News In Brief

AMD's 4x4: AMD has heated up the quad-core race with its Quad FX platform. Unlike Intel's Core 2 Extreme QX6700 chip, which contains four processor cores, the AMD platform achieves four cores by laying down two processor sockets--each capable of handling a dual-core chip--on the motherboard. In our tests with new Athlon 64 FX-series CPUs on a Quad FX reference PC, standard business applications didn't perform significantly better. The first new boards should be available from Asus by the time you read this; they will be upgradable to AMD's single-processor, quad-core chips, code-named Barcelona, due out in the second half of 2007. Read "AMD Releases Its 4x4 Platform, New FX CPUs" for more test results.

Razr Rival: Sprint has introduced what it describes as the thinnest clamshell handset now available in the United States, the Sprint Power Vision M610 by Samsung. Measuring less than half an inch thick and weighing a mere 3.3 ounces, the M610 features a 2-megapixel camera and support for Sprint's TV, music, NFL, and full-length streaming movie services on the carrier's fast EvDO network. The M610 is priced at $330, or $180 matched with a two-year service agreement from Sprint.