I was busy today, fixed my furance and had a bunch of other stuff going on so the news just piled up on me.. so here goes:

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Sweeney Todd The Demon Barber Of Fleet Street Blu-Ray Review @ Ascully.com

Quote

“I find it hard to talk about movies I really really enjoy. I’m not sure why, I guess it’s because I want to just enjoy it as I watch it and then in my head without spilling out all the drooling accolades to the general public. Oh, but I do write my little reviews every week, and do the podcast discussion, so I am finding it hard to keep it all to myself, as you can imagine.”

Article Link - http://www.ascully.com/?page_id=328

Article Title - Sweeney Todd The Demon Barber Of Fleet Street Blu-Ray Review @ Ascully.com

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TechwareLabs has published a review of the Gigabyte GA-EP45-DS3R Motherboard. Here’s a clip from the review:

Quote: Behind every amazing computer, there is an amazing motherboard. Today, RTM takes Gigabytes GA-EP45-DS3R for a spin. Competing with such boards as the ASUS Striker II, we have high hopes for this energy efficient little devil. Now we are left wondering: Can this board out perform the competition?

LINK: http://www.techwarelabs.com/reviews/motherboard/gigabyte_ga-ep45-ds3r_motherboard

Title: Gigabyte GA-EP45-DS3R Motherboard @ TechwareLabs

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“With the increasing power, performance and functionality of today’s laptops, it’s no surprise that gamers choose a laptop as their primary gaming platform - especially LAN party junkies. The problem is that while power-hungry laptops of today provide high-performance gaming and graphics, they also generate huge amounts of heat. With the Notebook Cooler 200 Antec has succeeded the Notebook Cooler and the Notebook Cooler To Go with a more efficient and user-friendly solution that provides a steady stream of cool air below a laptop, as well as moving the hot air away from the machine. Hardcore gamers who enjoy marathon sessions should definitely take a closer look.”

http://www.itreviewed.co.uk/rev.php?id=822

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MSI Geforce 9600 GT 1Gb Hybrid Freezer VGA Review

“The MSI N9600GT Hybrid Freezer is equipped with 1Gb DDR3 memory and features an unique cooling solution which works passively when in 2D mode, and only makes noise when running 3D applications or games. MSI overclocked the GPU and Shader for increased performance, let´s find out how it compares to a vanilla Geforce 9600 GT.”

http://www.madshrimps.be/gotoartik.php?articID=875

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Title:    A-Data Vitesta Extreme Edition DDR2 800MHz review

Direct Link:
http://www.modreactor.com/english/Reviews/A-Data-Vitesta-Extreme-Edition-DDR2-800MHz-review.html

Quote: “Memory is one of the three major performance factors in
gaming PCs - the other two are VGA and CPU. A-Data are one of the
biggest manifacturers of memory in the world with a whole line of
products targeting the hardware and gaming enthusiasts most commonly
reffered with the title “overclockers”. One such product reached
ModReactor’s lab, A-Data Vitesta DDR2-800 Extreme PC6400 2×1GB kit,
optimized for dual channel use with super low latency.”

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USB Flash drives are officially ubiquitous in modern society. How do I know this? Because your mom has one. My friends tell me that their parents have them, too, and none of them are technically savvy in the least.

USB drives are extremely handy, and now you can pick one up for really cheap. Those of us on the bleeding edge have discovered that a 1GB, 2GB, or even huge 16GB flash drives just won’t do. We are busy people, and we need tons of photos, programs, emulators, websites, and data with us at all times, because you never know when you’ll need it.

Corsair has pushed the bleeding edge once again with their insanely huge 64GB Flash Voyager USB thumb drive. Not only does this unit have more capacity than a laptop computer from a few years back, but it is ultra portable and can fit in your pocket or a keychain.

Review URL ::
http://www.ocmodshop.com/ocmodshop.aspx?a=1388

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here’re the Redaktion ocinside.de News from Wednesday, October 22, 2008:

The interactive Intel product ID guide is used for a fast and easy identification of the most Intel processors.
Just select the description of the Intel processor in the interactive guide and
you will see immediately the most important technical informations like the frequency, power, L2 and L3 Cache, Socket, etc.
The current version 2.1 contains a lot of new processors like the soon coming Intel Core i7 and Core i7 Extreme CPUs.
Additionally, completely new are the current Intel Atom processors, but also more than 30 Xeon processors,
several Core 2 Extreme, Core 2 Duo and much more Intel processor informations.

Title:
Interactive Intel processor product ID guide v2.1

Link:
http://www.ocinside.de/html/workshop/intel_product_id.html

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“I was very surprised to see that the Xigmatek Battle Axe VD964 perform so well. We all know that the Readon HD 4850 gets really hot, so when the Battle Axe cooled the card by almost 50% … it’s definitely a real eye opener.”

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I4U NEWS published a review of the Microsoft SideWinder X5 Mouse.

