a similar bill last year by a vote of 427 to 1, but it died in the Senate. Boosters such as Energy and Commerce Committee chairman Billy Tauzin see a greater chance of passage this year because the Senate calendar is not as crowded.

``I think it will become law this year,'' said the Louisiana Republican, whose committee approved the bill by voice vote. The bill would give Internet users the right to remove their names from spammers' e-mail lists. Spammers would be required to notify all recipients of this right and include a valid return e-mail address in their messages.

Companies that fail to comply would face civil and criminal penalties of $500 for each violation, up to $50,000.

Internet Explorer 6 Public Preview.
Posted: 03/30/2001     Source: Microsoft  Added by: Kim Heise

A little late but not a Dollar short - thank you for all the emails letting me know about Microsoft's official posting of IE 6. With all the work I've been tied up to my ears and have not had time to post the update to the web site.

Download and install with caution since the release is beta and I've seen several reports of users seeing unwanted "side-effects".

The Internet Explorer 6 technologies include many new and enhanced features that bring a new and exciting online experience to Windows. It features a new look and feel, as well as innovative new capabilities, including enhanced Explorer Bars, integrated instant messaging, media playback and automatic picture resizing. Internet Explorer 6 can also help to maintain the privacy of personal information on the Web and provide fault collection that can identify potential problems that need to be fixed in future updates to the Windows Internet technologies.

Defective HP monitors shocks users.
Posted: 03/30/2001     Source: CNET  Added by: Kim Heise

Nothing better to get your day started after finishing your coffee as you reach over and touch your HP monitor to be awakened for the day.

Some Hewlett-Packard monitors could electrically shock users, the company said Thursday, offering to replace problem monitors.

Hewlett-Packard said 0.01 percent of the 17-inch HP 71 monitors, model D8903A, were defective, but it did not say how many in total had been sold since it began shipping in July 2000 to the United States, Canada and such Latin American countries as Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, Peru, Uruguay and Venezuela.

"In rare circumstances, there is a risk of electric shock if a user comes in contact with a specific and limited area on the top of a defective monitor," HP said in a statement without elaborating.

Professor plans flying power station.
Posted: 03/30/2001     Source: BBC News  Added by: Kim Heise

The BBC has posted this very interesting news post about a scientist who wants to harness the energy created by high atmosphere slipstreams. You can imagine this will wreak havoc on commercial airliners but you would have to admit the idea does have some merit.

It looks a bit like a cross between a balsa-wood helicopter and a kite, but Professor Bryan Roberts hopes this odd-looking craft will help meet future energy needs.

His gyromill, as he calls it, is actually a flying wind turbine. It uses its rotors to climb into the sky and then lies back in the wind as those same rotors generate electricity.

The plan is to send clusters of these vehicles 4.5 kilometres (14,700 feet) up into the jet stream to create a sort of flying power station.

Professor Roberts, from the University of Western Sydney, has spent 20 years proving the concept and is now ready to put it into practice. He wants to build the first station near Woomera in South Australia

The professor believes gyromills will prove to be a cheaper and more flexible method of electricity generation than traditional wind turbines.

Xbox to launch under Sega power.
Posted: 03/30/2001     Source: ZDNET  Added by: Kim Heise

Sony had better be very prepared for the huge assault that is heading directly down on the Playstation2 as Microsoft is drumming up serious support for the upcoming Xbox gaming console.

Microsoft has put more firepower in the arsenal of its new Xbox videogame console with 11 game titles to be made by Japanese software developer Sega Corp for its autumn launch, chairman Bill Gates said on Friday.
``People didn't know how committed we were for the Japanese market,'' Gates told Reuters. ``We've got the Japanese market full-speed ahead on the Xbox.''

The deal could be a huge boost to Sega's new focus on game development.

It will also give the Xbox a much-needed array of 15 to 20 game titles when it hits shelves this autumn in Japan and the United States, a launch target that Gates said was on schedule.

That will help determine whether Xbox, which Microsoft's (Nasdaq: MSFT) hopes will prove a growth opportunity in the interactive entertainment business, will be a match for established competitors such as Sony Corp's reigning console -- PlayStation 2.

Sega, which abandoned its Dreamcast console last month due to poor sales and shifted its focus to its healthier software business, saw its shares jump in reaction to the news. They leapt 8.67 percent before closing 3.2 percent higher at 2,260 yen, outpacing a 0.56 percent fall in the Nikkei 225 average .