Jan 08 - Panasonic Debuts Rugged 2.4Lb Ultra-Portable
Notebook PC. Panasonic Computer Solutions Company, the leading
provider of ruggedized portable computers, today announced the introduction
of the 2.4 lb. Toughbook T1, an ultra-portable slim-line computer
featuring performance and connectivity previously unheard of in a
bantamweight, small-footprint, industrial-grade notebook.
Powered
by an Intel(R) 866MHz ultra-low-voltage Mobile Pentium(R) III CPU
with enhanced SpeedStep(TM) technology, the CF-T1 features 256MB of
133MHz SDRAM (expandable to 512MB), 512K on-die L2 cache, a 133MHz
system bus, and Data Prefetch Logic for faster data response time.
"The introduction of the T-1 ultra-portable reflects our determination
to provide our corporate and public sector customers a durable, high-performance
notebook suitable for every traveler in their organization--whether
he or she happens to be the CEO or a mining engineer," said Panasonic
Computer Solutions Company president, Rance Poehler.
"For some time many of our volume buyers have been asking us
for executive and white-collar field force models offering Toughbook
dependability and performance and Panasonic service and support in
a reduced form factor case.
"With the T1 we bring to the tray and conference table a small,
lightweight notebook with full-sized performance, a big screen, high-capacity
hard drive, and heavy-duty communications capability.
"We also bring to the ultra-portable table our expertise at--and
rigorous commitment to--engineering a full-range of portable-computing
solutions for professional users performing mission-critical tasks.
There are a lot of sub-notebook computers on the market, the Panasonic
T1 is the only ultra-portable offered by a company whose tech-support
initiatives aren't geared to telling end users why they have to charge
the battery before use."
Big-Performance In A Small Package
Featuring a high-capacity, high-speed UDMA 40GB hard drive--the same
size as that found in many full-size ruggedized notebooks--the CF-T1
is powered by Intel's latest ultra-low-voltage mobile Pentium III
866MHz (400MHz in battery-conservation mode) CPU. Features include
a 133MHz front-side bus, enhanced SpeedStep technology, 0.13 micron
process construction, 512K full-speed L2 cache, Data Prefetch Logic
to anticipate and pre-load data for faster response time, and Deeper
Sleep Alert State for extended battery life. 256MB of 133MHz SDRAM
(expandable to 512MB) minimizes the need for hard drive data swaps
for faster performance with reduced power consumption.
Shock-Mounted Thin-Screen LCD Saves Weight & Batteries
The T1's anti-reflective 12.1-inch XGA TFT active-matrix LCD Thin-Screen
(0.4mm glass) display panel is over 20 percent lighter than conventional
12.1-inch LCD panels. A low-power, high-output backlight and the reduced
light-travel distance inherent in the thin-screen design combine for
a best-in-class brightness/power consumption ratio. With 48MB VRAM
(shared), maximum resolution is 1024 x 768 pixels at 16M colors on
the internal LCD and 1280 x 1024 pixels at 16M colors on an external
monitor. The LCD panel is protected from impact by a floating mounting
system and shock damper.
At Panasonic The Word Tough Is More Than An Adjective
This PC proves that small computers can come in solid packages. In
addition to its shock-dampened hard drive and display panel, the CF-T1
features a dimpled-magnesium alloy case with reinforced metal screen-case
edges, a convex rear-upper case for increased display-mount rigidity,
stainless steel hinges and a bonded scuff-and-scratch-resistant outer
coating.
Integrated Wired And Wireless Communications Capability
The CF-T1 features a dedicated mini-PCI slot fully compatible with
most popular wireless LAN protocols. Other standard connectivity features
include an integrated 100BASE-TX/10 BASE-T Ethernet port and a 56K
analog modem. Other ports include an SD slot for removable memory
cards, two USB 2.0 connectors (one on each side of the case), a Type
II PC Card slot, and external monitor and audio I/Os.
Pricing and Configuration
CF-T1R64ZZKM - Intel(R)Speedstep(TM)866MHz ultra-low Mobile Pentium(R)III,
2.1" XGA TFT Active-Matrix Display, 40GB HDD, 256MB RAM, 56K
Internal 56K-100BASE-TX/10 BASE-T combo modem. Suggested Retail Price:
$ 2,355
Information on Panasonic's full line of notebook PCs for the mobile
professional can be obtained at www.panasonic.com/toughbook.
Jan 08 - EZQuest Intros 200GB High-Performance
FireWire Hard Drive. EZQuest introduced its new Cobra+ 200GB,
7200 RPM FireWire hard drive at MacWorld Expo today.
The huge-capacity, high-performance external drive allows fast, easy
transfer and storage of large video, audio and data files. The new
drive is ideal for the professional music, broadcast, multimedia and
film industries. It is particularly valuable for recording and mastering
studios -- it is compatible with Digidesign "Pro Tools"
software, and it eliminates the need to record to tape. In addition
to saving time and money, this allows projects to be recorded at higher
sample rates and drastically reduces studio storage-space requirements.
The Cobra+ 200GB drive is stackable and ships with Intech Hard Disk
Speed Tools RAID level-0 striping software for Macs. It is also compatible
with the striping software that comes with Windows 2000 and XP.
The drive is housed in a light-gray, streamlined case that is fully
shielded with 0.6 metal. In addition to its rotational speed of 7200
RPM, Cobra+ features an average seek time of 8.9ms and a burst transfer
rate of 35MB/s. It comes ready to use, and includes a built-in universal
auto-switching power supply, a cable and software.
Cobra+ is compatible with both Mac OS 8.6 and WIN 98SE, as well as
later Mac and WIN versions. It comes with a two-year warranty and
is competitively priced at $439 MSRP. Cobra+ FireWire hard drives
are also available in 40GB, 60GB, 80GB, 100GB and 120GB sizes. A downloadable
Cobra+ spec sheet and a list of dealers are available at www.ezq.com.
Jan 08 - HP Announces Broadband Selection
Tool. HP (NYSE:HPQ) today announced the completion of its national
broadband service rollout. The service, initially begun in 2002, equips
HP consumer desktop and notebook PCs with an easy-to-use tool for
selecting high-speed cable, DSL and satellite service. HP was the
first PC manufacturer to deliver this type of Web-based, high-speed
broadband qualification tool on desktop PCs.
By using HP's existing Easy Internet Sign-up tool or through HP's
new high-speed icon on the desktop, HP PC users can quickly and efficiently
check if their phone line qualifies for broadband. Upon qualification,
users can order a high-speed broadband connection, which is up to
50 times faster than a dial-up modem and enables consumers to get
more from their PCs and the Internet -- including streaming music
and videos, transferring large files and enjoying video conferencing
and online gaming.
Both tools are available on the HP Pavilion product line as of December
2002 and are expected to be added to the Compaq Presario desktop and
notebook lines later this year.
