Legit Reviews News History

Mozilla updates Firefox 2.0 beta

Mozilla has released a new test version of Firefox 2.0, which will be the next major version of its popular open-source browser. Firefox 2.0 Beta 2, released Thursday at about 3 p.m. Pacific time, features an improved user interface and a limited version of the phishing protection feature that Mozilla is developing for the browser. More information on the Beta 2 release can be found here.

Beta 2 also comes with improved search capabilities, a spellchecker for Web forms, and jazzed-up tabbed browsing capabilities. This second beta release will probably be the last beta version of Firefox 2.0. Developers are now planning to ship a nearly final "release candidate" edition of the browser on Sept. 19, with the finished product going out the door by the end of October.

InfoWorld

Posted by | Thu, Aug 31, 2006 - 06:39 PM

Nokia unveils N80 multimedia phone

Nokia announced on Thursday that the N80 Internet Edition, an enriched successor to the N80 multimedia phone, will be available in mid-September. The N80 Internet Edition can be used as both a cell phone and a voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) phone. Users can download and use software for any VoIP service, according to Nokia. In addition to handling work-related functions such as e-mail and text-messaging, the Wi-Fi-capable multimedia phone allows users to find and map locations, take pictures, share photos, browse a book, and record and send instant voice messages.

The device features Yahoo Search and Yahoo Go, an application that manages things like voice instant messages, contacts, e-mails and photos. Yahoo Go allows N80 Internet Edition users to upload their images to Flickr, Yahoo's photo-sharing Web site. While cell phone cameras have been steadily increasing in quality, the N80's 3-megapixel CCD is impressive. At that resolution, the photos are easily of print quality. Nokia's Web browser includes a function called Mini Map, which plots search listings on a viewable map. The N80 Internet Edition can also be used to read books via Amazon MobiPocket reader.

CNET News

Posted by | Thu, Aug 31, 2006 - 06:35 PM

Microsoft Awards $951 Million Worth of Stock to Executives

Microsoft on Thursday handed out performance bonuses of restricted stock worth nearly $1 billion to roughly 900 senior executives. Congrats to those 900, but what about everyone else?

Jeff Raikes, who heads Microsoft's business division, received the largest grant -- 875,334 shares -- bringing his ownership stake in the software company to 5.5 million shares, according to a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Neither Chairman Bill Gates nor CEO Steve Ballmer was on the bonus list. The company delivered a total of 37 million shares of stock worth $951 million at Thursday's closing price of $25.70 a share.

The Street

Posted by | Thu, Aug 31, 2006 - 06:29 PM

ATI Technologies Recalls TV Wonder 650 cards

ATI Technologies said it will recall cards for its TV Wonder 650 product, but the effects of the replacements will be minimal on the chipmaker, according to a Tuesday report by UBS Investment Research.

Robert Dennison, an analyst for the research firm, said ATI will replace the defective cards for the TV Wonder 650, which allows consumers to turn their personal computers into a television and video recorder, among other things. The effects of the recall will be small, Dennison said, because the product represents a small fraction of total revenue.

Forbes

Posted by | Thu, Aug 31, 2006 - 06:26 PM

ATI Launches the Radeon Xpress 1250 Chipset for Intel platforms

ATI Technologies Inc. is delivering a new mark in excellence for integrated graphics performance on the Intel mobile and desktop computing platform with the introduction of the new Radeon Xpress 1250 chipset. The Radeon Xpress 1250 serves up unparalleled graphics performance to the integrated graphics segment, providing more horsepower for the latest 3D games and the most sophisticated multimedia applications.

Radeon Xpress 1250 is the first Intel-based chipset to support ATI's revolutionary Avivo display and video architecture. This technology produces vibrant images and smooth video playback, and true-to-life images for all types of multimedia, including high-definition content. Radeon Xpress 1250 supports the latest memory and networking standards. In conjunction with ATI's SB600 South Bridge support is provided for up to 10 Hi-Speed USB 2.0 ports, 4 SATA II ports with RAID capability, and supports the fastest, most secure data management technologies.

Legit Forums

Posted by | Wed, Aug 30, 2006 - 08:48 AM

Mobile Security Specification - Locking down mobile phones

A new set of security standards designed to lock down mobile devices has been hammered out and is set to be unveiled at the CTIA Wireless I.T. & Entertainment show being held in Los Angeles next month. Called the Mobile Security Specification, it is billed as the basis for a new generation of secure phones and mobile devices that will be harder to tamper with and more secure. The standards are backed by companies such as Nokia, Samsung Electronics, and France Telecom. I'm not sure I like this locking stuff, but what can we do?

