An 8800GTX on an overclocked Core 2 Duo or Quad processor can be expected to score around 11,500 3Dmarks. However, when the processor is swapped out for an old Pentium 4 at 2.66GHz, the situation changes completely. 3Dmark06 scores sink to around 8,000 3Dmarks, equivalent to a 7950GX2. Of course, the 8800GTX is still beating a dual-GPU card, however it shows that the 8800GTX will be bottlenecked in a system with a slower CPU.

Source: TheINQ

OCZ Technology Group, a worldwide leader in innovative, ultra-high performance and high reliability memory, today announced the addition of high-speed 133X parts to the cutting-edge OCZ Secure Digital "Dual" Series. The new memory cards will offer a solution for enthusiasts who not only seek the convenience of USB port access, but require high speeds for their digital cameras and electronics.

Kingston Technology yesterday announced it is first to offer a full production launch of 2GB 533MHz(CAS 4,5) and 667MHz(CAS 4, 5) ValueRAM SO-DIMMs concurrent with the release of new 800 MHz ValueRAM SO-DIMMs. Both modules are designed to operate at 1.8 volts. The new Kingston ValueRAM 2-GB SO-DIMMs are designed to deliver the premium experience for laptop users epecially when the Microsoft Windows Vista operating system launches in January 2007. Kingston Value SO-DIMMs will be priced at 590$ for the 2GB 533MHz version and $640 for the 667MHz modules.

Source: Kingston

Microsoft has released the final version of Windows Media Player 11 for Windows XP. Version 11 has a redesigned user interface and incorporates seamless integration with MTV's URGE music service. According to Microsoft, the URGE online catalog provides customers with over 2 million songs by over 110,000 artists. Microsoft is also boasting that its improved search engine in Windows Media Player 11 provides faster results than any other media player on the market. You can download the player from here.

Source: DailyTech

Corsair, a worldwide leader in high performance enthusiast computer products, today unleashed TWIN2X2048-6400C4D DOMINATOR memory targeting value-conscious performance users. Featuring patent-pending Dual-path Heat Xchange (DHX) technology, the new Corsair DOMINATOR memory offers the ideal blend of innovative features and reliable performance at standard 800MHz speed.

Plextor today announced its new PX-755UF external DVD±RW/CD-RW burner. The new external burner features IEEE 1394(FireWire) and Hi-Speed USB interfaces for universal compatibility with systems running Mac OS X and Windows operating systems. It is also the first Plextor external drive to feature 10X DVD+R Double-Layer recording speed. Other write speeds are as follows: 6X DVD-R on Dual-Layer media, 8X DVD+RW, 6X DVD-RW, 16X max DVD-ROM, 24X CD-RW, and 48X max CD-ROM. The PX-755UF drive features a 2 MB buffer and Buffer Underrun Proof Technology to prevent buffer underrun errors and allow multi-tasking. The external Plextor PX-755UF burner will ship in mid-November 2006 with MSRP price of $159.00. All retail packages include one-year full warranty and unlimited toll-free technical support.

Source: Plextor

The Sapphire RADEON X1650XT now delivers the highest graphics performance in its class. Equipped with 256MB or 512MB of GDDR3 memory, this model features clock speeds of 575MHz (core) and 1350MHz (memory). The new X1650XT delivers high efficiency, high performance in Shader Model 3.0 and enhanced image quality. The architecture natively supports HDCP and also supports Avivo delivering vibrant high fidelity images and video playback to the latest High Definition (HD) video standards. Two Dual-link DVI outputs are provided as well as TV out and multimonitor operation is supported with Hydravision. This model features the latest CrossFire connector allowing a pair of these cards to be cross-coupled with a pair of ribbon cables inside the PC for dual GPU operation. Full retail versions of these new Sapphire graphics accelerators will ship with the successful Da Vinci Code game.

Source: Sapphire

Beginning early next year, Seagate Technology LLC will ship its first widely available hard drives with built-in hardware- and software-based content protection technology. Called "Drive Trust," the security platform can prevent unauthorized access to data stored on the drive. The first drive to offer Drive Trust is Seagate's DB35 series, which is primarily used in digital video recorders. In the first quarter of 2007, Seagate will add a Drive Trust version of its 2.5" Momentus 5400 FDE notebook hard drive. The Momentus 5400 FDE.2 (Full Disk Encryption 2) will include a special encryption chip that will make it impossible for anyone to read data off the disk, or even boot up a PC, without some form of authentication. Designed for laptop computers, the 2.5-in., 5,400-rpm drive will come with a storage capacity of 80GB, 120GB or 160GB.

Source: THG, [H]ard|OCP

Vantec has introduced a new notebook cooler that includes two flip-out speakers and a subwoofer. The "Piano" cooler has an adjustable speed fan and Vantec claims the speakers have a combined RMS output of 15 watts along with a frequency response of 60Hz to 20kHz. A 3-port USB 2.0 hub is also integrated into the cooler. The cooler will come in both ivory white and gloss black colors. Vantec did not announce a suggested retail price for the U.S. market and none of the major online retailers are showing the product in their catalogs.

Source: THG

AMD has officially released the X1650XT, as expected, for the upper reaches of the mid-range market. The reference card uses the new RV560, which is clocked at 575MHz, features 24 pixel shader units, and 256MB of GDDR 3 video memory that runs at an effective 1,350MHz. The cards come with dual DVI-D outputs, an S-video connector, and support for the HDCP anti-piracy system - handy for folk with HDMI-equipped screens. The X1650XT is available immediately for $149.

Source: The Register

Buffalo Technology, a well-known supplier of memory modules from Austin, Texas, is expected to unveil memory modules at 1200MHz and 1250MHz in the near future. These modules are a logical follow-up on their 1150MHz memory modules, which are already available in Tokyo, Japan.

Earlier it was claimed that 1200MHz is the absolute maximum for DDR2 memory under normal conditions, but Buffalo's new Firestix do not require any exotic cooling systems and come with typical heat-spreaders.

Buffalo's PC2-9200 (1150MHz) with CL5 5-5-15 latency setting, PC2-8500 (1066MHz) with CL5 5-5-15 timings and PC2-8000 (1000MHz) with CL4 4-4-15 latencies come with 2.3V, 2.1V and 2.3V memory voltage respectively. Firstix at 1200MHz and 1250MHz (PC2-9600 and PC2-10000) require 2.3V voltage and come with CL5 5-5-15 (PC2-9600 only) or CL2 6-6-18 (PC2-9600 and PC2-10000) latency settings. Default voltage for DDR2 memory is 1.8V and not all mainboards will be able to work with Buffalo's new Firestix-series products.

The new ultra high speed memory modules are available in 1GB and 2GB dual-channel optimized kits. In Japan 1GB PC2-9200 kits cost about $340, while the 2GB PC2-9200 sets are priced at approximately $720.

Source: X-bit labs

A few days ago DFI added another motherboard to its INFINITY product line, the DFI CFX3200-M2/G. This board brings together the new AM2 platform and the high performance ATI RD580 chipset to overclocking enthusiasts. The professional gaming board supports full dual x16 PCIe slots providing powerful CrossFire environment, which is great choice for ATI's recently released high-end X1950 Pro video cards. DFI INFINITY CFX3200-M2/G is also equiped with 4x SATA II and 1x eSATA ports, 8chs high-definition audio codec, 10x USB ports, 2x IEEE 1394 ports and Gigabit LAN. DFI claims that the board can reach 400MHz FSB right out the box. Click here for additional information.

Source: DFI

Most of the time, when people see cuts or grooves in their heatsinks or Integrated Heat Spreader (IHS), they think that it will really reduce thermal transfer. However, IBM is working on a technology that actually uses those grooves, and organizes them into a system of canals. By carving these canals into the IHS of a processor, or a heatsink, IBM actually increases the efficiency of thermal paste. The technology is still in prototype stage.

Source: The Register

Shuttle has found a way to squish a lot of very high quality hardware into one small box. Shipping with an Intel 975X-based motherboard, a Core 2 Extreme X6800 CPU, 4GB of 667MHz DDR 2 SDRAM in dual-channel configuration, a 400GB Samsung SATA hard drive and a 14x DVD writer with dual-layer media support, this box is designed to be the best of the best. It also comes with an Nvidia GeForce 7950 GX2, a 22-in-one memory card reader, and Gigabit Ethernet. Including a two year warranty, the box costs a whopping €3,044 ($3,856/£2,043) - and that's before you've added local sales tax. Of course, it can be reconfigured to a baseline of €1,163 ($1,473/£781).

Source: The Register

Pictures of the NVIDIA GeForce 8800GTS and 8800GTX show what looks like two graphics processors. However, the smaller second chip is dedicated to "NV I/O".

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It turns out that the small chip on the Geforce 8800 cards is an Nvidia NVIO chip. It provides dual 400MHz RAMDAC and Dual - Dual Link DVI output, TV Out and HDCP. Our informative friends call the chip External Video I/O Chip or simply External RAMDAC. We don't have any idea why Nvidia needed that, as RAMDAC has been normally part of the chip for generations.

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There are also specifications showing the power requirements for the NVIDIA GeForce 8800GTS and GTX. The 8800GTS will require 26 amps on the 12 volt rail, and the 8800GTX will require a whopping 30 amps on the 12 volt rail. The 8800GTX also has a second SLI bridge, which may link to a future physics solution from NVIDIA.


Source: PCShow.net and TheINQ

Samsung has found an ingenious way to increase the brightness of a portable devices screen. By painting a blue LED over with florescent white "paint", Samsung can increase the brightness by over 33% without requiring any extra energy.

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The illumination unit based on the white LED is just 0.6mm thick, but it delivers a screen brightness of 360cdpm² - much more than the 270cdpm² a standard blue LED generates. The new LED has a luminous intensity of 1.7cd to the blue LED's 1.2cd.

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Samsung expects the technology to be on the market next year.

Source: The Register

When Microsoft announced that it is only legal to transfer Vista from one computer to another once, there was a lot of negative feedback. Since Microsoft defined a new motherboard as a new computer, people do not like the idea of having to pay for a new copy of Windows Vista every time they swap out their motherboard. Microsoft has clarified their policy. Windows Vista features a new version of Windows Genuine Advantage that is much smarter. Users that swap out individual components and have to reinstall their copy of Windows Vista because of doing so will no longer be accused by Windows Genuine Advantage of having a non-valid copy of Windows. And even if Windows Genuine Advantage cannot validate Windows, users can call Microsoft by phone and get their copy "remediated". The Windows Genuine Advantage program was instated by Microsoft in an effort to curb software piracy.

Source: ComputerWorld

Owners of Intel-based Macintosh computers, especially the MacBook series, know that they get extremely hot. Hendrik Holtmann noticed that this is only because Macintosh sets all system fans to ridiculously low speeds for quietness. And so Hendrik Holtmann made a program that has access to cooling-fan control code in Mac OS X. SmcFanControl monitors fan speeds inside the latest Intel Macs, and allows the user to change fan speeds until they are comfortable with the temperature. The only glitch in smcFanControl: The settings don't stay loaded after the system is shut down or put into sleep mode. However, smcFanControl can detect when the Intel Mac is woken from sleep mode, and will reset the settings by itself. It also is easy to add smcFanControl to the list of programs that start with Mac OS X. The program will work on any Intel based MacBook, MacBook Pro, or Mac Mini, and can be downloaded here.

Source: The Register

ASUSTeK Computer Inc. (ASUS), today announced three new members of its TOP graphics card series - the EN7900GS TOP, EAX1600PRO TOP, and EN7300GT TOP. ASUS TOP Series are fine tuned and provides the latest overclock-specific BIOS to deliver a 15-30% performance increase from competing solutions with reference designs. The new TOP series cards are all now available worldwide. For more information, please click on the Read full story marker.

The Inquirer got a very nice look at Intels latest and greatest server computer, Tigertown. Basically, Tigertown is a true quad-CPU computer. It seems like it takes four Woodcrest CPU's, and then gives them four seperate channels. Each CPU is cooled by a gigantic aluminum block, and the north bridge is cooled by what looks like a pure copper CPU heatsink. This obviously isn't for the cost sensitive bunch, put should be extremely fast for people relying on a high-performance server.

Source: TheINQ

23 year old Grant Stanley, the administrator of private torrent tracker Elitetorrents, has been arrested by the FBI. He then pleaded guilty to "conspiracy to commit copyright infringement" and criminal copyright infringement. For his involvement with the website, he has received five months in prison, followed by five months of home detention and a $3,000 fine. Attorney general John Brownlee hopes that "this case sends the message that cyberspace will not provide a shield of anonymity for those who choose to break our copyright laws." This is the first torrent related arrest and conviction in the United States.

Source: TheINQ

The gigantic 8800GTX may have some serious trouble fitting in some cases, being a whopping 28 centimeters long. In comparison, the ATI X1900XTX is "only" 23.5 centimeters long. The NVIDIA 8800GTS is shorter, at 24 centimeters, and only requires one power plug. Both cards have their power plug(s) at the top of the card, and have coolers that are 4 centimeters thick.

Source: TheINQ

As Vista is going to be released in early 2007, ATI plans to release new model for value segment, Radeon X1300CE which will be Vista Premium certified. Codenamed RV505CE, Radeon X1300CE is a replacement of old Radeon X300/500 (RV370) generation. Manufactured by TSMC with 80nm technology, RV505CE features Direct X 9.0c, Shader Model 3.0 support and AVIVO technology. This chip is driven by 4 Pixel Shader Pineline, 2 Vertex Shader engine, 64bit native memory controller, and a 350MHz core clock. Radeon X1300CE will accompany with a low-profile board design codenamed Blondie and passive cooling. The official price of card is going to be $49, and it's main rival would be NVIDIA GeForce 7100GS.

Source: HKEPC

At KES 2006, LG demonstrated its Flatron M4200D 42" LCD capable of displaying 3D images. While all the conventional HD specs are present with 1920 x 1080 resolution, 500cd/m² brightness, 1600:1 contrast ratio and 8ms response time, the main feature is its ability to generate the illusion of a three-dimensional picture without the need for external glasses or goggles. The only requirement is that the viewer must sit at an exact distance of 4 meters, to "see" the 3D effect. Any greater or lesser to that viewing distance and the 3D effect would be lost. Steps to the left or right, however, do not affect the 3D as long as a constant radius could be retained. LG has yet to announce pricing or a release date for the M4200D.

Source: DailyTech

SMART Modular Technologies, a leading independent manufacturer of memory modules, embedded computing subsystems, and TFT-LCD display products, has introduced CoolFlex DDR2 2GB very low profile (VLP) 0.72" registered DIMM (RDIMM). This new memory module uses folded PCB technology to double memory capacity and eliminate the need for stacked or multi-die DRAMs. Specifically designed to be cost-effective, SMART's CoolFlex DDR2 2GB VLP RDIMM is aimed at mainstream blade-server, ATCA telecom, and network computing applications.

NEC today unveiled the new MultiSync LCD3735WXM wide-screen monitor, a large-format display that delivers true display convergence performance to premium-conscious pro-sumers and style-centric digital-signage applications. While the display's sleek design seamlessly adapts to décor-rich interiors, its functionality easily accommodates the multimedia demands of the convergence of Internet and broadcast entertainment. The new LCD3735WXM monitor has an ATSC Hi-definition TV tuner, and VGA, DVI, and HDCP Video connectivity, in addition to S-video, component and composite video inputs for an extensive range of audio-visual peripherals. The display also boasts a 16:9 aspect ratio, a 9-millisecond response time (gray-to-gray), a contrast ratio of 1600:1, and native resolution of , 1366 x 768 for superior display-quality text and graphics performance.

