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As Intel ships 160GB SSD, pricing nags buyers

Updated at 1:40 p.m. PST with pricing information.

Intel is now shipping 160GB solid-state drives as it vies with Samsung and Toshiba to deliver high-capacity SSDs that rival hard-disk drives in capacity. Price, however, remains a big obstacle for many consumers.

Intel said Monday that it will add 160GB versions of its X25-M and X18-M Serial ATA (SATA) solid-state drive. To date, Intel has limited shipments to its 80GB versions. Laptop-size 2.5-inch versions of the 160GB drive are shipping now; 1.8-inch models for ultraportable laptops will ship next month, Intel said.

Larger-capacity drives from other SSD … Read more

Apple offers advice on 10.5.6 upgrade problems

Apple has acknowledged an issue encountered by some Leopard users trying to install the company's latest update released Monday.

In a support document posted to its site, Apple described an issue in which a Mac would hang on a "Configuring installation" window when trying to install Mac OS X 10.5.6. That was apparently the result of an incomplete update getting seeded into the Software Update process, and Mac OS X will freak out if it tries to install a partially downloaded update.

Apple recommends that if you encounter this problem, or have already, that you … Read more

Buzz Out Loud 875: Jazz fingers

On today's show, we have a couple of awkward moments discussing the latest Andy Samberg clip on YouTube. There are giggles. We also attempt to spread some rumors about BlackBerry Storm returns that are quickly debunked by actual fact; we learn which Netbooks can handle OS X (and Brian Tong); and intrepid researchers are playing Christmas music for sharks, just to see if they like it. Yes. Really. Listen now: Download today's podcast Episode 875

Personalized spam rising sharply, study finds http://it.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=08%2F12%2F18%2F1417232

Cable to temporarily pause digital switch … Read more

OpenX's strategy to 'leapfrog' the competition

I've written before about one of my favorite open-source companies, ad-server company OpenX. However, since I first covered the company, a lot has happened, all seemingly positive.

For one thing, OpenX now tops 300 billion ad impressions per month, 150,000 publishers, and 2,500 paid customers using its hosted offering. This impressive growth, however, belies a big challenge for OpenX:

Next comes the more difficult process of converting the free products and services into revenue-generating operations. The vast majority of the ads served by the installed software were from freely downloaded versions, and few of those using the … Read more

'Mystery' Lunar X Prize team unveiled

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif.--There are now 16 announced teams registered for the Google Lunar X Prize competition, with a so-called "mystery" team unveiling its participants Wednesday.

During a press conference held at NASA Ames Research Center here, the Next Giant Leap team--which had actually been the fifth team to register for the competition--finally pulled the wraps on its team members and the companies or institutions they work for.

The Google Lunar X Prize is a $20 million purse that will be awarded to the first privately-funded team to land a rover on the moon, travel at least 500 … Read more

Mac OS X 10.5.6 Causing Problems for some iPhone Users

Apple's recently released Mac OS X 10.5.6 is causing a few minor issues for iPhone users. Some users have reported an inability to synchronize with iTunes after the update. An Apple Discussions poster writes:

"I have just upgraded my MacBook Pro (Intel G5) from OS 10.4.11 to 10.5.6. It was a seamless upgrade. However, I noticed when I plugged in my 15-day-old iPhone (not jailbroken, version 2.2) to sync, it failed to appear in iTunes. In fact, iTunes didn't even open. Bizarre! Everything was working fine before the upgrade. I'… Read more

Samsung's svelte 14-inch X460 laptop

We recently reviewed the first handful of systems to come out of Samsung's new American arm, and one of the more interesting ones was the thin and stylish X460, a 14-inch laptop that clearly apes the MacBook Air vibe (a 13-inch version is also available). Unfortunately, even with the cool design, it's too expensive for what you get, and comparable (if boxier) 14-inch systems are as much as $600 less.

If you need the thinnest 14-inch possible, or just love the look, the Samsung X460 is an impressive piece of hardware, but others will find better value elsewhere. … Read more

Apple releases Mac OS X 10.5.6

MobileMe syncing improvements and security fixes headline the list of changes unveiled with the release of Apple's Mac OS X 10.5.6 update Monday.

The file should be appearing in the Software Update window at any moment now, depending on how often you've set Software Update to check for new software. The sixth update to Leopard, originally released in October 2007, comes with the usual range of tweaks, bug fixes, and security improvements.

One update of note concerns MobileMe, which is now capable of pushing updates made to calendars or contact information from the Web or an … Read more

Start-up OpenX touts burgeoning ad traffic

Recession? What recession?

It may be that the technology and advertising industries are curtailing spending in the current painful economic environment, but one start-up, OpenX, is happy to report progress in establishing its new business.

OpenX sells support and consulting services around an open-source software package geared toward publishers that need to serve ads on their online properties. The Pasadena, Calif.-based company also has been expanding online, first by hosting the software on its own site, free to lower-traffic customers, and second through a pilot test of a marketplace that lets advertisers buy ads across a larger group of … Read more