Featured Reviews
AMD Radeon HD 7950 3GB CrossFire Review
The AMD Radeon HD 7950 3GB video card is the toned down version of the Radeon HD 7970 GB and it costs $100 less. AMD sent over a pair of cards for us to try out in CrossFire mode. Read on to see how AMD Radeon HD 7950 does in a multi-GPU CrossFire setup when it comes to performance, power consumption, overclocking and more!
Swiftech H20-220 Edge HD Liquid Cooling Kit Review
Today we look at the H20-220 Edge HD liquid cooling kit by Swiftech. The Swiftech H20-220 Edge HD kit is not like the sealed all-in-one kits we have looked at in the past. It is expandable and upgradeable. Join us as we see how Swiftech's H20-220 Edge HD Kit does against the top sealed kits available today on our Intel X79 test system with the Intel Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition processor.
GIGABYTE GA-X79-UD7 Motherboard Review
The GIGABYTE GA-X79-UD7 is the top Intel X79 motherboard in GIGABYTE's product stack. There isn't much in the way of features that GIGABYTE left out of the X79-UD7. Today we will compare the performance of the GIGABYTE GA-X79-UD7 to the ASUS Rampage IV Extreme and the ECS X79R-AX! How will it stack up against The top Intel X79 motherboards from ASUS and ECS? Join our little bandwagon and find out!
NZXT Switch 810 White Case Review
The full tower market has been getting a bit more crowded lately and that causes manufacturers to try and find unique ways to set themselves apart. NZXT is one that is well known for doing things to set itself apart and recently sent us their latest incarnation, the Switch 810. Read on to see if the extra features make us ho hum or say WOW!
Intel 520 'Cherryville' Series 240GB SSD Review in RAID 0
Intel's 'Cherryville' 520 Series SSDs are here, packing heat with SandForce SF-2281 controllers and custom firmware. We received a pair of 240GB drives to throw on our test bench and report our findings. With nearly a year to develop the firmware, will the 520 Series become the new gold standard for SSDs or just another drive in the SandForce pile? Read on to see.
Intel Core i7-3820 3.6GHz Processor Review
Intel's high-end LGA2011 platform has been out since November 2011 and since the platforms introduction there have only been two SNB-E processor choices available, the six-core Intel Core i7-3960X and Core i7-3930K. These hexa-core processors are costly as they run over $600 and that is more than most want to spend. All that changes this month with the introduction of the Intel Core i7-3820 that is priced at just $285. Read on to see how this processor performs!
Deepcool Gamer Storm Dracula VGA Cooler Review
Today we take a look at the flagship GPU cooler from Deepcool, the Dracula. The Dracula is part of Deepcool's Gamer Storm line and is designed for those that want some serious cooling performance. This GPU cooler is massive and takes up four PCI slots when installed. Join us today we put the Dracula on the notoriously hot running NVIDIA GeForce GTX 480 to see how it handles the heat compared to another aftermarket cooler.
Legit News
Adhesive Games Launches Hawken Beta Today
Adhesive Games, the startup studio that behind the game title Hawken, has announced that Hawken is now available to play on closed beta. You can sign up to enter the closed beta here. Adhesive Games is a small independent game studio located in Los Angeles, California and this is their first game release. Hawken is a mech-based first-person shooter and takes place in a post-apocalyptic human-colonized planet industrialized to the point of collapse. This game will be ideally launched in 2012, which is a time that many feel the real world is going to fall apart. You can see footage and gameplay from Hawken's desert map below.
The game focuses on creating an intense battle experience that captures the feel of piloting a mech while keeping the action fast-paced and strategic. The team of developers consist of 9 members (6 core members and 3 interns, including the art director, Khang Le). In an interview with G4 Khang Le, the art director, stated that the team has been reduced to 7 (core) members with the 3 interns withdrawing to resume their education and that Adhesive Games has found a publisher. Hawken has recently gone Free-to-play and has launched a sign-up page for an upcoming Beta of the game.
Posted by | Sun, Feb 12, 2012 - 02:18 PM | Comments
Dad Shoots Daughter's Laptop 8 Times Over Facebook
A video purporting to be the work of an angry father teaching his daughter a lesson by shooting bullets through her laptop is the viral video of day. The father, who identifies himself as Tommy Jordan, says his daughter broke ground rules when using Facebook, and posted disrespectful remarks about him there. He then made a video of him telling her what was up and finished it by shooting eight .45 caliber bullets from his 1911 handgun into her HP notebook. Who knows if this video is real or fake, but it already has over 2 million views in less than a day! The video is below, but be warned there are some curse words in it.
My daughter thought it would be funny/rebellious/cool to post on her Facebook wall just how upset she was and how unfair her life here is; how we work her too hard with chores, never pay her for chores, and just in general make her life difficult. She chose to share this with the entire world on Facebook and block her parent's from seeing it. Well, umm... she failed. As of the end of this video, she won't have to worry anymore about posting inappropriate things on Facebook...
Posted by | Fri, Feb 10, 2012 - 04:36 PM | Comments
Intel Settles New York Antitrust Case for $6.5 Million
Intel and the New York Attorney General have agreed to terminate the lawsuit alleging violation of U.S. and state antitrust laws that was filed by the New York Attorney General in November 2009. The agreement, which follows a December 2011 court ruling that greatly reduced the scope of the New York Attorney General’s lawsuit, expressly states that Intel does not admit either any violation of law or that the allegations in the complaint are true, and it calls for no changes to the way Intel does business. The agreement includes a payment of $6.5 million from Intel that is intended only to cover some of the costs incurred by the New York Attorney General in the litigation. Intel's $6.5 million payment represents less than five hours of profit for the Santa Clara, California-based company, based on reported net income of $12.94 billion for 2011.
“Following recent court rulings in Intel’s favor that significantly and appropriately narrowed the scope of this case, we were able to reach an agreement with New York to bring to an end what remained of the case. We have always said that Intel’s business practices are lawful, pro-competitive and beneficial to consumers, and we are pleased this matter has been resolved,” said Doug Melamed, senior vice president and general counsel at Intel.
Posted by | Fri, Feb 10, 2012 - 04:33 PM | Comments
PowerColor HD7970 w/ Dual Fan Cooler & 925MHz Core Clock Announced
TUL Corporation today added a new HD7970 graphics solution with dual cooling fan design: the PowerColor HD7970. Equipped with PowerColor exclusive cooling solution, the latest HD7970 lowers down 10% temperature through 92mm ultra big fan and unique SSU-shape heat pipe design; while dissipates the excessive heat efficiently, it delivers low noisy level up to 15% quieter than reference version, providing no-compromise cooling effect with silent gaming environment.
The PowerColor HD7970 has core clock at 925MHz and memory clock at 1375MHz; with compatible with PCI Express 3.0, enabling unprecedented gaming performance by doubling the bandwidth per lane of previous generation. With 3GB GDDR5 onboard memory, the latest HD7970 allows the highest bandwidth for demanding DirectX 11.1 gaming title, delivering the astonishing image quality up to six displays by utilizing AMD Eyefinity technology.
Posted by | Fri, Feb 10, 2012 - 03:21 PM | Comments
AMD Radeon HD 7700 Series Specifications Surface, Launch Date Fast Approaching
AMD will release its Radeon HD 7700 series graphics cards sometime in the next week. The new "Cape Verde" GPU aims to increase AMD's competitive edge in the sub-$200 market. This new design appears to focus more on a smaller number of better-configured Graphics Core Next stream processors being paired with higher clock speeds to further improve performance over the previous generation. AMD is counting on these changes to offer better performance while keeping transistor counts and therefore power consumption in check. Stay tuned for our review of the AMD Radeon HD 7700 series when it launches later next week.
