Legit Reviews News History
OCZ Technology Introduces Summit Series SSDs - 128MB Cache
OCZ Technology Group today released the highly anticipated Summit Series 2.5” Solid State Drives, tailored to meet the stringent demands of business professionals, enthusiasts, and entry-level enterprise applications. Building on their premium flash-based storage solutions, OCZ’s Summit Series strives to bridge the gap between the needs of high-end gaming and professional desktops and notebooks to small scale server PCs that require amplified criteria for maintaining a solid and stable work environment.
OCZ continues to expand its reach to all areas of computing interests and system preferences by going beyond the enthusiast PC to workstations and small-scale enterprise. The OCZ Summit Series is the result of the latest breakthroughs in SSD technology that translates to professional-class data storage enthusiasts have come to expect from OCZ. These next-generation drives feature speeds up to 220MB/s read and 200MB/s write, along with 128MB of onboard cache for faster data access. Available in capacities of 60GB(64), 120GB (128), and 250GB(256), Summit SSDs offers ample room for all your data and are backed by OCZ’s exemplarity service and support.
Posted by | Tue, May 19, 2009 - 03:35 PM | Comments
Nvidia's insurance company sues them over bad chips
In a bizarre turn of events, graphics company Nvidia faces legal action by the most unlikely of parties. Its own insurance company doesn't seem to want to pay up for defective chips in notebooks last year. The National Union Fire Insurance Company (NUFI) of Pittsburgh filed a case in a California district court, calling on the court to make a declaration concerning insurance coverage. The filing says that certain claims asserted by Dell, Toshiba, Apple, Quanta, Compal, Asus, Samsung, Fujitsu-Siemens and others may either bring or have brought claims against Nvidia, alleging that graphic processing units (GPUs) designed and sold by Nvidia and used in notebooks have failed. This issue gives me a chance to post up this flier I saw at NVISION 08 again.
"Concurrently with, or prior to, placing National Union on notice of the chip claims, Nvidia has engaged in settlement negotiations with the chip claimants and, on information and belief, has agreed to settlements and/or the material terms of settlements with respect to some or all of the chip claims," the filing says. But, complains NUFI: "Nvidia has not permitted National Union to participate in Nvidia's negotiations of the chip claims or the determination of any settlement or agreements."
Posted by | Tue, May 19, 2009 - 02:40 PM | Comments
ATI Releases Catalyst 9.5 Video Card Drivers for Download
AMD has released the ATI Catalyst Software Suite 9.5 drivers. As always, there are a number of fixes and enhancements to be had. Check out the list of changes in our forums and see if you should download the updated drivers today!
Performance Improvements
- Unigine Tropics DX9 – performance gains of up to 11% for single GPU and ATI CrossFireX configurations with anti-aliasing enabled.
- Company of Heroes – performance gains of up to 10% for both single GPU and ATI CrossFireX configurations.
- BattleForge– performance gains of up to 10% for ATI CrossFireX configurations.
Posted by | Tue, May 19, 2009 - 02:32 PM | Comments
Nvidia accuses Intel of unfair Atom processor pricing
Jen-Hsun Huang, chief executive officer of graphics chip maker Nvidia, called Intel's chip pricing unfair but said his company will not seek antitrust action against the world's largest chip maker for now. Nvidia makes graphics chips that pair with Intel's low-powered Atom in lower-priced netbook computers. He said Intel sells an Atom chip by itself for $45, but sells a three-chip set for $25 to lure business away.
Intel brushed off Huang's suggestion. "We compete fairly. We do not force bundles on any computer makers and customers can purchase Atom individually or as part of the bundle," said Bill Calder, a spokesman for Intel. "If you want to purchase the chip set, obviously there is better pricing." For now, Huang plans no legal action.
Posted by | Tue, May 19, 2009 - 09:52 AM | Comments
Dell launches 10.1-inch Latitude 2100 netbook series for students
Inspired by close cooperation with hundreds of students, teachers, parents and administrators, Dell designers created a purpose-built education netbook that focuses on what’s most important – learning. The Latitude 2100 is part of Dell’s connected classroom ― innovative technology products, services, software and training that make learning in the digital age a reality. With the Latitude 2100, students can access enhanced learning resources and digital content on a school network or via the Internet. As a result, the Latitude 2100 blends into student life, from lesson plans to homework, increasing time spent learning versus managing technology. The Dell Latitude 2100 10.1" netbook system is available today, and starts at $369.
“The Latitude 2100 shows that Dell thinks about, cares about, and designs products with education in mind,” said Paul Bell, president of Dell’s global public sector division. “This system is an extension of our efforts to support educators as they transform technology access in classrooms worldwide. We will continue to respond quickly to their needs and work with governments to deliver technology that modernizes education, excites students and arms them with the skills they need to succeed in the digital age.”
Posted by | Tue, May 19, 2009 - 08:57 AM | Comments
ASUS Eee PC 1008HA Seashell Launches in North America
ASUS today announces the availability of the long-awaited Eee PC 1008HA Seashell in North America. ASUS has taken one of nature’s most beautiful designs and combined it with the best of today’s innovations to provide consumers with the most stylish Eee PC yet. The Eee PC 1008HA Seashell sold out immediately at its debut in other regions like the UK and Taiwan. The introductory MSRP of the Eee PC Seashell is $429.99 USD. For a limited time, an additional $20 instant discount will apply to the pre-orders. The Eee PC Seashell will be available in both black and white initially in North America.
Weighing just 2.4lbs, the Eee PC Seashell is a highly portable companion that is equipped with a 10.1-inch display, an ergonomically designed keyboard, an intelligent energy management system and an intuitive multi-touch touch-pad. The Eee PC 1008HA Seashell aims to provide consumers with the best mobile computing experience, wherever their journeys take them.
