May 7 - Intel Announces 2.53 GHz Pentium 4 and 533 MHz Bus.
Intel Corporation today introduced new versions of the world's highest
performance desktop microprocessor - the Intel (R) Pentium(R) 4 processor
- enabling richer experiences with broadband content, games, digital
music, photos and movies, while helping businesses maximize productivity
and take advantage of new web service environments.
"The latest Pentium 4 processors deliver the versatility to
improve everything from gaming to the use of cutting-edge business
tools," said Louis Burns, vice president and general manager,
Desktop Platforms Group at Intel. "For example, PC's based on
the new Pentium 4 processor at 2.53 GHz can convert songs into MP3
format almost six times quicker than the fastest PC's of three years
ago - a tremendous time savings for end users."
The penetration rate of broadband to U.S. homes is faster than that
of color TVs, VCRs, and cell phones. With the growth of broadband
in homes, high-performance platforms enable users to take advantage
of new high-bandwidth content.
Business environments are evolving as well. In a recent survey of
chief technology officers, 88 percent identified XML as the software
technology that had the greatest impact on the enterprise in 2001.
Systems based on the Pentium 4 processor at 2.53 GHz process XML data
over three times faster than today's installed base of PC's operating
at 500 MHz or below.
All three new processors - Intel Pentium 4 processors at 2.53, 2.40,
and 2.26 GHz - include a 533 MHz system bus. Previous Pentium 4 processors
interact with the rest of the system using a 400 MHz system bus. Intel
also introduced the 850E chipset, which is designed to operate at
the new system bus speed. Systems based on the new products are available
immediately from computer makers worldwide.
The Pentium 4 processor, with 512KB level-two cache and operating
at a 533 MHz system bus speed, is available now at 2.53 GHz, 2.4 GHz
and 2.26 GHz and is priced at $637, $562 and $423, respectively, in
1,000-unit quantities. The new 850E chipset is now available and is
priced at $37 in 1,000-unit quantities. Intel is also shipping boxed
Intel Pentium 4 processors up to 2.53 GHz and two new desktop boards,
the D850EMV2 and D850EMD2, to Intel authorized distributors for system
integrators worldwide.
Intel, the world's largest chip maker, is also a leading manufacturer
of computer, networking and communications products. Additional information
about Intel is available at www.intel.com.
May 7 - Server I/O Manufacturers Plan Rapid
Adoption of PCI-X 2.0. Fourteen leading server I/O silicon and
add-in card manufacturers today announced support for PCI-X 2.0, a
high-performance extension to the PCI-X specification that offers
next-generation performance and backward compatibility to current
PCI-based systems.
Today's announcement follows the recent release of the draft PCI-X
2.0 specification to the PCI-SIG membership for review. Although the
final spec is due to be released to the public in approximately 60-days,
companies are already lining up to produce products based on the new
spec.
According to Roger Tipley, president and chairman of the PCI-SIG,
"Server platforms have an intense need to increase I/O bandwidth
as soon as it is physically possible to do so. Since PCI-X 2.0 is
an evolutionary upgrade to the current PCI-X 1.0 standard, designers
will be able to move from PCI-X 66 (66 MHz) and PCI-X 133 -- encompassed
in the PCI-X 1.0 standard -- to PCI-X 266 and PCI-X 533 with minimal
effort to redesign.
Moreover, PCI-X 2.0 is fully backward compatible with PCI-X 1.0, so
most new designs will start with PCI-X 2.0 as soon as the spec is
finalized. However, the silicon and add-in card vendors are key to
implementing this new standard in servers. Under current market conditions,
it's no wonder we're seeing so many companies touting their support."
PCI-X 2.0 has quickly gained broad industry support within the Independent
Hardware Vendors (IHV) community. PCI-X 2.0 functionality is already
being added to core logic controllers, network interface cards (NICs)
and other add-in cards from leading vendors.
About PCI-X 2.0
PCI-X 2.0 is a high-performance extension to the PCI Local Bus specification
that facilitates connections to add-in cards for 10 Gigabit Ethernet,
10 Gigabit Fibre Channel, Serial Attached SCSI, Serial ATA (SATA),
4X and 12x InfiniBand, RAID and cluster interconnects for servers
and workstations. PCI-X 2.0 defines two new versions of PCI-X add-in
cards: PCI-X 266 and PCI-X 533.
The first, PCI-X 266 runs at speeds up to 266 MegaTransfers per second
using Double Data Rate (DDR) techniques, enabling sustainable PCI
bandwidth of more than 2.1 Gigabytes/second. PCI-X 533 runs at speeds
up to 533 MegaTransfers per second using Quadruple Data Rate (QDR)
techniques enabling bandwidth of more than 4.3 Gigabytes/second.
The specification also provides increased reliability through Error
Checking and Correction (ECC). PCI-X 2.0 will provide customers with
needed I/O bandwidth along with investment protection because of its
backward compatibility with existing systems.
For more information, visit the PCI-SIG Web site at www.pcisig.com.
May 7 - Intel Announces Reference Design
for Advanced Home Media Platform. Intel Corporation is demonstrating
the Intel(R) Media Center Reference Design at the National Cable and
Telecommunication Association (NCTA) Annual Convention in New Orleans.
This reference design is intended to help hardware and software developers
accelerate the development and production of powerful, scaleable,
interactive consumer products that integrate the capabilities of a
number of previously discrete devices.
The Intel Media Center Reference Design, based on an Intel(R) Celeron(R)
processor, includes hardware and software to support multiple audio
and video applications, content and back-end systems. Products based
on the design will provide broadband Internet access, DVD playback,
personal video recording, interactive gaming, TV reception, MP3 audio,
content storage, video on demand and home networking in a single device.
Schematics for the Intel Media Center Reference Design will be available
for download in late May. Intel is committed to supporting solutions
based on Intel architecture for this emerging consumer product category
and will provide additional reference designs that further the connected
digital home.
"Intel set out to produce a design that integrates the gathering,
processing and delivery of any media to any device in the home,"
noted Bob Ferrar, general manager of Intel's Cable and Video Division.
"Devices based on this reference design have the power and flexibility
to serve as the center of today's home media experience and handle
next-generation interactive audio and video applications. The reference
design also contributes to our efforts to offer broadband building
blocks at every level of integration."
Additional information about Intel is available at www.intel.com.
May 7 - Dell Introduces Thinnest, Lightest
Latitude Notebook. For business people on the move, Dell (Nasdaq:DELL)
today introduced its thinnest and lightest wireless-ready Latitude(tm)
notebook ever.
The Latitude X200, which weighs 2.8-pounds and measures a thin four-fifths
of an inch, is designed with productivity and ease of use in mind.
