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- Intel Launches Sleek Single-Slot Arc Pro A60 Workstation Graphics Card
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- Maxon Redshift With AMD Radeon GPU Rendering Support Now Available
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XBox 360 camera details
For the first time, you’ll be able to see the people that you play with day in and day out. It may be quite a shock to the system when you discover that, the school mates that you thought you had, are actually big hairy men with beards!
Check out the full new posting at Hexus.
AMD Cranks Up The Volume On Digital Entertainment With the AMD Live! PC
SUNNYVALE, CALIF. – May 31, 2006 – AMD (NYSE: AMD) announced today the next milestone in digital entertainment with the AMD LIVE!(tm) PC – a full-featured, easy-to-use media center PC, designed to enable consumers to organize, distribute, share, and enjoy their content collection throughout the home and on the go. Leading OEMs including Acer, Alienware, Fujitsu Siemens Computers, Gateway, HP, Sahara, and Tsinghua Tongfang, as well as system builders in North America, Western Europe, and China, will have AMD LIVE! PCs, powered by the award-winning AMD Athlon(tm) 64 X2 dual-core processor, starting in June. The AMD LIVE! Entertainment Suite, a collection of services and applications designed to enhance the PC experience, is also available today at www.amdlive.com.
You can read the full press release here.
AMD Press Release “AMD to Hold Technology Analyst Day”
SUNNYVALE, CA – May 30, 2006 – AMD (NYSE:AMD) today announced that it
will hold its technology analyst meeting at approximately 8:30 a.m. PT
(11:30 a.m. ET) on Thursday, June 1, 2006 at AMD Headquarters in
Sunnyvale, CA. AMD Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Hector Ruiz and
members of AMD’s management team will deliver key presentations
regarding AMD’s microprocessor business. Forward-looking and other
material information may be discussed during the presentations.
You can read the full press release here.
Hardware Roundup for May 31
- Thermaltake Aguila PC Case – Think Computers
- Vizo Luxon HDD Enclosure – XS Reviews
Cases & Enclosures
- AVC Z7U7414001 Athlon64 Socket AM2 Reference Heatsink – FrostyTech
Cooling
- Corsair Twin2X2048-6400C4 – PC Stats
- Corsair TWIN2X2048-8500C5 – OC Workbench
- Patriot PC2-5300 2GB DDR2 – Guru3D
Memory & Storage
- AMD Athlon 64 X2 4200+ & Sempron 3400+ – Phoronix
- AMD’s Socket AM2 Processors – Tech Report
- MSI 945GT Speedster-A4R Motherboard – Hexus
- MSI 915GM Speedster-FA4 – TweakTown
Motherboards & CPU’s
- Bluetooth Stereo Headset – A True Review
- CoolerMaster iGreen Power 430watt PSU – Virtual-Hideout
- Cooler Master iGreen Power 500W Power Supply Unit Review and Give Away – Big Bruin
Peripherals & Power Supplies
- ATi and DX10 – UK Gamer
- Connect3D Radeon X1900 GT – PureOverclock
- Inno3D GeForce 7300GT – NGOHQ
- Leadtek WinFast PX7600 GT TDH – Elite Bastards
- Samsung Breathes Life Into the CRT – XYZ Computing
- XpertVision GeForce 7600 GT Sonic – TweakPC
Video Cards & Monitor
- AVerMedia AVerTV Hybrid+FM – TweakPC
- iRiver U10 1GB Flash Portable Media Player – ExtremeMHz
- Panasonic Lumix DMC-F27 – DigitalTrends
- TerraTec’s Noxon 2 Audio – BIOS Magazine
Etcetera & Contests
NetFlix via Downloads in 2006
Netflix, the most popular online DVD-rental service, has seen tremendous growth since the company’s introduction in 1998. Netflix now has almost 5 million subscribers and offers more than 60,000 movie titles. Movie rental stores like Blockbuster have seen a significant hit in profits due to the unrivaled success of Netflix. Netflix CEO Reed Hastings hopes to push Netflix via downloads by the end of 2006 — even if the market for DVD downloading still has a lot of growing to do. However, copyright issues and the fear of increased piracy are just two issues that stand in the way.
It’s hard to tell whether this will take off or not. Having to burn a movie you downloaded.. and paid for, is not my cup of tea. If you are not supposed to burn them, who really wants to watch movies on their PC? More choice the better I suppose. Read more at DailyTech.
