Legit Reviews News History
CIA and FBI computers used for Wikipedia edits
People using CIA and FBI computers have edited entries in the online encyclopedia Wikipedia on topics including the Iraq war and the Guantanamo prison, according to a new tracing program. The changes may violate Wikipedia's conflict-of-interest guidelines, a spokeswoman for the site said Thursday.
The program, WikiScanner, was developed by Virgil Griffith of the Santa Fe Institute in New Mexico and posted this month on a Web site that was quickly overwhelmed with searches. WikiScanner revealed that CIA computers were used to edit an entry on the United States-led invasion of Iraq in 2003. A graphic on casualties was edited to add that many figures were estimated and were not broken down by class. Another entry on former CIA chief William Colby was edited by CIA computers to expand his career history and discuss the merits of a Vietnam War rural pacification program that he headed.
Posted by | Fri, Aug 17, 2007 - 02:38 PM | Comments
Intel lines up nine 45nm CPUs for the desktop
Intel recently increased the number of 45nm-based CPUs it plans to launch for desktop PCs to nine, according to sources at motherboard makers. Within the nine CPUs, five will be dual-core processors (Wolfdale) and the remaining four will be quad-core (Yorkfield). All will adopt a 1333MHz FSB. Model numbers for the upcoming products are still undecided, noted the sources.
Four of the five Wolfdale processors will have core frequencies of 3.16GHz, 3.0GHz, 2.83GHz and 2.66GHz, while the frequency of the remaining one is unknown. All five Wolfdale processors will feature 6MB L2 cache, detailed the sources. Three of the four Yorkfield processors will have core frequencies of 2.83GHz, 2.66GHz and 2.5GHz with the remainder as yet unknown. Three will include 12MB L2 cache while the 2.5GHz version will have 6MB. Intel will introduce the ability to increase the clock multiplier in steps of 0.5 in the upcoming 45nm range to increase its model choices, pointed out the sources.
Posted by | Fri, Aug 17, 2007 - 02:31 PM | Comments
Corsair Introduces 'Flash Padlock' Secure USB 2.0 Drives
Corsair today launched the 'Flash Padlock' family of affordable USB 2.0 drives, the safest way to secure your data while on the go. The Flash Padlock line of USB 2.0 flash drives address the need for secure data storage through hardware technology, rather than software. Flash Padlock features "Auto-Locking," so the user doesn’t need to remember to enable the protective feature -- It will automatically lock and protect itself after removal from the computer. The USB flash drives are a bit larger than a typical cigarette lighter in case you are wondering.
Corsair Flash Padlock 1GB and 2GB products are available immediately through Corsair’s authorized distributors and resellers world-wide, priced at $29.99 USD MSRP and $39.99 USD MSRP respectively. Corsair Flash Padlock products are backed by a 3-year Limited Warranty. In addition, a PIN registration service and complete customer support via telephone, email, forum and TS Xpress are also available.
Posted by | Thu, Aug 16, 2007 - 07:21 PM | Comments
OCZ Technology Gears up for Games Convention Germany
OCZ Technology Group, Inc. will exhibit a number of exciting new products, innovate prototypes, and live technology at this year’s much anticipated Games Convention next week from August 23 to 26. As the largest gaming and technology event in Europe, various tech companies have the chance to impress end-users from around the world with their next generation products. With a diversified offering of leading-edge PC products for gamers, OCZ aims make their mark and be the lead attraction at Games Convention 2007.
The recently released OCZ Platinum DDR3 has won over the biggest names in independent hardware reviewing with its speed and performance; available in up to 1800MHz, OCZ offers some of the fastest DDR3 available on the market. The newest OCZ DDR3 offers users a superior cutting-edge technology, and will be put to the test in the OCZ gaming and overclocking rig, showing just how incredible this memory can perform! Especially for enthusiasts who want to experience the computing advances of DDR3, this is a great opportunity to witness this next generation class of memory.
Posted by | Thu, Aug 16, 2007 - 06:36 PM | Comments
Blu-ray outpaces HD DVD in U.S. 2-to-1
Blu-ray high-definition movie discs outsold films on the rival HD DVD format by 2-to-1 in the United States in the first half of 2007, Home Media Research said this week.
The division of Home Media Magazine said total sales of Blu-ray discs, using a Sony-backed technology, totaled 1.6 million units from January 1 through July 1, compared with 795,000 HD DVD discs sold in that period.
Posted by | Thu, Aug 16, 2007 - 05:29 PM | Comments
GameSpy Announces "Crysis" Agreement With Crytek
IGN Entertainment’s GameSpy, a leader in multi-platform online gaming technology, today announced a licensing deal to incorporate GameSpy’s multiplayer online technology into Crytek’s upcoming sci-fi, first-person shooter game, Crysis. Under the terms of the agreement, Crytek will utilize a broad range of GameSpy technologies for online gaming and community integration in the upcoming release of Crysis. Additionally, Crytek will leverage GameSpy’s Beta testing program to expose the game to a worldwide network of gaming enthusiasts.