Quote from the review:
“Today we are checking out the Microsoft SideWinder X5 gaming mouse. The mouse offers nice features like programmable buttons and macro recording capability.
Sensitivity for the mouse is adjustable and up to 2000 DPI. There are much more sensitive gaming mice on the market from other manufacturers, but the X5 may be a good alternative for some gamers. ”

Full Review:
http://www.i4u.com/full-review-492.html

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“Freecom’s Mobile DVD RW Recorder LS Pro is super thin and gives you an optical drive that is small enough to fit into your pocket. It’s also well built and looks good. The drive even comes with USB 2.0 and FireWire 400 connections, making it a practical choice for those with both Mac and PC laptops. If you’re looking for a lightweight optical drive that can burn up to 8.5GB of data, images or multimedia files, and produces professional looking CDs and DVDs using LightScribe media, the Mobile DVD RW Recorder LS Pro will fit the bill nicely. As an added bonus you don’t even need to connect the supplied AC adapter when reading CDs and DVDs because the drive is bus powered.”

http://www.itreviewed.co.uk/rev.php?id=821

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Title: FarCry2 PC-Game Review on Technic3D

Link: http://www.technic3d.com/article-756,1-farcry-2-tatsaechlich-so-gut.htm

Quote: “FarCry 2 PC Game from UbiSoft arrived Technic3D. Far Cry 2 First-person shooter by Ubisoft is the anticipated sequel to the award-winning original that brings players into the beautiful and hostile world of Africa. Far Cry 2 for Windows Vista/XP features open-ended gameplay that allows you to play the game whichever way you choose, with the choices you make affecting where the game leads you. Outstanding Graphics,  Huge Range of Weapons/Vehicles and better than Crysis? See you in the following Review.”

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NEW CONTENT (Storage) - Crucial 32GB 2.5″ Solid State Disk Drive

QUOTE: “It doesn’t matter if you are a home user, network administrator or enthusiast; when you think of memory, Crucial always comes to mind. As you are well aware by now, memory makers are using their expertise and producing storage drives based on non-volatile flash memory. This category is divided into two types, SLC and MLC. The Crucial CT32GBFAB0 we are looking at today uses SLC memory which is considered to be the fastest of the two memory types.

The CT32GBFAB0 is Crucial’s first SSD offering and it is important to remember that many other companies have already released three and four different SSDs. I have always found Crucial to be a company that takes their time when releasing their products and unlike some of the others would not start to sell a drive and revamp it a month later. Crucial is just more careful about the products they release.”

For more information, please visit - http://www.tweaktown.com/reviews/1630/crucial_32gb_2_5_solid_state_disk_drive/index.html

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We have just posted a full review of the Thermaltake DH101 HTPC Case.  This case fits nicely under your TV in your Audio/Video rack and offers some nice features as well as stellar looks.  If you have been thinking about which chassis to get for your upcoming HTPC build, or want to give your current rig a face lift, the DH101 is a decent choice.  Make sure to catch all the details in our review.

Title: Thermaltake DH101 HTPC Case
URL: http://www.bcchardware.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=6281&Itemid=40

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Title: SilverStone Sugo SG04 @ Phoronix
Direct Link: http://www.phoronix.com/vr.php?view=12989
Summary: “Last year we had looked at the SilverStone Sugo SG03 and found it to be a phenomenal successor to the Sugo SG01 Evolution and it had went on to receive our Editor’s Choice Award. Since the release of the SG03, SilverStone had decided to release the Sugo SG02 in the United States, which was a budget version of the SG01 and their most affordable chassis to date. Now though SilverStone has made a few improvements to the SG03 design and they have released the Sugo SG04. The SG04 takes the same design as the SG03 but it improves the cooling potential of the case, adds a case handle, and improves a few other aspects of this case. In this article we are looking at the SilverStone SST-SG04B-H as well as the SilverStone NT06 Evolution heatsink.”

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I hate mousepads. They slide all over the place, they stain, and they start to smell funny after a couple of keg parties. Mine usually sits on the opposite side of my keyboard, with a drink on top of it so I don’t ruin the finish on my desk. Frankly, I never even saw the point of them after the advent of the optical mouse. Back in the days of the trackball I understood it, you couldn’t get those damned things to work on any other surface.

In reality, before the world of hardcore computer gaming came along there really was no need for the mousepad for the optical mouse. Nearly any surface would do the job. But as mice got better, and their DPI resolution improved well into the thousands, your standard desktop surface just didn’t do the trick anymore. So people like Nova came along and decided to make sure you were getting the most out of your $75 mouse.

Review URL ::
http://www.ocmodshop.com/ocmodshop.aspx?a=1382

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NZXT Avatar Mouse Giveaway

“In cooperation with NZXT we are able to give an enthusiast and/or gamer out there an upgrade of his PC rodent. The NZXT Avatar has 2600 DPI Optical Sensor which provides maximum sensitivity and responsiveness which yields unparalleled gaming accuracy. LED DPI indicator gives the user improved usage and feedback. 5.8 Mega Pixels/second with a max frame rate of 6469 ensures smooth fragging and accurate sniping. 4 Speed DPI switch enables you to go from slow sniper movement to quick attack movement in a matter of seconds.”

http://www.madshrimps.be/forums/showthread.php?threadid=58544

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TechwareLabs has published a review of the NZXT Guardian 921 Case. Here’s a clip from the review:

Quote: There is much more to a case than just looks. You need a sense of protection. A sense of security for your hardware within. NZXT offers all of this and more with their Guardian 921. Join Erik as he gets down and dirty with the NZXT Guardian 921 and tells us what he thinks.

