Legit Reviews News History
December 16 News from Around the Web
Find reviews from around the web by visiting our forums! The following is from the Sapphire HD4850 Dual-Slot Graphic Card Review on Technic3D:
"The Sapphire HD4850 Dual-Slot arrived Technic3D. The Graphic Card with a Dual-Slot Heatsink and a good price better than AMD Reference-Design? Technic3D will see the RV770 Chip in the following Review with 2560x1600 up to 1280x1024 against more Cards on Windows Vista 32 Bit SP1. And what say the real Power Consumption?"
Posted by | Tue, Dec 16, 2008 - 08:10 AM | Comments
Luke Skywalker's Lightsaber Sells for $240,000
Somebody wanted to get all their holiday shopping over in one trip. At an auction of Hollywood memorabilia last Friday where X-Men, Superman, and Star Wars were sold, the star of the show was the lightsaber used in Episodes IV and V by Mark Hamill.
The star of the auction, the lightsabre used in the first two movies (Episodes IV and V) was sold for the tidy sum of $240,000 (about £150,000), while C-3PO's helmet from Return of the Jedi, making some Star Wars fanboi a very happy camper.
Posted by | Mon, Dec 15, 2008 - 11:31 AM | Comments
Bluetooth Technology Blocks Mobile Phones While Driving
Researchers at The University of Utah have developed an automobile ignition key that prevents users from talking on cell phones or sending text messages while driving. The university obtained provisional patents and licensed the invention "Key2SafeDriving" to a private company that hopes to get it to market within six months with a target cost of less than $50 per key plus a yet-undetermined monthly service fee.
"The key to safe driving is to avoid distraction," says Xuesong Zhou, an assistant professor of civil and environmental engineering who co-invented the system with Wally Curry, a University of Utah graduate now practicing medicine in Hays, Kan. "We want to provide a simple, cost-effective solution to improve driving safety." Zhou notes that "at any given time, about 6 percent of travelers on the road are talking on a cell phone while driving. Also at any given time, 10 percent of teenagers who are driving are talking or texting." Studies have shown drivers using cell phones are about four times more likely to get in a crash than other drivers.
Posted by | Mon, Dec 15, 2008 - 10:50 AM | Comments
Palm to Announce Nova at CES
According to numerous reports, Palm will announce the long awaited replacement for their current OS at CES next month. Palm is due to unveil the long-awaited operating system, code-named Nova, as well as the first of a family of products that will run on it.
Palm needs to hit its mark. The company has lost share and its stock price has plummeted 80% since Rubinstein joined. With about six quarters of cash currently in the bank, Palm's last best hope may be Nova, to be released by mid-2009. Cash-strapped carriers are loath to take on the cost of supporting another platform and software developers are busy building software for other devices, including the iPhone, BlackBerry, and phones that use Google's (GOOG) Android software. "If they can't show me a large, active audience, I'm not going to be interested," says Jeff Holden, CEO of Web 2.0 company Pelago, maker of a social networking tool for the iPhone. "At this point in the game, you're toast unless you have something completely unbelievable."
Posted by | Mon, Dec 15, 2008 - 10:28 AM | Comments
December 15 News from Around the Web
In-Win Commander 850W PSU Review @ Rbmods and other reviews from around the web can be found by visiting our forums!
Today we get a chance to check out a new power supply manufacturer, In-Win, which is a company that makes a wide range of PC products. They sent us a sample of their latest power supply offering, the In-Win Commander 850W PSU, which boost a military paint scheme. Will this power supply be ready to battle some of the more established brands? Let’s find out in this review.
Posted by | Mon, Dec 15, 2008 - 07:34 AM | Comments
Microsoft confirms that all versions of IE have critical new bug
If you have not made the switch to Firefox or another IE alternative - many of you haven't according to recent statistics, beware of a bug that could leave your PC vulnerable.
The unpatched bug in Internet Explorer 7 (IE7) that hackers are now exploiting also exists in older versions of the browser, including the still-widely-used IE6, Microsoft Corp. said late yesterday. Today, a Danish security researcher added that Microsoft's original countermeasure advice was insufficient and recommended that users take one of the new steps the company spelled out. In a revised security advisory, Microsoft said research confirmed that the bug is within all its browsers, including those it currently supports -- IE5.01, IE6 and IE7 -- as well as IE8 Beta 2, a preview version that the company doesn't support through normal channels. Users running any of those browsers on Windows 2000, XP, Vista, Server 2003 or Server 2008 are at risk, Microsoft said.
Posted by | Sun, Dec 14, 2008 - 09:56 PM | Comments
Microsoft makes iPhone App
Microsoft has decided to enter the foray and develops its own app for the iPhone called "Seadragon". This app allows you speedily zoom into HQ images. Head to iTunes for the FREE download. In other news, hell officially freezes over.
Microsoft apparently isn’t going to ignore the iPhone completely. They released a Seadragon application for the iPhone today that lets users “infinitely zoom” on high quality images with near zero transition times. The embed below shows Seadragon in action, and the experience on the iPhone is very similar. We’ve covered Seadragon applications like TouchWall and pptPlex previously, and in March Microsoft built it into Silverlight. You can browse a few photosets included in the application or add your own content from Photosynth or any RSS feed.
Posted by | Sun, Dec 14, 2008 - 09:50 PM | Comments
Game industry booms amid the economic gloom
During the Great Depression, Hollywood thrived because it offered Americans a cheap, communal escape from gloomy times. Now there's the Wii. Overall retail sales are horrible, the stock market has cratered, industry giants are laying off thousands with one hand and begging for billions with the other. But for the video game business, the good times continue to roll.
"The whole gaming industry is not only recession-proof, it can thrive in times of recession," said Robert Thompson, a professor of popular culture at Syracuse University. The latest evidence of that came Thursday, when market research firm NPD Group released its monthly report on the video game industry's retail sales. Through November, retailers have sold $16 billion worth of game hardware, software and accessories this year. That's a record for the first 11 months of a year, up 22 percent from the same period last year, according to NPD.
Posted by | Fri, Dec 12, 2008 - 11:00 AM | Comments
December 12 News from Around the Web
Cooler Master Cosmos Black Label Computer Case @ BmR and other reviews from around the web can be found by visiting our forums!
Back in September of 2007 Benchmark Reviews tested Cooler Master's Cosmos RC-1000 full-tower computer case, and was so impressed with the fine attention to detail that it earned our Golden Tachometer Award. Then, a few month later in February of 2008, we witnessed the Cooler Master Cosmos S arrive to the scene with a darkened appearance and sport-car curves. So it's fitting then that Cooler Master offer their most revered computer case in a limited edition set. In this article, Benchmark Reviews tests the Cooler Master Cosmos Black Label Limited Edition E-ATX full-tower computer case kit (SKU: RC-1000S-KKN2-GP), as a supplemental installment to our original comprehensive Cosmos 1000 review.
