Mar 21 -Cisco Systems Announces Agreement to Acquire
Linksys Group. Cisco Systems, Inc., today announced a definitive
agreement to acquire the business of privately held The Linksys Group,
Inc. of Irvine, Calif. Linksys is the leading provider of home networking
products with a broad line of wired and wireless products for consumers
and SOHO (small office/home office) users.
This acquisition represents Cisco's entry into the high-growth
consumer/SOHO networking market, which is expected to grow from $3.7
billion in 2002 to $7.5 billion in 2006 worldwide (sources: compiled
from Dell'Oro Group, Synergy). Home networks allow consumers to share
broadband Internet connections, files, printers, digital music, photos,
and gaming, all over a wired or wireless LAN (local area network).
Under the terms of the agreement, Cisco will issue common stock with
an aggregate value of approximately $500 million to acquire the Linksys
business and to assume all outstanding employee stock options. The
acquisition of Linksys is expected to close in the fourth quarter
of Cisco's fiscal year 2003.
Cisco expects the acquisition of Linksys to be dilutive by no more
than $.01 to its FY2004 GAAP EPS. Exclusive of acquisition charges,
Cisco anticipates this transaction will add approximately $0.01 to
its FY2004 pro-forma EPS. The transaction will be accretive to both
GAAP and pro-forma earnings thereafter. The acquisition has been approved
by the board of directors of each company and is subject to various
closing conditions, including expiration or termination of the applicable
waiting period under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements
Act of 1976.
"Fueled by consumer broadband adoption, the home networking
space has experienced mass market acceptance. Linksys has captured
a strong position in this growing market by developing an extensive,
easy-to-use product line for the home and small office," said
John Chambers, president and CEO of Cisco Systems. "This acquisition
is a solid example of Cisco's strategy to broaden its end-to-end portfolio
of network solutions into high-growth markets such as wireless, voice-over-IP
and storage area networking."
News and information are available at www.cisco.com.
Mar 21 - Iraq War Doesn't Slow Internet
Performance. As the first full day of the war campaign against
Iraq came to life today, Keynote Systems (Nasdaq:KEYN) announced that
it would issue a regular 'Iraq War Internet Performance Report' that
provides data and analysis regarding the performance of major Internet
backbones and important government, commercial, media and anti-war
Web sites.
With Americans and much of the world increasingly relying on the
Internet as a vital communications link, and heightened concerns about
cyber-terrorism, Keynote is making its data and analysis available
both on its Web site at www.keynote.com on behalf of the Internet-using
public, and directly to media via e-mail at approximately 10:00 AM
EST each day a report is issued.
Over the last two days leading up to war, overall Internet performance
among major U.S. backbones has been normal. Keynote measures real-time
performance latency between the major U.S. Internet backbones and
makes its data available at: www.internethealthreport.com.
Overall Web performance for both major business sites (the Keynote
Business 40 index) and major U.S. government sites (the Keynote Government
40 index) has also been normal. These indices can be accessed at Keynote's
web site.
There have been a few notable exceptions:
-- The public U.S. Army home page, www.army.mil/ has had severe
problems. These started on Monday, March 17, and appear to be
associated with Web server capacity issues. The Army home page
typically takes 4 seconds to download on a high-speed Internet
connection. On Wednesday during peak hours it averaged more
than 80 seconds, 20 times longer than usual. Availability of
the home page also plunged from the normal 93%. On Wednesday,
March 19, the U.S. Army home page was at or below 70%
availability during the day.
-- The public U.S. Marine Corps home page, www.usmc.mil/ also has
had problems on March 19. Unlike the situation for the Army,
these problems appeared to be associated with bandwidth
issues; the "pipe" between the U.S. Marine Corps Web server
and the Internet may be too small. Availability has not
suffered, but average download time for the home page measured
on high-speed Internet connections soared on Wednesday from
the usual 4.5 seconds to over 30 seconds.
Unlike the Army site's performance, which has been getting progressively
worse each day, the Marine Corps site's performance actually improved
since Tuesday. (On Tuesday during peak hours, the Marine Corps home
page average download time measured on high-speed Internet connections
was approximately 50 seconds.) This improvement appears to be because
the Marine Corps is taking actions to decrease the size of its Web
page.
-- There has been minor performance degradation on the public
U.S. Department of Defense home page, www.dod.mil/.
Between
9:00 am and 2:00 pm EST on Wednesday, March 19, performance
slowed to 5 seconds to download a Web page instead of the
usual, fast one second. There was a similar, although smaller,
peak on Tuesday March 18.
-- There was some minor performance degradation for the Federal
Emergency Management Agency (FEMA, www.fema.com)
on March 18,
during peak hours. There were no problems yesterday.
Some European sites are showing similar difficulties; an example
is the Home Office in the U.K. (www.homeoffice.gov.uk/),
which exhibited poor performance on Wednesday during working hours
when measured from the U.K. Home page download time, which is normally
approximately one second when accessed from high-speed Internet connections,
jumped to over 15 seconds. Availability dropped below 80%.
In general, major news sites are not showing any unusual problems
at this time.
For both the Army and the Marine Corps sites, load testing across
the Internet, as is done by major Web commercial sites before major
selling seasons and by major news organizations preparing for news
events, could have been used to avoid the problems that have been
seen.
Mar 21 - Micron Technology, Inc. Reports
Results for the Second Quarter. Micron Technology, Inc. (NYSE:MU),
today announced results of operations for the second quarter of its
2003 fiscal year which ended February 27, 2003.
The Company reported a second quarter net loss of $619
million, or $1.02 per diluted share, on sales of $785 million. Sales
for the second quarter were $100 million, or 15%, higher than the
immediately preceding quarter, which ended November 28, 2002, and
were $400 million, or 37%, higher comparing the first six months of
fiscal 2003 to the corresponding period of the prior year.
Average selling prices per megabit for the Company's semiconductor
products were down slightly in the second quarter compared to the
immediately preceding quarter. This decrease reflects the net effect
of a significant decrease in selling prices for DDR DRAM products
partially offset by increases in the selling prices for Synchronous
DRAMs. DDR DRAM products comprised approximately 60% of the Company's
megabit sales in the second quarter of fiscal 2003, compared to approximately
40% in the first quarter of fiscal 2003.
The Company's sales volume as measured in megabits increased approximately
20% in the second quarter of fiscal 2003 compared to the previous
quarter. The higher level of megabit sales reduced the Company's finished
goods inventories to their lowest level, as measured in weeks of sales
on hand, since 1999.
Steve Appleton, Micron's Chief Executive Officer and President, said,
"Our .13 micron products are realizing noticeable manufacturing
improvements which will be reflected in reduced costs over the next
two quarters and we expect to gain further economies on our .13 micron
production by re-deploying many of the 200 mm tools from Virginia
to other sites. We are ahead of plan for the worldwide transition
to our 200 mm .11 micron process and our 300 mm .11 micron production
line in Virginia is progressing on schedule."
The Company hosted conference will be available online at www.micron.com.
Mar 21 - MPEG-4 aacPlus to Become Part
of Future Nero Products. Ahead Software, the makers of Nero, the
technology leader in CD/DVD recording software, and Coding Technologies,
leading provider of audio compression technologies for mobile, digital
broadcasting and Internet markets worldwide, today announced that
Ahead has licensed MPEG-4 aacPlus.
Being the most efficient audio codec today, MPEG-4 aacPlus uses Coding
Technologies' groundbreaking Spectral Band Replication Technology
(SBR) and is now standardized in MPEG-4 as the High Efficiency AAC
Profile.
Users of Ahead's new Nero Digital MPEG-4 technology will soon be
able to encode and playback CD-quality MPEG-4 aacPlus audio files
at bit rates as low as 48 kbps.
Since its early inclusion of mp3PRO and its subsequent in-house development
on MPEG-4-AAC, Ahead has been well positioned from an engineering
level to understand the advantages of SBR technology. The adoption
of MPEG-4 aacPlus once again demonstrates Aheads market leadership.
Its unrivaled functionality, ultra-stable performance and user-friendliness
make Nero the premier application for the creation of CDs and DVDs.
"We are happy to have Ahead and its standard-setting Nero Digital
technology on board," said Martin Dietz, CEO & President,
Coding Technologies. "The strategic decision to bank on MPEG-4
as an open standard is a clever move ensuring interoperable state-of-the-art
solutions. Coding Technologies is a proud supporter of Ahead on this
path."
