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AMD "Puma" Mobile Platform Details Unveiled 2007-05-21 04:03:00 AMD prepares to take on Centrino with more power saving featuresAMD is preparing to take on Intel’s Centrino, current Santa Rosa and upcoming Montevina, platforms with the next-generation Puma mobile platform. At the heart of Puma is AMD’s next-generation Griffin-core 65nm mobile processor, ready to take on Intel’s Core 2 Duo with a power saving vengeance. Griffin is a dual-core mobile processor geared towards enhanced performance without sacrificing battery life. AMD’s Griffin features extensive power saving characteristics, more so than its upcoming Barcelona-family, such as an improved split power plane. The split power plane supported by Griffin allows the memory controller and each processor core to operate with independent voltages. Griffin’s DDR2 memory controller also features an improved DRAM pre-fetcher and enhancements in efficiency. With the split power planes, the memory controller’s power plane operates at a lower voltage than the two CPU cores. AMD's Technic Read more:AMD
, Mobile
, Platform
Samsung, LG Philips Showcase More AMOLED Displays 2007-05-21 03:55:00 Samsung and LG announce new active matrix organic light emitting diode displaysSamsung SDI and LG Philips
LCD separately announced new active matrix organic light emitting diode (AMOLED) displays. LG Philips announced the development of the world's first full-color, flexible AMOLED that uses amorphous silicon (a-Si) technology, while Samsung announced the mass production of its new ultra-thin displays.The Samsung AMOLED display touts a 2.2-inch screen at a 320x240 resolution, 262, 000 color reproduction, a 10,000:1 contrast ratio, with a 100% NTSC color gamut, and a life span of around 50,000 hours when set at 200cd/m2 brightness. The display also has a thickness of 0.52-mm.While the LG Philips display holds the same resolution as the Samsung model, this model can reproduce 16.77 million colors. This 4-inch display stands at a thickness of 150-nm, barely thicker than a human hair. Its durability and protection against heat is due to a stainless metal foil substrate, improving the manu Read more:Displays
, Samsung
Dell to Release Tablet PC in Q3 2007-05-21 03:52:00 Dell on Tablet
PCs: "We're coming!"Dell has been sitting on the sidelines as companies like Hewlett-Packard, Fujitsu, Gateway and Lenovo have embraced the Tablet PC form-factor. Dell will no longer sit on the bench and instead will get into the game the latter half of 2007.The company posted a short minute-long video on its Direct2Dell blog site which discusses its new Latitude XT Tablet PC. The Latitude XT will be marketed at the education, medical and corporate sectors according to Dell's Jeff Clark.Clark notes that the device will be one of the lightest Tablets in its class and will feature advances in the touch-screen interface to make it more practical to use. The prototype that Clark showed off in the video features a 12.1" widescreen display running Windows Vista. All of the usual connectivity options are there including Bluetooth and WiFi along with a fingerprint scanner.Thankfully, the Latitude will be based on Intel's Santa Rosa-based Centrino Pro platform. That means tha Read more:Release
Honda's 68MPG FCX Fuel-Cell Sedan to See Limited Service in '08 2007-05-20 19:17:00 Honda promises limited consumer trials of its FCX in Japan and the United States along with a new sub $25k hybridHonda's hydrogen fuel-cell based FCX prototype has been making the rounds on the auto show circuit for quite some time now. Honda is looking to trade-in the bright lights and show floor turntable for bumper-to-bumper traffic and left lane hogs with a production version of the four-door sedan.Honda won't say just how many of the vehicles they will make available to John Q. Public, but there are only 20 current-generation Honda fuel-cell prototypes traveling America’s roads. Most are being used by government fleets, while just two are in the hands of actual consumers who lease them for $500 USD per month. "The consumer focus is where we need to put more attention," stated Steve Ellis, a fuel-cell marketing manager for Honda. "We started with fleets, added a few consumers, now we're going to swing the pendulum."Honda's FCX prototype uses a 95kW (127HP) electric motor whic Read more:Honda
, Service
Update: Proposed Senate Bill Calls For Increased Fuel Economy, Auto Industry Cringes 2007-05-20 19:14:00 The auto industry says that a proposed Senate
