IBM claims title for world's smallest SRAM

IBM's development labs are claiming that they have created a static RAM cell half as small as anyone else's experimental version and ten times smaller than today's commercial technology. Comprising six transistors, an SRAM cell is a fast type of memory which doesn't need to be constantly refreshed as with conventional DRAM, but will hold a charge as a 'bit' so long as the power is on. In order to shrink the cell down to the point where you can get 50,000 of them across the area of a human hair, IBM says it optimised the circuit layout and design of the cell. ...more

EC reprimands Microsoft over interoperability delay

The European Commission has told Microsoft that it will face further action if it does not urgently comply with penalties imposed for abusing its monopoly position. Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer met with Competition Commissioner Neelie Kroes today to discuss his company's failure to meet a 24 March deadline. Although it has agreed to pay its 497mn Euro fine and has introduced a version of Windows stripped of Media Player - Windows XP N - it has not complied with an order to disclose information that will make it easier for rival server software makers to integrate with Windows-base networks. ...more

Hynix intros GDDR4 DRAM

Korean memory manufacturer Hynix Semiconductor has announced the availability of the world's first 512 Megabit GDDR4 DRAM. The company claims that new chips provide the world's fastest and highest density graphics memory. The foundation of the blazingly fast graphics from the major suppliers such as ATi and NVidia GDDR is an ultra-high speed graphics DRAM that processes movie quality animations and graphics data for personal computers and game consoles. ...more

Olympic Web coverage under debate

The International Olympics Committee (IOC) is meeting in Lausanne, Switzerland, to discuss to future of online Olympic coverage, after this year's near blanket ban led to low online viewing figures for the Sydney games. Television rights are worth some ?900m to the IOC and are licensed country by country. Clearly there are online revenues to be had, but the online coverage of the otherwise successful Sydney Olympics was limited to NBCOlympics. ...more

The top UK computer offers this Christmas

We've asked computer makers around the country to come up with what they consider their best offers for desktop and laptop PCs over the festive season. The list isn't exhaustive, as some vendors simply haven't been able to respond by our deadline, but you'll surely find something worth getting you wallet out for. So without further ado, and in no particular order, here they are. ...more