Legit Reviews News History
Xbox LIVE Gold Free Today Through Monday
All Xbox LIVE regions except Europe will have free access to Gold services from November 20th at 12:00PM ET / 9:00AM PT until November 23rd at the same time. Europe's getting it too, of course, just a couple days later, and for a slightly longer time period--from November 25th to November 30th. If you want to see if Xbox LIVE Gold is worth paying for, now is your chance, though these promotions occur several times throughout the year.
Microsoft wants you on Xbox LIVE for the weekend with, of course, a view toward forever, and it's prepared to temporarily waive the cover fee to grab your attention. Xbox LIVE Gold-tier membership usually costs $50 a year and provides access to features like online multiplayer, Facebook, Twitter, Last.FM, and Netflix for starters. Xbox LIVE Silver members who pay nothing save the time it takes to register a free account are by contrast left to nibble on skeletal features like online gamer profiles and friends lists, but otherwise have to stand at the window looking in.
Posted by | Fri, Nov 20, 2009 - 03:11 PM
Patriot Announces PS-100 Series SSDs
Patriot Memory this week announced the release of their new PS-100 Series Solid State Drives. The 2.5” drives will come in a four flavors of different sized drives from 32GB up to 256GB. These hard drives should be available now just in time for your holiday shopping!
The PS-100 is the latest in Patriot's "cache" based SSD drives and has been targeted for cost-conscious consumers pursuing performance and reliability without having to empty their bank account. The 2.5" SSD makes use of a 64GB cache, power consumption of 5.3W when operating, and .5W when in standby mode; an option that is sure to attract notebook and laptop users alike. The PS-100 boosts sequential read speeds of up to 210MB/s, with sequential write speeds up to 150MB/s, another feature that will be attractive to end users. The low power consumption of the PS-100 drives extends battery life on notebooks and netbooks while the performance reduces system boot times and application load times improving overall system responsiveness.
Posted by | Fri, Nov 20, 2009 - 02:18 PM
Introducing the Thecus i8500 iSCSI Storage Device
With upwards of 10 different RAID modes, onboard Intel® Xscale IOP Processor and 1GB of DDR RAM, this is a powerful storage unit with major corporations in mind offering impressive data protection.
Storing, securing, and managing data is vital for virtually every business today. This is why companies require storage solutions that deliver on all of these fronts while remaining cost effective. For these users, Thecus® Technology, a worldwide leader in digital storage, is pleased to introduce the i8500 Storage Device, a cutting-edge data storage solution for the enterprise user.
Posted by | Fri, Nov 20, 2009 - 12:37 PM
ASUS Announces Eee PC 1201N Multimedia Netbook
Eee PC users get more power under the hood of their netbook, thanks to nvidia's ION platform coupled with an Intel Atom 330 Dual Core Processor. Other specifications to note are that it ships with windows 7, has a screen size of 12.1" with the ability to output media at 1080p via HDMI, weighing in at a mere 3.22lbs. It seems netbooks aren't just for emails anymore.
ASUS has launched the Eee PC™ 1201N, a multimedia netbook sporting an Intel® Atom™ 330 dual core processor and an NVIDIA® ION™ graphics processor that delivers a level of performance never before seen on netbooks. The stylish Eee PC™ 1201N also offers exceptional typing comfort through a full-sized ergonomic chiclet keyboard, and comes with a total of 750GB* hybrid storage to house and host massive multimedia collections.
Posted by | Fri, Nov 20, 2009 - 12:26 PM
Xbox Modders Unite in Class Action Suit
Texas-based law firm AbingtonIP is organizing a class-action suit against Microsoft over the company's ban on modified Xboxes. The law firm says that Microsoft conveniently timed these bans to coincide with the release of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 and Halo 3: ODST and as a result, Microsoft earned tons of subscription revenue and game sales before banning the users. Of course the question is, was this action illegal? The firm is recruiting plaintiffs looking for people who have had their Xbox banned from Xbox Live and haven't been given a refund for their remaining subscription.
"Although modification of Xbox consoles is arguably against the terms of use for Xbox/Xbox Live, Microsoft 'conveniently' timed the Xbox console ban to coincide with the release of the new Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 game and less than two months after the release of the very popular Halo 3: ODST game," says the firm. According to AbingtonIP, Microsoft has also misapplied the ban, locking out users who had modified their Xboxes for reasons other than piracy. It's also been obtaining information from Xbox consoles without the permission of the owner, it claims.
Posted by | Fri, Nov 20, 2009 - 09:23 AM
Google Chrome Plans to Leave Microsoft and the Desktop Behind
One of the biggest draws to this is that it is totally 100% web based!
Google stole the tech and media spotlight today as it revealed a mountain of new details about Chrome OS, the company’s new operating system due in late 2010. It is a completely different type of OS (we provide a summary of how) that eliminates the desktop and focuses on getting you on the web quickly and efficiently.
Posted by | Fri, Nov 20, 2009 - 09:18 AM
Google Chrome OS Available as Free VMWare Download
For those of you itching to have a go at the Google Chrome OS, here is your chance to begin playing before the standalone is available.
