LR News History - Legit Reviews

Legit Reviews News History

Noctua offers free mounting kit for Intel Core i7 Processors

Noctua today announced the impending availability of a new mounting kit which makes it possible to install Noctua CPU coolers on Intel's upcoming Core i7 processors for socket LGA1366. The new SecuFirm2 mounting kit is compatible with all Noctua CPU coolers since 2005 and will be supplied to Noctua users free of charge after uploading a proof of purchase on Noctua's website. This is something we didn't expect many companies to do, so hats off to Noctua for supporting their customers.

Noctua SecuFirm2 for Intel Core i7 Processors

The new SecuFirm2 mounting kit is backwards compatible with all Noctua CPU coolers since 2005 and will be available free of charge via Noctua's website as soon as Core i7 mainboards and CPUs are in store. A proof of purchase (photo, scan or screenshot of the invoice) of both a Noctua CPU cooler and either a socket 1366 mainboard or socket 1366 CPU will be required. In addition, the new mounting kit will be available for purchase at a low service charge via selected resellers.

Posted by | Mon, Oct 27, 2008 - 10:27 AM

North Korea restricting cell phone use

In an effort to prevent its citizens from spreading news about a worsening food crisis, North Korea begins to restrict cell phone use.

The Times story cites a report to the United Nations General Assembly from a human rights investigator that claims the government has been intimidating its citizens with public executions and has been limiting the use of cell phones to discourage people from sharing information about what is happening in the country.

Posted by | Fri, Oct 24, 2008 - 09:14 PM

Vista SP2 beta out next week

On Friday, Microsoft announced that a beta version of Windows Vista Service pack 2 will be available some time next week.

In addition to Blu-ray, Vista SP2 will add support for Bluetooth 2.1 as well as include Windows Search 4.0, the latest version of Microsoft's desktop search technology.

Posted by | Fri, Oct 24, 2008 - 05:02 PM

Western Digital earnings triple

Western Digital, one of the worlds largest hard drive manufacturers, saw their profits triple over the last fiscal quarter as the company's sales beat expectations.

The company said it earned $211 million, or 93 cents per share, in the quarter ended Sept. 26. Analysts were expecting the company to earn 81 cents per share, according to a survey by Thomson Reuters.

Posted by | Fri, Oct 24, 2008 - 04:48 PM

Another Critical Microsoft Bug

Another Microsoft patch and another exploit. Microsoft responded quickly with an additional patch.

Just hours after Microsoft posted details of a critical Windows bug, new attack code that exploits the flaw has surfaced.

It took developers of the Immunity security testing tool two hours to write their exploit, after Microsoft released a patch for the issue Thursday morning. Software developed by Immunity is made available only to paying customers, which means that not everyone has access to the new attack, but security experts expect that some version of the code will begin circulating in public very soon.

Posted by | Fri, Oct 24, 2008 - 09:20 AM

October 23 News from Around the Web

GIGABYTE EP43-DS3R Motherboard Review from TweakTown and other reviews from around the web can be found by visiting our forums!

"P45 has already proven itself to be a valuable chipset for the mid-range and enthusiast, but without its full speed Crossfire support it won’t be used for quad GPU operations. P43 is Intel’s mid-range chipset aimed at the mainstream and value end of the spectrum. It’s almost identical in specifications to the P45, but it doesn’t support the true Crossfire setup and is aimed at more budget conscious users. Today we have been sent GIGABYTE’s first P43 based motherboard supporting the older Ultra Durable 2 technology as well as DES Advanced; a perfect companion for HTPCs and workstations. Let’s see how it fairs."

Posted by | Thu, Oct 23, 2008 - 08:25 PM

Badaboom Media Converter, It's done!

NVIDIA just dropped us a quick note to let inform LR that Badaboom is available for purchase from today for $29.99 USD from the Elemental Technologies website. A trial version will also be available for download. Badaboom begins a trend of leveraging CUDA Technology to enable NVIDIA GPUs for mainstream consumer applications far beyond gaming.

The Badaboom Media Converter is a simple to use tool for media conversion perfect for consumers. Anyone can now painlessly convert video between formats and for a variety of devices, leaving more time to enjoy the video and eliminating the frustration of video conversion delays. Badaboom’s high quality H.264 video encoder and 2-channel stereo audio output are specifically targeted to modern portable media devices such as the Apple iPod/iPhone line, Sony Playstation Portable, and many more.

