Ik lees bij /. dat the GIMP (Linux Photoshop kloon) en Civilization: Call to Power geport zullen worden naar BeOS:

In a frenzy of porting, Be.com has unveiled that both the GIMP and Civilization:Call to Power will be ported to BeOS. With the news of a new low cost Be system, I'm gonna have to look closely at getting one.

De Be site lijkt weer eens plat te liggen, vandaar dat ik niet meer info kan geven.

Fijn nieuws voor de blije bezitters van een Visual Workstation. Silcon Graphics is namelijk wil namelijk eind dit jaar Linux ondersteuning bieden voor z'n Intel-bases workstations:

SGI is taking steps to make Linux run better on its new Intel-based workstations, marking another step in the company's move toward the open source operating system.

[...] "We intend to have Linux workstation capabilities by the end of the year," said Geoff Stedman, manager of market development for SGI's workstation division. "We want to have a product that will satisfy the Linux market, as opposed to saying, 'You're on your own.'"

While SGI wrote some software that enables the latest version of Linux to boot on SGI's Visual Workstations, the software can't take advantage of the machine's graphics performance because it lacks the proper drivers--the software that lets programs speak directly to the hardware.

Stedman added, however, there aren't many Linux programs available to take advantage of SGI's graphics performance. "Windows NT is still the focus in terms of where our growth is going to come from," he said in an interview today.

In dit artikel van C|Net news.com vind je meer info.

Naast de Cordless Mouseman Wheel heeft Logitech nog meer nieuwe produkten in de planning. GA-Source heeft een nieuwsbericht over een nieuwe serie keyboards die in de herfst geïntroduceerd zal worden:

The new keyboards offer an extensive range of styles and features that present customers with choices to meet individual needs and preferences. The focus of the new keyboard line-up is quick and easy Internet access and navigation as well as continuing to improve user comfort through cordless alternatives. Each keyboard sports new textures and colors designed to harmonize with other products in the company's new fall line-up. The entire line also features Logitech's signature detachable palm rest for flexibility and comfort.

The keyboards will ship with new software, specially designed by Logitech to facilitate Internet access and navigation. All keyboards include easy-access Internet keys and smart multimedia keys for controlling MP3 titles, DVD, CD music and other multimedia applications.

The expanded keyboard family includes three cordless offerings: two Cordless Desktop products combine a cordless keyboard and mouse in a solution that offers users complete freedom to configure their workspace as they wish. One cordless desktop solution will feature the popular split keyboard layout and Logitech's premium Cordless MouseMan Wheel, while a second cordless option pairs a straight keyboard with the versatile, ambidextrous Cordless Wheel Mouse. A cordless keyboard will also be available as a standalone unit.

All cordless keyboard combinations use Logitech's advanced digital radio technology. This technology provides reliable performance within a six-foot range, without the line-of-sight requirement inherent in infrared-based cordless devices.

Split and straight keyboards will be available in corded versions as well. Several of the corded models will function as USB hubs, allowing users to plug the keyboard into the USB port on their computer, then connect additional mice, trackballs, joysticks and other USB devices via the two ports on the keyboard. [break]Bij Yahoo Finance kwam ik deze press release tegen over een samenwerkingsverband tussen Logitech en Immersion op het gebied van force feedback technologie:[/break] Immersion Corporation and Logitech have been working together to develop force feedback mice that allow users to ``feel'' their onscreen actions.

Based on Immersion's FEELit(TM) technology and Logitech's world-class pointing device expertise and industrial design, these innovative products will allow users to physically interact with anything the cursor touches, revolutionizing mainstream computing by adding the sense of feel to all aspects of user interaction.

The first of these products, the Wingman® Force Feedback Mouse from Logitech, will be available this Christmas for $129 suggested retail.

From computer gaming, to surfing the web, to graphic design, to business -- the implications of adding feel to software applications are vast. Imagine dragging an icon in a Windows environment and feeling its weight as it slides across the screen, big files feeling heavier than small files.

Imagine sliding over a web page and feeling shapes, textures, liquids, hills, valleys, and other physical sensations.

Imagine playing an adventure game and feeling clues hidden in the darkness. Imagine designing a new product and being able to feel the contours of the form. Imagine using educational software to learn about gravity, friction, inertia, and magnetism and feeling each sensation with stunning realism.

The power of feel is diverse, from making e-commerce a ``hands-on'' experience that rivals real shopping, to making educational software more physically intuitive, to making design more realistic and enjoyable.

``We are bringing a new mode of human-computer interaction to mass markets,'' says Louis Rosenberg, Immersion's president. ``We expect it to fundamentally change the way people think about computing, making the digital world of software tangible and accessible. A good user interface will no longer just look good, it will feel good -- intuitive and satisfying, just like the real world.''

Thresh & kameraden hebben een review van de Turtle Beach Montego II Quadzilla op de hun site gedropt. Zoals inmiddels bekend mag zijn gaat het hier om de quad speaker versie van de Montego II met S/PDIF interface. Hier heb je wat stuff over de 3D audio performance van de kaart:

Both Unreal and Half-Life were superb with the Montego II Quadzilla, and as a whole, the 3D audio was very satisfying. For non-moving and isolated audio sources, the Vortex 2 technology seems adequate for positioning and the added wave tracing in supported games made the overall experience excellent. Nonetheless, for audio sources moving from behind to front of the player, the 4-speaker HRTF was sorely missed. This is one limitation that I hope Aureal will address either in software for Vortex2, or in the next-generation Vortex 3.

Surf richting Firingsquad voor de review.

API (Alpha Porcessor Inc.) heeft vandaag op de PC Expo in New York als eerste een processor gedemonstreert op een snelheid van 1GHz, zonder daarbij gebruik te maken van allerlei heftige Kryotech-achtige koelmethodes:

This technology demonstration marks a milestone for the microprocessor industry, as this is the first public display of a full function 1 GHz microprocessor with no special cooling enhancements made to the system.

