LR News History - Legit Reviews

Legit Reviews News History

Western Digital Launches World's First 2 terabyte (TB) Hard Drive - Caviar Green

Western Digital (WD) today announced the first 2 terabyte (TB) hard drive – the world’s highest capacity drive and the latest addition to WD’s popular, environmentally friendly, cool and quiet, WD Caviar Green hard drive family. This new 3.5-inch platform is based on WD’s industry-leading 500 GB/platter technology (with 400 Gb/in2 areal density) with 32 MB cache, producing drives with capacities of up to 2 TB. The WD Caviar Green 2 TB is available at select resellers and distributors. MSRP for the WD Caviar Green 2 TB hard drives (model WD20EADS) is $299.00 USD.

Western Digital Caviar Green 2TB Hard Drive

“While some in the industry wondered if the end consumer would buy a 1 TB drive, already some 10 percent of 3.5-inch hard drive sales are at the 1 TB level or higher, serving demand from video applications and expanding consumer media libraries,” said Mark Geenen, President of Trend Focus. “The 2 TB hard drives will continue to satisfy end user’s insatiable desire to store more data on ever larger hard drives.”

Posted by | Tue, Jan 27, 2009 - 07:11 AM

January 26 News from Around the Web

Prolimatech Megahalems LGA 775 and LAG 1366 Cooler @ [H]ardOCP and other reviews from around the web can be found by visiting our forums!

Prolimatech Megahalems LGA 775 and LAG 1366 Cooler - Prolimatech may be a new name to many computer hardware cooling enthusiasts. It is a new company with a lofty goal. Prolimatech claims to have built a CPU cooler worthy of taking on the King of the Hill in what it calls a Megahalems. We see if that is so on a new LGA 1366 test setup.

Posted by | Mon, Jan 26, 2009 - 07:09 PM

Happy Chinese New Year!! 2009 is the Year of Ox

Chinese New Year is the longest and most important celebration in the Chinese calendar. Chinese months are reckoned by the lunar calendar, with each month beginning on the darkest day. This year, the 15-day Chinese New Year begins today, ushering in the Year of the Ox. According to Chinese belief, the Ox is a symbol of wealth and success through hard work and resilience -- a welcome sign considering the entire World's economic difficulties.

Global crisis or not, Chinese retained their enthusiasm for celebrating the Lunar New Year, which officially began Monday. More than 68 tonnes of fireworks debris were collected on the eve of the Spring Festival in Beijing alone. Beijingers also went on a 639 million yuan (about 85.2 million U.S. dollars) shopping spree, spending 13.4 percent more than last year.

Posted by | Mon, Jan 26, 2009 - 09:26 AM

$200 Laptops Break a Business Model - ASUS EeePC

The global credit crisis may have caused the decline in consumer and business spending that is assaulting the giants of high tech. But as the dominant technology companies try to emerge from this slump, they may find themselves blaming people like David Title just as much as they blame Wall Street. Mr. Title, a 35-year-old new-media manager at a film production company in New York, has dropped his cable subscription and moved to watching most of his television online — free. While shopping for a new laptop for his girlfriend recently, he sidestepped more expensive full-featured computers and picked a bare-bones, $200 Asus EeePC laptop, also known as a netbook.

“We’ve reached one of those moments in tech history when there are low-priced and free alternatives that are both user-friendly and reliable enough to make the switch,” Mr. Title said. “Then there’s the extra bonus of saving some cash.” Silicon Valley has been gripped by a growing sense that the economic retreat might do more than depress earnings. There is too much ingrained optimism here to think that the tech sector will not bounce back, stronger than before.

New York Times Technology News

Posted by | Mon, Jan 26, 2009 - 09:14 AM

Intel's Barrett to bow out as tech crisis simmers

Intel Corp Chairman Craig Barrett, the courtly former academic credited with building the company into the world's foremost chip maker, will retire in May after 35 years at the company. Barrett, who turned Intel into one of the technology sector's powerhouses and a global household name, is leaving just when the company is slashing jobs, mothballing factories and struggling to sustain growth with IT spending crumbling.

