Legit Reviews News History
March 31 News from Around the Web
Find reviews from around the web by visiting our forums! The quote below is from ASE Labs latest review:
" It has been almost five years since I reviewed a Corsair product. In that time, ASE Labs and the industry have evolved. Five years ago it was DDR that was the memory of choice and DDR2 wasn't even on enthusiast's tongues. Fast forward to 2008 and we've got DDR3 just coming on the market. DDR2 is still alive and is the king of value right now. Corsair's 4GB XMS2 PC2-6400 kit is the subject for review. "
Posted by | Mon, Mar 31, 2008 - 09:22 PM
ATI FireGL V7700 3D Workstation Graphics Card Now Available
AMD today announced it is advancing application performance with stunning imagery through the introduction of the first commercially available 3D workstation graphics card with DisplayPort support. The ATI FireGL V7700 professional graphics accelerator provides superior rendering speed, 3D performance and color fidelity for Computer Aided Design (CAD), Digital Content Creation (DCC) and Medical Imaging professionals. ATI FireGL V7700 delivers the top-quality image quality needed to create photorealistic visualizations of real-world objects and environments —like the design concept for a new aircraft or a home remodel—by providing designers with The Ultimate Visual Experience.
The new ATI FireGL V7700 workstation graphics accelerator with DisplayPort support brings The Ultimate Visual Experience to life. The card features a 10-bit display engine that can produce more than one billion colors at any given time, delivering unprecedented image fidelity at a lower cost. “Our customers are eager to adopt the latest standards like DisplayPort and PCI Express 2.0 that make their environments more productive while delivering next-generation display capabilities today,” said Peter Chen, president, Exxact Corporation.
Posted by | Mon, Mar 31, 2008 - 01:29 PM
VIA Announces DVD drive-sized VIA NAS 7800 segment board
VIA Technologies today announced the VIA NAS 7800 board, specifically designed to meet the needs of thin server and NAS segment system builders. The VIA NAS 7800 is powered by a VIA C7 1.5 GHz processor with optional fanless VIA Eden-based skus available to project customers. Scalable storage needs are more than adequately met with the support for up to eight S-ATA II ports with 1.5Gbits/sec and 3Gbits/sec data transfer rates, and for Native Command Queuing. Network support includes Gigabit Ethernet ports and an optional integrated IEEE-802.11g VIA wireless module. The board can be seen below!
owered by a low heat, energy-efficient 1.5GHz VIA C7 processor, with an optional fanless VIA Eden sku, the VIA NAS 7800 board also features a proprietary MFX module for comprehensive wake-up scheduling, allowing IT managers to power servers down at nights or weekends for considerable savings on electricity usage. The VIA NAS 7800 uses a unique 19cm x 14.3cm form factor, same size as a standard optical disk drive, with I/O aligned to allow easy integration into standard drive-sized chassis or even in multiple configuration within a 1U server, offering an innovative approach to NAS systems for small and medium sized businesses.
Posted by | Mon, Mar 31, 2008 - 10:50 AM
Apple has biggest impact on world consumers
The Apple brand has the biggest impact on the world's consumers, while Microsoft and the United States nation brand are those considered most in need of a remake, a survey showed on Monday. The poll by online magazine brandchannel.com asked its readers to identify the brands with the greatest impact on their lives, and say how they affected readers' behaviour and their view of the world.
The nearly 2,000 professionals and students who voted named Apple overwhelming winner. The creator of the iPod and Mac computer triumphed in six categories including most inspiring brand and the one readers cannot live without. Microsoft, the world's largest software maker was also a winner, but it received the dubious honor of the brand most readers wanted to argue with, and the one they most wanted to revamp. Voted into second place in the category was brand USA.
Posted by | Mon, Mar 31, 2008 - 08:06 AM
Study sees Microsoft brand in sharp decline
Microsoft's brand power has been in sharp decline over the past four years, an indication the company is losing credibility and mindshare with U.S. business users, according to a recent study by market research firm CoreBrand. Looks like the Mac versus PC ad campaign is really working!
According to the CoreBrand Power 100 2007 study , which polled about 12,000 U.S. business decision-makers, Microsoft dropped from number 12 in the ranking of the most powerful U.S. company brands in 2004 to number 59 last year. In 1996, the company ranked number 1 in brand power among 1,200 top companies in about 50 industries, said James Gregory, CEO of CoreBrand.
