Columbus (OH) - Last week, we saw prices of a handful of AMD dual-core processors falling to near-$100 levels. This time around, a couple major price decreases led other X2 processors heading down the same path. Last week, the 3800+, 4200+, and 4600+ all saw fairly significant price drops on online stores. This week saw no major changes to these products, but the processors surrounding them in the performance scale began catching up.

Orlando (FL) - Most people have used GPS devices, but have you ever wondered where all the data comes from?  At the CTIA Wireless convention in Orlando Florida, Tele Atlas company officials showed us their “Mobile Mapping Van” which collects data through several cameras, laser units and differential GPS unit.  The data is then organized and sold to the big GPS makers like TomTom and Mapquest.    

Dell includes a one-year subscription to a theft protection service on some of its notebooks.

Apple today announced that video highlights of the 2007 Major League Baseball (MLB) season will be heading to the iTunes digital store.

Orlando (FL) - Former United States Presidents George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton wowed the crowd at the CTIA Wireless keynote speech in Orlando Florida.  The two presidents talked about funny moments during their presidencies, to roaring laughter from the crowd, and encourage wireless experts to do their part to serve the country and the world.  

The flagship cell phone from Apple is headed for a release date this June, according to media speculation.

Wilson Electronics has a new cellular phone amplifier that it claims will greatly eliminate dropped calls.  The SignalBoost amplifier will pump an extra three watts of power into a phone signal which, according to the company, is 10 to 15 times the power output of a normal phone.

HP yesterday announced a new version of its Media Vault NAS with enhancements for small business owners.

After requests, rumors, and unofficial announcements, Dell officially announced that it will begin offering Linux on select desktop and notebook PCs.

Santa Clara (CA) – Just a few weeks ahead of its developer forum in Beijing, Intel has provided an update on the 45 nm Penryn processor family as well as the successor of the first generation Core architecture, which goes by the code-name “Nehalem.” The big news is the Intel will depart from the traditional front side bus and integrate the memory controller into the CPU.

Irvine (CA) - Gateway today announced a new Small Form Factor (SFF) desktop computer targeted at education, government, and business customers.The E-2610 contains an Intel 945 chipset, support for Intel Core 2 Duo dual-core processors, and is optimized for Windows Vista.  Gateway offers the PC with three BTX case options, which it says help to efficiently cool the PC.

Philips and Energizer this week unveiled a new cell phone with a built-in alkaline battery compartment for users to use when the Lithium-ion battery runs out of power.

Network-equipment maker Zyxel Communications plans to launch its first dual-mode Wi-Fi/GSM smartphone, the V660, in the second half of 2007, targeting small- and medium-size businesses (SMBs), according to company sources.

Specialty mobile service provider Amp'd Mobile may face a fine of up to $100,000 after the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) claimed the company failed to follow privacy security guidelines.

In a bid to earn more money from its mobile video streaming, Viacom has finalized deals with Pepsi and Intel to provide ads for its cell phone videos.

New mobile software company iqzone has announced what it is calling the first mobile service for "broadcasting and searching classified ads from mobile phones."

Orlando (FL) - Compact palm-sized computers have often garnered headlines, but leave a great deal to be desired in the actual usability department.  Flipstart is trying to change that with its compact, but very capable computer which we got a glimpse of at the CTIA Wireless convention in Orlando Florida.  The sub 2-pound machine has a 5.6" screen and slew of wireless features and an additional ARM processor for lightweight operations.  

Orlando (FL) – Plantronics has introduced its third Bluetooth stereo headset. The new Pulsar 260 model expands the firm’s offering on the lower end of the portfolio. Compared to the 590 series of stereo headsets, which is a rather bulky model, the Pulsar 260 consists of a control device to which wired, noise-isolating earphones as well as a microphone are attached. According to the manufacturer, the control device allows users to navigate through a music collection and adjust the volume without ever touching a music phone.  

Sun today introduced a new member in its Netra server family: For the first time, the company offers an AMD Opteron CPU in a carrier-grade blade-server.