Posted by | Fri, Dec 12, 2008 - 10:21 AM | Comments
Logitech G18 Keyboard Pictured With Full Color LCD Display
With the G13 gameboard officially introduced, Logitech is apparently preparing to unveil a new gaming peripheral, the G18 keyboard. Seen below, the G18 has quite a secsi design, 12 programmable G keys on its left side and an LCD screen at the top. As opposed to the G15, the G18 has a color LCD to display various things you want to see on a keyboard.
We spied the Logitech G13 Gamepad when it was announced earlier today, and now Engadget Chinese has caught wind of something else that may be in store for us. The keyboard pictured above is apparently the G18, and we while we have almost no solid info on it, we can glean a few things, such as the apparent groupings of fast function keys on the left side of the board (some which seem to be numbered G11-G15), not to mention that tiny display at the center. We don't know when we can expect this beast to arrive, but the G13 Gamepad is expected in January so fingers crossed.
Posted by | Thu, Dec 11, 2008 - 10:00 AM | Comments
Elpida Completes Development of New 50nm Process 2-Gigabit Mobile RAM
Elpida Memory announced late yesterday that they had completed development of a 50nm process 2-gigabit Mobile RAM product using 50nm process technology with 193nm (ArF) immersion lithography and copper interconnect. The ultra low-power features of Mobile RAM are ideal for use in mobile phones, portable multimedia devices, portable internet-related devices and other handheld device applications. This is important as it will remove the delay found when doing video playback on smart phones like the Blackberry Bold. The Blackberry Bold plays movies fine, but good luck skipping a scene.
The new product optimizes the pad layout for PoP (Package on Package), MCP (Multi Chip Package) and other packaging technology and is designed to meet the need for smaller yet higher capacity memory packages for use in mobile devices. It uses an x32-bit I/O configuration based on double-data rate (DDR) that can operate at an extremely fast speed of 400Mbps (200MHz) to transmit data at the rate of 1.6 gigabytes per second. Thus it can meet demand for high-resolution high-quality graphics display and high bandwidth video play.
Posted by | Thu, Dec 11, 2008 - 09:50 AM | Comments
U.S. sues Sony Music over children's online privacy
Sony BMG, which is changing its name to Sony Music Entertainment, was sued on Wednesday by the U.S. government, which accused the music company of violating federal rules aimed at protecting the online privacy of children. The music company improperly accepted registrations on its music websites from users who were under 13, without obtaining consent from their parents, according to the lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in Manhattan.
The civil suit, which seeks unspecified monetary penalties, said Sony Music was in violation of the Children's Online Privacy Protection Rule, which is enforced by the Federal Trade Commission. The case was brought by the U.S. Attorney's Office in Manhattan. A Sony BMG executive told Reuters that the litigation is in the process of being resolved, with the company agreeing to pay a fine of $1 million, to put in place a screening process that complies with the FTC rules and hire a Web compliance officer to monitor the issue.
Posted by | Thu, Dec 11, 2008 - 09:37 AM | Comments
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 295 Video Card Pictured
VR-Zon leaked out the first picture of the upcoming NVIDIA GeForce GTX 295 video card this morning. The GeForce GTX 295 is slated to launch at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) this coming January.
The GeForce GTX 295 is based on the sandwich design again like the 9800GX2 with two 55nm GT200 GPUs. As you can see, there are 2 DVI and 1 Display Port. As for the power connectors, it uses 8+6 pins so that gives you a clue how much power this card needs. The pricing is yet to be disclosed but card makers are speculating that Nvidia will price it competitively against AMD 4870X2 card this time.
Posted by | Wed, Dec 10, 2008 - 10:50 AM | Comments
Intel Completes Next Generation, 32nm Process Development Phase
Intel Corporation has completed the development phase of its next-generation manufacturing process that further shrinks chip circuitry to 32 nanometers (a billionth of a meter). The company is on track for production readiness of this future generation using even more energy-efficient, denser and higher performing transistors in the fourth quarter of 2009.
Intel will provide a multitude of technical details around the 32nm process technology along with several other topics during presentations at the International Electron Devices Meeting (IEDM) next week in San Francisco. Finishing the development phase for the company’s 32nm process technology and production readiness in this timeframe means that Intel remains on pace with its ambitious product and manufacturing cadence referred to as the company’s “tick-tock” strategy.
Posted by | Wed, Dec 10, 2008 - 10:45 AM | Comments
Sony to Launch "Home" Virtual Community for PS3
Sony Corporation has announced that its much delayed virtual community for owners of the PlayStation 3 game console will launch worldwide this Thursday. "Home" has been running in beta for that past few months and after many delays is ready to be rolled out. PS3 owners will be able to download Home software and create three-dimensional avatars to interact with friends and other PS3 owners. Multiplayer games such as Motostorm and SOCOM will be easier to organize as well.
The new service is aimed at giving users a place to interact with other PS3 users. As in the "Second Life" virtual world, Home users create online characters or avatars. They can chat with other visitors, play games and customise their own sites in the virtual world.
Posted by | Wed, Dec 10, 2008 - 10:07 AM | Comments
Office Depot to Close 112 Underperforming Retail Stores
Office Depot says it will close 112 stores over the next three months and open fewer stores in 2009 in an effort to cut costs. I can't locate a list of store closing, but I was at the local Office Depot here in Missouri yesterday and I was the only person in the store. Not a good sign as I would guess some locations in Missouri will be on that list.
The office-supply retailer will reduce its store base to 1,163. Locations being closed include 45 in the Central U.S, 40 in the Northeast and Canada, 19 in the West and eight in the South. Office Depot also will close six of its 33 North American distribution facilities. In 2009, Office Depot will close 14 stores and open just 20 stores, half of what it had planned.
Posted by | Wed, Dec 10, 2008 - 10:04 AM | Comments
Intel takes SKorea's fair trade watchdog to court
Intel Corp. said Wednesday it is taking South Korea's fair trade watchdog to court over a decision to fine the semiconductor giant for undercutting competitors. Intel filed a formal complaint at the Seoul High Court to try and overturn the Korea Fair Trade Commission decision, the Santa Clara, California-based company said in a statement.
he company said it was reacting to a final written decision by the commission last month ordering Intel to pay 26.6 billion won ($18.6 million) for violating fair trade rules. The regulator ruled that Intel paid rebates to South Korean computer companies to undercut main rival Advanced Micro Devices Inc. of Sunnyvale, California. The commission charged Intel last year with violating antitrust laws after completing a two-year probe and released an initial decision in June.