LINK: http://www.techwarelabs.com/reviews/PowerSupply/nzxt_guardian_921/

Title: NZXT Guardian 921 Case @ TechwareLabs

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Title: Callpod Dragon V2 Headset Review
Link: http://www.hardwaresecrets.com/article/633
Category: Reviews

Summary:
Review of Callpod’s Bluetooth Dragon V2 headset for cell phones, which can also work as walkie-talkies.

Here is a snippet:
“Every time we look at Bluetooth headsets, they seem to be getting smaller and smaller. So when the Callpod’s Dragon V2 headset arrived for our review, we were amazed that this headset was actually larger than most. We found that it also has some unique features such as Bluetooth Class 1 certification, the ability to hook up to other Dragon V2’s  to be used as walkie-talkies, and the ability to pair with more than one device at a time. These exciting features made us anxious to take a closer look.”-

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Title: Raidmax Aura Case at Modders-Inc

Summary: Raidmax has introduced a new member to its Performance Series Gaming Cases, the Raidmax AURA. A mid-tower computer case.

Articles URL: http://www.modders-inc.com/modules.php?name=NDReviews&op=Story&reid=228

Site URL:  http://www.modders-inc.com

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Date: 10-21-2008 By Elric Phares The N5200BR is a computer in its own right and the ability to back up files onto a file server and use it as a FTP server and other uses is well worth the price when balanced in the whole. The amount of energy the N5200BR consumes is less than a normal PC as the CPU is a Celeron-M 600MHz. As a file server, the N5200BR is an excellent example of using old hardware for new uses that work. There is nothing to complain about with the 5200BR, it is a solid well built and thought-out system that employs simple ideas and makes the user feel at ease with the unit from the point of entry of its installation to final backup of your files and information. The 5200BR is a two thumbs up Gamers’ Choice product, good job Thecus.

Link: http://www.gamepyre.com/hardwared.html?aid=1024&p=1

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Palit Giveaway At Motherboards.org

Author: Doc Overclock: 10-21-2008

Hello again everyone, this months contest features a matching SLI set of 9800GT 1GB Super cards from our friends at Palit to one lucky winner, this contest runs from he 21st of Oct until the 20th of November. These cards in SLI are actually faster than a single GTX280 so don’t doubt their gaming ability as this are a pair of sweet cards. A single random winner will be picked on the 21st of November and that winner could be you. You can enter the contest at the link below, and remember, you cannot win if you do not enter. Good luck to everyone who participates in this giveaway.

Contest

Link: http://www.motherboards.org/contest.html

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Title: Sunbeamtech Acrylic HTPC Case Review
Link: http://www.hardwaresecrets.com/article/634
Category: Reviews

Summary:
Are you interested in an all-acrylic case for your media center PC? Today we took a look on Sunbeamtech’s HTPC acrylic case.

Here is a snippet:
“Many people like the idea of having a completely transparent case and with the popularization of HTPCs – computers built to be connected to your home theater system for playing movies and songs – Sunbeamtech released an HTPC acrylic case. Since heat is one of the main concerns when building a PC inside an acrylic case (since acrylic can’t dissipate heat, contrary to what happens with steel or aluminum solutions) Sunbeam’s acrylic HTPC case features four 80-mm fans. Let’s take an in-depth look on this case and see if lives up to our expectations.”

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Titel:
Cooler Master RC590

Teaser:
Cooler Master and a case below 70 Euro? Let’s take a look…

Link:
http://www.tweakpc.de/hardware/tests/gehaeuse/coolermaster_rc590/s01.php

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Asus U6V Laptop Review:

Link: http://www.rbmods.com/Articles/Asus/u6v/1.php

Quote: Asus are well known for their high quality products which range all the way from coolers to laptops. This is the first time we are going to test a laptop from Asus and we got their last super portable U6V model which has a smaller screen to make it more portable but it still seems to have fast parts inside. At a price around 1500$ this thing better perform well so lets take a closer look.

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NEW CONTENT (Casing & Cooling) - Ikonik Zaria A20 Mid-Tower Enclosure

QUOTE: “If you are not familiar with the brand name Ikonik, fear not. You will find yourself in the majority. Ikonik is a relatively new company that is gearing a product line and aiming at the enthusiast. While not a huge market segment, we are a very vocal one and our opinions often filter to the more mainstream buying channels.

Another feature of the Ikonik Zaria A20 is an option called SIM, or System Intelligent Management. This is a device that is both hardware and software based, and is designed to help you monitor the system to make certain that everything is working as it should be.”

For more information, please visit - http://www.tweaktown.com/reviews/1631/ikonik_zaria_a20_mid_tower_enclosure/index.html

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Guess you just can’t have too much DRM. At least not if you believe RealNetwork’s CEO Rob Glaser. He’s going to help you rip your DVDs to your HD so you can play them on the go. Of course he doesn’t touch Hollywood’s DRM and in fact goes them one better…he adds his own unique, really cool DRM on top of it. Then when Hollywood says that’s not part of our agreement he does the only logical thing…he sues them!!! Life up in Seattle must be a little dull right now.

Rob Glaser, RealNetworks CEO, hasn?t had a lot of winners lately so we bet the idea of helping you copy your Hollywood DVD sounded like a great way to strike it rich?again.