The technology demonstration will showcase the 1 GHz Alpha processor incorporated in API's new Alpha Slot B packaging technology running on API's new dual processor platform, UP2000. Alpha Slot B technology enables API to produce higher-frequency Alpha processors, while lowering production costs and providing investment protection for Alpha system buyers.

Ik zag bij GA-Source deze newsposting over een mogelijke overname van Baan door Mikrosoft. Nieuws over een Nederlands bedrijf, daarom post ik het effe:

Microsoft today declined to comment on market speculation that it was poised to launch a takeover offer for Dutch software maker Baan Co. NV.

"As you know, we never comment on rumors,'' a spokeswoman said.

Baan shares rose 7.3 percent to close at 16.15 euros on rumors that Microsoft was prepared to launch an offer worth 20 euros per share.

Several analysts dismissed the persistent speculation linking Microsoft with Baan, one of the top makers of software used to run, manage and plan operations at large and midsized businesses.

Microsoft's stock was off $1.06 at $87.875 per share in afternoon Nasdaq trading.

Ik zag bij 3DNews.net nog wat info over de shipping date van de G400. Lijkt erop dat we nog minimaal tot begin augustus moeten wachten voordat het ding leverbaar zal zijn:

The information that these individuals were given today was not completely correct. For orders placed before June 11, every attempt is being made to honor our quoted delivery time frame of 3-4 weeks. For orders placed after June 11, every attempt will be made to honor the quoted delivery time frame of 5-6 weeks from date of order. [break]Verder kwam ik bij GA-Source deze info tegen over de software bundel van de G400 retail:[/break] Matrox Graphics Inc. today announced it will bundle more than $300 worth of free software with the newly announced Matrox Millennium G400 Series. The software bundle includes Micrografx Picture Publisher 8 and Simply 3D 3, Expendable from Rage Software, the Matrox Software DVD Player and PointCast Network.

3DPallette heeft een interview gepost met Eric Tunman, lead animator van het Soldier of Fortune project van Raven Software. In het interview spreekt-ie o.a. over de animaties in SoF (waar motion capture voor werd gebruikt, zie pic hiernaast):

3D Palette : For the average "Joe" gamer, how is the player animation going to be any different from all the other "first person shooter" hit titles soon to hit store shelves ?

Eric Turman : The animators on SoF (Jarrod Showers, Joe Sibilski, and myself) have worked hard to provide animations that bring the characters to life. Here are some of the things that will set it appart from the rest:

1) The volume of animations per character than I have ever seen in any other FPS. For example, there are currently over 120 pain and death animations between 3 models and over 60 of those are unique. Because of this, a character's reaction from getting shot will differ with where they are hit and what they got shot with.

2) Many special animations exist to give the enemies more life-like character such as: Clutching at wounds, signaling others for reinforcements, rolling out from a side hall with guns blazing or peaking around a corner and taking a few shots at you...actions that you'd expect people to do in real life.

3) Our motions will look more realistic. We have heavily tweaked motion capture and a healthy dose of hand animation.

Het interview gaat best wel diep, check em hier. Verder heeft 3DPallette ook nog twee screenshots van SoF gepost (klik op de tumbnail om 'm op te blowen):

Coolcomputing heeft een overzicht samengesteld waar in het kort de specs worden genoemd van de x86 CPU's die op dit moment in ontwikkeling zijn bij AMD, Intel, Cyrix, Rise en IDT. Dit is denk ik wel handig info als je door al die maffe codenamen van Intel (Cascades, Williamette, Merced, Foster, McKinley enzo) de weg bent kwijt geraakt in processor land.

Western Digital heeft nieuwe ATA/66 schijven aangekondig met een rotatiesnelheid van 5400rpm en een cache van 2Meg. Hier is een hap uit de press release:

Western Digital Corporation (NYSE:WDC) today announced that the company is in or completing qualification of its WD Caviar 6.8 GB per platter 5400 RPM hard drives at the following PC manufacturers: Compaq, Dell, Fujitsu, Gateway, Hewlett-Packard Home Products Division, Micron, and NEC.

[...] The new WD Caviar 6.8 GB per platter hard drive is available in capacities ranging from 6.4 to 20.5 GB. The WD Caviar 6.8 GB per platter hard drives have a performance boost up to 30% faster than previous generation hard drives. Plus, with the availability of this high-level capacity, a user can store as much as 20 hours of MPEG-2 video, which is the equivalent of 10 feature films.

[...] The WD Caviar 20.5 GB hard drive has a 2 MB buffer and an average seek time of 9.5 ms. The new hard drive supports the Ultra ATA/66 interface.

Logitech heeft vandaag de Cordless MouseMan Wheel aangekondigd. Da's deze muis, maar dan zonder staartje:

Hier heb je de press release:

Logitech (NASDAQ:LOGIY; Switzerland:LOGZ), international market leader in human interface devices that define the way people link to information in business, at home or online, today announced Cordless MouseMan® Wheel, the first in a series of new products that will more than double the company's cordless offerings from three to seven by the end of 1999. Cordless MouseMan Wheel will be shown at the PC Expo tradeshow in New York City, along with a preview of new cordless keyboards slated for release this fall. Cordless MouseMan Wheel will be available in July at an estimated street price of $59.95

Reliable Digital Radio Technology

These latest products underscore Logitech's ongoing commitment to cordless peripherals as a means to ensure maximum comfort and freedom at the desktop, and more specifically, to radio-based cordless devices as a means to eliminate the line-of-sight restrictions that characterize competing products using infrared technology. As the world's largest manufacturer of cordless mice, the company has sold over half a million units worldwide.

"When we talk to users, they frequently mention their frustration with cords that catch on the edge of the desk, tangle around things while in use, and limit movement, forcing them to stop in the middle of whatever they're doing and free the cord," said Julie Goebel, Logitech senior product manager. "Cordless MouseMan Wheel eliminates that frustration and increases productivity by combining the performance of a corded mouse with cordless convenience, flexibility and freedom."