"HP is committed to making our consumers' lives easier by providing
the solutions and features they need to get the most out of their
PCs," said John Romano, senior vice president, HP Consumer PC
Organization. "By partnering with leading broadband and service
providers to offer our customers a faster and more convenient way
to obtain a high-speed broadband connection, we are saving them valuable
time and money and enabling them to fully leverage the power of our
PCs."
The Broadband Compass can be found at www.hp.com/go/highspeed
and offers a wide range of cable, DSL and satellite providers, including
Cox Communications, EarthLink and numerous others. Other leading providers
planned to be offered in early 2003 include AOL, Charter and SBC Internet
Services.
[Editor's note: Apparently anyone can use the tool, I'm not
sure if you get the price it quotes if you don't have a HP PC.]
Jan 08 - Belkin Intoduces Bluetooth Network
Access Point. Belkin Corporation, the leading manufacturer of
connectivity solutions, today introduced its Bluetooth Access Point
with USB Print Server (F8T030 - ESP $149.99).
A winner of the "Innovations 2003 Design and Engineering Award",
the Bluetooth Access Point with USB Print Server from Belkin is an
ideal solution for Small Office/Home Office (SOHO) and mobile road
warriors with devices enabled with Bluetooth technology needing to
connect to networks as well as printers. The Bluetooth Access Point
with USB Print Server from Belkin is set to start shipping in North
America on February 1, 2003.
Offering access to local area networks (LANs) with devices enabled
with Bluetooth technology such as Pocket PC PDAs, Palm™ PDAs,
notebooks, desktop PCs, and mobile phones, the Bluetooth Access Point
with USB Print Server offers connectivity to the Internet, corporate
LAN, and home networks.
It also enables any USB printer to be accessed via a Bluetooth connection
when connected through the Access Point's USB print server ports.
At the same time, the product functions as a USB print server where
the printer can be visible to the entire wired LAN, which allows the
connected USB printer to be accessed by any client on the wired LAN.
Up to seven users can simultaneously share the Internet, the LAN,
or print to a USB printer via a Bluetooth connection. It features
two USB type A connectors, an RJ45 Ethernet port, and the front has
seven multicolored LEDs that depict connection activity quickly and
easily.
The Access Point requires no manual configuration. It can be installed
and start running in under two minutes, needing only a power source
and an Ethernet connection. The IP is obtained automatically via DHCP
upon power-up or can be set by any Bluetooth client.
For more information, visit the company's website at www.belkin.com.
Jan 08 - Brother Launches New Line of
Personal 17ppm Laser Printers. When it comes to personal laser
printers, Brother International Corporation has a reputation for delivering
one of the strongest "full-feature, value-added" product
lines in the business.
Today's introduction of their new HL-5000 Series (HL-5040, HL-5050
and HL-5070N) continues this tradition. The new line replaces the
existing HL-1400 Series printers.
Once again the newest generation comes through with improved performance
and features that include faster print speeds, higher print resolution,
improved paper handling, enhanced and expandable memory, interactive
help and online user support. The HL-5040, HL-5050 and HL-5070N will
have estimated street prices of $299, $349 and $499, respectively.
First customer shipments are slated for late February 2003.
"Our primary motivation for increasing the level of features
and performance in our products is about much more than a competition
of speeds and feeds; it's about keeping pace with the workflow demands
of our customers," says Don Cummins, Vice President of Marketing
at Brother. "The HL-5000 series takes this one step further by
anticipating and accommodating today's user needs with productivity
enhancing features that will serve the customer for many years to
come."
FASTER, HIGHER PERFORMANCE AND IMPROVED PAPER HANDLING
Each of the new units offer a print speed of up to 17 pages per minute
- 2 pages per minute faster than the models they replace and among
the fastest print speeds in their class. In addition, the units boast
a first-page out speed of less than 12 seconds. Along with the faster
print speeds, all three printers now offer up to 2400x600dpi print
quality for crisp and clear printing of both text and graphics and
feature an easy to use control panel with convenient job cancel button.
Beyond the improvements on print speeds and output resolution, the
new series also offers improved paper handling. In particular, the
HL-5040 now includes a single-sheet manual by-pass tray for handling
card stock, letterhead and envelopes. Another improvement includes
the option to add a second 250-sheet lower paper tray to expand the
paper input capacity to a total of 500 sheets.
Like the interactive assistance that is available at the desktop,
users can also find help online with the Brother Solutions Center
(http://solutions.brother.com).
This web-based resource is particularly helpful in assisting users
with obtaining the most up-to-date drivers, support materials and
information to help them get the most out of their Brother printer.
Visit Brother's web site at www.brother.com.
Jan 07 - Hitachi Unveils Its First Microsoft
Pocket PC Phone. Microsoft Corp. and Hitachi Ltd., a leading global
electronics company, today unveiled the Hitachi Multimedia Communicator
Pocket PC, Hitachi's first Windows(R) Powered device and the first
Pocket PC to feature an integrated camera, keyboard and phone feature
all in one mobile device.
The Multimedia Communicator combines the comprehensive
functionalities of a Pocket PC, with the high-speed enhanced Sprint
Nationwide PCS Network to deliver the ability to take pictures, provide
comfortable text input for e-mails with a built-in keyboard, place
and receive phone calls, and browse the Web. Based on the new Microsoft(R)
Windows Powered Pocket PC Phone Edition software for CDMA networks,
the Multimedia Communicator is expected to be available in the first
half of 2003 only from Sprint.
"The unique combination of consumer capabilities in the Multimedia
Communicator Pocket PC represents the culmination of Hitachi's advanced
research and development efforts and Microsoft's powerful Pocket PC
software," Shigeru Matsuoka, general manager of the Mobile Information
and Communication Appliance Division in the Ubiquitous Platforms Systems
Group at Hitachi Ltd.
"We're thrilled to be working with Microsoft and Sprint in
this space and think customers will love this product. The introduction
of Hitachi's first Pocket PC complements our global focus on providing
our customers with innovative products for which Hitachi is known."
Hitachi is working closely with mobile operators toward not only
retail availability but also enterprise availability of the Hitachi
Multimedia Communicator in the United States.
The Multimedia Communicator is planned to offer Microsoft Pocket PC
Phone Edition software that includes Pocket Outlook(R) (contacts,
calendar, inbox), pocket versions of Microsoft Word and Excel, Pocket
Internet Explorer browser software, Windows Media(TM) Player, phone
dialer and more such as an XScale 400MHz processor, full-color TFT
screen, camera, QWERTY keyboard and a replaceable battery.
More information on Hitachi can be found at the company's Web site
at www.hitachi.com.
Jan 07 - Maxtor Corporation
Awarded the First FireWire Compliance Logo. The 1394 Trade Association,
the worldwide industry organization that develops the IEEE 1394 multimedia
standard, today announced that Maxtor Corporation (www.maxtor.com)
is the first company to complete and pass the association's compliance
testing program. The association awarded Maxtor the first official
Compliance Logo for meeting all the program's requirements.