Cape Verde Specs
Radeon HD 7770
- Built on TSMC 28nm process,~1.5 billion transistors
- 10 Graphics Core Next Compute Units (CUs)
- 640 Stream processors
- 40 TMUs, 16 ROPs
- 128-bit wide GDDR5 memory interface
Radeon HD 7750
- All CUs enabled, 640 Stream processors
- 1 GB GDDR5 memory
- 40 TMUs, 16 ROPs
- 1000 MHz Core clock-speed
- 1125 MHz (actual), 4500 MHz (effective) memory clock-speed
- 72 GB/s Memory bandwidth
- 1280 GFLOP/s Single precision floating-point performance
- Typical board power: 80W
- 8 CUs enabled, 512 Stream processors
- 1 GB GDDR5 memory
- 32 TMUs, 16 ROPs
- 800 MHz Core clock-speed
- 1125 MHz (actual), 4500 MHz (effective) memory clock-speed
- 72 GB/s Memory bandwidth
- 819 GFLOP/s Single precision floating-point performance
- Typical board power: 55W
Posted by | Fri, Feb 10, 2012 - 11:38 AM | Comments
CyperPowerPC Offering Free Intel PTPP Warranties On Systems With Gigabyte Z68 Boards
GIGABYTE and CyberpowerPC have teamed up to offer Intel’s Performance Tuning Protection Plan (PTPP) free on qualifying systems. If you buy a CyberPowerPC that uses a GIGABYTE Z68 series motherboards and it is configured with the Intel Core i5-2500K, Core i7-2600K or Core i7-2700K processor, you get the Intel PTPP for free! This is a savings of $20-$25. The Intel PTPP plan provides full warranty protection for select processors no matter how you kill it. This is in addition to your standard 3 year warranty. In other words, if it fails under normal usage, Intel will replace it under the standard warranty; if it fails while running outside of Intel's specifications, Intel will replace it under the Performance Tuning Protection Plan.
The Performance Tuning Protection Plan being offered by Intel is a chance for users to experiment with the overclocking features of your processor without the worries of what will happen if you push the processor too far. GIGABYTE and CyberpowerPC are teamed up to bundle Intel’s Plan free of charge, and allows you a single processor replacement through CyberpowerPC’s customer support if the CPU fails while running outside of Intel specifications. For those who desire to obtain greater performance of the CPU by overclocking or tweaking the voltage, the GIGABYTE Z68 series motherboards with their new redesigned VRM, promise to deliver first class system performance and power stability. With only the best quality components and unique design, incorporating Dual Power Switching and Power Phase Boost with Multi-gear Switching, your CPU can enjoy more unadulterated power from the motherboard than from previous motherboards.
Posted by | Thu, Feb 09, 2012 - 02:49 PM | Comments
AMD Sends Performance Enhancing Benchmark Pills to LR - Verdetrol
A small overnight UPS package arrived this morning that had what sounded like a medicine bottle inside. I opened it up and it turned out to be a prescription bottle from AMD with 28 doses of Verdetrol 1GHz.
Never Settle for Average Performance. Get a natural performance enhancement for your PC with Verdetrol! Verdetrol’s patented 1GHz fast-release formula delivers strong, vigorous performance when you need it most. Ask your computer specialist if Verdetrol is right for you! REAL RESULTS! Fictional couples everywhere agree that the new 1GHz Verdetrol FR formulation has made the difference when every ounce of performance matters. Man or woman, young or old, Verdetrol is the solution for anyone looking to get an edge when the heat is on!
Posted by | Thu, Feb 09, 2012 - 01:16 PM | Comments
Double Fine Raises Funds By Fan Donations; Psychonauts 2 Rumored
Tim Shafer, Ron Gilbert, and the rest of the team at Double Fine Productions are breaking the mold again. The dev team decided to go with a crowd-funding plan, in order to develop a new adventure game. The plan to have the fans fund the game's development may have seemed crazy to some, but they hit their goal of $400,000 in just eight hours. The money for development is still pouring in from fans, but it isn't going to waste, the extra income could be used on increased VO and music budgets possibly even additional-release platforms. Those interested in contributing to the project will be happy to know that should they pledge $15 they will be rewarded with Double Fine's adventure game when it releases on Steam. The good news dosent end there, Minecraft creator Markus Persson has offered to fund a Psychonauts sequel. Nothing is official but that didn't stop Schafer who said "If you're wondering about Notch's generous offer to help Psychonauts 2 happen, all I can say is that we are having a lovely chat about it!". It will be interesting to see if other franchises from the past can be revived this way.
A new adventure game from Tim Schafer, Ron Gilbert, and the rest of the Double Fine Productions gang is on its way, having hit its funding goal of $400,000 only eight hours after launching a crowd-funding plan. What's more, Double Fine is now having "a lovely chat" with Minecraft creator Markus 'Notch' Persson about his offer to fund a Psychonauts sequel.
Posted by | Thu, Feb 09, 2012 - 11:08 AM | Comments
VIA Announces Dual Core VIA EPIA-M910 Mini-ITX Board
VIA Technologies today announced the VIA EPIA-M910 Mini-ITX board, the latest dual core Mini-ITX board featuring one of the richest I/O sets available for a wide range of embedded applications including ATM, kiosks, POS, digital signage, healthcare and digital media applications. The VIA EPIA-M910 is available in both active and passive cooling configurations with the choice of either a performance oriented 1.6GHz VIA Nano X2 dual core processor or a fanless 1.0GHz VIA Eden X2 dual core processor and is paired with the VIA VX900 media system processor, which provides the ideal platform for today’s HD-intensive applications.
“The VIA EPIA-M910 Mini-ITX board delivers a highly optimized platform that boasts comprehensive HD video performance, HD audio and HDMI support in a compact, power-efficient package" said Epan Wu, Head of the VIA Embedded Platform Division, VIA Technologies, Inc. “The rich I/O provides the connectivity and flexibility demanded by today’s ever diversifying embedded applications.”
Posted by | Thu, Feb 09, 2012 - 07:55 AM | Comments
February 9, 2012 News from Around the Web
OCZ Technology Octane 512GB Solid State Drive with 1.13 Performance Firmware @ TweakTown and other reviews from around the web can be found by visiting our forums!
"The new firmware update roughly doubles random write performance, a weak point in the initial release. With a 10,000 IOPS increase in random write speed we'll be examining the new performance of the 512GB capacity size. When the industry moves to 20nm in Q3, 512GB will be the new 256GB. 512GB drives should cost much less than they do today and by the time Q4 rolls around they may even become affordable like the 256GB drives are today."
Posted by | Thu, Feb 09, 2012 - 07:39 AM | Comments
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 680 Video Card Specs
We have finally come across some NVIDIA GeForce GTX 680 video card specifications that look valid! Check them out below:
Posted by | Wed, Feb 08, 2012 - 04:17 PM | Comments
Ubisoft Releases Another Video For I Am Alive
Ubisoft is planning to release the console game title 'I Am Alive' on March 7, 2012 and to building some hype for the game by releasing a new trailer. The game takes place in the fictional American cit after a worldwide cataclysmic event that wiped out most of the human civilization and left the world in ruins and barely habitable. In the video released for 'I Am Alive' it shows how you can learn to survive in this post apocalyptic world! I saw part of National Geographic Channel's new reality show Doomsday Preppers and it appears that everyone is trying to cash in on this. Doomsday Preppers profiles Americans who have taken extreme measures to plan for a forthcoming apocalypse — whether natural disaster, nuclear war or economic crisis. If the world falls apart be sure to have a generator, so you can play I Am Alive!
