Emulation software for Itanium

Intel is developing new emulation software designed to accelerate the way its Itanium processor runs certain applications on server computers, an Intel spokesperson said today.

Reuters reports that the chip allows servers to run both 32-bit and newer 64-bit applications, but industry analysts say 32-bit applications don`t perform as well on it as they do on 32-bit processors, like Intel`s Pentium and Xeon.

Intel is working with Microsoft and Linux developers to include a software emulator, called IA-32 Execution Layer, in their operating system software. The emulator works by taking the 32-bit application code and converting it into native 64-bit code that the Itanium processor can run.

Matrox Graphics has announced the Matrox Millennium P-Series line of graphics boards using its new AAGP 8X Parhelia-LX graphics chip, reports Extremetech.com. The boards are designed for high-resolution, multi-monitor setups.

The Millennium P-Series, consisting of the P650 and P750 boards, is based on the new Parhelia-LX chip. The AGP 8X-equipped Parhelia LX supports a 64MB frame buffer and a 128-bit DDR memory interface. Its three supported displays use various combinations of DVI, RGB, and NTSC/PAL outputs, and is OpenGL 1.3 and Microsoft DirectX 8.1 compliant.

While both Millennium P650 and Millennium P750 support 64MB of frame buffer memory and dual-monitor support including dual-DVI, the Millennium P750 adds the TripleHead feature - dual-display plus TV output support - and enhanced performance.

Matrox did not disclose the clock speeds of the chips, but said the P650 is a passively cooled card.

One shouldn`t believe all you hear about the end of the broadband boom, reports PC World. Two studies released this week show that interest in it is climbing, and subscriptions are on the rise. But while we`re still shelling out for high-speed connections, the actual speed those services provide may vary greatly, the site reports.

ComScore`s new study finds that cable modems provide an almost 50% performance boost over DSL connections. It says the average speed of a cable modem is 708Kbps, while the average DSL speed is only 467Kbps.

ComScore`s data was gleaned through its nationwide network of 1.5 million Internet users, a group the company says is representative of Internet users nationwide. ComScore studied their connections` upload and download speeds at various times throughout the day to determine the actual connection speeds. All major cable and DSL providers are represented in the study.