AMD announced that just because they have successfully fused with ATI does not mean they will let the brand just disappear. AMD told The Register that the "ATI name will continue to be used in association with what are now AMD's discrete graphics products and its chipsets." ATI will also still make Intel chipsets.

Source: The Register

Sonnet's Volta plugs right into the iPod like the dock is supposed to, and gives the iPod a massive increase in battery life. The 2100 mAh battery increases an iPod's battery life by between 50 and 60 hours. The battery will also increase an iPod's video playback by between 7 and 18 hours, effectively quadrupling battery life. The Volta itself looks like a sleeve and has 4 LED's to indicate its own battery life before it lets the iPod's on board battery take over. It also allows users to dock the iPod while the Volta is attached, allowing for simultaneous charging and music transfers while the Volta is in. The device is available now for £45.

Source: The Register

The Intel Core 2 Extreme Quad Core Processor QX6700 is going to paper launch at 6AM European time November 2nd. This means that November 2nd is the earliest that Intel will allow reviews of its latest addition to the Core 2 Duo family to be published. The QX6700 and other quad core processors from Intel should be available on November 14th. Samples of the quad core processor show very little if any gaming improvement, however there is a tremendous improvement in rendering and multimedia.

Source: TheINQ

The Temjin TJ09 is the first SilverStone chassis designed with graphics card cooling as one of the priorities. To meet this challenge, a brand new mid-section air duct was created to bypass the hard drive cage, allowing the strategically placed 120mm to draw cool air from outside of the chassis and blow it directly onto the expansion slot area. CPU and hard drives are also cooled exclusively by 120mm fans to maximize airflow while reducing noise. Covered in styling reminiscent of beautiful chassis of years past, the TJ 09' s advanced structure is second in stiffness only to the unibody designed TJ07. If you have been waiting for a chassis with plenty of technical and aesthetic excellence worthy of an upgrade, then the TJ09 is the one..

NVIDIA Corp. is confident it can stay independent despite the recent takeover of its main rival, and it sees big growth opportunities in areas such as mobile, where it expects to double the sales. NVIDIA has been the target of merger speculation since Advanced Micro Devices Inc., announced it would buy Canadian graphics chip maker ATI Technologies Inc. for $5.6 billion. Some analysts have suggested NVIDIA could end up being bought by Intel Corp., or at least being forced to strike some sort of in-depth partnership like a licensing deal. Mike Hara, Nvidia's vice president of investor relations, reiterated his company's determination to stay independent. "It reinforces our philosophy that we don't want to be tied up," Hara told Reuters when asked about the ATI deal. "I don't think anything changes. In fact, what we've already felt and seen I think gives us the energy to push faster. While AMD and ATI figure out what their future looks like, we know what ours looks like," Hara also said. Click here to read the full interview with NVIDIA's vice president.

Source: ExtremeTech

Whenever Internet Explorer 7 encounters a suspected forged website, or something that might contain a phishing scam, it alerts the user through the information bar. In Internet Explorer 6, the information bar overlapped whatever browsing window the user has open. In Internet Explorer 7, there is a potential flaw that would let an attacker hide the information bar, leaving users clueless when they come upon a possibly forged website. Microsoft says that it knows of no website that performs such a trick, and when Internet Explorer 7 encounters a known forgery, it doesn't load the page at all.

Source: CNET

Microsoft had scheduled Windows Media Player 11 for final release on October 24th, 2006. Microsoft has delayed release of the next version of its media player to an unspecified date. "As with any release, quality is our top priority, and we felt we needed a few additional days to bring Windows Media Player 11 up to the high quality standards we--and our customers and partners--demand." Microsoft did not mention exactly what part of Windows Media Player 11 didn't meet the bar. Microsoft has no defined date of when Windows Media Player 11 will be released, though rumors around the internet claim that Microsoft will release it on October 30th.

Source: CNET

The Energy Star rating is an award given to energy efficient appliances, and the EPA has recently updated their policy. Starting on July 20th, 2007, Energy Star Version 4.0 will require computers to be 65% more efficient then they would be without energy saving features to qualify for the award. Energy Star Version 4.0 will also require a sleep mode using no more then 15 watts of energy for qualification. Intel has recently announced that they will make Core 2 Duo fully compatible with the latest standards. They have also encouraged other tech companies to do the same.

Source: CNET

According to DailyTech, PowerColor will be releasing a Radeon X1950 Pro based product for AGP systems. Images of the proposed Radeon X1950 Pro AGP graphics card are also revealed. The upcoming Radeon X1950 Pro AGP is expected to be clocked higher than its PCI Express counterparts at 600 MHz core and 700 MHz instead of the 575 MHz core and 690 MHz memory on PCI Express version. In addition to the higher core and memory clocks, PowerColor will equip Radeon X1950 Pro AGP graphics cards with a quiet Arctic Cooling Accelero X2 cooling solution. If this thing really hit the market, this will probably be the fastest available AGP video card.

Source: DailyTech

Dark Messiah of Might and Magic is coming to Steam® this week for just $49.95. In North America, Dark Messiah of Might and Magic will be made available via Steam at 10 am EDT this Wednesday, October 25. Outside of North America, the game will be made available at 10 am GMT this Friday, October 27.

Those who pre-purchase and pre-load the game prior to its availability will have everything they need to begin playing at the times listed above.

Published by Ubisoft, Dark Messiah of Might and Magic is an action-RPG created by Arkane Studios and powered by an enhanced version of the Source® Engine, the award-winning game technology created by Valve® for Half-Life® 2 and its next generation games. Named most anticipated RPG of the year by leading publications around the world, Dark Messiah of Might and Magic challenges players to ferocious single-player and multiplayer combat set in the Might and Magic® universe, one of the gaming industry's most successful and longest-running fantasy game franchises.

For more information on Dark Messiah of Might an d Magic, please visit http://www.mightandmagic.com/.

For more information on Steam, please visit www.steamgames.com

For a retail price of £100, Belkin will give you a Skype phone that needs only a wireless network to work. The phone can run off of an 802.11B/G network, and supports encrypted calls. It also supports all the features of Skype, including buddy lists, chatting, and conference calling.

Source: The Register

NVIDIA Corporation and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Inc. yesterday celebrated the shipment of the 500 millionth processor designed by NVIDIA and manufactured by TSMC. These processors-which include NVIDIA GeForce GPUs and NVIDIA nForce MCPs-were created on 2.6 million eight-inch equivalent wafers.

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We founded NVIDIA with the vision that GPUs would transform the computing experience. TSMC has played a fundamental role in our ability to fulfill this vision. By providing NVIDIA with leading-edge technology and change-on-a-dime customer service, TSMC enabled us to focus on what we do best--building great technology and markets,

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said Jen-Hsun Huang, president and CEO, NVIDIA Corporation.

Microsoft will delay the release of the RTM (release to manufacturing) version, or build number 5824, of its Windows Vista operating system (OS) to the second week of November from the originally scheduled fourth week of October, according to sources at Taiwan PC makers who were informed by the software giant of the revised schedule. The RTM build 5824 was originally set to be released this week after reducing the number of bugs found in the Windows Vista Release Candidate 2 (RC2) version from 1,450 to around 500. However, additional bugs were found in the RTM build 5824 version, and together the bugs could paralyze an upgraded Vista-capable Windows XP OS. Despite the delayed launch of the RTM version, Microsoft assured PC makers that its plan to launch the business-use and home-use Vista OS in November 2006 and January 2007 respectively, remain unchanged.

Source: DigiTimes

Power Quotient International (PQI) recently introduced the U350 to its Cool Drive USB flash disk lineup. The design focus of the U350 is aimed at the user by constructing a USB flash drive to have mechanisms of an everyday pen. This design provides maximum protection for the USB connector, it also solves the problem of people frequently losing their USB flash drive lids. The U350 comes in memory capacities ranging from 512MB to 4GB and supports both Windows and Apple Mac operation systems (OSs). The drive comes with USB Notebook Professional security and personal management software.

Source: DigiTimes

Today, 5 years ago, Microsoft released Windows XP as a replacement of the not so well-liked Windows ME. Starting with only two versions, Pro and Home, Microsoft quickly conquered quite some platforms with its "experience" operating system. Nowadays Windows XP can be found on desktops, tablet PCs, media centers, Itanium, x86-64 and even on servers in the form of Windows 2003 server.
With 17 million copies sold within the first two months and 100 million copies currently active legally Windows XP takes a huge marketshare. It is even said that there are five times as much copies active when including illegal installations.
Vista will have a hard time equaling XP, we'll see five years from now.

Source: Tweakers.net

AMD today announced the completion of its approximately $5.4 billion acquisition of ATI Technologies Inc. Combining the complementary strengths of the two technology leaders, the new AMD opens for business as a processing powerhouse committed to driving innovation, choice and growth in the technology industry. With approximately 15,000 employees, the company merges AMD's technology leadership in microprocessors together with ATI's leadership in graphics, chipsets and consumer electronics.

Phantom Entertainment announced today that Alienware Media Center PCs and its PC gear product line will be equiped with the Phantom Wireless Lapboard and Phantom Wireless Laser Mouse. The Phantom Wireless Lapboard and Phantom Wireless Laser Mouse are a combination wireless keyboard, laser mouse and hard surface that enables users to work or play games from a couch, easy chair or any comfortable setting in the home or workplace. The Lapboard includes wireless technology, ergonomic design, one-touch features, and a wireless high definition 1200 dpi laser mouse. The Lapboard's innovative design features a keyboard that rotates 360 degrees to accommodate left- or right-handed users and inclines on a 22-degree angle with a hard surface below for the Phantom Wireless Laser Mouse. The Phantom Lapboard's interchangeable key-face technology is designed for game-specific and business software applications on PC and Apple Mac platforms.

Source: PR Newswire

Noctua expands its range of premium quality fans with the NF-R8 80mm fan. Like the NF-S12, the NF-R8 employs a novel rotor developed by the Austrian Institute for Heat-Transmission and Fan Technology. Thanks to the special optimisation of the blade geometry towards ultra low noise application and Noctua's magnetically centred, self lubricating oil-pressure bearing (SSO bearing), the NF-R8 is up to 10% quieter than other high-end fans at the same flow rate. Running at 1800rpm, the NF-R8 provides a flow rate of 53m³/h at a noise level of only 17dB(A). Using the supplied Ultra-Low-Noise adaptor, the noise level can be reduced below 7dB(A). The NF-R8 has a MTBF of over 150.000h and comes with 6 years warranty. The NF-R8 fans will be available by November. The recommended retail price is EUR 14.90 /USD 18.90.

Source: Noctua

Microsoft has released the final version of its Windows Defender anti-spyware utility. Windows Defender is a product of the Microsoft acquisition of GIANT Software. Previously known as Windows AntiSpyware, after a two years beta period it's now available for Windows XP and Windows Server 2003 under the name Windows Defender. Windows Defender incorporates Real-Time Protection to monitor systems for spyware activity, automated spyware removal with scheduled scans, full integration with Internet Explorer 7.0 and automatic spyware definition updates from Microsoft. Windows Defender is available freely to all customers running a genuine copy of Windows. Microsoft has also announced that customers will each be allowed to report two support incidents for free with Windows XP and Windows Server 2003.

Source: DailyTech

Super Talent Technology, today announced a 16GB solid state disk (SSD) that is fully compatible with industry standard 1.8" notebook IDE drives. Super Talent SSD's employ an industry standard 44-pin IDE connector that is pin compatible with laptop IDE drives. Moreover, they have the same physical dimensions as standard 1.8" IDE laptop drives, making them an easy drop-in replacement for a conventional hard drive. Super Talent offers these flash drives in 4GB, 8GB and 16GB capacities with typical 17MB/sec data transfer speeds. These products are available in industrial temperature range and with aluminum casing for greatest durability; or commercial temperature range and plastic casing for lowest cost and lightest weight. All six products have already been validated in leading laptop computers, and will be available this month from Super Talent.

Source: Super Talent

The specifications of the upcoming Asus EN8800GTX graphics card have been posted online to give a pretty good idea what Nvidia's upcoming GeForce 8800 GTX chip also known as G80 will offer, including DirectX 10, Shader Model 4.0 support and Nvidia's Quantum Effects Technology. The EN8800GTX is a two-slot card that requires a pair of extra power feeds. The report claims the card's 8800 GTX chip is clocked to 575MHz while the 768MB of GDDR 3 memory runs at 900MHz (1.8GHz effective). The memory connects across a 384-bit bus. The board has s-video output and 2x dual-link DVI ports. There's no HDMI port, but the board is HDCP compliant. Suggested prices are around $540 for the 768MB GTX board and $410 for the 640MB EN8800GTS version. Nvidia is expected to announce officially its G80 chip in mid-November.

Source: Reg Hardware

Among the most notable changes are the price cuts to budget CPU's like the Celeron D series. Intel's Celeron D's should be cut by anywhere between eight and twenty two percent. The Celeron M's also got major price cuts, with the Celeron M 440 and 450 - clocked at 1.86GHz and 2GHz, respectively. The 440's price was cut by 36 per cent and the 450 was cut by 20 per cent, respectively. The Core Duo L2400 is getting a ten percent price cut, the Pentium 915 will be cut by 15%, and the Pentium 820 will be cut by 18%.

Source: The Register

Anyone wondering why demos for recent games such as Battlefield 2142 aren't working need look no farther then their version of DirectX. People using a version earlier then the October 2006 version may have lots of problems with the game, and the game might not even run. As more and more games require the latest version of DirectX, it's probably a good idea to upgrade. You can grab the latest copy here.

Source: TheINQ

Mozilla has deemed its next generation browser ready for the general public, like Microsoft did with IE7 just days ago. You can get a copy for yourself here. There are several new features in Firefox 2, such as a close button on each tab, a nicer user interface, general security tweaks, spell checking, and the ability to resume a session closed by accident. A representative from Mozilla says "The key focus in Firefox 2 is making sure that what we are focusing on is tightness and efficiency--with the ability of turning that browser into exactly what one needs, focusing on security, stability and speed." You can read the full release notes here.

Source: CNET

SGI announced yesterday that it has filed a patent infringement lawsuit against ATI Technologies Inc. in U.S. District Court - Western District of Wisconsin. In its Complaint filed yesterday, SGI asserts that products in ATI's line of Radeon graphics processors infringe U.S. Patent No. 6,650,327. The Complaint seeks unspecified damages and a Court Ordered injunction against future infringement by ATI. "The Company's technology covered by the '327 patent is an important resource in achieving enhanced graphics processing demanded by today's computer systems," said Dennis McKenna, CEO of SGI. "SGI has licensed this technology to ATI's major competitors and, as I have previously been stating publicly, SGI intends to aggressively protect and enforce its IP. This is the first visible step in that process."

Source: SGI

The new NEC MultiSync GX²Pro models offer considerable performance benefits over the extremely successful GX² series. The 17" NEC MultiSync 70GX²Pro, 19" NEC MultiSync 90GX²Pro, and widescreen 20" NEC MultiSync 20WGX²Pro, have been specifically designed for the discerning game player and design-conscious home user. Improved response times of 2 ms (grey-to-grey) and an optimised contrast ratio make these LCD displays ideally suited for all entertainment and video applications whilst offering excellent word-processing and spreadsheet capability. The 17" and 19" models offer 1280x1024 (SXGA) resolution while the 20" MultiSync 20WGX2Pro widescreen model offers 35% more visible image with a recommended resolution of 1680x1050 (WSXGA+).

