Legit Reviews News History
Women Choose Video Games Instead of Sleep
Results from a survey recently fielded by Entertainment for All Expo indicate some surprising trends relating to women and video games. Front and center: many women would rather play video games than catch up on sleep, according to the new survey which polled more than 120 PoshMama members on their video game habits. Responses were gleaned from the high percentage of female respondents (71%) who said that they play video games.
According to the E for All / PoshMama survey, more than one-third of those surveyed say that they play video games when they should be sleeping. Women in the survey also say they play video games in other unusual circumstances, including: while on the phone (32%); while at work/in a meeting (20%); and, while preparing for work (12%). When it comes to spare time, nearly twice as many women say that, if given an extra hour of free time at home, they would rather play video games than catch up on sleep.
Posted by | Tue, Sep 23, 2008 - 04:06 PM
September 23 News from Around the web
TweakTown posted their article, "GIGABYTE shows us final design X58 Extreme mobo." Find this and other reviews from around the web by visiting our forums!
Today we got a close up look at the final design that will ship to customers, besides the heatsink cooling setup, which GIGABYTE is still keeping under wraps for the moment - and this one is an actual working live sample. Besides the physical changes to the board layout, on this board and others, GIGABYTE will be introducing “Ultra Durable 3”. GIGABYTE has already tweaked their boards to what we thought was the max and we really thought there wasn’t much more left to improve, but we were wrong. UD3 adds two 2 ounce copper layers to the 12-layer PCB motherboard – one is a ground layer and the other is a power layer. We got a chance to see the actual copper layers that slot into the regular PCB compared to normal one ounce copper layers, but we are not allowed to show you until the actual launch tomorrow. These thicker copper layers create less resistance (impedance) by up to two times, creating better electrical current flow according to GIGABYTE. In their labs, engineers measured a 50 degree Celsius drop in temperature in the hottest parts of the motherboard (mosfets around the CPU)."
Posted by | Tue, Sep 23, 2008 - 08:49 AM
Lehman lifeline was critical to chip maker AMD
With Advanced Micro Devices Inc.'s cash reserves dwindling and the chip maker's overall financial health deteriorating to dangerous levels last year, the company was thrown a lifeline by Lehman Brothers, the investment bank now in bankruptcy. The $1.5 billion in AMD debt that Lehman scooped up in August 2007 demonstrates the important role that banks like Lehman and other investment firms play in helping prop up wobbly companies by pouring money into them when they're down.
In AMD's case, Lehman's problems won't affect the Sunnyvale, Calif.-based company's balance sheet, which at the end of June showed AMD holding about $1.6 billion in cash while carrying $5.3 billion in debt. That's because AMD has already spent the proceeds, and its debt offering was sold off by Lehman to other banks or held by its subsidiaries that are now being sold to other firms.
Posted by | Tue, Sep 23, 2008 - 08:29 AM
Microsoft Windows Mobile 7 release delayed
Microsoft has informed some of its partners that it has had to delay Windows Mobile 7, a much anticipated update to its cell phone operating system. Although Microsoft has not publicly said when to expect Windows Mobile 7, partners who had expected to have a final release in their hands by early next year have been told now that it won't be ready until the second half of next year.
The delay is a significant blow for the software maker, which has been counting on the next version of Windows Mobile to enable devices that better rival Apple's iPhone. Among the features widely expected to be part of the release is advanced gesture recognition, perhaps along the lines of the iPhone, but possibly also using the camera as a means for reading gestures. Microsoft's Tellme unit, which focuses on speech input, has also been working on Windows Mobile 7 features.
Posted by | Tue, Sep 23, 2008 - 08:19 AM
Micron-Qimonda deal likely to happen, says analyst
Micron's investigation into acquiring Qimonda has progressed and a deal is likely to happen, according to a note from analyst Doug Freedman of American Technology Research. One of the key drivers for the deal is the fact Micron will be able to leverage Qimonda's Inotera joint venture, which would add additional Taiwan facilities and IP revenue opportunities for Micron, in addition to its existing MeiYa joint venture with Nanya Technologies.
Qimonda's fab assets are also more valuable to Micron, compared with other potential buyers, such as Hynix or Nanya, as their common geographies allow logistics synergy, Freedman noted. Since Qimonda cannot fund projected losses through fiscal year 2009, Freedman expects that a deal could be done for US$350 million, near US$1 per share, or 25% of the US$4 per share book value. Freedman estimates an additional cost of about US$100 million would be required to convert Qimonda fabs to Micron processes.