“GameSpy has successfully addressed our needs and wants in providing Crysis the latest in online multiplayer technology and helping to meet gamers’ expectations for one of the most anticipated games of the year,” said Avni Yerli, Managing Director of Crytek. “By utilizing the beta test program and latest GameSpy technologies, we have been able to provide a complete solution in developing a multiplayer experience that meets our high standard of excellence.”
Posted by | Thu, Aug 16, 2007 - 10:01 AM | Comments
Reuters inks $1 billion deal to outsource global IT ops to Fujitsu
News and financial services company Reuters will outsource almost its entire internal IT operations to Fujitsu under a 10-year deal valued at £500 million ($1 billion).
Reuters will transfer more than 300 staff and 200 contractors to Fujitsu as part of the deal, which includes desktop PC maintenance and e-mail services for 17,500 employees worldwide, a Reuters spokeswoman said. Reuters expects the deal to reduce its annual IT costs by 20 percent to 30 percent, the spokeswoman said, although she would not provide actual figure
Posted by | Thu, Aug 16, 2007 - 09:47 AM | Comments
Adobe Flash may be good for cell phones
Adobe's two biggest products for mobile are Flash Lite and Flash Cast and they are pushing them hard in the mobile market. Flash Lite, which is being updated this fall, makes it easier for phone users to access video, games and wallpaper. Flash Cast enables phones to have separate video channels, like on a television.
While Adobe's Flash is already offered on some mobile phones, the company wants to overcome these market barriers and make the technology ubiquitous. This year, Adobe expects 270 million Flash-enabled devices to hit the market, and many of those will be mobile phones. That number is expected to reach 1 billion by 2010, Kovacs said.
Posted by | Thu, Aug 16, 2007 - 09:46 AM | Comments
SEC may file charges against Take-Two
Take-Two Interactive Software announced Wednesday that the Securities and Exchange Commission may file charges and seek monetary penalties against the game maker, in connection with the investigation into the company's stock option granting practices. Take-Two, maker of the Grand Theft Auto video games, has been under investigation by the SEC over allegations that the company engaged in improper stock options pricing practices.
"The company continues to cooperate with the staff and continues to expect to resolve this investigation by means of a settlement rather than a contested litigation of charges, and believes that the "Wells" call represents a significant step forward towards that resolution," Take-Two stated in its SEC filing.
Posted by | Thu, Aug 16, 2007 - 09:44 AM | Comments
TSMC says Microsoft to use its 90nm DRAM process for Xbox 360
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC), the world's top contract chip maker, said on Thursday Microsoft Corp. has started using TSMC's 90-nanometre-embedded-DRAM process technology for the production of the Xbox 360 game console.
"Microsoft's selection of the TSMC 90nm eDRAM process for the graphics-rich Xbox 360 is an important validation of the capability and maturity of the technology," said John Wei, senior director of platform marketing, advanced technology division of TSMC, in a statement on its Web site.
Posted by | Thu, Aug 16, 2007 - 09:43 AM | Comments
ASRock pushes motherboards bundled with Intel CPUs
ASRock recently launched its 2Core1333-2.66G and 2Core1333DVI-2.66G motherboards bundled with Intel dual-core processors that support a 1333MHz FSB (front side bus) and 2.6GHz overclocked core frequency, according to sources at ASRock.
The two motherboards adopt the Intel 945GC A2 chipset, which features support for Intel dual-core Core 2 Extreme, Core 2 Duo, Pentium D, Pentium Dual Core, Pentium 4, Celeron and Celeron D processors and supports a FSB of up to 1333MHz (Intel officially only supports up to 800MHz), and dual-channel DDR2 memory up to 4GB and an integrated Intel GMA950 graphics engine, noted the sources.
Posted by | Thu, Aug 16, 2007 - 09:39 AM | Comments
Microsoft releases super bundle of security patches
Microsoft has released what security experts are calling one of it most significant security fixes this year. On Tuesday morning, the software maker pushed out nine sets of patches, called updates in Microsoft parlance, fixing a total of 14 bugs in its software. Six of these updates are rated critical by Microsoft, meaning that attackers could exploit the flaws with no user action required. The other three updates are rated important.
"People should definitely cancel their dinner plans and make sure they take this one seriously because both the breadth and impact of these are important," said Don Leatham, director of solutions and strategy with PatchLink. "This is an intense month."
Posted by | Wed, Aug 15, 2007 - 10:06 AM | Comments
Nvidia reportedly selling 128-bit version GeForce 8400GS
A 128-bit version of Nvidia's GeForce 8400GS chip which was not in Nvidia's original roadmaps has recently been reported to have surfaced in the China market, according to sources at graphics card makers.