Ultimate Vista and Office 2007 at an ultimate price
Reports have already been flooding in about how good the new Windows Vista is, with its vastly improved security and user friendliness. Now there is going to be a Windows Vista Ultimate, which will include just about everything, such as Windows Media center, Tablet PC support, integrated search (Google and Dell are sure to love that one), plus a heap of other things most of us would never use for just US$450 or so.
I can’t exactly see the Ultimate version selling that well for that price. They bring up Office 2007 Ultimate also, but that is strictly for business use primarily. If you are going to take the plunge, one thing is for sure.. your wallet will feel it. Check out the full article at IT Wire.
Quad SLI board can’t do Quad SLI
Before you rush out and buy this motherboard, and the four graphics cards to go with it, it’s important to realise that the lack of quad-SLI support with Nvidia’s current driver means you won’t be able to run a four-card SLI system writes Simon Crisp. Indeed, if you put four cards in, the driver recognises that there are four SLI-compliant cards in the Gigabyte GA-8N-SLI Quad Royal motherboard, but politely asks you to remove two of them.
Ouch.. this board is so packed due to four GPU’s, that you will only have one standard PCI slot. Coupled with Quad-SLI not even working, NVIDIA is going to have a tough time getting this to fly. Read more at The Inquirer.
One in six Brit workers drunk at work
One in six UK workers have partaken of alcohol during working hours, a shock YouGov survey of 1,500 full time employees commissioned by Royal & SunAlliance has revealed. Or rather, one sixth of the Brit workforce has been “under the influence of alcohol at work in the last six months”, while two million wobbly employees have pulled a hangover-induced sickie during the same period.
That’s a lot of drunkeness! This is quite an interesting posting… it almost seems as though Soccer is the root of the problem? Check it out at The Reg.
No Motion Controller For Xbox 360
“There’s room for innovation here, but moving that controller around — it’s something that’s not mainstream for most games,” he said. He recalled a Microsoft-made controller from several years ago that allowed 3-D movement. “It’s tough because sometimes you move the controller, and you don’t [mean] to fly into the ground. You just want to put the controller down,” he said. “People aren’t that good at totally standing still. Even pilots actually sit in a chair when they do their flying. So there’s a lot to be learned about these controllers.”
I am still not really sold on the motion sensing side of gaming, but it should make quite an impact. Bill actually makes some good points. I would think you’d almost get dizzy after a gaming session of swaying yourself all over the place. Check out the full read at Gizmodo.
12 Cool Gadgets for Dads
As Fathers Day approaches the time for selecting gifts for your dad grows shorter and shorter. MobilityGuru is ready to help you select the stopest of stope stuff for this auspicious occasion. Whether you’re living on a beer or a Champaign budget, we’ve got something your dad will love on his special day.
This is some good stuff, and ranges from inexpensive, to “I will need a bank loan”. Check it out at Mobility Guru
AMD to Announce AMD Live! Tomorrow
Besides the above specifications, AMDs platform design guides states that systems are recommended to focus on thermal dynamics as well as acoustic performance. Launch preparation documents stress that Live! compliant systems must keep noise to a minimum, and in some cases, produce almost no noise at all. Furthermore, AMD documents recommend that only fluid-bearing SATA hard drives be used to cut down on noise.
Its interesting to note that the entertainment version of the Live would include either a 35W or a 6W Dual Core CPU. Lets see if this will prove a Viiv killer. Check out the full posting at DailyTech.
Processor Heaven
Ever since I learned about them, I have wanted a super computer. A SUPER computer was something only the ultra nerds in national laboratories and giant Hollywood studios got to play with. Today I have a super computer, and most of you reading this do too.
Check out the interesting read over at Hexus.
Huawei Releasing AMD OpteronT Processor-Based Telecom Standard Service Platform to Support Shenzhen Domain Online Gaming Network
BEIJING – May 30th, 2006 -Shenzhen Domain Network, Advanced Micro
Devices (NYSE: AMD), and Huawei Technologies today announced the
formation of a strategic collaboration to empower online gaming in
China. The three companies will work together to support an online
gaming network, brand communications, marketing and promotions.
You can read the full press release here.
Hardward Roundup for May 30
- Inter-Tech CA-01 Emotion Case – Technic3D
- Lian Li PC-V800 Case – Overclocker Cafe
Cases & Enclosures
- BlueGears 120mm b-Ice & b-Cool Temp Display Fans – Virtual-Hideout
- Corsair Nautilus 500 – Technic3D
- Scythe Ninja Plus Heatpipe CPU Cooler – Rojak Pot
- SilverStone Nitrogon NT06 CPU Cooler – ModTheBox
- Scythe Quiet Drive Internal HDD Silencer – Pro-Clockers
- Sunbeam Silent Storm – techPowerUp!
