Legit Reviews News History
Chicago planning for citywide Wi-Fi
Chicago is launching an effort to offer wireless broadband, city officials said Friday, jumping on the Wi-Fi bandwagon as similar initiatives proceed in Philadelphia, San Francisco and smaller cities. I wish St. Louis would do something like this in their ''new'' downtown area!
Chicago has hundreds of Wi-Fi hotspots in places like coffee shops, bookstores and libraries, where anyone can walk in, sit down and connect to the Web. Hoping to extend that wireless blanket to all 228 square miles, the city plans to ask technology companies this spring to submit proposals for the project. While it's too soon to say how the system would operate, the goal is to make Internet access "broad and affordable" for residents and heighten Chicago's appeal for businesses and tourists alike, according to Chris O'Brien, the city's chief information officer.
Posted by | Tue, Feb 21, 2006 - 04:18 AM | Comments
IBM Uses Deep-Ultraviolet Optical Lithography To Increase Circuit Counts
Researchers at IBM have discovered a way of getting more out of the current method used to make computer chips also known as deep-ultraviolet optical lithography.
The methods used by the scientists at IBM's Almaden Research Center in San Jose, California, uses a method called deep-ultraviolet optical lithography. This is essentially the method used to etch circuits on chips. The IBM team said they were able to "print" circuits that are 29.9 nanometres wide. This is about one-third of the width of the smallest computer circuits in mass production today. One nanometre is a billionth of a metre.
Posted by | Tue, Feb 21, 2006 - 04:16 AM | Comments
Intel to Slash Yonah Notebook CPU Prices in May
Today's Chinese-language Commercial Times reported that Intel would decrease prices for its Yonah CPUs 17%-32% by the end of May. Now we just need DIY whitebook notebooks to arrive on the market so we can use these processors!
Prices for Intel's T2600 CPUs are expected to drop to US$423 in May, down from US$632 in January. The chipmaker will also offer its T2500 and T2400 at US$294 and US$241, respectively, during late May, a respective 30% and 17% reduction from January.
Posted by | Tue, Feb 21, 2006 - 04:13 AM | Comments
nVidia bids 7800 adieu
nVidia partners have confirmed that they have just ordered their last batches of nVidia's G70 chip and are moving on to the newer G71. The G70 7800 line of products have been incredibly successful and popular and I know many of us will be sad to see it go, but as they say: In with the new, out with the old! The G71 based 7900 series cards promise better performance as well as cheaper prices than their predecessors. There have been talks about the G71 requiring a two slot cooler, so if you're running an SFF or fairly cramped case and have been considering a 7800 card for a while, now might be a good time to grab one before supply starts running short and prices start rising.
Posted by | Mon, Feb 20, 2006 - 08:54 PM | Comments
Fire up your floppies! The X1800GTO is coming to town!
In recent years, unlocking of disabled shaders via special software or BIOS modding of graphics cards has become quite common among tech communities. With more recent cards such as the X800GTO^2 and 6800GS AGP being able to achieve significant performance boosts over their stock settings. The lower end parts which usually did not completely meet quality control requirements to be placed on higher clocked cards have proven very popular among gamers on a budget, and there seems to be even more coming down the line. ATi's upcoming X1800GTO to be priced at $249 will simply be an X1800XL with 12 pipes as opposed to 16. It may only be a matter of hours or days upon release that we could be hearing news of the new value king, though there is still the mystery that is the GeForce 7600.
The card will cost as much as Nvidia charges for the 6800 GS now. Its suggested retail price is set to $249 and we believe that Nvidia's Geforce 7600 should be priced about the same. We don’t know which of the two will be faster. We expect to see these cards at CeBIT and they will ship in the second half of March.
Posted by | Mon, Feb 20, 2006 - 08:42 PM | Comments
7900GTX numbers revealed
While not quite 700mhz, nVidia's 7900GTX which will be clocked at 650mhz will be a considerable adversary to ATi's X1900XT. While it's speculated that the 7900GTX will not be able to beat the X1900XT in raw power, nVidia seems to be leaning towards a more high-end value oriented launch by pricing the 7900GTX at only $499.
The cards should be sampled by the end of the month or at CeBIT. Nvidia will invite its loyal press, to Satan Clara to show them its new part. There will also be lower clocked G70 90 nanometre parts branded as Geforce 7800 GT and priced even less. Nvidia also plans to attack X1600 generation with its new 7600 GT, GS cards all scheduled for Cebit launch.
Posted by | Mon, Feb 20, 2006 - 08:29 PM | Comments
Are you letting the government Google through your files?
Google Desktop 3, the latest iteration of Google's all-in-one search and utility suite offers a new feature that may compromise your sensitive data. While Google has tried to include warnings in their privacy policy as to what happens to data once loaded up to Google's servers, and how it's handled, one can't help but feel there should be a more direct and clearly stated warning right next to the checkbox.
EFF staff attorney Kevin Bankston says that files on a service provider's computers, such as those stored by Google, would be easier for law enforcement to access because a subpoena would be issued to the provider, rather than the user. In some circumstances, as with Patriot Act requests, Google would not even be required to notify the user that their files were being turned over. Because of the secrecy of such investigations, it's impossible to know how many such subpoenas have actually been issued. However, says Bankston, "It's fair to assume that Google -- and all the other search engines -- have received and complied with this kind of request in the past."
Posted by | Sat, Feb 18, 2006 - 08:34 PM | Comments
Turion Inside
So you've finally had it with your loud obnoxious beige monster and just want some peace and quiet. Pentium Ms have been around for quite some time and you've heard wonderful things and read raving reviews. The problem? Socket479 motherboards are rarer than hens teeth, limiting you to a list you can count off on your hands, and of the ones available, you'll pay a pretty penny. Enter Turion. AMD's mobile solution offers almost everything Intel's does and more such as 64-bit capability. Turion does however lack a Centrino like technology, but hey, you're running a desktop here right?