It features a roomy, comfortable keyboard, a bright 12.1-inch XGA
display, integrated communications and enough performance to easily
handle daily mobile-computing tasks.
"More mobile business customers than ever rely on Dell to provide
the best notebook with the right technologies and features to help
them be more productive," said Tim Mattox, vice president of
Dell's relationship client marketing. "There is a very specific
group of mobile users who desire unconscious mobility: the ability
to stay connected and be productive, regardless of location. The X200
is the lightest Dell notebook that delivers not only on mobility,
but also on the important balance between mobility, usability and
performance."
With a sleek industrial design similar to the award-winning, high-performance
Latitude C400, the X200 is encased in lightweight but durable magnesium
alloy to provide peace of mind for frequent business travelers and
other demanding mobile users.
The Latitude X200 has prices starting at $1,899. More information
on the Latitude product family can be found at www.dell.com/latitude.
May 7 - American Telecom Spending Increased
8 Percent in 2001. Despite a significant downturn in the overall
economy in 2001, the average U.S. household increased its total telecommunications
spending by 8 percent, according to market information company Taylor
Nelson Sofres (TNS).
TNS Telecoms' quarterly consumer research shows that the average
spent per month for all services has risen to almost $140 per month.
Overall, expenditures for wireless and Internet increased significantly,
up 16 percent and 20 percent in the fourth quarter of 2001, while
toll and long distance service dropped sharply, down 13 percent and
15 percent respectively. TNS Telecoms' survey and telecom Bill Harvesting(R)
data includes spending on traditional wired-line telecommunication
services - such as local, toll (intra-LATA calls, sometimes referred
to as "local long distance"), card calls and long distance
- plus wireless, Internet (including high speed access) and cable/satellite.
"Americans are choosing to spend more on discretionary and premium
telecommunications and related services," said Charles White,
vice president of TNS Telecoms. "Convenience and functionality
are increasingly the priorities. For example, two years ago the dominant
reason given for wireless subscribership was security (over 40 percent),
while more recent results show convenience (almost 45 percent) is
now the most influential reason to purchase a wireless phone. Drivers
for these changes include a number of factors, such as, decreasing
costs per user, increased wireless call reliability and the growth
in the availability and the bundling of multiple services."
WIRELESS SERVICE
Wireless penetration has increased to 58 percent nationally; currently
the average number of wireless phones per household is 1.5. The average
wireless household spent $59 per month for service, which was an increase
of more than 16 percent over year 2000 wireless spending.
INTERNET ACCESS
Internet spending for 2001 rose by 20 percent, driven by increased
use of high-speed broadband access methods such as cable modem and
DSL. Among households that access the Internet from home, 10 percent
use a cable modem and 6 percent use DSL. The percentage of households
with Internet access using the Internet for education/research or
working at home decreased by 7 percent during 2001, compared to year
2000 results.
CABLE / SATELLITE SERVICE
Although penetration for cable and satellite service has remained
relatively constant at around 80 percent of U.S. households, 4 percent
of households have both cable and satellite service. The average household
with either service spends $47.03 each month, a 6 percent increase
over 2000. Interestingly, more than 16 percent of households with
either cable or satellite service use pay-per-view, and over 80 percent
of these households make a pay-per-view purchase every month.
CUSTOM CALLING FEATURES
Increased use of value-added services such as Caller ID, Call Block,
Call Waiting and similar conveniences pushed spending for local wired
services (including line charges, feature charges, local call/plan
charges and taxes) upward by approximately $1 per month. But overall
spending on wired-line services decreased by almost 5 percent and
long distance spending declined by almost 17 percent.
In contrast, average household spending for other discretionary services
such as wireless, cable/satellite and Internet access increased in
total by more than $12 per month, a 17 percent increase over 2000.
Further information on Taylor Nelson Sofres is available from its
corporate Web site: www.tnsofres.com.
May 6 - 3Dlabs Introduces Breakthrough
Visual Processing Architecture. 3Dlabs(R), Inc. Ltd. (Nasdaq:TDDD)
today announced a ground-breaking "Visual Processing Architecture"
that combines the architectural strengths and programmability of general-purpose
CPUs with extreme levels of hardware parallelism.
This architecture, which has been in development for the past two
years and has significant patents pending, enables advanced software
rendering techniques to be accelerated in real time to produce interactive
imagery with stunning levels of realism. 3Dlabs expects to ship board-level
products based on the first Visual Processing Unit (VPU), a chip codenamed
the P10, during the third quarter of 2002.
"3Dlabs is changing the rules of the graphics industry with
its Visual Processing Architecture. VPUs are capable of accelerating
algorithms that are simply not executable on traditional graphics
GPUs," said Jon Peddie, president of Jon Peddie Research, a leading
graphics and multimedia consultancy. "3Dlabs will be able to
use the flexibility of the P10 VPU to not only deliver a compelling
product that competes head-to-head with existing graphics boards,
but also to fundamentally change what people expect from graphics
hardware."
3Dlabs intends to use the highly scalable Visual Processing Architecture
in a variety of VPUs that are ideally suited to a range of market
segments. Professional workstation graphics users are expected to
have access to Visual Processing accelerators that offer impressive
OpenGL(R) workstation application performance at very affordable prices.
Gaming enthusiasts are anticipated to find VPU versions that lead
in next-generation DirectX shader performance, enhancing this Christmas
season's must-have titles. Digital photographers and video editors
are expected to use VPU-enabled boards to accelerate the latest Adobe(R)
Photoshop(R) filters and Premiere(R) effects.
"The confluence of high-level shading languages such as OpenGL
2.0 and upcoming versions of DirectX, combined with 3Dlabs' VPUs,
will enable new classes of visual applications," said Neil Trevett,
senior vice president of market development at 3Dlabs. "The ability
to take complex shading algorithms, like those used to create realistic
film animations, and accelerate them on highly parallel Visual Processors
is a major step towards interactive visual realism. This is an advance
the industry has been working towards for over 20 years."
3Dlabs' Visual Processing Architecture implements an optimized graphics
pipeline, replacing previously inflexible pipeline stages with highly
programmable SIMD (single instruction, multiple data) processor arrays.
The P10 VPU combines over 200 SIMD processors throughout its geometry,
texture and pixel processing pipeline stages to deliver over 170Gflops
and one TeraOp of programmable graphics performance together with
a full 256-bit DDR memory interface for up to 20GBytes/sec of memory
bandwidth.
3Dlabs' Visual Processing Architecture avoids the increasingly difficult-to-program
collection of arbitrary functional units found in today's more limited
GPUs. Instead, 3Dlabs provides application developers a clean, orthogonal,
compiler-friendly architecture that implements many CPU-like architectural
innovations.