Cooling
- Crucial’s Gizmo! OverDrive – XtremeComputing
- Seagate’s Barracuda 7200.10 750GB – Tech Report
Memory & Storage
- ECS C19-A SLI – techFEAR
- InnoVISION invades motherboard market once again – NGOHQ
- Interactive AMD Athlon 64 product ID guide version 2.1 – OC Inside
- MSI RD480 Neo2-FI 30-day Test Drive – techFEAR
Motherboards & CPU’s
- Altec Lansing AHS615 Gaming Headset – Think Computers
- ExactPad Accuracy One Pro Mousepad – A1-Electronics
- Razer Copperhead – 3D Gameman
- SilverStone ST60F 600W Modular PSU – Bjorn3D
Peripherals & Power Supplies
- GeForce 7950GX2 on sale already – NGOHQ
Video Cards & Monitor
- Garmin i3 SatNav – UK Gamer
- Sling Media Slingbox Personal Video Broadcaster – XYZ Computing
- What’s With All This Dolby Stuff? – Digital Trends
Etcetera & Contests
AMD 5000+ and FX62 support socket 939 shocker
A READER sent us a note that AMD will release Athlon 5000+ and FX 62 in socket 939 flavours. This is great news for many socket 939 supporters as we believed that 4800+ and FX 60 will be the last stop for you all. AMD certainly hasn’t made a big song and dance about it, but it clearly say on its website that it will support this old socket supporting DDR one with its new CPUs.
This is awesome news for those who don’t want to spend money on a new motherboard and ram. It would be very interesting to see how the same CPU compares on each platform. Perhaps the ultra low latency that DDR1 could provide may bring on better results? Check out the full posting at The Inquirer.
XM Halts FM-Enabled Radio Sales Due to FCC Probe
XM is facing problems with the FCC in regards to some of its portable XM tuners that ship with regular FM modulators. The devices from XM have been said to not meet radio device requirements set by the FCC that all consumer FM transmitters must meet. Many XM radios rebroadcast the XM feed over a low FM station so that inexpensive FM radios can play the audio stream.
Problems are following XM around like the plague lately. If you were considering purchasing one of these radios, you may just want to hold off. Check out the full posting at DailyTech.
EVGA signature 7900 GT is faster than 7900 GTX
Once we removed the cooler we discovered that the card actually uses Samsung 1.2 ns K4J55323QG-BC12 memory. It can maximally work at 1800MHz but we managed to overclock even more than that. The memory actually works at 1850MHz without any problems. The cooler is a little bit different from the reference one as it covers the memory chips as well. I guess that you have to cool the memory at such speeds.
This is some insane performance for a 7900GT. It beats the standard 7900GTX in most tests, and costs around $150 less on average. Plus, when you receive it in a massive box, it has to be good! Read the first impressions at The Inquirer.
AMD confirms third fab at Dresden
It will find $2.5 billion to re-fit and expand its existing 200 nanometre Fab 30 in Dresden. It will decrease production at the 200mm fab in the second half of 2007, and pump up the volume on 65 nanometre tech on 12-inch wafers “by the end of 2007”. Essentially the existing 200 millimetre fab will be refitted and rejigged, and have its name changed to Fab 38. It will also build test facilities at Dresden in a separate building.
Anything that is going to further the process of getting 65nm AMD chips out of the door sounds good to me. But.. by the end of 2007? Read more at The Inquirer.
Intel Next-Generation Graphics Core, G965
DailyTech recently come across a recent Intel roadmap that reveals details on the next generation integrated graphics core through 2007 until the launch of Bearlake. The graphics core will be integrated in the upcoming G965 chipset that is part of the 96x family. The roadmap shows the graphics core will be Microsoft Windows Vista Premium compatible with support for Aero Glass.
So even budget PC’s will be able to run Vista. However, if the rest of a system matches the quality of the GPU, I don’t want to imagine how slow that bulky OS will be. Read more at DailyTech.
Google officially releases Picasa for Linux
Although it is nice to see Google making their tools available for the Linux platform, a Wine-based Picasa probably won’t impress very many Linux users. Wine isn’t known for being stable, and applications that run through Wine tend to integrate poorly with the rest of the system. Additionally, there are many well-designed native image management applications for Linux that are popular and easy to use. Native Linux applications like F-Spot, Digikam, GThumb, and Gwenview all provide better performance than Picasa on the Linux platform, and varying levels of roughly comparable functionality.
