Comcast and GE to build joint venture around NBC Universal
As predicted by recent rumors, today Comcast and General Electric have announced their intention to build a joint venture that will be made up of GE's NBC Universal (NBCU) and Comcast's cable networks, regional sports networks and certain digital properties. The media powerhouse resulted is expected to be managed by Comcast who'll have a 51% stake, with GE owning the rest 49%.
The combination planned by the two companies is expected to provide consumers with wide access to content, and support content development across multiple platforms including film, television, and online. Among the networks that will be in the joint venture's portfolio are MSNBC, CNBC, Bravo, E!, Versus and USA.
According to the inked agreement, GE will supply the JV with the NBCU businesses which are valued at $30 billion, and unconsolidated investments of $9.1 billion, while Comcast will provide its cable networks and ten regional sports networks, plus various digital media properties, all valued at $7.25 billion. In addition, Comcast will pay GE about $6.5 billion of cash based on various events between signing and closing. The JV is planned to be headed by Jeff Zucker, current president and CEO of NBCU.
"This deal is a perfect fit for Comcast and will allow us to become a leader in the development and distribution of multiplatform 'anytime, anywhere' media that American consumers are demanding," said Brian Roberts, Comcast Chairman and CEO. "In particular, NBCU's fast-growing, highly profitable cable networks are a great complement to our industry-leading distribution business. Today's announced transaction will increase our capabilities in content and cable networks. At the same time, it will enhance consumer choice and accelerate the development of new digital products and services."
This deal has been approved by the Board of Directors of GE and Comcast but is subject to regulatory approvals and getting all the OK's will probably take quite a bit.
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Enermax Acrylux keyboard released in Europe
Enermax's peripheral offer just got a little bigger as a new model, named Acrylux, has made its debut and is finding its way into European stores. Coming in black and white (with red or blue backlights), Acrylux is made out of reinforced acryl and plastic, measures 460 (L) x 160 (W) x 9.2 (H) mm and weights 817 grams, has flat key caps at a zero degree angle to increased typing speed, and makes use of 'scissors' technology for more comfortable and responsive usage.
The keyboard features 2.4 GHz wireless connectivity, requires two AAA batteries for power, and has one USB 2.0 connector on each side. The recommended price for the Acrylux is 66.90 Euro.
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Corsair unveils 2250 MHz Dominator GTX DDR3 module
If the Dominator GT line-up is not fast enough for you then know that Corsair has developed a new memory called Dominator GTX that will go even higher in frequency to deliver top performance to for extreme users. The first GTX module is a DDR3 device that is able to work, on high-end X58/P55 motherboards, at 2250 MHz with 8-8-8-24 latencies powered at 1.65V.
The Dominator GTX memory makes use of the DHX+ heatsink for cooling and will, at least initially, be available as a single module (CMGTX2), sold exclusively via the Corsair Online Store.
"Corsair has a long history of delivering the fastest overclocking memory on the planet, and our engineering expertise and unique understanding of the enthusiast market allows us to continue to push boundaries," said Kevin Conley, VP of Engineering at Corsair. "Corsair Dominator GTX modules are the most tightly-screened, highest-quality and fastest DDR3 memory modules in the world, and we look forward to seeing what the enthusiast and overclocking community can do with these exciting new products."
The CMGTX2 DIMM is slated to become available as of December 8 but be wary, Corsair will have it in limited quantities.
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I-O Data to deliver slim 6x Blu-Ray writer
I-O Data will later this month be letting loose the BRP-US6, an external Blu-Ray writer that measures 137 (W) x 154 (D) x 20 (H) mm, weights just 330 grams, has a USB 2.0 interface, and delivers burning speeds of up to 6x for BD-R, 4x for BD-RE, 8x for DVD-R/+R and DVD+RW, 6x for DVD-RW, 5x for DVD-RAM, 4x for DVD-R/+R DL, 24x for CD-R and 16x for CD-RW.
The new drive will be backed by a one-year warranty and cost about $337.
