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***Truevision Releases the TARGA 2000 SDX Studio (December 14)
Truevision announced the release of TARGA 2000 SDX Studio which supports SDI digital video (SMPTE 259M with two channels of embedded audio) and AES/EBU digital audio with real-time audio sample-rate conversion. TARGA 2000 SDX Studio is supported on both Windows NT and Mac platforms, making it the only SDI cross-platform, dual-stream video board on the market today. TARGA 2000 SDX Studio includes dual Motion-JPEG codecs for real-time full resolution special effects processing.
In non-linear editing applications such as Discreet Logic edit, TARGA 2000 SDX Studio can play two video streams simultaneously, execute from a selection of real-time effects between them, overlay two independent, dynamic (can move, scale and change the transparency while they're up) uncompressed graphics over this, and simultaneously perform other real-time conversions such as flip the video right/left or play it backwards- without rendering.
TARGA 2000 SDX-Studio integrates with the 3D DVE from Abekas, a companion PCI board, which can create real-time 3D special effects like axis position, rotate with skew and perspective, page turns, blurs, mosaics, and more. Truevision supplies a Windows NT compatible version of this combination called TARGA 2000 SDX3D Studio.
TARGA 2000 SDX Studio has a suggested retail price of $9,995. TARGA 2000 SDX3D Studio has a suggested retail price of $17,995. Both products are available through Truevision's Signature VAR network and international distribution partners. Truevision will be announcing upgrade pricing from the TARGA 2000 RTX board shortly.
***3Dfx Buys STB
(December 14)
3Dfx Interactive announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire STB Systems.
In a stock-for-stock purchase transaction, STB shareholders will receive 0.65 shares of 3Dfx common stock for each share of STB common stock. Based on Friday's closing stock prices, the transaction is valued at approximately $141 million. The deal is expected to close in March of 1999, subject to various conditions including customary regulatory approvals and approval by the shareholders of both 3Dfx and STB. At the completion of the acquisition, STB's operations will remain based in Richardson, Texas, although the combined companies' headquarters will be at the 3Dfx site in San Jose.
The key benefits of the transaction will be:
To provide PC-OEM and retail customers with a single source for 3Dfx branded add-in-boards for greater price stability and smoother product transitions.
To provide high-capacity, high-quality and reliable manufacturing capabilities as a pre-qualified supplier to the top ten PC-OEM manufacturers.
To allow for a more tightly integrated chip, software, and board-level layout and design for faster time to market and the most cost-effective graphics solutions.
To drive a more controlled and focused brand investment for an even stronger retail presence."With the acquisition of STB and their outstanding track record of world wide manufacturing, distribution, and customer support, we will deliver directly to our PC OEM and retail customers 3Dfx branded add-in-board products," said Greg Ballard, president and chief executive officer of 3Dfx Interactive. "This shift in our business model allows 3Dfx to control our own destiny and positions 3Dfx as one of the top suppliers of graphics technology in the world."
"Our strong relationships with the industry's leading OEM and retail customers were earned by consistently being first to market with new technology and by providing outstanding customer service through our field support engineering and sales organizations," said William Ogle, president of STB Systems. "We believe that the combined strengths of STB and 3Dfx will enable us to deliver a more powerful and focused brand strategy and singular vision for our products and customers."
William Ogle, president and chief executive officer of STB, will join the 3Dfx board of directors as vice chairman and executive vice president for 3Dfx. Gordon Campbell will remain chairman of 3Dfx.
With this stunning announcement 3Dfx has caused a major change in the 3D market. When E&S bought AccelGraphics it forced the high end of the market to go vertical. Now with 3Dfx buying the largest customer of NVIDIA's 3Dfx has sent a signal that it intends to play a major role in the OEM supply channel. Just as Creative Labs got a recent design win with a Banshee based card (WAVE#914.1) it is now a competitor to the 3Dfx/STB combination. 3Dfx stated that STB will fulfill its OEM commitments based on the NVIDIA parts but going forward the combined company will focus on 3Dfx chips. With Diamond Multimedia retreating to the home market and niche markets, as it seeks to increase its income and profitability, the number of board partners supporting fabless semiconductor companies has changed today with STB's exit as an OEM supplier seeking chips from any vendor.
