MKM first for DVD-R DL 5 new Coolpix SiS starts PCI Express chipsets mass production Canon EOS 350D ! + 2 new Ixus Samsung completes prototype DDR3 memory chip

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MKM first for DVD-R DL   Posted on 17/02/2005 at 23:25 by Marc

	Mitsubishi Kagaku Media, or MKM has just announced the first DVD-R DL media (Verbatim is a subsidiary of MKM). It is in fact a preannouncement. The manufacturer specified that it will actually release this media in spring…this date is quite vague, because it might be from the 21st of mars until 21st of June. The DHR85Y1 recording speed will be 2X or 4X and it will be available according to AV Watch for 1500 Yens (10.88 € HT, US$14.19). The final price in France after taxes for privates copies 3.18 € and VAT will be 16.8 €! This price corresponds to the release price of the DVD+R DL by MKM last May. Now we hope that many other market actors will start selling the same type of product to reduce prices.

5 new Coolpix   Posted on 17/02/2005 at 12:21 by Vincent

	According to Nikon, the Coolpix 4600 is an an easy-to-use compact digital camera ideal not only for beginners of all ages, but also for those who’ve never been interested in digital photography before. Is in fact an automatic 4 megapixels digital camera armed with 3x optical zoom, 16 scene mode and available for approximately 250 €. A little bit more expensive but with a bigger sensor the Coolpix 5600 is almost the twin brother of the 4600. The design is almost identical and it also features 16 scene mode. Main differences are the sensor size 5 megapixels and the price 320 € approximately. Don’t change a compactness that wins: the Coolpix 7600 is, as you have probably guessed, almost the clone of the 4600 and 5600, but with a 7 megapixels sensor. There is however one difference, two versions are available: black and silver. The price: 420 € approximately. Finally, the Coolpix 5900 and 7900, also based on the same body, feature respectively 5 and 7 megapixels sensors. The difference between these cameras and the precedent ones is a bigger LCD monitor 1.8” instead of 1”. Coolpix 5900 : 370 € approximately. Coolpix 7900 : 470 € approximately.

SiS starts PCI Express chipsets mass production   Posted on 17/02/2005 at 12:10 by Marc

	SiS today announced that the SiS656, SiS649, and SiS756 PCI Express chipsets have entered mass production. The manufacturer said in fact that two million PCI Express chipsets have already been shipped and that at least 10 motherboard manufacturer have chosen these chipsets. Up to this date, motherboards based on this chipset haven’t been widely available in shops in France, bit SiS said that this situation will change. SiS announced the chipsets 656 and 756 in march 2004.

Canon EOS 350D ! + 2 new Ixus   Posted on 17/02/2005 at 12:06 by Vincent

	Canon makes today the big news with a new digital camera release. The EOS 300D is an international success but is beginning to date: it hits the markets one and half years ago (June 2003). This very successful camera, which received several awards, will be replaced by the cheaper, sturdier (8 megapixels in CMOS instead of 6 like the 20D) and more classic (black body instead of “plastic grey”) EOS 350D. The 350D will be out in March for $899 (999 €) body only and US: $999 (1099€) with 18 – 55 mm 2nd version lens. Canon also plans to release another version with two lenses: 18 – 55 mm and 55 – 200 mm, for 1 429 €. Canon will also release in six months another lens with the same components but with a different color: silver. Once more the price gap between Europe and the US is quite important. The US recommended price is 899$, so with the conversion + VAT the total is approximately 823 €. It is far from the European price… Canon also unveiled two new Ixus, the Ixus 700 and 50. The product name suggests that these digital cameras will feature respectively 7 and 5 megapixels sensors.

Samsung completes prototype DDR3 memory chip   Posted on 17/02/2005 at 11:53 by Marc

	Samsung Electronics announced that it has finished work on the first DDR3 DRAM memory prototype. The DDR3-1066 64 MB device operates from a 1.5 volts supply and has an 80nm fabrication process. To give you an idea, the DDR operates from a 2.5 volts supply, and the DDR2 from 1.8v. To reduce the power consumption, the prefetch, increased from 2n to 4n bits at the time of the shifts from DDR to DDR-2, has now been increased to 8n bits. Internal cell memory organization has been changed to double the transfer rate. Cells are still clocked at 133 MHz, like the PC133, the DDR-266 or the DDR2-533. Only the inputs/outputs buffer and external memory bus frequencies have been increased to 533 MHz to reach, thanks to a DDR type transfer, a transfer rate of 1066 Mbits /s per pins. According to Micron, additionally to DDR3-1066 the DDR3-1333 will be out one year latter and the DDR3-1600 in two years latter. Samsung is planning to start the DDR3 production in the beginning of next year. According to IDC crystal ball, the DDR3 will hit the market in 2006 and will have 37% market shares in 2008 and 65% in 2009. It is important to notice that the DDR3 has nothing to do with the GDDR3, which is a derivate from the DDR2 with a prefetch of 4n bits.