Legit Reviews News History
NVIDIA NVISION 08 Makes A Last Minute Marketing Push
NVIDIA is trying to promote the heck out of nVISION 08 and it looks like it will be a great LAN party for those that can make it. I got a package via snail mail today from NVIDIA and inside the box was some interesting things promoting the event. Check out the forums to see what was inside this mystery package that just showed up in the mail.
Taking place on August 25-27, 2008 in San Jose, California, NVISION 08 is a three-day mega-event for professionals and enthusiasts who are passionate about visual computing. Thousands of engineers, designers, developers, researchers, artists, enthusiasts, gamers, film makers, business professionals, and consumers from around the world are expected to attend.
Posted by | Thu, Jul 31, 2008 - 03:56 PM
Intel's Barrett sees no slowdown in world PC market
Intel Corp, the world's biggest microchip producer, expects no slowdown in global demand for personal computers despite economic problems in the United States and in other countries, Intel Chairman Craig Barrett said on Wednesday.
He also told reporters in Lisbon, where he was to sign a draft deal with the Portuguese government to make 500,000 cheap portable computers for schools, that the company was upbeat on demand prospects for low-cost computers and broadband wireless systems. "We gave a relatively upbeat business forecast, saying that despite the economic problems in the United States our business is so international that we didn't see any slowdown in the PC market," he said.
Posted by | Thu, Jul 31, 2008 - 08:25 AM
Asustek preps launch of Ultimate and Pro Fashion Eee PCs
Asustek Computer plans to launch more Eee PCs designed to address different market segments, according to company president Jerry Shen. Shen said he anticipates the netbook and Mobile Internet Device (MID) markets will offer substantial business potential in the future generating demand as high as one billion units based on forecasts by Intel. He also noted that Intel is expected to keep shipping Atom N270 CPUs through late second quarter 2009 implying notebook vendors will have consistent processor support.
Asustek currently has a total of 11 Eee PC models on the market differentiated in terms of size, CPU type and design. Shen added that two new categories, Ultimate and Pro Fashion, are planned for 2008. These models will feature dual-core Atom processors and larger storage (either 120GB HDD or 32GB SSD). Shen said he anticipates total Eee PC shipments will exceed 1.5-1.6 million units in the third quarter, putting the company on track to achieve its targeted annual shipments of five million units.
Posted by | Thu, Jul 31, 2008 - 07:46 AM
Briggs & Riley Announces Airport Friendly SpeedThru Laptop Sleeve - SpeedThru
The folks over at Briggs & Riley saw our news post yesterday about the Targus Zip-Thru 15.4” Corporate Traveler Laptop Case and sent us word they they have a checkpoint-friendly sleeve coming out on August 15th. They also informed us that they will be first to market with a Travel Sentry Approved Sleeve. A Stand-alone SpeedThru laptop sleeve will cost $89.99 and will be available for those travelers who like to travel light, and prefer to carry just a laptop sleeve.
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) recently gave the go-ahead to manufacturers to release checkpoint-friendly laptop sleeves after a careful review of design proposals and prototypes. Briggs & Riley played a key role in the development of checkpoint-friendly laptop cases that will allow airline passengers to travel through airport security with greater speed, ease and efficiency. In partnership with Travel Sentry, Briggs & Riley approached the TSA in 2004 with a proposed solution that would eliminate the need for travelers to remove laptops during the security check process.
Posted by | Wed, Jul 30, 2008 - 11:45 AM
Electronic Arts misses quarterly expectations - Looses $95 Million
On Tuesday, EA reported that it had lost $95 million, or 30 cents a share, during Q1 on net revenues of $804 million. During the same period a year ago, it lost $132 million, or $0.42 a share, on net revenues of $395 million.
The company's adjusted losses came out to 42 cents a share in Q1. Thomson Financial's poll of analysts had predicted the company would post adjusted losses of $0.33 a share, according to the Associated Press. Still, EA's sales were up more than 100 percent over a year ago, thanks in large part to the success of such titles as Rock Band and the launch of Battlefield: Bad Company and Mass Effect.