Apple has updated the entire MacBook Pro line of notebooks, which now supports the new Intel Core 2 Duo processor and delivers performance that is up to 39 percent faster than the previous generation. All MacBook Pro models now offer greater storage capacity up to 200GB and double the memory up to 3GB of 667MHz DDR2. And now every MacBook Pro boasts both a FireWire 800 port and a double-layer burning SuperDrive. Both MacBook Pros feature an ATI Mobility Radeon X1600 mobile GPU (128MB on the 2.16GHz models, 256MB on the 2.33GHz models), AirPort Extreme, Bluetooth 2.0+EDR, GbE, ExpressCard/34 slot, illuminated keyboard, integrated iSight camera, Front Row and Apple Remote and a MagSafe power connector. Apple MacBook Pro with a 2.16GHz or 2.33GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor and 15- or 17-inch is available now starting at $1999.

Source: Apple, DailyTech

Hong Kong, October 24th of 2006 - Lik-Sang.com, the popular gaming retailer from Hong Kong, has today announced that it is forced to close down due to multiple legal actions brought against it by Sony Computer Entertainment Europe Limited and Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. Sony claimed that Lik-Sang infringed its trade marks, copyright and registered design rights by selling Sony PSP consoles from Asia to European customers, and have recently obtained a judgment in the High Court of London (England) rendering Lik-Sang's sales of PSP consoles unlawful.

The famous small form factor(SFF) system developer and manufacturer, AOpen Inc, is now adding XC Cube EZ945 as a new member to XC Cube series. XC Cube EZ945 supports the latest Intel Core 2 Duo(Conroe) CPU within its compact size. It is also fully compatible with Microsoft's Windows Vista 64bit operation system. XC Cube EZ945 adapts all socket LGA775 Intel processors, from the Core 2 Duo(Conroe)/Core 2 Extreme to Pentium D/Pentium 4/Celeron D CPUs, allowing users to select CPU according to budget and performance requirement. Besides, the Intel i945G chipset of XC Cube EZ945 provides 1066MHz FSB and DDR II 533/667MHz RAM up to 4GB. The XC Cube is equipped with 275 Watt power supply unit which is enough for all mid/high end graphic cards and other add-on cards. It also has built-in Gigabit LAN connection, 4xSATA2 connectors, 8xUSB 2.0 ports, 3xIEEE1394 ports, one PCI-E x16, one PCI slot and 7.1ch surround sound output.

Source: AOpen

Unfortunately, the very highly anticipated expansion pack for World of Warcraft named Burning Crusade will not make it for Christmas this year. Fans will have to hold back until January 2007.

The date has been postponed as Blizzard wishes to conduct a closed beta test during the Christmas period.

Mike Morhaime, president of Blizzard Entertainment made this statement:

"We appreciate the enthusiasm surrounding World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade, and we're excited about putting the finishing touches on all of the new content. We feel confident that the extra time spent polishing the game will result in the high-quality experience that our players expect and deserve."

Source: Bit-tech

Google today has announced their Custom Search Engine. This will let you choose which pages you wish to include in your search, how to prioritize the searched pages; also alter the search interface, and many more options.

You must have a Google (Gmail) Account in order to create your own search engine.

Marissa Mayer, Vice President of Search Products and User Experience - that's VPSPUE for short - said in a statement that: "Everyone - businesses, organisations, moms, dads, teenagers and teachers can harness the power of Google technology to create a personalised search experience."

In order to get started on your custom Google experience, click here.

Source: The Inq

Hitachi Global Storage Technologies (Hitachi) today announced worldwide availability of its Deskstar T7K500, Deskstar 7K160 and CinemaStar hard disk drives (HDDs). Delivering on the company's strategy to expand its participation in the 3.5-inch hard drive segment as announced in April of this year, the new lines of 3.5-inch products target expanded application areas across high-capacity consumer and commercial PCs, gaming systems and digital video recorders. The new Deskstar and CinemaStar hard drives use 160GB+ per platter technology to deliver up to a half terabyte (TB) of storage capacity. The hard drives feature 7,200 RPM spin speeds and 3.0Gb/s Serial-ATA (SATA) interfaces to deliver maximum performance.

Dell today announced two PowerEdge servers featuring AMD Opteron processors as part of Dell's commitment to leadership in price-performance, performance per watt and reducing complexity in customers' server environments. The company unveiled the PowerEdge 6950 and PowerEdge SC1435 along with the integration of Dell OpenManage and Oracle Enterprise Manager at a press conference at Oracle Open World.

ATI previously released its 80nm RV570 Radeon X1950 Pro mid-range graphics card catered towards the $199 MSRP market. Joining the Radeon X1950 Pro will be a second 80nm product known as RV560. The RV560 Radeon X1650XT is expected to launch next week with a core clock 575 MHz unlike the previously reported 450 MHz. Radeon X1650XT graphics cards will feature 256MB of GDDR3 clocked at 675 MHz on a 128-bit memory interface. The Radeon X1650XT is expected to have 24 pixel-shaders, 12 pipelines and 8 vertex shaders. Similar to the Radeon X1950 Pro, the X1650XT will also feature an internal connection for CrossFire. There will be a variety of output configurations for Radeon X1650XT cards. These output configurations include dual dual-link DVI and S-Video, dual single-link DVI and S-Video and lastly dual-link DVI, VGA and S-Video. HDCP will be enabled on Radeon X1650XT graphics cards as well. It's also theoretically possible to integrate an HDMI output, though that will be up to the graphics card manufacturers. Radeon X1650XT is expected to launch next week with an MSRP of $149 to take on NVIDIA's 7600GT.

Source: DailyTech

Super Talent Technology, a leading manufacturer of memory modules and flash products, today announced a 16GB solid state disk (SSD) that is fully compatible with industry standard 1.8" notebook IDE drives.

Charles Chang, Intel's supplier Manager, said during IDF Fall 06 that the company has received DDR3 samples from different manufacturers, and they are working fine on Intel Bearlake based platform. DDR3 is scheduled for mass production in Q107. However, Chalres Chang said the company estimates that DDR3 would become main technology in 2009. According to information from Samsung Electronics Corporation, DDR3 is going to be 25% faster than DDR2 modules. DDR3 will also double the bandwidth over DDR2.

Source: HKEPC

HP will ship its first 18x internal DVD writer manufactured by Lite-on IT next month. Dubbed HPdvd940i, the drive can handle all the major DVD/DVD-RAM and CD recordable and rewriteable formats. It can also work with dual-layer media. Other features include LightScribe support and up to 18x writing speeds. The HPdvd940i is due to ship in November.

Source: The Register

IBM announced on Monday that it hit Amazon.com with two lawsuits that seek unspecified damages. For four years, IBM attempted to clear up the matter before it decided to sue. IBM alleges that Amazon.com knowingly exploits its intellectual property by infringing on several patents that cover, among other things: the presentation of applications in an interactive service; the storage of data in an interactive network; the presentation of advertising in an interactive service; and the ordering of items from an electronic catalog. IBM filed the lawsuits separately in two district courts for the Eastern District of Texas, one in the Tyler Division and the other in the Lufkin Division. IBM first notified Amazon.com about the alleged infringement in September 2002, but Amazon.com hasn't wanted to engage in "meaningful discussions," IBM said.

Source: InfoWorld

Crucial Technology today unveiled a sleek new Crucial Ballistix and Ballistix Tracer memory module redesign. A perfect blend of style and substance, the new Crucial heat spreaders feature a diamond-cut silver edge pattern complementing the classic Ballistix and Ballistix Tracer gold and black color palette. Additionally, smaller clips provide an enhanced logo surface. "PC modders and gaming enthusiasts will be excited about our Crucial Ballistix and Ballistix Tracer module redesign," said Rus Miller, Crucial's Marketing Director. "The result of our efforts is a clean new look and feel that will look great in any PC, without sacrificing the performance end users have grown accustomed to receiving from Crucial." The new design is available on all DDR2 Ballistix and Ballistix Tracer memory modules.

Source: VR-Zone

Analog Devices, Inc. (ADI), and Sonic Focus, Inc., announced today that ADI's industry-standard SoundMAX integrated motherboard audio will now include Sonic Focus Adaptive Dynamics technology. Together with the SoundMAX codec, Sonic Focus technology enhances the clarity, brilliance, depth and warmth of all audio playback, from MP3 files to DVD audio, for both stereo and multi-speaker systems. In addition, this pioneering technology can restore information that is lost when MP3 and other compressed files are created, greatly improving their fidelity. By pairing their technologies, the companies will make it possible for desktop, notebook, and entertainment PC OEMs (original equipment manufacturers) and ODMs (original design manufacturers) to offer consumers the best PC audio experience possible.

Prices below are subject to change without notice. This listing reflects pricing for direct AMD customers in 1000-unit tray quantities, except when designated as PIB quantities. Click here for the full list of price cuts.


Source: VR-Zone

In order to lower the Allendale production costs, Intel will release native 2MB L2 Conroe in February 2007. Similarly, Merom will also get native 2MB L2 cache version at the time of Santa Rosa release. The existing Intel Core 2 Duo and Xeon 3000 are actually native 4MB L2 processors. Although they have 2MB L2 and 4MB L2 versions, Allendales(2MB L2) are made by only disabling half of the L2 Cache. CPUs to have native 2MB L2 include Core 2 Duo E6300 (1.86GHz), E6400 (2.13GHz), Xeon 3040 (1.86GHz) and Xeon 3050 (2.13GHz). Their steppping will be changed from B2 to L2m, as well as the CPUID from 6F6 to 6F2. Only a BIOS update will be needed to recognize the CPUs properly, when they come.

Source: HKEPC

This week at the 2006 Korea Electronics Show, Samsung showed off a 17-inch AMOLED that was only 12mm thick. Being one of the thinnest in the world, the display is based on organic LED technology and produces brightness and image quality to LCD displays available today. This display is able to run at 1600x1200 resolution, which may be a bit too much for a 17-inch, but it's great to know that the technology allows high resolutions. Performance for the new AMOLED screen also appears to be excellent. Pixel response time is rated at an extremely fast 0.01ms. The screen has a constrat ratio of 1000:1 and a brightness rating at 400cd/m2. Viewing angels are also great: >170 degrees. One of the current limitations appear to be the color support of the screen, supporting only 262K colors instead of the millions of colors of today's LCDs. The other issue is that most consumers expect screens to be produced in a 16:9 or 16:10 aspect ratio these days. The 4:3 aspect ratio is definitely on the way out.

Source: DailyTech

The USA's largest ISP has been free since August 2nd, 2006. Unfortunately for AOL users, or more specificially anyone who wants to contact them, all of that's about to change. In an effort to cut down spam and phishing scams, AOL has installed a service from "Goodmail", which theoretically allows only good mail through. However, to be considered "good" to the server, E-mail has to be given an encrypted seal of approval. Once this service is installed, users of AOL and AIM mail will be able to send messages, but in order for someone to reply, they have to pay Goodmail a fee.

Source: TheINQ

NVIDIA has told all its partners that it will not allow for factory overclocking of it's cards. NVIDIA wants vendors to stick to the core and memory clocks that it sets, to prevent fiascos like what happened to the 7900GT. Overclocked editions of the card caused a very high return rate of the cards, and NVIDIA just does not want that to happen again.

Source: TheINQ

Amazon UK has a nice Christmas present: A network based malware blocker. Plugging this cube into your network will automatically eliminate annoying spam, such as ads for drugs. While it currently only filters E-mail, there are future firmware upgrades in the works that should offer effective anti-virus and anti-phishing protection. The 11.5 x 11.5cm cube will cost £99, which covers the hardware and automatic updates.

Source: The Register

When companies and multiple organizations, like the European Commission, complained that Windows Vista violated anti-trust agreements, Microsoft listened and patched Windows Vista 32 bit. Unfortunately, the patching for 64-bit Vista would be much trickier. The problem that companies have with Vista is the lack of access to the core of the operating system at the kernel level. A recent patch for the "black hat" hack completely shut off kernel level access to the core in an attempt to prevent unsigned drivers from being installed. Analysts at Gartner say that changing the kernel of Windows Vista may have a "ripple effect", necessitating a complete rewrite of Vista x64 and a retest of all programs for compatibility with it.

Source: CNET

The first version of the device, shown back in August, may not have looked pretty, but it certainly came loaded with features. The personal video recorder has a 30GB hard drive for music, video, and pictures. It also has a 4.3" LCD screen, and can record directly from a television. Archos has added wireless internet to the latest model, the PMP 604. Wireless access allows for users to see anything stored on their network, surf the web, and download new music, videos, or photos. Archos promises support for things like podcasts, music stores, and internet radio in a firmware update before Christmas.

Source: The Register

The latest version of Windows Internet Explorer, which was released just earlier this week, may have found it's first problem. Secunia claims that an error in the way IE7 handles mhtml files can allow a hacker to watch what IE7 users do online. Secunia has published the threat here. Microsoft claims that this flaw is purely in Microsoft Outlook, and a private firm has found that the vulnerability lies in the MSXML ActiveX component of Internet Explorer. This means that the flaw is really in Outlook Express, but can be exploited in IE6 and 7.

Source: The Register

NVIDIA is selling tons of G80's, not to e-tailers, but to NVIDIA's partners such as EVGA. Because they know the G80 will be the only DirectX 10 GPU on the market until 2007, they are making sure to have plenty of G80's for November 7th. Chances are that the first batch of G80's will ship very fast, and like the 7800 series, will be very hard to get the first several weeks after launch.

Source: TheINQ

Intel Corp., the world's largest maker of x86 central processing units, said that the first 45nm microprocessor's design will be completed this quarter and the commercial shipments of such chips will begin in the second half of next year. "Our factories have been executing extremely well with over 40 million 65nm processors now shipped and a crossover from 90nm now achieved. Our 45nm process development is on track for the second half of 2007 and we plan to tape out the first of fifteen 45nm processors this quarter," said Paul Otellini, Intel's chief executive during the discussion of the company's financial results for the third quarter of fiscal 2006. Intel said that products, which code-names are presumably Wolfdale(for desktops), Penryn(for laptops), Yorkfield/Bloomfield as well as server chips, made using 45nm process technology will first appear in 2007 and will benefit a variety of applications, including those involving graphics, video encoding and processing, 3D imaging, gaming, web servers and application servers. The new chips will be based on the Core 2 micro-architecture. In addition to 45nm dual-core chips in 2007, there are rumours about single-die quad-core chip made using 45nm process technology in the Q3 2007.

Source: X-bit

Back in August, Polish researcher Joanna Rutkowska found a way to hack Microsoft Windows Vista. Joanna was able to bypass security measures on Windows Vista x64, which allowed her to install unsigned driver code. When Windows Vista RC2 was released, Joanna discovered she could no longer perform the hack. However, in the process of patching the flaw, Microsoft might have created some serious problems. Microsoft fixed the reported flaw by blocking write-access to raw disk sectors for applications that run in user-mode. This creates trouble for users trying run simple programs like disk editors, defragmenters, and recovery tools. Applications like that will now need signed kernel level drivers. And even with the flaw patched, it is still possible for a hacker to sneak malicious code onto legitimate and signed drivers. During the black hat presentation by Joanna, which was attended by several Microsoft employees, she pointed out two possible fixes for the flaw, neither of which Microsoft decided to use.

Source: CNET

There have long been rumors about a Halo movie, and there have been long-standing plans for one. Unfortunately, a Halo movie is expected to cost around $145 million. The Halo movie was expected to be co-developed by Universal and Fox studios under producers Peter Jackson and Fran Walsh, but that fell apart after both studios wanted to "significantly reduce their deals". A Microsoft representative says...