Posted by | Thu, Oct 23, 2008 - 10:52 AM

Netflix, Samsung in streaming partnership

Online DVD rental company Netflix Inc said on Wednesday that some of Samsung Electronics Co Ltd's Blu-ray DVD devices can now play video streamed over the Web from Netflix. The Samsung/Netflix alliance is the fourth such partnership between Netflix and a consumer electronics company aimed at delivering movie rentals online rather than through the mail. Netflix reached a similar deal with Blu-ray DVD player maker LG Electronics and has deals to stream movies to Microsoft Corp Xbox 360 videogame consoles and to a $100 set-top box made by Roku Inc.

Netflix said customers who already own Samsung BD-P2550 and BD-P2500 Blu-ray players, priced at around $400 each, can upgrade these devices at no additional cost to enable instant streaming from Netflix's streaming service, with a library of more than 12,000 movies and television episodes. Netflix, with over 8 million subscribers, has become a staple of home entertainment for Americans who like the user-friendly Web-ordering system for DVDs delivered through the mail. Its "Watch Instantly" Web streaming service is offered free to subscribers, and Netflix has been moving aggressively to extend that streaming service to TV amid increased challenges in the sector from Web giants like Apple Inc and Amazon.com Inc.

Reuters Technology News

Posted by | Thu, Oct 23, 2008 - 01:47 AM

Media Says Samsung Isn't Done with SanDisk

Samsung called off its $5.85 billion offer to acquire chipmaker SanDisk on Wednesday. But the move looks less like Samsung walking away from a deal as it does the beginning of a hard-fought -- and public -- negotiation process.

My thought is that Samsung is playing hardball," says Robert Katz, a portfolio manager at Senvest International, one of the top 20 institutional owners of SanDisk shares. The timing of Samsung's announcement is no coincidence. On Monday, SanDisk reported another large quarterly loss and said it would shore up its balance sheet by selling 30% of its chip manufacturing capacity to Toshiba, pushing SanDisk's stock down nearly 12%.

Posted by | Thu, Oct 23, 2008 - 01:20 AM

Intel planning Montevina Refresh notebook platform for April next year

Intel is planning to introduce the Montevina Refresh for notebooks in April, according to sources at notebook makers. The company will launch two processors along with the new platform, the Core 2 Duo T9900 and P8800.

For the chipset segment, Intel is planning to launch the GM47 for the high-end in the first quarter of 2009, while in July or August the company will launch the GL43 for entry-level notebooks and GS40 for small form factor (SFF) PC. The GM55 mobile chipset (Ibexpeak-M) for Intel's next-generation Calpella platform for notebooks is scheduled to launch by July or August next year.

DigiTimes Daily IT News

Posted by | Thu, Oct 23, 2008 - 01:18 AM

Microsoft Office and Vista getting new service packs

Microsoft announced today in a blog post that service pack 2 for Office 2007 will becoming between February and April of 2009. Microsoft has also confirmed that Vista service pack two will be coming, but did not say when.

In an interview last week, Microsoft VP Brad Brooks said that the company had not, at that point, started outside beta testing of SP2. However ZDNet blogger Mary Jo Foley said that Microsoft has started to recruit testers for Vista SP2. Microsoft also posted a support document earlier this month that suggested a beta version exists.

Posted by | Wed, Oct 22, 2008 - 07:27 PM

Draft rules issued for new Net suffixes

The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN)issued preliminary guidelines today for thousands of new domain name suffixes. This is the first major change to the Internet's 25 year old address system, and one that is long overdue! But there's a catch; the application fee for a for a new suffix is rumored to be around $200,000!

The application fee, scheduled to be disclosed Friday, is expected to approach $200,000 — partially refundable only in limited circumstances — to help cover the potential $20 million cost of crafting the guidelines and reviewing applications.

Posted by | Wed, Oct 22, 2008 - 07:14 PM

Super Talent Develops Super Small Solid-State Drives

Super Talent Technology today announced two new ultra-small solid-state drives (SSDs) that were developed using Intel technology for use in UMPC (Ultra Mobile PC) and DMB (Digital Multimedia Broadcasting) devices. The drives are just 1.0-inch and 0.85-inch in size and both of which employ a parallel ATA (PATA/IDE) interface with a ZIF connector.