Review URL ::
http://www.ocmodshop.com/ocmodshop.aspx?a=1383

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“SAS is the preferred interface for the direct-attach server space, SCSI’s former mainstay. SAS is for mission critical applications that require higher levels of availability and native expansion. SAS is optimised for the random performance requirements of the data centre. The 9690SA’s advanced RAID features, SAS connectivity, and powerful 3ware performance architecture make it the ideal SCSI controller replacement for data centre and Web server usage. It’s everything you ask for from a controller: quick, consistent and reliable. As an added bonus you get more cache compared to competing models from LSI Logic and Adaptec.”

http://www.itreviewed.co.uk/rev.php?id=820

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InsideHW.com has posted editorial about TFT monitors in general. You can read a clip from review:

“You should be versed with today’s TFT monitor market to be certain that you really know what you want and what you need. Of course that there always be someone who will be satisfied with anything and those who always expect too much. In worst case, we should know where all the money gone. In best scenario, you’ll get almost ideal price /performance ratio in relation to your needs and budget. First we want to remind you on few basic work principles for TFT monitors. That will help you to understand causes of the potential problems and explain to you how you can easier to recognize them…”

If you are interested to read some more, we present you link:

http://www.insidehw.com/Editorials/Columns/Everything-You-Should-Know-About-TFT-Monitors.html

Title:

Everything You Should Know About TFT Monitors @ InsideHW

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InsideHW.com has posted roundup for eleven 22-inch Wide TFT monitors (Asus, BenQ, Samsung, LG…). You can read a clip from review:

“For every period on time there is optimal monitor (screen) size. Nowadays, smaller monitor isn’t cheap enough and isn’t worth of savings while the bigger one still doesn’t justify the difference in price. The thing is that lately, mid range monitors and even from low range, become very quality pieces of hardware. And if you pick by random any of them, there are small odds that you’ll chose “piece of junk”. As result of these changes on local and global market it is actually very favorable state for nowadays buyers. Now you can have bigger monitor on the table with more than acceptable price especially if you buy it on sales. So, according to all that, wide monitor with 22-inch diagonal is the best buy at the moment. Keeping that fact in mind, we gathered eleven models that can be classified as cheaper and we did comparison test…”

If you are interested to read some more, we present you link:

http://www.insidehw.com/Reviews/Displays/22-inch-Wide-TFT-Roundup.html

Title:

22 inch Wide TFT Roundup @ InsideHW

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Eastern Promises Blu-Ray Review @ Ascully.com

Quote

“Life is rugged and rough in the city of London when you are a midwife (Naomi Watts) who comes face to face with the Russian mob. Our leading lady works in the city hospital where a young teenage girl gives birth and then dies, leaving only a baby and her diary, which is written in Russian. Yes, it’s a cool and very literary coincidence that the nurse’s father was Russian, and she has an uncle who can translate, but then again sometimes we take leaps of faith for movies that are worth it, and this movie is worth it.”

Article Link - http://www.ascully.com/?page_id=480

Article Title - Eastern Promises Blu-Ray Review @ Ascully.com

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Alvin Leaves The Chipmunks!!!

NEW YORK–(BUSINESS WIRE)–It happens to the best of them: Journey. Judas Priest. Van Halen. And now, The Chipmunks need their Sammy Hagar. After 50 years with the same line-up, Alvin has left the band. One of America’s most beloved and biggest-selling artists will be holding tryouts for a new lead vocalist—and the job’s available to anyone who visits www.chipmunkaudition.com.

The band parted ways with longtime frontman Alvin following the smash success of the 2007 movie Alvin and The Chipmunks and its accompanying Top 10 soundtrack, which is nearing platinum sales. It seems Alvin is leaving the band high and dry right before the November release of The Chipmunks latest album, UNDENIABLE.

“The last time I yelled ALVIN!, he was nowhere to be found,” says longtime Chipmunks songwriter/producer David Seville. “I mean, he usually makes me do it three times. After that we work it out. But no. Then I saw that item on Perez Hilton about him and Miley Cyrus dining out at Geisha House with Timbaland and Justin Timberlake,” Seville continues. “I’ve been in this business since 1958. I know a guy who’s looking to make a solo record when I see one.”

Alvin could not be reached for comment. “Theodore and I have seen this sort of thing before,” says brother and band mate Simon. “Success is going to his little furry head.” “Dude thinks he’s a movie star,” adds Theodore.

But with a new album, UNDENIABLE, hitting the stores November 4^th, The Chipmunks can’t wait for their egocentric former leader to regain his senses. And while the band considered filling Alvin’s paws with Steve Perry—“Don’t Stop Believin’” is one of the new record’s highlights—they ultimately felt an unknown would bring new energy.

Visitors to www.chipmunkaudition.com will be able to upload a video to the band’s YouTube channel and view current news. Any song will be accepted and costumes, props and other creative ideas are also welcome.

“I’ve said it before–I’ve been lucky to work with just one interpretive vocalist as great as Alvin,” says Seville. “It’s gonna be a thrill to search the whole world for another. Now I know how Max Martin felt, getting to work with Britney Spears and Kelly Clarkson.”