There is a more significant issue here. This business deal is a reflection of the reality that the fabless semiconductor business model, at least in 3D, has become extremely difficult to execute in. Only ATI has shown it can be profitable quarter after quarter and it is also a card company. 3Dfx has basically stated that it must have a broader base of business to grow. STB is already in the motherboard business but this is a commodity business and for STB to be successful it must have at least one tier one OEM win. This has yet to happen.
Our view is that 3Dfx has made a very strong tactical move to secure the OEM business. Going forward 3Dfx must show that it can handle the strategic potential of this combination as it seeks to go into larger markets outside of 3D. We regard this as daunting.
The market, which was down today, gave a largely negative reception to the announcement. 3Dfx opened at 15 ¼ and ended at 12 15/16, its low point of the day. While STB opened at 7 ¼ it rose to 8 ½ and ended at 7 3/16.
***Insight Shipping $499 emachines eTower 300 (December 7)
Insight has begun to ship the eTower 300, an Internet-ready PC from emachines priced at $499.99.
The eTower 300 features a 300 MHz Intel Celeron processor, 32 MB RAM, 3.2 GB hard drive, 56k modem and CD-ROM, as well as an accessible game port. It comes preloaded with Microsoft Win 98, Microsoft Works and a free 30 day Netcom trial period for Internet access.
eTower can be purchased on Insight's Website.
http://www.insight.com
***Kopin and Fujifilm Microdevices Announce Digital Camera Chipset with CyberDisplays (December 10)
Kopin Corporation and Fujifilm Microdevices have announced the availability of Fujifilm Microdevices' digital camera chipset, with Kopin's color CyberDisplay. The chipset will allow manufacturers to provide their customers with low cost digital cameras that have advanced, high-resolution, small form factor color displays.
The CyberDisplay is a 0.24 inch diagonal transmission active matrix liquid crystal display (AMLCD) imaging device which displays information at 320 by 240 full color pixel resolution. It enables portable communication devices and personal information products, including digital cameras, cellular phones, GPS systems, pagers, and smart card viewers to display photographic images, text, e-mail, e-commerce, graphics, photographs, and video from the Internet and other data sources.
The chipset also includes a CCD imager, analog and digital signal processors, a display controller, along with the CyberDisplay.
***General Instrument's Digital Interactive Cable TV Set-Top Terminals to Accept Credit Cards (December 10)
Cardholders using a Visa smart card could soon be able to access new interactive services over their cable television network, according to Visa International and General Instrument Corporation.
Visa and General Instrument have signed a memorandum of understanding which would enable GI's broadband digital network system to accept Visa branded multi-function smart cards. Under a more definitive agreement, the Visa Open Platform would be made available to broadband network operators and integrated by GI for implementation on advanced interactive digital set-tops and systems. The Visa Open Platform is a flexible non-proprietary platform that enables the fast and easy development of globally interoperable multiple application smart card systems. The agreement would further expand the acceptance of the Visa Open Platform into yet another industry sector. Last month, the European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) agreed to use the Open Platform as a basis for specifications to enable smart cards to be loaded with applications via GSM mobile phones.
Visa and GI will explore ways to integrate payment and other interactive services into Visa multi-function smart cards, GI's interactive digital set-top terminals and GI's digital network hardware and software. This will maximize the benefits to end-users and generate more revenue for network operators.
Visa cardholders will have potential access to a variety of interactive services, such as TV-shopping, pay-per-view using Visa Cash, home banking, loyalty and electronic coupons.
As part of a more definitive agreement, Visa and GI plan to undertake a number of joint activities including prototype development and market testing. It is anticipated that GI will provide interactive digital consumer set-top terminals and network systems while Visa will ensure the systems architecture can process payment and other smart card services conveniently and securely.
Visa's Open Platform is a collection of specifications and technologies that define the foundation for the deployment and growth of the secure, multifunction smart card. With the Visa Open Platform, software developers can create programs that run on a wide variety of chips and operating systems, enabling banks and financial institutions to develop their own smart cards on which they can run numerous programs, providing their customers with a broad array of value-added functions. A strong proponent of open systems, Visa International has made the Visa Open Platform specification freely available to all interested parties.
Visa Cash is an electronic purse or stored value card which serves as a fast and convenient alternative to cash and coins for small purchases. Visa Cash stores monetary value which is electronically deducted from the card each time it is used. The amount of the purchase is then transferred to the merchant's account. In many cases, it is the first step that a bank will take in implementing a multi-function smart card program. With the advent of the Common Electronic Purse Specifications, Visa Cash will become a globally interoperable electronic purse card.