3Dlabs has supplied pre-production P10 hardware and prototype DirectX
9 and OpenGL 2.0 drivers to leading-edge application developers. In
addition to running all of today's workstation and mainstream 2D and
3D programs, new applications are expected to soon emerge that use
advanced techniques including, but certainly not limited to:
-- Real-time wavelet-based geometry and texture decompression
engines that enable reduction in the size of terrain
models up to 100 fold;
-- Ray-casting engines for visualizing volumetric medical
data sets in real-time and;
-- Back-end photo-realistic renderers producing stunning
imagery that, for the first time, can be accelerated in
hardware.
For more information on 3Dlabs, visit www.3dlabs.com.
May 6 - Samsung Volume Shipping DDR400
PC3200 Modules. Samsung Semiconductor, Inc., the world's leading
supplier of advanced memory technology, today announced that it is
first to volume ship Double-Data-Rate 400Mbps SDRAM (DDR400) modules
in 128MB, 256MB and 512MB densities.
As the newest addition to Samsung's DDR SDRAM portfolio, the 400Mbps
(200MHz) DDR devices are ideal for use as PC system main memory, offering
three times the performance of Single-Data-Rate PC 133 SDRAM and 50
percent more bandwidth than mainstream DDR266.
The volume availability now of these high-speed memory modules further
strengthens Samsung's position as the leading producer of DDR SDRAM
memory devices. Samsung is ramping up to meet the growing market demand
for this high-performance memory technology.
Early this year, Samsung was first to deliver engineering samples
of DDR400 to major PC chipset companies, including NVIDIA, SiS and
VIA. The devices have received positive feedback and leading-edge
chipsets supporting DDR400 will soon be available.
"With Samsung's DDR400, chipset manufacturers and their customers
are the real winners as they benefit from this extremely high-performance
memory," said Tom Quinn, Samsung Semiconductor, Inc.'s vice president
of marketing. "Samsung is totally committed to serving our customers
by being first-to-market with leading-edge DDR SDRAM memory products."
Samsung is the industry's DDR SDRAM technology leader. In 2000,
it was first to mass-produce DDR266. In August 2001, the company was
first to commence mass production of DDR333 and now supports 128MB,
256MB and 512MB modules.
Samsung DDR400 PC3200 modules are available through distribution.
The 128MB and 256MB modules are shipping now. Part numbers are M368L1713DTL
for the 128MB module and M368L3313DTL for the 256MB module. The 512MB
module, part number M368L6423DTL, will be available late May.
For more information, visit www.usa.samsungsemi.com.
May 6 - Workstation Market Declined
5 Percent in the First Quarter. Worldwide workstation shipments
totaled 358,829 units in the first quarter of 2002, a 5.4 percent
decline from the first quarter of 2001, according to preliminary results
from Dataquest Inc., a unit of Gartner, Inc. (NYSE: IT and ITB).
When worldwide workstation shipments declined rapidly from the third
quarter of 2000 to the third quarter of 2001, the hope was that the
industry would soon show signs of a recovery, but Gartner Dataquest
analysts said the industry still has obstacles to overcome.
"The worldwide market is hampered by uncertainty because the
U.S. economy continues to be soft and the pending HP-Compaq merger
may be leaving some end users undecided on product roadmaps. There
are also signs of saturation in the U.S. workstation market,"
said Pia Rieppo, principal analyst covering workstations for Gartner
Dataquest's Computing Platform Worldwide group. "In addition,
there is little technological innovation to get excited about, with
possible exception of notebook workstations, and the future of the
Itanium product family is still undecided. All this uncertainty leads
to conservatism in IT spending."
Dell extended its lead as the No. 1 vendor in worldwide workstation
shipments, as its market share grew to 37.5 percent . IBM was the
only other top-tier vendor in 2001 to experience an increase in shipments
from the previous year. All vendors experienced flat or declining
shipments from the fourth quarter of 2001.
For more information, visit www.gartner.com.
May 6 - Scanner Population Continues to
Grow. Scanners continue their march into consumer households,
according to a recent study of 1,850 U.S. Internet users conducted
by InfoTrends Research Group, Inc. The study found that 49% of Internet
households had a scanner in their home by year-end 2001, up from 36%
of Internet households in 1999. That compares to about 21% for MFPs
(multifunction products).
"Contrary to popular belief, digital cameras and MFPs are not
significantly threatening scanner upgrades or replacements,"
said Kerry Flatley, research analyst, InfoTrends Research Group. "In
fact, only 6% of scanner owners say they will replace their current
scanner with an MFP, and 2% with a digital camera. 86% plan to eventually
upgrade to a new scanner, mostly within the next two years. Scanners
perform unique functions that digital cameras cannot duplicate - users'
most common applications are emailing photos, and copying documents
and photos. Additionally, MFPs appear not to be a mutually exclusive
item."
Among households without a scanner, scanners outranked TVs, MFPs,
printers, game consoles, camcorders, and PCs on consumers' 2002 purchase
wish list. Only two items outscored scanners: DVD players and digital
cameras.
"The study indicates that scanner ownership is a precursor to
further imaging activities and purchases such as digital cameras,
online photo services, imaging software, and film photography,"
said Flatley. "This profile of scanner users provides invaluable
insights to vendors of related imaging products and services."
Scanner owners are more satisfied with today's models than their predecessors.
Their biggest sources of dissatisfaction? "Speed," said
Flatley. "It is the most important criteria for scanner users'
next purchase. Although scanning speed has improved over the years,
consumers expect instant gratification from technology products. USB
2.0, already in some models, is designed to satisfy those demands."
InfoTrends Research Group, Inc. can be found online at www.infotrends-rgi.com.
May 5 - Sunday Shopping Watch.
Weekly Comparison.
Notebooks - Prices remain high on notebooks. This week's best
deal is the same as last week's, the 1.1 GHz Duron for $1,099. After
seeing the great deal from 2 Sundays ago, an Athlon 4, 1 GHz laptop
advertised below $1,000, this weeks best deal is awful. If you're
in the market for a low-cost notebook, wait for lower prices or shop
online.
High-end Athlon, Pentium III-M, and Pentium 4-M processor notebook
prices appear unchanged.
Desktops - Pentium 4 desktops stayed about the same, however
lower speed Athlon "+" processor desktops seem to be slowly
dropping in price.
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.)
BestBuy is giving away 6 months of free MSN with any computer
purchase. They are also offering 12 months of interest free financing
on any purchase over over $298. Additionally, they are giving instant
rebates of; $150 on all desktop Pentium 4 packages, $100 on Celeron
or AMD XP desktop packages, and $100 on all notebooks.
Circuit
City has 12 months of interest
free financing on all desktop packages and notebooks. Additionally,
they are offering a $100-$365 mail-in rebates with purchase of any
Intel processor desktop package and $100-$200 mail-in rebates with
purchase of any AMD processor notebook.