When it comes to availability, Intel's market presence is tough to beat. Everybody knows Intel, so everybody sells it. What's more, the Pentium M has been on the market a lot longer and is available in a retail box, which makes it easier for retailers to get hold of. On the other hand, getting a Turion will cost you a whole lot less — if you can find one for sale. Not only are the processors themselves cheaper, but, thanks to the compatibility with Socket 754, a compatible motherboard can be had for acorns. Compare that to the Pentium M, which requires a special motherboard that comes at a high premium. And, unlike the Pentium M boards, Socket 754 boards are readily available — you might even own one already!
Posted by | Sat, Feb 18, 2006 - 08:10 PM | Comments
Saturday Reviews from Around the Web
Gamepyre posted their review on the Evga 6800GS CO/SE Superclocked Edition. Find this and other reviews by visiting the Legit Forums!
Posted by | Sat, Feb 18, 2006 - 07:28 AM | Comments
Report: Itanium servers to grow 35 percent a year
Intels Itanium processor is getting momentum. According to the IDC Itanium servers will grow by ~$6.6 Billion by 2009. The reports sites that "high customer satisfaction and solid intent-to-purchase ratings for Itanium-based servers" are the main reasons. It also mentions that alot of the current HP PA-RISC customers plan to migrate to Itanium, which isn't much of a supprise considering HP's involvement with Intel.
MANHASSET, N.Y. ? The Intel Itanium processor-based server market is slated grow at a compound annual growth rate of 35 percent over the next five years, according to market research firm IDC
Posted by | Fri, Feb 17, 2006 - 10:32 AM | Comments
Microsoft Vista Deployment Tools Enters Beta Phase
Rumor has it that the Vista February Community Technology Preview test build and a first beta of new Vista deployment tools are both expected to be sent out to beta testers next week.
Microsoft still is expected to deliver the next Windows Vista milestone, the February Community Technology Preview release, next week ? most likely on Feb. 21, according to testers briefed last month by Microsoft. While beta testers contacted this week said they had received no updated information as to when to expect the so-called February Community Technology Preview, most said they were still expecting it to arrive on February 21, as Microsoft privately told testers a month ago.
Posted by | Fri, Feb 17, 2006 - 07:29 AM | Comments
Nvidia's Profit Doubles While Gamers Ammo Up With GFX Cards
Go nVidia Go! Net income for the fiscal year ended January 29, 2006 was $302.6 million, or $1.65 per diluted share, compared to net income of $100.4 million, or $0.57 per diluted share, for the fiscal year ended January 30, 2005, a net income increase of 202 percent. Great results from nVidia (NVDA) shares are trading above $50 for the first time since 2002!
Revenue for the fiscal year ended January 29, 2006 was a record $2.38 billion, compared to revenue of $2.01 billion for the fiscal year ended January 30, 2005. Net income for the fiscal year ended January 29, 2006 was $302.6 million, or $1.65 per diluted share, compared to net income of $100.4 million, or $0.57 per diluted share, for the fiscal year ended January 30, 2005, a net income increase of 202 percent.
Posted by | Fri, Feb 17, 2006 - 06:59 AM | Comments
Mac OS X's First Real Virus Threat: OSX/Leap-A
The worm is called OSX/Leap-A and is spread via instant messaging programs. The worm attempts to spread via Apple's iChat instant messaging program, which is compatible with America Online's popular AIM instant messaging program.
The vast majority of malicious hacks are aimed at Microsoft Corp.'s Windows operating system and some of its products, largely because Microsoft has more than 90 percent of the market for computer operating systems. "This first Macintosh OS X threat is an example of the continuing spread of malicious code on to other platforms," said Vincent Weafer, senior director at Symantec Security Response, in a statement.
Posted by | Fri, Feb 17, 2006 - 06:49 AM | Comments
Hidden Meaning? AMD's Next Launch Date Is 666
Fudo puts some humor into the morning by reporting that AMD might have secretly planned their launch around the 666 date. Fudo claims that AMD plans to introduce socket AM2, Liver and some new CPUs on the 6th of the sixth of the year 2006.
666 - The Number of the Beast (from Revelations in the Bible)
Posted by | Fri, Feb 17, 2006 - 06:44 AM | Comments
Intel Trims 35W Off the 65nm Intel Pentium D Processor
Intel is to add its Enhanced SpeedStep Technology (EIST) to its 65nm dual-core Pentium D 950 processor in order to allow the chip to operate within design guidelines for motherboards, with a maximum power consumption of 95W rather than 130W. This is great news for Intel and consumers as the new Intel Pentium D 950 processor will work on more boards. This means you can build an Intel 950 system for less money! It's about time!
The change arises from Intel's decision to equip the chip with its Pentium D 9xx series C-1 core update. Late last month, it told customers it would be upgrading the chip family from its current, B-1 core. As a result, it said, the 3.2GHz 940 would run on a 95W 'mainstream' mobo rather than the originally specified 130W 'performance' boards.
Posted by | Fri, Feb 17, 2006 - 06:41 AM | Comments
Sony Claims The PS3 Will Launch In 2006
Sony will definitely launch its new PlayStation 3 (PS3) game console this year, though the company still has not decided on a launch date nor pricing for the console, said Tetsuhiko Yasuda, managing director of Sony Computer Entertainment Asia, on February 16 at the Taipei Game Show.
Accumulated global shipments for the PS3 are expected to exceed 100 million units, a record that was set by Sony?s earlier games consoles, the PS and PS2, despite the fact that the PS3 will be priced higher than the PS2, Yasuda said. The PS3 will lag the Xbox 360 more in market share if Sony delays launch of the PS3 to the end of 2006, the sources said, noting that Microsoft predicted global shipments of its Xbox 360 will reach 4.5-5.5 million units by the end of June.
Posted by | Fri, Feb 17, 2006 - 06:38 AM | Comments
F.E.A.R. 1.03 Patch Released For Download
The folks over at Vivendi Universal Games have released a new update to the popular first person shooter (FPS) F.E.A.R. today. This patch updates F.E.A.R. to version 1.03. It includes Punkbuster support, voting options, 3 new maps, and other changes. This is a required update.
