Apr 07 - Gateway Unveils eMachines Family of High-Value Widescreen
Notebooks. Gateway Inc. (NYSE:GTW) today announced its retail
family of eMachines widescreen notebooks for spring 2004, from
innovative high-performance wireless systems to the first widescreen
notebook priced under $1,000.
The eMachines line of products continues its leadership as the
only major PC brand offering the Mobile AMD Athlon(TM) 64 processor
with its M6805 and M6809 wireless widescreen notebook PCs, delivering
unparalleled computing performance and display for DVD movies,
games, digital photography and other 32-bit multimedia applications.
Both notebooks also include the ATI Mobility RADEON(TM) 9600 graphics
processor.
Featuring the Mobile AMD Athlon 64 processor 3000+ and DVD/CD-RW
combo drive, the M6805 is priced at $1,399 after $100 mail-in
rebate. Featuring the Mobile AMD Athlon 64 processor 3200+ and
a multi-format DVD-RW(+/-) drive, the M6809 is priced at $1,549
after $100 rebate.
In addition, Gateway is introducing an eMachines wireless widescreen
notebook incorporating the Intel(R) Pentium(R) 4 processor with
the M6410, priced at $1,299 after $100 rebate, and the first widescreen
notebook priced at $999, after $100 rebate, with the M2105.
All eMachines notebooks feature the widescreen format display
with a 16:10 aspect ratio that allows up to 30 percent more DVD
viewing area than a standard 15-inch notebook screen.
The top three retail notebooks in the spring line (M6410, M6805
and M6809) incorporate the 54g wireless chipset from Broadcom(R),
providing up to five times the performance of 802.11b while maintaining
compatibility with other wireless devices on the market. These
notebooks also feature 512MB DDR memory for optimum computing.
"With our new family of widescreen eMachines notebooks,
Gateway proves that its eMachines brand not only leads the industry
in providing the best value at any price point, it continues its
technology leadership as the only major PC brand offering 64-bit
notebook computing based on the Mobile AMD Athlon(TM) 64 processors,"
said Ed Fisher, senior vice president, product planning for Gateway,
which owns the eMachines brand.
"These notebooks offer consumers uncompromised desktop-class
performance and optimum display in a convenient mobile form factor
with Gateway's premier customer service," Fisher said.
Featuring a stylish chassis, the eMachines family of notebooks
are 1.6 inches thin, weighs 7.5 pounds and include an 8-cell lithium
ion battery offering approximately 2.5 hours of battery life,
depending upon configuration and applications used.
The eMachines spring notebook line-up is currently available
from Best Buy while its M6410 is available from Office Depot.
For more information visit www.emachines.com.
Following its March 2003 acquisition of eMachines, Gateway is
the third largest PC company in the U.S. and among the top ten
worldwide. Visit www.gateway.com
for more information.
Apr 07 - Gateway Announces Spring
Line-up of eMachines Desktop PCs. Gateway Inc. (NYSE:GTW)
today announced its spring line-up of eMachines desktop PCs, its
leading global brand of high-value PCs, notebooks and monitors
sold through retail stores.
Highlights from the latest eMachines desktop PCs include:
-- DVD/CDRW combo drive available for the first time in the $399
entry-level model (T2742) after $50 mail-in rebate
-- 512 MB DDR memory included in $479 model (T2885) after $50
rebate
-- Multi-format DVD-RW drive available in $619 model (T3085),
after $50 rebate, for first time
-- Premium chassis design throughout the line
"With this latest lineup of eMachines PCs sold through major
retailers, Gateway demonstrates its commitment to continuing the
eMachines brand focus on bringing consumers powerful performance
at unprecedented value with premier customer service," said
Ed Fisher, senior vice president, product planning, Gateway Inc.
"As always, our goal is to offer consumers the highest quality
technology at industry-leading price points."
The eMachines' premium chassis design now available throughout
its desktop PC line features resilient soft black powdered coating,
silver panel, and metal-stamped "e" logo power button
with blue LED "halo."
In addition to a DVD/CDRW combo drive for multimedia entertainment,
the eMachines entry-level T2742 features the Intel(R) Celeron(R)
2.70 GHz processor, 256MB DDR memory and 40GB hard drive storage.
In addition to its 512MB DDR memory for optimum computing performance,
the T2885 offers the Intel Celeron 2.80 GHz processor, 80GB hard
drive, and separate CDRW and DVD optical disc drives.
Both the T2742 and T2885 incorporate the Intel Extreme(TM) graphics
chip set (Intel 845 GV), providing users with up to 20 percent
performance gains over other systems at these price points for
3-D games and other graphics-intensive applications.
The top-of-the-line eMachines PCs -- the T3065 priced at $569
after $50 rebate and the T3085 -- feature the AMD Athlon(TM) XP
3000+ and "8-in-1 Media Reader" for optimum flexibility
in downloading digital audio and video from a wide range of media
devices. Both systems also offer 160GB hard drive storage and
512MB DDR memory.
The T3065 includes separate DVD and CDRW drives while the T3085
offers a CD-ROM drive and multi-format DVD RW to ensure future
compatibility with either DVD RW + or - technology.
eMachines' spring desktop PCs and CRT monitors are currently
available at major consumer electronic retailers throughout the
country. eMachines LCD monitors are available at select retailers.
For more information visit www.emachines.com.
Following its March 2003 acquisition of eMachines, Gateway is
the third largest PC company in the United States and among the
top ten worldwide. Visit www.gateway.com
for more information.
Apr 07 - Tests Find That Multi-Channel
Wi-Fi Yields up to 50X Greater Throughput Than Existing Wi-Fi
Access Points. Engim, Inc., developers of silicon technology
that dramatically expands the manageability, security and capacity
of wireless LAN infrastructure, today announced the findings of
a comprehensive Tolly Group analysis comparing the sustainable
performance levels of single-channel and emerging multi-channel
802.11 solutions under real-world enterprise conditions.
The test is the most comprehensive assessment to date on the
impact typical of enterprise usage populations and dynamics on
the wireless network, and its findings stand in sharp contrast
to current market assumptions. Specifically, the test found today's
single-channel networks to be highly vulnerable to sharp drop
offs in performance in mixed client and data rate conditions,
while multi-channel WLAN solutions achieved and sustained dramatically
higher throughput rates, out-performing single-channel solutions
by as much as 50-to-1.
Findings specifically revealed that just one minimum data rate
client, such as, for example, an 802.11b PDA user at a moderate
distance from an AP, brings today's single-channel 802.11g network
down from 54 Mbps to close to 1 Mbps.
Engim CEO Nick Finamore commented: "Increasingly, WLAN
systems must contend with an unpredictable and heterogeneous client
environment. At the same time, end users want to add services
beyond just data, such as VoWIP. By having multiple channels operating
from the same access point, we are able to partition the client
traffic to dramatically enhance throughput. As end users deploy
new services onto their WLAN system, Engim enables these services
to be partitioned intelligently, and implemented on the same WLAN
system."
Engim developed the multi-channel access point used in the tests
together with Intel, based on the Intel Coyote reference platform.
