May 15 - AMD Introduces Athlon XP Processor 3200+.
AMD (NYSE: AMD) today introduced the AMD Athlon(TM) XP processor 3200+,
the world's highest performing desktop PC processor. Featuring enhancements
such as a faster 400 front-side bus (FSB), AMD continues to build
on the award-winning AMD Athlon XP processor architecture.
The AMD Athlon XP processor 3200+ outperforms its closest competitor
by an average of 6 percent on a variety of industry-standard software
benchmarks. By focusing on innovations that truly benefit PC users,
AMD's newest desktop processor enables the highest level of performance
on content creation, office productivity and gaming applications,
proving again that performance is more than megahertz.
"AMD is focused on meeting computer manufacturers' requests
for technology advancements that deliver the best performance possible
to business and home PC users," said Rich Heye, vice president
and general manager of AMD's Microprocessor Business Unit. "The
AMD Athlon XP processor 3200+ with a 400 FSB is yet another example
of AMD delivering technology innovations that create a better computing
experience for all levels of PC users."
"Many PC purchasers today are realizing that what they ultimately
want is quicker software application response, and that often isn't
provided by simply increasing processor speed," said Toni Duboise,
desktop PC industry analyst, ARS. "With improved architectural
enhancements such as faster bus speeds, customers can get better performance
from their software applications and that means a more enjoyable computer
experience."
"Over the past three years, AMD Athlon XP processors have powered
several hundred desktop systems for us that have delivered a strong
combination of reliability and price-performance," said Randy
Ryan, director of MIS, Del Valle Independent School District, Texas.
"AMD's powerful processors combined with other industry-leading
hardware and software helps our employees and students increase their
computing productivity, and that's an excellent result for any organization."
Availability
The AMD Athlon XP processor 3200+ is available immediately worldwide.
Systems powered by the AMD Athlon XP processor 3200+ are available
immediately from computer manufacturers in North America and Europe.
The AMD Athlon XP processor 3200+ is priced at $464 in 1,000-unit
quantities. For additional information on pricing, please visit www.amd.com/pricing.
May 15 - Gartner Analyzes Alternatives
to Microsoft. Licensing issues, security breaches and the grass-roots
power of open-source software are leading many governments and businesses
worldwide to consider using alternatives to Microsoft, according to
Gartner, Inc. (NYSE: IT and ITB). The reasons governments and businesses
worldwide are searching for viable options to Microsoft vary greatly
by region.
Governments in the Asia/Pacific region, including China, Japan, Singapore,
Malaysia, Australia, and several in Europe and South America are encouraging
government departments and businesses to support a combination of
Linux, open source and local vendors.
"These countries believe they can spark their local IT industries
and thus avoid having to export increasing amounts of their gross
domestic product to U.S.-based companies," said David Smith,
vice president and Gartner fellow.
In North America, less concern exists about Microsoft's dominance
than in other regions, but Microsoft and its success have met backlash,
as Microsoft's U.S.-based rivals and hardware partners continue to
struggle in their efforts to thrive in the ecosystem dominated by
the software giant.
"Worldwide sentiment surrounding attitudes regarding Microsoft
vary widely, especially by geography," said Robin Simpson, research
director for Gartner. "Governments and businesses, especially
outside the United States, are increasingly interested in pursuing
strategies that insulate them from Microsoft's growing influence on
the IT industry, even if alternate solutions aren't exactly a perfect
fit."
According to Gartner, the most popular alternatives to Microsoft
are Linux and open-source software. The attraction to using software
such as Linux and open-source includes lower and sometimes free initial
costs, perceived freedom from lock-in to a vendor that can raise prices,
the potential to help drive local IT economies and perceived better
security.
"Businesses that choose Linux and open-source integration over
Microsoft solutions will need new processes in the overall development,
deployment, maintenance and support of their IT infrastructures,"
said Smith. "A disciplined and carefully considered best-practices
process is essential to delivering maximum returns and benefits from
Linux and open-source applications. Without it, the investments could
lead to higher, unanticipated costs."
For more information go to http://www3.gartner.com.
May 15 - DISCover® PC Game Console
Unveils at Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3). Digital Interactive
Systems Corporation (DISC) will unveiled DISCover®, a game console
that plays unmodified PC games, at a news conference in the press
conference room of the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3).
Since DISCover games are unmodified PC games, DISCover will launch
with more games than all other game consoles combined. Digital Interactive
Systems will demonstrate DISCover's technology for playing unmodified
PC games on a game console.
This technology solves the "chicken and egg" problem: 1)
you can't sell consoles without games; 2) games are not developed
for consoles that don't sell. Since DISCover games are unmodified
PC games, there's no need to develop games for the DISCover. All of
a publisher's PC games will play, as is, on the DISCover.
To have their PC games play on a console in the living room publishers
only need to ensure their games have been registered. Consumer electronics
firms and PC manufacturers can create DISCover game consoles with
the knowledge that the games will be there for them. These DISCover
game consoles will have the stunning graphics and awesome audio of
a PC, but without the hassles.
DISCover consoles, made by a number of consumer electronics firms
and PC manufacturers, will range from upscale Pentium-class game consoles
starting at $299, to digital home entertainment consoles that play
PC games, movies, music, and PVR TV starting at $545.
Media centers and extreme gaming systems, featuring high-end audio
systems -- the fastest Pentium 4, 512 MB to a gigabyte of memory,
and more than 120 GB hard disk -- offer the ultimate DISCover experience
on a big-screen high-definition TV starting at $1,000 and up.
A number of firms will unveil DISCover consoles at E3, including
SVA (one of Asia's largest consumer electronics firm), ABS Computers,
and Hyundai Electronics. AITech will unveil a kit for transforming
a PC into a DISCover game console. Kinyo electronics' DISCover game
consoles will be in both its and DISCover's booths.
The DISCover virtual console will also debut on Gateway Computer's
Media Center PC. Gateway's Media Center PC with DISCover virtual console
plays CD/DVD-ROM games as easily as DVD movies.
Visit DISCover at www.gameconsole.tv.
May 15 - DealTime and Epinions Successfully
Complete Merger. DealTime(R), the leading shopping search engine,
today announced that it has successfully completed the acquisition
of Epinions(R), the premier online consumer reviews and ratings platform.
The merger unites two proven business models with GAAP profitable
operations, and, according to Nielsen//NetRatings, the combined brands
rank as the fifth largest online shopping destination in the US, attracting
11.1 million unique visitors in March 2003.
The combined entity is known as DealTime Ltd. and continues to operate
www.dealtime.com, www.epinions.com,
www.shopping.com and www.dealtime.co.uk
as well as the many co-branded network sites it runs on behalf of
search engines, portals and Internet service providers. The merger
integration brings more than one million consumer reviews and ratings
together with advanced search technology and easy-to-use shopping
tools to help shoppers make smart buying decisions.
"We are very pleased to have successfully integrated the Epinions
team. We have rapidly deployed Epinions' trusted consumer reviews
and ratings across our network while making thousands of additional
merchants accessible to Epinions' users," said Dan Ciporin, CEO
and chairman of DealTime. "We are delivering on our mission to
help consumers become smart shoppers while offering merchants a superior
means of customer acquisition."
DealTime marked the closing of the merger with the beta launch of
its new Epinions Merchant Survey program. The program enables merchants
to get real-time feedback by offering consumers short surveys and
is a natural extension of the trusted consumer content Epinions delivers
across all aspects of shopping.
May 15 - FrontBridge Tackles Spam Assault
on Wireless Email. FrontBridge Technologies Inc., a trusted provider
of email protection and message management services, today announced
full capabilities for protecting its customers from inundation by
wireless spam and viruses. Allen Matkins Leck Gamble & Mallory
LLP, a full-service California law firm with more than 210 practicing
attorneys, is one of the first firms to take advantage of the wireless
email protection delivered by FrontBridge TrueProtect(TM) Message
Management Suite.