Google finally dishes the dirt on Chrome OS, and now you can even download the forthcoming software to have a fiddle with yourself. It's completely free, though you'll need VMWare running atop a Windows, Linux or OS X installation to make the magic happen. Naturally, we've been considerate enough to provide download links for everything you'll require at the source below, so get those fingers clicking.
Posted by | Fri, Nov 20, 2009 - 07:34 AM
November 20 News from Around the Web
Sapphire Radeon HD 5970 OC Review @ OCC and other reviews from around the web can be found by visiting our forums!
"Overall, I was able to run the card higher than the clock speeds on the HD 5870 for a nice increase in performance, but to do so brought out the fan noise that ATI reference cards always bring to the table when you bump up the fan for additional cooling. I was able to reach clock speeds of 890MHz on the core and 1260MHz on the memory, with power consumption peaking at 486 watts on the system under load with temperatures that reached 69 degrees Celsius. The vapor chamber cooling does its job keeping this behemoth cool! Not too bad on the clocks and temperatures, but as an enthusiast you always want more performance with less power."
Posted by | Fri, Nov 20, 2009 - 07:33 AM
Sony Ericsson goes see through
SONY ERICSSON is launching an elite addition to its Xperia range, the new phone, named Pureness still has many aspects left unknown, but seems to be a promising release from Sony having a revolutionary, clear screen. Though it will be launched in the UK at an event being held at Selfridges in London next week, it will likely have a pretty painful price tag for most.
The Pureness is essentially a pretty standard candy bar feature phone, but it does have a transparent screen and also includes a 24-hour concierge service to ensure you're always booked into the best restaurants, health clubs, concerts, plays, events and nightclubs.
Posted by | Thu, Nov 19, 2009 - 02:45 PM
Fake Payment Request Attack Ramps Up
Trojan-holding emails are far from new, but there is one style in particular that is more widespread than most, one to request a verification for payment to a major company, but instead carries a Trojan. Beware of any email that asks you to download a file you did not request yourself, that is allegedly from a company.
E-mail security company Cloudmark reports seeing more than 1.6 million of the attack e-mails, which bear a subject of "payment request from" followed by a company name such as eBay or J. P. Morgan Chase and Co. The body of the message says that to decline the payment, the recipient must download and install an attached "transaction inspector module."
Posted by | Thu, Nov 19, 2009 - 02:34 PM
Google Chrome OS Source Code Now Available For Download
Today on twitter Google released the Source Code for the anticipated operating system named "Chrome OS". the source code can be downloaded here. for more info on the Google Chrome OS and web browser watch the Webcast of the full press conference and see the progress the Chrome web browser has made since its release and the plans for its future.
The source code for Google Chrome OS is available for download now and is ready to be explored. A Twitter update from Google employee Matt Cutts detailed where you can download the source code. The download comes just minutes before Google is to show off the operating system to the world.
Posted by | Thu, Nov 19, 2009 - 02:25 PM
Capcom Announces Resident Evil 5: Gold Edition and New DLC
Capcom confirmed today that a variety of new content for Resident Evil 5 will be available for the Xbox 360 and PS3 next year. Capcom also plans on releasing two new downloadable episodes, a bunch of new costumes, and a new “Mercenaries Reunion” mode featuring 8 new playable characters and weapon load outs. For more information on Resident Evil 5: Gold Edition and the downloadable content, visit Capcom-Unity.
A little while back we asked you about how you wanted the new content for RE5, and we were definitely surprised to see the results. With that, we have a special announcement: Resident Evil 5: Gold Edition. You'll be able to pick up all the new content that will be available as DLC in a boxed copy for your PS3 or 360. It includes the original game, as well as the extra content for $49.99. Both PS3 and 360 versions will hit shelves on 3/9/10.
Posted by | Thu, Nov 19, 2009 - 11:46 AM
Intel Makes Multi-Million Euro Investment to Create Research
Researchers at a new European Intel lab will explore computers with a thousand times the performance of today's fastest supercomputers. Effort is part of Intel Labs Europe, Intel
Intel will support the Exascale Computing Research Center with a multi-million Euro investment over a 3-year period. The French Atomic Energy Commission (Commissariat l'Énergie Atomique), the Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines University (Université de Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines) and the French National High-Performance Computing Agency (Grand Equipement National de Calcul Intensif) will combine to match Intel’s contribution. This is Intel’s first joint lab in Europe focused exclusively on high-performance computing. It will complement and extend Intel’s existing high-performance computing research programs, investments and initiatives, including the Intel Academic Community Program and European Space Agency’s “Mapping the Globe from Space” project.
Posted by | Thu, Nov 19, 2009 - 10:56 AM
Ultimate NVIDIA Themed Gaming System
NVIDIA employee (and former hardware editor) Paul Jastrzebski is auctioning off an “Ultimate NVIDIA Themed Gaming Systems” on eBay with 100% of the proceeds going to The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. They system features a custom NVIDIA themed paint job, watercooling, and much, much more. Jastrzebski organized this project as a way to raise money for blood cancer research after a close friend of his was diagnosed with multiple myeloma, a devastating blood cancer.
