Legit Reviews News History
Beware of April Fools!
CNET has a little news piece that gives a nice public service announcement warning net-surfers to be careful what they believe on April 1st. I'm sure we'll have a nice list of news posts tomorrow giving all kinds of 'announcements' and 'breaking news' in the industry... but like CNET says... be careful what you believe because it may not all be false!
On April 1, 2004, Google announced it was launching Gmail, a free e-mail service featuring an unheard-of gigabyte of free storage. Given the timing and the fact that Yahoo Mail and Hotmail then offered less than 10MB of free space, most people laughed off the Google news as a funny April Fools' joke...
Posted by | Fri, Mar 31, 2006 - 07:53 AM
Justice Dept. subpoenas more tech firms
The Justice Department is demanding internal files from dozens of Internet service providers and other technology firms as it seeks to defend a controversial Internet child protection law.
The subpoenas also went to companies including AT&T Inc., Cox Communications Inc., Verizon Communications Inc. and Symantec Corp. The U.S. Supreme Court has twice said the law ? which would criminalize Internet material deemed "harmful to children" as defined by "contemporary community standards" ? is likely to violate First Amendment protections and granted preliminary injunctions.
Posted by | Fri, Mar 31, 2006 - 05:41 AM
AMD Shows Off 65nm Processors
I'm not sure what the big deal is, but I've gotten over ten e-mails asking about if I got to go down to Texas and see AMD's 65nm processors this week and I wasn't one of the lucky few (if it even happend). Usually when the e-mails come rolling in and a number of sites start posting about it we find that it is more often true than not. Cheers to AMD for showing off their 65nm processors, but like The Inq. said in the article below why not show all?
What it is actually going to be doing is talking about, and updating people on, the 65 nanometre process, and most probably not showing off parts at all. Nevertheless, AMD has been showing them off behind closed doors for a while, so why not publicly?
Posted by | Fri, Mar 31, 2006 - 05:38 AM
Google buys stake in AOL and inks advertising deal
Google has invested nearly $1 billion for a 5 percent stake in AOL and to enter into an advertising partnership. I wonder if we will see Google Text ads nn AOL Instant Messenger (AIM) conversations in the near future.
Google Inc. agreed to invest $1 billion for a 5 percent stake in Time Warner Inc.'s America Online Inc. and enter into an advertising partnership. The companies signed the agreements Friday, Google said in a filing Wednesday with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The partnership lets AOL use Google's search and advertising software and also enables AOL to sell its own text-based advertising. Shares of Google jumped $17.78 to $394.98.
Posted by | Thu, Mar 30, 2006 - 06:44 AM
Over Half of the UK government websites contain HTML errors
Some 60% of UK government websites contain HTML errors, according to a study by the University of Southampton. Looks like one of the coders will be in some hot water now that the news story is out.
The Southampton University report found that 61% of these websites did not fully comply with guidelines from the World Wide Web Consortium, the organisation which creates web standards and guidelines. Researchers said not complying with these guidelines could prevent some individuals from being able to access the websites. Contrast between background and text, site navigation and use of colours all have an effect on how effectively disabled people can use particular websites.
Posted by | Thu, Mar 30, 2006 - 06:41 AM
ATI Cruises Past Estimate
ATI's second-quarter earnings fell 40% from a year ago, as margins contracted following a repositioning in its desktop division. Excluding items, ATI's earnings were well ahead of estimates and the company issued solid guidance for the current period
ATI earned $34.1 million, or 3 cents a share, in the quarter, compared with $57.2 million, or 22 cents a share, a year ago. Adjusted for charges, the company earned $44.8 million, or 17 cents a share, in the most recent quarter. On that basis, analysts had expected earnings of 11 cents a share, according to Thomson First Call. Second-quarter revenue rose 11% from a year ago to $672 million, easily surpassing the Wall Street consensus of $648.4 million.
