Intel to pay $225m to settle Itanic patent clash
March 30, 2004
Intel and Intergraph have settled their remaining differences in the last of their numerous clashes over who really owns the rights to each others' patents.
The settlement also lets Dell off the hook. Indeed, the Texas PC maker gains a license to the Intergraph patents under dispute.
Intel and Intergraph today asked the US District Court of Marshall, Texas to dismiss the case with prejudice. If the court concurs, neither party will have any further financial obligations too each other, as per a separate settlement reached in April 2002.
The move follows an Appeal Court ruling made last February that sent the case back to the District Court. The case centres on Intergraph's Parallel Instruction Computing (PIC) patents, which the company claimed Intel infringed when it developed Itanium's Explicitly Parallel Instruction Computing (EPIC) architecture. Intergraph sued Dell for using allegedly infringing Itanium CPUs in a series of servers and workstations.
Source: Theregister.co.uk
Full article: Click here.
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
NZXT Guardian Gaming Case Review @ 3dgameman.com
March 30, 2004
"The NZXT Guardian Gaming Case is one very distinctive looking case & there is nothing else that looks quite like it. At the front of the case there is a fancy fade motion LED along with two USB ports, a mic & headphone jack. It comes with five 5.25", two external 3.5" & three internal 3.5" drive bays. Two fans are included, & an optional 80mm fan can be installed at the rear as well as at the front. Also, a 400watt PSU is included. Watch the Video to find out more..."
Click here to read the full review.
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
ASUS A9600XT/TVD Review @ Legit Reviews
March 30, 2004
"I must say, overall, I was very impressed with this card! This is one of the best 9600XT solutions I have reviewed to date! ASUS has put together a very well-rounded card that would suit everyone in the mid-range price point for quite some time to come. Let me briefly go over why I say this."
Click here to read the full review.
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
An Introduction to PCI Express @ HotHardware
March 30, 2004
"We've just post an article on HotHardware outlining NVIDIA's and ATi's plans for the upcoming PCI Express standard. It seems each company is taking a different approach to implementing PCI Express in their next-gen graphics products, at least initially. Click the link below and check it out..."
Click here to read the full article.
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
Will India price itself out of offshore market?
March 29, 2004
The U.S. technology industry's demand for offshore services is apparently beginning to drive up pay rates in India, raising questions about the long-term benefits of outsourcing work to that country.
Information technology workers in India reported double-digit salary growth in 2003, according to recent research, while pay for similar work within U.S. borders has been relatively stagnant if not declining. Although India's salaries generally remain significantly lower than U.S. averages, the narrowing wage gap and other unforeseen factors are leading at least some American companies to reassess the cost savings to be had by sending work offshore.
"Expectations about the benefits of outsourcing are becoming more realistic," according to a report by DiamondCluster International, a Chicago-based consulting firm, which recently released a survey of more than 180 companies involved in offshore outsourcing. "Most buyers in the previous study expected gains in efficiency in the range of 50 percent. Today, those expectations have declined to 10 to 20 percent."
India's wage inflation, which approached an estimated 14 percent last year, is a natural byproduct of a classic supply-and-demand scenario. Although projections for outsourcing remain highly speculative, Forrester Research has estimated that 3.3 million American jobs will be moved to other countries by 2015. But as far back as a year ago, India technology trade association Nasscom (National Association of Software and Services Companies) was already concerned that India would fall short of demand for workers by as many as 235,000 professionals.
Source: ZDNET News
Full article: Click here.
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
The mainframe makes a comeback
March 29, 2004
It was 40 years ago today ...
Exactly 40 years ago this week the IBM 360 was released, starting an era of mainframe computing which is currently enjoying a revival.
Unisys has seen sales of its ClearPath mainframe range growing over the past two years, and is today releasing three new models.
The company evolved out of Univac, which produced its first general purpose computer right back in 1952.
"From a security point of view, we have had zero damage due to viruses," said Chander Khanna, worldwide vice president of server platform marketing at Unisys.
Insurance firm Friends Provident, which has 30 years' experience of mainframes, switched from direct IBM support to value added reseller CSF in 2001 when it purchased an IBM Multiprize 3000.