Building on top of Wine was an odd choice, really. Installing the program on my Gentoo box went fine, but the actual program will not even launch. That’s some stability right there! It looks like I will be sticking to Gwenview.. for now at least. Read the full article at Ars Technica.
Why There Are No Hit Indie Games
The average PlayStation 2 game costs about $8 million. Studios often need large development teams–usually 40 or more people–to meet their tight deadlines. They spend money to license everything from comic book heroes to graphics engines. They record A-list actors. And if they burn their own CDs or do their own marketing, costs can really soar.
This is a shame too, because there are many solid indie titles out there. Just look at how well Darwinia and Rag Doll Kung Fu have done through the Steam system. Since retail publishing is the biggest punch to the stomach, it wouldn’t be surprising to see more and more indie publishers selling games as online downloads instead. Grab links and read more at Slashdot.
16MB of L3 Cache: Intel’s "Tulsa"
According to Intel’s roadmaps, the first wave of Xeon MP processors based on Intel’s Tulsa core will be slated for Q4’06. DailyTech has the following information on the 7100 series of Tulsa Xeon MP processors. Tulsa is compatible with Socket 604, on Intel’s Truland platform. Intel just announced its new LGA 771 socket, and it is not uncommon for Intel to produce multiple socket variants of processors during transition years.
16MB of Cache almost makes our desktop chips seem obsolete. The 7130 and 7140 are very beefy chips though, especially on the power side of things. Each requires 150W of power, understandably. It’s obvious that Intel wants to remain at the top in the server market, and they are doing a fair job of it. Read the full article at DailyTech.
Hardware Roundup for May 29
- better-silent PC Case – Technic3D
Cases & Enclosures
- Bluegears b-ice 120mm Fan – Think Computers
- Lamptron Products – Think Computers
- Sytrin KuFormula VF1 Plus VGA Cooler – Virtual-Hideout
Cooling
- 1GB Verbatim Store’n’Go U3 Smart Drive – HWZone
- Corsair TWINX2048-3500LLPRO 2 GB – Hardware Secrets
- Hard Drive Buyer’s Guide – TheTechZone
- Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 750GB – GD Hardware
Memory & Storage
- ECS 945G-M3 – Driver Heaven
- ECS C19-A – Overclockers Online
- Foxconn Technology’s ‘Project Tritium’ – the Foxconn C51XEM2AA – Hexus
- Microprocessor History, Part 3 – BTX Form Factor
Motherboards & CPU’s
- Aerocool PowerWatch and PowerPanel and PowerUSB (5v/12v) – Pro-Clockers
- Giganta Lazer 4 Mouse Mat – XS Reviews
- OCZ GameXstream 700w PSU – Red & Blackness
- Revoltec LightFX & LightWriter – Driver Heaven
Peripherals & Power Supplies
- nno3D GeForce 7600GST – Legion Hardware
- Price Guide, May 2006 – AnandTech
- Sapphire Radeon X1600 PRO – HardOCP
Video Cards & Monitor
- Contest: Noctua NHU9 and Coolink 92mm Competition – XS Reviews
- Linux: NVIDIA 1.0-8XXX Driver Round-Up – Phoronix
- Laptop: Rock Pegasus 650 Dungeons and Dragons – Bit-Tech
Etcetera & Contests
Hitman: Blood Money Review
Even though the set of “new features” proved to be closer to a ruse than anything else, nothing can truly mar the exceptional Gameplay found throughout the 12 (13 if you count the “Ending) new levels – just enough to make the game long enough that the gamer doesn’t feel ripped off, let alone frustrated. Overall, Eidos has left enough of the core elements alone that Gameplay is true to the franchise, while integrating newer ideas. But more to the point – Blood Money did what I love best in a franchise – hit a mark, and raised the bar, so that the next title can be just as good, just as fun, and just as compelling, and every bit as enthralling as the original, and it’s offspring.
Check out the full review over at GamePyre.
Sony emphatically denies rumor that PS3 will not play secondhand games
“We have definitely not been communicating that,” UK spokesperson Jennie Kong confirmed. “It’s false speculation. We don’t have any further knowledge about this topic—either officially or unofficially, to be frank.”
“There has been no official comment on this since the story that came up a few months ago—it hasn’t changed since then, and we’re quite surprised by why this has popped up again, to be honest.”
Good chances really are that Sony was planning on this originally, but backed out after they finally gained a clue. Who can really trust Sony at *all* anymore? Check out the full posting at Ars Technica.