Posted by | Wed, Dec 10, 2008 - 10:00 AM | Comments
DRAM contract prices fall another 10% in 1H of December on weak demand
Contract prices of DRAM chips are seen to drop another 10% in the first half of December, reflecting a continuation of low order visibility and weak end-market demand, according to DRAMeXchange. During the fourth quarter, DRAM contract prices have so far declined 37% on average, DRAMeXchange added.
The average price of 1GB DDR2-667 modules currently stands at US$8.5 and contract quotes for 2GB DDR2 modules have slid to US$18, DRAMeXchange said. The disappointing pricing trend has emerged as a result of huge orders cuts by PC system vendors. Over the past five months, the price of 1Gb DDR2-667 chips has edged down by 63% to US$0.94, according to DRAMeXchange. Meanwhile, contract prices of 2Gb DDR2-667 chips have been slashed by almost 60%, DRAMeXchange added.
Posted by | Wed, Dec 10, 2008 - 09:58 AM | Comments
Logitech Introduces Game-Changing G13 Gameboard
Logitech has just announced the G13 Advanced Gameboard, a hybrid gaming keyboard designed to complement your keyboard and mouse that gives you comfort and control for long sessions of PC gaming. The G13 gameboard features a powerful built-in LCD screen, 25 programmable keys and even has onboard memory to help take your gameplay to the next level. The LCD shows not only your game stats, but also system information, and communications and in-game information from other players.
Delivering increased comfort, the iconic contoured design complements the natural shape of your hand and fingers, while the smooth, concave home-row keys make it easy to locate buttons by touch. With three game modes, 25 programmable keys and a programmable analog stick, the G13 gameboard offers up to 87 ways for you to control your game (software installation required). And you can set up custom button-profiles for each one of your favorite titles. You can even create macros on the fly without having to pause your game.
Posted by | Wed, Dec 10, 2008 - 02:43 AM | Comments
Sony to cut 16,000 jobs to reduce costs
Japan's Sony Corp said it will cut 16,000 jobs, curb investment and pull out of businesses to save $1.1 billion a year as the financial crisis ravages demand for its electronics products. The job cuts are the biggest announced by an Asian company so far in the crisis and underscore the challenges facing Sony, which has fallen behind Apple Inc's iPod in portable music and is losing money on flat TVs.
Sony said it would cut 8,000 regular workers, or roughly 4 percent of its workforce of 185,800, and an equal number or more temporary and contract staff. But analysts warned the measures may not be bold enough to streamline a sprawling empire that ranges from semiconductors to movies and insurance. The cuts are also risky because they mean Sony will be investing less in future growth.
Posted by | Tue, Dec 09, 2008 - 12:01 PM | Comments
Super Talent Announces Enterprise Class UltraDrive SSDs
Super Talent today announced a new line of UltraDrive solid state drives (SSDs) that are twice as fast as the world’s speediest SATA hard drives and are offered in capacities up to 256GB. No word on pricing as of yet, so stay tuned.
“The UltraDrive LE represents a quantum leap forward in storage performance that is simply staggering. It excels in every metric that’s relevant to data centers: sequential and random read and write speeds, transaction rates and access and seek times. It also has a considerable advantage over 10,000 RPM hard drives in power consumption and MTBF. This product sets a new standard in enterprise storage” said Super Talent Chief Operating Officer, Mr. C.H. Lee.
Posted by | Tue, Dec 09, 2008 - 11:51 AM | Comments
Voltaic Launches Solar Powered Laptop Bag For Charging Laptops
Voltaic Systems announces the release of its new solar bag, the Generator. The bag produces enough solar power to fully charge a laptop from less than a day in the sun. The new Generator features a sleek, high-efficiency 15 Watt solar panel. In about five hours of full sunshine, the panel recharges a custom-designed battery pack, which efficiently captures and stores solar power until needed. The battery holds the equivalent of a full laptop charge and can also be charged from a wall outlet. The only bad part to this laptop bag is the price - $499. At $499 it better come with a netbook inside!
For each hour in the sun, the Generator extends laptop run time by 20-45 minutes, depending on the efficiency of the laptop. An hour in the sun also generates enough power to fully charge most phones, MP3 players and small cameras. The bag is stylishly constructed from fabrics made with recycled soda bottles (PET) which are tough, waterproof and UV resistant. It includes a protective frame and padded laptop sleeve with storage room for other electronics, notebooks etc. The solar panels come in five color options: a distinctive orange, silver, green, white and a more discrete black.
Posted by | Mon, Dec 08, 2008 - 09:48 PM | Comments
AMD and NVIDIA Both Adopt OpenCL 1.0 Specification by The Khronos Group
Late this afternoon AMD and NVIDIA both announced their intent to rapidly adopt the OpenCL 1.0 programming standard. AMD will be integrating a compliant compiler and runtime into the free ATI Stream Software Development Kit (SDK) that they offer. NVIDIA on the other hand will be adding it GPU Computing Toolkit so no matter what card you choose both will have support for OpenCL 1.0. Having an open standard that can be used by both companies is a plus for consumers in the long run.
AMD is a founding and contributing member of the OpenCL working group in The Khronos Group, and has consistently been one of the most vocal and active proponents of the standard. AMD is committed to getting this valuable new technology into the hands of programmers as quickly as possible, and is rapidly evolving its free ATI Stream SDK to make it happen. AMD is making good progress on its OpenCL-compliant offering and plans to release a developer version of the ATI Stream SDK with support for OpenCL 1.0 for content developers in the first half of 2009. Working from early specifications of OpenCL, AMD’s engineering team has already started running code on its initial implementation.
Posted by | Mon, Dec 08, 2008 - 08:25 PM | Comments
Logitech Announces Lapdesk - Comfort For Notebook Users Laps
You can use your laptop anywhere in your home. But what you gain in mobility, you often sacrifice in comfort. To address this pain point, Logitech today introduced the Logitech Comfort Lapdesk for Notebooks – the newest addition to the company’s line of notebook accessories. The Comfort Lapdesk provides a stable base and helps protect against laptop heat whether you’re working from the comfort of your couch, relaxing on your bed or reclining on the living-room floor. The Logitech Comfort Lapdesk for Notebooks is expected to be available in Europe in January and in the U.S. in February for a suggested retail price of $39.99 (U.S.).
Logitech research revealed that nearly 60 percent of people who use a laptop at home use it on the couch so they can be with their families while browsing the Web, e-mailing or chatting. In addition, the research showed that 36 percent use a laptop on the bed and 16 percent use it while sitting or lying on the floor. However, nearly 50 percent of those people report concerns about laptop heat and 41 percent raise concerns about posture. Some people use a pillow or book in an attempt to provide a barrier to the heat emitted from the laptop, but those solutions often end up trapping heat, making it even hotter.
