Featured Reviews
Koolance CPU-LN2 Liquid Nitrogen Evaporator
The Koolance CPU-LN2 is a "DIY" processor evaporator pot for liquid nitrogen or dry ice cooling. It features a nickel-plated solid copper cold plate that has been combined with a black acetal upper container. Read on to see how this extreme cooler does with DICE and LN2!
Sparkle GeForce GTX 275 Video Card Review
Sparkle may not be the first manufacturer that comes to mind if you're considering a new video card from Team Green, but the company is hoping its GeForce GTX 275 series can score it some mindshare in the sub-$250 segment. It's been a few months since the first wave of GTX 275 and ATI 4890 cards hit the market, and more mature drivers may shed a different light on relative performance.
MSI Wind U100 Netbook Overclocking Guide
MSI recently released a BIOS update that includes overclocking features in the BIOS for the Wind U100 netbook series. Once this feature is enabled in the BIOS you can select a CPU overclock of either 8%, 15% or 24%, for a maximum overclock of 2GHz. Read on to see how far we can overclock our U100 and to see what overclocking does for performance.
AMD Phenom II 42 TWKR Black Edition Processor
Opening up the little box we discovered the handpicked AMD Phenom II 42 TWKR Black Edition processor. It's not every day you get a processor delivered to your door step that was handpicked to be an overclocking winner and will never be for sale to the public. This is every overclocker's dream and we are more than willing to overclock this little guy to the max with liquid nitrogen!
MSI Wind U100-641US 10-inch Netbook Review
In the continuing recession, netbooks are all the craze for a PC on the go! The Wind has been a solid seller for MSI and today we take our first look at the U100-641US. Read on to find out if MSI's simple yet elegant netbook is right for you!
AMD DirectX 11 White Paper Released
With Microsoft Windows 7 set to be released in October 2009, rumors are flying rampant in the video card industry as DirectX 11 graphics card will also be launching at the same time. Read on to see one of the first white papers on DirectX 11 released by AMD.
NZXT Cryo S 15 inch Notebook Cooler Review
NZXT is best known for their enthusiast PC cases but they have recently released a few notebook coolers that may be worthy of your attention. See what we thought in our hands on review of the NZXT 15" Cryo S notebook cooler.
Legit News
A-DATA Announces New Swivel-designed C903 USB Flash Drive
A-DATA Technology today unveiled a brand-new swivel-designed C903 USB Flash Drive. Accentuated by its glossy, metallic swivel casing with a distinctive asymmetric contour therein, C903 is delicately designed to bring out the minimalist style with an innovative touch.
The glossy, metallic casing gives C903 an elegant look, making it an eye-catching fashion accessory when strapped to cellphones, bags or key chains. With capacity up to 32GB and two vivid colors to choose from, A-DATA C903 USB Flash Drive provides an ideal solution for carrying and transferring a large amount of data in style. To accommodate the needs of today’s users, A-DATA offers free download value-added software UFDtoGO (no registration required) and Norton Internet Security 2009 (60-day trial).
Posted by | Fri, Jul 03, 2009 - 09:24 AM
VIA June revenues down nearly 24% on year
VIA Technologies posted revenues of NT$415 million (US$12.65 million) for June, down 23.9% from a year earlier. For the first half of 2009, the company's revenues totaled NT$2.44 billion, a sharp decline of 46.2% from the same period in 2008, according to a company filing with the Taiwan Stock Exchange (TSE).
Although VIA's white-box netbook alliance has already started shipping products, since the current shipments still remain low, it can only provide limited assistance to VIA's revenues, noted sources in the notebook industry.
Posted by | Fri, Jul 03, 2009 - 09:18 AM
NSA to help defend civilian agency networks with Einstein 3
The Obama administration will proceed with a Bush-era plan to use National Security Agency assistance in screening government computer traffic on private-sector networks, with AT&T as the likely test site, according to three current and former government officials. Part of an initiative known as Einstein 3, the plan called for telecommunications companies to route the Internet traffic of civilian agencies through a monitoring box that would search for and block computer codes designed to penetrate or otherwise compromise networks.
