Seagate Technology said it would buy rival computer disk-drive maker Maxtor for $1.9 billion in stock. Under terms of the deal, which is expected to be completed in the second half of 2006, Maxtor shareholders will receive 0.37 shares of Seagate common stock for each Maxtor share they own. Seagate shareholders will own about 84 percent and Maxtor shareholders will own about 16 percent of the new combined company.

An 18-year-old passenger who caused a fatal crash by pulling on the steering wheel pleaded guilty to DUI manslaughter after prosecutors discovered a confession on his online blog. Blake Ranking wrote “I did it” on his blurty.com journal three days after the October 2004 crash that caused a friend’s death and left another seriously injured. He had previously told investigators he remembered nothing of the crash and little of its aftermath. Blake was sitting in the back seat as he and then-17-year-old friends Jason Coker and Nicole Robinette left a party when he pulled the steering wheel as a prank, causing the car to somersault off the road.

The Neo 4-in-1 Pad is an ergonomic PSP handgrip that doubles as an SD/MMC/CF/MicroDrive reader and triples as a battery pack that accepts regular or rechargeable AAs and more than doubles the console’s playtime. Even better, the Pad features two USB ports, which can either be used for charging the batteries or connecting to a PC to act as a standalone card reader.

Transcend has released the 120x Ultra Performance 8GB CompactFlash card. The new card is specially designed for high-end digital cameras and is fully compatible with Canon, Nikon, Olympus, Konica Minolta, and Sony high-resolution digital cameras. In addition to an average read/write data transfer speeds of 20/18MB per second. The Transcend 8GB 120x CF card maximizes the performance of digital equipment by using less power.

BoxWave announced the ActiveCase for iPod nano. ActiveCase for iPod nano is a crystal-clear, low profile case that will preserve the look and size of your iPod nano without adding bulk or weight. ActiveCase will allow you to conveniently view your menu and song list and its accessible opening provides quick access to control buttons and scroll wheel without the hassle of opening the case.

Texans are poised to join a small but growing group of consumers and small business users worldwide who are accessing the Internet over electric power lines. In a move aimed to increase competition among telephone and cable companies, Current Communications Group will provide broadband power line technology to the electricity distribution subsidiary of TXU. Customers who subscribe to the service simply plug a tiny modem, based on the HomePlug power line standard, into an electrical outlet and connect a cable from their computer for Internet access, which is capable of two-way speeds 25 times faster than other high-speed services, according to the Current Web site. In addition to traditional data services, the “triple-play” service supports VOIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) and digital quality video streaming.

Lexar Media announced it is bringing Google applications directly to customers by including Picasa, Google Toolbar, and Google Desktop Search applications on its line of popular USB flash drives. The offering is the first time consumers will be able to install Google applications from a USB flash drive directly to their desktop to edit photos, find files, and search the Web using popular Google applications. Customers who purchase a Lexar JumpDrive simply have to plug the device into the USB port, on their computer, where the user will be prompted with instructions to easily install the free applications. If the user accepts installation, Google products automatically install to their computer and are then removed from the USB flash drive. Lexar JumpDrive products with Google applications will be available worldwide beginning in January 2006.

ATP Electronics, manufacturer of digital flash media products, today announced the addition of its ProMax family product line with the release of its highest performance ProMax CompactFlash memory cards. With a blazing speed rating of 150X, the ProMax CF card is the fastest CF card available on the market today. ATP will showcase their new water and shock resistant ProMax CF card product line at the CES 2006 January 5-8 in Las Vegas. The entire ATP ProMax CF card lineup offers the same advanced features as ATP’s other flash card products allowing for ample protection from water, dust, ESD (electro-static discharge), and extreme temperatures ranging from -40C to 85C.

While the mobile computing industry has been focusing on whether a federal judge will disallow BlackBerry service in the United States, there is also uncertainty surrounding the future of the Palm OS after PalmSource’s acquisition by Tokyo-based Access Co. Ltd. last month. PalmSource officials insist there is a future for the veteran handheld operating system, but some industry experts say deploying Palm OS-based handhelds is risky. Access, which is best known for its NetFront cell phone browser, has yet to provide a detailed road map for Palm OS. Adding to the concern is the growing support for Microsoft’s Windows Mobile operating system. Handheld hardware maker Palm has licensed Palm OS through 2009 and is still posting jobs for Palm OS developers on its Web site. But, at the same time, the company plans to ship a Palm Treo based on Windows Mobile next year.

Chapura released Call Log+ for the Palm Treo 650 smartphone which runs on the Palm OS platform, to help improve the accuracy of contact management by more effectively using the information captured in the built-in call log and offering additional conversation-tracking tools. Call Log+ software lets Treo 650 owners take notes on their smartphone during or after a phone call and keep track of these conversations on their PC desktop by synchronizing the call log and associated notes with Outlook Journal entries, linking them to the corresponding Outlook Contacts. Call Log+ for the Treo 650 facilitates the call history component of contact management, while other of Chapura’s software products offer synchronization of Outlook Contacts, Calendar, Tasks, and Notes.