Posted by | Mon, Dec 08, 2008 - 08:17 PM | Comments
Cooler Master Unveils 500 Limited Edition Black Label Systems
Cooler Master just announced the Black Label Limited Edition with worldwide availability of 500 individually numbered sets. This luxurious collection brings together the company’s computing chassis, cooler and power supply, with an sophisticated black appearance plus feature enhancements. The MSRP on this product is $599 or 499EUR, so be sure to bring your wallet with you.
Black Label Limited Edition customers will receive private membership, giving them access to our Black Label Lounge. Members will enjoy exclusive benefits such as: priority purchase privileges, VIP event invitations, interaction with fellow club members and more. Subtle improvements have made this an elite collection. Cosmos Black Label has a unique tinted side panel and its upgraded cooling capability further improves on reliability and performance. Hyper Z600 Black Label with the all new black appearance is equipped with improved PWM fan and airflow cover for unsurpassed cooling.
Posted by | Mon, Dec 08, 2008 - 11:30 AM | Comments
Survey finds over half of adults play video games
More than half of American adults play video games and one in five play just about every day, according to a survey released Sunday by the Pew Internet & American Life Project. The survey of 2,054 U.S. adults was conducted late last year, with a margin of error of about 2 percent.
People from all walks of life play, though younger adults are far more likely to play than seniors, proof that video games are mainstream entertainment for the generations that grew up with them. In all, 81 percent of respondents between 18 and 29 said they play games, compared with 23 percent of people 65 and older. Another Pew survey this fall found that nearly every teenager — 97 percent — is a gamer.
Posted by | Mon, Dec 08, 2008 - 11:17 AM | Comments
Intel Roadmaps Show That Medfield Will Replace The Atom Processor
Details have come forth over the weekend of a future 32nm Intel chip for netbook devices that is both the processor and chipset as a system-on-a-chip (SoC) component. Codenamed Medfield, the processor is expected sometime in 2010, and will be preceded by Pineview, another future netbook processor due in 2009.
Medfield would integrate the processor, memory controller, multimedia functions, and I/O (Input/Output) into a single chip. The I/O hub has typically been on a separate piece of silicon--as has the memory controller (for Intel silicon) until recently. Like the current Intel Atom lineup, dual-core designs will be offered. Medfield would also have a PC-based graphics core, the report said. The report also noted that "the concept of netbooks" will evolve "from from basic web page consumption to multimedia consumption including high-definition (HD) video." Battery life should improve from two to three hours to closer to five hours as wide area network connectivity is added such as WiMAX, 3G/HSPA, and/or LTE. Features such as GPS and touch screens will also be bolted on.
Posted by | Mon, Dec 08, 2008 - 08:13 AM | Comments
Intel's Silicon Photonics Advancement Accelerates Future PCs
Intel Labs researchers have made another advance in the field of Silicon Photonics by achieving world-record performance using a silicon-based Avalanche Photodetector (APD) that could lower costs and improve performance as compared to commercially available optical devices. Silicon Photonics is an emerging technology using standard silicon to send and receive optical information among computers and other electronic devices. The technology aims to address future bandwidth needs of data-intensive computing applications such as remote medicine and lifelike 3-D virtual worlds. Pictured below is a close-up of a silicon Avalanche Photodetector chip. In the center is a grid of many individual photodectors with different designs, allowing researchers to test various properties of the devices.
"This research result is another example of how silicon can be used to create very high-performing optical devices," said Mario Paniccia, Ph.D., Intel Fellow and director of the company's Photonics Technology Lab. "In addition to optical communication, these silicon-based APDs could also be applied to other areas such as sensing, imaging, quantum cryptography or biological applications."
Posted by | Mon, Dec 08, 2008 - 08:06 AM | Comments
AsRock Introduces nForce 740i SLI motherboard - N7AD-SLI
ASRock has a new SLI ready motherboard now that they have launched the N7AD-SLI. The board is based on NVIDIA nForce 740i SLI chipset and supports SLI thanks to a pair of PCIE x16 slots. In addition, this motherboard brings ASRock Instant Boot, which is able to boot up system in an amazing speed. It only takes 3 to 4 seconds to boot up to Windows which is 10 times faster than traditional boot up to Windows.
ASRock also made a YouTube video to show off their Instant Boot technology, so check it out if you are looking for something to do this Sunday afternoon as the NFL games today are pretty slow.
For memory support, it supports DDR2 800 with 4 DIMM slots and max. capacity up to 16GB. The motherboard is perfect for the practical user because it is designed with 2 x IEEE 1394 ports, Gigabit LAN, 6 SATAII ports, RAID and eSATA2 port, which is adequate for daily standard usage. Users can also enjoy lots of applications such as OC Tuner, an easy overclocking tool, and Smart BIOS for easy BIOS settings. Other than that, this motherboard also saves energy by providing Intelligent Energy Saver and designed with DuraCap and Extra ESD Protection.
Posted by | Sun, Dec 07, 2008 - 04:00 PM | Comments
NVIDIA Releases ForceWare 180.84 Video Card Drivers
NVIDIA has dropped a new WHQL-certified driver for GeForce 200-series, 9-series, and 8800-series desktop GPUs. This new driver enables NVIDIA SLI technology on SLI-certified Intel X58-based motherboards, enables NVIDIA SLI Multi-monitor support, giving you the ability to use two monitors with your GeForce graphics cards in SLI mode, and enables NVIDIA PhysX acceleration on a dedicated GeForce graphics card. On top of all that it has performance improvements in games like Grand Theft Auto IV, World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King, and Left 4 Dead. If you are running a supported graphics card then be sure to update your video card driver this weekend!
Blazing Fast Performance:
- Boosts performance in numerous 3D applications. The following are some examples of improvements measured with Release 180 WHQL drivers vs. Release 178 WHQL drivers (results will vary depending on your GPU, system configuration, and game settings):
- Up to 10% performance increase in 3DMark Vantage (performance preset)
- Up to 13% performance increase in Assassin's Creed
- Up to 13% performance increase in BioShock
- Up to 15% performance increase in Company of Heroes: Opposing Fronts
- Up to 10% performance increase in Crysis Warhead
- Up to 25% performance increase in Devil May Cry 4
- Up to 38% performance increase in Far Cry 2
- Up to 18% performance increase in Race Driver: GRID
- Up to 80% performance increase in Lost Planet: Colonies
- Up to 18% performance increase in World of Conflict
Posted by | Sat, Dec 06, 2008 - 08:50 AM | Comments
Badaboom Media Converter v1.1 Adds Features and Performance
I'm sure you're hearing the current buzz about AMD AVIVO Media Converter, so I just wanted to make sure you were in the loop about our upcoming release of Badaboom as version 1.1 is due out next week. The team developing Badaboom has added features and increased input compatibility, users should find this a savvy new version worth the minimal cost (or none at all for those who purchased Badaboom 1.0). To see a list of all the new features be sure to head to the forums for the full press release, but I listed one new feature as a teaser below.
