Softkinetic to launch Silhouette gesture-control game

Softkinetic to launch Silhouette gesture-control game

Softkinetic makes software necessary to convert body gestures captured by cameras into controls for video game systems. That’s a nascent market whose surface has only been scratched by the Sony EyeToy and the Nintendo Wii. So Brussels, Belgium-based Softkinetic is now launching its own game… Continue Reading

The coolest and scariest things coming in the chip industry’s future

The coolest and scariest things coming in the chip industry’s future

At the Hot Chips chip design conference at Stanford University this week, chip researchers spelled out some of the toughest computing problems of the future and the solutions to deal with them. Hearing these pioneers and visionaries talk was both inspiring and disturbing. They talked… Continue Reading

Browser makers announce support for built-in 3D graphics

Browser makers announce support for built-in 3D graphics

At today’s sessions of the SIGGRAPH computer graphics conference in New Orleans, a group of hardware and software makers that includes browser makers Mozilla, Opera and Google announced their plans to deliver built-in 3D graphics in Web pages that won’t require a plug-in or add-on… Continue Reading

Graphics chip rivals race to deliver next-generation chips

Graphics chip rivals race to deliver next-generation chips

The next-generation of graphics chips is due to arrive in PCs sometime this year. Both Nvidia and Advanced Micro Devices are  expected to deliver these chips for the personal computer market this year, but no one knows exactly when.

This change is so important that, depending… Continue Reading

Nvidia says 42 Tegra-based web gadgets coming your way soon

Nvidia says 42 Tegra-based web gadgets coming your way soon

Nvidia has touted its Tegra chip for mobile web devices in the past year, but it said today that the chip has more momentum than it previously described.

42 different devices are being designed with the Tegra chip. Customers include 27 different manufacturers as well as… Continue Reading

MobileBeat 2009 speakers added: Motorola’s Christy Wyatt, Nvidia’s Michael Rayfield

MobileBeat 2009 speakers added: Motorola’s Christy Wyatt, Nvidia’s Michael Rayfield

We’ve added some more speakers at our MobileBeat 2009 conference on July 16.

Christy Wyatt, vice president of software applications and ecosystem at Motorola, is among the executives trying to turn around the company’s mobile phone division — in part by placing some bets on smartphones…. Continue Reading

Nvidia trumpets success of its Tegra cell phone processors

Nvidia trumpets success of its Tegra cell phone processors

Nvidia is becoming a real player in portable mobile devices as the industry embraces its Tegra processors. The company is announcing today that some of the world’s biggest gadget manufacturers are designing mobile devices using the Tegra chips.

And the interesting thing is, the first major… Continue Reading

Nvidia scores first major customer for Ion graphics platform

Nvidia scores first major customer for Ion graphics platform

When Nvidia launched its Ion graphics platform for netbooks and small laptops in December, it landed with a thud. But today, the company is announcing that Lenovo is going to use the platform to create a small laptop with 10 times more graphics horsepower than… Continue Reading

Elemental Technologies’ super-fast video processing could slash costs of video web sites

Elemental Technologies’ super-fast video processing could slash costs of video web sites

Web sites such as YouTube get so much traffic for their videos that the processing load can be crushing, leading to huge server and bandwidth costs.

To deal with that, Elemental Technologies is announcing new servers today that take advantage of the computing power of graphics… Continue Reading

Intel readies second-generation Atom processor for next-generation, laptop-like netbooks

Intel readies second-generation Atom processor for next-generation, laptop-like netbooks

Intel announced today it has designed a faster and more power-efficient version of its Atom microprocessor, which in the past year has revolutionized computing in the netbook market.

The netbook market has exploded in the past year as consumers opt for the convenient size (smaller than… Continue Reading

Nvidia sees graphics chip market stabilize, but losses continue

Nvidia sees graphics chip market stabilize, but losses continue

Nvidia, which makes graphics chips that go into all kinds of electronic devices, and therefore a good barometer for the tech industry, says its market is stabilizing.

The Santa Clara, Calif. company reported improved financials for its first fiscal quarter ended April 26. Revenue was $664.2… Continue Reading

Graphics chips make a comeback in first quarter sales

Graphics chips make a comeback in first quarter sales

In a sign that the recession in the PC market may be subsiding, graphics chip sales bounced back somewhat in the first quarter.

Graphics chip sales were up 3.3 percent in the first quarter from fourth-quarter levels.

Graphics chips are one leading indicator of PC sales, since… Continue Reading

Intel’s Larrabee graphics processor draws a crowd at Game Developers Conference

Intel’s Larrabee graphics processor draws a crowd at Game Developers Conference

Intel will be launching its Larrabee chip next year — a chip that will live or die depending on how popular it is with game developers.  Which is why it saw some serious discussion at the Game Developers Conference in San Francisco today.

Mike Abrash, founder… Continue Reading

Nvidia fires back at Intel with chip set countersuit

Nvidia fires back at Intel with chip set countersuit

Nvidia filed a countersuit against Intel today, alleging that Intel broke contract when it refused to grant Nvidia a chip set license on future Intel microprocessors.

Santa Clara, Calif.-based Nvidia is asking the courts to allow the graphics chip maker to terminate its own contracts with… Continue Reading

Intel alleges AMD breached its cross-licensing pact

Intel alleges AMD breached its cross-licensing pact

The chip giants look like they’re heading toward a hot war. Intel said that Advanced Micro Devices has breached a licensing pact that has been in place since 2001.

AMD said in a document filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission that Intel sent a letter… Continue Reading

Nvidia launches GPU Ventures Program to foster startups

Nvidia launches GPU Ventures Program to foster startups

Nvidia is trying to stoke its own product ecosystem today as it launches the GPU Ventures Program to identify, support and in invest in early stage companies.

The investments will focus on GPU (graphics processing unit) applications such as video programs that tap the computing power… Continue Reading

Roundup: Ev Williams stumbles to the top, privacy goes obsolete, jet packs are back and more

Roundup: Ev Williams stumbles to the top, privacy goes obsolete, jet packs are back and more

Cisco eyeing Pure Digital? — The maker of the Flip video camera is in acquisition talks. TechCrunch has more.

Rocketeer envy going strong — The Wall Street Journal looks at the public’s fascination with jet packs, and the shape they’re taking today.

A series of fortunate events for Ev… Continue Reading

How ugly can the chip business get?

How ugly can the chip business get?

The semiconductor industry has been through so many ups and downs over the course of more than 60 years. If anyone should know how to get through the turmoil, it’s the chip makers who have become the elder statesmen of Silicon Valley.

But the greatest recession… Continue Reading

Is there a Mac mini in the Mac mini box? Will we find out tomorrow?

Is there a Mac mini in the Mac mini box? Will we find out tomorrow?

As rumors continue to mount about Apple closing in on launching some new products, today brings a picture that may or may not once again show the backside of the Mac mini revamp. The picture, posted first by MacRumors on a sub-page of its site… Continue Reading

Roundup: Yahoo and Microsoft, Eminem sues Universal, and more

Roundup: Yahoo and Microsoft, Eminem sues Universal, and more

YAYED: Yet Another Yahoo Executive Departs — This time it’s Marco Boerries, the executive vice president in the company’s Connected Device Division, ahead of a pending reorganization under new chief executive Carol Bartz.

Eminem aims lawsuit at Universal Music Group — The successful rapper says the record label… Continue Reading