---

We are disappointed that Universal wanted to significantly renegotiate the financial points of the deal. But the 'Halo' franchise is hugely popular and our goal remains the same--to find a partner that shares our passion and will creatively collaborate with us to best represent the story and spirit of the 'Halo' franchise.

---

Microsoft is already looking for other partners, and plans on getting $5 million upfront and 10 percent of the gross for the rights to the game.

Source: CNET

Sony has recently hosted a press conference in San Fransisco to show off it's brand new PS3, due for release on November 17th in the USA. There were two floors filled almost to the brim with PS3's and high-definition televisions, And CNET's Daniel Terdiman was lucky enough to see them all. There were around 200 to 300 reporters, analysts and video game industry professionals at the day long event. After spending an hour going over the games available at launch, the people attending the press event were able to test-drive the PS3's.

Sony's long-awaited PlayStation 3 will be released with a total of 22 games. Despite the rumors of PS3 being really hard to program for, Sony has managed to get developer from all major game makers, such as Electronic Arts. "Madden NFL '07" and the skateboarding favorite "Tony Hawk's Project 8" will be available at launch. Like the Xbox360, games will be priced at $59.99 each, and a wireless controller costing $49.99 will also be available at launch. It will have a 20-meter range and 30 hours of battery life, as well as motion sensors.

Source: CNET

The first X-Craft series has not been out very long, but Cooler Master has started working on a new all aluminum enclosure which offers tool free installation through a door. This one will be a SATA enclosure and feature USB to connect to the PC. No details about price or availabilty have been given.

Intel will upgrade its Centrino technology to Centrino Pro, with the launch to come with the availability of Microsoft Windows Vista OS. Similar to the chip giant's marketing investment in Centrino, a total of US$300 million will be injected into Intel's worldwide sales promotion of Centrino Pro. Recognized as the Santa Rosa platform, Centrino Pro technology will be built around the 64-bit dual-core Merom core. In the second quarter of 2007, Intel will launch its new Core 2 Duo (Merom) CPU lineup, which includes the T7300, T7500 and T7700 models, featuring Socket P connector, 800MHz FSB and 4MB L2 cache, as well as the T7100 with 2MB of L2 cache. Simultaneously, Intel's GM965/PM965 chipsets and 82566MM Gigabit Network/Wireless WiFi Link 4965AGN network chips, which all support Intel Active Management Technology (Intel AMT) and Intel Virtualization Technology (Intel VT), will be announced to complete the Santa Rosa platform.

Source: DigiTimes

Samsung Electronics has announced that it has developed the industry's first 50nm DDR2 DRAM chip, which will increase production efficiency from the 60nm level by 55%. The new 1Gbit DRAM incorporates advanced technologies such as three-dimensional (3D) transistor design and multi-layered dielectric technology, which greatly enhance performance and data storage capabilities, according to Samsung. According to Samsung, key to the production efficiencies in the newly developed 50nm process is the use of a selective epitaxial growth transistor (SEG Tr). The 3D transistor has a broader electron channel that optimizes the speed of each chip's electrons to reduce power consumption and enable higher performance. Samsung's new 50nm process technology can be applied to a broad range of DRAM chips including graphics and mobile DRAM. With mass production slated for 2008, the 50nm DRAM chip is well positioned to become the mainstay of a DRAM market that is expected to account for US$55 billion by 2011, Samsung said.

Source: DigiTimes

Asus Technology Pte Ltd. (ASUS), the worldwide leader of motherboards is proud to introduce the P5B-E Plus motherboard, which uses all high-quality conductive polymer capacitors onboard for durability, improved lifespan, and enhanced thermal capacity. ASUS P5B-E Plus is also equiped with the Stack Cool 2 unique technology, which effectively transfers heat generated by the critical components to the other side of the specially designed PCB for fast heat dissipation and quiet operation.

Source: VR-Zone

Logitech International today announced that it has acquired Slim Devices, Inc., a pioneer in the development of music systems that take advantage of a home network. Products from Slim Devices, such as the acclaimed Squeezebox and the recently announced Transporter, enable people to enjoy high-quality digital music, in multiple rooms of the home, regardless of whether the music is streaming directly from the Internet, or from a PC, Mac, or storage device on the network. Logitech purchased the privately held Slim Devices of Mountain View, Calif. for $20 million in cash plus a possible performance-based payment, tied to reaching certain future revenue targets.

Everyone knows about the Optimus keyboard and the Optimus Mini Three. Art Lebedev Studio has now unveiled their newest strike of genius - the Optimus Upravlator. Keeping with the theme of LCD buttons you actually get 12 of them this time. There are a lot of possible uses for this. The monitor behind the buttons is 10.4 inches large and features a resolution of 640x480. Each button is "4-way" with a fifth center button. The unit should be available in Q2 2007.

Source: Art. Lebedev Studio

Lik-Sang is the place to go if you are looking for exotic console hardware not yet available in Europe. They were one of the first to sell Nintendo DS to Europeans before it was released. Sony sued Lik-Sang because it sold imported PSPs to European customers before the EU release, claiming it a breach of intellectual property rights. Sony now walked away in victory as a britsh court agreed. It is obvious that Sony is hard at work, trying to stop grey market importers from selling anything, but especially the Play Station 3, where it should not be available.

Source: Gameindustries.biz

Everyone was wondering why Microsoft included a mere 20GB hard drive with the Xbox Premium or as a pricey upgrade to the basic variant. I do not know if they listen to the complains of the users, or planned to do this all along, forcing users to pay up once more, but Microsoft is planning the release of a 100GB hard drive for the Xbox 360. Interestingly enough, the drive will be released to the korean market during the first quarter of 2007. This is a good move as the Play Station 3 comes with up to 60GB of storage. No word on pricing or availability to North America.

Source: DailyTech

Anyone waiting for the next Windows XP service pack, will have to wait quite long for it. The update was planned for the second half of this year at first, then was pushed back one year to H2 of 2007 and now appears to have been pushed back another year on top of that. No reason was given, but as I like to say (again) - another reason to jump the Vista bandwagon.

Source: DailyTech

LOVELAND, Colorado - 17 October 2006 - Terra Soft is proud to announce Yellow Dog Linux v5.0 for PLAYSTATION®3 from Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. (SCEI).

Yellow Dog Linux v5.0, Terra Soft's next generation Linux operating system for Power will support PLAYSTATION 3, providing an end-user experience far surpassing previous versions. Through an aggressive, rapid co-development project conducted by Carsten Haitzler and the Enlightenment development team, Yellow Dog Linux v5.0, built upon Fedora Core 5, now integrates the next generation "E17" desktop in order to provide an unprecedented level of function and interface aesthetic. Designed for users of all ages and all levels of experience, Yellow Dog Linux v5.0 is Terra Soft's most advanced distribution to date.

Imagine NVIDIA becoming the 3rd large player in the CPU market. While firms like VIA do own a small marketshare, the big chunks are under firm grip of AMD and Intel. This all may change in 2008 when NVIDIA plans to release its own combined CPU/GPU processor. The chip will be a 45nm part and NVIDIA has got the just hired people from Stexar, known for its work on X68 architecture.

Source: TheINQ

While it may not mean much, the benchmark does give us an idea how fast a card is and the Geforce 8800GTX is suppose to come in just under 12,000 3DMark06 points. A driver update just around christmas is suppose to let it break the 12,000 point barrier. This will most likely be less than the R600 will score. But I am sure many users will manage to squeeze much more out of it.

Source: TheINQ

Intel announced that the company would include 1GB of flash memory integrated into its upcoming mobile chipsets. The technology, dubbed Robson, is part of the Santa Rosa Centrino platform, expected to launch in the second quarter of 2007. This inclusion of 1GB of NAND memory is actually the first phase of Robson. Soon after launch, vendors will also have the option to include 512MB instead of 1GB modules, as a cost-down alternative. Both the 1GB and 512MB modules are integrated into the Crestline chipset that makes up the core of the Santa Rosa platform. Windows Vista is heavily reliant on the ability to use flash memory to cache files with Superfetch. Rather than reading files off the hard drive, Superfetch occasionally writes the files to an available NAND device. Vista will then pool the NAND device for the files, rather than power-up the hard drive. Since the flash memory is integrated right onto the motherboard, the system can read the memory considerably faster than the hard drive while getting a nice power-saving benefit as well. Intel is also planning a desktop version of Robson, currently dubbed Snowgrass. NAND and hybrid technology are currently slated as a requirement for Windows Vista Premium logo certification in 2007.

Source: DailyTech

Havok announced today that Autodesk, Inc. has upgraded the latest version of its world-renowned 3D modelling, animation and rendering software, Autodesk 3ds Max 9. As in previous versions, Havok's market-leading, real-time physics technology is specifically adapted for use by Autodesk within 3ds Max 9. The software's 64-bit architecture makes it easier to work with the massive datasets required for next-generation digital content creation. The upgrade of Havok Physics in 3ds Max 9 means that greater numbers of interacting objects can be simulated in real time, helping digital artists manage the increasing complexity of 3D datasets characteristic of next-generation game, film, broadcast and design development.

The release notes can be found here, and you can download the final version for yourself here. IE7 will only work if you are running Windows XP or Server 2003. Among the main changes is a shinier interface, the addition of tabs, and the ability to place add-ons in. You can see a list of the add-ons here.

Source: Microsoft

ARDEN CITY, NY - October 18 - VidaBox LLC, an innovator of media center systems, announced today the world's first dual HD-DVD & Blu-Ray Media Center lines. The Dual HD upgrade allows the rack-mountable, premium LUX™ and MAX™ systems to play both high definition disc formats.

Everyone has heard that linux and Mac almost never get viruses, and are nearly invulnerable to hackers. Anyone running FreeBSD, Solaris, and other linux distribution copies with NVIDIA graphics cards are alot more likely to get hacked. A buffer overflow bug in Nvidia Driver For Linux v8774 and v8762 allows a hacker to replace critical operating system files. This can allow a hacker remote or direct access to the system. NVIDIA has a two solutions to this problem. Before NVIDIA has a main patch, they reccomend that everyone running the flawed drivers switch to the open source versions, which are not affected. The open source drivers lack support for hardware acceleration, however. NVIDIA also has a beta driver here for anyone affected.

Source: The Register

Something that has long been an advantage of PC gaming, the ability to play a game over a network, has become an advantage for consoles. Microsoft was the first company to successfully implement an online gaming service, and heavily marketed it's Xbox Live. With only a month away from the release of PS3, Sony has decided it is time to start its own online gaming service. Unlike Xbox Live, which costs $50 a year for all features, Sony's plan will be free. It also allows game manufacturers to host their own games, instead of forcing all games to be routed to some master server. Sony also has promised that PS3's can connect to each other through the games network, something Xbox Live has never done. Sony will also start a second online community, mainly for E-commerce.

Source: CNET

A while ago, EA told everyone how they could keep prices down by putting in-game advertising in their games. When the advertisements are subtle, with things such as billboards, then there is really no issue. However, BattleField 2142 takes in-game advertising to the next level. EA notifies anyone who bought the full retail version of their latest game on the package that "When you use the software while connected to the Internet, the advertising technology may record your IP address and other anonymous information." This means that the advertising delivers in game advertising according to your tastes, not unlike spyware.

Source: TheINQ

Advanced Micro Devices' new platform for enthusiasts called 4x4 is not listed among the products due to be out in 2006, according to the company's roadmap document dated September, 27. Nevertheless, the company says that the new 4x4 platform for gamers will be available in November this year. "4x4 will be shipping in November," said Bubba Walford in a short interview with X-bit labs. Mr. Walford did not elaborate whether AMD's new models FX-70, FX-72 and FX-74 will be available next month. The new AMD Athlon 64 FX-70 (2.60GHz, 2MB L2 cache [1MB per core]), FX-72 (2.80GHz, 2MB L2 cache [1MB per core]) and FX-74 (3.00GHz, 2MB L2 cache [1MB per core]) microprocessors designed to work in pairs will be compatible with socket F infrastructure, a 1207-pin land grid array (LGA) form-factor. It is unclear whether the new AMD Athlon 64 FX processors need registered DDR2 memory modules, which cost more than typical DDR2 components and which are somewhat slower, but it is highly-likely that this will be a requirement. Even though AMD's 4x4 platform may be significantly more expensive and power hungry than Intel Core 2 Extreme-based offerings with two or four cores, AMD may be able to offer significantly increased performance in many cases because of relatively high clock-speeds of its new FX-series central processing units. As a result, AMD 4x4 may address users who demand absolutely highest performance at any cost, leaving the market of more balanced systems to the rival.

Source: X-bit labs

Intel's first quad-core desktop processor, the Core 2 Extreme QX6700, which is scheduled to be released next month, will sell for US$999 in 1,000-unit quantities, according to Intel's latest roadmap. The Core 2 Quad Q6600 processor will be available in January 2007 at US$851. As prices for both the QX6700 and Q6600 are too high, it will prevent the quad-core CPUs from gaining popularity. According to Intel's roadmap, quad-core processors will only account for 3% of the company's total desktop CPU shipments within one year following the launch. Prices of quad-core CPUs may start declining in the third quarter of 2007 when Intel is expected to launch its next-generation quad-core processors, codenamed Yorkfield.

Source: DigiTimes

Corsair, today launched a new line of microSD removable flash memory cards to further expand the company's award-winning line of flash products. Available immediately in capacities up to 2GB - the largest capacity available in the world's smallest flash memory card - the high capacity is essential to users who store music, pictures, watch video and use downloadable ring tones and address books. The 2GB Corsair microSD cards will hold up to 500 MP3 songs or approximately 4000 2megapixel photos. Based on the latest flash memory technology, each microSD card measures one-forth the size of a standard Secure Digital (SD) card. Available in 512MB, 1GB and 2GB capacities, the microSD cards are designed for the latest generation of mobile phones and devices that take advantage of the card's high performance and expanded storage. Each microSD card is bundled with a standard SD adaptor to add usage flexibility. With the SD adaptor, each microSD card can be used as a full size SD card utilized in a variety of camera and cell phones. Availabe immediately through Corsair's worldwide authorized distributors, resellers, retailers and e-tailers, the 2GB Corsair microSD retails for US$89.99. All Corsair microSD removable flash cards are backed with a lifetime warranty and free technical support.

Source: Corsair

TUL Corporation, a leading provider of graphic cards, today announced the PowerColor X1950 PRO 256/512MB with ARCTIC COOLING. The X1950 PRO features the first-ever GPU manufactured at 80nm fabrication process and to feature the new CrossFireTM Bridge Interconnect. PowerColor has also included the excellent ARCTIC COOLING Accelero X2 .


"Gamers have longed for a graphics card that runs graphic-intensive games with quiet cooling at a reasonable price. We are able to deliver this with the PowerColor X1950 PRO." says Ted Chen, CEO of TUL Corporation. "We are also very please with the fact that WCG is using this model for the Finals in Italy."

"We are pleased to have found a partner to bundle our silent coolers with high performance graphic cards. Both fans of ARCTIC COOLING and PowerColor are sure to be excited." says Magnus Huber, Managing Director R&D of ARCTIC COOLING.