Office
Depot
is offering no interest, no payments, for 6 months on any computer
purchase over $298.
CompUSA is also offering no interest,
no payments, for 6 months on any computer purchase over $298.
Staples no ad this Sunday.
Shopping Alert on Lower Priced
Desktops. Many lower priced Celeron desktops made by almost
all computer manufacturers should be carefully investigated before
purchase.
Most of these low priced desktops have no AGP video expansion slot,
no onboard dedicated video RAM, no CD-RW drive, and very few empty
PCI expansion slots. These computers will be very difficult to upgrade,
and they have poorer performance than other desktops that do not have
integrated audio and video chips on the motherboard.
Often by spending $200-$400 more dollars for a Pentium 4 or Athlon
XP based system, you can get twice the performance, more features,
and you will have an upgradeable computer that will serve you well
for another 3 years.
If you choose the $700 Celeron system to save a few bucks, keep in
mind that in a year or two you will probably want to replace it.
About Windows XP. It has been a little over 5
months since Windows XP began to be bundled with new computers. Windows
XP became available for separate purchase on October 25th. For more
information on Windows XP see our Windows
XP Upgrade Guide.
Internet Rebates. Most stores are no longer
advertising 3 year Internet rebates. Check with your local store before
you buy. Please see our article, What
You Need to Know About Internet Rebates and Free PCs, for an in-depth
discussion of Internet Rebates.
Definitions. A desktop system/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 vendor's store. 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 Deals this Sunday
|
|
Category
|
Product Description
|
Price* (see above)
|
Store
|
|
Best Celeron Deal
|
HP 1.2 GHz complete system
|
$624
|
Best Buy
|
|
Best Low-cost Pentium 4
|
Sony 1.6 GHz complete system
|
$1149
|
Best Buy
|
|
Best High-end Pentium 4 System
|
None Advertised
|
|
|
|
Best Low-cost Athlon XP System
|
HP 1600+ complete system
|
$899
|
Best Buy
|
|
Best High-end Athlon XP System
|
HP 2000+ complete system
|
$1349
|
CompUSA
|
|
Best Low-cost Notebook
|
HP Duron
1.1 GHz with DVD
|
$1099
|
Best Buy, Circuit
City, CompUSA
|
|
Best High-end Notebook
|
Sony AMD 1.2 GHz Athlon 4 with DVD/CD-RW
|
$1399
|
Best Buy
|
|
Best High-end Notebook
|
Toshiba 1.6 GHz Pentium 4 with DVD/CD-RW
|
$1699
|
Best Buy
|
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 should help you make
informed buying decisions.
May 3 - E3Expo 2002 To Showcase New Games
and Products. Leading interactive entertainment companies from
around the world will unveil more than 1,000 never-before-seen computer
and video games and related products at the 2002 Electronic Entertainment
Expo (E3Expo), according to data from the E3Expo 2002 Exhibitor Survey,
released today by the show's owner, the Interactive Digital Software
Association (IDSA).
In addition, the vast majority (80 percent) of the show's approximately
400 exhibitors report that three-quarters of their products debuting
at this year's E3Expo will be on store shelves for the 2002 holiday
season.
"The impressive number of new product introductions at E3Expo
2002 illustrate both the vibrancy of the video game market today and
the status of E3Expo as the world's most important event for launching
the new products and technologies that consumers will see for the
2002 holiday season," said Douglas Lowenstein, president of the
IDSA, the trade association representing U.S. entertainment software
publishers. E3Expo 2002 takes place May 22 - 24 at the Los Angeles
Convention Center, and will include more than 505,000 net square feet
of exhibit space.
Reflecting the growing household penetration of next generation game
devices, survey respondents reported that one-half (49 percent) of
all new interactive software products being shown at E3Expo support
video game consoles. In addition, the popularity of interactive entertainment
software spans across a number of platforms with exhibitors reporting
that approximately 39 percent of the new titles being shown are PC-based,
17.5 percent are for handheld game devices, 7.8 percent are online/Internet
only games and 3.4 percent are for PDAs and wireless phones.
According to survey respondents, the new E3Expo titles they will
display cover a wide range of game genres, including Action games
(28.4 percent), Sports and Driving games (16.7 percent), Adventure
games (12.1 percent), Child and Family games (10.9 percent), Role
Playing games (8.3 percent), Strategy games (7.3 percent), Educational/Edutainment
games (6 percent) and Simulation games (3.2 percent).
Previously unreleased interactive products will be spotlighted at
this year's show in the E3Expo 2002 "First Looks" program.
Participating First Looks exhibitors will be designated in the E3Expo
exhibit guide, Show Daily, www.e3expo.com
and on the exhibit floor beginning May 22.
E3Expo, now in its eighth year, is owned by the Interactive Digital
Software Association (IDSA), the U.S. association dedicated to serving
the business and public affairs needs of the companies publishing
interactive games for video game consoles, handheld devices, personal
computers, and the Internet.
IDSA members collectively account for more than 85 percent of the
$6.35 billion in entertainment software sales in the U.S. in 2001,
and billions more in export sales of American-made entertainment software.
The IDSA offers services to interactive entertainment software publishers
including a global anti-piracy program, owning the Electronic Entertainment
Expo trade show, business and consumer research, government relations
and First Amendment and intellectual property protection efforts.
E3Expo is a trade event, and is not open to the general public. No
one under the age of 18 will be admitted, including infants. This
policy is strictly enforced.
May 3 - In-Stat/MDR Announces Optimistic
Outlook for Semiconductor Industry. In a presentation delivered
yesterday at the Embedded Processor Forum, In-Stat/MDR (www.instat.com
and www.mdronline.com) announced
its newest semiconductor industry forecast.
Chris Van Gaal, the high-tech research firm's Senior Director of
Content Development, reported that, as predicted, 2002 will continue
to be a corrective year for the industry. 2002 worldwide semiconductor
sales are forecast to decline an additional 4-5% from 2001 despite
sequential quarterly growth. However, in 2003, an optimal combination
of inventory depletion, order rates and market dynamics will result
in a 30.7 % increase in worldwide semiconductor sales over the year
prior.
According to Van Gaal, "There are many indicators that signify
a marked turnaround in an industry that experienced a 32% decrease
in sales last year. As they are tied very strongly to the semiconductor
industry, a rise in both regional and global Gross Domestic Product
(GDPs) and order rates in key end-use segments are a good indication
of a brighter future."
