Intel cuts a third off mobile computing prices

As anticipated, Intel pruned its Pentium M processor prices over the weekend by as much as a third. The Dothan-based processors form the basis of the Centrino platform, and four models are effected. The top-of-the-range 755 (2GHz, with 2MB of cache and a 400MHz systems bus) is cut by 34 per cent - from $637 to $423. ...more

Book review: Microserfs by Douglas Coupland

The story of Microserfs traces the lives of six self-declared geeks - Dan (the narrator), Michael, Susan, Abe, Bug and Todd. It moves from their live-to-work existence at Microsoft's Redmond campus to a learning-to-live environment in northern California as part of a start-up company in Silicon Valley. On the surface the story is about life as a programmer, working in an intensive, cutting edge environment. ...more

Windows Media 9 garners European support

Reality checks in for entertainment over IP. At this year's International Broadcasting Convention held in Amsterdam, Microsoft's Windows Media 9 Series technologies made a big splash. A number of broadcast companies showed their support for WM9, which claims to offer broadcast quality video streaming over IP using half the bit-rate of MPEG-4, and one third that of MPEG-2 codecs. ...more

Sun and SGI to make OpenGL go Java

A Java interface to the OpenGL cross-platform graphics API. This is the goal of Sun and SGI, who have announced they will cooperate on developing Java bindings to the OpenGL API. What this means is that Java developers will have an easier way into the well-established graphics world of OpenGL. ...more

Double Density CD-Rs are go!

Sony has launched its range of Double Density CD-R/RW products across the US, allowing users to store up to 1.3Gb of data on a single disc. The CRX200E-A1 ATAPI internal drive is backwards compatible with standard 650Mb CD-R/RWs and supports 12-speed write, eight-speed rewrite and 32-speed read performance. ...more