Blue-violet laser diodes point to faster high-definition storage

NEC looks to boost writing speeds for next-generation optical discs using blue laser, such as Blu-ray or HD DVD. The Japanese electronics giant has developed a blue-violet laser diode which achieves a light output of 300mW - the most achieved so far - under continuous wave operation, reports NE Asia Online. 'The laser diode is still a prototype,' the website quotes an NEC spokesman. ...more

Cisco Systems buys Topspin Communications

Cisco Systems has bought Topspin Communications to give itself an entry into the emerging field of grid computing, clustered enterprise applications, and server virtualisation. Cisco says it has paid $250mn for the company in a combination of shares and cash. Topspin's particular forte is InfiniBand-based server fabric switches that connect servers together into a grid, and provide the server grid with network and storage connectivity. ...more

Linux PDA now a reality

We've already reported on Sharp's plans to bring out a Linux-based handheld computer, but a new device from Agenda is now available for developers of Linux applications. So if you want an alternative to the range of PocketPC or Palm PDAs that are currently on the market, a Linux-based handheld provides an interesting option. The Agenda Linux features a 160 x 240 monochrome touch-sensitive back-lit screen, 7 quick launch buttons and a suite of built-in standard management software. ...more

Yahoo! unveils new weapon against spammers and phishers

Yahoo! has unveiled its DomainKey email authentication system and has submitted it to the Internet Engineering Task Force to be accepted as a standard. The system, which was announced in December of last year is intended to tackle the twin problems of spoofing and phishing. As spammers have become subject to laws, the anger of recipients, and more sophisticated anti-spam tools they have increasingly sought to hide their original source by 'spoofing' or forging the often innocent email addresses in the 'From' line. ...more

AMD launches Mobile AMD Athlon 4 Processor 1500+

AMD is coming out strong this year, with yet another new processor, this time of a mobile flavour and donning the XP-style 1500+ moniker. So, while the 1500+ sounds like a big leap from the 1.2Ghz Mobile Athlon that was previously the top mobile chip, it will actually be clocked at a speed somewhat below the 1500Mhz intimated. ...more