However, this does not mean that the industry will not continue
to experience its tell tale boom and bust cycles. Van Gaal cited the
following market dynamics as continuing influences on the market's
volatility:
-- An average 2 year lag time between capital investment and full-fledged
fab output
-- Wild swings in revenue growth resulting from the difficulties
in maintaining a good balance between supply and demand
May 3 - Epson Lowers Price on Stylus Photo
820 Ink Jet Printer. Epson America Inc. announced today that it
has reduced the price of its EPSON Stylus Photo 820 ink jet printer.
Photo enthusiasts and amateur photographers can now enjoy the popular
printer's superior six-color image quality and convenient true BorderFree(TM)
printing for an affordable estimated street price of $99. Additionally,
the Stylus Photo 820 has been redesigned with a new metallic design
that closely resembles the silver and gray body style of popular digital
cameras on the market today.
"The Stylus Photo 820 is an easy-to-use, affordable photo printer
that produces professional photo lab image-quality results right in
your own home," said Fabia Ochoa, product manager, photo imaging,
Epson. "The printer's new look and its award-winning performance,
make it a perfect fit for first-time digital camera buyers."
About the EPSON Stylus Photo 820
The EPSON Stylus Photo 820 printer is ideal for printing at home
with its ease of use and impressive photo quality combined with ultra-fast
printing speeds for photos and text. It speeds through black text
at up to 12 ppm, can print a 4"x6" photo in 48 seconds and
an 8"x10" photo in just 1:42 minutes on photo paper. It
can even print an 8"x10" photo as fast as 45 seconds on
plain paper.
The EPSON Stylus Photo 820 offers up to 2880 x 720 dpi resolution,
Epson's Advanced Micro Piezo(TM) ink jet technology, and a superior
six-color photo ink system for creating incredible detail, more accurate
skin tones and an ultra-wide color range. The printer uses tiny four-picoliter
droplets, delivering smooth gradations and "dotless" photo
quality for prints that are indistinguishable from traditional photos.
For more information on Epson visit www.epson.com.
May 3 - Belkin Announces 4 Device USB
Switch. Belkin, the leading manufacturer of computer peripherals
and accessories, today announced that it will be introducing its new
4x4 Matrix USB Switch (F1U400 - ESP $99.99) at the NetWorld+Interop
trade show in Las Vegas, NV, May 7-9, 2002. Perfect for the SOHO environment,
it allows users to share up to four USB devices with up to four USB
computers. The Belkin 4X4 Matrix USB DataSwitch is set to begin shipping
in North America on June 1, 2002.
With the Belkin 4X4 Matrix USB Switch, users can access their USB
devices by using its manual push button or its management software,
which allows users to access devices such as USB printers, scanners,
cameras, keyboards, etc., and share them with connected USB computers.
Features:
- Automatic USB printer sharing
- User-friendly software interface
- Compliant with USB 1.1 specification
- LED indicators
- Manual push buttons for device selection
- 4 USB device ports
- 4 USB computer ports
Supports:
PC (Windows® 98 SE, Me, 2000, XP)
Mac® (OS 9, X)
Visit the company's website at www.belkin.com.
May 3 - Toshiba Grabs Top Spot In Cable
Modem Market. Toshiba America Information Systems Inc., Network
Products Division (TAIS NPD) takes number one position in DOCSIS cable
modem sales with 430,000 units shipped in the first quarter of 2002.
According to independent analyst firm, Kinetic Strategies Inc., Toshiba
Q1 2002 shipments captured 29.3 percent of the North American market.
Cable Datacom News publisher Kinetic Strategies Inc., reported that
Toshiba's strong sales have enabled the company to officially overtake
the incumbent in North American cable modem sales for the first time.
Unit sales of Toshiba's DOCSIS PCX line of broadband cable modems
increased by more than 26 percent over the previous quarter.
Toshiba NPD executives said the higher sales are a direct result
of record demand by national retail outlets, as well as increased
shipments to multiple systems operators (MSOs). MSOs supply modems
to customers subscribing to broadband service via cable.
"Toshiba has reached number one by consistently producing a
superior cable modem that is reliable, easy to install and provides
the highest speeds possible for a broadband connection today,"
said Fred Berry, vice president, general manager for Toshiba America
Information Systems, Network Products Division. "Toshiba is committed
to developing broadband products that will expand cable operators'
service offerings, while providing consumers with the highest quality
products."
Toshiba bundles its own Self-install Wizard(TM) and Norton's Internet
Security(R) with PCX cable modems sold through retail channels, providing
quick installation and security protection for the always on cable
connection. Toshiba cable modems are currently sold at national retail
chains such as CompUSA and Best Buy. MSOs such as Time Warner, Cox
Communications, Comcast and others also provide Toshiba cable modems
to their customers subscribing to broadband services.
Last year, Toshiba made history with its PCX2500 cable modem when
it earned the first CableLabs DOCSIS 1.1 certification status for
a production modem, which provides a critical component for the Quality
of Service (QoS) needed to guarantee bandwidth and delivery of next
generation broadband services. This QoS enables cable operators to
offer services such as Voice over IP (VoIP) and tiered bandwidth services.
"Our status as the first cable modem vendor to achieve DOCSIS
1.1 certification has allowed our sales team to continue their success
in selling to the MSOs," said Christopher Breceda, director of
sales for Toshiba NPD. "Toshiba NPD's retail strategy has really
paid off as well. We have had consistent growth in retail, and have
seen 15 to 20 percent of our units sell through the retail channel.
We expect that ratio to climb in 2002."
More information about Toshiba can be found on the Web at www.toshiba.com.
May 2 - Intel Announces New Low Voltage
Mobile Processors. Intel Corporation today announced five mobile
processors designed for the industry's smallest mobile computers.
Intel's Low Voltage and Ultra Low Voltage processors enable enhanced
performance and extended battery life for mini- and sub-notebooks.
These ultra-light mobile computers, typically weighing under five
pounds and less than one-inch thick, enhance business users' productivity
by giving them a virtual office in a sleek, easy to carry design that
fits into a small briefcase. Additionally, some Intel mobile processor-based
ultra-portables allow consumers and business users to use their mobile
computers for more than six hours without recharging the battery.
"Today's announcement further reinforces Intel's commitment
to deliver high performing, low-power processors for every mobile
computer market segment," said Don MacDonald, director of marketing,
Intel's Mobile Platforms Group. "Intel's Low Voltage and Ultra
Low Voltage mobile processor family can bring unparalleled performance
and amazing battery life for today's new class of super-thin and light
mobile computers such as PC tablets, mini- and sub-notebooks."
Lowest Power, Fans Optional
The Mobile Intel(R) Pentium(R) III Processor -- M family features
architectural enhancements that provide the best balance of performance
and low power consumption. Enhanced Intel(R) SpeedStep(R) technology,
for example, provides automatic switching between Maximum Performance
Mode and Battery Optimized Mode. The Deeper Sleep Alert State provides
a power reduction from previous low-power sleep states to help extend
battery life.