Posted by | Thu, Feb 16, 2006 - 12:14 PM | Comments
Dell To Report Fiscal Fourth-Quarter Results Today
Later today after the bell closes Dell will report their fiscal fourth-quarter results to the World. The past couple quarters have been rough, but a few articles might think Dell may hit the mark because they set it so low. Interesting read if you want to look into the power house of computer systems.
For two straight quarters now, Dell has fallen short of the Street's expectations. But few investors are expecting a third strike when the Round Rock, Texas, computer maker reports fiscal fourth-quarter results after the bell Thursday. Of course, meeting expectations shouldn't be too difficult, given how low Dell has set the bar. Its guidance of $14.6 billion to $15 billion in revenue represents 9% to 11% growth, a far cry from the 17% growth investors once expected.
Posted by | Thu, Feb 16, 2006 - 08:14 AM | Comments
Kingston 2005 YTD Sales Skyrocket to $3 Billion
Kingston Technology had their 2005 product revenue increase 22% from 2004 and for the first time ever broke the $3 billion mark. Kingston continues to be the leader in the memory industry and we expect 2006 to be no different than years past. Right now Kingston has a $25 rebate on select modules, which means you can get a 1GB kit of PC-3200 HyperX memory for just $79! With offers like this it's no wonder Kingston pulls in $3 billion!
Kingston Technology Corporation, the world's largest independent memory module manufacturer, today announced total product revenue for 2005 increased by over 22% (from 2004), rising to $3 billion and marking the highest revenue the company has attained since its founding in 1987. After exceeding its first $1 billion in sales in 1995, Kingston surpassed original estimations of reaching its first $2 billion in sales for 2004 finishing instead at $2.45 billion. Going beyond initial expectations for 2005, Kingston achieved $3 billion in year-to-date sales. Key factors in hitting the $3 billion milestone so quickly include continued performance increases in several key business areas and stronger focus on developing memory market segments for global production expansion.
Posted by | Thu, Feb 16, 2006 - 08:04 AM | Comments
SWOP-USA (Prostitutes) boycott Grand Theft Auto
The Sex Workers Outreach Project (SWOP) USA website has put a post on their main page calling for the boycott of the popular video game GTA. I personally think they are a day late and a buck short, but to each their own. I have played violent video games for 10+ years and I've yet to murder, rape, or get in fights. The game allows you to pick up prostitutes and if you want you can beat them up to get your money back. Sounds like real life to me!
Although SWOP-USA will always be adamantly opposed to any and all forms of censorship, as concerned parents ourselves, we wish to inform other parents of the potential danger extremely violent video games pose to children. And in the interest of furthering sex worker?s human and civil rights to life and personal safety, we object to any media which represents sex workers as legitimate targets of violence, rape and murder. Since the video game Grand Theft Auto accrues points to players for the depiction of the rape and murder of prostitutes, SWOP-USA calls on all parents and all gamers to boycott Grand Theft Auto.
Posted by | Thu, Feb 16, 2006 - 07:57 AM | Comments
Asus RD580 Motherboard is the A8R32-MVP Deluxe
Are you one of the many enthusiasts waiting on the ATI RD580 chipet (commercially known as the Radeon Xpress 3200) to come out? If you are then you might want to take a look at the ASUS A8R32-MVP Deluxe motherboard. Rumor also has it that this will be the best overclocking board on the market once it comes out. Watch out nVidia!
ASUS is still tweaking the board and we heard that the RD580 should be the most overclocked platform available. It will sure surpass the Nforce 4 SLI overclockability as we know that the reference RD580 can go at more than 300 MHz FSB easily, and even more than that. Nforce 4 SLI will win on features, but it is up to motherboard manufacturers to include all the nice features on the boards as you can use external chips to include support for all the nice features that are not part of the chipset. Crossfire is finally becoming a mature player.
Posted by | Thu, Feb 16, 2006 - 07:49 AM | Comments
Sony launches dual-core VAIO FE15TP notebook
Sony yesterday introduced the VAIO FE15TP notebook that features a 15.4-inch screen and the Intel Centrino Core Duo processor. The notebook will also feature the recently released nVidia GeForce 7400 graphics processor to easily play current game titles with the eye candy turned off. If you are looking for a dual-core notebook then add the Sony VAIO FE15PT to the short list of ones out.
The model will be available on February 23, with a suggested price tag of NT$54,800 (about US$1,692). Sony?s new dual-core model features Intel?s 1.66GHz T2300 processor and 945PM chipset and supports Nvidia?s GeForce Go 7400 graphics processor with TurboCache technology.
Posted by | Thu, Feb 16, 2006 - 07:45 AM | Comments
Thursday Reviews from Around the Web
Pro-Clockers Reviewed the Ultra X2 550 Watt Power Supply with Flex Force Cabling today. Find this and other reviews by visiting the Legit Forums!
Ultra in the pass four years of their existence have created a name for them yourself. From overclocking ram to alkaline batteries, Ultra has their name in it all. But I would have to say the product that most of us would know them for is their X-Connect line of power supplies. Been one of the first companies to use modular extensions was a great achievement in this ever changing world of computing. Today, we have their second generation power supply, the X2.
Posted by | Thu, Feb 16, 2006 - 07:28 AM | Comments
Wednesday Reviews from Around the Web
3dGameman posted their review of GeIL Ultra Platinum PC4000 Dual Channel Memory today. Find this and other reviews from around the web by visiting the Legit Forums!
The GeIL Ultra Platinum PC4000 Dual Channel Memory's performance at its default speed is blistering fast. This is possible because of the excellent 2.5-4-4-7 memory timing. While that's commendable, I was able to use a timing of 2-4-4-6 at 500MHz DDR. This results in better performance, which is always good thing.