Posted by | Tue, May 19, 2009 - 08:31 AM | Comments
WD AV-GP 2 TB hard drive (model WD20EVDS) Announced for A/V Users
As demand for higher capacity storage continues to increase due to large video applications, including high-definition video, Western Digital (WD) today expanded its WD AV-GP line of hard drives to include a 2 TB capacity, the industry’s largest available drive to-date. WD AV-GP hard drives with WD GreenPower Technology provide cooler and quieter operation and lower power consumption. The WD AV-GP 2 TB hard drive (model WD20EVDS) is available now from select e-tailers and distributors with an MSRP of $299.00 (USD).
Designed to withstand the stringent environment of the surveillance and security markets, the WD AV-GP line of hard drives for audio and video applications reduces power consumption by as much as 40 percent over standard drives in their respective classes. The new WD AV-GP 2 TB hard drive is perfect for applications such as DVRs (digital video recorders), media centers, media servers, as well as surveillance video recording that demand a higher capacity hard drive and exceptional reliability.
Posted by | Tue, May 19, 2009 - 08:15 AM | Comments
Survey Shows Workaholics now working 2-6 hours a week in bed
Over a quarter of UK employees are so work obsessed they can’t resist using a mobile device such as a laptop in bed before they go to sleep according to a survey released today by CREDANT Technologies. The survey discovered that of those people who do work in bed, 57% do so for between 2 and 6 hours every week, little wonder that the survey also found that the majority of their bed companions found their partners’ obsession with their mobiles “a very annoying habit”.
The survey into “Laptop use in bed and the security implications” was conducted amongst 300 city workers who were interviewed to determine whether the UK has become a nation of work obsessed, laptop dependent, key tappers and to highlight the security implications of unsecured mobile devices. Almost half the respondents (44%) admitted they are holding important work documents on their mobile devices of which 54% were not adequately secured with encryption. This will sound alarm bells for the many in-house IT departments who are tasked with trying to secure an ever increasing mobile workforce who are using data on the move and consequently losing more unsecured data than ever before.
Posted by | Tue, May 19, 2009 - 07:05 AM | Comments
Oh’Snap! It’s the PNY Prom Photo Contest!!
PNY Technologies has launched the “Oh’Snap! It’s the PNY Prom Photo Contest.” Prom-goers across the nation will have the chance to enter their flashiest prom photo for a chance to win big! PNY will choose one Grand Prize Winner to receive a $2,000 scholarship award to their college or university and a PNY Flash Memory product assortment valued at $250.
Beginning today through Wednesday, July 15, prom fashionistas can upload their best prom photo and enter to win at www.PNY.com/OhSnap. Photos will be judged based on the following criteria: theme (30%), originality (25%), creativity (25%), and innovation (20%). The winner will be selected on or about August 1, and eligibility is limited to current high school seniors attending a prom and who reside in the United States. All entries will be posted on the PNY contest site.
Posted by | Tue, May 19, 2009 - 07:00 AM | Comments
Google CEO urges grads: 'Turn off your computer'
The head of the world's most popular search engine urged college graduates on Monday to step away from the virtual world and make human connections. Speaking at the University of Pennsylvania's commencement, Google chairman and CEO Eric Schmidt told about 6,000 graduates that they need to find out what is most important to them — by living analog for a while.
"Turn off your computer. You're actually going to have to turn off your phone and discover all that is human around us," Schmidt said. "Nothing beats holding the hand of your grandchild as he walks his first steps."
Posted by | Tue, May 19, 2009 - 06:50 AM | Comments
Futuremark announces world's largest PC overclocking competition
Futuremark Corporation today announced a new competition for PC overclockers everywhere. The contest will see game, DIY, and overclocking enthusiasts from Europe, Asia and the Americas competing for the "Lord of Overclocking" title for their region. With Futuremark anticipating over 200,000 entries, the online contest will be the largest overclocking competition ever staged.
The contest will run from May 18th to June 14th with prizes on offer for the top weekly, random, and overall winners in each region. Furthermore, one overall top winner will also be invited to attend the MSI Master Overclocking Arena 2009 event in Beijing, China in September 2009. Grand Prize includes: MSI P45 Diamond motherboard and N260GTX VGA card, Huntkey X7 900W power supply, Thermaltake Element S pro case, GlacialTech XWing NB Cooling Pad, Enermax Apollo (8cm+12cm) cooling fans.
Posted by | Tue, May 19, 2009 - 06:47 AM | Comments
May 18 News from Around the Web
Gigabyte GeForce GTX275 GV-N275UD-896H Video Card Review @ motherboards.org and other reviews from around the web can be found by visiting our forums!
The Gigabyte GeForce GTX 275 is an interesting beast of a card. It is designed to compete directly with the ATI Radeon HD 4890 and does a great job of doing just that. In the vast majority of cases the Gigabyte card beats the HD 4890 in performance with the exception of a DirectX 10.1 title like Tom Clancy's HAWX. NVIDIA made some good choices with the GTX 275, including having the GTX295 core but with the memory controller of the GTX 260. This hybrid combination offers higher performance across the board versus a GeForce GTX260 216 core card and nearly competes in a lot of cases with the GeForce GTX 285. The Gigabyte card overclocks to 620MHz totally stable, which is just a tad over 10% over the standard clocked reference board. To play games with PhysX effects turned on, NVIDIA cards are the only way to go. Cryostasis, the latest game to use PhysX, has its frame rate drop to single digits on a Radeon HD 4890 while it is playable on a GTX275.