Bearlake is Intel's upcoming replacement for the current Broadwater 96x series of chipsets and expected to arrive in 2007. Six variants of Bearlake are expected in the form of Bearlake-Q, Bearlake-QF, Bearlake-X, Bearlake-P, Bearlake-G+ and Bearlake-G. Intel's upcoming Bearlake series has been named the "3 Series." On the vPro side of things, Bearlake-Q and Bearlake-QF have been named Intel Q35 and Q33 Express respectively. Consumer high end chipsets Bearlake-X and Bearlake-P will receive the Intel X38 and P35 Express names respectively while mainstream Bearlake-G+ and Bearlake-G receive the Intel G35 and G33 names. Intel's upcoming X38 Express chipset is expected to replace the current Intel 975X Express chipset. The X38 Express brings new features such as PCI Express 2.0 compatibility as well as two full speed PCI Express x16 slots. DDR3 1333 will be the memory standard of choice. On the premium and mainstream side of things is Intel's G33, G35 and P35 Express chipsets. Intel's upcoming G33 Express chipset will feature a graphics core that features Intel Clear Video Technology. Memory support on G33 Express will be limited to DDR3-1066 or DDR2-800. Front-side bus speeds of 1333 MHz are supported with the mainstream G33 Express. Stepping up a notch is the G35 Express which features a DirectX 10 compatible graphics core. G35 Express will fully support high definition content playback with HDCP protection. DDR3-1066, DDR2-800 and a 1333 MHz front-side bus are also supported. Intel's P35 Express will be similar to G35 Express except with the integrated graphics core removed. Intel's X38, G33, G35 and P35 will be paired with upcoming ICH9, ICH9R and ICH9DH south bridges. Go to DaiyTech's news blog to learn more details.

Source: DailyTech

Futuremark Corporation today announced SimulationMark ES2.0, an innovative new approach to benchmarking. The benchmark allows mobile device chipmakers and manufacturers to test and compare simulated 3D graphics performance in OpenGL ES 2.0 chip designs prior to the fabrication of silicon based hardware implementations. SimulationMark ES2.0 will enable users to calculate reliable estimated performance data during the chip design phase comparing various graphics hardware architectures and application processor designs, while minimizing misuse and misinterpretation of those results. SimulationMark ES2.0 is the only benchmark product currently available that will allow for the evaluation of OpenGL ES 2.0 performance of pre-silicon chip designs. SimulationMark ES2.0 documentation, descriptions and all relevant information required to create the test suite will be available in October, 2006 via license to any interested mobile industry manufacturer, chipmaker or developer.

Source: Futuremark

OCZ Technology Group, a worldwide leader in innovative, ultra-high performance and high reliability memory, today announced the addition of PC2-6400 Gold Rev.2 GX DDR2 to the popular gaming oriented Gold XTC series. OCZ Technology now offers a complete line of gamer-grade XTC DDR2 solutions ranging from DDR2-533 to DDR2-1100 to pair perfectly with the latest high performance AMD and Intel based motherboards.

Intel's latest roadmap outlines plans for Conroe's 2007 refresh. The upcoming refresh of Intel's Core 2 Duo processor will arrive at the same time as the upcoming Bearlake 3 series of chipsets. This will be the first time Intel has updated its recently released Conroe architecture. Three new models will debut including the Core 2 Duo E6850, E6750 and E6650 clocked at 3 GHz, 2.66 GHz and 2.33 MHz respectively. These CPUs will come with 4MB shared L2 cache, 1333MHz Front Side Bus(FSB) and Intel Trusted Execution Technology. In addition to the refreshed Conroe Core 2 Duo lineup, Intel will release one more 1066 MHz front-side bus endowed Core 2 Duo product. The upcoming Core 2 Duo E6800 will arrive clocked at 2.93 GHz—similar to Intel's Core 2 Extreme X6800, but without unlocked multiplier. The processor is expected to be Intel's flagship processor for mainstream segments.

Source: DailyTech

LG.Philips LCD, a leading manufacturer of thin-film transistor liquid crystal display (TFT-LCD) technology, announced today that it will showcase its cutting-edge suite of TFT-LCD panels for HDTVs, desktop monitors, notebook PCs and mobile phones at booth #380 during FPD International 2006 in Yokohama, Japan. FPD International will be held at the Pacifico Yokohama from October 18 through 20 in Yokohama, Japan.

It seems like Intel is no stranger to outsourcing. While they did announce the slashing of over 10,500 jobs a few months ago, they have decided to hire workers in Israel. Israeli newspaper Ha'aretz claims that Intel will hire more then 1,500 workers, instead of cutting what should have been around 700 workers. The reasoning behind Intel hiring in Israel is unknown.

Source: Ha'aretz

Apple is warning its customers that any iPod made after September 12th could come with a virus called RavMonE. McAfee says the virus is a low risk profiled threat, meaning it won't do (too much) damage, but should still be removed ASAP, and is a bit famous. Apple has traced the virus to some of it's unnamed manufacturing plants that uses Windows machines. Fortunately, very few iPod's went through that plant, so very few iPod's are affected. When asked about this incident, Apple says "As you might imagine, we are upset at Windows for not being more hardy against such viruses, and even more upset with ourselves for not catching it." The iPod itself and Mac OS X are not affected by the virus.

Source: CNET

The driver, fully featured and including a control panel, is only recommended for people using Microsoft Windows Vista RC2 (build 5744) or later. Anyone who tries to install this on Vista RC1 or build version 5743 or earlier will get errors. Otherwise, NVIDIA is the first graphics card manufacturer to make WHQL drivers for Windows Vista RC2. The driver also enhances performance in DirectX9 applications as well as OpenGL. You can download the driver in 64-bit flavor or 32-bit flavor.

Source: TheINQ

Onepagebook has done it yet again - the first person to break the nine second barrier for 1M Super Pi.


Source: Xtreme Systems

Lake Forest, IL - ( October 16, 2006 )- BFG Technologies®, Inc., the leading North American and European NVIDIA supplier of advanced 3D graphics cards, motherboards, power supplies and other PC enthusiast products, announced today that the BFG 1000 Watt and BFG 800 Watt power supplies backed by BFG's famous lifetime warranty will be immediately available at leading retailers and e-tailers in North America.

"We continue to see a trend for PC's needing more power due to the success of NVIDIA's SLI technology as well as the multiple hard drives and multi-core CPU processors that enthusiast's are placing in their systems," said Scott Herkelman, executive vice president of BFG Technologies. "The BFG 1000 Watt and 800 Watt power supplies are geared to handle these power hungry components and provide gamers and enthusiasts alike with flexible, stable and superior power than what they may get from their power supply today."

Looks like Sony is sending out UMDs with a beta of the upcoming v3.0 firmware to the members of "YourPSP". The upcoming release included GIF support, quicktime playback, PSone emulation, flash videos on web browser and streaming WMV's from the browser.

Source: Maxconsole.net

EBgames has started taking pre-orders for the Microsoft Zune, stating a November 14th release date. The 30GB variant will set you back $249.99. They also have car pack for $79.99, a home A/V kit for $99.99, a docking station for $39.99 and premium earphones $39.99. The dockingstation reminds me of the Sony NW-A series docking station - talk about a lack of creativity.

Source: EBgames.com

The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry has filed around 8,000 lawsuits. The filings target people from 17 countries like Argentina, Austria, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, Singapore and Switzerland, Mexico, Brazil and Poland. There are reports of mothers of the sued selling their cars to pay the settlement fee.

Source: TheINQ

Neowin has a picture of the upcoming Windows Vista Media Center Edition remote control. Before the attribute "ugly" comes to mind, this is what Neowin has to say about it: "The nice presenter also took the time to show off the Media Center remote (fits in your hand beautifully despite the squared edges) and digital picture frames. Neither are devices that I'll probably be using anytime in the near future, but the functionality was very solid." So looks are luckily not everything.

Source: NeoWin

GeCube announced the arrival of the FZ Cool overclocked ATI RADEON 1950PRO graphics card with thermoelectric cooling. GeCube's FZ Cool graphics card takes cooling solutions for X1950PRO overclocking to the next level by being the first graphics card in the world to incorporate a TEC (Thermo Electric Chip). TEC's superior cooling performance means that even when the card is overclocked by 20% the temperature remains within the optimum 60'C~70'C range. In addition to the FZ Cool version which comes with TEC chip and FZ double-fans, 1950PRO series cards equipped with normal cooling fans are now also available for power users. All three products use the ATI RV570 core manufactured using an 80nm process with onboard GDDR3 512MB/256MB high speed memory. HDCP is also supported to provide you with the ultimate audio-visual experience.

Source: GeCube

Thermaltake Technology officially released the W0131 850W/ Active PFC high performance power supply unit. The Toughpower series supplies four independent lines of +12V (12V1-18A, 12V2-18A, 12V3-30A, 12V4-30A) rails for the purest and most stable for the most demanding hardware within your system. The strict voltage regulation of 3% variance, independent output rails, higher than 83% efficiency at all times, and a huge 14cm dual ball-bearing fan all work together to provide the user with endless energy at all times. In addition, the total maximum total current output of 62A on +12V rails will be able to support Dual Core CPU / SLI / CrossFire or the latest Quad SLI configurations. The Toughpower Cable Management 850W also features modularized cable sets. Users can plug and unplug cables according to their own needs. Thermaltake Technology guarantees the Toughpower power supply's design and efficiency with 3-year warranty.

Source: Cdrinfo

Samsung Electronics, today announced that its three solid state disk (SSD) drives have been officially recognized by Microsoft Corporation as fully qualified Windows-compatible peripherals. After thorough testing by its Windows Hardware Qualification Lab (WHQL), Microsoft has validated that Samsung SSDs meet all of the requirements for storage media in a Windows operating environment. Microsoft has certified a 32GB 1.8-inch sized Samsung SSD, a 32GB slim-type Samsung SSD (53.6x70.6x3.0mm) and a 16GB small-type SSD (56x48x3.8mm). The new sizes support the physical requirements of sub-notebook PCs. The SSDs' substantial size and weight advantages are expected to further encourage a steady adoption of SSDs into a number of PC applications, such as in ultra mobile PCs, "ruggedized" notebooks and special industrial applications.

Source: Samsung

GIGABYTE today revealed the GIGABYTE GV-RX195P256D-RH, the world's first 80nm graphic card featuring the ATI Radeon X1950 Pro GPU with 36 pixel shader processors and all new Compositing CrossFire Engine. GV-RX195P256D-RH uses ultra-low ESR solid capacitors and comes equipped with Zalman VF700 aluminum copper fan to deliver an optimally quiet thermal solution with outstanding overclocking performance. It has supporst for Shader Model 3.0 and High Dynamic Rendering as well as features like the ATI Avivo platform with H.264 playback and Dual-link support for high-resolution displays up to 2560x1600. In addition to the GV-RX195P256D-RH video card you'll recieve one copy of Call of Juarez game.

Source: GIGABYTE

ATI Technologies Inc. today announced that it is introducing new levels of performance at a mid-range price point with the new Radeon X1950 Pro graphics card. Available and shipping today with an estimated street price of US$199 or EUR199 (VAT included), the Radeon X1950 Pro bests competing offerings at the same price in both single-card and dual-card configurations. The Radeon X1950 Pro is the first graphics card to make use of new native CrossFire technology, simplifying the multi-GPU experience by eliminating the need for a branded CrossFire Edition card. Using CrossFire bridge interconnect cables that attach directly to the cards, installation is easy and gamers get a clean, elegant look. Native CrossFire technology also delivers the same high-performance multi-GPU gaming experience CrossFire is known for, enabling high resolutions and refresh rates.

Hong Kong, -- HIS (Hightech Information System Limited) delivers the HIS X1650Pro IceQ 512MB GDDR3/DDR2 card, featuring double memory buffer than generic model. Providing gamers with the next level of performance achieves the high quality and high resolution setting environment. Besides, HIS X1650Pro IceQ 512MB GDDR3/DDR2 promising faster, quieter and cooler, delivers stunning 3D graphics, excellent performance, and all the extensive features of a high-end graphics card.

Mozilla has made the last release candidate before the final build available for public download. Anyone who wants to download Firefox 2 RC3, here are the links for Windows, Linux and Mac. The Firebadge team has already started on Firefox 3 with a brainstorming website up and running. So anyone looking for features still missing in Firefox 2 should drop by right here.

Source: theINQ

Seems like previous news about the a DirectX 9.0 L version being really a DirectX 10 variant for Windows XP have sprung up from pure hope for such support and no hard facts. In fact the L variant of DirectX 9.0 is the exact opposite. It will be a faster DirectX 9 version just for Vista. So not only will Windows XP users have no DirectX 10, but the "normal", slow DirectX 9.0 variant as well. One more reason to jump on the Vista bandwagon.

Source: The INQ

Here is something for the rumor mill: Seems like Matrox is up to something - maybe a new GPU? Mosaid Memorize, a memory controller development firm, said that Matrox Graphics would incorporate DDR IP (intellectual property) memory interface and controller product "into future Matrox Graphics 90nm professional graphics controllers". So what does that mean? Is Matrox working on a Vista ready part with at least Shader Model 2.0? Maybe they will go straight for DirectX 10 and Shade Model 4.0. Only time will tell.

Source: X-Bit Labs

This week, Creative announced that it will be removing FM radio recording from its portable music players from now on. Creative has released a new firmware update for its Zen MicroPhoto and Zen Vision:M players that removes FM recording. This move is result from RIAA's war on FM recording. MP3s, satellite radio and FM radio are all part of the RIAA's music portfolio. Earlier this year, XM Satellite Radio was handed a lawsuit by the RIAA for allowing its subscribers to record satellite radio broadcasts onto portable XM players. XM argued that while users were able to record whatever they pleased, the songs were not transferable and users were not able to move data onto a computer. Despite this important detail, the RIAA pressed forward anyway, indicating that it wanted XM to pay a hefty $150,000 for every song that XM users downloaded. Companies are now facing stricter regulations and consumers continue to face ongoing lawsuits. Besides removing FM recording off its new Zen firmware, Creative also introduced several minor fixes such as video zooming and language support.

Source: DailyTech

C-Media Electronics and Asustek Computer will extend their partnership with the adoption of C-Media's Dolby/Digital Theater System (DTS) audio IC solutions on Asustek's motherboards from 2007, according to C-Media. C-Media anticipates that both parties will see benefits from the growing demand for high-end audio solutions in digital home applications. The audio IC solutions from C-Media will be available only to Asus-brand motherboards and the IC design house will not offer it to other system makers.

Source: DigiTimes

Plextor today announced its new PlexEraser PX-OE100E CD/DVD destroyer. The new PlexEraser drive delivers a secure environmentally friendly method of destroying CD/DVD discs to security-conscious companies and individuals. The standalone unit operates without the need of a PC and is an alternative to disc shredders that are currently available. The Plextor PlexEraser PX-OE100E destroys CD/DVD discs by using a laser beam that kills off data recording portions of optical discs. Eight types of CD/DVD's are supported with the PlexEraser PX-OE100E drive including CD-R, CD-RW, DVD-R, DVD+R, DVD-RW, DVD+RW, DVD-R DL, and DVD+R DL discs. Smaller 8cm discs are also supported by the PlexEraser PX-OE100E as well. As far as timing goes, Plextor claims the average data destroying time is around three minutes for single-layer CD-R/RW, DVD+R/RW and DVD-R/RW discs while dual-layer discs take a little longer at around six minutes. The PlexEraser PX-OE100E is expected to ship to distributors next month with an M.S.R.P. of $249.99 USD. It will be available in North and South America and have a one year warranty with unlimited toll-free technical support.

