Week in review: Google talks

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the sponsor companies, as well as Comcast, EarthLink, RadioShack, Sharp and Sony.

Intel is also hoping to entice consumers with the introduction of Viiv branding for entertainment PCs. Intel wants to use Viiv--it rhymes with "strive"--to reassure consumers that their PCs can easily handle digital audio and video, as well as share digital content over networks.

One feature of Viiv will be automatic transcoding--ensuring that audio or video encoded in one format can be translated into one that a person's computer can actually handle without the person's intervention. Another feature will be instant start-up and shutdown that will work as quickly as it does in consumer electronic devices such as DVD players.

Play it again, Mac
Intel plans to offer test versions of software tools aimed at allowing Mac developers to improve the performance of programs that run on its chips.

The company said this week that it plans to offer beta versions of both its compiler and its performance libraries, which contain code optimized for both digital media and scientific computing tasks.

Kevin Smith, director of the Intel compiler lab, said that Intel's tools could appeal to those who already use them for Linux and Windows-based programs. He also said that the company's compilers typically offer the best performance on its chips.

When Apple Computer announced in June that it planned to move to Intel chips, one of the companies left in the lurch was Terra Soft Solutions. The small company had carved out a nice niche specializing in selling Linux for Macs and other machines that use IBM's PowerPC chips. In the days following Apple's bombshell, Terra Soft quickly announced plans to seek out alternative hardware on which its Yellow Dog Linux could run.

This week, Terra Soft announced it has filled some of the void created by Apple's move. Under a new deal, Terra Soft will resell PowerPC-based servers from Mercury Computer Systems. Mercury's XR9 systems use the same G5 chip as Apple's Xserve, but at 2.4GHz, the chips are slightly faster than those used in Apple's top-of-the-line servers.

For those who already have Macs, Apple is offering free repairs for early iMac G5 desktops impacted by a component problem that's preventing some models from powering up or displaying images. Under a program launched last week, the company will cover repairs for up to two years from the purchase date for iMacs that encounter a video or power problem related to the component glitch.

The iMacs in question were sold from September 2004 until June 2005, so until now repairs have been covered by Apple's standard one-year warranty. The computer maker said affected systems have serial numbers starting with numbers in one of four ranges: W8435-W8522, QP435-QP522, CK435-CK522 and YD435-YD522.

Spinning the hits
On the Net, the tunes may change. But the song remains the same: cha-ching.

Warner Music Group is creating a new music-distribution mechanism that will rely on digital downloads instead of compact discs. The new mechanism will be called an "e-label," in which artists will release music in clusters of three songs every few months rather than a CD every few years.

The e-label will permit recording artists to enjoy a "supportive, lower-risk environment" without as much pressure for huge commercial hits, the company said. In addition, artists signed to the e-label will retain copyright and ownership of their master recordings.

Warner Music's move seems to be a response to the exploding popularity of music-download services and the slowly slipping sales of physical CDs. According to the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry, about 180 million songs were sold online in the first half of 2005, up from 57 million in the same period last year.

Online music is also being visited by the spirit of music video's golden age. Podcasting start-up PodShow, the love child of former MTV video jockey Adam Curry, has created a network for musicians and podcasters.

The PodSafe music network is designed to give podcasters access to music, other content and tools to create royalty-free podcasts. Musicians can use the network to promote and market their music, while listeners can access music in single-play or podcast formats.

Meanwhile, Sirius Satellite Radio has unveiled a portable music device that can store the company's programming as well as MP3 files from a PC. The S50 is designed to let people record, store and play up to 50 hours of satellite radio programming and music files.

A home dock or a car dock--the latter is bundled with the player--is needed to record the programming or play live shows. Measuring 1.9 inches by 3.9 inches by 0.7 inches, the player features a color display and voice-assisted channel navigation.

Also of note
Motorola has received regulatory approval to start selling a cell phone that runs a mobile version of Apple's iTunes software...Advanced Micro Devices is on the verge of a milestone it has sought for years: a deal that would put its notebooks into the hands of the Fortune 500...Verizon Communications is launching its co-branded Yahoo DSL service for $14.95 a month...The plug-and-play vulnerability that caused havoc for Windows 2000 users last week also holds a serious risk for some Windows XP users.