Posted by | Mon, May 18, 2009 - 07:37 AM | Comments
ASUS Eee PC 1008HA Netbook - The Seashell
ASUS has taken one of nature’s most beautiful designs and combined it with the best of today’s innovations to provide users with the most stylishly functional Eee PC yet. Weighing just 1.1kg, the Eee PC Seashell is a highly portable companion that users can carry about, allowing them to surf the Internet, watch videos or keep in touch with their friends and family—even while at the beach. Equipped with a more-than-ample 10-inch display, ergonomically designed keyboard, intelligent energy management system and an intuitive multi-touch touch-pad, the Eee PC Seashell aims to provide users with the best mobile computing experience, wherever their journeys take them.
With a design inspired by a seashell, the Eee PC Seashell is enveloped in an opalescent glossy exterior—created through In-Mold Roller technology—that is not only a head-turner wherever it goes, but also serves as a protective shell providing scratch resistance for day-to-day durability. Like the light sprinkling of fine sand on the exterior of a seashell, the lid is graced with tiny reflective specks which glisten in the light, adding the crowning touches to an already exquisite design. Likened to prying open an oyster to reveal its treasure within, the subtly curved lid reveals a 10-inch LED-backlit WSVGA glare-type display which provides users with a more-than-ample view for documents and multimedia files. An ergonomically designed keyboard makes typing on-the-move a breeze, measuring in at 92% compared to its conventional desktop counterpart.
Posted by | Fri, May 15, 2009 - 10:04 AM | Comments
Super Talent Upgrades UltraDrive Series SSDs Firmware With TRIM Support
Super Talent announced it is now shipping its UltraDrive SSDs with Firmware version 1370 which enables improved performance when used with Microsoft Windows 7. The Super Talent "UltraDrive Performance Refresh Tool" allows users to refresh their performance, should they experience performance degradation associated with all SSDs when files become fragmented and data becomes stale. The update also improves the performance of UltraDrive SSDs, which is nice as it is a free performance boost.
With the new firmware Super Talent has increased the maximum sequential read speed of both the UltraDrive ME and UltraDrive LE to 260GB/sec max and the sequential write performance of the UltraDrive ME to 200GB/sec max and the UltraDrive LE to 210GB/sec max, delivering the world's fastest SATA 3Gb/s SSDs in a small 2.5" form factor.
Posted by | Thu, May 14, 2009 - 08:20 PM | Comments
Craigslist Discontinues Erotic Services Advertisements
Craigslist, the online classified site said Wednesday it will drop its controversial "erotic services" category in response to law enforcers who said the ads were a front for prostitution. The old category will be replaced with one listing "adult services," and a fee will be charged, the company said.
The current controversy over the "erotic services" section of Craigslist was kicked-off by an incident in Boston where a man is alleged to have used the section to meet women, one of whom was abducted and one of whom was murdered.
Posted by | Thu, May 14, 2009 - 10:10 AM | Comments
Sony reports $1B annual loss, first in 14 years
Sony Corp. reported its first annual net loss in 14 years and forecast a bigger loss this year, saying the pressure from sliding sales, competition in gadget prices and a strong yen was expected to continue.
The Japanese electronics and entertainment company said Thursday it lost 165 billion yen ($1.72 billion) in the January-March quarter, compared to a 29 billion yen profit for the same period the previous year. That brought its full fiscal year loss to a 98.9 billion yen ($1 billion). Sony, which makes Bravia flat-panel TVs and Cyber-shot digital cameras, said it is closing three plants in Japan to help turn its business around. It is also in the midst of cutting 16,000 workers.
Posted by | Thu, May 14, 2009 - 09:08 AM | Comments
May 14 News from Around the Web
Super Talent UltraDrive ME 120GB MLC SSD FTM28GX25H @ Benchmark Reviews and other reviews from around the web can be found by visiting our forums!
Performance enthusiasts have been keeping notes on SSD technology for a while now, and until recently the price and performance of Solid State Drives were not within reach for casual consumers. SSD products are quickly moving mainstream, and former marketing points like power consumption is now the least impressive of all benefits a Solid State Drive delivers. The real payoff is in the practically instant response time and high-performance throughput. Capacity and stuttering were once the only problems keeping SSDs from replacing HDDs, but now it's just capacity. Quick to solve that problem, Super Talent now offers their 512GB MasterDrive RX SSD which provides capacity matched to performance. The Super Talent UltraDrive ME adds 64MB of Elpida DRAM to the buffer has permanently solved stuttering problems, making raw performance the last bottleneck. An Indilinx 'Barefoot' internal controller commands the bank of Samsung K9HCG08U1M DRAM modules, allowing the UltraDrive ME SSD to offer an impressive capacity with top-speed performance. Benchmark Reviews tests the reaction time and bandwidth performance for the FTM28GX25H 120GB model against over two dozen other products in this article.
Posted by | Thu, May 14, 2009 - 07:32 AM | Comments
Corsair Launches New Cooling Options for Dominator Memory Kits
Corsair today announced the new Corsair Cooling range of advanced cooling solutions for Dominator and Dominator GT modules, including the world’s first sub-ambient cooler for PC memory. The new cooling solutions include the Corsair Cooling Hydro Series H30 water-block and Ice Series T30 thermo-electric cooler, which is capable of cooling memory to below room temperature for enhanced overclocking performance and reliability. The Corsair Cooling Hydro H30 water cooling block is $59.99, while the Corsair Cooling Ice T30 sub-ambient cooling subsystem is $199.00.
“Corsair has always led the field with the development of advanced cooling solutions for computer memory, such as the patent-pending DHX heatsink, which uniquely cools the memory chips and PCB,” said Jim Carlton, VP of Marketing for Corsair. “The Corsair Cooling Hydro Series H30 and Ice Series T30 extend that technology and performance leadership, providing even higher levels of cooling power, including the world’s first sub-ambient memory cooler for enthusiasts and overclockers.”