Multi-GPU capability: Effectively doubles the transcode time of Badaboom 1.0 by enabling two Badaboom applications to run on two separate videos simultaneously. For computers with multiple NVIDIA GPUs in a system, users can launch one Badaboom for each GPU in the system and transcode multiple videos at the same time. For example, with the Badaboom 1.1 version of this feature, two NVIDIA GPUs can transcode two movies in the time it would take Badaboom 1.0 to transcode one. Each NVIDIA GPU works on a different video to get the work done twice as fast.
Posted by | Sat, Dec 06, 2008 - 08:44 AM | Comments
Logitech Unveils New ID Grip for G9 Laser Mouse
The Logitech G9 Laser Mouse has always offered gamers the ability to tune their mouse for the way they play – including features such as weight tuning, interchangeable grips and custom-color LEDs. Now, Logitech lets you make the G9 mouse even more personal with the introduction of the Logitech G9 Laser Mouse ID Grip. With the ID Grip, you can have the image of your choice printed on the palm area of the grip. You can choose among game-specific artwork, a selection from a gallery of designs created by Logitech, or an image you provide.
“In surveying gamers who own a Logitech mouse, we learned that more than 65 percent want to mod their hardware,” said Rory Dooley, Logitech senior vice president and general manager of the Control Devices business unit. “The Logitech G9 Laser Mouse ID Grip provides gamers with a new level of personalization. Whether it’s a guild logo or a personal photo, we’re delighted to give gamers the ability to make the G9 mouse even more a reflection of their unique personality.”
Posted by | Sat, Dec 06, 2008 - 08:34 AM | Comments
SilverStone announces Sugo SG05 - Their Smallest SFF Ever
Taiwan-based SilverStone Technology has announced new member of the Sugo family of SFF (Small Form Factor) PC cases, the SG05. Seen below, the chassis measures 218(W) x 276(D) x 175(H) mm, has a steel body, a black paint job and a SFX 300W 80 Plus certified power supply. The SilverStone Sugo SG05 has support for mini-ITX and mini-DTX motherboards, CPU coolers that are up to 82mm tall and enough room for one graphics card that is up to 230mm long. A couple days ago ZOTAC announced a very impressive looking GeForce 8200-ITX WiFi motherboard that would fit perfectly in the Sugo SG05!
Cooled off by a 120mm intake fan, the SilverStone's case can also hold one 3.5-inch or two 2.5-inch HDDs, and features front-placed audio outputs and USB ports. The Sugo SG05 is expected to reach stores in mid-January (2009) and cost 83 Euro (without VAT).
Posted by | Fri, Dec 05, 2008 - 09:59 AM | Comments
Asustek reduces guidance for 2008
Asustek Computer has reduced its notebook shipments goal for 2008 from originally six million units to only 5.6-5.7 million, but the company's netbook shipment goal will remain at five million units, according to industry sources.
Asustek shipped 4.2 million notebooks in the first three quarters of 2008 and company president Jerry Shen originally guided that the company would ship 1.9 million units in the fourth quarter. But with dropping market demand, the company only shipped 620,000 units in October, 550,000 units in November and will only ship 300,000 units in December, adding up to shipments of 1.47 million units for the fourth quarter.
Posted by | Fri, Dec 05, 2008 - 09:41 AM | Comments
Kingston HyperX DDR3 SO-DIMM Memory Now Reaches 1066MHz
Kingston Technology today announced it is first to market with ultra-low latency HyperX DDR3 gaming SO-DIMMs. The new DDR3 1066MHz notebook memory modules are pre-programmed to high-performance ultra-low latency values of CL5-5-5-15 at just 1.5 Volts. The most impressive part of this new kit is the fact that it comes with a brand new metal heatspreader that helps promote thermal conduction for added performance. Not too many laptop memory kits need or can fit heat spreaders, but Kingston has pulled it off with the new DDR3 1066MHz notebook memory kit. The 4GB kit is sold under part number KHX8500S3ULK2/4G and has an MSRP of $228.00 here in the Unites States.
"Computer makers are releasing more DDR3-based notebook computers into the marketplace and Kingston is pleased to be first to ship ultra-low latency SO-DIMMs to meet the increased performance these laptops can offer,” said Mark Tekunoff, senior technology manager, Kingston®. "Our HyperX DDR3 notebook modules with metal heatspreaders represent new technology for gamers who want every competitive edge possible when pushing system performance.”
Posted by | Thu, Dec 04, 2008 - 05:19 PM | Comments
OCZ Announces Throttle eSATA Drive in 8GB to 32GB Capacities
OCZ Technology today introduced the Throttle eSATA drive, which offers performance and versatility for enthusiasts that demand the best hardware. The integration of eSATA connectivity now extends beyond desktop systems to laptops, offering increased data transfer rates with extreme portability while eliminating extra cords and power cables. These little drives look pretty slick and I'm sure we'll have a review for you very soon.
“We are excited to introduce the Throttle eSATA drive, which delivers many of the key benefits of external SATA including faster transfer rates and a cost effective expansion storage for high performance computing,” said Eugene Chang, Director of Product Management for the OCZ Technology Group. “The Throttle is available in high densities and offers exceptional peak interface speeds for high performance notebooks, desktops, consumer electronics and entry level servers. In the case where an eSATA port is not available, the Throttle has the ability to connect via USB as well for ultimate flexibility.”
Posted by | Thu, Dec 04, 2008 - 05:07 PM | Comments
Rumor Mill - Call it SATA 6G not SATA 3.0
Rumors are flying around today that AMD will have chipsets support SATA 3.0 in the second half of 2009. This will be the platform after Dragon and the Dragon platform will not be out till early 2009, so this is very far off. The platform after Dragon is rumored to be Leo, so with Leo will come support for SATA 6G thanks to RD890 and RS880D chipsets. It's really not called SATA 3.0, so I figured I'd help clear up the air now that SATA 6G is getting some more media exposure. Rumors have been floating around about SATA 6G since 2006, but finally we are seeing some launch rumors.
SATA-IO presented the draft specification of 6 Gbit/s physical layer in July 2008, and ratified its physical layer specification on August 18, 2008. The full 3.0 standard is expected to be available in early 2009. While even the fastest conventional hard disk drives can barely saturate the original SATA 1.5 Gbit/s bandwidth, Intel's Solid State Disk drives are close to saturating the SATA 3 Gb/s limit at 250 MB/s net read speed, and other new drives including Super Talent and Samsung are close to that as well. Ten channels of fast flash can actually reach well over 500 MB/s with new ONFI drives, so a move from SATA 3 Gb/s to SATA 6 Gb/s would benefit the flash read speeds. As for the standard hard disks, the reads from their built-in DRAM cache will end up faster across the new interface.
