David Needle

IBM on Monday announced an addition to its xSeries of servers, the first built on Intel’s new dual-core Xeon processor code-named Paxville MP. The new IBM xSeries 460 starts as a four-way server starting at $20,999. It can be scaled up to a 32-way SMP system in an eight-chassis configuration. Like other dual-core processors, such […]

The fallout from enterprise software consolidation isn’t going to end any time soon, which will leave IT organizations to decide whether to stay the course or switch suppliers. So said IT consultancy Robert Frances Group in a briefing about software industry consolidation. John Van Decker, RFG vice president and research fellow, said IT organizations in […]

In the next four years, we may very well have a better understanding of how –- and where — to live longer, healthier lives. Quest Network, which produces interactive, standards-driven, online learning adventures, is about to embark on what it calls four Blue Zones expeditions. Blue Zones are demographically confirmed longevity hotspots. The goal is […]

Sun Microsystems is primarily known for its high-end hardware and ubiquitous Java software, but the company is quickly establishing itself as a leader in identity management solutions. The opportunity for growth looks strong as companies wrestle with a host of problems from compliance with new government accounting regulations such as Sarbanes-Oxley to security concerns related […]

Heavyweight chip suppliers such as AMD, Intel, Sun, and IBM are touting multi-core systems and that’s just fine with upstart company Azul Systems. The Silicon Valley systems maker, which is touting its network attached processing systems, has found the multi-core religion with its unique “compute appliance” that packs 24 “brains” or cores on the company’s […]

In a major embarrassment to the world’s biggest chipmaker, Intel plans to delay the release of new versions of its ballyhooed Itanium processor until next year. An Intel spokesman said Montecito, its first dual-core Itanium will ship in volume by the middle of 2006, instead of in the first quarter, as earlier announcements indicated. The […]

Another vehicle to the promised land of high-performance computing at lower power consumption is upon us, in pictures at least. P.A. Semi publicly took the wraps off its new processor family Monday, following two years of stealth work on the chips. “Our focus is on high performance per watt and high integration. We’re designing a […]

HP Labs isn’t the only R&D facility in the Silicon Valley. In fact, it isn’t even the biggest one. But it counts a string of innovative breakthroughs to its name. And despite recent management changes, and the distraction of numerous acquisitions, the prototypical Silicon Valley firm, which started in a garage, has kept its investment […]

You might think a visit to HP Labs would be an immersion in the latest technology. There’s some of that, but the visit doesn’t start with anything even near the 21st century. A reporter is immediately whisked to the perfectly preserved adjoining offices of founders Bill Hewlett and David Packard. When Hewlett or Packard emerged […]

SanDisk said it has reached an agreement to purchase Silicon Valley neighbor Matrix Semiconductor for approximately $250 million in stock and $12 million cash. Privately held Matrix has been developing and supplying 3-D integrated circuit one-time programmable (OTP) technology since 1998. Matrix 3-D Memory is used for storage applications that do not require multiple rewrites […]

AMD may have snatched some publicity with its antitrust lawsuit against chip giant Intel , but the number two chipmaker is better known as a low-profile player. When’s the last time you saw an “AMD Inside” ad campaign or broadcast TV ads featuring the Blue Man group? The company has long been happy to play […]

Motorola has filed a suit against Mike Zafirovski, its former president and chief operating officer. Zafirovski was just appointed president and chief executive officer of Nortel Networks this week, and scheduled to officially take over at Nortel on November 15. Motorola is seeking compensatory damages and an injunction to prevent Zafirovski from working at Nortel […]