"With a community of millions of Nero users worldwide, Ahead's
mission is to offer the most compelling technology to its users,"
states Richard Lesser, CEO Ahead. "aacPlus is a must-have from
this perspective and it perfectly fits our strategy towards MPEG-4."
Coding Technologies can be found online at www.codingtechnologies.com.
Mar 21 - Apple Releases iPod
Software 1.2.6 Update. Per Apple,"iPod Software 1.2.6 provides
improved battery management which solves a problem that may appear
to shorten your iPod’s battery life.
"Prior to this update, the iPod would sometimes mistake a temporary
low voltage condition as an indication that the battery was discharged.
This resulted in the iPod shutting down prematurely, even though the
battery was still capable of powering the iPod."
To download the free update for Windows or Mac visit www.apple.com/ipod/download.
Mar 20 - VIA Announces Launch
of the VIA Apollo KT400A Athlon Chipset. VIA Technologies, Inc,
a leading innovator and developer of silicon chip technologies and
PC platform solutions, today announced the launch of the VIA Apollo
KT400A Chipset, the fastest single channel DDR chipset for the new
AMD Athlon™ XP 3000+ processor. Optimized for the needs of gamers,
enthusiasts and professionals requiring the fastest system performance
and a complete suite of the latest I/O and connectivity features,
the VIA Apollo KT400A is the ultimate chipset solution for AMD Athlon™
XP processor based systems.
At the heart of the VIA Apollo KT400A is FastStream64™ Memory
Controller technology which uses an expanded array of prefetch buffers
to reduce latency in the memory controller, extending performance
without the extra cost of the twin memory modules that are required
by dual channel DDR chipsets. The VIA Apollo KT400A is over 10% faster
than the previous generation VIA Apollo KT400 in 3D applications,
and boasts an enhanced feature set including native Serial ATA support
and onboard VIA Vinyl Audio 6-channel surround sound.
"VIA has successfully delivered seven generations of award winning
chipset solutions to the Socket A marketplace, culminating in the
VIA Apollo KT400A," commented Chewei Lin, Vice-President of Product
Marketing. "With FastStream64 memory controller technology, AGP
8X and integrated VIA 6-channel audio support, the KT400A outperforms
rival chipsets and gives enthusiasts, gamers and professionals their
Socket A platform of choice for 2003."
VIA Apollo KT400A
Supporting DDR200/266/333/400 SDRAM memory and a full range of 200/266/333MHz
Processor Bus AMD Athlon™ XP and AMD Duron™ processors,
the VIA Apollo KT400A provides lightning fast access to system memory
and delivers exceptional performance across the application spectrum.
The KT400A is also part of the VIA Modular Architecture Platform initiative
(V-MAP), meaning both North and South Bridge are pin compatible with
the previous generation KT400 Chipset, ensuring a much faster time
to market and a broad range of reliable motherboards for OEMs, SIs
and end users.
DDR400 offers 3.2GB/s of memory bandwidth through VIA's low latency,
FastStream64 memory controller while AGP 8X delivers 2.1GB/s of bandwidth
to the graphics engine, improving image quality and 3D performance
in the highest resolution conditions. The KT400A North Bridge is connected
to a VT8237 or VT8235CE South Bridge through the fast 8X V-link connection
at 533MB/s.
With native support for two Serial ATA channels in the VIA VT8237
South Bridge supplying 150MB/s of bandwidth, as well as up to eight
USB 2.0 ports, the VT8237 offers the highest possible peripheral performance
for professional and home users.
The VT8237 also integrates VIA Vinyl Audio technology with 6-Channel
surround sound and Sensaura™ drivers for more vibrant surround
gaming and an enhanced end user experience when watching DVD movies.
To extend flexibility to the system integrator, the VT8237 features
support for Parallel ATA-133 devices to allowing for mainstream or
value configurations leveraging the existing technology standard.
Additional features include a VIA MAC for 10/100Mbps Fast Ethernet,
integrated PCI support, and an MC'97 modem.
For more information on the VIA Apollo KT400A, visit www.via.com.tw/en/apollo/kt400a.jsp.
Mar 20 - Dell Expands Consumer Recycling
for Unwanted Computer Equipment. For consumers who want to donate
or recycle their unwanted computer equipment when they buy new systems
and accessories, it has never been easier or more affordable to do
so.
Dell announced today that it is enhancing Dell Recycling (formerly
Dell Exchange) to enable customers to order home pickup of unwanted
notebooks, desktops, monitors, and other select computer equipment
for $15 per unit. The service is available for continental U. S. customers
online beginning March 25. Customers can learn more about the home
pick-up service at www.dell4me.com/recycling.
The new offering expands the current reuse and recycling services
Dell provides, including donation through the National Cristina Foundation.
The company is also launching a five-city recycling tour to permit
customers to donate or recycle their unwanted systems completely free
of charge during tour stops. In addition, Dell offers a broad range
of reuse and recycling options for its commercial customers. To learn
more visit www.dell.com/assetrecovery
.
Mar 20 - Samsung Electronics Tops TFT-LCD
Market for 5th Straight Year. Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., the
world's largest provider of TFT-LCD display panels, today announced
that it has recorded its fifth year as the world's foremost maker
of TFT-LCDs. According market researcher, DisplaySearch, Samsung sold
US$3.086 billion worth of TFT-LCDs in 2002 to capture 17.6% of the
world market--the top share in terms of sales revenue.
By geographical region, the worldwide TFT-LCD production breaks down
as 38% for Korea, 36% for Taiwan and 26.9% for Japan. Thus, Taiwan
has surpassed Japan for the first time to rank second, while Korea
has remained the top TFT-LCD producing country since 1999. The top
4 company rankings are Samsung (Korea, 17.6%), LG-Philips LCD (Korea,
17.4%), AU Optronics (Taiwan, 11.7%) and Sharp (Japan, 9.1%).
Samsung has achieved the highest share of the world market in 1998,
just four years after starting up TFT-LCD production. Samsung's record
performance in the TFT-LCD market comes from its well-facilitated
marketing strategy of large-area notebook panels. The 15-, 17- and
19-inch models have received good response from the market.
Samsung started up its 5th-generation fabrication line (1,100mm by
1,250mm substrates) in Cheonan, Korea in September 2002. Construction
of a sixth fabrication line was initiated last December and is scheduled
for completion in the third quarter of 2003. Samsung will secure a
monthly output of 160,000 substrates from lines five and six. The
enhanced capacity will meet growing market demand for 20-, 22-wide-screen,
and 32-inch LCD TVs along with forecasts for another strong year of
15-inch notebook PC panels and 19-inch TFT-LCD monitor models.
More information can be found at www.usa.samsungsemi.com.
Mar 20 - Northgate Innovations to Market
EPoX Motherboards. Northgate Innovations Inc. (OTC BB:NGTE), and
EPoX Computer Company Ltd. (EPoX) announced that the companies had
recently signed an agreement to strive to expand EPoX's PC motherboard
market in North America.
"Northgate will be responsible for sales and marketing in North
America. Since Northgate provides excellent service, warehousing and
distribution capability, both companies will utilize existing resources
and then work on expanding the North American market for EPoX motherboards,"
said Jerry Ferng, president of EPoX Computer Co.
Due to a long period of a soft market plus struggling due to a price
drop from major tier-one motherboard manufacturers, EPoX has determined
to adjust its market strategy. After evaluation and a decision made
by EPoX's Board of Directors, EPoX decided to reform and restructure
its U.S. branch with this new opportunity.
Ferng continued: "Signing an agreement with Northgate Innovations
creates a win-win situation. Northgate benefits by EPoX's long established
brand recognition, product reputation, and existing human resources.
EPoX's U.S. branch can reduce operational overhead and focus on wireless,
IA, and IPC market development."
Andy Teng, Northgate's chairman and CEO, views the EPoX co-op agreement
as a logical step for both companies. Teng stated: "By combining
EPoX's brand recognition with Northgate's outstanding service and
sales and marketing, a new opportunity for a brighter future is created,
leading to increased market share in the motherboard market in this
territory in the near future.
"Northgate will work closely with EPoX Taiwan to further enhance
the quality of EPoX's product offerings as well as working to reduce
the cost of the products. Northgate, on EPoX's behalf, will provide
service and warranty work for existing EPoX customers without interruption."
Northgate can be found online at http://www.northgate.com.
EPoX USA can be found online at http://www.epox.com/html/default.asp.
