VIA

Buzz Out Loud 734: Rev3 gets P2P poisoned

Revision3 goes down under a massive DDOS attack that apparently originated with a company that the entertainment industry hires to poison P2P wells. Nice. Good tactic, guys. Also, we have a good geeky little time talking about itty-bitty little flash devices and chips. Listen now: Download today's podcast EPISODE 734

Inside the Attack that Crippled Revision3 http://revision3.com/blog/2008/05/29/ inside-the-attack-that-crippled-revision3

Mozilla "Download Day" - Are you in or out? Mozilla "Download Day" - Are you in or out? http://blogs.zdnet.com/hardware/?p=1965 http://tech.slashdot.org/tech/08/05/29/0312233.shtml… Read more

Via launches Nano processor for mainstream PCs

Via Technologies is set to go mainstream. On Thursday, Via launched the low-power Nano processor line that will compete with Intel's Atom processor and likely give the chip supplier some mainstream PC street cred.

Formerly referred to by the code name Isaiah, Nano is based on the x86 architecture, meaning it can run the same software as chips from Intel and Advanced Micro Devices.

With Nano, Via is angling for more mainstream notebook and mini-notebook designs such as Hewlett-Packard's 2133 Mini-Note PC, which uses Via's current C7 processor. Low-cost desktops will also be a target market, as … Read more

Via opens up its mini-notebook design

Chip designer Via Technologies unveiled its OpenBook Mini-Note reference design on Monday, in a move that throws some open source into its core business of developing chips for mobile devices.

The OpenBook design aims to aid PC makers in creating ultra-small notebooks based on Via's Ultra Mobility Platform. Last year, the company trotted out its Via NanoBook reference design, a prototype designed to compete against rivals in the small-computer market but at a lower cost.

"By making the CAD files of the external panels for the OpenBook available for download, Via has simplified design customization. You can now … Read more

Nvidia to take part in Via Isaiah launch

Nvidia will take part in the launch of Via's Isaiah processor slated for next week, just prior to Computex in Taipei, Taiwan.

Via will provide the central processing unit and motherboard, plus the core logic (chipset) solution, while Nvidia will provide the graphics processing unit, said Drew Henry, general manager of Nvidia's platform products division.

Nvidia will offer standalone "discrete" graphics for both notebook and desktop platforms using the Isaiah chip, Henry said.

"We are participating in the launch. We wish to work with them in demonstrating any number of different visual computing applications," … Read more

End of Intel, AMD duopoly near? Via readies Isaiah chip

Is the end of the Intel-AMD duopoly nigh? Via Technologies is hoping this may be the case when it announces the "Isaiah" processor later this month.

The company's first high-performance x86 chip will be targeted at the mainstream PC market--another first for the Taipei-based chip supplier. Via processors have historically appeared in ultrasmall mobile devices (such as the OQO), embedded computers, or thin-client computers.

"It puts us into the mainstream market for the first time," said Richard Brown, vice president, corporate marketing at Via.

Isaiah, like Via processors before it, will still hew to the … Read more

Nvidia CEO denies buyout of Via

Nvidia CEO Jen-Hsun Huang said he has no interest in buying out chip supplier Via Technologies, dispelling rumors--at least for now--that had been circulating back in March.

"They don't need our money. I don't need theirs," Huang said, referring to Via. "They're doing fine. People want to create drama," he added.

Previous reports cited a number of scenarios including Nvidia's acquisition of the entire company. Via makes processors and chipsets for x86-based computers. Via reported revenue of about US$87.5 million in the first quarter of 2008.

The company … Read more

Sun shows off its proximity communication silicon

Proximity communication--an interconnect technology being devised by Sun Microsystems that lets two devices swap data just by being near each other--isn't ready for commercial release, but the company is showing off samples.

At the Gartner Symposium/ITxpo in Las Vegas this week, David Douglas of Sun Labs showed off silicon that embodies the concept. Here is a link to a video on his talk on ZDNet. Douglas is holding the chips, which he didn't demonstrate in action.

In proximity communication, two capacitors sit near each other. When data is sent to capacitor one, it gets charged. The charge … Read more

Why HP chose Via chip over Intel for Mini-Note

Hewlett-Packard (HP) chose a relatively obscure processor from Via Technologies for its high-profile Mini-Note 2133. An HP marketing manager explains why.

The Via C7-M offered what HP needed now, according to Robert Baker, a notebook product marketing manager for HP. "Via gave us that right mix of performance and price for the type of environment that this product is going into--content consumption." And the chip's low power requirements were a plus too. "Their power (efficiency) is where we needed it to be for this platform. Web surfing, creating Power Points," Baker said.

CNET Reviews said … Read more

HP uncovers the 2133 Mini-Note PC

Surprising virtually no one, Hewlett-Packard has finally officially announced its new low-cost, low-power NetBook-style mini-laptop, called the 2133 Mini-Note PC. Of course, we've been following every detail of this system for months, including the presumed launch date, but they're finally officially on sale starting today, from $499-$749.

We've had a chance to play around with an early test unit for about a week now, and so far we like it a lot. Like the Asus Eee PC or Intel Classmate, the 2133 Mini-Note is a smaller-than-ultraportable laptop that trades high-powered specs for portability and price. The … Read more