Intel's groundbreaking IXP425 network processor coupled with Engim's
EN-3000 multi-channel WLAN chipset enables unprecedented WLAN
performance.
For more information, please visit www.engim.com.
Apr 07 - U.S. Broadband Market Reaches
Critical Mass Reports In-Stat/MDR. With close to 27 million
U.S. business and residential subscribers at the end of 2003,
broadband is now clearly a mainstream service, reports In-Stat/MDR
(www.instat.com).
The high-tech market research firm projects that the mainstreaming
of broadband will be huge, as the existence of a significant subscriber
base opens up markets for other services that are looking to take
advantage of the broadband connection, such as home entertainment/networking,
Voice over IP (VoIP) and online gaming.
"This starts a cycle where growth in both broadband and
applications feed the growth of each other," said Daryl Schoolar,
a senior analyst with In-Stat/MDR. "This applies equally
to the business subscriber. Broadband growth should also improve
service provider operations as well."
However, the one major challenge that faces the future provisioning
of broadband will come from a less tech-savvy subscriber. According
to Schoolar, "As broadband moves into mass adoption, newer
subscribers will be less experienced with computers and the Internet.
They will expect all of the benefits of the Internet, but will
have less patience for dealing with its technical issues. When
their service goes down they are going to be less likely than
early adopters to perform self-diagnosis, and more likely to just
pick up the phone and call customer service. Also, their lower
level of technical knowledge will make communicating with them
more difficult. However, the opportunities will outweigh the challenges."
In-Stat/MDR also found that:
-- At the end of 2003, one in every five U.S. households subscribed
to a broadband service.
-- In the United States, cable modem continues to be the most
common broadband access technology, with DSL remaining in second.
-- Broadband over Power Line, after years of discussion, is finally
moving out of the lab and into actual homes.
-- Fiber-to-the-Home (FTTH) continues to be hindered by cost
and regulatory concerns.
-- Fixed Wireless Broadband (FWB) is now the third most common
broadband access technology in the United States.
-- While cable modem may be the broadband technology of choice
in the United States, worldwide, DSL dominates due to lack of
cable data service, and greater housing density outside of the
United States.
-- At the end of 2003, Comcast and Time Warner accounted for
the majority of all cable modem subscribers. Overall, six cable
operators had 91 percent of the U.S. cable modem market at end-of-year
2003.
-- SBC and Verizon accounted for the majority of U.S. DSL subscribers
at the end of 2003. Overall, five providers accounted for 94 percent
of the U.S. DSL market.
Apr 07 - San Francisco Bay Area Sails
into Top Spot in Intel's ''Most Unwired Cities'' Survey. The
most unwired city in America is the San Francisco Bay Area, leapfrogging
ahead of last year's top unwired region Portland, Ore. (No. 5),
and staying ahead of Los Angeles (No. 23) and New York (No. 24),
according to Intel's 2nd annual "Most Unwired Cities"
survey released today.
The San Francisco Bay Area Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA)
is the No. 1 market for wireless Internet accessibility in the
United States. From Fisherman's Wharf in San Francisco to San
Jose's San Pedro Square to Oakland's Jack London Square, Bay Area
residents have greater freedom to communicate, be productive,
and entertained with notebooks PCs and wireless Internet connections.
Following the San Francisco Bay Area on the list of top 10 unwired
regions is Orange County, Calif.; Washington, D.C.; Austin, Texas;
Portland, Ore; Seattle; Bergen, N.J.; Middlesex, N.J.; San Diego
and Denver. The complete list of Intel's "Most Unwired Cities"
is available at: www.intel.com/go/unwiredcities.
"It is increasingly clear that computing without wires is
more than a trend -- it's the next wave in communications,"
said Sean Maloney, Intel executive vice president and general
manager of the Intel Communications Group. "Intel is committed
to developing wireless broadband technologies to help fuel Internet
growth worldwide."
As the desire for an unwired computing lifestyle continues to
catch hold, the number of wireless Internet access "hotspots"
is also on the rise. They're popping up in locations such as truck
stops, RV parks and malls. Hotspots are areas where people can
access the Internet at high speeds by connecting to a Wi-Fi --
short for wireless fidelity -- local network with their notebook
PCs, PDAs and other communication devices without the constraint
of a traditional wired connection.
Intel's "Most Unwired Cities" survey was conducted
by Bert Sperling, a researcher who specializes in collecting and
analyzing data for the nationally known "Best Places"
surveys.
"Intel's second annual look at the most unwired cities in
America underscores the continued evolution of wire-free computing,"
Sperling said. "Now people can e-mail vacation photos from
the campground, surf the Web from the local coffee shop or get
driving directions without having to stop and ask a gas station
attendant."
The complete listings for Intel's "Most Unwired College
Campuses" and "Most Unwired Airports" are available
at: www.intel.com/go/unwiredcolleges
and www.intel.com/go/unwiredairports,
respectively.
Apr 06 - Largest Computer Products
& Services Firms Ranked on How They Treat Online Customers.
The Customer Respect Group, an international research and consulting
firm that focuses on how corporations treat their customers online,
today released the results of its Spring 2004 Online Customer
Respect Study of 61 computer products and services firms that
rank among the countries largest 1000 companies.
Overall, Hewlett-Packard and Science Applications International
scored highest, while Brightpoint scored lowest.
The study is the only one to bring objective measure to the analysis
of corporate performance from an online customer's perspective.
It assigns a Customer Respect Index (CRI(TM)) rating to each company
on a scale of 0 to 10, with 10 being the highest achievable score.
The Customer Respect Index is a qualitative and quantitative in-depth
analysis and independent measure of a customer's online experience
when interacting with companies via the Internet.
By interviewing a representative sample of the adult Internet
population, and by analyzing more than 1000 Web sites across a
spectrum of industries in detail, The Customer Respect Group has
determined the attributes that combine to create the entire online
customer experience. These attributes have been grouped together
and measured as indicators of Simplicity (ease of navigation),
Privacy (respects customer privacy), Attitude (customer-focus
of site), Transparency (open and honest policies), Responsiveness
(quick and thorough responses to inquiries) and Principles (values
and respects customer data). Combined they measure a company's
overall Customer Respect.
Select Sector Comparisons
The Computer Products & Services sector demonstrated strengths
in a few areas. Overall, most sites were easy to navigate, 59
of 61 have privacy policies and most did a fair job of explaining
their privacy policies fully and clearly. On the flip side, however,
surveyed firms fared worse than average in the Principles area,
in which they are evaluated based upon how they protect personal
data submitted to them online. In fact, a shocking 29 percent
of companies share customers' data with unaffiliated third parties
without seeking their permission.
Also, many firms demonstrated poor Responsiveness, the sector's
lowest scoring attribute. Some 32 percent of this sector didn't
respond to any inquires while another 23 percent only responded
to half of submitted questions. Moreover, of those firms using
AutoResponder technology in which they let customers know that
their inquiry has been received and will be dealt with in a timely
manner - an incredible 42 percent either never followed up with
a response or only responded half of the time.
"Research indicates that 82 percent of Internet users decline
to provide any personal information because too many details were
asked for that didn't seem necessary," said Roger Fairchild,
president of The Customer Respect Group.