The processors include; Low Voltage 933 MHz and Ultra Low 800 MHz
(100 MHz and 133 MHz FSB) Pentium III Ms, a mobile 1 GHz Celeron,
and a low voltage 733 MHz Celeron.
Intel's Low Voltage mobile processors are optimized for mini-notebooks
-- one-spindle systems that weigh less than five pounds -- that typically
feature a 10-12 inch monitor in a system design that is less than
one inch thick. The Ultra Low Voltage mobile processors are optimized
for sub-notebooks and emerging market segments such as the Tablet
PC category.
The industry's lowest power consuming mobile processor, the Ultra
Low Voltage Mobile Intel Pentium III Processor -- M, runs at such
a low temperature that system designers can offer some system configurations
without a fan, which further extend battery life. Sub-notebooks, like
their mini-notebook counterparts, are less than one inch thick, weigh
less than four pounds and typically feature an 8-10 inch monitor.
Blade Servers
The Ultra Low Voltage Mobile Intel Pentium III Processor at 800 MHz
is also available for the emerging class of low-power, space-saving
"ultra dense" blade servers. Systems containing the chip
can deliver additional server-specific reliability and performance
features such as error correcting code and large memory support of
up to two gigabytes.
Additional information about Intel is available at www.intel.com.
May 2 - AMD Introduces New Mobile AMD Athlon
XP Processor. AMD today announced the new mobile AMD Athlon(TM)
XP processor, the first AMD processor manufactured on its state-of-the-art
0.13 micron technology.
"Extending the award-winning AMD Athlon XP brand name to our
mobile lineup conveys the overwhelming success our flagship AMD Athlon
processor family represents," said Ed Ellett, vice president
of marketing for AMD's Computation Product Group.
"AMD has always focused on providing what matters most to business
and home consumers: leading-edge software application performance
and an exceptional computing experience. AMD's transition to 0.13
micron technology allows us to provide a roadmap to higher performance
and lower power options."
The mobile AMD Athlon XP processor based on the 0.13 micron technology
maintains Socket A and pin compatibility with AMD's mobile processors
manufactured on 0.18 micron technology, while adding a 266MHz front-side
bus option to enable greater data throughput. In addition, a low power
version of the mobile AMD Athlon XP processor, with a new micro Pin
Grid Array (uPGA) packaging, is sampling now and expected to enable
AMD to address the thin-and-light notebook market.
"The launch of the mobile AMD Athlon XP processors based on
0.13 micron technology on Socket A consolidate the company's position
in the consumer market, and the upcoming mobile AMD Athlon XP processors
based on the micro Pin Grid Array packaging position AMD for a strong
thrust into the mobile corporate market," said Shane Rau, PC
semiconductor analyst at IDC.
The mobile AMD Athlon XP processor also features AMD PowerNow!(TM)
technology, the industry's most sophisticated power management solution,
and QuantiSpeed(TM) architecture, which delivers extreme performance
for the Microsoft(R) Windows(R) XP operating system.
"Sharp Corporation welcomes the introduction of the mobile AMD
Athlon XP processor. We are confident a satisfactory PC experience
will be realized with our `Mebius' series of personal computers which
feature the new AMD mobile processor," said Mototsugu Kawamori,
Division General Manager, Personal Computer Division, Information
Systems Group, Sharp Corporation.
Availability
Production shipments of the mobile AMD Athlon XP processors, including
models 1400+ and 1500+, began in first quarter of 2002. Notebook PCs
based on the mobile AMD Athlon XP processor, models 1600+ and 1700+,
are expected to be available later this quarter.
Systems featuring the mobile AMD Athlon XP processor are expected
to be available from Sharp Corporation in Japan. Scheduled to ship
in early May, the new processor will be included in Sharp's Mebius
PC-GP1-C7H A4-size all-in-one notebooks with a 15" LCD screen.
Later this quarter, Epson Direct is expected to ship notebook PCs
based on the new mobile AMD Athlon XP processor in Japan, while Packard
Bell plans to release systems featuring the new AMD mobile processor
in Europe.
About the Mobile AMD Athlon(TM) XP Processor
The mobile AMD Athlon XP processor features QuantiSpeed architecture,
which incorporates a nine-issue, fully pipelined superscalar micro-architecture,
a superscalar floating-point unit, hardware data pre-fetch, and exclusive
and speculative Translation Look-aside Buffers (TLB). Other features
of the mobile AMD Athlon XP processor include support for AMD's 3DNow!(TM)
Professional instruction set for enhanced multimedia capabilities,
and AMD PowerNow! technology for extended battery life.
The mobile AMD Athlon XP processor is compatible with AMD's Socket
A infrastructure, and supports the advanced 200MHz and 266MHz AMD
Athlon front-side bus options.
Mobile AMD Athlon XP processors are manufactured using AMD's 0.13-micron
copper process technology in Fab 30 in Dresden, Germany.
For more information visit www.amd.com.
May 2 - Fujifilm Announces FinePix F601
Zoom and FinePix 30i. Fuji Photo Film U.S.A., Inc. announces the
retail availability of two of its newest digital camera models, the
FinePix F601 Zoom and FinePix 30i.
"The FinePix F601 Zoom and FinePix 30i digital cameras offer
quality performance and great picture-taking results as well as a
host of features sure to meet the needs of consumers seeking an all-in-one
digital device," said Darin Pepple, Brand Manager, Consumer Digital
Products, Consumer Markets Division, Fuji Photo Film U.S.A., Inc.
"With such innovative features as video recording, PC-cam and
voice annotation capabilities, along with the FinePix 30i's MP3 playback
feature, these new FinePix models make the perfect companion for a
wide variety of picture-taking events, ranging from this year's summer
vacation to this weekend's night out on the town."
FinePix F601 Zoom: This is ideal for the digital picture taker who
demands everything from a camera - vibrant color, premier point-and-shoot
performance, pocket-able size and trendy good looks.
FinePix 30i: A pocket size digital camera that features MP3 playback,
bringing digital multi-functionality to a new level of performance
and convenience.
Pricing - The FinePix F601 Zoom is now available at a price of $599.
The FinePix 30i is now available at a price of $399.The optional PC-sync
PictureCradle is priced at $59.99.
For more information visit www.fujifilm.com.
May 2 - Over One-Half of All US Internet
Users Will Buy Online in 2002. In North America eCommerce: B2C
(business to consumer) and B2B (business to business) Report, released
today, eMarketer predicts that more than one-half of the 123.4 million
US internet users--age 14 and older--will purchase goods and services
online over the course of the year.
In 2001, B2C sales totaled $49.8 billion. eMarketer projects that
online sales will grow to $75 billion in 2002 and reach $155.6 billion
by 2005.