The 128-bit version GeForce 8400GS chip is very similar to Nvidia's GeForce 8500GT due to both graphics cores adopting the same G3-128 package, but the 8400GS's core frequency is lower, noted the sources. The original GeForce 8400GS adopts a G3-64 package, explained the sources. Some graphics card makers think these 128-bit GeForce 8400GS could be GeForce 8500GT chips which did not pass testing and were downgraded to clear stocks.
Posted by | Wed, Aug 15, 2007 - 09:56 AM | Comments
Nokia Claims 46 Million Cell Phone Batteries May Be Faulty
Nokia warned Tuesday that up to 46 million batteries used in some of the company's cell phones could be faulty and pose a risk of overheating. The advisory applies to batteries manufactured by Matsushita between December 2005 and November 2006, the world's largest mobile phone maker said. Matsushita Battery Industrial Co. Ltd. of Japan is one of several suppliers that have together made some 300 million BL-5C batteries. The BL-5C is one of 14 different battery models used in Nokia products.
"Consumers with a BL-5C battery subject to this advisory should note that all of the approximately 100 incidents have occurred while charging the battery," the Finnish company said. "According to Nokia's knowledge this issue does not affect any other use of the mobile device." Nokia said it will swap out all affected batteries.
Posted by | Tue, Aug 14, 2007 - 09:27 AM | Comments
Intel launches two quad-core server processors - X5365 and L5335
Intel has officially launched its X5365 and L5335 quad-core Xeon processors containing new virtualization capabilities. Designed for companies running performance-critical server and workstation applications, the X5365 is the industry’s first 3.0 GHz quad-core processor to fit inside a standard 120W power envelope, according to Intel. The X5365 also features a front side bus (FSB) speed of 1333MHz. Be sure to check out our review on a pair of Intel X5365 processors here.
Intel has officially launched its X5365 and L5335 quad-core Xeon processors containing new virtualization capabilities. Designed for companies running performance-critical server and workstation applications, the X5365 is the industry’s first 3.0 GHz quad-core processor to fit inside a standard 120W power envelope, according to Intel. The X5365 also features a front side bus (FSB) speed of 1333MHz.
Posted by | Tue, Aug 14, 2007 - 07:53 AM | Comments
ATI Releases Catalyst 7.8 Video Card Drivers For Download
ATI has just released Catalyst 7.8 on ati.amd.com for Windows Vista, Windows XP and Linux platforms. The driver has a number of fixes and it is worth a download if you own a recent ATI powered graphics card!
- A black screen is no longer observed on some hardware when switching to the console or leaving the X window system when a Vesa framebuffer console driver is used.
- Connecting a component Video display device launching X-Server no longer results in X-Server failing to start and the display device displaying a black screen.
- The DRI no longer fails to initialize in the second server generation.
- Pressing the identify displays function no longer results in display device 1 and 2 being incorrectly identified.
- A Floating Point Exception error no longer occurs when launching amdcccle.
Posted by | Tue, Aug 14, 2007 - 07:48 AM | Comments
Yahoo edges Google in U.S. user satisfaction survey
Yahoo Inc may be struggling to convince Wall Street of its future prospects, but for the first time its users gave its services overall a better rating than what Google Inc received, according to a study released on Tuesday.
Data from the University of Michigan American Consumer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) showed Yahoo had seen its customer satisfaction score rise 3.9 percent from a year ago to 79 out of 100 points, while Google's rating fell about 3.7 percent to 78 points. While Google remains the dominant Web search engine, Yahoo's Internet presence is gaining user approval for its network of Web sites, e-mail, social networks and other features, according to the survey.
Posted by | Tue, Aug 14, 2007 - 07:45 AM | Comments
DRAM Prices Expected to Peak in September
While the hot PC selling season has arrived, end demand from the spot market has remained relatively weak. A perfect example is the lackluster sales seen in China during July, which traditionally is a period of high demand. Although conditions have improved recently in the spot market when compared to the previous month, prices have not experienced an upswing.
In the forthcoming months, DRAMeXchange believes the Samsung incident will affect the original DRAM and NAND Flash capacity allocation plans of Korea makers in 2H07. Coupled by the ongoing transition to the 70nm process by relevant manufacturers, DRAM prices are expected to peak in September. Fortunately, the subsequent price downtrend should be softer, as some of the capacity will be switched to NAND Flash.
Posted by | Tue, Aug 14, 2007 - 07:40 AM | Comments
VMware, Biggest Tech IPO Since Google
EMC Corp.'s VMware software business plans to raise as much as $1.1 billion today in what may be the largest technology offering since Google Inc. in 2004, signaling demand remains robust for computer-related companies.
Last week, VMware boosted the high end of its price range by 16 percent. The Palo Alto, California-based maker of programs to manage server computers plans to sell shares for $27 to $29 each, up from the $23 to $25 planned last month. So far this year, 29 technology companies have raised $3.79 billion on U.S. stock markets, compared with the $2.3 billion from 22 IPOs for all of last year, according to Bloomberg data. Interest in initial public offerings is holding steady as investors seek software developers and Internet companies with expanding sales and profit.