"And 64 percent decide not to buy online because they aren't
certain how their personal data might be used. High-tech firms
need to wake up to the fact that sharing information without permission
is bad for business. Moreover, since, on average, users abandon
20 percent of Web sites they visit due to an unsatisfactory experience,
you have to wonder why more than half of high-tech firms aren't
responding to questions directly posed to them. Clearly, being
technologically savvy doesn't correlate directly to providing
a high-quality Web site experience."
The highest ranked organizations within the sector were Hewlett-Packard
and Science Applications International (9.5 out of 10), while
the lowest was Brightpoint at 2.6. The sector's average was 6.8.
Beyond these scores, the report conveys, in great detail, improvement
opportunities for each company. The sector's Spring 2004 ranking
is as follows:
Computer Products & Services Firm Total CRI
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Hewlett-Packard Company 9.5
Science Applications International Corporation 9.5
International Business Machines Corporation 9.0
Xerox Corporation 9.0
Lexmark International, Inc. 8.8
Intuit, Inc. 8.7
GetThere 8.5
Oracle Corporation 8.5
Avnet, Inc. 8.4
Western Digital Corporation 8.3
Electronic Data Systems Corporation 8.3
Unisys Corporation 8.2
Microsoft Corporation 8.2
EarthLink, Inc. 8.1
IMS Health Inc. 8.1
EA GAMES 8.0
BMC Software, Inc. 7.9
eBay Inc. 7.9
Dell Computer Corporation 7.9
Pitney Bowes Inc. 7.9
Fiserv Inc. 7.8
Cadence Design Systems, Inc. 7.7
The Dun & Bradstreet Corporation 7.6
NCR Corporation 7.5
Ikon Office Solutions, Inc. 7.3
Perot Systems Corporation 7.3
Compuware Corporation 7.2
CDW 7.2
Sun Microsystems, Inc. 7.0
DST Systems, Inc. 6.9
Symbol Technologies, Inc. 6.8
Adobe Systems, Incorporated 6.8
CellStar Corporation 6.7
Maxtor Corporation 6.6
Novell, Inc. 6.6
Apple Computer, Inc. 6.6
Veritas Software Corporation 6.4
Arrow Electronics, Inc 6.4
VeriSign, Inc. 6.3
Computer Sciences Corporation 6.3
BearingPoint, Inc. 6.2
Agilsys Inc 6.0
SunGard Data Systems 5.9
PeopleSoft, Inc. 5.8
Sabre Airline Solutions 5.7
Computer Associates International, Inc. 5.6
Insight Enterprises, Inc. 5.5
Storage Technology Corporation 5.5
Silicon Graphics, Inc. 5.4
First Data 5.3
Gateway, Inc. 5.3
Siebel Systems, Inc. 5.1
Azerty 5.1
Anixter International Inc. 5.0
EMC Corporation 4.9
Graybar Electric Company, Inc. 4.5
Tech Data Corporation 4.4
Bell Microproducts, Inc. 4.3
Ingram Micro, Inc. 4.3
Affiliated Computer Services, Inc. 3.8
Brightpoint, Inc 2.6
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Industry Average 6.8
Other findings for sector firms include the following:
-- Surveyed firms receive the best overall rating (CRI: 8.2)
for Simplicity and the worst (CRI: 4.9) for Responsiveness.
-- Of those 93 percent that provide a viable means of response,
32 percent of firms did not respond to any online inquiries.
-- 45 percent responded to all inquiries. Of these, 89 percent
responded within 48 hours, four percent responded within 72 hours
and seven percent responded after four days.
-- 23 percent of firms responded to half of the inquiries received.
Of these, all responded within 48 hours.
-- Some 52 percent of all sector firms use Autoresponder technology,
in which emails are automatically sent back to users to confirm
the receipt of their inquiry and let them know when they should
expect a response. Of these, 58 percent followed with a full response,
29 percent followed up half of their Autoresponses with a reply
and 13 percent never followed up with a response.
-- Some 75 percent of companies provide email forms for online
inquiries.
-- 18 percent provide email addresses. Another five percent provide
online contacts inappropriate to general consumers. An additional
two percent provide only offline contacts such as phone numbers
or postal addresses.
-- Some 82 percent provide a keyword search function on their
site.
-- 97 percent of sector firms have privacy policies on their
sites explaining how customers' personal data is being used. Of
those that do, 15 percent need to be more explicit about how they
use personal data, 44 percent do not collect data or use collected
data only for internal purposes, 12 percent share data with affiliates
or subsidiaries and 29 percent share data without permission from
users.
-- Some 90 percent use cookie technology. Of these, 20 percent
provide a full explanation of how cookies can be disabled, 44
percent mention that they can be disabled, 22 percent explain
how cookies work and 14 percent don't mention cookies at all.
About The Customer Respect Group
The Customer Respect Group is an international research and consulting
firm that uses its Customer Respect Index (CRI(TM)) methodology
to help companies improve how they treat their customers online.
It provides leadership in the objective and scientific measurement
of a customer's online experience. Many of the largest U.S. companies
have already adopted the CRI methodology to improve online customer
satisfaction and loyalty. The Customer Respect Group is headquartered
in Bellevue, WA. For additional information, visit www.customerrespect.com.
Apr 06 - AVERATEC Launches 3200 Series
of Affordable Thin and Light Mobile Notebook PCs. AVERATEC,
Inc., an emerging leader in innovative mobile computing products,
today announced the launch of its 3200 Series of affordable thin
and light mobile notebook PCs.
These mobile notebooks are equipped with the low voltage Mobile
AMD Athlon(TM) XP-M 2000+ processor and weighs 4.3 pounds. Compact
into a 1-inch slim form factor with a 12.1" XGA screen, the
3200 series notebook features an integrated DVD/CD-RW combo drive
and 54g(TM) wireless connectivity. With AMD PowerNow!(TM) Technology
the 3200 series performs with optimal power management, boosting
battery life to more than 3 hours.
For freedom-filled mobility, a built-in Broadcom(R) 54g(TM) chip
set is combined with embedded dual antennas and delivers five
times the performance of 802.11b while remaining compatible with
other wireless devices. It is the latest and fastest connectivity
for home, work, or use at local "hotspots." The 3200
series also includes three USB 2.0 ports and one Type II PC Card/CardBus
slot. This notebook series is built to perform like workhorses
and speed like thoroughbreds -- for less than $1,000.
"Our company credo is 'Mobility without Boundaries,' and
the 3200 Series notebooks are about the freedom to compute and
connect anywhere and at anytime at a price consumers can afford,"
said Saeed Shahbazi, President of AVERATEC. "We are building
top quality and classy looking notebooks, without compromising
product performance or what consumers want most in a portable
PC -- the 3200 series is sleek, lightweight and realistically
functional."
The three models in the 3200 series include the AV3220H1-01 with
256 MB memory running Windows XP Home at $949 and the AV3225HS-20
which doubles the memory for only $50 more. A business-oriented
model, the AV3255P1-01, runs on Windows XP Professional with 512
MB memory for only $1,079.
The 3200 series is available through major electronic retailers,
resellers and distributors or direct through the Averatec website
at www.averatec.com.
