Tech News

Some E-Tailers Beginning To Sell Intel QX9650

Intel announced to much fanfare on Sunday that their 45nm processors have been launched, but at this point only very few e-tailers have them in stock. There have been no known shortage issues (and there shouldn’t be given the amount of prep time), so it should be just a matter of days before all e-tailers have them in stock.

If you still don’t know what the QX9650 is and why it’s great, then you need to check out our review which has all of the information you will need. Included is better efficiency and oh so desirable video encoding enhancements, not to mention the introduction to 45nm.

After some investigation, I only managed to find two websites that currently have them in stock, Tiger Direct (of all places) and also ClubIT:

• ClubIT – $1,159.99 (USD)
• Tiger Direct – $1,149.99 (USD)

Most websites don’t have a listing for the new CPU yet, but those that do are listing them as out of stock including Buy.com, Directron and Canadian e-tailer NCIX. Despite being such a massive e-tailer, NewEgg does not list the CPU at all. This will hopefully all change by the end of the week.

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Are Gaming Magazines Going To Die?

Ignoring all the downfalls of the Internet, its proven to be a valuable resource more than anything, becoming the preferred method for gaining information. As Internet usage grows, magazine circulations dwindle. According to a quote from the NY Times, PC Gamer had a circulation of 300,000 in 2003, but has since dropped to 200,000. Future US, its publisher, also noted a 10.4% revenue drop for all of their magazines between 2005 to 2006. Things are not exactly dire, but dropping numbers are hard to ignore.

I personally subscribe to eight different magazines, four of them being gaming-specific. I personally enjoy kicking back and reading well-written editorials and articles instead of being hunched around a bright computer screen all of the time. Not to mention it makes great bathroom material! (For reading!!) I’d hate to see magazines reach a point where they are cancelled in far greater numbers. Remember Tips & Tricks? Next Generation? Computer and Video Games? Atari User?

To keep print subscribers, Ziff Davis aims to offer better writing and reporting than is available from competitors’ Web sites, as well as striking visuals. Ziff Davis is also embracing the financial power of the special issue: a September issue that came out before the release of the blockbuster game Halo 3 for the Xbox 360 from Microsoft included a 19-page feature section.

Source: New York Times

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Dell Packs Lots Into Their 3008WFP, Including DisplayPort

When it comes to LCD displays, 30-inch models are a serious object of desire. Those who have them, love them. Those who don’t, want to kill those who do. Their sheer size is what sells most people, but the massive resolution is the biggest advantage. You can fit a lot of “work” inside 4.1 million pixels. One of the biggest players in the 30-inch realm have been Dell. Although their 3007WFP-HC offers good image quality and color, when I reviewed it last week, I found it to be lacking with regards to connectivity. But who can blame me? It has nothing!

According to the Inq, that’s going to change when Dell releases their 3008WFP, another 30-inch LCD that offers similar specs to current models. Where it’s different is with the connections. Instead of a single dual-link DVI port, the 3008WFP offers dual DVI-Ds, HDMI, VGA, Component, S-Video and even DisplayPort, a connection that’s superior to both HDMI and DVI, but is still only catching on. Actual display specifications are not mentioned, but if the brightness is kept up to par (400 cd/m2), then this might be -the- killer monitor to buy. I still can’t help but continue to eye Gateway’s offering though.

With 3008WFP, new benchmark will be set. This monitor comes with two dual-link DVI connectors, thus hardware testers will be able to hook up two testbeds via DVI, and one testbed via analogue D-SUB connection. This is only the beginning, since this baby also comes with Component, S-VHS, Composite in, USB upstream connector (for 4-port USB hub and 9-in-2 card reader). This normal (for 2405/2407/2707 monitors) is expanded with both Displayport and HDMI connectors.

Source: The Inquirer

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First Gaming PCs Featuring 45nm Pop Up

It didn’t take long for PC boutiques to pick up on Intel’s latest 45nm processor, as both Alienware and recently acquired Hypersonic each have systems available. OCZs latest child is going all out, with a system that consists of Intel’s QX9650, 2GB of high-speed DDR3 RAM, ASUS P5E3 Deluxe WiFi motherboard, 2x 8800 Ultras, 1000W Enermax PSU, 150GB (?!) Western Digital 10K RPM drive, among a slew of other components and peripherals. The base system is $5,649.00, but all individual parts can of course be upgraded if there are upgrades available.

