David Needle

SEATTLE, WA — AMD unveiled the latest chips for its Athlon 64-bit processor line for desktops on Tuesday: the Athlon 64 FX-62, X2 5000+ and 64 X2 4000+. An AMD spokesman said the timing of the announcement by press release on the eve of Microsoft’s influential WinHec (Windows Hardware Engineering Conference) was “coincidental.” In a […]

It’s probably no coincidence the voice mailbox of an oft-quoted Silicon Valley analyst was full and not taking messages Thursday. The computer industry was buzzing at the news that Dell had finally decided to break from Intel and add AMD processors to its product mix. Dell is hardly backing away from its long-time partner and […]

A breakthrough development for digital cameras is coming from a name unfamiliar to most camera buffs. Boise, ID-based chipmaker Micron Technology today announced it’s developed the world’s smallest 8-megapixel image sensor. New digital cameras based on this technology will be able to capture action shots much quicker then current cameras. Another plus: these cameras will […]

Reporter’s Notebook: When I covered computing in the 1990s, speed ruled. Intel-based PC makers battled Apple and others over who had the fastest systems. IBM, HP, SGI and others competed to be crowned speediest workstation. And so on. When the latest speeds and feeds were the main thing to write about, I used to joke […]

AMD has made its biggest gains making chips for servers and consumer desktops but that doesn’t mean it’s given up on the mobile sector. Far from it. The Sunnyvale, Calif., chipmaker said it’s now shipping its AMD Turion 64 X2 chips, the first 64-bit, dual-core processors for thin and light notebook computers. PC makers Acer, […]

Plantronics has created another accessory for road warriors, a VoIP-enabled, Bluetooth headset that connects to a cell phone or PC-based phone at the touch of a button. Wireless Bluetooth has been a mixed blessing for mobile users; great when it works, not always easy to set up for VoIP calls. Plantronics   said it has […]

SAN JOSE, CALIF. — It’s all about power — less power. Energy efficiency was the theme at In-Stat’s Processor Forum, where AMD kicked things off with a “less-is-more” announcement. The No. 2 chipmaker said its latest desktop processors, Athlon 64 X2 dual-core, AMD 64 and AMD Sempron, will be available in a more efficient, better […]

That’s a discussion an increasing number of IT shops are having when it comes to PC purchasing. And if they’re not, they should be. Why? There are more and better benefits in PC leasing than ever before. That’s the conclusion of Robert Frances Group (RFG) senior analyst Adam Braunstein who’s been researching the multi-billion-dollar IT […]

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. — Newsflash: Google is driven by search. That may seem brain-dead obvious. But with the world’s biggest Internet search company expanding to other areas, such as social networking, company CEO Eric Schmidt took pains to underscore that Google’s mission hasn’t changed. “Search is the unifying solution,” said Schmidt at an event here […]

Looking to extend its sizable lead in the server blade market, IBM today unveiled new products and services designed to appeal to small- and medium-sized businesses (SMBs). The Armonk, N.Y., company trotted out the Server Connectivity Module for IBM BladeCenter, an entry-level networking switch priced at $999. IBM said it also plans to boost the […]

UPDATED:* SAN FRANCISCO — HP uses “Invent” as its slogan, but now the Silicon Valley computer giant wants to reinvent personal computing. Looking to capitalize on what it sees as a new era of mobile personal computing, HP showed off new notebook models for businesses and consumers here today at its Mobility Summit. The business […]

Maybe you can’t make time fly, but some clever Silicon Valley engineers have devised technology to improve on-chip clock performance. Scotts Valley, Calif.-based Multigig emerged from stealth mode this week to announce its first product, RotaryWave. The company claimed RotaryWave will offer as much as a 75 percent energy savings over standard clock design. Multigig […]