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20th July 1999 Archive

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  • Glittering MS financials mask declining trend

    It's easy to beat a street that co-operates - we explain how

    Microsoft's Q4 results "beat the street" again? Monotonous, isn't it? We'll explain how it happens. Wall Street financial analysts produce their estimates ahead of the results, and in this case the suggestion was that Microsoft would ear 36 cents a share. This estimate is then followed by a "whisper" figure that is little higher …

    Business 20 Jul 1999, 08:45

  • Bright Light offers free spam busting for the masses

    The outift reckons the move will generate a word of mouth groundswell

    California e-mail outfit Bright Light Technologies has just made its spam elimiation service free to individual users. Previously available only to corporate accounts and ISPs, the company's Bright Mail service can be set up at their web page to intercept spam destined for any POP account. According to the company, Bright Mail …

    Business 20 Jul 1999, 08:47

  • NatSemi in rumoured takeover talks

    TI and STMicro sniffing around company

    Forbes is reporting that National Semiconductor is ripe for takeover. According to the magazine, STMicroelectronics and Texas Instruments (TI) could acquire NatSemi. The magazine says that NatSemi has rid itself of divisions which lose money and wants to re-invent itself as an analogue and DSP business. (See Forbes story) The …

    Business 20 Jul 1999, 08:53

  • AMD fab ramp pulls rug from under IBM deal

    A year ago IBM K6 manufacturing put on ice for the present

    Posted 21 July 1998 -- a year ago US reports said that Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) has pulled the plug on a deal it had with IBM Microelectronics to manufacture its K6 processors. Although AMD will retain the option of using IBM Micro fabs in the future, the reason why it has decided not to begin using them is because it has …

    Business 20 Jul 1999, 08:58

  • Rambus real loser in PC133 wars

    Intel's 'evaluation' tough pill to swallow

    The admission by Intel yesterday that it is now "evaluating" the PC133 synchronous DRAM standard will cause many in the industry to breathe a sigh of relief. (Story: Intel changes mind on PC-133) Although Intel has consistently denied through the course of this year that it would support PC133, its own customers and the rest of …

    Business 20 Jul 1999, 09:13

  • Pentium III/600 & Celeron 500 – the NDA emerges

    Dealers and disties get first stab before 'official' launch

    Sources close to Intel's plans have now disclosed that the chip giant has released box versions of the Pentium III/600 and Celeron/500, available to channel partners. Dealers can only buy a maximum of three each, but are bound by one of Intel's fearsome non disclosure agreements (NDAs). This is the Intel line on the pre-release …

    Business 20 Jul 1999, 09:30

  • Intel's IA64 programme threatened by IMS patent

    Could cost chip giant $$$ billions $$$

    A source close to the ongoing spat between Intel, Techsearch and ILDF has suggested that the possession of an emulation patent could threaten Intel's royalties on Merced. Details of the International Meta Systems (IMS) patent are contained in this story. There are also references there to previous stories. It emerged earlier …

    Business 20 Jul 1999, 10:01

  • 64M memory parts rise 25 per cent in two weeks

    Micron hits back at Dresdner Kleinwort Benson report and hints at legal action

    The prices of 64Mbit synchronous DRAM parts have risen by as much as 25 per cent over the last two weeks, to around $6, after rumours circulated in the industry that Micron had problems making them. However, last week, Micron took the unusual step of publicly refuting a Dresdner Kleinwort Benson report that it had production …

    Business 20 Jul 1999, 10:36

  • IBM turns in strong Q2

    Plus a few exceptional items to boost the coffers

    After IBM caught financial analysts 10 per cent too low with its first quarter's results, they put the squeeze on and estimated 88 cents for IBM's latest quarter. In the event, IBM still pipped them again by returning 91 cents on sales of $21.905 billion (up 16 per cent on a year ago, and 8 per cent on the previous quarter). Net …

    Business 20 Jul 1999, 12:03

  • Red Hat opens European operation

    Wherever I lay my Red Hat, that's my home...