President Obama said in May that government efforts to protect computer systems from attack would not involve "monitoring private-sector networks or Internet traffic," and Homeland Security Department officials say the new program will scrutinize only data going to or from government systems. But the program has provoked debate within DHS, the officials said, because of uncertainty about whether private data can be shielded from unauthorized scrutiny, how much of a role NSA should play and whether the agency's involvement in warrantless wiretapping during George W. Bush's presidency would draw controversy. The activities of any private citizen who visits a "dot-gov" Web site or sends an e-mail to a civilian government employee would be screened.
Posted by | Thu, Jul 02, 2009 - 09:33 PM
July 2 News from Around the Web
AMD Phenom II CPU Multiplier, Vcore and fourth core unlocking @ ocinside and other reviews from around the web can be found by visiting our forums!
It is already well-known that one can unlock the fourth core of a triple core AMD Phenom II CPU. But during a test of the current ASRock A790GXH/128M motherboard at ocinside.de it was possible to unlock much more than this and that is a no April joke. The AMD Phenom II 710 X3 CPU became an Engineering Sample with four CPU cores, unlocked Vcore selection and unlocked multiplier ! All necessary BIOS settings for this modification are explained in the following AMD Phenom II unlock guide.
Posted by | Thu, Jul 02, 2009 - 01:59 PM
467K jobs cut in June; jobless rate at 9.5 percent
Employers cut a larger-than-expected 467,000 jobs in June, driving the unemployment rate up to a 26-year high of 9.5 percent, suggesting that the economy's road to recovery will be bumpy. The Labor Department report, released Thursday, showed that even as the recession flashes signs of easing, companies likely will want to keep a lid on costs and be wary of hiring until they feel certain the economy is on solid ground.
June's payroll reductions were deeper than the 363,000 that economists expected and average weekly earnings dropped to the lowest level in nearly a year. However, the rise in the unemployment rate from 9.4 percent in May wasn't as sharp as the expected 9.6 percent. Still, many economists predict the jobless rate will hit 10 percent this year, and keep rising into next year, before falling back. All told, 14.7 million people were unemployed in June.
Posted by | Thu, Jul 02, 2009 - 10:26 AM
Intel Capella and Windows 7 to slow down notebook demand in 3Q09
Demand for notebooks is expected to drop significantly in the third quarter due to consumers waiting for Intel's next-generation Calpella platform to be launched in September, and Microsoft's Windows 7 in October, according to industry sources.
In addition to traditional notebooks, the launch of Intel's next-generation Atom N450 platform for netbooks in the fourth quarter will also contribute to a drop in demand in the third quarter. The sources expect demand for notebooks to take off after November, and expect to see fierce price competition in the notebook market during the third quarter.
Posted by | Thu, Jul 02, 2009 - 10:25 AM
A-DATA Announces Windows 7 Ready USB Flash Drive - XPG Xupreme 200X
A-DATA today introduced its new 64 GB capacity XPG Xupreme 200X flash drive, which is the first flash drive compatible with Windows 7 (32-bit and 64-bit). Coated with an elegant dark grey aluminum color, the XPG Xupreme 200X flash drive presents the high-performance USB flash drive in a simple yet stylish design of XPG product line. It offers capacity from 8GB to incredible 64GB, and supports up to 30MB/s (200X) read speed.
The XPG Xupreme 200X flash drive also certified for Windows Vista and Windows ReadyBoost, offering the high performance advantages to this operation system. Moreover, the XPG Xupreme 200X flash drive also comes with a practical leather strap and provides true "Plug and Play" function to make your storage utilization more convenient.
Posted by | Thu, Jul 02, 2009 - 08:19 AM
NVIDIA ION 2 To Have More Than Twice ION's Shaders
Fudo over at Fudzilla has managed to dig up some more information on NVIDIA's ION 2 chip that is expected to come sometime in the last few months of the year. The ION 2 is said to have at least double the shaders of the ION. We were impressed with the original ION test platform, so ION 2 will be amazing!