One of the fastest, most tricked out PCs ever built has just been put up for auction on eBay. With a one of a kind NVIDIA themed paint job created by Smooth Creations, the system features two watercooled GeForce GTX 295 graphics cards in SLI, NVIDIA 3D Vision Glasses and Samsung 2233RZ 3D Vision Ready Display, an Intel Core i7 975 Extreme Edition CPU, 12GB of Crucial Ballistix DDR3 Memory, an ASUS Rampage II Gene X58 Motherboard, two 256GB Crucial SSD Hard Drives in Raid 0, two 1TB Western Digital Caviar Black Hard Drives, and more.
Posted by | Thu, Nov 19, 2009 - 10:12 AM
Patriot Box Office HD Media Player Review
Today, Legit Reviews looks at the $99 Patriot Box Office HD Media Player that frees your digital media library from the constraints of a PC and bridges digital media to your home entertainment system. The Box Office also supports the most popular media formats (H.264, ISO, VOB, DivX, xVid, MKV, MOV, MPEG and more) so you can play what you want, where you want to! Read on to see how this recently released media player does!
Of course we have seen Patriot memory products for a while here at Legit Reviews, so we were pretty excited to hear that Patriot was introducing a media player that supports our favorite audio and video formats. The Patriot Box Office has support for USB storage devices with three USB ports, as well as room for an onboard 2.5” SSD or HDD. The Box Office outputs it’s HD video via its HDMI or Composite outputs. With the Box Office’s full-sized remote control, support for UPnP, Dolby Digital and DTS surround sound, it looks like Patriot has really put together a nice looking box.
Posted by | Thu, Nov 19, 2009 - 09:52 AM
ATI 5970 Cards Sold Out In Hours
If you are looking for a Radeon 5970 card, or 5800 series card for that matter, be prepared to wait awhile. With the Christmas season fast approaching, demand will only increase.
ATI has reported that due to component shortages prior to the release, original shipments of the 5970 cards were modest. Given that the $600 price is out of reach for many, there was some speculation on whether or not the 5970 cards would sell out. Speculation is over as the cards are listed at e-tailers but nary a card in stock can be found.
Posted by | Thu, Nov 19, 2009 - 09:20 AM
PC Gaming Hardware Forecast to Reach $27 Billion in 2010
Jon Peddie Research (JPR), the industry's research and consulting firm for graphics and multimedia, today announced the market forecast for PC gaming hardware, and the results are better than previously expected. Due to significant growth across all major markets the worldwide PC gaming hardware market is expected to skyrocket 30% in 2010. This is great news for the entire PC industry!
The worldwide PC gaming hardware market (systems, accessories, and upgrades) is forecasted to gain $1.2 billion for 2009, which is a 5.9% increase versus 2008 (from $20.07 to $21.26 billion). The increase is due to higher than anticipated consumer demand for Enthusiast, Performance, and Mainstream hardware influenced by the ability to play video games ranging from casual to hardcore simulations.
Posted by | Thu, Nov 19, 2009 - 08:35 AM
Superior Storage Solutions with Thecus & Intel
Every day, business and family around the world need to store, secure, and manage copious amounts of data. As the size of these digital grow, so must their data storage capabilities, which is why Thecus NAS devices are the ideal choice for small business and home. Featuring Intel technology, these state-of-the-art digital storage devices redefine NAS technology, combining performance, security, reliability, and convenience all-in-one.
With a Thecus NAS, you can centralize your company’s documents, spreadsheets, presentations, and marketing materials, so that employees have instant access to the tools they need. And with Intel processor technology, multiple clients can access and write data simultaneously, hiccup-free. Any way you slice it, Thecus NAS devices with Intel Inside are the ultimate NAS solution for the small offices and Sohos.
Posted by | Thu, Nov 19, 2009 - 08:24 AM
AT&T Loses Lawsuit
All AT&T wanted for Christmas was an end to Verizon's "There is a map for that" commercials. Well, they are not going to get what they wanted!
AT&T has lost the first battle in a legal war against Verizon Wireless to force the company to stop showing advertisements that compare its 3G wireless network coverage with Verizon's coverage. A federal judge in Atlanta on Wednesday declined to grant AT&T a temporary restraining order that would force Verizon to stop showing the ads.
Posted by | Thu, Nov 19, 2009 - 08:22 AM
November 19 News from Around the Web
Antec Notebook Cooler 200 @ Benchmark Reviews and other reviews from around the web can be found by visiting our forums!
Convection is when moving air transfers heat to or from a surface. This is the method used by most laptop coolers to keep your CPU, GPU and other critical components from overheating. There are three major factors to effective cooling (or heating), namely temperature difference, surface area, and air flow. Any differences in these factors will lead to differences in performance, even for the same cooler. The Benchmark Reviews team tries hard to provide you with fair and repeatable testing. The Antec Notebook Cooler 200 uses all three factors to achieve effective cooling with minimal power. Our tests show which of those factors makes the biggest difference. We also consider ergonomics, looks and quality.
Posted by | Thu, Nov 19, 2009 - 07:39 AM
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