Apr 06 - Conexant Launches 802.11g
And 802.11a/g Wireless LAN Solutions with Integrated USB 2.0 Interface.
Conexant Systems, Inc. (Nasdaq:CNXT), the worldwide leader in
semiconductor solutions for broadband communications, enterprise
networks and the digital home, today announced the availability
of its newly designed PRISM GT(TM) (802.11g) and PRISM WorldRadio(TM)
(802.11a/g) chipsets with the world's first fully integrated universal
serial bus (USB) 2.0 interface. The combination of the high data
rate 802.11g wireless and the high-speed connection provided by
the USB 2.0 interface maximizes throughput for wireless PC users.
The market share leader in the high-speed 802.11/USB market,
Conexant's USB 2.0 solutions are being designed into innovative
and easy-to-use products by nearly all major wireless local area
network (WLAN) manufacturers including 3Com, Buffalo Technology,
D-Link, IOGEAR, Linksys, NETGEAR and SMC Networks. For example,
products such as PRISM-based USB 2.0 wireless network adapters
will connect directly to any USB-ready PC. Consumers simply plug
the adapter in and are ready to share data, printers or high-speed
Internet access over existing wireless networks.
"Since the introduction of the industry's first Wi-Fi(R)
and WHQL certified 802.11g USB 2.0 product, PRISM(R) solutions
have gone into production with virtually every major wireless
LAN retail OEM, leading service provider and PC OEM," said
Larry Ciaccia, vice president and general manager for Conexant's
Wireless Data and Networking Components Products.
"We have taken our leadership position and extended it even
further to offer increased integration and functionality, which
can significantly lower our customer's bill of material cost.
At the same time, the launch of both an integrated single-band
802.11g and a full dual-band 802.11a/g with a USB 2.0 interface
allows us to further expand our market reach."
To learn more, please visit us at www.conexant.com.
Apr 06 - The Global Mobile Audio Accessory
Market Has a Nice Ring to It, Says the Yankee Group. According
to the recent Yankee Group report, Two Markets Emerge for Mobile
Music, the U.S. audio accessory market is currently $80 million,
and has the capability to reach $1 billion per year (similar to
other major geographic regions). However, true wireless music
will not hit the mainstream for a few years.
The Yankee Group has upgraded its 2003 United States ringtone
market estimate to $80 million (from $50 million). Customers show
sustained willingness to pay premiums for the right tune. By 2008,
the U.S. audio accessory market, including ringtones, ring tunes
and calling tones, will be worth $1 billion. Today's global market
is more than $2.5 billion.
"As ringtones are the first globally successful mobile micropayment
application, and true mobile music promises to be one of the first
mobile macropayment applications, the music industry will have
a profound impact on the shape of the wireless industry,"
says Adam Zawel, Yankee Group Wireless/Mobile Applications &
Commerce director. "Specifically, record companies will drive
the wireless industry to support a DRM framework--one that protects
content within the closed environs of the wireless networks, and
as it flows over local area connections to devices not connected
to the carriers' network."
Audio capabilities will improve gradually and will play a greater
role as an enhancement to games and multimedia on phones and PDAs;
however, the pure audio experience of listening to music must
wait for the development of four trends: home network growth,
WAN improvements, device convergence and the resolution of wireless
DRM.
The Yankee Group can be found online at www.yankeegroup.com.
Apr 06 - Symantec Announces Enhanced
Integrated Protection for Remote Users and Networked Clients.
Symantec Corp. (Nasdaq:SYMC), the global leader in information
security, today announced Symantec Client Security 2.0, with zero-day
protection for enterprise clients against blended threats and
worms like Blaster, Welchia, and SoBig. Through integrated antivirus,
firewall and intrusion prevention technologies, Symantec Client
Security 2.0 protects enterprise clients from malicious code,
unauthorized intrusions and port scans.
"Symantec Client Security is the ideal solution for organizations
seeking better protection from today's blended threats,"
said Lily De Los Rios, vice president, client and host security,
Symantec. "Blended threats made up 54 percent of malicious
code submissions to Symantec's response center over the last 6
months. Being able to provide zero-day protection while the customer
deploys the appropriate patch is a key part of the value of Symantec
Client Security."
Perimeter security alone is not sufficient to keep unwanted threats
and intruders from infecting enterprise networks and spreading
blended threats from client machines. With the ever-increasing
speed in which today's threats spread, Symantec Client Security
2.0 protects enterprise endpoints from unwanted intruders connecting
to the corporate network.
Response time during a blended threat outbreak can be dramatically
shortened through Symantec Client Security's single update mechanism,
combining virus definitions, firewall rules and intrusion detection
signatures. The integration of multiple security functions enables
Symantec to provide quick and comprehensive updates in a single
LiveUpdate session when malicious code attacks occur, a much more
efficient and effective alternative to multiple-product updates.
Most important, these updates are delivered by the Symantec Security
Response team, which provides fast, global, integrated analysis
and response.
Webcast
Symantec will host a Webcast titled "Securing Every Client:
A Proactive Approach for Protecting Your Mobile, Remote and Networked
Users" on Thursday, April 8, 2004 at 8 a.m. PST to provide
further information on Symantec Client Security 2.0. Register
for the Webcast.
Availability
Symantec Client Security is available through Symantec's worldwide
network of value-added resellers, distributors and systems integrators.
To obtain licensing information or to locate a reseller, visit
http://enterprisesecurity.symantec.com
on the World Wide Web.
Apr 05 - AMD and Intel Largely in
Harmony on x86-64 Code. An independent analysis by In-Stat/MDR's
Microprocessor Report indicates that the 64-bit x86 architectures
from AMD and Intel are almost, but not quite, identical. Near-100
percent software compatibility is possible, but in some cases,
programs written for one 64-bit architecture may not run properly
on the other 64-bit architecture.
Microprocessor Report compared all the new instructions, modified
instructions, deleted instructions, and modifications to the register
files -- including control registers, system registers, and registers
visible to application programs. Memory-addressing schemes and
many other architectural features, such as data-addressing modes,
context-switching behavior, interrupt handling, and support for
existing 16- and 32-bit x86 execution modes were also compared.
In every case, Intel had patterned its 64-bit x86 architecture
after AMD64 in almost every detail.
However, Microprocessor Report discovered a few differences that
even AMD and Intel were unaware of. Some of these differences
may be resolved in future 64-bit x86 processors, or even in future
steppings of x86 processors already announced or on the market.
In other cases, software can easily adapt to the differences by
executing slightly different code, after first probing the CPU
to learn which 64-bit extensions it supports.
"We found nothing to contradict Intel's promise that its
64-bit x86 processors will run the 64-bit operating systems developed
for AMD64," said Tom R. Halfhill, a senior editor with In-Stat/MDR's
Microprocessor Report. "At the same time, Intel's reluctance
to make a blanket guarantee about mutual 64-bit software compatibility
is justified by the minor differences we discovered. Of course,
that's always the case when Intel or AMD introduces new x86 extensions
-- such as Intel's SSE3 media extensions, which aren't yet supported
by AMD."