The specification has been years in development, said Janne Uusilehto, head of Nokia product security and the chairman of the working group developing this technology. In general terms, the specification calls on hardware vendors to store protected information in a secure area of the phones. Similar to the Trusted Platform Module used in PCs, this technology could be used to ensure that the phone's operating system, applications and data have not been tampered with. This type of trusted module could also be used by network operators to ensure that the phones on their network can't be used if they are stolen, said Mark Redman, a principal engineer with Freescale Semiconductor Inc. who is familiar with the specification. "That is probably one of the biggest concerns that the cell phone operators have at this stage," he said.

InfoWorld

Posted by | Wed, Aug 30, 2006 - 08:42 AM

Microsoft Vista to sell for $100 to $399

Microsoft Corp. is selling its new Windows Vista operating system for $100 to $399 and will make the program available on Jan. 30, according to Amazon.com Inc.'s Web site.

Amazon, which is already taking orders for Vista, lists the price for Vista Ultimate, the most expensive retail product, at $399 for a full version and $259 for an upgrade. Vista Business costs $299 for a full version and $199 for an upgrade. An upgrade to the software's most basic home version costs $100. Microsoft declined to confirm the prices.

Chicago Sun-Times

Posted by | Wed, Aug 30, 2006 - 07:59 AM

AT&T hack exposes 19,000 identities

AT&T on Tuesday said hackers broke into one of its computer systems and accessed personal data on thousands of customers who used its online store. The information that was illegally accessed includes credit card numbers, AT&T said in a statement. The cyberattack affects about 19,000 customers who purchased equipment for high-speed DSL Internet connections through AT&T's Web site, the company said.

he break-in occurred over the weekend and was discovered within hours, after which the online store was shut down, AT&T said. The telecommunications company quickly notified credit card companies and is in the process of contacting the affected customers via e-mail, phone and letter, it said. The incident is the latest in a long string of data security breaches. Since early last year, more than 90 million personal records have been exposed in dozens of incidents, according to information compiled by the Privacy Rights Clearinghouse.

CNET News

Posted by | Wed, Aug 30, 2006 - 07:55 AM

AMD to launch Yokohama notebook platform in 4Q

By the fourth quarter of this year, Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) and ATI Technologies will jointly launch a new notebook platform, currently codenamed Yokohama, that utilizes AMD's Turion 64 X2 processors and ATI's future chipsets, which are currently known as the RS690M, RS690DC and RS790M, according to sources at Taiwan-based notebook makers familiar with ATI's latest roadmap.

Targeted to compete with Intel's Napa Refresh platform, the Yokohama platform may also include WLAN chipsets from Broadcom, Atheros Communications or Airgo Networks, the sources added. Using ATI's chipset solutions, AMD will likely build its own Centrino-like platform for high-performance laptops, the sources noted. According to market research firm JPR, ATI held 63.1% of the world's market of discrete notebook GPUs in the second quarter of this year. ATI's share of the overall market of graphics solutions, including integrated chipsets, was 31% in the second quarter, behind Intel's 54.9% but above Nvidia's 10.9%.

DigiTimes Daily IT News

Posted by | Wed, Aug 30, 2006 - 07:54 AM

OCZ Announces PC2-9000 Ti Alpha VX2 DFI Special Edition memory

OCZ Technology Group today announced the exciting unveiling of the PC2-9000 Ti Alpha VX2 DFI Special Edition, an exclusively engineered series of memory optimized for the new DFI LANParty UT NF590 SLI-M2R. As a member of the cutting edge OCZ Voltage eXtreme lineup, the PC2-9000 VX2 DFI Special series is custom-built for high-voltage operation and record-breaking speeds of 1120MHz on the DFI M2R motherboard. I have to point out the fact that the DFI LANParty UT NF590 SLI-M2R is not yet fully in the channel and no memory timings were mentioned in the press release, but on OCZ's site they list the timings as 5-5-5-15 and using 2.45V to reach this speed.

The PC2-9000 VX2 is the latest member of the OCZ Titanium Alpha series?a new line of memory that carries the industry?s highest performing DDR2 solutions. All Titanium Alpha modules feature exclusive, multicolored XTC (Xtreme Thermal Convection) heatspreaders implementing an innovative Titanium deposition coating process that is resistant to scratches. Each Titanium Alpha module has its own unique color scheme and displays interchanging shades depending on the lighting and angle of the heatspreader. The PC2-9000 Ti Alpha VX2 DFI Special will be available in 1024MB Modules and 2GB (2x1024MB) dual channel kits. Furthermore, each OCZ PC2-9000 VX2 module is 100% hand-tested for quality assurance and compatibility and is backed by an industry leading OCZ Lifetime Warranty and technical support for unparalleled peace of mind.

