NEWS FROM WORLD: IT News HeadLines (TechConnect Magazine) 17/08/2010

Intel buying Texas Instruments' cable modem business
Top microprocessor maker Intel has just announced that it reached an agreement to acquire Texas Instruments' cable modem unit. The buy will see Intel combine TI's Puma product lines with its own SoC (system-on-chip) solutions and build new set top box, residential gateways and modems.

Texas Instruments debuts the DaVinci DM37x Cortex-A8-based processors
Texas Instruments has today announced its newest video processors aimed for media-rich, portable applications, the DaVinci DM3730 and DM3725 chips which are claimed to offer a 50% increase in ARM performance, 40% increase in DSP performance, and 40% lower power consumption over the OMAP3530 device.

OmniVision develops new VGA sensor for ultra-thin notebooks
OmniVision is starting the work week by revealing to the world its latest creation, the OV7727 (1/13-inch) VGA sensor featuring OmniBSI backside illumination technology that is targeted for use within next-gen, high-end ultra-thin notebooks.

Dell buying virtualized storage provider 3PAR
Dell has just announced that it will be acquiring Fremont-based 3PAR, a leading supplier of highly virtualized, dynamically tiered, multi-tenant storage arrays built for public and private cloud computing, through a deal worth $1.15 billion.

MSI FX400 14-inch laptop detailed, not yet priced
MSI has just announced a new portable PC, the wannabe classy and stylish FX400 that features a 14-inch (1366 x 768) display, THX smart surround sound via two speakers, and the proprietary TDE (Turbo Drive Engine) and GPU Boost performance enhancing technologies.

Asus Eee PC 1015N ION 2 netbook said to ship next month
Asus' second ION 2-based 10-inch netbook, the Eee PC 1015N model which was first seen at Computex 2010, is reportedly prepared for a September release. The Optimus-supporting portable PC runs Windows 7 and is supposed to cost $399.

Roccat Taito Kingsize mousepad coming this month
To properly welcome gamescom, Hamburg-based Roccat has announced a new gamer-focused product, the Taito Kingsize - mTw Edition mousepad which was made in collaboration with gaming clan mTw and promises to provide maximum comfort and enable smooth, precise tracking.

Thecus offering the C10GT 10Gb Ethernet adapter
Answering the need for higher network speeds, Thecus Technology has introduced a new internal adapter, a model called C10GT that features a PCI-Express x4 interface and provides 10Gb (Gigabit) connectivity.

Toshiba rolls out two more Satellite Pro laptops
Toshiba Europe has recently added two more back-to-school-oriented laptops to its offer, the 17.3-inch Satellite Pro L670-172 and 15.6-inch Satellite Pro S500-131. Both models are based on Intel's Calpella platform and run Windows 7 Professional 64bit.

Vodafone UK to carry Samsung Galaxy Tab, apparently
Still some two weeks away - if the IFA Berlin launch reports are right, Samsung's Galaxy Tab is being kept in the spotlight by a new rumor (backed by an inventory image) that suggests Vodafone UK will sell the tablet with a mobile internet contract.

Intel preps four SSDs with 25nm NAND Flash for Q4
IMFT, the joint venture that brings together Intel and Micron, has been manufacturing 25nm NAND Flash memory chips since May and the fruits of their labor are going to be seen in Q4 when Intel will introduce its next-generation of solid state drives.

Google buys Jambool because it's all about the virtual money now
Net neutrality neutering web search provider Google Inc. has confirmed last week the acquisition of Jambool, the company behind Social Gold, a virtual currency platform that enables app developers to manage and monetize their virtual economies across the globe.

Eurocom laptops get up to 3TB of storage space
Eurocom has made it so that buyers of its D900F Panther, X8100 Leopard and X7200 Panther 2.0 mobile powerhouses can configure their machines so they include a maximum of 3TB of storage space, this being possible thanks to the use of new Seagate HDDs.