One year after, a worldwide cataclysmic event that wiped most of the human race, a man struggles for survival in a desolate city as he tries to reunite with his long lost wife and daughter. In this post-apocalyptical tale, there are no supernatural threats, just an everyman who faces a decaying and hazardous world and humanity’s darkest inclinations. Will you hang on to your humanity and help strangers or are you ready to sacrifice others in order to survive?
Posted by | Wed, Feb 08, 2012 - 03:59 PM | Comments
Announcing the 2012 Common Platform Tech Forum
IBM, Samsung, and GLOBALFOUNDRIES will preview the future of silicon technology at the 2012 Common Platform Technology Forum to be held at the Santa Clara Convention Center on March 14. The companies will address next-generation semiconductor innovation and discuss the Common Platform’s technology - covering critical topics such as 28-, 20- and 14-nanometer processes, as well as innovations beyond 14nm and 450mm wafer manufacturing. You can register for the one-day event here.
“The Common Platform alliance is built upon an unmatched legacy of invention and deep commitment to research and development from IBM. The combined expertise of the companies involved is driving truly breakthrough technology innovations for semiconductor manufacturing. Our focus on building the most extensive and open ecosystem around our core manufacturing capabilities delivers customers a flexible and risk-free way to bring a wide range of semiconductor products to market,” said Michael Cadigan, general manager of IBM Microelectronics, on behalf of the Common Platform alliance.
Posted by | Wed, Feb 08, 2012 - 03:47 PM | Comments
Intel DX79SI 'Siler' Motherbaord Gets PCI Express 3.0 Functionality With BIOS Update
Intel just sent us word that they have released BIOS Version 0424 (SIX7910J.86A.0424.2012.0127.1620) for their DX79SI motherboard! This BIOS update includes 20 fixes, updates or new features! We've been asking Intel why their flagship Sandy Bridge-E motherboard doesn't support PCI Express 3.0 for weeks and it appears that with this BIOS update the board now supports the PCI Express 3.0 specification. This is good news for AMD Radeon HD 7900 video card owners as they can run their card at its full potential. Sure, the gains of PCI Express 3.0 are hardly noticeable, but at least the board now supports it! You can download the latest BIOS to flash your board here. This was the last Intel X79 motherboard on the market to get PCI Express 3.0 support, which is strange considering Intel made the chipset and board!
New Fixes/Features in BIOS Version 0424:
- Fixed issue with BIOS Recovery support.
- Added keyboard controller reset workaround.
- Fixed issue where internal PLL override option does not work correctly.
- Fixed issue where non-XE CPU will not run in Turbo speed.
- Updated processor support.
- Fixed issue with manual mode fan control.
- Updated FSC Stack.
- Updated GUID defined section Security check.
- Disabled ACPI OS native PCI Express support when certain graphics card is installed in the system.
- Improved memory stability at higher memory speed.
- Updated Turbo Ratio maximum limit in BIOS Setup.
- Updated Turbo related options range in BIOS Setup.
- Improved BIOS watchdog timer support for Intel Extreme Tuning Utility.
- Updated PEG slot to support PCIe Gen3.
- Updated Setup options for Overclocking Assistance and Turbo Ratio.
- Added support for Primary/Secondary Temperature Input parameters to controller.
- Fixed issue where some USB optical drives are not detected.
- Fixed random hang at boot on systems with TPM present.
- Fixed POST hang at boot with cursor at top-left of screen with certain option ROM configurations.
- Updated SATA RAID option ROM to version 1370.
Posted by | Wed, Feb 08, 2012 - 03:41 PM | Comments
Apple Faces Fines In China Over iPad Trademark, Sales Ban Possible
Proview Shenzhen Technology and Apple have been locked in a legal battle over the iPad trademark in China for some time now. According to reports Proview registered the iPad trademark in 2000, six full years before Apple unveiled the iPad in 2006. Proview has urged the local administration to make a final decision on Apple's penalty, with the formal complaint calling for US $38 million in fines. Proview also plans to seek $1.586 billion in compensation from Apple for their use of the iPad trademark. Considering the fact that Apple is indirectly one of the largest employers in Shenzhen, which is reliant on Apple monetarily should indicate just how strong Proview's case is. Apple can still appeal the court's ruling, but based on existing facts it would most likely lose the appeal again. Proview's lawyers have stated they are ready for a long-term legal battle to settle the dispute; however some sources disagree pointing out Proview is trapped in a debt crisis and only using the lawsuit as a means to bail itself out. As it stands if Apple fails to win an appeal or negotiate with Proview they could face a sales ban in China on top of fines and damages.
Beijing authorities have launched an investigation into possible trademark infringement by Apple after a Chinese company filed a lawsuit against the electronics giant for infringing upon its trademark of the iPad name, which may result in Apple receiving a heavy fine.
Posted by | Wed, Feb 08, 2012 - 02:54 PM | Comments
Price Gives ARM Edge Against AMD & Intel
AMD and Intel, the x86 heavyweights, are struggling in their competition with ARM. Their efforts to develop low power x86 processors and platforms to compete with ARM in the tablet, smartphone and netbook markets just isn't price competitive according to manufacturers. The simple fact that ARM processors are manufactured by a multitude of companies with tough competition among them has ensured that ARM processor platforms are significantly cheaper than low-power x86 designs. Intel recently debuted the 32nm "Medfield" Atom processors, the power consumption being as low as 11W will allow Intel to release x86 Android 4.0-based devices this year. In the second half of 2012 it is expected that Intel will launch another Atom line of processors with power consumption under 10W. These chips will be used in high-end smartphones. In the meantime, AMD will unveil their new "Hondo" x86 architecture with integrated Radeon graphics IP, which is expected to have a power consumption of less then 5W. The launch of the "Temash" APU in 2013, using the 28nm process, is expected to have a power consumption under 2W. If AMD and Intel can lower prices, their processors paired with Windows 8 might be competitive with ARM in 2013, but that's still a full year away and ARM is unlikely to sit quietly during that time.
While Intel and AMD have been making efforts to develop low power processors for use in smartphones and tablet PCs, they cannot compete with solutions from ARM in terms of price, according to notebook makers.
Posted by | Wed, Feb 08, 2012 - 11:57 AM | Comments
95% Of Paradox's Revenue Stems From Digital Distribution
Paradox Interactive's CEO Fred Wester has a few choice words to say about their digital distribution revenue: "My own experience of digital distribution is that we made 1.5 percent of our revenue from digital distribution in 2006, while the digital number in 2011 was over 95%.". The simple fact their digital distribution revenue increased by 93.5% over five years is insane. The increase itself is attributed to two things according to Wester, one is customers replacing physical media for digital, the other the big push Paradox has made on the digital front itself. Those two factors are what has driven growth, Paradox has made their games available everywhere imaginable and made it convenient for customers at every turn. It seems a number of publishers could learn a thing or two from Fred Wester and Paradox Interactive.
Paradox’s CEO Fred Wester has revealed the startling growth of Paradox’s digital distribution revenue. I’ll put it in the man’s own words, because not long afterward he himself grew in relation to the number. He’s a giant now, and incapable of understanding numbers. He said.
Posted by | Wed, Feb 08, 2012 - 10:25 AM | Comments
Antec Launches One - Gaming Series PC Case For $59.95
Antec today announced the One, the latest addition to their Gaming Series of PC cases. The One is aimed mainstream gamers, new PC builders and seasoned system integrators alike, as it provides user-friendly cooling and convenient features at an affordable price. Antec says that this case has ample cooling, fits video cards up to 10.5" in length, supports USB 3.0, has tool-less 5.25" & 3.5" drive bays and features a bottom-mounted PSU that has an air filter on the intake. The feature list looks rather complete for an ATX Mid Tower. The One is available with an MSRP of $59.95. Antec will also bring two special versions, the One S (MSRP $49.95) and the One S3 (MSRP $54.95), to the market. We searched and found the Antec One on sale at Newegg for $54.99 plus $9.99 shipping.
