Legit Reviews News History
Did Muslix64 Crack the DRM on HD DVD and Blu-Ray Movies?
The companies behind an encryption system for high-definition DVDs are looking into a hacker's claim that he has cracked the code protecting the new discs from piracy, a spokesman for one of the companies said on Thursday. A hacker known as Muslix64 posted on the Internet details of how he unlocked the encryption, known as the Advanced Access Content System, which prevents high-definition discs from illegal copying by restricting which devices can play them.
The AACS system was developed by companies including Walt Disney Co., Intel Corp., Microsoft Corp., Toshiba Corp. and Sony Corp. to protect high-definition formats, including Toshiba's HD-DVD and Sony's Blu-ray. Muslix64 posted a video and decryption codes showing how to copy several films, including Warner Bros' "Full Metal Jacket" and Universal Studios' "Van Helsing," on a popular hacker Internet blog and a video-sharing site. The hacker also promised to post more source code on January 2 that will allow users to copy a wider range of titles.
Posted by | Fri, Dec 29, 2006 - 08:35 AM
Intel to reveal foreign info in antitrust case
Advanced Micro Devices won a small victory in its antitrust case Wednesday, prevailing on a dispute about whether Intel would share information from operations outside the United States. Concurring with AMD's request, a judicially appointed special master overseeing elements of the case had recommended on December 15 that Intel share information from foreign operations in the evidence-gathering process called discovery. On Thursday, Intel said it wouldn't fight that recommendation.
"While Intel obviously had hoped for a different outcome regarding discovery, Intel of course will comply with the special master's decision and will respond to discovery as the special master directs," an Intel attorney said in a letter to the court. Given Intel's position on foreign discovery, "We expect that to begin immediately," AMD spokesman Michael Silverman said Thursday. The case is scheduled to go to trial in April 2009, he added.
Posted by | Fri, Dec 29, 2006 - 08:32 AM
Hynix DDR shipment hijacked in Taiwan
A batch of about NT$20 million (US$306,000) worth of DDR chips (from Hynix Semiconductor) was stolen yesterday in Taoyuan, Taiwan, according to industry sources. The 20 boxes filled with DDR chips were robbed while in transit, with sources saying most of the chips were 400MHz frequency parts. This DDR chips were being delivered to distributors, though ownership of the chips is still unknown.
A Chinese-language Economic Daily News (EDN) report cited sources as saying that three robbers staged an accident with the truck transporting the chips, and then subdued the driver using a machete and taser gun. The thieves were seen headed to the airport and the batch of chips are likely headed to China, the report said. According to the latest DDR spot prices posted by DRAMeXchange, no critical price fluctuation were seen in the market.
Posted by | Fri, Dec 29, 2006 - 08:30 AM
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Posted by | Thu, Dec 28, 2006 - 10:04 PM
Decemeber 28 News from Around the Web
Have the Next Gen DVD Formats been hacked already or looking for a Mid-Range graphics card? Then today's news is for you.
Posted by | Thu, Dec 28, 2006 - 05:25 PM
Taiwan quake shakes confidence in undersea links
The earthquakes that hit Taiwan on Tuesday rocked communications in Asia and underscored the vulnerabilities of a system where huge amounts of data speed through the region in cables laid deep beneath the sea. Our traffic from Asia has dropped since the quake as it's rumored that the internet is only at 40% capacity over there right now.
The cables, which for the most part lie unprotected on the ocean floor, can be damaged by ship anchors, fish nets that scrape the sea bottom and even in one case, sharks that gnawed on a line apparently due to its electromagnetic pulse, said policy think tank Rand Corporation (www.rand.org) in a recent report. The report predicted troubles in Taiwan could lead to major disruptions because it would be difficult to reroute data overland on the island. Experts said there should be few problems in the cable systems as long as there are backup routes and carriers can cooperate in times of crisis. Analysts said the disruption showed that most of the region's cable networks run along earthquake-prone geographic zones.
Posted by | Thu, Dec 28, 2006 - 08:17 AM
AMD Live! to support Blu-ray and HD DVD in 3Q 2007
AMD Live! will start supporting Blu-ray and HD DVD in the third quarter of 2007 in line with AMD's hopes to take a bigger share of the multimedia market, according to industry sources. It looks like AMD Live! will be a boost for the blue-laser market just like the Sony PS3 has been. With the Sony PS3 and AMD Live! now support Blu-Ray, it's clear the camp has some heavy hitters now.
Both Intel and AMD are eyeing the multimedia market from slightly different angles. Intel's Viiv platform focuses on high performance CPUs and chipset specifications, while AMD gives more emphasis on the specifications of multimedia audio-visual devices, the sources said. While their common goal is to define multimedia functions on PC platforms, their share of the multimedia PC market is not high, the sources said, pointing out that major PC vendors do not give too much stress on Viiv or AMD Live! when promoting their systems.