Posted by | Mon, Aug 13, 2007 - 11:57 AM | Comments
Intel and STMicro memory JV approved
Intel Corp and STMicroelectronics won permission from the European Commission on Monday to spin off and combine their flash memory units, backed by private equity firm Francisco Partners.
Under the terms of the transaction, STMicro, Europe's leading chipmaker, will sell its flash memory assets to the newly formed company. Intel, the world's top semiconductor group, will sell its NOR flash memory assets and resources. In exchange, Intel will get a 45.1 percent stake and a $432 million cash payment, while STMicro receives a 48.6 percent holding and $468 million in cash.
Posted by | Mon, Aug 13, 2007 - 11:55 AM | Comments
AMD to launch two Barcelona-based processors in September
AMD schedules to launch two 2-way Opteron (Barcelona) server processors on September 10 this year, according to sources at server makers.
The Opteron 2348 and 2350 will have core frequencies of 1.9GHz and 2.0GHz and will be priced at US$320 and US$390 in 1000-unit tray quantities, respectively. In October, AMD will launch the 2.2GHz Opteron 2354 with 95W TDP and a price of US$610 in 1000-unit tray quantities, however this processor should actually appear in the channel later this month, noted the sources. The Opteron 2300 series will include Opteron 2340, 2350, 2352, 2354, 2356, 2358 and 2360. Models at frequencies higher than 2.0GHz are expected to launch in the fourth quarter, according to an earlier announcement by AMD.
Posted by | Mon, Aug 13, 2007 - 11:52 AM | Comments
August 6th through August 12th News From Around the Web
This Weeks Web Reviews
Gigabyte’s V-Power VGA cooler is a great looking product with good cooling and is relatively easy to install. The materials, fit and finish are very good and the cooler is compact enough to be used in the vast majority of SLI/CrossFire systems. It’s also very quiet, approaching complete silence when at its lowest fan speed setting.
Posted by | Sun, Aug 12, 2007 - 12:50 PM | Comments
Universal Bypasses Apple to Sell Unrestricted Songs Online
Universal, the world's largest music company, is bypassing the iPod maker, Apple Computers, to sell songs in an unrestricted digital format online through music stores such as Best Buy, Wal-Mart, Google, and Amazon.com. Hopefully, this will be the first of many moves to lead to more widespread "unrestricted" music distribution.
During its trial run, the Vivendi subsidiary said it will make "thousands" of its albums and songs available for download without so-called digital rights management, or DRM, restrictions, to observe consumer demand, price sensitivity and the impact on piracy. The songs will be sold in the MP3 format, which can be played on any handheld music player, including the market-leading iPod from Apple as well as on any cell phone that can play music. The test run will begin Aug. 21 and will run through the end of January.
Posted by | Fri, Aug 10, 2007 - 11:23 AM | Comments
Google says white-background does't waste more energy than a black one
Not to be outdone in the "green" category, Google says that the white background on its home page doesn't use more energy than a black background would.
The research he has found suggests that LCDs, which are the most common type of monitor, typically consume only slightly less or in some cases slightly more energy when displaying black screens. The biggest energy savings from black screens appears to come from CRT (cathode ray tube) displays, which are common in some places of the world but overall make up about a quarter of computer screens, he said.
Posted by | Fri, Aug 10, 2007 - 09:39 AM | Comments
ProMOS to speed up transition to 70nm
ProMOS Technologies is said to have sped up the transition to 70nm at its second 12-inch fab (Fab 3) a month ahead of schedule, a move that some industry players interpret as an attempt to grab more market share while Samsung Electronics tweaks its production mix following the recent power outage incident.
ProMOS rival Powerchip Semiconductor Corporation (PSC), which had already raised its capital expenditure (capex) partially due to its 70nm progress, is expected to have yields at 70nm reaching 85% in the third quarter, the sources projected. Some industry players have speculated that ProMOS' transition to 70nm is not only driven by good yields, but is also an attempt to grab more market share while Samsung is facing NAND flash production issues caused by the recent power outage incident.
Posted by | Fri, Aug 10, 2007 - 09:32 AM | Comments
Asustek launches quad-LAN server motherboard
To accommodate requirements in mass storage and fast transfer speeds in intranet applications of SMBs (small and medium business), Asustek Computer recently launched its P5M2-E/4L quad-LAN motherboard designed for servers.
The P5M2-E/4L, with a built in quad-LAN that integrates four high-speed Gigabit LAN ports into a single one, provides almost four times the transfer bandwidth. Even if an error occurs in one port, the network connection will not be affected in any way, according to Asustek.
