BBMF News around the web - Page 16 - VRForums - SITEX 2009

bbmf · Jul 20th, 06, 12:43 PM

Microsoft today said it has licensed 3D technology it developed in its research division to a provider of visual content-management software and hardware.
EON Reality, in Irvine, California, is licensing Microsoft's "TouchLight" technology, which allows users to physically interact with 3D visual content by manipulating 3D images on a screen by hand.
The company said it will use the technology as part of its commercial, automotive, aerospace and defense industry product lines. EON Reality sells applications and hardware display systems for viewing and producing 3D content.
Licensing Program
Microsoft is licensing TouchLight through its IP Ventures program, which gives emerging companies a jump start in developing their own products by letting them license early-stage technology from Microsoft. The company launched the program in May 2005.
Other companies that have licensed technology as part of the program are Enterprise Ireland, the Finnish National Fund for Research and Development (Sitra), Inrix, Skinkers, Softedge-Systems, Vimio, and Wallop.

sa: http://news.yahoo.com/s/pcworld/2006...pcworld/126474

bbmf · Jul 20th, 06, 12:49 PM

Answers provided by Chris Daniel, Product Manager, NVIDIA SLI

1. With Quad SLI now moving into the DIY realm, I think power and hardware compatibility are the factors that should be priority concerns on the enthusiast’s list when putting together a new system or upgrading his current system. On a newer system with a high end CPU, 2GB of RAM, sound card, a couple of hard drives and an optic drive, what “SLI Certified” power supplies does NVIDIA suggest or recommend? If not “SLI Certified” what power specifications should the enthusiast be looking for?
NVIDIA has certified a set of power supplies specifically for Quad SLI. This list can be found here on SLIZone. This set of power supplies has been tested to handle the power requirements of Quad SLI, an AM2 processor, 2GB of RAM, a sound card, and multiple hard drives and optical drives all driving a 30-inch monitor at 2560x1600 resolution.
2. We know that motherboard compatibility issues in the past have forced NVIDIA to make Quad SLI only supported in the OEM realm. How active is NVIDIA when it comes to working with motherboard builders to make sure that the GeForce 7950 GX2 Quad SLI will work on past, present, and future motherboards? And what DIY problems did you have to solve in regards to Quad SLI?
Although the GeForce 7950 GX2 is fully compliant with the PCI-Express specification, it was the first mass-produced graphics card design to use a PCI-E switch, and frankly it was unlike anything motherboard builders had seen before. NVIDIA has shared detailed technical information with both motherboard builders and BIOS suppliers (such as Phoenix and AMI) to ensure current and future BIOS revisions are compatible with 7950 GX2 products. We’ve also tested dozens of the most popular motherboards, contacted the manufacturer if any problems were found, and published a list of approved motherboards at www.nvidia.com/gx2. The list gets longer every week, and we’re finding that more and more boards pass on the first attempt without BIOS changes. However, there are still some incompatible motherboards out there, and we recommend you check with your motherboard manufacturer or check NVIDIA’s list of approved boards before purchasing a 7950 GX2.
3. We are hearing that we will not see any new Core 2 Intel chipsets supporting Quad SLI. Is this true? Will we see Intel chipsets support SLI?
NVIDIA nForce SLI motherboards remain a requirement for SLI technology. Quad SLI will be available with all current and future nForce SLI motherboards, including those supporting Intel’s Conroe processor.
4. Can we be assured that at least one GeForce 7950 GX2 will be working with Conroe motherboards that use non-NVIDIA chipsets?
One GeForce 7950 GX2 graphics card will continue to be supported in non-NVIDIA chipsets...
Continued