Posted by | Thu, Dec 28, 2006 - 08:14 AM
VIA Announces EPIA Mini-ITX Platform for x86 Consumer Electronics
VIA Technologies today announced the VIA EPIA EX-Series Mini-ITX mainboards, the first of VIA’s compact platforms to feature the new VIA CX700M2 system media processor. Powered by the highly efficient 1.5GHz or fanless 1.0GHz VIA C7® processor, the VIA EPIA EX has an average operating power consumption of just 13.6 watts.
The VIA EPIA EX also boasts the VIA CX700M2 advanced system media processor, an all-in-one digital media IGP chipset integrating the VIA UniChrome™ Pro II 2D/3D graphics core and an extended array of high end video and audio technologies, including hardware decoding acceleration of MPEG-2/-4 and WMV9 video, a built-in HDTV encoder up to 1080i, 720p output, and VIA Vinyl Multi-channel HD audio for a richer listening experience. “We see the consumer electronics market increasingly adopting the x86 platform for the extra performance and comprehensive compatibility with all popular media formats, and the fully integrated, off the shelf VIA EPIA EX fills this need perfectly,” said Daniel Wu, Assistant Vice President, VIA Platform Solutions Division, VIA Technologies, Inc. “Leveraging the power efficient VIA processors and the extensive feature set of the VIA CX700M2 media system processor, the VIA EPIA EX speaks directly to the demands of CE developers.”
Posted by | Thu, Dec 28, 2006 - 08:11 AM
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Posted by | Wed, Dec 27, 2006 - 05:03 PM
YouTube generation needs more broadband speed
Technology industry experts meeting in Silicon Valley recently said broadband Internet access in the U.S. needs to improve for the "YouTube generation" to really flourish. An improved broadband network will better serve users of sites such as YouTube.com, at which millions of videos from the general public are shared online.
Although the U.S. broadband penetration rate topped 75 percent of households in September and is expected to reach 80 percent by the end of 2006, according to WebSiteOptimization.com, China is expected to surpass the U.S. as its broadband base grows rapidly. But more importantly, says Mossberg, U.S. broadband networks are generally slower than those in other countries. Faster connections will be needed to deliver full-motion video to portable devices. Services that deliver as little as 768 kilobits per second (Kbps) are considered broadband in the U.S., while services in Europe and elsewhere are much faster. "I was in a pub in Dublin, Ireland, and I was getting 30 megabits per second (Mbps), wireless. And it was free," said Greg Harper, a strategic adviser for Trans World Entertainment Inc., which operates retail music and video entertainment stores in malls and online.
Posted by | Wed, Dec 27, 2006 - 09:34 AM
Kingston revenues reach US$3.8 billion in 2006
Kingston Technology's revenues hit a record high of US$3.8 billion for 2006, with US$800 million coming from NAND flash products, according to company vice president David Sun. The 2006 revenues, which represent a 26% on-year growth, beat Kingston's previous forecast, which estimated the company's revenues would total US$3.6 billion for the year.
Although NAND flash prices plummeted during 2006, Kingston has managed to see growth in the segment, Sun said. Sun noted that NAND flash prices will continue falling next year amid increasing capacity from major makers. Despite the falling prices, Kingston's product deployment for memory cards or flash drives in 2007 has a clear focus, that is, to aggressively develop the NAND market in order to increase the company's share, according to observers. Though a relatively late comer to the NAND flash market, Kingston has managed to secure sufficient supply and maintain cost benefits due to its relationship with Toshiba, Sun had said previously.
Posted by | Wed, Dec 27, 2006 - 09:27 AM
Samsung develops new mobile memory chip
Samsung claims it has developed the first 1-gigabit DRAM (dynamic random access memory) chip for mobile products, using 80-nanometer process technology. The new chip is at least 20 percent thinner than existing chipsets that use up to two 512-megabit chips, and it uses about 30 percent less power, the company said in a press release.
Also offering a more compact form factor, the new 1Gb Mobile DRAM chip is at least 20 percent thinner than a multi-stack package of 512Mb dies, allowing a single high-density package solution of 1.5Gb or even 2Gb Mobile DRAM memory, for which market demand is expected to grow in 2007. One 1Gb mobile DRAM also can be combined with Flash memory in multi-chip packaging including package-on-package designs. Samsung plans to mass produce the new device beginning in the second quarter of 2007 at a time when demand for high-density 1Gb mobile DRAM is expected to be very high.
Posted by | Wed, Dec 27, 2006 - 09:26 AM
Madden NFL 07 Named Best Selling Game of '06
No surprise here, but EA is claiming the crown of best selling video game of 2006. With more than 5 million copies for 10 different gaming platforms sold, Madden 07 will finish the year in the #1 spot.
In its 17th year and with more than two billion in retail sales life to date, Madden NFL Football continues to stand out as the most popular football videogame franchise of all time with a combination of innovative new features and the most authentic football gameplay.
Posted by | Tue, Dec 26, 2006 - 12:54 PM
Chipmakers TSM and UMC Not Impacted By Tsunami in Taiwan
A 3-foot-high tsunami was rolling toward the east coast of the Philippines Tuesday after a large earthquake hit off the shores of Taiwan. Officials in Taiwan said the earthquake had a magnitude 6.7. The U.S. Geological Survey said the quake was a 7.1. Reports said a magnitude 6.4 aftershock followed the initial quake.