Maxtor won the distinction as the first developer of FireWire-equipped
products to achieve the logo by passing the testing suite for three
external hard drives: the Maxtor Personal Storage(TM) 5000DV and 5000XT,
which feature the Maxtor OneTouch(TM) button for backup copying, as
well as the Maxtor Personal Storage 3000DV. The logo signifies that
a specific product has passed the most comprehensive 1394 testing
available on the market today.
"Maxtor Corporation has emerged as world leader in FireWire-enabled
product development with their new OneTouch products," said James
Snider, executive director of the 1394 Trade Association. "We
are pleased to issue this first Compliance Logo to them for completing
the rigorous testing program. We anticipate a significant number of
leading companies like Maxtor to satisfy the requirements and earn
the logo in 2003."
The Trade Association's compliance and interoperability testing program
is designed to ensure that new 1394-enabled televisions, cameras,
computers, computer peripherals, D-VHS systems, electronic games and
other products work together. The 1394 TA provides this service at
workshops that deliver the technical feedback required to ensure excellent
user experiences with 1394-equipped consumer and computer equipment.
The 1394 Trade Association is a worldwide organization dedicated
to the advancement of the IEEE 1394 standard. Products equipped with
1394 are marketed under the FireWire(TM) and i.LINK(TM) brands. For
more information, visit www.1394ta.org.
Jan 07 - Dolby Demos New Headphone Technology.
Visitors to the Dolby Laboratories 2003 International CES trade show
exhibit (Las Vegas Convention Center, South Hall, Lower Level, Booth
22022) will be able to enjoy dramatic personal surround-sound experiences
while listening to music, viewing clips of some of the hottest recent
movies, or playing popular video games.
The key to unlocking the multichannel audio tracks encoded in today's
most popular media content is Dolby(R) Headphone technology, which
lets consumers enjoy the dramatic surround effects of a 5.1-channel
soundtrack through any ordinary set of headphones. Best of all, "listener
fatigue"--a phenomenon commonly associated with headphone playback--is
virtually eliminated.
At CES, Dolby showcases seven Dolby Headphone technology demonstrations,
including devices such as the Nintendo GameCube, Sony PlayStation
2, Microsoft Xbox, and technologies including DVD-Video with Dolby
Digital, AAC, CD audio played through Pro Logic(R) II decoders, and
DVD-Audio. Various products that incorporate Dolby Headphone technology
will be shown, including audio receivers from Denon and Onkyo, the
Pioneer SE-DIR1000C cordless headphone system (currently available
in Japan), and the InterVideo WinDVD player.
"As entertainment becomes increasingly mobile and personal,
the choice of headphone technology becomes more important," said
Craig Eggers, director of consumer channel marketing, Dolby Laboratories.
"Dolby Headphone technology delivers a high-quality surround-sound
experience, minus the 'listener fatigue' or 'in your head' effects
associated with other headphone applications. Movies, music, games,
and other personal entertainment applications come alive in ways never
previously imagined.
"For example, Dolby Headphone technology is the perfect solution
for portable DVD players, where consumers can revel in a highly involving
surround-sound experience from a conventional set of headphones. It
is ideally suited for rear-seat entertainment applications in a car,
keeping children and other passengers occupied. It's also great for
videogame buffs, who can now enjoy even more compelling and engaging
action in full surround sound without disturbing others."
Dolby Headphone technology is currently available in Japan, Europe,
and North America, in a number of laptop computers, PC-based software
DVD player applications, home audio/visual components, and wireless
headphone products. Austrian Airlines, Cathay Pacific, Lufthansa,
Qantas, and Singapore Airlines also feature Dolby Headphone technology
as part of their value-added in-flight entertainment offerings.
For more information about Dolby Laboratories or Dolby technologies,
visit www.dolby.com.
Jan 07 - Maverick Power Systems
Announces Powerline Home Network. Maverick Power Systems, a developer
of innovative power supply and networking solutions for residential
and small office/home office (SOHO) users and OEM manufacturers, today
announced the introduction of the Maverick Powerline Network(TM),
which enables users to create a high-speed Local Area Network (LAN)
using existing AC power wiring.
Maverick Power will be demonstrating the Maverick Powerline Network
at International CES 2003 on January 9 through 12 in booth #34237
at the Las Vegas Convention Center, South Hall.
A cost-effective and reliable alternative to wireless networks, the
Maverick Powerline Network makes networking PCs and other devices
as simple as finding and plugging into the nearest power outlet -eliminating
the need for new wiring. The product combines an Ethernet-to-powerline
bridge with a 4-port Ethernet switch, and interoperates with products
that are HomePlug 1.0 compliant.
"The 4-port Ethernet switch has become very common in the home,"
said Paul Chazen, vice president of sales for Maverick Power Systems.
"We have extended the reach of the switch beyond one room by
adding the powerline network interface. We are committed to the future
of the connected home, and believe the Maverick Powerline Network
offers consumers a fast and easy-to-use networking platform."
The Maverick Powerline Network will be available in sample quantities
to distributors and retailers in March 2003. The manufacturers suggested
retail price will be $99.
To learn more about the company and its products, you can visit www.maverickpower.com.
Jan 07 - IOGEAR ships combined USB 2.0
and FireWire MiniHub. IOGEAR has launched a MiniHub that combines
the two highest speed standards enabling consumers to quickly download,
transfer and share files.
The MiniHub includes two FireWire ports and four Hi-Speed USB 2.0
connections.
The portable device is easy to install, and it provides a data transfer
rate of up to
480 Mbps for USB 2.0 and up to 400 Mbps for FireWire. Priced at $89.95
(MSRP),
the hub is now available from all major catalog resellers, online
resellers and
selected retail outlets.
“With so many new technologies, consumers need a simple solution
that combines
various formats while eliminating clutter and maximizing portability,”
said
Miranda Su, vice president of sales and marketing at IOGEAR, Inc.
“Combining
both FireWire and USB 2.0 connectivity speeds, IOGEAR’s single
hub does the job
of two. Small businesses and home offices can cut down on costs and
space by
investing in this all-in-one portable solution.”
The MiniHub is fully compliant with USB 2.0 / IEEE 1394a specifications
and supports Windows 98SE, 2000, ME, XP, Mac OS 8.6 to 9.2 (USB 1.1
support only) and OS X 0.3 or greater (USB 2.0 support). A 6V power
supply, and USB 2.0 and
FireWire cables are included in the complete kit. The device is also
backward
compatible with USB 1.1 specifications and comes equipped with IOGEAR’s
three-year limited warranty.
For further information on IOGEAR products, visit
www.iogear.com.
