AMD, Seagate Show Off 6-Gbits/s SATA

AMD and Seagate will demonstrate a next-generation 6-Gbit/s SATA interface Monday in New Orleans, the companies said. The target markets will be gaming PCs and servers, according to executives.

Motorola Announces New MC55 Business Phone

Motorola's consumer handheld business may be perpetually struggling, but the company also has a successful line of hard-core business handhelds that were formerly sold under the Symbol brand name. Motorola's EDAs (Enterprise Digital Assistants) are ubiquitous on stock floors, in the hands of FedEx deliverymen, and even among the salespeople at Apple stores.

The latest addition to the EDA family, the MC55 line, was announced Monday. The MC55 is a Windows Mobile 6.1 device that's rugged enough to drop on a concrete floor or accidentally spill cleaning fluid on.




Importantly for enterprise buyers, it comes in several different configurations. The MC5590 is Wi-Fi only, for use within your warehouse or retail store. If you need to make calls, the 5590 supports VoIP. The MC5574 includes a 2.5G GSM modem that works on AT&T and T-Mobile. The MC5590 has been on sale for a few months now, but the MC5574 is new. Both phones can come with standard numeric, QWERTY, QWERTZ (that's German) or AZERTY (French) keypads, as well as a cursor-key-centric layout for the 5590 model only.



Both models have 520 Mhz processors, 3.5" 320x240 color touch screens, a MicroSD memory card slot, Bluetooth and about six hours of talk time. As with all of their EDA models, you can get a comprehensive service and support package that includes coverage for accidental breakage, right down to the stylus and screen protector.

Microsoft to let PC users turn off IE Web browser

SEATTLE - A single check box deep in the guts of the next version of Windows is giving Microsoft Corp. watchers a peek at how the software maker plans to keep European antitrust regulators from marring a crucial software launch.

Utility energy storage plans by AEP

CAMBRIDGE, Mass.--Utility company American Electric Power (AEP) plans this year to place equipment in residential areas capable of storing a few hours of electricity, one of the first tests of distributed storage on the power grid.

The storage units would be the size of a relatively small "backyard transformer," each wired to provide enough electricity for four to six houses. Together, those storage units could provide back-up power to neighborhoods during outages and potentially for other applications.




Because of the high cost, energy storage devices need to be used for a number of applications to generate sufficient revenue, the speakers said. For example, a large battery could provide back-up power, do peak shaving, and be used to stabilize dips in grid signal frequency.