Intel turns to Extreme UV lithography for printing shrinking processors

Intel has passed two milestones in the development of extreme-ultraviolet (EUV) lithography, a technology for building the ever smaller microprocessors of the future. Intel has set itself the goal of printing circuitry as small as 30 nanometers (nm). The chip giant has installed the world's first commercial EUV lithography tool and set up an EUV mask pilot line. ...more

Analysis: The end of silicon?

If you marvel at the array of silicon circuitry wedged inside today's computers, prepare to be amazed. Semiconductors made out of the smallest particles known to man and plastic computer memory are two technologies that could feature in PCs just a decade from now. As any seasoned techie will know, the days of conventional chips are numbered. ...more

Compaq updates its Internet PCs

Compaq has also announced availability of 2GHz Pentium 4 systems, within its updated Presario range. The Compaq Presario 7000T Series - the desktop "Internet PCs" - will feature Intel's latest processor. The most basic configuration starts at $1,499, including a 20Gb hard drive, 128 MB of PC800 RAMBUS memory, 48x CD-ROM drive and a 17" CV735 monitor. ...more

Beatles ready to enter digital age

The Beatles are poised, at long last, to enter the digital age and make their music available in a downloadable format. The announcement was made by EMI vice chairman David Munns at a music industry conference in California, although he declined to set a date. Music Week has reported that The Beatles's company, Apple Corps, which manages the band's assets and interests, is in the process of launching an online merchandise store, but there is no indication of how or where the band's music will go on sale. ...more

Palm on a laptop

When is a laptop not a laptop? When it's the new Dana, a hybrid laptop and handheld PDA. The idea behind the Dana is to combine the, 'convenience and affordability of a hand-held device with the ergonomic benefits of a lightweight, notebook computer,' say the developers, AlphaSmart. So you get a full-sized keyboard on a device running the Palm OS on a mono screen 560 pixels wide and 160 pixels deep, which compares favourably to the standard 160x160 display of a PDA. ...more