IT-Services
Infineon and Rambus have decided to stop all ongoing legal action and sort out a licensing agreement. The two have been in court alleging patent infringments and worse since the late twentieth century.
Visitors to AMD"s website forums received a shock when their adware and virus scanners started blaring warnings about a possible Trojan horse being downloaded. Over the past few days visitors have been complaining about strange popup alerts and slow forum speeds. Apparently, the forum webpages were modified to include a link to a malicious Windows Metafile (WMF) image hosted on toolbarsdollars.biz. A major WMF vulnerability that allows hackers to hide code inside of image files was disclosed a few weeks ago and many users still have not patched against it.
Recently the "in progress" operating system hit Milestone 3 (Build 6780) and has a street date of June 3, 2009. But many web sites that posted videos showcasing cool features discovered in the latest build have up and vanished since early this morning. While there are plenty of screenshots to go around, watching Milestone 3 in action seems out of the question.
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Free to enter, so why not put your name into the hat?
On Tuesday, Dell launched its new line of OptiPlex commercial desktop solutions, including the OptixPlex 960, OptixPlex 760, OptixPlex 360 and OptiPlex FX160. The OptiPlex FX160 is Dells very first thin client.
Santa Clara (CA) - Intel said it has developed a new line of motherboards that will enable PCs to retain certain functionality, even when they are in a power saving sleep mode and consume potentially less than 20% the power they normally would.
The Sony VAIO JS, LV and RT models were unveiled at CEDIA Wednesday, featuring Blu-ray drives and fashionable all-in-one desktop designs.
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Canadian memory outfit Concord Idea gave us a sneak peak at their new FB-DIMM modules at Computex. Designed for use in mission critical servers and performance workstations, Concerned tells us that their new SyncMAX modules can provide a high-speed data transfer rate with 533, 667 or 800 Mb/s DDR2 components, with a throughput peak of a whopping 6.4 GB/s.
A-Data Technology, the largest vendor of DRAM memory modules in Asia and number three in the world, announced its new Vitesta branded DDR2-667 SO-DIMMs. Utilizing DDR2-667 DRAM, such as Elpida"s 60-ball FBGA-packaged lead-free 512-Mbit (64x8) EDE5108AESK-6E-E (latencies: 5-5-5), the new modules will provide a maximum bandwidth of 5.3 GB/sec (in a single-channel configuration) and will come in capacities of 256 MB, 512 MB and 1 GB. Aiming to support Intel"s next-generation mobile platform codenamed Napa, the Vitesta DDR2-667 SO-DIMMs are now available in samples and are scheduled for mass production starting next quarter.
Milpitas (CA) - Want to upgrade your notebook PC? If it is not capacity, but it is performance you are interested in, then Sandisk should soon have an option that could make you think twice: The company will be offering a NAND flash-based solid state disk (SSD) in a traditional 2.5" form factor and 32 GB capacity for $350.
Fast-paced executives and impatient souls might be happy to hear this one. On Monday, Intel unveiled a technology, called Robson cache technology, that uses the NAND flash memory to not only boot the laptop up in a flash, but also to open programs almost immediately.
Los Angeles (CA) - Video games have surely come arrived as a main staple of entertainment. What better way to prove it than with their own awards show? Next month, Spike TV will broadcast the third annual Video Game Awards on December 10th. To get a preview of the VGAs we went to the taping of the show over the past weekend, held in Los Angeles (of course) at the Gibson Amphitheater inside the Universal Citywalk entertainment complex.
With global DRAM output continuing to grow, oversupply in the DDR and DDR2 segments will worsen over the upcoming months, and the effects can be expected to weigh on memory price trends in both the contract and spot markets, memory research specialist InSpectrum indicated. InSpectrum noted that the output ramp from both Taiwan and US makers were fairly stable in October, while a Germany-based memory maker reported output growth from its production partners.
The recent rally of DDR2 pricing, especially for effectively tested (eTT) chips, may portend the the growth of DDR2 penetration in the channel, rather than only in the PC OEM segment. Spot prices of 512 Mb DDR2 chips have been increasing since early July, with the latest quote on July 19 being $4.30, representing 19% growth in just 12 days, according to figures posted by DRAMeXchange.