Our industry sources have told us that the new, shrunk version of ION, probably branded as ION 2, should have much faster graphics and much more shaders. We don’t believe that the thermals will change that much, but we’ve heard that ION 2 will have more than double the number of shaders of the original Geforce 9400M /MCP79 /ION chip. Since ION has 16 shaders , or processors as Nvidia calls them these days, you should expect that the new one has more than 32. This will get much better gaming to netbooks and nettops based on ION 2 which is definitely something you cannot say no to and at the same time Cuda applications might run faster, in case you found one that matter to you.
Posted by | Wed, Jul 01, 2009 - 10:48 PM
NZXT Debuts Sentry 2 Touch Screen Fan Controller
NZXT announced the Sentry 2 today, a full system fan controller with an advanced touch screen interface. Sentry 2 easily installs in a 5.25” bay and is compatible with any fan that uses voltage control. The Sentry 2 will be available this month at an MSRP of 29.99.
The innovative touch screen features ultra fast selection and response time and displays all pertinent info including temperature readout in both Celsius and Fahrenheit. Sentry 2 allows users to control up to 5 fans with the option for manually tuning individual fan speeds or letting the automatic controls take over to correspond to a specific temperature. The controller’s advanced functionality sounds an alarm to alert the user should the temperature exceed a preset amount and stores saved settings even after it is turned off. Designed to maximize efficiency, the Sentry 2 supports 10W per channel and creates less heat than traditional temperature displays.
Posted by | Wed, Jul 01, 2009 - 10:41 PM
Atlona Technologies Announces HDMI 1.3b Matrix Switcher - AT-HD88M-SR
Atlona Technologies announces the release of their most ambitious and cost-effective HDMI 1.3b Matrix Switcher, the AT-HD88M-SR. This one of a kind 8X8 HDMI 1.3b switch runs over CAT5 Matrix with an IR pass-through. The AT-HD88M-SR provides the most flexible and cost effective solution in the market for users today for routing high definition video plus multi-channel digital audio of up to 7.1-channels from any 8 HDMI sources to High Definition displays simultaneously. Atlona’s AT-HD88M-SR is currently available with an MSRP of $5499.
Through low cost CAT5/5e LAN cable, not only will high quality video and audio transmit to HD displays, but users can also switch among 8 HDMI sources manually or via remote control. Atlona’s 8X8 HDMI Matrix Switcher’s IR function allows users to access their HD sources such as DVD players, Blu-Ray, PS3, Xbox 360 or any other HDMI devices directly, from the location of HD display. Installation is quick and easy without a needed power supply.
Posted by | Wed, Jul 01, 2009 - 10:35 PM
Get Your Own AMD TWKR CPU By Twittering with LR
AMD created a small number of limited edition “TWKR” processors expressly for the extreme overclocking community in appreciation for their record performance feats with Dragon platform technology and AMD Phenom II processors. These processors are designed to reach the utmost performance barriers of the AMD Phenom II processor and operate beyond the specifications of typical production level processors. As speculated, it’s a high current chip that can take the extreme stresses of Liquid Nitrogen overclocking. Our testing of the TWKR procesor showed that we could reach ~6.6GHz on Liquid Nitrogen. It would be a shame if only the top overclockers and media would be able to use these, so we have teamed up with AMD to give away one of these overclocking monsters.
The contest will be held sometime on July 7th, 2009. We will be tweeting one question. The first person to answer the question correctly via a reply will win. If for some a number of people answer at exactly the same time and we cannot determine from Twitter who actually answered first, the name will be randomly chosen from those who tie for first place. To be able to win the processor you MUST be 1) following us on Twitter @ http://www.twitter.com/legitreviews, and 2) RT (retweet) our contest status update for the contest. You must do this BEFORE July 7th to be eligible for the drawing.