Nearly half of Allen Matkins' employees use wireless Blackberry devices
to keep in constant contact with clients, but employees were fighting
a losing battle with spam, which today accounts for more than 50 percent
of inbound email on corporate networks. For law firms, filtering spam
from the wireless message stream produces many benefits, including
conserving expensive wireless bandwidth and improving productivity
for the firm's mobile workforce. The productivity gain is a tangible,
bottom-line benefit that provides more billable hours for Allen Matkins.
FrontBridge TrueProtect(TM) Message Management Suite fully protects
wireless devices by filtering email before it enters corporate networks
and reaches email systems that serve mail to mobile email clients
as well as corporate desktops. Allen Matkins chose FrontBridge services,
which utilize proprietary triple-layer spam filtering technology and
multi-engine virus scanning, to recapture lost employee productivity,
freeing busy lawyers to focus on client activity instead of offensive,
time consuming spam.
"FrontBridge solved our growing spam problem without placing
any burden on our IT department," said Frank Gillman, director
of technology at Allen Matkins. "Email is critical to everyone
in our organization and since FrontBridge guarantees uptime and email
delivery, we knew we'd found the right solution." Allen Matkins
is part of a broad list of more than 50 FrontBridge law firm clients
that includes Nixon Peabody, Akin Gump, Bass Berry & Sims, Coudert
Brothers, Finnegan Henderson, Gray Cary and Hogan & Hartson.
Compounding the problems of receiving spam on wireless email devices,
Allen Matkins employees were bombarded by Blackberry "alerts"
at all hours of the day and night announcing incoming messages that
were spam, rather than legitimate client communications for which
the Blackberries were purchased. After Allen Matkins' less than 60
minute implementation process, FrontBridge immediately began protecting
the law firm from the thousands of spam messages and viruses it received
each day. Most importantly, FrontBridge guaranteed email delivery
and ensured that no legitimate email would be falsely identified as
spam, a damaging consequence of many other products on the market.
The Yankee Group estimates 62 percent of large U.S. corporations
are expected to deploy mobile wireless devices over the next two years.
With 79 percent of those companies citing email use as the driving
force, eliminating spam from the entire corporate messaging stream
is a high priority. FrontBridge TrueProtect(TM) Message Management
Suite is a fully managed service that requires no hardware, software
or maintenance, thus freeing up IT resources for more strategic endeavors.
Visit them on the Web at www.frontbridge.com.
May 15 - Worldwide 802.11 Market Grew 1%
in 1Q03. According to Dell'Oro Group, the Wireless LAN - 802.11
market grew 1% sequentially, realizing revenues of $411 million in
1Q03. Price declines mitigated a 6% increase in total unit shipments.
During the quarter, the emergence of the 802.11g market more than
offset traditional seasonal weakness and, despite not having a finalized
standard, 802.11g products comprised 29% of SOHO-infrastructure revenues
(Access Points and Broadband Gateways). "We anticipate that the
SOHO market will rapidly transition from 802.11b to 802.11g over the
course of 2003," commented Greg Collins, Director, Dell'Oro Group.
Dell'Oro Group can be found online at www.delloro.com.
May 14 - MPC Introduces Transport T2000
and T2100 Notebook Computers. MPC, a Gores Technology Group company,
today announced the TransPort(R) T2000 and TransPort T2100 notebook
computers.
"Both systems offer a powerful, wireless-ready mobile solution
in a compact design; with the T2100 marking MPC's first Centrino product,"
said Paul Petersen, MPC's vice president of product development and
marketing. "We are pleased to continue improving the technology
in this successful notebook line, and to provide our customers with
a Centrino solution."
TransPort T2000
The TransPort T2000 delivers power, performance and flexibility,
and uses the Intel(R) Pentium(R) 4-M processor. This notebook is the
follow-on product to the TransPort T1000. It boasts several performance
enhancements, including a choice of 14" or 15" display,
availability of higher processor speeds, upgraded high-resolution
video up to 64MB and 2 USB 2.0 ports. The TransPort T2000 also offers
some backward and forward compatibility with T1000 components.
TransPort T2100
The TransPort T2100 is MPC's Intel(R) Centrino(R) solution, incorporating
the new Intel Pentium(R) M processor and Intel 855GM chipset. This
notebook offers exceptional performance, longer battery life and wireless
connectivity, all in a lightweight form factor.
The TransPort T2000 and TransPort T2100 are available to order directly
from MPC at www.buympc.com. Prices start
around $1750.
May 14 - E-mail Worm Becomes One of the
Most Widespread Viruses Currently in Circulation. F-Secure(R)
Inc. today raised its alert to the highest level as Fizzer spreads
at an alarming rate and becomes one of the most widespread viruses
currently in circulation. Fizzer was first seen on Thursday, 8th of
May. Since then it has been located from several countries worldwide
and it continues to spread at a quick rate. The largest infections
seem to be in Asia, especially in China and Hong Kong, but both Europe
and USA are hit, too.
Fizzer is a Windows worm, spreading through e-mail and the Kazaa
peer-to-peer file sharing program. The worm is very complex and misuses
the infected computers in several ways. Fizzer will also attempt to
attack several antivirus programs and try to remove them, leaving
the infected machines vulnerable to infections from other malware
as well.
"This is one of the more complicated worms we've seen,"
comments Mikko Hypponen, Manager of Anti-Virus Research at F-Secure.
"The worm is 200kB of code spaghetti, containing backdoors, code
droppers, attack agents, key loggers and even a small web server!"
The Fizzer worm spreads via e-mail as an attachment. The e-mails
sent by the worm vary a lot, as do the names of the attachments, but
they always have extensions of .EXE, .PIF, .SCR or .COM. These e-mails
are sent to both random addresses as well as to addresses found in
the infected computer.
"Fizzer actually creates random e-mail addresses and targets
them," explains Hypponen. "This is done by picking random
names and numbers and creating addresses belonging to large services
such as Hotmail -- these addresses might look like BOB246@MSN.COM
or JACK555@YAHOO.COM".
Fizzer tries to terminate various processes in the memory of an infected
computer. This includes processes used by several antivirus products.
However, the worm does not affect F-Secure Anti-Virus. "As this
worm is already widespread, there must now be scores of computers
in the internet without any anti-virus protection -- because Fizzer
has removed it," comments Hypponen.
The worm will install a backdoor in all infected systems, allowing
the virus writer to control them -- even to remotely look at their
monitors. The infected computers can also be used to launch distributed
denial-of-service attacks against any Internet-connected machines
at any time.
A detailed technical description of the worm as well as screenshots
are available in the F-Secure Virus Description Database at www.f-secure.com/v-descs/fizzer.shtml.
May 14 - Media Consumption Study Confirms
Internet's Role as Leading Daytime Medium. The Online Publishers
Association announced today the results of a new media consumption
study focused on the At Work Internet audience (defined as users who
indicated they had accessed the Internet from work within the past
30 days for non-email purposes).
The study, conducted with Millward Brown IntelliQuest, confirmed
that daytime on the Internet is primetime for these users. For nearly
three in ten of them, the Internet is the only medium consumed during
the daytime. These findings reinforce the emerging view that the At
Work Internet audience is an ideal choice for advertisers seeking
to reach young, highly educated, highly affluent consumers.
Probing deeper into the online activities of working people, this
new study provides insights into the ways that Internet usage levels,
and 13 distinct online activities, vary by demographic group and time
of day. In addition, the study provides further proof that online
tenure (the number of years a user has been online) is a key determinant
of usage levels and activity.
"This research broadens our understanding of the At Work audience
and the subtle differences in how key demographic groups use online
media throughout the day," said Michael Zimbalist, executive
director of the Online Publishers Association. "As we learn more
about the ways consumers have integrated the Web into their daily
lives, it helps clarify the importance of this medium for advertisers
seeking to reach some of their most elusive targets."