Age of Booty Sets Sail
Both Apple.com and Apple.co.uk have listed an August 28 launch for Snow Leopard.
Movie lovers can now build a PC to enjoy an HD DVD or Blu-ray experience with the release of new Nvidia ForceWare drivers featuring Nvidia PureVideo HD technology, the graphics company has announced. PureVideo HD technology combines high-definition video decode acceleration and post-processing to deliver extraordinary picture clarity, smooth video, brilliant color, and precise image scaling for high definition movies, Nvidia said.
San Jose (CA) - Samsung today announced that it has begun volume production of DDR2 memory modules in 80 nm. According to the company, the move from its 90 nm to the 80 nm process technology increases production efficiency by 50%.
Semiconductor manufacturer DS2 has announced new features for its Aitana 200 Mbit/sec. powerline networking chipset that enable the component to deliver transmission speeds four times faster than standard wireless networks.
AMD plans to hold the first public demonstration event of its virtualization technology at the upcoming Linux World tradeshow in Boston. The company said today that it will have Opteron processor systems on display showing the capabilities of the technology.
Boston (MA) - In a session Wednesday afternoon on ten classes of benefits administrators will see from the forthcoming operating system still called Windows Server "Longhorn," for lack of a specific year, Microsoft technical program manager Ward Ralston revealed that one installation option for Longhorn, entitled Server Core, will enable a command line-driven OS with just the basic services to be installed within a 500 MB footprint.
Several MID (mobile Internet device) makers including Samsung Electronics, Fujitsu, High Tech Computer (HTC) and BenQ cooperated with Intel to showcase their upcoming mobile Internet device (MID) related products at CES 2008. In addition to 4- to 7" panels, touch screen functions were a major trend for almost all the MID products.
Versions of Windows and Office that are suitable for multiple partners.
The very essence of a netbook is portability. Besides being just small and light, one other key point to portability is battery life -- something that Asus intends to take to the next level with its just-announced Eee 1000HE.
In order to better serve clients and highlight its unified communications solutions, Logicalis moved its Dallas area office to Plano, Texas.
Microsoft has released new version of Microsoft Word and Office to comply with a patent ruling handed down in December.
Los Angeles (CA)
According to the recently released list of the worlds Top500 supercomputers, the title of worlds fastest supercomputer goes to IBMs Roadrunner, located at the Los Alamos National Laboratory.
IBM continues to dominate the supercomputing industry, according to the Top500 Organization"s latest list of the most powerful computers in the world. Altogether, Big Blue"s systems comprise 219 of the 500 systems included in the bi-annual survey.
The New York Times today reports that IBM has withdrawn its offer of $7 billion for Sun Microsystems.
Several reports today say that IBM is in talks to purchase Sun Microsystems for a rumored $6.5 billion dollars.
Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer has indicated to investors that Microsoft is preparing to release a low-cost, low-end version of Windows Server with stripped functionality.
There is a new speed demon in the supercomputer circuit.
Los Angeles (CA) - Leap day (February 29) happens once every four years, but it seems that there cannot be a single leap day without mainstream media reporting about computer-related problems associated with the date. This time around, so called "Easy Check-in" kiosks at the Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) were crashing as the software did not allow passengers to check-in for the flight.
Hollywood (CA) - While Blu-ray has pretty much officially won the high definition media war, the HD DVD release of American Gangster beat out all of its Blu-ray contenders in the last full week of February.
VueMinder Calendar 5.5.0 adds innovative new features for visualizing schedules. Instead of the standard fare of only seeing event colors based on assigned calendar, this version provides visualization by calendar, category, priority, and location.
With the upcoming launch of Intel"s Nehalem CPUs, the highly integrated CPU means a boost for corresponding flip-chip (FC) substrate demand is likely as more substrates are required for new designs, according to industry players. Of the Nehalem lineup, Bloomfield, which will pack the processor and memory controller, as well as possibly more northbridge functions such as a GPU in a multi-chip-package (MCP), will demand more substrate layers, implying a larger size of substrate.
The semiconductor market for car-use applications will total $18.14 billion in 2008, up from $15.14 billion at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 8.2%, according to statistics from Strategy Analytics. While the average cost for semiconductor applications in a car was $380 in 2005, in 2010 the average cost will reach $550, figures from the research firm showed.