These new SSDs are based on the Intel Z-P140 Solid-State Drive, a NAND-based solution that combines a controller with single level cell NAND Flash Memory. “The Intel Z-P140 Solid-State Drive provides a flexible solution for a company like Super Talent to customize, using their in-house design and manufacturing capabilities, to meet additional market requirements for ultra small form-factor products,” said Don Larson, product line marketing manager, Intel NAND Products Group.

Posted by | Wed, Oct 22, 2008 - 11:56 AM

Android open-source finally released

For those who do not know about Android it is an open-source mobile wireless operating system by Google (and the Open Handset Alliance). With smart phones being packed with more and more hardware it is refreshing to see another option coming into the scene. Last year Google formed the Open Handset Alliance, which is a group of several wireless operators, handset manufacturers, semiconductor companies, and software companies. Additional information regarding the open handset alliance may be found here.

Google on Tuesday released the open-source code which powers its Android mobile operating system and invited outside programmers to tinker with the software to develop their own features. "It's a complete, end-to-end software platform that can be adapted to work on any number of hardware configurations," he said, inviting outside computer programmers to download Android and begin developing their own applications.

Posted by | Wed, Oct 22, 2008 - 08:36 AM

Yahoo firing 1,500 workers; 3q profits fall 64pct

Driven by the falling market and investor dissatisfaction over the failed Microsoft buyout, Yahoo will fire at least 1,500 employees after their stock plummets 64% in 3Q.

The purge outlined Tuesday represents a 10 percent reduction in Yahoo's payroll of about 15,000 employees. It's the second time in nine months that Yahoo has resorted to mass layoffs in what so far has been an ineffectual effort to rebound from a financial funk that has left its stock price near a 5 1/2-year low.

Posted by | Tue, Oct 21, 2008 - 05:52 PM

EverQuest Franchise Reaches Video Game Milestone

Sony releases EverQuest Seeds of Destruction, the 15th expansion pack for the gene defining online game. Seeds of Destruction is the unprecedented 15th expansion for EverQuest, and is available via digital download at www.everquest.com for the suggested retail price of $39.99.

“With EverQuest rapidly approaching its 10th anniversary next March, the legacy of the franchise continues to grow along with the amount of new content offered,” said Clint Worley, senior producer, EverQuest. “Seeds of Destruction will take players back in time where they can discover new storylines, adventures and zones.”

Posted by | Tue, Oct 21, 2008 - 03:52 PM

Super Talent Announces A Massive 64GB USB 2.0 Flash Drive!

Super Talent Technology today launched a new family of high performance, feature rich Luxio USB drives in capacities up to 64GB. All Luxio models will begin shipping this week and the64GB Luxio drives are expected to retail for around $149. If you need some insane amount of storage on your key ring this is the drive for you!

A 64GB Luxio drive can store as many as 20,000 six megapixel photos or 16,000 MP3 songs. Luxio drives are housed in a sleek 21 x 76 x 10 mm UV coated ABS/PC case with chrome plated zinc trim. All models include advanced AES-256 hardware encryption as a standard feature for fast, convenient data security. Offered in three colors, black, silver and wood grain, Luxio drives are packaged in an elegant gift box and also include a custom made black leather carrying case.

Posted by | Tue, Oct 21, 2008 - 12:45 PM

Corsair Launches DDR3 Triple Pack Memory Kits for Intel Core i7 Platforms

Corsair announced today that it is launching a full line of DDR3 performance memory products designed for Intel Core i7 processor. The kits range in price from $120 to $475 depending on what speed and accessories you want to go with your memory kit. Corsair also has a new AIRFLOW fan it seems as the press picture for the TR3X6G1866C9DF 6GB Kit of 1866MHz memory shows two fans in a wider than normal housing. The original AIRFLOW used three fans and was not as wide.

