- Qualcomm Launches Snapdragon 4 Gen 2 Mobile Platform
- AMD Launches Ryzen PRO 7000 Series Mobile & Desktop Platform
- Intel Launches Sleek Single-Slot Arc Pro A60 Workstation Graphics Card
- NVIDIA Announces Latest Ada Lovelace Additions: GeForce RTX 4060 Ti & RTX 4060
- Maxon Redshift With AMD Radeon GPU Rendering Support Now Available
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OCZ Technology Announces Next Generation PC2-6400 ATI CrossFire Certified Module
Sunnyvale, CA—September 13, 2006—OCZ Technology Group, a worldwide leader in innovative, ultra-high performance and high reliability memory, today announced the second certified member of the new ATI CrossFire™ DDR2 series which delivers 800MHz speeds at 4-4-4 timings. The PC2-6400 CrossFire Certified modules now deliver gamers the performance and speed they require for their demanding computing environments. Approximating the newly released PC2-5400, the PC2-6400 modules feature an exclusive ATI special XTC (Xtreme Thermal Convection) heatspreader displaying ATI’s “Certified” logo.
You can read the full press release here.
Auto Assault Trials and Contest
NC Soft has notified us about a contest that they are running in cooperation with 1UP.com. If you want a chance at a free copy of the game or a free trial, be sure to check this out!
1UP.com is hosting an Auto Assault Week, starting September 12th. Join the hardcore party, prove you’ve got what it takes to sit behind the wheel, and make a play to win some free stuff!
Yahoo! and Intel Team Up to Bring Fantasy Sports to the TV
You can read the full press release here.
NHL 2K7 demo available on XBL
2K passes along word that their highly anticipated NHL debut onto the next-gen consoles is close. To celebrate, you can now log onto your XBL account and download the demo which should tide you over until the games release in October.
In addition to debuting this week on the Xbox 360 and Xbox video game and entertainment systems from Microsoft, NHL 2K7, the latest in the #1 rated hockey game series, is now available as a playable Xbox 360 demo via Xbox Live Marketplace. For the first time, gamers can download the exclusive demo to play an exhibition game of NHL 2K7 and enjoy a free preview of the finest hockey video game this year.
Review Roundup for September 14
- Cooler Master Mystique 632 Case – GamePyre
- HTPC Buildup Using NMediaPC Products – Pro-Clockers
- Shuttle XPC SN27P2 – Hardware Info
- Ultra Grid ATX Mid-Tower Case – Red & Blackness
Cases & Enclosures
- CoolIT Systems Home Theatre PC Liquid Cooler Preview – Futurelooks
Cooling
- ASUS P5NSLI – HardOCP
Motherboards & Processors
- OCZ GameXStream 700W – Viper Lair
- Silverstone ST85ZF – Technic3D
- SteelSeries SteelSound 5H v2 USB Headset – 3D Gameman
- XTracPads Ripper XXL Mousepad – Club OC
Peripherals & Power Supplies
- ATI Radeon X1900XT 256MB – Legit Reviews
- HIS X1900GT IceQ3 Dual DL-DVI VIVO 256MB – Hexus
Displays & Video Cards
- Alienware Aurora m9700 – BIOS Magazine
- “Grisoft AVG Free Edition Antivirus” – TweakNews
- iTunes 7 First Look – Digital Trends
- Logitech Harmony 895 – UK Gamer
- “The State Of IPTV” – The Tech Zone
- Toshiba Tecra A8-154 – Hardware Info
Complete Systems, Competitions & Etcetera
Dell to release AMD desktops today?
The first two desktops won’t be anything exciting for enthusiasts and appear to be targeting the entry-level market. The model C521 will come in simple case with BTX layout that comes with integrated graphics. According to Dell, the system comes with Microsoft’s Windows Media Center Edition and can be upgraded to up to 4 GB system memory, 500 GB hard disk space. The E521 will offer more configuration flexibility, including more hard drive space, dual optical drives and Dell’s data safe technology.
It’s not known if these will be 939 or AM2 systems, because it could really be either or. It’s good to see this finally happening, though. Many people, including myself, have been waiting for this moment for more years than we wish to recount. Let’s bring on some Dell AMD laptops!
eDonkey paying out the ass
The firm behind popular online file-sharing software eDonkey has agreed to pay $30 million to avoid potential copyright infringement lawsuits from the recording industry, according to court documents filed Tuesday.
Apple’s Mac Pro – Upgrading CPUs, Memory & Running XP
Later this year Intel will be introducing pin compatible upgrades to its Core 2 and Xeon lines, except instead of two cores these processors will feature four. Codenamed Kenstfield (Core 2) and Clovertown (Xeon), Intel’s new quad-core processors will dramatically increase the amount of processing power you can have in a single system. Given that the Mac Pro features two LGA-771 sockets, you could theoretically drop two Clovertown processors in there and you’d have an 8-core Mac Pro.