Jan 06 - World's Smallest Hard Drive Now
Bigger. Hitachi Global Storage Technologies today announced plans
to squeeze four gigabytes of data onto the 1-inch Microdrive, the
world's smallest hard disk drive. With considerable advances in miniaturization
technology, Hitachi engineers have overcome numerous magnetic recording
challenges associated with developing hard disk drives of this size.
The 4GB Microdrive is expected to be available in the Fall of 2003.
The new drive will use ultra-miniaturized components, including a
new read-write head that is half the size of its predecessor and results
in a 40-percent decrease in the height at which the head travels above
the disk platter. This feature is analogous to a Boeing 747 airplane
flying one millimeter above the surface of the earth. The Microdrive's
new head technology, called the femto slider head, opens up a next
generation of head slider technology. The new technology is so small
that it is equivalent in size to a grain of table salt.
Hitachi engineers have also drastically increased the tracks per
inch to accommodate the Microdrive's areal density of more than 60
billion bits of data per square inch. This areal density required
mechanical tolerances and accuracies to be significantly tighter in
order to maintain the Microdrive's superior data integrity and reliability.
Pixie Dust Media Technology
The areal density of the 4GB Microdrive is made possible by using
a new five-layer version of Hitachi's patented "Pixie Dust"
media technology. This data storage breakthrough is achieved by taking
a three-atom-thick layer of the element ruthenium, a precious metal
similar to platinum, and sandwiching it between three magnetic layers.
Technically referred to as antiferromagnetically coupled media, the
ruthenium/magnetic layers enable data recording at ultra-high densities
while maintaining data integrity.
Other significant technical achievements include a data transfer
rate increase that represents a 50 percent improvement from the previous-generation
Microdrive. Hitachi engineers estimate that the new data transfer
rates are faster than all competitive solid-state data storage products
available today.
"The Microdrive's capacity is ideally suited for multimedia
or other data-intensive applications that need to be accessed via
a handheld device," said Bill Healy, general manager, Mobile
HDD Business Unit, Hitachi Global Storage Technologies. "Whether
users are listening to music, watching movies on their PDA or shooting
high-resolution photography, the Microdrive enables users to focus
on the task at hand -- not on the amount of memory available in their
device."
The 4GB Microdrive is designed to the CompactFlash Type II industry
standard. HP and Eastman-Kodak are among the industry-leading companies
that are evaluating the 4GB Microdrive. The new Microdrive is expected
to broaden the variety and complexity of applications that can be
run on handheld appliances and other consumer electronic devices.
For more information on Hitachi Global Storage Technologies, visit
the company's Web site at www.hgst.com.
Jan 06 - ATI Ships Radeon 9000 PRO Mac
Edition. ATI Technologies Inc. (TSX:ATY) (NASDAQ:ATYT), today
announced that the RADEON(TM) 9000 PRO MAC EDITION is now available
at leading retailers worldwide. Based on the award-winning RADEON(TM)
9000 PRO visual processor, the RADEON(TM) 9000 PRO MAC EDITION delivers
high-performance and numerous cutting-edge features at an affordable
price.
"ATI enjoys tremendous support from the Mac community,"
said Rick Bergman, Senior Vice President, Marketing and General Manager,
Desktop, ATI Technologies Inc. "In addition to its availability
in Apple's Power Mac G4, consumers can now choose to upgrade their
Macs with the RADEON(TM) 9000 PRO MAC EDITION retail card."
Featuring a high-performance quad-pipe rendering engine with robust
OpenGL(R) support and advanced programmable pixel and vertex shaders,
the RADEON(TM) 9000 PRO MAC EDITION delivers an exhilarating visual
experience for today's greatest games, 2D design and 3D animation.
One of the special features of the RADEON(TM) 9000 PRO MAC EDITION
is its ability to support two independent digital flat panels simultaneously,
including Apple Cinema HD Displays at resolutions up to 1920 x 1200.
The graphics board includes one ADC connector, one DVI connector and
one DVI to VGA adapter and is capable of driving dual CRT's, dual
flat panels or combinations of each with the appropriate adapters.
ATI's RADEON(TM) 9000 PRO MAC EDITION has a suggested retail price
of US $169.99 and is available at www.ati.com
and leading retailers.
Jan 06 - Adobe Extends Photoshop Product
Line with New Photoshop Album Software. Adobe Systems Incorporated
(Nasdaq:ADBE) today announced Adobe(R) Photoshop(R) Album, new software
for Windows(R)-based computers that, for the first time, extends the
legendary Photoshop brand to the consumer market.
With digital camera sales exploding, consumers --freed from the expense
and limitations of film -- have made digital picture-taking an integral
part of every family occasion and event. Photoshop Album solves the
biggest problem facing these digital camera owners: how to easily
find, fix, share and preserve thousands of photos accumulating on
their computers.
Photoshop Album leaves the competition behind by using an easy and
sophisticated 'tagging' system to organize and find images, and leverages
Photoshop software's unrivalled image enhancement technology to provide
simple, high quality one-click editing. In addition, Photoshop Album
is the only consumer digital photography product to take advantage
of the ubiquity of Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF), creating
an intuitive way to share digital photos with family and friends.
"Photoshop revolutionized photo-editing in the 1990s and was
a catalyst for the emergence of digital cameras as a hot new product
category for pro photographers and consumers," said Bryan Lamkin,
senior vice president of Digital Imaging and Video Products at Adobe
Systems. "With Photoshop Album we're extending the proven quality
of the Photoshop name to a new generation of digital camera owners,
making it easy for them to edit, find and share the millions of digital
photos now lying unsorted on computers."
Organizing Photos The Album Way
Adobe Photoshop Album gathers thousands of digital photos for viewing
in one convenient place -- the photo well -- and automatically organizes
them by date. From there, it's simple to find a particular photo:
a timeline view displays photos taken over a period of time, while
a detailed calendar view shows the exact day and month when each moment
was captured. Users can bring precise control over finding and working
with specific collections of photographs through Photoshop Album software's
powerful tagging system. Visual tags can be created to instantly find
photos of favorite people, places, events, or any other subject, no
matter how large the collection becomes.
Editing with Photoshop Precision
Photos don't always turn out exactly as planned, so Photoshop Album
provides one-click editing tools to fix common problems, such as red-eye,
color, contrast and brightness. For more advanced editing, Photoshop
Album provides single-click integration for users of Adobe Photoshop
Elements 2.0, Adobe's award winning image-editing software for photo
hobbyists and amateur photographers. And perhaps most importantly,
Photoshop Album is equipped with one-click photo backup to CD and
DVD to ensure that memories will be preserved for future generations.
Adobe PDF Makes Sharing a Sure Thing
Photoshop Album software helps users tell and share the stories of
their lives in pictures through entertaining slide shows that can
include captions, video clips, and background music. These template-based
slide shows are packaged in Adobe PDF, so that Photoshop Album users
can deliver their images to anyone who is using free Adobe Acrobat(R)
Reader(R) software. With over half a billion copies of this software
already distributed across multiple platforms, Photoshop Album eliminates
the guesswork of which format should be used to save and share photos
-- and whether recipients will be able to view them.
