A report by APC identified that the computer manufacturers were told that OEM copies of Windows XP will no longer be distributed through new computer packages. Even with a huge resistance from the Windows community, Microsoft is adamant to closing any and all options to skimp on their flagship OS.

Even with the many publicity stunts to market Vista to the PC community, there is still demand for preloaded Windows XP in newly purchased computers, especially in the home and small office segment. The plan, as it stands, is to force all computer manufacturers to ship Vista-only machines by early 2008.

It seems that despite Dell's stand that they recognize "the needs of small business customers," the general consensus among PC manufacturers - that Vista contributed a minor boost in computer hardware sales - was enough to steer Dell into adopting "no more XP" move earlier than the specified January 2008 deadline. As a premier home and business computing solutions provider, Dell plans to continue distributing Windows XP "on select Dimension and Inspiron systems until later this [northern] summer."

So it looks like the PC gaming community has their work cut out for them. Now while we go and scan our hard drives, defragment those files and clean out that registry, let's give Windows XP its last days one more chance to shine. Come 2008, it may just officially be the "Year of the Penguin."

The Windigo is dead. No, not the mythological creature, but Intel's 3G HSDPA module (codenamed "Windigo"). APC reports that the module, which was being developed by Intel alongside Finnish mobile giant Nokia, has been axed due mainly to - you guessed it - money matters.

"We have, together with Intel, cancelled the HSDPA module cooperation in the form we formerly announced," said Nokia spokeswoman Eija-Riitta Huovinen. As for Intel's side, spokeswoman Connie Brown said, "After doing further analysis, we decided it wasn't a good enough ROI to bring that product to the notebook market now."

Brown noted, however, that the removal of HSDPA "doesn't change the value proposition of Santa Rosa at all" and that they will "continue to look into embedding 3G capability at some time." "Santa Rosa" is the codename for Intel's upcoming Centrino platform, which is expected to roll out around April or May of this year.

The 3GHSDPA module was first announced at Intel's IDF/Fall gabfest in San Francisco in late September last year. It was a 3G mini-card module supplied by Nokia and intended to be an OEM option for Santa Rosa notebooks. It would have provided users with immediate city-wide and roaming-friendly wireless broadband to complement local 11n wi-fi networks under Santa Rosa's support for the Draft N spec.

Advanced Micro Devices (AMD), one of the leading manufacturers of processors and graphics technology, has recently announced that it will be developing and licensing graphics core technology to semiconductor manufacturers in the handheld industry.

This decision is a major move in advancing the company's plans toward its goal of developing "the ultimate visual experience". AMD has been providing its technology to PCs and gaming consoles for years now, so it has a solid background in the field.

STMicroelectronics has already licensed AMD graphics technology. Included in the deal are the 2D and 3D vector graphics engine and software which are compliant with OpenGL ES 2.0 and OpenVG 1.0. OpenGL ES is used for creating user-interfaces while OpenVG is used for rendering graphics, both of which are geared toward mobile handheld devices and cellular phones. STMicroelectronics has decided to integrate AMD’s handheld unified shader architecture graphics technology with its Nomadik platform.

AMD has been working with different fields involved with developing handheld platforms such as semiconductor suppliers, OEM, and application developers. They are hoping to push for improved graphics on handhelds through the use of their technology in conjunction with the latest APIs.