Source: DailyTech

A lorry containing over 7,000 wireless router kits, worth in excess of £350,000, was stolen from a Kent trading estate last month. The lorry was later found in London, sans routers. The routers have been floating around the internet for some time, at a reduced price of around £11 from a standard £50. D-Link has promised standard tech support to anyone who bought a stolen router. The routers model number is DWL-922/E and the UPC number — displayed next to the barcode — is 790069285479. The routers have a two pin power plug, and are pictured below. Readers with information on the theft should contact DC Elspass-Collins on 01622 604258.

Source: ZDNet

Why AMD is cutting prices on socket 939 Opterons is unknown, though TheINQ suspects that it has something to do with a faster then expected integration of AM2 Opterons. A full chart of the price cuts, listed by CPU model number is here.

Source: TheINQ

You can download the drivers here, and the full release notes here(PDF). and the full release notes are The drivers can be run in Windows XP SP2 or Windows Vista RC1. The new drivers should improve performance, let PhysX be run on more games, and run "Hardware Scene Manager" in compartments, allowing for multiple PhysX cards to be run in one system in the future.

Source: TheINQ

When Mark Cuban said that only a 'moron' would buy YouTube, many people wrote him off as being overly negative. However, the thing about business analysts and billionaires like Mark Cuban is the fact that they are usually right about these things. General Electric (which owns NBC and Viacom), along with other companies have recently been talking to YouTube about the copyrighted content hosted their. Instead of paying YouTube for content deals, they are trying to get YouTube to pay for the content already hosted there. It looks like YouTube subscribers may have to start paying soon.

Source: The Register

DirectX 9.0 L is simply a renamed and refurbished DirectX 10 for Windows XP. It will make DirectX 10 games to work on Windows XP. Thanks to the 9.0 L version, XP users will be able to play games like Crysis on their current OS. One of the biggest issues is the fact that NVIDIA or ATI won't have any mainstream or entry-level cards until at least mid- to end of Q1 2007.

Source: theINQ

The Sony battery recalls continue as Sharp is joining the fray by recalling 28,000 batteries while Fujitsu has recalled an additional 51,000 batteries. Fujitsu had already announced last week that it would recall 287,000 units. These latest recalls bring the number of Sony batteries recalled to more than 7.7 million.


Source: DailyTech

When people realized that AMD Live! software bundled gaming software by WildTangent Inc., many people cried foul. The reason people are so worried about software from WildTangent Inc. being bundled with AMD Live! is because Wild Tangent was spyware when it was bundled with AOL Instant Messenger several years ago. AMD and WildTangent Inc. both have stated that the Wild Tangent software bundled with AMD Live! is not spyware. The reason that security vendors flagged Wild Tangent as spyware when it was bundled with AIM was because it collected information about the user and sent it to WildTangent Inc. Wild Tangent has now been fixed to let the user know exactly what it being sent to Wild Tangent through the EULA. Wild Tangent "phones home" once to ensure program compatibility, sending...

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• Operating System Version
• DirectX Version
• CPU Type and Speed
• Memory Amount
• Video Card type and Driver Version
• Sound Card type and Driver Version
• Location from where was application installed from (bandwidth test)

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Wild Tangent collects alot less information about the user compared to most other online services.

Source: TheINQ

Intel's first quad-core processor will be released on November 14th 2006.

Source: TheINQ

TheINQ, after having significant troubles getting a copy of Windows Vista RC2, has done some extensive testing on Windows Vista. TheINQ could not get any games to run in Windows Vista RC2 64-bit, and there were some issues installing benchmarking utilities on Vista RC2 32-bit. Reality Mark, BF2142, the new Cell Factor demo, Sandra 2007, and 3Dmark05 simply refused to work on TheINQ's testbed. Using a very capable system scoring a 5.3 on Windows Experience Base tests, TheINQ ran a lot of games, and found that almost all games run up to 40 frames per second slower on Vista then on XP. Serious Sam 2 was the only exception, having a consistently higher frame rate by up to 10 frames per second. In short, "upgrading to Vista at the current stage with current drivers means a certain loss of performance." You can read the full review with benchmark charts here.

Source: TheINQ

Sapphire Presents the All Hallows Eve Halloween Masquerade and a chance for you to win a dream setup consisting of two TOXIC X1950 XTX in CrossFire Configuration seated on the fastest AM2 platform available the SAPPHIRE Pure CrossFire 3200. All you have to do is pick one of the Sapphire characters shown on this page and create a Halloween costume that resembles your favorite Sapphire character. Take a picture of it and complete the form, including attaching the picture. This contest is global with several regional winners and ends on November 10th. Click here to see additional details.

Source: Sapphire

Intel has scheduled the end of Intel 910/915 chipset production. From now on 945GC with support for Dual Core processors will replace the current Intel 910/915 generation. The market said Intel would sell 910/915 with bundle package, to be more attractive to the market in price. In addition, the new 945GC is designed to working for also upcoming Conroe-L and Pentium E processor. The life end schedule has been announced on 9th Oct, telling that the dead line of order is March 2007, while the last shipment would be 12th Oct 2007. The models included in the production termination are: Intel 910GL LF/910GE LF/915G LF/915GL LF/915P LF/915PL LF/910GE/915G/915GL/915FV/915P and 915PL, 12 in total. The only exception is to the family is Intel 915GV LF. In the mean time, Intel also announced the life end schedule for 955 chipset. The dead line of order is 13th March 2007, while the last shipment date is 12th Oct 2007.

Source: HKEPC

NVIDIA Corporation, announced two days ago support for the Microsoft "Certified for Windows Vista" logo program and the certification of an extensive line of graphics processing units (GPUs). The program, the latest in a series of milestones leading up to the launch of Windows Vista, identifies the industry partners working closely with Microsoft to help educate consumers so they make the best choices when buying or upgrading their PC.

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The Certified for Windows Vista logo program helps people identify hardware that works optimally with Windows Vista-based PCs,

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said Dave Wascha, director of partner marketing for Windows Vista at Microsoft Corp. NVIDIA will offer broad support for Windows Vista, certifying three generations of GPUs, from the latest GeForce 7 series to the GeForce FX series, launched back in 2002. Additionally, partners including BFG, EVGA and XFX will offer NVIDIA products Certified for Windows Vista at major retailers like Best Buy, Circuit City and Fry's Electronics. For a complete list of NVIDIA solutions for Windows Vista, please visit this page.

Source: NVIDIA

ATI Technologies Inc. shareholders voted overwhelmingly today to approve the proposed acquisition of all outstanding common shares of ATI by an indirect, wholly-owned subsidiary of Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. (AMD). More than 99 per cent of the votes cast by shareholders were in favor of the transaction. No ATI shareholders have exercised rights of dissent in connection with the proposed acquisition. ATI will seek final court approval for the arrangement at a hearing on October 17, 2006. The transaction is expected to be completed during the week of October 23, 2006.

Accelerating the availability of broadband wireless access, Intel Corporation today announced the availability of the Intel WiMAX Connection 2250, the company's next-generation system-on-chip and its first designed to support mobile networks in addition to fixed networks. The Intel WiMAX Connection 2250 is the industry's first dual-mode baseband chip, and when paired with Intel's discrete tri-band WiMAX radio, the solution is capable of supporting all global WiMAX frequencies.

An image of an upcoming NVIDIA nForce 680i SLI based motherboard has been leaked on the AnandTech forums. The motherboard is manufactured by eVGA. It comes with three PCI Express x16 slots, two PCI Express x1 and two PCI slots. Other notable features of the nForce 680i SLI motherboard include 1394a, onboard high definition audio, dual Gigabit Ethernet and a heat pipe cooler for the MCP and SPP. It is unknown which high definition audio codec is used on the upcoming motherboard. Performance and overclocking information on the upcoming nForce 680i SLI motherboard is unknown at the moment, but you can keep an eye on this thread. eVGA is expected to ship the 680i motherboards in bundles with the upcoming GeForce 8800 series video cards at launch.

Source: DailyTech

Intel has begun shipping its first quad-core processor "Kentsfield" to system builders for system testing. They will be available in very limited quantities by mid November and are not (yet) bound to show a large performance jump in games, but should give you your moneys worth in multimedia applications. Kentsfield will ship with 8 MB of L2 cache and a clock speed of 2.67 GHz to keep the processor within a 110 watt power envelope - up from 65 watts of the dual-core Core 2 Duo E6700 with the identical clock speed.

Source: TG Daily

The 2G iPod nano just got another color addition - red. The 4GB iPod nano has the same specs as all the others 4GB models. While the price is still $199 US Dollars, $10 dollars of each "Product RED" sold will go directly to the Global Fund to fight AIDS in Africa.

Source: Apple

The Windows Vista development team wants to thank everyone who participated in the famous Customer Preview Program, and definitely wants to emphasize that every comment received helps make Windows Vista better. However, the CPP is officially closed. The Vista development team reached their goal of 200,000 downloads in just about 72 hours. However, the Vista development team has also released some critical information about the license of the final operating system. The end user is only allowed to move Vista once (from one computer to another) before that user has to buy a completely new copy of Windows Vista. The Windows Vista development team has also decided to change the 90 day express warranty to 1 year.

Source: Windows Vista team blog on TechNet

SANTA CLARA, CA - October 11, 2006 - Transmeta Corporation (NASDAQ: TMTA), the leader in efficient computing technologies, today announced that it has filed a lawsuit against Intel Corporation in the United States District Court for the District of Delaware for infringement of ten Transmeta U.S. patents covering computer architecture and power efficiency technologies.

The Fujitsu Lifebook Q and Lifebook B can now be had with either a 16 or 32GB Samsung SSD hard drive. The Fujitsu FMV-Q8230 features an ULV Core Solo U1400 (1.2GHz) processor, 512MB of memory (1GB maximum), Intel 945GMZ Express chipset, 12.1" WXGA screen, GbE, two USB 2.0 ports, one Firewire port, a PCMCIA slot and a fingerprint reader with TPM. The laptop measures 11.7" x 8.6" x 0.78" and weighs 2.17 pounds. The Fujitsu FMV-B8230 instead goes with a Celeron M 423 (1.06GHz) processor and uses the Intel 940GML Express chipset. The notebook uses a 12.1" XGA display and otherwise is similarly equipped to the FMV-Q8230. The notebook has dimensions of 10.6" x 9.0" x 1.23" and weighs 2.75 pounds. The upgrade to a 16GB SSD hard drive costs $700 and the 32GB variant will set you back $1400 compared to a normal hard drive.

Source: DailyTech

Once Windows Vista is released as a final version, there will be a very large gap between DirectX 10 and the hardware that supports it. There will certainly be a few DX10 solutions. NVIDIA is launching it's G80 series of graphics cards on November seventh, and ATI's R600 GPU's should reach market around January or February 2007. However, most people don't have the money or need for a high-end DX10 GPU. And so NVIDIA is working hard to create a nice sub $99 DX10 graphics card, and should have something available in spring 2007.

Source: TheINQ

For the first time, sunlight is a direct obstacle to gaming, and not just because of screen glare. During a Nintendo Wii demo at a store, the sun shone into the store, and none of the Wii's worked at all. No matter what the game, the Wii's simply didn't receive any signals from the wireless controllers. Once the sun was not shining into any store windows, the Nintendo Wii worked flawlessly. Nintendo suspects that bright lights cause the optical receivers for the controllers. to malfunction. Nintendo also knows that bright halogen lights can make a Wii malfunction.

Source: The Register

I'm sure that you all know the GeForce 7950 GX2 - NVIDIA's 2 in 1 video card solution. What many overclockers and PC enthusiasts have been waiting for has been made true by Swiftech - finally, we can space our NVIDIA GX2 cards, and mount more complex cooling solutions to allow even higher overclocks.

The picture says it all:

Get yours here.

Source: Swiftech

One of the complaints of Windows Vista beta testers was the utter lack of an X-Fi driver. A quick patch on Creative Lab's main website left much to be desired, offering very limited functionality. And so Creative Labs has made a much better driver, but put it on their Asian website. It is not listed on the European site. The driver, which is here, works on Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi XtremeMusic, Platinum, Fatal1ty and Elite Pro cards. The driver should work on Windows Vista RC1 32 bit and Windows Vista RC2 64 bit. The only bug listed on Creative Lab's website is the lack of 6.1 surround sound, and a lack of support for some applications on the original driver CD.

Source: TheINQ

While on their way to D-Link's European Logistic Centre, thieves have stolen over 7,000 modem/adapter combos. But instead of the thieves just holding on to the modems and selling them on the black market, they have been selling them in the open market. A stolen box will read DWL-922/E as a model number and have 790069285479 as the UPC Code. A list of all the stolen modem/adapter combos can be found here(in PDF). If you're worried that you might be buying a stolen modem/adapter combo, remember that they are heavily marked down. If you find a stolen modem/adapter combo, D-Link wants you to call Crimestoppers on UK number 0800 555 111 and quote Kent Police crime number EZ/8732/06. The stolen merchandise should only be sold in the UK.

Source: TheINQ

AMD has turned to NVIDIA to create the chipset for it's 4x4 technology. The as-of-yet unannounced chipset will run with two PCI Express x16 slots and two PCI Express x8 slots. AMD's 4x4 technology is going to be AMD's first entry into the quad-core market, and is very powerful. A test system was running two maxed-out games on two separate monitors, while running a high definition video, encoding another one, and streaming a game video in Internet Explorer. Even with all that load, the 4x4 system ran both game windows smoothly. When AMD releases 4x4 processors, all but one model is expected to be under $1000.

Source: TheINQ

The aftermath of the AMD & ATI merger is starting to show. Looks like the ATI All In Wonder part from ATI did not make it through the merger. The people behind the AIW cards are part of the 1200 affected on the ATI side, while AMD is letting 800 employees go.

Sources: TheINQ here & here

I am sure most World of Warcraft players are aware of the closed Beta, but in case you did miss it: Blizzard has opened the expansion, called "Burning Crusade", up for a selected crowd to try out. All selected testers got an email invitation and must download a massive 1.95 GB beta client which contains the new maps, monsters and of course gear of the new world. After download, the package uncompresses to 5.2 GB. Take a look at a few of the images from TG Daily:

Source: TG Daily

NEW YORK, Oct. 12, 2006 - For a world filled with noise, Sony today announced its first digital music player with built-in noise-canceling technology. The NW-S700F Walkman® player ensures high-quality sound, to help you find your quiet place.

The OneTouch III Turbo Edition previously maxed out at 1TB. The new limit is 1.5TB. Each unit contains two drives - RAID 0 will give you the most storage available, while RAID 1 will give your 750GB mirrored space. The drive has Firewire 800 and 400, and USB 2.0 ports. The 1.5TB version costs $800 (£431/€637), the 1TB model $550 (£296/€438). The Shared Storage II will now be available in a 1TB configuration. The interesting point here is the use of a single 7200RPM drive, so will we see 1TB hard drives in retail soon? The Maxtor Shared Storage II will sell for $800 (£431/€637).

Source: RegHardware

So if you are one of the people, who did not get to pre-order a PlayStation 3 - here is your next chance to get your hands on a next generation console. GameStop will be accepting pre-orders on the Nintendo Wii. All you need is a bit of luck and $50 Dollars. Nintendo Wii will sell for $250 and will come with one wireless Wii Remote controller, one Nunchuk controller, and five different Wii sports games on one disc. Schedule release is November 19th.

Source: Reuters

Seems like Dell will be letting the buyers of their XPS M1710 overclock their CPUs, just like their desktop series. The owners of the new M1710 will be able to overclock their CPUs if they wish. The old M1710 had a Core Duo and Geforce Go 7900 graphic card, while the upcoming refresh will sport a Core 2 Duo T7600G or T7200 CPUs and 512MB GeForce Go 7950 GTX or 256MB GeForce Go 7900 GS. Get ready to spent just about $3,500 Dollars if you want to get your hands on the high-end model.