    Leading Linux distributor Red Hat yesterday announced the formation of a European operation, to be based in the Guildford, UK and Stuttgart, Germany. Both sites will carry out sales, marketing and support roles under the supervision of Colin Tenwick, previously with Sybase Europe as VP and general manager. The move is a sign of …

    Business 20 Jul 1999, 12:14

  • Orange adds Wildfire virtual PA to mobiles

    Organise your life for £10. No, we don't believe it either...

    Cellular company Orange has launched a cyber secretary that can call your contacts, hold a conversation and prioritise incoming messages. Wildfire, a voice-activated PA, will store contact details and even interrupt your conversations if you have a call waiting. The voice only comes in female form, and according to Orange will …

    Business 20 Jul 1999, 12:14

  • Vodafone-Airtouch spends $1.36bn on US outfit

    The cellular giant starts to throw its weight around

    The European invasion of the US wireless business has gathered pace, with Vodafone Airtouch spending $1.36 billion on CommNet Cellular. The move will expand Vodafone's coverage of the rural west of America and is part of the company's plan to plug the gaps in its coverage. (See also Euro giants poised to pounce) CommNet made a …

    Business 20 Jul 1999, 12:26

  • Caldera Thin Clients renamed to focus on embedded Linux

    Lineo, Lineo -- wherefore art thou, Lineo?

    Linux distributor Caldera's hardware operation, Cadera Thin Clients, will today change its name to Lineo, a move designed to highlight the business' shift towards the embedded arena. Lineo's new strategy will focus on getting its embedded version of Linux, Embedix, into set-top boxes and the like, broading the scope of the open …

    Business 20 Jul 1999, 12:34

  • BBC shrugs-off Web float rumours

    But raising a stash from an Internet IPO still looks curiously compelling...

    The BBC is thinking about floating Beeb.com, its commercial Internet service, according to rumours floated in the UK this morning. Fire-brigading BBC spin doctors speedily hosed the notion with cold water, but you can see why it might be tempting. Privatisation of any part of the BBC would be a political hot potato, but the …

    Business 20 Jul 1999, 12:40

  • 3Com boss announces Palm-based cellphone

    Palm prepares to take on Nokia Communicator

    3Com CEO Eric Benhamou yesterday promised a Palm handheld PDA with built-in cellphone functionality. But don't hold your breath: he also said such devices will hit the market in the next several years. US newswires have largely interpreted Benhamou's comments, made during a Q&A session at Computer Associates' CA World 99 event, …

    Business 20 Jul 1999, 12:52

  • Another complete computer system from Intel arrives tomorrow

    Chipzilla doesn't make complete systems, remember?

    Intel will announce tomorrow the latest in the InBusiness range of server appliances to include a mass storage box aimed at small business users. The StorageStation -- a snip at $999 -- sits on a LAN and contains 12GB of storage with a Pentium 266 processor (remember them?) to drive it. A 24GB variant will be available in two …

    Business 20 Jul 1999, 13:34

  • Apple's PowerBook G3 is FireWire friendly

    Just make sure you get the right installer, report Register readers

    Apple's latest PowerBook G3 models are compatible with the company's FireWire software after all According to Register readers, a report from troubleshooting Web site Bug.Net, that Apple's laptops don't like FireWire, is just plain wrong. "Apple's FireWire on the G3 PowerBook works -- and well, I might add," wrote one reader. …

    Business 20 Jul 1999, 14:32

  • Intel puts cash into e-firm Resonate

    Internet services management another building block

    An e-business company has received an injection of $13 million from a gaggle of investors including Intel. The money is not the first Resonate has received from Intel, which over the last year has pursued an Internet strategy which has sometimes resulted -- as in Level One's case -- in a takeover. Resonate customers include …

