Daily Marauder

TECHNOLOGY

More rumors about the new Kindle are emerging, which Techcrunch first wrote about on July 15. The first device will have a similar sized screen as the existing model but will have a much enhanced form factor. The second will be a large screen device aimed at students and will come later. (http://www.techcrunch.com/2008/08/26/if-amazon-really-wants-to-get-serious-about-the-kindle 8/26)

Some PC makers are trying to improve speed and reduce glitches from Microsoft’s Vista operating system by either adding their own productivity tools to PCs or replacing installed software with their own programs — all with Microsoft’s encouragement. Companies such Dell and HP believe that placing their proprietary software on top of Microsoft’s wares will lend their PCs a unique selling point and improve user experience. The Wall Street Journal (8/26)

The Dell Dock floats on the desktop and organizes programs into pockets of quick-start icons.

Yamaha’s new Blu-ray device mixes an array of colors, multimedia features and interactivity via content from an SD card, the company announced. The BD-S2900, which lists at $1,200, is designed to complement a fully functioning A/V receiver with 12-bit Deep Color that delivers 4,096 shades of each of the three primary colors. CEPro.com (8/25)

Panasonic’s new Blu-ray player has all of the latest high-tech connections with a twist: The DMR-BR630V also lets users convert their old VHS tapes into the HD format. The unit, which is due to hit Japan on Oct. 1, includes a 320GB hard drive, Panasonic’s Viera link technology and the ability to write BDRs at six times speed. No U.S. release date has been revealed. Gizmodo (8/25) , ElectronicHouse.com (8/25)

Broadcom is purchasing the digital-TV business from AMD in a deal valued at $192.8 million. Broadcom says the purchase will help it better serve the full range of this market, from low to high end. Los Angeles Times (8/26) , The Wall Street Journal (8/26)

HP is expected to close its massive deal today to acquire Electronic Data Systems, a strategic move that will make HP the country’s second-biggest information-technology services group behind IBM. The deal also is expected to test the strategic know-how of HP CEO Mark Hurd, whose job it will be to integrate the two companies. Financial Times (8/26) , The Wall Street Journal (8/26)