DDR4: the first functional module

Micron Announces have designed the first functional module of DDR4, even before that the JEDEC completes the standard.

Micron announced today the production of its first functional DDR4 module. After the survey of partners (including on servers), Micron believes that it is important to begin producing DDR4 modules as early as 2013 and it is in this light that he produced first functional samples. Micron says that beyond the professional sphere, the consumer will also quickly an interest in the democratization of the DDR4, given the energy savings and performance gains will offer these strips of RAM.

But back to this first module functional, co-developing with Nanya (nothing to do with Natracare, seen you come...) and exploiting the burning 30 nm from Micron process. It is composed of 4 Gb 8 chips (about 4 GB total), and modules with 16 and 32 chips are under development. These modules have a muzzle velocity of 2400 MT/s and will later rise to new standard JEDEC DDR4 3200 MT/s for. Of the DDR4 is eventually found in all formats: 1333MHz, LRDIMMs, 3DS, SODIMMs and UDIMMs.

Remember that the JEDEC is finalization of the standard DDR4. Brian Shirley, Vice President of Micron, ensures that to date, everything has been implemented for this first module meets the points on which the JEDEC already ruled, so that it is also consistent with the standard end-of-development. Samples of the first functional module were sent to Micron key partners so that they can work with on future solutions. We would therefore very far from the beginning of production in volume for the DDR4.

Read More

For the first time, Nintendo losing money...

Nintendo nippon group recently published annual losses for the first time in its history...

Nintendo yesterday published the results of its 2011-2012 fiscal year ended March 31. In one year, the company still there shortly if successful, capitalizing on the success of the Wii and the DS, has lost EUR 425 million while she mailed still 675 million euros of profit 12 months earlier.

It must be said that on this exercise, turnover fell by 36.2% to € 6.4 billion. Sales of consoles and games are in sharp decline, and this despite the launch of a newcomer, the Nintendo 3DS portable and auto-stéréoscopique (see test). These poor figures can be explained in part by poor sales of this 3DS who forced Nintendo to quickly respond by lowering a few months only after its sale price, of ever.

In total, 13.5 million Nintendo 3DS have been sold on the exercise. In lack of strong games and still too dear (including accessories), the Wii also recorded a large decrease in sales with 9.8 million units over the year. Is that Nintendo, more than ever concurrencé of the casual game market and portable by smartphones and other tablets, moral guard and ambition. The consolier and Publisher plans to return to the green as from 2012-2013 thanks to the democratization of the 3DS and the launch of a new living room console, Wii U and its handle in the form of Tablet. Posted objectives: 7,690 billion euros of turnover and profit EUR 188 million.

Read More

Servers: IBM is the first place

According to figures published by the Gartner Institute, IBM would have found its place of market leader of the servers in the third quarter of 2011, with a turnover of $ 3.84 billion (3.5%). HP is second hand, its turnover with fell 3.6% to reach $ 3.8 billion. Follow Dell ($1.9 billion, + 6.3%), Oracle and Fujitsu. With a global market estimated to be $ 12.3 billion, IBM has 29.7% share of market, compared to 29.3% for HP, Dell, Oracle 6.2% and 4.7% for Fujitsu 14.5%.

If one is interested in the amounts of servers shipped in the same quarter, is HP who arrives in first place with 2.4 million units (in decreased by 3.1%), or 29.2% of market share. Dell comes second with 21.8% share of market, IBM followed (12.1% market share), Lenovo and Fujitsu. On nontera finally the x 86 architecture -based servers are doing rather well, with an increase of the turnover of 9.3% (+ 7.6% in terms of quantities delivered). By contrast, Itanium and RISC servers saw their sales decline by 6.8%, despite an increase of the turnover of 3.5%.

Read More

The first 128 Gb NAND chip...

Intel and Micron will start production of small chips of 16 GB for the beginning of next year.

The Intel/Micron couple works well. You talked yesterday about the work that they are together on the cubic hybrid memory. Today, they return to show us the first chip NAND of 128 Gb, or 16 GB, MLC engraved 20 nm.

To complete the picture, two casters have complied with the standard ONFI 3.0, a specifically studied for the NAND interface which supports the order of 400 MB/s transfers announced in March 2011,. requiring less connecteusr, which makes the task of designing the circuits between the simpler chips. 16 GB chips can therefore be used in upcoming smartphones, tablets and even SSD which will arrive soon.

