New research shows that U.S. retail sales of video games, consoles and game accessories hit $1.12 billion in May, a 37 percent rise over the same month last year. These parameters reported on Thursday by Market researcher NPD Group.

Take-Two Interactive Corp's Grand Theft Auto continues to be the No. 1 selling video game, and its version IV, released in April, sold 871,300 units in May. According to the research the top-selling hardware unit is Nintendo Co.'s Wii console. 675,100 units were sold in May. Nintendo's DS handheld player took second with 452,600 units sold. Those units have captured the top two spot's for four consecutive months. Sony Corp.'s PlayStation 3 and Microsoft Corp.'s Xbox 360 trailed with 208,700 and 186,600 units sold.

As to hardware sales, they rose 34 percent to $428.6 million, while software sales rose 41 percent to $536.9 million, compared to the same month last year. Sales year-to-date come to $6.6 billion and the industry is on pace to bring in revenue between $21 billion and $23 billion for 2008.

Reference:

http://www.npd.com/corpServlet?nextpage=corp_welcome.html http://www.usatoday.com/tech/gaming/2008-06-13-video-games-sales-may_N.htm?csp=34

Details of an entirely new kind of electronic device, which could make chips smaller and far more efficient, have been outlined by Hewlett-Packard’s scientists. The new components are known as "memristors". The devices were proposed 40 years ago but have only recently been fabricated.

They have already been used to build novel transistors - tiny switches that are the building blocks of all chips. Memristors were first proposed in 1971 by Professor Leon Chua, a scientist at the University of California, Berkeley. They are the "fourth" basic building block of circuits, after capacitors, resistors and inductors.

Professor Chua says: "I never thought I'd live long enough to see this happen. I'm thrilled because it's almost like vindication. Something I did is not just in my imagination, it's fundamental."

The memristors are so called because they have the ability to "remember" the amount of charge that has flowed through them after the power has been switched off. This could allow researchers to build new kinds of computer memory that would not require powering up.

Most PCs use dynamic random access memory (DRAM) which loses data when the power is turned off.But a computer built with memristors could allow PCs that start up instantly, laptops that retain sessions after the battery dies, or mobile phones that can last for weeks without needing a charge.

Reference:

http://www.hpl.hp.com/news/2008/apr-jun/memristor.html

Researchers for the computer giant are working on a technology known as racetrack memory which uses tiny magnetic boundaries to store data. The team at IBM's Almaden lab in California outline ways to make the building blocks of the novel storage medium.

The capacity of MP3 players could increase 100 times from present levels.But the IBM team say racetrack memory is still seven to eight years away from commercial use.

The work being done on racetrack memory by Dr Parkin and colleagues could produce a storage medium that is cheap, durable and fast. Currently Most desktop computers use flash memory and hard drives.

"It's now possible to build a racetrack memory though we've not built one yet," - said Dr Stuart Parkin, an IBM fellow at the Almaden laboratory.

The racetrack memory stores data in the boundaries, known as domain walls, between magnetic regions in nanowires. The medium gets its name because the data races around the wire or track as it is read or written.

The domain walls are read by exploiting the weak magnetic fields generated by the spin of electrons. The tiny amounts of power needed to exploit these fields means racetrack memory generates far less heat than existing devices.

The team has also shown how to fabricate the slim wires that would form the racetracks on which data is stored. If the expected data densities of the technology are realised it could mean gadgets that have about 100 times more memory on board than is possible today. It would mean that a portable MP3 player could hold up to 500,000 songs.

Racetrack memory could replace both flash and hard drives in computers and other gadgets.

Reference:

http://www-03.ibm.com/press/us/en/pressrelease/23859.wss

An innovative, international technology company that develops and manufactures cutting-edge, reliable, high-quality PC products and value-added professional services, Linovo presents new IdeaPad notebooks to those who are no more interested in ordinary products and search for something special.