Barrett joined the Santa Clara, California-based company in 1974 as a technology development manager. A former Stanford University professor, Barrett was known for formulating Intel's "copy exactly" strategy, meaning every chip-making plant was the mirror image of every other one. Intel would not say what Barrett planned to do upon retirement, but the executive is involved in international educational projects and chairs the U.N. Global Alliance for Information and Communications Technology and Development.

Reuters Technology News

Posted by | Mon, Jan 26, 2009 - 08:59 AM

EA Predicts Super Bowl XLIII Champion Using Madden NFL '09 - Pittsburgh Steelers

Black and gold will reign supreme in Tampa Bay, according to the official EA SPORTS simulation of Super Bowl XLIII by Madden NFL 09. According to the award-winning video game, the Pittsburgh Steelers will win an unprecedented sixth Super Bowl title in a tightly contested game against the Arizona Cardinals, by a final score of 28-24. Holding off a fourth quarter comeback by the Cardinals, the Steelers bring the Vince Lombardi trophy back to the Steel City for the second time in the past four years and for a sixth time in franchise history, setting an NFL record.

Madden NFL 09 is the most authentic and adaptable game in sports video game history, and utilizing each team’s current roster and the latest player statistics, EA SPORTS matched the Pittsburgh Steelers and Arizona Cardinals in a simulation of Super Bowl XLIII. Ben Roethlisberger threw for 3 touchdowns and was named the Super Bowl MVP; joining teammate Hines Ward who was the Super Bowl XL MVP. Steelers coach, Mike Tomlin, became the youngest coach in NFL history to win a Super Bowl, at the age of 36.

Posted by | Fri, Jan 23, 2009 - 10:32 AM

Technology salaries rise by 4.6 percent

Salaries of tech professionals managed to spike up an average of 4.6 percent last year to $78,035, according to survey results released Thursday by tech career site Dice.

Dice, based on a survey of more than 19,000 respondents taken between August and November, found that certain sectors and job titles posted even higher percentage gains over the previous year. The average annual salary for security analysts jumped 8.4 percent, compared with last year, while software engineers followed closely with a 7 percent gain, and applications developers rose 6.6 percent.

Posted by | Fri, Jan 23, 2009 - 10:28 AM

German chipmaker Qimonda declares bankruptcy

German memory-chip maker Qimonda AG declared bankruptcy Friday, just a month after receiving a rescue package of millions of euros in loans. The administrative court in Munich, Qimonda's base, confirmed media reports that the company had declared bankruptcy, but could provide no further details. Qimonda has more than 12,000 workers worldwide.

The company in December secured a rescue package of euro325 million ($421.98 million) in loans from government of Saxony, parent company Infineon and a Portuguese state bank in order to try and stave off bankruptcy. Makers of computer memory chips have been hit hard by falling prices and an oversupply of products. Infineon spun off Qimonda in 2006 but still holds a 77.5 percent stake.

SiliconValley.com

Posted by | Fri, Jan 23, 2009 - 10:27 AM

January 23 News from Around the Web

Gigabyte's Energy Efficient GA-EP45-DQ6 Motherboard Review @ PCSTATS.com and other reviews from around the web can be found by visiting our forums!

"Any gamer on the market for a Crossfire capable motherboard will be pleased with Gigabyte's EP45-DQ6 motherboard and its pair of 2nd generation PCI Express x16 slots. With only one PCI Express x16 videocard installed, there are 16 PCI-e lanes dedicated to it, but under Crossfire both videocards will run in x8/x8 mode. Alongside are two PCI Express x4 slots for high bandwidth peripherals, which while physically shorter than a full size PCI express x16 slots are open at the end so full-size PCI Express x16 videocards can be installed."

Posted by | Fri, Jan 23, 2009 - 07:54 AM

AMD Reports 2008 Fourth Quarter and Annual Results

AMD today reported fourth quarter 2008 revenue from continuing operations[1] of $1.162 billion. Fourth quarter 2008 revenue decreased 35 percent compared to the third quarter of 2008 and 33 percent compared to the fourth quarter of 2007. Fourth quarter 2008 revenue was down 28 percent sequentially, excluding third quarter 2008 process technology license revenue of $191 million.