Despite the differences, Intel clearly derived its 64-bit architecture
by reading AMD's prerelease documentation for AMD64 and by testing
AMD64 processors. "Intel's reverse-engineering of AMD64 marks
a major turning point in the historical relationship between the
companies," said Halfhill. "Although AMD has in the
past introduced some innovations to the x86 architecture -- the
3DNow multimedia extensions being a prime example -- this is the
first time AMD has truly steered the direction of the world's
most important microprocessor architecture, which Intel invented
in 1978 and has closely guarded for 26 years."
The article, "AMD and Intel Harmonize on 64" can be
found in the March 29 edition of In-Stat/MDR's Microprocessor
Report, a subscription newsletter for makers and users of high-performance
microprocessors. To find out more about Microprocessor Report,
please visit: www.mdronline.com.
Apr 05 - High-Definition TV Services
Finally Establish a Foothold. After years of hype and promises,
high-definition television (HDTV) services have finally captured
the imagination of a small, but growing, audience of TV viewers
who now enjoy HDTV's extraordinary clear and crisp picture quality.
With its life-like detail and impressive audio performance, HDTV
service is also exciting TV broadcasters and multichannel service
providers, according to In-Stat/MDR (www.instat.com),
a high-tech market research firm. HDTV service, which is becoming
widely available in a few select countries, is being marketed
as a premium service that has the potential to boost incremental
monthly revenues for cable and satellite operators, while also
providing terrestrial TV broadcasters with a new weapon in their
fight against pay-TV services.
Currently, just over 4 million worldwide TV households receive
and watch HDTV programming, although most industry insiders expect
that number to climb rapidly over the next few years. Increasing
consumer demand for HDTV service is also driving sales of new
consumer electronics products, such as HDTV sets and HD-capable
set top boxes.
However, there are still several market challenges that are reigning
in the growth of HDTV services. These include the need for more
HD programming, lowering the cost of HD equipment, increasing
the availability of HD service, and better educating the public
about the benefits of HDTV.
In-Stat/MDR also finds that:
-- Total worldwide terrestrial, satellite, and cable TV households
that are watching HD programming on an HDTV set are projected
to rise to almost 6 million by the end of 2004, and ultimately
reach 45 million by the end of 2008.
-- HDTV service remains extremely limited in its reach, with
only four countries offering the service beyond an experimental
basis. These countries are Japan, the United States, Canada, and
Australia. However, a few other countries, mostly in the Asia-Pacific
region, are expected to roll out limited HDTV services in the
next year.
-- Japan is leading the HDTV charge with over 2 million households
receiving and watching HDTV programming. The United States is
second with just over 1.5 million households.
Apr 05 - Newest Xerox Color Laser Offered
at $699. Xerox Corporation (NYSE:XRX) has extended its product
line with its lowest-priced laser printers yet, providing small
and midsized offices with two more entry-level printing choices.
Both products - the Phaser(R) 6100 color laser printer starting
at $699 and the Phaser(R) 3130 monochrome laser printer starting
at $299 - offer a previously unavailable combination of speed,
quality and features for the price.
The Phaser 6100 surpasses the competition in print speed and
delivers more features than comparably priced offerings. With
a black-and-white print speed of 21 pages per minute, the Phaser
6100 is 30 percent faster than HP's Color LaserJet 1500 and 2500.
The Phaser 6100's color print speed of 5 ppm is 25 percent faster.
"We're breaking new ground today for businesses that need
low-priced, high-quality color printing," said Emerson Fullwood,
president, Xerox Channels Group. "Starting at $699, the Phaser
6100 is the best-priced option for small businesses that depend
on professional-looking prints and may have used inkjets or outsourcing
for color output."
The Phaser 6100 offers features not commonly found in entry-level
devices, including standard two-sided color printing and 64 MB
of memory - twice the memory of what's available in comparably
priced printers. People can choose from two print resolutions
for their documents: 600 dots-per-inch resolution for crisp business
color and text, or enhanced 1200 dpi for photo-quality images.
The Phaser 6100 also is exceptionally quiet, operating at only
48 dB - noticeably quieter than the HP LaserJet 1500 and 2500,
which operate at 62 dB.
The Phaser 6100 can support virtually any office environment,
delivering both parallel and Universal Serial Bus (USB) 2.0 interfaces.
A networked configuration is available for customers needing to
provide print capabilities for several people.
Also announced today, the Phaser 3130 is a black-and-white laser
printer designed for use in a variety of business environments,
such as banks and hotels, where desktop space is scarce but quick
and easy access to a printer is necessary.
As one of the industry's smallest laser printers, the Phaser
3130 packs value and performance into its compact design. The
Phaser 3130 delivers a productive printing solution with a print
speed of 17 ppm, 32 MB of memory, a 166 Mhz processor and 1200
dpi resolution. The Phaser 3130 offers out-of-the-box PC and Macintosh
compatibility, connectivity via USB and parallel ports, and an
available external network adaptor.
The Phaser 6100 and Phaser 3130 are available immediately in
North America and Europe through Xerox resellers, dealers and
agents. The Phaser 6100 will start at an estimated retail price
of $699, and the Phaser 3130 will start at $299. Both products
are also available online through Xerox Direct at www.xerox.com/direct.
Apr 05 - Linux Not A Low-Cost Alternative
to Unix and Windows for Large Enterprises. According to a
new Yankee Group survey of 1,000 IT administrators and C-level
executives worldwide, corporate customers report Linux provides
businesses with excellent performance, reliability, ease of use
and security. Hype notwithstanding, Linux's technical merits,
while first-rate, are equivalent but not superior to Unix and
Windows Server 2003, according to survey respondents.
"In large enterprises, a significant Linux deployment or
total switch from Windows to Linux, would be three to four times
more expensive and take three times as long to deploy as an upgrade
from one version of Windows to newer Windows releases," says
Laura DiDio, Yankee Group Application Infrastructure & Software
Platforms senior analyst. "The instances where Linux imparts
measurably improved TCO compared with Unix and Windows are in
small firms with customized vertical applications or new, greenfield
networking situations."
The most surprising survey revelation: 90 percent of the 300
large enterprises with 10,000 or more end users indicated that
a significant or total switch from Windows to Linux would be prohibitively
expensive, extremely complex and time consuming, and would not
provide any tangible business gains for the organization.
The survey further found that although Linux's momentum is undeniable,
the Open Source operating system will not dethrone Microsoft Windows
as the leading server vendor in the next 2 years. And Linux desktops
are not expected to make a perceptible dent in Windows' 94 percent
market share between now and 2006.
The Yankee Group can be found online at www.yankeegroup.com.
Apr 05 - New Study Finds Actual Carb
Consumption by Low-carb Dieters Higher Than Expected. Despite
all of the attention on low-carbs in this country, The NPD Group's
new Report on Carbohydrate Consumption Patterns finds Americans
still have a very healthy appetite for carbs. Virtually none of
the 11,000 people we studied were cutting carbs to the degree
that low-carb diets recommend. In fact, only one out of four people
who say they are on a low-carb diet are actually significantly
cutting carbs.
