Tidbytes
Optical Disc Deluge:
In an apparent effort to further befuddle a populace already dizzy
with next-generation optical-disc options, Taiwanese researchers recently
introduced yet another: Forward Versatile Disc (FVD). Other high-capacity
formats such as Blu-ray and HD-DVD rely on pricey blue lasers, but FVD drives
will use today's less-expensive red lasers to create discs capable of storing
9.8GB (dual layer) on a single side. In contrast, current standard DVD discs
hold about 4.7GB.
You had me at $1.6 Billion:
Illustration: Gordon Studer
After years of bitter legal wrangling and snide public comments
about monopolistic tendencies, Sun Microsystems Chief Executive Officer Scott
McNealy recently made up with Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer. McNealy went on to
predict a future filled with cooperation, software compatibility, and mutual
profitability. Smoothing the two companies' transition to best buddies were two
Microsoft payments to Sun: one for $700 million to settle all pending antitrust
issues and one for $900 million to settle all pending patent issues.
I Spy a Lawsuit:
Software vendors who spy on unsuspecting Utah residents could pay
a steep price. Starting in May, any company that installs spyware onto a Utah
user's computer without permission faces a $10,000 liability under the state's
Spyware Control Act. While privacy advocates decry spyware, the same groups
also believe a single federal law would be more effective than individual state
laws. You just can't please some people.... Meanwhile, legislators in
California and Iowa are also considering anti-spyware laws.
Product Pipeline
Pocket Memory:
If the infinitely handy USB key has become the Swiss Army
knife of computing, what do you call an actual Swiss Army knife with flash
memory? Simple: Call it the SwissMemory USB knife, and put it on every techie's
wish list. Victorinox's $69 product includes a blade, a red LED light, a nail
file with screwdriver, scissors, a pen, and 64MB of flash storage.
Zires Aim Higher:
Waiting for a multimedia-friendly PDA that won't bust your
budget? PalmOne's Zire 31 (left) delivers a color screen, an MP3 player, 16MB
of memory, and an SD card slot for $149, a new low price for a color Palm. Also
new is the $299 Zire 72, successor to the Zire 71. It has a built-in
1.2-megapixel camera capable of capturing video as well as still photos. Other
extras: Bluetooth, 32MB of memory, and DataViz software for creating and
editing Office-compatible files.
Personal Postage:
If you're bored with plain old stamps for your snail mail, check out Avery's Web-based Creative Postage Labels. At the Avery site, you can place any digital image (except pornography or commercial images such as corporate logos) next to that of a standard first-class mail stamp on stick-on labels sold in sheets of 20 for $20 (plus $3 shipping and handling). That's about $1.15 per label, a 78-cent premium for the privilege of seeing your loved one or a favorite snapshot on genuine U.S. postage.
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