Eindhoven (The Netherlands) - John Kessels from the technical university of Eindhoven claims that a relatively simple software update as well as the addition of a cable could reduce the fuel consumption of virtually any car on the road today.
ATI today announced the Theater 650 Pro, an evolutionary upgrade over the 550 Pro predecessor. According to the manufacturer, the ASIC offers improved TV reception, picture quality and PVR performance. Paul Lypaczewski, ATI"s senior vice president marketing for the company"s desktop division, claimed that entertainment center PCs equipped with the chip "will match or better most consumer electronic solutions today."
Pre CES show coverage - Pompano Beach (FL) - Vutec will be showing at CES a three-way monitor that provides users with an anamorphic widescreen view of standard and high definition content. In effect, the "Vision XFT Tri-Plex screen" promises to eliminate black bars on the screen while still maintaining a complete image for the 2.35:1 Cinemascope aspect ratio, as well as regular 16:9 widescreen and 4:3 ratios.
Chicago (IL) - Gigabyte"s i-Ram and HyperOs Systems" HyperDrive III solid state disk recently gave us a first impression that solid state storage is making its way into the mainstream: And there is more to come in the near future: DDRdrive will soon release a PCI Express device that uses external power to ensure the memory will not lose its stored data.
Samsung today said that it has received a certification for its flash-based solid state disk drives (SSDs) from Microsoft"s Windows Hardware Qualification Lab (WHQL). The company will offer the drives as a 32 GB 2.5" form factor version as well as slim-type devices with capacities of 16 and 32 GB.
Microscopic chain mail made from miniscule metal links has been made by US researchers. It could ultimately be used to create textiles with sensors and other electronics built in.
Fast-growing Battery Retailer and MICROS-Retail Partner for System-wide Implementation
Chicago (IL) - The growth of botnets has prompted several voices to claim that the war against this threat already has been lost. However, security software developer CA says the war "is far from over." It can be won, we were told, but Internet users will have to learn websmarts and be cautious about a false sense of security that is created by antivirus software - and Windows Vista.
Microsoft has been ordered to pay hundreds of millions of dollars to software company Uniloc Inc, which specializes in the protection of infrastructure as well as software and games.
Nvidia recently placed additional orders for wafer starts at 0.14-micron for its AGP8x-based NV34 (FX5200) graphics chips at Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), as demand in the entry-level segment remains strong, according to sources. The orders will provide about two million graphics chips per month, the sources indicated.
Intel has given its customers more details about the 6XX range of Pentium 4 processors, according to an internal document seen by the Inquirer.
Beijing (China) - Rechargeable batteries are a great return business for battery companies and a continuous source of inconvenience for users of pretty much device that uses such batteries: Ongoing use will cause the battery to lose its capacity over time: While you can influence the degree of capacity loss, you will eventually need to replace the battery at some point. New research now indicates that a carbon nanotube anode coating on may cut the capacity almost in half.
UPDATED 20 Oct 2005 11:50 am EST
It takes a lot of guts to ask Steve Ballmer to sign a MacBook Pro.
Santa Clara (CA) - The replacement of faulty graphics chips as well as a much stronger than expected AMD/ATI pushed Nvidia deep into the red during the second quarter. The company reported a revenue decline of 23% sequentially and a triple-digit loss.
Promethean has announced that Southampton City Council has adopted its ActivExpression Learner Response Systems across all 77 primary and secondary schools in the area
Windows 7 is all the rage recently, and rightly so. The soon to be released operating system is considered to be what Windows Vista should have been.
Sunnyvale (CA)
Announces Likewise Enterprise Starter Packs for integration with Active Directory
EA has released the final specifications of its specialized Crysis machine that it intends to offer for those looking to get into PC gamings most demanding title.
At the Games Convention in Leipzig, Germany, members of AwardFabrik.de managed to break 4GHz using liquid nitrogen cooling on an AMD Phenom 9950 processor. CPU-Z did not correctly validate the clockspeed however, and the AwardFabrik team are still unsure why this was the case.
Graphics card makers including Asustek Computer, Micro-Star International (MSI), Leadtek Research and Albatron have launched their latest GeForce graphics cards based on Nvidia"s GeForce 9800 GX2 GPU. Asustek unveiled its dual GPU EN9800GX2/G/2DI/1G offering speeds up to 50% faster than GeForce 8800 Ultra-based cards.