"This steady growth rate we are seeing in B2C sales is the result
of several factors," says Nevin Cohen, PhD, Senior Analyst at
eMarketer. "As the online population grows, it becomes more diverse.
In addition, long-term internet users feel more comfortable shopping
online, and do so from more locations. In the next few years, there
will be even more convenient ways to shop, ranging from mobile options
to television-based internet devices."
As the economy continues to recover, the online B2C market is leading
the way. Online sales in the fourth quarter of 2001 increased 34.4%
over the previous quarter. By comparison, all retail sales (both online
and offline) grew by a significantly smaller margin in the quarter,
only 9.5%.
"You have to credit the online survivors for some of the success
of the B2C market," says Cohen. "E-retailers that weathered
the dot-com fallout now provide more detailed product information,
advanced search and comparison functions, wider shipping options and
better customer assistance than they did in 2000."
eMarketer can be found online at www.emarketer.com.
May 2 - Google to power search functions
on AOL. America Online, Inc., the world's leading interactive
services company, and Google Inc., developer of the industry-leading
Google search engine, today announced a multi-year agreement that
will make Google's popular search technology and targeted paid listings
available on America Online brands.
Under the agreement, Google's search technology will begin powering
the search areas of AOL, CompuServe, AOL.COM and Netscape this summer.
By joining Google's industry-leading platform with America Online's
extensive consumer audience and popular online brands, the companies
plan to create an even better search experience for AOL's more than
34 million members and tens of millions of visitors to America Online's
Web-based properties, both domestically and internationally.
In addition, a marketing agreement will enable Google to provide
AOL and CompuServe members and users of AOL.COM and Netscape its targeted
paid listings product, which offers a selection of listings ranked
by relevancy and other factors, from Google's rapidly growing base
of advertisers. Google's paid listings will begin rolling out on the
AOL service and AOL.COM immediately; they will launch on Netscape
and CompuServe in the next several weeks. Upon completion of the rollout,
Google will be the exclusive provider of Sponsored Links for the search
areas in these America Online properties.
Through Google's advanced search technology, tens of millions of
users of America Online's brands will have access to Google's wide
index of billions of documents.
Eric Schmidt, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Google Inc.,
said: "We're delighted to enter into this strategic alliance
with America Online. The tens of millions worldwide who use America
Online's online services and Web-based brands will now benefit from
the extreme accuracy and rapid return of our high-quality, relevant
search results. And we are pleased that America Online has selected
our growing paid listings service, which offers a cost-effective way
to market and advertise while providing relevant search results to
consumers."
More information about Google can be found on the Google site at www.google.com.
May 1 - Zoom Technologies Reports First
Quarter Loss. Zoom Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ: ZOOM), a leading
manufacturer of modems and other data communications products, today
reported sales of $9.0 million for its first quarter ending March
31, 2002, down 11% from $10.0 million in the first quarter of 2001.
Zoom reported an operating loss of $1.8 million for the first quarter
of 2002, compared to an operating loss of $5.2 million in the first
quarter of 2001. Zoom reported a net loss of $3.5 million or $.44
per share for the first quarter of 2002, versus a net loss of $5.2
million or $.66 per share for the first quarter of 2001. The net loss
of $3.5 million for the first quarter of 2002 consisted of the operating
loss of $1.8 million, a non-cash tax expense of $2.0 million, and
a non-cash extraordinary gain of $.3 million.
"Our numbers demonstrate that revenues were down again, but
the rate of decline slowed," said Frank Manning, Zoom's President
and CEO. "Our operating loss improved significantly, primarily
due to our cost-cutting moves, and we improved our cash position.
Looking forward, we are encouraged by progress in a number of areas.
We believe that V.92 is finally positioned for significant nationwide
Internet Service Provider deployment, and Zoom is a leader in V.92
client modems. Zoom has begun shipping V.92 softmodems to computer
manufacturers and system integrators, and demand is strong.
"Our cable modem customers are happy, and we are making good
progress in getting approvals from cable service providers who require
testing even after CableLabs approval. We just placed our USB DSL
modems into the largest computer retailer in the UK, and we expect
the retail DSL market to significantly grow in the UK and Germany
this year. Our wireless networking products are getting good reviews,
due largely to our focus on ease of installation and use. And our
new generation of dialers is generating strong interest as we prepare
them for volume production. There's no question that our business
remains challenging, but we are rising to the challenge with a team
of people committed to great products and quality support."
Visit Zoom's website at www.zoom.com.
May 1 - Mushkin 256MB DDR Module Qualified
for VIA DDR333 Platform. Mushkin Enhanced Memory Systems, a subsidiary
of Ramtron International Corporation (Nasdaq: RMTR), announced today
that its 256MB PC2700 Double-Data-Rate (DDR) memory modules have been
qualified by Advanced Validation Labs (AVL) for the VIA DDR333 platform
after passing AVL's strict test conditions.
The DDR333 platform is the latest memory subset standard approved
by JEDEC that increases memory bandwidth to 2.7GB/sec in leading PC
designs. Advanced Validation Labs is a leading DRAM testing firm that
provides validation expertise to technology designers and systems
builders including Intel, nVidia and VIA Technologies among others.
The Mushkin PC2700 DDR module is among the first to achieve qualification
status for the new VIA platform.
The qualification process included continuous stress tests at hot
and cold temperatures as well as varying the voltages to test within
the JEDEC standards. The permutations of all voltage and temperature
conditions combine mechanical and electrical stress factors to put
memory modules through the most rigorous of test conditions.
"We have built a reputation as a top memory module manufacturer
in the PC enthusiast market for many years," said Bill Mushkin,
president of Mushkin Enhanced Memory Systems. "This qualification
by Advanced Validation Labs confirms our strict commitment to quality
in the newest and most advanced computing plaftforms."
Visit Mushkin at www.mushkin.com.
May 1 - Variety of Players and Software
Fuel Momentum of DVD Sales. With a wide variety of players and
more than 15,000 DVD movies and music videos available, DVD continues
its impressive growth rate for both hardware and software.
According to figures compiled by Ernst & Young on behalf of the
DVD Entertainment Group, more than 120 million DVD movies and music
videos shipped in the first three months of 2002, a 74 percent increase
over the same quarter last year.
Since the inception of the format in 1997, software shipments have
reached more than 790 million units, according to the DVD Entertainment
Group.
"We continue to see families and younger audiences embrace DVD
as their home entertainment medium of choice," said Bob Chapek,
president, DVD Entertainment Group and president, Buena Vista Home
Entertainment. "The popularity of video game systems compatible
with DVD has also allowed for DVD playback capability inside of kids'
rooms leading to even more software growth potential."
