Legit Reviews News History
January 31st News From Around the Web
Wednesday's News From Around the Web
"We have with us a pair of cards from HIS, one the Radeon 1650XT and the other a Radeon 1950PRO. We will see what these particular cards from HIS have to offer us along with what card is best for you. If you’re on an LCD monitor that only supports a resolution as high as 1280 x 1024, is it worth the extra money to move to the X1950PRO? We’ll discuss this and more."
Posted by | Wed, Jan 31, 2007 - 11:40 AM
Census Bureau to go high-tech for 2010 census count
In the upcoming 2010 census, the Census Bureau for the first time will equip its temporary work force of 500,000 people with hand-held computers made by Harris Corp., to help them make a more precise count of more than 300 million people living in the 50 states and Puerto Rico.
In 2002, Harris, a defense contractor and communications company, won the $600 million contract for the Field Data Collection Automation program, as well as a contract for mapping. Other companies, such as Dell Inc., Sprint Nextel Corp., Oracle Corp., will provide software and equipment to collect and store data.
Posted by | Wed, Jan 31, 2007 - 08:41 AM
AMD lawyer sees `retreat' in antitrust enforcement
An attorney for Advanced Micro Devices, longtime foe of chip giant Intel, said Tuesday that regulators are less aggressive in going after monopolistic practices in the United States in recent years.
``Right now from a business perspective, it appears, frankly, that there has been a retreat from Section 2 enforcement,'' said Tom McCoy, executive vice president of legal affairs at AMD of Sunnyvale, referring to the part of the Sherman Act that prohibits monopolization. McCoy made his comments during a day of informational hearings held by U.S. regulators on monopolistic behavior.
Posted by | Wed, Jan 31, 2007 - 08:37 AM
Windows Vista's hyped security will be tested by hackers
Computer hackers are off and running trying to find vulnerabilities in Microsoft Corp.'s new Windows Vista operating system, putting to test the software maker's claim that it is the most secure Windows program ever.
Vista's comes with built-in anti-spyware software, and new account controls curb the ability of users to unintentionally install harmful programs. The high-end versions come with a feature called BitLocker that encrypts a computer's hard drive in the case of a lost or stolen machine. Windows Vista runs over 50 million lines of software code and Redmond, Washington-based Microsoft invested $6 billion to develop the first new operating system since it released Windows XP in October 2001.
Posted by | Wed, Jan 31, 2007 - 08:35 AM
Editorial - Don’t stick a fork in AMD
With all the vigor and exactness of stock market analysts explaining a one-point shift in the Dow Jones Industrial Average, pundits are penning obits for AMD in the aftermath of Sun Microsystems’ recent decision to buy chips from Intel. Poor AMD: first Core microarchitecture, the looming doom of quad-core Core, and now the defection of its sole first-tier monogamous mate. Talk about your slings and arrows of outrageous fortune.
Sun did not dump AMD; AMD will continue to supply Sun Microsystems with enterprise-grade x86 server CPUs. Sun found in Intel a cheap second source of supply for x86 microprocessors. There is a place in the market for a chipmaker that can jump the buzzword bar without actually meeting the requirements of the technology that the buzzword was meant to describe. For example, to Intel, multicore means pasting multiple discrete CPUs onto a chip-shaped carrier, and a server CPU is a desktop CPU with bigger cache. There is a place in the market for a cut-rate player, and it’s not like Intel’s CPUs are junk. As I’ve said, Core is Intel’s best work to date. But Intel has to keep current x86 owners coming back for Core 2.01 and Core 2.1.
Posted by | Wed, Jan 31, 2007 - 08:33 AM
Sweden to open 'Second Life' embassy
Sweden plans to be the first country to open an embassy in the popular virtual world Second Life. "It will have answers to questions on all aspects of Sweden," Olle Wastberg, general director of the Swedish Institute, an organization that promotes the country's image abroad, said Tuesday.