Mar 20 - SiRF's GPS Technology Powers
Location-Based Services on Mobile Phones. SiRF Technology, Inc.
announced today that its SiRFLoc multimode location platform is at
the heart of a wide variety of new Location-Based Services (LBS),
allowing mobile phone users to determine their position and take advantage
of a variety of useful new applications. These applications include
services such as turn-by-turn navigation, mobile resource and logistics
management, and other enterprise LBS applications. SiRF will be displaying
its SiRFLoc multimode technology this week in New Orleans at the 2003
CTIA Wireless conference.
SiRFLoc Multimode is the first wireless location platform that allows
device users to determine their position with or without network aiding.
Initially incorporated into cellular phones to meet the FCC's E-911
emergency calling mandate, SiRFLoc's unique location features are
being rapidly adopted by enterprises and consumers for a wide variety
of commercial LBS.
SiRFLoc meets all the requirements of the FCC mandate for accuracy
and location availability, but has the added advantage of being able
to function as an independent, high sensitivity GPS receiver. This
means that wireless devices with SiRFLoc can continuously navigate
with new position fixes as frequently as once per second without network
aiding.
"Our goal is to work with manufacturers, carriers and application
software companies to drive the adoption of Location-Based Services,"
according to Kanwar Chadha, founder and vice president of business
development at SiRF Technology.
"Wireless carriers and software companies are only beginning
to scratch the surface of the potential for revenue generating location
enabled applications. As the market develops, the variety of applications
such as personal navigation, mobile commerce, workforce management,
enterprise logistics and gaming will require location systems that
go well beyond the E-911 requirements. The SiRFLoc multimode system
is optimized to provide accurate and continuous positioning in a bandwidth
efficient manner to enable these class of applications."
For additional information, please visit www.sirf.com.
Mar 20 - MontaVista Linux to Power Advanced
Motorola Mobile Phones. MontaVista Software, Inc., the company
powering the embedded revolution, today announced that MontaVista(TM)
Linux(R) is the chosen operating system for the recently announced
Motorola A760 mobile phone, the world's first handset based on Linux
and Java technology.
The Motorola A760 combines features of a mobile phone with the capabilities
of a personal digital assistant (PDA), digital camera, video player,
MP3 player, speakerphone, advanced messaging, instant Internet access
and Bluetooth(TM) wireless technology. The A760 is Motorola's first
handset demonstrating the company's commitment to making the Linux
operating system a key pillar of its handset software strategy. Motorola
is displaying this phone in its booth (# 4245) at the CTIA Wireless
Conference this week in New Orleans.
"This handset is special because it features one of the most
open and flexible software platforms," said Terence Lam, senior
global marketing manager, Smartphone and Networked Entertainment Products,
Motorola Personal Communications Sector. "By supporting the open
source Linux OS along with Java technology, Motorola is providing
the most creative and fertile environment possible to set the stage
for a 'best experiences win' environment."
"As mobile phones rapidly evolve, the supporting software needs
to be more robust to support their rich functionality and networking
capabilities. MontaVista Linux provides a powerful systems software
platform that can help to quickly bring these advanced products to
market," said Jim Ready, CEO and president, MontaVista Software.
"By standardizing on Linux for its handset software strategy,
Motorola is blazing a trail into this new world of advanced consumer
electronics, and we are proud to support this trend."
For more information on the phone, visit http://www.gx-3.net/motoinfo/products.asp?product=A760&y=2003.
Mar 20 - VIA Heralds 'Flat Panel Lifestyle'
Era with New VIA "Mark" CoreFusion™ Processing Platform.
VIA Technologies, Inc, a leading innovator and developer of silicon
chip technologies and PC platform solutions, today revealed the key
to the next generation of connected computing and entertainment solutions
underpinning the emerging Flat Panel Lifestyle, the VIA CoreFusion™
Processing Platform, codenamed "Mark", with a live demonstration
of the "StarHub" all-in-one TV PC concept design at the
VIA Press Conference at CeBIT 2003.
Combining the new generation VIA C3™ 1GHz processor based on
the "Nehemiah" core with the highly acclaimed VIA ProSavage™
CLE266 North Bridge in a single, low power and space saving package,
the VIA 'Mark' CoreFusion Processing Platform architecture has been
specially engineered to enable the easy and cost effective integration
of today's key computing, Internet and multimedia applications into
the rapidly emerging new segment of flat panel system designs, ranging
from plasma TVs and LCD TVs to car entertainment systems and ultra
portable notebooks, Tablet PCs and intelligent displays.
"'Mark' opens up an exciting new world of innovative new product
designs for today's totally connected lifestyle," commented Richard
Brown, Associate Vice-President of Marketing, VIA Technologies, Inc.
"The advanced security, performance and low power features of
the new generation VIA C3 processor combine with the great graphics
capabilities of the CLE266 North Bridge, including stunning DVD playback,
to make the VIA CoreFusion Processing Platform the way forward in
highly integrated embedded systems."
Flat Panel Lifestyle Demo: All-in-One StarHub TV PC
CeBIT hosted the first ever demonstration of one of the key anticipated
design applications for the VIA 'Mark' CoreFusion Processing Platform,
the "StarHub" all-in-one TV PC concept design from Insight
Solutions. The unique StarHub is an excellent example of the rapidly
emerging Flat Panel Lifestyle in the home, forming the conduit to
bring digital media entertainment and computing capabilities to a
traditional TV viewing format, and clearly illustrating a further
leap into the living room for the PC platform.
Integrating a full function, small form factor motherboard into the
back of a 17" LCD TV, StarHub delivers a rich array of entertainment
and computing applications, including standard TV, Internet browsing,
DVD and playback, and Digital Video Recording, in a stylish all-in-one
unit. It also comes with a full array of easily accessible connectivity
options for hooking up the unit to a home audio system or peripheral
devices such as a digital camera, camcorder or MP3 player; these include
two USB 2.0 and two IEEE 1394 ports, as well as SPDIF connectors.
About the VIA 'Mark' CoreFusion Processing Platform
The new VIA CoreFusion Processing Platform, codenamed "Mark",
combines the new generation VIA C3 1GHz processor based on the "Nehemiah"
core with the VIA ProSavage CLE266 North Bridge in a single, low power
package that significantly reduces the amount of board real estate
required for integrating a full complement of high performance x86
computing, connecting and digital media playback and recording capabilities.
In addition to the integrated S3 Graphics UniChrome™ 2D/3D AGP8X
graphics core with integrated full MPEG-2 decoding for silky-smooth
DVD playback, the VIA ProSavage CLE266 also features support for the
fast DDR SDRAM memory, motion compensation and DuoView for an extended
desktop.
Additional information can be found at www.via.com.tw.
Mar 19 - Phoenix Technologies Provides
Support for Intel Centrino Mobile Technology. Phoenix Technologies
Ltd. (Nasdaq:PTEC), the company driving the global core system software
standard in many millions of PC systems and connected digital devices
for nearly a quarter-century, has announced its support and product
readiness for Intel(R) Centrino(TM) mobile technology. This capability
is available immediately for both Phoenix cME FirstBIOS(TM) Notebook
Pro and cME FirstBIOS(TM) Tablet PC Pro products.
Introduced last week, the Intel Centrino mobile technology brand
represents Intel's best technology for mobile computing and is designed
to deliver an unwired computing experience while enabling extended
battery life, outstanding mobile performance, and thinner and lighter
form factors.
Phoenix Core Managed Environment(TM) (cME) First BIOS augments Intel
Centrino's mobile technology by providing additional innovations to
support the advancements of mobile computing:
-- Power management - Promotes and enhances extended battery life
in the Centrino platform so mobile devices run longer between
battery recharges.
-- Thermal management - Ensures improved temperature regulation
for increased reliability, and is code optimized with the new
slim profile of the Centrino platforms.
-- ACPI functionality - Complies with Advanced Configuration and
Power Interface (ACPI) 2.0, which Phoenix co-developed for
industry-standard interfaces for OS-directed configuration and
power management.
"Intel and Phoenix are well positioned to drive market expansion
for mobile computing," said Timothy D. Eades, Senior Vice President,
Corporate Marketing and Product Development for Phoenix.
"The advanced features of Centrino technology, combined with
the integrated power and thermal management features of Phoenix cME
FirstBIOS Notebook Pro, will make a significant impact on the ability
of people to work in a variety of mobile settings. This is a key benefit
for anyone who must depend on portable and wireless PC solutions."
For more information about Phoenix Technologies, visit their website
at www.phoenix.com.