Posted by | Wed, May 13, 2009 - 10:27 PM | Comments
AMD Phenom II X4 955 at 6.4GHz - Record Overclock Video
Gigabyte and AMD worked together on an awesome overclocking video “The Proving Grounds” featuring the work and the accomplishment of overclocker chew*’ with an AMD Phenom II 955 processor on Dragon Technology featuring the GIGABYTE GA-MA790FXT-UD5P motherboards. The video shows the performance of Phenom II 955 processors and the extreme overclocking capability of Dragon platform with 3DMark06 World Records. If that doesn't float your boat read the comments on that video over at YouTube and be sure do bring a fire extinguisher as it is a flame fest.
Overclocking Guru Chew* relentlessly overclocks “Dragon Technology” with stock AMD Phenom II X4 955 processors on GIGABYTE GA-MA790FXT-UD5P, and recently published his results spanning air, phase, dry ice, and liquid nitrogen. He pushes DDR3 and the extraordinary north bridge of the 955 to the limit. The stock 955 has tremendous north bridge scaling potential and achieved overclocks at significantly lower voltages than prior processor models. The achievement was accomplished on GIGABYTE GA-MA790FX-UD5P and GA-MA790FXT-UD5P motherboards
Posted by | Wed, May 13, 2009 - 04:05 PM | Comments
AMD Comments on European Commission Ruling that Intel Violated EU Law
The European Commission today found Intel guilty of abusing its dominant position in the global x86 microprocessor market, saying that “Intel has harmed millions of European consumers by deliberately acting to keep competitors out of the market for computer chips for many years. Such a serious and sustained violation of the EU’s antitrust rules cannot be tolerated.” The Commission also stated that “there is evidence that Intel had sought to conceal the conditions associated with its payments.” The EC decision requires Intel to change its business practices immediately and fines Intel a record EUR 1.06 billion (US $1.45 billion).
The EC decision stated specifically that:
- “Intel gave wholly or partially hidden rebates to computer manufacturers on condition that they bought all, or almost all, their x86 CPUs from Intel”.
- “Intel made payments to major retailer Media Saturn Holding from October 2002 to December 2007 on condition that it exclusively sold Intel-based PCs in all countries in which Media Saturn Holding is active.“
- Intel “interfered directly in the relations between computer manufacturers and AMD. Intel awarded computer manufacturers payments - unrelated to any particular purchases from Intel - on condition that these computer manufacturers postponed or canceled the launch of specific AMD-based products.”
Posted by | Wed, May 13, 2009 - 11:39 AM | Comments
AMD Delivers the World's First 1 GHz Graphics Processor
Building on the success of the recently launched ATI Radeon HD 4890 graphics card -- driven by the world’s most powerful graphics processor -- AMD today announced availability of a factory overclocked graphics processor that is the first to break the 1 Gigahertz (GHz) barrier using standard air-cooling solutions.
The new ATI Radeon HD 4890 utilizes advanced GDDR5 memory and a 1 GHz clock speed to deliver 1.6 TeraFLOPs of compute power, 50 percent more than that of the competition’s best single-GPU solution. With this level of raw compute power, the1 GHz ATI Radeon HD 4890 is set to deliver new levels of general purpose GPU-accelerated performance in ATI Stream applications such as video transcoding and post processing.
Posted by | Wed, May 13, 2009 - 08:33 AM | Comments
Netbook resellers saw 30% return rate
Netbooks had a rocky start last year in some markets, Intel's marketing chief said at the Intel investor meeting Tuesday. At the investor meeting, Intel demonstrated on stage the performance gap between a Netbook and a mainstream notebook. In the demonstration, a Netbook and a notebook ran the same high-definition video of the NBA basketball playoffs. The video on the Atom processor-powered Netbook was jerky and dropped frames, while the Core 2 chip-based notebook's video was smooth. The point was obvious: the Netbook's Atom silicon falls short in performing some tasks that a mainstream notebook handles with relative ease. No one mentioned anything about the NVIDIA Ion platform though!
"In the first period--June, July, August of last year--there were some in the retail channels that were shipping (Netbooks) as notebooks," Sean Maloney said in a question-and-answer session that was streamed over the Web. "They were running ads that had a continuum of notebooks and had this Netbooky thing in there--it was called a notebook. They had very high return rates and a couple of these guys had return rates in the 30 percent range, which is a disaster."
Posted by | Wed, May 13, 2009 - 08:25 AM | Comments
Intel CEO Otellini optimistic about strength of PC market
In another sign the recession is easing its chokehold on the tech industry, Intel CEO Paul Otellini said Tuesday that the chip business has improved since April, when he declared the personal-computer sales slump had "bottomed out."
"What we've seen so far is a little better than what we had expected," Otellini told analysts during opening remarks of a two-day conference at the company's Santa Clara headquarters. "So far, so good."
Posted by | Wed, May 13, 2009 - 08:22 AM | Comments
Intel outlines notebook plans for 2H09
Intel recently outlined its plans for traditional notebook, CULV-based ultra-thin notebook and netbook product lines for its partners, according to sources at notebook makers. Intel's next-generation Calpella notebook platform will launch as scheduled in the third quarter 2009 and targeting models in the 14.0-, 15.6-, 17.1- and 18.4-inch segments at retail prices of above US$1,200 initially for high-end market. Meanwhile, Intel will also reduce the price of the Montevina platform to clear out inventory.