In response to consumer excitement, retailers continue to add more
shelf space for DVD product. Approximately 100 new DVD titles are
released each week.
Hardware Continues Rapid Adoption Rate
In the first quarter 2002, 3.6 million DVD players shipped to retail,
a 29 percent gain over the same period last year, according to the
DVD Entertainment Group (DEG). Total units shipped since the format's
launch has exceeded 35 million. The DEG estimates that 20 million
DVD players will ship to retail this year.
According to figures compiled by the DEG based on retail and manufacturer
data, DVD players sold through to U.S. consumers have reached nearly
35 million units and the current installed base is approximately 27.4
million homes (adjusting for homes owning two or more DVD players).
According to the DVD Entertainment Group
"DVD is the dominant home entertainment platform and is growing
in popularity as its depth of product expands with cars, portables
and recordable players," said Emiel N. Petrone, chairman, DVD
Entertainment Group and executive vice president, Philips Entertainment
Group, Worldwide. "The trends for Home Theater in a Box systems
and TV/DVD combination systems are further proof that DVD has made
its mark as the centerpiece of home entertainment."
There are now more than 125 DVD player models marketed under 50 different
consumer electronics brands. DVD players are available at most consumer
electronics retailers and have become the focal point of the home
theater category. There is also an expanding variety of DVD players
available, with Home Theater in a Box systems, car players, DVD-Video/Audio
combination players, portables, recordable units and TV/DVD combination
systems all growing in popularity.
Visit the DVD Entertainment Group at www.dvdinformation.com.
May 1 - Free Tool Helps Secure PCs from
Hackers. Pedestal Software announces the availability of SecurityExpressions
WebScan Free Edition, a web-based application that reports how well
computers comply with industry-standard and government-grade security
hardening guidelines.
Any internet user may use WebScan free of charge.
Because of the ever-increasing threat of hacker break-ins, many home
and corporate users need to ensure that their Windows systems are
properly secured against unauthorized intrusion. But they lack the
expertise to know what to do.
"Although Windows provides many settings for hardening and locking
down computers, it is difficult for the average person to know what's
right and what's wrong," said Keith Woodard, industry expert
and Chief Technology Officer at Pedestal Software. "That's where
WebScan can help."
SecurityExpressions WebScan Free Edition tells users how well their
computers comply with recommendations from the National Security Agency,
US Navy and Microsoft, among others. After visiting http://www.securityexpressions.com/webscan,
the user chooses from one of the available guidelines to compare against.
The results are displayed in an interactive table with detailed instructions
for fixing any problems found.
No special software is required to use WebScan. Users initiate scans
from the web and Internet Explorer automatically downloads the WebScan
ActiveX object, which performs the scan. Results are saved on the
user's computer, assuring that sensitive vulnerability information
is not sent over the Internet where it might be intercepted.
Unlike the Free Edition, the commercial version of WebScan fixes
problems. It also interfaces directly with the SecurityExpressions
console to provide customized reports.More information, white papers,
case studies and 30-day trials of all offerings are available from
www.pedestalsoftware.com.
May 1 - Hercules and Cyberlink Announce
Certification of Dolby Digital EX Software DVD Driver. CyberLink
Corp., a leading software developer of digital video entertainment
applications and e-training solutions, and Hercules (Euronext Paris,
Guillemot - 6672), a worldwide leader in PC hardware peripherals today
jointly announced a strategic partnership to deliver a truly innovative
and realistic movie viewing experience to consumers with PowerDVD
Pro 6.1, offered in Hercules' Game Theater XP 6.1 sound card system.
Both companies have teamed up to make PowerDVD Pro 6.1 the first software
DVD player approved by Dolby Laboratories for Dolby Digital EX decoding,
a new audio innovation from Dolby Laboratories that delivers a third
surround audio channel to create an added sense of realism. This landmark
software bundling agreement signals the commercial debut of PowerDVD
Pro 6.1, based on PowerDVD 3.0, the award-winning software DVD/universal
media player application for the PC, announced by CyberLink in October
2001.
"Dolby Laboratories has now taken Dolby Digital, the standard
for 5.1 channel surround sound, one step further with Dolby Digital
EX. This new technology adds an extra surround channel for an even
more exciting, enveloping surround sound effect," states Dennis
Staats, Account Manager, Asia Pacific at Dolby Laboratories. "CyberLink's
PowerDVD Pro 6.1, offered with Hercules' Game Theater XP, is the world's
first software DVD player to be certified for Dolby Digital EX and
is a perfect example of how Dolby's new standards continue to be adopted
in leading brand consumer entertainment products."
According to Alex Weng, Senior Product Manager of CyberLink Corp.,
"With PowerDVD Pro 6.1 on the Hercules Game Theater XP, audiophiles
and DVD enthusiasts are provided with the most vibrant and immersive
sound experience ever, utilizing up to 7 speakers, when playing DVD
titles featuring Dolby Digital EX audio tracks.
" The additional rear audio channel produces a more realistic
experience for the viewer and draws them into the movie in ways never
before possible. Moreover, the Game Theatre XP 6.1 supports Dolby
Headphone and DTS digital out via SPDIF, which allows for maximum
enjoyment of DVD movies, CD music and MP3s played back using PowerDVD
Pro 6.1, a special edition of the award-winning DVD software/universal
media player application for the PC."
PowerDVD Pro 6.1 has been specially designed to take advantage of
the highly reputable Game Theatre XP's sleek external rack and multiple
high-quality connectors, supporting up to 7 speakers. The initial
response to this audio technology breakthrough has been exceptional.
"The Hercules Game Theater XP 6.1 was recently demonstrated at
the CEBIT 2002 show in Hannover, Germany as the first sound card to
offer PowerDVD's certified Dolby Digital EX decoding and was received
with great amazement and attention," says Claude Guillemot, President
and CEO of Guillemot Corporation.
About Game Theater XP 6.1
Composed of two elements, a sound card plus an attractive external
case, this revolutionary concept in the gaming industry features the
most powerful, convenient and easy-to-use solution ever offered to
gamers, DVD fans and music lovers.
Bundled with PowerDVD Pro 6.1, a new version of PowerDVD and an attractive
external rack allowing users to hook up a 5.1 speaker system plus
an additional speaker, Game Theater XP 6.1 is the first complete PC
audio solution enabling users to experience the new 6.1 channel (7
speaker) surround sound with recent 6.1 DVDs, as well as Dolby Digital
5.1 DVDs. The card also supports Dolby Headphone Technology on its
headphone output, as well as DTS(TM) and Dolby Digital formats on
its digital outputs (coaxial or optical).
For further information Hercules, please visit www.hercules.com.
CyberLink's worldwide headquarters are in Taipei and its website address
is www.goCyberlink.com.
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