The Common Electronic Purse Specifications (CEPS) are being developed by Visa International, Visa Espana/SERMEPA of Spain, ZKA of Germany, and Europay International. The Specifications, due to be published in December of this year, will provide global interoperability for electronic purse cards worldwide. In addition to the four organizations developing CEPS, commitment to adopt the Specifications has also been announced by SSB in Italy, Proton World International, the National Banks in Sweden, and NETS in Singapore. More than 90 percent of the worlds electronic purse cards will become interoperable based on CEPS.
***Dense-Pac Microsystems Enters into Agreement for Three-Dimensional Commercial Plastic Stacking Device (December 10)
Dense-Pac announced their first contract manufacturing and licensing agreement for its three-dimensional (3-D) high density memory. The agreement was reached with Northern California-based Corsair Memory and is expected to run for three-years. Corsair will use the Dense-Pac 3-D plastic stack technology in Corsair's high-density 100-MHz synchronous memory modules for Intel based servers, as well as other applications. The Corsair agreement will generate meaningful ongoing annual revenue for Dense-Pac.
Dense-Pac Microsystems is a technology company that specializes in the design of proprietary and patented three-dimensional high-density packaging. The products allow the company's commercial, industrial and aerospace customers to pack huge amounts of memory into small spaces. Its commercial products include applications such as network servers, computers storage devices and medical instrumentation. Aerospace and industrial applications can include airborne and space avionics and such diverse areas as space satellites and missiles and high performance servers.
***Eight Consumer Electronics Companies to Establish HAVi Licensing Program For the Development of Digital AV Home Entertainment Networks (December 10)
Grundig A.G., Hitachi, Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., (Panasonic), Royal Philips Electronics N.V., Sharp, Sony, Thomson multimedia, and Toshiba announced plans to establish a HAVi (Home Audio-Video interoperability) licensing program under which the home network architecture will be made available to the electronics and multimedia industries in Spring 1999.
Philips has been designated to serve as the licensing contact on behalf of the eight companies. The eight companies plan to implement a joint patent license program that will enable interested parties to begin developing HAVi compliant products in the Spring 1999. The license would cover the use of the HAVi logo as well as patents defined by the HAVi specification that are owned or controlled by the eight companies and deemed to be essential for the production of compliant hardware and/or software products. License holders will be able to develop HAVi compliant software as well as HAVi compliant digital AV appliances that can be networked across the IEEE1394 digital interface.
The HAVi compliant software acts as consumer electronics middleware which is capable of automatically discovering devices on the network, coordinating the functions of the various devices, and installing applications and user interface software on each appliance. Once connected as a network, HAVi compliant electronics appliances are immediately interoperable, sharing their resources and capabilities to offer increased functionality and greater ease-of-use.
pecifically, these appliances will provide the consumer with the convenience of hot plug-and-play connectivity, appliance interoperability, and future-proof operation. Home entertainment networks based on the HAVi specification promise to play an important role in enabling entertainment providers, electronics manufacturers, and consumers to take full advantage of a wide range of new interactive services made possible by the advent of digital technology. Digital content received from digital broadcast, network, and package media can be distributed throughout the home to any appliances on the network. Interoperable digital AV appliances- used in conjunction with the appropriate digital content protection technology-will provide an infrastructure for many new, exciting services, such as high-speed Internet access, video-on-demand, and home AV server applications.
HAVi applications will be able to discover and control compliant appliances regardless of manufacturer. Moreover, the applications can control individual devices within different appliances regardless of their physical grouping. Examples of electronics appliances include set-top boxes, digital VCRs, and hi-fi audio equipment. Devices inside such appliances include tuners, displays, amplifiers, stream converters, clocks, modems, and Internet access functions.
The HAVi specification has been designed to address all aspects of home networking in an IEEE1394 based, digital AV environment. The core specification included components for interchanging messages and events on IEEE1394, registering and discovering device capabilities across the network, and for managing digital AV streams and devices. Version 1.0 offers a more efficient, reliable, and secure solution featuring the following improvements: - Java has been adopted as the HAVi bytecode to make it possible to represent devices and functions through the use of platform independent, object-oriented APIs. This will allow software developers to create rich, interactive Java based applications and user interfaces. HAVi compliant applications can be installed in electronics appliances by the manufacturer or downloaded from the Internet and other sources.
