Greenspan: US economy regains traction
Washinton D.C., USA: US Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan has said that the US economy has "regained some traction" after a late spring slowdown that was triggered by a sharp spike in oil prices.

In testimony prepared for the House Budget Committee, Greenspan said that the two key economic indicators, consumer spending and housing construction, bounced back in July after a weak performance in June. "The most recent data suggest that, on the whole, the expansion has regained some traction," he said.
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LANDesk solutions for Intel Active Management Technology
Salt Lake City, USA: LANDesk Software, a leader in integrated desktop, server and mobile device management solutions, has announced it has been selected by Intel Corporation to develop industry-leading management solutions for Intel Active Management Technology. This technology will be built into next-generation chips that will help enable greater IT computing platform maintenance efficiency, troubleshooting, security and asset management.

With the ever-increasing emphasis on security and corporate accountability, IT departments are increasingly in need of tools and solutions that give them complete control over the systems in their network.

Some of the areas noted as being of benefit to Intel Active Management Technology include remote management of machines whether the machine is on or off, proactive alerting, remote hardware and software tracking, and tamper-resistant agents.

The LANDesk Management Suite 8 will quickly take advantage of these hardware advances in some of the areas the solution is already strong, such as patch management, software distribution, inventory and asset management, and remote control. These capabilities are currently among the most important issues facing IT departments today and represent some of the best opportunities for organizations to reduce costs.

LANDesk Software is an industry-leading provider of integrated desktop, server and mobile device management software.
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Samsung to mass produce 90-nanometer 512Mb DDR SDRAMs
Seoul, South Korea: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., the world leader in advanced semiconductor memory technology, has announced the industry's first mass production of 90nanometer (nm) 512Mb DDR SDRAM on 300mm base wafers.

Samsung pioneered nanometer level production technology in 2003 with production of 2Gb NAND flash memory in a 90nm process.

The 90nm 512Mb DDR SDRAM with voltage rates of 2.5V is available at both 400 and 333MHz. The new device is already being verified by leading chipset companies. The migration from 0.10micron to 90nm boosts production by 40 percent and offers higher production efficiencies at the same time.

The key to successful production in 90nm process technology are: short wave length Argon Fluoride (ArF) light source that realizes the finer circuitry, high dielectric Alumina Hafnium Oxide (AHO) applied within the capacitor to enhance data storage characteristics, and Samsung's unique three dimensional transistor circuitry, Recessed Channel Array Transistor (RCAT), implemented to reinforce the capacitors' data retaining features enhancing the refresh cycles.

Market research firm, Gartner Dataquest, forecasts the transition of DRAM market from 256Mb to 512Mb as the memory industry mainstay density in the second half of 2004, with 512Mb densities to reach $13billion in 2005.

Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. is a global leader in semiconductor, telecommunication, digital media and digital convergence technologies with 2003 parent company sales of US$36.4 billion and net income of US$5.0 billion.
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Marilyn Monroe memorabilia up for auction
Los Angeles, USA: A famous nude portrait of Marilyn Monroe by photographer Tom Kelley - the image that helped launch her career and became the most famous pin-up in Hollywood history — has recently been discovered. The portrait is the only known example that she actually signed.

Thought lost in a devastating fire, this signed photograph is inscribed by Marilyn to her dear friend, Academy Award-winning costume designer Bill Travilla, who created many of her most spectacular screen-worn costumes. Measuring a full 16 x 20 inches, Marilyn personally autographed this photograph to Travilla with the following sentiment: "To Billy, my love. Please dress me forever. Love, Marilyn." This rare signed photograph will be up for auction on December 10th, 2004, along with over 500 pieces of original Hollywood memorabilia, by world-renowned memorabilia auctioneer Profiles in History. It is estimated to sell for $20,000 - $30,000.

Also up for auction on December 10th will be Travilla's original costume design of the most famous dress in Hollywood history — the billowy, white crepe halter-top dress and sunburst-pleated skirt he created for Marilyn Monroe for the classic subway wind scene in the 1955 Billy Wilder film The Seven Year Itch, which exposed Marilyn's legs and thighs to the world! Accomplished in gouache on a 15 in. x 20 in. sheet of artist's illustration board, it is Travilla's original concept drawing of this famous dress. Ranked as the most important costume design ever created for film, it is expected to sell for $80,000 to $100,000. The sketch is currently owned by Travilla's long time business partner Bill Sarris, who rescued it from an all-consuming fire at the Travilla offices in Los Angeles in 1991.

Among the top items auctioned during the past year by Profiles in History were Audrey Hepburn's Ascot dress from My Fair Lady, designed by Academy Award winner Cecil Beaton that sold for $118,000; The Black Beauty car driven by Bruce Lee who played "Kato" in the original Green Hornet television series that sold for $192,050; Captain Kirk's Commander chair from the 1960's Star Trek series, that sold for $305,000; and the Superman costume worn by George Reeves in the 1955 TV series The Adventures of Superman, which sold for $129,000. Other recent big selling collectible were Charlton Heston's Ten Commandments Tablets From 1956's Ten Commandments Cecil B. DeMille's last and greatest film for $74,500.
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Jawbone: Mobile phone headsets with exceptional audio performance
Brisbane, USA: Aliph, the developer of next-generation mobile audio processing technologies, has announced the availability of Jawbone, a new kind of headset for mobile phones that provides a superior level of audio performance, allowing mobile phone users to communicate more clearly at all times. Jawbone is available for many of today's most popular phones by Motorola, Nokia and Sony Ericsson and is priced at $149.95.

Based on breakthrough military-grade technology, Jawbone adjusts and optimizes both incoming and outgoing sound to achieve exceptional clarity in any environment in a manner previously not achievable.

Inside Jawbone, an intelligent system of sensors and software adaptively enhances the audio signals using a three-stage process: first, a voice activity sensor detects the vibrations produced on the cheeks by speech. Meanwhile, two microphones capture and then subtract unwanted and disturbing background noises. Finally, Jawbone dynamically enhances the incoming audio, allowing it to stand out clearly above the clamor of your background.

Beyond its technical superiority, Jawbone also incorporates unique design to provide an original style with long-lasting comfort. Aliph worked with award-winning industrial designer Yves Béhar of Fuseproject to create Jawbone. The headset has already been acclaimed as one of the most innovative design products of the year in Business Week's "Annual Design Awards" (Published July 2004) and is currently on exhibit at the SFMOMA as part of a retrospective on Béhar's work.

Alex Asseily and Hosain Rahman, two young entrepreneurs who met as Stanford undergrads, founded Aliph in 1999. Since 2002, Aliph's technology has been optimized for DARPA to maximize communications clarity in the most hostile conditions.
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