Legit Reviews News History
Microsoft Excel 2007 fails math test
Microsoft Corp.'s Excel 2007 spreadsheet program is going to have to relearn part of its multiplication table. In a blog post, Microsoft employee David Gainer said that when computer users tried to get Excel 2007 to multiply some pairs of numbers and the result was 65,535, Excel would incorrectly display 100,000 as the answer.
Gainer said Excel makes mistakes multiplying 77.1 by 850, 10.2 by 6,425 and 20.4 by 3,212.5, but the program appears to be able to handle 16,383.75 times 4. "Further testing showed a similar phenomenon with 65,536 as well," Gainer wrote Tuesday. He said Excel was actually performing the calculations correctly, but when it comes time to show the answer on the screen, it messes up.
Posted by | Sun, Sep 30, 2007 - 08:46 PM
Asus Postpones Commercial Release of Eee PCs to Boost Functionality
Asustek Computer will not release its already well-known Eee sub-notebooks this month, as previously planned, as the computer maker decided to improve functionality of the pre-installed software. Still, the world’s largest mainboard manufacturer intends to commercially launch the product no later than in November.
Asus Eee PC 701, one of the first base configurations of the Eee PC, is based on Intel mobile chipset and microprocessor, supposedly Intel 910 chipset and Intel Celeron M ULV 353 (900MHz). The notebook is equipped with 512MB of PC2-3200 (DDR2 400MHz) memory and 2-16GB of flash memory instead of the hard drive. The Eee PC will feature 7” screen and 800x480 resolution, three USB ports, audio jacks, 10/100Mbps port and wireless WiFi (802.11b/g) interface, as well as a 56K modem. The device will also be equipped with a card-reader and a 0.3Mpixel web-cam.
Posted by | Sun, Sep 30, 2007 - 06:22 PM
The Falcon Has Landed: 65nm CPUs Appear in Xbox 360
65nm "Falcon" CPUs and revised heatsinks found in latest Xbox 360 "Halo 3" hardware
When it comes to computer processors, the advantages of a die-shrink are undeniable. For chip makers – and overclockers – a processor manufactured at a smaller process can open up more headroom for faster clock speeds, or decrease power consumption and cooling requirements. A die-shrink is a much-lauded happening in the computer world. For consoles, however, a die-shrink usually occurs without much fanfare – except in the case of the Xbox 360. Gamers have been waiting for months for the arrival of 65nm Xbox 360 chips, with the hope that the cooler-running processor would mean more stable hardware.
Posted by | Sun, Sep 30, 2007 - 06:21 PM
Molecule-wide Carbon-60 nanowires prove great conductors of electricity
In the future, very small devices will require very small amounts of electricity. Yet, how can future nanoscopic circuits at such levels be created? Scientists have found at least one answer: Carbon-60 nanowires.
Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh have discovered an assembly technique which provides a way to construct one-dimensional nanowires. With no height or width outside of the fullerene (soccer ball-like) molecular size, and of only sub-micon length, these wire products could form the building blocks of extremely tiny man-made machines in the future, those on the order of 1000s of atoms or molecules in total size.
Posted by | Sun, Sep 30, 2007 - 06:20 PM
Intel Prepares DX48BT Board For Q1 2008
Intel will have an updated version of their DX38BT board using the X48 chipset and we heard it is likely to be called DX48BT or DX38BT2.
Intel X48 is essentially X38 chipset but cherry picked so overclockability can be further enhanced. X48 will also officially support FSB1600. More importantly, X48 is to fix the EIST bug present in the X38 chipset that requires motherboard manufacturers to rework their X38 boards. Boards based on X48 chipset are slated to appear in Q1 2008.
Posted by | Sun, Sep 30, 2007 - 06:18 PM
ATI Releases Hotfix for Catalyst 7.9 GPU Drivers
I'd just like to let our readers know that ATI has announced the availability of a hotfix for Catalyst 7.9. This hotfix addresses the following issues:
- Enemy Territory Quake Wars: Crossfire flickering issues are resolved. Performance is improved
- Bioshock: Resolved intermittent hangs for the Radeon HD 2400 and Radeon HD 2600
- Call of Juarez: Texture corruption is fixed
- World In Conflict: Performance is improved
- Team Fortress 2: Facial morphing corruption is fixed
- Time Shift: Resolved random crashes for Radeon 9xxx and Radeon X8xx series of products
Posted by | Fri, Sep 28, 2007 - 02:11 PM
Palm unveils $200 smart-phone named Centro
Palm unveiled a new smart-phone today that will be available next month for about $100. That's the lowest introductory price yet for a Palm handset and will make the phone, dubbed the Centro, the least expensive smart-phones on the market.
Despite having a different name from its Treo siblings, the Centro will share with them the Palm operating system, a color touch screen, a full keyboard and the ability to access e-mail and surf the Web. Initially, Palm will offer the phone exclusively through Sprint for about three months, and it will be able to tap into the carrier's high-speed EVDO network. The phone can be bought for $100 after a $100 mail-in rebate and is available only to customers who sign up for a two-year service agreement that includes data access plan of more than $25 a month.