Coming to paste as much space of storage in a small chip, Intel and Micron have used a new structure to work around the current constraints in integrating new batteries of bridge between the cells. IMFT, Im Flash Technology, the joint-venture of Intel and Micron NAND, will propose models of test of these chips next January and could launch mass production for the middle of next year. In the meantime, the IMFT increases the rate of production of the 8 GB chips also engraved 20 nm.

Read More

First 4 TB in Seagate hard drive!

The American manufacturer Seagate unveils the first hard disk up to a record 4 TB capacity.

Seagate had launched the first hard drive of 3 To early summer 2010. The American manufacturer today is the first to unveil a 4 TB hard drive. Once more, we are dealing with an external model. The GoFlex Desk adopts a new industrial design that will soon expand to the rest of the range.

It is provided with a connector USB 3.0, knowing that declinations in USB 2.0 and FireWire will be soon available. There beneath the hull of the GoFlex a 3.5-inch HDD. The latter operates a Serial ATA interface, and it includes 64 MB of cache. Seagate does not (unlike Hitachi) trays of 1 TB, but 800 GB trays.

Therefore in five to reach this new record capability. The latter will reach 7200 RPM, and performance should therefore be at the Rendez-vous (without so far as it was a beast of race). Hope that this Barracuda XT 4 To be proposed only faster than the version of 3 To last year (who had not arrived before March 2011). Seagate sells its GoFlex Desk of 4 To $ 249.99 (€209,99 TTC). For comparison, the 3 To version is still around €170.

Read More

Sony Tablet S and P: prices, output and first notice dates

Sony unveils details of marketing of its Android tablets. Tablet S and P arrive in October and November, positioned high range.

It is there! After having released a few details on the Sony Tablet S, the Japanese manufacturer resolves to everything say us of its Android Honeycomb shelves launch conditions. There is therefore the Sony Tablet S (model design inspired by a magazine folded) and Sony Tablet P (one to two screens and design "seashell"). The Tablet is equipped with a screen of 9.4 "(1280 x 800 pixels) and embarks a Tegra 2 1 GHz, 16 or 32 GB of memory, a Bluetooth module, a mini USB connector, a webcam front and dorsal 5 megapixel photo/video sensor. It will be sold from October 1 from €489 (16 GB WiFi), while it will take pay €589 for the 32 GB WiFi model and 599 for the model 16 GB WiFi + 3 G. This tablet will benefit from the upgrade to Android 3.2.

For its part, Tablet P is designed around two screens of 5.5 "(1024 x 480 pixels) and it has the particularity to be folded back on itself for dimensions in transport. The configuration that it do is for the other rest of the model S, except for the different versions since it exists for the time being in Wi-Fi + 3 G and with a limited to 4 GB memory (expandable via SD card). Autonomy would also review in 7 hours, 8 hours for his sister. This Tablet P arrives in shops a month later, in November, and will be sold at a price of €599. Sony said that on these two bars, it will be the PlayStation Suite offer that gives access to a catalogue (limited) games PS under Android. The same offer proposed on the Play Xperia from Sony Ericsson and who is struggling to convince.

Note finally that our brothers of Engadget, always in good shots, had the privilege to try to preview the Sony Tablet S. They lease the "different" design of this tablet, so dealing with long term use. According to them, the format of the Tablet is very pleasant in certain situations (surfing and reading), less obvious appreciation in others (including game). They are also concerned the construction of the Tablet appears to be quite sensitive to scratches and small shocks, with an Assembly that visibly does not inspire really trust. There again, it is to verify, but this may disappoint, especially given the price for the sale of these tablets which positioned on the top of range as is usually the Sony brand image. Remains to be seen last software adjustments and the quality of Assembly of the series that will emerge in the trade.

Read More

First half worrying for SFR

The quarterly results of SFR are not very good and, especially, the recruitment of new subscribers are in free fall.

If Vivendi, parent company of SFR, is doing very well with a result an increase of 20.2% over the first half of the year, the accounts of the operator are for their part not to the beautiful fixed with net sales decreased by 2% and disturbing recruitment rates, both on the fixed than the mobile. Thus, on the six first months of the current year, the SFR CA levelled off at 6.12 billion euros. For SFR, the scapegoat is all found, it is the increase of VAT which has not been passed on the price of its subscriptions (a gift that was to prevent leakage of subscribers by possible terminations without charge). SFR explains such that the VAT increase set apart, its CA would have increased by 2.7%.

