Thermaltake Introduces Tt Mini Typhoon Cooler

Toshiba, NEC And Fujitsu Announce Agreement on "COSMORAM Rev. 4" Specifications

Texas Instruments Announces OMAP 3 Architecture For Mobile Phones

Lucent Unveils New Base Station Router To Simplify And Reduce Cost Of 3G Data Networks

Fujitsu Launches LifeBook N3530 Notebook On Intel Core Duo Mobile Technology

Atmel Unveils 32-bit MCU/DSP Core

Thermaltake Introduces Tt Mini Typhoon Cooler

Thermaltake introduced its new Tt Mini Typhoon cooler for LGA775/K8/M2 processors. The all-copper novelty features 6 "un-deformed, independent, equal-length" heat-pipes and 92mm 2200rpm RX-type flow fan that produces 18dBA noise. More features include RX Flow (special reversed fan reduces the noise from air-rebounding and create better air flow for heat dissipation) and waved fins (guide the airflow and reduce the wind noise).

The product requires tool-less installation and is intended for people who need performance of Tt Big Typhoon, but have smaller chassis. Measuring 112x94x125 mm, it weighs 623g.

Source: PCSpot

Toshiba, NEC And Fujitsu Announce Agreement on "COSMORAM Rev. 4" Specifications

Toshiba, NEC Electronics, and Fujitsu Limited announced that they have reached an agreement on standard interface specifications known as COSMORAM (COmmon Specifications for MObile RAM) Rev. 4, for Pseudo Static Random Access Memory (PSRAM) for use in mobile devices. Based on these specifications, each of the three companies will independently begin production and sales of PSRAM devices, with products scheduled to be available from each company from March 2007.

The new COSMORAM Rev. 4 is a specification for PSRAM with double data rate burst (DDR burst) mode, which enables up to twice the previous data transfer rates. DDR burst mode enables a leap in data read/write performance by achieving twice the peak data bandwidth of conventional products. In addition, the short latency mode, which cuts initial access time to roughly half that of conventional products, improves effective bandwidth. These functions are optimal for mobile phones and mobile information terminals, which require ever-increasing levels of high-speed processing.

Source: Toshiba

Texas Instruments Announces OMAP 3 Architecture For Mobile Phones

Texas Instruments Incorporated announced its new OMAP 3 architecture for mobile phones at at 3GSM World Congress. OMAP 3 application processors will power a new class of mobile phones that are to improve entertainment and productivity features and integrate capabilities of cameras, gaming devices, portable video and music players, laptops and PDAs. TI's first OMAP 3-based device, the OMAP3430 processor, will be the first wireless processor to use 65-nanometer process technology. The OMAP3430 processor will sample this year.

OMAP 3 is the industry's first application processor platform to be based on the new ARM CortexTM-A8 superscalar microprocessor core, which delivers 3X more performance than the ARM11 core used in OMAP 2 processors. Combined with TI's DSP technology, the increased ARM performance boosts productivity and entertainment applications on the mobile phone, while maintaining power efficiencies expected in a handset.

This new OMAP 3 processor will offer the first high-definition quality player in a mobile phone processor, allowing users to download movies onto their phone and watch them on an HD monitor. The OMAP3430 processor also offers the first DVD-quality camcorder capability in a phone - a 4X improvement from the OMAP2430 processor - enabled by IVA 2+, a second-generation, power-optimized version of TI's imaging, video and audio accelerator used in TI's DaVinci technology. Leveraging the increased capabilities of the IVA 2+ accelerator, the chip will enable mobile phones to record and play movies at DVD quality for all popular standards, such as MPEG4, Windows Media Video 9 (VC-1), H.264 and RealVideo 10, in addition to videoconferencing.

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The OMAP3430 processor will support all known mobile DTV decode standards worldwide and will also include S-video output support for higher quality video display on an external TV monitor or projector, enabling easy sharing of multimedia presentations.

Capturing images at 12 megapixels with less than one second shot-to-shot delay, the OMAP3430 processor enables capabilities of today's highest performance point-and-shoot digital still cameras, a 2X improvement over the OMAP2430 processor. This is accomplished through the integration of a camera Image Signal Processor (ISP) to lower system cost and offer handset manufacturers differentiation in image quality. The OMAP3430 processor ISP is based on TI digital still camera technology shipping in volume today and is optimized to address mobile imaging requirements. With the increased popularity of using mass storage devices for saving digital media, the OMAP3430 processor will have fully compliant interfaces for connectivity to large hard-disk drive devices.