The NPD Group's latest study tracked the eating patterns of
11,000 adults. Only a small fraction of the population actually
followed a lower-carb diet. NPD found that the adults who are
cutting carbs are still eating an average of 128 refined carbs*
a day. For men the average is 145 refined grams and for women
it's 109 grams. That's considerably higher than the 20 to 50 grams
of carbs per day some low-carb diets recommend for weight loss,
although still lower than the overall average of 210 grams of
refined carbs a day for all adults.
"Everybody in the food industry has the potential to be
positively or negatively impacted by this low-carb phenomenon.
This report sheds some light on how big of an impact the low-carb
craze is going to have on certain businesses and products in the
food industry," said Anne Mixen, the author of NPD's Carbohydrate
Consumption Patterns Study. "There aren't any studies out
there that look at what people are really adding to and cutting
from their diet and how many carbs they are actually consuming,"
said Mixen.
Who's Cutting Carbs
The NPD Group reports that, at any given time, about four percent
of the population is on a low-carb/high-protein diet. That translates
to about 10 million Americans.
Some highlights of the report include:
-- The middle-aged are the largest group trying to eliminate
their middle by cutting carbs. The majority of people who claim
to be on a low-carb diet are between the ages of 35-64.
-- Among those adults really reducing carb intake, forty-percent
tell NPD they exercise at least three times a week. This same
group is almost 30-percent more likely to be obese.
-- People who are eating lower carbs report health problems such
as diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol at above
average rates.
-- Adults at the other end of the spectrum, who regularly eat
a high-carb diet, are most likely to be an optimal weight or underweight.
"Low-carb diets are a fad, just like the low-fat craze of
the late 80's and 90's, the question is how long will it last,"
said Harry Balzer, vice president of The NPD Group. "In the
meantime, every manufacturer will put out their version of low-carb
products and Americans will try them because that's what we do,
we like to try new things. People still want to lose weight by
eating, but getting people to change their behavior is very difficult
to do," said Balzer.
NPD can be found online at www.NPD.com.
Apr 04 - Sunday Shopping Watch.
Best Sunday Deals - See our Best
Sunday Ad Deals Table below for specific system prices.
Weekly Comparison. A good weekend for the
Easter Bunny to go shopping for a laptop or desktop.
This Sunday's Special Discounts and Financing.
In addition to sales on specific items, the following store-wide
sales are advertised this week. (Note
that these ads are for the Dayton, Ohio area. Prices or offerings
may be different where you live.)
Best Buy is offering 18 month no-interest financing on all
desktop packages and laptops, and $150 mail-in rebate on advertised
laptops and desktop packages.
Circuit City is offering
12 months no interest financing, and up to $150 mail-in rebates
on advertised desktop packages and notebooks.
Office
Depot
is offering rebates on advertised systems and 6 months no payment,
no interest financing on purchases over $298.
CompUSA is offering rebates
on advertised systems.
Staples has no store-wide promotions
this Sunday.
Compare
to Online Prices - Compare the Sunday ad prices
to those being offered at DealTime, it searches over 160 online
computer stores.
InfoHQ Related Shopping Pages
Shopping
Alerts - Our latest shopping advisories on buying digital
cameras and camcorders, desktop computers, laptops, and other
computer items.
Windows
XP Upgrade Guide - All about upgrading to Windows XP.
What You Need to
Know About Dial-up Internet Service Rebates - The pros and
cons of 'free' Internet service deals. Also see our latest InfoHQ
Tech Watch Newsletter; Free
PC and Free Internet Deals.
Definitions. A complete desktop system/package/complete
package is defined as a computer with monitor and printer
or scanner.
A build-to-order system is customized at the retailer
and then ordered from a computer manufacturer. In addition to
the computer's stated price, you still pay sales tax and shipping
charges (if you order direct from the vendor without going through
the chain store, you may not have to pay sales tax and you could
get a better warranty).
Caution about advertised
prices. When reading advertisements, read the fine
print of the ad to make sure you know what is being advertised
and what it cost. For example, many advertisers will show a complete
system with computer, monitor, and printer but advertise a price
for the computer only.
* Prices discussed in this article. We report
prices after rebates and discounts are subtracted.
Items highlighted in Black are good deals.
Items highlighted in Red means prices
have gone up and the system is not a good buy this week.
Items in normal text means prices are about the same as the previous
weeks.
|
Best Sunday Ad Deals
|
|
Category
|
Product Description
|
Price* (see above)
|
Prices up or Down this Week
|
Store
|
|
Best Celeron Deal
|
eMachines 2.7 GHz complete system
with 17" monitor
|
$389
|
-
|
Best Buy, Circuit City, Office Depot
($397)
|
|
1. Best Pentium 4 System
|
HP 3.0E GHz Pentium 4 complete system
with HT Technology, 15 inch flat panel, and DVD-RW
|
$1299
|
-
|
Circuit City
|
|
2. Best Pentium 4 System
|
Sony Pentium 4 3.0E GHz complete
system with HT Technology, 17 inch flat panel, and DVD-RW
|
$1449
|
-
|
Best Buy
|
|
1. Best AMD Athlon XP System
|
HP Athlon 3200+ complete system with
17 inch monitor and DVD-RW
|
$729
|
-
|
Best Buy, Circuit City, Office Depot
($739)
|
|
2. Best AMD Athlon XP System
|
HP Athlon 3200+ complete system with
15 inch flat panel monitor and DVD-RW drive
|
$979
|
-
|
CompUSA
|
|
Best AMD Athlon 64 System
|
HP Athlon 3200+ complete system with
15 inch flat panel and DVD-RW drive
|
$1199
|
-
|
Best Buy
|
|
1. Best Low-cost Laptop
|
Toshiba 2.8 GHz Celeron with DVD/CD-RW
|
$849
|
-
|
Best Buy
|
|
2. Best Low-cost Laptop
|
HP 2.8 GHz Celeron with DVD/CD-RW
|
$849
|
-
|
Circuit City
|
|
3. Best Low-cost Laptop
|
HP 2.8 GHz widescreen Celeron with
DVD/CD-RW
|
$1049
|
-
|
Best Buy
|
|
4. Best Low-cost Laptop
|
Compaq Pentium 4 2.66 GHz with DVD/CD-RW
|
$1049
|
-
|
Office Depot
|
|
1. Best High-end Notebook
|
Toshiba Pentium 4 2.8 GHz with DVD/CD-RW
|
$1199
|
-
|
CompUSA
|
|
2. Best High-end Notebook
|
HP Pentium 4 widescreen 2.8 GHz
with DVD/CD-RW
|
$1249
|
-
|
Best Buy, CompUSA
|
|
3. Best High-end Notebook
|
Sony Pentium 4 2.8 GHz with DVD/CD-RW
|
$1249
|
-
|
Circuit City
|
|
4. Best High-end Notebook
|
Toshiba widescreen Centrino 1.5
GHz with DVD/CD-RW
|
$1549
|
-
|
CompUSA
|
|
5. Best High-end Notebook
|
Toshiba widescreen Pentium 4 3.0
GHz with HT Technology and DVD-RW
|
$1599
|
-$250
|
Best Buy
|
|
6. Best High-end Notebook
|
HP Pentium 4 3.0 GHz 17 inch widescreen
with HT Technology and DVD/CD-RW
|
$1599
|
-
|
Best Buy
|
|
|
|
Peripherals and Software
|
|
Best Sunday Deal
|
Western Digital 80 GB 7200 RPM Hard
Drive with 8 MB buffer
|
$59
(after rebates)
|
-
|
Best Buy
|
|
Best Sunday Deal
|
Seagate 160 GB 7200 RPM Serial ATA
Hard Drive with 8 MB buffer
|
$99
(after rebates)
|
-
|
CompUSA
|
|
Best Sunday Deal
|
Western Digital 160 GB 7200 RPM
Hard Drive with 8 MB buffer
|
$99
(after rebates)
|
-
|
Best Buy
|
|
Best Sunday Deal
|
Maxtor 250 GB 7200 RPM Hard Drive
with 8 MB buffer
|
$159
(after rebates)
|
-
|
CompUSA
|
|
Best Sunday Deal
|
ATI 9600 SE 128 MB
|
$99
(after rebates)
|
-
|
Best Buy
|
|
Best Sunday Deal
|
ATI All-In-Wonder 9600 XT 128 MB
|
$299
(after rebates)
|
-
|
CompUSA
|
|
Best Sunday Deal
|
Sony 8X DVD-RW
|
$149
(after rebates)
|
-
|
Office Depot
|
|
Best Sunday Deal
|
Sony 52X CD-RW
|
$49
(after rebates)
|
-
|
Circuit City
|
|
|
Additional Information. For additional technical
information, advice on how to buy a laptop or desktop, and vendor
and manufacturer links, please see our Computer
Buying Advice page.
