12th August 1999 Archive

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Merced Linux expected Q1, as IBM joins Trillian

The VA-led 64-bit Linux project is starting to look pretty weighty...

IBM has joined the Trillian project, which was put together by Intel earlier this year in order to implement Linux on its IA-64 Merced architecture. Trillian is currently being worked on by VA Linux Systems, one of the several Linux companies Intel has put money into, IA-64 co-designer Hewlett-Packard and SGI. The addition of …

Business 12 Aug 1999, 07:27
DoJ files on MS: ‘broad pattern of unlawful conduct’

MS on Trial Meanwhile, Microsoft dismisses its case as 'theatrics'

The DoJ's counterblast to Microsoft's 'findings of fact' document, leaked earlier this week, has now been filed. At this stage of the trial the rivals lodge rival documents giving their interpretation of the facts established during the trial, and these are then considered by the judge. Microsoft span its 450 page version of …

Business 12 Aug 1999, 07:29
Component shortages threaten mobo manufacture

Dear me. Why should this be?

The organisers of the Computex trade fair in Taiwan are reporting that local manufacturers face a severe shortage of components. That is set to lead to a severe shakedown in the market by year end, according to the organisation, which shelters many local manufacturers under its wings. There is already a severe shortage of TFT …

Business 12 Aug 1999, 09:40
Iridium defaults on debt

Bankruptcy one step closer...

Troubled satellite cellphone company Iridium's woes worsened yesterday when it defaulted on its latest loan payment. After three deadline extensions, Iridium was due to pay back $800 million and a further $750 million from a second loan, triggered by its failure to repay the first. In three days' time, the company has to find $ …

Business 12 Aug 1999, 11:01
Amiga to develop games consoles, digital music players

Is Jim Collas moving even further away from original Amiga concept than previously thought?

Amiga's information appliance strategy appears to have become much more broad-based than the company's focus on its multimedia convergence computer has suggested. According to Amiga president Jim Collas, cited in today's Wall Street Journal, the company plans to develop a whole line of devices, including digital music players, …

Business 12 Aug 1999, 11:17
SGI releases XFS file system to Linux community

Company embarks on open source support in earnest

SGI yesterday followed up on its promise to wholeheartedly support Linux and the open source community -- it released under the General Public Licence (GPL) those portions of its XFS journaling file system that it owns. The decision to release XFS under an open source licence was announced last may, but the actual release of the …

Business 12 Aug 1999, 11:39
InvestIN.com brings US stock day trading to UK

Daily Net Finance Update Plus Europe's first online-only bank opens early

12 August 1999 Dallas-based stockbroker InvestIN.com is opening a day-trading office in London on Monday enabling investors to deal in US stocks online. But adrenaline junkies who want to ride the roller coaster of day trading have first to prove they know what they're doing before being let loose by the doormen at InvestIN. …

Business 12 Aug 1999, 11:45
Shareholders demand court bans S3/Diamond merger

Deal undervalues Diamond stock claims suit

A gang of shareholders in Diamond Multimedia have sued the company in an attempt to block its takeover by 3D graphics specialist S3. The shareholders claim S3's $200 million acquistion through a share swap undervalues Diamond's stock. S3 is offering one of its own shares for 1.9 Diamond shares, but the shareholders described …

Business 12 Aug 1999, 12:16
ilion figures let down by UK – again

Still holding out for a takeover offer

Last month, ilion announced that trading during the first half of the year had been what it called satisfactory. Interim results for the six months ending 30 June are now out. Turnover was up 10 per cent to £132 million and while that must have been cause for some celebration over in Chessington, it's hardly the 'record high' …

Business 12 Aug 1999, 12:22
Wall Street votes for Linux in Red Hat IPO

Updated Stock triples against market trends

Red Hat beat the blues with its IPO yesterday, with its stock price tripling, despite clear evidence in the past few days that investors are becoming more sceptical about technical and Internet-related stocks. The Linux outfit raised $84 million on six million shares, after a last minute increase in its pricing from $10-12 to $ …