Posted by | Tue, Sep 23, 2008 - 08:13 AM
Large Hadron Collider down for 2 months due to hot magnets
The world's largest atom smasher, which was launched with great fanfare earlier this month, is more badly damaged than previously thought and will be out of commission for at least two months, its operators said Saturday. Experts have gone into the 17-mile (27-kilometer) circular tunnel housing the Large Hadron Collider under the Swiss-French border to examine the damage that halted operations about 36 hours after its September 10 startup and now the collider has to be warmed up to be repaired.
Gillies said the sector that was damaged will have to be warmed well above the absolute zero temperature used for operations so repairs can be made, a time-consuming process. "A number of magnets raised their temperature by around 100 degrees," Gillies said. "We have now to warm up the whole sector in a controlled manner before we can actually go in and repair it." The $10 billion particle collider, in the design and construction stages for more than two decades, is the world's largest atom smasher. It fires beams of protons from the nuclei of atoms around the tunnels at nearly the speed of light.
Posted by | Mon, Sep 22, 2008 - 08:18 AM
Intel launches dual-core Atom processor - Atom 330
Intel released its dual-core Atom 330 processor on September 21 which will mainly target the nettop market. The CPU features a core frequency of 1.6GHz, 533MHz FSB, 1MB L2 cache and has a TDP of 8W. The Atom 330 processor is priced at US$40 in thousand-unit tray quantities, while the single-core Atom 230 is priced at US$29. We took a look at the single core Atom processor against the VIA Nano processor in this article if you wanted to catch up on the Atom 230 processor performance numbers.
The initial launch price of Atom 330-based motherboards in the channel is expected to surpass US$70, which will put Atom 330-based nettop prices at around US$299, while Atom 230-based nettops will be priced around US$249. The dual-core and single-core Atom processors are pin-compatible, single-core Atom platforms will only need a BIOS update to support the dual-core CPUs.
Posted by | Mon, Sep 22, 2008 - 08:12 AM
September 22 News from Around the Web
Palit Radeon HD 4870 Sonic Dual Edition Video Card @ BmR and other reviews from around the web can be found by visiting our forums!
When everyone thought AMD was sinking into a dark abyss, ATI unvieled their Radeon HD 4000 series and proved the critics all wrong. The Radeon HD 4870 is their current single-GPU flagship, and it's earned a high level of well-deserved distinction. Palit has followed-up this pattern by adding some stand-out features of their own. Benchmark Reviews tests the Palit Radeon HD 4870 Sonic edition video card from Palit. This RV770 graphics solution offers factory overclocked perfomance and a new cooling solution.
Posted by | Mon, Sep 22, 2008 - 07:27 AM
September 19 News from Around the Web
You can find reviews from around the web by visiting our forums! The following exerpt is from OCC's Antec Signature 850W Review:
"I would highly recommend the Antec Signature 850W to anyone considering high end graphics cards in SLI or Crossfire but perhaps it's a little expensive and over powered for the majority of users. If price is not an issue and you are looking for a high quality power supply, almost silent up to approximately 500 - 600W, then the Antec Signature 850W will I'm sure, prove to be a wise investment. Despite the failure to meet the claimed 80 Plus Bronze efficiency levels, the efficiency is still very good and I have no hesitation in giving the Antec Signature 850W an OCC Gold Award."
Posted by | Fri, Sep 19, 2008 - 03:08 PM
GIGABYTE Open Overclocking Championship Ready To Begin
GIGABYTE's first annual overclocking competition, the GIGABYTE Open Overclocking Championship (GO OC 2008) is set to begin. A total of 50 of the world＇s top overclockers will fly to Taiwan to join the competition and fight for the title of GIGABYTE GO OC Overclocking Champion on September 25th, 2008. Thanks to MAC for bringing this to my attention as we didn't get this press release from Gigabyte!
The GIGABYTE Open Overclocking Championship (GO OC 2008) will be held on September 25th, 2008, at the Grand Hyatt Hotel, Taipei, Taiwan. Can't join the event here in Taiwan? It's ok, GIGABYTE will have a live blogcast from the competition at the GO OC 2008 official website, http://gooc2008.gigabyte.com.tw. Everyone who is interested can log on to the event website and still be part of the competition during the event.
Posted by | Fri, Sep 19, 2008 - 02:52 PM
Intel Nehalem CPUs expected to boost substrate demand
The launch of second-phase Intel Nehalem-based CPUs (scheduled for the third quarter of 2009) is expected to have a corresponding impact on substrate demand, according to industry sources. Although the number of IC substrates will decrease, flip-chip (FC) substrates will increase in terms of their number of layers, while substrate area will also be larger due to the integration of several ICs.