Posted by | Fri, Mar 28, 2008 - 09:36 AM
Sub-$1,000 Blu-ray Laptop Now Available from Dell
The high-definition format wars are over – and you won: Dell customers can now get a Blu-ray laptop for under a $1,000. Available today on dell.com, movie buffs can pick up the Inspiron™ 1525 with optional Blu-ray disc playback starting at $879.
The award-winning Inspiron 1525 laptop features a 15.4-inch high definition wide aspect display with 720p resolution. It also includes an HDMI port for easy connectivity to high resolution displays and HDTVs. The Blu-ray player disc drive is fully backwards compatible, and will play as well as burn traditional DVDs and CDs. Consumers can also chose a Blu-ray burner drive, which is great for backing up and storing important files like digital photos, videos, financial records, etc. A Blu-ray disc will hold up to 50 GB of data, vs. 8.5 GB available on the typical DVD disc. Dell Inspiron 1525 laptops with Blu-ray disc drives incorporate Broadcom Media PC technology that allows PCs with integrated graphics to play high definition video. The high-definition video playback is enabled through a built-in dedicated accelerator located in a mini-card slot.
Posted by | Fri, Mar 28, 2008 - 09:34 AM
U.S. experts find oldest voice recording, from 1860
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. audio historians have discovered and played back a French inventor's historic 1860 recording of a folk song -- the oldest-known audio recording -- made 17 years before Thomas Edison invented the phonograph.
Lasting 10 seconds, the recording is of a person singing "Au clair de la lune, Pierrot repondit" ("By the light of the moon, Pierrot replied") -- part of a French song, according to First Sounds, a group of audio historians, recording engineers, sound archivists and others dedicated to preserving humankind's earliest sound recordings. It was made on April 9, 1860, by Parisian inventor Edouard-Leon Scott de Martinville on a device called the phonautograph that scratched sound waves onto a sheet of paper blackened by the smoke of an oil lamp, Giovannoni said.
Posted by | Fri, Mar 28, 2008 - 09:28 AM
Intel to delay P45 chipset to mid-June
ntel is delaying the launch schedule of its P45 chipset from originally in May to mid-June, according to sources at motherboard makers. The delay of the chipset is due to problems over compatibility between the chipset's PCI Express x16 port and graphics cards, noted the sources, adding that Intel has notified them that the problem should be solved and ready to launch 2-4 weeks behind the original launch schedule.
Some motherboard makers pointed out that the delay will give them more time to clear up their P35 inventory, however, the comparability problem will surely damage Intel's image over technological development. Intel will now announce the P45 chipset during Computex 2008, however, actual motherboard shipments will not begin until mid-June, noted the sources.
Posted by | Fri, Mar 28, 2008 - 09:26 AM
AMD Launches World's First x86 Triple-Core Processors
AMD today announced the availability of AMD Phenom X3 8000 series triple-core processors, providing gamers and digital media enthusiasts with exceptional performance at mainstream price points. AMD Phenom X3 processors are designed to improve multi-threaded application performance over dual-core processors at the same clock speed. As the world's only triple-core x86 processor, AMD Phenom X3 processors bring multi-core technology to a broader audience in search of desktop PCs that easily handle today's digital entertainment workloads.
AMD Phenom X3 8400 and AMD Phenom X3 8600 processors can improve performance over dual-core processors on single-threaded applications and can scale with the same applications that scale with quad-core. AMD Phenom triple-core processors can also increase performance for multitasking usage models and multi-threaded applications, aligned with similar benefits available with AMD Phenom X4 quad-core processors. AMD will be collaborating with ZT Systems to premiere the first system featuring the new AMD Phenom X3 triple-core processor on QVC during the Computer Shop broadcast, which is scheduled to air March 31 at 10 p.m. EDT.
Posted by | Thu, Mar 27, 2008 - 05:55 AM
Online media company CNET cutting 120 jobs
Online media company CNET Networks Inc said on Wednesday it will eliminate 120 jobs, or about 10 percent of its staff, in a restructuring to help it focus on long-term growth amid complaints from some investors.