Dow Jones reported that Taiwan Semiconductor (TSM) resumed operations at its local plants and that chip foundry United Microelectronics (UMC) said its factories weren't affected.
Posted by | Tue, Dec 26, 2006 - 10:24 AM
Elpida begins mass production of DDR2 on 70nm
Elpida Memory announced that it has begun mass production of DDR2 SDRAMs in 1Gbit and 512Mbit density on 70nm technology at its main fab facility, Hiroshima Elpida Memory. First product shipments are expected to begin in the first quarter of 2007, the company said.
Elpida offers the DDR2 chips in 800MHz and 1GHz frequency. The Japanese memory maker highlighted that 70nm technology has made possible the world's smallest chip size for a 512Mbit DDR2 SDRAM. Elpida indicated that its DDR2 can be used in many applications, including high-end servers that need to process large amounts of data, high-performance mobile equipment, high-definition TVs (HDTVs), next-generation DVD recorders, digital single-lens reflex cameras and other digital consumer equipment that must have advanced image processing capabilities.
Posted by | Tue, Dec 26, 2006 - 10:21 AM
AM2 to account for 95% of AMD shipments in 1Q
Socket AM2 will account for 95% of AMD's CPU shipments in the first quarter of 2007, but the chip supplier will begin shifting its focus to AM2+ in the third quarter, according to AMD's product roadmap.
Socket 1207 will still be in the market in the first and second quarter, accounting for 5% of AMD's CPU shipments, while socket 939 will be discontinued by the end of 2006, according to the chipmaker's plan. In the third quarter of 2006, AMD will introduce its Stars family of 65nm quad-core CPUs that use socket AM2+, whose proportion of the chipmaker's shipments will climb to about 20% by the fourth quarter, and above 60% by the end of the first quarter in 2008, according to the roadmap.
Posted by | Tue, Dec 26, 2006 - 10:21 AM
The Microsoft Xbox 360 gets a longer warranty
Microsoft Corp. is extending its warranty on the Xbox 360 video game console to one year from the previous limit of 90 days. The change announced Friday applies to future and present owners. Customers who already have paid repair bills on Xbox consoles that they've owned for less than one year will automatically get refunds, Microsoft said in a statement.
The one-year warranty matches what Sony Corp. and Nintendo Co., already offer on their latest video game consoles, the PlayStation 3 and the Wii. Microsoft said it extended the deal to make its U.S. and Canadian warranty consistent with what it offered in many other countries.
Posted by | Fri, Dec 22, 2006 - 11:01 AM
Incoming Dell CFO will receive $700,000 salary
Incoming Dell Inc. vice chairman and chief financial officer Don Carty, the former American Airlines chief who left three years ago when American's parent was struggling to remain solvent, will earn $700,000 when he starts at the computer maker next month. Damn I guess they looked over my application! ;)
Details of Carty's salary, approved by Dell's board of directors, were included in a regulatory filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. By fiscal year 2008, Carty will be eligible to receive a bonus equal to 100 percent of his base salary. He also will receive a grant of 190,000 options plus another 50,000 restricted stock units, according to the filing Wednesday. He will assume his new duties Jan. 1 amid a string of problems at the computer maker, including an ongoing federal accounting probe and a possible delisting from the Nasdaq Stock Market caused by delayed earnings filings.
Posted by | Fri, Dec 22, 2006 - 10:57 AM
Sony rootkit payouts hit $5.75M
Sony BMG Music Entertainment's botched attempt to stop unauthorized music copying has cost the company another $4.25 million. Two days after reaching settlements worth $1.5 million with Texas and California, Sony agreed on Thursday to pay another 40 states the money to end investigations into its use of two copy protection programs: First 4 Internet's XCP (extended copy protection), and MediaMax, written by SunnComm International.
More than 12 million Sony BMG CDs shipped with this software last year, according to a statement from the Massachusetts Attorney General. Sony's trouble began in late 2005, when a computer science researcher disclosed that XCP used dangerous "rootkit" techniques to cloak itself after installation. Later, investigators found that even users who declined to install the MediaMax program would have software placed on their computers, and one version of the program created a security issue, the Massachusetts statement said.
Posted by | Fri, Dec 22, 2006 - 10:22 AM
DirectX 10 will not take off until 2H 2007, AMD executive says
Despite that Nvidia recently launched its DirectX 10-compliant GPUs (graphics processing units), demand for DirectX 10 graphics cards will not pick up in the market in the first half of the year because of a lack of games to support the technology, according to Edward Chow, AMD graphics marketing director for the Asia-Pacific region.
With no boost from DirectX 10, the graphics card market will stay put in the first half of 2007, while watching Vista's acceptability, according to Chow. In the second half of 2007, DirectX 10-compliant products will see demand pick up, so the competition will hot up, with more games and blue-laser products hitting the market, he added. Nvidia launched its DirectX 10-compliant GeForce 8800 GPU in November, while ATI's DirectX 10-supporting R600 will not hit the market until the first quarter of 2007.
Posted by | Fri, Dec 22, 2006 - 10:20 AM