“The One is for anyone who has thought about building a PC or for anyone looking for a wallet-friendly, long-lasting case,” said Mafalda Cogliani, Global Marketing Director at Antec. “It’s a great option for system integrators because it has tool-less drive bays and blends well in a home.”
Posted by | Wed, Feb 08, 2012 - 10:15 AM | Comments
G.Skill Launches Ares Low Profile DDR3 Memory Kits
G.Skill today announced the brand new Ares series low profile performance DDR3 memory that was designed to work well with large CPU coolers. The G.Skill Ares memory modules are fitted with a low profile heat spreader design that stands at just 3.2cm in height (1.26-inches).
G.Skill Ares specifications
|
Frequency |
Timing |
Available Capacity |
Voltage |
Color |
Model |
|
1333MHz |
CL 9-9-9-24 |
8GB(4Gx2)/16GB(4GBx4)(8GBx2)/ |
1.5V |
Orange |
AO |
|
1600MHz |
CL10-10-10-30 |
16GB(8GBx2)/32GB(8GBx4) |
1.5V |
Orange |
AO |
|
1600MHz |
CL 9-9-9-24 |
8GB(4GBx2)/16GB(4GBx4) |
1.5V |
Orange/Blue |
AO/AB |
|
1600MHz |
CL 8-8-8-24 |
8GB(4GBx2)/16GB(4GBx4) |
1.5V |
Blue |
AB |
|
1866MHz |
CL 9-10-9-28 |
8GB(4GBx2)/16GB(4GBx4) |
1.5V |
Blue |
AB |
|
1866MHz |
CL10-11-10-30 |
16GB(8GBx2)/32GB(8GBx4) |
1.5V |
Blue |
AB |
|
2133MHz |
CL11-11-11-31 |
8GB(4GBx2)/16GB(4GBx4) |
1.6V |
Orange |
AO |
|
2133MHz |
CL9-11-10-28 |
8GB(4GBx2)/16GB(4GBx4) |
1.65V |
Blue |
AB |
Posted by | Wed, Feb 08, 2012 - 09:52 AM | Comments
Rambus and NVIDIA Sign 5-Year Patent License Agreement - Settle All Patent Disputes
It was announced this morning that Rambus has signed a five-year licensing agreement with NVIDIA as the two companies have settled all of their outstanding patent disputes. The agreement covers the use of Rambus patented innovations in a broad range of integrated circuit (IC) products offered by NVIDIA. The term of this agreement is five years; other details are confidential.
“This is an important license agreement as it settles our differences and allows us to move forward with NVIDIA, the leader in visual and parallel computing,” said Harold Hughes, president and chief executive officer at Rambus. “Looking forward, we have the opportunity to focus on developing innovative solutions in concert with our licensees to help bring compelling, innovative products to market.”
Posted by | Wed, Feb 08, 2012 - 09:32 AM | Comments
Google Announces Chrome For Android Beta
Google has finally introduced a version of their popular Chrome browser for Android devices! Chrome for Android Beta is now available from Android Market, but only in select countries and languages for phones or tablets that are running Android 4.0 'Ice Cream Sandwich' right now.
With Chrome for Android, you can search, navigate and browse fast—Chrome fast. You can scroll through web pages as quickly as you can flick your finger. When searching, your top search results are loaded in the background as you type so pages appear instantly. And of course, both search and navigation can all be done quickly from the Chrome omnibox.
Posted by | Wed, Feb 08, 2012 - 09:22 AM | Comments
AMD Announces FirePro V3900 Professional Graphics Card For $119
AMD has launched the AMD FirePro V3900, which is the companies entry-level priced workstation graphics card. AMD says that the FireProV3900 provides up to 95% better application performance than the competition thanks to AMD's latest graphics features, including AMD Eyefinity technology. The AMD FirePro V3900 is currently available in select workstation systems and will be sold for $119 MSRP at select online resellers.
"The AMD FirePro V3900 is the most powerful entry-level professional graphics card on the market today," says Sandeep Gupte, general manager of Professional Graphics, AMD. "Armed with advanced multi-display capability of AMD Eyefinity technology, extensive certifications for professional applications and blazing fast performance, it offers best-in-class value for our technical and business customers."
Posted by | Wed, Feb 08, 2012 - 09:08 AM | Comments
February 8, 2012 News from Around the Web
Sapphire VID-2X Review @ OCC and other reviews from around the web can be found by visiting our forums!
"With many in the industry projecting a sharp decline of desktop PC sales over the next few years, an external portable solution for laptop and netbook users on the go may find it a product that will handily fit into their carrying case and very useful for sales presentations, or to just make their tasks easier with increased screen estate. The idea of reduced toggling between multiple open programs and applications is also very appealing as well. As an avid user of a multiscreen desktop setup, I can attest to how much more easy and enjoyable the access is in day to day computing, project management, and content creation software settings.This product would also seem to hit its stride in board rooms and businesses."
Posted by | Wed, Feb 08, 2012 - 08:38 AM | Comments
Gigabyte GA-X79-UD7 Limited Edition Motherboard Sold Out & Not Coming Back
We recently noticed that the Gigabyte GA-X79-UD7 motherboard was deactivated at Newegg and we reached out to Gigabyte to find out what the deal was. We just got a response back from Gigabyte and the company says that their flagship Intel X79 motherboard was a limited edition sku and that they have sold out. Gigabyte also went on to say that no more are being produced, thus the board is end of life (EOL). If you want to buy the Gigabyte GA-X79-UD7 mainboard you might be able to find some floating around, but that will be it. We didn't know that this board would be such a limited edition board and already be gone!
No, we don't have this board anymore. It was a limited edition board and it's all sold out.
Posted by | Tue, Feb 07, 2012 - 05:40 PM | Comments
Kingston & Sandisk Slashing Product Prices That Use NAND Flash Memory
Last week it was reported that Kingston Technology was planning on cutting prices for all of its NAND flash products, including USB drives, memory cards and SSDs, by as much as 15%. It appears that SanDisk has followed suit and is also lowering prices of memory cards and USB drives in an effort to protect its market share, according to sources at memory module makers in Asia. These price drops have been made possible thanks to an excess of NAND flash on the market and improved manufacturing processes. A quick look at NAND Flash chip pricing and it appears to be down nearly 40% from 12 months ago. Kingston is the dominant force in the memory market and now that they have slashed prices it will likely make other companies cut prices to stay competitive with them. Expect Soilid-State Drive (SSD) prices to fall in the months ahead as a result of this move.
Kingston reportedly has launched its first-wave price reduction especially in emerging market, which is aimed at growing its presence in the global NAND flash product segment. But the company responded saying its price adjustments are to coordinate chip suppliers' shift to more advanced 2Xnm production technologies.
Posted by | Tue, Feb 07, 2012 - 04:06 PM | Comments
Heat Could Bring Hard Drive Performance Breakthrough
At the University of York in the United Kingdom, researchers led by Thomas Ostler have discovered a new way to improve hard disk drive (HDD) performance: Heat. The researchers discovered that by using a short burst of heat they could record data at a much faster rate. They accomplished this by hitting a magnet with a laser for less than one trillionth of a second, raising the temperature by an astounding 800 degrees Celsius. This short term burst of heat increases performance to levels hundreds of times faster than current HDDs. Essentially the method could allow for hard drives capable of recording terabytes of data per second, while lowering power consumption during the process.