Adobe has integrated Intel(R) processor optimizations in Photoshop
Album, enabling consumers to see improved performance when running
the software on Intel processor-based computers.
Adobe Photoshop Album will be debuted at the International Consumer
Electronics Show (CES) in Intel's booth (Las Vegas Convention Center,
Central 3-5, #14607), and will be showcased during Intel's keynote
address, taking place on Thursday, Jan. 9, 2003, at 4:30 p.m. in the
Las Vegas Hilton Theater.
Pricing and Availability
Adobe Photoshop Album is expected to ship in the United States in
February 2003 at an estimated street price of US$49.99. Photoshop
Album will be available for sale on Adobe.com as well as in major
retail outlets. International editions are expected to ship in the
second quarter of 2003. Information concerning international pricing
and support policies is available on www.adobe.com.
Jan 06 - M-Audio Launches Sonica Theater
USB 7.1 Surround Sound Card. M-Audio today announced Sonica Theater,
the ultimate audio upgrade for USB-compatible laptops and desktops.
Sonica Theater provides ultra-immersive surround sound output up
to 7.1, crystal-clear audio quality, and high-resolution 24-bit/96kHz
audio playback and recording-all with the simple connectivity of USB.
In addition to playing DVDs and music in surround sound, Sonica Theater
makes games more realistic and can be used to record or mix music.
Designed and manufactured by M-Audio-one of the biggest names in the
professional music industry-Sonica Theater packs advanced technology
into a small, light, USB bus-powered external package that's simple
to connect and use.
In addition to supporting the popular 5.1 surround sound format,
Sonica Theater is one of the only consumer audio cards offering direct
output of up to eight channels for 7.1 surround. (Where 5.1 places
speakers beside the listener, 7.1 places them both beside and behind
for a much more immersive and realistic surround sound experience.)
The product also supports stereo, 4.1 and 6.1 formats, and features
Dolby Digital and DTS pass-through for external decoders on its digital
output. (The open source VLC Player available at www.m-audio.com
is one example of a Macintosh-compatible DVD player that currently
supports pass-through.)
Additionally, the Sonica Theater hardware is poised to deliver direct
multi-channel audio output when versions of the Macintosh OS and other
applications that support this functionality are released. The product
also offers full support for Microsoft Windows Media Audio 9 Professional-a
first for a laptop-compatible sound card.
Users lacking a 5.1 or 7.1 speaker system can still enjoy stunning
surround results from Sonica Theater, thanks to built-in SRS TruSurround
XT-a powerful virtual surround sound process that delivers the multi-channel
audio experience over standard stereo speakers or even headphones.
Conversely, built-in SRS Circle Surround II technology instantly transforms
stereo CDs or MP3s into incredibly lifelike surround sound, electronically
separating instruments, vocals, and even crowd noises for multi-channel
output to yield dynamic dimensional results.
"Sonica Theater is the first consumer USB audio card to offer
the same high-quality Circle Surround II technology found in many
home theater receivers around the world," said Ted Franceschi,
Executive Vice President, Marketing and Sales. "SRS Labs is excited
to partner with M-Audio in providing laptop and desktop users the
ultimate surround sound experience available via computers."
Sonica Theater delivers impressive audio specifications such as high
101 dB signal-to-noise ratio and exceptionally low 0.00345% THD. A
simple yet powerful control panel accesses advanced features like
speaker setup and professional bass management to ensure that speakers
are connected properly and configured for optimum performance and
audio fidelity.
"Sonica Theater is a complete breakthrough that brings laptop
or desktop users the best surround sound experience available in a
USB solution," says Adam Castillo, M-Audio's Marketing Director.
"Availability of up to 7.1 surround sound and 24-bit/96kHz recording
and playback make Sonica Theater ideal for almost any consumer audio
application."
The Sonica Theater package includes high-quality bundled software
with fully functioning versions of MixMan Studio and Arkaos VJ Lite.
Also included are versions of award-winning music creation programs,
over 100 sounds and loops, and a free sampler CD of music from M-Audio's
M-Powered artists roster.
Sonica Theater is shipping in mid-January 2003 for distribution in
major retail stores throughout North America, with Japan and Europe
following shortly thereafter. Estimated street price is $99.99.
More information on M-Audio products is available at www.m-audio.com.
Jan 06 - MSN is Market Share Leader among
DSL Providers. A recent study by Solomon-Wolff Associates, a New
Jersey-based market research firm, indicates that MSN is the Internet
Service Provider (ISP) used by the greatest number of DSL customers.
AOL is the market share leader among Internet users overall (when
all connection types and speeds are considered), and MSN is number
two. However, a very different market share pattern exists among DSL
users.
"DSL is a very rapidly growing sector of the Internet arena,
and in the past year MSN grew faster than any other company in this
sector," says S. Joey Wolff, partner, Solomon-Wolff Associates.
"But just having DSL available does not guarantee success and
not all companies providing DSL service experienced growth. Some companies
saw their market share decline significantly."
Market penetration by DSL service varies significantly from region
to region and state to state, according to the study. The Pacific
coast region has the largest percentage of its Internet users using
DSL for their connection, while the Northeast has the smallest percentage.
MSN has the largest market share in two out of the six regions.
"Use of DSL has increased in every region, and MSN's DSL has
increased its share in five out of six regions over the past year,"
said Wolff. "If current trends continue, it will increase its
lead among DSL providers in 2003."
Jan 05 - Sunday Shopping Watch.
Best Sunday Deals - See our Best
Sunday Ad Deals Table below for specific system prices.
Weekly Comparison. Prices were a little
lower than the week before Christmas prices.
Laptops - Prices were lower than last week.
Desktops - Prices were lower than last week.
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 6 months of free MSN with any computer purchase.
They also have 12 month no-interest financing on all desktop packages.
In addition they are giving mail-in rebates of $100 on all desktop
packages and $150 on all laptops.
Circuit City is offering
$100 instant savings for all Intel Pentium 4 processor desktop package
and laptop purchases.
Office
Depot
has 6 months no payment, no interest financing for new computer purchases
over $298.
CompUSA has an unadvertised
sales page that you print and bring into your local store.
Staples is offering 12 month no interest
financing for purchases over $799, and $100 mail-in rebates for all
Intel processor desktop package and laptop purchases.
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, and laptops.
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.