OCZ announced the PC2-7200 Platinum series, the firm"s first memory line that integrates enhanced performance profiles (EPP). According to the company, the PC2-7200 devices are "designed with advanced SPD settings to allow compatible motherboards to recognize and utilize the added operation data, ultimately increasing the performance potential of the entire platform."
The Asus Eee brand has transformed into many things. What started out as a moniker for the value-oriented and focused netbook line that sparked a massive trend is now a label for consumer-oriented nettops, monitors and even keyboards.
2008 was fraught with news about layoffs, cutbacks and corporate restructuring. The current economic crisis means companies are desperate to save the pennies in any way they can and it looks like 2009 is off to a similar start.
Bolstered by its partnership with ATI, AMD"s Live! Home Cinema Platform supports a full range of PC capabilities in a living-room convenient form factor.
Tennessee Software Solutions (TSS), a leading provider of accounting software solutions including Sage MAS 90 and 200 ERP, Peachtree by Sage, and QuickBooks Enterprise, has been recognized by Sage as a Top Performer in the recently completed 2009 Customer Loyalty Project.
Santa Clara (CA) - Intel is gearing up for its Spring Developer Forum, which will open its doors on April 2 in Shanghai. Senior vice president Pat Gelsinger gave a first outlook what attendees will be able to see in China: Judging by this first presentation, Intel isn"t slowing down and will present a full line of new products ranging from a new Itanium on the high-end, to a six core MP Xeon, more details about the next-gen Nehalem micro architecture, first information about the succeeding 32 nm Sandy Bridge architecture as well as its discrete graphics card and FP accelerator Larrabee.
SecurityCoverage, Inc. today announced Windows 7 Microsoft operating system support with optimized performance for SecureIT Free.
After months of rumors and denials, the XBOX 360 with a Blu-ray disc drive is due to be manufactured soon and shipped in Q3 of 2008. Pegatron Technology, an OEM subsidiary of Asustek Computer, is reported to have received the winning order from Microsoft for a Blu-ray equipped XBOX 360.
LG.Philips LCD will showcase several widescreen HDTV LCD panels and a 10.1" electronic book reader (e-book) display at FPD International 2005 (October 19-21) in Yokohama, Japan. The company will showcase 37-, 42- and 47" widescreen full high definition (1920 by 1080) TFT LCDs for HDTVs and multimedia displays.
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Los Angeles (CA) - You can never have too much storage, bandwidth or computing power - and this is especially true if youre a 3D animator. Nvidia is showing off their new Quadro Plex 2200 D2 box containing four graphics processors and attendees at the Siggraph convention are drooling over the insane computing power. The external box can hold one or two Quadro FX 5800 cards (each card has two graphics processors). When fully maxed out, the box contains 8 GB of frame buffer memory and can support up to four displays.
Albatron Technology has unveiled three new Nvidia GeForce 8-series graphics cards that use the practically outdated PCI slot. While the appeal of the PCI8600GT-256X, the PCI8500GT-256X and the PCI8400GS-256 may not be obvious for anyone who has a PCI Express or even AGP slot on their motherboard, there are still quite a few systems (particularly small form factor or HTPC ones) where expansion options are limited, creating an niche market for these cards.
Mountain House (CA) Unlike the ATI that we knew before, it appears that AMDs graphics division is running perfectly these days and ahead of deadlines. Even though the graphics unit has posted an $8 million loss in the first quarter of this year in an effort to improve market share rather than average selling prices - the graphics business is making progress: We hear the company has struck gold with the RV770 and will be bring the chip to market earlier than expected.
Hong Kong - Nvidia"s NDA has lifted and over the next few hours you"ll see a flurry of product announcements and benchmarks spring up around the Net. Hong Kong-based Palit is one of the first companies to announce a card and it is including an extra twist - free game server hosting for the first three months.
Is everyone in a festive panic yet? This time of year brings together family and friends, and usually lots of last minute scrambling. Hopefully today"s deals will help with that! As usual, a big thanks to our partner, Logic Buy, for sponsoring this post.