CNET expected pre-tax restructuring charges from the job cuts to run between $3.5 million and $4 million, most of which will be taken in the first quarter of 2008. The job cuts are effective immediately. The moves come after hedge fund Jana Partners LLC won a key court ruling earlier this month that could help it take control of CNET's board.
Posted by | Thu, Mar 27, 2008 - 01:34 AM
AMD rolls out new Phenom microprocessors
Advanced Micro Devices Inc on Wednesday unveiled new microprocessors for the desktop personal computer market, in a move that could sharpen its competitive edge against rival Intel Corp.
Among the chips in AMD's Phenom family of processors is one that has three cores, or electronics brains, compared with the two or four most generally available. AMD said that its Phenom X3 has as much as a 30 percent performance improvement in some instances compared to a dual-core chip operating at the same frequency. AMD first disclosed plans to make the Phenom X3 in 2007, saying then that it was able to build a three-core chip because the brains are on the same piece of silicon, rather than two or four cores on different pieces of silicon joined together.
Posted by | Thu, Mar 27, 2008 - 01:28 AM
Free Web Version of Photoshop Launches
The maker of the popular photo-editing software Photoshop on Thursday launched a basic version available for free online. San Jose, Calif.-based Adobe Systems Inc. says it hopes to boost its name recognition among a new generation of consumers who edit, store and share photos online.
While Photoshop is designed for trained professionals, Adobe says Photoshop Express, which it launched in a "beta" test version, is easier to learn. User comments will be taken into account for future upgrades. Photoshop Express will be completely Web-based so consumers can use it with any type of computer, operating system and browser. And, once they register, users can get to their accounts from different computers.
Posted by | Thu, Mar 27, 2008 - 12:37 AM
Rambus memory case goes to jury - royalty payments could reach $11.7 billion
Is Rambus the inventor of a speedy new memory technology that deserves to be paid for its innovation? Or did the Los Altos company deliberately dupe memory makers to use its products without telling them they would eventually cost them dearly? These questions went to a federal jury Tuesday in a closely watched and potentially critical case that could determine whether the companies that manufacture memory chips for computers fork over hundreds of millions or perhaps billions of dollars.
The case is now before a jury to decide, and experts are divided on the outcome. Dan Prywes, an antitrust attorney in Washington, D.C., who represented the standards-setting body in an earlier Rambus case before the Federal Trade Commission, said he is convinced the company acted inappropriately. He also noted that potential royalty payments may be curtailed by new memory technologies coming to market. The FTC ruled unanimously in 2006 that Rambus used unlawful tactics to obtain monopoly power. Regulators limited the company's royalties as punishment, though the case is on appeal. Other observers say the potential for Rambus is huge. Michael Cohen, an analyst at Pacific American Securities in San Diego, estimates royalty payments to Rambus could reach $11.7 billion for the period 2000 to 2021.
Posted by | Wed, Mar 26, 2008 - 09:28 AM
Motorola to split into two companies
Motorola Inc said on Wednesday it would split into two publicly traded entities to separate its loss-making handset division from its other businesses. The move, which comes amid an intensifying proxy battle against activist investor Carl Icahn ahead of a May 5 annual meeting, could be a prelude for a joint venture for the cell phone business, analysts said.
Motorola, now ranked third in the global handset market, said the split would take the form of a tax-free distribution to its shareholders and expected it to be completed in 2009. The company has already started to look for a new head for its mobile devices business. "We expect this action to enhance recovery in mobile devices and accelerate efforts to attract a new leader," Chief Executive Greg Brown said on a conference call with analysts.
Posted by | Wed, Mar 26, 2008 - 09:25 AM
Take-Two rejects EA's bid as 'inadequate'
To the surprise of probably no one, Take-Two Interactive Software has rejected Electronic Arts' hostile buyout offer. In an announcement Wednesday morning, Take-Two said its board of directors and company officers have recommended that shareholders reject EA's bid of $26 a share. The board also said it's developing alternative strategies for possible alliances with third parties, including EA, that would kick in after the April 29 of release of Grand Theft Auto IV.
Take-Two's board noted that "substantive discussions" about possible alliances have yet to occur, although it did emphasize that the company is now open to them. In its statement, the company said it "unanimously determined that the $26-per-share cash offer is inadequate in multiple respects and contrary to the best interests of Take-Two's stockholders."