The embassy will be called House of Sweden and will be modeled on the country's new embassy in Washington. It will open in a couple of weeks. Second Life, created by Linden Lab, opened to the public in 2003. The publisher says the online world now has more than 3 million inhabitants from around the globe.
Posted by | Wed, Jan 31, 2007 - 08:32 AM
Intel's Santa Rosa-supporting CPUs to be available in May
Intel is preparing to release new Core 2 Duo mobile CPUs with 800MHz front-side bus (FSB) speeds optimized for its upcoming Santa Rosa platform in May, according to sources at Taiwan notebook makers. The new processors will include the T7770, T7500, T7300 and T7100, and are expected have prices varying between US$209 and US$530.
Santa Rosa is the codename for Intel's fourth-generation Centrino platform for notebook PCs. Santa Rosa is believed to include new mobile versions of Intel's 965 Express and ICH8 chipset family with support for increased 800MHz FSB speeds and Intel's updated integrated graphics engine, the GMA X3000, the recently announced draft-n based 4965AGN wireless card, and flash RAM based caching technology (codenamed Robson). Santa Rosa is expected to be launched under the platform brands, Centrino Pro and Centrino Duo.
Posted by | Wed, Jan 31, 2007 - 08:29 AM
Microsoft Vista Charged With Breaking Games
Just 24 hours after the lavish launch party for Vista , a former Microsoft engineer has charged that a glitch in the new version of Windows makes it impossible to run hundreds of popular online and downloadable games. "Hundreds, maybe thousands, of games are broken -- even on Microsoft's own site," says Alex St. John, now CEO of WildTangent, which distributes games to PC manufacturers and via its own Web site.
St. John, who led Microsoft's efforts to ensure that older games were compatible with Windows 95, said the root of the problem is in Vista's heightened security features. Simply put, the software doesn't seem to differentiate between noxious "malware" and innocent games. The software's parental control feature, for example, screens out family-friendly games that aren't rated, he said, adding that getting a grade from the Entertainment Software Rating Board is a hefty expense for smaller developers.
Posted by | Tue, Jan 30, 2007 - 08:53 PM
OCZ Technology Launches 4GB Dual Channel Memory Kits at 667MHz
OCZ Technology Group today announced their Vista Value Upgrade series which includes the highly anticipated 4GB (2x2048MB) dual channel kit. The new lineup of memory is optimized for perfect compatibility for those transitioning from Microsoft Windows XP to Vista.
The OCZ Vista Upgrade series will be available in both DDR2-667 and DDR2-800. For gamers shifting to Vista and who prefer the performance of high speed memory, the PC2-6400 Vista Upgrade 2GB kit is the ultimate upgrade from 1GB of RAM. As a Vista up-grader, the PC2-5400 4GB dual channel kit will provide maximum memory bandwidth and deliver the most efficient operation possible.
Posted by | Tue, Jan 30, 2007 - 08:39 PM
Kingston Unveils New DataTraveler for Windows ReadyBoost
ngston Technology Company has announced the global availability of its new DataTraveler ReadyFlash USB 2.0 Flash drive for use in Windows Vista-based systems. ReadyFlash is enhanced for Windows ReadyBoost and was designed and tested by Kingston based on precise performance specifications outlined by Microsoft. Kingston’s DataTraveler ReadyFlash (DTR) meets required Microsoft specifications and is available through Kingston’s global channel of distributors, resellers, e-tailers and retailers.
“Kingston is dedicated to providing our customers with memory solutions based on the latest technologies available such as Microsoft’s new Windows Vista operating system,” said Mark Akoubian, product manager, Kingston. While adding system memory is the best way to increase performance, Windows ReadyBoost allows one’s system to utilize a memory source in addition to DRAM for processing data and applications. For instance, if a notebook has a maximum memory capacity of 1 GB installed, Windows ReadyBoost allows for usage of a Flash memory device, such as DataTraveler ReadyFlash as a more responsive storage medium for Windows ReadyBoost cache.