bill has requirement that are unattainableIt seems that while traffic congestion has gotten progressively worse over the past ten years, Americans have had a hankering for going nowhere faster. Fuel economy numbers haven't increased nearly as much as horsepower has in today's vehicles.Your garden variety family sedans are now considered underpowered if they don't have at least a 250HP engine available on the option sheet. The Toyota Camry, America's best-selling car, is available with a 3.5 liter V6 engine putting out 263HP and can blast 0-60 in the low six second range. The V6-powered Camry is rated at 19/28 (highway/city), under the new 2008 EPA mileage ratings.Chrysler is no stranger to high horsepower sedans, either. The company's Chrysler 300C and Dodge Charger R/T come equipped with 5.7 liter 340HP Hemi V8 engines (15/23) -- if that isn't enough, the 6.1 liter 300 SRT-8 and Charger SRT-8 pump out 425HP (13/18).America's thirst Read more:Update
Chrysler Jumps on Hybrid Bandwagon With Aspen, Durango 2007-05-20 19:10:00 Yes, it still has a HEMIChrysler
doesn't want to be left out in the development of hybrid vehicles and is racing to get two full-size SUV hybrids out the door in 2008. Chrysler's first hybrid vehicles available in North America will come in the form of the Dodge Durango and it's blinged out counterpart: the Chrysler Aspen
.Both SUVs will feature the infamous 5.7 liter V8 HEMI engine with Multi-displacement System (MDS) and a two-mode hybrid system. The hybrid system was developed in conjunction with General Motors and the BMW Group.Power will come from the electric motors alone, the 5.7 liter HEMI engine or any combination of the two. In addition, two electronic continuously variable transmission (ECVT) modes as well as a transmission with four forward gears are also available. "The all-new Chrysler Group HEMI Hybrid
will offer our customers the best of both worlds: renowned performance and significantly improved fuel economy," said Frank Klegon, Executive VP of Product Development f Read more:Bandwagon
Nissan and NEC to Bring Lithium Ion Hybrids in 2009 2007-05-20 19:01:00 Nissan plans to "add lightness" by using Li-ion instead of NiMHCurrent hybrid vehicles on the road today run on nickel-metal hydride rechargeable batteries. Nissan and NEC plan to buck the trend and adapt lithium-ion battery technology into upcoming hybrid vehicles."Together Nissan and NEC's engineers have addressed the key challenges of cost, performance, safety and reliability. We believe that we have a breakthrough technology: the lithium-ion battery produce we will produce," Nissan executive vice-president Carlos Tavares said.Lithium
-ion batteries are generally regarded as superior to nickel-metal hydride for higher capacities in smaller form factors. This will enable automakers to implement hybrid technology power source into a smaller and lighter package. Furthermore, weight savings afforded by lithium-ion technology will positively affect nearly all aspects of the vehicle’s characteristics."Co-development with Nissan has enabled a superior-class battery that we expect to spre Read more:Hybrids
, Nissan
802.11n Draft 2.0 Hits Store Shelves this June 2007-05-19 17:06:00 802.11n draft 2 is 5 times faster and goes 2 times farther than existing productsRoughly a year ago when the 802.11n standard was still in its infancy, companies decided to ship products based on the pre-standard anyway. The result was that customers were able to get their hands on 108Mbps Wi-Fi technology before the standard was officially approved. The risk for consumers at that point was whether or not their pre-standard 802.11n gear would still work once the standard reached its final stages.Consumers already using 802.11n devices this week receive a bit of good news. The Wi-Fi Alliance announced that starting in June, 802.11n will enter draft 2.0, which means products will undergo a new certification. Despite the news from the Wi-Fi Alliance, 802.11n products will not reach final revisions for some time. The initiative is simply to ensure that there is interoperability between products on store shelves.Draft
2.0 will bring along two significant differences. First, 802.11n draft 2. Read more:Store
Apple iPhone Gets FCC Approval 2007-05-19 17:03:00 The AppleiPhone
got official FCC approval for sale on the U.S. marketApple recently announced that it has officially received FCC approval to sell the iPhone, its much anticipated entry into the mobile phone market. Along with getting FCC approval, the iPhone is ready to ship next month, Apple spokespeople said. All mobile phones offered in the United States must receive a "grant of equipment authorization," which means it has receivedthe green light from the FCC."We're on track to release it in late June," Cingular spokesman Mark Siegel said. "Nothing has changed."FCC documents confirmed the iPhone will have WiFi and Bluetooth capabilities. Apple requested the FCC keep several details secret from the public, including the official launch date of the device. Apple also requested the FCC not release external or internal photographs and user manual of the iPhone for 45 days -- which means the material will likely not be made available until the iPhone is on the market.FCC approval came Read more:Apple iPhone