Alienware is offering a similar system, although they don’t disclose the names of many of the components they use, only their specs. Of great interest though is the fact that their base system consists of two ATI Radeon HD 3870s in Crossfire mode – a GPU that is not even officially announced yet, but will be later this week.

Sunnyvale, Calif.,-November 12, 2007-OCZ Technology Group, a worldwide leader in innovative, ultra-high performance and high reliability memory, PC components, and system builds, today announced Hypersonic PC, the System Division of the Group, will be one of the first to offer Intel’s new high-end desktop processor, the Core 2 Extreme QX9650 quad core. The exciting new CPU will be featured in the renowned Sonic Boom OCX series to deliver a state-of-the-art solution for the most hardcore gamers and media enthusiasts.

Source: Hypersonic PC

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NBC Launches “Direct” Beta, Offers Downloadable and Streaming Shows

First they broke it off with iTunes and then they kicked YouTube to the curb. Now though, NBC have made progress on something that might actually benefit you… free shows! Although it’s been known about for a while, NBC Direct has just launched with a fair amount of shows available for download and also for online streaming.

At this time, only the current seasons worth of shows are included, and from what it appears, not everything has made it on the site. Not everything is downloadable either, and no, you cannot copy the video to any computer you please. If there are huge downsides right now, it would be a few browser incompatibilities and the absolute lack of service for those who reside outside of the USA.

As of right now, only shows from the current season are available to watch and there aren’t that many to choose from if you want to download a full episode to your computer. Shows available for download include the previous episodes of Bionic Woman, Friday Night Lights, 30 Rock and The Office and even more are available for online viewing but not download. It’s almost certain that further selections will be added in the future.

Source: Tech Blorge

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Sony CEO Tired of Format War

Blockbuster made huge news in June with their announcement of Blu-ray exclusivity and at that time, many jumped on the “death to HD-DVD” bandwagon. But look at how fast things can change in just a few months. Sony was riding high, but Toshiba’s wits helped them become serious competition again. As a result, Sony is really feeling the heat and the CEO has gone as far as to call the entire situation a “stalemate”.

There’s no denying that the primary victims in the entire situation are the consumers themselves, so it’s foolish that two companies are just dancing around with each other while nothing really gets accomplished. Although HD-DVD and Blu-ray players are in many homes, it still pales in comparison to the amount of people who are sitting back, waiting for the entire “war” to end, before deciding on which side to take. Sadly, that doesn’t look to end, anytime soon.

“It’s a difficult fight,” Stringer was quoted saying by the Associated Press, going so far as to describe the situation as a “stalemate.” He candidly indicated that the war mostly came down to bragging rights over who was winning, and said that the two camps could have collaborated better in the past to develop one format. Stringer even said that he wished he could go back in time to make that possible-is that the smell of regret floating in the air?

Source: Ars Technica

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Mario Galaxy & Crysis Receive Rave Reviews — Are Games Fun Again?

The past few months have been great to gaming, and it looks to be getting a whole lot better… now. Both Super Mario Galaxy and Crysis are due out this week, and both titles have been receiving incredible reviews from websites and publications. PC Gamer went as far to award Crysis a staggering 98% despite a few minor flaws, while IGN awarded Galaxy a 97%.

Always being the pessimist, I have to believe that some websites and publications are way to lenient in their score giving. When’s the last time you played a game that you truly believed earned itself a 98%? But besides that, both of these games actually do look stellar. I haven’t turned on my Wii since January, but Galaxy is looking to be the first reason to dust it off. Are game developers finally realizing that they need to be innovative in order to keep our attention? Let’s hope so.

With these games and Unreal Tournament III, NFS: Pro Street, Assassin’s Creed, Rock Band also coming out this month… how is a guy to get work done?!