Specifically, the study found that Internet usage by daypart(1) varies
by demographics. For example, usage among top-level professionals
exceeds all other At Work users during most dayparts by anywhere between
five and 13 percentage points, with the greatest percentage (81%)
found online in the morning before lunch (Daytime I). In addition,
affluent users with annual incomes of $75k and above are more prevalent
online throughout the day until evening, when average income levels
of online users decline.
Generally speaking, a greater percentage of men are online than women
during most weekday dayparts. While the highest percentage of both
men (77%) and women (68%) can be found online during the morning before
lunch (Daytime I), the greatest gender difference occurs in the Early
Morning (6am to 8am), when 52% of men are online vs. only 39% of women.
For 13 surveyed online activities ranging from checking the weather
to planning meals, daytime usage predominates, with the exception
of shopping and multimedia downloads (a proxy in the study for online
entertainment), which peak both during the daytime and also in the
Prime Time TV viewing hours at night.
Online activity levels and patterns also vary by demographic group.
For example, top-level professionals use the Internet in the morning
to keep up with the news and to prepare for meetings, whereas shopping
is dominant among this group at night. Affluent workers display similar
patterns, with a slightly larger share of them engaging in online
shopping activity during the lunch hour.
Other key findings from the study include:
-- Working women avidly check the weather during the day and use
the Internet to shop in the evenings, if they use it at all;
-- Working mothers focus on both weather and local information
during the day; they are less likely to be online in the
evenings than women overall;
-- Younger workers show greater interest in world or local news
than in business news during the day, and are somewhat less
likely to be shopping than the norm;
-- Older workers are more apt to check stocks after the market
closes than during trading hours and to seek out entertainment
in the Early Morning, rather than the evenings.
For every surveyed online activity, the more tenured users (those
who have been online for 7+ years) displayed higher usage levels than
the least tenured users (those online four years or less). This indicates
that the more familiar users become with online media, the more ways
they find to integrate it into their lives.
Seventy-four percent of At Work users say that the Internet has improved
their productivity at work. Fifty-six percent also indicated that
they use the Internet at home for business purposes.
A detailed summary of findings from this study is available at the
Online Publishers Association Web site at www.online-publishers.org.
May 14 - Yahoo! Games and Intel to Present
PC Games Designed for Peak Performance. Yahoo! Inc. (Nasdaq:YHOO),
a leading global Internet company, and Intel Corporation today announced
that Yahoo! Games will showcase online PC games that take advantage
of the power of the Intel(R) Pentium(R) 4 processor.
Intel will also be the sponsor of Yahoo! Games(R) on Demand (http://gamesondemand.yahoo.com),
an online gaming destination that offers streamed rental of PC games
from various publishers including Activision, Atari Inc., and Vivendi
Universal Games.
Games that are designed for maximum performance on a Pentium 4 processor
typically feature advanced audio and visual effects, smoother animation,
and life-like 3D graphics to deliver a more compelling gaming experience.
Yahoo! Games and Intel have established the relationship announced
today in order to provide the gaming community with advantages of
digital distribution of PC games that utilize outstanding processor
innovation. Enhanced titles that are available immediately at Yahoo!
Games on Demand include: Empire Earth(TM), Grand Prix 4, Independence
War 2, Neverwinter Nights and Star Trek(R) Armada 2.
"Our relationship with Intel highlights games that take advantage
of their latest processor technology and complements our mission to
offer compelling, on-demand PC game play to millions of online consumers,"
said Dan Hart, general manager Yahoo! Games. "Yahoo! remains
committed to building the world's leading online games destination
and further establishing the PC as a platform of choice for gamers."
With more than five billion minutes of online game-play per month,
Yahoo! Games is ranked the number one online games site by Nielsen//Net
Ratings (March 2003). Through Yahoo! Games on Demand, consumers can
play a diverse selection of more than 90 popular PC games from leading
publishers, giving users a choice of popular new and classic games,
in genres ranging from action and strategy to simulation and arcade.
"The Pentium 4 processor will deliver the next generation of
performance for PC games and deliver the kind of speed and quality
gamers have come to expect on the PC," said Ann Lewnes, vice
president, Intel Sales and Marketing Group. "Yahoo! Games on
Demand is a fantastic platform for us to highlight the hottest games
that take advantage of the Pentium 4 processor."
Additional information about Intel is available at www.intel.com.
Visit Yahoo! at www.yahoo.com.
May 14 - Logitech Introduces Extreme
3D Pro and Attack 3 Joysticks. Logitech (Nasdaq:LOGI) (Switzerland:LOGN)
today announced the Logitech(R) Extreme(TM) 3D Pro and Logitech(R)
Attack(TM) 3 joysticks for PC and Mac. On display at the E3 tradeshow
in Los Angeles, the joysticks will be available this summer. Pricing
is not yet available.
"We have designed these joysticks with great features that will
satisfy the demands of a wide range of gamers -- from casual action
players to serious flight simulation enthusiasts," said Fred
Swan, Director of Marketing for Logitech's Audio and Interactive Entertainment
Business Unit. "We've put a lot of effort into ensuring that
these products represent a clear step up from their predecessors in
functionality and appearance."
Logitech(R) Extreme(TM) 3D Pro
Logitech's newest mid-range joystick, the Logitech Extreme 3D Pro,
blends the most useful features with a new, eye-catching industrial
design. For quick and easy access to the multiple commands of today's
games, the joystick has twelve conveniently placed action buttons.
A comfortable twist handle is nearly essential in many games, acting
as a rudder in flight simulation games and allowing fast rotation
in first person games.
Logitech(R) Attack(TM) 3
The Logitech Attack 3 joystick is enjoyable for gamers of any experience
level, but its easy setup and simple layout is particularly well suited
to entry-level gamers or those for whom a joystick is not the usual
controller of choice. It is the company's first joystick in some time
to offer an ambidextrous handle, providing excellent comfort and functionality
for both right and left-handed gamers.
Both joysticks include the acclaimed Logitech(R) Gaming Software
for PC that allows gamers to customize many aspects of the joystick's
performance. Also included on the disc are two software packages from
GameSpy Industries, Inc. The GameSpy(TM) Arcade(R) offers many features
to enhance online gaming and also includes Roger Wilco(TM), a voice
chat application that allows gamers to talk to each other while playing
multiplayer online games. In addition, both joysticks offer a "plug
and play" USB connection.
For more information about Logitech and its products, visit the company's
website at www.logitech.com.
May 14 - Epson Launches New Sub-$1,000
Multimedia Projector. Epson America Inc., the world leader in
high-performance projectors, today announced a major breakthrough
in the digital projector market with the introduction of the $999
EPSON PowerLite(R) S1.
This powerful 1,200 ANSI-lumen, portable projector offers not only
a new level of affordability designed to attract a broader range of
customers, but also provides a level of performance and style to complement
numerous presentation environments and video applications. Furthermore,
value is maximized with a high-end feature set that includes Epson's
two-year warranty, high-quality carrying case and a lamp rated at
2,000 hours that is replaceable for only $199.
The EPSON PowerLite S1 uses three new Epson 0.5-inch LCD panels to
project a wide variety of computer and video images in SVGA (800 x
600) native resolution with a contrast ratio of 400:1 for blacker
blacks and whiter whites. Its sleek and stylish new exterior is designed
to offer more than just an attractive look; it also dramatically reduces
light leakage, which contributes to extremely quiet operation, as
low as 33db. Furthermore, the light seven-pound weight and slide-out
handle makes it easy to move from one location to another.
The PowerLite S1 will be available in June 2003 for $999 through
national retailers, pro audio/visual dealers, mail order, and PC resellers.
Visit the company's website at www.epson.com.