***NurLogic Joins With IBM To Offer 0.25-Micron And 0.18-Micron Standard Cell Libraries (December 9)
NurLogic Design announced an agreement allowing IBM to offer NurLogic libraries and products to IBM semiconductor foundry customers without traditional non-recurring engineering (NRE) fees. Under the agreement, IBM customers will have access to NurLogic's full 1000+ element standard cell library and I/O library, as well as NurLogic's full spectrum of embedded memories, specialty I/Os, and analog IP. Each component is electrically and physically optimized by NurLogic to IBM's 0.25-micron (6SF) and 0.18-micron (7SF) processes and NurLogic will provide direct distribution and technical support for the libraries.
Design kits for the IBM 0.25-micron process and Preliminary Design kits for the IBM 0.18-micron process are available today directly from NurLogic Design. To receive libraries or additional information, customers can contact NurLogic directly via the web.
http://www.nurlogic.com
***Apple Releases Mac OS Update
(December 7)
Apple Computer has released Mac OS 8.5.1, as an update to Mac OS 8.5, released in October. The update corrects the problems associated with CD-ROM installation, AppleScript, and data corruption which have been reported over the two months since the launch of 8.5. Apple has also said that there is added support for third party devices such as joysticks.
The update is available immediately, free of charge.
***cMyVision, Interactive Website to Answer Decorating Dilemmas (December 9)
Visual Applications has launched a free interactive design Website and downloadable Web-enabled software that allows users to experimentally make changes to any digital photograph of a home, room or yard to create a new look.
cMyVision, will initially focus on the home remodeling/furnishings arena but will expand to include apparel. Users can drag background images, supplied by cMyVision, brought from another location, or from a personal photo to create a palette. Then users can drag and drop different paints, doors, trim, plants, siding, flooring, etc. into the chosen image. A regularly updated cMyVision catalog contains over 6,000 products to allow users to experiment with multiple combination and looks.
The site features automatic scaling, to fit product size to match a room, animation, to spin, angle, and turn items, and the ability to paint or fill walls with wallpaper.
cMyVision will expand to include e-commerce features including direct access to manufacturer information, so users can learn more about the products they use, and the ability to make online purchases.
***Dolby Laboratories and Lake DSP Join Forces to Introduce Multichannel Audio System for Headphones (December 8)
Dolby Laboratories and Lake DSP of Sydney, Australia, announced that the two companies have agreed to develop and market a new technology that allows consumers to enjoy multichannel surround sound on conventional stereo headphones.
Dubbed "Dolby Headphone," the system will be featured primarily in multichannel audio/video products incorporating Dolby Digital or Dolby Pro Logic Surround decoding, but will also work with two-channel stereo programs. With Dolby Headphone technology, consumers can use their headphones to experience programs as if they were listening in a cinema or a fine home theater.
The Dolby Headphone technique is performed in a digital signal processor chip (DSP), which makes it easy to include in DVD Video players, upcoming DVD Audio players, set-top cable boxes, satellite receivers, digital televisions, VCRs, personal computers, video-game consoles, A/V surround decoders, auto sound systems, multimedia speaker systems and even headphone portables.
Lake DSP, based in Sydney, has for eight years been developing hardware and software products and licensable technologies for the automotive, telecommunications, professional audio and acoustic research fields. More information on Lake DSP can be obtained at the company's Web site:
***IJNT International Enters San Francisco Bay Area With Two-Way Wireless Internet Access Services (December 11)
IJNT International announced that it has acquired and assumed all operations of Global Broadband Services, Inc. (GBS), thus extending its two-way wireless Internet access services to the San Francisco Bay area. Terms of the agreement were not disclosed.
GBS has wireless operating systems in Sonoma County (north of the Bay area) and Contra Costa County (east of the Bay area). The company also provides two-way wireless services in San Francisco, Oakland, Silicon Valley, and San Jose. IJNT currently provides high-speed wireless Internet access in Salt Lake City, UT, Newport Beach and Irvine, CA, and Houston and Beaumont, TX. The Company also provides national ISP services as well as web development and hosting.
***Intelligent Environments Launches Amazon Integrator (December 7)
Intelligent Environments has introduced its Amazon Integrator Web application server. The product provides universal legacy integration, and therefore a wider range of high performance legacy connectivity out-of-the-box.