Super Mario Sunshine did absolutely nothing for me…hell, I didn’t even play it until a year and a half ago. I guess I was positive after several sequels that nothing could come close to the perfection of Super Mario Bros. 3. Well I am happy to report that I was completely wrong. While it doesn’t surpass what I still consider the masterpiece of the Mario world, Super Mario Galaxy is the best Mario title since the introduction of the Tanooki suit.

Source: Kotaku

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Intel Launches Sixteen 45nm Processors, Pricing Revealed

Ahead of schedule, Intel issued a release yesterday afternoon announcing the launch of their 45nm processors… all sixteen. For the desktop/enthusiast segment, the lone initial model is the QX9650 Quad-Core, which we put to the test just two weeks ago. Penryn/45nm brings higher power efficiency with the help of the new High-K transistors, higher cache and front-side bus and also the introduction of the SSE4 instruction set, targeting video encoding.

The QX9650 is available for $999 in quantities of 1,000. On the server side, consumers have the choice of twelve different models right now, with dual-cores to be available next month. On the high-end, the Xeon X5482 offers a 3.20GHz frequency with a healthy 150W TDP, while the low-end sees a 2.0GHz 80W model. Pricing for Xeon Quad-Cores ranges between $209 and $1279.

Of great interest is the fact that five models utilize a 1600MHz FSB, proving that Intel is looking to make that the new standard as soon as possible. We began seeing 1333MHz FSB processors this past summer, so it took no time to see a push for an even higher frequency. The desktop will not see processors with a 1600MHz FSB until early 2008, with the launch of the QX9770 and QX9775 (Skulltrail) models.

At the time of writing, no American or Canadian e-tailer I checked had any of these processors available. Intel is announcing immediate availability, so they should begin popping up at your favorite e-tailer in the coming days.

SANTA CLARA, Calif., Nov. 11, 2007 – Built using an entirely new transistor formula that alleviates the wasteful electricity leaks that threaten the pace of future computer innovation, Intel Corporation today unveiled 16 server and high-end PC processors. In addition to increasing computer performance and saving energy use, these processors also eliminate eco-unfriendly lead and, in 2008, halogen materials.

Source: Intel Press Release

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PS3 Hits Firmware 2.0, Adds Themes and Improved Functionality

The PlayStation 3 has finally had it’s firmware updated to 2.0 and as you’d imagine, there are a slew of improvements and feature updates. Most notable for me are themes, one feature that I’ve loved on my PSP since it’s 3.70 firmware was released. However here, more than one theme is included, such as Nature and Pixels. The new update also improves media support, revamped remote play and even the ability to turn on your console via its WiFi connection.

Other notables include the ability to watch a video before it’s fully downloaded, DualShock 3 gamepad support (for when they hit NA early next year) and a new information board that is just as it sounds… an information board. Very worthy firmware update though, so go on and grab it!

As first seen in the 1.94 firmware update, which was included with the game Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction, today’s firmware update also has support for force-feedback controllers. The PS3 appears unable to distinguish between a SIXAXIS and DualShock 3 controller, so those curious may press the PS button on any PS3 controller to view the new vibration toggle option.

Source: DailyTech

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ASUSTek To Launch Eee Desktop PC Next Year

ASUS launched their Eee notebook PC last week and so far it’s been receiving rave reviews. It’s really quite an impressive product given it’s price range, and it’s not so bad to look at either. It’s no surprise though, that ASUS is now planning on a desktop version of their Eee PC, according to DigiTimes.

Asustek Computer is developing a desktop version Eee PC which it hopes to launch in 2008, according to Jonathan Tseng, president of marketing at Asustek. Tseng noted that the PC will not include a display, but further specifications and pricing are still under evaluation.

Source: DigiTimes

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SlySoft Updates AnyDVD HD for BD+ Support

The sly folks at SlySoft are known for being vocal on their stance with regards to copy protection, and well, we love that. Copy protection hurts no one except those legal buyers who fork over $30 or more for the latest releases. Pricing aside though, consumers should have the ability to back up their own copies. I do this with each new PC game I pick up so that I can install from the backup in order to protect the original. It gives a quick sense of security and knowledge that if something happens to the backup, I won’t need to purchase another copy of a game I already paid for.