According to LENOVO’s official web site, it emphasizes main features of the new product-IdeaPad notebooks; notebooks come with 17’’ and 15’’ widescreen displays. The main features that make IdeaPad different from the other ones are:

VeriFace™ facial recognition security
Dolby® Home Theater™ sound
Frameless screen
Multimedia Control Center with touch-sensitive buttons
GameZone keys with secondary display

Security is one of the most important aspects that we demand from each service we use everyday in the highly developed technological world and especially in the World Wide Web. How much secure are we? How much dangerous the insecurity might be? It mostly depends on the sphere and the level of threats, whether privacy is under threat or our personal details as consumers of the banks are expected to be reachable by hackers. According to IP-ATM Security banks and financial institutions are failing to properly secure their ATMs. IP-ATM Security identifies three main threats to ATMs. These are:

Internet protocol (IP) worms;
Disruption of the IP network and denial of service;
The harvesting of consumers’ transaction data for malicious purposes

The harvesting of consumers’ transaction data for malicious purposes gives opportunities to hackers collect consumers’ personal details, their card number, account balance and transaction history.

According to the SourceWire press release there are several reasons ATMs have become less secure. One of them is the way in which ATMs operate. ATMs hardware platforms with proprietary software and communications protocols have been migrated to commodity-embedded hardware platforms (essentially PC-based with Intel microprocessors), commodity operating systems (primarily Window and Linux), and standard IP networking. “70 per cent of current ATMs are now based on PC/Intel hardware and commodity operating systems (mostly Windows XP embedded) and this trend is expected to continue. Essentially, these new ATMs are PCs that are running PC operating systems, using the standard Internet Protocol (IP) with some additional peripherals housed in a secure vault-like box.”

No change is done if there are not advantages in the newer system. Among the advantages of the new system are: cost; performance; flexibility; standardization and enhanced functionality

And there is no coin with one side. Advantages are faded by threats the name of that is “hackers.”

2008 analysis of ATM network traffic by Network Box “found that only the PIN number was encrypted and that a large portion of the traffic travelled in plain text, leaving card numbers, card expiry dates, transaction amounts and account balances clearly readable. Therefore, a hacker needs only to access some part of the IP network between the IP-ATM and the payment processor to be privy to the aforementioned details.”ATM finds the most effective way to solve the issues is to use a multifunction device with:

Routing,
Firewall,
IDS/IPS,
VPN capabilities,
Protecting, the ATM network.

The specifics of the network are:
Separate from the rest of the bank’s network, monitor and control.

Encrypt all traffic coming out of the ATM machinesThe growth of the ATM marketAccording to SourceWire Mark Webb-Johnson, CTO of Network Box, comments: “Most people simply assume that because an ATM is invariably provided by a bank, the transactions and the data being transmitted must be secure. This assumption may have been true in the past, but today ATMs operate in a way that makes them far more susceptible to attack. “We’ve already seen in August 2003 how the Nachi (aka Welchia) Internet worm crossed over into ‘secure’ networks and infected ATMs for two financial institutions; and we’ve witnessed the SQL Slammer (aka Sapphire) worm indirectly shutdown 13,000 Bank of America ATMs. The chances are that if banks don’t use technology that can actually provide an effective level of protection – technology that is already on the market – then it is very likely that more high-profile attacks are to follow.”

WolfKing, a world leader in the innovation and creation of gaming input devices, announced a new product - WARRIOR XXTREME, the world’s first hybrid 2-in-1 PC gamepad and keyboard. The XXTREME incorporates all the features that made the original WARRIOR a must-have device for laptop gamers and LAN center patrons, while adding a second keypad for commands in massively multiplayer games or chatting with clan mates. This, coupled with the stone-cold fact that caps-lock is cruise control to cool, makes you wonder just how hardcore this keypad really is.

The XXTREME combines the original circular 54-key disc of the WARRIOR with 40 additional keys in a modified “QWERTY” arrangement on a second attached disc. This creates an easily portable mini-keyboard, eliminating the keys unneeded for gaming. A new “Blue Moon” backlight has been added to the keys – perfect for playing in low-light conditions. Two USB 2.0 ports are incorporated into the XXTREME, allowing gamers to hook up other devices such as gaming mice and headphones.