Award-winning design

Cordless MouseMan® Wheel is based on the innovative design of Logitech's flagship MouseMan® Wheel - a product which has won more awards than any other in the company's history. Its sculpted shape features a soft-touch grip for increased comfort and control. A scroll wheel, which also functions as a fourth mouse button, offers easy navigation in Windows and on the Web. With the included MouseWare® software, users can easily customize all buttons, including the scroll wheel, for frequently-used commands. Cordless MouseMan Wheel uses standard AAA batteries. Smart power management features extend the battery life to six months to a year of normal use.

"Because the new mouse is based on tried-and-true technology and a popular design," Goebel added, "users can have it all -- cordless freedom, programmable buttons, an easy-scrolling navigation wheel and a great feel in the hand."

New colors and textures on the desktop

Cordless MouseMan Wheel features pleasing new colors and a sleek texture, designed to harmonize with Logitech's next generation of desktop peripherals. "By integrating new colors, textures and designs into mice, keyboards and other products that perfectly complement each other, Logitech is creating a whole new standard of performance, aesthetics, and comfort for today's desktop," said Robin Selden, vice president of product marketing for control devices.

ZDNet heeft een artikeltje gepost over Bill's strategie om met Win2000 tegelijkertijd de gewone consument als zakelijke gebruiker te pakken:

Due this fall, Windows 2000 is the update to Windows NT 4.0, Microsoft's "serious" operating system for business workstations and servers. Click for more. Despite the new name, Windows 2000 carries over an old NT problem: It is too much for consumers. And too little for mission-critical business environments. By trying to be strong in both places, Windows 2000 is strong in neither.

Verder lezen doe je hier.

Matrox heeft vandaag 3 upgrades aangekondigd voor z'n Millenium G400 videoplanken. Het gaat om een G400 Flat Panel module, Rainbow Runner G-Series en Dualhead en TV-Out module. Hier heb je de press release, afkomstig van GA-Source:

Matrox G400 Flat Panel module

Ideal for financial traders and graphic designers who want to output to a digital flat panel, the Matrox G400 Flat Panel module supports the latest DVI digital flat panel standard from the industry-leading Digital Display Working Group. The Matrox G400 Flat Panel module bypasses the computer's digital-to-analog converter (DAC) and outputs data directly to the digital flat panel monitor, providing enhanced image quality, speed and color fidelity. Easy to install, this snap-on card connects to the Matrox Feature Connector Port on any Matrox Millennium G400 Series graphics board.

The Matrox G400 Flat Panel will be available for $59 ESP in early Q3 '99 and will sell exclusively on Matrox's online store, located at http://onlinestore.matrox.com.

Matrox Rainbow Runner G-Series

Originally introduced as an upgrade for Matrox G200-based graphics boards, the Rainbow Runner G-Series is also compatible with Matrox Millennium G400 Series graphics boards sold with DualHead Display capability .

The Rainbow Runner G-Series allows users to create and play back digital video using hardware MJPEG compression at full frame rate and full resolution . Users can capture video from a camcorder, TV or VCR and then play it back on the desktop, save it to hard disk, and output it to TV or VCR tape. The ability to output to TV or VCR is made possible by the Matrox Millennium G400 Series' high quality MGA-TVO chip, which ensures the crispest images and the highest quality flicker-free output to TV. This card is also equipped with a built-in TV tuner for antenna or cable.

Placed in its own PCI slot, users need only connect the Rainbow Runner G-Series' two ribbon cables to a Matrox Millennium G400 Series graphics board for virtual plug-and-play installation. This upgrade card allows end-users to display live, high-quality television programs on the PC; watch TV in full-screen or in a window; zoom and crop images; scan multiple channels; and even implement parental controls and closed captioning.

Currently sold at retail and on Matrox's online store, located at http://onlinestore.matrox.com, the Rainbow Runner G-Series upgrade card is priced at $149 ESP.

Matrox DualHead and TV-Out module

The Matrox DualHead and TV-Out module is available exclusively for customers who have purchased a bulk version of the Matrox Millennium G400 SH and who want to add an additional monitor, analog flat panel or television to their computing environment. This snap-on card connects easily to the Matrox Feature Connector Port on the Matrox Millennium G400 SH.

Customers who purchased a retail version of the Matrox Millennium G400 Series already have the ability to output to two displays. Called DualHead Display, this revolutionary new technology offers consumers an easy-to-use, inexpensive means of increasing their desktop display real estate.

The Matrox DualHead and TV-Out module will be available for $49.95 ESP in early Q3 '99 and will sell exclusively on Matrox's online store, located at http://onlinestore.matrox.com.

Met de overname van Diamond door S3 vragen we ons natuurlijk allemaal af of Diamond nog langer videokaarten zal produceren met videochips van andere fabrikanten dan S3. GA-Source heeft een Q&A'tje gepost die antwoord geeft op deze vraag:

Do you think Diamond will continue to manufacture boards based on other graphics chipsets?

Diamond has a purchase agreement with Nvidia and so will continue to service the needs of customers that have designed in Nvidia product. Both the current Viper 770 product line and the current Stealth III product line are proving to be quite successful and both are expected to continue to grow in volume.

Check GA-Source voor het volledige interview.

Cor & kornuiten hebben vandaag twee nieuwe DVD+RW en CD-RW drives aangekondigd. Hier heb je de press releases:

Philips Consumer Electronics, a worldwide leader in optical storage, introduced today its first DVD+RW 3.0 GB data storage drive. The new drive offers PC users an irresistible combination of high storage capacity equal to the data capacity of five CD- ROM discs, fast access to stored data, and the ability to read CD-ROM, CD-Recordable (CD- R), CD-ReWriteable (CD-RW), and DVD-ROM media. The Philips DVD+RW drive will be available in September 1999 at a suggested retail price of $699. The drive is on display at Philips' booth #4210, at the Jacob Javits Convention Center, June 22-24.