That rant aside, SlySoft have just released an updated version of AnyDVD that fully supports duplication of your Blu-ray movies encrypted with BD+. This is a huge accomplishment, and ironic since this protection was designed to last at least ten years. When will they ever learn? Given the prices of today’s Blu-ray blank media ($10 – $15), I have to wonder how many are actually planning to back up their legal copies. It would get expensive quick and prove far less expensive to just re-purchase a movie if one goes down the chute. But, for those of us who plan to wait until media is less expensive, it’s nice to know that the ability to backup will be waiting for us.

Note to Twentieth Century Fox: As you can see, BD+ didn’t offer you any advanced security, it just annoyed some of your customers with older players. So could you please cut this crap and start publishing your titles on HD DVD? There are thousands of people willing to give you money.

Source: SlySoft

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OCZ Intros ReaperX Heatspreaders

Last year, it would be rare to go a month without seeing a handful of new heatspreaders from various manufacturers. All of them shared the same goal… to better cool your memory modules. To date, we’ve never seen a heatspreader that hurt performance, but it’s rare to see one that actually makes a notable improvement.

OCZ’s latest ReaperX series might be one of those rare kits, however. Similar to their Reaper series, which we’ve taken a look at in the past, the modules have base spreaders that allow heat to run along a heatpipe to the top where it dissipates. ReaperX takes things to a new level, by having the heatpipes closer to the memory chips, and also by including a fin array at the top which should prove better heat dissipation overall. Whether or not you choose to use a fan, these should be appropriate for overclocking. Well… if the chips themselves will cooperate.

Sunnyvale, CA-November 6, 2007- OCZ Technology Group, a worldwide leader in innovative, ultra-high performance and high reliability memory, today announced the ReaperX memory series, an innovative memory solution that utilizes highly effective heat transfer technology. Re-engineering the Reaper HPC (Heat Pipe Conduit) design, the DDR2 PC2-6400 ReaperX uses a dual metal heatpipe formation to effectively offload heat and increase stability of memory modules. The unique ReaperX heatspreader is designed to deliver superior heat dissipation that is more effective than traditional heatspreaders.

Source: OCZ Press Release

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Tired Of FPS Games? Get Your Mow On

The blatant fact about video games is that there is a title for each niche out there, no matter how inane. Case in point: Lawnmower Racing Mania 2007. I can’t begin to express the reaction when I spotted this game in the store. Of course, I jump to conclusions, since I am sure there are an enthralled bunch waiting to race against Lawnmower Racing legends such as Bobby Cleveland and Mr. Mowjangles in a huge mowdown. What mow could you want? Oh geez…

‘Lawnmower Racing Mania 2007’ puts players in the driver’s seat of the world’s fastest racing lawn mowers while capturing the excitement and bizarre world of the U.S. Lawn Mower Racing Association (USLMRA). It’s a cross between NASCAR and dirt-track racing,”said Bruce “Mr. Mow It All” Kaufman, USLMRA president. “You can master a variety of racing styles from ultra-tight oval tracks like the Springfield Sod Sling to long road rallies like the Corn & Tater Cross Country. It’s much more exciting than watching the crab grass take over your lawn!”

Source: Lawnmower Racing Mania 2007

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90,000 HD-DVD Players Sold Last Weekend

In what could be considered ‘freaking incredible’, Toshiba managed to sell over 90,000 HD-DVD players last weekend, giving them a nice boost in the so-called format war. It’s not entirely surprising though, given that most of these players were sold for a mere $99. The models of course are the lower-end HD-A2, but for $99, what do you expect? With all the HD-DVD movie holiday sales to come, Toshiba is no doubt walking with an extra spring in their step.

90k isn’t that impressive, but considering the estimated loss Toshiba took on each unit, we can see why they’d want to limit the supply. The problem for the HD DVD camp is that they’re really up against the PS3’s sales, and even though only 40% of PS3 owners realize that there is a Blu-ray player built in, that’s still about 750,000 people in the US.