Posted by | Thu, Dec 04, 2008 - 02:44 PM | Comments
ECS X58B-A Black Series Motherboard Announced
Elitegroup Computer Systems (ECS), the world’s leading motherboard, graphics card, barebone system and notebook manufacturer, today has disclosed the remarkable achievement that the newly lunched X58B-A Black Series motherboard is creating the world record of overclocking. Reaching the B-Clock of 215MHz, ECS X58B-A has set up a mile stone of overclocking the latest high-performance Intel Core i7 processors among Intel X58 Express chipset based motherboards.
Instead of staying focus on pursuing the processor’s core speed, ECS X58B-A provides another path to the wonderland of outstanding performance. With ECS’s innovative design, the X58B-A motherboard is capable to reach the unbelievable B-Clock of 215MHz and to overclock the processor up to the core speed of 4GHz simultaneously. Performance extremists will experience dramatically increased computing capability which comes from the incredible core speed as well as the extraordinary QPI bandwidth under this configuration. Simply by using air cooling system, ECS X58B-A creates the world records of overclocking the B-Clock up to 215MHz that realizes the possibility of building an exceptional platform even without any additional efforts such as preparing those complicated cooling equipment.
Posted by | Thu, Dec 04, 2008 - 01:11 PM | Comments
Silicon Power releases eSATA/USB Solid-State Drive - 8x faster than USB drives
This is an interesting new product that is sure to shake things up a bit in the USB Flash Drive market - a solid-state drive that features eSATA connector for even better performance. The eSATA connection has a read speed of 92 MB/s and a write speed of 48MB/s - 8 times higher than the speed of the normal USB Flash drive. The eSATA/USB SSD is available in 8GB, 16GB and 32GB capacities and comes backed by a two year warranty.
The eSATA connector provides external data transfer at speeds up to 3Gbps, which is higher than USB 2.0 interface with 480MB/s. It is very convenient for large volume of data transfer at a short time. The bottom of the eSATA/USB SSD is a Mini USB connector offering a read speed of 33MB/s and a write speed of 25MB/s.
Posted by | Thu, Dec 04, 2008 - 10:22 AM | Comments
Leadtek Unleashes Smaller WinFast PX9800 GTX+ Graphics Card With Better Cooling
With Christmas just around the corner, Leadtek Research Inc. presents its new WinFast PX9800 GTX+. Keeping the best-in-class performance, the size of the new WinFast PX9800 GTX+ is reduced to 9.45 inch to increase flexibility of installation. Equipped with the specially designed 2-slots silent fan-sink, the new WinFast PX9800 GTX+ improved the GPU cooling efficiency and reduced noise level effectively while full-throttle operating.
Based on NVIDIA GeForce 9800 GTX+ graphics processing units and running perfectly with the PCI Express 2.0 interface, WinFast PX9800 GTX+ comes with high-speed 512MB 256 bit GDDR3 memory, 128 streaming fast cores at a GPU clock speed of 738MHz. The new WinFast PX9800 GTX+ represents a dazzling 15% speed boost, giving every user the thrill of a first-rate entertainment experience while delivering exceptional value on price/performance.
Posted by | Thu, Dec 04, 2008 - 10:11 AM | Comments
Zotac Announces Mini-ITX Geforce 8200-ITX WiFi Board
ZOTAC unleashes its first Graphics Plus capable mini-ITX motherboard – the ZOTAC GeForce 8200-ITX WiFi. Powered by an NVIDIA GeForce 8200 mGPU, the ZOTAC GeForce 8200-ITX WiFi delivers NVIDIA unified architecture, NVIDIA CUDA, NVIDIA PureVideo HD and integrated WiFi technologies rolled up into a miniature 170mm x 170mm platform.
The ZOTAC GeForce 8200-ITX WiFi with NVIDIA unified architecture features 16 screaming-fast stream processors that are programmable for phenomenal visuals with DirectX 10 and OpenGL 2.1 enabled 3D games and applications or high-speed general computing tasks with NVIDIA CUDA-enabled applications. “General purpose computing is the future of graphics processors. The performance gains with NVIDIA CUDA enabled applications are astonishing with GeForce series graphics processors. Our new ZOTAC GeForce 8200-ITX WiFi enables users to take advantage of CUDA technology while maintaining a small system foot print,” said Carsten Berger, marketing director, ZOTAC International.
Posted by | Thu, Dec 04, 2008 - 10:01 AM | Comments
Auzentech Launches X-Fi Forte 7.1 Native Low-Profile PCI Express Soundcard
Auzentech has unveiled the X-Fi Forte PCI-Express sound card. The Auzen X-Fi Forte 7.1 is the first Low Profile native PCI express audio card that Auzentech has designed especially for gamers and audiophiles. Compared to the X-Fi chipset reference design, the Auzen X-Fi Forte 7.1 has improved circuitry and components. The Auzen X-Fi Forte 7.1 soundcard is scheduled for release before the end of December of 2008. The MSRP is planned at $149.99.
"A large percentage of our customers are both gamers and audiophiles," said Stephane Bae, president of Auzentech, Inc. "Increasingly, they are requesting a low-profile sound card with 'mind-blowing' audio playback for music, movies, and games. We created the Auzen X-Fi™ Forte with these customers in mind."
Posted by | Thu, Dec 04, 2008 - 09:51 AM | Comments
Adobe to cut 600 jobs, report lower fourth-quarter revenue
On the heels of other tech company layoffs, Adobe Systems said Wednesday that it will cut 600 jobs — or about 8 percent of its workforce — because of the global economic downturn and slow demand for one of its flagship software products.
"The global economic crisis significantly impacted our revenue during the fourth quarter," Chief Executive Shantanu Narayen said in a statement, which also cited "weaker-than-expected demand" for Creative Suite 4, the newest version of one of Adobe's most popular and profitable products.
Posted by | Thu, Dec 04, 2008 - 08:37 AM | Comments
New videogames lure players into the kitchen
A new crop of video games is encouraging fans to ignore their parents' advice and play with their food. Fans slice, dice and feel the heat of the kitchen with a new crop of foodie games that includes Atari's "What's Cooking? With Jamie Oliver," Majesco's "Cooking Mama World Kitchen," Ubisoft's "Hell's Kitchen: The Video Game" and Nintendo's "Personal Trainer: Cooking."
The title that launched the North American food game craze was "Cooking Mama," a Japanese import that hit our shores in 2006. It uses the touchscreen and stylus on the DS to let users "cook" everything from pepperoni pizza to cabbage meat rolls. Players also can blow into the DS microphone to "cool off" hot dishes.