Posted by | Wed, Jul 30, 2008 - 09:00 AM
Nvidia to launch 55nm GeForce 9500 GT GPU in 4Q08
Nvidia is planning to launch a 55nm version GeForce 9500 GT GPU in the fourth quarter this year, according to sources at graphics card makers. The 55nm process will reduce costs, and its low power consumption could also help makers to achieve passive cooling designs, added the sources.
Nvidia recently launched the 65nm GeForce 9500 GT targeting the entry-level market. The GPU features 32 stream processors, 16 texture filtering units, 16 texture addressing units and eight render output units. The GPU will also includes improved Nvidia PureVideo technology supporting VC-1 hardware decoding. Two reference boards are available using the 9500 GT GPU, the G96P727 with 1GHz GDDR2 memory and four layer PCB and the G96P729 with 1.6GHz GDDR3 memory and six layer PCB, noted the sources.
Posted by | Wed, Jul 30, 2008 - 08:59 AM
July 30 News from Around the Web
Find reviews from around the web by visiting our forums! The following exerpt is from TweakTown's Leadtek WinFast GeForce PX9500 GT Review:
If you find yourself getting sick to the stomach when you see how much cards like the GTX 280 and GTX 260 are and just can’t understand why people would spend so much money on a graphics card, the 9500 GT could be in your league. The 9500 GT, as you might have guessed comes in below the 9600 series and well below the 9800s. It’s designed for people who are looking at getting away from onboard graphics but don’t want to blow too much money. You have to wonder with the new GTX 280 / 260 naming scheme as to why NVIDIA are still continuing to update the older 9000 series of cards. Either way, we have a new low to mid-range graphics card that’s cheap and can hopefully offer low resolution gamers something that doesn’t break the bank."
Posted by | Wed, Jul 30, 2008 - 07:37 AM
Targus Announces Airport Checkpoint-Friendly Laptop Cases
Targus announced a Zip-Thru 15.4” Corporate Traveler Laptop Case, the first in Targus' line of checkpoint-friendly laptop cases.This case is designed to help business travelers eliminate the hassle of having to remove their laptop from their laptop case when passing through airport security, thereby minimizing the possibility of the laptop being lost, stolen or damaged during the security screening process. The Targus Zip-Thru 15.4” Corporate Traveler Laptop Case (Model Number: CUCT02UA15SUS) will be available in October for $99.99!
Designed with the same features as the lightweight and durable Corporate Traveler laptop bags, the Zip-Thru cases' patent-pending design splits the case down the middle, thereby isolating the laptop on one side to allow for clear x-ray scanning. The bag also provides ample space for accessories, files and other devices needed by today's frequent flyer. For maximum comfort during travel, the Zip-Thru 15.4” Corporate Travel laptop case includes a padded ergonomic shoulder strap with non-slip coating to keep the case in place. The first Zip-Thru case will be available in black and made of durable ballistic 1680 denier nylon. It measures 16.93" x 6.5" x 13.98", weighs 3.74 pounds and has an MSRP of $99.99.
Posted by | Tue, Jul 29, 2008 - 10:32 AM
Palit Announces A Passively Cooled GeForce 9500 GT Video Card
Palit just announced an SLI-ready GeForce 9500 GT series graphics cards that stands out from the crowd. The Palit GeForce 9500 GT is a dual slot graphics card that is passively cooled for complete silence. This is a big bonus for those building a HTPC or something where noise would be a concern. All together Palit has three GeForce 9500 GT video cards to pick from, so they have a card for whatever needs you have.
Designed by Palit’s own engineers, Palit GeForce 9500 GT graphics solutions are passively cooled for silent operation. In addition to ultra quiet operation, the Palit GeForce 9500 GT operates at a core frequency of 550MHz. There are three different board designs available including the Palit GeForce 9500 GT SUPER 512MB and SUPER+ 1GB with DDR2 at 800 MHz and the Palit GeForce 9500 GT with 256 MB of ultra fast GDDR3 at 1,600 MHz.
Posted by | Tue, Jul 29, 2008 - 08:10 AM
Walton Chaintech Announces GeForce 9500GT Video Card
Walton Chaintech just announced the GeForce 9 series GSE9500GT DDR3 512MB graphics card, the officially appointed gaming graphics card for the famous game C.S. On-Line in Taiwan. CHAINTECH GSE9500GT is the mainstream graphics card not only geared by the latest NVIDIA GeForce series core G96 technology but with an easier price tag, providing consumers a two-times more exciting visual experience than its prior version.