Source: Engadget

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AsylumLAN 30 Pictorial

AsylumLAN 30 took place this past weekend and ran smooth overall. There were minor hitches along the way, but I think everyone there had a great time. Thanks to Derek, his wife Kim and the rest of his crew for the hospitality and for making us feel welcome as always. This time around, not only Greg attended, but Matt H, Cory (THUMPer from our forums), my friend Chris and me as well.

We couldn’t come back without a slew of photos, so we started a thread and posted many photos from the LAN itself and also from out and about. Lots of gaming was to be had, and not to mention a lot of Bawls gulped. You can expect a complete review of the LAN later this week, including information on how our overclocking contest went!

Source: Techgage Forums

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Microsoft Stops Using “Welcome to the Social”

For many, the Zune has about as much appeal as a dead iPod, and the slogan, “Welcome to the social” might not have helped anything. But, that slogan is now officially dead with the replacement being, “You make it you”. Sure, this is yet another slogan that fails to jump out at you, but it is better than the previous offering.

AdAge has a piece profiling the “180” Microsoft made in marketing the Zune; many have already seen this year’s far less, shall we say, esoteric ads, but few (including us) realized the new hardware’s marketing onslaught was the result of Microsoft’s doubling — even quadrupling — its Zune ad budget, switching advertising firms (which resulted in those trippy Flash sites), and, oh yeah, killing off “the social”.

Source: Engadget

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Hans Reiser Trial Begins

We’ve followed the case of Hans Reiser to some degree in the past, but now the trial has finally officially begun. The creator of the ReiserFS (file system) is accused of killing his Wife, Nina, last year, but her body has never been found. Despite that, law enforcement believe they have overwhelming evidence to believe it was Hans who killed her, while Hans himself believes she might have gone back to her home country of Russia.

Wired also posted an interview with Reiser back in June, which might be of interest to those who want to get into the mind of the popular open-source programmer.

Reiser, 43, is accused of killing his wife, Nina, last year as the separated couple endured a bitter divorce. “Intellect is not always an ally,” defense attorney William DuBois said of his client, whose Namesys company was responsible for the widely-used open source Reiser3 and Reiser4 file systems.

Source: Wired

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Japan PS2 Gets Internal PSU

Some folks are waiting for a PS2 price-cut, but this might be the next-best-thing. Sony has unveiled a new PS2 model in Japan that features a built-in power supply… and that’s it. The slim console appears identical to previous models… the difference would be the power cord. This is still a solid move, since power bricks take up far too much room when there is little to begin with (I’m calling you out, Xbox 360).

While you’re holding out for a slimmer, $99 PS2 Sony has gone ahead and released a new model in Japan. The SCPH-90000 with integrated power adapter hits Japan on November 22nd for Â¥16,000 or about $140 — that’s the same price as the SCPH-79000 model already available. Â¥1,500 (about $13) will buy you the optional vertical stand.

Source: Engadget

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No more IBM laptops or PCs

The end of an era, my friends. The IBM Thinkpad becomes the Lenovo Thinkpad, among other changes.

"IBM sold its personal computing division to Chinese manufacturer Lenovo (previously called Legend) in 2005, divesting itself of a product line they could not make a profit from. After this weeks announcement that the IBM brand will be dropped, the brand that arguably launched the whole PC more will be consigned to history."

"By making substantial progress on all of our critical priorities over the past few quarters, we’re now a stronger, healthier company," Amelio said. "One important sign of this progress is our decision to completely transition our Think products from the IBM brand to the Lenovo brand two years earlier than planned."

Source: Geek News Central

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Win a box of ~50~ Games!

mmorpg.com is having another one of their contests, only this one is a little strange. They’re giving away 50 boxes of games, 25 copies of Tabula Rasa and 25 copies of Guild Wars.

Now this would be perfect for someone like me to win, as I’d give them away to the fans of Techgage, but for an individual, this is a bit of a strange thing to have, unless you want to suck up at work and give them away as holiday gifts.

No matter, it’s all good!

Here’s the link if you want to sign up and enter!