Legit Forums

Posted by | Tue, Aug 29, 2006 - 10:56 AM

Japan Gov't Reports Sony Battery Fire in Apple Laptop

The Japanese government said on Tuesday it knew of one case in Japan of a Sony Corp. made battery used in an Apple Computer Inc. notebook computer overheating and catching fire.

The incident, resulting in a minor burn to the user's finger, happened last April. The government said last week there had been two cases of Sony-made batteries used in Dell Inc.'s notebook computers catching fire in the country, but no one was injured. The report on Tuesday comes after Apple said last week that it will recall 1.8 million lithium-ion notebook PC batteries that use battery cells made by Sony.

Eweek.com

Posted by | Tue, Aug 29, 2006 - 07:36 AM

Microsoft expected to release Vista RC1 today

Microsoft is expected to be giving product reviewers access to Windows Vista Release Candidate 1 (RC1) as soon as today. Reviewers will soon be getting their hands on the first release candidate of Windows Vista, which means Microsoft could be on target to deliver the OS to business customers according to schedule before the end of the year.

When Microsoft makes available the first release candidate of a product, it means the software is in its final stages of being ready to head to the manufacturer. The goal of making RC1 available is to show testers as close to a final version of the product as possible so Microsoft can identify and get rid of all of the last-minute bugs before putting the product on CDs. "It's like throwing one of those roach bombs in an empty apartment and see what comes out," said Joe Wilcox, an analyst with Jupiter Research of the RC1 testing process. "They're looking .. [to see] if there any bugs hiding in the walls somewhere."

InfoWorld

Posted by | Tue, Aug 29, 2006 - 07:34 AM

Indonesia agency reports 6.4 magnitude undersea quake, tsunami alert

Eastern Indonesia was on a tsunami alert Tuesday after an earthquake offshore rattled the region. The magnitude 6.4 earthquake struck near Indonesia's Moluccas islands, an official at the country's meteorological agency said.

"There is a possibility of a tsunami, but until now we have not received a report that it has happened," Fauzi, head seismologist at the agency, told Reuters.

MSNBC Technology News

Posted by | Tue, Aug 29, 2006 - 07:32 AM

Intel Launches Dual-Core Intel Xeon processor 7100 series 'Tulsa'

Intel Corporation today unveiled eight new Dual-Core Intel Xeon 7100 series processors designed for multi-processor servers. Previously codenamed ?Tulsa,? the Dual-Core Intel Xeon processor 7100 series delivers on key requirements to support the demands of enterprise applications: top performance and reliability. The processor family also includes lower-power, 95 watt options that reduce associated energy costs.

The Dual-Core Intel Xeon Processor 7100 series is compatible with the existing Intel E8501 chipset that was introduced last year and designed for dual-core processors. The 95 watt dual core option offers up to 40 percent less power consumption than the previous generation processor, providing increased power efficiency and lower energy costs. Intel?s 65nm ramp is proceeding extremely well with production already exceeding the company?s total 90nm volume. This manufacturing ramp is enabling Intel to drive a fast Dual-Core Xeon Processor 7100 series ramp. Intel?s manufacturing strength has allowed it to substantially revise prices for higher end Intel Xeon Processors delivering new levels of price/performance.

Legit Forums

Posted by | Tue, Aug 29, 2006 - 07:28 AM

Consumer confidence tumbles to 9-month low

A measure of U.S. consumer confidence slid in August to a nine-month low as worries about job growth and the economy overshadowed the Federal Reserve's recent pause in some two years of raising interest rates, a survey showed on Tuesday.

Less favorable business conditions coupled with a less favorable job scenario have resulted in the largest one-month decline in confidence since Hurricane Katrina last year," said Lynn Franco, director of The Conference Board Consumer Research Center. Consumers are growing increasingly pessimistic about the short-term outlook," she added in a statement. The Fed's policy-setting committee voted to leave its benchmark federal funds rate steady at 5.25 percent on August 8 but left the door open to future rate increases in case inflation proved tenacious.