``As users accumulate more and more data on their PC from the Internet, digital cameras and other multimedia-rich sources, they need increased storage capacity, faster file access and the flexibility to share their data with others. With the Philips DVD+RW 3.0GD drive, users will find such a solution,'' said Bill Taylor, Vice President/General Manager, Imaging, Storage and Multimedia Products. ``DVD+RW represents a natural evolution of proven CD technology, providing the best backward retrieving capability for information stored on CD media because DVD+RW drives can read CD-ROM, CD-R or CD-RW discs.''

The new DVD+RW 3.0 GB drive has the equivalent data capacity of five CD- ROM discs, which is sufficient for 80 minutes of high-quality MPEG-2 video, 4 hours of uncompressed CD-quality audio or up to 9,000 high-resolution megapixel digital images on a single disc. This huge capacity makes DVD+RW ideal for storing and distributing large volumes of rich, multimedia information, including presentations, video-mail, and digital photos. DVD+RW is the perfect format for data interchange applications where end-users need to transport and have easy access to their data in the office, at home or away. Unlike tape-based storage media, DVD+RW discs offer random, high-speed access to all stored data, making it an optimal choice for data archiving and back-up applications. Further increasing speed and convenience, DVD+RW reads and writes data up to 11 times faster than CD media.

The Philips DVD+RW 3.0 GB drive will be supplied as a complete package containing everything that is needed for quick and easy installation and use. This includes the DVD+RW drive itself, an accessories set, a blank DVD+RW disc, and applicable drivers and applications software.

The DVD+RW format has been developed and supported by a group of six leading companies in the rewriteable data storage industry, to ensure broad- based market acceptance. As well as Philips, this group includes Hewlett- Packard Company, Sony Corporation, Ricoh Company, Ltd., Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation, and Yamaha Corporation. [break]En de press release van de nieuwe CDRW400 4-speed CD-Rewriter:[/break] Philips Electronics, the co- developer of the CD and a world leader in the manufacturing of CD-RWs, today added breadth to its CDRW400 series with the addition of three new CD-RW drives. The CDRW400 series now includes two new external CD-RW drives -- a USB-compatible drive (the PCRW 464K) and a PCMCIA-compatible drive (the PCRW 463K) -- and a new high-performance internal drive, the PCRW404K. Each CD-RW drive offers consumers 4x write and 4x rewrite speed for faster data storage; the PCRW 404K offers up to 32x CD-ROM speed. All drives offer Philips' exclusive Write2CD recording software with one-button recording and advanced features not offered in standard CD-RW kits. With these latest CD-RW drives, Philips expands its position in the CD-RW market by offering faster drives that accommodate a variety of users. All three new drives, as well as the other CDRW 400 Series drives, are on display at Philips' booth #4210, at the Jacob Javits Convention Center, June 22-24.

``Each of Philips' new 400 Series CD-RW drives is designed to appeal to a variety of computer users with different lifestyles,'' said Bill Taylor, Vice President/General Manager, Imaging, Storage and Multimedia Products, Philips Electronics. ``By developing CD-RW drives that incorporate PCMCIA, USB, and IDE interface connections, we are making optical storage an attractive option for everyone, regardless of the type of computer you use. Optical storage is the most versatile and reliable method of archiving, backing-up, and exchanging information. As speed increases, we will see the CD replace the floppy disk as the de facto standard for data storage.''

4x Write and ReWrite Speed

Among the fastest on the market, each of the new CD-RW 400 series drives -- the PCRW 464K , PCRW 463K , and PCRW404K -- features 4x write/rewrite speed for fast storage as well as Philips' user-friendly software. These CD-RW drives allow users to record and re-record Internet content or hard drive data at up to 600 kb/second. For smooth high-speed data transfer and writing, the Philips drives utilize a 2MB buffer to reduce buffer underruns and increase recording reliability. With the ease-of-use, versatility, and storage capacity that these Philips drives offer, the Compact Disc will become the medium of choice for data storage and archiving.

- PCRW 464K External drive with USB For computers with Universal Serial Bus (USB) connections, Philips offers the USB-compatible PCRW464K. The plug-and-play simplicity of the PCRW464K makes adding optical data storage an attractive upgrade for computer users of all types. This external CD-RW drive will appeal to people constantly on the road or moving from location to location. The versatility of USB connectivity allows the PCRW464K to work with any IBM-type desktop computer with a USB connection. In addition to its 4x write and rewrite speed, the PCRW464K offers up to 6x read speed for easy access to CD-ROM.

- PCRW 463K External drive with PCMCIA Featuring PCMCIA connectivity for use with laptops, the PCRW463K is specially designed for the mobile computer user. In addition to its fast 4x write/rewrite speed, the PCRW463K reads CD-ROMs at 16x speed, for quick access to CD files. The drive's reduced size (5.25`` at half-height) and light weight (approximately 2 pounds) makes it easy to bring optical storage capability on the road, adding value to laptop computing. Using the PCRW463K, business travellers can save large data files such as Powerpoint presentations and share information on CD while en route to client meetings or while working offsite.

- PCRW 404K Internal drive

The internal PCRW 404K utilizes an IDE/ATAPI interface for direct connection to the motherboard of almost any Pentium(TM) PC. The fastest of the 400 series drives, the PCRW 404K reads CD-ROMs at a blazing 32x speed and writes and rewrites at 4x speed, making the easy to use ``Write2CD'' software even more robust. Designed for serious desktop computer use, the PCRW404K offers both speedy data storage and retrieval.

Philips Write2CD® Software

Optical storage is the easiest and most reliable method for saving and exchanging large files, and with Philips' user-friendly software package bundled with each drive, saving data is even easier. Powered by a CeQuadrant recording engine, the Philips-designed user interface allows users to intuitively write and rewrite multimedia files, backup or archive valuable data, and save presentations with simple ``drag and drop'' actions. A ``self- launching'' feature, which automatically activates the CD recording options menu, enables the computer to recognize blank media inserted into the CD-RW drive. To reduce CD-RW formatting time, the CD-RW drives offer a 15-second fast format option. Once discs are recognized by the drive, users can copy data one file at a time (TAO), one disc at a time (DAO), or through a multi- session. For maximum data storage, a data compression feature allows storage of more than 1 Gb on a single CD.