Performing exceptional visual computing ability, GSE9500GT is with 550MHz core memory clock and GDDR3 memory clock of 1600 MHZ, CHAINTECH GSE9500GT owns 32 Stream Processing Units with 512MB GDDR3 Memory, exhibits the high processing power and extreme bandwidth via PCI Express 2.0. The overall presentation of CHAINTECH GSE9500GT is indeed beyond just mainstream but with more hard-core level of graphics performance.
Posted by | Tue, Jul 29, 2008 - 08:00 AM
Could Apple Use Via or AMD Processors in Upcoming MacBook Models?
Apple might have decided its partnership with Intel doesn't mean it has to use all of Intel's products. AppleInsider reports that Apple could be using a chipset from a different company--or even an internally developed one--in the next iteration of the MacBook, expected to arrive in the next six or eight weeks.
AppleInsider thinks Apple might have contracted with Advanced Micro Devices or Via for the new chipsets, but offers no details on what might actually be inside the new systems. Given Nvidia's huge mobile chipset problem this summer, it is probably not in the running if Apple's looking at other suppliers.
Posted by | Tue, Jul 29, 2008 - 07:52 AM
Rumor: Kingston said to be planning memory card price cut
Rumor has it that consistent NAND flash price drop in the market has prompted Kingston Technology to prepare price cuts for its memory cards, which should spur fellow memory module makers to follow, said industry players.
Pressured by an intensified inventory loss, Kingston is said to be prepared for a price cut for its memory cards. Sources at the company indicated that they were prompted to initiate the price cut amid a weakening price trend, as well as rival SanDisk's previous claims for a more aggressive pricing strategy during the company's investor conference. But the sources did not reveal a concrete time frame nor a range for the discounts.
Posted by | Tue, Jul 29, 2008 - 07:50 AM
July 29 News from Around the Web
BFGTech GeForce GTX 280 OCX @ [H]ardOCP and links to other reviews from around the web can be found in our forums!
BFGTech GeForce GTX 280 OCX - BFGTech's best single-GPU video card is with us today, ready to be put through its real world gaming paces. We compare it to the stock-clocked GTX 280 as well as ATI's best offering. We had some results that we did not expect and ones that might surprise you as well!
Posted by | Tue, Jul 29, 2008 - 07:46 AM
July 28 News from Around the Web
Thermaltake Toughpower 1200 Watt Power Supply Review @ Tweaknews.net and other reviews from around the web can be found in our forums!
"With best-of-class specs and a generous feature set with configuration options, the Thermaltake Toughpower 1200W is tough to beat. The Toughpower line represents Thermaltake's flagship PSU offerings, and the 1200W is a worthy addition, building on a tradition of power, stability and cutting edge features. The fit and finish is flawless, the connectors are numerous and the cable lengths are generous."
Posted by | Mon, Jul 28, 2008 - 09:16 AM
New search engine takes aim at Google - Cuil
There's a big new search engine launching Monday: Cuil. Developed and run by the husband-and-wife team of Stanford professor Tom Costello and former Google search architect Anna Patterson, it's pitched as bigger, faster, and better than Google's flagship search engine in pretty much every way. The search engine was working at 8am, but in the past few minutes it seems they ran into server issues and put up a message saying they are getting slammed with traffic.
The most important difference between Cuil and Google is its ranking system. Rather than assigning priority to pages based on inbound links as Google does ("Pagerank"), Cuil analyzes the content of Web pages to divine their relevance to a search query. Costello bristled when I asked if this was a semantic search engine like PowerSet (recently sold to Microsoft). Costello said Cuil's search is "contextual," and that, "we're trying to understand the real world, not the Web."
Posted by | Mon, Jul 28, 2008 - 08:14 AM
LG Display to cut output by 10 pct in downturn
LG Display Co Ltd the world's No. 2 maker of liquid crystal display (LCD) screens, said on Sunday it would cut its panel output by around 10 percent until August because of weakening global demand.