, Approval
Report: Dell DisplayPort LCD Coming this Year 2007-05-19 16:44:00 DisplayPort takes the lead over UDI and HDMI for computer displaysConsumers have made one thing clear about the tech industry over the past several years: format wars are confusing and often times deliver more issues than solutions. Display technologies consisting of DisplayPort, HDMI and UDI have all been ferociously vying for industry support over the past two years. Despite a strong push from all three standards, DisplayPort crossed a major milestone in April when it received approval by VESA to be an industry standard.The big question on most consumers' minds however, is the proliferation of products that actually use the DisplayPort standard. This week at a business strategy meeting at Dell, the company showed off what it calls the next generation in LCD displays. Dell demonstrated a prototype LCD panel based on DisplayPort. DisplayPort has several advantages that will allow manufacturers to design thinner LCD panels, Dell's chief technology officer Kevin Kettler said.Kettler sh
Spintronics Breaks the Silicon Barrier 2007-05-18 13:00:00 A breakthrough in this promising field of nanoelectronics could revolutionize the design of digital devicesA new generation of electronics that are vastly smaller, faster, and more power-efficient came closer to fruition this month thanks to the work of a team of U.S. scientists.As described in this month's academic journal Nature (subscription required), professors Ian Appelbaum and Biqin Huang of the University of Delaware and Douwe Monsma of Massachusetts-based Cambridge NanoTech have succeeded in creating a working spintronic device based on conventional silicon.Spintronics is a promising approach to creating electronic devices that store information based on the spin of electrons, rather than the more cumbersome conventional method of relying on the electron's charge.An electron's spin refers to its directional rotation. Unlike a spinning tire or a toy top, an electron's spin is a quantum property, and thus a constant value that does not change. Scientists are working to harn Read more:Barrier
, Silicon
Sony Sees Bigger Fiscal Q4 Loss 2007-05-18 12:57:00 Sony
sees its biggest quarterly loss in four yearsSony saw its quarterly losses grow for the fourth fiscal quarter (January 2007 to March 2007). Not surprisingly, the company cited that its overall $563 million USD loss – the company’s biggest quarterly loss in four years -- can be directly attributed to costs associated with the PlayStation 3 console. The company’s Games division witnessed a $1.9 billion USD loss."In the Game segment, there was a significant operating loss as a result of the sale of PS3 at strategic price points lower than its production cost during the introductory period," said the company.The PS3 comes packed with plenty of technology including the complex Cell processor, Blu-ray drive, integrated 60GB HDD, WiFi and Bluetooth. In mid-November, iSuppli estimated that Sony was losing $240 USD on each 60GB PS3 it sold and $300 USD on each 20GB PS3 that it sold. Sony was able to stem those losses somewhat by dropping the 20GB PS3 from its product mix in North Am
Japan to Create Wireless Island 2007-05-18 12:43:00 Japanese researchers plan to create a wireless zone on one of the nation's many islandsJapan plans to create a high-tech wireless area on a Japanese island in 2008, in which sensors will be utilized for a number of tasks to help residents. To help get the program underway, the Japanese government will make arrangements with electronics manufacturers, telecom carriers, automakers and other tech companies, according to a report published by the Kyodo News. Sensors would monitor pedestrian movement before alerting local drivers, and would allow hospitals to monitor the health of senior citizens in the area. Instead of radio frequency identification tags, Japan will also use integrated circuit (IC) tags in the project, which share similarities with RFID technology. Much like RFID tags, IC tags are small computer chips with antennas which allow them to be remotely monitored. While there are risks involved with using devices such as RFID and IC tags -- unauthorized access of personal inform Read more:Island
, Japan
, Wireless
IBM Contractor Loses Sensitive Employee Data 2007-05-18 12:31:00 The data was lost en route from one IBM