For Intel's Lynnfield products, each chip will integrate several IC including CPU, memory controller, and GPU using a multi-chip-package (MCP) design. Additionally, corresponding platform control hub (PCH) chips will become more complex due to the combining of northbridge and southbridge functions into a single chip. The relocation of the GPU from the northbridge IC to the CPU package will require a change from using BGA (ball grid array) to FC packaging. Intel's major substrate suppliers NTK, Nan Ya Printed Circuit Board (NPC), Ibiden and Shinko are currently all in the process of certifying their products with Intel. Validation is expected to be completed by the end of this year and small volume shipments will start in the first quarter of 2009. Mass shipments will start in the second quarter.
Posted by | Fri, Sep 19, 2008 - 12:02 PM
Nvidia To Slash 6.5% of Workforce
Nvidia said late Thursday afternoon that it will eliminate roughly 360 jobs, or 6.5% of the company's workforce. In a statement, Nvidia Chief Executive Jen-Hsun Huang described the cuts as "difficult, but necessary." The Santa Clara, Calif.-based company said it will incur charges of roughly $7 millon to $10 million in severance and related expenses in the third quarter of fiscal 2009.
Part of the problem: Nvidia is a so-called fabless semiconductor manufacturer, relying on foundries such as Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company to create its chips. That means it doesn't have to spend billions building chip fabs, an expense that has weighed heavily on Nvidia rival AMD. But because AMD and Intel spend billions on their own factories, investors fret that the companies will be able to more easily crank out chips that are faster and use less power.
Posted by | Fri, Sep 19, 2008 - 11:17 AM
Microsoft ends ads featuring Gates, comedian Seinfeld
TV viewers can return to their favorite programs without fear of seeing Bill Gates shaking his tushie now that Microsoft has retired a bizarre 2-week-old ad campaign featuring the software giant's chairman with comedian Jerry Seinfeld.
Bloggers and online media have suggested that the Redmond, Wash., company yanked the Seinfeld ads after they were poorly received. The ads show Gates and Seinfeld trading banter at a mall shoe store and while living with a suburban family, trying to get in touch with regular people. Seinfeld asks Gates nonsensical questions about the future of computing, and Gates responds with "signs" that he's on the right track, including "adjusting his shorts," as Seinfeld called the awkward hip shake, and doing "the robot," a dance move.
Posted by | Thu, Sep 18, 2008 - 09:04 PM
Does Your Philips Plasma TV Have Blue Dots When It Heats Up?
Just weeks after my 12 month warranty ran out on my 42" Philips Plasma TV (model number 42PF7321D/37) ran out I had problems with my TV. I'd get blue dots on the screen after the unit was on for a little but and it didn't matter what input was being used. I lived with the issue for months as when I called Philips they said that it was a bad screen and that it would cost more to fix it than it would be to buy a new TV set. I found out that my warranty was extended since it was purchased on a Credit Card offering such a program and recently had a service technician come out to my home to give me an estimate. To make a long story short he called up Philips and they told him the problem was that the TV was over-volted from the factory and that several of the settings had to be reduced for the dots to go away. A few minutes later I was left with a $200 service bill and a TV that was working properly since it was set wrong from the factory. If anyone else has blue dots on their Philips Plasma TV then I highly suggest reading the thread below as it will save you time and money. Philips needs to issue a recall if they incorrectly set the voltages on certain plasma models.
If you are curious what the blue dot problem looks like check out the pictures that are posted in the forum thread below or this YouTube video that someone else made with the same exact problem.
Posted by | Thu, Sep 18, 2008 - 08:17 PM
ATI Releases Catalyst 8.9 Video Card Drivers for Download
ATI has just released Catalyst 8.9 for Windows Vista, Windows XP and Linux platforms on amd.com, so be sure to get them if you need them. The drivers have the usual game patches, but also has new display modes for HDTVs, Overdrive support for CrossFireX users, and OpenGL 3.0 extension support. Not a bad little monthly driver build from the guys up in Canada. The game issues that are resolved are listed below.
# Company of Heroes: Setting the in-game options to maximum levels no longer results in the game exiting to the desktop after the game has completed loading.
# DiRT: Setting shadows to ultra quadCF no longer results in a performance drop being noticed.
# Assassins Creed: Brightness and saturation distortion is no longer observed during game play with ForceAA enabled.
# Grid: Enabling CrossFire and starting a new game no longer results in flickering bands being noticed across the display device.