Designed to take advantage of the Core i7 processor’s triple-channel memory controller, Corsair will offer memory solutions supporting three different DDR3 memory speeds in triple memory packs: 1333MHz, 1600MHz and 1866MHz. The 1866MHz Corsair DDR3 modules will be the world’s fastest Intel Core i7 solution. Each memory speed will feature kits of three 1 Gigabyte or 2 Gigabyte modules for a total of 3 Gigabyte or 6 Gigabyte kits. The 1600MHz and 1866MHz DDR3 memory kits will also feature the industry’s highest performance memory technology, Corsair’s patented Dual-Path Heat Exchange (DHX), for maximum performance and reliability. With six total products available, Corsair is launching the most comprehensive product line available for the Intel Core i7 processor.

Posted by | Tue, Oct 21, 2008 - 12:40 PM

Asustek targets 77 percent laptop jump in 2009: report

Taiwan's Asustek Computer aims to increase its notebook output by 77 percent in 2009 as it rides growing demand for its low-cost laptops, local media reported on Tuesday. Asustek Chairman Jonney Shih said he hoped his company would ship up to 20 million laptops next year, propelling Asustek to become one of the world's top four laptop makers, the Chinese-language Economic Daily reported.

Based on previous forecasts, the company is on track to ship 11.3 million notebooks this year, including netbooks, the newspaper said. Shares in Asustek were up nearly 3 percent on Tuesday, outpacing a 0.3 percent drop in the benchmark index. Many of the world's top PC makers, including Dell, Acer and NEC, have entered the netbook market and will either launch or have launched their own line of low-cost notebooks.

Reuters Technology News

Posted by | Tue, Oct 21, 2008 - 09:05 AM

October 21 News from Around the Web

OCC has published a new review on the Diamond HD4870 1GB. Find this and other reviews from around the web by visiting our forums!

"The Diamond HD4870 video card with 1GB of GDDR5 RAM, has a great stock cooler installed on it, as it is able to keep it cool while under load as well as when it is idle. The card never went much over 85°C, which is higher than some of the other cards out on the market, however there is more dense and hotter memory modules on the Diamond card than others that made the temperatures higher. The dual slot design of the Diamond HD4870 card is both a good thing as well as a con as it does allow for a thicker stock cooling device, however it does make the card bulkier than if it had a slim card. By being that thick, it does cut into the amount of room and depending on how the motherboard it is being installed on is setup, it may not allow you to have a second card installed. The 1GB of GDDR5 installed on the card is a great addition to the card, allowing it to have more even scores across the different resolutions, however with its increased power consumption, it did take a decrease in the overclockability of the card. The performance of the card was also fairly straight across the board; the results from the benchmark testing were pretty much even with each other, there was not any that were significantly higher than another one."

Posted by | Tue, Oct 21, 2008 - 07:23 AM

Toshiba and SanDisk to Reallocate NAND Memory Production

Toshiba today announced that Toshiba and SanDisk have signed a non-binding memorandum of understanding on the reallocation of wafer output and equipment ownership and funding at their two joint ventures producing NAND flash memory on 300 millimeter (mm) wafers at Toshiba’s Yokkaichi Operations in Japan, in response to a proposal from SanDisk. The move is designed to enhance the production flexibility of NAND flash memory in line with the rapidly changing marketplace and to optimize each company’s business strategies.

Fab 3 and Fab 4 at Toshiba’s Yokkaichi Operations are currently operated by Flash Partners, Ltd. and Flash Alliance, Ltd., the production joint ventures between Toshiba and SanDisk. Investment in the manufacturing equipment installed at the two fabs is equally shared by Toshiba and SanDisk through the JVs, with the same capacity allocated to each company. The revised allocation will make Toshiba the sole owner of some 30% of the total capacity. The remaining about 70% will still be owned by the JVs, and the production capacity allocated to the JVs will be divided equally between Toshiba and SanDisk. As a result, Toshiba’s overall allocation of capacity in the two fabs will increase by about 30%. By expanding its production capacity efficiently, Toshiba aims to increase sales of NAND flash memories.

Posted by | Mon, Oct 20, 2008 - 10:36 AM

Intel Demonstrates World's First Working 'Moorestown' Platform

At the Inte Developer Forum in Taipei, Taiwan, Anand Chandrasekher cited the Intel Atom processor, the upcoming "Nehalem" processor, and the Intel "Moorestown" platform scheduled for the 2009-2010 timeframe as prime examples of innovation and technology leadership. Also highlighted was the progress Intel is making in the Mobile Internet Devices (MID) market segment with the world's first working "Moorestown" platform demonstration.