The OMAP3430 processor leverages TI's SmartReflex technologies to dynamically control voltage, frequency and power based on device activity, modes of operation, process technology and temperature variation, saving power. The OMAP3430 processor will also include TI's M-Shield advanced hardware and software security framework, which enables robust protection of high-premium copyrighted digital media content, secure protocol applications and e-commerce applications like ticketing, banking, brokering and shopping.

The OMAP3430 processor has been designed to support all major high-level operating systems (HLOS), including Linux, Symbian OS, and Windows Mobile. Like all of TI's OMAP processors, the OMAP3430 processor will be supported by the OMAP Ecosystem, which is comprised of the OMAP Developer Network and OMAP Technology Centers, a worldwide network of third-party software and hardware developers, as well as systems integrators, development tool providers and content providers.

TI's OMAP3430 multimedia processor is expected to sample in mid-2006, with volume production scheduled for 2007.

Source: Texas Instruments Incorporated

Lucent Unveils New Base Station Router To Simplify And Reduce Cost Of 3G Data Networks

Lucent Technologies unveiled the Lucent Base Station Router (BSR), a Bell Labs innovation that integrates key components of third-generation (3G) mobile networks into a single network element, thus "flattening" what is typically a more complex architecture.

By combining a base station, radio network controller and core network router functionalities into one system, the Lucent BSR can simplify and reduce the cost of operating IP-based mobile networks, cut the cost of upgrading 3G networks — including HSDPA (High-Speed Downlink Packet Access) and CDMA2000 (Code Division Multiple Access) — to support high speed data services, and improve the quality of service as perceived by subscribers.

Because it uses standard signaling interfaces defined by the 3G Partnership Project (3GPP) and 3GPP2 (standards-setting bodies responsible for defining the characteristics of 3G networks), the Lucent BSR can be easily integrated into any IP network deployed and managed by a 3G mobile operator.

Source: Lucent Technologies

Fujitsu Launches LifeBook N3530 Notebook On Intel Core Duo Mobile Technology

Fujitsu Computer Systems announced the LifeBook N3530 notebook featuring Intel Core Duo Mobile Technology and Fujitsu Color-Enhanced Crystal View Display.

As an entertainment center, the LifeBook N3530 notebook can be ordered with an optional built-in TV tuner and remote control with Microsoft Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005.

The notebook has ATI Mobility Radeon X1400 graphics with 128 MB of HyperMemory, a 100GB Serial ATA hard drive and up to 2 GB of dual-channel DDR2 memory along with Dual-Layer Multi-Format DVD Writer. Also onboard are four USB 2.0 ports, a 4-pin IEEE 1394 port, or the dedicated MS/SD/XD card slot. The LifeBook N3530 notebook also comes with an ExpressCard slot. Connectivity is reliable and secure with the integrated Intel PRO/Wireless 3945ABG Network connection.

The LifeBook N3530 notebook, with pricing starting at $1,449 for a base configuration, is available through the Fujitsu direct sales force, website, channel partners and select retail outlets. Users can choose from a recommended configuration, or they can customize their system using the Fujitsu Configure To Order (CTO) program.

Source: Fujitsu Computer Systems

Atmel Unveils 32-bit MCU/DSP Core

Atmel announced it's AVR 32, a new 32-bit embedded CPU architecture with DSP extensions that is expected to extend the battery life of portable, hand-held multimedia products such as portable video players, MP3 players and mobile phones.

Early benchmarks of the AVR32, conducted by the electronics' industry benchmarking organization, EEMBC (the Embedded Microprocessor Benchmark Consortium), gauge the core's performance per clock cycle at three times that of other processors. This faster throughput means that applications can be executed with fewer clocks, reducing power consumption and increasing the battery life of the end-product. Code size benchmarks also indicate results with up to 50% reduction compared to other processors.

For example, running at just 100 MHz, the AVR32 core can do all the processing required to decode quarter-VGA MPEG4 movies – the same format used with various hand-held video players including the iPod – while other processors are required to operate as fast as 266 MHz. For the end-user, this means a longer battery-life.

By increasing the AVR32's clock frequency to 400 MHz or more the computational capability of the architecture can also be used to handle more tasks and remove additional processors or hardware accelerators thus reducing cost while improving system integration and reliability.

Atmel plans to announce a family of AVR32-based processors in the Spring of 2006.

Source: Atmel

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