Eye-Catching Design

With their unique and elegant design, Philips' CD-RW drives stand out from the competition. The drives use a dark color scheme to match the look of most desktops, notebooks, and other portable products. The tray and eject buttons have metallic finishes, adding a touch of sophistication and exclusivity to the products.

CD-RW/CD-R/CD-ROM/AUDIO CD

The CD-RW 400 Series drives use both write-once CD-Recordable (CD-R) and CD-ReWritable (CD-RW) media to store data. The CD-ReWritable discs created with Philips CD-RW drives are compatible with 'multiread' CD-ROM and DVD-ROM drives. Many new CD-audio players are now available with multiread capability, further enhancing the value of rewritable CDs. Both CD-R and CD- RW media store up to 650 Mb or 1.3 Gb, respectively, using Philips' data compression software.

Unreal Universe heeft wat lopen chatten James Schmalz, game & art designer van Epic. Hier heb je alvast een vraag uit het interview:

Unreal Universe: What are the biggest strengths of Unreal Tournament?

James: Fun. That pretty much describes it. It is so kickass fun to play. It's fast and furious and you can get in and play a 10 minute match and have a good time, or play for 10 hours straight and have a blast. At the end of Unreal development, it was a boring tedious task to play through the game over and over and over again, but with UT, it's a kickass fragfest everytime we put together a new version to test.

Ik lees bij Betanews dat Alex van Kaam bezig is met een nieuw proggie:

Alex van Kaam has been working on the first beta of a DIMM SPD viewer module for MotherBoard Monitor. It is provides various information about your DIMMS such as manufacturer name, speeds, etc.

Download Motherboard Monitor DIMM SPD Viewer Beta1
Download Motherboard Monitor 4.08

Huh!? Eerst krijgen we van alle kanten te horen dat S3 zichzelf in de verkoopt heeft gezet (met een mogelijke overname door 3dfx), en nu kopen ze zichzelf vet in bij Diamond?! Naja, check dit nieuwsbericht bij The Register:

S3 has turned predator with the $175 million share acquisition of Diamond Multimedia.

Well, well, well. That will teach us to listen to our California chip friends, who swore blind that S3 was being stalked by its smaller rival 3dfx. (We still think this is, or rather was, true).

With Diamond, S3 is now far too big for 3dfx to contemplate a hostile bid.

This gives it a ready-made board supplier to play with, just like 3dfx (which bought STB last year). More importantly Diamond has a huge retail presence, to back up its OEM business.

S3 hopes to retain other retail board customers -- the company has learnt from 3dfx's tactical error following the STB buy. Remember, 3dfx said it would junk other retail board makers, and then had to backtrack because STB's retail channel was not strong enough in Europe.

Frg van HardOCP heeft helaas zijn eigen Abit BX6.2 Mobo opgeblazen (hoe blijft een beetje onduidelijk ). Op HardOCP vinden we foto's van de crematie en meer

It was such a damn sad occasion, that it is hard to describe with words. That is why I took the camera to the service with me. We did it in the true Viking tradition, just the way a Taiwanese Mainboard should be put to rest. (???) Our homeboy Stimpy showed up to preside over the service while Cartman and gang sang a few traditional Viking hyms... I guess I will leave you now for a moment of silence in remembrance of the ABIT BX6.2, known by all his friends as the "Little Mainboard that Could".

Vorige week wisten we dankzij Slashdot al te vertellen dat er een nieuwe versie van BeOS gereleased was. Inmiddels heeft Be Inc. een pagina op z'n site gezet met een opsomming van de nieuwe features in Release 4.5. Hier heb je de summary:

Hardware Support Changes

• Intel Architecture platform support improvements
  • Installation and Booting
  • Platform Support
  • Graphics
  • Video Capture and Digital Cameras
  • Audio
  • Network
  • IDE and SCSI
  • Universal Serial Bus
  • Printing
• PowerPC platform

Major Software Changes

• Media Kit Matures
• Tracker improvements
• NetPositive improvements
• Networking improvements
• Developer tools improvements

Miscellaneous Changes

• New TeamMonitor widget
• New ScreenSaver application
• Printing interface improvements
• Devices preferences improvements
• Boot preferences now PowerPC only
• New Mouse preferences options
• New PNG graphics Translator
• OpenGL Kit improvements
• Documentation improvements
• Kernel improvements
• Lots of new stuff in /optional
• Various other BeOS improvements and bug fixes

Fiets richting deze page voor de details.

Imation heeft de prestaties van z'n Superdisk wat opgeport, waardoor het ding nu schijven op 27 ipv 10-voudige floppy disk snelheid kan lezen. Volgens mij is de Superdisk nog 10 maal dooier dan Iomega's Zip en Jaz, kan me niet voorstellen dat er nu nog kopers voor dat ding zijn te vinden. Maar goed, dat is mijn eigen subjectieve mening die er hier weer eens niet toe doet . Hier is de info uit de press release:

June 21, 1999--Imation Corp. (NYSE:IMN) today announced four new and improved SuperDisk drives offering faster performance, lightweight design, and simple installation - including a new SuperDisk USB Drive for PC and Macintosh.

    While previous-generation SuperDisk drives from Imation read data about 10 times faster than a floppy drive, the new and improved SuperDisk drives read much faster -- up to 27 times faster -- than a floppy. The new drives are capable of handling multimedia applications such as video and audio recording while retaining the reliability and compatibility advantages that have made SuperDisk technology the leading replacement for the floppy.

    Like all SuperDisk drives, the new products are fully read and write compatible with floppies and 120 MB SuperDisk diskettes.