Posted by | Thu, Aug 09, 2007 - 09:37 AM | Comments
AMD Says Industry Ready For First x86 Native Quad-Core Solution
AMD today announced that leading x86 operating system and virtual infrastructure (VI) vendors are embracing support for AMD's native Quad-Core AMD Opteron processor, code-named "Barcelona." Microsoft, Novell, Red Hat, Sun Microsystems and VMware are optimizing their operating systems, virtual infrastructures and supporting tools and middleware to take full advantage of the increased efficiencies, performance and decreased power consumption enabled by AMD quad-core technology.
By working closely with leading operating system and virtual infrastructure vendors, AMD is providing customers with the ability to choose the environment that is best suited to their applications demands. Development efforts by operating system and virtual infrastructure vendors are primarily focused on leveraging enhanced power management, virtualization and multi-core features of the upcoming Quad-Core AMD Opteron processor. Since its introduction, the AMD Opteron processor has become a platform of choice on the road maps of operating systems from Windows, Linux and Solaris(tm) as well as that of VMware Infrastructure.
Posted by | Thu, Aug 09, 2007 - 09:36 AM | Comments
Advanced Micro Devices to Offer $1.5 Billion of Convertible Senior Notes
Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. today announced its intention to offer, subject to market and other conditions, $1.5 billion aggregate principal amount of convertible senior notes in a private offering to qualified institutional buyers pursuant to Rule 144A under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. AMD expects to grant to the initial purchaser a 30-day option to purchase up to $225 million aggregate principal amount of additional notes to cover over allotments.
AMD expects to use the net proceeds of the offering, together with available cash, to repay in full the outstanding balance of the term loan AMD entered into with Morgan Stanley Senior Funding, Inc. in October 2006. If the initial purchaser exercises its over-allotment option, AMD expects to use the additional net proceeds for general corporate purposes, including working capital and capital expenditures.
Posted by | Wed, Aug 08, 2007 - 09:04 PM | Comments
Apple unveils new iMacs - $1200 Now Gets You A 20" Desktop
Apple rolled out a revamp of its iMac desktops, revised its iLife applications and added a new spreadsheet program to its iWork productivity suite. The announcements come amid the back-to-school buying season, an important annual sales period for Apple. And they seem likely to shore up the company's Mac products.
For all but its institutional education customers, Apple is eliminating the 17-inch version of the iMac. For the same $1,200 price, the company will now offer a 20-inch version of its new desktop. Apple is offering three basic models of the iMac, which range in price up to $1,800 for a 24-inch version. The company's new iLife suite comes with update versions of all its applications.
Posted by | Wed, Aug 08, 2007 - 09:02 AM | Comments
AMD Validated Server Platforms Now Certified for SUSE Linux
At LinuxWorld San Francisco this week, AMD announced the availability of AMD Validated Server platforms certified for SUSE Linux Enterprise Server from Novell, further confirming AMD's commitment to the channel by offering solution providers the ability to brand and differentiate their solutions to address customer needs. With today's news, AMD is delivering solution providers a validated server platform with Novell "YES Certified" designation that is compatible with SUSE Linux Enterprise Server and will be fully supported by both AMD and Novell.
Having completed the Novell YES Certified testing on AMD Validated Server barebones platforms, Supermicro Computer, Tyan Computer Corporation and Uniwide Technologies are the first original design manufacturers to offer these platforms. Solution providers will now have the ability to leverage this testing and offer configured Novell YES Certified SKUs, expediting the certification process dramatically.
Posted by | Wed, Aug 08, 2007 - 09:00 AM | Comments
Asustek reported to have an overstock of 965 motherboards
Sources at channel vendors have reported that first-tier motherboard maker Asustek Computer is facing an overstock of 965 chipset-based motherboards. Other first-tier makers such as Gigabyte Technology and Micro-Star International (MSI) recently dropped prices for their newer Intel 3-series motherboards forcing Asustek to follow suit. This has resulted in Asustek's own 965 and 3-series motherboards being in competition with each other in the market, noted the sources.
Additionally, there has been a decline in 965 chipset demand due to Intel's increasing focus on pushing the new 1333MHz FSB supporting Core 2 Duo E6050-series processors, intended to be paired with 3-series chipsets and which are not natively supported by 965 chipsets.
Posted by | Wed, Aug 08, 2007 - 08:59 AM | Comments
OCZ Announces SPD-Z - a tool that allows you to reflash the memory SPD
OCZ Technology today unveiled a revolutionary new tool for end-users to enhanced and stabilize their memory modules when upgrading to a new motherboard. OCZ’s patent-pending SPD-Z Technology is the world’s first means for DIY users to reprogram their memory’s SPD (serial presence detect) and remedy an inefficient module and mainboard interface completely independent of BIOS tweaks. Thanks to this convenient method of reconfiguring the SPD, consumers can now enjoy ultimate compatibility, stability, and performance.