    Business 20 Jul 1999, 15:07

  • IBM exits DRAM, PCs still (probably) deep in the red

    And tin hats in the storage business. Censored scenes from those glowing Q2 financials

    On the surface IBM's Q2 financials (IBM turns in strong Q2) seem somewhat straighter than Microsoft's nicely massaged Q4s, but a couple of nasty questions occur. Was that not, for example, chairman Lou finessing an exit from the memory market? And exactly how much did the PC operation's numbers improve? IBM made various …

    Business 20 Jul 1999, 15:13

  • Intel products rest in peace

    Socket Eight Overdrive, Celeron 333 and a Xeon die quietly

    We ought to have spotted this lot earlier but somehow missed them. Intel has discontinued its Socket Eight Overdrive processor (sniff) and its Celeron 333MHz and Pentium II Xeon 400Mhz. The Socket Eight Overdrive was Intel's way of allowing people to upgrade from the late and lamented Pentium Pro to the zippy new Pentium II. The …

    Business 20 Jul 1999, 15:14

  • US government props up Iridium

    State Department signs latest contract to help keep satellite service out of bankruptcy

    The US government continued its attempt to prop up troubled satellite-based cellphone company Iridium, yesterday. The Department of State signed a $1.4 million cheque for 1000 Motorola-made Iridium handsets. The US government is rather keen on Iridium -- it bought another huge pile of phones back in June. It has its own gateway …

    Business 20 Jul 1999, 15:22

  • South Korea dominates LCD market

    Survey And Samsung dominates South Korea

    A report by Japanese market research company TSR has said that two large chaebols (family concerns) are ahead of other players in production of TFT flat panels. Samsung and LG Electronic are the leaders, with the former holding 19 per cent worldwide, amounting to 1.84 million LCDs during the first half of 1999. LG has 15 per …

    Business 20 Jul 1999, 15:29

  • Net will need 20-fold increase in servers, says Intel CEO

    Well, there's a happy coincidence. More server farms, quick!

    Intel CEO Craig Barrett reckons that the Internet is going to need 20 times as many servers as it has now in five years time. And he also reckons that the number of Internet users will increase sixfold, to 1 billion in five years time. You no doubt spotted the strange imbalance there, and figured out all by yourself how happy a …

    Business 20 Jul 1999, 15:49

  • Match-makers are Virgin on the ridiculous

    Virgin Net offers online dating service with Match.com

    Looking for love? Try a Virgin. Please don't snigger, we're serious. Virgin Net has launched a matchmaking service in collaboration with Match.com. Match.Com, on-line matchmaking specialist, will be Virgin Net’s exclusive provider of on-line dating services. All visitors to Virgin.Net will have access to the 1.9 million people …

    Business 20 Jul 1999, 15:57

  • Channel split over the free PC

    It may grow the market, but is the UK consumer ready for it..?

    Tiny Computers launched its "free" PC offer last week to a mixed reception from its rivals. Not everyone will follow Tiny's lead. The deal ties customers into a year’s telecomms contract with the TinyTelecom company. In return for making a minimum £25 of calls per month, users are given a PC base with keyboard and Internet …

    Business 20 Jul 1999, 16:13

  • Insiders spill beans on Apple iBook

    Production will reach volume in September

    Sources close to Apple's plans in the US have told us that its notebook, the iBook, which will be announced at MacWorld tomorrow, has already started production. The machine is being made by a Taiwanese company AlphaTop, according to the same reliable source, and hundreds of pieces are already with customers as samples. Steve …

    Business 20 Jul 1999, 16:49

  • Nvidia, SGI bury hatchet

    Smoke the pipe of peace over patents

    Silicon Graphics and Nvidia have settled their differences and announced a strategic alliance to work together on future graphics technology. SGI has dropped its patent infringement suit against Nvidia, while the latter has licensed SGI's 3D graphics patent portfolio. Financial details of the agreement were not available. The …

    Business 20 Jul 1999, 17:52