Posted by | Wed, Feb 15, 2006 - 11:47 AM | Comments
Samsung Develops Faster GDDR4 Graphics Memory
Samsung announced today that it has developed the world?s fastest graphics memory - a GDDR4 graphics DRAM (dynamic random access memory) chip with much faster processing than an earlier version that Samsung led the industry in prototyping only four months ago.
Graphics memory, unlike main computer memory, is installed in desktop PCs, notebooks and workstations to manage huge volumes of video images simultaneously. Designed with 80-nanometer process technology, the device has a 12.8GB/sec processing speed, 30 percent faster than the previous prototype, which allows it to transfer the equivalent of up to six DVD-quality movies every second. The 512Mb GDDR4 graphics DRAM comes with 32 input/output pins, each of which transfers data at 3.2Gb/sec. In October, Samsung completed samples of a 256Mb GDDR4 that processed video (and accompanying audio) at 10 gigabytes per second.
Posted by | Wed, Feb 15, 2006 - 10:16 AM | Comments
The US Government Takes Aims At Internet Gambling
Virginia Rep. Bob Goodlatte will reintroduce a bill this week that would prohibit Internet gambling, a fast-growing industry valued at about $12 billion.
The previous version of Goodlatte's bill would make it illegal to use the Internet for gambling and give law enforcement officials the authority to stop credit card payments to offshore Internet gambling sites. Goodlatte's spokeswoman said details about the new bill would be released on Thursday. Other sponsors of the bill will be fellow Virginia Republicans Rick Boucher and Frank Wolf, she said.
Posted by | Wed, Feb 15, 2006 - 07:31 AM | Comments
Infineon Technologies blamed for Microsoft Xbox 360 shortage
German chipmaker Infineon has been named as the culprit for Microsoft?s inability to supply enough Xbox 360s. Did you know the Microsoft XBox 360 has more than 1,700 components? I sure didn't, but it's a shame one part is slowing things down.
Infineon, one of two companies supplying the Xbox 360's storage memory chips, has had trouble making enough of the chips at the right speed for the game console that debuted last November, according to the sources. As a result, Microsoft has not been able to meet the demand for the console. Sources say the shortage of the Infineon memory chips has prevented Microsoft's contract manufacturers, Wistron and Flextronics, from assembling enough consoles. Instead, those manufacturers have had to spend time sorting good chips from bad chips.
Posted by | Wed, Feb 15, 2006 - 07:24 AM | Comments
AMD's Socket AM2 to support DDR2 800MHz Memory
Upset that AMD is moving over to DDR2 memory because it's slower? I bet you didn't know that AMD would be running DDR2 800MHz from the start! I think now is a good time to go read my 7-way DDR2 800MHz Roundup!
AMD eventually decided that it can and will support DDR 2 800 MHz from the outset. Now the migration to DDR 2 finally makes sense, as DDR 2 800 MHz can sure show sume difference compared with DDR 1 400 or even DDR 1 overclocked to 667. It will simply offer more bandwidth and knowing that AMD places its memory controllers on the CPU it also means that it will show a bigger difference than Intel's DDR 2 capable chipsets.
Posted by | Wed, Feb 15, 2006 - 07:18 AM | Comments
ATI R590 said to ship next month called the X1800 GTO
ATI will launch its R590 chip early next month as the Radeon X1800 GTO with support for 256MB of graphics memory, according to internal roadmap information. The data suggests the part is an X1900 with a lower clock speed and an unknown set of features disabled.
We just received news that internal roadmaps from ATI have revealed more information about R590. R590 will launch at the beginning of March for $279 (depending on vendor). The R590 ASIC is effectively the Radeon X1900 core, but at a lower clock speed with some disabled features -- the roadmap did not state exactly what has been disabled. Expect to see the card retail as the Radeon X1800 GTO. The roadmap revealed that these cards will come with 256MB of memory.
Posted by | Wed, Feb 15, 2006 - 07:15 AM | Comments
DDR2 shortage to remain over 10% in 1Q
With PC OEMs significantly raising their DDR2 adoption rate, supply of DDR2 is lagging demand and the shortage has reached 15-20%, according to industry insiders.
The respective DDR2 adoption rate among first- and second-tier PC OEMs is 80-100% and over 50%. However, DRAM makers can only fulfill 50-60% of PC OEMs? DDR2 demand, the firm noted. In the spot market last week, DDR2 prices continued trending upward, while DDR pricing trended downward. NAND flash spot prices also saw significant drops last week, with the 16Gbit segment suffering a 15% sequential drop.
Posted by | Wed, Feb 15, 2006 - 07:12 AM | Comments
VGMark07: Futuremark Makes Vector Graphics Benchmark
Futuremark is hard at work on a new Vector Graphics Benchmark called VGMark07! Acccording to Futuremark VGMark07 will be a good benchmark of OpenVG API performance on Handheld Devices and that active recruitment of key industry partners is underway.
With over eight years experience invested in 2D, 3D and system benchmarking applications, Futuremark is designing VGMark07 as a complete benchmark suite. To reliably gauge the performance of handheld devices running applications that utilize OpenVG API, workloads will be based on popular consumer applications that place a high demand on system performance. The full suite of tests is subject to change, pending industry and partner feedback during the development process, but will replicate OpenVG API dependant tasks such as user interface, text rendering, vector animation and mapping/navigation.
Posted by | Wed, Feb 15, 2006 - 06:54 AM | Comments
Intel Core Duo Delivered to Embedded Market
Intel Corporation today provided extended lifecycle support for the Intel Core Duo processor used by developers of embedded solutions, such as industrial control, test and instrumentation, aerospace, defense and medical imaging systems.
Two independent processing cores can support multiple operating systems simultaneously to provide design?flexibility for custom applications. Intel provides a full set of software tools, including compilers, performance analyzers and thread checkers, to assist developers in maximizing application performance and to fully exploit concurrent threading. The Intel Core Duo processor for designers of embedded systems is available now at speeds of 2.0 GHz and 1.66 GHz for $423 and $316, respectively, each in 1,000?unit quantities. Intel will offer a development kit for the Intel Core Duo processor with the Mobile Intel® 945GM chipset priced at $1,500 and available within 30 days.