Posted by | Tue, Jan 30, 2007 - 11:20 AM
Corsair Announces 2GB DDR2-667 SODIMM Memory Modules
Corsair today unveiled production-ready 2GB DDR2-667 (PC5300) ValueSelect SODIMMs. Designed for current generation notebooks and mini-PCs, the new high density SODIMMs allow users to maximize memory bandwidth and minimize performance bottleneck to deliver superior user experience. The Corsair ValueSelect SODIMMs are optimized for Microsoft Windows VistaTM client operating system.
“Current notebooks typically support up to 4GB of system memory when using a 64-bit operating system but feature only two memory slots. With this limitation in mind, it means users have to use 2GB SODIMM modules in order to maximize memory capacity. Having more memory in the notebook is vital in delivering a faster system response time and a smoother user experience,” said Richard Hashim, Director of Product Marketing at Corsair. “For those looking to transition to Vista, the 2GB modules allows instant upgrade of current notebooks to be Vista Ready and delivers Vista premium experiences.”
Posted by | Tue, Jan 30, 2007 - 11:19 AM
Microsoft debuts Vista in marketing blitz
Microsoft Corp. rolled out Windows Vista at retailers in 70 countries on Tuesday, delivering a PC operating system that aims to better manage the explosion of digital media and protect users from the dangers of the Internet.
Vista, which required a $6 billion investment from Microsoft, will be installed on more than 100 million PCs worldwide, according to research reports. Gates strayed from the technology of the product to proclaim that Vista's capabilities would be used to put online Leonardo da Vinci's famous Codex Arundel and Codex Leicester notebooks, making available the artist's drawings, mirror writing and theories to the public. The Codex Arundel is held at the library, while Gates owns the Codex Leicester after he paid $30 million for the manuscript in 1994.
Posted by | Tue, Jan 30, 2007 - 11:16 AM
FBI turns to broad new internet wiretap method
The FBI appears to have adopted an invasive Internet surveillance technique that collects far more data on innocent Americans than previously has been disclosed. Instead of recording only what a particular suspect is doing, agents conducting investigations appear to be assembling the activities of thousands of Internet users at a time into massive databases, according to current and former officials. That database can subsequently be queried for names, e-mail addresses or keywords.
Such a technique is broader and potentially more intrusive than the FBI's Carnivore surveillance system, later renamed DCS1000. It raises concerns similar to those stirred by widespread Internet monitoring that the National Security Agency is said to have done, according to documents that have surfaced in one federal lawsuit, and may stretch the bounds of what's legally permissible. Call it the vacuum-cleaner approach.
Posted by | Tue, Jan 30, 2007 - 11:15 AM
Intel moves up schedule for Pentium E2000
According to sources familiar with Intel's plans, the company plans to move forward its production schedule for the 65nm Pentium E2000 dual-core series and Celeron 400 series (430 and 440) processors from the third quarter of this year to the second quarter, and Intel will increase its 65nm processor production ratio to over 90% by the end of the year.
However, Intel may not be able to push the schedule for its 45nm mobile CPUs (Penryn). Despite the chip giant stating it already has five early-version products up and running, market watches have forecast that Intel will only have a low production ratio of its 45nm series processors by the end of 2007, and those products will most likely occupy the high-end of the market. The sources also noted that 45nm quad-core processor (Yorkfield) and dual-core (Wolfdale) parts will not be officially launched until the first quarter in 2008.
Posted by | Tue, Jan 30, 2007 - 11:13 AM
Verizon Rejects Apple iPhone
Verizon has declined a deal presented by Apple stating that Apple was too strict in its terms, mostly financial, to give Verizon the chance to be the sole distributer of the iPhone. Cingular is not commenting on the terms of its pending agreement with Apple.
