Content and news by Rob Williams

Rob Williams

Rob Williams

Rob founded Techgage in 2005 to be an 'Advocate of the consumer', focusing on fair reviews and keeping people apprised of news in the tech world. Catering to both enthusiasts and businesses alike; from desktop gaming to professional workstations, and all the supporting software.

twitter icon facebook icon instagram icon

Rob's Recent Content

Patricia Dunn steps down at HP

Hewlett-Packard Chairman Patricia Dunn, who launched an investigation into media leaks that resulted in a firestorm of controversy, has agreed to resign her post following a meeting of the company’s board of directors. The board has appointed CEO and President Mark Hurd to take over for Dunn, who will continue to serve as chairman through the company’s Jan. 18, 2007, scheduled meeting, the company announced early Tuesday.

This is hardly a surprise. It isn’t too often that something like this happens in a huge company, but it’s hard to say if it will hurt their image overall. In addition to her stepping down, another board member resigned. According to Dunn, he was a source of leaks earlier this year. The sad fact is that most times leaks like this will help a company. One thing is for sure, this current exposure sure isn’t helping anything.

Published on September 13, 2006

AMD Pioneers Intereactive Online Resource…

Sunnyvale, Calif. – Sept. 12, 2006 – AMD (NYSE: AMD) today unveiled the AMD Virtual IT Experience, a revolutionary online event that offers a new way to approach audiences seeking access to information about AMD and its partners. The AMD Virtual IT Experience is an interactive, content-rich venue to help customers quickly locate information, tools and advice to combat IT problems and advance their business – whether it’s finding new ways to solve issues concerning power and cooling within the datacenter or the latest trends in server virtualization. AMD collaborated with fellow IT industry leaders, including Accenture, CDW, HP, IBM, Microsoft®, Novell, Oracle and Sun Microsystems, to provide comprehensive, compelling information which will now be accessible from this new online platform.

You can read the full press release here.

Published on September 13, 2006

Top 100 women in gaming

To demonstrate the broad range of women in games who are today’s representatives and purveyors of these ideas, Next Generation has compiled their list of top women in games, from luminaries to lesser known members of the game community.

Now THIS is a list! I can think of a few women who deserve to be on the list but are not there, but overall it’s a solid top 100.

Published on September 13, 2006

Review Roundup for September 13

    Motherboards & Processors
  • AMD’s Energy Efficient Processors: 4600+ and 3800+ – Motheboards.org
  • Asus P5W64 WS Professional – HotHardware
  • MSI P965 Platinum – Hexus

    Complete Systems, Competitions & Etcetera
  • Klipsch iGroove Video – Digital Trends
  • Nyko Multi Reader 360 – OC Mod Shop
  • “On Campus Wireless Network Secuirty Guide” – Laptop Lifestyle
  • PC Mesh Internet Cleanup – Bjorn3D
  • “Taking Control of Windows Vista” – The Tech Zone
  • “The Strange and Twisted World of Internet Cafes” – Digital Grabber
  • “Windows Vista: DirectX10 D3D Intro” – Hexus
Published on September 13, 2006

Kingston HyperX 2GB PC2-8000

You want fast memory? Kingston has fast memory! Though not usually touted as the company to offer killer gaming memory, the HyperX PC2-8000 kit proves to be one of the fastest kits we’ve tested!

Published on September 13, 2006

Declined a free coffee? Sue for $114M

It seems some are going a bit too far in their anger at the lack of a free drink. One customer has hired a lawyer to sue Starbucks for $114 million over the banned coupons. Yes, because she was unable to get a free drink.

Well, that seems fair I guess. I don’t know why these lawsuits still surprise me, because they are becoming more abundant than ever. I can’t see this one moving far.

Published on September 12, 2006

First Photos: Logitech Harmony 1000 Universal Remote

Logitech’s latest Harmony 1000 universal remote does the usual song and dance— an Irish Jig, really— that previous Harmony remotes do. We’re talking about access to an online user-grown database with codes for 150k devices. But it also has a 3.5-inch touchscreen, control of RF devices through some extender box, and Z-Wave. Z-Wave, you know. No? It’s a wireless home automation standard that can be used to control lights, door locks, window shades, and appliances.