Due to the low market demand, Intel is considering phasing out Atom N280 and GN40 chipset combination for netbooks and will leave the Atom N270 and 945GSE chipset to play the key role until September this year. The Atom N270 and 945GSE chipset combination will start to be phase out of the market in September and will be replaced by the next-generation Atom CPU (Pineview) and (Tiger Point) chipset. The new platform will target the 10-inch netbook segment with prices ranging between US$399-599. Intel has also designed a standard 8.9-inch netbook for white-box vendors. Specifications include Intel's Atom N270 CPU, 945GSE chipset, 512MB memory, and 8GB or 16GB flash-based storage. The systems will run on Moblin v2.
Posted by | Wed, May 13, 2009 - 08:21 AM | Comments
May 13 News from Around the Web
Cooler Master HAF 922 Case Review @ Ninjalane and other reviews from around the web can be found by visiting our forums!
In this review we will be looking at the Cooler Master HAF 922 Mid-Tower case. As the name suggests we are looking at a smaller version of the original HAF 932 with the same look and bold styling. The new HAF 922 features many of the internals found in the popular CM Storm Sniper with some allowances for the water cooling features found in the HAF 932.
Posted by | Wed, May 13, 2009 - 07:42 AM | Comments
EC Ruling: Statement by Intel President and CEO Paul Otellini
Paul Otellini, Intel Corporation president and CEO today issued the following statement regarding the European Commission decision on Intel's business practices: "Intel takes strong exception to this decision. We believe the decision is wrong and ignores the reality of a highly competitive microprocessor marketplace – characterized by constant innovation, improved product performance and lower prices. There has been absolutely zero harm to consumers. Intel will appeal."
We do not believe our practices violated European law. The natural result of a competitive market with only two major suppliers is that when one company wins sales, the other does not. The Directorate General for Competition of the Commission ignored or refused to obtain significant evidence that contradicts the assertions in this decision. We believe this evidence shows that when companies perform well the market rewards them, when they don't perform the market acts accordingly.
Posted by | Wed, May 13, 2009 - 06:22 AM | Comments
Intel fined record $1.45 bln by Europe's antitrust regulator
The European Competition Commission on Wednesday fined chip maker Intel Corp. a record 1.06 billion euros ($1.45 billion) for abusing its dominance of the market to squeeze out rival Advanced Micro Devices. E.U. regulators first began investigating Intel in 2001 after AMD filed a complaint a year before.
"Intel has harmed millions of European consumers by deliberately acting to keep competitors out of the market for computer chips for many years," European Union Competition Commissioner Neelie Kroes said in a statement. The fine is the highest ever imposed by the regulator and represents 4.15% of Intel's 2008 turnover. The U.S. chip maker immediately said it would appeal.
Posted by | Wed, May 13, 2009 - 06:09 AM | Comments
Samsung Launches 32-GB Embedded Memory Card w/ 30nm NAND
Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., the world leader in advanced semiconductor technology solutions, announced shipment of its 32-Gigabyte (GB) moviNAND, the highest density embedded memory card utilizing advanced 30-nanometer (nm) class process technology. Use of high-density embedded memory improves the performance of high-end phones and other mobile consumer electronics when processing and storing large amounts of multimedia content such as videos, video games and TV broadcasts.
“The unquenchable consumer thirst for possessing large amounts of data is now embracing video in a big way, which in turn means rapidly escalating demand for higher density storage,” said Jim Elliott, vice president, memory marketing, Samsung Semiconductor, Inc. “Samsung has taken the lead in providing OEMs with the highest density flash storage produced using the most cost-efficient process technology around – 30 nanometers.”
Posted by | Tue, May 12, 2009 - 10:45 AM | Comments
ZOTAC Announces NVIDIA ION Platform Motherboard - ZOTAC Ion
ZOTAC just announced the world's first NVIDIA ION-based mini-ITX platforms - the ZOTAC ION series. The new ZOTAC ION platforms deliver superior power efficiency without any compromises. Powered by an NVIDIA ION graphics processor and your choice of an Intel Atom N330 dual-core or N270 single-core processor, the ZOTAC ION features Blu-ray high-definition video playback capabilities, compatibility with NVIDIA CUDA-enabled applications and quick multi-tasking performance.
“Home theater PCs are becoming popular around the globe. Our new ZOTAC ION™ is an instant solution for users seeking to build a HD video capable HTPC. Since the CPU and GPU are integrated on the board, we’re also able design a fan-less cooler for the motherboard for silent operation” Mr. Berger added
Posted by | Tue, May 12, 2009 - 10:40 AM | Comments
Corsair Announces 256GB Solid-State Drive
Corsair announced the launch of the Corsair Storage Solutions P256 high-performance 256GB solid-state drive (SSD). The Corsair Storage Solutions P256 SSD is available immediately from Corsair’s authorized distributors and resellers worldwide, and is backed by a Two Year Limited Warranty. Legit Reviews took an in-depth look at the Corsair P256 SSD over a month ago and found it to be one of the fastest SSDs in the World and easily one of the best choices for those wanting performance.
The Corsair Storage Solutions P256 has been designed using cutting-edge technology to deliver the highest performance and compatibility, in a capacity that is big enough to replace conventional storage solutions in a high-performance PC. The P256 uses specially selected Samsung MLC flash memory and a sophisticated Samsung Controller IC, coupled with 128MB of super-fast cache memory and Native Command Queuing (NCQ) support for blistering, stutter-free performance, delivering read speeds of up to 220MB/sec and write speeds of up to 200MB/sec.
Posted by | Tue, May 12, 2009 - 10:26 AM | Comments
Logitech Unveils Black Edition of Wireless Guitar Controller
Logitech today announced the Logitech Wireless Guitar Controller for PLAYSTATION 3 and PlayStation 2 computer entertainment systems. Featuring authentic materials – including a wood neck and body, a rosewood fingerboard and metal frets – the Logitech Wireless Guitar Controller is for gamers who truly want to play like a rock star. The Logitech Wireless Guitar Controller is expected to be available this month in the U.S. for a retail price of $199.99 (U.S.) and will be available in Europe in June.