location to anotherIBM confirmed that a company vendor lost multiple tapes containing sensitive information on former and current IBM employees. According to reports, an undisclosed number of tapes went missing from a contractor's vehicle in late February, with IBM and the vendor unaware of what happened to the tapes. IBM has not disclosed how many people may be affected by the security breach.It appears that the sensitive information has not been used in an inappropriate manner, IBM said. The company went on to admit that some of the information was not encrypted, and did not state if having data encrypted is company policy. Some of the data on the lost tapes includes information on "your Social Security number, your dates of employment with IBM, birth date, contact information such as your address, and your IBM work history," IBM said in a statement to those affected.IBM has offered an undisclosed reward for the return of the tapes or any info Read more:Contractor
, Employee
, Sensitive
Intel Goes Lead-Free for 45nm, Again 2007-05-23 09:38:00 Intel is taking the next step in environmentally friendly productsIntel Corporation announced on Tuesday that the future of its microprocessors will be lead-free and environmentally friendly. This follows a big tech industry shift towards products that are more environmentally friendly. The shift will begin with its line of "green" 45-nanometer high-k metal gate (Hi-k) processors, which includes the next-generation Intel Core 2 Duo, Core 2 Quad and Xeon processors.Lead is mainly used in a variety of micro-electric "packages" and "bumps" that attach the Intel chip to "packages", which are then wrapped around the chip and used to connect it to the motherboard. Package designs include pin grid array, ball grid array, and land grid array, and will all be 100 percent lead-free.With the introduction of 65nm Yonah, Chipworks -- a company that reverse engineers chip packaging -- discovered that Intel silently transitioned from lead-tin solder-ball interconnects to plated copper pillars. Since Read more:Again
, Intel
iPhone: AT&T Exclusive for Five Years 2007-05-23 09:33:00 AT&T hopes for iPhone
to be synonymous with the company in five year exclusiveApple’s iPhone is arguably this year’s most hotly anticipated consumer devices. AT&T already accelerated its plans to rebrand the Cingular properties in preparation of the iPhone’s arrival – and apparently, its efforts may be well placed as the iPhone could be an AT&T-exclusive for five years, according to a USA Today story.Being an AT&T-exclusive means that the iPhone will remain a GSM phone, leaving it clearly out of reach for CDMA wireless users. Verizon Wireless and Sprint are both CDMA shops, and customers of those carriers who wish to get the iPhone will have no other choice but to make the move to AT&T.T-Mobile is another GSM carrier in the U.S., and its network would likely be able to support the iPhone’s calling features, but the AT&T will be the only company authorized to officially sell and market the iPhone. Furthermore, all iPhone’s sold through AT&T will be ‘locked’ t Read more:Exclusive
, Five Years
, Years
Blizzard Officially Reveals StarCraft II 2007-05-22 08:13:00 Classic RTS gameplay to be revitalized with StarCraft II, coming to PC and MacAfter months of speculation on what Blizzard
’s next big title will be, it was revealed today at the Blizzard Worldwide Invitational in South Korea that StarCraft would indeed be getting a sequel. StarCraft II was announced in front of thousands of attendees at the special event, who received a presentation that included a StarCraft II cinematic trailer and a gameplay demonstration by the development team. Rather than go down the massively multiplayer route that Blizzard’s fantasy world has gone, StarCraft II is designed to follow in the footsteps of the original – to be the ultimate competitive real-time strategy game. In addition to the requisite online play through Battle.net, StarCraft II will include a single-player campaign. In addition, the game will come with the same map editing tools used by Blizzard’s designers so users can create new maps.StarCraft II will feature the return of the Protoss,
Avis Debuts In-Car Wi-Fi 2007-05-22 08:11:00 Mobile units turn rent-a-cars into rolling hot spotsAvis Rent A Car System has made good on its January 2007 promise to offer mobile Wi-Fi Internet access in its vehicles.The rental car agency has launched the service this week for renters at San Francisco International Airport, with plans to roll out the service in San Jose, Calif., Los Angeles and Newark, N.J., during the coming weeks.The mobile devices rent for $10.95 per day, and can be used in or out of the car. Manufacturer Autonet Mobile states that its namesake device allows users to remain connected anywhere, whether in the car, at a business meeting or in a hotel room. The portable devices can be powered via the car's cigarette lighter or plugged into a wall outlet.Autonet Mobile's in-car Wi-Fi router uses the company's patent-pending TRU technology to perform session, link and content management on the network, minimizing network disconnects while the user is in motion. The company claims its technology offers "a seamless
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