Logitech has always produced some great looking remotes, but this takes the cake. It’s equipped with a large full color touch screen that offers quick access to common tasks. Yes, this thing is cool. Geeky, but cool.

Published on September 12, 2006

Adobe to launch media-sharing site

Adobe is set to announce Wednesday that it is launching a photo-sharing Web site in about three weeks. Photoshop Showcase will work with the next versions of Adobe’s consumer-targeted photo and video editing software–Photoshop Elements 5.0 and Premiere Elements 5.0–which will both be released alongside Showcase.

Not too sure we needed another site like this, but this service will be well tied into Photoshop it seems. It’s also a cost service if you want to share more than 1,000 photos, which likely isn’t for most people.

Published on September 12, 2006

Pete Wright leaves Microsoft

So, today I resigned my job, and completely ended my Microsoft career. I have taken a role as Director with a company at the leading edge of the “Web 2.0” curve. My team and I will write Ruby on Rails code, use Macintosh computers to do so, shun Microsoft technology completely, go to work in shorts and sandals and blast each other with nerf guns. My team is devoted to being the best it can be, to learning, to improving, to pushing boundaries. And it’s not Microsoft.

After being with the company for 15 years, he seems to have a great personal reason for leaving. Lack of passionate programmers would be aggravating after a while. He also goes out with a bang, bashing Microsoft and Vista, calling it a “pile of crap”.

Published on September 12, 2006

Freedom Tower Rises

Few public building projects have sparked such competing emotions as the Freedom Tower. Patriotism has driven it from the start, with some inevitably kitschy results, starting with its height (1776 feet). The building is a solemn monument to the fallen, but also an obvious target, a test of our will and ingenuity to ensure that history doesn’t repeat itself.

Want to know how the Freedom Tower will stand up to an airplane? This is a fascinating article that gives precise details of what will be done to improve this building over the WTC. In the plan is a dedicated staircase for rescue efforts, and a strong core that will house an emergency elevator.

Published on September 12, 2006

Kutaragi admitting to recent problems?

In response to investors and the PlayStation faithful around the world looking forward to the PS3’s launch, Kutaragi had this to say, “If you asked me if Sony’s strength in hardware was in decline, right now I guess I would have to say that might be true.”

I don’t immediately feel bad for Sony because of their arrogance, but I don’t wish to see the PS3 fall flat on it’s face prior to launch either. Competition is good, but they have to get their act together if they want to be competition.

Published on September 12, 2006

Samsung announces PRAM

Samsung today announced that it has introduced a new type of nonvolatile memory called PRAM or Phase-change Random Access Memory. The new memory technology is currently under heavy research from Samsung, but the company has finally demonstrated a working 512 megabit sample. According to Samsung, PRAM is slated to replace current NOR flash memory technology within the next several years.

PRAM is expected to be 30x faster than standard NOR flash memory because it can continuously write without having to erase blocks first. It all sounds great, but it will be a few years before we can get our hands on anything. Until that time, lets see some huge density flash drives that won’t cost an arm and a leg!

Published on September 12, 2006

Cortina Systems Purchases Intel’s Optical-Networking Components Business

SANTA CLARA, Calif., Sep. 11, 2006 – Cortina Systems Inc. and Intel Corporation today announced that they have completed the sale of product lines and associated assets of Intel’s optical-networking components business to Cortina. Cortina has emerged as a leading supplier of advanced communications semiconductor solutions for the carrier infrastructure market segment. The acquisition will give Cortina a large portfolio of enterprise and infrastructure communications products and will position it to become a leading communications semiconductor company.

You can read the complete press release here.