Posted by | Wed, Mar 26, 2008 - 09:24 AM
Sun Micro Chip Chief Steps Down - David Yen Might Go To Juniper Networks
The head of Sun Microsystems' chip division has stepped down and, having cashed in the last payment of a rich retention agreement, is reportedly jumping ship. David Yen, the executive vice president that manages Sun's microelectronics division, resigned from his post last Friday, according to a one-sentence regulatory filing issued by Sun on Tuesday.
According to a report in the online tech news site The Register, Yen is heading to Juniper Networks for an undisclosed role to be announced on April 7. Yen is a 20-year Sun veteran, and among its most valued, to judge by the company's payscale. According to Sun's most recent proxy filing, Yen ranked among the top five Sun employees by compensation in 2007 with a salary of $590,000, excluding stock options and stock awards, as well as a $250,000 bonus. The bonus was the final installment of three equal-sized, annual bonuses conferred to Yen in a 2005 retention agreement.
Posted by | Wed, Mar 26, 2008 - 09:22 AM
Asustek to roll out second-generation Eee PC with touchscreen panels
Asustek to roll out second-generation Eee PC with touchscreen panels and possibly GPS support in May or June. Asustek's 8.9-inch second-generation Eee PC lineup will include touchscreen panels and possible GPS support, with shipments expected to begin in May or June, according to Kevin Lin, vice president of Asustek's sales department. Pricing is projected to reach NT$15,000 (US$500), Lin added.
The company is also looking to ship its E-DT (desktop PC) priced at US$199 at the same time, according to Lin. The company aims to ship up to five million Eee PCs in 2008 through retail channels and contract orders combined, with quarterly retail-only shipments expected to total 650,000-700,000 units, according to the company. The device is seeing a 50% supply shortage in the Taiwan and Hong Kong regions and 70% worldwide in the first quarter of 2008.
Posted by | Wed, Mar 26, 2008 - 01:57 AM
Vista SP1 customers get free support
Microsoft has sought to appease frustrated Windows Vista customers by giving away free support to anyone struggling to install service pack one (SP1).
A huge swath of people has been frozen out of the upgrade until an unknown date in April, but some were able to manually download SP1 as of last week via the firm’s Windows Update website. However, a heap of complaints have been stacking up on the firm’s official Vista blog, over troubles with the service pack install. So, in an apparent attempt to ease some of the grumbles, Microsoft blogger Brandon Le Blanc says that anyone, including customers with original equipment manufacturer (OEM) copies of Vista, will be eligible for free SP1 installation support.
Posted by | Wed, Mar 26, 2008 - 01:25 AM
Citigroup says Microsoft likely to raise Yahoo offer
Citigroup said it is likely Microsoft Corp will raise its $31-per-share offer for Yahoo Inc and upgraded Yahoo shares to "buy" from "hold."
The brokerage raised its price target on Yahoo's stock to $34 from $31, saying it believed Microsoft remained committed to its offer and "is capable of and willing to" increase that bid to conclude the deal. "While we continue to see no other competing bidders, we believe Yahoo is aggressively pursuing strategic alternatives," analyst Mark Mahaney said in a note to clients.
Posted by | Tue, Mar 25, 2008 - 10:58 AM
S3 Graphics Leads the Way with DirectX 10.1 Certification for Windows Vista
S3 Graphics today released WHQL-certified drivers for Microsoft DirectX 10.1 API as part of Windows Vista Service Pack 1 to take advantage of new graphics features brought to market by Microsoft. This milestone allows software developers to start DX10.1 development on S3 Graphics Chrome 400 Series hardware using the latest March 2008 DirectX SDK. This is a shocker to us here at Legit Reviews since ATI was the first with graphics cards on the market to use DirectX 10.1 API. In the long run this doesn't really matter as I don't know of any game titles that use DirectX 10.1 that are currently on the market.
“S3 Graphics has worked closely with Microsoft to ensure full DX10.1 WHQL compatibility for our latest generation of Chrome 400 Series GPUs for current and future operating systems,” said Iming Pai, Vice President of Software at S3 Graphics. “With Windows Vista and the latest immersive rendering technologies introduced by Service Pack 1, our customers and partners can be confident that S3 Graphics hardware is ready to take advantage of the new graphics features of DirectX 10.1 for upcoming applications.”
Posted by | Tue, Mar 25, 2008 - 10:26 AM
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