Reuters Technology News

Posted by | Tue, Aug 29, 2006 - 07:21 AM

Samsung to fab 1Gbit DDR2 SDRAM at 80nm

With its DDR2 in all densities already being fabricated at the 80-nanometer node, Samsung Electronics today announced the mass production of 1Gbit DDR2 DRAM. I can't wait to see how these IC's turn out!

The South Korea DRAM maker notes that the advanced process node enables a package size 36% smaller than that implemented at 90nm. The package size of a 1Gb DDR2 chip manufactured on an 80nm process is 11x11.5mm, versus an 11x18mm package at 90nm.

DigiTimes Daily IT News

Posted by | Tue, Aug 29, 2006 - 07:20 AM

Corsair Launches DHX XMS2 DOMINATOR PC2-8888 DDR2 Memory

Corsair Memory today unveiled the latest innovation in high performance module design, Dual-path Heat Xchange (DHX) technology. This performance and reliability enhancing technology will be available in the latest memory product line from Corsair also launched today, the DHX XMS2 DOMINATOR Series. The advances provided by DHX enable the world?s first PC2-8888 C4 (1111MHz at CAS Latency 4) speed rating on a production pair of 1 GByte modules.

The DHX XMS2 DOMINATOR PC2-8888 C4 module will also feature a Corsair DOMINATOR Airflow fan that provides vastly increased air circulation through the module heat sink. To complement the launch of the PC2-8888 module Corsair will also offer a lower cost PC2-8500 C5 module for customers who want the added features of DHX without requiring the additional speed boost provided by the PC2-8888 C4 solution. The new DHX XMS2 DOMINATOR Series and the DOMINATOR Airflow accessory will be available at retailers by the first week of September. Expected retail prices for these modules are from $600-$650 for the TWIN2X2048-8888C4DF and $380-$400 for the TWIN2X2048-8500C5D. The DOMINATOR Airflow is expected to retail for under $25.00.

Posted by | Mon, Aug 28, 2006 - 12:27 PM

New virus attacks AMD processors

Security researchers at Symantec have discovered a new proof of concept virus that targets processors rather than operating systems. Security researchers at Symantec have discovered a new proof of a concept virus that targets processors rather than operating systems. The worm comes in two versions, targeting 32-bit and 64-bit processors from AMD. Symantec refers to the online pests as w32.bounds and w64.bounds. This is a rather interesting idea and the author sure was innovative on this one!

Symantec found the code in an online meeting place for virus writers, such as underground websites and IRC chat channels. "The author's intent is really proof of concept, to show that his virus can work and be difficult to detect across multiple processor families. He's showing his technical competence. But you would not use this technique if you wanted to get a pandemic. You would not use this technique unless it was for a very targeted attack or an academic attack." The w32.bounds and w64.bounds viruses infect systems by tying themselves to Windows executable files, which disqualifies them as so-called chip level threats. They do however employ elements of such attacks by showing an ability to executive chip level assembly code.

vnunet.com

Posted by | Mon, Aug 28, 2006 - 10:45 AM

TSMC submits 0.18-micron production application

Officials from Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) Shanghai indicated that the company had submitted an application to authorities in Taiwan for producing ICs on 0.18-micron in China, according to a Chinese-language Commercial Times report. The officials were cited as saying that the Shanghai fab will soon meet an economy of scale at 30,000 8-inch wafers in late August and that the foundry would not further expand capacity.

TSMC 0.18-Micron technology is a single poly, six metal layer process with low-k dielectrics. TSMC defines its "true" 0.18-Micron process technology as not only CMOS FET gates with a drawn dimension of 0.18-µms, but also layout and interconnect design rules that are appropriate to the new generation. TSMC's 0.18-Micron technology boasts the industry's tightest metal pitches with 0.46-µm contacted metal layer 1, 0.56-µm contacted metal layers 2 through 5, and 0.90-µm on metal layer 6. These pitches provide a higher gate density and more die per wafer, which leads to a lower cost per chip.

DigiTimes Daily IT News

Posted by | Mon, Aug 28, 2006 - 10:08 AM

Longhorns new scoreboard is world's largest HDTV

55 feet tall and 134 feet wide, this new jumbotron cost about $8 million dollars just to keep up the saying, "everything is bigger in Texas!"

Built by South Dakota-based Daktronics Inc., the $8 million scoreboard and accompanying sound system easily dwarf the old unit. It is the most visible change so far in a $150 million stadium renovation that will add about 10,000 seats in the north end zone, bringing capacity to just over 90,000 by 2008.

CNN

Posted by | Mon, Aug 28, 2006 - 08:52 AM

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