Is that in the results, the turnover of mobile activity is down 3.9% (to 4,257 billion euros) in the first half. Losses not fills the CA on the high speed Internet rose by 1.3% to almost EUR 2 billion. Numbers that could go if the rate of recruitment had not sunk. SFR has recruited only 220,000 new mobile clients for the first half, against 540 000 new clients recruited last year. For a total of 21,059 million customers arrested late June 2011. As the fixed Internet, it is even more alarming, with only 96 000 new subscribers recruited against 238 000 a year earlier. For a total of 4,983 million customers.

However, SFR has multiplied the new, between its new access Evolution adopted by 415 000 customers and a decrease in average 25% of its rates on the mobile, not to mention the launch of the "Square" specially offers thoughts to avoid the leak subscribers. SFR will have to redouble their efforts to reverse the trend.

Read More

BlackBerry Colt: the first QNX early 2012

The Colt, first smartphone BlackBerry under the QNX operating system, will be out in the first quarter of 2012.

While Research In Motion has presented its new range of BlackBerry consisting of three Torch and two Bold under OS 7, the next mobile platform of the Canadian manufacturer point the tip of his nose. These are our colleagues from BoyGeniusReport which are the source of this information.According to the indications made by this site, the Colt will have a processor to a heart. RIM would, apparently, prefer the raw power to a dual-core processor. The Colt replacing the Bold, high-end BlackBerry, could expect better, especially as the current trend is always more increased speed.

Add that this BlackBerry on QNX first will also be the first to not embark on the BlackBerry Enterprise Server (BES), having the success of RIM business terminals.

BlackBerry, a major player in the riots in London

Read More

Fujitsu/Toshiba: first Windows Phone under Mango

Manufacturers Fujitsu and Toshiba held a joint in Tokyo press conference to unveil a new smartphone, the IS12T, first Windows Phone under Mango. The first update of WP7, corresponding to version 7.5, was to land at the beginning of the fall. This model close cousin of the Regza, apparatus Toshiba, has of an AFN 13.2 megapixel camera and 32 GB of internal memory.

Especially, the IS12T is a terminal of scribe, since it resists water and dust. It will also carry a Snapdragon MSM8655 processor with 1.2 GHz and will be equipped with a screen "3.7 with a resolution of 800 x 480 pixels. Launched in September to the Japan, it should be available in three colors (black, yellow and pink). No date for marketing in Europe at this time.

Windows Phone 7.5: Mango is finalized

Read More

Kingston revealed its first SSD based on the SandForce

Kingston HyperX will use the SandForce SF-2281 controller for sequential reading speeds that can reach 525 MB/s.

This week at the Computex, Kingston has revealed its first 2.5-inch SSD using a controller of SandForce targeting enthusiasts, gamers and users of performance. Dubbed the Kingston HyperX, DSS is based on SandForce SF-2281 controllers and a SATA 6 GB/s interface and next month the ships in capacities of 120 and 240 GB.

"This launch is very exciting for us in Kingston, said Ariel Perez, Director of affairs DSS."The SandForce controller allows us to deliver high-end which are necessary for power-users, gamers and performance enthusiasts. By integrating a quality of final production controller and firmware and undergo extensive testing has been a process rigorous, but well worth the wait. By pairing latest controller of the SandForce with calculation of 25 nm Intel NAND (P/E 5 K), we have built a SSD which meets the requirements defined by real amateurs. »

As stated, the controller of the SF-2281 is paired with Intel 25 nm Compute NAND (P/E 5 K), the sequential read/write with flow rates of 525/480 MB / s and 40 000 and 60 000 (240 GB) IOPS. SandForce DuraClass technology provides best in class endurance, while Advanced wear-Leveling technology ensures that flash memory blocks are consumed at a very balanced rate. Additional features include TRIM and support S.M.A.R.T. and configurable aggregation by the user to fine-tune performance to meet the specific needs of the user.

The company said "Fans know long the Kingston HyperX mark as the leader in advanced memory". "The new SSD HyperX continues this tradition of innovation and high performance by pairing the last Intel ® 25nm SandForce controller calculate NAND (P/E 5 K) to provide the performance and endurance which require the most demanding users.

The two Kingston HyperX SSDs should ship on July 11, 2011. They be supported by a guarantee of three years and Kingston 24/7 tech support.

Read More