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
|
None Advertised
|
|
|
|
|
1. Best High-end Pentium 4 System
|
HP 2 GHz system with
17 inch monitor
|
$799
|
-$100
|
Staples
|
|
2. Best High-end Pentium 4 System
|
HP 2.40 GHz complete system
|
$1249
|
-$100
|
Circuit City
|
|
3. Best High-end Pentium 4 System
|
HP 2.53 GHz complete system
|
$1149
|
-
|
Circuit City
|
|
Best Low-cost Athlon XP System
|
None Advertised
|
|
-
|
|
|
Best High-end Athlon XP System
|
HP 2400+ complete system
|
$949
|
|
Best Buy
|
|
Best Low-cost Notebook
|
HP 1.6 GHz Pentium 4 with DVD
|
$749
|
-
|
Best Buy
|
|
1. Best High-end Notebook
|
HP Pentium 4-M 2.4 GHz with DVD/CD-RW
|
$1349
|
-
|
Staples
|
|
2. Best High-end Notebook
|
Sony Pentium 4-M 2.4 GHz with DVD/CD-RW
and 16" screen
|
$1749
|
-$100
|
Best Buy
|
|
|
|
Peripherals
|
|
Best Sunday Deal
|
Microsoft Optical Wheel Mouse or Internet
Keyboard
|
$14.94
(after rebates)
|
-
|
Office Depot, Staples
|
|
Best Sunday Deal
|
TDK 48X CD-RW
|
|
-
|
CompUSA
|
|
Best Sunday Deal
|
Sony 48X CD-RW
|
$39
(after rebates)
|
-
|
Office Depot
|
|
Best Sunday Deal
|
Warcraft III
|
|
-
|
CompUSA
|
|
|
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.
Jan 03 - Philips Rings in
2003 with Nineteen CES Innovation Awards. Building on a rich tradition
of innovative and state-of-the-art products and technologies, Philips
Electronics announced today it is the recipient of nineteen 2003 Consumer
Electronics Show (CES) Innovation Awards.
Philips received more awards than any other manufacturer at this
year's show and set a record for the company.
Four of Philips' products, including its 44-inch Liquid Crystal On
Silicon (LCOS) Television, psa 128 MP3 player, iPronto TSi6400 and
its multi-changer SACD/DVD Home Entertainment System MX5900SA, were
recognized as 2003 CES Innovations Best of Innovations for the show.
A panel of prominent industry designers, engineers and journalists,
determined the 2003 CES Innovation Awards. The products were judged
on the following criteria: user value, aesthetics, contributions to
the quality of life, as well as innovative qualities.
Philips 44-inch LCOS TV
Philips new 44-inch LCOS televisions elevate picture quality to the
next level providing unsurpassed natural colors and picture sharpness
in a short-depth, low-weight design. Featuring a warm silver finish,
the new LCOS televisions include a matching base that can easily hold
additional audio and video components.
Philips psa 128 max
Developed by Nike and Philips, worldwide leaders in sport and technology,
the psa 128 max is an innovative portable MP3 player designed specifically
for sports, such as running and riding.
The MP3 portable audio player is designed for movement, an evolution
in the spirit of freedom of movement and performance. Designed to
be operated intuitively by touch and feel, the psa 128 includes an
armband and headphones specifically designed for uninhibited movement.
Philips MX5900SA
Ergonomically designed, the MX5900SA is a 5 DVD/SACD performance-oriented
Home Entertainment System bestowed with superior technological features
to provide the ultimate movie and music experience - right at home.
With Multi-Channel Super Audio CD (SACD), the listener is immersed
in superior sound quality with unmatched high fidelity and remarkable
realism. To further enhance this audio experience, ultra slim ribbon
tweeter speakers add to already crystal clear, omni-directional sound
to truly expand and fill the soundstage in the room.
Philips TSi6400
Specializing in media access and control, the iPronto provides users
with a versatile solution to control home theater as well as the increasing
number of electronic home automation products available. The iPronto
gives users the ability to configure the touch screen with the help
of the PC editing software, iPronto edit. The product can be completely
customized to the comfort level of the end user. The result is the
flexibility to control multiple windows of information with simple
dashboard finger navigation.
Philips is located online at www.philips.com.
Jan 03 - DNA Sequence and Analysis of
Human Chromosome 14 Completed. The Institute for Systems Biology
(ISB), a non-profit research institute dedicated to the study and
application of systems biology announced today that the Institute
and two other laboratories have completely sequenced Chromosome 14
as part of the Human Genome Project.
The group at the Institute for Systems Biology, led by Dr. Leroy
Hood and Dr. Lee Rowen, was responsible for mapping and sequencing
about 10% of the chromosome, in an effort that extended more than
three years and involved about 20 research scientists.
"The draft sequences of the human genome have provided voluminous
amounts of information to the biomedical community regarding the identification
of genes involved with human disease," stated Dr. Lee Rowen,
senior scientist at the Institute for Systems Biology. "However,
gaps and inaccuracies in the draft sequences have inhibited our ability
to fully leverage the information as it relates to ongoing research
efforts in predicting and preventing disease."
"The completion of the sequencing of chromosome 14 represents
a major step forward in obtaining high quality, accurate information
and ultimately a better understanding of how specific genes relate
to diseases," stated Rowen. About 60 disease genes have been
associated with chromosome 14, including one that predisposes to the
early onset of Alzheimer's disease. Several types of leukemia and
tumors have also been associated with rearrangement of specific regions
of chromosome 14.
Chromosome 14 is the fourth chromosome to be finished, the largest
to be analyzed so far, and the only chromosome for which there are
no gaps in the final sequence. The length of the contiguous sequence
is 87,410,661 nucleotides, representing about 3% of the entire human
genome. Careful studies were performed to ensure the validity of the
sequence.
Chromosome 14 contains about 500 known genes and an additional 350
putative genes, whose function is yet unknown. Particularly noteworthy
genes on chromosome 14 include the alpha/delta T cell receptor loci,
sequenced by the Hood laboratory in the mid- 90s, and the immunoglobulin
heavy chain region. These loci are essential parts of the adaptive
immune system responsible for recognizing foreign invaders such as
bacteria and viruses and mounting a protective immune response. Chromosome
14 also contains an enzyme called "telomerase", which is
thought to play a role in preventing the ends of chromosomes from
being degraded and thereby protecting the chromosomes against aging.
One of the most interesting genes on 14 is neurexin 3, a gene that
spans about 1.7 million bases, which is approximately 30 times greater
than the average size of genes on chromosome 14. Because of a process
called "alternative splicing," this gene exists in potentially
thousands of different minor variations which may play a role in its
function, which is currently believed to be neurological. While no
one knows exactly what neurexin 3 gene does for sure, it is thought
to play a role in making synaptic connections in the brain.
The human genome project, scheduled to be completed by April 2003,
aims to delineate all of the genes in the human genome so that their
functions can be understood better and correlations between specific
variations in the genes' sequences and observable effects such as
physiological and behavioral traits and disease susceptibilities can
be made. With improved knowledge, drug design can be more appropriately
targeted and therapies better tailored to individual patients.
The other participating groups in the Chromosome 14 Project include
Genoscope, the National Sequencing Center of France, and the Genome
Sequencing Center at Washington University at St. Louis.