# Jericho: Corruption is no longer noticed when AA is enabled and the in-game option Advanced Smoothing is enabled.
# Age of Conan: Playing the game for a short period of time no longer results in flickering corruption being noticed.
Posted by | Thu, Sep 18, 2008 - 08:31 AM
AMD Infuses Corporate Brand with the Power of 'Fusion'
AMD today launched a new corporate brand campaign under a new tagline, “The Future is Fusion.” The campaign is intended to focus on how the unique AMD combination of technologies, coupled with close relationships with computer manufacturers and a deep understanding of customer needs, results in exciting next-generation capabilities and experiences at work, at home, and at play.
The adoption of the “Fusion” brand and the accompanying global campaign, which is expected to run through the end of the year, are among several steps AMD is taking as part of a broader transformation designed to sharpen its focus around its core microprocessor and graphics technology businesses. AMD recently signed an agreement to sell its Digital TV business to Broadcom as part of its efforts to better focus resources on its core computing and graphics businesses.
Posted by | Thu, Sep 18, 2008 - 08:18 AM
September 18 News from Around the Web
Find an ATI Radeon HD 4670 Video Card Review from Motherboards.org and other reviews from around the web by visiting our forums!
The market for video cards in the under $100 price range is rather crowded at the moment with 9600GT, 9600GSO, HD 4670 and the 8800GT all coming in nearly the same price as you can see from the chart earlier in the review and that's the main issue with this card release. Previous mainstream cards like the HD 2600 and HD 3450 did not have the competition from other cards in this price point. The HD 4670 is a great card for what it was designed for. The ability to run every game out there especially those supporting DX10.1 means that the HD 4670 will play games with the full features turned on if you want to. ATI says that the HD 4670 consumes less than 75W under full load, meaning that it nearly offers the performance of the HD 3850 in almost every situation without the extra power that the HD 3850 requires to operate properly.
Posted by | Thu, Sep 18, 2008 - 07:29 AM
14 of the top 30 PC Games Fail on Intel Motherboards
During a recent discussion with NVIDIA we were told that 14 of the top 30 PC games fail or have graphics issues when running on Intel G45 based motherboards. For many months now AMD and NVIDIA have been showing off the flaws of Intel's on-board graphics on the most current platform available today. The last time we talked about Intel integrated graphics issues was with AMD's Pat Moorhead when we wrote up this article on the issue. The take home message here is that NVIDIA and AMD offer a better gaming experience as the game is rendered correctly.
Many of those titles are games that we all know and love since they are in the top 30 games sold for what I believe is the month of July based off NPD data. Some of the the games listed having issues are:
Age of Conan
Sims 2
Assassins Creed
Crysis
World in Conflict
Star Wars Knights
Mass Efect
BioShock
Half-Life Episode 2
World in Conflict
Microsoft Flight Simulator X
Posted by | Wed, Sep 17, 2008 - 04:32 PM
Kingston Technology Joins VMware Alliance Affiliate Initiative
Kingston Technology recently announced that they are participating in VMware's Alliance Affiliate Initiative. Kingston has established special memory discounts for resellers who purchase VMware solutions. The relationship also includes creating innovative reseller support tools, such as webinars demonstrating the benefits of the VMware platform and Kingston server memory.
"Kingston has been a champion of the channel since our beginning, and working with VMware to bring virtualization to the world is an incredible opportunity,” said John Holland, vice president U.S. sales, Kingston. "We are honored to be a part of VMware's Affiliate Alliance Initiative and look forward to demonstrating the power that optimum memory brings to both the enterprise and small business customer.”
Posted by | Wed, Sep 17, 2008 - 07:37 AM
Super Talent Launches Dangerously Fast New SATA-II SSDs
Super Talent Technology late yesterday announced they have added two new series of SSD products in their MasterDrive family that deliver substantially faster performance than existing SSDs. The 128GB MasterDrive OX will be available this week at a street price of around $419.
These new SSDs are based on a sophisticated new multi-channel SATA-II (3.0 Gbits per sec) controller. The MasterDrive OX uses MLC NAND Flash to transfer data at speeds up to 150 MB/sec (sequential read) and 100 MB/sec (sequential write). The MasterDrive OX is offered in capacities up to 128GB, and is backed with a 1-year warranty. The MasterDrive PX employs SLC NAND Flash to deliver the best possible reliability and endurance. Furthermore, it supports breath-taking sequential read and write speeds, up to 170 and 130 MB/sec read and write speeds respectively. MasterDrive PX SSDs are available in 32 and 64GB capacities, and includes a 3-year warranty.