AMD’s outlook statements are based on current expectations of its continuing operations. The following statements are forward looking, and actual results could differ materially depending on market conditions and the factors set forth under “Cautionary Statement” below. In light of the current macroeconomic conditions, very limited visibility and continued corrections in the supply chain, AMD expects first quarter 2009 revenue to decrease from the fourth quarter 2008.

Posted by | Thu, Jan 22, 2009 - 05:45 PM

January 22 News from Around the Web

FSP Group Booster X5 450 Watt Dedicated Videocard Power Supply Review @ Tweaknews.net and other reviews from around the web can be found by visiting our forums!

"I can definitely see the niche that this product sets out to fill, and it does a good job of filling it. Available from the FSP website for less than $80 US, this is a great value for the enthusiast needing more graphics power but unable or unwilling to spring for a new power supply."

Posted by | Thu, Jan 22, 2009 - 08:14 AM

Microsoft expected to cut jobs as profit weakens

Microsoft Corp is expected to post a quarterly profit that misses its own target and announce thousands of job cuts this week as the global economic slump hurts even the technology industry's biggest players.

Analysts on average put Microsoft's profit at 49 cents a share for the quarter ended December 31, which includes a U.S. holiday shopping season that has been called the worst in at least four decades. The Redmond, Washington-based company had forecast a per-share profit of 51 cents to 53 cents for the quarter.

Reuters Technology News

Posted by | Thu, Jan 22, 2009 - 07:08 AM

Asustek backed-up inventory worth $1.19 billion

Jerry Shen, president of Asustek Computer disclosed that the company's current stockpiled inventory is worth NT$40 billion (US$1.19 billion). Now as bad as this situation is for ASUS I'd love to see a picture of that warehouse!

Shen noted that the company is doing all it can to clear its inventory and expects levels to return to normal by the end of February, however, Shen remains conservative over with whether Asustek can be profitable in the first quarter of 2009. Shen expects Asustek's LCD monitor, motherboard and graphics card inventories to be completely cleared by the end of March.

DigiTimes Daily IT News

Posted by | Thu, Jan 22, 2009 - 07:07 AM

Intel Halts Production at Five Older Factories

Intel Corporation today disclosed plans to restructure some of its manufacturing operations and align its manufacturing capacity to current market conditions. The company will consolidate and streamline some older capacity without impacting the deployment of new, leading-edge 45-nanometer and 32-nanometer manufacturing capacity. This factory shutdown is said to affect between 5,000 and 6,000 workers.

The company plans to close two existing assembly test facilities in Penang, Malaysia and one in Cavite, Philippines, and will halt production at Fab 20, an older 200mm wafer fabrication facility in Hillsboro, Ore. Additionally, wafer production operations will end at the D2 facility in Santa Clara, Calif. The actions at the four sites, when combined with associated support functions, are expected to affect between 5,000 and 6,000 employees worldwide. However, not all employees will leave Intel; some may be offered positions at other facilities. The actions will take place between now and the end of 2009.

Posted by | Wed, Jan 21, 2009 - 05:24 PM

Barack Obama's Agenda for Technology in America

The White House web site has been updated now that Barack Obama is President of the United States and I found the Technology agenda page to be very interesting. You should check out what he has on the agenda for technology since we all follow it and work in the area. Right now it states that he will work to ensure the full and free exchange of information through an open Internet and use technology to create a more transparent and connected democracy. He also plans to encourage the deployment of modern communications infrastructure to improve America's competitiveness and employ technology to solve our nation's most pressing problems -- including improving clean energy, healthcare costs, and public safety. It is worth a look if you haven't read about it before.

