28th January 2000 Archive

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Music.com endorses Windows Media, disses MP3

It's all about sound quality, they say

Online retailer Music.com has chosen Windows Media Technologies as the "preferred format" for music distribution from its Web site, the companies announced Thursday. "Windows Media provides the mission-critical reliability and quality our users are demanding, and will help us become an indispensable online destination for all …

Business 28 Jan 2000, 05:44
Transmeta Crusoe boards show up at show

Quanta demo shows footsteps in the sand

The Platform 2000 held earlier this week in San Jose had some more information on Transmeta's Crusoe, together with some first information on which manufacturers will implement the processor, according to this report on Akihabara Pricewatch. The same report, which is in Japanese, also contains pictures of some boards which were …

Business 28 Jan 2000, 06:51
Dell share price falls on bad Intel news

But this domino likely to stay erect

The price of Dell shares fell by nearly $3 on Wall Street yesterday after it issued a report the evening before that shortages of Intel processors combined with Y2K pressures would dent its profits. But that does not mean that Dell will start using AMD parts, according to reports on various news wires across the globe. Dell is …

Business 28 Jan 2000, 07:10
AMD will attempt to block Intel anti-Via moves

Future AMD technology depends on Via, others

Reliable sources close to AMD's plans in Taiwan have told The Register that the company is making representations to the US International Trade Commission (ITC) to stop a move by Intel to ban Via imports into the country. Early last week, Intel, which is already engaged in fierce legal action against Via over alleged patent …

Business 28 Jan 2000, 07:35
Avnet plans European invasion

More deals on the cards from US giant

Avnet ACC was among the companies making announcements at this year's Computer Trade Show in Birmingham. The US giant shipped over its president, Ed Kamins, to tell journalists the company was looking to buy companies in Europe to expand its empire, which now includes UK distributor Flashpoint. Flashpoint has been renamed Avnet …

Business 28 Jan 2000, 12:07
Disney forced to remove Go Network logo

GoTo.com wins appeal against Disney/Infoseek

The Walt Disney Company's Go Network hit a red light yesterday when the US Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco ordered the company to cease using its green traffic light logo. Why? Because it looks too much like GoTo.com's own green traffic light logo. GoTo.com's logo has been in use since 1997, the Go Network's …

Business 28 Jan 2000, 12:09
When Crusoe met Speedstep

Transmeta 'the new Betamax'?

Transmeta's Crusoe chips represent the first serious technical challenge to Intel mobile processors, but can the company overcome Chipzilla's market dominance, the IT Network asks. Crusoe could end up "like Betamax -- leaner, meaner, arguably better -- and a long long way from widespread adoption", author John Sabine argues. He …

Business 28 Jan 2000, 12:14
Fresh Intel i820 chipset close to completion

Caminogate: DIMMs and SIMMs together at last

Intel's embarrassment over the i820 chipset looks set to be resolved at last. Maybe. Sources close to the company's plans have informed us that Intel will ship an updated chipset for sampling to mobo vendors in mid-February which will, at last, support both Rambus memory and synchronous DRAM memory on the same planar. The boards …

Business 28 Jan 2000, 12:19
Seagate hands over $45m for FDD patent

Rodime can finally scratch its seven year hitch

Disk drive giant Seagate has coughed up $45 million (£27 million) to settle a seven-year-long row over patent infringements with one-time drive maker Rodime. Rodime claims it pioneered the development of the 3.5in drive in 1983 and that Seagate had used it without paying royalties. A Californian District Court dismissed the case …

Business 28 Jan 2000, 12:29
AOL 6.0 details leaked on Web

Teenager under fire after top secret stuff crops up unexpectedly

Executives at AOL are in a frothy lather after a teenager published details about the company's yet-to-be-released software on his Web site. AOL 6.0 -- which is still on the drawing board -- isn't even supposed to be beta tested until May. It's scheduled for general release in August. According to CNET, the youth has already …

Business 28 Jan 2000, 12:35
NTT DoCoMo to offer digital music via cellphone

Joint venture with Matsushita to launch next autumn

Japanese mobile phone company NTT DoCoMo yesterday said it plans to launch a cellular wireless digital music distribution service in partnership with consumer electronics giant Matsushita. NTT DoCoMo first mooted such a service back in November when it began hawking a reference platform around consumer electronics companies. …

Business 28 Jan 2000, 12:38
Doubleclick sued over alleged cookie abuse

Californian woman seeks prior consent ruling after personal data collected

The largest advertising company on the Internet, Doubleclick, is being sued by a Californian woman over its use of cookies. The suit alleges that the Doubleclick cookies -- programs that store information about visitors to Web sites -- have been culling personal information from PC users without their prior knowledge or consent …

Business 28 Jan 2000, 13:41
Register stars in The Matrix II

Watch out, Keanu, we're coming to getcha

The Register has been given a bit part in a remake of sci-fi movie, The Matrix. In one of the tense climactic scenes of the gripping photo-strip web movie, The Register can clearly be seen in the background. One critic said it was a powerful performance of immense talent. Another said it was wooden. The whole flick is available …

Business 28 Jan 2000, 14:07
Semico sees little future for Rambus memory

Hyundai sees DDR as the growing platform this year

Presentations from market research company Semico and Hyundai have cast further doubts over the future of Rambus memory as a successful PC platform. At this week's Platform 2000 conference, Sherry Garber, a senior vice president at Semico Research, claimed that Rambus would only achieve two per cent of the market during this …

Business 28 Jan 2000, 14:54
Yahoo! and Man Utd linked in £40m deal

Updated: Will the Reds sell their kit online?

Yodelling portal, Yahoo!, has distanced itself from speculation that it is to splash out £40 million to sponsor the shirts of the world's biggest football club, Manchester United. A report on Friday claimed that as part of the deal, Man Utd would use Yahoo! to help market its merchandise on the Internet to its global grandstand …

Business 28 Jan 2000, 15:45
Ex-USR Hudson back to modem roots

Dacom lures UK's Mr Modem to Milton Keynes

Clive Hudson, perhaps best known for his days heading up US Robotics' UK operations, has dramatically reappeared in a new job. He's taken on the role of MD with Britain's one remaining modem manufacturer, Psion Dacom. Former Dacom MD, Gareth Hughes, has moved onto head Psion's 'nursery group' for new projects such as the recent …

Business 28 Jan 2000, 16:55