July 1 - 12:25pm EDT   The next-generation USB 3.0 interface may reach customer PCs before 2009 is out, despite an earlier report to the contrary. Industry members believe Taiwan-area PC makers will be the first to release computers equipped with USB 3.0, as working prototypes of the interface, which promises 5GBps transfer speeds, are abundant at computer technology shows. These included PC hosts transferring data to connected external SSDs and interoperability between components from different vendors. [full story]

June 29 - 9:30am EDT   Several major cellphone makers today agreed to support a European Union push for a universal charger standard. Apple, LG, Motorola, Nokia, RIM, Samsung and Sony Ericsson have signed a deal with the European Commission that will see micro USB become the default connector for powering cellphones in the continent. Chipset producers like NEC, Qualcomm and Texas Instruments have also agreed to the deal. [full story]

June 18 - 2:50pm EDT   Toshiba and NEC together said today that they would extend their agreement with IBM to produce 28 nanometer chip technology. The deal sees the members of the larger alliance continuing to work on the smaller, more efficient technology with the intention of using it for home user products. They now also say they expected 28nm to be particularly useful for "mobile communication devices" such as smartphones. [full story]

June 8 - 9:20am EDT   NEC today quickly followed up on its Japanese releases with the American versions of a pair of color-accurate LCDs. The LCD2490WUXi2 and LCD2490W2 have 24-inch IPS panels that produce better images than PVA or TN screens; the decision gives them about 96.7 percent coverage of the sRGB color space, suiting them to pro-level image editing. They likewise have 12-bit color lookup tables, ambient light sensors to auto-adjust brightness and compensation for color and light variances across the LCD. [full story]

June 4 - 11:40am EDT   NEC today claimed the lead as the first mainstream company to ship an extra-wide, continguous desktop display. The CRV43 has a 43-inch, unbroken screen that handles resolutions up to 2880x900. Its 3.2:1 aspect ratio is wide enough to almost completely fill peripheral vision and makes it ideal for simulations, where off-angle views are important, as well as home offices and professional situations where having multiple large windows open is essential. [full story]

May 26 - 12:00pm EDT   NEC Japan has recently announced the upcoming release of its business-grade 10.6-inch netbook, the VersaPro UltraLite type VS. Most notably, the netbook weighs just 1.6lbs and is 0.62 inches thick. The low weight is achieved thanks to a magnesium frame that is die-cast and by exclusively offering a solid state drive, while the thinness comes from a careful design and shuffling around of the internal components. The 10-layer baseplate for the mainboard does not sit directly underneath the keyboard, for example, and a traditional heat sink for the CPU was done away with. [full story]

May 21 - 3:55pm EDT   NEC today improved its longstanding MultiSync 90 series displays with a low-key update to its core 24-inch model. The LCD2490WUXi2 improves on the original WUXi with a newer 12-bit color lookup table that improves the visible gamut as well as general improvements to color brightness and stability. It continues to offer a 1,000:1 static contrast ratio and musters 320cd/m2 brightness. [full story]

May 20 - 3:50pm EDT   Sony is bringing its TransferJet wireless data transmission technology closer to production by announcing recently it is now accepting licensing applications from interested companies. A Wednesday report has Sony taking "adopter" membership from companies that are interested in incorporating TransferJet into their products. TransferJet, which operates on a 4.5GHz radio frequency, lets users transfer data between portable devices at up to 375Mbps when they are about an inch apart. It is faster than wired USB 2.0 and FireWire connections and is supported by Japan, the US, European Union members and South Korea. [full story]

May 19 - 3:35pm EDT   Atheros today unveiled a new cellphone chipset that could let cellphones host Internet connections as easily as with a typical wireless router. The AR6002 can run its Wi-Fi as a hotspot and can share its connection without the manually configured, ad hoc tethering over Bluetooth or USB normally needed to make the link. It can potentially save battery life for the devices connecting to the phone as it lets them idle or go to sleep where tethering requires both to be constantly alert. [full story]

May 18 - 4:45pm EDT   NEC claimed a minor record on Monday by becoming the first company to produce a hardware controller that supports the new USB 3.0 standard. The µPD720200 will let computers and other devices talk to USB 3.0 peripherals and theoretically allows for the peak 5Gbps transfers of the format, or roughly 10 times the speed of USB 2.0. The Japanese chipset nonetheless remains backwards compatible with both the 2.0 spec as well as 1.1 devices, although USB 3.0 ports themselves won't support 1.x. [full story]

May 11 - 10:45am EDT   Sources said late yesterday that the European Commission will rule against Intel on Wednesday for its purported anti-competitive behavior versus AMD. Those aware of the case have told Reuters that the Commission will not only issue a fine but force Intel to change the way it sells processors in Europe. Intel's attempts to hinder AMD's success were "naked," according to the tip. [full story]

May 6 - 10:05am EDT   Efforts to solidify very high-speed, short-range wireless gained steam today with the creation of the WiGig Alliance (site active soon). The organization is meant to produce a common standard for sending data over a 60GHz link and to streamline developing computers, handheld devices and home theater equipment that can use the wireless link. The ultra wideband technology is fast enough to run about 10 times as quickly as an 802.11n connection -- effectively, 1Gbps -- and has the headroom to not just stream HD video but also to allow for previously impossible features like fast wireless displays and syncing entirely over the wireless connection. [full story]

April 27 - 12:05pm EDT   Semiconductor giants NEC and Renesas today said they would merge in a deal likely to change the electronics industry. The two plan to finish talks by July that would create a single company by next April. Such a deal would give them roughly $13 billion in combined yearly sales and would make it the single-largest Japanese company building processing technology. [full story]

March 29 - 10:35pm EDT   NEC this weekend said that it would quit selling PCs outside of its native Japan. The departure takes effect in July and follows similar plans for Africa, Europe and the Middle East announced last month. NEC is making the withdrawals following a predicted $2.96 billion loss for the past fiscal year and after it was concerned that cutting 20,000 jobs worldwide would not completely address its concerns. [full story]

March 18 - 4:45pm EDT   The University of Melbourne and NEC in Australia are working on developing a high-powered laser that would cut the costs of bringing high-speed Internet access to rural areas of the country over fiber. Dr. Ka Lun Lee and his colleagues at the University are conducting an experiment in the state of Victoria, where the service can be sent to 99 percent of residents. Results of their work will be presented next week at a fiber optics expo in San Diego. [full story]