Moorestown comprises of an SOC, codenamed "Lincroft," which integrates the 45nm processor, graphics, memory controller and video encode/decode onto a single chip and an I/O hub codenamed "Langwell", which supports a range of I/O ports to connect with wireless, storage, and display components in addition to incorporating several board level functions. Chandrasekher stated that Intel is on track to reduce Moorestown platform idle power by more than 10x compared to the first-generation MIDs based on the Intel Atom processor.

Posted by | Mon, Oct 20, 2008 - 08:08 AM

MSI to launch 3.5G Wind netbook next month

Micro-Star International (MSI) is planning to launch the Wind U120 with a built-in 3.5G module in November this year. The netbook will feature Intel's Atom N270 processor, 1GB memory, 120GB hard drive and Windows XP and be priced around NT$18,000 (US$552) in a choice of white or black, according to notebook industry sources.

With the addition of the new netbook, the company's total netbook shipments will have a chance to break 500,000 units in 2008, and may reach 600,000 if MSI's cooperation with telecommunications operators goes well. MSI recently teamed up with Taiwan-based telco Vibo Telecom to bundle its 8.9-inch Wind U90 netbook with the Vibo's 3.5G services. The company is also in negotiations with local telecom providers in Europe to build similar cooperative deals.

DigiTimes Daily IT News

Posted by | Mon, Oct 20, 2008 - 08:01 AM

October 20 News from Around the Web

Find out what [H]ardOCP has to say about the Xigmatek NRP-MC851 850w Power Supply and see other reviews from around the web by visiting our forums!

Xigmatek NRP-MC851 850w Power Supply - No Rules Power! That makes for a good product tag line, but we all know damn well that power without rules makes for a terrible computer power supply. Does Xigmatek's NRP 850 watt PSU play inside the rules when it comes to serving up 850 watt?

Posted by | Mon, Oct 20, 2008 - 07:34 AM

AMD Co-Founder, Ed Turney Dies

Ed Turney, one of the eight founders of semiconductor-industry giant Advanced Micro Devices, died yesterday at the age of 79. Brain cancer was the cause, said his brother, George. His years at AMD, which ultimately became a major force in the semiconductor industry and industry-leader Intel’s major competitor, were the zenith in the high-low career of Edwin James Turney.

Known as “Fast Eddie,” Turney’s initial assignments at the fledgling AMD involved buying equipment and overseeing construction of the company’s first chip factory. At the same time, as director of sales, Turney was charged with building a sales organization, including developing a network of electronic distributors – a vital step in enabling the company to compete with established companies such as Intel, Fairchild, National Semiconductor, Texas Instruments, Motorola and other companies that no longer exist.

Posted by | Fri, Oct 17, 2008 - 09:39 AM

October 17 News from Around the Web

NVIDIA GeForce 9300 Launch Roundup from Motherboards.org and other reviews from around the web can be found by visiting our forums!

In terms of overall graphics performance, the GeForce 9300 is in a class by itself on the Intel side of things. While the G45 struggles to maintain any kind of playable frame rates in the games that I tried and crashed 3DMark Vantage altogether, the GeForce 9300 was able to finish the test and have decent frame rates throughout. The GeForce 9300 chipset is 20% faster than the Intel G45 chipset across the board. By this performance metric, it is likely that the faster 9400 boards will outstrip the G45 chipset by 35% or more across the board. This is a very impressive feat for an integrated graphics card to say the least. Had the GeForce 9300 and 9400 come out when the G45 launched, Intel might have had a real problem. Intel is rumored to have a new CPU coming out for the high-end and we'll see how that translates with integrated graphics at that time.

Posted by | Fri, Oct 17, 2008 - 07:26 AM

OCZ Technology Announces World's First Triple Channel Memory Kits

OCZ Technology Group today unveiled the industry’s first triple channel memory kit designed specifically for the impending Intel Core i7 processor / Intel X58 Express Chipset. Optimized for the Core i7’s triple channel mode, these new 3GB and 6GB kits ensure optimal performance via an ideal combination of low voltage requirements, speed, and latency.