Source: Engadget

DIGITALLIFE—NEW YORK, NY—OCTOBER 12, 2006— NVIDIA Corporation (Nasdaq: NVDA) has once again raised the bar for notebook graphics performance with the release of the NVIDIA GeForce Go 7950 GTX graphics processing unit (GPU)—the world's fastest notebook GPU on the market. Notebooks with the new GPU are available for order from select top gaming notebook makers in North America and Europe. Gamers can experience the power of this new GPU in Dell notebooks at DigitalLife 2006 in New York City.

The exciting new SAPPHIRE TOXIC X1950XTX is the new top performing graphics accelerator from Sapphire. Shipping with the product is the A.P.E. - Automatic Performance Enhancer - which uplifts the core clock speed to 695MHz making the card the fastest card on the planet! The highly efficient cooling system also will allow enthusiasts to further enhance performance by overclocking with other tools. Together with the Limited Edition TOXIC CrossFire Edition, which has the same core and memory speeds, the ability to run overclocked dual GPU configurations offers previously unachievable CrossFire performance.

October, 2006 - Thermaltake Technology announces the newest member of the Orb series CPU coolers - the all-new Ruby Orb.

The Ruby Orb utilizes an radial dissipation design that is unique in the cooling industry. The number of cooling fins multiply as they extend from the center of the Ruby Orb to reduce backpressure on the fan and faster heat dissipation. The y-split fin design allows the Ruby Orb to maximize its cooling fins up to 140 fins at the end to provide extended cooling surface and smooth airflow.

Dell has just announced a new 20-inch LCD to pad out their lineup. The new E207WFP will be the little brother of Dell's 2007WFP model. It won't have USB hub, composite and S-Video ports. Other features like native widescreen resolution of 1,680 x 1,050 pixels, 20.1-inch viewing area and a DVI port with HDCP will be available as well as new panel with 5ms response time. The best news comes in the form of the $289 pricetag, compared to the 2007WFP's $529 MSRP. The E207WFP should be available immediately worldwide now.

Source: Engadget

DailyTech has managed to take some photos of DFI's latest and maybe last ATI-Intel motherboard to see the light of day. DFI LANParty UT RD600-T2R/G comes with the long awaited RD600 chipset for Intel's Conroe Core 2 Duo and Core 2 Extreme processors. Early images show the LANParty UT RD600-T2R/G is equiped with three PCI-Express x16 and three PCI slots. Two PCI Express x16 slots will be full speed with sixteen lanes routed to each slot. The lane configuration on the third slot is unknown, though it most likely has around four lanes like other motherboards equipped with three PCI Express x16 slots. With its three PCI Express x16 slots it appears the DFI LANParty UT RD600-T2R/G is ready for ATI's triple-play physics for hardware accelerated physics processing. Other notable features include dual onboard Gigabit Ethernet, UV reactive slots and integrated high definition audio. As with previous LANParty UT motherboards, the LANParty UT RD600-T2R/G uses DFI's Karajan audio module which moves the audio codec off of the motherboard PCB. DFI LANParty UT RD600-T2R/G is expected to arrive within the next month or two and cost around $200.

Source: DailyTech

Corsair Memory, Inc., a worldwide leader in high performance enthusiast computer products, took its acclaimed water cooling product line to a new level today with the release of the Nautilus GPU water blocks supporting the latest NVIDIA GeForce based graphics cards in both single and dual SLI configurations. The Corsair Nautilus GPU water blocks are the perfect accessory for the Corsair Nautilus500 external liquid cooling system, and other third party liquid cooling solutions that utilize 3/8" tubing.

Belkin's TuneStage II, which uses Bluetooth 2.0, allows for the wireless music streaming to a stereo or something like it. The TuneStage II's transmitter plugs into the iPod's dock connector, and from there streams music from up to ten meters away to the receiver. The transmitter runs off of the iPod's battery power, bringing the battery life down to 7 hours. However, it comes with a USB port so that the iPod doesn't run out of power. The TuneStage II is compatible with almost all iPods, and should be released in America for $150 in November.

Source: The Register

The SCH-B600 was announced back in March, but it has officially begun shipping in Samsung's native South Korea. The amazing 10 megapixel camera onboard has 3x optical zoom and 5x digital zoom, as well as auto-focus and flash. The phone also can receive television broadcasts, and can be an MP3 player as well as a classic phone. It will cost KRW900,000 ($939/£506/€749) to South Korean Telecom customers, and it should be released in the USA and Europe soon.

Source: The Register

Broadband provider Carphone Warehouse has bought AOL UK, increasing its customer base by roughly 1.5 million. Carphone Warehouse agreed to pay £370 million for AOL UK, with £250 million immediately paid and the remaining £120 million to be paid over the next 18 months. The addition of 1.5 million broadband customers and 600,000 dial up customers makes Carphone Warehouse the third largest broadband provider in the UK, next to NTL and BT.

Source: The Register

All eyes are on upcoming Windows Vista, so it is easy to overlook other updates from Microsoft. They are working on an update of Windows Mobile, making it look more like Vista. It is still based on the Windows CE 5.x base, is called "Crossbow" for now and should be out in early 2007. The first Windows CE 6 based OS will currently carries the codename "Photon" and will be released in 2008. Microsoft also mentioned a one year cycle for new mobile OS versions from now on.

Source: MS Mobile News

Anyone still toying with the thought of pre-ordering a PlayStation 3 may be out of luck. Seems like all 400.000 units for the United States have been pre-ordered. But not all is well, as many people who waited in line were told that the available consoles were sold out just as the store opened. Turns out employees of EB Games and GameStop were able to buy a console the minute the store opened up. So expect a lot of them on Ebay for over $1.000 and just in case you want to know - people are willing to spend much more to get their hands on a PlayStation 3 right of the bat.

Source: DailyTech

The company got some attention when the released their 100% metal based thermal paste. Now they have introduced the "MetalPad", which consists of the same kind of metal, but can be applied without the use of a syringe. The pads should be available world wide by the end of October. It will come in different packages for GPUs or CPUs. A single pad is priced at around 4 to 5€.

Source: Hartware.de (german)

AMD today announced the availability of new AMD LIVE! PCs from Alienware and Dell, expanding the selection of popular, easy-to-use PCs designed to help simplify today's digital lifestyle. The AMD LIVE! PC is a full-featured media center computer powered by the award-winning AMD Athlon 64 X2 dual-core processor and created to enrich consumers' experiences when enjoying digital movies, music and photos throughout the home and on the go. AMD also introduced additions and enhancements to the AMD LIVE! Entertainment Suite, a collection of valuable services and applications designed to enhance the PC experience.

Sony Corp., a major maker of consumer electronics, will quit the market of liquid crystal displays (LCDs) totally in several months time. After abandoning Japanese and North American LCD markets, the company has similar plans for the European markets due to low profit margins and general weakness of its LCD business among consumers. An official spokesman for Sony in Europe is reported to have told Heise Online web-site that the company would introduce several new G-series LCD models this year, but the last shipments would occur in December, 2006. Quitting LCD monitor business seems to be inline with the company's strategy to withdraw from highly-competitive businesses the company does not have obvious success in. DisplaySearch, a market tracking agency, indicates that Sony had the tenth position in the global LCD monitor market in 2005 and supplied about 3.07 million LCDs. In Q4 2005, the sales volume of Sony's LCD monitors totaled 347 thousand units in North America, which accounts for 40% of its worldwide quarterly shipments.

Source: X-bit labs

DailyTech has received information on AMD's upcoming October 30th, 2006 price drops. The price drops affect AMD's server and workstation Opteron products for Socket 940, 939, AM2 and 1207 platforms.

Source: DailyTech

AGEIA RealityMark is a new tool which demonstrates the feature and performance value of AGEIA PhysX in a physics-intensive gameplay environment. It's designed to illustrate how next-generation game design uses the power of the PhysX processor to enable leading-edge, physically interactive gameplay elements which were not possible until now. RealityMark is based on a version of CellFactor: Combat Training from Artificial Studios and Immersion Games. It utilizes a pre-scripted gameplay sequence much like a time demo to compare in-game performance of hardware and software PhysX. The scripted sequence is played once with the PhysX processor enabled and a second time with it disabled to determine the relative performance of each. It then returns the results in terms average Frames Per Second (FPS).

Download: AGEIA RealityMark 378MB

Source: AGEIA

Japanese chip maker NEC Electronics said on Tuesday it began shipping the first signal processing LSI set that supports writing and reading for both HD DVD and Blu-ray discs. Samples are currently priced at 10,000 yen. NEC plans to start mass production of the new LSIs in the fourth quarter of 2006, while it targets monthly shipments of 300,000 during the business year starting April 2007. The set consists of two LSI chips. The μPD63410 is responsible for data processing tasks such as error correction, while the operation of the second LSI, code-named μPC3360, is to control the read out of the disc data. The LSI set features a maximum writing speed of 5x for both HD DVD and BD formats (HD DVD-R/RW/RAM and BD-R/RE), and of course HD DVD, BD-ROM reading. Other features include up to 16x write for DVD±R/±RW/-RAM and 48x for CD-R/CD-ROM. In addition, it is supporting the Advanced Access Content System (AACS) protection technology as well as the CCS, CPRM and VCPS. It also supports both SATA II and PATA interfaces.

Source: CdrInfo

Samsung, today introduced the SyncMaster 305T, an ultra-wide, high-resolution 30-inch TFT-LCD monitor. Designed for the commercial market, the 305T combines a 16:10 wide-screen design and high, 2560x1600 resolution, making it ideal for a variety of professional applications, including medical, engineering, control rooms, CAD, graphics and design, and desktop publishing. Other specifications include 400cd/m2 brightness, 1000:1 contrast ratio, 178/178 degree viewing angle, a fast response time of 6ms (GTG), and a 0.25 pixel pitch for clean, tight image reproduction.

Anyone who is not satisfied by a simple MP3 in terms of quality may be interested in a product from Sooloos. For roughly $12,000, someone can buy a lossless music system with between one and three terabytes of storage. Sooloos' system works with three main components. The first component, or the Store, is the RAID protected storage system. Each unit comes with three terabytes of storage space, which should store 6,000 CD's in lossless audio. There can be a maximum of 32 Stores in one of Sooloo's systems. The Stores connect to the Source using a home network, which then proceed to read and play the lossless music on the Stores. Everything is controlled by a Control, which comes with a 17" LCD screen and a CD drive to rip CD's into lossless format. Sooloo's system will automatically configure everything, all the user really has to do is put music in. Sooloo also has plans for opening a music store in the future.

Source: The Register

Nokia has always been focused on making "products that allow users to more readily stamp their personality on their gadgets." Nokia has recently unveiled a brand new concept phone. The concept phone has several interesting features, such as a fuel cell and a hydrogen tank. What's most interesting about the concept phone is it's touch screens. The touch screens have processors on board, so they can run independently of the phone. Since the buttons are entirely virtual, the phone can swap instantly between a media center, a phone with a number pad, or a text messaging platform with a miniature virtual keyboard. The concept phone, codenamed "Aeon", may also ship with wireless capability.

Source: The Register

GIGABYTE today announced the latest BIOS upgrades for their entire line of GIGABYTE P965/G965 motherboards, enabling Intel Quad processor support for unsurpassed extreme gaming and multitasking performance. Click here to learn which BIOS is suitable for you particular GIGABYTE motherboard in order to unlock support for Intel Quad Core processors.

Source: GIGABYTE

Crucial Technology today announced the immediate availability of its NVIDIA SLI-Ready Ballistix and Ballistix Tracer DDR2 modules. Available in 512MB and 1GB 800MHz Ballistix modules and 1GB 800MHz Ballistix Tracer modules, NVIDIA-certified SLI-Ready Crucial memory provides distinct advantages for both novice and hard core users. These new modules are also EPP(Enhanced Performance Profiles) ready. On SLI-Ready motherboards running NVIDIA chipsets, the custom-designed NVIDIA BIOS can detect the optimized SPD profiles of the EPP-based modules and ensure that the memory functions under the best possible conditions.

Source: Crucial

Intel has officially decided to scrap the Pentium D 805, and will stop taking orders for it after February 9 2007. The Pentium D 805 series was introduced in July of this year, and was designed for budget dual core systems. It was the only Pentium D to run with a Front Side Bus speed of 533MHz, as opposed to the 800MHz speed of all the other Pentium D's. With dual core Celerons, as well as low-end Core 2 Duo processors on the way from Intel, there really is no need for the Pentium D 805 in the future.

Source: The Register

Graphics card maker EVGA has announced what it claims is the fastest board around that's based on NVIDIA's GeForce 7950 GT GPU. It also incorporates support for the HDCP copy-protection system beloved of high-definition content providers. EVGA's e-GeForce 7950GT KO Superclocked card runs the GPU at 600MHz and the 512MB of GDDR 3 memory at 1.45GHz, the company said. The board provides a pair of dual-link DVI ports and can drive screens at up to 2,048 x 1,546 resolution. It also has an s-video port. Two DVI-to-VGA converters are included in the box for older displays. The e-GeForce 7950GT KO Superclocked is available now for around €359 (£242).

Source: The Register

OCZ Technology Group, a worldwide leader in innovative, ultra-high performance and high reliability memory and components, today announced the new EvoStream Power Supply. The exciting addition to the prominent OCZ PSU family will be introduced in a 600W configuration and features an advanced 100% modular cable management system and polished, titanium mirrored case that is reminiscent of the award-winning ModStream line.

Clockspeeds are important. At least that's what IBM seems to think. While IBM was way ahead with dual core configurations it doesn't think simply adding more cores is a good idea without increasing bandwidth. The new Power6 CPU's will run at 4-5GHz, which is basically double the clock of a Power5, have 8MB cache and 75GB/s bandwidth to the memory. Impressive specs to say the least, and it won't even up the TDP.
IBM says this massive increase in specs is to thank to advanced production methods. The Power6 chips should be available mid 2007.

Source: EETimes

Google has officially said in a press release that they have bought YouTube for $1.65 billion. However, instead of a simple buyout, Google has agreed to let YouTube run independently. Both companies will work on finding features for each other, and the deal should be closed in Q4 2006. When asked about the YouTube acquisition, Google CEO Eric Schmidt says "This is one of many investments that Google will be making to put video at the heart of a user's online experience. When we looked at the marketplace and saw what was going on, we saw a clear winner in the social networking side of video, and that's what drove us to start the conversations with YouTube." From the YouTube side, the deal is very good for it because of Google's very deep pockets, as well as their long list of advertising contacts. According to Drummond, senior vice president of corporate development for Google, Google used a "synergistic" model to value YouTube. They used a synergistic model because standalone methods of valuing YouTube would have been too complicated.

Source: CNET

Sony pictures is planning on releasing three new pictures on Double Layer Blu-Ray, which allows for an amazing 50GB of storage space on a single disk. "Click" will be released Tuesday on DL Blu-Ray. With the extra storage space, Sony will put the movie in 1920x1080 with uncompressed audio, and also have the special features all in one disk. Sony also plans on releasing "Black Hawk Down" on Blu-Ray November 14th, and "Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby" on December 12th. 20th Century Fox will also release a lot of it's movies in Blu-Ray format on October 31st.

