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To: ~digs who wrote (397)	2/27/2002 12:43:39 PM
From: ~digs	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 6763

IBM builds 110-GHz SiGe communications chip By Caroline Humer : Reuters : February 25, 2002 (12:31 p.m. EST) NEW YORK — IBM Corp. said on Monday it has built the world's fastest microchip, which will enable communications systems to run more quickly. The integrated circuit runs at more than 110 gigahertz, or 110 billion cycles per second, beating the speed of the current recordholder, also from IBM. The company said that chip can run at up to 80 GHz, with a more typical speed of 50 GHz to 60 GHz. Like its predecessor, the new integrated circuit is based on silicon germanium chip-making technology. It will be used in data communications equipment like switches and routers that are used in optical communication networks, said IBM (Armonk, N.Y.). Such equipment is sold by companies like networking giant Cisco Systems Inc. Besides connecting computers, telephones and other electronic devices in optical networks, the chips could be used in other high-performance settings, such as military applications. Frank Dzubeck, president of consulting group Communications Network Architects, said the new chip is significant because it shows that IBM can move advances in silicon germanium from the research lab into development. Most chips, such as the microprocessors that are the brains of computers, are made out of silicon, a base material that acts as a semiconductor. Silicon germanium also includes layers of germanium, a substance that is like silicon but which makes a transistor that can switch faster and perform better. "Reality is 110 gigahertz," Dzubeck said. "This is deliverable as we speak." Some IBM competitors are also working on developing faster microchips based on silicon germanium (SiGe) technology. Conexant Systems Inc., a small chip company based in Newport Beach, Calif., said at a December conference that it is working on a circuit that runs at 200 GHz. IBM said the discovery indicates that silicon germanium is outperforming other technologies as researchers develop smaller, faster chips. It also said silicon germanium works at high frequencies while consuming less power than its competitors. The push toward ever-faster chips is described in Moore's Law, created by Intel Corp. co-founder Gordon Moore, which says that the number of transistors on a chip doubles every 18 months. IBM said it expects its 110-GHz chip to be available by the end of the year. It will unveil details at the Gorham Compound Semiconductor Outlook Conference in San Mateo, Calif. on Monday. commsdesign.com

To: ~digs who wrote (397)	3/4/2002 12:14:38 AM
From: stockman_scott	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 6763

Internet Users Shift To Quality By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS March 3, 2002 NEW YORK (AP) -- As Americans gain experience online, the nature of their Internet usage shifts from quantity to quality. A study released Sunday found that veterans e-mailed friends and family less often, but were more likely than newcomers to share worries or seek advice. As the Internet becomes less a novelty, veterans also spent less time online, but used that time to do more tasks. ``People get more serious,'' said Lee Rainie, director of the Pew Internet & American Life Project, which conducted the study. ``It's a story about how the Internet is working its way into everyday rhythms of life.'' The telephone-based survey suggests that veterans even take the Internet for granted. In March 2000, 88 percent of Americans who e-mail family members considered e-mail ``very'' or ``somewhat'' useful for keeping up with relatives. When respondents were contacted again a year later, only 79 percent thought so. Suggesting they are less dazzled by the Internet, 12 percent of people who e-mail relatives did so every day in March 2001, compared with 21 percent a year earlier. But 44 percent in 2001 sometimes raised issues they are worried or upset about, up from 37 percent in 2000. Fifty-six percent e-mailed a relative seeking advice, up from 45 percent. The study found similar patterns with e-mail to friends. Users in 2001 spent 83 minutes online during a typical session, down from 90 minutes a year earlier. But they make better use of their time, buying stocks, making travel reservations and finding jobs online as they gain experience. After the initial experimentation, Internet users figure out what the medium is good for and find other ways to do everything else. He also said users need less time to perform the same tasks. The study was initially based on a random telephone survey with 3,533 people in March 2000. Researchers attempted to reach everyone a year earlier and succeeded in completing 1,501 follow-up interviews. Comparisons were based on the cases where interviews were conducted both years. The survey has a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 3 percentage points, with larger margins for subgroups such as Internet users.