IBM has announced advances in the development of an alternate type of transistor that could lead to major performance, function and power consumption improvements in semiconductors within several years.
In IBM’s “double-gate” transistor, the channel is surrounded by two gates, doubling control of the current and enabling significantly smaller, faster and lower-power circuits. The work on double-gate transistors is the culmination of a multi-year collaborative effort between the IBM Research and Microelectronic Divisions. With this announcement, IBM has moved the double-gate transistor from the purely theoretical to a structure that shows potential for actual use in chips in the future.
3Com unveils Wi-Fi certified workgroup bridge
3Com has announced the 3Com 11Mbps Wireless LAN Workgroup Bridge, a Wi-Fi certified workgroup bridge, offering wired-to-wireless bridging for any Ethernet-enabled device to any Wi-Fi certified wireless LAN infrastructure.
By connecting the new 3Com Wireless Workgroup Bridge to a hub, organizations can gain wireless connectivity for up to four Ethernet-enabled devices – including PCs, printers, phones and Internet appliances. This solution is well suited to educational institutions – from K-12 to higher education. The Workgroup Bridge enables schools to connect Macintosh computers and legacy PCs to the wireless network. It also works well for portable classrooms where easy set up and flexibility are critical.
Business Objects backs Web services
Business Objects SA have announced a software developer’s kit that will allow users to Web services-enable their BI (business intelligence) infrastructures. A beta version of the SDK became available last month, and the final product will ship in the second quarter of this year, said Karl van der Bergh, senior product marketing manager, at Business Objects, in San Jose, Calif.
The tools will allow developers to build a single portal interface that will present information from a variety of enterprise applications without forcing users to navigate through separate interfaces for each program. Furthermore, the SDK will enable users to tie together their BI systems, so they can be presented via that portal interface.