Hard drives store data using magnetic recording, with tiny sections of the disc magnetized in a particular direction to represent the 0 or 1 of a bit. Recording data involves flipping the direction, which is currently done using an external magnetic field. Now, a team of researchers led by Thomas Ostler at the University of York, UK have discovered that a short burst of heat can do the job much faster.
Posted by | Tue, Feb 07, 2012 - 03:28 PM | Comments
Rumor: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 680 Video Card Will Blow The AMD Radeon HD 7970 Away
Lenzfire says that the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 680 (Kepler) will be up to 45% faster than AMD’s Radeon HD 7970 'Tahiti' graphics card. The site goes on to say that the GeForce GTX680 will have a 2GB frame buffer and will be priced at $649 when it launches in April 2012. If this rumor is true it means that for $100 more than an AMD Radeon HD 7970 3GB card you will get a video card that is up to 45% faster. If this is true, it will be really good news for NVIDIA. Of course, this is just a rumor and with launch still over a month away it will be interesting to pan things out. It is always entertaining to check out the video card speculations before a major launch!
- 850MHz Core clock
- 2 GB 5.5GHz GDDR5 Memory
- 1024 Stream Processors
- 512bit Bus Width
- Priced at $649
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 600 Series Lineup Details:
- GTX 690 - 2x750MHz Core / 2x1.75GB 4.5GHz GDDR5 / 2x448-bit bus / 2x1024 CUDA Cores / $999
- GTX 680 - 850MHz Core / 2GB 5.5GHz GDDR5 / 512-bit bus / 1024 CUDA Cores / $649
- GTX 670 - 850MHz Core / 1.75GB 5GHz GDDR5 / 448-bit bus / 896 CUDA Cores / $499
- GTX 660 Ti - 850MHz Core / 1.5GB 5GHz GDDR5 / 384-bit bus / 768 CUDA Cores / $399
- GTX 660 - 900MHz Core / 2GB 5.8GHz GDDR5 / 256-bit bus / 768 CUDA Cores / $319
- GTX 650 Ti - 850MHz Core / 1.75GB 5.5GHz GDDR5 / 224-bit bus / 448 CUDA Cores / $249
- GTX 650 - 900MHz Core / 1.5GB 5.5GHz GDDR5 / 192-bit bus / 256 CUDA Cores / $179
- GTX 640 - 850MHz Core / 2GB 5.5GHz GDDR5 / 128-bit bus / 192 CUDA Cores / $139
Posted by | Tue, Feb 07, 2012 - 03:21 PM | Comments
Electronic Arts Releases Shank 2 PC Game for $9.99
Electronic Arts today announced that the cinematic 2D action brawler, Shank 2, is now available on the PlayStation Network and PC in North America for $9.99 USD. Shank 2 will be available tomorrow on Xbox LIVE Arcade for 800 Microsoft Points and on PlayStation Network in Europe for €9.99.The sequel has received praise in early reviews and looks pretty good if you like 2D games. hank 2's all-new multiplayer Survival mode drops players into fast paced and action-packed interactive environments where they tactically take down hordes of goons and mini-bosses in an arcade-style fight to protect objectives and stay alive. You can see a demo of this mode in the clip below!
Shank 2 drops players into a stunning pulp fiction world as Shank, an ex-mob hitman who is forced down the road to redemption after his village comes under brutal attack. With precise and fluid controls, tons of new weapons, stronger enemies and the most advanced combo system of any 2D brawler, Shank 2 delivers a dynamic and evolved combat experience. Players have access to a diverse arsenal of guns, knives, chainsaws, baseball bats, and more as they move through Klei's beautifully drawn environments that earned the indie studio IGF's Excellence in Visual Arts nomination in 2010, and the Canadian Animator of the Year award in 2011.
Posted by | Tue, Feb 07, 2012 - 02:21 PM | Comments
Team Group Announces Lucky Dragon USB Key For Chinese New Year
Team Group has announced the Team C121 Lucky Dragon USB Drive! Could this USB drive bring you good fortune in the Year of the Dragon 2012? Team Group has adorned this USB Flash drive with Chinese totems and believes that it is a good choice for personal use or as a gift. The Team C121 Lucky Dragon uses a USB 2.0 interface and is available in 4GB, 8GB, and 16GB capacities. No word on pricing, but Team Group has always had affordable prices on their Flash memory devices.
Team Group Inc. presents Team C121 Lucky Dragon USB Disk to make another auspicious and lucky year! C121 Lucky Dragon integrates chic technology and Chinese totems and adopts the brilliantone-finger push-based mechanism. It is compact and attractive as a popular 3C product in 2012. Team C121 Lucky Dragon is compact with push-based mechanism to prevent cap loss and to ensure outstanding protection and simple operation. All Team memory module products come with a lifetime warranty, repair and replacement services.
Posted by | Tue, Feb 07, 2012 - 01:15 PM | Comments
Cooler Master Elite 361 Budget PC Case Launched at $39.99
Cooler Master today launched the Elite 361 rotatable chassis. The company says that this is a formidable Mini-Tower contender that focuses on versatility and expandability within a compact enclosure. The price tag on this case is $39.99 (MSRP) and is obviously aimed at budget builds. The key feature of the CM Elite 361 is that it can be placed either horizontally or vertically and doesn't take up a ton of space. A rotatable Cooler Master logo and four user attachable rubber feet assist in making these transitions.
The Cooler Master Elite 361 supports up to a full-sized ATX motherboard, five 3.5” hard drives while being potentially expandable to a multiple graphics card configuration with its seven expansion slots. Benefiting from innovate enthusiast-grade features, Elite 361 incorporates a removable hard drive cage that, when removed, offers a maximum space of 12.3” or 312mm for graphics card length. A large 120mm top fan and several optional 80mm to 120mm fan ports provide superior ventilation potential.
Posted by | Tue, Feb 07, 2012 - 01:05 PM | Comments
Hackers Hold Symantec Ransom, Source Code Leaked
Hackers, supposedly from Anonymous, demanded $50,000 from Symantec Corp in return for destroying the source code for Symantec's pcAnywhere product. The hackers who stole the source code have posted conversations on Pastebin detailing the demands of Yamatough, who claimed to have the source code for multiple Symantec products. The Negotiations between Yamatough and Symantec began back in January just after the source code theft, with Symantec agreeing to pay the money to Anonymous. The negotiations broke down however, with Symantec only offering to pay in monthly installments. Eventually with negotiations having soured, the hacker set a 10-minute deadline for Symantec to meet his demands, which they failed to do. The resulting fallout ended with "Symantec's pcAnywhere Leaked Source Code" being put up on The Pirate Bay. The real twist here is the fact that the negotiations between Yamatough and Symantec had been under investigation since January, and it was a sting operation to catch the hackers. The sting operation was confirmed to CNET last night with a statement from Symantec. The investigation appears to still be ongoing, with the hackers free for the time being.
Yamatough demanded that Symantec transfer the money via Liberty Reserve, a payment processor based in San Jose, Costa Rica. But Thomas appears reluctant, calling it "more complicated than we expected." Thomas instead suggests using PayPal to transmit a $1,000 test as "a sign of good faith." Yamatough rejects that offer, saying, "Do not send us any money (we do not use paypal period) do not send us any 1k etc. We can wait till we agree on final amount."
Posted by | Tue, Feb 07, 2012 - 10:54 AM | Comments
MAINGEAR TITAN 17 Gaming Notebook Updated - Gets Intel Sandy Bridge-E CPUs
MAINGEAR has updated the TITAN 17 high performance desktop replacement solution with all new aesthetic features while still maintaining top of the line performance for PC gamers who want to harness desktop-like power wherever they go and creative professionals that can work on site with no loss in productivity. The TITAN 17 features support for both the Intel Core i7 3930K and the Core i7 3960X Extreme Edition. The MAINGEAR TITAN 17 starts at $3,499 and is available now. For that price you get the Intel Core i7 3930K six-core processor, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 580M 2GB video card and 8GB of Corsair Vengeance DDR3-1600 memory. Not bad for the standard build!