Leading LCD makers have reaped strong profits in the first half but face a steep slowdown in the coming quarters as the global downturn hits demand for flat-screen TVs and personal computers. Consumers buy smaller television sets while flat TV makers such as Sony Corp and Samsung Electronics Co Ltd are in a fierce price war. AU, the third-ranked LCD maker, said last week it was scaling back production and its capacity utilization rate would fall to around 90 percent in the current quarter. Chi Mei has also undertaken similar steps.
Posted by | Mon, Jul 28, 2008 - 08:06 AM
MSI sees increasing motherboard shipments in 2Q08
Micro-Star International (MSI) shipped 4.7-4.9 million motherboards in second quarter 2008, a slight increase compared to the first quarter due largely to performance in emerging markets.
The company also shipped 2.4-2.5 million graphics cards, according to a Chinese-language Apply Daily report. In the first half of this year, MSI shipped 9-9.5 million motherboards, an increase of 10% on year, and around five million graphics cards, added the paper.
Posted by | Mon, Jul 28, 2008 - 08:03 AM
ECS Launches GeForce 9800 GTX+ Hydra Pack
Elitegroup Computer Systems (ECS) has revealed the latest GeForce 9800 GTX+ Hydra Pack to meet the requirement from performance-hungry gamers. With two N9800GTX+-512MX-W graphics cards, ECS Hydra Cooling System, and plenty of accessories bundled in a package, unprecedented gaming performance is now available via the power of multi-GPUs.
Delivering better cooling efficiency up to 18.7%, ECS Hydra Cooling System proves that a graphics card with amazing performance doesn’t always come with annoying heat, not to mention the bothering noise generated by the fan especially while using dual graphics cards for better graphics performance. Working closely with Thermaltake, the most famous brand in thermal solution, ECS GeForece 9800 GTX+ Hydra Pack adopts Thermaltake’s BigWater 760i liquid cooling system to providing a stable and quiet gaming environment for gamers. Heat and noise can be left behind from now on.
Posted by | Fri, Jul 25, 2008 - 09:36 AM
Walton Chaintech Announces APOGEE GT DDR3 1800 4GB Memory Kits
Walton Chaintech Corporation announced this morning the APOGEE GT Blazer DDR3 1800 4GB Low Voltage memory kit. Supporting EPP 2.0 as well, APOGEE GT Blazer DDR3 1800 4GB kit attains the lowest voltage of 1.8V compared with other memory modules of similar speed in current market place for more power saving operation, and longer product life. The patent-pending Cool It Smart heatsink design is interesting to say the least as it connects each module to a heat sink that sits above them.
What makes this memory module a true DDR3 masterpiece? It performs not only high data rate but also is of low voltage as 1.8v to achieve a beautiful balance between higher system performance and reliability. Dual modules packaged in 4GB kit, APOGEE GT DDR3 1800 of CL latency of 8-8-8-24 can be easily utilized for increasing the operation efficiency for power users. APOGEE GT Blazer DDR3 1800 4GB kit has earned a performance over 28.8GB/sec on the EVEREST Memory bandwidth read and write test, providing the excellent level professional memory product quality. In addition, in accordance to the high speed of 1800MHz, the cooling performance is particularly enhanced by its famous bridge-alike, patent-pending Cool It Smart heatsink design.
Posted by | Fri, Jul 25, 2008 - 08:45 AM
Corsair Announces 2133Mhz DDR3 Memory Kits - World's Fastest Kit
Corsair just announced the immediate availability of a new DOMINATOR DDR3 memory kit running at 2133MHz. The launch of this memory kit, the TW3X2G2133C9DF, makes it the world’s fastest DDR3 memory solution in production volume. The new DOMINATOR TW3X2G2133C9DF kit is now available in stock for $575 at select Corsair retailers.
The TW3X2G2133C9DF DOMINATOR modules represent the very best of Corsair’s cutting edge technology in DDR3 overclocking and gaming memory. Ultra fast, selected DRAM chips are housed in Corsair’s proprietary Dual-Path Heat Xchange Cooling Technology (DHX) -used in Dell, HP and Alienware gaming systems- for striking speed and performance. The new DOMINATOR TW3X2G2133C9DF memory kit unleashes the high performance potential of NVIDIA 790i-based platforms.
Posted by | Thu, Jul 24, 2008 - 04:08 PM