Mar 19 - ATI Signs Pentium M Bus License
Agreement with Intel. ATI Technologies Inc. (TSX:ATY, NASDAQ:ATYT)
today announced the company has reached agreement with Intel Corporation
for a Pentium(R) M processor bus license. This gives ATI the necessary
rights to build integrated chipsets for PC platforms based on Intel
Pentium(R) M processors. Additional details of the agreement were
not disclosed.
ATI is the world's largest designer and manufacturer of graphics
solutions for notebooks, with 49 per cent of the market, according
to Mercury Research.
For media or industry analyst support, visit our Web site at www.ati.com.
Mar 19 - MINOLTA-QMS Introduces $699
Personal Color Laser Printer. With a price of only $699 (est.
Street), MINOLTA-QMS today announced the magicolor 2300W--the first
color laser printer for personal use. Featuring a small price, compact
size, and user-friendly design, the magicolor 2300W is well suited
for small businesses, home use, and executive offices that need a
reliable color solution. Compatible with Windows operating systems,
the affordable magicolor 2300W is at home on any desktop.
"At $699 individuals can easily justify the cost of having a
personal color laser printer on their desktop," said Stephen
Fletcher, president and COO for MINOLTA-QMS. "Finally home users,
small business owners, and senior-level management have an ink jet
alternative for high-performance, confidential, and convenient printing."
Based on the same engine technology used in the popular-selling magicolor
2300 DL, the magicolor 2300W has been adapted for personal use, while
retaining many of the features that have made the 2300 DL one of the
fastest selling color laser printers on the market. Print speeds are
comparable to many black-and-white workgroup printers at 16 ppm monochrome
as well as 4 ppm in full color.
The printer also features a 200-sheet multipurpose input tray, USB
and parallel interfaces, 1200 x 600 dpi print quality, 32 MB RAM,
printer drivers and software utilities for use with Windows XP, 2000,
Me, 98SE, and 95.
Small Size, Great Color
Featuring a streamlined desktop size measuring 14" wide, the
magicolor 2300W uses about the same desk space as a typical inkjet
or personal black-and-white laser printer. Its multipurpose input
tray is positioned discreetly on the printer's side and can hold up
to 200 sheets of paper.
An innovative toner technology and 1200 dpi resolution work hand-in-hand
to produce exceptional output from the magicolor 2300W. The toner
is composed of smaller particles that are uniform in size and shape
to create finer lines, better halftones, and improved image quality.
This new toner eliminates the need for fuser oil, reducing costs even
further.
The magicolor 2300W doesn't require special media to obtain the best
output quality, unlike many ink jet printers. It produces excellent
prints on ordinary office paper as well as other business media, including
recycled paper, transparencies, labels, heavy stocks, and envelopes.
The magicolor 2300W ships with a complete set of standard-capacity
supplies (cyan, magenta, yellow, and black toner cartridges, OPC drum,
and waste toner pack) and includes a one-year exchange warranty.
For more information, visit www.minolta-qms.com.
Mar 19 - Visioneer Announces Strobe XP
200 Sheetfed Scanner. Visioneer, Inc., a leader in intelligent
imaging solutions, today announced the new Visioneer Strobe(TM) XP
200 and related software developer's kit.
The Strobe XP 200 is Visioneer's most advanced 6 page per minute
sheetfed scanner targeted at the corporate desktop user and is bundled
with ScanSoft's(R) PaperPort(R) Deluxe 8.0 software. The Strobe XP
200 Software Developer's Kit (SDK), available for purchase separately,
was created for third party developers and corporate users who want
to use the Strobe XP 200 as the basis of a turnkey system or for incorporation
into their existing workflow applications.
Strobe XP 200 Scanner Specifications
Designed to fit between the keyboard and monitor, the Strobe XP 200
is an extremely space efficient paper management and productivity
tool. Measuring only 2" x 2.5" x 11", it scans paper
and photos from business cards up to legal size documents at 6 pages
per minute. The Strobe XP 200 has a resolution of 600 dpi with 48-bit
color and attaches via a USB 2.0 or USB 1.1 port.
With Visioneer's patented PaperDriven(TM) and AutoLaunch(TM) technologies,
the Visioneer Strobe XP 200 automatically scans documents and photos
when they are inserted into the scanner. The Strobe XP 200 scanner
then launches the PaperPort software and instantly places the document
on the PaperPort Desktop ready for use. From there users can file
images, print them out, use the included software to convert documents
to editable text, insert images into web pages or share them with
anyone via email or fax. Users can set the scanner to send the scanned
image to any of the numerous PaperPort links automatically after scanning.
Price and Availability
The Visioneer Strobe XP 200 is currently available through authorized
retailers, computer super stores and online services, mail order catalogs
and from Visioneer's web site at www.visioneer.com.
The suggested retail price is $299.99.
Mar 19 - America Online Showcases Latest
in Mobile Communications At CTIA Wireless 2003. America Online
Inc., the world's leading interactive services company, will showcase
the company's latest wireless features and content services for handsets
and handheld computing devices from popular brands including the AOL®
Instant Messenger™ service, CNN, AOL® Music, ICQ® and
T9® Text Input in America Online's exhibit booth (#4653, Hall
E) during CTIA Wireless 2003. The show runs from Monday, March 17
through Wednesday, March 19.
With the theme of "Connect, Inform, Entertain," visitors
to the AOL booth will find a virtual neighborhood showcasing how AOL's
wireless features and services keep consumers in touch with the people
and things they care about while they're on the go. A wide-range of
products and services will be demonstrated including:
* The AOL Instant Messenger service (AIM®), with instant messaging
and Buddy List® features that work across desktop computers, enterprises,
handheld computing devices and wireless handsets, including a new
color client for wireless devices and clients for SMS, WAP and Java.
* The AOL Mobile Download Store featuring an online library of hundreds
of downloadable ringtones, logos and handset screen savers.
* The AOL Music Mobile Club, which extends top AOL Music features
to wireless consumers, featuring the ability to listen to music clips,
access news and information on popular and up-and-coming artists,
as well as download ringtones from a wireless phone.
* The AOL® by Phone service, AOL's popular voice recognition
service, which lets members treat their e-mail like voicemail, access
free directory assistance, and get their favorite AOL news and entertainment
from any phone.
* The newest ICQ applications for sending and receiving wireless
instant messages using SMS, Java, Symbian, iMode, WAP and more, via
wireless phones and handheld computing devices.
* T9 Text Input enhancements including adaptive text features, new
additions to its expanding library of languages, as well as Sloppy
Type, a new text input technology specifically designed for mobile
touch-screen devices.
For more information about America Online's activities at CTIA Wireless
2003 or on the company's wireless features and services visit www.aol.com.
Mar 19 - Master of Orion 3 is #1 Best-Selling
PC Game. Infogrames, Inc., a leading global publisher of interactive
entertainment software, is pleased to announce that robust first week
sales of the space epic sequel Master of Orion(R) 3 have made the
game the Top-Selling PC Game for the week of February 23 - March 1,
according to NPD sales data released last week. The game released
worldwide on February 25, 2003.
"Master of Orion 3 breaks exciting new ground for one of the
most dearly loved gaming series' of all time," says Peter Matiss,
Infogrames Brand Director for Master of Orion 3. "We are thrilled
to see so many fans answer us with their unabashed enthusiasm for
the game and the results are showing at retail."
In Master of Orion 3, the sequel to one of the best-loved strategy
games of all time, players assume the biggest role ever. Players become
the controlling power behind an entire galactic civilization; the
dictators, presidents, councils, and overlords that come and go are
merely pawns in the player's arsenal.
One must use these governments, their citizens, and their leaders
to secure the destiny of their civilization, to manipulate policies
of freedom and oppression in both foreign and domestic arenas. It
is not enough to be an able economist or a great starship captain
to succeed in Master of Orion 3; considerable political, administrative,
research, and espionage skills must be applied to claim the title
of Master of Orion.
Featuring a rich Single Player game and up to 8-player simultaneous
turn-based Multiplayer, Master of Orion 3 is the definitive 5X Space
Strategy game; Explore, Expand, Exploit, Exterminate and now Experience
grand strategy as you never have before.
Master of Orion 3 is developed by veteran developer of classic strategy
games Quicksilver Software, Inc and features a wide range of multi-player
and solitaire play options, 16 highly-distinctive alien races, crisp
graphics and an intuitive user interface. Master of Orion 3 is available
for Windows 98/ME/2000/XP PCs.
For more information, visit www.infogrames.com.