sa: http://enthusiast.hardocp.com/articl...50aHVzaWFzdA==

bbmf · Jul 20th, 06, 01:39 PM

Microsoft Corp. announced a new set of voluntary principles aimed at averting antitrust actions after the release of its new Vista version of the Windows operating system next year.
The new guidelines extend many of the practices imposed on the software giant under a 2001 US antitrust settlement, portions of which expire in 2007, said Brad Smith, Microsoft's general counsel, at a Washington forum.
The policy will be applied worldwide, even as the US software behemoth faces an extended battle with the European Union over a 2004 antitrust ruling.
"We're taking a principled and transparent and accountable approach to the future," Smith said.
The 12 principles in the new policy will in some cases broaden the company's efforts to cooperate with software developers, and provide consumers and personal computer (PC) manufacturers with choices, he said.
"These voluntary principles are intended to provide the industry and consumers with the benefits of ongoing innovation, while creating and preserving robust opportunities for competition," Smith said.
"The principles incorporate and go beyond the provisions of the US antitrust ruling."
The new guidelines are based on three themes: offering choices to PC makers and consumers to use non-Microsoft programs; providing technical data to independent software developers to allow them to make products that work with Windows; and enabling software to work across different platforms.
Smith said the new principles are not aimed at circumventing enforcement efforts of various antitrust regulators around the world who have concerns about the dominant position of Windows, the operating system for more than 90 percent of PCs worldwide.
"Microsoft is committed both to full compliance with antitrust law and to an ongoing and constructive dialogue with governments and others in the industry -- both in the United States and around the world," he said.
During a question session, Smith offered little additional information on the antitrust case in Europe, in which regulators last week imposed a new fine of 280.5 million euros (356 million dollars) for failing to fully respect a 2004 antitrust ruling.
Smith said the company was hoping for a favorable appeal ruling and at the same time submitting additional data to EU authorities.
"I am hopeful we are on the right path now," he said. "We feel good about where we are. We met our last deadline yesterday ... We've submitted over 8,000 pages of new documents."
Smith added: "We all have to wait and see what the (EU) Court of First Instance rules. I do think that will be a very important decision for our company and our industry, and we'll have more clarity after we get that decision."

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20060719...e_060719185505

bbmf · Jul 20th, 06, 01:48 PM

HD-DVD is still prone to glitches, leaving some new discs unplayable...

It's a little hard to call the new Toshiba Qosmio a laptop since the 10-pound-plus behemoth with a 17-inch widescreen is unlikely to spend much time on anyone's lap. This is the first computer to sport a high-definition DVD drive, and I found it to be a top-flight entertainment system in a luggable package. My only warning: Don't buy it for HD-DVD.
Toshiba is the leading promoter of HD-DVD -- one of two competing formats for high-definition discs -- so the company rushed to add HD movie capability to its flagship laptops. Sony (SNE ), sponsor of the rival Blu-ray Disc, will similarly equip its top-of-the-line Vaio AR.) The sad fact is, these two HD standards are incompatible, and only a handful of movies are available for either one of them.
Setting aside the issue of high definition for a moment, the $3,000 Qosmio is an attractive choice if you are looking for a compact system that can handle a full range of Windows chores while also functioning as a TV set, movie player, and audio system. The Qosmio has the highest-quality audio that I have encountered on a laptop, with excellent simulated surround-sound using Dolby Laboratories technology. The video system produces gorgeous high-resolution images on the laptop screen, or on a high-definition TV set when hooked up using a special cable. (Ask for an HDMI cable -- don't worry what the letters stand for.) The Qosmio is capable of showing maximum resolution HDTV on either built-in or external displays.
FOR ALL ITS ATTRACTIVE FEATURES, however, the Qosmio also shows the big weakness of PCs in home entertainment: The technology is both too complex and too immature for the world of consumer electronics. The Qosmio comes with Windows XP Media Center Edition, which lets it function as a TV set with its own video recorder and 200 gigabytes of disk space to store recordings. You can connect the Qosmio to a cable set-top box, but you can't watch or record high-definition channels. Next year's Vista edition of Windows is supposed to fix this by letting a PC act as its own set-top box. But you probably won't be able to retrofit the feature to current hardware like the Qosmio.
My frustrations with the HD-DVD drive were even worse. The high point of my viewing experience was watching a demo disc of high-def trailers and movie snippets supplied by Toshiba. On both the laptop display and a big HDTV, image quality is vastly better than regular DVDs, even though the Qosmio does a great job of enhancing the quality of standard discs.
But when I popped the HD-DVD version of GoodFellas into the drive, it wouldn't play. Eventually, I was able to get a picture, but no menus and no sound. The disc formats are not really standardized yet, and, according to Toshiba, the player software is being updated monthly. The next version will work with the recently released GoodFellas, Toshiba claims. But fine print in Qosmio's specifications warns that the player may not work at all with future HD-DVD releases. Similar caveats apply to Sony's Blu-ray Vaio and Toshiba's $500 stand-alone HD-DVD player.
Toshiba clearly rushed out both an HD-DVD-equipped laptop and the standalone player in an effort to beat Sony to the punch. Whatever corporate imperative that served, releasing systems that don't work harms the consumer. True, you have the choice of buying the $2,400 Qosmio G35-AV600, which lacks the HD drive. But if you go this route, you will also have to accept a slower processor, less capable graphics, and smaller disc drives.
If you limit your expectations to what the more expensive Qosmio does well, including letting you enjoy standard or downloaded TV, regular DVDs, home photos, or music, it's a terrific PC with an outstanding display and audio system. Just don't get your hopes up about next-generation DVDs.