May 13 - ATI Ships RADEON
9800 PRO 256MB. ATI Technologies Inc. (NASDAQ:ATYT)(TSX:ATY),
is now shipping its RADEON(TM) 9800 PRO visual processing unit (VPU)
with 256MB of fast DDR-2 (double data rate-2) memory. The RADEON(TM)
9800 PRO 256MB -available in limited quantities to OEM, retail and
online customers - is the most advanced 3D performer available, delivering
to hardcore gamers the immersive and cinematic experience they crave.
The RADEON(TM) 9800 PRO 256MB delivers full quality at full speed
all the time. Built on the highly successful RADEON 9800 PRO architecture,
the chip features eight full precision pipelines that provide the
brute force and agility needed to render real-time, Hollywood-caliber
graphics. The additional memory provided in this new board significantly
increases performance at the highest resolution and quality settings.
The RADEON(TM) 9800 PRO 256MB sets a new standard in 3D entertainment,
allowing users to experience cinematic rendering on their PCs.
"ATI continues to blaze the trail in the graphics industry,"
says Rick Bergman, Senior Vice President, Marketing and General Manager,
Desktop, ATI Technologies Inc. "We were the first to support
full Direct(R) X 9.0 and OpenGL(TM) 2.0, the first and still the only
VPU provider to offer eight dedicated pipelines of rendering power
and, with the RADEON(TM) 9800 series, we became the first to bring
second-generation VPUs to consumers. ATI keeps offering consumers
greater power and features."
The RADEON 9800 PRO's 256-bit memory interface provides the bandwidth
for real-time 3D graphics and ensures that high-resolution textures
and characters are rendered precisely. Exquisite image quality is
not at the expense of performance.
The RADEON 9800 PRO 256MB graphics powerhouse is available for $499
USD. For more information on ATI's partners or products, please visit
www.ati.com.
May 13 - NEC Leads Pack with New Handheld
PC. NEC Solutions (America), Inc., a leading provider of business
solutions and services for commercial and professional markets in
North America, today announced the NEC MobilePro(TM) 900, the industry's
fastest, easiest-to-use handheld PC (HP/C) available on the market
today.
With "instant-on" delivery of enterprise applications, along
with size, speed and connectivity advantages, the MobilePro 900 provides
an ideal platform for field force automation, professional services,
and healthcare professionals.
Fast and Flexible
The MobilePro 900 is a powerful product for capturing data, managing
communications and presenting information on the road. With an Intel(R)
PXA255 processor with XScale(TM) Technology, the MobilePro 900 is
substantially faster than its predecessor, the MobilePro 790 handheld
PC, and has more memory with 64MB RAM Base SDRAM.
The MobilePro 900 features 32MB Flash ROM, and now includes an additional
32MB Flash ROM for customer applications. Built on the Microsoft(R)
Handheld PC platform, the MobilePro 900 is bundled with familiar versions
of popular applications such as Pocket Word, Excel, Pocket PowerPoint
and Internet Explorer. The sleek, rugged unit measures 9.69-inches
wide by 5.05-inches long by 1.19-inches thick, and is small enough
to take anywhere.
"The introduction of the MobilePro 900 is the biggest news in
handheld PCs in almost three years," said Tim Bajarin, President
of Creative Strategies, an industry analyst firm. "NEC has chosen
a fast processor and practical form factor for its design. The handheld
PC platform offers the reliability, power and interoperability that
field force professionals demand from their mobile enterprise solutions."
Known as a "clamshell" PC, the MobilePro 900 weighs in
at less than two pounds(1) yet features a nearly full size touch-type
keyboard. Users can type quickly and comfortably, ensuring accuracy
and easing frustration associated with "thumb-typing" on
typical handheld PC devices. The MobilePro 900 features an 8.1"
HVGA (640 x 240) display that supports up to 65,000 colors and offers
touch screen functionality.
The MobilePro 900 ships with a standard lithium ion battery, providing
an estimated 8 hours of power under normal operation, and the unit
charges rapidly using the A/C adapter. An optional, larger battery
is available, which offers up to 16 hours(3) of power under normal
conditions.
Easy to Stay Connected
The MobilePro 900 provides a number of options for synchronizing
data, sending and receiving email, and connecting to peripheral devices.
The device features an integrated 56Kbps V.90 modem, USB Host/Slave
ports, a serial interface, a PC Card Type I/II slot, a Compact Flash
Type I/II slot and an infrared (Fast IR) port. IT managers appreciate
the ability to "flash" applications in ROM to users and
the integrated tools to help synchronize data collected in the field.
"NEC is proud to supply our customers with a solution they are
demanding," said Larry Miller, vice president and general manager,
Mobile Solutions Division of NEC Solutions America. "The MobilePro
900 is the fastest, lightest, most powerful handheld PC on the market
today. It's easy to use and simple to operate. For users who run their
businesses from the field, the MobilePro 900 handheld PC is a very
compelling solution."
Availability & Pricing
The MobilePro 900 is now available direct through NEC and select
resellers; including Amazon, CDW, Mobile Planet and PC Connection.
Pricing begins at $899 (U.S.).For more information about Mobile Solutions,
go to www.necsolutions-am.com/mobilesolutions.
May 13 - Motion Computing Introduces Tablet
PC with Intel Centrino Mobile Technology. Demonstrating market
leadership and a nimble build-to-order business model, Motion Computing
today introduced an innovative slate Tablet PC with the breakthrough
mobile performance of Intel(R) Centrino(TM) technology.
The first "pure slate" on the market to feature Intel's
most advanced mobile architecture, the Wi-Fi-enabled Motion M1300
Tablet PC delivers more processing power and longer battery life.
Compared with the company's former top-line product, the award-winning
M1200, the M1300 operates up to 30 percent faster and extends typical
battery life by 10 to 15 percent.
The Motion M1300 leverages each component of the Intel Centrino mobile
technology: an ultra-low-voltage Pentium M processor running at 900MHz,
the Intel 855 chipset and the Intel PRO/Wireless 2100 Network Connection
for Wi-Fi connectivity in thousands of wireless "hot spots."
The new model also retains the popular three-pound design and industry-leading
12.1-inch display, which allows a full-size page view, and is fully
compatible with all Motion M-Series accessories. Motion's lightweight,
ultramobile and durable slate design is similar in size to a spiral-bound
notebook, making it ideal for pen-enabled computing in new ways and
places, from hallways and subways to patient waiting rooms and living
room couches. The design also avoids hinges and internal fans, two
of the most fragile components of conventional notebooks and "convertible"
Tablet PCs.
Effective immediately, like all of Motion's Tablet PC models, the
M1300 will be built to customer specifications, fully tested and ready
for delivery within seven to 10 days of an order.
"Motion's streamlined, build-to-order business model gives our
customers early access to the latest technologies," said David
Altounian, Motion's chief product officer. "Intel's Centrino
mobile architecture is tailor made for the needs of our customers
and our company, which has a sole focus to innovate ultramobile computing
and wireless communications."
"Intel's Centrino platform is a significant advancement in wireless
connectivity and power management technology," said IDC analyst
Alan Promisel. "Motion Computing's incorporation of the new mobile
processing platform into its Tablet PC will benefit customers by providing
relevant and productivity-enhancing technologies. Motion, as one of
the first OEMs to offer a Centrino-enabled Tablet, has also gained
a differentiator, at least for the time being."
Priced from $2,099, the M1300 Tablet PC is available now at http://motioncomputing.com.
May 13 - Apple Introduces New iPods.
Apple® introduced its third generation iPods, which hold up to
7,500 songs in a stunning enclosure that is lighter and thinner than
two CDs.
The new ultra-portable iPods feature completely solid-state “no
moving parts” navigation wheel and buttons; an elegant new dock
with audio out for fast and easy connection to your computer or stereo;
an “On-The-Go” playlist so users can build a playlist right
on their iPod™; a customizable main menu so users can promote
the features they use most often to their top level menu; and Apple’s
unique, patent pending Auto-Sync for automatically syncing your computer’s
music library with iPod. The new ultra-portable iPods are available
in three models: a 10GB model for just $299 (US), a 15GB model for
$399 (US) and a 30GB model for $499 (US).
