Archive for April 25th, 2005
Transmeta is showing its new fanless Media Center sample design to the public attending the Microsoft WinHEC 2005 in Seattle.
The design, which showcases Transmeta’s technology and engineering services with a fully functional reference system, allows manufacturers and Transmeta to create and customize quiet Media Centers for the living room entertainment experience.
The design allows computer system manufacturers to develop a low power Media Center design without the need for noisy cooling fans or expensive sound isolation, providing consumers with a quieter and cost effective entertainment experience. The platform is completely compatible with Microsoft Media Center Edition 2005, and features a high performance graphics controller from ATI Technologies Inc, compatible with Microsoft DX9.
The board is a compact 6-layer Mini-ITX form factor motherboard, measuring 170mm x 170mm, including the microprocessor, on-board video/graphics, consumer electronics video and audio interfaces, Ethernet, USB 2.0, FireWire and IDE interfaces.
The Efficeon microprocessor supports Transmeta’s AntiVirusNX Technology, and works in conjunction with Microsoft’s Windows XP Service Pack 2 to offer enhanced security and safer computing by detecting and disabling common forms of computer viruses and worms. Transmeta says this capability is particularly important for media center PC’s, where users expect the reliability of traditional consumer electronics, on a computing platform.
April 25th, 2005
We love Star Wars, even the new films (no really), and we love Alienware almost as much, so TechSmec.com is feeling Skywalkeresque levels of excitement at the new Star Wars themed Alienware PCs.
The Alienware Aurora: Star Wars Edition comes loaded with exclusive Star Wars content such as movie soundtracks, wallpapers, desktop skins, fan club membership and game demos, but best of all you get a choice of two exclusive case designs - Light Side or Dark Side.
The Dark Side edition comes with a black case design showcasing head-turning artwork of Darth Vader and a bunch of stormtroopers and features an exclusive Imperial wallpaper and desktop skin as well as a pulse-pounding Star Wars movie soundtrack.
The Light Side features artwork of Obi-Wan Kenobi, Yoda, Luke Skywalker and the other Rebels displayed on a showstopping black case design and includes an exclusive Rebel wallpaper and desktop skin in addition to a Star Wars movie soundtrack.
Both PCs are powered by AMD Athlon 64 and 64 FX processors, NVIDIA SLI graphics technology, and PCI Express technology.
“Star Wars indisputably ranks as one of the most popular movie franchises of all time, yet had never been featured on a PC, so Alienware worked with Star Wars to fill that void,” said Robert Lusk, vice president of sales and marketing for Alienware. “The result of this collaboration, the Aurora: Star Wars Edition offers an irresistible mix of both visual appeal and power that is sure to make an unforgettable impression.”
April 25th, 2005
We reported a week or so ago how Intel had incurred the wrath of librarians the length and breadth of the USA, by offering a $10,000 bounty for a mint copy of the magazine in which chip pioneer, Gordon Moore, first made his Moore’s Law prediction. Now, Intel has paid out on its promise to Briton David Clark, and he didn’t even have to get light fingered down at the local university to get it.
Clark, a self-confessed hoarder, kept copies of Electronics magazine under his floorboards at his house (no word on whether or not he had to rip up the carpets to get them out) and was delighted to discover that he had the 1965 issue among them.
Now Intel have officially awarded him the prize as the first person to return a perfect copy. They plan on exhibiting it at a museum local to Intel headquarters in Santa Clara, California.
April 25th, 2005
Techsmec.com’s sister site at DVDRecorderWorld.com (well, more of a distant couson if we’re honest) has been reporting at length on the flurry of activity last week around the Blu-ray / HD-DVD issue.
They’ve striped out the chaff and given their final verdict on the matter, although no inside knowledge is claimed.
There is a definite pattern emerging to the reports that Sony and Toshiba were considering a truce or indeed, were already locked in discussions about producing a hybrid format.
First we see the rumour - and we’ve been as guilty as any of reporting them - that a compromise format is on the cards. We even speculated what form that compromise format might take. Then comes the denial from Sony and complete silence from Toshiba.
Then we see the counter-rumour, followed by a denial from Sony and silence from Toshiba.
The one constant in all of this is that the rumours originate from off-the-cuff comments from Sony spokespeople, about ‘protecting the consumer’ or ‘it being in everyone’s interest to have a single format’.
And there you have it - a single format. At no point has anyone from either company suggested that a hybrid solution was on the cards, only that a single disc-type must prevail if the industry, and users, aren’t to be damaged.
The war is still very much on, and just because the two camps are desperately trying to persuade the other to down weapons and defect, it does not mean that peace is about to break out. If both stand firm we will be in for a rerun of VHS/Betamax and commercial success will decide the result.
Source: DVDRecorderWorld.com
April 25th, 2005