“The new MAINGEAR TITAN 17 offers the best in desktop replacement versatility.” Said Wallace Santos, CEO and Co-founder of MAINGEAR Computers. “With the power of the latest Intel 2nd generation Core I7 Extreme Edition desktop processor, dual NVIDIA GeForce GTX 580Ms in SLI and with the option to use Quadro 510M graphics, this system caters to anyone looking for the ultimate mobile powerhouse.”
Posted by | Tue, Feb 07, 2012 - 09:41 AM | Comments
NVIDIA 'Kepler' GK104 Die Said To Be Smaller Than AMD Radeon HD 7900 'Tahiti' Die
Charlie Demerjian over at SemiAccurate says that he was shown an NVIDIA Kepler GK104 GPU! He says that the GK104 chip will be around 18-19mm x 18-19mm in size, which means that the die size will be between 324-361 mm^2. This is interesting if it is true as the AMD 'Tahiti' core that is used on the Southern Islands lineup (Radeon HD 7900 Series) is 365mm^2. Rumor has it that the TDP on the GK104 will be somewhere around 225W with the 28nm manufacturing process. The TDP on the AMD Radeon HD 7970 is 250W and 200W on the Radeon HD 7950. Charlie mentioned that the NVIDIA GK104 might be done by late March, so things are going to get really interesting in the video card market. Will NVIDIA take the performance crown back from AMD? If the cards using GK104 come out at the rumored $299 price point, it might turn the GPU market upside down. We won't say that NVIDIA has a performance segment killer yet, but it looks like they are cooking up something really interesting.
The chip we saw is roughly 18-19mm * 18-19mm, putting the range from 324-361mm^2. If you assume it is both square and in the middle, 342mm^2 wouldn’t be a bad number to plug in to the spreadsheets. While this is a lot bigger than we were expecting, it is still smaller than Tahiti by an appreciable margin. If performance ends up about where we have been told, it will be about as efficient as AMD’s current chips at a lot lower power draw. If the price holds up too, GK104 will own the mid-market, aka where the money is. Net result, if Nvidia can get it to yield, power use stays where it is now, as do clocks, and they don’t get greedy with the price, well, three of four isn’t a bad tally.
Posted by | Mon, Feb 06, 2012 - 02:22 PM | Comments
Intel Solid-State Drive 520 Series Released - Intel Goes Sandforce
Intel launched the companies fastest, most robust client/consumer solid-state drive (SSD) to date this morning with the release of the Intel Solid-State Drive 520 Series (Intel SSD 520), a 6 gigabit-per-second (gbps) SATA III SSD produced using Intel 25-nanometer (nm) NAND memory.
"We tapped Intel engineering to create a client SSD that delivers performance on all fronts with obsessively high reliability," said Rob Crooke, Intel vice president and general manager of the Intel Non-Volatile Memory Solutions Group. "The Intel SSD 520 once again raises the industry bar on SSD performance, quality and reliability to dramatically improve user experience."
Posted by | Mon, Feb 06, 2012 - 10:59 AM | Comments
Micron Technology Appoints Mark Durcan as CEO
Micron Technology recently announced the appointment of Mark Durcan as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the company. Mr. Durcan will also serve as a Director on Micron's Board of Directors. The appointments come after the company reported that Steven R. Appleton, longtime Micron Chairman and CEO, passed away in a Feb. 3 airplane accident in Boise.
The Board of Directors also announced the appointment of Director Robert E. Switz as Chairman of the Board and Mark W. Adams as President. Mr. Switz has served as a Director since 2006 and is the former Chairman and CEO of ADC Telecommunications. He has previously served as chair of the Micron Board's Audit and Governance committees. Mr. Adams joined the company in 2006 and served most recently as Vice President of Worldwide Sales.
Posted by | Mon, Feb 06, 2012 - 10:52 AM | Comments
Skyrim PC Gamers Getting Creation Kit Tomorrow
Bethesda’s Vice President, Pete Hines posted a tweet last week that The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim’s Creation Kit along with a special surprise would arrive on the PC tomorrow. What could the surprise be?
With Skyrim Workshop, you can browse and search for the latest or highest rated mods, subscribe to any that interest you, rate your favorites and post feedback. Once you've subscribed to some mods, start the Skyrim launcher and you'll see your subscribed mods automatically download. The launcher will even check if a mod has been updated and grab the latest version.
Posted by | Mon, Feb 06, 2012 - 10:48 AM | Comments
AVADirect Launches Intel X79 Chipset Powered Gaming Notebook
AVADirect just announced that the company is the first to offer Clevo's P270WM mobile gaming notebook. The Clevo P270WM is based off of the Intel X79 chipset and powered by Sandy Bridge-E processors. AVADirect said that with these desktop components placed inside a gaming notebook that consumers can expect performance increases of as much as 35-50 percent. AVADirect will begin to accept pre-orders for the X79 high-end gaming notebook as of today. The base price starts at $3305.61 and will feature the Intel core i7 3930K, GTX 580M 2B, 4GB of DDR3 RAM at 1333Mhz, 750GB 7200RPM hard disk, and Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit.
The P270WM's design shapes the ground we stand on by creating new standards for mobile desktop replacements. The revolutionary X79-fueled P270WM, being the successor of the world renowned Clevo X7200, supports all of the functionality provided by its older brother. Three 9.5 inch hard drives, with optional RAID, two USB 3.0 ports, SLI support, HD LED screen, HDMI 1.4a support, and the recently re-designed express card slot for third-party expansion are still key features of the newly offered Clevo P270WM Gaming Notebook. The Nvidia GTX 580M 2GB comes standard in the Clevo P270WM and offers SLI support for gaming duality. The GPU offers 384 CUDA cores, or 768 when in SLI. Furthermore, the victor of desktop replacements offers the Quadro 5010M 4GB for the elitist AutoCAD or developing engineer. Combined with the support of Quad-channel DDR3 SODIMM RAM and speeds up to 1866Mhz, creating a configuration suitable for your tasks is as simple as a few clicks on AVADirect's website. The board features a total of four SODIMM slots expandable up to 32GB. The P270WM includes full 3D support, which has never been provided in a desktop replacement until now. End-users will more importantly be interested in the first-ever backlit keyboard integrated in the P270WM notebook. Clevo has not received outstanding remarks in the past for their lack of aesthetically pleasing designs, but a backlit keyboard changes everything enthusiasts have grown to know about Clevo's design.
Posted by | Mon, Feb 06, 2012 - 10:10 AM | Comments
THQ Delays Metro: Last Light Till Q1 2013
THQ recently announced the companies fiscal 2012 third quarter results and by doing so they revealed an updated product roadmap for investors. Metro: Last Light has been delayed, moving back to Q4 FY 2013 – that is, the first quarter of calendar 2013; it had been expected in time for the holidays this year. It looks like the game title 'Metro: Last Light' has been delayed! THQ appears to have moved it off till Q4 FY 2013, which is really the first quarter of calendar year 2013. Most had been expecting the title to come out in time for the holidays this year.
Beneath the ruins of post-apocalyptic Moscow, in the crumbling Metro tunnels, you hold the key to humanity's survival -- the last light in our darkest hour...