"OCZ engineered these 3GB and 6GB kits specifically for Intel's imminent platform," commented Dr. Michael Schuette, VP of Technology Development at OCZ Technology. "By using special-screened, low voltage-capable ICs, these modules are the perfect complement for the Intel® X58 Chipset to deliver the maximum performance by enabling low latency settings and higher system frequency."

Posted by | Thu, Oct 16, 2008 - 05:29 PM

AMD Reports Third Quarter 2008 Results

AMD today reported third quarter 2008 revenue from continuing operations of $1.776 billion, including process technology license revenue of $191 million. Third quarter 2008 revenue increased 32 percent compared to the second quarter of 2008 and 14 percent compared to the third quarter of 2007.

In the third quarter of 2008, AMD reported a net loss of $67 million, or $0.11 per share. For continuing operations, third quarter 2008 income was $41 million, or $0.07 per share, including the process technology license revenue of $191 million, or $0.31 a share. Third quarter 2008 operating income was $131 million. Loss from discontinued operations was $108 million, or $0.18 a share.

Posted by | Thu, Oct 16, 2008 - 03:27 PM

NVIDIA Introduces Quadro CX For Adobe CS4

Today NVIDIA introduced its new accelerator for Adobe Creative Suite 4 software, the NVIDIA Quadro CX. This new GPU provides creative professionals with a faster, better, more reliable way to maximize their creativity. Quadro CX was architected to deliver the best performance for the new GPU-optimized features of Adobe Creative Suite 4.

NVIDIA specifically designed and optimized the Quadro CX to enhance the performance of Adobe Creative Suite 4 product line and meet the unique needs of the Creative Suite 4 professional. Adding NVIDIA Quadro CX to the pipeline gives creative professionals a faster, better, and more reliable experience. With NVIDIA Quadro CX users can encode H.264 videos at lightning-fast speeds with the NVIDIA CUDA enabled plug-in for Adobe Premiere Pro CS4, RapiHD from Elemental Technologies; accelerate rendering time for advanced effects; and accurately preview what deliverables will look like with 30-bit color or uncompressed 10-bit/12-bit SDI before final output.

Posted by | Thu, Oct 16, 2008 - 03:01 PM

ATI Released Catalyst 8.10 Video Card Drivers for Download

ATI has just released Catalyst 8.10 for Windows Vista, Windows XP and Linux platforms, so if you want the latest drivers grab them here. One of the biggest changes in this driver is fan control of Radeon HD 4800 series cards, which is a nice touch and removes the need to 'hack' the drivers. Also included are performance improvements in games like Unreal Tournament 3 and Prey, so update!

Unreal Tournament 3: Performance increases of up to 15% are seen when using the ATI Radeon HD 4000 Series or ATI Radeon HD 3800 Series of products
Prey: Performance increases between 2% to 5% are seen on ATI CrossFire configured systems when using the ATI Radeon HD 4000 Series, and ATI Radeon HD 3800 Series of products

Posted by | Thu, Oct 16, 2008 - 07:45 AM

Intel X-25E Extreme SATA Solid-State Drives Now Shipping - SLC NAND Flash

Intel Corporation has begun shipping its highest- performing solid-state drive (SSD), the Intel X-25E Extreme SATA Solid-State Drive, aimed at server, workstation and storage systems. Unlike mechanical drives, the SSDs contain no moving parts and instead feature 50nm single-level cell (SLC) NAND flash memory technology. Systems equipped with these drives will not suffer from the performance bottlenecks associated with conventional drives. By reducing the total infrastructure, cooling and energy costs, SSDs can lower total cost of ownership for enterprise applications by more than five times. The 32GB capacity drive is in production and priced at $695 for quantities up to 1,000.

The product was designed for intense computing workloads which benefit primarily from high random read and write performance, as measured in IOPS. Key technical performance specifications of the 32 GB Intel X-25E SATA SSD include 35,000 IOPS (4KB Random Read), 3,300 IOPS (4KB Random Write) and 75 microsecond read latency. This performance, combined with low active power of 2.4 watts, delivers up to 14,000 IOPS per watt for optimal performance/power output. The product also achieves up to 250 megabytes per second (MB/s) sequential read speeds and up to 170 MB/s sequential write speeds, all in a compact 2.5-inch form factor.