Posted by | Wed, Jul 01, 2009 - 05:56 PM
China delays requirement Web-filtering software on PCs
Under pressure from the U.S. government, the global tech industry and its own citizens, the Chinese government has delayed a controversial mandate set to kick in today that would require all new personal computers to be loaded with Web-filtering software capable of blocking pornography and objectionable political sites.
The Chinese government has long campaigned against Internet content it considers detrimental to society. Last week, some of Google's services in China were temporarily shut down, apparently by the government, although it never acknowledges when it blocks Web sites or services. Chinese officials have accused the search engine of contaminating the country with pornography. The Green Dam announcement triggered relief among tech executives, though most remained mum, apparently out of fear of antagonizing China while the issue remains unresolved. Representatives of Hewlett-Packard and Dell would not directly comment on the Chinese government's decision.
Posted by | Wed, Jul 01, 2009 - 09:46 AM
VIA to issue 170 million stocks
VIA Technologies hopes to raise NT$3.57 billion (US$108.84 million) through issuing 170 million stocks with each valued at NT$21, according to a company filing with the Taiwan Stock Exchange (TSE).
The company will keep 17 million stocks for subscription by employees and another 17 million for public subscription. The remaining 136 million stocks will be offered to current shareholders based on their current stake. Unclaimed stocks designated for employees and existing shareholders may be reassigned at the discretion of the company chairman.
Posted by | Wed, Jul 01, 2009 - 09:43 AM
June 30 News from Around the Web
A look at the AMD Phenom II TWKR Black Edition @ Neoseeker and other reviews from around the web can be found by visiting our forums!
"So in what different are the internals compared to the Phenom II X4 955? Since it is geared toward the extreme overclocking crowd, it is a high SIDD chip. This is an engineering term which means it has a high leakage. In simpler words, the TWKR processors can be supplied more voltage, thus power, and handle it without any glitch."
Posted by | Tue, Jun 30, 2009 - 02:22 PM
Micron Introduces 34nm NAND Flash Products
Micron today introduced new 34nm NAND products, including mass production of a 16Gb chip and a newly architected 32Gb chip. Also as part of the announcement, Lexar will introduce two new products leveraging Micron’s new 34nm NAND die including a 16GB microSDHC and a 32GB SDHC flash card. The new Lexar Platinum II 32GB Secure Digital High Capacity (SDHC) memory card that uses 34nm NAND Flash is pictured below.
Micron’s new 16- and 32-gigabit (Gb) NAND chips pair large capacity with performance, providing a compelling solution for today’s demanding portable storage requirements that are tailored to end-customer product dimensions. The newly architected 32Gb multi-level cell (MLC) NAND chip is 17 percent smaller than Micron’s first-generation 32Gb chip. The 16Gb MLC NAND chip, at just 84mm², provides high-capacity in an ultra tiny package. Micron is also now sampling 8- and 16Gb single-level cell (SLC) NAND chips using the 34nm process. Additionally, Lexar Media, Inc. – a subsidiary of Micron and a leading provider of consumer memory products for digital devices – is taking advantage of Micron’s new 34nm NAND products by delivering a wide range of flash memory cards and USB flash drives utilizing this technology.
Posted by | Tue, Jun 30, 2009 - 10:28 AM
Mozilla Firefox 3.5 Has Been Relased with HTML 5 Support
Version 3.5 has been, relatively speaking, long in the making. It began its life as what was intended to be a quick and modest upgrade to Firefox 3.0, but the version number expanded along with Mozilla's ambitions for the software. And it is indeed an important release, both because of competitors and because of new Firefox 3.5 features. Be sure to download it here
Firefox 3.5 has a host of improvements, some the sort of thing people can notice immediately and some plumbing improvements that could help the Web in the long run. With a release in 70 languages, a lot of people will be able to try. Under the covers but providing a direct benefit it TraceMonkey, the new engine that runs Web page programs written in the common JavaScript language. That will mean Web applications such as Google Docs get faster today and, if JavaScript speed improvements continue, more sophisticated tomorrow.
