Redmond (WA) - Microsoft released its Live Search engine late Monday in an effort to catch up with market leaders Google and Yahoo. It is Microsoft's most aggressive move against Google yet and shows promising, unique features. But Live.com may not reveal its true potential just yet: Search could become the core tool for a next generation of applications and services.

In a joint project, Memory-Tech and Toshiba today announced that the two firms have developed a one-side, three-layer disc for both DVD and HD DVD formats. The new technology will pave the way to higher capacity hybrid storage on a single disc.

LG Electronics (LGE) recently announced it plans to start producing LCD TVs at its new production line in Wroclaw, Poland in September, about six months earlier than its original schedule.

Seoul (Korea) - There's still room left for NAND Flash to scale. According to Samsung, the technology may shrink into 20 nm structures, down from the common 70 and 60 nm today. Samsung also presented the memory it will position to replace NOR Flash: Phase-change Random Access Memory (PRAM) promises a 30x increases in speed and 10 times the life span of flash.

Culver City (CA) - Intel's first quad-core processor "Kentsfield" has found its way into the Tom's Hardware test lab. Several weeks before Intel will provide evaluation processors to the press, Tom's Hardware was able to obtain a qualification sample: The quad-core was sent through the entire test parcours and showed impressive performance.

Social networking websites are all about sharing information, but is it possible to share too much? That's the question some Facebook.com members are asking after the website added new features that let members track their friends. More than 700,000 members have voiced the opposition to the new features and some have called them "stalkerish". Facebook now has implemented privacy controls to block user information from other members.

Stressed out IT managers may get some help with the availability of PCs based on Intel's "vPro" platform. The computers, part of the firm's professional business platform, use the Q965 chipset that not only integrate virtualization, but also Intel's second generation Active Management Technology with a circuit breaker support.

Chicago (IL) - Ever wondered, if your current PC has enough horsepower to handle the next generation of multimedia? No, we are not talking about a Vista ready PC, but simply a system that is capable of displaying HD movies. Cyberlink has a surprise for you - get ready for a major overhaul or to throw out your PC, if you don't own a dual-core processor.

Armonk (NY) - IBM today announced that it has begun shipping the microprocessor that will be built into Nintendo's upcoming Wii video game system. Nintendo has a multi-year contract with IBM to create millions of the microchips, code-named "Broadway," which are specially designed with the Wii's unique game play interface in mind.

ASRock, an Asustek Computer subsidiary focusing on entry-level motherboards, will significantly increase the adoption of integrated graphics processor (IGP) chipsets from VIA Technologies for Intel-based motherboards while lowering the proportion of motherboards with ATI chipsets, indicated sources who have seen the company's latest roadmap.

BenQ recently launched a 22" LCD monitor to its existing widescreen LCD monitor line, 17-, 19-, 20-, 24" models.

Plymouth (MN) - DVD production is usually a slow and boring process requiring you to stare at a burner and then label the disc. Primera's promises to end this boredom with it new automated CD/DVD duplicator and labeler. The Bravo SE Disc Publisher can burn and label up to 20 discs in one session. It can even print virtually waterproof labels.

Perhaps in competition to Apple's 30" Cinema HD display, HP have announced a November release of the LP 3065, a widescreen 30" with black surround.

Ever ripped open a package of rechargeable batteries and discovered that you still had to charge them before you actually can use them? Now Uniross and its new subsidiary North American Battery Company (NABC) are releasing a new rechargeable battery that can be used right away. The company claims the batteries will retain their charge for months and can be recharged up to 500 times.

Redmond (WA) - Microsoft released a public download of Windows Vista RC1 through its customer preview program (CPP). Before you run to get your time-limited early Vista copy, be sure to make your way through Microsoft's release notes to cover all other upgrades that are necessary to run the new operating system without hiccups.

ARM on September 6 announced that Samsung Electronics has licensed ARM Jazelle software technology for deployment in the Samsung BD-P1000 Blu-ray Disc (BD) player. The ARM Jazelle Java Technology Enabling Kit (JTEK) software licensed by Samsung was originally developed for the mobile handset market. More here at DigiTimes.

Infineon Technologies is now evaluating the possibility to outsource production of handset-use radio frequency (RF) transceivers, considering United Microelectronics Corporation (UMC) as a possible partner, according to Arun Palwankar, marketing director of Infineon's RF business in the Asia-Pacific region.

Washington, D.C. - IBM will construct a new supercomputer for the U.S. Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA). The system will combine Cell and Opteron processors and deliver more than twice the combined performance of the DOE's BlueGene/L and ASC Purple systems, which are currently ranked #1 and #3 on the Top 500 supercomputer list.

Sunnyvale (CA) - AMD has begun offering a new processor in its mainstream dual-core lineup. The 5200+ joins the Athlon 64 X2 series as new flagship. There no clock speed increase, but AMD has integrated twice the cache of the 5000+ and re-enters the $400+ segment of CPUs. The update of the desktop X2 series came without much fanfare this morning. A quick look at the technical data of the 5200+ may provide a justification for the rather quiet introduction as the chips simply brings up the clock speed of 4800+ processor to the 5000+ level.