sa:http://www.businessweek.com/magazine...n_id=rss_magzn

bbmf · 02:08 PM

Panasonic and Sony Corp. have announced licensing for AVCHD, a high-definition (HD) digital video camera recorder format, as well as expansion of the format's specifications.
Panasonic and Sony announced basic specifications for AVCHD in May, and have since been promoting the format extensively throughout the industry while preparing for licensing. The companies have decided to include memory cards (SD and Memory Stick) and hard disk drives as applicable recording media of the format, in addition to previously-announced 8cm DVD. The new specification was defined as AVCHD format Version 1.0.
The two companies have also developed licensing programs for playback appliances and PC software, in addition to the one for video cameras. This will allow users to enjoy shooting high definition footages with their camcorders and playing them back or editing them on a wide range of products.
The following companies have expressed support for AVCHD to date: Adobe Systems Inc.; Canon Inc.; CyberLink Corp.; InterVideo, Inc.; Nero AG; Pioneer Corp.; Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.; Sharp Corp.; Sonic Solutions; and Ulead Systems, Inc.

For more information on AVHCD and licensing procedures, visit www.avchd-info.org

sa: http://marketnews.ca/news_detail.asp?nid=1944

bbmf · Jul 20th, 06, 03:02 PM

In this guide, we'll take a look at the default set of services that come with a fresh installation of Windows XP with Service Pack 2. We'll tell you the ones that you don't need and try to tell you why, so you can disable them without any problems. Each service has three options: automatic, manual and disabled. Automatic is essentially "run at startup"; Manual is a service that is started only when required; Disabled is when a service doesn't start at all. Based on the type of a user you are, there are different settings to recommend, but we'll take the safe route and tell you to disable the services that won't cause important features of your Windows to stop working. If you're comfortable with trying out stunts, you can go ahead and disable some of the other services that aren't mentioned here. If something stops working, you can just turn the service back on - there's no permanent effect. Also, since this is a guide to unneeded services that can be disabled, we won't list the services that are already disabled after Service Pack 2 (like Alerter and Messenger) in an effort to keep the list as simple as possible.

One more thing you have to note is that this list is primarily aimed at home users, so we'll be taking out most of the intranet/network related services that don't affect Internet connectivity. If you're using an office workstation with a proper server and all that jazz, you shouldn't be reading this guide.

To enable or disable services, go to Start -> Run -> and type "services.msc" and hit Enter.

Computer Browser
"Maintains an updated list of computers on the network and supplies this list to computers designated as browsers."
Contrary to what it may sound like, disabling this service still allows you to browse a network in your office. And of course, you don't need this at home. Disable it.

Distributed Link Tracking Client
"Maintains links between NTFS files within a computer or across computers in a network domain."
This one sounds useful, but only if you often create files on one computer, shortcuts to those files on another computer, and then move the original files around the network. Not many people do so. In fact, not many people even have NTFS on their Windows for some orthodox reason. Not required on FAT32, at home or even at work if your scenario doesn't match with the description. Disable it.

Error Reporting Service
"Allows error reporting for services and applictions running in non-standard environments."
I.e. "Send system information to Microsoft." No thanks. Disable it.

Help and Support
"Enables Help and Support Center to run on this computer."
This is okay to leave as-is if you hit F1 a lot, but if you almost never need to use the built-in help features (as opposed to just Googling for the problem - always a better option), then disabling this service would be a good idea. Now the problem is that the service automatically gets turned back on when required even if its disabled, so keeping it disabled is actually a better option to keeping it on automatic.

Indexing Service
"Indexes contents and properties of files on local and remote computers; provides rapid access to files through flexible querying language."
Use AvaFind (link to review) and/or Google Desktop Search instead. Just disable it - no questions asked.

Net Logon
"Supports pass-through authentication of account logon events for computers in a domain."
Useless for single machines or even most networks out here that don't actually have a domain. Disable.

NetMeeting Remote Desktop Sharing
"Enables an authorized user to access this computer remotely by using NetMeeting over a corporate intranet."
As a general rule of thumb, avoid any combination of "remote" and "internet/intranet". If you don't want people to use NetMeeting to connect to your computer and see your desktop over the Internet/Intranet, disable this please.

Network Location Awareness (NLA)
"Collects and stores network configuration and location information, and notifies applications when this information changes."
And how is that going to help you? Disable it.

Network Provisioning Service
"Manages XML configuration files on a domain basis for automatic network provisioning."
Not necessary for home and/or simple networks. Disable.

Performance Logs and Alerts
"Collects performance data from local or remote computers based on preconfigured schedule parameters, then writes the data to a log or triggers an alert."
There are other, more efficient ways of tracking performance of your machine(s) than using this service, if at all you need to do so. Most home users will never need it. Disable it.