Computex will go ahead as planned, despite the current Swine Flu epidemic.
The netbook class of mobile computing is quickly becoming the most lucrative of the computing world, and along with that comes fierce competition to win over the customers, MSI is now showing off a sleek pair of X-Slim netbooks.
Xerox"s color laser printers are finally becoming affordable. At this year"s CeBIT, the self-proclaimed document company is introducing a 12-page-per-minute office color-laser printer for under $450 (€300).
Gigabyte is presenting two new motherboards for AMD"s Phenom processor. The GA-780SLI-DS5 uses Nvidia"s SLI-capable nForce 780a chipset while the GA-MA78GM-S2H is built around AMD"s own 780G chipset.
SyberWorks, Inc., a leader in custom e-Learning Solutions and the LMS announces that due to overwhelming response, registration for the Webinar, FDA Computer Validation 101: Basic Fundamentals, ends Thursday February 4th, 2010.
Despite its age, Windows XP is still widely used for several reasons speed and compatibility being two of the leading ones.
Samsung advertises thwe world"s largest Ultra-High-Definition TV
There are few people who can captivate and appeal to the entire tech industry, and even fewer with life stories to match. Steve Wozniak, Co-founder and Employee #1 at Apple, is one such man. From simple beginnings in his garage and at UC Berkeley to winning more engineering and inventor awards than can be counted, Steve is one of the few engineers left who have seen the personal computer era in its entirety.
Continuing on a theme of mobility that seems to be fairly prominent at this years IDF, One Voice Technologies has announced voice control for Intel-based MIDs.
evocos, a leading provider of event and delegate management applications, today launched their new Facebook Fan Page.
It"s that time of day again, and here we have a few meaty tidbits of gaming goodness to chew on including news of DC Universe Online and Need for Speed Online.
BoomTown today carries an exclusive report that says Apple is planning to buy mobile ad network Quattro Wireless.
Gateway issued a "voluntary" recall of about 35,000 batteries included with notebooks that were shipped through the firm"s direct, professional and retail channels. According to the company, the batteries affected were built by Sony and can overheat and create a "potential" fire hazard.
With the economy in such poor shape, people start budgeting and turn their head to personal finance programs. However their complexity is often so frustrating that many cannot event understand whether they lived within a budget this month or not.
Chicago (IL)
Samsung today said that its 1 GB MMCmicro Flash memory card is about 3.5 times faster in data transfers than any other micro memory technology. Targeted for a use at cellphones, digital cameras and MP3 players, the device can write data at a pace of 7.12 MBps. According to Samsung, that is fast enough tos tore 20 5-megapixel images in about 11 seconds.
Milpitas (CA) - Sandisk piggybacks on the launch of Nintendo"s Wii and said that will be offering a "special edition" SD memory card when the game console launches this weekend. The memory card will be offered in three versions with 512 MB, 1 GB and 2 GB capacity and prices that range from $35 to $90.
Portland (Maine) - A huge security break at the Hannaford Bros. grocery chain has exposed more than 4 million credit card and debit card numbers. So far, the pilfered numbers have led to 1800 cases of fraud. The chain says the numbers were stolen during the card authorization process and that it affects customers in the Northeast portion of the country along with Florida.
West Lafayette (IN) - Now we can point fingers at certain regions within the U.S. when we are looking for the largest producers of carbon dioxide. Drumroll, please: According to a new "Vulcan" map published by Purdue University, the Southwest is outed as a key player and has been found to be pumping out much more carbon dioxide from fossil fuels than previously estimated.
LynuxWorks says L-3 Display Systems chose its Linux-like LynxOS-178 real-time OS for the cockpit display system in the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF). Key selection criteria included adherence to open standards, Linux compatibility, interoperability benefits of a POSIX API, and support for ARINC-653, according to the company
Manila (Philippines) - Filipino manufacturer Neo has partnered up with Intel to create the "Neo Explore," a laptop designed as an educational tool with a target audience of local schoolchildren.
Agere Systems on May 30 introduced its FW430 and FW843 chipsets, which the company claims can double the speed at which information can be moved between personal computers (PCs) and various devices such as high-performance hard disk drives. The FW430 and FW843 transports voice, data and video signals moving between computer and consumer electronics equipment at up to 800 Megabits per second (Mbits/s) - twice as fast as current 1394A 400 Mbits/s technology, according to the company.
