At our deadline, Amazon.com was planning once again to offer Xbox bundles for presale Monday for limited time between 3 and 5 p.m. E-tailer said: “Based on the previous presales, we expect the limited time to be very brief.” When Amazon and its online partner, Toysrus.com, started preselling Xbox bundles in early Sept., they said they sold out of initial allocation within 30 min. As part of trend, Amazon/Toysrus.com and other major online retailers are selling next-generation game consoles only online as part of pricey bundles that also feature software and extra controller. All-Star and Premier packs they are selling are priced at $499.99 each. Microsoft’s console on its own will have $299 price.
New C-3020 Zoom digital still camera (DSC) from Olympus will ship by month’s end at $499. Latest addition to Olympus DSC line is 3.2 megapixel (2,048x1,536 pixel resolution) model with 3x optical zoom aspherical glass lens and 6-mode flash with slow synchro red-eye reduction mode. New features are 5 Scene Program Modes that Olympus said make it easier to get “perfect shot,” “My Mode” function that creates unique custom camera settings, Noise Reduction System, USB Auto- Connect capability that allows user to connect camera to almost any USB-compatible Windows computer.
Stacey Sujishi, Namco Hometek senior mktg. mgr., promoted to mktg. dir., replacing Mike Fischer, who joined Sega of America… Cang Tran, ex-Hitachi Semiconductor of America, joins Oak Technology as vp-ASIC technology, Optical Storage Group… Timothy Donahue, Nextel pres.-CEO, elected to Kodak board… Former PolyGram Pres. Alain Levy joins EMI Group in London as CEO of its recorded music operations and is elected an EMI dir… AOL Time Warner Co-COO Robert Pittman to give CES keynote Jan. 10, 8:30 a.m., Las Vegas Hilton Theater.
“Spatializer PCE” (for phase-correction equalization) is name of new Spatializer Audio Labs technology being licensed to CE companies that’s said to enhance quality of spoken-word audio and music through ordinary set of TV, home theater or PC speakers. PCE algorithm is available on Texas Instruments C55x DSP chips and analog implementation is under development, Spatializer said. Company said algorithm had low processing requirements so it could be “readily run” on most existing DSPs or RISC processors.
FCC is proposing first significant change since 1989 in its technical rules for unlicensed RF emitters such as cordless phones, PCs, remote control units and unintentional radiators such as radio receivers and VCRs. In notice approved Oct. 2 but not made public until Mon., FCC seeks comment on proposals to modify Parts 2, 15 and 18 of its rules. One significant change could allow remote control devices in 40 MHz and 70 MHz bands to transmit ID codes and supplemental data. Current rules require remotes to cease transmissions within 5 sec., but FCC said it believed prohibition on continuous data transmissions was unnecessarily constraining. It tentatively concluded existing limits on field strength and duration of transmissions were sufficient to prevent harmful interference. Other proposed changes include: (1) Simplifying labeling requirements for unintentional radiators. (2) Incorporating ANSI test procedures for PCS wireless devices into FCC rules. (3) Providing exemption for very low-powered devices. (4) Requiring that radar detectors comply with emission limits in order to avoid interfering with Very Small Aperture Terminal satellite receivers. Comments on FCC proposal are due 75 days after publication in Federal Register, reply comments 30 days later.
WRAL-TV (Ch. 5, CBS) Raleigh-Durham started TotalCast datacasting service as part of its DTV signal, using Triveni Digital technology, companies said. Service transmits broadband content direct to PCs, using portion of DTV signal. Content includes video-on-demand of station’s news shows, custom news Web content, computer games, short videos, software, local programming. Content is received via accessDTV Digital Media Receiver PCI card installed in PCs.
Frustrated by reluctance of high-tech industry chiefs to testify at upcoming hearing on copy protection and digital rights management standards, Sen. Hollings (D-N.C.) has told 3 trade associations he expected them to help him obtain witnesses.
Handspring unveiled device that combines organizer, cellular phone and Web browser, stealing march in race to integrate wireless technology with handheld PC.
Toys “R” Us revised guidance for its 3rd quarter ending Nov. 3, saying results would fall below previous expectations largely because of Sept. 11 terrorist attacks combined with what CEO John Eyler called “an extremely challenging economic environment.”