“The competition hasn’t even caught up with our first generation
iPod, and we’re introducing our third generation,” said
Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO. “With the new iTunes Music Store,
you can now buy music online and transfer it right onto your iPod
for listening wherever you want.”
The new 15GB and 30GB models come with an elegant dock for effortless
connecting to a Mac® or Windows PC. The dock provides a stylish
home base for the iPod and includes an audio line out for easy connection
to a home stereo or powered speakers, making it easy to sync, charge
and go. iPod plays more than eight hours of continuous music and recharges
automatically whenever iPod is in the dock or connected to a Mac or
Windows PC.
iPod is the only portable music player with Apple’s patent pending
Auto-Sync, an innovative feature that automatically downloads an entire
digital music library into iPod and keeps it up-to-date whenever the
iPod is plugged into a Mac or Windows PC. With Apple’s new fast
disk mode switching, iPod switches from Auto-Sync mode to music-player
mode faster than ever before.
Building on the success of the original touch wheel, the new iPod
is designed with a solid-state “no moving parts” navigation
wheel and all touch buttons for enhanced sensitivity and precision
over mechanical buttons. The buttons are backlit for easy operation
in low light and continue to enable easy, one-handed operation. In
addition to MP3, iPod now supports the industry-standard AAC audio
format, providing higher quality sound in the same disk space. Whether
at the gym, at work, in the car or at the airport, iPod puts 7,500
songs in your pocket—the equivalent of three weeks of continuous
music without repeating a single song.
iPod features new customization options including the ability to
move frequently used menu items to the main menu. Users also have
the power to create an “On-The-Go” playlist and rate their
music collection directly on their iPod, offering a new level of control
whenever they’re away from their computer.
Pricing & Availability
The new iPod for Mac and Windows PCs will be available on May 2,
for a suggested retail price of $299 (US) for the 10GB iPod, $399
(US) for the 15GB iPod, and $499 (US) for the 30GB iPod through the
Apple Store® (www.apple.com), Apple’s
retail stores and Apple Authorized Resellers.
The new iPod will also support high-speed syncing via USB 2.0 with
Windows PCs starting in June via a free software download. A separate
USB 2.0 cable will be available in June for $19 (US).
May 13 - Apple Unveils New eMac Family.
Boosting performance while lowering the price of its popular desktop
for home and school, Apple® announced an entirely new eMac™
line offering up to a 1 GHz PowerPC G4 processor, a faster 4x SuperDrive™,
high performance ATI Radeon 7500 graphics, up to 80GB hard drives
and internal support for AirPort® Extreme wireless networking.
Featuring a stunning 17-inch flat CRT and a remarkably compact all-in-one
design that is even less deep than the original iMac®, the most
affordable PowerPC G4 system now starts at just $799 (US.)
“The eMac has been a hit with both education customers and consumers,
and we’ve made it more powerful and affordable than ever,”
said Greg Joswiak, Apple’s vice president of Hardware Product
Marketing. “The eMac offers customers a complete system that
is the ideal entry point for today’s digital lifestyle.”
eMac, with a 17-inch flat CRT display, supports screen resolutions
of up to 1280-by-960 pixels in 24-bit color and offers 40 percent
more viewing area than a typical 15-inch CRT display. Available in
three standard configurations, eMac comes with either a CD-ROM drive;
a Combo (DVD-ROM/CD-RW) optical drive for watching DVD movies and
burning CDs that can record CD-R discs twice as fast as with previous
models; or Apple’s revolutionary SuperDrive (DVD-R/CD-RW), which
records DVD, CD-R and CD-RW discs twice as fast as previous models.
Offering the latest in wireless communications, eMac includes a built-in
antenna and card slot to support AirPort Extreme 802.11g wireless
networking. AirPort Extreme can transmit data at up to 54 Mbps, almost
five times the data rate of previous wireless technologies, yet is
fully compatible with the millions of 802.11b Wi-Fi devices currently
used around the world*. eMac also includes built-in 10/100BASE-T Ethernet
and 56K V.92 modem allowing customers to stay connected any way they
like.
Perfect for today’s digital lifestyle, every eMac comes standard
with Apple’s iLife™ integrated suite of award-winning software
including iTunes® for managing digital music, iPhoto™ for
organizing and sharing digital photos, iMovie™ for digital movie-making
and iDVD™ on SuperDrive-equipped systems for creating and burning
Hollywood-style DVD movies.
With five USB ports and two FireWire® ports conveniently located
on the side of the system, eMac desktops offer easy plug-and-play
connections to popular peripherals such as digital video camcorders,
digital still cameras, printers and scanners. In addition to Mac®
OS X version 10.2 “Jaguar,” each eMac also includes AppleWorks®,
Internet Explorer, Quicken 2003 Deluxe and WorldBook Encyclopedia
2003 Edition.
Pricing & Availability The new eMac line is available immediately
through the Apple Store® (www.apple.com),
at Apple’s retail stores and Apple Authorized Resellers.
May 13 - Nearly 40 Percent of U.S. Homes
will be Viewing HDTV Programs in Five Years. Rapid deployment
of HDTV by cable operators and growing availability of HD programming
will drive HDTV signals to 41.6 million homes (nearly 40 percent of
the U.S. total) by year-end 2007, according to new report from the
Yankee Group.
The report "HDTV Finally Overcomes Industry Inertia, Set For
Rapid Growth," reviews the events affecting HD growth in 2002,
and forecasts the numbers of homes that will receive HD signals. It
analyzes the drivers of HDTV carriage by cable and satellite operators,
and explores the challenges HD programmers face. Select findings include:
HDTV's 720p and 1080i formats will coexist for the foreseeable future
Despite the incremental cost, HD programming will continue to grow
HD can be a competitive differentiator, even for programming with
limited visual appeal
Programmers without an HDTV product will lose out to competitors
as high-value viewers shift to HD programming
DBS' retail presence is a competitive advantage, making it available
at the same point of purchase as HDTV monitors
Advertisers will need commercials in HD within 2 to 3 years
"Programmers, broadcasters, cable and DBS operators, and device
manufacturers all must be HD-capable for the technology to succeed,"
says Adi Kishore, Yankee Group Media & Entertainment Strategies
analyst. "If any link in this chain does not support HD, the
consumer will be unable to view HD-quality programming. Regulation
that focuses on any one segment in this chain will be inadequate for
driving the transition."
The Yankee Group can be found online at www.yankeegroup.com.
May 12 - ATI Ships RADEON
9600 PRO. ATI Technologies Inc. (NASDAQ: ATYT) (TSX: ATY) is now
shipping its much-anticipated RADEON(TM) 9600 PRO visual processing
unit (VPU). Highly acclaimed by reviewers worldwide, the RADEON 9600
PRO allows performance mainstream users to access the world's leading
graphics technologies initially developed for the RADEON(TM) 9800
PRO. The RADEON 9600 PRO offers true cinematic quality visual effects,
performance-enhancing options and efficient, powerful graphics to
gaming and graphics enthusiasts.
The RADEON 9600 PRO delivers cinematic realism and unprecedented
power to the mainstream segment for less than $200 US. Driven by its
full-time, full-precision floating point architecture featuring quad
pixel pipes and dual vertex engines, the RADEON 9600 PRO also features
full support for the latest Microsoft(R) DirectX(TM) 9.0 and OpenGL(TM)
feature sets and advanced anti-aliasing and anisotropic filtering
technologies. Graphics enthusiasts in the mainstream benefit from
the blistering speed of the RADEON 9600 PRO as well as the ability
to turn up quality settings for the best visual quality without sacrificing
playable frame rates, even at high resolutions.