Posted by | Tue, Jun 30, 2009 - 10:08 AM
Super Talent Announces IDE Flash Disk Module (FDM) SSD Drives
Super Talent Technology today began shipping a new line of IDE flash disk modules (FDMs), primarily developed for embedded computing applications, that deliver unmatched reliability and fast transfer speeds. This line of FDMs supports sequential read speeds up to 80 MB/sec and sequential write speeds up to 60 MB/sec (SLC models) or up to 40 MB/sec (MLC products). The company offers different models using 40- and 44-pin female IDE connectors in both horizontal and vertical formats.
These FDMs, also known as disk on module (DOM), are made first and foremost for extreme reliability in embedded computing applications. They incorporate a standard IDE hard drive interface and use solid state NAND flash as the storage media. With no moving parts, these FDMs will have a very long worry-free usable life in harsh manufacturing environments where hard drives would not survive, such as areas exposed to high levels of dust, shock, vibration or extreme temperatures. Super Talent included wear leveling, ECC and bad bit management as standard features to further enhance reliability and endurance.
Posted by | Mon, Jun 29, 2009 - 07:54 PM
EVGA Release SLI Enhancement Pack
EVGA has release an enhancement patch aimed towards SLI users who may be playing games that do not have a SLI profile supported in the latest driver.
EVGA has now released the first version of the EVGA SLI Enhancement! This unofficial patch enables temporary SLI support in the latest games. In order to quickly enhance SLI Profile issues that come up with any new demo or game release; EVGA has decided to publicly release this update to patch add any SLI profiles so you can take full advantage of SLI right now!
Posted by | Mon, Jun 29, 2009 - 07:54 PM
ASUS RT-N16 Wireless-N Gigabit Router Announced
ASUS today announced the ASUS RT-N16, a technologically-advanced wireless router with a host of intuitive, easy-to-use features. ASUS RT-N16 is a Wireless-N Gigabit Router offering three "S's"—Speed for ultra-fast data transfers, Simplicity for unparalleled ease-of-use and ease-of-setup, and Security for absolute peace of mind when performing online tasks.
The ASUS RT-N16 supports the latest Wireless-N Local Area Networking standard for wireless communication. Home users and businesses can experience the ultimate in wireless performance with data speeds up to 300Mbps. Combined with its powerful CPU, the ASUS RT-N16 delivers maximum bandwidth, ensuring effortless synchronous file transfers and downloads, flawless video streaming, incredibly low-ping wireless gaming, and VoIP calls with minimized jitter. Equipped with ample 128MB DDR2 video memory, it delivers exceptional multi-tasking with no system lag. Four Gigabit Ethernet ports are available for faster transfer of data-intensive files. Additionally, two USB ports enable the creation of a secure network for sharing photos, data, audio visual files, and network resources such as printers or storage devices.
Posted by | Mon, Jun 29, 2009 - 04:47 PM
Could Acer Really Pass Up Dell?
This year, Acer appears poised to overtake Dell as the world’s second-largest seller of personal computers, which would put a real dent into one of America’s favorite dorm-to-empire business stories. And if this comes to pass, Acer would trail only Hewlett-Packard; no computer company based outside the United States has ever climbed so high.
Acer’s ascent has accelerated during the global economic slowdown. The company made an aggressive move into the market for netbooks — the small, low-cost laptops that have been a rare bright spot during the worst slump the PC industry has ever faced. Dell, which depends far more on PC sales to businesses, has struggled as companies have avoided buying new computers. Last year, Acer’s market share grew by 3 percentage points, to 10.9 percent, while Dell gained just 0.1 percentage point, to 15 percent, according to the research company IDC. Acer has continued to narrow that gap this year, claiming 11.6 percent of the market to Dell’s 13.6 percent through the first quarter.
New York Times Technology News
Posted by | Mon, Jun 29, 2009 - 12:55 PM
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