Portable Media Serial Number Service
"Retrieves the serial number of any portable media player connected to this computer."
Unless you use some 100% Windows Media based/compatible ("PlaysForSure") portable audio/video device and Windows Media Player, this service is useless. iPod and regular flash based MP3 player users don't need it. Disable it.

QoS RSVP
"Provides network signaling and local traffic control setup functionality for QoS-aware programs and control applets."
This is an interesting concept to give more bandwidth to applications that request it, unfortunately, not many actually do this QoS thing, so it doesn't make sense to enable it. You can use cFos Speed for better bandwidth prioritization that actually works.

Remote Desktop Help Session Manager
"Manages and controls Remote Assistance."
Remote Assistance should be avoided. Disable this service.

Remote Registry
"Enables remote users to modify registry settings on this computer."
We'll let you guess this one out...

Secondary Logon
"Enables starting processes under alternate credentials."
This offers the "Run As" option to limited user accounts to be able to temporarily run some applications as an administrator (after entering the password, of course). Standalone machines usually have just one account with administrator access and other accounts, if any, are also usually administrators. You should keep this service only if your limited users often need to run applications with admin access, otherwise disable it.

Security Center
"Monitors system security settings and configurations."
That thing that pops up and tells you when your firewall is down, your anti-virus is out of date, or automatic updates are turned off. Personally, I like the alerts because then I know my anti-virus was unable to download its updates. I don't really bother with the firewall and my automatic updates are always on. If you've never needed or received any alerts on these events, this service can be disabled. The feature doesn't offer any protection by itself - it is only a monitor. Not really required.

Server
"Supports file, print, and named-pipe sharing over the network for this computer."
Only if you share files on a network would this be required. If you disable the Server service, you may still be able to access other shares, so you won't be entirely unconnected. Decide and disable if not required.

Smart Card
"Manages access to smart cards read by this computer."
How many of you actually use smart cards with your computer? Disable this.

SSDP Discovery Service
"Enables discovery of UPnP devices on your home network."
Most people don't have any UPnP devices on the network, so this service is useless. Do not confuse this with standard PnP (Plug-n-Play), which remains unaffected if this service is disabled.

System Restore Service
"Performs system restore functions."
I prefer trying to manually troubleshoot and fix, or reinstalling Windows in case of a fatal problem. I've never felt comfortable with using System Restore to "restore old versions of files" and all that, so I keep it disabled. It frees up memory and a good amount of disk space as well.

TCP/IP NetBIOS Helper
"Enables support for NetBIOS over TCP/IP (NetBT) service and NetBIOS name resolution."
Nobody uses NetBIOS anymore. Get over it. Disable this.

Themes
"Provides user experience theme management."
For performance reasons (or if you're just bored of all Blue), you may want to use the classic Windows 2000-style interface. You can switch to it from the Desktop Properties dialog, but there's no reason to have the service running if you're not using Luna / Default Blue, so disable it. Remember: if you're using the Luna / Default Blue interface, this service is necessary.

Uninterruptible Power Supply
"Manages an uninterruptible power supply (UPS) connected to the computer."
If you don't have a UPS, you don't need this service. If you have a UPS that you use independent of the computer (i.e. without automatic turn off etc.), you don't need this service. Even if you do have a UPS that requires installing its own software for power management, this service is not required. Use it only if your UPS connects to your PC via a COM port and automatically gets Windows to work with it (not many).

Universal Plug and Play Device Host
"Provides support to host Universal Plug and Play devices."
Works along with the SSDP service that we doubt you require. Don't know what UPnP is? Disable this.

WebClient
"Enables Windows-based programs to create, access, and modify Internet-based files."
Not a very popular feature. Disable it. If some features in Internet Explorer don't work for you, then you may need it. But then, why are you using IE, again? Huh?

Windows Time
"Maintains date and time synchronization on all clients and servers in the network."
I've kept this on. In fact, I'm so particular about having the correct time on my system, I've actually increased the update frequency from weekly to daily. If you don't share the same enthusiasm as me, you can disable this service. You can use a freeware, third party, on-demand time sync utility that will not need this service to be running, saving you memory.

Wireless Zero Configuration
"Provides automatic configuration for the 802.11 adapters"
I don't have any WiFi devices or networks to get on to, so I've disabled it. If you don't have any WiFi, do the same.

WMI Performance Adapter
"Provides performance library information from WMI HiPerf providers."
Nobody is really sure what to do with this thing. I've never needed it, and it's unlikely that you ever will. Off with it.