“The WARRIOR XXTREME is the next generation of PC gamepads,” said Bob Costlow, director of sales, WOLFKING. “It combines everything that made the original WARRIOR an award-winning gaming accessory, and adds a new level of functionality that will give gamers the edge they need to frag the competition.”

Like the original WARRIOR, the WARRIOR XXTREME uses standard USB keyboard drivers and requires no additional software for either Mac or Windows OS. Other features retained from the original WARRIOR include built-in volume controls and the 3-layer silicon membrane for extremely quiet use with a lifespan of over 10 million keystrokes.

At the price point Wolfking is providing ($80), it's perplexing why consumers would purchase this keypad over other cheaper and infinitely more useful products. The Warrior XXTREME is available immediately at www.dell.com/gaming

WOLFKING is a gaming enthusiast focused technology company positioned at the leading edge of gaming interfaces and accessories. Featuring broad-based PC & Mac hardware/software compatibility and a diverse selection of options in color/shape customization, WOLFKING products utilize advanced engineering and unique ergonomic designs that deliver the ultimate gameplay experience.

What does the combination of the new drives both flash-based memory with traditional disc drives offer? Answer is simple, 50 percent reduction in hard drive power. A hybrid hard drive is the same as the Momentus 5400 PSD (Power Savings Drive).

The new Momentus 5400 PSD hard drive uses:
Non-volatile cache, or flash memory,
Solid-state drives (SSDs)
Uses hard drive data onto a 256 MB flash memory drive to enable a faster boot-up...
Disc drives for laptops has large storage capacities -- 120 GB and 160 GB drives are now common. All that disc-based storage can suck laptop batteries dry.

Charles King, principal analyst for Pund-IT, says the TechNewsWorld: "For notebooks, one of the severe battery power drains is the boot-up process -- because you're basically starting the drive from scratch and bringing it up to full speed, "There's some tricks to avoid that, like putting your laptop into sleep or hibernation mode ... but people generally feel it's better to power the system all the way down."

The main factor is that the hybrid hard drives provide faster access to laptop data. SSD starts at US$2,199. Mass production of the product is planned before the end of this year.

Toshiba, known as the world leader in high technology, produces advanced electronic and electrical products, spanning information & communications equipment and systems, Internet-based solutions and services, electronic components and materials, power systems, industrial and social infrastructure systems, and household appliances.
This time Toshiba offers Cell Based ‘Stream Processor’. And what does it do? To judge generally, cell processors fill the gap between conventional desktop processors and specialized high-performance ones. The new product, processor is called the SpursEngine. On October 2, it is expected to be introduced. The objects, new cell processors will serve are: PCs, special concept notebooks. SpursEngine is mostly designed for processing video stream.
“According to the company, the system will "instantaneously recognize and process changes in position, angle, and facial expression," rendering them as computer graphics.”

There are four synergistic processing elements. Only the half is used for a full Cell Chip. The low power need for the processor is resulted by the prototype SpursEngine ability to operate at 1.5 GHz and according to the information provided by SCI -TECH TODAY.com SpursEngine consumes 10 to 20 watts.

Nowadays the inventions are more energy efficiency oriented. SpursEngine is one of the products that serve this purpose providing the customers with the corresponding values and high performance in the highly competitive market.

Electronics, Volume 38, Number 8, April 19, 1965 that published Gordon “Moore’s Law” says that the number of transistors placed on an integrated circuit doubles every 18-24 months. Moore’s evaluation is as following: “…The object was to miniaturize electronics equipment to include increasingly complex electronic functions in limited space with minimum weight.”

Today’s achievements show the results of all the theorized and later practically realized viewpoints of Gordon Moore, “Silicon Valley has kept up with his widely accepted maxim for more than 40 years, to the point where a new generation of chips, which Intel will begin to produce next year, will have transistors so tiny that four million of them could fit on the head of a pin.”