Working with a brand new singer will be one last huge change for a band that has already reinvented itself over the course of more than 40 albums, whether it’s Christmas, country-western, punk or hip-hop. Like its predecessors, UNDENIABLE showcases a band that’s mastered every style, from the funky title track and remix of “We’re The Chipmunks” (the theme song from the popular cartoon series) to a moving version of Bob Marley’s “Three Little Birds.” There’s also a new holiday hit in “Ho Ho Ho,” an epic take on Bon Jovi’s “Livin’ On a Prayer” and an inspired version of Led Zeppelin’s “Rock and Roll.” Rising pop star Drew Seeley (High School Musical soundtracks, Another Cinderella Story) is also featured on a duet of the classic disco hit “Shake Your Groove Thing.”

“With all the hubbub of the movie, it has been a long time since we rocked n’ rolled,” says Simon.

“The Chipmunks have always been about the music, man. We want somebody who feels the same way. I’m excited to see all the YouTube videos.”

“Me too,” adds Theodore. “But don’t you think “Theodore and The Chipmunks” has a nice ring to it?”

Some of the newest products to hit the Firebox range:

*New* Senz Stealth Umbrella ($49.95)

http://www.firebox.com/product/1989

Forget embarrassing umbrella incidents - this revolutionary rain repeller utilizes futuristic stealth-bomber styling to prevent it from blowing inside out. In fact it can withstand gale force gusts.

*New* The Wine Rack ($29.95)

http://www.firebox.com/product/2061

This comfortable sports-style bra contains a special hooter-enhancing polyurethane bladder that can be filled with your drink of choice

Read the rest of this entry »

With all the buzz around VIA’s recent announcement of their next generation low power Isaiah mobile processor, we thought it would be a good idea to get together with some of VIA’s top architecture and design brass in a “fireside chat” sort of venue.  The idea was to provide a little more insight into what the team at VIA feels will be the real value proposition of their ultra low power Isaiah mobile X86 processor and how the product will differentiate versus current and future offerings from the likes of Intel, AMD and others.  Our direct line of contact was with VIA’s Centaur design center president, Glenn Henry.  Former Dell CTO and IBM Engineering Fellow, Glenn founded Centaur back in 1995 and the highly successful company has the lowest employee attrition rate in the industry - no small feat for a semiconductor design house.

VIA’s Glenn Henry Speaks On New Low Power Isaiah Processor:

http://www.hothardware.com/Articles/VIAs_Glenn_Henry_Speaks_On_New_Low_Power_Isaiah_Processor2

Site: http://www.hothardware.com/

PC Review have a new article on Windows Vista Codecs which recommends the best options available to get maximum video compatibility on your system:

“The K-Lite Codec pack is the most popular codec pack available at the moment and works flawlessly on Windows Vista. The main benefit of this package is that you can choose the broad type of pack you wish to install (either Basic, Standard or Full). Most users will want to install the standard package, as this should play almost any video file available. If you find a video format that is not supported, it is easy to re-install the full pack at a later date. The full pack is primarily designed for people that need to encode as well as decode (for example, in a movie making package), so is overkill for the vast majority of users.”

Article URL : http://www.pcreview.co.uk/articles/Windows/Vista_Codecs/

Google CEO bullish on mobile Web advertising

Posted: 27 Jan 2008 04:26 PM CST

The arrival of a truly mobile Web, offering a new generation of location-based advertising, is set to unleash a “huge revolution,” Google Chief Executive Eric Schmidt said.

“It’s the re-creation of the Internet, it’s the re-creation of the PC (personal computer) story, and it is before us–and it is very likely it will happen in the next year,” he told a panel at the World Economic Forum, in Davos, Switzerland.

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Windows 7 coming out next year?

Posted: 27 Jan 2008 04:26 PM CST

A recently-release roadmap for the next major Window release – Windows 7 – indicates that Microsoft is planning to release the new operating system in the second half of 2009, rather than the anticipated release date of some time in 2010.

There are apparently three “milestone” builds planned for 2008, and the first one – M1 – has already shipped to key partners for code validation. M1 is for the English language build only, but is available in both 32-bit and 64-bit versions. Microsoft has announced that Windows 7 will most likely be the last Windows operating system available in 32-bit, and given the rapid advances Windows Vista is making in the 64-bit computing market, this seems a sensible decision.

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Lotus Notes for iPhone not ready yet

Posted: 27 Jan 2008 04:26 PM CST

Despite reports that the launch of Lotus Notes for the iPhone and iPod Touch is imminent, IBM says it is not quite ready to release the software.

A formal announcement of Lotus Notes for Apple’s portable devices was to occur at IBM’s Lotusphere conference this week, with the software available free for users with a Lotus Web-access license or on a yearly subscription basis for new users.

By Scott Nesbitt
Sunday, January 27, 2008

Megapixels: Myth or Reality?

When it comes to technology, more is always better, isn’t it? More memory, more hard drive space, more screen resolution. In the case of digital cameras, you keep hearing – from manufacturers, sales people, and friends and family – that more megapixels are the measure of a camera’s quality.

But is this true? Or are we being sold a bill of goods? Well, the truth lies somewhere in the middle. Megapixels are an important factor when choosing a digital camera. But they shouldn’t be the deciding factor, nor are they the most important.

What is a megapixel, anyway?

First off, let’s look at what a pixel is. It’s short for picture element, and is a single colored square in the mosaic that makes up a photograph. Each pixel represents a bit of light that sensors in your camera picks up when you click the button to take a picture.