Posted by | Thu, Mar 30, 2006 - 06:39 AM
Nintendo Revolution Details Leak Out
Nintendo's Revolution console will be powered by a 729MHz processor - 50 per cent more clock cycles than its predecessor in the GameCube - and a graphics chip set to run at 243MHz, it has been claimed. Who knows if these rumors are true, but if they are it is good news for Nintendo fans.
The sources claim the console will contain a further 24MB of main memory. Like the GameCube, Revolution will use MoSys' 1T-SRAM technology, which brings SRAM speeds to the kind of capacities only DRAM can offer. The 24MB are described as "internal" memory, and there's said to be a further 64MB of "external" 1T-SRAM, presumably on some sort of card, though whether it's user-accessible isn't clear at this stage. The device is also said to contain 512MB of Flash memory.
Posted by | Thu, Mar 30, 2006 - 06:37 AM
G70 is to G71 as R580 is to...
Not to be outdone by nVidia's release of the G71, ATi has released info to its partners about the new R580+ chip. If you've taken the SATs and read the title carefully, you may already know the difference between R580 and R580+. The R580 is simply a process shrink of the existing R580 core to 80nm. With the release of the R580+, the cards will hopefully be able to ship with quieter stock fans as the thermal dissipation demand decreases. A single slot design would definitely be a plus on a high end CrossFire card, but that's just speculation. The transition to 80nm will also help yields and allow ATi to more directly compete with nVidia on the budget and mainstream price sectors.
Samples are scheduled for May, while production should start in Q3 between June and August. Such timing clearly indicates that ATI is not in a rush to release the R600 and we know that R600 is actually doing just fine. The R600 needs Vista to glow. We heard about the R580+ before, but it was called R581. Obviously ATI changed its mind about the name. The card naturally supports all that R580 can bear, including Avivo, Crossfire and it is a native PCIe component.
Posted by | Wed, Mar 29, 2006 - 11:06 PM
Intel Launches New Ruggedized PC Platform For India
Intel Corporation today officially launched an innovative PC platform that has been developed exclusively to meet the needs of rural villages and communities in India. Now if they can just invent a way for them not to be stolen!
The aptly named Community PC platform was defined by Intel after intensive ethnographic studies in rural India showed that a clear desire for technology access exists in remote rural communities. Unfortunately, weather conditions (heat, dust, humidity) and unreliable power sources can compromise typical PCs used in such environments. To address these issues, the Intel-powered Community PC platform was developed to be a fully functional, expandable and shared-access computing solution. It is a highly reliable, manageable system that supports remote diagnostics and control features under low power requirements.
Posted by | Wed, Mar 29, 2006 - 10:08 AM
Quake 4 v1.1 Patch Recalled -- Widescreen Monitor Bug
One of our readers informed me that he saw a post over at ShackNews that claims Quake 4 v1.1 patch that was released yesterday is already recalled. If you have the patch you might want to disable the widescreen support ASAP.
In case you missed it, id Software has recalled the Quake 4 1.1 patch as "There is a problem with the widescreen functionality that may harm a user's monitor". If you have the patch installed it is recommended that you neither enable or disable the widescreen support. An updated patch is expected soon.
Posted by | Wed, Mar 29, 2006 - 08:40 AM
Western Digital Launches The 6GB Passport Pocket Drive
Western Digital today introduced a miniature digital storage device that holds as many as five two-hour feature-length movies, 1,700 digital photos, 1,500 songs or thousands of documents, enabling consumers to effortlessly take their digital library wherever they go. The new USB 2.0 WD Passport Pocket Drives, about the size of a matchbox measuring about one-third of an inch thin, one of the thinnest of any hard-drive based storage device, and weighing only 1.6 ounces conveniently store 6 GB of digital content and can fit into the smallest of pockets and purses.