Source: CNET

YouTube has been controversial lately. With over 100 million videos watched on it every day, it is by far the most popular video sharing site on the internet. However, it also hosts a lot of copyrighted content, which could sink it in the future. There has also been talk of companies like Google buying YouTube. To help fix the copyright issues, YouTube has signed deals with three major record labels. Universal Music Group, Sony BMG Music Entertainment and CBS have all agreed to submit their content to YouTube, on the condition that YouTube puts new software in place to remove unauthorized content from their website. YouTube will pay the three record labels through advertising.

Source: CNET

To help clear the deck for Windows Vista, Microsoft is ending support for Windows XP SP1. There is very little reason to have SP1, considering that several security issues were patched with SP2. While Microsoft guarantees support of an operating system for five years, they only support service packs for 12 months after the next service pack is released. SP1 was released in September 2002, and SP2 was released in September 2004.

Source: CNET

Rumors of Intel buying NVIDIA seem to be false. However, according to some Taiwanese motherboard producers, Intel and NVIDIA are planning an alliance. The alliance will have NVIDIA focussing less on AMD products and more on IGPs for Intel.
If this alliance is formed it will form a formidable force to cope with the new AMD/ATI merger which will be official this quarter.

Source: DigiTimes

The final release of IE7 will be released this month. A few weeks after it will be put available for download it will be added to the list of automatic updates.
Improvements over IE6 can be found in layout and security while keeping compatibility. Webmasters will still have to check their sites for compatibility as problems may occur. Steps to ensure compatibility can be found here.
Of course you won't be forced to upgrade, if you don't want IE7 you can simply remove it from the automatic updates list and update it when you are ready.

Source: MSDN

PCI Express, version 1.0 which arrived in 2003, is about to enter the next generation with version 2.0. PCI Express 2.0 brings a bevy of changes, starting with a speed boost, according to the PCI Special Interest Group (PCI-SIG) that governs the technology. The PCI-SIG has released a penultimate edition of the basic PCI Express 2.0 specification to its members in version for comments, and the final version is due after a 60-day comment period. The central feature of the base version of PCI Express 2.0 is a speed boost. It doubles each serial line's data transfer rate from 2.5 gigabits per second to 5Gpbs. But future enhancements also are in the works. One will support high-end graphics cards that slurp 225 or 300 watts of power. Finally, a longer-term effort, code-named Geneseo, will let coprocessor cards such as graphics or encryption accelerators be tightly connected to central processors.

Source: CNET News

Hitachi has discovered that squishing a large quantity of optical disks can yield a lot of data capacity. By developing SVOD (Stacked Volumetric Optical Discs) technology, Hitachi has figured out how to make 940GB of data fit in just one small cartridge. The 940GB model is made using 100 double layered DVD's, each DVD only being 92 micrometers thick. Hitachi is also developing a Blu-ray version of the product, which should yield an amazing 5 terabytes. The 940GB model should be available in early 2007 for ¥40,000, or $340 USA equivalent.

Source: Newlaunches

There will be a total of six patches that deal with Windows issues, four dealing with Microsoft Office, and one to patch .NET framework. There will be at least one critical patch each for Windows and Office, though the .NET framework patch is only rated a "moderate" security issue. Microsoft will also update it's Malicious Software Removal Tool. The patches are designed to address flaws that hackers have been exploiting, such as a recently discovered flaw in WebViewFolderIcon ActiveX control. You can read the full security bulletin here.

Source: The Register

According to one of the people on the Halo 2 for Vista developing team, Vista is really coming along nicely. They still have some bugs, but they are being worked out very quickly, and graphical enhancements are making many of the people on the developer team call it "Halo 2.5". There have been a lot of artistic enhancements making all the characters look nice at the developers preferred resolution of 1920x1200. At that resolution, the developers can get Halo 2 for Vista running at 60 frames per second at maximum settings.

The latest version of Mozilla Firefox 2 has support for Windows, Macintosh, and Linux. Release Candidate 2 has several features, such as...

• Brand new interface
• Built-in phishing protection
• Javascript 1.7
• The ability to resume your browsing session
• Spell checking

You can read the full release notes here, and download RC2 here.

Source: Mozilla

Seems like Sony has given a few select PlayStation 3 to Magazines. The Playstation 3 Magazine was one of the lucky few to get one. They did not experience any problems at all with heat or crashing. Here are some important pictures. Check out the links for all the Playstation 3 editors giving the console a try.


Source: PSM3

Not much to say about these slides, as they are pretty much selve explanatory. Just take a look: Hit "Read full story" to take a look at the rest. Check out the graphic cards in slide 16 and 25:

Sapphire today announced two new AGP-based graphics cards, the Radeon X1650 Pro and X1300XT. These new cards are similar to the Radeon X1600 Pro and X1600XT PCI Express versions. Sapphire’s Radeon X1650 Pro AGP features 12 pixel shaders and a core clock of 590 MHz. It is equipped with 256MB of GDDR3 video memory clocked at 690 MHz, connected via 128-bit memory bus. The card has dual-link DVI and TV-out. The Radeon X1300XT arrives in two flavors equipped with 256MB of GDDR3 or 512MB of DDR2 video memory. Models equipped with 256MB are clocked at 500 MHz while 512MB models are clocked at 400 MHz. As with the Radeon X1650 Pro AGP, the X1300XT AGP has 12 pixel shaders as well. However, the Radeon X1300XT AGP has a lower core clock of 500 MHz. Availability and pricing is unknown at the moment, but the Radeon X1650 Pro AGP should cost around $150 while the Radeon X1300XT AGP should deserve the $100 price tag.

Source: DailyTech

When Sony showed off it's next generation console at the Tokyo Game Show, it didn't exactly perform according to plan. The PS3's occasionally locked, and required a reboot to play properly again. Most people are claiming the PS3 is overheating, though Sony denies all claims. In response to this, Sony's stock fell 2.5%. However, in Sony's defense, the Tokyo Game Show was a sweltering A/C free convention, all PS3's were encased, and so far every next generation console has freezing problems, though some not in such extreme heat.

Source: Kotaku

With over 10 billion dollars to spend, Google may be considering buying YouTube for $1.6 billion. While both companies decline comment on the matter, it makes perfect business sense. With over 100 million videos viewed daily, Google would gain all of what it has been missing in Google video. While they would gain all of the legal problems YouTube has been accused of having, such as hosting copyrighted content, Google may pose a solution. Coding something that filters copyrighted content from being submitted in the first place would be very easy for such a big company like Google.

Source: Yahoo! Finance

Microsoft has released Windows Vista Release Candidate 2, and hopes it is the absolute last beta it will need. If this beta requires very few revisions, Microsoft will send Windows Vista to OEM's and select companies this November. When asked about the release date, Microsoft says "As we stated from the beginnning of Windows Vista development, the quality of the product will always be our first priority". Microsoft has received a lot of excellent feedback on Windows Vista RC1, and will hopefully get much of the same from RC2. You can download it here.

Source: CNET

Do you like to game online and are you from the USA? If so, there is a 64% chance that you are a woman. Yes, quite puzzling, but Nielsen Entertainment claims that 64% of 117 million active gamers in the USA are female.
Not only are most of you women, you are also social since gaming is a social experience. The average gamer spends 7 hours a week gaming. Most games (40%) are teenagers. More suprising is that 8% is 45+.

I have some doubts here. If you don't, check the source for some more numbers.

Source: Yahoo

Vonage subscribers who live in the UK can now call people using nothing more then a headset and a USB flash drive from Vonage. The flash drive itself has 250MB free space, and the remaining read-only space is used for Vonage's software. Plugging the handset into a computer with broadband access, and then plugging the included headset into the USB stick turns the computer into an instant Vonage phone. After all calls are done, and the USB stick is removed, no files are left on the computer. The Vonage USB flash drive is called the "V-Phone", and has several features. It ships with a phone number, so that non-Vonage customers can call the V-Phone. Landline calls are free, though mobile calls cost between 5 and 15 Pence, depending on the time of day. Emergency phone calls and several calling features like call waiting are included for free. The phone costs £40, with a £10 activation fee and an £8 per month service fee. It is available now.

Source: The Register

According to market watcher American Technology Research (ATR), the PS3 production program is in full swing. The market watcher claims that Sony will easily meet it's goal of 2 million PS3's by the end of the year. Sony also is not expected to delay it's next generation console any further, and will release the PS3 on November 11th in Japan, and November 17th in America. Sony is expected to ship 1.2 million PS3's to America, and the remaining 800,000 to Japan.

Source: The Register

Logitech has invented something that is great for anyone who doesn't like tangled headphone cords. Wireless headphones are exactly what the title says they are, headphones sans wires. The thing that is so cool about the "Freepulse" headphones is that they are almost specially designed for PC users. The most recent revision runs for six hours on a single charge, uses 3cm neodymium speakers, weighs a light 60 grams, can receive a signal from 10 meters away, and uses bluetooth 2.0. Bluetooth 2.0 allows for higher bandwidth between the headphones and the transmitter, hence, less compressed audio. The Freepulse headphones plug into a 3.5mm jack, and should be available later this month for £70.

Source: The Register

IO Data will start shipping the GA-7600GSH2 later this month. It sports a passive cooler and will join the high end NVIDIA cards with HDCP support. It still lacks an actual HDMI port and it has not been mentioned if the HDCP support is native on the GPU or via an external chip on the PC. The GA-7600GSH2 contains 256MB of DDR 2 video memory clocked to 800MHz. It's due to go on sale in Japan mid-October for ¥24,200 ($205/£109/€161).

Source: Reg Hardware

Japanese storage specialist Novac is now offering a USB 2.0 dongle, so users without eSATA connectors have the option to use such drives. The company even suggests connecting four drives to it via a eSATA hub. It ships with all needed eSATA and SATA cables. It's due to ship next week for ¥3,980 ($34/£18/€27).

Source: Reg Hardware

Another fantastic product from Thermalright, utilizing the High Riser series, proprietary through holes and the comfort of silence, the new HR-03 VGA cooler is as functional as it is beautiful. HR-03 works with 4 heat pipes in the forms of 2 U-pipes and 2 N-pipes (another innovative concept from Thermalright) for a well and evenly spread out distribution of heat, and just like other High Riser heatsinks, the HR-03 can work effectively, with or without a fan. For hardcore overclockers who don't mind a little noise 92mm fan can always be mounted. The HR-03 will cool the newest and hottest GPUs from ATI and NVIDIA. The HR-03 without fan in combination with NVIDIA 7950GT does the same job as the stock cooling of the card. Click here if you want to learn more about the new VGA cooler.

Source: Thermalright

Hong Kong, (TechMessenger) -- HIS (Hightech Information System Limited) introduces HIS X300SE Dual DVI PCIe. Bringing the possibility of connect two digital LCDs, HIS X300SE Dual DVI is the best cost saving solution for you. Get the most from your gaming, digital photography, video editing and web surfing experiences with the HIS X300SE Dual DVI, the affordable graphics featuring ATI's industry-leading performance, technology and support. The HIS X300SE Dual DVI fully support the PCI Express® bus, the newest PC industry standard for delivering maximum real-time performance for your graphics-intensive software applications.

ASUSTeK Computer Inc. (ASUS) today introduced the MW221U 22" widescreen LCD monitor, which incorporated a wide viewing angle, Trace Free Technology to accelerate grey-to-grey response time to 2ms, and DVI input with High-Bandwidth Digital Content Protection (HDCP) support. A 20-inch widescreen solution, MW201U, is now available as well for those who require a smaller display. "The MW widescreen LCD monitor series is the logical step after the release of products with built-in webcam and powerful subwoofers earlier this year," said Vincent Chiou, Director of Display Business Unit. "As the display market migrates towards widescreens, ASUS will introduce two more widescreen series along with the MW series in the fourth quarter, to provide a complete monitor family for different user needs."

DailyTech has hands-on the latest NVIDIA flagman GeForce 8800 series, so it's time for some official information. The new NVIDIA graphics architecture will be fully compatible with Microsoft's upcoming DirectX 10 API with support for shader model 4.0. Codenamed G80 NVIDIA's GeForce 8800GTX will be the flagship product. The core clock will be factory clocked at 575 MHz. All GeForce 8800GTX cards will be equipped with 768MB of GDDR3 memory, to be clocked at 900 MHz. The GeForce 8800GTX will also have a 384-bit memory interface and deliver 86GB/second of memory bandwidth. GeForce 8800GTX graphics cards are equipped with 128 unified shaders clocked at 1350 MHz. The theoretical texture fill-rate is around 38.4 billion pixels per second. The second version called GeForce 8800GTS will have a G80 GPU clocked at a slower 500 MHz. The memory configuration for GeForce 8800GTS cards slightly differ from the GeForce 8800GTX. GeForce 8800GTS cards will be equipped with 640MB of GDDR3 graphics memory clocked at 900 MHz. The memory interface is reduced to 320-bit with overall memory bandwidth of 64GB/second. Additionally GeForce 8800GTX and 8800GTS products are HDCP compliant with support for dual dual-link DVI, VIVO and HDTV outputs. All cards will have dual-slot coolers too. GeForce 8800GTX and 8800GTS products will be officially launched the second week of November 2006.

Source: DailyTech

Companies are more or less getting used to the new physics market, offering their products for fast physical-effect rendering.

NVIDIA is about to introduce its physics accelerating solution with the G80 silicon.

"Quantum utilizes some of the shaders from NVIDIA's G80 processor specifically for physics calculations. Physics calculations on GPUs are nothing new; ATI totes similar technology for its Stream Computing initiative and for the Triple Play physics." says Daily tech.

Source: Daily Tech

After some market speculation about Intel buying NVIDIA NVIDIA shares rose 8%, apparantly investors believe in it. Intel is supposed to announce this acquisition tonight even though an Intel spokesman declines any such thing.
Others doubt that Intel would acquire NVIDIA due to its price and the fact that they're already active in the graphics industry and hiring people there.

I'd say lets wait for a few hours and see if the Intel spokesman changes his mind.

Source: Reuters

When most people get pets, they have to keep them clean, groom them, feed them, take them to the doctor when necessary, and play with them. This is one pet that really doesn't need more then a free USB port and 2 AA batteries. For just 25 pounds (or 38 Euros, or 50 dollars), you can get a USB hamster wheel from crazyaboutgadgets.. Aside from being cute, this electronic hamster enjoys running faster the faster you type. So if a user is a slow typist, the electronic hamster will take a relaxing stroll on the wheel, and if the user is a very fast typist, the hamster will sprint.

Source: The Register

At a Game Developers Conference, Intel showed a very interesting physics demo. The thing that made the physics demo so special was the fact that it had nothing to do with Ageia's PhysX. Intel has found a way to render physics using a proprietary physics engine and the idle cores on a multi-core procesor. The physics demo Intel presented featured a virtual castle made of 5,000 virtual bricks, which are destroyed by a virtual cannon. Once the cannon is fired, the 5,000 bricks interact with each other independantly, bringing the rendering processor to its knees. A single core processor rendered the scene at 50 fps, while a Core 2 Quad rendered the scene at over 200 fps. Increasing the amount of bricks to 10,000 made the physics performance of any processor "tragic".

Source: TheINQ

Traditionally, liquid cooling was only relevant for the enthusiast markets - that is until Asetek's solution. Up until now liquid cooling systems have always had one or more drawbacks, such as being bulky and built of many separate components interconnected by a lot of hoses, high cost, insufficient reliability and life span.

Windows Vista will be protected by more then just a simple CD key. If Windows Vista cannot detect that it is genuine, the computer goes into "reduced functionality mode". This means that Aero is disabled, simple web browsing will only work occasionally, and many features of the operating system are disabled. Whether or not those features would include video acceleration is unknown, but certainly possible.

Source: TheIN