Hold the Phone! Game Developers See iPhone Potential

The Game Developers Conference got an eye-opener as ngmoco CEO Neil Young outlined the gaming potential for Apple, Inc.'s iPhone. Young said Nintendo's handheld DS outstripped Sony's PlayStation Portable because it had more functionality. Apple's iPhone, Young said, has so many features that it's growing "way faster than the DS."

Tuesday's session of the Game Developers Conference at the Moscone Center in San Francisco opened with a provocative topic: Why the iPhone Has Changed Everything. For an industry that has long regarded Apple as an afterthought when it comes to serious gaming, it was an eye-opening presentation.

The talk was delivered by Neil Young, founder and CEO of ngmoco, one of the leading developers of games for the iPhone and the iPod touch. Among the company's titles are the popular Word Fu, Rolando, Topple, Dropship, and Dr. Awesome, Microsurgeon M.D.

By Frederick Lane
http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=65525

Lenovo Puts Supercomputing on the Desktop

Lenovo's new ThinkStation S20 and D20 can be configured to function as desktop supercomputers. Due later this month starting at $1,070, an optional Nvidia Tesla C1060 GPU adds more than $2,000 but boosts power for complex calculations. Both the Lenovo ThinkStation S20 and D20 have Intel's Turbo Boost technology and a green design.

 Lenovo has unveiled two new workstations for professionals in specialized fields such as computer-aided design, game development, and digital content creation as well as oil and gas exploration.

Lenovo's ThinkStation S20 and D20 can be configured to function as desktop supercomputers. Adding the Nvidia Tesla C1060 GPU platform to the workstations, Lenovo said, offers 240 additional cores of dedicated math-processing power to speed up complex calculations.

"Designers, engineers, developers and scientists require the highest levels in computing performance to help them produce breakthrough innovations," said Tom Tobul, Lenovo's executive director of enterprise, software and peripherals. "The new ThinkStation workstations deliver not only the utmost in performance, but also a user-centric design with an emphasis on quiet operation, even during heavy processing."

Dell CEO Hints at Small Internet Device Like a Smartphone

Dell may "have smaller mobile Internet devices or smartphones," CEO Michael Dell says. There are rumors that Dell might jump into the smartphone market by buying Palm, which needs cash and is soon to release the Palm Pre. An analyst suggested Dell might consider a new Internet device. Apple, Inc. is rumored to be planning a similar device.

Michael Dell may have been speaking from halfway around the world, but the voice of the CEO for a $20 billion company carries a long way. The topic was small-screen devices and specifically smartphones, a market with which Dell has flirted with but never quite taken the plunge. But Dell said that may change.

"It is true that we are exploring smaller-screen devices," he said. "We don't have any announcements to share today, but stay tuned, as when we have new news we will share that with you."

By Frederick Lane 
http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=65522

Malware Targets Facebook and Other Social Sites

Malware is targeting social-networking sites, with Facebook hit the hardest, according to Trend Micro. The Koobface.AZ variant of the WORM_KOOBFACE.AZ steals user information and has appeared on 300 servers and up to 20,000 PCs. Jamz Yaneza of Trend Micro warned that open social-networking apps make it easy for cybercriminals.

Trend Micro, a computer security firm, is warning that social-networking sites are under attack from a new wave of malware, worms and rogue applications. Although a number of the leading social-network sites have been targeted, the problem has hit Facebook hardest.

"We didn't see a lot of these until recently," said Jamz Yaneza, the threat research manager for Trend Micro. "So far, they don't seem to be affecting users that much, although at least one Facebook group has been started by malware victims."

Yaneza said there is particular concern about a new variant of a dangerous worm, WORM_KOOBFACE.AZ. Within a very short period of time, the setup file for Koobface.AZ appeared on more than 300 servers, mostly in Asia, and Trend Micro expects that number to rise quickly. Researchers also estimate that as many as 20,000 PCs are being infected each day.

By Frederick Lane
http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=0030003IXIFL

New Atom Processors Move Intel Into New Markets

Amid falling PC sales, Intel is moving into new markets with four new Atom processors and two control hub chips for embedded applications like media phones. Intel also moved to compete with ARM through an agreement with TSMC to produce customized Atom designs. The TSMC deal and Intel's growth should ease capacity problems.

Intel has taken the wraps off four new Atom processors and two control hub chips for use in low-power embedded applications. It also announced a new memorandum of understanding under which customers of Taiwan-based chip foundry TSMC eventually will be able to produce customized Atom designs for embedded applications using TSMC's processes, IP, libraries and design flows.

"Its a bold move" that opens the door for Intel to become active in new markets, while "maintaining full control over the process" and "who we sell to," said Intel Executive Vice President Sean Maloney during a conference call with financial analysts. "I believe as we look forward to the next three to four years, more and more customers will need to embed full PC functionality into their devices," Maloney said.

By Mark Long
http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=65049