Posted by | Wed, Sep 17, 2008 - 07:31 AM
Dell Sees Even Weaker Global Demand
Dell said Tuesday it sees continued softening in global end-user demand in the current quarter. When the computer maker reported second-quarter results in August, it mentioned conservative information technology spending in the U.S. had extended into western Europe and several countries in Asia. Dell said it increased unit shipments faster than the industry in the first half of calendar 2008 and expects to grow faster than the industry for the full year.
In a statement Tuesday, Dell said it expects to "incur costs as it realigns its business to improve competitiveness, reduce headcount and invest in infrastructure and acquisitions, but is committed to working aggressively on cost initiatives that will benefit its P&L over time with improved growth, profitability and cash flow."
Posted by | Tue, Sep 16, 2008 - 08:34 AM
September 16 News from Around the Web
Head on over to our forums to find TweakTown's Xigmatek Red Scorpion S1283 H.D.T. CPU Cooler Review and other reviews from around the web!
Now that we have gotten to the source and started working with the masterminds behind Heat-Pipe Direct Touch coolers, it is time to get serious. Our first review from Xigmatek was a low cost 92mm cooler that performed better than all of our low to mid-cost coolers, but left us a little underwhelmed when compared to 120mm coolers. As you can imagine, we have been looking forward to taking a crack at Xigmatek’s 120mm coolers to see how they compare against 120mm offerings from Noctua, Thermalright and the other CPU coolers tested this past year. Today is the day and I have a pair of coolers from Xigmatek that feature a 120mm fan."
Posted by | Tue, Sep 16, 2008 - 07:27 AM
Hewlett-Packard to Slash Nearly 25,000 Jobs
Hewlett-Packard will lay off more than 24,000 workers as it integrates recently acquired technology services firm EDS into its own operations. The job cuts, which amount to roughly 7.5% of the combined company's workforce, will result in annual cost savings of $1.8 billion, H-P said Monday, ahead of an analyst meeting to discuss the move.
H-P is holding a special meeting with securities analysts Monday to provide more details on the integration plan and the financial aspects of the newly merged companies. H-P said Monday that it will take a charge of $1.7 billion in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2008 because of the restructuring, $1.4 billion of which will be recorded as goodwill, and $300 million of which will be recorded as a restructuring charge that will be included in H-P's GAAP financial results. The layoffs are significant even by H-P's standards; the company has focused on reducing costs and finding operating efficiencies under the hand of CEO Mark Hurd. Shortly after Hurd took over in 2005, the company announced plans to slash 15,000 jobs from its payroll.
Posted by | Mon, Sep 15, 2008 - 04:40 PM
EA walks away from Take-Two buyout - game over folks!
Video game publisher Electronic Arts said Sunday it ended talks to buy smaller rival Take-Two Interactive Software, best known for the "Grand Theft Auto" series of games. EA, the publisher of games such as "Madden NFL 09" and "Spore," said it decided not to make an offer to buy Take-Two. Nothing like a long battle only to walk away at the end saying you didn't need it!
"EA is tracking toward a record-breaking year," said President and Chief Executive John Riccitiello, in a statement. Spokesman Jeff Brown said Sunday EA is "not at all" disappointed that things didn't work out. Brown did not say what prompted EA to walk away from the discussions, but he said the company is confident in its own product portfolio. Take-Two, he added, was "never something EA needed."
Posted by | Mon, Sep 15, 2008 - 08:20 AM
Best Buy to buy Napster for $121 Million
Consumer electronics retailer Best Buy Co. Inc said on Monday it plans to buy digital music service Napster Inc for $121 million in cash. Best Buy expects Napster and its 140 employees to remain at its current Los Angeles headquarters. Napster also said on Monday it would postpone its annual meeting in connection with the Best Buy agreement.
Included in the deal is approximately $67 million in cash and short term investments held by Napster, meaning the net price of the deal would be $54 million, the companies said. The companies said the proposed acquisition includes Napster's approximately 700,000 subscribers, its Web-based customer service and mobile capabilities.
Posted by | Mon, Sep 15, 2008 - 08:19 AM
Micron reportedly to cut capex for 2009, say sources
Following the announcement of DRAM production cuts by Elpida Memory and Powerchip Semiconductor Corporation (PSC) last week, Micron Technology also reportedly plans to slash its capital expenditure (capex) for 2009 to help stabilize the sagging DRAM market, industrial observers in Taiwan quoted sources at international institutional investors as saying.