Mar 18 - HP Extends Mobile
Lifestyle with New Wireless Wide Area Network Offerings. HP (NYSE:HPQ)
today announced a broad range of wireless wide area network (WWAN)
products and service offerings that further enable a mobile lifestyle
while delivering outstanding value.
The new technology and services allow mobile professionals using
HP notebooks, Tablet PCs and Pocket PCs to securely connect to a variety
of high-speed (3G) wireless networks, simplify the wireless connection
process and increase productivity.
HP is delivering wireless connectivity products and solutions across
the entire wireless spectrum (including PAN, LAN, and WAN) for mobile
products. The range of wireless cards and airtime plans on multiple
networks available through HP include:
-- AT&T Wireless -- GSM/GPRS
-- Sprint PCS -- CDMA/1XRTT
-- T-Mobile USA -- GSM/GPRS
-- Verizon Wireless -- CDMA/1XRTT
A Choice in WWAN Connectivity
HP is first major technology products and services company to offer
mobile customers a choice when accessing wireless data over either
CDMA/1XRTT or GSM/GPRS (general packet radio service) networks via
a handheld, notebook or Tablet PC. HP now offers customers the option
of four wireless carriers and cards for their devices, allowing customers
one of the widest choices in wireless coverage nationwide.
Designed to simplify and minimize the implementation efforts of corporate
IT departments, this solution can be deployed across various devices.
Customers have the ability to choose cards and airtime plans through
HP, making one-stop shopping for wireless access a reality.
Estimated U.S. pricing for these cards start at $179 including rebate.
More information is available at www.hp.com/go/ipaqsolutionstore.
Mar 18 - New Intel Products Accelerate
the Transition to Higher Ethernet Speeds. Intel Corporation today
introduced several advanced Ethernet products that help speed data
between desktop PCs and servers over enterprise networks. The products
promise to accelerate the adoption of Gigabit Ethernet (GbE) connections
onto the desktop and the transition to 10-Gigabit Ethernet (10GbE)
in enterprise data centers.
The new products include a GbE controller, which includes the first
implementation of Intel's new Communications Streaming Architecture
(CSA), and the industry's first 10GbE server adapter for enterprise
networks. Intel also introduced a small-form-factor 10-Gbps XFP optical
transceiver that operates at multiple data rates, the industry's first
four-port GbE network adapter for servers, and a PCI-based GbE controller
for clients.
"Just as ever-growing traffic is driving the need for more lanes
on freeways, increasing data traffic is driving the demand for greater
bandwidth on enterprise networks," said Tim Dunn, vice president,
Intel Communications Group, and general manager, Intel's Platform
Networking Group. "Intel's objective is to help ensure that networks
keep pace with increasing performance of PCs and servers, and the
growing multitude of bandwidth-hungry applications."
New CSA Technology Doubles GbE Throughput
The new Intel(R) PRO/1000 CT Desktop Connection works in tandem with
Intel's soon-to-be-released Springdale and Canterwood chipsets to
double the performance attainable on desktop-PC GbE-network connections.
A generation ahead of other GbE controllers, the PRO/1000 CT connection
utilizes Intel's new Communications Streaming Architecture (CSA).
CSA is a dedicated bus that connects to the memory controller hub
on the chipsets, bypassing the PCI bus on the I/O controller hub,
freeing its bandwidth for other I/O operations. The CSA connection
provides bidirectional bandwidth of 2 Gbps, twice that of the 32-bit
PCI bus.
The increased bandwidth of CSA can significantly improve the performance
of a wide range of networking-related applications, enhancing the
experience of users running both mainstream programs, such as e-mail,
and bandwidth-intensive applications, such as engineering programs
requiring remote data-base lookup. These gains are most evident in
multitasking situations when the PRO/1000 CT connection is used in
conjunction with an Intel(R) Pentium(R) 4 processor with Hyper-Threading
Technology.
Unless otherwise noted, all of the products will be either sampling
or shipping by the end of March. The Intel PRO/1000 CT Desktop Connection
is priced at $29.95. The Intel TXN18107 10GbE XFP Optical Transceiver
is priced at $500 in volume. The Intel PRO/10GbE LR Server Adapter
is priced at $7,995 and will be available in April. The Intel PRO/1000
MT Quad Port Server Adapter is priced at $575. The Intel PRO/1000
MT Network Connection is priced at $29.95.
Additional information about Intel is available at www.intel.com.
Mar 18 - Sony Ericsson Showcases New Mobile
Products at CTIA WIRELESS 2003. Sony Ericsson is involving show
attendees in the company's display of their new handset portfolio
by offering interactive demonstrations of the latest in entertainment,
connectivity and imaging at CTIA WIRELESS 2003 (March 17-19).
"This year at CTIA we are bringing our theme "Serious about
Fun," to life by offering an interactive exhibit of our mobile
handsets and accessories for our target consumer segments," said
Urban Gillstrom, Corporate Vice President and Head of Sales &
Marketing for North America.
The Sony Ericsson "Fun Zone" will tempt the CTIA show attendees
to test out key applications in fun ways, such as engaging them in
gaming competitions between arcade consoles and their wireless counterparts,
racing a Bluetooth Remote Control Car, or trying their hand at the
imaging and music experience centers.
"Show attendees will have the chance to see in action our second
generation imaging phone, the T610 and the first Bluetooth integrated
CDMA phone, the T608," added Gillstrom. "We continue to
drive innovation to its highest level and deliver products that are
serious about making it easy for consumers to have fun and stay connected."
Following is an overview of Sony Ericsson's CTIA line-up of new products
and accessories:
- T610 - Taking mobile imaging to the next level, Sony Ericsson's
T610 is the company's second-generation imaging phone that features
a 65K color screen and a built-in camera. A flash accessory can be
used with the phone to take pictures in low light environment.
- With the introduction of the T310, Sony Ericsson further builds
upon its commitment to provide the latest in mobile gaming and imaging
technology.
- The first CDMA phone with integrated Bluetooth technology in the
United States, Sony Ericsson's T608 features Java, enabling users
to download ring tones, games, images, and other applications directly
into the phone.
- The T606 mobile phone is a dual-band CDMA handset that showcases
the latest innovations in entertainment and personalization. Its MultiActionTM
enhances the gaming experience dramatically.
- For music fans on the go, Sony Ericsson brings the HBM-30, a Bluetooth-enabled
hands-free MP3 player.
- Targeted to mobile professionals, the Sony Ericsson GC79 is a new
GPRS/Wireless LAN PC-Card that offers global wireless access and fast
local connection, providing easy and fast access to e-mails, SMS and
fax, as well as access to Internet, intranet and company networks.
For further information, visit www.SonyEricsson.com.
Mar 18 - Infineon Reinforces Leadership
in DDR2 SDRAM. Infineon has begun internal qualification of 512Mb
DDR2 (second-generation Double-Data-Rate) SDRAM. Targeted for use
in next-generation servers, workstations, high-end PCs and notebooks,
DDR2 memory will initially offer data rates per pin of 400 Mbps (megabits
per second), 533 Mbps and 667 Mbps. Memory modules designed using
the 533 Mbps data rate, for example, would have a bandwidth of 4.3
GBps (gigabytes per second).
The JEDEC compliant, 512Mb DDR2 chips, manufactured using Infineon's
next generation 110 nm DRAM process technology, are configured as
quad-bank DRAMs, and will be available in x4, x8 and x 16 organizations.
Additional features of the new components include a pre-fetch size
of 4 bits, differential strobe and variable data-output impedance
adjustment.
Infineon expects that DDR2 components will appear in end-user systems
in 2004. Additional information about Infineon's DDR2 memory products
can be found at www.infineon.com/DDR2.
Mar 18 - LapLink Announces Version 2.0
of Everywhere Remote and Mobile Web Service. LapLink Inc. the
recognized world leader in file transfer and synchronization announced
today at the CTIA Wireless trade show, the release of version 2.0
of the LapLink Everywhere remote and mobile access web service.
LapLink Everywhere enables mobile professionals to have complete
access to their desktop files and e-mail from anywhere in the world--quickly,
easily and securely. With version 2.0, the company is introducing
the added benefit of full remote desktop PC access with the introduction
of the Free LapLink Secure VNC client for Windows.
"Up until now, simple and secure remote access to PCs protected
by firewalls or home DSL/Cable routers were either highly unsecured
and/or incredibly expensive, or required complicated firewall or router
configuration. LapLink Everywhere version 2.0 solves this problem
at a fraction of the cost as well as providing individuals and IT
managers standard and secure options for managing remote and mobile
access," said Mark Eppley CEO of LapLink, Inc.