Posted by | Thu, Dec 04, 2008 - 08:35 AM | Comments
Several top-10 PC vendors to cut order volumes by 50% on year in 1Q09
Several top-ten PC vendors including Hewlett-Packard, Dell, Acer and Asustek Computer are expected to reduce their PC order volumes in the first quarter of 2009 by around 50% compared to the same period in the previous year, according to sources at component makers. HP is planning to cut orders by around 50%, Dell 50-60%, and Acer and Asustek 40-50% each.
The sources pointed out that they originally thought that HP and Dell were trying to lower their costs by combining orders together and outsourcing to just a few makers, but after confirming with other channel sources, it became clear that the two vendors have actually significantly reduced their orders. Although PC and notebook orders will see a large drop in the first quarter of 2009, orders for netbooks and LED notebooks are still seeing a surge growth.
Posted by | Thu, Dec 04, 2008 - 08:34 AM | Comments
AMD Updates Fourth Quarter 2008 Outlook
AMD today announced that it expects revenue from continuing operations for the fourth quarter ended December 27, 2008 to be approximately 25 percent lower than third quarter 2008 revenue of $1.585 billion, not including process technology license revenue.
The decrease is due to weaker than expected demand across all geographies and businesses, particularly in the consumer market. AMD will report fourth quarter 2008 results after market close on January 22, 2009. AMD will hold a conference call on this day for the financial community at 2:00 p.m. PT to discuss fourth quarter results. A real-time audio broadcast of the teleconference will be provided at www.amd.com.
Posted by | Thu, Dec 04, 2008 - 08:32 AM | Comments
The billion mouse mark
Computer peripheral powerhouse Logitech is working to get some PR mileage out of a milestone event -- since letting the first one scamper into the retail market in 1985, the company has now shipped 1 billion computer mice. Pretty impressive, even if all the economic recovery plan numbers have sapped "billion" of some of its impact. "It's rare in human history that a billionth of anything has been shipped by one company," Logitech's general manager Rory Dooley told the BBC. "Look at any other industry and it has never happened." OK, members of paper clip and toothpick industries, among others, might want to quibble, but we'll let it slide.
That billionth mouse, by the way, is getting the celebrity treatment (if the celebrity is Dick Cheney). The unit, christened Billie, rolled off an assembly line in Suzhou, China, and was immediately sent on a roundabout secret journey to an undisclosed location. Logitech is inviting folks to follow online clues to deduce Billie's whereabouts and win a prize.
Posted by | Thu, Dec 04, 2008 - 12:14 AM | Comments
G.Skill Announces PI Black 2GHz Triple-Channel Memory Kits
G.Skill recently launched the World’s Fastest DDR3 2000HMz 6GB (2GB x 3) PI Black series memory products designed for Intel Core i7 processors / Intel X58 Express Chipset. Launching at the Taiwan event held by Intel, ITMonth, G.SKILL pre-launched ultra-speed PI Black DDR3 2000MHz 6GB triple memory kits for overclocking enthusiasts. Legit Reviews recently looked at the Kingston HyperX 2000MHz 3GB memory kit with 9-9-9-27 timings, bit this kit by G.Skill offers twice the memory density and tighter 8-8-8-21 timings!
Compatible with the cutting-edge Intel Core i7 Processors and X58 Express Chipset, the G.SKILL Triple Channel kits provides outstanding performance and stability at an ultra-fast 2000MHz with an incredibly low CAS Latency of 8-8-8-21. This has been tested and verified by world famous overclocking enthusiast, Coolaler, during the 2008 Taipei ITMonth. PI Black heatsinks ensure cool and reliable running during this extreme performance and a rigorous, 100% hand-tested regime assures G.SKILL Triple Channel kits have a solid-quality, superb compatibility and ultimate reliability.
Posted by | Wed, Dec 03, 2008 - 08:11 AM | Comments
Windows 7 beta To Be Released on January 13, 2009
Windows enthusiasts were buzzing on Tuesday over a Microsoft blog posting that makes it seem as if a beta version of Windows 7 should be ready by next month. In a blog posting on Microsoft's Technet site, Keith Combs suggests those wanting to get their hands on the beta version should register to attend one of a dozen or so upcoming MSDN developer conferences.
That blog, and another Microsoft blog, make it clear that attendees will get a DVD with Windows 7 beta 1 on it. Some of the events are in December and the bloggers make it clear that those attending the earliest events won't get their DVD at the conference. In the comments section of his blog, though, Combs said the DVDs should be ready by mid-January.
Posted by | Wed, Dec 03, 2008 - 07:33 AM | Comments
AMD updates chipset schedule for next year
AMD plans to launch a new entry-level IGP chipset, the 760G based on RS780 architecture, in January 2009. The chipset will support DirectX 10 and Shader Model 4.0, but will not support Unified Video Decoder (UVD) and Hybrid CrossFireX technologies nor HDMI and Display Port connections, according to sources at motherboard makers. The 760G will replace the 740G chipset and will be accompanied by a new SB710 southbridge.
The company will also launch upgraded 790FX and 790GX IGP chipsets that include AM3-computability and will be paired with the SB750 southbridge. An RS880 IGP chipset will be launched in May or June next year paired with the SB710, and in July or August, AMD will launch an 770 chipset also paired with the SB710 which adds support for AM3-based processors.
Posted by | Wed, Dec 03, 2008 - 07:30 AM | Comments
December 3 News from Around the Web
Fractal Design Newton 1000W (FD-PSU-NEWT-1000W) PSU Review on Technic3D and other reviews from around the web can be found by visiting our forums!
"The Fractal Design Newton 1000W (FD-PSU-NEWT-1000W) arrived Technic3D. See you in the following Review from Technic3D the next Big PSU with modular cable management, 135mm Fan, 4x 12V rails, 6x Serial ATA connectors and 2x PCI-e 6+2 Pin."
Posted by | Wed, Dec 03, 2008 - 07:27 AM | Comments
OCZ Announces CrossOver USB Flash Drive
OCZ Technology today introduced the CrossOver USB 2.0 Flash drive, the latest line of flash media that also doubles as a microSD and microSDHC card adapter. For the on-the-go student, gamer, or professional, the OCZ CrossOver flash drive eliminates the need for card readers and transfers your important multimedia files to and from your computer, phone, and camera.
“With the proliferation of smart phones and MP3 players, the demand for microSD and microSDHC and the ability to easily transfer content to these cards has significantly increased,” said Alex Mei, CMO for the OCZ Technology Group. “OCZ is excited to introduce our new Crossover USB drive that to addresses this growing need, combining the benefits of a USB drive and a MicroSD adapter that allows consumers to transfer music and images directly from their microSD cards to their computer or onto the Crossover itself without another reader, making it easier than ever to manage multimedia between devices.”