“Logitech’s new guitar controller delivers the same unparalleled Guitar Hero experience offered by our previous premiere edition to an even broader group of gamers and at a great value,” said Ruben Mookerjee, Logitech’s director of product marketing for gaming. “Everything about the Logitech Wireless Guitar Controller is premium – from the authentic wood material and flawless black finish, to the noise-dampening design of the strum bar and buttons, to the authentic accents provided by the metal frets.”
Posted by | Tue, May 12, 2009 - 10:22 AM | Comments
Why first-party video games matter
Microsoft announced last week that it plans to acquire video game developer BigPark for an undisclosed sum. According to the company, BigPark will become part of Microsoft Game Studios. Its developers will "work on exclusive titles" for the Xbox 360. Exclusivity has almost gone missing in the video game industry in recent years.
One of the best ways to differentiate a product in the video game industry is through first-party video games. When consumers go to a game store with a finite amount of cash, they need to decide between the Nintendo Wii, the Xbox 360, or the PlayStation 3. Features like Blu-ray disc compatibility, motion control, or online gaming will play into that decision. But besides price, it's the console's library of games that will weigh most heavily in their purchase.
Posted by | Tue, May 12, 2009 - 10:18 AM | Comments
Study finds software piracy growing
Software piracy grew last year, accounting for 41 percent of all PC software installed, with losses to companies estimated at $53 billion, the Business Software Alliance said on Tuesday. Worldwide piracy rates rose from 38 percent of software in business and home computers in 2007 to 41 percent in 2008 despite successes in fighting piracy in China and Russia, according to the study done by market researcher IDC for the BSA.
Holleyman said that while U.S. piracy was about 20 percent of the total market, the lowest in the world, it was a major problem because more software was sold in the United States than anywhere else. Holleyman said much of those losses came from small businesses that use unlicensed copies of popular software programs. They might have 50 PCs but only pay for rights to run the software on 25 of those machines. "The U.S. has the highest single dollar loss," he said.
Posted by | Tue, May 12, 2009 - 10:16 AM | Comments
'Noob' Could Be The Millionth English Word
'Noob' is set to become the millionth word in the English language – a milestone set to be reached this summer according to English-language experts. The news comes directly from the Global Language Monitor that estimates the millionth word in the English language is set to arrive on June 10th, 2009 at 10:22 am, British Summer Time.
The milestone will be passed at 10.22am on June 10 according to the Global Language Monitor, an association of academics that tracks the use of new words. The widespread popularity of English as a second language in Asia has brought about the most fertile period of word generation since William Shakespeare's time with new terms coined on average every 98 minutes, the Texas-based group claims.
Posted by | Tue, May 12, 2009 - 10:08 AM | Comments
SILICON POWER Solid State Disk M10 with SATA and mini USB
Silicon Power, the leading brand among Solid State Disk (SSD) Manufacturers today launch a new product of 256GB 2.5 inch SATA II SSD M10. The Silicon Power M10 dimensions are that of a standard 2.5 inch hard disk drive. Featuring dual interface, USB and SATA II, it can be installed internally or used as an external hard drive. When used as an external hard drive, the aesthetic design suits the fashion conscious consumers that want the looks, reliability and yet not compromise on performance.
M10 can also be easily installed into your desktop computer or laptop through its SATA II interface. Utilizing 2.5 inch hard drive dimensions, M10 also comes with a mini USB connection for you to use as an aesthetic external storage device. Unlike traditional hard drives, it has no mechanical moving parts. The M10 is reliable, consumes minimum power, has no operation noise, features high transfer rate, shock and vibration proof.
Posted by | Mon, May 11, 2009 - 08:50 AM | Comments
May 11 News from Around the Web
ECS A790GXM-AD3 Review @ OCC and other reviews from around the web can be found by visiting our forums!
"The ECS A790GXM-AD3 brings new technology to those who are on a tight budget but do not want to be left in the dust when it comes to their hardware. Competitively priced however, there are a some shortfalls that will not fully give you an edge. In the video benchmarks, the scores were close, but sometimes the ECS board was slower than the MSI board with the same chipset. The scientific benchmarks were almost dead on, however. While the price is still to be determined, ECS has always competitively priced their motherboards, just as they did with the AM2+ version of the 790GX chipset, so this motherboard should be really tempting to those needing to save some money."
Posted by | Mon, May 11, 2009 - 07:45 AM | Comments
CyberPower Announces LAN Party Commander System
CyberPower Inc, today announced a powerful and portable Intel Core i7-based LAN Party system, which features the CM Storm Scout case, the second case in the revolutionary Storm line from Cooler Master. With several big BYOC LAN events taking place upcoming months the marketing team at CyberPower thinks this system will be a bit hit this summer as the price starts at $1129.
CyberPower offers a true LAN party solution that combines gaming performance quality and Style. This all-around LAN Party case embodies CM’s “Storm Tactics” approach to extreme gaming systems that gives you Strength, Security, and Control. Strength is achieved by its rugged solid black steel body design. Security is accomplished with an innovative way to secure your peripherals. Control is giving you absolute power over the operation of your hardware with an advanced airflow and cooling system. The LAN Party Commander is the perfect solution for gamers who like to play hard.
Posted by | Fri, May 08, 2009 - 05:21 PM | Comments
A-DATA XPG Gaming Series Now Available in DDR2-1066
A-DATA recently introduced its newly speed of XPG Gaming Series DRAM module in DDR2-1066, as dual channel 2GBx2/1GBx2 and single channel kits up to 2GB. Designed for consumers who want to enhance their gaming ability, the XPG Gaming Series DDR2-1066G DRAM module provide CL6-6-6-18 timing at 2.0V±0.1V to delivering outstanding performance, speed, and gamer experience.
