Sega and Microsoft in possible games tie-up Tom Foremski Japanese sources report that Sega Enterprises is developing a powerful 128-bit microprocessor powered video game console in partnership with Microsoft. Both companies have declined to confirm the reports. However, Sega is known to be working on a new video game console code named Black Belt that will likely use a high ...

Good semiconductor sales figures hide memory black spot Tom Foremski Global chip sales surged by 13 per cent in July, reports the US Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA). The American market showed a strong 19.4 per cent rise over the same period last year while European chip sales grew 12 per cent and Asian-Pacific chip demand rose by 16 per cent. ...

Intel enhances MMX for better real-time processing Tom Foremski Intel has begun releasing details of a new version of its MMX instruction set, which handles DSP type multimedia functions in software. The enhanced MMX2 instruction set is designed to address some of the limitations of the existing MMX instructions. The additional instructions focus on improving 3D graphics displays and video ...

Rockwell questions 3Com’s modem move Tom Foremski Rockwell Semiconductor has criticised 3Com’s move to make it easier to license 56kbit/s modem technology, saying that 3Com has left many questions unanswered and its motives are questionable. 3Com recently said that it has made it easier to license intellectual property behind its X2 high speed modem technology for a one time license ...

Motorola to develop small LCDs Tom Foremski Motorola has teamed up with US company Kopin to develop and manufacture small, low priced LCD displays, based on Kopin’s CyberDisplay technology. The CyberDisplay, described as the world’s smallest information display, is a low power 0.24-inch diagonal transmissive active matrix liquid crystal display imaging device which displays information at a 320 x 240 ...

National profits healthy on back of analogue Tom Foremski National Semiconductor has beaten analyst estimates, reporting $70.1m profit in its first quarter fiscal 1998 on sales of $600.8m. The company says that sales grew by 39 per cent compared with first quarter sales one year ago. “Improved new order rates through the summer period enabled us to achieve our fifth ...

Sony group unveils DVD-RAM competitor Tom Foremski Sony and its partners have unveiled a rewritable technology for DVD disks that competes with the DVD Forum’s DVD RAM format. The Sony disc uses phase-change technology that can store 3Gbyte per side. The format is compatible with DVD ROM drives but not with DVD RAM. Sony is joined by Hewlett-Packard, Philips Electronics, ...

Psion interim profits suffer from Series 5 success Simon Parry Interim profits at Psion have been halved as the transition to the new Series 5 handheld computer slashes sales of the older Series 3 and export sales suffer from sterling’s strength. Psion chairman David Potter warned yesterday that profits are unlikely to be at 1996 levels for the full year ...

3Com bid to free off modem standard procedure Tom Foremski In a bid to revitalise standard efforts in the high-speed modem area, currently bogged down in intellectual property wrangles, 3Com says it will license its 56kbit/s modem technology for a one time fee of $100,000. 3Com says it is working with patent holder Brent Townshend, who owns key modem patents, ...

AMD expects 3Q loss after slow ramp of K6 Tom Foremski Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) expects to report a small operating loss for its third quarter due to a slower ramp up of K6 microprocessor production. AMD says it sees strong demand for K6 and is moving production to its 0.25-micron process. In the third quarter, the company expects to ...