Posted by | Tue, Feb 14, 2006 - 10:32 AM | Comments
Free Tech Magazines For Legit Readers
Like getting things for free? If so, take a look at our free magazines and publications! All of the publications are absolutely free to professionals who qualify.
Oracle Magazine contains technology strategy articles, sample code, tips, Oracle and partner news, how to articles for developers. BizTech contains actionable insights that allow CEOs and IT managers to determine if a particular implementation is right for them and identify the next steps in the process. Processor is a leading weekly trade publication for data center and IT employees and decision makers. Baseline is the only magazine for business technology executives whose jobs depend on quantifiable results from technology initiatives. Last but not least is eWeek, which is the essential technology information source for builders of e-business. If none of these fit the bill click the below link and see if any of the other publications do!
Posted by | Tue, Feb 14, 2006 - 10:22 AM | Comments
MySpace has 2-1/2 times the traffic of Google Inc.
Did you know that MySpace now does 2-1/2 times the traffic of Google Inc? I sure didn't, but the Chicago Sun-Times says it does!
The free, ad-supported site has gotten so popular among teens -- a quarter of its users are registered as minors -- that parents, schools and law enforcement officials have taken notice, warning of sexual predators and other dangers. Big media noticed, too. Last year, media conglomerate News Corp. bought MySpace's owner for $580 million in cash. One attraction for users is that MySpace profiles are so accessible.
Posted by | Tue, Feb 14, 2006 - 10:14 AM | Comments
Microsoft Office Live Beta Is Going Live Feb 15th
After weeks of speculation, Microsoft's latest subscription service for small-business users is set to enter wide-scale testing February 15.
As expected, Microsoft is unveiling test versions of three different Office Live offerings: Office Live Basics, Office Live Collaboration and Office Live Essentials. The trio of services will be supported by online advertising and should be commercially available by the end of 2006, Microsoft officials said. According to LiveSide, "Beta testers will require a product key in order to access the beta program. ... As will be visible when the portal finally opens on Wednesday, Office Live Collaboration and Essentials are expected to be available from $29.95 once the beta finishes."
Posted by | Tue, Feb 14, 2006 - 10:09 AM | Comments
Microsoft anti-spyware software labels Symantec as Trojan
An update to Microsoft anti-spyware incorrectly labeled two versions of Symantec's anti-virus software as Trojan horse malware last week. Users of Windows AntiSpyware beta 1 were mistakenly warned that Symantec AntiVirus Corporate Edition and Symantec Client Security packages were a password stealing Trojan called Bancos-A.
PC users were prompted to remove registry keys, advice that if followed would have disabled Symantec's software, the Washington Post reports. The snafu happened because of a problem with a Windows AntiSpyware beta 1 issued on Thursday. Microsoft has issued new signature files that avoid the same mistake. It's not the first time the trial version of Microsoft's anti-spyware software has provoked complaints about false alerts.
Posted by | Tue, Feb 14, 2006 - 07:14 AM | Comments
AMD's Socket AM2 Scheduled To Launch June 6th, 2006
AMD's Socket AM2 is now official and will be launched during Computex according to Fudo. The new platform will use DDR2 memory, but at what speed the memory will run is still all rumors. At least we know on June 6th the platform will be launched!
We can now finally confirm that AMD has decided to rename its socket and to call it socket AM2. All of the dual core performance, mainstream and extreme gaming versions of the AM2 CPUs will sample by the end of this month. The production of these socket AM2 based CPUs or revision F is scheduled for April 30th while the channel orders will begin on May the 15th.
Posted by | Tue, Feb 14, 2006 - 07:12 AM | Comments
Activision to Lay Off 150 Workers
Activision announced yesterday that it is laying off about 150 workers, which is just under 7% of their entire staff.
Dyer did not specify the number of workers that Activision is laying off, but said it is less than 7% of the company's total workforce of 2,200. The cutbacks are part of an effort to "realign" the company's operations for the next two years, Dyer said. Activision will pay severance to laid off workers at "industry standard" rates, said company spokeswoman Maryanne Lataif. But Lataif declined to say what the total cost will be to the company.
Posted by | Tue, Feb 14, 2006 - 06:39 AM | Comments
Yahoo! Deeply Concerned Over Chinese Internet Censorship
After helping send a man to jail for eight years Yahoo! releases a written statement that talked about a free and unrestricted internet. Too little, too late? We think so, and so does Shi Tao who is now serving eight years in jail!
In a written statement that did not refer to China, it said it was committed to an unrestricted internet. The Chinese government enforces strict laws on internet use, blocking content it considers a threat, including references to the Tiananmen Square massacre and notable dissidents. Yahoo has been accused of releasing data that led to the jailing of online writer and corruption critic Li Zhi for eight years in 2003, and to the imprisonment of reporter Shi Tao in a separate case.
Posted by | Tue, Feb 14, 2006 - 06:33 AM | Comments
Monday Reviews from Around the Web
X-Bit labs posted their review of what they call "The Best-Value Dual-Core AMD Processor: Opteron 165 CPU." Read what they have to say about this CPU and find other reviews by visiting the Legit Forums!
AMD has been offering Opteron processors for Socket 939 systems for quite a while now. Despite their server orientation they can suit quite well for desktop systems too. For example, our experiments showed that Opteron 165 is a really great choice for hardware enthusiasts. Read more!
Posted by | Mon, Feb 13, 2006 - 11:41 AM | Comments
Corsair Launches DDR2 667Mhz Notebook SO-DIMM Memory
Corsair Memory today launched ValueSelect 667MHz DDR2 SO-DIMM memory to support the latest Intel mobile technology. These modules are available immediately in 512MB and 1GB modules.
Based on carefully selected component and individually tested at its rated speed, the new 667MHz DDR2 SO-DIMM offers reliability and performance found in all Corsair products. Thanks to the new Intel 945 Express family of chipsets, notebooks based on 667MHz DDR2 SO-DIMM now offer more memory bandwidth, reducing any potential system bottleneck that might cause performance degradations.