Optimized for the latest gaming platform, the XPG Gaming Series DDR2-1066G DRAM module delivers the perfect blend of performance, durability, and stability with low power consumption. It is an affordable midrange offering for gamer of all levels and the professionals demanding the latest DDR2 technology. The XPG Gaming Series DRAM module line is customized to fulfill gamers’ need of performance, speed, and stability.
Posted by | Fri, May 08, 2009 - 12:43 PM | Comments
NVIDIA CUDA Toolkit 2.2 Released
Today, NVIDIA released version 2.2 of the CUDA Toolkit and SDK for accessing the massively parallel CUDA compute architecture of NVIDIA GPUs. This latest release supports several significant new features that deliver a major leap forward in getting the most performance out of NVIDIA's massively parallel CUDA-enabled GPUs. In addition, version 2.2 of the CUDA Toolkit includes support for Windows 7, the upcoming OS from Microsoft that embraces GPU Computing.
The most common step in tuning application performance is profiling the application and then modifying the code. The CUDA Visual Profiler is a graphical tool that enables the profiling of C applications running on the GPU. This latest release of the CUDA Visual Profiler includes metrics for memory transactions, giving developers visibility into one of the most important areas they can tune to get better performance.
Posted by | Fri, May 08, 2009 - 12:36 PM | Comments
May 8 News from Around the Web
Sapphire Radeon HD 4770 CrossFireX Performance @ Benchmark Reviews and other reviews from around the web can be found by visiting our forums!
The Sapphire Radeon HD 4770 introduces the 40nm RV740 GPU paired to 512MB of DDR5 video frame buffer memory, and a double-height cooler allows the 100277L model video card to operate at 750MHz. As of May 2009, the Sapphire HD4770 sells for as low as $99, which allows gamers to create a very affordable CrossFireX array using this mainstream graphics accelerator. Benchmark Reviews compares two Sapphire Radeon HD4770's assembled into a CrossFireX set against a large collection of high-performance GPU's for the tests in this article.
Posted by | Fri, May 08, 2009 - 08:06 AM | Comments
May 7 News from Around the Web
NZXT Guardian 921 Crafted Series Mid-Tower ATX Computer Case Review @ Tweaknews and other reviews from around the web can be found by visiting our forums!
"With their redesigned Guardian 921 gaming case, NZXT has updated the look and features of the original Guardian while managing to keep its feel and tone. The “armored” look is still there and the updated visual elements are tastefully done, giving the case a fresh, new look while paying homage to the original. I found the illuminated temperature display and eSATA port refreshing and, while not strictly necessary in a gaming case, both features should prove useful."
Posted by | Thu, May 07, 2009 - 08:17 AM | Comments
ARCTIC COOLING announces Alpine 11 series for Intel LGA1155/1156 CPUs
To cope with the future demand for the up-and-coming Intel socket 1156, the Swiss low noise cooling solution provider ARCTIC COOLING today announced the launch of the new Alpine 11 series. This new CPU cooler series consists of three models – Alpine 11 Pro, Alpine 11 and Alpine 11 GT to target different purchasing groups. The Intel Core i5 for socket 1156 is expected to be released in Q3.
The Alpine 11 Pro features a more sophisticated acoustic design than the stock cooler. Thanks to the patented vibration absorption and fan holder, the cooler is barely audible – only 0.4 Sone at 2,000 rpm – a standard that the stock cooler cannot compete. With a 92mm PWM fan and a bigger heatsink design, the maximum cooling capacity of the Alpine 11 Pro achieves 95 Watts.
Posted by | Wed, May 06, 2009 - 08:42 AM | Comments
May 6 News from Around the Web
Dell Studio XPS 13 Ultraportable Notebook Evaluation at HotHardware.com and other reviews from around the web can be found by visiting our forums!
Dell's Studio line of products is a breath of fresh air to anyone who remembers the company’s tendency toward the "beige boxes" from days gone by. The hip, modern look embodied by the Studio moniker has rubbed off on the new Studio XPS 13, a tight-fitting ultraportable notebook with loads of style and plenty of power to go around, including a hybrid SLI graphics engine. Without question, Dell has gone its own way with the Studio XPS 13. It’s not trying to compete with the MacBook Airs and MSI X-Slim X340s of the world; instead, it's hoping to spark another trend and lead the way… Typically, users gunning for a 13" machine have to sacrifice extra power to get a machine that's thin, or they have to sacrifice style for a machine's that widely available at a reasonable price. Dell's attempting to do an awful lot within a single 13" notebook. We're going to explain just how well we feel they've succeeded, in the pages to come.
Posted by | Wed, May 06, 2009 - 07:45 AM | Comments
BlizzCon 2009 Tickets to Go on Sale May 16th
Blizzard Entertainment announced that tickets for its 4th BlizzCon gaming convention will go on sale May 16. There will be live coverage of the event as DIRECTV will offer Pay Per View subscriptions and, for the first time, will be available as an Internet stream. For those who don't know, BlizzCon is a celebration of the global player communities surrounding Blizzard's Warcraft, Diablo, and StarCraft game universes. The event will take place at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, California on August 21 and 22.
Tickets to the convention will be priced at $125 USD each and will be available for purchase from the official BlizzCon website at www.blizzcon.com beginning May 16. For those unable to purchase tickets on that date, a second block of tickets will go on sale May 30.
Posted by | Tue, May 05, 2009 - 05:22 PM | Comments
NZXT Debuts Beta Mid-Tower Steel Case - Under $50!