“Tweaks of hardware and firmware have become the primary tool of most computer hardware OEMs to differentiate themselves from the field of competitors, however, in some cases at the expense of compatibility,” commented Dr. Michael Schuette, VP of Technology Development at OCZ Technology. “OCZ’s answer to the fragmentation of the market is the patent-pending SPD-Z technology that allows users to select custom SPDs from a library to optimize the interaction between the motherboard and memory firmware.”
Posted by | Tue, Aug 07, 2007 - 07:18 PM | Comments
Intel to push two new technologies with X38 chipset
Intel is currently developing two new technologies which will be introduced along with the upcoming high-end X38 chipset, according to sources at motherboard makers. Both technologies target the enthusiast market. The two new technologies are named Extreme Memory and Extreme Tuning Utility.
Extreme Memory technology will function similar to Nvidia's SLI Memory allowing specially branded and certified memory modules to operate at higher performance levels when installed in a supporting motherboard, said the sources. Extreme Memory technology will only be available for DDR3 modules and will not support DDR2 memory, the sources added. In addition to X38 and P35 chipsets for desktops, the next-generation Intel 3-series notebook Centrino platform will also support Extreme Memory technology, noted the sources. Currently, Intel is cooperating with memory makers including Kingston Technology and OCZ Technology Group to deliver Extreme Memory certified modules, with engineering samples predicted to be delivered in mid to late September, added the sources.
Posted by | Tue, Aug 07, 2007 - 03:18 PM | Comments
Kingston Releases an all-in-one Mobility Kit
Kingston Technology Company, Inc., today announced it is releasing an all-in-one Mobility Kit that includes a microSD card with dual adapters and a USB card reader to give mobile consumers handy storage access when using SD- and USB-compatible digital devices.
"With our Mobility Kit at their fingertips, consumers can store their entire mobile life – photos, songs, text messages, video clips, and contact info on the microSD card and then work with it seamlessly across multiple device platforms,” said Wendy Lecot, Flash memory marketing manager, Kingston. "The combined convenience of miniSD and full-size SD adapters and USB reader lets users easily convert their cards to navigate between mobile phones, PCs, and other digital devices,” added Lecot.
Posted by | Mon, Aug 06, 2007 - 01:31 PM | Comments
The Fake Steve Jobs Blogger Comes Clean - Daniel Lyons
For the last 14 months, high-tech insiders have been eating up the work of an anonymous blogger who assumed the persona of Steven P. Jobs, Apple’s chief executive and one of the world’s most famous businessmen.
Mr. Lyons said he invented the Fake Steve character last year, when a small group of chief executives turned bloggers attracted some media attention. He noticed that they rarely spoke candidly. 'I thought, wouldn’t it be funny if a C.E.O. kept a blog that really told you what he thought? That was the gist of it.' Mr. Lyons says he recalled trying out the voices of several chief executives before settling on the colorful Apple co-founder. He twice tried to relinquish the blog, but started again after being deluged by fans e-mailing to ask why Fake Steve had disappeared.
New York Times Technology News
Posted by | Mon, Aug 06, 2007 - 09:37 AM | Comments
Are gadgets, and the Internet, actually addictive?
The debate over whether technology addiction, and especially Internet addiction, is a real mental disorder has been going on for years, but it seems to be gaining ground. At its annual conference last month, members of the American Medical Association considered a proposal to label excessive video and online game playing as an addiction, but decided to table it until further study.
A survey conducted late last year by researchers at Stanford University School of Medicine found that more than one out of every eight users of the Internet in the United States reported having at least one of these and other possible signs of "problematic Internet use." Almost 6 percent, for example, said that "their relationships suffered" as a result of their overuse of the Internet. The researchers called for more study of this "little-studied, negative by-product of the Internet revolution of the last decade."
Posted by | Mon, Aug 06, 2007 - 09:20 AM | Comments
AMD Unveils FireGL Workstation Graphics Accelerators
At SIGGRAPH 2007 today, AMD announced five new high-performance ATI FireGL workstation graphics accelerators for CAD, DCC and medical imaging professionals. The ATI FireGL V8650, FireGL V8600, FireGL V7600, FireGL V5600, and FireGL V3600 graphics boards are based on the next-generation ATI graphics processing unit (GPU) with an innovative unified shader architecture featuring up to 320 individual stream processing units. These new boards deliver acceleration of DirectX 10- and OpenGL 2.1-based professional applications resulting in increased performance of more than 300% as compared to the previous generation of product.
Several key features distinguish the new series of ATI FireGL workstation graphics boards. An industry-first 2GB of on-board memory enables engineers and designers to interact with larger datasets and more complex models. The ATI FireGL unified shader architecture maximizes graphics throughput for today's engineering and animation software. During performance tests, the ATI FireGL V5600 demonstrates more than 300% the performance of the ATI FireGL V5200 running the Viewperf 9.0.3 UGS Teamcenter Visualization Mockup (tcvis-01) benchmark test.