His initiatives include:

Support the principle of network neutrality

Encourage diversity in the ownership of broadcast media

To protect children, while at the same time preserving free speech

Strengthen privacy protections

Other Goals Include:

Deploy next-generation broadband

Promote R&D

Protect intellectual property

Invest in healthcare IT

Invest in green technology

Advance stem cell research

Posted by | Wed, Jan 21, 2009 - 11:56 AM

Corsair Memory 128GB Solid State Drives Go On Sale

Images of an upcoming Solid State Drive (SSD) from Corsair Memory have leaked out to the web in the past day. It looks like Corsair is really close to announcing their first SSD series! The model number of the drive pictured below is said to be CMFSSD-128GBG1D and features maximum sequential read speeds of 90MB/s and maximum sequential write speeds of 70MB/s. The drive features a two year warranty and is for sale at NCIXUS for $335.79 USD right now. More features and specifications can be found in the forums by following the link below.

Corsair Memory 128GB Solid State Drive

Corsair solid state disk drives set a new standard for reliability in desktop and notebook storage solutions. Corsair solid state disk drives utilize specially selected Samsung components to enable a life expectancy of over 100 years and OEM level compatibility and performance consistency. Unlike traditional mechanical hard disk drives, Corsair solid state disk drives have no moving parts. This results in faster system responsiveness, quieter operation and reduced overall system temperatures.

Posted by | Wed, Jan 21, 2009 - 10:57 AM

Qualcomm Acquires Handheld Graphics Assets from AMD

Qualcomm Incorporated today announced that Qualcomm has acquired certain graphics and multimedia technology assets, intellectual property and resources that were formerly the basis of AMD’s handheld business. The acquisition enhances Qualcomm’s multimedia capabilities, allowing Qualcomm to strengthen its leadership position in delivering more advanced products that redefine next-generation mobile user experiences.

The two companies signed and closed a binding agreement on January 19, 2009, having already received required regulatory approvals. Cash consideration from Qualcomm to AMD, as part of the transaction, is $65 million, subject to adjustments for employee-related expenses and a holdback for certain customary indemnification obligations. Both AMD and Qualcomm are committed to a seamless transfer of business assets, as well as a smooth transition for employees.

Posted by | Wed, Jan 21, 2009 - 10:45 AM

Palit cuts Nvidia GPU orders

Graphics card manufacturer Palit Microsystems recently cut orders for about 400,000 Nvidia GPUs for first quarter of 2009 due to high inventory levels, according to industry sources. Inventory pile-up at graphics card makers from the second half of 2008 is expected to affect Nvidia's fiscal first quarter 2009 performance.

Nvidia has lowered its fourth-quarter (ended January 25, 2009) revenue guidance to a 40-50% sequential decline due to inventory reductions by its channel partners in the global PC supply chain. Prior to Palit's order cuts, graphics card makers Asustek Computer, Micro-Star International (MSI), Gigabyte Technology and PC Partner have also reduced orders with Nvidia, according to the sources. Nvidia is estimated to have lost orders of almost 1.5 million GPUs, said the sources.

DigiTimes Daily IT News

Posted by | Wed, Jan 21, 2009 - 08:29 AM

Think Your CPU Cooler is Loud?

I made a fun little video yesterday that and I think you guys will enjoy this and get a laugh out of it. We just posted up a 6-way Intel Core i7 CPU cooler roundup and I saw the term loud being used... Far too many people call their CPU cooler loud... They don't know loud unless they've used one of these:

Forum member hnzw_rui had this to say after seeing the video: "That Delta screamer sounds louder than my vacuum cleaner. A nice-looking slim case I bought came with a Delta 80mm fan. Moved a lot of air, but the darned thing sounded like a freakin' jet engine and the computer is in my bedroom. Replaced it with an Enermax Marathon 80mm with magnetic bearing. Temps increased by 8~10C, but the only noise it makes is the whooshing of air and that was inaudible from the bed."

Posted by | Wed, Jan 21, 2009 - 08:28 AM

AMD drops quad-core Phenom processor pricing

AMD has reduced the price of its quad-core Phenom II X4 940 and 920 CPUs from US$275 and US$235 to US$225 and US$195 in thousand-unit tray quantities, respectively. Right now Newegg is one of the only retailers selling the Phenom II 940 at $235 with no tax and free shipping, so if you aren't waiting on the Phenom II AM3 parts to come out next month you might as well jump on one of these. .