Posted by | Mon, Feb 06, 2012 - 09:11 AM | Comments
Thermaltake Announces New Toughpower & SMART Series Power Supplies
Thermaltake recently expanded both the Toughpower and the SMART PSU product lines by adding Toughpower 550W, 650W and 750W 80Plus Gold certified as well as SMART 750W and 850W 80Plus Bronze certified PSUs. Thermaltake believes these five new power supplies will be able to fulfill mainstream users and enthusiasts power requirements. The Thermaltake SMART M850W is pictured below and is a modular power supply with a single +12V rail rated at 70 Amps and is backed by a 3-year warranty. Thermaltake did not mention pricing of any of the new models. You can find more pictures, including internal shots, by following the link below to the forums.
Toughpower 550W, 650W and 750W 80Plus Gold Series:
Carrying the same concept, Toughpower series want to provide user a reliable, efficient and eco-friendly environment. Therefore the new Toughpower Gold Series adopted Active CLAMP circuitry offers low power loss and high efficiency, 100% High Quality Japanese Capacitors provide uncompromised performance and reliability, Industrial Grade Protection on over current and voltage, under voltage, over power, over temperature and short-circuit protections to ensure the critical components have the best chance of avoiding damage if a problem were to arise, and Quiet and durable cooling Fan offers long-lasting Fluid Dynamic Bearing fan delivers excellent airflow at an exceptionally low noise level, making the Toughpower 550W, 650W and 750W 80Plus Gold a great choice for mainstream users.
SMART 750W and 850W 80Plus Bronze Modular Series:
As the responses of the flat modular cables are assenting in market, the SMART Modular Series would like to provide more choices for enthusiasts by adding the 750W and 850W into the Series. Both 750W and 850W units pretty much similar to 450W, 550W and 650W with built in industrial-grade protections for over current, over Voltage, under voltage, over power and short-circuit protections and 14cm cooling fan with intelligent RPM control guarantees cool performance and silent operation. The differences in 750W and 850W are by adopting 100% high quality Japanese capacitors and adding DC-DC converter circuitry on top of double forward circuitry to ensure the efficiency and stability. Both of series are compliance with Intel ATX 12V 2.3 & SSI EPS 12V 2.92 standards and are guaranteed to deliver continuous power 24 / 7 @ 40℃.
Posted by | Mon, Feb 06, 2012 - 08:53 AM | Comments
Origin PC Debuts Frostbyte 360 Liquid Cooling System
ORIGIN PC announced today the exclusive availability of their new FROSTBYTE 360 liquid cooling system. Featuring silent pumps, a high efficiency triple 120mm radiator, and zero maintenance, the FROSTBYTE 360 liquid cooling system allows for extreme overclocking in a more affordable solution. The ORIGIN PC GENESIS configured with the FROSTBYTE 360 starts at $1599. With the FROSTBYTE 360 installed, ORIGIN has been able to reach processor speeds up to 5.2GHz. The FROSTBYTE 360 costs $121.00 more than the FROSTBYTE 120 sealed liquid cooling system and is not available as a stand alone product.
- ORIGIN professional CPU overclocking up to 5.2GHz on multiple cores
- Micro-channel copper CPU block and 360mm high efficiency copper radiator
- Embedded temperature sensor delivers the copper surface temperature with an accuracy of +/- 1C
- Ultra silent operation and exceptionally low weight
- Factory sealed, maintenance free operation
- Thermal resistance as low as 0.085 C/W
"Until now, extreme overclocking required hundreds if not thousands of dollars worth of components including pumps, radiators, coolant hoses, fittings, and expensive water blocks." said Kevin Wasielewski ORIGIN PC CEO and cofounder. "With the Frostbyte 360, a maintenance free liquid cooling solution, ORIGIN PC customers can enjoy top-end CPU performance at a fraction of the cost."
Posted by | Mon, Feb 06, 2012 - 08:39 AM | Comments
February 6, 2012 News from Around the Web
Xigmatek Midgard II Mid-Tower Chassis Review @ TweakTown and other reviews from around the web can be found by visiting our forums!
"I remember looking at the original Midgard from Xigmatek and I even refreshed my memory by looking at the old review from 2010. As I remember, the original offered something like five ODD bays, five HDD bays with metal trays, seven expansion slots and a pair of orange bladed fans to go along with the tool-less mechanisms used in that chassis. One other thing I remember was that the original did have most of the front and the entire top covered with mesh for easy breathe-ability for both air in through the front. Via convection it allowed hot air to escape right through the top passively or you could add fans to help things along. All in all, for the time of its release, the Midgard had an oddly placed front I/O panel, but other than that it was a nice chassis for its day. As time progresses, older designs are left in the dust in favor of cases with USB 3.0, room to manage wires behind the motherboard tray and even handy hot-swap SATA hard drive docks built into cases are a huge hit. Well, Xigmatek saw the writing on the wall and took what was a good selling product for them and figured it was time to update the chassis to today's customers' expectations. With a fresh set of eyes, the new release got both an exterior and an interior redo. There are some subtle hints to the original case, but honestly it looks a lot like the mid towers we seen from BitFenix. Either way, the new chassis is a definite improvement over the original concept."
Posted by | Mon, Feb 06, 2012 - 07:35 AM | Comments
Snow Leopard Update Breaks PowerPC Apps Using Rosetta Framework
A security update released alongside Mac OS X Snow Leopard by Apple is causing no end of headaches for a group of Mac users. The update has apparently caused major issues for users running older PowerPC applications running on Apple's Rosetta framework. The security update 2012-001 was released alongside OS X 10.7.3 on February 1st 2012. This update was to fix security issues found in OS X 10.7.3 for users still running Max OS X Snow leopard. The problem is that the update causes crashes when trying to use commands from an application's drop down menus. The problem affects many applications including: older versions of Adobe Photoshop, Quicken, Filemaker 7, Microsoft Office X and more that were written to run on PowerPC chips used in older Apple machines. Rosetta was developed by Apple during its transition to Intel in order to allow older applications to function on updated hardware, granted Apple has now killed off Rosetta in OS X Lion, but it was still used in Mac OS X Snow leopard as an optional install. A Mac user on the Apple Discussion forums has created a work around patch to address the issue but it's considered a band-aid at best. Apple is working on a fix to the problem, but users will have to be patient till it's ready.
While the odd "CUI Error" experienced by some users after upgrading to OS X 10.7.3 earlier this week has garnered a fair amount of attention, it appears that a security update released for Mac OS X Snow Leopard at the same time is also causing major issues for users who rely on older PowerPC applications that run under Apple's Rosetta framework.
Posted by | Sun, Feb 05, 2012 - 09:17 AM | Comments
Motorola Sells Refurbished Xooms, Forgets To Delete Previous Owners Data
Another day, another slip up; this time it comes from Motorola. The company managed to put previous customers information at risk when it failed to wipe the memory on a batch of refurbished Xooms. The tablets were sold by Woot.com sometime between October and December of 2011, with Motorola claiming the mistake only affects a small batch of Xoom tablets. The total number of units shipped with previous owner's data is said to be 100 out of a batch of 6200 refurbished Xooms. Motorola will be going the extra mile for customers suffering from this mistake by offering two years of Experian identification protection services to those whose private information was exposed and are advising customers to call 1-866-926-9803 to sign up for the credit monitoring service. Motorola is even going so far as to offer a $100 American Express gift card to those who send in their affected Xoom to be reset. To find out if your Xoom is among those affected, you can check online or call 1-800-734-5870 and select option 1.
The information that may be accessible to the purchasers of the impacted refurbished tablets may include any information that the original user elected to store on the tablet. It is possible that users might have stored photographs and documents. They may have also stored user names and passwords for email and social media accounts, as well as other password-protected sites and applications.