AMD whips out AMD Live! Home Entertainment. Live! Home Entertainment is yet another brand to add to the companys portfolio of sticker brands.
Just when you thought hard drive prices couldn"t get any lower, certain Costco stores are selling 400 GB internal hard drives for $99.97. The Western Digital 7200 RPM drives have been available for a few weeks and the price thankfully does not include any coupon or rebate hassles.
Tom"s Hardware has updated its interactive CPU charts with the latest processors from Intel and AMD. Intel"s Core 2 Duo has reshuffled the ranking, which lets you compare two processors in 38 different benchmarks side-by-side. The Core 2 Extreme X6800, the Core 2 Duo models E6700 and E6600, as well as AMD"s socket AM2-based processors have joined the listing.
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) will start volume production on 45nm technology in the third quarter of 2007 at the earliest, according to company vice president Jack Sun, while sources added that United Microelectronics Corporation (UMC) is also working on developing its 45nm process technology.
Sunnyvale (CA) - Discrete graphics are advancing deeper into the mainstream segment with AMD"s new Radeon HD 3000 series, offering DirectX 10.1 and DisplayPort functionality as well as the ability to handle 1080p high definition video for prices starting at about $50.
Observer Platform Provides VMware Users Seamless Performance Management in Virtual and Physical Environments
Work, Work. Yes me"lord.
Upgraded project and schedule management software includes ability to track critical path in a Gantt chart
If you thought that the debacle over ISP net caps was just starting to boil, then you"ll be even more surprised to hear that the issue has now landed on the front doors of Congress.
Nvidia has released an official statement refuting the recent Digitimes story claiming that the company is planning to quit its chipset business. Michael Jong, senior director of corporate marketing for Nvidia indicated that Nvidia has no intention of getting out of the chipset business and that the report is completely groundless.
Most people grumble and complain about the high cost of top end GPUs. Now it appears that these GPUs are cost-effective ways to breach wireless network encryption.
It"s here! You just can"t buy it yet.
Does free antivirus do just as good a job?
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Microsoft and Nokia are said to be working together to product a mobile version of Office for Nokia handsets.
It looks like Acer is not at all worried about Nokias foray into the netbook market.
A new force feedback jacket is now being tested by Philips Electronics, and it aims to help users feel their multimedia content in an entirely new way.
Chicago (IL) - An ATI chipset roadmap has appeared on two South American websites today. At least for now, it appears that the acquisition by AMD could accelerate the rollout of products and ATI. While battling Intel on the low-end, ATI"s chipsets and graphics processors begin to align closely with AMD to offer high-end gaming solutions for FX processors.
Earlier this week, Intel and TSMC announced an agreement that would see the Taiwan chip manufacturer would produce Atom-based System on Chip (SoC) technologies.
Are we a nation of Internet addicts? Researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine think that some of us are. In a telephone-based study, researchers say one out of eight Americans showed signs of excessive Internet use. They also concluded that the typical addict is a single white male who spends approximately 30 hours a week surfing the net.
Add Biostar Microtech International to the list of companies preparing to release Nvidia nForce4-based small-form-factor (SFF) PCs this quarter as the company plans to begin shipping its iDEQ 300P SFF PC, in volume, in mid-March, according to sources at the company.
Munich
Taipei (Taiwan) - With falling demand for entry-level discrete graphics cards, and even mid-range cards in some cases, due to improvements in motherboard IGP performance, several graphics card makers have taken steps to enter the motherboard market.The makers who have started to launch motherboard products include PowerColor (Tul), XFX, Sapphire, BFG, Gainward, Inno3D, Galaxy and Zotac.
With Nvidia"s Vista driver finally available, the graphics chip maker is expected to roll out its mainsteam and low-end DirectX 10-capable chips, the G80 and G84, in the second quarter of 2007. Meanwhile AMD is also set to release its own DirectX 10-capable GPU series, which includes the R600, R610 and R630, around the same time, according to sources at Taiwan graphics card makers.
ATI"s fabrication partner, TSMC, has begun punching out graphics chips for the company that use 45 diagonal interconnections rather than the more common right-angled wiring pattern.