Posted by | Mon, Feb 13, 2006 - 10:14 AM | Comments
Super Talent Launches Worlds Fastest 2GB DDR2 Memory Kit
Super Talent just sent out a press release stating they have the "World's Fastest 2GB DDR2 Kits". The new memory kit (Part Number: T800UX2GC4) is rated at PC2-6400 (800MHz) with 4-3-4-8 latencies. In our last memory review we overclocked Mushkin's 2GB PC2-5300 3-3-3 memory kit to 800MHz at 3-3-3-16, so it will be interesting to see which memory kit is fastest. Expect a review on this Super Talent memory kit in the near future.
Every T800UX2GC4 kit built is fully tested in a dual channel motherboard at 800MHz at 4-3-4-8 latencies to guarantee that it meets its spec. Super Talent Marketing Manager, David Crume, said "This DDR2-800 kit is by far the fastest 2GB kit we've ever seen. It gives power users the best of speed, latency and density in one kit. The net result is unrivaled memory performance." Mr Crume continued, "Until now, enthusiasts have had to settle for either high memory clock speed or low latency, but we've answered both demands in one product."
Posted by | Mon, Feb 13, 2006 - 10:02 AM | Comments
Blizzard Entertainment: Gay rights win in World of Warcraft
Blizzard Entertainment has officially apologized to the guild recruiter, saying the warning about gay-friendly guilds should never have been issued. It looks like Sara Andrews won her battle and paved the way for others to follow behind her. In today?s day and age I am surprised that Blizzard took a stance against her guild at first. With five million people playing World of Warcraft one would expect a good number to have different sexual preferences and religious backgrounds!
The row blew up around Warcraft player Sara Andrews, who plays a high-level mage called Shimmre on the Shadow Moon server. In late January, Sara Andrews used Warcraft's text chat channels to say that the guild she helps run, called Oz, was set up to be gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender "friendly". But an in-game admininstrator issued a warning saying that such talk was a breach of Warcraft's terms of service. She was threatened with being banned from the game if she continued to advertise the Oz guild using such language.
Posted by | Mon, Feb 13, 2006 - 07:05 AM | Comments
Nokia unveils three new mobile phones
The world's top handset maker, Nokia, launched three new phone models on Monday, saying it expected the new 6131 camera phone to become one of the best-selling models in the mid-price range. No shocking design changes on the outside!
Nokia said the clamshell shaped 6131 would retail for around 275 euros ($326.9), excluding subsidies and value added taxes. It also unveiled the 6136 model, with a camera and technology allowing it to connect to wireless network hotspots, which Oistamo said would also retail for about 275 euros. Nokia also launched a basic model, the 6070, which will have a retail price of about 135 euros. Nokia's Oistamo said all three phones would start shipping in the second quarter of the year.
Posted by | Mon, Feb 13, 2006 - 06:57 AM | Comments
DDR3 Memory Shown With a CAS Latency of 7 (CL7)
Many enthusiasts freaked out seeing DDR2 memory launching with CL4 and CL5 timings, but that is nothing compared to where DDR3 system memory is at today. Elpida has some DDR3 desktop memory on display at the recent ISSCC 2006 event with a CAS Latency of 7! While many may not like the sounds of CL7 memory the DDR3 modules will run at a lower voltage of 1.3-1.5 Volts! (Think better battery life) In the meantime we will stick to our trusty CL3 DDR2 675MHz modules!
Talking about memory, one talk - not talked about much, though - was covering Elpida's "standard" DDR3 memory, the one meant for next-generation PCs and servers, for instance. Their 512 Megabit DDR3 SDRAM with a column access time of 8.75 ns (CL7 latency) and data transfer rate of 1.6 Gigabits per second (Gbps), or 1.6 GHz DDR3 for the laymen, would be the fastest DDR3 general purpose memory chip announced by now - all that at the usual 1.5v DDR3 voltage level, saving some electricity compared to the DDR2. What is more interesting is that, at an even lower 1.36 volts, the RAM runs fine at 1.333 GHz (DDR3-1333) grade with CL6 latency (8.4 ns total CAS time), which matches the CAS time of the fastest current DDR2 memory, the Corsair 5400UL (DDR2-667 CL3) at 1.9 volts.
Posted by | Mon, Feb 13, 2006 - 06:53 AM | Comments
Intel's Woodcrest Processor to clock at 2.93GHz
Intel is set to ship its 'Woodcrest' processor, the first 65nm Xeon chip to be based on the chip giant's next-generation architecture, will ship at 2.93GHz and boast a 1333MHz frontside bus, a purported copy of the company's server roadmap posted on a Chinese-language website claims.
Woodcrest will run on top of Intel's 'Blackford' chipset, a part the company announced some time ago. It hasn't, so far as we can recall, mentioned 'Whitmore Lake', which appears on HKEPC's posting alongside the upcoming Xeon ULV, the low-voltage version of 'Sossaman', itself derived from Intel's Core Duo mobile processor.
Posted by | Mon, Feb 13, 2006 - 06:46 AM | Comments
DDR2 shortage to reach 30-40% in February
Nanya Technology is observing buoyant PC OEM demand for DDR2 memory and the company expects the DDR2 shortage to increase to 30-40% in February, with related contract pricing continuing its rise, according to company president Jih Lien. No wonder DDR2 spot prices continue to increase!
Demand for DDR2 chips among PC OEMs including Dell and HP is strong, Lien indicated. The anticipated shortage should boost related contract prices 20% sequentially in February and price momentum should persist through March, he noted. Research firm InSpectrum backs up those claims, and has quoted sources at DRAM makers as saying that DDR2 shipments are strong on solid demand from PC OEMs. InSpectrum has also observed tight DDR2 supply among PC OEMs. The research firm predicts that the mainstream 512Mbit DDR2-533 contract price will increase 5.7% in the second half of February to US$4.63.