NZXT, a company built on realizing the dreams of gamers worldwide, is proud to announce the Beta, a mid-tower steel case that delivers gamers a chassis designed for tremendous value without sacrificing performance. Built for maximum expandability, Beta's expansive jet black interior provides ample room for 4 external 5.25” drives, 5 HDD racks, and fits large 10.5” performance graphics cards.
“Given the current economic conditions, we wanted to offer gamers a sleek, sturdy case built for performance and maximum expandability without breaking the bank” said Johnny Hou, Chief Designer at NZXT. “Beta provides the perfect solution for a sub $1,000 PC and will give gamers multiple options when configuring a rig with phenomenal value.”
Posted by | Tue, May 05, 2009 - 03:33 PM | Comments
Microsoft's new wave of layoff notices for 3,000
Microsoft on Tuesday notified more than 3,000 workers that it was eliminating their jobs. The software maker said in January that it would cut up to 5,000 jobs over the next 18 months. It made 1,400 cuts at the time. With the second wave of notifications on Tuesday, Microsoft has cut nearly all 5,000 jobs already.
"As part of the plan we announced in January to reduce costs and increase efficiencies, today we are eliminating additional positions across several areas of the company," Microsoft said in a public statement confirming the cuts. "While job eliminations are always difficult, we are taking these necessary actions in response to the global economic downturn."
Posted by | Tue, May 05, 2009 - 11:58 AM | Comments
May 5 News from Around the Web
Sapphire Radeon HD 4770 512MB and CrossFire performance review @ Elite Bastards and other reviews from around the web can be found by visiting our forums!
"At idle, our system when coupled with the Sapphire Radeon HD 4770 uses around 135 Watts of power, which increases to 170 Watts in a CrossFire configuration, almost identical to the power consumption of a single Radeon HD 4890. During video playback the Radeon HD 4890 actually uses slightly less power than our CrossFire setup, with a single Radeon HD 4770 board consuming a tad under 150 Watts. Finally, rendering an intensive 3D rendering workload, a single Radeon HD 4770 in league with our Core i7 system uses 185 Watts, which rises to 258 Watts in a CrossFire configuration, less than the Radeon HD 4890's 275 Watt consumption under load."
Posted by | Tue, May 05, 2009 - 07:55 AM | Comments
Asustek to launch 11.6-inch Eee PC later this month
Asustek Computer plans to launch an 11.6-inch Eee PC later this month, but will still consider 10-inch the mainstream specification for 2009, account for 50% of total shipments, while 11.6-inch models will account for 30%, according to company president Jerry Shen.
The company will launch a 15.6-inch mid-range to high-end CULV-based ultra-thin notebook, the XS15, priced at 799-999 euro (US$1063-1330) and a 13.3-inch model priced at 599-699 euro in July. The company also plans to launch 14-inch models this year, Shen noted.
Posted by | Mon, May 04, 2009 - 10:51 AM | Comments
May 4 News from Around the Web
Sapphire HD 4890 Atomic Edition Review @ OCC and other reviews from around the web can be found by visiting our forums!
"The Sapphire HD 4890 Atomic Edition is a ready to be a prime time player. In the single GPU field, the GTX 285 has been the undisputed king of the mountain, and usually carries the title of the fastest single GPU card on the market. It now has competition in this category, as the HD 4890 Atomic puts a serious dent in the performance gap between ATI and Nvidia. So much so that when pushed, the Atomic HD 4890 even pulled ahead of the factory overclocked GTX 285 in more than a couple tests. Not quite there, but getting much closer. What makes this card appealing to me is the fact that Sapphire has once again gone out and produced a video card using their own PCB, with improved voltage regulation, added their own Vapor-X cooling, and delivered a factory overclocked video card that serves notice that ATI will not allow Nvidia to rest on its laurels. Usually you wait months for a card like this to appear, but Sapphire wasted no time bringing this one to market."
Posted by | Mon, May 04, 2009 - 07:29 AM | Comments
Corsair Announces 16GB Flash Voyager GT & Mini Drives
Corsair today announced a new 16GB high-performance “GT” Flash Voyager USB drive. The new MLC-based Corsair 16GB Flash Voyager GT has been designed to deliver best-in-class performance for a high-capacity USB flash drive. Both the 16GB Flash Voyager GT and the 16GB Flash Voyager Mini are available immediately from Corsair’s authorized distributors and resellers worldwide. All Corsair flash products are backed by a 10-year Limited Warranty.
Corsair also announced today that it is expanding its best-selling Flash Voyager Mini product family with a new 16GB model. The increased capacity is possible due to the latest Chip-on-board technology, which allows for a huge number of movies, music, photos and personal documents to be stored in a format that’s 1/3 the size of typical USB Flash drives. The Flash Voyager Mini utilizes a cap-less retractable USB connector, which easily opens with the flick of the thumb, and its ergonomic rubberized housing makes it easy to connect and disconnect from any computer. The rubberized housing is also durable, making it an ideal flash drive for users with busy and active lifestyles.
Posted by | Fri, May 01, 2009 - 01:32 PM | Comments
Atom market on track, says Intel
While recent market reports have some makers claiming that demand for the Intel Atom processor is slowing while other players, notably in the China market, are saying that supply is tight for netbook IC components, Intel has weighed in on this issue by indicating that its processor supply is on track and the chip giant is not seeing any slowdown.
One way of interpreting Intel's comment is to note that the company is not commenting on any one processor, but its complete mobile product lines. It is no secret that with the release of the CULV-based notebooks, Intel and notebook makers will have to adjust their product lineups to make room in the market for the new notebooks. A slowing of Intel Atom demand for some players would be expected, as they gear up for their higher-margin CULV-based products.
Posted by | Fri, May 01, 2009 - 08:43 AM | Comments
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