Posted by | Mon, Aug 06, 2007 - 09:10 AM | Comments
AMD and Intel Rivalry Moves to Hand-Held Market
After a quarter-century of fighting for control of the PC, Intel and Advanced Micro Devices are massing their forces on a new battleground. The rival chipmakers are busily deploying engineering resources and making strategic investments to claim a piece of the market for handheld electronic gadgets.
AMD is banking on its acquisition of graphics chipmaker ATI to give it an edge in the handheld business. Its recently announced Bobcat processor will combine computing processing horsepower with graphics acceleration, in a package that AMD says will run on less than one watt of power. AMD says Bobcat will be released in 2009, putting it behind Intel, which is expected to release Silverthorne in the second quarter of 2008.
Posted by | Mon, Aug 06, 2007 - 09:06 AM | Comments
Infineon to Cut Qimonda Stake to Below 50% by 2009
Infineon Technologies AG, Europe's second-biggest semiconductor maker, will cut its stake in an unprofitable memory-chip unit to 'significantly' less than 50 percent by 2009, putting a timetable on its sale of the shares.
Infineon will reduce its ownership of Qimonda AG through secondary offerings and other capital markets measures, the company said in a statement. The target will be reached by the 2009 annual shareholder meeting at the latest, Infineon said today. The company also will seek shareholder approval next year to distribute Qimonda shares as a dividend.
Posted by | Mon, Aug 06, 2007 - 09:03 AM | Comments
Nokia to tuck in Microsoft DRM software into S60 cell phone
Mobile phone giant Nokia will start to use Microsoft's copy protection software to boost the use of wireless entertainment, like music and videos, the two companies said Monday.
Nokia, the world's largest cell-phone maker, will license Microsoft's PlayReady digital rights management (DRM) technology, and build it into its S60 software, the most widely used software platform in the cell-phone industry. Nokia's S60 software, built on U.K.-based Symbian's operating system, is used extensively in Nokia's lineup, but also in advanced cell phones of LG Electronics and Samsung Electronics.
Posted by | Mon, Aug 06, 2007 - 08:57 AM | Comments
Linux makes its way to Lenovo laptops
Lenovo Group Ltd, the world's No. 3 PC maker, said on Monday it plans to start selling laptop computers preloaded with Linux software from Novell Inc. instead of Microsoft Corp's operating system.
The laptops, which are slated to go on sale in the fourth quarter of this year, will be sold to Lenovo's business customers as well as to consumers.
Posted by | Mon, Aug 06, 2007 - 08:55 AM | Comments
Congress to probe Yahoo over jailed China journalist
A U.S. congressional committee plans to investigate whether or not Yahoo lied during testimony over its role in a human rights case in China that sent journalist Shi Tao to jail for 10 years.
Shi received a 10-year jail sentence, but has appealed the verdict to the Hunan Higher People's court, arguing that he was unaware that the information was classified. He is also suing Yahoo and its Hong Kong subsidiary in U.S. federal court for damages. Yahoo has denied the involvement of its Hong Kong subsidiary, saying instead that its China unit was forced to hand over the emails in compliance with local laws.
Posted by | Mon, Aug 06, 2007 - 08:52 AM | Comments
TSMC reportedly to make only GPU part of AMD Fusion
Motherboard makers predict that AMD will retain production of the CPU portion of its Fusion processor at its own fabs or that of Chartered Semiconductor until at least 2009, with Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) to produce the graphics processor unit (GPU) portion of the processor.
AMD's Fusion processor will consist of a GPU manufactured on a 55nm process by TSMC plus a silicon-on-insulator (SOI-) based CPU manufactured on a 45nm process at AMD's Fab 36 and Fab 38 or outsourced to Chartered. A packaging and testing plant will then package the CPU and GPU together as a Fusion processor.
Posted by | Mon, Aug 06, 2007 - 08:50 AM | Comments
July 30th through August 5th News From Around the Web
This Weeks Web Reviews
Now with Gamer's Hell News!
Posted by | Sun, Aug 05, 2007 - 11:58 AM | Comments
Hynix claims no NAND flash orders shifted from Apple
A Hynix Semiconductor PR spokesperson has refuted claims made in a recent report that Apple has turned to Samsung Electronics to fill NAND flash orders originally placed with Hynix, due to Hynix running into production issues with its 60nm multi-level cell (MLC) process.
While Hynix does admit it had an earlier problem with a certain quantity from a batch of 60nm-made MLC, the spokesperson indicated that the issues have been completely resolved and the Korean memory maker currently has no problems providing products to Apple. The spokesperson added that Hynix confirms that Apple has never shifted orders from Hynix to Samsung.
Posted by | Fri, Aug 03, 2007 - 08:39 AM | Comments
Microsoft halves Vista retail price in China
Microsoft Corp. (MSFT.O: Quote, Profile, Research) has more than halved the retail price of its Vista home basic computer operating software package in China to 499 yuan ($66) from 1,521 yuan, and the price of its premium package to 899 yuan from 1,802 yuan, effective from August 1.
