low profile Sandy Bridge platform at 40W and Quad core in 65W TDP.

As of first half of 2011 things might get much cooler, at least when it comes to a value market. Intel has suggested that its future value platform can get much better than current 79W. This is the current Value lifestyle desktop platform powered with Pentium processor, dual-core, H55 or G41 chipset. The choice of chipsets depends on the Pentium version, as it can be Clarkdale or Wolfdale 45nm based.
Intel's Future Value lifestyle platform is Sandy Bridge based and we can only guess that we are talking about a dual-core CPU, as it sounds logical. The chipset of choice is some lower end breed of Intel 6-series of chipsets and all this will be possible at 40W TDP.

ATI intros new FirePro cards with More performance, more monitors

AMD has introduced five new ATI FirePro professional graphics cards aimed at all market segments. The company recently launched the V8800, the industry's fastest professional graphics card to date, but the new products are aiming at somewhat less demanding pros.

AMD six-cores Starting at €199

Last week we reported that several retailers had jumped the gun and started selling AMD's Thuban six-cores and now the CPUs are officially out.

Israel lifts iPad import ban

Israeli officials have announced that the iPad import ban is no more. It's unclear why the ban was put in place in the first place, let alone repealed just days earlier. Be as it may, several people got into trouble at the country's Ben Gurion airport, as they were forced to part with their beloved toys at customs.

The Ministry of Communications is now claiming that the iPad meets the country's wireless communication standards, so fears that it could interfere with wireless frequencies used by Israel's military appear to have been groundless.

Eken's 7'' Android Tablet Starts @ $100

Shanzai.com has managed to get its hands on a Eken M001 tablet, the iPad rival that will supposedly have a starting pricepoint of a meager $100 USD. According to the site, the device sports a WonderMedia PRIZM MW8505 processor clocked at 600 MHz, 2 GB of internal NAND flash storage, 128 MB of DDR2 RAM, an audio port, an SD card reader (of up to 32 GB), and a 7-inch, 800 x 380 TFT screen. The device also operated by Android v1.6.

New iPad owners are falling victim to an iPad update scheme.

Last week we reported that hackers were going after Google Chrome users by disguising trojans as browser extensions. Now they're going after owners of that fancy new iPad, basically using the same email scheme as before but with a slight alteration. This time users are directed to download a software update by clicking on a link embedded in an email.

2011 will be the floppy killer year.

Floppy disks might be as old as the hills but Sony still sold over 12 million of them in Japan last year.  Unfortunately, Sony Japan has some bad news for those responsible for last year's sales: Come March 2011, you won't be able to buy any more.

Intel is Hindering Graphic. Nvidia:

CNET reports that Nvidia senior vice president Daniel Vivoli went on NBC's press:here Friday and gave Intel an indirect one-two punch to the midsection. The Nvidia executive claims that the rival company is denying consumers the chance to use Nvidia chips, clarifying that consumers using Intel's Core i series should have the option to use Nvidia's lower-end GPUs.