In addition to reducing the price of current CPUs, AMD also plans to launch the Phenom II X4 950 in the second quarter with a core frequency of 3.1GHz. AMD commented that the price drop provides consumers products with a better price/performance ratio.

DigiTimes Daily IT News

Posted by | Wed, Jan 21, 2009 - 08:27 AM

January 21 News from Around the Web

BFG GTX 285 OCX 1GB Video Card Review @ Hardware Canucks and other reviews from around the web can be found by visiting our forums!

With the GTX 285 we will see the gradual phasing out of the GTX 280 and indeed, we are seeing the telltale signs of this with the outgoing cards retailing for significantly discounted prices. This in effect has been putting some major pressure on the GTX 285 launch since the cards are very similar spec-wise but you can find the GTX 280 for more than $100 less if you care to look around a bit. That $100 may not seem much to some of you but when you have the price of a brand new HD 4670 separating two very similar cards, not many people will look at the more expensive option.

Posted by | Wed, Jan 21, 2009 - 07:57 AM

January 20 News from Around the Web

Intel X25-M SATA 80GB MLC SSD @ Benchmark Reviews and other reviews from around the web can be found by visiting our forums!

In early September, 2008 Intel released their mainstream series of solid state drives. In its initial offfering Intel brought two drives to market, the X18-M and the X25-M built respectively on the 1.8" and 2.5" form factors. The initial capacity of these drives was 80 GB and recently a 160 GB version was released. Solid State Drives are rapidly changing the computing landscape, and many enthusiasts are using SSD technology in their primary systems to help boost performance. Benchmark Reviews has tested nearly all of the products available to the retail market in this sector, and several have done quite well while others fall flat. It used to be that performance was the largest hurdle for mass storage NAND Solid State Drives, followed by stability, and later price. In this review, we will give a thorough overview as well as benchmark test the linear bandwidth performance of the ! Intel X25-M 80 GB SSDSA2MH080G15E solid state SATA drive and compares it against the top competition.

Posted by | Tue, Jan 20, 2009 - 07:11 AM

January 19 News from Around the Web

Thermaltake Toughpower 1000W Review @ OCC and other reviews from around the web can be found by visiting our forums!

"The Thermaltake Toughpower 1000W meets the requirements of the claimed 80 Plus certification on 110VAC and 230VAC (PF>0.9 & Efficiency>80%). Actual measurements once again show the PF to be best at 110VAC and efficiency at 230VAC. Maximum efficiency of 85% is an excellent result and puts this power supply up with the best."

Posted by | Mon, Jan 19, 2009 - 10:39 AM

Intel cuts prices on some chips up to 48 percent

On Sunday, Intel instituted broad price cuts on processors, spanning the Core 2 Quad, Core 2 Duo, Pentium dual-core, Celeron, and Xeon product lines.

Cuts were concentrated on quad-core chips like the Q9650 (3.00GHz), reduced 40 percent, to $316 from $530. But Celeron processors received some of the largest reductions. The mobile Celeron 570 (2.00GHz), was slashed 48 percent, to $70 from $134, for example. Some Xeon processors also received hefty cuts. The price on the X3370 (3.00GHz), for instance, was cut 40 percent to $316 from $530.

Posted by | Mon, Jan 19, 2009 - 08:53 AM

AMD to cut 1,100 workers, 9 percent of staff

Advanced Micro Devices plans to cut 1,100 jobs, 9 percent of its global staff, and slash the remaining employees' pay as the chip maker hopes its third round of layoffs in a year can help it get through a brutal market for computer sales. The Sunnyvale company said Friday that 900 workers will have their positions cut. The rest of the reductions are coming from attrition and the previously announced sale of a business unit.

The company has 15,000 workers, but it is spinning off its manufacturing operations, which have 3,000 employees who are not affected by Friday's announcement. So AMD's cut of 1,100 jobs amounts to 9 percent of the remaining 12,000 workers. The dismissals represent AMD's third round of major layoffs in the last year. AMD cut 600 workers just last month, and earlier in 2008 jettisoned 1,600.