It’s good know Apple is ahead of the game, but even still… is there a need for eight cores?! Sure to please the hardcore media buffs, that’s for sure.
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.
Dungeon Siege II: Deluxe Edition announced
New York, NY – September 12, 2006 – 2K, a publishing label of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. (NASDAQ: TTWO), today announced Dungeon Siege II: Deluxe Edition, a special collector’s set that includes the original Dungeon Siege II, the Dungeon Siege II: Broken World expansion pack, and a number of collectible items spanning maps, portraits, wallpapers and a “The Making of Dungeon Siege II” DVD. Dungeon Siege II: Deluxe Edition will be available for PC at retail stores in North America in October and at stores in Europe in November 2006.
DS2 is a true classic, so if you have not picked up a copy yet, this may be the time to do so. Here is what the pack includes:
- Dungeon Siege II
- Dungeon Siege II: Broken World
- 8×12 fold out map of the entire continent of Aranna
- Six printable portraits of Princess Eva
- “The Making of Dungeon Siege II” Video
- Dungeon Siege II Wallpapers and Concept Art
- Dungeon Siege II: Broken World Short Story: Katala’s Journey
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.
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.
Review Roundup for September 13
- ICY DOCK MB124E Shuttle Disk Aluminum 2.5″ FireWire HDD Enclosure – Dragon Steel Mods
- Lian Li PC-G50 – XYZ Computing
Cases & Enclosures
- Aerocool Turbine 2000 120mm LED Fan – GideonTech
- Scythe Infinity HeatPipe CPU Cooler – Overclock3D
- Scythe Katana Cu – techPowerUp!
- Swiftech H20-220 Apex Ultra+ WaterCooling Kit – Virtual-Hideout
- Thermalright Ultra-120 Heatpipe CPU Cooler – Big Bruin
- ThermalTake 745 Bigwater WaterCooling Kit – Virtual-Hideout
- Zalman CNPS8000 – MadBox PC
Cooling
- Corsair Twin2X1024-8500 – PC Stats
- Kingston HyperX PC2-8500 DDR2 1GB Kit – Overclock3D
- Samsung SpinPoint T – Tech Report
- Super Talent Fireball 2GB Flash Drive – Pro-Clockers
Memory & Storage
- AMD’s Energy Efficient Processors: 4600+ and 3800+ – Motheboards.org
- Asus P5W64 WS Professional – HotHardware
- MSI P965 Platinum – Hexus
Motherboards & Processors
- Corsair HX620w Modular Power Supply – Virtual-Hideout
- Lite-On EZ-Dub External DVD Writer – A True Review
- Wolfking Timberwolf Gaming Keyboard – Think Computers
Peripherals & Power Supplies
- nVidia 7900GS – TweakTown
- VisionTek Radeon X1300 PCI – Tech Spot
- X1900XT 256MB – Neoseeker
- XFX GeForce 7950GT Extreme – TweakTown
Displays & Video Cards
- 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
Complete Systems, Competitions & Etcetera
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.
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.
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.
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”.
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.
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.
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!
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.
Review Roundup for September 12
- Apevia X-Discovery – Think Computers
- Cooler Master iTower 930 – 3D Gameman
- Ultra Grid – techPowerUp!
Cases & Enclosures
- Titan Amanda – Overclockers Online
Cooling
- OCZ PC2-8800 Gold Edition XTC – ClubOC
Memory & Storage
- 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
Motherboards & Processors
- Audioengine 5 iPod Speaker System – Digital Trends
- iStarUSA 750PD-2 Power Supply – Futurelooks
- Logisys Phone Smart LED Keyboard – OC Mod Shop
- Microsoft Wireless Notebook Optical Mouse 3000 – Laptop Lifestyle
- Razer Barracuda HP-1 – techFEAR
- Sharkoon L337 Gaming Mouse Mat – Xtreme Computing
Peripherals & Power Supplies
- Connect3D Radeon X1900 GT – Tech Report
- Dell UltraSharp 2407WFP – BIOS Magazine
- “Gaming on Windows Vista – ATI versus NVIDIA” – Legit Reviews
- HIS Radeon X1900 XTX IceQ 3 – 3D Chip
Displays & Video Cards
- Contest: Alphacool Xtreme Pro 220 Kit – Overclock 3D
- Fujifilm FinePix F30 – Digital Trends
- “How To Access Your Computer Remotely” – Laptop Gamers
- ReQuest S4.2500 Music Server Video Tour – Digital Trends
- “The Business Side Of Blogs” – The Tech Zone
Complete Systems, Competitions & Etcetera
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.
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.
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.