Posted by | Fri, Sep 28, 2007 - 10:01 AM
Apple 1.1.1 update halts iPhone hacks
Users are reporting that a new update to Apple's iPhone is making previously unlocked iPhones unusable. The iPhone 1.1.1 update , released Thursday, breaks phones that have been hacked so that they work with providers other than AT&T, the only U.S. provider Apple has allowed to carry its mobile phones.
The update also appears to disable the 'Jailbreak' hack which allows users to install unsupported software on the iPhone, Ferris said. After the 1.1.1 patch was installed, it wiped out all of the third-party applications he had installed on a second iPhone, he said. The new software is Apple's biggest iPhone update to date, and it fixes a number of security flaws in the iPhone's browser, mail client, and Bluetooth networking server. The majority of the flaws do not appear to be critical, but the update fixes a larger number of bugs than the first iPhone update, released July 31.
Posted by | Fri, Sep 28, 2007 - 10:00 AM
Microsoft extends Windows XP's stay by 5 months
Bowing to pressure from customers and computer makers, Microsoft plans to keep Windows XP around a little longer. Large PC manufacturers were slated to have to stop selling XP after January 31. However, they have successfully lobbied Microsoft to allow them to continue selling PCs with all flavors of Windows XP preloaded until June 30, a further five months.
Microsoft also plans to keep XP on retail shelves longer and will allow computer makers in emerging markets to build machines with Windows XP Starter Edition until June 2010. The move indicates the continued demand for the older operating system, some nine months after Windows Vista hit store shelves.
Posted by | Fri, Sep 28, 2007 - 09:58 AM
Intel 45nm desktop processors coming in November
Intel plans to release the first 45nm desktop CPU, the Core 2 Extreme QX9650 on November 11, according to sources at motherboard makers. The quad-core CPU will offer a frequency of 3.0GHz with 1333MHz FSB and 12MB L2 cache. As is typical for products in the Extreme series, pricing for the CPU will be set at US$999 in 1000-unit tray quantities.
n an update to previous reports, three 45nm quad-core CPUs (Yorkfield) and another three 45nm dual-core CPUs (Wolfdale) for desktops will be launched in January next year, noted the sources. The three quad-core CPUs will include the Core 2 Quad Q9550 (2.83GHz, 12MB L2 cache), Q9450 (2.66GHz, 12MB) and Q9300 (2.5GHz, 6MB), with pricing expected at US$530, US$316 and US$266 in 1000-unit tray quantities, respectively. The three dual-core CPUs will include the Core 2 Duo E8500 (3.16GHz, 6MB L2 cache), E8400 (3.0GHz) and E8200 (2.66GHz) priced at US$266, US$183 and US$163 in 1000-unit tray quantities, respectively. Plans also include a fourth dual-core CPU, the E8300 (2.83Ghz, 6MB), but pricing and availability have not yet been set.
Posted by | Fri, Sep 28, 2007 - 08:40 AM
September 28 News from Around the Web
Check out today's reviews from around the web in our forums!
Posted by | Fri, Sep 28, 2007 - 06:34 AM
Intel Joins Bill Clinton's Global Initiative
Former President Bill Clinton announced today at the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) in New York that Intel Corporation will bring its landmark teacher training program online to help more than 1.5 million teachers in 15 countries learn how to best integrate technology into their lesson plans to help students learn.
Noting that "quality teachers equal quality education," Intel Chairman Craig Barrett emphasized that this training -- a new online offering of the Intel(R) Teach Program -- helps teachers create active learning environments to help students develop the skills they need to succeed in the global economy. Students taught by teachers trained through the traditional Intel Teach have used these skills for everything from developing an AIDS awareness program to finding new sources of potable water. The current market value of the commitment announced today is an estimated $300 million over the next 4 years.
Posted by | Thu, Sep 27, 2007 - 06:55 PM
Success - NASA Delta 2 Rocket Lifts Dawn into Space
A NASA Delta 2 rocket blasted into space early Thursday, kicking off an unprecedented mission to explore the two largest asteroids in the solar system. Dawn is expected to rendezvous and orbit the 330-mile (530-kilometer) wide Vesta between August 2011 and May 2012, then move on to Texas-sized Ceres by February 2015. With its spherical shape and 585-mile (942-kilometer) diameter, Ceres is so large it is also considered a dwarf planet.
Dawn's eight-year mission will carry the 2,685-pound (1,212-kilogram) probe across three billion miles (4.9 billion kilometers) on NASA's first sortie deep into the asteroid belt, a ring of space rocks that circles the Sun between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter. By visiting the bright, rocky asteroid Vesta and the large, icy Ceres, researchers hope Dawn will shed new light on the formation of planets and solar system's early evolution.
Posted by | Thu, Sep 27, 2007 - 11:33 AM
Halo 3 Has Huge Single Sales Day - $170 million
Microsoft today announced that the Xbox 360 exclusive game Halo 3 has officially become the biggest entertainment launch in history, garnering an estimated $170 million in sales in the United States alone in the first 24 hours. The Xbox 360 title beat previous records set by blockbuster theatrical releases like Spider-man 3 and novels such as Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.