SiliconValley.com

Posted by | Mon, Jan 19, 2009 - 08:51 AM

Intel to target ultra-portable notebook market with CULV platform

Intel plans to push a new consumer ultra-low voltage (CULV) platform into the market for ultra-portable notebooks priced between US$699-899 in the second quarter of 2009. The move is believed to be targeting AMD's new Yukon platform, according to sources at notebook makers. The top-three notebook vendors are already preparing to launch products based on the new platform and are expected to help CULV-based notebook shipments reach 10 million units this year, noted the sources.

For 2009, Intel plans to divide the notebook market into four segments: 12.1-inch and above traditional notebooks, Atom or Pineview-based netbooks, Menlow-based mobile Internet devices (MIDs), and ultra-portable notebooks with a display size between 11.x- to 13.3-inch. In additional news, Hewlett-Packard (HP) was originally reported to be planning an Atom Zxx (Menlow)-based 13.3-inch notebook for its Mini-note line in June this year, but has recently decided to use the new CULV platform for the 13.3-inch notebook under the insistence of Intel, added the sources.

DigiTimes Daily IT News

Posted by | Mon, Jan 19, 2009 - 08:49 AM

Running 12GB of Corsair DDR3 Triple Channel Memory on Intel Core i7 Platforms

I just posted up an article about running 12GB of Corsair DDR3 memory and I think it is one of the most interesting articles we have posted up in a long time. I love trying out new things and pushing limits, so maybe I just had more fun than usual when working on this one. Be sure to check out the full review for all the details. If you don't have time to read the review you can take a peak at this video showing the test system loaded up with 12GB of memory and running 8 instances of Prime 95! If you like reviews like this be sure to sound off in the forums and I'll do more.

Armed with two Corsair DOMINATOR 6GB 1866MHz CL9 memory kits with the AIRFLOW fan I set out to see how easy it would be to run 12GB of memory on an Intel Core i7 desktop system. These TR3X6G1866C9DF memory kits retail for $449 each and are fastest Core i7 triple channel memory kit that Corsair has to offer. Since these kits go through the tightest screening and binning at Corsair I figured that a pair of these kits should provide not only the best chance at getting 12GB of memory running, but also the best performance should overclocking be in order

Posted by | Sun, Jan 18, 2009 - 09:57 AM

YouTube Clips Now Can Be Viewed Via Wii or PS3 Consoles

YouTube has created a new online tool that allows users to screen video clips via a Nintendo Wii or Sony PlayStation 3 console. Youtube.com/TV has the ability to search and browse clips, as well as the choice of automatically playing a series of videos from a playlist or search results.

Don't have an Apple TV or a TiVo box, and have been lusting after watching YouTube videos from your couch? If you've got a Nintendo Wii or a Sony PlayStation 3 video game console, the Google property has just released an overhauled version of its living room-friendly console interface that puts it about on par with those two offerings. By visiting Youtube.com/TV in your Opera or PS3 browser, you get a new layout that lets you browse and search through videos.

Posted by | Fri, Jan 16, 2009 - 11:44 PM

Circuit City to shut down all remaining stores

Bankrupt electronics retailer Circuit City Inc. said Friday it has asked for court approval to close its remaining 567 U.S. stores and sell all its merchandise. The company said it has 30,000 employees. Circuit City said the liquidation sale would begin Saturday and run until March 31, pending court approval.

"We are extremely disappointed by this outcome," James Marcum, acting CEO for Circuit City, said in a statement. "We were unable to reach an agreement with our creditors and lenders to structure a going-concern transaction in the limited timeframe available, and so this is the only possible path for our company."

Posted by | Fri, Jan 16, 2009 - 11:15 AM

$650 million more sought for digital TV transition

Democrats in the House of Representatives proposed $650 million to continue the coupon program for the transition to digital television, according to a summary of the economic stimulus legislation released by Democrats on the House Appropriations Committee on Thursday.