The price cut was made to meet market demand for the operating system, the company said in a statement. Microsoft had sold 60 million Windows Vista licenses globally by the end of June, including 20 million copies sold since mid-May, the company said last month.
Posted by | Fri, Aug 03, 2007 - 07:25 AM | Comments
Dell closes Oregon call center after 5 years
Computer manufacturer Dell Inc. closed its Roseburg, Ore., call center on Thursday, five years after it opened. More than 200 employees learned about yesterday morning that they had lost their jobs.
"It's a difficult decision to make and one we understand is significant for the people affected, so we're doing everything we can to help them transition beyond Dell," spokesman David Frink told the Roseburg News-Review. He said the company announced plans in May to reduce employment worldwide by 10 percent. He said the Roseburg location is the only such center in the United States to close.
Posted by | Fri, Aug 03, 2007 - 07:24 AM | Comments
EA and Crytek Announce Release Date for Crysis
Today, EA and Crytek announced that November 16th will be the release date of the highly anticipated first-person-shooter, Crysis. I'm sure you will be seeing retailers taking pre-orders for this DirectX 10 game shortly.
Electronic Arts Inc. and Crytek, award-winning developers of Far Cry, today announced that Crysis, will be hitting retail stores in North America and Europe on November 16, 2007 exclusively for the PC. A technical achievement featuring stunning DirectX 10 and DirectX 9 visuals, cunning gameplay, and an epic story, Crysis is recognized as one of the most anticipated PC games and first person shooters of 2007
Posted by | Thu, Aug 02, 2007 - 05:09 PM | Comments
Microsoft’s HD Photo Could Be Next-Gen 'JPEG XR'
Microsoft Corp. welcomed the decision, announced today by the Joint Photographic Expert Group (JPEG), to introduce a new work item for the standardization of Microsoft’s HD Photo file format. Formal balloting of this work item is being submitted to the JPEG national delegations for approval. Standardization of HD Photo, tentatively titled, “JPEG XR,” will ensure that camera, printer, display and software companies will be able to develop products with the confidence of a consistent scheme that ensures interoperability across their properties.
"The proposed JPEG XR technology simultaneously enables dynamic range extension and preservation of precise details in highly compressed images. This capability is particularly important for applications that demand the high image quality made possible by Foveon’s X3 image sensors,” said Federico Faggin, president and CEO of Foveon Inc. “We are very excited that there is finally a compression technology that is consistent with our goals of getting the most information out of digital images and enabling uncompromising quality for the full range of digital imaging devices and systems."
Posted by | Wed, Aug 01, 2007 - 09:42 AM | Comments
Dow Jones OKs sale to News Corp. for $5 Billion
Rupert Murdoch is set to achieve his decades-long dream of running the venerable Wall Street Journal after Dow Jones & Co.'s board agreed to News Corp.'s $5 billion buyout bid on Tuesday.
The board decided to accept the offer at a meeting Tuesday evening, according to a source familiar with the matter, shortly after News Corp.'s board approved the deal. The 76-year-old media mogul spent the past three months courting the Bancroft family, which has controlled Dow Jones for more than a century. The Journal and other Dow Jones properties add to Murdoch's sprawling media empire--from the Fox television stations and MySpace online social network to the Times of London and New York Post--and would aid the launch of a Fox business channel later this year.
Posted by | Wed, Aug 01, 2007 - 07:24 AM | Comments
FCC embraces open access for 700MHz auction
The U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) set the conditions for next year's wireless spectrum to auction on Tuesday, putting open-access rules on a third of the spectrum.
The FCC voted to require that the winner of 22MHz of spectrum allow any wireless devices to connect to the network, meaning wireless telephone customers could bring their handset devices from other carriers. The FCC, in so-called open-access rules, also prohibited the winning bidder on the 22MHz block of spectrum from blocking or slowing wireless and Web content from competitors.
Posted by | Wed, Aug 01, 2007 - 07:22 AM | Comments
Thousands of AMD Graphics Cards Recalled From Channel - BIOS Issues
AMD's official graphics card diagnostic and validation software was recently discovered to have a bug that failed to detect defective ATI Radeon HD 2400 and 2600 graphics cards, according to sources at graphics card makers. Channel vendors pointed out the problem with the cards was due to an error in the BIOS application process.
The issue was not only encountered by small makers, Asustek Computer, Micro-Star International (MSI) and Gigabyte Technology all experienced the problem too, noted the sources. Although the problem can be easily solved by reapplying the BIOS, because AMD's software did not detect the defect before shipping, the cards will now need to be returned to the makers to be restored. One first-tier maker has recalled over 20,000-30,000 units already, noted the sources.
Posted by | Wed, Aug 01, 2007 - 07:21 AM | Comments
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