    "Storage demands keep accelerating, so it's no surprise that SuperDisk continues to gain momentum," said Steve Ladwig, president, Imation Data Storage and Information Management. "Imation's family of SuperDisk drives presents our customers with a better array of storage options than ever before. With SuperDisk, there's virtually no limit to the amount of images, photos, video and audio files users can share and store - easily, efficiently and inexpensively - with any kind of computer."

    Imation SuperDisk USB Drive for PC and Macintosh

    An entirely new product from Imation, the Imation SuperDisk USB Drive for PC and Macintosh offers PC and Macintosh USB compatibility in a hot-swappable, portable drive. It reads data up to 22 times faster than a floppy drive and is ideal for use with any computer with a USB port, especially those desktop and notebook PCs that lack an onboard floppy drive. It will be available in August at $169.99 (MSRP - actual pricing may vary).

    Imation SuperDisk USB Drive for Macintosh

    One of the most popular storage products for iMac and Power Macintosh G3 computers from Apple, the new and improved Imation SuperDisk USB Drive for Macintosh now reads data up to 22 times faster than a floppy drive. It boasts an "all-ice" design to complement all of the latest Macintosh colors. It offers easy plug-and-play setup in seconds for any Mac with a USB interface and is hot-swappable. The new, faster drive is now available at $169.99 (MSRP - actual pricing may vary).

    Imation SuperDisk Internal IDE Drive

    Offering an easy-to-install upgrade for almost any desktop PC, the new and improved Imation SuperDisk Internal Drive reads data up to 27 times faster than a floppy drive. It installs on most systems as the bootable a: drive - giving the user high capacity storage, excellent performance and dual compatibility in a single drive bay. It is available now at $99.99 (MSRP - actual pricing may vary). Imation is offering a $20 rebate on the product, if purchased at retail, until Dec. 31, 1999.

    Imation SuperDisk Parallel Port Drive

    Sporting a sleek, more portable design, the redesigned and improved Imation SuperDisk Parallel Port Drive now reads data up to 23 times faster than a floppy drive. Lighter and more portable than its predecessor, it can be easily attached to a computer's printer port and is the easy way to add storage capacity to any PC. It is available now at $149.99 (MSRP - actual pricing may vary). Imation is offering a $20 rebate on the product, if purchased at retail, until Dec. 31, 1999.

    Imation SuperDisk Parallel Port Drive

    Sporting a sleek, more portable design, the redesigned and improved Imation SuperDisk Parallel Port Drive now reads data up to 23 times faster than a floppy drive. Lighter and more portable than its predecessor, it can be easily attached to a computer's printer port and is the easy way to add storage capacity to any PC. It is available now at $149.99 (MSRP - actual pricing may vary). Imation is offering a $20 rebate on the product, if purchased at retail, until Dec. 31, 1999.

    All of the new and improved Imation SuperDisk drives include the necessary software drivers, power adapters, cabling and instructions for simple installation.

    Imation's line of SuperDisk products also include the 120 MB Imation SuperDisk Diskette and the Imation SuperDisk Diskette with Secured Encryption Technology. SuperDisk drives also are offered as standard or optional internal equipment in new desktop and notebook computers from more than 100 leading PC suppliers. Additionally, SCSI and PCMCIA SuperDisk drives are available from leading suppliers. More information about SuperDisk technology is available at http://www.superdisk.com.

Ik kwam via JC bij dit artikel van Byte, waar gesproken wordt over K7 chipsets van ALi:

It's also very interesting to note that two of the chip sets prominent manufacturer Acer Laboratories has on its road map "support Direct Rambus DRAM," its customers say. Both the high-end Aladdin K7 II and III will support AMD's forthcoming K7 microprocessor.

In the hierarchy one customer presented, the Aladdin K7 I will ship in the third quarter, with 100-MHz frontside bus support for PC133 SDRAM. By the third quarter of 2000, the customer said, the Aladdin K7 III would replace, not complement, the K7 I with a 133-MHz frontside bus and Direct RDRAM support. Acer Labs' Aladdin Pro III for the Pentium II and III reportedly includes PC133 support, but the company is still awaiting a P6 bus license from Intel.

Ik was wat aan het rondsnuffelen bij Webdog.org en daar kwam ik deze .plan van Scott Miller / 3DRealms tegen. Dit is nogal off-topic, maar wel grappig:

Absolutely loved The Phantom Menace, EXCEPT for that entirely annoying Jar Jar character. What a complete and utter mistake to have that character in the movie. Please, Lucas, let me review the next movie's script so that I can weed out mistakes like this and save you much embarrassment.

All of 3D Realms people who went to see the movie last night wore tee shirts we made that said "Jar Jar Must Die" and showed a picture of Jar Jar's head being lopped off with a light saber. Dozens of people at the theater asked us were they could get the shirt. Pictures of us in line wearing these shirts will be on our web site soon.

We're also going to open a movie review site, 3D Realms' style, at www.MovieSuckage.com, which will have short articles by 3D Realms people about major movies that unfortunately include utterly dumb things. Message boards will be available for everyone to make their comments, too. Should be fun.

I really hope LucasArts is smart enough to not make any games involving Jar Jar -- he's the new metaphor for failure. Trespasser is now off the hook.

Jar Jar is dus dat gekke gerenderde beest dat volgens velen de film volledig verpest heeft:

Phoenix heeft duivelse plannen met hun BIOS zachtwaar: ze willen er banners in gaan verstoppen. Moet je dit nieuwsbericht bij ZDNet lezen:

Phoenix Technologies Ltd., whose software is used in booting up most personal computers, plans to let Internet companies use that technology to pitch services directly to PC users.

The San Jose, Calif., company's move, to be announced Monday, could further complicate the question of who controls the PC start-up process. Microsoft Corp. (Nasdaq:MSFT) and PC makers have sometimes squabbled over rights to display messages and custom software, and Microsoft's contract restrictions are an issue in the current antitrust trial of the software giant.

Trying to find a new revenue source, Phoenix said it plans to modify future versions of its software to let Internet companies offer their services, without having to strike deals with Microsoft or PC manufacturers. For instance, an Internet-service provider such as America Online Inc. (NYSE:AOL) could theoretically put its sign up icon directly on the desktop of any PC that uses the Phoenix start-up software.