According to the predictions of Gordon Moore by about 2020 his Law will come up against the laws of physics. "Another decade, a decade and a half, I think we'll hit something fairly fundamental,"declares Gordan Moore on the Intel’s twice annual conference.

Processors that are going to be launched in November contains 45 nanometers. New family processors are expected to be so advanced that “a single chip will contain as many as 820 million transistors.”

As we know the Silicon-based manufacturing is known as “bulk CMOS,” it is more like a ‘top-down’ approach. But as Jim Tully, chief of research for semi-conductors at Gartner, says, in bottom-up approach the chips will be assembled using individual atoms. The main issue that should be covered is that programs should take full advantage of advanced technology. Otherwise there is going to be no benefit from it.

Gordon Moore in his seventies wishes to “come back in 100 years from now and see what has been developed.” And who does not wish?

References:

http://download.intel.com/research/silicon/moorespaper.pdf
http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/article2489053.ece
http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/article2489053.ece
http://www.tgdaily.com/content/view/33924/118/

Sahara Computers and Electronics Ltd. (SCEL) is the largest joint venture between Sahara India Pariwar (SIP) and Sahara Computers (Pty) Limited, South Africa (SSA) in India . It produces computers, laptops and peripherals.
Sahara Computers were first launched in 1997. It is distributed globally and “covers both established and emerging markets. The company is based in Johannesburg, South Africa and is the official distributor and Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) for a variety of top international vendors.”

The new product that Sahara is going to launch is a new range of Sahara laptop and desktop computers.

The laptop screen of 15.4” wide is based on the power of Intel Core Duo Processor. “Weighing about 2.46 kg, the other features included are built-in high definition audio, inbuilt wireless card, super multi DVD-RW, wireless, LAN, HDD Access, Quick start buttons, and power button. With 8-cell battery that has a life of 4 hours, it's available with 3-year warranty and immediately available with Sahara dealers for Rs 35,999 (taxes excluded).”

Sahara Computers and Electronics Limited are going to make great investments and plan to invest around Rs 400 crores over the next 2 years. The main purpose is to reach the maximum of Indian market as the demand for the technology is increasing. By this investment, Sahara guarantees success on Indian market by 2007. SCEL chief operating officer George Van Der Merwe said in a statement about their plans: “The challenge that we take on is not only to compete within the existing space but to bring innovative products at aggressive pricing and combine this with unique marketing initiatives that will in totality lead to greater penetration of the product in yet untapped markets.”

The company is going to invest over Rs 100 crores to develop strong network that covers Indian market and create retail stores for the products.

AMD - Advanced Micro Devices is the customer-centric innovation company. AMD gives the clients availability to make smart choice. It makes technology more accessible to the world, focuses on best meeting the needs of leading computing, wireless and consumer electronics companies to “deliver high-performance, energy-efficient and visually realistic solutions.”

AMD introduced its new product-Quad-Core Opteron processor that promises a 50% increase in performance, virtualization, investment protection. As AMD’s official site claims the Quad-Core AMD Opteron™ processor is “the industry’s first native x86 four core processor. It sets AMD apart as the innovation leader in the x86 server microprocessor market. ...Conceived and developed with a close eye on customer needs, the breakthrough Quad-Core AMD Opteron™ processor design and architecture gives server customers cutting-edge computing.”

Hector Ruiz, chairman and chief executive officer says that they “worked closely with customers and partners to design a new generation of processing solutions embodied by today’s Quad-Core AMD Opteron processor – a four-way winner in performance, energy efficiency, virtualization and investment protection. Early customer response has been extremely positive.”

The main advantage of The Quad-Core AMD Opteron™ processor is that it turns off all the unused parts of the processor that is more energy efficient, and it has Dual Dynamic Power Management system that supplies power to the memory controller.