A report entitled "The DNA Sequence and Analysis of Human Chromosome
14" is scheduled to be published in this week's issue of Nature
(www.nature.com).
Jan 03 - Online Shopping Beats Forecast.
The fourth quarter of 2002 represented more than one-third (36%) of
total online sales for 2002, with spending of $17.44 billion in Q4
-- a 40% increase over the same period in 2001 when $12.43 billion
was spent, according to leading comparison shopping site and e-commerce
research firm BizRate.com.
BizRate.com had forecasted 35% fourth quarter year-over-year growth
earlier this year. Post-holiday clearance sales helped provide an
additional boost to fourth quarter online sales with $920.1 million
spent from December 26-31.
The jump in fourth quarter sales was driven by the growth of orders
made online -- 127.3 million versus 85.3 million last year, a 49%
increase. The average purchase price, however, decreased by 6%, from
$146 in Q4 2001 to $137 in Q4 2002.
Total consumer spending online for the year reached $47.98 billion,
a 34% increase over 2001's total online sales of $35.87 billion. There
were 358.6 million purchases online in 2002, up 37% from 261.7 million
orders in 2001.
The fourth quarter was marked by a dramatic increase in women buying
online. Throughout the rest of the year the gender mix was almost
evenly split, but in Q4 women far outstripped men when it came to
shopping online.
Founded in 1996 and based in Los Angeles, BizRate.com (www.bizrate.com)
is a leading comparison shopping site on the Web, and a leading provider
of e-commerce research.
Jan 03 - The Sims Online Was The Hottest
Place to Be New Year's Eve. Electronic Arts (Nasdaq:ERTS) today
announced that over a half million kisses occurred between Sims on
New Year's Eve in the exciting Internet world of The Sims Online(TM).
As frigid temperatures still plagued parts of the United States,
things were really heating up on Dec. 31 in The Sims Online. Acquaintances,
roommates, friends and loved ones got into the festivities as they
puckered up at over 5000 online New Year's parties throughout the
day. The Sims Online was the hottest place to be to ring in 2003.
"As our virtual party goers across the country can attest, The
Sims Online was one of the most happening places to socialize and
celebrate this New Year's Eve," said Luc Barthelet, General Manager
of EA's Maxis Studio, "This online celebration marks the first
of many fantastic events in this unique and dynamic Internet world."
The Sims Online is a massive virtual world created and populated
by thousands of players from around the world. In this never-ending
alternative reality players can be themselves or "Be Somebody.
Else(TM)."
In The Sims Online, players create and control the actions of a
character known as a Sim. Players enter the world with a small amount
of money to spend as they wish. They can purchase their own piece
of land to do with as they please or they can join with other players
to create shared homes and businesses or host wild events.
Players can explore the neighborhoods around them and meet scores
of other Sims along the way. Players get to know other Sims through
live text chat and secret instant messages. As players type, their
messages appear in speech bubbles above their Sims' heads. Sims can
also express themselves through hundreds of animations. A polka, pile
drive, or a passionate kiss are just a few of the gestures available
for Sims to use to convey exactly what's on their mind.
The Sims Online carries a monthly subscription fee of $9.99 with
the first month being free. A credit card is required to register
and play. An Internet connection is also required. The Sims Online
carries an ESRB rating of "T" for teen. It is available
in stores now for a suggested retail price of US $49.99 or by direct
order from the EA Store(SM) at www.ea.com.
Important information on The Sims Online including terms of service
and game availability can be found at http://www.thesimsonline.com.
Jan 02 - Online Holiday Sales
Up 23%. It was a merry Christmas for online retailers this year
with consumer spending ringing up $7.92 billion for the holiday season
(November 25-December 25, 2002).
This figure represents a 23% increase over the comparable holiday
period last year (November 19-December 25, 2001), which bodes well
for the industry as BizRate.com, the leading comparison shopping site
and eCommerce research firm, forecasted 24% holiday growth earlier
this year.
There were six fewer shopping days this holiday versus last year.
When adding six days (November 19-24, 2002) back in, holiday 2002
grew by 42.8% to $9.18 billion versus holiday 2001's $6.43 billion.
The peak shopping day was Monday, December 9, when sales hit $367.0
million. Last year, the peak shopping day was Monday, December 10,
2001 with $253.8 million in sales. The second and third busiest shopping
days this year were Monday, December 2 and Wednesday, December 11,
accounting for $366.2 million and $364.6 million in spending, respectively.
As online satisfaction continues to improve, consumers did more last
minute shopping online this year. Spending on the last weekend (December
21-22, 2002) before Christmas Day was $297.6 million -- up by 92%
compared to the same weekend (December 22-23, 2001) last year.
For the third year in a row, women were responsible for the majority
of online purchases, and increased their share of buying to 60% from
last holiday's 56%. This is a significant trend given that in 1998,
women accounted for only 39% of all online holiday transactions.
The most popular online categories this holiday season were Computer
Hardware, Electronics, Entertainment, Apparel and Toys & Games.
The most searched for products at BizRate.com's marketplace, within
these categories, were Digital Cameras and Printers, Camcorders, Handbags
& Luggage and Building Sets & Models.
Thirty-nine percent of all purchases this holiday season were influenced
by free shipping deals, the #1 online incentive. Yet, only 9.3% of
orders actually had a 'no shipping' charge. "Free shipping offers
brought consumers into the stores, but conditional free shipping offers
meant many consumers actually paid for the freight," said Davis.
The average shipping amount actually increased this holiday by 14.8%
versus last holiday -- from $10.19 in holiday 2001 to $11.70 in holiday
2002 -- despite all the free shipping hype.
BizRate.com (www.bizrate.com) is a
leading comparison shopping site on the Web, and a leading provider
of e-commerce research.
Jan 02 - Macworld Shepherds in the New
Year with Product Announcements. IDG World Expo, the leading producer
of world-class tradeshows, conferences and events for IT markets around
the globe, today announced that the industry's most innovative companies
will debut new products at the upcoming Macworld Conference &
Expo. More than 325 exhibitors will be on hand at Macworld to showcase
the latest hardware and software for creative professionals, educators,
consumers and Mac enthusiasts.
Macworld Conference & Expo, San Francisco's largest annual technology
event and the world's most comprehensive Macintosh OS event, takes
place January 6-10, 2003 at The Moscone Center.