Read the rest of this entry »

Title: New Approach To ATI Linux Driver Installation @ Phoronix
Direct Link: http://www.phoronix.com/vr.php?view=11734
Summary: “Back in June of 2005 with the ATI Linux 8.14.13 driver release
was a new installer to more easily facilitate the installation of this
binary graphics driver using a graphical interface for a generic setup
or generating distribution-specific packages (at that time Red Hat was
the only officially supported distribution). With time, this installer
has evolved by gaining new features and more distributions are being
supported through their –buildpkg command for generating custom driver
packages. These packaging scripts are now even hosted in the open for
more community interaction. With two new driver options that will be
formally introduced next month in Ubuntu’s packaging scripts for the
Catalyst 8.02 Linux driver, the installation process of the ATI fglrx
driver on Ubuntu will become several steps easier.”

IBM and SAP to develop joint software

Posted: 24 Jan 2008 04:23 PM CST

Services and software companies IBM and SAP, longtime technology partners, will bring out their first joint software product in the fourth quarter of this year, the two companies said on Monday.

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Publicis, Google reveal digital ad collaboration

Posted: 24 Jan 2008 04:22 PM CST

France’s Publicis and Web search engine giant Google revealed they were combining their expertise to expand in the fast-growing digital advertising market.

However, the pair did not wish to give details just yet. They would only say that Google would exchange its technological know-how for Publicis’s analytical and media planning expertise.

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WOW reaches 10 million

Posted: 24 Jan 2008 04:23 PM CST

Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. announced today that subscribership for World of Warcraft®, its award-winning massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG), has continued to climb, recently passing 10 million worldwide. Interest in the game has remained high in all regions, with thousands of new and returning players signing up through the holiday season. World of Warcraft now hosts more than 2 million subscribers in Europe, more than 2.5 million in North America, and approximately 5.5 million in Asia.

Today AMD is officially unveiling the Radeon HD 3650 and the Radeon HD 3450 / 3470, which are based on the 55nm RV635 and RV620 GPUs, respectively.  Like the RV670 that came before them, the RV635 and RV620 are competitively priced DirectX 10.1 compliant GPUs that offer full UVD support.  Built on the same advanced 55nm manufacturing process technology, these new cards should drop in cost effectively and with cool-running thermal characteristics.

 

Come see the new Radeon HD 3650, here:

http://www.hothardware.com/articles/ATI_Radeon_HD_Refresh_3650_and_3450_Arrive/

Title: How Much Power Do Electronic Equipments Consume When in Standby Mode?
Link: http://www.hardwaresecrets.com/article/519
Category: Articles

Summary:
Do electronic equipments consume a lot of power when they are on their standby mode and presumably turned off? We measured several equipments and came to very interesting conclusions. Check it out.

Here is a snippet:
“Is it true that electronic equipments consume a lot of power when they are on their standby mode and presumably turned off? We took a digital power meter and measured the most common electronic equipments found at home to check this out. We came to out with very interesting results. Read on.”

Tomato Video Touch, the cutest iPod Touch Clone Yet

Posted: 21 Jan 2008 04:17 PM CST

The mark South Korean Tomato announces the Video Touch, naturally inspired a clone of the iPod Touch. La ressemblance est d’ailleurs frappante entre les deux appareils, à tel point qu’un œil distrait pourrait se laisser piéger. The similarity is also striking between the two aircraft to such an extent that a distracted eye could be trapped. Du coté des spécifications, celui-ci embarque un écran tactile LCD QVGA 260K couleurs de 2.5″, 2Go à 4Go de mémoire flash, un tuner FM et un haut-parleur. Il offre une compatibilité MP3, WMA, WAV, APE, FLAC, MPEG-4 et AVI. Comptez entre 63$ et 84$. From the side of specifications, it loads a touch-screen LCD QVGA 260K color 2.5 “, 2GB to 4GB of flash memory, an FM tuner and a loudspeaker. It is backwards compatible MP3, WMA, WAV, APE, FLAC, MPEG-4 and AVI. Count between $ 63 and $ 84.

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CompUSA Refuses To Accept Cash

Posted: 21 Jan 2008 04:17 PM CST

A CompUSA cashier summoned her manager and a security guard when Bud tried to pay for his purchases with cash. The promise of 40% discounts drew Bud to the Boisie, Idaho store, but he settled for a 10% discount on an iMac and several accessories.

I start counting out hundred dollar bills and the clerk goes nuts! “Sir, we don’t accept cash for this kind of purchase! You must use a credit card!” she says at the top of her lungs. (I see her also hit a button on the phone at the same time.)

Instantly a man shows up, clearly the manager from his nametag and the rent-a-cop security guy. Both tell me the same thing, “NO CASH! You have to pay with a credit card!”

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Unique Cartoon Shooter Introduces a New Way to Play Battlefield

MUNICH, Germany–(BUSINESS WIRE)–At the Digital, Life, Design Conference (DLD) in Munich, Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: ERTS) today unveiled Battlefield Heroes™, an all-new Play 4 Free cartoon-style shooter that will bring classic Battlefield gameplay to an all new mass audience. Available for download at www.battlefield-heroes.com this summer, Battlefield Heroes is EA’s first title that is offered completely for free, and features a built-in matchmaking system to ensure that players of equal skill are paired together for fair play. Developed by DICE in Stockholm, Battlefield Heroes is leading EA’s new web-focused free to download, free to play business model which generates revenue through advertising and micro-transactions. With zero barriers to entry, now anyone can be a hero on the battlefield!