Amazon provides out-of-box support for databases such as IBM DB2, Oracle, Sybase and Microsoft SQL/Server as well as transaction and message processing systems such as IBM TXSeries, CICS, APPC and MQSeries, as well as terminal emulation (3270, 5250, VT100/200). It enables all these systems to be integrated and delivered as CORBA, Java Beans and Microsoft DCOM ActiveX controls for use by Java, Visual Basic, and C++.
It provides a rapid development environment, high-performance server, and management console to support its universal connectivity.
The price of a typical entry-level Amazon Integrator system is $25,000 for unlimited development licenses and a single complete system server. The product is available from December 7th.
***TimesTen Ships 64-Bit Main Memory Database (December 7)
TimesTen Performance Software has announced the general availability of TimesTen 3.0, a main-memory relational database optimized for 64-bit platforms.
The product takes advantage of the virtually unlimited memory addressibility of 64-bit systems to allow in-memory databases as large as the amount of memory supported by the hardware - up to 64 gigabytes for today's 64-bit UNIX systems. Version 3.0 also adds high-availability data replications, client/server connectivity, and improved multiprocessor scaling.
Prices range from $20,000-240,000 per platform for unlimited users, based on the size of the main-memory data store. The 64-bit version is available on Sun Solaris 7 and HP-UX 11. There is also a 32-bit version 3.0 available on Sun Solaris, HP-UX, IBM-AIX, and Win NT.
***U.S. Semiconductor Industry Announces Partnership With Federal Government And 14 Leading Universities (December 9)
The U.S. semiconductor industry, the federal government and 14 of the nation's most universities have created a national research network to conduct projects that are important to the growth of U.S. technology industries, the Semiconductor Industry Association announced. The network, formally known as the Focus Center Research Program, will lead to the creation of six national Focus Centers that, when fully funded, sustain $60 million per year in new research activities. Over a 10-year period, the program is expected to channel more than $600 million into the nation's research universities.
"This program is the most ambitious research project that the U.S. chip industry has undertaken since 1987, when SIA companies agreed to form SEMATECH," said Dr. Craig R. Barrett, President and Chief Executive Officer of Intel Corporation and Oversight Director of the SIA's Technology Strategy Committee.
Contracts for the first two Focus Centers have been awarded to a network of universities from seven states that are headed by the University of California at Berkeley and Georgia Institute of Technology. The UC Berkeley consortium, representing 10 universities, will undertake projects on "design and test" issues. The Georgia Tech consortia, representing six schools, will pursue research on "interconnect" technology. Both of the initial Focus Centers, which are funded through 2001, will investigate technological challenges identified in the National technology Roadmap for Semiconductors (NTRS). The Roadmap not only projects industry technology needs over the next 15 years, but identifies critical issues that must be resolved in order to maintain the chip industry's historic pace of innovation.
The design and test research, led by UC Berkeley, refers to software programs used to create chips, as well as the testing of semiconductor components to ensure circuits work correctly. The UC Berkeley team, led by project Professor Richard Newton, includes Carnegie Mellon University of Pennsylvania, University of Michigan, MIT, Princeton, Stanford, UCLA, UC Santa Barbara, UC Santa Cruz and UC San Diego.
Interconnect research, conducted by the Georgia Tech consortium, will address the wiring that connects the millions of transistors on a microchip. The Georgia Tech team is headed by Professor James Meindl. Universities affiliated with the Interconnect Focus Center include MIT, Stanford and three institutions from New York -- Cornell, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and the State University of New York at Albany.
Funding for the research centers will come from member companies of the SIA; SEMI/SEMATECH, a consortium of U.S. semiconductor suppliers; and the Department of Defense, represented by Defense Advanced Research Project Agency (DARPA).
Following a review of the first two centers, four additional focus centers-each dedicated to a different technology issue - - may be added to the research network by 2005.In addition to funding research, the Focus Center program will provide new monies for faculty and student salaries, equipment and upgrading university research facilities.
The Focus Center program will be managed by DARPA and by a new industry entity, the Microelectronics Advanced Research Corporation (MARCO). MARCO is a subsidiary of the North Carolina-based Semiconductor Research Corporation, which was created by the SIA in 1982 to stimulate university research programs in semiconductor technology. SRC annually funds $30 million in research projects.
Focus Center researchers will investigate technology solutions for issues that are eight to 10 years in the future. When the research leads to positive results, representatives from DARPA and the participating funding semiconductor companies will work with the research teams to bring the technology into the marketplace.
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