Business News Holding

Tag: hardware-and-technology

  • Dell Smartphone Needs To Shine


    Suggestions that Dell is to launch a smartphone have surfaced again following a research note by Kaufman Brothers analyst, Shaw Wu.

    Wu speculates that the move would be to offset the impact smartphones are having on notebook sales.

    But the analyst warns that Dell would have to make its device truly distinctive to stand any chance of securing a healthy slice of the extremely competitive smartphone market.

    For this reason, Wu suggests Dell would be well advised to consider acquiring a software maker.

    The comments come after investigations within Dell’s supply chain reportedly indicate that lengthy discussions with potential component suppliers are reaching fruition.

    While details such as device specifications and a launch date are unknown, some reports suggest Dell is planning a handset launch as early as next month at 3GSM or the Mobile World Congress.

    Dell has publicly tried to play down rumors of it launching a phone but has stopped short of openly denying the claims.

  • New Chip Spells iPhone HD?


    Imagination Technologies has announced a new graphics processor IP core – the PowerVR SGX543.

    The UK-based company is the designer of the PowerVR MBX hardware used in the iPhone and iPod Touch.

    Its new four-pipeline SGX543 is expected to be able to support HD resolution video and graphics output.

    The chip is to be available in both single core and multi-processor solutions.

    The new design improves upon Imagination’s Universal Scalable Shader Engine (USSE) that was first incorporated into earlier PowerVR SGX designs.

    The company said the new technology – dubbed USSE2 – is a multi-threaded GPU shader processing engine that’s incorporated into each of the design’s four pipelines.

    It said USSE2 incorporates a major upgrade of the data path to deliver vastly improved vector processing performance and overall throughput.

    Imagination claims the SGX543 can achieve performance of 35 million polygons per second and a pixel fill rate of one gigapixel per second when running at 200MHz.

    The technology also provides advanced colour space handling and gamma correction to ensure that each of those polygons and pixels are displayed in vivid and accurate color.

    As with all members of the PowerVR SGX line, the SGX543 supports the OpenGL ES 2.0 standard for programmable 3D graphics.

    Last year Apple purchased a 3.6 per cent stake in Imagination for USD $4.8m.

  • Palm Unveils New Pre smartphone


    Palm finally revealed its new smartphone, the Pre, along with an exclusive partnership with Sprint to distribute it.

    The new touch-screen device and operating system, WebOS, received a positive welcome at CES in Las Vegas.

    Much has been made of the importance of the new device’s success if Palm is to resurrect its fortunes in the highly competitive smartphone market.

    Initial positives for the Pre include its emphasis on fast Web browsing and efficient multitasking.

    The handset will be available in the first half of the year. No pricing information is available as yet.

    The Pre has a sophisticated interface and can be charged on a special platform without the need to attach a cable.

    It comes comes with eight gigabytes of storage, GPS navigational capabilities, Wi-Fi networking and a slide-out keyboard.

    A possible hurdle in Palm’s path to renewed success could be apps for its new device.

    Software developers are now concentrating on RIM’s BlackBerry devices and the iPhone because they represent a large and growing market.

    Apps are seen as crucial to the success of smartphones because of the functions such as games and navigation services that they provide.

  • ATTO Adds Industry-first 8-GB Fibre Channel To RAID Storage Controllers


    ATTO Technology has announced the release of the industry’s first 8-Gb Fibre Channel-to-SAS/SATA RAID storage controller.

    FastStream SC 8500 is an independent external RAID Storage Controller that provides 8-Gb Fibre Channel host connectivity to multiple tiers of low-cost, off-the-shelf SAS/SATA disk storage enclosures.

    ATTO says the SC 8500 is well-suited for mid-range storage solutions.

    It is the highest performing RAID controller in its class delivering up to 1400 MB/sec. access to data while providing parity RAID protection to multiple tiers of disk enclosures.

    FastStream RAID Storage Controllers are designed to sit between workstations or a SAN and low-cost JBOD disk storage providing users the ability to scale their performance and storage capacity without purchasing a RAID controller every time expansion is needed.

    The FastStream is well-suited for applications in DVA and IT infrastructures including digital film production, high-definition video post-production, imaging, digital prepress, disk-to-disk backup, audio production and transaction-based environments.

    Tom Kolniak, director of products for ATTO Technology, said the FastStream SC 8500 Storage Controller was ideal for customers looking to improve workflow performance and add RAID protection in a collaborative environment.

    “The 8500 allows those currently using Direct Attached Storage to move to an affordable Storage Area Network solution providing them with the benefits and savings realized from a lower total cost of ownership for storage and increased efficiency in workflow production,” he said.

    He cited performance, scalability, and ease-of-use of the FastStream SC 8500 as key elements for customers looking to implement a solution that fits their needs while remaining within their budget.

  • Panasonic Takes Blu-ray Portable


    Panasonic has unveiled the first portable Blu-ray player at the CES in Las Vegas.

    The DMP-B15 features an 8.9-inch WSVGA display and along with the ability to play Blu-ray discs it also has access (via Ethernet connection to the Internet) to VIERA CAST.