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AMD Taiwan Embedded Forum

TAIPEI, Taiwan–(BUSINESS WIRE)–At the AMD Taiwan Embedded Forum this week, AMD (NYSE: AMD) announced a significant number of platform-stable, energy-efficient additions to its embedded roadmap. The high performance AMD Turion™ 64 X2 Dual-Core processors TL-56 and TL-62 can deliver the exceptional leading edge 64-bit application performance and low power requested by designers in the industrial control, digital signage and point-of-sale embedded markets, while the energy-efficient AMD Sempron™ processor 3700+ offers additional performance in a consistent and very low-power thermal envelope for value-based designs.

Also, the use of advanced AMD manufacturing process technology improvements allows for a new version of the Mobile AMD Sempron processor 2100+ that achieves up to a 15% reduction in thermal design power. All of these new products feature a consistent Socket S1, allowing for quicker development and delivery times through socket consistency and platform longevity.

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NEW CONTENT (Software) - ATI Catalyst 8.1 Analysis - XP & Vista

QUOTE: “With the slow run that AMD have been having with driver releases over the past few months it will be interesting to see what happens with the new release. Considering January is generally a pretty quiet month for hardware sales thanks to the fact that everyone spent their money over Christmas, who knows what AMD will have up their sleeves with this release.

The most interesting (and potentially disappointing) fact about this driver release is that AMD mention no form of performance improvements with the driver update. We hope this isn’t true, but let’s find out what happens when we place the driver through our typical line-up of games and graphics cards.”

For more information, please visit - http://www.tweaktown.com/articles/1276/ati_catalyst_8_1_analysis_xp_vista/index.html

BHFO.org Press Release

Summary:

9600GT in the Open - G94:

“BHFO.org ran across this Chinese site that has the world’s first benchmarks of the 9600GT or G94 from NVIDIA. Chris combed, analyzed, and organized the data. Look at the English results and specification for this new video card being released 02-14-08.
Core G94-300-A1″

Part of the article:

“The crew at pconline.com.cn obtained a NVIDIA G94-300 9600GT graphics card through “certain channels.” They did an excellent job of presenting the facts about the 9600GT, and performed a healthy comparison against three other cards. The prospects for the unreleased G94 models are exciting to say the least.

 

The graphics cards used for comparison against the G94-300-A1 non-retail-core are the 8800GS, the 8600GTS, and the HD3850. Pconline put the video cards through a gauntlet of top-notch games to expose the 9600GT to its first real-world benchmarks. The game titles include Lost Planet, Fear, and Crysis among others. They also performed some synthetic benchmarks with the 3DMark 06 suite v110.

 

In order to prevent any bottlenecking related to the CPU, they implement a Core 2 Duo QX6800, which is operating at 266×11 or 2.93GHz. The test system has two gigs of DDR2 800 with timings of 4-4-4-12. All of these components reside on a Gigabyte DQ6 motherboard with a P35 chipset. The storage medium for …”~Chris Hunter

News Article Link:

http://www.bhfo.org/news/news-articles/9600gt-in-the-open-g94.html

Website Link:

http://www.bhfo.org

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TechwareLabs has published a video us making ice cream using liquid nitrogen. Here’s a clip from the video:

Quote: “Looking for some truly hardcore and high tech food. We have some insta ice cream we overclocked into high gear using LN2. Wanna see the chilli results? Check out our entire cool video. ”

LINK:
http://www.techwarelabs.com/articles/events/liquid-nitrogen

Title:
Make Ice Cream Using Liquid Nitrogen @ TechwareLabs

 

FastSilicon.com has posted an article titled “ Janice Turner Is Crack For Parents - Xbox’s Are Just Toys” This is an editorial response to a piece written by columnist Janice Turner titled “Xbox is crack for kids” for the British publication The Times Online.

Here is a quote:

“After sitting through reading one of the most denial ridden, vitriolic and incoherent rants on the subject of the evils of gaming I’ve ever seen, I felt a need to respond to it. Not only as a technology website journalist, but also as a parent.”

 

Review Link:

http://www.fastsilicon.com/off-the-wall/opinions-editorials/janice-turner-is-crack-for-parents-xboxs-are-just-toys.html

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Bill “mnpctech” Owen has been VERY busy lately!  He has recently announced a new custom paint service on his blog and has showcased some of his recent mod projects.  Here is some info about this custom painting as well as links to some of his recent modding efforts.  You won’t be disappointed! 

“My current painter, Lin Anderson isn’t outfitted to handle color finishes, clearcoating or any large volume of work. This is why we never focused on offering custom paint outside of large customer projects. After a few weeks of humping the paint community forums, including craigslist, making phones calls, I found Brad Galvin. It turns out I drive by his house everyday. Brad is 34 and hes been painting professionally for 14 years. He does everything in house, including custom color finishes, clearcoating, candy pearls, airbrushing, pinstriping!“

PC Apex Blogs // PCApex.com recently launched a new blog hosting service that allows it’s users to publish their own technology and/or modding based blog.  These blogs are setup with Google AdSense revenue sharing which gives 75% of all revenue generated from AdSense directly to the author!  In other words, you can make some extra cash while sharing your tips, tweaks and modding worklogs!  (You do need to have your own Google AdSense account.)