NEW YORK — Verizon Wireless, the No. 2 U.S. cellphone carrier, passed on the chance to be the exclusive distributor of the iPhone almost two years ago, balking at Apple's rich financial terms and other demands. Among other things, Apple wanted a percentage of the monthly cellphone fees, say over how and where iPhones could be sold and control of the relationship with iPhone customers, said Jim Gerace, a Verizon Wireless vice president. "We said no. We have nothing bad to say about the Apple iPhone. We just couldn't reach a deal that was mutually beneficial."
Posted by | Tue, Jan 30, 2007 - 09:40 AM
Infineon Swings to a Profit - Revenue of $2.75 billion
Infineon Technologies swung to a profit in its fiscal first quarter, as strong sales in its recently divested memory business helped offset challenges in its wireless business. The German chipmaker on Monday reported revenue of 2.13 billion euros, or $2.75 billion, in its fiscal first quarter, compared with 1.67 billion euros a year ago.
Infineon's net income was 120 million euros, or 0.15 euros a share, vs. a net loss a year ago of 183 million euros. Infineon CEO Wolfgang Ziebart said Infineon's first-quarter results came out better than expected in a "challenging" operating environment. Shares of Infineon were up 1.1%, or 16 cents, at $14.55.
Posted by | Mon, Jan 29, 2007 - 02:43 PM
January 29th News From Around the Web
Monday's News from Around the Web
Finally, it was possible to find out the appropriate pins for the Socket AM2 processors and the first interactive AMD Athlon 64 Socket AM2 pinmod guide is published on ocinside.de. It concerns - as in the previous AMD Socket A, S754 and S939 pin mod guidances - to connect CPU pins with a small wire. Hereby e.g. the CPU voltage (Vcore) can be changed, in order to reach higher CPU overclocking results. In the first version, the interactive pinmod guide offers already an increasement of the CPU voltage up to 1.550 Volt (also on PC startup), which is awesome to overclock a well cooled processor. And depending on the used motherboard it is even possible to get a Vcore up to 1.900 Volt !
Posted by | Mon, Jan 29, 2007 - 01:47 PM
Catalyst 7.1 is available for download on 32-bit Windows Vista Systems
ATI has released their first official driver for Windows Vista, but hold tight as it's only for the 32-bit operating system and has some minor issues that will be worked out over time. The driver can run Crossfire, but it's available for Direct3D only. Future driver versions will support OpenGL and Vista 64-bit edition according to ATI. This driver should be enough to hold Vista users over till next months Catalyst 7.2 release, which will more than likely address some of these issues.
Catalyst 7.1 introduces the ability to playback Blu-ray and HD DVD protected high definition content under Windows Vista 32-bit edition. It also introduces Crossfire support for the entire ATI Radeon X1000 product series under Microsoft Vista. Users will see significant performance gains in a number of applications when running in Crossfire mode under Windows Vista.
Posted by | Mon, Jan 29, 2007 - 12:08 PM
No More Clean Installs Using Upgrade Discs With Windows Vista
When it comes to the Windows Vista, Microsoft is changing a long-standing tradition when it comes to upgrading from a previous version of Windows. No longer will popping in a disc of a previous version of Windows during setup satisfy the people in Redmond when using an upgrade CD.
Microsoft has cut out this process for Windows Vista and forces users who buy an upgrade CD to actually have a valid install of Windows XP Home or Professional on their machines before upgrading. For most users, this wouldn't be a problem. They more than likely have an existing copy of Windows XP installed and would have no problems upgrading to Windows Vista with an upgrade CD.
Posted by | Mon, Jan 29, 2007 - 08:14 AM
Internet to revolutionize TV in 5 years: Gates
he Internet is set to revolutionize television within five years, due to an explosion of online video content and the merging of PCs and TV sets, Microsoft chairman Bill Gates said on Saturday.
"I'm stunned how people aren't seeing that with TV, in five years from now, people will laugh at what we've had," he told business leaders and politicians at the World Economic Forum. The rise of high-speed Internet and the popularity of video sites like Google Inc.'s YouTube has already led to a worldwide decline in the number hours spent by young people in front of a TV set.
Posted by | Mon, Jan 29, 2007 - 08:13 AM