WD Passport Pocket Drives offer consumers one of the easiest ways to transport large digital files personal or business and to share files between Mac and PC computers. They can be used with any computer having a USB port. Measuring 0.37 x 2.41 x 1.80 inches and housing a one-inch WD hard drive inside, the ultra-thin WD Passport Pocket Drives feature a unique flip-out, rotating USB 2.0 connector that allows use in tight spaces. The USB connector is thin enough that two drives can be used at the same time in the tightly spaced USB ports found on notebook computers.
Posted by | Wed, Mar 29, 2006 - 07:37 AM
Micron - Lexar Deal Details Revealed in SEC Filing
Lexar Media had merger talks with 11 different companies, but only two firms, including eventual winner Micron, made formal bids. In an SEC filing earlier this month, Elliott Associates, which owns 6.5% percent of Lexar, stated its extreme displeasure with the Micron deal, which it claimed "falls meaningfully short of Lexar's standalone value." Now it seems that the entire deal doesn't look to many of those invested in Lexar.
In a much-anticipated Securities and Exchange Commission filing Tuesday, Micron and Lexar laid out the background of a controversial sales process that culminated with Micron's offer to acquire Lexar on March 8. The deal has drawn opposition from a group of hedge funds, claiming that it significantly undervalues Lexar. Meanwhile, Lexar's warning on Tuesday that first-quarter revenue could be as much as 50% below Wall Street expectations underscores the company's difficulties of continuing operations as an independent entity.
Posted by | Wed, Mar 29, 2006 - 05:28 AM
Windows Vista delay is explained in 1975 book
Are things at Microsoft not going well? It seems that they are sending out hazy signs of distress from behind Microsoft's closely guarded walls. On Wednesday, Microsoft announced a major reorganization that brought new managers into the Windows group. On Friday, the company said it would also delay the newest version of Microsoft Office so it could launch at the same time as Vista. Looks like something was not working out too well for them!
Translated into plain English, Microsoft sees itself as a bear caught in a bureaucratic tar pit -- an analogy Brooks used in his 31-year-old book. ``No one thing seems to cause the difficulty -- any particular paw can be pulled away. But the accumulation of simultaneous and interacting factors brings slower and slower motion,'' Brooks wrote. Brooks' analysis doesn't seem at all dated, other than his obsolete assumption that software is only created by men, and much of the book seems relevant to Windows Vista.
Posted by | Wed, Mar 29, 2006 - 05:22 AM
Bluetooth speed to accelerate and to incorporate ultra-wideband
With Bluetooth wireless technology making it mainstream the group behind Bluetooth said that they will boost transfer speeds and launch ultra-wideband radio technology over the next few years. This is good news for the tech industry and consumers who love Bluetooth. Be sure to check out our latest review on the Motorola HT820 Bluetooth Stereo Headset that is loacted here.
The Bluetooth wireless standard used in cell phones and other small devices will take a leap in transmission speed, broadening its scope to enable high-definition video and files for digital music players like the iPod. The industry group behind Bluetooth said Tuesday it would boost transfer speeds in the next few years by incorporating a new radio technology, known as ultra-wideband.
Posted by | Wed, Mar 29, 2006 - 05:18 AM
Toshiba pre-announces Nvidia GeForce Go 7900 mobile GPU
Nvidia hasn't announced its GeForce Go 7900 GS mobile GPU yet, but Toshiba yesterday said it has begun shipping a gaming-oriented notebook which delivers "state-of-the-art graphics" thanks to the new chip, 256MB of graphics memory and a 17in TruBrite display.
The Centrino-branded Satellite P105-S921 is powered by a 1.83GHz Intel Core Duo T2400 backed up with 1GB of dual-channel DDR2 SDRAM. It's got a 160GB Serial ATA hard drive and a dual-layer DVD±R/RW optical drive. Toshiba has built in a pair of Harman Kardon stereo speakers and a "customisable dual-mode touch pad that can provide one-tap short cuts to launch e-mail, internet browser and other programs".
