New Intel chips prompt rise in demand for DDR3 memory

A new series of Intel microprocessors aimed at the computer server market has caused a spike in demand for DDR3 (double data rate, third generation) DRAM chips, according to Samsung Electronics.

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The world's largest memory chip maker said Tuesday it has ramped up production of DDR3 memory chips over the past month to meet heavier demand related to the launch of Intel's Xeon processor 5500 series.

The production increase is important for DDR3 technology because new DRAM technologies normally find their way into the computer server market before finally making it into desktop and then laptop computers. As production of DDR3 increases, the price-per-chip declines, making them more affordable for less expensive devices such as PCs.

Server makers are generally willing to pay a premium for the increased performance of new memory chip technologies, while a sluggish PC market this year means vendors are less willing to trade up from DDR2 (DDR, second generation) chips because they're much cheaper.

DDR3 memory chips boast several improvements over DDR2, including twice the system performance, speeds up to 1,333Mbps (Megabits per second) and using at least 60 percent less power, Samsung said.

Intel plans to launch two more DDR3-only chip series in the second half of this year, according to a joint statement.

Samsung currently sells 1Gb and 2Gb DDR3 DRAM chips and several memory modules that have already been validated by Intel to work with its microprocessors.

IBM aims to secure clouds and virtual networks

IBM on Tuesday introduced cloud security services and said it is initiating a company-wide project to develop a security architecture for hosted computing.

The company, which made the announcements at the RSA security conference, also unveiled an appliance designed to protect virtual network segments. Proventia Virtualized Network Security Platform, an appliance that includes intrusion prevention, Web application protection, and network policy enforcement.

IBM also announced:
Proventia Web application firewall, which is embedded into the IBM ISS Proventia portfolio of products and which acts as a virtual application patching mechanism.
Malware scanning for IBM Rational AppScan, which allows users to automatically scan Web sites for embedded malware.
IBM Tivoli Identity and Access Assurance, which offers centralized identity, access and audit services for corporations.
IBM Tivoli Data and Application Security, designed to mitigate privacy and compliance risks by encrypting data stored on tapes and disks.
IBM Tivoli Security Management for z/OS, which features centralized management for mainframes.

MSI Offers Cheapest All-in-one TouchScreen Desktop

Last month MSI, a Taiwanese manufacturer better known for its netbooks, announced a new 18.5-inch touchscreen desktop PC. Now the company has disclosed a recession-friendly price tag of $530 for the machine.

All-in-one desktop computers also called 'kitchen PCs' have become important to PC makers who are betting consumers want a sleek, touchscreen desktop in their home for web surfing, leaving notes and checking internet videos.

Four major PC makers including Dell, HP, Asus and MSI now offer all-in-one systems with touchscreens instead of keyboards.

The new MSI Wind desktop is available with an Atom processor, 2GB of RAM, a 160 GB hard drive, 1.3 megapixel webcam and WiFi capability.

At $530, the machine is the cheapest in the market. The Asus Eee Top costs $600, while Dell's all-in-one machine, yet to launch in the U.S., has been priced at $800 for a touchscreen model.