Posted by | Wed, Oct 15, 2008 - 05:15 PM

NVIDIA Announces The GeForce 9400M GPU

Demand for better visual computing performance continues to grow as more and more applications tap the massively parallel processing power of the graphics processing unit (GPU) for more than just graphics. As gamers, video enthusiasts, designers, and now creative professionals require optimized PC solutions, the NVIDIA GeForce 9400M GPU brings a 5x performance increase over integrated core-logic to today’s sleek notebook designs. Expect a full review on a motherboard using this new GPU in the coming days!

The NVIDIA GeForce 9400M is a single chip, high performance, highly integrated design that is ideal for notebooks and smaller computing devices. It features 16 parallel processing cores that deliver a whopping 54 GFLOPs of processing power, making it the most powerful integrated GPU on the market today. It also delivers up to 5x faster graphics performance than Intel Centrino 2, and long-lasting battery power, allowing consumers to watch a complete, full-length HD movie on a single charge.

Posted by | Wed, Oct 15, 2008 - 10:13 AM

Video games feature ads for Obama's campaign

Barack Obama has become the first presidential candidate to buy ad space inside a game! Eighteen video games, including the extremely popular "Guitar Hero" and "Madden 09," will feature in-game ads from the Obama campaign in the final weeks before the election. The ads — appearing on billboards and other signage — remind players that early voting has begun and plug a campaign Web site that encourages people to register for early voting.

The timing of the Obama ads within the video game varies from state to state. Players in smaller states may see the Obama ads for almost an entire month, while users in bigger states may see them for a shorter period. "It reaches an audience that is typically hard to reach — young males, roughly 18 to 34," said Rockwood. "That's very appealing to our advertisers."

SiliconValley.com

Posted by | Wed, Oct 15, 2008 - 09:34 AM

Kingston sees surge in demand for NAND flash products in China

Memory module maker Kingston Technology expects a staggering increase in shipments of NAND flash products in October as demand in China is growing strongly. Kingston said its shipments of NAND flash products will increase 250% on year in October, with sales from the segment expected to hit the highest level of the year.

The maker explained that following the country's long National Day holiday, the China market has been actively seeking to refill its inventory. Demand is exploding following a weak third quarter that failed to see a seasonal upturn. Although the NAND flash market is still in oversupply, the surge in demand is also helping prevent NAND flash prices from falling further in the short term, it added. Prices are also being stabilized by production cutbacks by Hynix Semiconductor and Micron, as well by Toshiba's decision to reduce its capital expenditure (capex), Kingston said. The NAND flash suppliers' moves have given the market a strong signal that they are starting the address the serious problem of oversupply, the US-based maker commented.

DigiTimes Daily IT News

Posted by | Wed, Oct 15, 2008 - 09:26 AM

October 15 News from Around the Web

Thermaltake V14Pro CPU Cooler CL-P0471 @ Benchmark Reviews and other reviews from around the web can be found by visiting our forums!

Thermaltake, famed of their variety in air cooler selection, has just released their best performing CPU cooler: V14Pro. Claiming to have reached the highest cooling performance ever, the new V14Pro comes with the giant size 140mm fan, 6 copper heatpipes, and 98 extended copper fins. In this performance comparison, Benchmark Reviews tests the Thermaltake V14 Pro CPU cooler CL-P0471 against the best products available today.

Posted by | Wed, Oct 15, 2008 - 08:03 AM

Intel Posts Record Third-Quarter Revenue of $10.2 Billion

Intel Corporation today announced record third-quarter revenue of $10.2 billion along with operating income of $3.1 billion, net income of $2 billion and earnings per share (EPS) of 35 cents. Intel cautioned that the current financial crisis has made the technology sector predict its results for the current period, so they didn't say what exactly to expect for Q4.

"Intel delivered the best third-quarter revenue in its history," said Paul Otellini, Intel president and CEO. "We were solidly profitable, with operating income of over $3 billion, reflecting strong across-the-board execution and best-of-class products. Intel delivered the best third-quarter revenue in its history. We were solidly profitable, with operating income of over $3 billion, reflecting strong across-the-board execution and best-of-class products."