Custom Paint Info //
http://blogs.pcapex.com/mnpctech/blog/141/custom_computer_painting_mnpctechcom

Project: Ghost of the Red Baron //
http://blogs.pcapex.com/mnpctech/blog/138/project_ghost_red_baron

Guide to painting the Logitech MX518 gaming mouse //
http://blogs.pcapex.com/mnpctech/blog/143/custom_painting_logitech_mx518_gaming_mouse

“WALL-E” theme laptop painting //
http://blogs.pcapex.com/mnpctech/blog/144/custom_painted_laptop_wall-e_theme_new_pixar_movie

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I’ve got some pictures of the AEE 2008 show. Good ones…

AEE 2008 Pictures

” The Adult Entertainment expo features many big celebrities in the field. The major attraction to the show is the fact that it is open to fans as well as people in the industry. This means that the show floor is packed with people. Here are some highlights of the show. Yes, it is all about the women. ”

Link: http://www.aselabs.com/articles.php?id=233

 

If you’re using Windows Vista, then you’ve probably noticed the new memory requirements. In Windows XP you could get away with 1GB of memory, with 2GB making it run much smoother. To get the same smooth experience from Vista, you really need to double the memory, due in part to some of the new services that Vista is running.

One of these new services is SuperFetch, which analyzes your program usage and pre-caches these programs to make them load faster. For most users (especially gamers) this is relatively useless, and just serves to waste more of the precious memory you’ve loaded up your PC with. This memory is even more critical in the 32-bit flavor of Vista, where most users cannot use more than 3.5GB of RAM, even if you have 4GB or more.

Review URL ::
http://www.ocmodshop.com/ocmodshop.aspx?a=1048

-Well this could prove to be fairly useful eh?

Images Show e-crime Evolution Revealing Mexico, India and Africa as Next Hotbeds of Internet Crime

SAN JOSE, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Most of today’s Internet criminals are operating from Russia, China and Southern America. Over the next five years, there will be a significant increase in attacks from Central America, India, China and Africa, according to a prediction from security specialists.

The researchers at F-Secure’s Security Labs have mapped the shifts in Internet crime trends since 1986. The three maps attached depict how computer crime has evolved and show a shift from Europe and North America to emerging markets.

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SECAUCUS, N.J.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Panasonic Computer Solutions Company, manufacturer of durable, reliable Panasonic Toughbook® mobile computers, today announced it has received the LAPTOP Magazine Editors’ Choice Award in the magazine’s semi-rugged notebook round-up in the January, 2008 issue.

The Editor’s Choice review describes the Panasonic Toughbook 52 as “an excellent choice for those requiring a durable road-ready notebook” highlighting its “stunning widescreen display, better-than-average graphics, and generous array of ports.” The LAPTOP review named the durable and reliable mobile computer “the best choice for both field service personnel and accident-prone road warriors”. The Toughbook 52 notebook successfully endured the LAPTOP Magazine editors’ three-foot drops and spill tests without damage.

The Panasonic Toughbook 52 notebook is an affordable double-duty desktop replacement PC, matching significant computing power with durable features, including a shock-mounted hard drive, magnesium alloy case, and spill-resistant keyboard and touchpad to defend data against the risks of mobility. The Toughbook 52 includes a wireless-ready design for mobile broadband connectivity as well as 802.11 WiFi and Bluetooth options. Like all Toughbook notebooks, the Toughbook 52 includes a standard 3 year warranty and US-based customer support for the life of the product.

“Panasonic has been creating, delivering and supporting the most reliable mobile computing solutions for 15 years and the Toughbook 52 is a terrific example of how we provide tools ideal for mobile workers in a variety of environments, from extreme to mainstream,” said Kyp Walls, director, product management, Panasonic Computer Solutions Company.

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Antec is a major player on the DIY (Do-It-Yourself) market. Over the 21 years the company has existed it has grown to become one of the most respected case and power supply builders on the retail market. We had a chance to speak with Senior VP Scott Richards about the future, and some of the upcoming products from Antec.

Link:
http://www.nordichardware.com/Articles/?skrivelse=523

Quote:
“Lastly, as a company that has always strived to make the best quality possible for the money invested, it does drive us at Antec a bit crazy when we see consumers run their power supply right on the line of available power. The excess heat and having components running constantly on the ragged edge can inhibit overall performance and substantially shorten the life span of the PSU.”

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Crucial’s New Year Blowout Sale

We’re ringing in the New Year with rock-bottom prices on Crucial memory and Crucial gear—and as a valued customer, you’re among the first to know about this exciting deals. Looking for DDR2? Now’s the time to buy! We’re offering blow-out pricing on these DDR2 offerings! 1GB 240-pin DIMM, DDR2 PC2-4200 (CT12864AA53E) — $22.99 1GB 200-pin SODIMM, DDR2 PC2-4200 (CT12864AC53E) — $23.99 2GB 200-pin SODIMM, DDR2 PC2-5300 (CT25664AC667) — $53.99

Love Crucial—To A “T”! Get your own Crucial gear for just a buck! Large Ballistix t-shirt — $1! Extra-Large Ballistix t-shirt — $1! Medium Ballistix t-shirt — $1!