"We are driving cinematic rendering, with all the image quality
that implies, into the performance mainstream," said Rick Hegberg,
Senior Vice President, Worldwide Sales, ATI Technologies Inc. "With
the launch of the 9600 PRO, we relied heavily on our manufacturing
partner, TSMC. Our strong partnership and their expertise ensured
a smooth transition to the new 0.13 micron process. The TSMC 0.13
micron process enables us to run the RADEON 9600 PRO at high clock
speeds with low power and minimal cooling, giving users full image
quality at full speed, all the time."
"ATI is a major user of a wide range of TSMC process technologies.
TSMC has demonstrated clear industry leadership in 0.13-micron production,
and our experience with the RADEON 9600 PRO is no exception,"
said Kenneth Kin, Senior Vice President of Worldwide Marketing &
Sales at TSMC. "Together, we are delivering excellent performance
and yield in high volume."
For more information on RADEON 9600 PRO, and ATI's partners or products,
please visit www.ati.com.
May 12 - Microsoft Announces Support
for all Major DVD Recordable Formats. Members of the DVD Forum
welcome the May 8 announcement by Microsoft Corp. that it plans to
provide native support for all major recordable formats including
DVD-RAM, DVD-R and DVD-RW in the next version of the Windows operating
system.
With this announcement, all major DVD recordable formats standardized
by the DVD Forum will receive native support from Windows, along with
DVD-RAM, which is currently supported. This move will provide users
of PCs with greater usability of DVD recordable products and higher
compatibility between PC and AV products.
DVD-R and DVD-RW, which will be newly supported by Windows, will
easily be able to record and replay pictures, music and general PC
data without any need for third party software. They will also enjoy
the same "drag and drop" data handling capability as DVD-RAM,
which supports their ease of use as backup media or as media for data
exchanges.
May 12 - Nokia Launches its Latest Research
on Multimedia Messaging Service. Nokia today launched the latest
market research on perceptions of existing and future Multimedia Messaging
Service (MMS) -based mobile services in the United Kingdom, Japan,
United States, Germany, Singapore and Finland.
The study, conducted in co-operation with The HPI Research Group,
showed that the majority of respondents are excited by MMS which is
set to ape the roaring success of SMS.
The vast majority of UK respondents - three-quarters - regard MMS
as exciting. The positive expectations of users in the UK and other
surveyed countries mirror actual mobile multimedia usage trends in
Japan where these services are more developed than in the UK and the
other four countries surveyed.
Among the research's key findings on UK perceptions was that the
potential of downloadable picture-based services is greater than previously
thought. UK respondents expressed great interest in downloadable services
like travel information, news, games and screensavers. The study suggests
that the popularity of these MMS-based services will capture traditional
media spend for specific services - e.g. breaking news, travel, weather
reports - from television, the Internet and other media.
Japanese multimedia usage illustrates how the proliferation of MMS
phones with cameras will be critical to MMS going mass market. Amongst
the Japanese respondents, over 90% of camera phone owners send multimedia
messages to other camera phones; only 68% send to email accounts.
For those sending MMS, it is important that they feel the recipient
is able to open the image and share the moment immediately. With this
in mind, Nokia has been at the forefront of bringing MMS and camera
phones to the market globally. To date, Nokia has announced altogether
five different phones with integrated camera and more than 15 MMS
enabled color phone models.
The study highlights that in Japan respondents generally prefer richer
types of services than those currently available. The Japanese research
also confirmed that multimedia use is not replacing other types of
mobile services. In fact, the Japanese respondents have increased
their use of traditional mobile services since getting their current
multimedia phone, and they expect to receive text or multimedia messages
in response to multimedia messages they send.
This suggests that MMS will build on and extend the successful SMS
model that is helping to generate revenues for operators. The Japanese
experience suggests that once MMS is adopted by users on a mass scale,
it will create demand for much richer content services, paving the
way for evolving 3G-based offerings.
The research supports Nokia's conviction that MMS will rapidly evolve
into a true mass-market technology for both personal and professional
use.
"Consumers really want MMS and, as operators are already discovering,
people are as intrigued by and eager to use MMS as SMS. What's really
interesting is how MMS looks set to broaden mobile communications
use as a whole and support the creation of new kinds of picture content
services," explains Pekka Pohjakallio, Director, Mobile Internet
Solutions, Nokia Networks.
Nokia can be found online at www.nokia.com.
May 12 - T-Mobile Bundles Wireless Voice
and Data with 'Wi-Fi' HotSpot Service. As simple as adding a new
feature to their existing wireless plan, T-Mobile customers can now
easily and affordably get the T-Mobile HotSpot(SM) 'Wi-Fi' service
included in their monthly wireless voice and data bill, enabling them
to use their Wi-Fi enabled laptop or PDA to get a broadband wireless
Internet connection at more than 2,300 T-Mobile HotSpot locations
across the country.
Consistent with its Get More(R) promise to provide the best value
in wireless, new and existing T-Mobile customers can now add the T-Mobile
HotSpot service to their existing monthly bill at a special rate of
$19.99 for unlimited access. The special rate rewards T-Mobile's voice
and data customers with up to a 50 percent savings over current regular
HotSpot rate plans. T-Mobile HotSpot service will continue to be available
as a 'stand alone' service on a subscription or pay as you go basis.
Today's announcement marks an important step in executing on T-Mobile's
HotSpot strategy -- to offer reliable, high-speed wireless Internet
access as part of the company's overall Get More(R) service offering.
With integrated billing, T-Mobile is breaking down the barrier for
people to access the service and experience the benefits of Wi-Fi
connectivity.
"With more than 10 million customers, T-Mobile is uniquely positioned
to drive awareness about the convenience and reliability of Wi-Fi
to a broad group of business customers and consumers alike,"
said Joe Sims, vice president and general manager for T-Mobile HotSpot.
"With one bill, one service provider and a superior rate plan,
Wi-Fi takes Get More(R) to the next level and rewards our customers
with the ultimate value in wireless."
T-Mobile will promote the new Wi-Fi feature to its customers in T-Mobile
stores and to its existing customer base through direct marketing.
Existing T-Mobile post-paid customers can add HotSpot service to their
account from the "My T-Mobile" self-service page on www.t-mobile.com,
by dialing 611 from their T-Mobile phone, or by calling T-Mobile customer
service at 1-800-937-8997.
T-Mobile launched HotSpot service just eight months ago, with a focus
on deploying the service in convenient locations where people already
go as part of their daily lives. Today, the high-speed wireless Internet
service is accessible in more than 2,300 locations including Starbucks
coffeehouses, Borders Books and Music, airports and American Airlines,
Delta Air Lines and United Airlines clubs and lounges. Kinko's locations
nationwide plan to offer the service by the end of the year.
In the coming months, T-Mobile plans to offer integrated GPRS and
Wi-Fi service offerings that allow customers to move between the two
networks to access the most appropriate speed for the applications
they want to use.
For more information, visit the company web site at www.t-mobile.com.
May 12 - Survey Reports Tech Industry
Faces New Reality. The tech industry faces a new reality of stiff
competition, economic uncertainty and global instability, according
to a CEO survey of companies on the 2002 Deloitte & Touche Technology
Fast 500, a ranking of the fastest growing technology companies in
North America.
Surveyed during the first quarter of 2003 by the Technology, Media
& Telecommunications (TMT) Group of Deloitte & Touche LLP,
one of the nation's leading professional services firms, business
leaders say adjusting to the new reality is all about the bottom line.
"Although the CEOs of North America's fastest growing companies
are optimistic about the future, they recognize a fundamental shift
in the marketplace," said Todd Lindsey, partner in charge of
Deloitte & Touche's TMT Group in Portland, OR. "A renewed
emphasis on products that address customers' business necessities
and a sharp eye on keeping expenses in line with costs drive growth
in the new era."
Staying Afloat Under the Unrelenting Pressure of a Slow Economy
Not surprisingly, dismal economic conditions pose the biggest marketing
challenge for 33 percent of the CEOs.