Posted by | Sat, Feb 04, 2012 - 10:13 AM | Comments
Micron CEO Steve Appleton Dies in Plane Accident
Micron has announced that Steve Appleton, the companies Chairman and CEO, passed away this morning in a small plane accident in Boise. He was 51. His experimental fixed wing single engine Lancair crashed at 8:56 a.m. in between two runways at the airport. He was the only person on-board. Our condolences go out to his wife, Dalynn, his children and his family during this tragic time.
The National Transportation Safety Board said they interviewed witnesses on the scene who said Appleton tried to take off once, landed and then went back to his hangar. About five minutes later, he tried to take off again. They say the plane was flying at about 100 to 200 feet above ground when it stalled, then nosedived. A chilling recording from air traffic controllers paints the picture of panic shortly after take-off. In the recording, you can hear Appleton telling controllers he needed to turn around moments before the crash.
Posted by | Fri, Feb 03, 2012 - 04:28 PM | Comments
Facebook Friday - Corsair Vengeance M60 FPS Gaming Mouse
Welcome to our weekly giveaway for our dedicated readers! We love our fans and our sponsors! You guys love Facebook Friday right? This week the sponsor for our weekly promotion is Corsair and they have donated a Vengeance M60 FPS Gaming Mouse as this weeks prize! This prize has a retail value of ~$69.99 plus shipping. You can enter the contest here. Corsair asked us to invite you to their Facebook page as well, so be to take a look and give them some love as well here.
The Corsair Vengeance M60 is the premium performance gaming mouse for First Person Shooter (FPS) games. An enthusiast grade 5700 dpi laser sensor provides for maximum precision, ultra responsive mouse control for extended domination over players with less accurate, slower mice. Designed and tuned for exceptional FPS gameplay, the Vengeance M60’s ergonomic design is comfortable to the hand even for extended hours gaming sessions. The dedicated sniper button instantly lowers your DPI so that you can quickly and accurately aim for precise location shots. A machined, one-piece aluminum frame provides low weight, high rigidity, and optimal mass distribution. And the center of gravity can be adjusted up to 21g in your mouse so you have just the right balance. Victory is yours with the Corsair Vengeance M60!
Posted by | Fri, Feb 03, 2012 - 04:18 PM | Comments
AMD Trinity Ultrathin Notebook Spotted at AMD's Financial Analyst Day
At AMD's Financial Analyst day, Engadget came across a small demo area showcasing a Trinity-APU powered ODM reference unit from Compal. The unit was one of several proof of concept designs being used to demonstrate the Trinity APUs performance and power usage to OEMs. The particular unit shown was using a lower voltage Trinity APU and was housed in an 18mm shell.
Inside this particular prototype is one of the lower voltage variants of Trinity (read: either the 17W or 25W part), which enables that svelte 18mm profile. Seeing as it is a one-off (and one that'll never come to market in this form), our impressions are moot, yet we'd be remiss if we didn't point out we were a little dismayed by its chassis, which was flimsy enough to put the existing flex champion, Toshiba's Z830, on notice.
Posted by | Fri, Feb 03, 2012 - 11:29 AM | Comments
Motherboard Prices To Increase Again By 10%
It seems PC enthusiasts can look forward to even more price hikes this year. Motherboard vendors will be increasing the prices on their products by 10% according to industry sources. The price hike will take effect as early as the end of the first quarter of 2012. The 10% price hike comes on top of the 5-10% hike that happened in early 2011 along with the 3-8% hike in April of 2011. The reasons for this particular increase are fairly obvious, however, with the international price of copper having gone up, and labor costs in China on the rise as well. The minimum wage has jumped 8.62% in Beijing as of January 1, 2012, 14.28% increase in Shanghai takes effect on April 1, 2012, and a 13.63% raise in Shenzhen on February 1, 2012 causing labor costs to rise substantially. The increase in price for raw materials and labor has Asustek Computer and Gigabyte Technology among others increasing prices for their motherboards, this has not slowed shipments however which show an increase of nearly 10% and 20% respectively. Let's hope this is the only price hike we see on motherboards this year.
Copper pricing has risen from less than US$8,000 per metric ton (MT) before the 2012 Lunar New Year to US$8,600/MT currently, causing hikes in the cost of CCLs (copper-clad laminates) and in turn production cost of motherboards, the sources noted.
Posted by | Fri, Feb 03, 2012 - 10:40 AM | Comments
Fujitsu Releases 7-inch Android Tablet - STYLISTIC M350/CA2
Fujitsu today announced the STYLISTIC M350/CA2, an Android OS-based tablet for the enterprise market. The STYLISTIC M350/CA2 features a compact form factor, equipped with a 7-inch display and a body weighing approximately 420g for easy mobility. The 7-inch WSVGA has a resolution of 1024 x 600 pixels. Fujitsu says the tablet has running time of approximately 6.1 hours.
The tablet achieves both superior portability and usability, with features such as rapid booting and the ability to select between different character input modes—a numeric keypad, QWERTY, and hand-writing—to gives users the choice that best meets their individual needs. Moreover, the new tablet can be employed in a wide range of scenarios, including as a mobile sales terminal, as a handset for displaying digital catalogs at a retail store, and as an e-book reader in a classroom setting. In addition to offering excellent cost-performance, the STYLISTIC M350/CA2 supports customers in transforming work styles within their companies.
Posted by | Fri, Feb 03, 2012 - 09:51 AM | Comments
MSI Announces 10-inch Wind U180 Netbook
If you thought netbooks were dead, it looks like you have been proven wrong. MSI has unveiled the Wind U180, which is the companies first new netbook model for 2012. MSI is calling the Wind U180 an ultra thin, ultra light netbook as they are trying to ride the ultra thin form factor craze that everyone is infected with. The Wind U180 is powered by either an Intel Atom 'Cedar Trail' Processor N2800 (1.86GHZ) or N2600 （1.6 GHZ). MSI says the WInd U180 has twice the processing and display performance of the previous generation netbook as well as eight hours of battery power. Will this 10-inch (1024 x 600 resolution) netbook help prove to the world that netbooks still have a heartbeat? Time will tell, but for the love of God, can you stop using 0.3 MP webcams? It's not really that expensive to update the camera!
MSI U180 Netbook Specifications:
- CPU: Intel Atom Processor N2800/N2600
- Chipset: Intel NM10
- Graphics: GMA 3650
- Memory: DDR3 800MHz/1066 MHz; support up to 2 GB(1 DIMM slot)
- LCD: 10" (1024 x 600) ultra slim
- HDD: 320/250 GB (2.5” SATA)
- Battery: 3 cells / 6 cells
- Wireless: 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 3.0+HS
- Webcam: 0.3 M Webcam
- Sound: HD Audio, Stereo speakers
- Dimension: 263 x 186 x 21.26mm
- Weigh:t 1 Kg (with 3 cell battery)
- OS: Microsoft Windows 7 Starter
Posted by | Thu, Feb 02, 2012 - 01:36 PM | Comments
AMD Announces Sea Islands GPUs Coming in 2013
Today at AMD's 2012 Financial Analyst Day the company showed off a client and graphics product roadmap that goes all the way into 2013. The slide showed that the Sea Islands GPU architecture will replace the Southern Islands architecture that just came out in November 2011 for discrete graphics sometime in 2013. Southern Islands is the core architecture used on AMD Radeon HD 7970 and Radeon HD 7950 GPUs. AMD also announced that Kaveri will become the companies 3rd generation APU and will use the Steamroller core architecture. On the low power and ultra low power APU side of things, AMD announced Kabini and Temash. Kabini and Temash are SoC processors. All of the new parts will be made on the 28nm. Right now AMD is making products on the 40nm, 32nm and 28nm manufacturing nodes.
Posted by | Thu, Feb 02, 2012 - 01:23 PM | Comments
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