28th February 2007 Archive

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AMD launches ATI RS690 chipset at long last

Radeon X1200-based integrated 690G arrives

AMD today introduced its first chipset products to be released only under its own brand rather than ATI's: the integrated 690G and 690V. The 690G incorporates two independent display controllers and ingratea signalling for DVI, HDMI, TV, CRT and LCD monitors. It also has HDCP support built in. The 690V drops the integrated …

Bits 'n' Chips 28 Feb 2007, 05:02
MP3 players hit by patent infringement suit

Texas MP3 buys patent, immediately files suit

The world's major MP3 player manufacturers have been sued in a patent infringement case by a company that began the case the day after it acquired the patent. Apple, Samsung and SanDisk have been sued by Texas MP3 Technologies which bought the US patent from two Korean inventors. The patent was originally lodged in 1997, was …

Media players 28 Feb 2007, 10:39
Sony models Spring digicam lines

After last week's splashes from Pentax and Canon, it's Sony's turn to row out a raft of new digital cameras, including compact and SLR models. The slimline Cyber-shot DSC-T20 is pitched as the digicam for the HD era thanks to its ability to display a 16:9 widescreen image at 1080i resolution, though buyers will need a not …

Gadgets and Gizmos 28 Feb 2007, 10:53
Dell to offer Linux with desktops, laptops

Dell users may soon have the choice of having Linux pre-installed on their machines, according to a statement on the technology company's website. The PC maker launched its feedback website, Dell Idea Storm, in mid-February, and was inundated with requests for the Linux operating system and productivity software suite …

PCs 28 Feb 2007, 11:01
Philips, Intel design PDA for medics

Not quite a Feinberger...

Philips and Intel are to develop a tablet computer for doctors and nurses, in the process creating what they claim is a new category of device: the Mobile Clinical Assistant (MCA). Presumably, Portable Doctor's Assistant* is already taken... The MCA is built around a 10.4in, 1024 × 768 touch-screen display. An internal …

PCs 28 Feb 2007, 11:40
Sony preps ever ready USB battery charger

Sony will ship a USB-connected rechargeable battery power supply unit later this year, the consumer electronics giant pledged this week. The device, dubbed Energy LINK, ships with a pair of AA batteries that slip inside to be charged when the unit's plugged into a computer. Later, the two batteries can be removed and placed …

Gadgets and Gizmos 28 Feb 2007, 12:12
Samsung shows off i70 compact digicams

Another day, another range of new cameras

Samsung has announced the newest addition to it's digital compact camera range: the i70. The 7.2-megapixel camera is available in a choice of four colours: silver, black pink and gold. The i70 features 3x optical zoom and a 3in LCD plus a portable media player so you can have video and music on the go. It also has a text …

Gadgets and Gizmos 28 Feb 2007, 12:13
Motorola revamps StarTAC for Koreans... again

A second time out for 'the timeless accessory'

Motorola has revived its olde StarTAC brand in a bid to win the hearts and wallets of Swinging Sixties-obsessed South Korean trendies. The phone maker this week re-launched the line with the StarTAC III MS900 clamshell. The handset's specifications are fully modern, with the usual MP3 player features present and correct; …

Gadgets and Gizmos 28 Feb 2007, 13:07
Ms Pac-Man celebrates 25 years with Apple

Classic game comes to the iPod

Namco has released the hugely-popular Ms Pac-Man for the fifth-generation iPod. Like an old college mate who refuses to accept the world has moved on, Ms Pac-Man is still out there night after night, popping pills and running from ghosts down warp tunnels whilst listening to repetitive music. While most of us have had to …

Media players 28 Feb 2007, 13:36
Sony pledges to balance PS3 supply, demand by May

Growing supply... or falling demand?

Sony has said PlayStation 3 production will match demand by the end of May, in North America at the very least. Interviewed by the Reuters news agency, Sony Computer Entertainment America chief Jack Tretton said: "April or May is when we feel like we're going to catch up to demand and have product fully in stock across North …

Consoles 28 Feb 2007, 15:42
US yawns at Wi-Fi enabled phones

Wake up, operators

Market watcher Ovum reckons that only one US mobile phone subscriber in 50 will have a Wi-Fi enabled phone by 2010. Dual-mode phones that support both WLAN and cellular are already a familiar sight in the Europe and Asia markets. Most of Nokia's E series, and its N80 consumer smart phone, feature both standards. But in the US …

Phones 28 Feb 2007, 15:50
RIM BlackBerry 8800

Review A little tweak here and there makes a world of difference

RIM is on a roll with another new BlackBerry that leans more toward a consumer construct than the previous devices. It takes the form factor of earlier models, adds in a welcome tweak here... and creates a device that borrows from both the consumer and corporate worlds. The BlackBerry 8800, of course, owes a lot of its design …

Phones 28 Feb 2007, 15:50
AMD blasts 'devious' Intel

Tired of being pushed around

AMD today attempted to rescue some initiative in its battle with Intel with pot shots aimed its rival's server, desktop, and even developing world strategies. At the San Francisco launch of the Vista-pushing 690G, AMD's first chipset since the integration of ATI, regaining momentum lost across the board by Intel unleashing …

Bits 'n' Chips 28 Feb 2007, 22:59
Intel warming Wall Street once again

Paperwork delays slow AMD

Intel and AMD have embraced a divide and propaganda approach to tout their upcoming server chips. The two vendors today held press events in San Francisco at the exact same time, forcing journalists to pick between the giant and the underdog. Your reporter opted for Intel's pitch thinking it polite to honor the first invite. …

Bits 'n' Chips 28 Feb 2007, 23:54