"Survival today is about generating sales under tough, competitive
market conditions. Cash is still very tight, and no one in the sales
channel wants to hold inventory. Customers are giving ever tighter
lead times, and companies have to be very creative to meet demand,"
noted Michael LeGoff, CEO of Dynex Power of Ottawa, Ontario.
"The companies that will prosper will be those that can figure
out how to make money in today's market conditions. You will not survive
if you think you can hold on until there's a recovery." One of
the world's leading manufacturers of industrial high power semiconductors,
Dynex Power (TSX Venture Exchange:DNX) has appeared on the ranking
for two consecutive years, ranking Number 123 on the 2002 Technology
Fast 500 and Number 14 in 2001.
The economy hasn't had a negative impact on everyone. John Fish,
CEO of privately held Hubbard One, which provides software and technical
services to the legal industry, notes, "We have always operated
on Earth rather than out in the clouds, so we didn't get caught up
in the frenzy -- up or down -- of the last few years. A cautious approach
to investing, a carefully focused business, and a rock solid client
base have put us in a great place. Despite the economy pressures,
it's been business as usual for us." Chicago-based Hubbard One
ranked Number 67 on the 2002 Technology Fast 500.
Sticking to the plan is a successful strategy for many CEOs. "With
the current economic slowdown, being disciplined is more important
now than ever," said Tim Donahue, president and CEO, Nextel Communications
(Nasdaq:NXTL) of Reston, Va. "At Nextel, our attention to growing
the customer base by delivering valuable products has paid off with
a break-though year in which the company became cash flow positive
for the first time in our history."
Nextel is a leading provider of wireless communications services on
the largest all-digital, wireless network in the country. Ranked number
361 on the 2002 Fast 500, Nextel has appeared on the Fast 500 for
six consecutive years (Number 327 in 2001; Number 227 in 2000; Number
114 in 1999; Number 255 in 1998; and Number 460 in 1997).
According to the survey, other marketing challenges CEOs are tackling
include developing and bringing new products to market for 23 percent
of the respondents. Almost evenly mixed are managing customer relationships
with 12 percent, establishing and maintaining brand presence with
10 percent, and building strategic relationships with 9 percent.
Fifty-Nine Percent of CEOs "Very" or "Extremely"
Confident in Tech Sector
Despite a rough last few years, 59 percent of the CEOs surveyed said
they are very or extremely confident their companies will maintain
high levels of growth they've experienced over the past five years,
down slightly from 62 percent last year. To put this in perspective,
Fast 500 companies on average grew 6,772 percent over five years (1997-2001),
the highest average percentage since the program's inception in 1995.
The top five companies on the Fast 500 enjoyed an average growth rate
of 196,763 percent over five years.
Twenty-four percent of CEOs surveyed said they are somewhat confident
about maintaining their five-year growth rates, up from 21 percent
last year, while 17 percent indicated that they are not very confident
or pessimistic, up from 10 percent last year.
"It's more important to be confident about what your company
is doing than to worry about the economy," said Arkady Maydanchik,
CEO, Arkidata Corp. of Downers Grove, Ill. "As long as companies
provide valuable, high-quality services and can show customers return
on investment, they will be successful." Ranked Number 197 in
the 2002 Technology Fast 500, Arkidata is a privately held company
that provides advanced information integration products and services
to Fortune 500 and other companies.
The Struggle to Regain Investor Confidence
The majority (88 percent) of CEOs surveyed cited regaining investor
confidence in corporate executives as a key to economic recovery.
"Decreased confidence in equity markets has made raising capital
substantially more difficult," said Ryan McDonald, CEO of Calgary-based
Impact Blue Incorporated, a privately held communications and e-business
company. "Impact Blue has managed to retain the trust of its
investors by proactively sharing corporate information and by bringing
our investors into an intimate dialogue regarding use of capital and
critical decisions affecting our continued growth." The company
ranked Number 170 on the 2002 Technology Fast 500.
Profitability Matters
Managing cash and returning to profitability were the top priorities
for the majority of CEOs surveyed. Achieving and sustaining profitability
was the biggest personal challenge for 31 percent of the respondents,
a nominal decrease from 34 percent last year. Developing leaders and
delegating responsibility was the top personal challenge for 27 percent
of the CEOs. The remaining 42 percent had a fairly mixed response
primarily in the areas of managing expectations, engaging employees
in the company's vision, managing risk, and identifying strategic
partners.
Managing cash flow was the primary financial challenge for 58 percent
of CEOs, while 17 percent said raising capital was their key financial
objective. Only 5 percent said reducing debt was their top financial
challenge, primarily because they had already done so in the past
few years. Twenty percent cited other challenges.
"Cash is King!" said Dr. Jane Shaw, CEO, Aerogen, Inc.,
"We've reduced our expenditures and are doing what it takes to
move towards profitability." Based in Mountain View, Calif.,
Aerogen (Nasdaq:AEGN) specializes in the development, manufacture
and commercialization of products for the controlled delivery of drugs
to the lungs. It ranked Number 469 on the 2002 Technology Fast 500
and 170 on the 2001 ranking.
Added Ehud Dor, CEO of TMA Resources, "Since there does not
appear to be a strong economic recovery coming in the next year or
so, CEOs need to make profitability their top goal. To be profitable,
CEOs must focus on productivity, resource management and cash flow
issues." Based in McLean, Va., TMA Resources, a privately held
company that provides a member relationship software solution for
trade associations, professional societies and other membership-driven
organizations, ranked Number 491 on the 2002 Technology Fast 500.
Diminished Appetite for Global Markets
This year's CEOs see the biggest market opportunity at home. Almost
two-thirds (65 percent) of CEOs responding are focusing on North American
markets, up from 59 percent last year and more than twice as many
as two years ago, 30 percent in 2001's survey. Asia-Pacific continues
to draw the attention of 19 percent of the CEOs, while only 14 percent
are targeting Europe, the Middle East and Africa.
"While a lot of tech companies are focusing on doing business
in their own backyards, we at TouchSensor are targeting a global market,"
said Tom Schreiber, CEO of TouchSensor Technologies, a manufacturer
of electronic keypads for home appliances and fitness equipment. "There
is tremendous opportunity worldwide for electronic products that are
not dependent on language or geography. For us, the European market
is as big as the North American." A privately held company based
in Wheaton, Ill., TouchSensor ranked Number 138 on the 2002 Technology
Fast 500.
Staying the Course Is Goal
A resounding 68 percent of the CEOs surveyed indicated plans to stay
the course, not making any major changes for their companies the next
12 months, down from 71 percent last year.
A few are planning to acquire another company (18 percent, up from
12 percent last year), be acquired (4 percent, down from last year's
6 percent), merge (6 percent, the same as last year), or go public
(1 percent, down slightly from 3 percent last year).
Eighty-One Percent of CEOs Still Hiring; Only 3 Percent Plan Cuts
Well into the eye of the storm, very few CEOs -- only 3 percent --are
considering further headcount reductions.
In fact, 81 percent of the CEOs plan to hire new employees, albeit
on a conservative scale. Forty-nine percent anticipate adding less
than 25 new employees; 20 percent plan to add 25-49 new employees;
and 8 percent expect to hire 49-100 new employees. On the upper end,
1 percent plan to add between 101-200 employees, and 3 percent have
plans to add more than 200 new employees this year.
Nineteen percent of the CEOs surveyed said they are not hiring new
employees, up from 11 percent last year.
Employees Remain Biggest Contributors to Company Success
Employees continue to be the primary reason for the companies' success,
according to the CEOs surveyed, although finding and retaining good
people is not as much of a challenge as it once was.
For the sixth consecutive year, CEOs indicated that "employees
are the biggest contributors" to their companies' fast-paced
growth. In fact, 34 percent attribute their successes to their employees,
up from 30 percent surveyed in 2002. However, this figure is still
significantly less than in past surveys, down from 49 percent in 2001
and 39 percent in 2000.