Among the many companies debuting products at Macworld in San Francisco
are the following:
Arboretum Systems (booth 943) will introduce Montage, new Mac OS
X video software featuring a "trackless" workspace that
allows users to easily create movies with video, audio, stills and
text
E-Book Systems (booth 547) will unveil Mac FlipAlbum(R) 3, the world's
first software that lets users create realistic 3D page-flipping photo
albums on a computer
Extensis (booth 2223) will announce Portfolio 6.1, the first professional
quality Digital Asset Management (DAM) solution on Mac OS X that helps
professionals share, organize, retrieve and distribute digital files
eZedia Inc. (booth 521) will showcase eZediaQTI, a cross-platform
QuickTime(R) interactive authoring software for creating rich Internet
content and movies
Intuit (booth 1817) will debut QuickBooks(R) Pro Edition 5.0 for
Mac, which allows small business owners to create, customize and e-mail
reports, statements and invoices, track expenses and organize their
business finances - all in one place
I.R.I.S. (booth 545) will showcase its new Business Card Reader,
the first card scanner for Macs where information from a scanned card
is quickly and automatically transferred into your contact management
database
M-Audio (booth 442) will announce Ozone, a complete personal mobile
studio - featuring an all-in-one keyboard, MIDI control surface, mic
preamp, USB audio interface and USB MIDI interface -that's no bigger
than a laptop
Oki Data Americas, Inc. (booth 2149) will showcase three series of
color printers for graphic arts and commercial printing professionals
- the OKI C7000 Series Color Digital LED Printers, the OKI C9000 Series
Color Digital LED Printers, and the OKI C5000 Series Digital Color
Printers
REAL Software (booth 3261) will announce the latest version of REALbasic,
the powerful, easy-to-use tool that allows users to create their own
software for the Mac
Sonic Desktop Software (booth 2423) will demonstrate SmartSound(R)
Movie Maestro, audio software that allows home video enthusiasts and
educators to easily enhance visual projects with perfectly timed,
customized music soundtracks
Sorenson Media (booth 2233) will debut three new video encoding products
to meet the needs of both novice and professional content creators
who want to encode and deliver high-quality video - Sorenson Squeeze
3 for MPEG-4, Sorenson Squeeze 3 Compression Suite, and Sorenson Squeeze
3 for Macromedia Flash MX
For more information or to register for Macworld Conference &
Expo, visit www.macworldexpo.com.
Jan 02 - Archos Announces External DVD
Writer. Archos announced its first portable (peripheral) DVD writer,
the DExDVD-RW.
This innovative product offers the professional and home user the
ability to create and store video films, images and all types of numerical
files on any kind of DVD and CD.
What's more, this recorder of DVD-RAM, DVD-R, DVD-RW is equipped
with an ultra rapid USB 2.0 interface. It is also supplied with mastering
software and hardware enabling the user to engrave, create and publish
a new video DVD from scratch. Simply transfer numerical photographs
from your computer system or directly from a digital video camera
and create a DVD in a few minutes.
Ideal as an information backup device, it's easy to create a DVD-RAM
of all your data at the push of a button. By using rewritable media
(DVD-RAM) in the DExDVD-RW, the user can utilize it like an optical
hard disk (able to rewrite up to 100,000 times) to store all kinds
of data. One can store any desired combination of: up to 75 hours
of music to format MP3, 2 hours of videos or 4.7 Gigabytes of data
or a combination of the files on one DVD.
The new Archos DExDVD-RW is available for an MSRP of $349.95. Additional
information is available from Archos Technology at www.archos.com.
Jan 02 - Global Chip Sales Up 1.3% in
November. Global semiconductor sales reached $12.68 billion in
November 2002, a 1.3% sequential increase from the $12.51 billion
in revenue reported in October 2002 continuing the trend that began
in the fourth quarter 2001. November sales are up 19.6% from November
2001 sales of $10.60 billion.
"The November sales of the global chip industry underscores
the healthy recovery that has been building momentum through out this
year," stated SIA President George Scalise. "The wireless
sector continues to be the strongest single market."
The semiconductor products that benefit from the strength of the
wireless sector are led by Flash and Digital Signal Processors, which
were up 6.6% and 3.7% in November. In addition, Wi-Fi has begun to
contribute to the strength of this market. Furthermore, the computer
segment continues to show growth with microprocessors up 0.5% and
DRAM's increasing by 5.8%.
Chip sales rose 5.8% in November in the European market and 1.3%
in Asia Pacific. Semiconductor sales in the Americas declined slightly
by 0.8% and 0.6% in Japan.
More information about the SIA can be found at www.sia-online.org.
Jan 02 - TigerDirect Sues WhenU.com For
Deceptive Advertising Tactics. TigerDirect, Inc., a retailer of
computer hardware and software and a subsidiary of Systemax Inc. (NYSE:SYX),
has sued WhenU.com, Inc. for trademark infringement, dilution and
unfair competition in federal court in the Southern District of Florida.
According to TigerDirect's lawyers, Stuart Singer and Jennifer Altman
of Boies, Schiller & Flexner LLP, who filed the lawsuit, the case
arises out of WhenU.com's use of specially designed software that
is downloaded by unsuspecting consumers. WhenU.com's software causes
pop-up and banner ads of TigerDirect's competitors to appear over
TigerDirect's website. The complaint alleges that WhenU improperly
and unlawfully diverts customers from TigerDirect's website to those
of its competitors.
"We've received dozens of phone calls from confused consumers
who, after making a decision to purchase computer products from TigerDirect's
web site, were improperly diverted at the check out screen to the
webpage of WhenU under the guise of additional savings, which savings
the consumer believes is with TigerDirect," said Lonny Paul,
Director of Commerce for TigerDirect, Inc.
For example, in the case of TigerDirect, when a consumer who has
the downloaded WhenU software visits TigerDirect's website, pop-up
screens for TigerDirect's competitors, such as Dell computers and
uBid, appear over the content of TigerDirect's webpage. TigerDirect
contends that this practice misleads consumers, causes confusion and
allows WhenU -- and the advertisers who purchase advertising space
with WhenU -- to trade off of TigerDirect's goodwill and significant
investment in its trademarks and the development of its website.
"WhenU is attempting to use the reputation of TigerDirect to
sell our competitor's products, a practice we simply cannot tolerate
given that our customers trust us to provide with high quality computer
equipment at a fair price. There is no affiliation between TigerDirect
and advertisements improperly placed on our website, but they appear
on TigerDirect's website suggesting that we are in some way sanctioning
our competitor's products or are otherwise associated with them,"
Paul added.
The lawsuit is similar to other suits filed against WhenU's competitor,
The Gator Corporation, by, among others, the New York Times and the
Wall Street Journal.
Gilbert Fiorentino, CEO of TigerDirect, says: "TigerDirect is
committed to ensuring that such unfair commercial practices end. This
lawsuit is one way to make that clear. TigerDirect has spent significant
amounts of money developing its proprietary information, including
its website, and it intends to protect it from the deceptive advertising
scheme developed and implemented by WhenU."
TigerDirect (http://www.tigerdirect.com)
(a subsidiary of Systemax Inc. NYSE:SYX)) is part of an integrated
system of branded e-commerce web sites, direct mail catalogs, and
relationship marketing companies selling private label and name-brand
PC hardware, related computer products and industrial products to
consumers and businesses in North America and Europe. With annual
sales of more than $1.5 billion, Systemax is a Fortune 1000 company.