Workstation
"Creates and maintains client network connections to remote servers."
If your're sharing files and folders over a network, leave this on. If not, disable it. This is not needed or even utilized in a standalone PC. This doesn't affect Internet connectivity.

That's it. These are the 29 services that "are no longer required." You can get rid of on your Windows XP SP2 system to free up some memory and CPU and gain some performance out of it.

sa: http://www.techtree.com/techtree/jsp...112&cat_id=584

bbmf · Jul 20th, 06, 04:13 PM

HP Labs has developed a prototypical passive tag that's long on memory, short on range and suitable for both business and consumer apps.
The passive RFID tags used to track consumer products in the supply chain have often been referred to as "bar codes on steroids." This week, HP Laboratories, Hewlett Packard's research arm, unveiled a prototype of a tiny tag might be considered a passive RFID tag on steroids. This device, the Memory Spot, is a memory-rich, passive 2.45 GHz RFID transponder containing a microprocessor, can hold up to 4 megabits (500 kilobytes) of data and has a 10 megabits-per-second data transfer rate. Because the transponder operates at such a high frequency, its antenna can be small enough to be incorporated into the chip, which would lower the Memory Spot's manufacturing costs relative to tags made by attaching the chip to the antenna.
Memory Spot tags are designed to transmit large amounts of data at close range (approximately 1 millimeter), while EPC Gen 2 and other passive UHF (900 MHz) tags in the supply chain are made for transmitting small amounts of data at a distance of up to 30 feet. Howard Taub, vice president and associate director of the labs, says Memory Spot tags are not intended to compete with tags optimized for use in the supply chain. Today's EPC Gen 2 tags hold 96 bits—though plans for extended memory tags will expand that to 256 bits—and can transfer data at a rate of 640 kilobits per second.
According to Taub, the Memory Spot tag would be a good fit for a number of different business applications for tags carrying large amounts of sensitive data that should be protected and read from a short distance. These include tags embedded in passports and encoded with travelers' biometric data, or others attached to pharmaceuticals with authenticating data used to fight counterfeiting. The chip's microprocessor supports data encryption.
Recent demonstrations of the tags at HP Labs, however, have focused on consumer applications. HP showed the tag in use as a means of adding words to a photograph: an audio file of a child singing a short tune was encoded to a Memory Spot tag adhered to an image of the child. When an interrogator was brought within the Memory Spot's 1-millimeter read range, the interrogator picked up the song and played it. HP Labs is also considering how the Memory Spot—which has an adhesive backing—could be used as a digital note pad to replace or augment such documents as travel brochures and owners manuals for consumer electronics products. They could also be used as digital postcards, complete with movies and audio snippets from vacation. "These things could be sold like a book of stamps. People could peel one off, attach it to something and then add data to it," says Taub.
According to Taub, the cost of the tags will depend on the quantity HP is able to produce, as well as the business model used to sell them. Memory Tags sold as stand-alone devices would likely cost more than those sold for use in a specific consumer product, such as a camera. Still, he mentioned $1 per tag as a possible price point for the example of Memory Spot tags being sold like stamp books.

sa: http://www.rfidjournal.com/article/articleview/2499/1/1/

bbmf · 12:33 AM

According to the latest roadmap for Intel server platform, new multi-processor Xeon 7,100 family (Tulsa) plans to launch on Aug 27, replacing Xeon 7,000 (Paxville MP) to against Opteron 8 family.
Xeon 7100 is an x86 type containing the largest number of transistor in total of 1228M. Even with 65nm process, its size is as larger as 435 mm sq., approximately 9 times larger then Yonah. Tulsa is a dual-core with build-in 16MB L3 cache. With Smart Cache enabled, each core spares independent L1 and L2 cache, and share L3 cache through Caching Front-Side Bus Controller. Although it ' s similar in the cache design to Core architecture, Tulsa also keeps high Pipeline Stage similar to Netburst and support Hyper-Threading.
The planned Intel Xeon 7100 16MB L3 model to be launched on Aug 27 are as follow: 7140M (3.4GHz/800MHz FSB/150W), 7140N (3.33GHz/667MHz FSB/150W). There are also 8MB L3 version as following: 7130M (3.2GHz/800MHz FSB/150W), and 7130N (3.16GHz/667MHz FSB/150W)
And there are 4M L3 model as follow: 7120M (3GHz/800MHz FSB/95W), 7120N (3GHz/667MHz FSB/95W), 7110M (2.60GHz/800MHz FSB/95W), and 7100N (2.5GHz/667MHz FSB/95W). M and N versions are different in the compatibility to Xeon MP Platform only. 667MHz version is provided for the existing platform. The prices are set to US$3157, US$1980, US$1170 and US$856 respectively. The price of M and N versions has no difference.
Intel expects Tulsa would spare 28% of the total shipment of multi-processor products in the first quarter of launch, replacing Cranford and Paxville MP as the mainstream with more than 60% of the total shipment in 2006 Q4, and finally reach 98% in 2007 Q2.
According to the latest roadmap for Intel server platform, Core architecture is planned to be implemented in multi-processor in 2007 Q3, Dunnington as the dual-core version, Tigerton as the quad-core version. These processors will be coupled with Caneland platform without Hyper-Threading anymore.
Intel
sa: http://www.hkepc.com/bbs/itnews.php?tid=632194