According to the latest data from the institutional investors, Micron is expected to cut its capex for 2009 to US$750-1,500 million compared to US$1.5-2 billion as originally planned, said the industrial watchers. With regard to NAND flash, the industry observers also pointed out that Toshiba seemed to have reduced its shipments of NAND flash for this month, probably due to an increase in contract volumes received from clients as well as a delay in migration to a new process.
Posted by | Mon, Sep 15, 2008 - 08:17 AM
EVGA GeForce 9600 GSO 384MB Video Card For $49!!
If you've been wanting to increased your F@H points per day or just want to upgrade the family PC this is a hard deal to pass up. Newegg has the EVGA GeForce 9600 GSO 384MB video card for sale at $99.99 and has a $50 rebate on it with free 3 day shipping. For $49.99 this graphics card will turn in a reported 4,000-5,000 points per day when running F@H, so if you want to get into folding on the cheap this is the way. The lowest price for this card on PriceGrabber is $106 shipped, so as you can tell this is a great deal. If you want to know how performance does check out this review where I benchmarked the EVGA GeFOrce 9600 GSO against the ATI Radeon HD 4670, GeForce 9600 GT and GeForce 9500 GT.
The NVIDIA GeForce 9600 GSO GPU offers a powerfully immersive entertainment experience designed for extreme high-definition gaming and video playback. Play the hottest DirectX 10 games with awesome speed and watch the latest HD DVD and Blu-ray movies with brilliant clarity. Featuring next generation GeForce and PureVideo HD technologies, the GeForce 9600 GSO GPU puts amazing graphics performance within your reach. Get the most graphics bang for your buck with a GeForce 9600 GSO GPU. With 96 processor cores supporting resolutions up to 2560x1600, PC gamers everywhere can now enjoy games at extreme HD resolutions without breaking their wallets.
Posted by | Sat, Sep 13, 2008 - 07:28 AM
U.S. video game sales up 9 percent in August
U.S. sales of video game hardware and software rose 9 percent in August to $994.8 million, boosted by the popularity of the newly released "Madden NFL 09." Americans bought $384.6 million in video game hardware, up 3 percent from a year ago, lead by sales of the handheld Nintendo DS, which sold 518,300 units, according to data from market researcher NPD Group.
Even amid the economic downturn, the video game industry has been faring well. This is in part because games cost about the same as they did a couple of decades ago, even as the prices of other consumer goods have increased sharply. In 1993, for example, Nintendo charged $60 for a game cartridge for its Super Nintendo Entertainment System — today its "Mario Kart Wii" is available for $50.
Posted by | Fri, Sep 12, 2008 - 10:05 AM
Quanta blames netbooks for revenue drop in August
First-tier notebook maker Quanta Computer has said netbook shipments were the main reason for its fall in revenues performance in August this year. Looks like razor sharp margins on Netbooks are causing companies to not profit as much as they do off laptops for example.
Although Quanta's overall notebook shipments including netbooks in August reached 3.1 million units, higher than the 2.9 million units shipped during the same month in the previous year, revenues saw a sharp drop of around 18.5% on year. As for September, in addition to increasing Acer Aspire one netbook shipments, netbooks from Sony and Lenovo are also expected to start shipping. Although Quanta expects these orders to bring up its notebook shipments further, the company is conservative about its revenues performance during the month.
Posted by | Fri, Sep 12, 2008 - 10:03 AM
September 12 News from Around the Web
Find reviews from around the web by visiting our forums, including Gigabyte EP45-DS3R Review @ OCC!
"Overclocking this board felt exactly the same as overclocking the Gigabyte EP-45 Extreme. The only difference is that the multiplier had to be 6 on this DS3R whereas on the Extreme I could take it to 7. I was able to obtain a front side bus of 500MHz, which is quite good. I definitely could have gone further but the memory was holding me back. As much as I fought, I wasn't able to get anything higher than 500 x 6. I tinkered with the memory until it would finally pass MemTest and Prime 95 in Windows. Overall, it was easy to overclock but the memory was holding the motherboard back."
Posted by | Fri, Sep 12, 2008 - 09:32 AM
rock SL8 and X780 notebooks ship with GeForce 9800 GTX Graphics Cards
rock just announced that they will be introducing nVidia’s new ‘enthusiast class’ GeForce 9800M GTX GPUs into its performance notebook ranges. Both the award winning Xtreme SL8 range, the fastest laptops in the world, and the recently unveiled X780 range, the fastest Centrino 2 notebooks in the world, will have their leading position in the market underlined with the next generation, mobile graphics technology.