Congress mandated the February 17 switch to digital television, which will affect some 20 million consumers who do not already use the technology. Owners of older television sets receiving over-the-air signals must buy converter boxes, replace their TVs with digital models, or subscribe to satellite or digital cable service. But the government has said it had run out of $40 discount coupons for consumers to help pay for converter boxes needed to keep their sets from going blank, leading to calls for delaying the analog switch-off and for more money in the economic stimulus package for the program.

Reuters Technology News

Posted by | Fri, Jan 16, 2009 - 11:02 AM

Intel postpones the launch schedule of Lynnfield CPUs and P55 chipset

Intel has recently decided to postpone its next-generation mainstream CPU Lynnfield along with the P55 chipset to the end of August or the beginning of September this year, and may postpone them to an even later time depending on the market situation, according to sources at motherboard makers.

Both Lynnfield and P55 were originally scheduled to launch by the end of July. The economic decline which has caused motherboard makers to suffer overstocked chipset inventory is the major reason for the pull back, according to the sources. After the P55 launches, Intel plans to phase out non-IGP P45 and P43 chipsets and will transition its 4-series IGP chipsets to the entry-level.

DigiTimes Daily IT News

Posted by | Fri, Jan 16, 2009 - 10:59 AM

January 16 News from Around the Web

Akasa Blue Aurora AK-966BL Heatsink Review @ Frostytech.com and other reviews from around the web can be found by visiting our forums!

"The thermal design follows in the footsteps of models released by Xigmatek and others, but if you flip the Blue Aurora AK-966BL over you won't find exposed heatpipes. The Akasa Blue Aurora AK-966BL is equipped with a 120mm PWM fan which scales from 500-1500RPM and is internally illuminated with a few blue LEDs. The roughly 625 gram heatsink is compatible with socket 775 Intel Core 2 Duo/Quad processors, and stands a respectable 150mm tall."

Posted by | Fri, Jan 16, 2009 - 08:08 AM

Intel Reports Fourth-Quarter and Annual 2008 Results

Intel Corporation today reported fourth-quarter revenue of $8.2 billion, operating income of $1.5 billion, net income of $234 million and earnings per share (EPS) of 4 cents. The results included a billion-dollar negative impact from the previously announced reduction in the carrying value of the company's Clearwire investments. This is down 90% from a year earlier, so it goes to show just how hard the tech industry was hit when the economy took a dive.

"The economy and the industry are in the process of resetting to a new baseline from which growth will resume," said Paul Otellini, Intel president and CEO. "While the environment is uncertain, our fundamental business strategies are more focused than ever. Intel will continue to extend its manufacturing leadership, drive product innovation, develop new markets and implement operating efficiencies that have already taken more than $3 billion out of our ongoing cost structure since 2006. Intel has weathered difficult times in the past, and we know what needs to be done to drive our success moving forward. Our new technologies and new products will help us ignite market growth and thrive when the economy recovers."

Posted by | Thu, Jan 15, 2009 - 08:15 PM

US Airways flight down in New York's Hudson River

Emergency officials are responding to a downed plane in the Hudson River in New York City, according to the city fire and police departments. The FAA confirmed US Airways Flight 1549, an Airbus A320 headed from New York's LaGuardia Airport to Charlotte, North Carolina, was down in the river following a failed takeoff. The U.S. Coast Guard said units were also responding, and a ferry on site was dropping life jackets into the water.

The plane approached the water at a gradual angle and made a big splash, according to a witness watching from an office building. "It wasn't going particularly fast. It was a slow contact with the water that it made," the witness, Ben VonKlemperer, told CNN.

Posted by | Thu, Jan 15, 2009 - 03:07 PM

China passes Germany - now world's 3rd largest economy

China has become the world's third-largest economy, surpassing Germany and closing rapidly on Japan, according to government and World Bank figures. The Chinese government revised its growth figures for 2007 from 11.9 percent to 13 percent this week, bringing its estimated gross domestic product to $3.4 trillion -- about 3 percent larger than Germany's $3.3 trillion for the same year, based on World Bank estimates.