bbmf · Jul 21st, 06, 12:38 PM

Now, Windows Vista comes complete with an automatic defragmentation scheduler. The default is for the user's hard drives to be defragmented at 4:00 AM every Sunday, when presumably most people won't be doing other work on their computer. If you don't leave your computer running over the weekend, it can still be set to run the next time you boot. If you don't want to have this feature happen automatically, it can be turned off.
There are other changes to the defragmentation tool, such as a cleaning up of the user interface—gone are the colorful displays of red stripes turning into blue blocks that were so much fun to watch back in the singletasking DOS days. Instead, a simple display shows how much time is left for the operation. Although you can continue to operate your computer while defragmenting, file operations may slow down or interrupt the process, which is why it is best left for the wee hours.
Right now, I use an older, free version of Diskeeper Lite, which will automatically remind me to defrag but won't actually do it by itself without manual user intervention. Having this feature built-in to Vista will be very useful for users such as myself who use their computers a lot and leave them on constantly.
Will this wind up being the default for Vista when the OS ships to consumers early next year? On one hand, it would be great to have automatic defragmenting keep things tidy for those users who don't understand what fragmentation is or why they need it. On the other hand, it might be a bit disconcerting to have the defragmenter suddenly start running on Monday morning and slowing things down. Right now, the automatic defragging is enabled by default, but the Microsoft spokesperson I talked to was unable to confirm or deny whether this will still be the case when Vista ships.
In any event, this feature, along with any core improvements Microsoft makes to the defragmentation engine, is likely to make life difficult for third-party disk defragmentation companies. For Windows 2000 and XP, Microsoft licensed stripped-down versions of Diskeeper Lite as the engine for the built-in defragmentation tool. The idea was to cooperate with Diskeeper by allowing its parent company, Executive Software, to advertise their version as a natural upgrade for Windows users. However, Microsoft has been developing their product independently of Executive Software for some time now, and clearly it has decided that now is the time to let loose with some new features.

sa: http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20060720-7319.html

bbmf · Jul 22nd, 06, 07:31 AM

Intel wants HDMI, ICH9 and picoBTX on its 2007 motherboards
DailyTech previously reported on Intel’s upcoming Bearlake, the successor to the current Broadwater 965 chipset lineup. Intel’s latest Desktop Board roadmap reveals nearly a dozen upcoming motherboards based on the upcoming Bearlake chipset. The boards are still in early development stages but do reveal quite a bit of information about the upcoming chipset.

Noticeably gone from the roadmap is a replacement for the Intel D975XBX Bad Axe 2. This is most likely because Intel will not be replacing the current 975X Express chipset with a Bearlake variant.

Intel Desktop Boards Media Series will feature Viiv compatibility and integrate the Bearlake G+ chipset. Four motherboards will be available with the Bearlake G+ chipset—the Dragontail Peak, Apache Lake, Ryker and Hiwassee. Dragontail Peak will be a full ATX motherboard while Apache Lake will be the microATX variant. Both motherboards will have DVI. Hiwassee and Ryker will be BTX boards with Hiwassee being microBTX and Ryker being picoBTX. Both BTX motherboards will have HDMI video output. All Desktop Board Media Series motherboards will have onboard Firewire.

On the business side of things is the Desktop Boards Executive Series with support for Intel’s vPro technology. Three new Executive Series motherboards are planned with Bearlake Q chipsets. There is no full-size ATX Bearlake Q based motherboard planned. Instead there will only be the microATX Johannesburg as far as ATX motherboards go. Intel has two BTX based Bearlake Q motherboards planned though—the Leadville microBTX and Eden Prarie picoBTX motherboards. All three Bearlake Q based motherboards will have DVI output and support for Intel’s AMT3, VT and Trusted Platform Modules.

