In response to the news that Intel has started making prototypes of 45nm Penryn processors, motherboard makers said they expect CPU wars to enter a new level with dual-core processors operating at frequencies of 3GHz and higher in 2007.

Industry sources recently indicated that Samsung Electronics and LG.Philips LCD (LPL) both are using their next-generation plants to produce LCD monitor panels, with Samsung producing 17" monitor panels at its seventh-generation (7G) plant and LPL using its 7.5G plant to make 19" monitor panels.

Santa Clara (CA) - It has been a long, and sometimes seemingly uncertain, way for the Monahans processor. More than a year after the CPUs first demonstration and almost half a year of Marvell's acquisition of Intel's applications and communications processor business, the new Xscale processor has finally arrived.

Denmark-based RTX Products will be releasing a dual-mode Skype phone that doesn't require a computer. The cordless Dualphone 3088 can plug into either a broadband Ethernet connection or a landline. RTX Products claims the phone has enough battery power to last 10 hours of talking or 140 hours on standby.

Xandros has released a new version of their Linux desktop that promises to replace Windows operating systems in the office. Xandros Desktop - Professional is network compatible with Windows network servers allowing machines to access shared folders, NTFS partitions and even Exchange servers.

Bedminster (NJ) - Giving more steam to the runaway train known as YouTube, Verizon today officially announced its plan to incorporate the video sharing site with its V Cast multimedia service. The new mobile YouTube platform is planned to be available in early December, with no additional cost to the $15 monthly V Cast service. As part of the partnership, Verizon will be the exclusive mobile provider of YouTube content for an undisclosed length of time.

Mobile phone users are getting a new Opera Mini browser that can publish pictures and grab RSS news feeds. Opera Mini 3.0 is Opera's latest version of the free browser and should work with most web-enabled phones. Among the browser's more notable features is the photo sharing capability within the browser and the RSS news feeds which can be sorted by date or source.

Samsung's Advanced Institute of Technology has developed a fuel cell that can charge a mobile phone in a few hours. The small 180g cell generates 2 watts of power from combining hydrogen, methanol and air. Researchers say test units have successfully charged phones 200 times in a row.

Following the widescreen trend, Lenovo today announced its second Thinkpad model that is now available with a 15.4" widescreen LCD: T60 widescreen models are selling for $1400 and up.

Foxconn Electronics (the registered trade name of Hon Hai Precision Industry), which has just announced a deal with Singapore-based IT product distributor eSys Technologies to distribute PC components in Taiwan's retail market, expects its own-brand motherboard shipments to reach 10 million units this year, according to company sources.

Symantec, next to McAfee, has been the key voice in criticizing Microsoft's decision to lock down the Windows Vista system Kernel and provide less access to one of the core elements - which could result in incompatibilities of the operating system and some antivirus software packages.

Sony said it has found defects in some of its popular Cyber-shot digital cameras, the latest quality problem to strike the Japanese company whose image was severely tarnished by a massive battery recall earlier this year.

Lacie has begun shipping its 2 TB Biggest FW800 storage box, a unit that packs in four lock-in-place hot-swappable 500GB SATA drives and a dinky LCD status panel.

Verizon Wireless today released the "Env", its latest V Cast phone, as the official successor to LG's "The V" phone. With a Sidekick-type design and interface, Verizon is calling it "the ultimate in coverged device."

LCD vendors such as ViewSonic and Apple are set to launch 17" widescreen LCD monitors by year-end or the first quarter of 2007, according to industry sources.

Sunnyvale (CA) - Palm today launched the previously announced Treo 680, which currently complements the firm's smartphone portfolio, but is expected to succeed the aging 650 model. The 680 comes in flashy colors and Palm hopes that the new model, while not offering groundbreaking new features, can regain lost market share.

Dell and Hewlett Packard (HP) are increasing the proportion of their PCs with 1GB DRAM modules in order to stimulate the market, which is in a lull as consumers wait for the launch of Microsoft's Vista operating system (OS), according to sources with DRAM makers.

VoodooPC is beginning to make some use of the products of its new owner, Hewlett-Packard (HP). The boutique PC builder announced the availability of a new 30" flat panel monitor, describing it is a high-performance monitor that consumers can purchase with select desktop computers.

Taiwan-based G-Shank Enterprise stated that stamping parts it manufactured for Sony's PlayStation 3 (PS3) game consoles have no defects and should not cause malfunction of the console's card reader, according to a November 20 filing the company made with the Taiwan Stock Exchange (TSE).