Although the world's top economies, the United States and Japan, are in recession, the most pessimistic estimates for China's growth in upcoming years runs about 5 percent. That could allow China's GDP to overtake Japan's, currently $4.3 trillion, within a few years. The U.S. economy, the world's largest, was about $13.8 trillion in 2007.

Posted by | Thu, Jan 15, 2009 - 09:30 AM

Google killing Jaiku, Dodgeball, Notebook, other projects

In a series of separate posts on various official Google blogs Wednesday evening, the company announced that it is terminating, stopping development on, or restricting access to six products that clearly haven't been adding much to the Google brand or bottom line lately.

The clock started ticking on Google Video when it bought YouTube in 2006. Starting, "in a few months," Google Video will no longer allow user uploads. Google Catalog Search is getting the ax. Google Notebook is losing its developers. Dodgeball, acquired by Google in 2005, will be shut down "in the next couple of months." Google's Mashup Editor, which never made it out of private beta, will be terminated, "in favor of the more powerful App Engine." Jaiku, as it is today, may live on with support from a "volunteer team" of Google employees, but the main product is getting ported to the Google App Engine, and will be release as open source. Other blogs are calling Grand Central and Knol as the next projects to join Google's scrap bin.

Posted by | Thu, Jan 15, 2009 - 09:28 AM

High-speed Web can't rely on stimulus

A broad U.S. economic stimulus package cannot be the major vehicle for achieving the high-speed Internet goals of the incoming administration, a top technology adviser to President-elect Barack Obama said on Wednesday.

Blair Levin, a top aide to Obama, said the broadband piece of the stimulus package should "only do things that are timely, targeted and temporary and can lead to lots of jobs." Speaking to a meeting of the Congressional Internet Caucus, Levin said Obama will still pursue goals of expanding broadband access for the unserved and underserved and getting public safety officials a national network. "You kind of have to use existing structures," he said.

Reuters Technology News

Posted by | Thu, Jan 15, 2009 - 09:25 AM

January 15 News from Around the Web

Visit our forums and read all about the GeForce GTX 285 and other reviews! The following is what [H]ardOCP has to say:

NVIDIA is launching the GeForce GTX 285 which is a refreshed GTX 280. We take a look at EVGA’s GeForce GTX 285 SSC Edition with some insanely high clock speeds. Higher clocks hopefully mean better performance, and we see what kind of gameplay experience is delivered compared to the holder GeForce GTX 280.

Posted by | Thu, Jan 15, 2009 - 08:48 AM

Apple CEO to Step Down and Take Medical Leave of Absence

Apple Inc.'s CEO Steve Jobs says he is taking a medical leave of absence until the end of June. Jobs told employees in an e-mail that his health issues are more complex than he thought.

Apple has confirmed that CEO Steve Jobs will step down from his CEO post while recuperating from a hormone imbalance. His absence will stretch until the end of June. Jobs, 53, has been the subject of heated speculation regarding his health since last June's Worldwide Developers Conference, when he appeared to have lost a great deal of weight. At the time, Apple insisted Jobs' health was a private matter, but revealed in early January that Jobs was suffering from a hormone imbalance that was impeding his body's ability to absorb certain proteins.

Posted by | Wed, Jan 14, 2009 - 04:24 PM

Intel Atom N280 netbooks to hit the market between 2Q09 and 3Q09

A number of 10-inch netbooks based on a new Intel single-core Atom N280 processor are expected to be introduced by Asustek Computer (the Eee PC 1004DN series), Acer and Gigabyte Technology between second- and third-quarter 2009.

The CPU features a core frequency of 1.66GHz and 667MHz FSB, and will be available bundled with Intel's GN40 chipset, indicated sources at notebook makers. The Intel Atom N280 processor is priced at US$60-65 in thousand-unit tray quantities, compared to US$46 for its predecessor, the Atom N270 and 945GSE chipset, the sources added.

DigiTimes Daily IT News

Posted by | Wed, Jan 14, 2009 - 10:56 AM

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