About Sunday Shopping Watch. Sunday Shopping
Watch appears every Sunday (except some holidays like Easter and
Christmas) in our News and Rumors column. It is a review of local
(Dayton, Ohio) computer chain store advertisements. While we can
not guarantee your local chain store has the same items, this
article can help you make informed buying decisions.
Apr 02 - Apple Offers Rebates with
G5 Purchases. Ever since Apple introduced the Power Mac G5
computer, you’ve been waiting for the right time to build
your own dream system.
That time has arrived.
From now until June 26, you can save $500 (via a mail-in rebate)
when you purchase an Apple 23-inch Cinema HD Display at the same
time you purchase any qualifying Power Mac G5 computer. (Terms
apply.)
What’s more, if you purchase your Power Mac G5 from the
online Apple Store or a retail Apple Store, you can also save
up to $700 instantly on select memory upgrades. (Terms
apply.)
Apr 02 - Brother Introduces New
Flatbed Laser Multi-Function Center Devices. Brother International
Corporation today introduces three new 5-in-1 flatbed laser Multi-Function
Center(R) (MFC) models - the new MFC-8440, MFC-8840D and MFC-8840DN.
Common to each model is a high-speed SuperG3 33.6K bps plain
paper fax, an HQ1200 (up to 2400x 600 dpi) laser printer with
up to 21ppm print speeds, a flatbed digital copier (up to 21cpm),
PC Fax capability, and color scanner with high-quality resolution
up to 9600x9600dpi.
The MFC-8840D and MFC-8840DN models also include paper-saving
duplex (two-sided) printing, with the latter adding network-ready
connectivity for workgroups. The MFC-8440 (449.99) and MFC-8840D
($549.99) are slated for availability in late April 2004, and
MFC-8840DN ($649.99) is expected to be available in May 2004.
Additional information may be obtained from the Brother Web site
at www.brother.com.
Apr 02 - SBC Communications Launches
New Higher Speed SBC Yahoo! DSL at Attractive Low Prices.
SBC Communications Inc. (NYSE: SBC) today announced the launch
of a new higher speed consumer DSL Internet service with up to
twice the download speeds of the company's current flagship offer,
and priced as low as $36.99 a month.
Residential customers can qualify for SBC Yahoo! DSL - with speeds
of 1.5 to 3 megabits per second (Mbps) x 384 Kbps - for $36.99
a month when they subscribe to SBC Total Connections, which includes
local, long distance and wireless service. If ordered online or
as part of a qualifying bundle of SBC services, residential and
business customers can receive the higher speed SBC Yahoo! DSL
for $39.99 a month. When purchased separately with a one-year
term commitment, it is available for $44.99 per month. (Other
monthly charges apply; see below.)
Introduction of SBC Yahoo! DSL 1.5-3.0 Mbps comes after highly
successful market trials, and is designed to meet increasing bandwidth
demands of consumers and small businesses for applications such
as online gaming, digital photography and sharing of large files.
Previously, SBC Internet Services offered a higher speed package
with speeds of 1.5-6.0 Mbps for $99.95 a month. The new offer
was developed for users seeking to match increased speed needs
with value pricing, and is comparable to the higher speed offerings
available in the overall broadband marketplace. Unlike many other
broadband promotions, however, SBC value pricing is guaranteed
to remain in effect for the entire twelve-month term.
The majority of current SBC Yahoo! DSL customers are eligible
to receive the higher speed levels. New customers can easily order
with a single telephone call or click of a mouse.
Additional information about SBC and SBC products and services
is available at www.sbc.com.
Apr 02 - BroadVoice Announces the
Launch of Its Broadband Voice Service for Consumers and Small
Businesses. BroadVoice, a new kind of Communications Company,
today announced the immediate availability of its voice over internet
protocol (VoIP) service. Coupled with an existing high-speed Internet
connection, the company's service allows consumers to make and
receive phone calls anywhere in the world. Subscribers benefit
from unlimited domestic calling options, lower international rates,
and a suite of advanced features not found with either traditional
telephone service or other VoIP providers.
The announcement, which occurred at the Voice on the Net (VON)
conference in Santa Clara, CA introduces an unprecedented value
proposition to the VoIP community and consumers at large. Entry
prices are the best the market has to offer and include an Unlimited
In-State plan for just $9.95 a month and an Unlimited USA calling
plan for $19.95 a month.
BroadVoice subscribers can choose a direct-dial telephone number
from any of the 30 states and 1,300 cities and towns the company
currently offers, regardless of the user's geographic location.
All BroadVoice accounts come with voicemail, caller ID, call waiting
and a suite of 21 other advanced calling features (more than any
other VoIP provider) at no additional charge. All features are
available through the company's interactive communications portal.
The BroadVoice service is based on the SIP protocol, allowing
the company to accommodate a wide range of end user devices including
a small analog telephone adapter (ATA) that allows the consumer
to connect the service to their existing telephones.
"BroadVoice is excited to join the VoIP revolution and will
do our part to break the chains that have bound consumers to the
traditional telephone company," said company co-founder and
President David Epstein. "We intend to fundamentally change
the way people view their telephones."
Additional information can be found at www.broadvoice.com.
Apr 01 - IBM Plans Industry's First
Openly Customizable Microprocessor. IBM today outlined plans
to openly collaborate and build a community of innovation around
its Power microprocessor architecture used in a vast range of
products from the world's most powerful enterprise systems and
supercomputers to games and embedded devices. The move could have
major implications for computers and the electronics industry
at large.