'Halo 3 has become a pop-culture phenomenon,' said Neil Thomson, Senior Regional Director, Entertainment and Devices Division, Microsoft UK. 'Not only is Halo 3 setting sales records, it’s also redefining entertainment. Within the first 24 hours alone, we’ve seen more than a million Xbox LIVE members worldwide come online to play Halo 3 – that makes September 25 the most active Xbox LIVE gaming day in history.'
Posted by | Thu, Sep 27, 2007 - 11:05 AM
Announcing the End of the Music CD - OPUS No5
Olive Media Products developed the first OPUS in 2005, heralding a new age in music experience that combined the convenience of digital media with high-end audio components. With the introduction of the new OPUS No5 comes the marketing hype and this one takes the cake: "The Only Networked Audio System That Delivers Digital Convenience and HD Audio Quality Better Than Vinyl".
"We all know the market for CDs is coming to an end," explains Oliver Bergmann, Olive's CEO, "but until now we just weren't sure what would replace the CD player for the serious music enthusiast who really cares about quality music. We believe that the Opus No5 is the answer."
Posted by | Thu, Sep 27, 2007 - 09:22 AM
Asustek introduces new overclocking GeForce graphics card
Asustek Computer recently introduced its GeForce EN8600GT TOP/HTDP/256M graphics with overclocking capabilities. The EN8600GT TOP also utilizes a cooling fan that can lower temperatures by 13 degrees Celsius in comparison to reference design boards.
With the company's SmartDoctor technology, users can overclock the shader clock and engine clock independently for a performance boost without rebooting or re-flashing their BIOS, according to Asustek. The EN8600GT TOP is capable of raising stream processor clock performance from 1188MHz up to 1458MHz plus and comes with 1ns memory modules, which help create a speed boost when compared to other reference design boards, according to the company.
Posted by | Thu, Sep 27, 2007 - 09:15 AM
Rumor - Intel Tukwila Processor Taped-In
Charlie over at The Inq. has received word that Tukwila has been taped-in by the folks at Intel. Tukwila is the code-name for an upcoming version of Intel's Itanium processor family that will follow in the footsteps of Itanium 2 and Montecito. It is expected to come to market in late 2008 and seems to be on track if this is true.
It has been publicly disclosed that Tukwila and its associated chipset would bring socket compatibility between Intel's Xeon and Itanium processors, by introducing a new interconnect called Intel QuickPath Interconnect (QuickPath). It is thought that the chip will have at least 4 processor cores; it may only be able to run at full rated clock with some of them deactivated. In this way it can be configured for highest multithreaded performance or highest single thread performance, while staying within its thermal limits.
Posted by | Thu, Sep 27, 2007 - 08:52 AM
XFX introduces nForce 630i and 610i Motherboards
XFX welcomes the most affordable—and graphically intense—triplets ever delivered. The XFX nForce 630i with GeForce 7150, nForce 630i with GeForce 7100, and nForce 610i with GeForce 7050 motherboards are genetically programmed to deliver a premium graphics experience on Windows Vista, including Flip 3D, translucent window panes and taskbar preview.
Every motherboard comes with an NVIDIA GeForce GPU, for exceptional graphics performance and an amazing Windows Vista experience. Add 1 GB of system memory and users can upgrade their experience to Windows Vista Premium. Other features include Microsoft DirectX 9.0 Shader Model 3.0 for top-notch compatibility and performance on all DirectX 9.0 applications; single-link DVI support to drive flat-panel displays supporting single-link TMDS; PCI Express; NVIDIA nForce storage, NVIDIA RAID and MediaShield technology, and NVIDIA nForce networking. HDMI and high definition audio are additional supported features.
Posted by | Thu, Sep 27, 2007 - 08:08 AM
SanDisk Opens its First Production Plant in China
SanDisk Corporation today announced the opening of its production facility in Shanghai, the company’s first in the People’s Republic of China. Based in Zizhu Industrial-based Science Park, SanDisk Semiconductor (Shanghai) Co. Ltd. (SDSS) is expected to play a critical role in SanDisk’s worldwide operations as the plant will focus on the assembly and test of its advanced flash memory products for mobile and other consumers in markets worldwide. SanDisk’s worldwide operations function will also reside at the Shanghai facility. The announcement was made today at a press conference held at the facility.
The new 34,000 square meter facility is a vertically integrated production operation with all test and assembly processes carried out at the plant—from receiving wafers from the company’s fabrication sources, or fabs, based in Japan to shipping complete products to customers. The production capacity of SDSS is expected to meet approximately 30 percent of SanDisk’s SiP products projected global demand.
Posted by | Thu, Sep 27, 2007 - 08:04 AM
September 27 News from Around the Web
Find today's web reviews in our forums!
The last time we saw a card from Inno3D we were extremely pleased with what exactly they had to offer. The iChill series has expanded since we looked at it last and the 8600 series has now entered it while a number of different coolers have also been added to the lineup. The particular card we’re looking at today is an 8600GT which carries with it a very mean looking active cooling solution, with heat pipes and fins going everywhere we could be onto a clear winner.
Posted by | Thu, Sep 27, 2007 - 06:30 AM