www.apple.com/ipod/start

Micron’s and Intel’s latest technology supports ONFI 2.0. In addition, future high-speed SSDs developed by the companies also will support USB 3.0, which is considerably faster than current USB 2.0 ports commonly used in computers today, and PCI express, which is the specification for slots on a motherboard where peripherals, such as graphics cards, is attached.

Intel and Micron Technology have developed technology for a high-speed solid-state drive that’s five times faster than current products used in consumer and professional devices, like notebooks and digital cameras, media reported Saturday.  

The NAND flash memory chips developed jointly by the two companies can reach speeds of up to 200 MB per second for reading data and 100 MB per second for writing data. Current memory chips have maximum read-write speeds of 40 MB and 20 MB, respectively.

Current technology is fast enough for handling photos and standard video in computers or an Apple iPod, but performance problems become an issue in handling high-definition video, which consumers are expected to start demanding as they become accustomed to watching HD televisions.

 With HD video files requiring multiple gigabytes of storage, the need for technology that can move the content in and out of a storage device quickly, so it can be played on a handheld gadget or recorded in a camcorder, becomes critical.

“These are all areas where performance does matter and consumers or users are willing to pay for it,” analyst Joe Unsworth said. “These products are going to have a premium associated with it.”

“We don’t expect this high-performance NAND [flash memory] to be widespread,” Unsworth said. “But when you’re talking video and professional photography, companies are willing to pay that premium to have that performance [in products].

(FilePhoto)

 With Cisco’s lawsuit against Apple still remaining pending, the two companies have agreed to give more time to Apple before it going to respond in court.

Cisco makes routers and switches to link networks and power the Internet. It has owned the trademark on the name “iPhone” since 2000. In the spring of 2006, it began shipping its own line of iPhone-branded Internet-enabled phones.

 Apple Inc. and Cisco Systems Inc. are stopping their lawsuits over the iPhone and could go back to solve the issue through negotiations, according to media reports Friday.

They will now negotiate matters including trademark rights and interoperability, the companies were quoted as saying in San Jose, California.

The aim is to reach an agreement on the matter “without fighting the court battle,” they said.

Last month, Apple announced its cell phone-iPod-Internet communications device and called it “iPhone.”

The next day after the announcement, negotiations on trademark rights between them ended abruptly. Cisco went to the court and sued Apple, claiming trademark infringement. Cisco claimed Apple’s new device is “deceptively and confusingly similar” to its own line of wireless phones.

On its part, Apple said it is entitled to use the name “iPhone” because its device operates over a cellular network. Unlike Cisco’s phones, it said, the device uses the Internet. Apple planed to start marketing the product in June as one top leader insisted, “If Cisco wants to challenge us, we’re confident we’ll prevail.”

Under the U.S. federal law, two companies may share a trademark as long as their uses are not confusingly similar.

(Agencies)

Related:

Apple sued by Cisco over iPhone trademark

BEIJING, Jan. 11 (Xinhuanet) — Cisco Systems Inc. said on Wednesday that it filed a lawsuit against Apple for infringing its iPhone trademark after Apple unveiled a multimedia phone of the same name.

The suit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California.

Apple renames itself, unveils iPhone

Images of iPhone (ApplePhoto)

 Jan. 10 (Xinhuanet) — Apple on Tuesday introduced its hotly awaited iPhone in a move that could vault the iconic company into an instant leader in the world cellphone market.

Apple Computer CEO Steve Jobs announced its long-awaited leap into the mobile phone business and also renamed the company to just “Apple Inc.,” reflecting its increased focus on consumer electronics.

The phone will combine wireless technology, iPod capabilities and new features like Visual Voice Mail, and allows users to go directly to any of their voice messages without listening to any of the prior messages.