This unprecedented step by IBM is designed to create a platform
for innovation that enables researchers and electronics makers
to add the features and capabilities that will drive new devices
and applications. The move recognizes the fact that it is the
final chip designs -- more than the underlying architecture --
where innovation is taking place to create entire systems in silicon,
not just electronics components.
Also, for the first time, IBM demonstrated its upcoming POWER5
microprocessor running multiple operating systems in virtual micropartitions.
POWER5, which is IBM's own high-end design using the Power Architecture,
will drive future versions of IBM's industry-leading server and
storage systems. The PowerPC implementation of Power Architecture
will continue to serve the OEM community.
At an event called Power Everywhere held here today, IBM described
how the Power Architecture is gaining momentum, including several
major new licensing agreements, customers, products and technology
demonstrations. Most notable were new IBM programs that incent
other companies, business partners and university researchers
to use the technology to create a wide variety of chips that can
power a diverse set of electronics products.
Those steps include:
-- broadening access: through expanded licensing, with Sony announced
as the newest Power licensee
-- encouraging innovation: jump starting a new open community
with new services centers and new, no-charge design tools
-- opening development input: by exploring an open governance
model to guide the future of Power Architecture
-- expanding manufacturing options: enabling chip foundries to
manufacture Power chips
" Power is the leading architecture for silicon innovation,"
said Nick Donofrio, IBM senior vice president, technology and
manufacturing. "In fact, Power was designed from the ground
up for massive scalability and is the most customized processor
in the world. The time is right to establish it as a more open,
modular and pervasive platform, accelerating the creation of next
generation devices, systems and applications."
Morphing Chips
In a presentation at Power Everywhere, Dr. Bernard Meyerson,
chief technologist, IBM Systems & Technology Group disclosed
that IBM is working on future Power chips that can physically
reconfigure themselves -- adding memory or accelerators, for example
-- to optimize performance or power utilization for a specific
application.
"In the future, the chip you have may not be the chip you
bought," said Dr. Meyerson.
Apr 01 - NEC Infrontia to Develop
Wireless IP Phones With Microsoft and Intel. NEC Infrontia
Corp. (TSE:6705) has announced plans to develop wireless IP telephones
based on Microsoft(R) Windows(R) CE operating system. The plan
was announced today with the technical cooperation of Microsoft
Corp. and Intel(R) Corporation, at the Spring 2004 Voice on the
Net (VON) Trade Show & Expo in Santa Clara, Calif.
NEC Infrontia's wireless IP telephone will run Windows CE, Microsoft's
advanced real-time operating system, and will operate on a new
innovative hardware platform from Intel. The new IP phones will
enable enterprise customers to make calls on wireless local area
networks (LAN), and will be increasingly integrated with popular
desktop and server applications.
"The Windows CE platform allows us to offer premium features
such as instant messaging, alerts and multimedia services to our
customers and end users," said Toshio Kita, associate senior
vice president of i-communication systems group at NEC Infrontia.
"The Intel hardware platform contains wireless technologies
enabling our upcoming IP phones to process high-speed operations
from anywhere through the Internet."
NEC Infrontia has been cooperating with Microsoft to deliver
IT communications systems and terminals across various markets.
The companies expect to deliver a product to market sometime in
late 2004 or early 2005.
"NEC Infrontia, Intel, and Microsoft share a common vision
for delivering the next generation of VoIP-enabled devices,"
said Mr. Scott Horn, director of the embedded devices group at
Microsoft Corp. "Together we are cooperating to develop advanced,
feature-rich and easy-to-use Wi-Fi phones."
Apr 01 - Informative Graphics Offers
Free CSF Writer For Microsoft Office And Windows-Based Design
Applications. Informative Graphics Corporation (IGC), a leader
in Web-document and collaboration technology, announced today
that its latest Net-It(R) Now CSF writer for Windows will be available
as freeware. Net-It Now enables secure and efficient sharing of
document and design content by publishing it to CSF (content sealed
format) with Visual Rights(TM) protection, regardless of the application
used to create the content.
"Net-It Now offers fast and accurate publishing functionality
that matches up well to other publish-to-view technologies; we're
opening it up for everyone to understand just how good our CSF
format is," said Gary Heath, IGC's President and CEO. "We
want to showcase our persistent and easy-to-use Visual Rights
technology, and what better way than to give it away so people
and organizations can use it for free?"
Users can create a CSF file simply by selecting the Net-It Now
printer name (for Microsoft Office applications there is an even
more convenient toolbar button and menu command). Net-It Now publishes
files by capturing high-resolution vector and raster-based print
streams from most Windows applications, including Microsoft Word,
Visio and Project; WordPerfect; image-layout programs such as
Photoshop(R) and Quark Express(TM); and even CAD applications.
IGC also offers specific CAD system plug-ins that provide optimized
CSF output with enhanced CAD support, including 3D.
Visual Rights is IGC's integrated security controls that can
be applied during CSF publishing. Users can create CSF files from
drawings, documents and images, and can add controls such as password
protection, hard or relative viewing expiration dates and allow/disallow
printing, copying and measurement. CSF files are compressed and
AES 256 bit-encrypted. For more information about Visual Rights,
visit http://www.infograph.com/visrights.htm.
Apr 01 - "Kuma\War'' Online PC
Game Now Available. Kuma Reality Games, a leading broadband
games company, has launched its first reality-based game, "Kuma\War."
Created using real-world missions from breaking news events, the
subscription-based online service is a tactical, squad-based game
that brings top stories from the war on terror directly to the
consumer's PC.
"Kuma\War" delivers real-world news events in a way
never-before-seen in the world of video or computer games. Just
weeks after a military event occurs somewhere around the world,
"Kuma\War" will create a re-enactment of the conflict,
using advanced 3D gaming tools, and deliver the mission to a subscriber's
computer. At launch, "Kuma\War" will give players a
"boots on the ground" experience of recent military
missions, such as Uday and Qusay Hussein's Last Stand in Mosul,
Iraq; Operation Anaconda in Afghanistan; and an amazing recreation
of a large-scale bank robbery thwarted by American troops in Samarra,
Iraq, November 2003.
"'Kuma\War' enables consumers to experience actual missions
of real soldiers in the war on terror," said Keith Halper,
CEO of Kuma Reality Games. "Players have to devise the tactics
and make the hard choices in some of the most important events
of our time. For our subscribers, we make the headlines real."
Downloaded via a broadband connection, in addition to new missions,
subscribers will receive automatic updates and intelligence information
on a weekly basis to assist them in battle. "Kuma\War"
will launch with five missions, and then add additional assignments
in the weeks to follow, such as part two of the Samarra Bank Heist
and the Korean Spy Sub Incident: ROK The Enemy Within.
Prior to embarking on each mission, players are given intelligence
gathered from around the world, in the form of a video news show,
technical specifications for the weapons used, a chronology of
the battle, and even a satellite photo of the battlefield. Expert
military analysis is also provided to the player, to give a strategic
and tactical perspective of the historical event. Sources for
the intelligence include the Associated Press, declassified Department
of Defense documents and a decorated team of military advisors.
As a salute to the men and women in uniform who have served their
countries, Kuma will also proudly donate $1 of all paid subscriptions
to The Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund, which was created to assist
the fa
Read
Our Latest Tech Watch Newsletter