Phoenix officials said AOL and several other major Internet companies, including Yahoo! Inc. (Nasdaq:YHOO) , CNET Inc. (Nasdaq:CNWK) , and Excite@Home Corp. (Nasdaq:ATHM), have already agreed to use the new technology. In exchange, Phoenix will receive a share of the revenue generated by customers who sign up for Internet services using its technology.

Ik weet niet of je daar nou echt blij mee moet zijn. Er is een wezenlijk verschil met bijv. advertenties op een website (arme webmasters die zich de pleuris werken en mbv banners hun site financieren). Een BIOS daarentegen is toch wel erg 'lege' content. Gelukkig hebben de meeste mobo's een BIOS van Award .

3DGaming.net heeft een review gepost van de Logitech Wingman Gaming Mouse. Hier hebben we een plaatje van dit volgens Logitech speciaal voor games gefokte beesie:

Volgens 3DGaming.net gedraagt-ie zich ook nog eens erg goed in normale business apps (...en daar kopen we een gaming mouse voor ):

What has really stuck with me and impressed me with the new WingMan Gaming Mouse is that it has been more smooth overall for me in every Windows application, not just games. In my e-mail client, web browser, MS Word, and basically everything, I've noticed mouse response to be smoother. It's really hard to quantify, but it just FEELS better. I can't really remark that I've noticed a definite, huge improvement in my gaming due to my mouse (honestly, the greatest improvement I've noticed is by switching to a better mousing surface, such as a 3M Precise or an EverGlide pad), but I was already using a mouse I greatly favored for gaming and was comfortable with. I give the WingMan Gaming Mouse high marks for its gameplay performance though because it simply does work well, and I've found nothing using it that detracts from my gaming experiences.

Ik lees bij Betanews dat ICQ99a v2.22 build 1800 gereleased is. Verder is er geen info over wat het ding doet (nieuwe features enzo), maar het is nieuw, dus zal 't wel beter zijn . De file van rond de 4Meg kun je hier naar beneden halen.

De blijers bezitters van een TNT of TNT2 kaart kunnen bij Riva3D de laatste v.188 Hercules drivers neer halen. Hier is de info:

All you TNT and TNT2 fans should be quite happy with these newest drivers from Hercules, based on NVIDIA's 1.88 reference drivers. AMD users will be particularly pleased since these drivers have all the power of the 1.88 build, and seemingly none of the bugs. Testing on both K6-2 and K6-3 systems here at RIVA3D showed that these drivers look to be golden indeed!

Although given the okay to post by Hercules, be aware that this is not an official Hercules release, and only contains the English language version. Multi-language support will be included in the official release at Hercules' web site within the next day or two. Hercules will not offer support for these drivers until the official release.

Wie up-to-date gebracht wil worden op het gebied van de DVD drives die momenteel verkrijgbaar zijn moet ff gaan kijken bij Extreme Hardware, daar hebben ze een lijst bij elkaar verzameld met de specs van een stuk of 20 DVD drives. Hier is wat algemene info:

DVD-ROM units come in two basic flavours: bare drives, and kits containing the drive, hardware decoder card and some software. The bare drives are less expensive ($70-$110, depending on drive), though they do force you to use a software-based DVD-Video solution. The kits are quite a bit more expensive, and if you intend to add a hardware DVD decoder card later, expect to pay more than you shelled out for the drive itself. The best hardware decoder is currently the Hollywood Plus from REALmagic, though Creative Labs does sell a similar card (an OEM model) called the Dxr 3.

MacOS Rumors heeft berg specs van de nieuwe Powerbooks op de frontpage gedumpt. Het gaat hier nog puur om speculaties, maar vooralsnog ziet 't er erg lekker uit:

While many details of Apple's next-generation professional portable computer remain fuzzy, the picture is beginning to get clearer. No confirmable code name is available presently, but here's what we've heard throught the grapevine to date:

- 100MHz, 64-bit main system bus

- Two primary versions, Creative and Business models.

- Business will include 450-600MHz G3 processors, most with 512k caches.

- Creative will include 500-700MHz G4 processors, most with 1MB caches -- at least one model is rumored to include a 2MB L2 cache.

- Standard 128MB of 100MHz SDRAM on both models, some high-end Creative models may ship with 256MB.

Zullen we het maar even niet over de prijs van het ding hebben? Het lijstje met specs gaat trouwens nog zo'n 25km door, als je dat allemaal wil zien moet je ff richting MacOSRumors.com wandelen.

Adrian heeft een review gepost van de Abit BM6. Misschien een beetje laat, want met de komst van de BP6 - over een paar week - weet ik echt wel welke socket370 plank ik moet hebben. Anyway, mocht je toch geïnteresseerd zijn de BM6 dan vind je hier de review.

GA-Source heeft een .shtml target=new>nieuwsposting over Hired Team, een nieuwe first person shooter van Russische afkomst.

The story behind Hired Team is happening in not very distant future. The Year is 2064. The technological revolution and progress at the beginning of 21st century has leaded to global urbanisation. The huge and waste Megacities fill now the planetary surface with their complicated infrastructures. The ultimate part, about 96 percents of Earth's population lives in those megalopolises.

But global urbanisation leads to global crisis such as pandemics, unemployment, crimes, government's corruption. Ruthless street gangs are extremely well equipped with newest weapons and supplies. Police and special forces are helpless and have not any chance to stand against gang, everyday bloody exchanges of fire for city control. City hospitals are overcrowded by street wars victims. Only new well trained and skilled force can stop this urban chaos now.

De screenshots zien er niet onaardig uit:

Check .shtml target=new>GA-Source voor meer info over het spel.

Zag bij GA-Source deze info over een nieuwe mod voor Half-Life. Check it:

RadioActive Software announced today that work on an all new series of single player missions for Valve Software's Half-Life has begun. The product, Half-Life: Chronicles presents players with alternate worlds drawn from the original Half-Life, as well as continuations of Half-Life itself.