Four Desktop Boards Classic Series Bearlake based motherboards will be available. Two full-size ATX Bearlake based motherboards are planned—the Bearlake P based Glasston and the Bearlake G based Frostburg. Both boards will have Firewire and Gigabit Ethernet onboard. On the microATX side of things are the Bearlake G based Buffalo Creek and Bearlake QF based Montpelier. Buffalo Creek will be the microATX variant of the full-size ATX Frostburg. Montpelier will be based on Bearlake QF which is an unknown variant at the moment. It wouldn’t be surprising to see Bearlake QF as the replacement for the current value business Q963 chipset.

While the previously reported Intel Desktop Board roadmap has a complete lineup of Desktop Boards Essential Series motherboards the new roadmap has no Essential Series motherboards planned with Bearlake chipsets.

All integrated graphics equipped Bearlake motherboards are expected to have a variant of the Intel GMA 3000/GMA X3000 graphics core with support for Microsoft Windows Vista Premium

sa: http://www.dailytech.com/Article.aspx?newsid=3374

bbmf · Jul 22nd, 06, 07:40 AM

Intel 985X, We Never Knew Thee...
Although some people had expected a surprise Intel 985X motherboard chipset announcement, it looks like it was not meant to be. In fact, it seems the whole concept of "high-end" nearly one-off chipsets from Intel is dead in the water.
The most recent Intel roadmap revealed that Intel has no plans to produce a high-end "extreme" chipset through at least Q2'07. This is important since Q2'07 marks the launch of Bearlake, Intel's chipset successor to the 965 series. Ultimately, we can infer that Intel has put the "extreme" series of chipsets on hiatus for a least two generations.
Of course, without a 975X platform, this also means there is no longer any plans for an Intel-based Crossfire platform. 975X, 955X and 945P were the only chipsets from Intel that support Crossfire, and Intel's newest chipsets do not -- including G965, P965 and Q965. Intel's next generation chipset, Bearlake, may support Crossfire or SLI, but the trend seems to suggest this is unlikely. With the efforts of NVIDIA and ATI both producing independent chipsets for Crossfire/SLI, it seems unlikely that we will see native multi-GPU technology on any Intel chipsets in the near future.

sa: http://www.dailytech.com/article.aspx?newsid=3376

bbmf · Jul 22nd, 06, 11:19 AM

The unfettered rise of flash storage hasn't prevented the hard drive from remaining a mainstay in many devices. Providing ultimate portability is Edge Tech's DiskGo 1" Mini Portable Hard Drive, a 1.9-by-1.9-by-0.6-inch portable hard drive that fits in the palm of your hand. Meanwhile, Archos's new 104, an entry-level MP3 player, ships with a 4GB hard drive; it's the company's smallest portable media player yet.
Hard drives are a commonly upgraded, and this task is made easier--at least for laptops--by Apricorn's EZ Upgrade Serial ATA, a kit that lets you effortlessly transfer data from one Serial ATA notebook hard drive to another. And look for D&M Holdings' ReplayTV PC Edition software, which transforms a PC into a DVR (digital video recorder).
Archos's Smallest MP3 Player
Archos recently canned its popular Gmini XS 100 portable music player, replacing it with the smaller, sleeker Archos 104 MP3 player. It has a 4GB hard drive, matching the maximum storage capacity of Apple Computer's popular iPod Nano. The Archos 104 weighs 2.8 ounces and measures 3.6 by 1.7 by 0.5 inches, making it the company's smallest MP3 player yet. It plays MP3, WMA (Windows Media Audio), and WAV files.

The Archos 104 sports a 1.5-inch OLED (organic light-emitting diode) color screen that also displays JPEG2 image files. A lithium-ion battery runs the device for 14 hours, after which you can recharge it from a PC via a USB 2.0 port. A wall charger is available separately, in silver, black, or pink.
The $159 music player targets entry-level users who don't want to invest in an expensive MP3 player, according to Archos spokesperson Jen Roberts. It began shipping July 1 and is available through Archos's distributors.
Honey, I Shrunk the Disk
Edge Tech's DiskGo 1" Mini Portable Hard Drive is so small that you could turn it on its side and hide it under a Post-it Note. A USB port pops out of the box to connect it to a PC, and minimal wires make it convenient to carry. Launched in June, DiskGo comes in capacities of 4GB to 8GB, at prices between $100 and $150. Even the 8GB model seems a bit cramped for today's storage needs, but you can't expect such a tiny device to offer Mammoth Cave capacity.
The Magical Drive Upgrade
Upgrading and transferring data from a notebook's internal hard drive to a second drive is child's play with Apricorn's EZ Upgrade SATA, a Serial ATA hard-drive upgrade kit. The kit ships with all the tools you need to successfully install a notebook hard drive: a USB 2.0 enclosure, a USB cable, a PS/2 auxiliary power cable for backup power, and proprietary upgrade and recovery software.
The kit lets you upgrade a notebook hard drive in three steps, according to Apricorn spokesperson Jennifer Olson. First, slide the new hard drive into an EZ Upgrade enclosure, and connect the cable to the notebook's USB port (which accommodates the old hard drive). Then boot the machine with Apricorn's EZ Gig II Upgrade and Disaster Recovery Software, which begins the drive-cloning process. Finally, remove the old drive from the notebook and replace it with the new, cloned drive. Voila--the fresh drive is installed and ready to work.
Afterward you can use the old drive as a backup device.
The kit shipped in June and is available for the reasonable price of $49. It works only with Windows 2000 and Windows XP systems.