Posted by | Tue, Oct 14, 2008 - 04:37 PM

Corsair Launches New Power Series Power Supply Line - Corsair Power

Corsair announced today a new line of economical, quiet, and energy-efficient desktop computer power supplies. Dubbed Corsair Power, the new series provides unprecedented features at a surprisingly affordable price point. The Corsair Power CX400W, CMPSU-400CX, is available immediately through Corsair’s world-wide authorized dealer channel, with a MSRP of $59.99 USD.

he Power series is designed to offer the best performance available at its price point. Initially available in a 400 Watt model, the CX400W, the Corsair Power series delivers clean and reliable power. Due to its energy-efficient design and Active PFC (Power Factor Correction) circuitry, the CX400W is capable of delivering greater than 80% efficiency ratings, allowing it to run extremely cool and use very little energy, reducing its operating costs significantly. Cooled by a large, thermally-controlled 120mm fan, the CX400W can provide stable, continuous power while remaining whisper quiet.

Posted by | Tue, Oct 14, 2008 - 01:01 PM

VIA Nano Processor: World's Safest & Power Efficient Cryptography for x86 PCs

VIA Technologies today showed that the cryptographic performance of the VIA Nano processor is the most power efficient on the market, due to its dedicated VIA PadLock Security Engine, a suite of security tools integrated directly into the processor die. The hardware security implementation within the VIA Nano processor means that user data is handled more efficiently and safely by circuitry deep inside the silicon, rather than by using more vulnerable operating system, memory and software resources.

The benchmarking of the 1.3GHz VIA Nano processor using SiSoftware's newest release of the SiSoftware Sandra 2009 diagnostic utility showed the VIA Nano processor performing the cryptographic tests at a blazing 765MB/s of bandwidth, over 93% faster than a 3.2GHz Intel Core 2 Quad QX9770 processor, yet using a mere 5% of the power. "Fast, power efficient and safe data encryption are quickly becoming a top concern of mobile PC users," said Richard Brown, Vice President of Marketing, VIA Technologies, Inc. "Data protection and identity theft for lost and stolen devices are issues that are compounded by the growth of the mobile computing market, key areas where the VIA Nano processor can significantly help protect users data."

Posted by | Tue, Oct 14, 2008 - 09:26 AM

Lian-Li launches the all new Classic PC-9 Midi Tower Chassis

Lian-Li has launched the PC-9 midi-tower incorporating outstanding quality with a clean simple style. Standing at 209 x 435 x 488mm (W,H,D), with removable front panel around front bezels consisting of 5x 5.25” bays which can support all your ODD needs, while the lower part of the front bezel has an integrated HDD Hot swappable SATA cage with a front facing securely lockable door. The HDD Cage is ventilated uniquely from the sides of the case and exemplifies the innovation and attention to detail present in every chassis made by Lian Li.

The PSU bay is at the bottom, and has a specialized bracket to support your PSU component directly from below, with an adequate gap for airflow keeping them cooler for longer and in peak condition. In addition, rubber strips give insulation as well as prevent annoying vibration. The top mounted multimedia ports include 2x USB 2.0 ports, 1x Firewire (IEEE1394), and HD + AC97 Audio ports. The PC-9 has water pipe access holes, should you wish to use them.

Posted by | Mon, Oct 13, 2008 - 01:01 PM

Antec Launches Skeleton PC Case

Antec has launched the Skeleton, the first open air enclosure to the consumer market. The Skeleton's open structure design and flexibility bring a high level of cooling, ease-of-use and stylish appearance to any PC. The case will retail for approximately $189.95 and is backed by Antec's Quality 3-Year Warranty. We first spotted this case a couple months back at NVISION 08 and posted pictures of it here.

Customizable and offering unprecedented levels of cooling, the Skeleton features an open frame and a top mounted, three-speed, 250mm TriCool multi-color LED fan, allowing users to adjust fan speed, as well as case illumination. Specially designed layered trays allow for efficient cable routing that prevents wires from impeding airflow and an additional dedicated 92mm fan cools the hard drives. With a 0.8mm cold rolled steel-reinforced plastic frame and rackmount quality side rails, this enclosure emphasizes durability. The 13''(H) x 14.8''(W) x 16.5''(D) sized enclosure fits Mini ITX, MicroATX and Standard ATX motherboards.

Posted by | Mon, Oct 13, 2008 - 12:29 PM

PREVIOUS | NEXT