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Intersil Announces Industry's Fastest Dual Laser Diode Driver

Intersil Corporation, a world leader in the design and manufacture of high performance analog solutions, has extended its industry leadership in laser diode driver (LDD) technology with the introduction of the EL6935 dual-LDD, the only such device that supports 16X DVD+R and 52X CD-R speeds. Intersil's Elantec EL6935 is a highly integrated dual-LDD that incorporates a waveform generator so diode currents and timing details can be programmed prior to operation. The architecture includes a serial interface port that enables timer reprogramming to support different speeds and a broad variety of media—including Blu-ray, DVD+R/RW, DVD-R/RW, DVD-RAM, and CD-R/RW.

The EL6935 also features 10-bit x 10-bit multiplying digital-to-analog converter output providing 10-bit full-scale adjustment and 10-bit resolution at any output. Timer resolution is 60 picoseconds, and total maximum drive current is 500 mA. The EL6935 features two laser outputs allowing read/write DVD and CD combinations, along with two analog inputs that support slope and read automatic power control. An on-chip 500 MHz, high frequency modulator oscillator is programmable to 100 mAp-p from 100 MHz to 500 MHz. An on-chip phase locked loop allows reduced frequency clock on the flex cable. In addition, a dual-sampled current-and-voltage amplifier features both programmable sample select and programmable gain select, which eliminates the requirement for external potentiometers.

3GB CompactFlash card

Pretec Inc. has announced what it claims are the world's largest CompactFlash cards, available in capacities ranging from 1.5 Gbytes to 3.0 Gbytes. With many PDAs and other portable decvices like digital camera using CompactFlash cards for to store images and other data, the demands for portable storage has steadily increased. But if you'd like the flexibility of storing potentially thousands of images, be prepared to pay.

Pretec only announced the price for the 3-Gbyte version of the CF card; however, at $2,499, the price will undoubtedly be far, far beyond the majority of most users. A Pretec spokeswoman was unable to be contacted at press time, and the company's voice mail system was not accepting messages.

While samples of the new cards are available now, the company did not relase a production timetable. Industrial and military grade 1.5GB, 2GB, and 3GB CF cards are also available from Pretec, the company said, with tolerances from between -40 degrees centigrade and 125 degrees centigrade.

Tired of Paying Qutrageous Fees

Skype is free and simple software that will enable you to make free calls anywhere in the world in minutes. Skype, created by the people who brought you KaZaA uses innovative P2P (peer-to-peer) technology to connect you with other Skype users. If you are tired of paying outrageous fees for telephony, Skype is for you! Skype is quick and easy to install. Just download it, register, and within minutes you can plug in your PC headset and call your friends on Skype. Skype calls have excellent sound quality and are highly secure with end-to-end encryption. Best of all, Skype does not require you to reconfigure your firewall or router—it just works

Tiny CDs - only 32mm - 500MB of data

Imation and DataPlay announced that they have finalized a series of agreements related to the upcoming introduction of DataPlay digital media. Imation will be the first U.S.-based manufacturer of both blank and pre-recorded DataPlay digital media, as well as the semi-exclusive worldwide distribution partner. DataPlay´s little disks, if you recall, are removable media cartridges that look like CDs, hold up to 500MB of data, but measure only 32mm (a little bigger than a quarter). Imation was among a group of consumer electronic device manufacturers, technology companies, and retail distributors who just tossed a bunch of greenbacks into DataPlay´s latest round of financing, which raised an additional $55 million. In addition to its position as a media manufacturer, Imation will be the semi-exclusive worldwide distribution partner of blank DataPlay digital media. DataPlay´s little disks are slated for commercial availability in Q4 2001. Just be careful not to swallow them.