"Basically, we've taken some of the most pivotal moments in Half-Life, and shown the player what might have happened if events had proceeded differently," said Sam Shahrani, CEO and lead game designer for RadioActive Software. "For instance, in one episode, the player is shown what happens to Gordon after he accepts the Administrators offer of employment. We're expanding on the possibilities of the Half-Life world."

The official website for Half-Life: Chronicles is currently online at the RadioActive Software Web site at http://www.radioactivesoftware.com/chronicles.html.

The episodes for Chronicles will be downloadable from the internet using Half-Life's built in Mod Browser (which requires the user to have version 1.009 or higher of Half-Life).

Check deze advertentie in Computer Shopper Magazine: een Kryotech systeem op 800Mhz met een AMD processor. Er staat dus niet bij om wat voor AMD processor het gaat, maar het zou goed een Athlon kunnen zijn:

(Scan afkomstig van Tweak3d.net)

Technews heeft een nieuwsposting over de foute Intel Whitney chipsets met SVGA display probs:

Intel acknowledged it shipped some defective 810 chip sets to its customers, but said it now has corrected the problem.

A very limited number of its low-end 810 chip-set shipments were involved in what Intel called the "production-test escape issue."

The flawed 810 chip sets may not boot properly. Ones that do boot will not load the graphics drivers properly and will supply only VGA for PC display mode. They will not support Super VGA, a refined version of VGA that provides enhanced resolution.

Intel, in Santa Clara, Calif., has addressed the issue so the current production of 810 chip sets is problem-free, a spokesman said. The company notified its customers and will replace flawed 810 chip sets. Intel is providing its customers with a test to screen their 810 chip sets for the problem.

Riva3D heeft een review gepost van de Creative Unified drivers. Riva3D keek in hoeverre Glide spellen een lekker zijn te draaien met de Glide emulator:

Unified is not perfect, not by a long shot. In its current state, I do not see any real advantage in running Unified over Direct 3D or OpenGL unless the game either doesn't give you the option, or if D3D and OGL are too buggy to work with your system. Keep in mind, though, that Unified is still in the beta state. That means it is still a work in progress and will hopefully get better as time goes on. The fact that Creative has made it this far is truly amazing and I sincerely hope that 3dfx will allow them to continue their work on this project.

Check het artikel voor meer info (o.a. de performance met Unreal, Mechwarrior 2 en Descent: Freespace).

Chris van AMD Zone heeft een viertal interessante artikelen bijeen gesprokkels over de K7. Alle info is afkomstig van Austin360.com ('Austin American Statesman', whatever dat mag zijn):

AMD's big bet
How the Chip Giants Compare (grafiekje met PIII en Athlon)
Buyers may blink at chip's high-end price tag (Athlon prijs info)
When the words matter . . . (over de naamsverandering van K7 naar Athlon)

Austin360.com bevestigd maar weer dat de naam van de K7 verandert is naar 'Athlon':

The chip is so important to AMD that it decided to test the name with potential customers, sources said. They told AMD that K7, as it has been known, was a bad name. It sounded too much like its previous chip, the K6 -- and that meant a cheap chip destined to be used in low-cost computers. But AMD has no intentions of letting the new chip become a cheap chip anytime soon. It wants to sell it for premium prices to makers of high-end desktop computers for consumers and businesses. So it changed the name from K7 to Athlon, which the focus groups liked better. [break]En over de prijs van de AMD Athlon zeggen ze het volgende:[/break] Unlike recent processors made by AMD, Athlon won't be a bargain-priced chip destined to be used in very low-priced computers. Analysts expect the chip to sell in the same price range as Intel Corp.'s high-end Pentium III chips, which are selling for about $600.

ZDNet bericht over mogelijke problemen bij de produktie van de Sony Emotion Engine, de wonderchip achter de PSX2 die volgens Sony (en Danny ) de PC compleet gaat crushen:

The Emotion Engine is 238 square millimeters, a monster by processor standards. Its companion chip, a graphics synthesizer, is even larger. Together, the two are large enough to "give most semiconductor manufacturers a bad case of heartburn," said Keith Diefendorff, a senior analyst at chip technology researcher MicroDesign Resources Inc.

While the 128-bit chip has only 10 percent more transistors than a Pentium III, it will be 80 percent larger. That means higher costs and, it could mean Sony won't satisfy initial demand for the Playstation 2.

[...]For Sony, the enormous size of the chips means that initial Playstation 2 consoles will be downright uneconomical, according to a research report from MicroDesign Resources.

The firm predicts the Emotion Engine and its graphics synthesizer will cost $130 each to make. That would mean Sony will have to spend more than $300, and probably nearer to $400, just to build a Playstation 2, not including the $1 billion Sony will pay to help its partner, Toshiba Corp., build two new chip factories. The original Playstation retailed for $299.

Nu las ik in de c't wel dat een of ander ventje van Sony had gezegd dat 't hem geen bout interesseerde hoe duur de PSXII zou worden, omdat de games toch voor de eigenlijke inkomsten gaan zorgen. Als die Emotion chip echter fokking duur gaat worden dan moet de prijs van de PSXII ook wel omhoog. Haha!

Bij Voodoo Extreme lees ik dat er nieuwe drivers en een nieuw bios is uitgekomen voor de Savage 4.

This new BIOS fixes "several problems, such as Quake 3 lock-ups". Here's the goods:

Drivers: Latest Windows 95/98 driver (v1.02) Full support for multiple-monitors Proper texture rendering in Half-Life v1.09

Bios: Resolves system lockups for users of Gateway Pentium 2000 MMXsystem and Intel 440FX motherboard Also corrects system lockups when using the 3D Blaster Savage4 16MB (Card Model: CT6905) in games such as Quake and Incoming

Je kunt de drivers (gebaserd op 8.04.01) hier downloaden en het nieuwe bios (1.02.4) kun je hier vandaan plukken.