Business 12 Aug 1999, 13:00
IT blamed for killer stress levels

Latest survey shows what we always knew -- this stuff's bad for you

Technology is stressing everyone out, according to research by Kensington Technology Group. Systems crashes, data loss, email and voicemail systems were among the main culprits cited. "Adjusting to new technologies -- like the Web, networks, personal communications -- that have saturated today's workplace is creating new demands …

Business 12 Aug 1999, 13:42
Web site set aside for free AOL registrations

Enquiries flood in for freebie Netscape Online

AOL UK -- a division of AOL Europe -- has received so much interest about its new subscription-free service, Netscape Online, that it's devoted Web space to handle the enquiries. Anyone interested in signing up to the ISP can leave their details at the pre-registration site. Alternatively, they can call freephone 0800 923 0009 …

Business 12 Aug 1999, 13:44
NASA to Webcast meteor shower

Weather balloon with Web cam to film Perseid's firework display

Eclipse watchers who weren't blinded -- or half frozen to death -- by yesterday's solar event will have the chance to watch a meteoric firework display without having to wear those stupid cardboard-rimmed glasses. NASA is launching a weather balloon tomorrow complete with a Webcam so that stargazers can watch Perseid's meteors …

Business 12 Aug 1999, 13:45
MP3 players mop up Flash supplies

South Korean vendors predict major memory shortfall

The massive growth of the Internet-based music industry is having an unexpected effect: as manufacturers ramp up production of digital music players, supplies of Flash memory are reaching rock bottom. According to a report in EE Times, South Korea is rapidly running out of Flash chips. Memory producers are shifting production …

Business 12 Aug 1999, 14:33
Gamers aren't geeks, survey claims

Shocking announcement turns preconceptions on their heads

Everything you've ever learned is a lie - computer gamers are normal human beings, not the malformed weirdoes everyone thinks they are. This startling revelation comes from a survey carried out for Computec Media. Key findings indicated that the typical gamer was a well educated, well paid, socially well-adjusted male who - more …

Business 12 Aug 1999, 14:48
Plastic HDDs on Sony horizon

Cheaper to produce, but no talk of when they will go into volume

Sony and chemicals firm Nippon Zeon have joined forces to make the world's first plastic disks for computer hard drives. Both companies saw share prices rise on the Tokyo stock market as the news spread. The local press was reporting that manufacturing cost of 5Gb plastic disks is expected to be 30 to 40 per cent lower than …

Business 12 Aug 1999, 14:52
PCs learn to lip read

Software boosts accuracy of speech recognition

Scientists are teaching computers to lip read as part of research into improving speech recognition software at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh. The problem is that just like us, computers have trouble following speech in a noisy room. Whether we realise it or not, we compensate for reduced hearing by lip reading, and …

Business 12 Aug 1999, 14:53
African-American site gets big four backing

Funding from industry heavyweights for new service

Microsoft, USA Networks, News Corporation and AT&T have all dug deep into their pockets to help fund an online service for black Americans. The corporate giants have raised $35 million to fund BET.com which will be launched on 1 November. According to the New York Times, it will replace the existing marriage between Microsoft …

Business 12 Aug 1999, 15:41
Red China masses half a million soldiers in Taiwan move

This is the mother of all sabre rattling

The South China Morning Post is reporting that China has assembled half a million soldiers of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) in Fujian province. The move is seen as a serious warning to Taiwan not to pursue what Red China sees as separatist moves. Yesterday, a senior Compaq executive warned that the worldwide IT industry …

Business 12 Aug 1999, 17:34
Compaq to announce re-org Tuesday next

Pesatori will spell out enterprise plans

Troubled hardware giant Compaq is to hold a press conference Tuesday next spelling out how it will re-organise its enterprise division. There has been conflict between Digital and Compaq sales teams, which we reported earlier this year. The press conference will be hosted by Enrico Pesatori, a senior VP at the rejigged Compaq, …

Business 12 Aug 1999, 17:40