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LG Display unveils Full HD 3D LCD monitor
Panel maker LG Display has today announced the world's first commercial 3D LCD monitor with Full HD capacities. Seen below, the 23-inch display has a native resolution of 1920x1080 pixels and, when paired up with shutter glasses, is able to provide a 3D experience that will totally transform the way you watch movies and play games on the desktop.
The new LCD also feature LG's high performance 3D exclusive controller which is capable of processing more than twice as much image data as other HD 3D LCDs and the 'copper bus line' which improves picture quality. There's also a function for easy switching between 2D and 3D models.
"LG Display has made a major breakthrough in the display industry race to deliver the depth and dynamic nature of 3D images," said Davis Lee, LG Display's Vice President and head of IT marketing department. "LG Display will continue with efforts to keep pace with the fast growing 3D market with leading 3D technology and products in order to create new value for customers."
Unfortunately LG hasn't provided more details about the monitor, no price, no release date. We still want one.
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CompuLab preps the fit-PC2i compact PC
Israeli firm CompuLab has revealed its plans to introduce a version of its fit-PC2 uber-compact PC for networking and industrial applications. Dubbed fit-PC2i, the upcoming system is enclosed in a 101 x 115 x 27 mm aluminum case and features a 1.1 GHz to 2 GHz Atom Z-series processor, 1GB of RAM (up to 2G supported), GMA 500 integrated graphics and a 2.5-inch hard drive that's not included backed (upon request) by 4GB of flash storage.
The fit-PC2i includes a miniSD socket, 5.1 channel audio, a DVI outputs, WiFi and dual Gigabit Ethernet, and will be available with Windows XP, Windows Server, Windows 7, Windows XP or Ubuntu Linux. CompuLab will start selling this one in January.
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Microsoft sells Folio and NXT to Rocket Software
Microsoft has lightened its portfolio this week by selling off the Folio and NXT products and services to software development firm Rocket. The two assets, which were acquired by Microsoft last year as part of Fast Search & Transfer (FAST), facilitate the management of online content. A FAQ regarding the acquisition has been provided to answer customer questions.
"We are pleased that Microsoft selected us to take over the development, service, and support for all Folio and NXT customers," said Rocket Software CEO Andy Youniss. "This is a great fit for Rocket, and we look forward to working with the customers to provide the features and functions they need to be successful with their investment in the products."
Microsoft and Rocket chose to not disclose the financial details of the Folio and NXT deal.
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HIS HD 5750 IceQ+ starts shipping
Exposed earlier this week, HIS' IceQ-ed Radeon HD 5750 has been officially announced and has started shipping to take advantage of the holiday shopping season. This new Juniper-based card has stock clocks - 700 MHz for the GPU and 4600 MHz for the 1GB of GDDR5 memory, it features 720 Stream Processors and is equipped with a custom UV sensitive dual-slot cooler that quieter and able to transfer 10% more heat than the reference solution.
The HD 5750 IceQ+ also has DirectX 11 and CrossFireX support, DVI, HDMI and DisplayPort outputs, is bundled with a Dirt 2 coupon and has a recommended price tag of 139.90 Euro.
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AT&T and Verizon end their TV ads disputes
The holiday spirit and financial logic have triumphed once again as AT&T and Verizon have decided to bury the hatchet and drop the lawsuits filed over various commercials. AT&T sued Verizon for its ads which displayed two maps of the US to depict the 3G coverage of the two rivals, claiming that they mislead customers into thinking there's no coverage from AT&T in a large portion of the country.
AT&T's request to halt the ads was denied last month so it had to come to its senses and dropped the case. In good faith, Verizon has dismissed its counter-suit so, at least for now, things between the two companies are calmer. This probably means we'll see less Luke Wilson commercials too. Disappointed?
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Buffalo preps more flash drives for the female audience
Diamonds may be a girl's best friend but information is still priceless so Buffalo has designed a new series of flash drives to answer the portable storage needs of ladies everywhere. The drives comes in three pastel colors (Framboise, Pistachio and Blueberry), boast 4 or 8GB of space, measure just 18 (W) x 8 (H) x 37 (D) mm, weights about 5 grams and have a sliding mechanism for the USB connector so there are no caps to lose in the purse.
Seen below, the RUF2-NW series flash drives are planned to released at the end of this month. No word on pricing.
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