CEOs Continue Reducing Administrative, Travel and Workforce
CEOs continue to trim the fat. More than half the CEOs surveyed (53
percent) said they are containing administrative and travel costs
as a way to boost the bottom line, up significantly from 27 percent
last year.
"There's not any great mystery to creating budgets that work,"
said Russ Hawkins, CEO of Paragon Networks International, based in
Brookfield, Conn., which ranked Number 265 on the 2002 Technology
Fast 500. "You simply have to make more than you are spending
and deal head-on with hard issues like reducing overhead, lay-offs,
not giving salary increases, and pushing suppliers to deliver more
for less. No one likes dealing with these tough situations, but ultimately
in a down economy, it's essential for survival to make hard calls."
"Ultimately, cutting overhead helps companies keep more of the
revenues they make, without having to raise new capital, especially
during very unpredictable economic periods," he added. A privately
held company, Paragon Networks uses wireline, wireless and optical
transmission facilities to deliver products that provide voice and
data service connectivity.
The 2003 Technology Fast 500 ranking will be announced in October
2003. For more information or to nominate a company for the Technology
Fast 500, visit www.fast500.com.
May 12 - House Passes Nanotechnology
Research and Development Act. The House of Representatives made
a large commitment today to a tiny technology that could have a big
impact in Silicon Valley and throughout the U.S. economy in years
to come.
The Nanotechnology Research and Development Act authorizes $2.135
billion in federal research money over the next three years for a
burgeoning field with the potential to revolutionize everything from
medicine to industrial manufacturing to the limits of computer memory.
With strong White House backing and wide bipartisan support, the legislation
easily passed the House yesterday and is on a fast track to pass the
Senate in coming weeks.
The NanoBusiness Alliance has been at the forefront of passing this
legislation, working with government, university and business leaders
to understand the opportunity for the health and well being of America's
people and our economy that nanotechnology offers. F. Mark Modzelewski,
the Executive Director of the NanoBusiness Alliance, testified recently
before the Senate on their version of the nanotech legislation. Alan
Marty of JP Morgan Partners also represented the NanoBusiness Alliance
before the U.S. House during their recent hearing.
"The House passage of the Nanotechnology Research and Development
Act is a landmark moment in the evolution of a revolution," said
Mr. Modzelewski. "The United States has now ensured its position
as a major global force in what many are calling the industrial revolution
of the 21st Century. The benefits that nanotechnology will provide
to numerous industries and the economy cannot be overstated, and we're
proud to have played a role in the passage of this bill."
Note to Reporters: Mark Modzelewski is available for interview and
comment on the passage of the Nanotechnology Research and Development
Act.
About Nanotechnology:
-- Nanotechnology is the industrial revolution of the 21st
century. Nanotechnology will have a profound effect on all
areas of the electronics, life sciences and medicine,
materials and manufacturing, defense and security industries.
-- Nanotechnology revenues are already at about $45.5 billion
globally and are expected to reach over $500 billion within
the next 8 years. According to the U.S. government, that
number will reach $1 trillion in 10 years.
-- Venture Capital investment in nanotechnology will be over $1
billion in 2003 -- up from less than $100 million in 1998
-- Leading corporations are driving nanotechnology developments,
including: IBM, Lockheed, Xerox, Toyota, Merck, HP, Hitachi,
Bayer, Philips, Dupont, Corning, Lucent, Texas Instruments,
GM, Cargill, Ford, Westinghouse, Alcoa, Raytheon, Lockheed
Martin, John Deere, Eli Lilly, Monsanto, Dow Chemical, and
United Technologies.
-- Over 1,200 start-ups are up in running in the U.S.
-- Universities are making nanotechnology a huge focus, including
Columbia, Harvard, MIT, Rice, Yale, RPI, Cornell, UCLA,
Northwestern and Oxford.
For more information, please visit www.nanobusiness.org.
May 11 - Sunday Shopping Watch. Happy
Mother's Day!
Best Sunday Deals - See our Best Sunday
Ad Deals Table below for specific system prices.
Weekly Comparison. Sales are not as good as last
week's, but there are still some good deals to be found once you've
completed your Mom's Day festivities.
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 has once again switched back to offering 6 Months of
free MSN with any computer purchase. They are also offering $150 mail-in
rebates on all desktop packages, $100 mail-in rebates on all laptops;
and 18 month no-interest financing.
Circuit City is offering
12 months no-interest financing and $100-$200 mail-in rebates on all
laptops and desktop packages.
Office
Depot
has 6 months no payment, no interest financing on purchases of $299
and higher.
CompUSA has 6 months no payment,
no interest financing on purchases of $199 and higher when you print
out its Unadvertised
Specials page and bring it to your local store.
Staples has no store-wide promotions
this Sunday.
Compare
to Online Prices - Compare the Sunday ad prices to
those being offered at DealTime, it searches over 160 online computer
stores.
InfoHQ Related Shopping Pages
Shopping Alerts
- Our latest shopping advisories on buying digital cameras and camcorders,
desktop computers, laptops, and other computer items.
Windows XP
Upgrade Guide - All about upgrading to Windows XP.
What You Need to Know
About Dial-up Internet Service Rebates - The pros and cons of
'free' Internet service deals.
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
|
|
1. Best Celeron
Deal
|
emachines 2.2 GHz complete system
|
$479
|
+$110
|
Best Buy
|
|
2. Best Celeron
Deal
|
HP 2.2 GHz complete system
|
$539
|
-
|
Circuit City
|
|
1. Best Pentium 4 System
|
HP 2.53 GHz complete system with DVD-RW
|
$1019
|
-
|
Best Buy
|
|
2. Best Pentium 4 System
|
Sony 2.4 GHz complete system with 15"
flat panel and DVD-RW
|
$1479
|
+$250
|
Best Buy
|
|
3. Best Pentium 4 System
|
HP 3.06 GHz complete system (build-to-order)
|
$1279
|
-
|
Best Buy
|
|
Best AMD Athlon XP System
|
HP 2400+ complete system
|
$769
|
-
|
Best Buy
|
|
1. Best Low-cost Laptop
|
Toshiba Celeron 1.8 GHz with DVD/CD-RW
|
$799
|
-$100
|
Best Buy
|
|
2. Best Low-cost Laptop
|
HP Athlon XP 2200+ with DVD/CD-RW
|
$1049
|
-
|
Staples
|
|
3. Best Low-cost Laptop
|
Compaq Athlon XP-M 2400+ with DVD/CD-RW (build-to-order)
|
$1149
|
-
|
Best Buy
|
|
1. Best High-end Notebook
|
Toshiba 2.4 GHz Pentium 4-M with DVD-RW
|
$1499
|
-$300
|
Best Buy
|
|
2. Best High-end Laptop
|
Toshiba 1.4 GHz Centrino with DVD/CD-RW
|
$1799
|
-$100
|
Best Buy
|
|
|
|
Peripherals
|
|
Best Sunday Deal
|
Maxtor 7200 RPM 80 GB hard drive with
8 MB buffer
|
$79
(after rebates)
|
+$10
|
Staples
|
|
Best Sunday Deal
|
PNY Verto GeForce FX 5200 Ultra 128 MB
|
$99
(after rebates)
|
-$60
|
Best Buy
|
|
Best Sunday Deal
|
Western Digital 7200 RPM 200 GB hard
drive with 8 MB buffer
|
$179
(after rebates)
|
-
|
Best Buy
|
|
Best Sunday Deal
|
Sony 4X DVD-RW
|
$349
(after rebates)
|
-
|
Best Buy
|
|
Best Sunday Deal
|
TDK 4X DVD-RW
|
$269
(after rebates)
|
+$50
|
Staples
|
|
Best Sunday Deal
|
Memorex 52X CD-RW
|
$49
(after rebates)
|
-
|
Staples
|
|
Best Sunday Deal
|
TDK 52X CD-RW
|
$69
(after rebates)
|
-
|
CompUSA
|
|
|
Read
Our Latest Tech Watch Newsletter