"In addition, we've added no fewer than 25 new features and updates
to our existing e-mail, calendar, contact, forms, database, and file
transfer options available to any phone, PDA, Notebook, or Desktop
PC users.... and now most of these features are available to customers
even if they do not use Microsoft Outlook or Outlook Express."
LapLink Everywhere, the first and still only device and application
independent mobile web access service, offers the ability to access
all of your information from up to three computers from any browser-enabled
device - phone, PDA, Internet terminal, PC or an Apple Macintosh.
New in version 2.0 are a wealth of new capabilities including the
following:
-- Remote Desktop PC Access - full browser based remote control
for up to 3 separate PCs using the new LapLink Secure VNC
client software. LapLink has added Windows SSL support to the
open source and well-accepted VNC remote control product as
well as engineering its use thru the LapLink Everywhere secure
network.
-- Remote Desktop, File transfer, Remote Forms, and Database
access are available WITHOUT the previous requirement of
having Microsoft Outlook or Outlook Expressed installed.
-- Enhanced PDA support for all new Internet enabled phones and
PDA devices.
-- Support for archive and public folders in Microsoft Outlook.
-- Enhanced file transfer options affecting performance, direct
folder access, and unattended automatic logoff after large
file transfer sessions.
-- Simplified user interface and increased performance.
LapLink Everywhere offers "Zero Footprint" remote access
to any Internet-connected PC from a laptop, another desktop, Web phone,
PDA, Internet cafe, or airport kiosk - allowing you to do confidential
work from any device without leaving behind your personal files on
the device. As long as there is a fully functioning web browser, the
operating system of the remote device or computer does not need to
match the home/office based PC.
File transfer options use the classic LapLink split screen design
and transfer files of any size using a simple, but fast, drag and
drop method. File updates are dramatically faster by employing LapLink's
patented "SpeedSync" file updating technologies, which only
transfer the changes to an updated file, thus saving significant time
and bandwidth.
LapLink Everywhere is available for $89.95 for 12 months, $24.95
for 3 months or $9.95 per month and can be downloaded from the LapLink
website. Version 2.0 provides for 1 hour per month of the new remote
desktop PC service for this same price.
Unlimited monthly remote desktop PC access is $4.95 per month or $29.95
per year for access up to 3 separate computers. LapLink is offering
a free 15-day unlimited trial without requiring trial users to input
a credit card number available at www.laplink.com.
Mar 18 - Survey Concludes Backing up DVDs
is Critical to Protecting Digital Investments. Children and pets
are the biggest threats to delicate DVDs according to a survey released
today targeting consumers across the United States. Administered by
321 Studios, makers of DVD copying software, the survey results revealed
that nearly 40 percent of the respondents stated that their last DVD
was destroyed or damaged by a child or a pet.
The survey also revealed the cost-benefit to consumers of backing-up
of their DVD investments. With 1,600 respondents reporting ruined
DVDs, had they made back-up copies their DVDs, collectively they would
have saved $48,000 based on an average replacement price of $30 per
DVD.
Additional survey highlights include:
-- Accidents were responsible for 21 percent of the
destruction of a DVD.
-- 20 percent of respondents noted that normal wear and tear
resulted in unreadable or ruined DVDs.
-- 10 percent of consumers reported lost or stolen DVDs.
-- DVD rot, the combination of corrosion and delamination,
where the layers of the disc separate is responsible for 8
percent of ruined DVDs according to respondents. Symptoms
of DVD rot include picture break-up and freezing in a
specific place on the disc. DVD rot is more likely to
occur on dual layer DVDs, and it will usually freeze up
during the layer change.
-- 2 percent of respondents noted that extreme weather
conditions were the cause of ruin of their DVDs.
"Like audio CDs, DVDs can easily get lost, stolen, scratched,
damaged by heat or broken by children and pets. By making backup copies,
consumers can protect their investments in their DVD libraries,"
said Robert Moore, president of 321 Studios. "As evidenced by
the findings of this survey, consumers have identified a need for
making back-up copies. The duplicate copy can be used at home, taken
on vacation or played in the car, while the availability of both the
original and the backup provide insurance against loss or damage."
For more information about the company, its products or to follow
its lawsuit, please visit www.321studios.com
or www.dvdxcopy.com. In addition, 321
Studios is fighting to preserve fair use through their advocacy group,
ProtectFairUse.org. Consumers can make their voices heard at www.protectfairuse.org.
Mar 17 - Panasonic Introduces
Most Advanced Ruggedized Tablet PCs. Panasonic Computer Solutions
Company, the leading provider of ruggedized portable computers, today
elevated the bar of both notebook and tablet computing with the introduction
of two convertible Toughbook(R) CF-18 notebook/pen tablet PC models.
Utilizing Intel(R) Centrino(TM) Mobile Technology and the Intel(R)
Pentium(R) M processor for maximum performance with minimal battery
drain, the Toughbook(R) CF-18's feature a tilting-and-swiveling 10.4-inch
high-visibility display panel that flips and closes over the unit's
keyboard to become a fully functional, rugged Microsoft(R) Windows(R)
XP Professional or Windows(R) 2000 Touchscreen PC tablet, or--in the
digitized-screen variant--a state-of-the-art Windows(R) XP TabletPC.
"The Toughbook 18 is quite simply in a class by itself,"
said Rance Poehler, president of Panasonic Computer Solutions Company.
"It will redefine the tablet PC category while setting new standards
for versatility in notebook computing. Panasonic has leveraged its
years of experience and engineering to design a tablet PC which provides
the durability demands for both white and blue collar applications.
The 'convertible' nature of the Toughbook 18 makes it ideal for use
from claims adjusters to hospital nurses while also being able to
withstand the pounding from Panasonic's Military and Public Safety
customers. The Toughbook 18 can be carried up a ladder, hung on a
wall as a tablet, or mounted in a vehicle like a standard notebook,"
notes Poehler.
"It also offers our customers--some of whom regularly find themselves
in situations where reliable communication is literally a life and
death matter--more simultaneous connectivity options than any other
computer in its class, notebook or tablet PC. No longer does a department
head or IT manager have to decide between wireless LAN, Bluetooth(TM),
CDMA, or GPS access. Now a company can have many options working simultaneously,
in an under-five-pound computer that they can depend on to keep them
connected in even the most unforgiving operating environments.
As a provider of portable computing systems to some of the most demanding
industrial, public service and military organizations in the world,
we have always defined ourselves by our ability to deliver high-performance,
rugged computers for use anywhere, anytime, under any conditions,"
comments Poehler. "Typical retail notebook computers have failure
rates as high as 20 percent, according to Gartner. In my opinion,
retail plastic tablet computers with no ruggedization will experience
even higher failure rates than notebook PCs. Carrying into the field
a plastic tablet PC with an unprotected glass LCD display is an accident
waiting to happen and will present its user with a costly learning
experience," further notes Poehler.
Resetting the Baseline of Portable Performance & Power Management
The Toughbook(R) CF-18's have been designed from the ground up to
fully exploit Intel(R) Centrino(TM) Mobile Technology platform's unparalleled
ability to streamline internal computer instruction operations, increase
real-word computing efficiency and prolong battery life. Advanced
instruction prediction is used to pre-load instructions based on past
program behavior for smoother, faster transitions between operations;
power-optimized logic regulates consumption and dissipation levels
for lower CPU average power, and intelligent power distribution circuitry
focuses the system power where the CPU needs it most.
Intel(R) Centrino(TM) mobile technology communications enhancements
include the Intel(R) PRO/Wireless Network Connection 802.11b WLAN
support and advanced encryption and security technology for Virtual
Private Networks.
Full Pen Tablet Functionality With Maximum OS Flexibility
The Toughbook CF-18 Convertible is available in two models- a Windows(R)
XP Professional or Windows(R) 2000 PC notebook that converts to a
tablet using standard pen extensions or proprietary Windows-compatible
applications and a Windows(R) XP Tablet PC Edition-based notebook
with a magnetically digitized display that converts to a 100-percent
Tablet PC-compliant pen tablet.
The digitized screen in the Tablet PC version allows users to incorporate
handwritten input into Microsoft(R) Office applications, annotate
documents imported from a server or other computer, instantly change
screen views from portrait to landscape mode and use pen "gestures"
to perform such functions as pointing, clicking, selecting and dragging.