Posted by | Mon, Feb 13, 2006 - 06:44 AM | Comments
nVidia Makes Math Mistake When Trying To Oust ATI
Fudo over at The Inq pokes fun at nVidia today over some numbers released in an internal sales guide that they got their hands on. In the latest sales material nVidia shows that the 7800 GTX 512 card is beating the X1900XTX. Read our review here showing the two cards run head to head and see what you think.
Some ATI fanbois on hw-vault forums decided to play a little joke about Nvidia's mathematics. When Nvidia announced Geforce 7800 GTX 256 MB version it said that the card can do 200 Giga flops. The new 7800 GTX 512 should be able to do 250 or maximally 300 Giga flops but now Nvidia claims that four of these cards in Quad SLI can do 5.2 Teraflops.
Posted by | Fri, Feb 10, 2006 - 06:12 AM | Comments
3GSM Trade Show Ramps Up TV and Web Services
Mobile broadcasts for cell phones is the next fad for those that suffer what we call electronics envy. Soon companies like MTV will be able to pipe music videos and content that we want directly to our phones! Next week those going to the 3GSM trade show will be able to see this first hand! Just keep in mind that you more than likely will have to upgrade your phone to support these new features!
MTV will be broadcasting three mobile TV channels at the event, featuring MTV shows and music, Paramount Comedy, Nickelodeon and IFILM, a new MTV brand dedicated to filmmaking. British operator BT Group Plc will unveil its new BT Movio TV and radio service to the 50,000 visitors expected at the show next week.
Posted by | Fri, Feb 10, 2006 - 06:01 AM | Comments
Large-size LCD panel prices on the decline in early 2006
iSuppli believes that large-size LCD panel prices on the decline in early 2006, but soon to rebound in 2H06. It seems that prices will continue to drop this month after preliminary findings indicate inventories of finished product in the monitor distribution channel were higher than normal so far this month!
Pricing for panels used in monitors has been on the decline since October. In January, prices for popular 17-inch monitor panels fell to US$152, down 4.5% from US$159 in December. iSuppli predicts the 17-inch monitor panel price will decline by 12% in the first quarter compared to the fourth. After experiencing acute shortages and price increases at the start of the fourth quarter, prices for mobile-PC LCD panels began to weaken in December. This was due to reduced orders from brand manufacturers that were battening down the hatches for the seasonally weak first quarter.
Posted by | Fri, Feb 10, 2006 - 05:54 AM | Comments
Micron Consolidates Memory Operations
Micron Technology announced an internal reorganization late Thursday as it pushes forward with its plan to diversify into more profitable, higher-growth markets.
The move, announced a day before Micron's annual analysts meeting, comes as Micron is taking steps to shift its focus from commodity DRAM memory to higher-margin semiconductor products like NAND flash memory, image sensors and specialty DRAM. In Micron's most recently completed quarter, sales of such chips accounted for 45% of overall sales. Micron's profit in its fiscal first quarter plunged about 60% from the same time a year ago, as prices of DRAM memory chips declined 15%.
Posted by | Fri, Feb 10, 2006 - 05:51 AM | Comments
Intel's Korean Offices Raided
Korean authorities raided Intel's offices earlier this week, as part of an investigation into whether the world's largest chipmaker violated the country's anti-monopoly rules. The raid was unsheduled, but does happen to companies as large as Intel.
Intel spokesperson Chuck Mulloy confirmed that the Korean FTC paid an unscheduled visit to Intel's offices in Seoul on Tuesday morning during normal business hours. He said that Intel had been cooperating with the investigation and will continue to do so. "At the end of the day we expect that the Korean FTC will conclude that our business practices are both fair and lawful," said Mulloy. He added that it's not unusual for a company as successful and as large as Intel to come under regulatory scrutiny.
Posted by | Thu, Feb 09, 2006 - 02:40 PM | Comments
Reasons to upgrade to Vista: Halo 2?
It's official, Halo 2 for the PC has finally been announced, but there's a catch: You'll need to upgrade to Vista to run it. At best, this means a Holiday 2006 release. The question remains though, how much impact would a two year old game have on upgrade sales of Vista? And will it really need Vista to run? The answer to the first question this news poster does not have, but if 2000/XP only games such as DOOM3, Call of Duty: UO, and etc are any indication, a quick MSI hack using Orca may be all that's necessary for Windows 2000, XP, and Server 2003 users to enjoy Halo 2 on their PC. This is of course only speculation.
Microsoft has announced that the PC version of Halo 2 will only work on the new version of Windows called Vista. The decision could make it expensive for many to play the game if they have to buy the new version of Windows and extra hardware for their PC. Microsoft has given no definite release date for Vista but it is expected to be available by the end of 2006.
Posted by | Thu, Feb 09, 2006 - 01:36 PM | Comments
Gateway CEO resigns, future uncertain
Gateway CEO Wayne Inouye, of former eMachines fame has announced his departure from the company. In the two short years since Gateway acquired eMachines and made Inouye the company CEO he completely turned around the company and for the first time since 2000, helped Gateway post profits. Inouye also helped improve customer service enough to top Dell and others in PCWorld's annual Reliability and Service rankings (for eMachines branded computers at any rate). It is likely because of how well the company is doing now that many were surprised at the announcement. News of the resignation did not sit well with investors and the company stock took a dive of several percentage points. At the time of writing, Gateway stock sits at $2.45, a loss of 2.4% (6 cents) since yesterday.
The Board has begun a search for a permanent replacement CEO and expects to complete the search by late summer. While in his interim role, Mr. Snyder will step down temporarily from his positions as chairman of the Corporate Governance & Nominating Committee and member of the Audit Committee but will remain Chairman of the Board. In the interim, Board member Janet Clarke will become chair of the Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee and Board member George Krauss will join the Audit Committee.
Posted by | Thu, Feb 09, 2006 - 01:21 PM | Comments
SanDisk becomes the No. 2 seller of MP3 players
Did you know that SanDisk is the number two maker of MP3 players? While Apple has the number one spot locked down with their iPod series SanDisk is right behind them with their non-iPod players. SanDisk is looking forward to strong sales of the upcoming Sansa MP3 player next month, which looks like the iPod.