Gaming has reached new heights with nVidia’s new GeForce 9800M GTX GPU’s. Specifically designed to deliver optimised performance for immersive on the go gaming, the new enthusiast class nVidia graphics empowers the rock SL8 and X780 notebook lines to storm through the latest PC games with blazing ferocity… the introduction of the new 9800M GTX GPUs also means that the SL8 and X780 ranges can boast the ultimate DX10 experience with the inclusion of nVidia’s PhysX, a powerful physics engine which enables real-time physics in leading edge PC games. PhysX provides an exponential increase in physics processing power delivering rich and engrossing gaming environments which dramatically alter the interactive entertainment experience.
Posted by | Thu, Sep 11, 2008 - 10:59 AM
SanDisk Launches 32GB Extreme III CompactFlash Card
Who says big cards can’t be fast? SanDisk Corporation today announced the 32-gigabyte (GB)1 SanDisk Extreme III CompactFlash (CF) card, the latest addition to its award-winning SanDisk Extreme III line. Combining world-class storage capacity with fast data transfer rates, SanDisk’s new memory card is designed to meet the demands of professional digital videographers and photographers. For many cards, an increase in storage capacity often comes at a cost to speed, but the 32GB SanDisk Extreme III CF card at 30 megabytes per second (MB/s) offers customers the best of both worlds. The 32GB SanDisk Extreme III CF card has a manufacturer’s suggested retail price in the United States of $299.99 and won't be made available till next October.
“The 32GB SanDisk Extreme III CompactFlash cards are a great fit for our Infinity DMC 1000/10 and DMC 1000/20 camcorders,” said Scott Sheehan, director of marketing for new and emerging markets at Thomson. “Our customers want a choice in media that meets the needs of their file-based workflows. Solid state memory provides the fastest access to such content, and with SanDisk CompactFlash it’s also affordable. Using SanDisk’s 32GB Extreme III CompactFlash card, our customers can record more than 80 minutes of 100 MB/s, 10-bit, 4:2:2 HD video at the high performance needed for today’s professional video applications.”
Posted by | Thu, Sep 11, 2008 - 09:03 AM
Microsoft, RIM to announce search deal for Blackberry users
Microsoft and Research In Motion are expected to announce on Thursday a partnership that will make it easier for BlackBerry users to reach Microsoft's search engine, according to a source familiar with the companies' plans. As part of the deal, BlackBerry users will have the option to use Microsoft Live Search as their search engine of choice within the device's browser.
Microsoft's Live Search will be an option from within RIM's mobile portal. Although Microsoft competes with RIM for business phone customers, it has also worked to get some of its products onto its rival's devices. In one case, Microsoft even debuted a service first for BlackBerry--that being Tellme's voice-to-screen search feature on the BlackBerry.
Posted by | Thu, Sep 11, 2008 - 08:36 AM
MSI and ECS announce on-month drop in revenues performance for August
Due to the failure of motherboard demand to pick up, as well as the fact notebook shipments did not surge as the company originally expected, Micro-Star International (MSI) only saw non-consolidated revenues of NT$7.93 billion (US$247.06 million) in August, drops of 5.7% on month and 9.43% on year. Total non-consolidated revenues in the first eight months of 2008 reached NT$62.85 billion, an increase of 12.72% compared to the same period in the previous year.
Elitegroup Computer System (ECS) has announced consolidated revenues of NT$6.78 billion for August, an increase of 3.53% on year, but a drop of 13.89% on month. The company's consolidated revenues for the first eight months of 2008 were NT$58.59 billion, a slight decrease of 1.59% on year. ECS shipped 1.79 million motherboards in August.
Posted by | Thu, Sep 11, 2008 - 08:33 AM
Kingston Launches 8GB Multi-Kit and 4GB microSDHC w/ USB reader
Kingston Technology today announced it is shipping an 8GB Multi-Kit as well as a 4GB microSDHC card plus USB reader combination. Designed especially for the mobile consumer, the two new products make transferring and saving files between mobile phones and multiple electronic devices easy and convenient. The Kingston 8GB Multi-Kit (MBLY/8GB) has an MSRP of $39.00, but can already be found on Newegg for just $30.99 or directly from Kingston for $33.00! Not a bad price for an 8GB Flash drive with all the fixings!
"Our new 8GB Multi-Kit is a terrific all-in-one solution that combines a large capacity microSDHC card with dual adapters and a handy USB reader,” said Jean Wong, Flash memory product manager, Kingston. "Additionally, the 4GB microSDHC card plus USB Flash reader makes transferring or 'side-loading' digital content between a PC and mobile phone a snap, plus it's small and easy to carry around.”