Other features integrated into the CF-18 Tablet PC Edition include
handwriting-to-text conversion, speech recognition (English, Japanese
and simplified Chinese), and Microsoft(R) ClearType(R) technology
for maximum text readability.
Innovative LCDs Make Everything Clear Day Or Night
Screen readability, a determinant factor in the usefulness of all
portable computers, is especially critical in touchscreen applications
where the user must be able to see well enough to write, draw and
complete forms on the screen rather than just read text.
An optional, transflective SVGA LCD display on the CF-18 Touchscreen
PC delivers extraordinary brightness in all operating environments
by automatically balancing ambient light and system backlight, while
the Tablet PC's magnetically digitized display is precision engineered
to optimize handwriting recognition, drafting and other freehand data-entry
tasks.
Display performance in all models is enhanced by an Intel(R) 855GM
graphics controller with 64MB of Unified Memory Access.
As Notebook Or Tablet This Convertible Is Mil-Spec Tough
From the bottom of its full magnesium-alloy case--manufactured by
Panasonic in its own state-of-the-art metal-fabrication facility--to
its sealed port and connector covers, ruggedized case hinge and moisture-
and dust-resistant LCD, keyboard and touchpad, the Toughbook 18 has
been designed to equal or better the durability standards of all previous
fully ruggedized Toughbooks. Both the screen and hard drive are impact
isolated and the entire computer has been tested for compliance with
MIL STD 810F requirements for four-corner and flat-side shock and
vibration absorption, and liquid, dirt and dust ingress protection
in extreme operating environments.
Pricing & Configuration
CF-18BDKZZMM XP TabletPC Edition version $3200 estimated street price.
CF-18BHKZZDM Touchscreen PC version $3200 estimated street price.
Information on Panasonic's full line of notebook PCs for the mobile
professional can be obtained at www.panasonic.com/toughbook.
Mar 17 - ATI Unveils Mobility RADEON 7000
IGP. After taking a commanding share of the mobile integrated
graphics market over the past year, ATI Technologies Inc. (TSX:ATY,
NASDAQ:ATYT) today announced MOBILITY RADEON 7000 IGP, the newest
addition to its award-winning lineup of mobile integrated graphics
processors for Intel-platform PCs.
The new processor is a performance-enhanced version of its market-leading
predecessor, RADEON IGP 340M. MOBILITY RADEON 7000 IGP is the first
true mobile IGP to bring support for DDR333 memory to notebook users,
which means more memory bandwidth for higher performance and image
quality settings. It also includes a variety of performance optimizations
resulting in 25% more graphics performance in standard benchmarks.
MOBILITY RADEON 7000 IGP includes support for Intel Pentium(R)-M
processors, 400 MHz front side bus, Mobile Intel Pentium(R) 4-M processors,
and now 533 MHz front side bus support for the Intel Pentium(R) 4
desktop CPU, which is often used to power a variety of desktop-replacement
notebooks.
The RADEON IGP family also features ATI's exclusive FLEXFIT(TM) Universal
Platform Architecture, which allows computer manufacturers to design
user-upgradeable notebooks by offering a baseline platform and notebook
add-in cards. ATI's pin and driver compatible lineup of mobile processors
means that OEMs only need to design one motherboard and one add-in
card for multiple product segments, and can then deliver user-upgradeability
without requiring the user to install a new driver.
The RADEON IGP family uses a 64-bit system architecture and is the
first and only integrated graphics solution to support ATI's industry-leading
POWERPLAY power management technology. The RADEON IGP family employs
a scalable architecture with AGP 4X support, and is also the only
mobile IGP family to include ATI's patented Fast Z-Clear technology
that increases 3D rendering speed, iDCT for improved DVD quality,
TV-out functionality, HYDRAVISION(TM) dual-display support and a full
set of award-winning RADEON graphics features.
For more information, visit ATI's Web site at www.ati.com.
Mar 17 - EZQuest Intros High-Performance
FireWire 800 External Hard Drive. EZQuest introduced its first
1394B product -- the Cobra+ FireWire 800 external hard drive -- at
Cebit Germany last week. The high-performance drive is available in
capacities up to 250GB. In addition to a FireWire 800 port, the new
drive has a USB 2.0 port and can be used with both Macs and PCs.
It is ideal for transferring and storing large amounts of data. The
drive is particularly valuable for recording and mastering studios
because it eliminates the need to record to tape. The new drive will
ship at the end of April.
"FireWire 800 allows data transfer as fast as 800mbs per second
--or the equivalent of a CD full of data, every 10 seconds,"
said Ebrahim Zmehrir, EZQuest president. "When two or more of
our FireWire 800 drives are striped together, data transfer will be
twice as fast as it would be with FireWire 400 or USB 2.0. In addition,
FireWire 800 is capable of bursting data over 100 meter cables --
twenty times as far as FireWire 400. So, you could set up a recording
studio in one room and send data to EZQuest FireWire 800 drives located
several rooms away.
"We have also included USB 2.0 ports on these new drives,"
Zmehrir continued. "This is for our customers who have both Macs
and PCs and want to be able to use one drive to transfer or back up
large files."
The Cobra+ 120GB FireWire hard drive is housed in a light-gray, streamlined
case that is fully shielded with 0.6mm metal. 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, Mac OSX and
WIN 98SE, as well as later Mac and WIN versions.
Cobra+ FireWire 800 drives are stackable and ship with Intech Hard
Disk Speed Tools, a RAID level-0 striping software for Macs. They
are also compatible with the striping software that comes with Windows
2000.
The new drive comes with a one-year warranty. Cobra+ FireWire hard
drives are also available with Mac 400 (1394a) ports -- and in 40GB,
60GB, 80GB, 100GB and 120GB sizes. A downloadable Cobra+ FireWire
spec sheet and a list of dealers are available at www.ezq.com.
Mar 17 - SanDisk Introduces Four Gigabyte
CompactFlash Card. SanDisk Corporation (Nasdaq:SNDK) today introduced
a four gigabyte (GB) CompactFlash(R) (CF) card, the world's largest
capacity CompactFlash memory card.
With the new announcement, SanDisk is leveraging its production 0.13
micron NAND flash technology and a new advanced high density component
package to quadruple the capacity of its largest capacity CF card.
The card, which is in the popular Type I CF format, was introduced
at a press conference at the CeBIT trade show.
Wes
Brewer, senior director of retail product marketing and business development
at SanDisk, said, "With the continued growth in camera resolution
and corresponding file sizes, many professional and prosumer-class
cameras are requiring higher capacity memory cards than are currently
available. Larger card capacities are also being driven in the point
and shoot category of cameras by the addition of Motion JPEG video
clips and audio support for both still and motion images. SanDisk's
ability to pack 4GB's into a Type I CompactFlash card is perfectly
matched to sales trends in a growing segment of the digital imaging
marketplace."
With this unprecedented flash storage, more than 4,000 high resolution
pictures could be stored on the 4GB CompactFlash card, or more than
1,000 digital songs or even a full length DVD movie. SanDisk also
introduced a 2GB Type I CF card at CeBIT.
SanDisk CompactFlash cards are all built in the Type I format which
fit into any CompactFlash slot. More than 500 different consumer electronics
devices have CF slots today. High capacity CF cards (including the
MicroDrive) from other manufacturers typically are built to the thicker
Type II format and will only fit in a limited number of devices available
today.
The 4GB CompactFlash card has a suggested retail price of $999.99
and is expected to start shipping this summer. The 2GB CF card has
a suggested retail price of $499.99 and is expected to start shipping
this summer.
For more information or images on SanDisk and its products, contact:
www.sandisk.com.
Mar 17 - SanDisk Introduces World's
Smallest Removable Flash Card for Mobile Phones -- miniSD Card.
SanDisk Corporation (Nasdaq:SNDK) today introduced the SanDisk miniSD(TM)
card, a new thumbnail-sized flash memory card that is designed to
meet the needs of the mobile phone market for greater storage capacity
in the smallest possible physical form factor. The miniSD card was
recently adopted by the SD Association as an ultra-small form factor
extension to the SD card standard.
The
SanDisk miniSD card is targeted at the new generation of 2.5G and
3G mobile phones that offer storage-intensive features such as digital
cameras, video capture, MP3 players, video games, personal information
management (PIM), email and voicemail capabilities. SanDisk will start
customer shipments of the new miniSD card in March 2003.