Posted by | Wed, Mar 29, 2006 - 05:10 AM
Rumor: Nvidia G80 Misses Tape Out
Charlie over at The Inq believes that the NVIDIA G80 core missed it's tape out target date by a few weeks. If you don't know what the NVIDIA G80 is rumored to be then you need to type it into Google. We got this -- "The NVIDIA G80 will be the first true dual-core GPUs, as opposed to multiple cores per PCB and SLI. These new beasts also carry DirectX10 support, Shader Model 4.0, core speeds 800MHz with room for growth and be based on the newer ?half-node? 80nm process, resulting in a much appreciated heat reduction. These might also be the first cards on the market to utilize GDDR4."
WORD HAS IT that the Nvidia G80 chip missed tape out a few weeks ago. It was slated to beat the competing ATI part to market by a good margin, but if this slip is real, it should hit the market at roughly the same time.
Posted by | Wed, Mar 29, 2006 - 05:06 AM
Memory outlook in 2006 remains good, says research firm
Although NAND flash memory sales will rise more slowly than expected in 2006, the DRAM market will show surprising strength, causing the combined segments to expand by nearly 13% for the year, iSuppli predicts. This is good news for memory companies!
DRAM and NAND, which represent the two largest segments of the semiconductor memory market, together are expected to achieve revenue of US$40.2 billion in 2006, up 12.9% from US$35.6 billion in 2005. This compares to a 7.5% growth in 2005. Furthermore, growth in unit shipments will continue at a blistering pace this year. Although iSuppli has cut its forecast for 2006 NAND flash unit growth to 187%, down from 207% previously, this explosive expansion in shipments will drive the market?s rise once again this year.
Posted by | Wed, Mar 29, 2006 - 05:03 AM
Sony, Toshiba, NEC to produce 45-nano chips?
Sony, Toshiba and NEC Electronics have agreed to extend their existing cooperation in the development of advanced microchips to full production. The three Japanese electronics companies, which are jointly developing system chips with circuitry width of 45 nanometers, have decided to start making the cutting-edge chips by around 2010.
Toshiba and NEC Electronics are looking into the feasibility of joint production of 45-nanometer chips in line with their announcement in November, but Sony is not part of the talks, representatives at Toshiba and NEC Electronics said. A nanometer is one billionth of a meter. Sony, Toshiba and NEC Electronics, the chip unit of NEC Corp., announced last month they would jointly develop the advanced microchips, sharing hefty costs and pooling technological expertise.
Posted by | Tue, Mar 28, 2006 - 06:05 PM
Battlefield 2 v1.22 Patch Released
To many peoples' surprise, EA has released a small 8mb patch to fix a few minor issues that users have been experiencing. This patch updates Battlefield 2 from version 1.21 to version 1.22! To read the full release notes and to found download locations in the US and the UK please visit the forums via the link below. Still no dual-core processor support! :(
Battlefield 2 v1.22 Patch Features:
- Improved Server Stability
- Fixed rank up messages in Special forces
- Adjusted handling of the Tiger attack chopper
- Added delay for aiming reticule when going prone to all support weapons
- Adjusted deviation on MG36 and PKM to be in line with other support weapons
- - Increased rpm from 600 to 900 on the P90
- Fixed Lock on error on certain Oil towers
- Fixed a Great Wall Exploit
- Fixed exploits on Dragon Valley and Karkand
Posted by | Tue, Mar 28, 2006 - 03:20 PM
World Of Warcraft 1.10 patch Released
The latest World of Warcraft content patch has arrived! This update for the US and Australian editions of World of Warcraft updates version 1.9.4 of the game to v1.10. To read the full release notes and to found download locations please visit the forums via the link below.
Here are the changes that are found in the patch...
- Weather Effects
- New High Level Armor Sets
- Priest Talent Update
- Quest Experience to Gold Conversion at Level 60
- Improved Flight Paths
Posted by | Tue, Mar 28, 2006 - 03:18 PM
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