    Fully Profile 2.0 (BD-Live) compliant it also features an SD card.

    The DMP-B15 offers three hours of playback time through a built-in rechargeable battery.

    It can also be connected to an HDTV using an HDMI connection, which means that it could technically be used as a stand-alone player in the home, or even while on the go.

    The DMP-B15 will be available beginning in May 2009, no details yet on the expected cost.

  • TringMe Combines Voice with PHP


    TringMe has announced a method of marrying VoIP with PHP – VoicePHP.

    The Bangalore, India-based startup, describes VoicePHP as an extension of PHP that now outputs voice instead of text and also takes input as voice instead of text.

    Other approaches to combining web applications with voice include using Voice XML or Adobe’s Flash.

    TringMe said VoicePHP is intended to do the same things as VoiceXML, but by adopting the familiar PHP programming methology.

    This enables it to remain attractive to the numerous PHP-proficient developers and ensure a stream of voice applications.

    Essentially, with VoicePHP there’s no need to learn a new markup language, tags, or attributes associated with VoiceXML.

    Widely and freely available tools for developing, debugging PHP can be continued to use with VoicePHP.

    It also means that an application written in VoicePHP can be accessed via Flash, instant messenger, Mobile VoIP clients or even conventional phone lines.

    This gives TringMe an advantage over rivals.

    It should also enable the start-up to generate revenue as VoicePHP grows popular and more web-voice application developers use its VoIP platform.

  • Motorola Unveils Router That Combines WiMAX, Wi-Fi and VoIP Connectivity


    Motorola has released an all-in-one access point that combines WiMAX, Wi-Fi and VoIP, along with an Ethernet port.

    The wi4 WiMAX CPEi 775 is a WiMAX 802.16e modem with an integrated Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g router, VoIP ATA ports for voice calling, and an Ethernet port.

    Unveiled at the Consumer Electronics show in Las Vegas, this is the second generation for the router.

    Motorola said the CPEi 775 follows the award winning CPEi 850.

    The company said that by incorporating adaptive switching techniques, the CPEi 775 does not need to be rotated for optimal signal strength, allowing easier installation.

    With some of the most advanced antenna designs available today, Motorola claims the CPEi 775 sets new standards for device transmit power and receive sensitivity — two factors that have a big impact on a network operator’s bottom line, and the number of cells required to provide coverage.

    Charles Riggle, senior director of strategy and business development, WiMAX devices, Motorola Home & Networks Mobility, said service providers are looking for ways to leverage the speed and performance of WiMAX for more advanced services as mobile WiMAX networks proliferate globally.

    "It takes considerable know-how to put two different radio technologies together in a single package with internal antennas and not suffer from interference or degraded throughput," he said.

    "With the CPEi 775, we are able to provide high performance in a very attractive form factor."

  • ESS Technology Offers Single-chip VoIP Solution


    ESS Technology has released a new chip for VoIP phones.

    By embedding two subscriber line interface circuits (SLICs) along with an Ethernet switch, ESS says the ES9701 will provide a high level of integration at a low cost for both VoIP adapters and applications.

    Included in its features is a 32-bit RISC processor, an AES encryption module and an LCD display with keypad interface.

    The ES9701 also comes packaged with a VoIP phone/adapter reference design as well as a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) stack.

    Robert Wong, the firm’s vice-president of marketing and worldwide sales, said the ES9701 enables rapid development of VoIP phones and adapters at the lowest system cost."

    "Finally, we can have affordable VoIP for everyone," he said.

  • HTC Announces North America Version of S740


    HTC is bringing out a North American version of its S740 slider.

    The S743 will switch from the previously Europe-only HSPA 3G to a dual-band 850MHz/1,900MHz link suited to AT&T in the US and Rogers in Canada.

    That apart, the phone will be identical with a lateral slide-out QWERTY keyboard and hardware keys for directions and numbers in place of the touchscreen fitted to the similarly-styled Touch Pro.

    A 3.2-megapixel camera and microSDHC-dependent storage also carry over from the regular S740.

    HTC plans to ship the Windows Mobile 6.1 phone within the first three months of the year as an unlocked, unsubsidized device.

    Pricing hasn’t been announced but expect it to be be high without carrier discounts.

  • Samsung Promises Thinnest Ever HDTV


    Samsung is to unveil a flat-panel HDTV measuring a waif-like 6.5-millimeters at this week’s Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.

    The TV set is reported to be between 6.5mm and 7mm across its width and has an LED (light emitting diode) backlight.

    There are suggestions that the TV tuner is not actually in Samsung’s set – located instead in a base station.

    That aside, if the dimensions are confirmed it would be the thinnest LCD TV yet demonstrated.

    Currently that accolade is held by Philips, which unveiled an 8mm prototype LCD television at the IFA electronics show in Berlin last year.

    At the same event Sony showed a 9.9mm set that is already available – making it the thinnest LCD TV in retail stores.

    Samsung has a news conference for Wednesday at which the TV set is expected to take centre stage.