sa: http://news.yahoo.com/s/pcworld/2006...pcworld/126442

bbmf · Jul 22nd, 06, 11:53 AM

Samsung has officially called the feature in its first Blu-ray player (BD-P1000) that outputs blurry HD movies a "firmware flaw." A softening algorithm in the embedded Genesys scaler chip was apparently accidentally enabled.
Samsung has said that a software update would not be available until September, at the earliest, and would have to be installed via CD.
The South Korean firm is reacting to test reports that found that the Samsung player outputs HD images that are too soft. c't came to the same conclusion in its current issue (15/06). However, the testers at c't did not believe that the poor image quality of the first Blu-ray disks is only the result of a softening filter as Sony Pictures would have us believe. When played back on a Sony Vaio PC with a Blu-ray drive and player software, the movie still ran with a lot of "snow" and merely mediocre detail resolution even without the soft focus.

sa: http://www.heise.de/english/newsticker/news/75776

bbmf · Jul 22nd, 06, 09:34 PM

The Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) has developed a new tool called ‘Johnny’ in collaboration with video site guba.com to fight piracy of copyrighted material online. ‘Johnny’ will analyze videos in digitized form and will generate a unique fingerprint for each video. Once the video is scanned, it is blocked from illegal file trading or distribution on Guba’s site.
The technology will be lent out to similar video sharing sites and Usenet, an electronic bulletin board used for illegal file sharing to filter out videos which have been lifted or even cropped and reformatted. Johnny will also be able to detect reposted or re-encoded content on the sites.
Guba executives say they began developing Johnny’s predecessor years ago, in an attempt to deal with copyrighted content but the collaboration with MPAA has finally given it a form. Guba and the MPAA have included thousands of movies and television programs from major studios in Johnny’s filters.

sa: http://tech.moneycontrol.com/category/news/

bbmf · Jul 23rd, 06, 06:04 AM

High-end photographers using CompactFlash digital film cards have something to cheer about;

SanDisk has announced its Extreme IV line of CompactFlash digital film cards, with capacities ranging from 2 to 8 GB and data transfer speeds of up to 40 MB per second, making them the fastest flash memory cards on the market. Readers will be available for both FireWire and USB, helping ensure professional and high-end photographers can get the best results out of their high-resolution cameras without wasting time—or precious light—swapping media and waiting for images to transfer.
"The new SanDisk Extreme IV CompactFlash card and SanDisk Extreme FireWire reader offers photographers a number of key benefits," said Tanya Chuang, SanDisk's senior retail marketing manager. "First of all, the new cards are twice the speed of the current SanDisk Extreme III cards and offer performance that is ideal for medium format cameras, digital backs and other high-resolution cameras that require the combination of high performance and large capacities. In addition, they are available in industry-leading capacities so that photographers can capture a larger number of RAW or other high-resolution images. Lastly, photographers can quickly transfer gigabytes of images from the card to the computer for greatly increased workflow efficiency, an important consideration when working under deadline pressures."
The Extreme IV cards use SanDisk's Enhanced Super-Parallel Processing (ESP) which combines fast flash memory chips and controls wth 32-bit RISC processing and a streamlined architecture which emphasizes performance, so professional photographers using high-end cameras can store their RAW or JPEG images faster without losing a setting or their natural rhythm.
The SanDisk Extreme IV FireWire 800/400 reader operates on both FireWire 400 and FireWire 800 systems; on a FireWire 800 port, the Extreme IV reader can achieve transfer rates up to 40 MB/s, although a FireWire 400 port necessarily cuts that figure back to 20 MB/s.
SanDisk's Extreme IV Compact Flash cards will be available in July in 2, 4, and 8 GB capacities at $159.99, $319.99, and $639.99 respectively; the SanDisk Extreme IV FireWire Reader will be priced at $79.99, although an introductory offer of a FireWire reader with a 4 GB card will be offered for $399.99. A USB 2.0 version of the Extreme IV Reader will be available in August for a modest $24.99.

sa: http://news.digitaltrends.com/article10948.html