23rd March 2006 Archive

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Dell embraces high-cost model with Alienware buy

Opens AMD shop

In a bid to color up a dull computer line, Dell has agreed to purchase flashy PC maker Alienware. With the buy, Dell gains a maker of high-performance systems aimed at gamers and other demanding customers. The often pricey Alienware boxes stand out for their colorful designs and high-end components. Dell officials earlier this …

PCs 23 Mar 2006, 00:08
Nvidia fills out GeForce 7 line-up

New 7300, 7600 models

Nvidia yesterday launched the latest additions to its GeForce 7 series of GPUs, padding out the graphics chip family at the low end and mid-range with two new models, as forecast. The GeForce 7600 GS - aka G73 - joins the already-available 7600 GT. It's a 90nm part with a 128-bit memory bus connecting to DDR 2 or GDDR 3 SDRAM …

Bits 'n' Chips 23 Mar 2006, 10:34
Sony to ship Mac-compatible MiniDisc Walkman

MZ-RH1 to let MDs be archived on computer

Sony may have embraced the digital music revolution, but it hasn't left its MiniDisc format behind and today announced that it's fighting back with a new high-density model that will even - well, eventually - offer Mac support and the ability to archive MiniDisc content on a computer. The 1.5cm-thick MZ-RH1 supports Hi-MD …

Gadgets and Gizmos 23 Mar 2006, 10:46
AMD confirms Athlon 64 X2 5000+

And dual-core Turions due early May, apparently

AMD will release its first batch of dual-core Turion 64 mobile processors on 9 May, lining up seven chips clocked between 1.6GHz and 2.2GHz, and accompanied by low-voltage variants, according to online claims. Separately, the vendor has itself confirmed the existence of the upcoming Athlon 64 X2 5000+. The Turion date comes …

Bits 'n' Chips 23 Mar 2006, 11:27
Wireless stereo coming to PSP

Bluetooth headphone adaptor, anyone?

Taiwanese manufacturer Bluetake has announced a Bluetooth stereo audio adaptor for Sony's PlayStation Portable. The gizmo's neatly contoured to fit along the base of the handheld console and clip into the PSP's earphone socket. The iPhono Mini - aka the BT450Px - uses the A2DP (Advanced Audio Distribution Profile) extension …

Consoles 23 Mar 2006, 11:52
Intel launches 3.73GHz Extreme dual-core Pentium

Sssh! PEE 965 shipped quietly

Intel has quietly rolled out the dual-core Pentium Extreme Edition 965, its anticipated upgrade to the gaming-oriented CPU family that ups the clock speed to 3.73GHz. Due in Q2, the part is already making appearances on the chip giant's website. In other respects, the new chip matches the previous top-of-the-range PEE …

Bits 'n' Chips 23 Mar 2006, 12:27
BenQ exec claims Apple's iPhone 'definitely coming'

Analysis Confirmation?

Taiwan's BenQ believes Apple will indeed offer a mobile phone product. One company executive this week said the 'iPhone' is "definitely coming", claiming the iPod maker has been talking to Taiwanese component manufacturers, some of whom also supply BenQ's handset operation. The BenQ staffer's comment comes courtesy of …

Media players 23 Mar 2006, 13:19
LaCie Skwarim 30GB pocket hard drive

Review Is storage really this funky?

Don't ask me what the word 'skwarim' actually means - I don't know and neither, I suspect, does LaCie. It's pronounced 'square-im', and it's meant to suggest of the hard drive's shape, which is indeed square. Though with its fluorescent pink hue and eyestrain-inviting pattern, this certainly isn't a square product, in the other …

Storage 23 Mar 2006, 16:50
Gateway updates all-in-one PC line with easy-open case

Trusted Platform chip on board too

Gateway will next month ship what it claims is not only the most serviceable all-in-one desktop PC but one of the most secure - thanks to its Trusted Platform Module (TPM) chip, used to encrypt data stored on the machine's hard drive. The Profile 6 is built around an adjustable, detachable 17in LCD driven by an Intel 945G …

PCs 23 Mar 2006, 17:13