Google, IBM, MS, MySQL tap into PHP

Zend Technologies is working with technology companies such as Google, IBM, MySQL and Microsoft to boost the use of PHP as a Web development platform, reports eWeek.

Zend's PHP open source scripting language is now one of the leaders with 3.5 million users, according to a user survey by Evans Data. Information Week says PHP is heavily used on Unix and Linux sites for its speed in linking Web servers to outside resources and for tying together other disparate elements of a Web site, and in cases, it has been cited as a replacement for Java.

Zend's collaboration with Microsoft is aimed at improving the experience of running the PHP scripting language on Windows Server.

Hitachi Global Storage Technologies plans to introduce hybrid hard drives (HDDs) in 2007 that will reduce battery consumption for notebooks and include a function that encrypts data automatically, reports News.com.

According to the report, Hitachi also plans to increase capacity on notebook drives with 200GB and 250GB disks planned for release next year. Hitachi's largest notebook disk currently holds 160GB. For desktops, Hitachi plans to release disks with a capacity of 1TB.

However, the report says the emphasis on power consumption and encryption indicates that Hitachi, Seagate and Samsung are no longer competing on capacity alone.

The second generation of Apple Computer's iPod Shuffle will be available globally at the end of this week.

ZDNet says the 1GB screenless iPod, which retails for $79, has been the subject of much fan speculation because of Apple CEO Steve Jobs' claim that it is the world's smallest digital-audio player.

The new Shuffle was announced as part of an Apple "special event" in September. Jobs originally stated the little music player would ship in October, but when most of the month went by without a definite release date, enthusiasts began to wonder what had happened to it.

LG, Matsushita, Samsung, SiBEAM, Sony and Toshiba have set up a consortium to develop and market a wireless high-definition (HD) video solution to eliminate some of the wiring in the home entertainment centre by enabling HD video to be streamed wirelessly to high-definition TVs.

ARS Technica says WirelessHD will use the unlicensed 60GHz frequency band, which will keep it from interfering with other household devices that typically operate in the 2-6GHz range. The consortium claims the transmitted video signal will be uncompressed, so viewers should see the same video quality that they would over a cable.

Plans are for WirelessHD functionality to be integrated into future HD sets and other home entertainment centre equipment, with adapters for existing equipment. The first products are expected to appear late next year or early in 2008.