Sony announces 8-speed DVD+R drives

Sony has announced internal and external drives that sport the DVD Alliance's 8-speed DVD+R spec. The internal drive (DRU-530A) will be available from next month for ?152 ex VAT, while the external one (DRX-530UL) will be available from January at a price yet to be confirmed. The 8-speed write specification was ratified by the Alliance in August, promising to burn DVD+R discs in less than ten minutes. ...more

Intel launches first 90nm Celeron Centrino chips

Intel has extended the range of its Celeron M processors, which are aimed at thin and light value notebooks. The new 360 and 350 models are the first to be built on Intel's 90 nanometer process technology. Clocking 1. ...more

Microsoft calms WGA counterfeit checking tools

In a bid to reassure Windows users, Microsoft has tweaked its authenticity checking tools in its Windows Genuine Advantage (WGA) program. The WGA Notifications program, which checks whether installations of Windows are genuine or counterfeit, was recently expanded worldwide, and delivered as a Windows update through Automatic Updates. However, it might be said that this was an inappropriate mechanism: Automatic Updates are normally the vector for delivering technical or security improvements rather than allowing Microsoft the run of your PC to check if its software is genuine. ...more

ATI adds high-end FireGL X2-256t

ATI has updated its workstation-based FireGL line, with the FireGL X2-256t graphics accelerator. This is targeted at those working in CAD (computer aided design), modelling or simulation environments, or general digital content creation. ATI boasts that the X2-256t features an 8-pixel pipeline architecture for parallel rendering capabilities and, with 24-bit support for each colour component, it can display up to 16. ...more

Talks tabled to put protected CDs on iPods

Record labels are in talks with Apple to find a way of making copy-protected CDs compatible with iTunes and iPods. Major labels have recently released albums from a number of high-profile artists that include software to prevent them being ripped on a PC. As a result it has come in for scathing criticism from iPod owning fans of the Foo Fighters and Dave Matthews among others. ...more