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Samsung Develops LCD using Window Glass

Samsung Electronics said Wednesday that it has developed a liquid-crystal display (LCD) panel that uses generic glass used in windows and mirrors instead of using a more expensive and sophisticated glass substrate.

"The adoption of ordinary glass in making LCD panels is expected to give more room to Samsung in choosing glass suppliers and thus help reduce its LCD TV and monitor prices.

So far, only a handful of companies have been capable of making special, high-endurance glass substrate used in LCD panels, and they have made large profits by selling it to electronics makers."

However, The largest LCD glass supplier in Korea is Samsung Corning Precision Glass, a joint venture of United States’ Corning and Korea’s Samsung Electronics. The company outperforms other firms in the field and dominates the market with about an 80-percent share.

Does this not strike you as odd? Samsung Korea holds profits on an 80% share of the market in glass substrate and yet is now developing a way to make that division of their company obsolete? As soon as someone high up the food chain realizes that the left hand is effectively chopping at the wrist of the right hand, these generic glass LCD’s will suddenly be fraught with issues.

Source: Korea Times

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The Mouse turns Green

Recycle that plastic contraption gripped in your hand, the ever familiar mouse has gone green. The cordless Felt Mouse is made mostly of natural wool felt and laminated bamboo ply, both highly renewable and sustainable resources. I do doubt however that the laser sight on the bottom is made of either of these products.

Yup that’s a mouse apparently, though just thinking about it makes my hand cramp. According to its designer, Joey Roth, "The felt’s softness and plyability makes the mouse comfortable without looking cartoonishly ergonomic." Um thanks but I think I like my cartoonishly ergonomic mouse just as it is. Besides, we all know the grunge that builds up on a mouse – is this thing machine washable?

 Visit Joey Roth’s Felt Mouse page.

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Valve’s Eric Wolpaw talks to RPS

If you’ve found yourself laughing out loud at the bizarre wit and humor in the game Portal, that’s all thanks to Valve’s Eric Wolpaw. In this interview with RockPaperShotgun, the writer of Portal talks about his experiences at Old Man Murray, the move to Valve, and the development of Portal.

I figured I’d be spending most of my time getting fired in a few weeks. Thank God for Portal and Team Fortress and Valve’s decentralized management structure that created an environment where nobody 100% knew who had the authority to fire me until I was able to actually make a meaningful contribution.

Source: RockPaperShotgun

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iTunes 7.5 Expected As Early As Next Week

Those who are waiting with baited breath for the next release of Apple’s popular iTunes software shouldn’t have to wait much longer – Apple’s preparing to deliver iTunes 7.5 sometime during the month of November, but the release could come as early as next week. iTunes 7.5 fixes a vexing bug in which iTunes Plus downloads could sometimes cause the program to hang after completing the download.

The software is currently in late beta and targeted for a release within the next week, as it is also expected to bundle support for the UK and German versions of iPhone. However, those familiar with the matter say plans for critical software releases such as iTunes are often subject to change, which could push the release out by a few additional days.

Source: AppleInsider

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Techgage at AsylumLan 30

We are going to be at AsylumLan 30 this weekend in Evansville, IN and want to see a full house! If you live in IN or the surrounding area, pack up your gear and head on down to spend the weekend gaming it up. Greg, Matt and myself will be there playing a variety of games including Counter-Strike: Source, Call of Duty 2, Half-Life Deathmatch (the original!) and UT2004. But the best part is…

… we will be holding an overclocking contest! YOU will be able to take over our PC for a half-hour, overclocking our Intel QX9650 Quad-Core as high as you can muster and attempt to acquire the highest Cinebench R10 score. Whoever musters the highest score will walk away with an Intel Q6600 Quad-Core processor, ASUS P5K Deluxe motherboard and a 2GB kit of OCZ Platinum ram. Runner-up will also walk away with a 2GB kit of OCZ ram! So, if you didn’t have plans for this weekend… now you do.

We are a group of gamers in the Evansville, IN area that get together every few months for some LAN party goodness in a friendly family-oriented atmosphere. Players of all ages and skill levels are welcome.

Source: AsylumLAN

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