Posted by | Tue, Dec 02, 2008 - 05:20 PM | Comments
NVIDIA Launches QUADRO FX 4800 Graphics Card
Today, mechanical computer-aided design (MCAD), digital content creation (DCC) and broadcast applications received a major performance boost with the introduction of the NVIDIA Quadro FX 4800 ultra-high-end professional graphics card. With advances in GPU architecture, added graphics memory and 30-bit color, the Quadro FX 4800 gives professionals the right toolset to dramatically push the boundaries of realism, performance and quality. The NVIDIA Quadro FX 4800 is available today and has a MSRP of $1,999 USD.
"In this increasingly competitive landscape, it's imperative that professionals deliver better, faster and more cost-effective results," said Jeff Brown general manager, Professional Solutions, NVIDIA. "NVIDIA is not only addressing this challenge, but is raising the ultra-high-end visualization bar by creating specialized solutions to meet the direct needs of professionals - whether it be a geophysicists or MCAD designer."
Posted by | Tue, Dec 02, 2008 - 02:59 PM | Comments
Redstone sells Midway Games stake at a huge loss
Billionaire media mogul Sumner Redstone and his holding companies have sold his family's 80.3 million shares in Midway Games Inc. for less than a penny each, according to a Monday securities filing. The sale means a loss of hundreds of millions of dollars, which Redstone is expected to use to offset taxable gains his holding company, National Amusements Inc., is realizing from selling assets in its attempts to restructure $1.6 billion in debt.
According to the filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, Redstone and companies National Amusements and Sumco Inc. on Friday sold their entire 87.2 percent stake for $0.0012 per share, about $100,000 in total, to Mark Thomas. Midway, best known for its "Mortal Kombat" video game, had 92.1 million shares outstanding as of Oct. 31. Thomas takes on $70 million in debt on the books of Chicago-based Midway, according to the filing. Wedbush Morgan analyst Michael Pachter estimated Redstone lost around $600 million on his investment in the video game publisher.
Posted by | Tue, Dec 02, 2008 - 11:45 AM | Comments
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 260 55nm Update Coming Next Month
Expreview has one of the first pictures of the upcoming 55nm GeForce GTX 260 cores on hand today. The core is marked GT200b, so the die will change from the 65nm “G200-103-A2″ to the “G200-103-B2″. The “B” means latest 55nm processing technology, and the picture they have posted shows that the production cycle happened during the 33rd week of this year (August 11th to 17th), only 5 weeks after G200-103-A2 which was manufactured in the 28th week. Looks like NVIDIA has been working on this one for many months.
The first of new GTX260 graphic cards will hit the market in January next year. The number of its stream processors will maintain as 216, and its memory frequency is unchanged as well. The reference and non-reference versions cards will be on sale at the same time. Thanks to application of new processor and the circuit designed by manufacturers themselves, the price will hopefully keep declining. The GTX260 card is already available at $264 at the lowest right now.
Posted by | Tue, Dec 02, 2008 - 11:42 AM | Comments
Asustek to replace Atom with Celeron in Eee Box to boost sale
While its nettop products have not sold as well as expected since debuting four months ago, Asustek is introducing a Celeron version of the Eee Box priced at NT$7,988 (US$240) in order to increase shipments for this year, according to market sources. The company is replacing the Atom processor with a Celeron 220 processor and upgrading its hard drive from 80GB to 120GB, while cutting the overall price, the sources explained.
According to the latest Eee Box price quotes, a system featuring a Celeron 220 processor and 120GB hard drive is selling for NT$7,988, with the price bumped up to NT$11,900 when bundled with a 19-inch LCD monitor. A system with an Atom processor and 80GB hard drive, keyboard, mouse, and Eee Stick is selling for NT$9,999, the sources added. According to estimates from Asustek, the company expects to ship 100,000-200,000 units of the Eee box this year and over one million units in 2009.
Posted by | Tue, Dec 02, 2008 - 11:33 AM | Comments
December 2 News from Around the Web
Hardware Canucks posted their SilverStone Fortress FT01 Mid-Tower Case Review! Find this and other reviews from around the web by visiting our forums!
As popular as the TJ07, TJ09 are, they are massive cases. Measuring in at over 600mm deep, they were clearly designed with EATX motherboards and full-length expansion cards in mind. Not everyone needs beautiful monstrosities like this. After all, that extra unused real-estate does add to the cost of the chassis. Two years after the release of the popular TJ07, SilverStone has released a smaller, more affordable all-aluminium case; the Fortress FT01. Some of the unique features found in the Temjin series as well as the Sugo line of cases can be found in the FT01.
Posted by | Tue, Dec 02, 2008 - 07:25 AM | Comments
Hitachi and Intel To Build SCSI and FX Solid-State Drives
Intel Corporation and Hitachi Global Storage Technologies (Hitachi GST) today announced plans to jointly develop and deliver Serial Attached SCSI (SAS) and Fibre Channel (FC) enterprise-class solid-state drives (SSDs) for servers, workstations and storage systems. The two companies will work together exclusively to deliver enterprise SSDs with SAS and FC interfaces, with the first products expected to be available in early 2010.
"The new solid-state drives for the enterprise include a number of architectural breakthroughs and improve performance and energy usage models that will change enterprise computing," said Randy Wilhelm, vice president and general manager, Intel NAND Solutions Group. "Intel and Hitachi GST share a common objective in delivering SAS/FC products based on solid-state technology that will help enterprise customers meet the skyrocketing demands for performance while reducing space, power and cooling costs."
Posted by | Tue, Dec 02, 2008 - 06:18 AM | Comments
Super Talent to Begin Shipping 'The Godfather' USB Flash Drives
Super Talent today announced that the firm has signed a licensing agreement with Paramount Licensing Inc. granting rights to manufacture and market USB Flash drives based on Paramount Pictures movie title, “The Godfather.”
Super Talent Director of Marketing, Joe James explained, “The introduction of movie-themed USB drives marks the beginning of a new era for the Flash industry. These drives will capture the spirit of ‘The Godfather,’ and will be a sure hit with millions of Don Corleone fans."
Posted by | Mon, Dec 01, 2008 - 07:04 PM | Comments
Corsair Power Supply Survey - Make a Difference!
Corsair is conducting a power supply survey to try and figure out what people are looking for in when buying a power supply these days. They ask you ten questions to see if they can figure out what consumers are wanting in their next power supply. The survey is pretty technical as they ask the importance of things like low ripple/electrical noise and 50C operating temperature ratings.
The Corsair HX1000W features six PCI-Express connectors, both 6-pin and 8-pin compatible, to power multiple high-end graphics cards and two EPS12V connectors for dual CPU configurations. The truly independent dual transformer, dual rail design allow for optimum load balancing resulting in greater performance and stability. Industrial-grade 105°C primary, secondary and solid state capacitors provide up to four times the lifespan of traditional components.
Posted by | Mon, Dec 01, 2008 - 07:00 PM | Comments
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