"We want to be a strong No. 2 in the MP3 space," said Eric Bone, SanDisk's director of consumer product marketing. The SanDisk devices are aimed at people looking for an alternative to the Apple Computer models and who want to load their devices up with songs sold through services other than iTunes. But SanDisk, a leader in the market of USB flash drives -- those little storage devices small enough to hook onto your key chain -- and flash memory cards, has a strong presence in retailers across the country.
Posted by | Thu, Feb 09, 2006 - 09:53 AM | Comments
A-Data and Transcend lower NAND flash memory production
A-Data Technology and Transcend have reduced their NAND flash shipments in January to avoid losses due to the falling prices on flash products. NAND flash is going to continue to be a huge part of the memory industry, but now with everyone producing it the price war has clearly started.
A-Data claims its sales have been affected by the recent price drops for NAND flash, with its related book-to-bill (B/B) ratio for NAND flash products falling to about the 1.0 level. The company has reduced its shipment ratio of NAND flash related products to 30%, down from 40% last quarter. Transcend also reduced its proportion of NAND flash related shipments.
Posted by | Thu, Feb 09, 2006 - 09:45 AM | Comments
Intel's Merom Mobile Processor Delayed Till Q4
Rumor has it that the Intel Merom processor has been pushed from Q3 to Q4 due to unknown reasons. Intel has had rough times launching products when listed on their roadmaps, which makes us wonder why they still send them out to press. If they didn't send them out no one would know they were delayed!
Once Intel has got its Woodcrest and Conroe launches out of the way, it will introduce its first dual core Meroms in the four quarter of this year. Earlier roadmaps seen by the INQ suggested it would intro Meron in Q3, but it's now slated for Q4 now.
Posted by | Thu, Feb 09, 2006 - 07:17 AM | Comments
Information Yahoo Gave Lands Chinese Man In Jail
The internet giant Yahoo has been accused of providing China with information that led to the jailing of a second internet writer. Last year Yahoo was accused of giving information to Beijing which led to the imprisonment of reporter Shi Tao. Now Sho Tao has been sentenced to 10 years in jail for posting things online. I wonder if I could run LR in China! ;)
Four major US-based companies - Microsoft, Google, Yahoo and Cisco - have been accused of collaborating with China to censor the internet. In September, Yahoo was accused of helping the Chinese authorities identify Shi Tao, who was sentenced to 10 years in prison in April 2005.
Posted by | Thu, Feb 09, 2006 - 06:56 AM | Comments
RIM unveils plan to keep BlackBerrys alive
Research In Motion on Thursday unveiled a plan that it says will let its addictive BlackBerry e-mail device work even if it loses a patent dispute, and said the workaround will prevent a shutdown of service in the United States. This is great news for the millions of CrackBerry users around the world as they can continue to feed their addiction.
"This will hopefully lead to more reasonable negotiations, since NTP risks losing all future royalties if the workaround is implemented." RIM said it has filed applications for a patent for its workaround, part of a software update called BlackBerry Multi-Mode Edition. The company said it will soon begin shipping handsets with the software update in a dormant mode. It will make the update available at www.blackberry.com/workaround at a later, but as yet unspecified, date
Posted by | Thu, Feb 09, 2006 - 06:51 AM | Comments
VIA Announces The P4M890 PCI Express Desktop IGP Chipset
VIA Technologies today announced the VIA P4M890 IGP chipset featuring leading edge interconnect and video display technologies, further expanding VIA's broad support for the Intel® Pentium 4 platform and delivering new levels of performance and functionality for mainstream computing solutions.
The VIA P4M890 utilizes the 533MB/s VIA V-Link interface for connection to the latest VIA South Bridge solutions such as the feature-rich VIA VT8237A with its integrated VIA Vinyl(tm) Multichannel Audio Suite, delivering rich, High Definition audio at resolutions as high as 32-bit/192kHz, while the VIA Advanced Connectivity Suite offers a wide range of high-bandwidth connectivity options, including support for up to eight high-speed USB 2.0 ports and high-throughput 10/100 Mb/s Fast Ethernet. The VIA P4M890 chipset is available now.
Posted by | Thu, Feb 09, 2006 - 06:45 AM | Comments
PREVIOUS | NEXT
Search
News History
- March 2010
- February 2010
- January 2010
- December 2009
- November 2009
- October 2009
- September 2009
- August 2009
- July 2009
- June 2009
- May 2009
- April 2009
- March 2009
- February 2009
- January 2009
- December 2008
- November 2008
- October 2008
- September 2008
- August 2008
- July 2008
- June 2008
- May 2008
- April 2008
- March 2008
- February 2008
- January 2008
- December 2007
- November 2007
- October 2007
- September 2007
- August 2007
- July 2007
- June 2007
- May 2007
- April 2007
- March 2007
- February 2007
- January 2007
- December 2006
- November 2006
- October 2006
- September 2006
- August 2006
- July 2006
- June 2006
- May 2006
- April 2006
- March 2006
- February 2006
- January 2006
- December 2005
- November 2005
- October 2005
- September 2005
- August 2005
- July 2005
- June 2005
- May 2005
- April 2005
- March 2005
- February 2005
- January 2005
- December 2004
- November 2004
- October 2004
- 0000
Hot Topics
- Mingle360 Offers New Social Media Flash Drive
- ASUS G73Jh DX11 Gaming Notebook Review
- Thermaltake Announces V5 Black Edition LAN Gaming Case
- ORIGIN 15.6" EON15 Custom Gaming Laptop launched
- IObit Launches Advanced Uninstaller to Remove Bad Software
- First Portable 13" LED Monitor Announced
- ASUS EAH5970
- Active Media Products Launches 100MB/sec eSATA Flash Drives
- Rock Band Announces Carrie Underwood, Ace Frehley and More
- Bluetooth-Enabled JVC Everio Camera Now Available