“The Quad-Core AMD Opteron™ processor is positioned to be an all-star within AMD’s broad portfolio of open, scalable, reliable, high-performance solutions.”

Microsoft has launched the gaming mouse-SideWinder. The new product segment is “limited”, if one can say “limited” about the number of video games fans.

SideWinder is very comfortable. Its weight is between 5-30 grams in 5 gram increments. The mouse has three main buttons that switch between DPI 400, 800, 2000. Other settings could be altered using special software.

SideWinder Features:
DPI resolution-2,000;
Max acceleration-20G;
Inches per second max speed-45;
Frames per second image processing-7080;
Clicks f the main buttons-9 million;
Quick Launch Button;
Programmable main buttons-5;
Advanced gaming software for programming macros and profiles and customizing game settings;
A wide metal scroll wheel;
Vertical metal side buttons.
Price-$80

SideWinder is expected to ship in October.

The Hewlett-Packed Company, known as HP announces the launch of Compaq desktops and notebooks. The Features of the new product enhances the philosophy of HP: “innovation with elegance”. HP is among the world’s largest IT companies, with revenue $97.1 billion.

As far as the main focus of HP falls on simplifying technology experiences, HP is mutually productive for each customer, would it be individual or business.

The Compaq Presario SG3053IL and SG3043IL desktops are very good examples serving HP mission. HP PCs are convenient on the basis of slim keyboards, easy-to-use low profile keys. Easy access to the key functions is the guarantee of future success of the product from the view point of user interest in it. Innovation and comfort are the key factors catching the customer.

The V6000 series combines ease-of-use and style with its 15.4-inch wide-screen display with BrightView technology, roomy keyboard, and four-way scroll zone. Combination of productivity and entertainment are two features that represent main values of not only the new products but HP products in general.

Main advantage of Compaq Notebook is that it gives the user access to the fast mobile performance. The new logo of Compaq is the combination of a C and a Q. Brand logo and innovative features of the product that is going to be launched in 10 days will make it easier to differentiate HP product from the other brands and will emphasize distinguishable features the new product has.

ASUS whose winning formula is Quality + Speed + Innovation + Service + Cost launches a new product-Dual screen notebook. The main advantage of the dual screen notebook is that the user does not need to start the Windows, if one wants to view slide-shows, phone numbers, e-mails... The integrated 1,3 mega pixel Web cam might be swiveled 235-degrees.

ASUS is a leading provider of so called 3D: Computers, communications and consumer electronics. All the comforts the new products are providing are enhanced by various products Digital Home, professional series of PCs. The company introduces 7 models a- W1V, A5E, W1V , A5E, W5A, M5A, S5A, A3 and A6.

In a highly competitive world new product launches are the most important factors to retain the user and make them be the life-long clients of the products. Andrew Tsui, managing director of ASUS India, said, "After acquiring leadership in the motherboard segment in India, ASUS has plans to penetrate the Indian notebooks space. ASUS notebooks are launched to meet the individual's needs. The assortment will provide flexible and active choice, to the entire stratum of end users. With such a wide range, ASUS will be able to focus on customization, helping to connect with the end users at a personal level."

5 component formula with the ingredients like Quality-the most admirable, Speed- the most worthy, Innovation- the most attractive, Service – the most beneficial, Cost – the most determining is the guarantee of indubitable success for the company.

Well, I am not sure about the tiny, small, field mouse, but what about computer mouse?

It is worth of mentioning that there is absolutely new product called: ‘MX Air Rechargeable Cordless Mouse’.

It is the new achievement of technology. The mouse works in the air as much as on the desk. It is more like a remote controller.

Air mouse is the combination of three technologies. These are freespace-control, gesture command, and wireless. Freespace-control provides with navigation sans. Gesture command gives opportunity to change volume. Pressing different buttons results in decrease or increase of volume. The third technology in the combination is that the mouse is wireless. It is very comfortable especially from the view point of convenience and comfort.

MX Air Rechargeable Cordless Mouse is expected to be available from August.