Published on September 12, 2006

Review Roundup for September 12

    Memory & Storage
  • OCZ PC2-8800 Gold Edition XTC – ClubOC

    Motherboards & Processors
  • AMD Sempron 3600+ 2.0GHz Socket AM2 – PC Stats
  • ASUS P5W DH Deluxe – Pro-Clockers
  • Gigabyte GA-965P-DQ6 – Technic3D
  • Intel Conroe 5165 MHz Overclocked – Technic3D

Published on September 12, 2006

NZXT Precise 650W

NZXT has impressed us quite a bit with their Lexa and Apollo cases, so we were looking forward to giving their entry into the PSU market a spin! It proves itself to be a supply worthy of your consideration, but is a wee bit overpriced.

Published on September 12, 2006

Kentsfield first benchmarks

Intel packs two Core 2 Duo processors into one package. This poses several questions: How fast are four cores versus the not-exactly-a-weakling dual-core version? What will the heat dissipation and power consumption figures be like in a PC system with a quad core processor? Which applications can truly benefit from the increased core count? Is the current platform still sufficient? And finally, the question real enthusiasts are sure to pose: What can be expected in terms of maximum clock speed?

The chip doesn’t make a huge difference in gaming… but neither do Dual Cores for most out there. However, it cleans up in all of the multi-thread capable multi-media benchmarks.

Published on September 11, 2006

40GB to your Nintendo DS

You might not know it, but CompactFlash memory cards use IDE interface; and hence it’s possible to map each IDE pin to a corresponding CF pin. Unfortunately, DS delivers only 3.3V to GBA slot and so an external 5V power supply is required. I used a 11.1V li-poly battery and a DC-DC converter to bring the voltage down to 5V.

This is a great hack using a standard 2.5″ hard drive and the GBA video player. Of course, it’s rather in-depth and will take a good amount of effort to accomplish successfully. It’s also not too pretty afterwards, but that doesn’t take away from it’s cool factor.

Published on September 11, 2006

iPod losing it’s cool?

The iPod, the digital music player beloved of everyone from Coldplay’s Chris Martin to President George Bush, is in danger of losing its sheen. Sales are declining at an unprecedented rate. Industry experts talk of a ‘backlash’ and of the iPod ‘wilting away before our eyes’. Most disastrously, Apple’s signature pocket device with white earphones may simply have become too common to be cool.

This wouldn’t come as a surprise to me, since I never understood the whole iPod thing to begin with… but perhaps the decline is due to all the ‘cool’ people already owning one? Apple should create iPods that self destruct after a few months so people will need to replace them.

Published on September 11, 2006

Seven years for piracy

Nathan Peterson, 27, of Los Angeles, sold copyrighted software at a huge discount on his site, iBackups.net, prosecutors said. The FBI began investigating the site in 2003 and shut it down in February 2005. U.S. District Court Judge T.S. Ellis III on Friday ordered Peterson to pay restitution of more than $5.4 million. Peterson pleaded guilty in December in Alexandria, Va., to two counts of copyright infringement for illegally copying and selling more than $20 million in software.

I have to wonder why it took a full two years to shut this dudes site down. Talk about a slow process! 7 years in prison and has to pay $5.4 Million in restitution. If the quote of making $20 Million is correct, it doesn’t look like he will be hurting much in that regard.

Published on September 11, 2006

Review Roundup for September 11

    Cooling
  • Apack Zerotherm CF800 Intel Core 2 Duo Socket 775 Cooler – TweakNews
  • Danger Den nVidia Watercooling Kit & MAG II-LE Pump – OC Modshop
  • OCZ Tempest CPU Cooler – Phoronix
  • Scythe Infinity CPU Cooler – Pro-Clockers
  • Titan Amanda TEC Cooler – Virtual-Hideout
  • Zalman VF900-Cu LED – MadBox PC (Spanish)

    Motherboards & Processors
  • ASUS A8N-SLI Bios Mod – NGOHQ

    Displays & Video Cards
  • Desktop Graphics Card Comparison Rev. 11.4 – techARP
  • NVIDIA 7900GS – Technic3D (German)
  • nVidia GeForce 7900 GS – Hardware Info
  • “Nvidia to release an AGP version of GeForce 7300GT” – NGOHQ
  • “What To Look For In A Gaming LCD Monitor” – Laptop Gamers

Published on September 11, 2006

Older Entries

Newer Entries