Sun`s Niagara gets a name

ZDNet reports that Sun Microsystems has given its newest processor a more permanent label than its "Niagara" code name: the UltraSparc T1.

Sun plans to unveil the name today as part of an event devoted to the company`s emphasis on computing equipment that consumes less power than current technology.

The new UltraSparc T1, which runs at 1.2 GHz and consumes less than 75 watts running ordinary workloads, is expected to launch in New York next month.

RealNetworks has patched its Real Player yet again to fix multiple critical flaws in the popular media software, reports InformationWeek.

eEye Digital Security is reported to have uncovered the bugs, which include two separate vulnerabilities affecting multiple versions of RealPlayer for Windows, Mac OS X and Linux. The flaws could allow attackers to remotely execute code on compromised computers.

Web search engine Google has approached a book publisher to gauge interest in a programme to allow consumers to rent online copies of new books for a week, The Wall Street Journal reported on Sunday.

Reuters quotes the newspaper as saying the proposed fee is 10% of the book`s list price according to an unnamed publisher. The discussion with the publisher indicates Google may move toward adding a digital book-renting service.

Google has a separate book programme, the Google Print Library Project, that has attracted controversy for its aim to scan millions of books that consumers could search online.

The engineer who conceived the PlayStation, Ken Kutaragi, is looking at the future development of the PlayStation brand, reports the BBC. "We want to lead with the PlayStation 3 and beyond that to the PlayStation 4 within the next decade," Kutaragi says.

Kutaragi was the engineer at Sony behind the PlayStation venture and faced enormous internal resistance to the original PlayStation project: 99% of senior execs were against the idea. But, convinced that shelving the project would damage both Sony and technology industry, he was determined to carry on the project at any cost, even in secret.

"We brought the prototypes with us to a presentation of senior executives, and outlined our dream. The then CEO, Mr Oga, gave us the green light so we were thoroughly delighted," says Kutaragi.

Formula One racing teams McLaren Mercedes and BAR Honda are both attempting to persuade Intel to become a regular team sponsor. Both have separately made approaches to the chip giant in a bid to win a portion of its marketing budget, reports The Register.

Intel`s existing relationship with Formula One extends to the noses of Toyota`s racing cars thanks to the team`s decision to run its big-league number-crunching applications on a bank of Itanium-based machines.

BAR Honda`s partner line-up for the recent season was without a big-name computer hardware sponsor, so may have a more successful time courting Intel than McLaren Mercedes, for that reason alone.