Posted by | Wed, Sep 10, 2008 - 08:30 PM
IT spending expected to drop another four percent this year
Goldman Sachs has delivered some bad news for IT vendors. In its "Independent Insight: U.S. Technology Strategy" report released Monday, Goldman Sachs predicts that IT spending growth in 2008 will drop to 4 percent from a former projection of 6 percent and that pricing pressure on vendors is going to get worse.
The good news, however, is that Goldman Sachs doesn't see IT spending levels dropping to their 2001-2002 or 1990-1991 levels due to more rational IT spending from 2003 to 2007. In other words, we have don't have as far to fall. Market share, brand, and size are critically important in a slowing economy, as the report notes. Pricing discounts are becoming ever more aggressive as vendors seek to hold up demand even as budgets shrink, which Goldman Sachs believes favors "larger solution providers that can offer attractive pricing and payment terms on bundles of products relative to smaller "best-of-breed" vendors that may lack similar flexibility."
Posted by | Wed, Sep 10, 2008 - 11:34 AM
September 10 News from Around the Web
Head over to our forums to see how [H]ardOCP says to "Cool Down that 4800 Series Video Card," and to find other reviews from around the web!
Take Control of Your 4800 Video Card's Fan - Many of our new Radeon HD 4800 series card owners are not happy with their GPU temperatures. Seeing it from a computer hardware enthusiast view, it is hard not to think the same. Whether or not idle GPU temperatures of 80°C are dangerous, us enthusiasts want that heat out of our cases. We show you how to easily do that.
Posted by | Wed, Sep 10, 2008 - 09:30 AM
AMD Introduces the ATI Radeon HD 4600 Series Graphics Card Series
AMD today announced the ATI Radeon HD 4600 series, mainstream graphics offerings that deliver exceptional gaming and HD multimedia performance while consuming less power than a standard light bulb.2 Comprising the ATI Radeon HD 4670 and the ATI Radeon HD 4650 graphics cards, the ATI Radeon HD 4600 series leverages the leading technology found in the award-winning ATI Radeon HD 4800 series, including support for the latest DirectX 10.1 games, superior HD multimedia capabilities and industry leading performance-per-watt3, all delivered at affordable prices for the mainstream graphics segment.
The ATI Radeon HD 4670 and ATI Radeon HD 4650 graphics cards feature AMD’s TeraScale graphics engine, with 320 stream processing cores, and are based on AMD’s advanced second generation 55nm process. The result is that even in today’s most demanding games like Crysis, the ATI Radeon HD 4600 series delivers up to double the performance of competing products at the same price. Both the ATI Radeon HD 4670 and ATI Radeon HD 4650 deliver substantial gaming horsepower with minimal power draw – the ATI Radeon HD 4670 operating at under 60 watts and the ATI Radeon HD 4650 operating under 50 watts under full load – eliminating the need for additional power connectors and making installation a cinch.
Posted by | Wed, Sep 10, 2008 - 09:23 AM
Securities Fraud Class Action Filed Against NVIDIA Corp.
The law firm of Shalov Stone Bonner & Rocco LLP has filed a securities fraud class action on behalf of all investors who purchased or otherwise acquired the common stock of NVIDIA Corp., between November 8, 2007, and July 2, 2008, inclusive. The lawsuit is pending in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California and names as defendants NVIDIA and the Company's CEO and CFO during the Class Period. That doesn't sound like good news for NVIDIA!
Specifically, the complaint alleges that, during the Class Period, the defendants issued a series of misrepresentations and omissions that actively concealed and failed to disclose the unusually high failure rates of NVIDIA's mobile video adapters and the impact of these defects on the Company's financial condition and results and future business prospects. When the defendants belatedly revealed this information on July 2, 2008, NVIDIA's stock plummeted, and the Company's market capitalization was promptly reduced by over $3 billion.
Posted by | Wed, Sep 10, 2008 - 09:07 AM
Michael Dell buys $100 million in Dell stock
Michael Dell, CEO of Dell Inc., bought about $100 million of the computer maker's stock last week, his second such buying spree in the past three months. Shares in the world's second-largest maker of personal computers are trading near their 52-week low.
Dell bought nearly 4.9 million shares of the company he founded in two separate transactions last week, according to a regulatory filing from the company Monday. On Thursday, Dell bought 3.5 million shares at $20.42 each, and Friday he bought 1.378 million shares at $20.67 apiece, according to filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Dell, who is also chairman of the Round Rock, Texas-based company, had previously bought about $100 million worth of stock back in July.
Posted by | Wed, Sep 10, 2008 - 06:28 AM
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