The miniSD card offers significant savings in card area and volume,
two critical design parameters for the new generation of increasingly
miniaturized mobile phones. Compared to standard SD cards, the miniSD
card saves more than 40% of the printed circuit board area and more
than 60% of the volume required to support the card in a portable
device. SanDisk will offer a wide range of memory capacities in the
new format, with 16, 32, 64, 128 and 256 megabytes (MB) expected to
ship in 2003. The new card will use SanDisk's NAND flash and SD controller
technology.
"The miniSD card that we are announcing today may become one
of the most important cards introduced by SanDisk in recent years",
said Eli Harari, President and CEO of SanDisk. "The miniSD form-factor
was developed by the SD Card Association, founded by Matsushita, SanDisk
and Toshiba, as well as leading OEM's in mobile communications. The
new generation mobile cell phones introduced this year are differentiated
primarily by their exciting multimedia capabilities, including cameras,
MP3 players, and internet messaging, which are expected to drive the
requirement for removable flash storage cards."
Harari continued, "Mobile phone manufacturers are looking for
ways to accelerate the replacement cycle among their customers, while
mobile service providers are anxious to increase the adoption by their
customers of new applications beyond voice communication. In recent
quarters, the sale of mobile phones incorporating digital cameras
has been accelerating. This trend, which was started in Japan and
Korea is now spreading to Europe and, we believe, will reach the US,
China, and other large markets for cell phones in the next one to
two years.
"Although these camera phones generally have lower image resolution
than conventional digital cameras, many of the new cell phone models
that are planned for introduction later this year sport good resolution
1 megapixel and 2 megapixel cameras that will elevate the need for
flash cards for image storage. Therefore this new market represents
a considerable incremental opportunity for the sale of our miniSD
cards, starting as early as the second quarter for the low capacity
bundled cards sold to OEM's, and as early as the second half of the
year for the higher capacity flash storage cards sold in the retail
aftermarket for use in these camera equipped cell phones.
"With the new miniSD form factor, we believe mobile phone designers
will have a much easier time and greater freedom in fitting a card
slot into their designs. End users will benefit by being able to use
the miniSD adapter to exchange data between their miniSD-equipped
mobile phone and any SD compatible host, such as a digital camera,
PDA or laptop PC."
A key benefit of the miniSD card is that it is both electrically
and software compatible with the existing SD standard. It uses the
same SD interface, including security features for content protection
(CPRM -- Content Protection Rights Management) as the standard SD
card. As an extension of the existing SD card standard, the miniSD
card allows mobile phone and consumer electronics developers to leverage
their current SD-based designs with no changes to software or electronics.
To allow interoperability with standard SD devices, SanDisk will also
offer an adapter that converts the miniSD card into the SD card form
factor. The adapter allows the miniSD card to fit into existing SD
card slots, and thereby provide compatibility with the rapidly growing
number of SD compatible devices in the market.
SanDisk will initially sell the miniSD card through its Japanese
retail distribution channels starting in Q2 with worldwide expansion
planned in the second half of the year. In order to reach the broadest
set of devices for the miniSD, the SanDisk-branded miniSD cards will
be packaged with a full-sized SD adapter. This will allow consumers
to use their miniSD card in both miniSD slots and regular SD slot
devices for maximum flexibility.
Suggested retail pricing for the miniSD plus SD adapter will be
3,480 yen (US$29) for the 32MB card, which is approximately the same
price of an SD card of the same capacity. Prices on higher capacities
have not been set.
SanDisk's web site/home page address: www.sandisk.com.
Mar 17 - Visioneer Announces the OneTouch
9220 USB. Visioneer, a leader in intelligent imaging solutions,
today announced the newest addition to their Slimline scanner series,
the Visioneer OneTouch(TM) 9220 USB color flatbed scanner. A powerful
48-bit, Hi-speed USB 2.0 scanner, the new OneTouch 9220 USB is an
extremely fast imaging solution with a suggested retail price of only
$149.99.
"The OneTouch 9220 USB is perfect for the photo enthusiast who
wants to scan traditional prints, 35mm slides or negatives,"
said Murray L. Dennis, Visioneer's President and CEO. "It also
works well for establishing a paperless office or creating colorful
projects for print or Internet use. With it's Hi-Speed USB 2.0 interface,
it can scan a 4"x 6" photo at 300 dpi in less than 7 seconds
and a full color page at 300 dpi in less than 15 seconds."
The OneTouch 9220 USB is the next generation in Visioneer's Slimline
scanner series and is able to scan up to three 35mm slides or 4 negatives
at once. The scanner's high 2400 x 4800 optical resolution eliminates
jagged edges and captures the finest detail from originals. That is
enough to turn a 4"x 6" photo into a 32"x 48"
poster with no loss of detail.
It also features 48-bit internal color and Visioneer's patented FlashBack(TM)
Bi-directional AutoScan Technology. The scanner also comes with a
Hi-speed USB 2.0 interface that is backwards compatible with USB 1.1
ports. "Hi-speed USB 2.0" devices have data transfer rates
of up to 40 times faster than devices that are rated "Full-speed
USB 2.0."
Designed For Ease-of-Use
Visioneer's OneTouch scanners are engineered for both first-time
and experienced scanner users. All Slimline scanners come with five
buttons to scan, copy, OCR, email, and perform a custom task. The
buttons are pre-configured at the optimal settings for these most
common tasks; so first-time users can start scanning immediately.
The Visioneer OneTouch 9220 USB is currently available through authorized
retailers, computer super stores and online services, mail order catalogs
and from Visioneer's web site at www.visioneer.com.
The suggested retail price is $149.99.
Mar 16 - Sunday Shopping Watch.
Best Sunday Deals - See our Best
Sunday Ad Deals Table below for specific system prices.
Weekly Comparison. This is a very good
weekend to go out and buy a desktop or laptop. There are 4 laptops
in our area stores for under $1000. There are also some very good
deals on low-priced desktops.
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 MSN with any desktop or laptop
purchase. They are also offering $150 mail-in rebates on all Pentium
4 desktop packages and on all laptops. In addition, they have 18 month
no-interest financing on all desktop packages and laptops.
Circuit City is offering
12 months no-interest financing and $100 gift cards on Intel Pentium
4 processor desktop packages and laptops.
Office
Depot
has 12 months no-interest financing on computer purchases over $298,
plus they are offering a free (after rebates) D-Link 4-port Wireless
Router with any desktop or laptop purchase.
CompUSA In celebration of its
19th anniversary, CompUSA has some great deals. They are offering
a free wireless networking package (after rebates) with the purchase
of any desktop or notebook computer. They also have mail-in rebates
of $100 on AMD Athlon XP processor desktop and monitor bundles, $150
on AMD Athlon XP processor laptops, and $150 on Intel Pentium 4 desktop
and monitor bundles. In addition, they have 12 months no payment,
no interest financing for purchases over $198.
Staples has no store -wide sales 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, 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 Low-cost Pentium 4 System
|
Compaq 2.4 GHz with 17" monitor
and DVD/CD-RW
|
$899
|
-
|
Staples
|
|
2. Best Low-cost Pentium 4 System
|
HP 2.53 GHz with 17" monitor and
DVD-RW
|
$1049
|
-
|
CompUSA
|
|
1. Best High-end Pentium 4 System
|
HP 2.53 GHz Media Center with 15"
flat panel
|
$1649
|
-
|
CompUSA
|
|
2. Best High-end Pentium 4 System
|
HP 2.53 GHz complete system with 15"
flat panel and DVD-RW
|
$1699
|
-
|
Best Buy
|
|
3. Best High-end Pentium 4 System
|
HP 2.53 GHz complete system with 15"
flat panel and DVD-RW
|
$1299 (build-to-order)
|
-
|
Best Buy
|
|
4. Best High-end Pentium 4 System
|
Sony 2.53 GHz complete system with 15"
flat panel and DVD-RW
|
$1829
|
-
|
Best Buy
|
|
Best Low-cost Athlon XP System
|
Compaq 2200+ complete system
|
$699
|
-
|
CompUSA
|
|
1. Best Low-cost Notebook
|
HP Athlon XP 1800+ with DVD/CD-RW
|
$849
|
-
|
CompUSA
|
|
2. Best Low-cost Notebook
|
Sony Athlon XP 1800+ with DVD/CD-RW
|
$1149
|
-
|
CompUSA
|
|
3. Best Low-cost Notebook
|
Toshiba 1.8 GHz Pentium 4-M with DVD
|
$799
|
-
|
CompUSA
|
|
4. Best Low-cost Notebook
|
Compaq 1.6 GHz Celeron with DVD/CD-RW
|
$799
|
-
|
Best Buy
|
|
|
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