separate from MIT. Its members are
Advanced Micro Devices (AMD),
Brightstar, Google, News Corporation,
Nortel Networks, and Red Hat.
While the machines are still under
development, the concept is for a
WiFi-enabled, Linux-based computer
that runs at 500 MHz, comes with 1 GB
of memory, and sports a 1 Mpixel LCD
display. The distribution plan calls for
ministries of education to buy them in
huge quantities and then hand them
out in their own counties. Discussions
have already been conducted with
representatives of China, Brazil,
Thailand, and Egypt. The minimum
order will be 1 million units, so both
manufacturing and distribution are
problems that will have to be solved.
Even so, current plans are to
begin building them when 5 to 10
million have been ordered, with some
available by the end of this year or
early in 2007. Not everyone is gung-ho
on the idea, though. Intel’s chairman,
Craig Barrett, for example has dismissed it as a gadget that, being less
functional than a normal PC, may not
find wide acceptance. Time will tell.
results in low leakage current and
enables a lower on-state resistance of
1.4 milliohms (typical). The units
are designed for markets requiring
efficient power management and high
current capability, such as automotive
and low-voltage motor controls,
DC/DC converters, and uninterrupt-ible power supplies. The first device
in the series, the NP110, is available
now.
By combining the company’s
UMOS- 4 process technology with a
trench configuration, NEC Electronics
has increased the MOSFET’s cell
density to better than 180 million
cells per square inch. The process
reduces the size of the trenches and
other structures with an ultra-fine
0.25-micron design rule. In addition,
by fabricating MOSFET structures
along the sides of the trenches,
designers can reduce the amount of
silicon space required. The devices
are available in TO-263 and TO-252
packages. The price starts at about
$1.85 in manufacturing quantities.
CELL PHONE DESIGNED
FOR CHILDREN
CHEESE FOR YOUR
COMPUTER
This month’s nomination for the
worst new product concept is the
Fundue™ USB fondue set. Yes, that’s
right. The folks at Think Geek are
offering a fondue appliance that is
powered via your machine’s USB port.
Because of the limited power that you
can draw from the connection, the
device so far can be used only for
melting things like cheese and chocolate, but when USB 3.0 comes into
being, you’ll be able to make deep
fried things, too. You can pick one up
for $29.99 at www.thinkgeek.com Will
your keyboard still work when it’s covered with gooey cheese? It will only
take a few minutes to find out. Maybe
next someone will come up with a
crock pot for your digital camera.
Internet, and Intellectual Property
asked the General Accounting Office
(GAO) to do a study of the accuracy
of domain name listings and their
contact information. Currently, you
can look up such information using
the Whois database from various
locations (e.g., www.networksolu
tions.com/whois/). Based on test
results, GAO estimates that 2.31 million domain names ( 5. 14 percent)
have been registered with patently
false data — data that appeared
obviously and intentionally false
without verification against any reference data — in one or more of the
required contact information fields.
It also found that 1.64 million ( 3. 65
percent) have been registered with
incomplete data in one or more of the
required fields. In total, we’re looking
at about 3. 89 million domain names
( 8. 65 percent) with at least one
instance of patently false or incomplete data in the required Whois
contact information fields.
At last report, the Department of
Commerce and the Internet
Corporation for Assigned Names and
Numbers (ICANN) have implemented
some new rules that require registrars
to investigate reported inaccuracies,
and ICANN will “continue assessing
the operation of the Whois service
and to implement measures to secure
improved accuracy of data.” In
the meantime, don’t be surprised
if a Whois search doesn’t do you
much good in trying to track down
spammers.
3. 89 MILLION DOMAIN
NAMES FLAWED
CIRCUITS AND
DEVICES
POWER MOSFETS
GIVE IMPROVED
PERFORMANCE
NEC Electronics America,
Inc., has introduced a
series of power MOSFETs,
representing the newest
member of its line of
power management
devices (PMDs). The NP
Series features a combination of trench technologies
and advanced packaging that
If your cell phone bills aren’t high
enough, and you have offspring
between the ages of 6 and 12, a solution is offered by EasyCall Cellular
( www.easycallcellular.com). Promoted
as a “safety tool designed to give
assurance to both parents and kids,”
the Firefly™ is a simplified phone that
employs only five keys.
Kids can contact their
parents by pressing
the mom or dad
speed-dial keys.
They can program
up to 20 phone
numbers into the
phone’s speed-dial
memory, and they
can also program
the phone so that it
accepts calls only
from specified callers.
It includes caller ID
Late last year, the House
Subcommittee on Courts, the
PHOTO COURTESY OF CINGULAR WIRELESS.
■ The Firefly cell phone
is designed specifically
for children.
February 2006 9
