Reg Hardware

2nd October 2006 Archive

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  • Apple issues Mac OS X update

    Patching time again

    Apple has posted Mac OS X 10.4.8, offering the operating system upgrade for both client and server, and for PowerPC- and Intel-based Macs. The patch incorporates a stack of tweaks, including all of Apple's most recent security updates. You can download the update using the OS' own Software Update utility or from Apple's website …

    Mac 2 Oct 2006, 08:57

  • ATI to take GPUs into the stream age

    Enterprise apps to run on games hardware, company hopes

    ATI - effectively AMD - has begun pitching its Radeon X1900 graphics chip at corporates, not for running graphics on workstations but for processing large data sets much the way Intel's Streaming SIMD Extensions (SSE) are meant to. Dubbed 'Stream Computing', ATI's initiative pitches the technology at scientific and …

    Bits 'n' Chips 2 Oct 2006, 09:18

  • Toshiba touts laptop-friendly HD DVD burner

    Slimline

    Toshiba has launched a slimline HD DVD drive for notebook computers in a bid to boost support for the next-generation optical disc format. The drawer-mechanism unit not only reads and writes all ther usual DVD and CD formats, but also HD DVD recordable and rewriteable media. The SD-L902A is 12.7mm high, Toshiba said, …

    Storage 2 Oct 2006, 09:40

  • Sony to patch Blu-ray burners for BD-ROM playback

    One-off opportunity, says cheeky vendor

    Sony's BWU-100A Blu-ray Disc burner will this month gain the ability to play pre-recorded BD discs, the consumer electronics giant has revealed. The fix will come courtesy of an update to the copy of CyberLink PowerDVD bundled with the internal drive. The free update will be made available from Sony's storage support site …

    Storage 2 Oct 2006, 10:02

  • AMD schedules December for 65nm Athlon debut?

    New Semprons this month; new 90nm Athlons coming November

    What has AMD got coming up during the last three months of the year? A host of 65nm and 90nm Athlons, apparently, according to roadmap slides posted on the internet last week which would seem to confirm earlier reports. November is a key month in the quarter. Then, AMD will introduce the Athlon 64 X2 5400+, 5600+ and 6000+, …

    Bits 'n' Chips 2 Oct 2006, 10:25

  • Sling pitches revamped net TV boxes

    Enters HD era

    Sling Media will bring its HD-oriented Slingbox Pro to the UK next year, along with the Slingbox AV and Slingbox Tuner the company also announced late last week, expanding its device line-up from one machine to three. The Slingbox Pro will replace today's Slingbox. It brings an HDMI-like port and HD support to the package, …

    Gadgets and Gizmos 2 Oct 2006, 11:30

  • RIM BlackBerry Pearl 8100

    Review Slim, sexy yet still a BlackBerry

    Research in Motion's BlackBerry has, with its seamless email and sturdy workhorse ruggedness, captured the business market. But its bulky designs and lack of extras have put off many a consumer. That's all set to change with the introduction of the Pearl, RIM's first handset aimed slap bang at the consumer market... First …

    Phones 2 Oct 2006, 12:10

  • Microsoft Zune, Apple iPod go head-to-head on web

    Blogger posts side-by-side snaps

    Microsoft's Zune music player doesn't ship in the US until 14 November, but the gadget has already begun appearing in public - and being compared directly to Apple's latest '5.5G' video iPod. One blogger, Jake Ludington, has even posted a set of snaps of the two gadgets side by side. It's clear from Jake's pics - there are …

    Media players 2 Oct 2006, 12:32

  • Intel invests $9.88m in PowerVR developer

    TI extends Imagination licensing deal too

    Intel is to pump £5.28m ($9.88m) into UK-based graphics chip designer Imagination Technologies. The chip giant also said it had extended its licence to use Imagination's video and graphics processing cores - as, separately, did Texas Instruments. Intel's financial stake in Imagination comes courtesy of its venture funding …

    Bits 'n' Chips 2 Oct 2006, 13:12

  • Ageia preps PCI Express games physics card

    PhysX SDK updated for Linux

    Physics processor chip specialist Ageia is about to launch a PCI Express version of its PhysX card, the company told Reg Hardware today. Considering that Ageia had PCI-E and PCI production samples in March, it's a wonder it has taken them this long to announce product. Ageia admitted there won't be any performance benefits …

    Bits 'n' Chips 2 Oct 2006, 14:53

  • Nvidia's 'G80' to ship mid-November?

    DirectX-ready, sources claim

    Nvidia will unveil the world's first DirectX10 GPU, codenamed 'G80' but expected to ship as the GeForce 8800, in the middle of this coming November, it has been claimed. According to a DigiTimes report which cites graphics card maker moles, the part will support the upcoming Microsoft technology's Shader Model 4.0. It will …

    Bits 'n' Chips 2 Oct 2006, 15:05

  • Sony's next Flash Walkman details slip out

    Noise-suppressing headphones included

    Sony will next week launch its latest Flash-based digital audio player, if online retailers' listings of the as-yet-unannounced Walkman NWS700 series devices are anything to go by. The pitch for the product line will centre on its inclusion of "noise-cancelling" headphones, a three-line colour display and 1-4GB of storage …

    Media players 2 Oct 2006, 15:42

  • DVD Jon opens Apple DRM for profit and pleasure

    With Jobs' blessing? Umm...

    DVD Jon is back in the public eye with a method of reverse-engineering Fairplay, Apple's digital rights management software. He thinks Apple won't stop his efforts to turn his technology into cash. DVD Jon, better known to his parents as Jon Lech Johansen, has set up in business with partner Monique Farantzos in San Francisco …

    Media players 2 Oct 2006, 22:05

  • Seagate preserves Maxtor brand for channel freshness

    Seagate has begun selling Maxtor-branded desktop and notebook PC hard drives through its distribution network worldwide. Today's launch sees a refresh of the Maxtor DiamondMax 3.6in hard drive line for desktops, which maxes out at up to 320GB. The new Maxtor MobileMax drives have capacities up to 80GB and a 5400-RPM spin …

    Channel Register 2 Oct 2006, 22:25