Source: Vnunet.com
Full article: Click here.
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
At Purdue, cooling chips with mini lightning storms
March 26, 2004
Researchers at Purdue University said Thursday that they have come up with a way to cool computer chips by using the power of electrical storms.
Mechanical engineers at Purdue have filed patents for technologies that eventually could be used to create a device that would cool computer chips by generating lightning and wind on a microscopic level using carbon nanotubes. The patents arose from a research project funded in part by the National Science Foundation.
The researchers have only demonstrated the idea conceptually, but they assert that it could help future computer builders tackle the growing problem of chip generated heat in a more reliable way than they could through liquid cooling.
In the Purdue device, an array of carbon nanotubes--long, thin strands of specialized carbon molecules--would be placed near a chip. A negative charge would be applied to some of the nanotubes, which would cause electrons to be emitted. When the electrons mix with the surrounding air, the air becomes ionized. The microscopic cloud of ionized air then leads to an imbalance of charge in the micro-atmosphere, and lightning results. It's microscopic lightning, but the principle is the same as in an electrical storm.
Source: ZDNET News
Full article: Click here.
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
Intel Prescott 3.4E Processor Review @ Tweaknews.net
March 26, 2004
Tweaknews.net has released yet another review onto the internet, this time of the Intel Prescott 3.4E Processor.
Article Snippit:
"It's honestly a tough call on the new Prescott core and Intel's new flagship CPU. On one hand you have just a couple core revisions for improved speed scaling and performance improvements when the 1MB L2 cache and the new SSE3 instruction set is used, but there are some definite drawbacks that have to be addressed in order for this CPU to become a popular and safe desktop CPU for the enthusiast or the everyday consumer.
For one, the heat generated by this little powerhouse is downright astonishing. At a full load temperature of 95 degrees Celsius using a copper heatsink and a powerful fan, my thoughts were starting to be directed to the fact that this CPU is ~5 degrees from the boiling point of water which is concerning if perhaps your CPU heatsink came off for some reason. All I have to say is I hope you have your shutdown temperature settings in your BIOS enabled, because if something goes wrong, this CPU will cook in seconds."
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
Aerocool HT-101 CPU Cooler Review @ OCC
March 26, 2004
Jason Camp at Overclockers Club takes a look at Aerocool High Tower 101 Heatsink.
Quote:
"Aerocool is rapidly making a name for itself in the performance air cooling market. They have been very successful in the past with their use of super conductor tubes (Heatpipes). Back in January I looked at the Deep Impact DP-102, and today we will be looking at another unique super conductor tube based heatsink, the High Tower HT-101. Can Aerocool repeat the success they had with the DP-102? Read on to find out!"
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
X-micro WLAN 11g PCMCIA CARD Review @ Hardware Pacers
March 26, 2004
Hardware Pacers has posted a review on the X-micro WLAN 11g PCMCIA CARD.
Here is a snippet:
"The X-Micro WLAN 11g PCMCIA Card (802.11g) provides all the compatibility a wireless card can get. It can be used in combination with any WLAN Adapter (11b - 11g - 11g Turbo) to incorporate any Notebook to the wireless world."
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
Seagate claims storage breakthrough
March 25, 2004
HAMR technology will achieve data densities of 50Tb per square inch ... eventually
Seagate Technology is developing ultra-high density storage architectures that it claims will eventually be able to achieve data storage densities of 50Tb per square inch or more.
The firm plans to use a technology called Heat Assisted Magnetic Recording (HAMR) to make the breakthrough.
HAMR technology will, Seagate claimed, significantly extend the capacity of modern magnetic disc drives to read and write digital data onto spinning platters.
The technique achieves higher densities by using a laser beam or other energy source to heat the recording medium at the same time that data bits are being recorded.
Source: Vnunet.com
Full article: Click here.
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
The Cooler Master Musketeer 2 Review @ Adrian's Rojak Pot
March 25, 2004
Adrian's Rojak Pot has just updated the Cooler Master Musketeer 2 review.
Quote
"Display panels? There are tons of them in the market. Some specialize in displaying system parameters. Some also serve as hard disk coolers. But all of them strive to be unique and look cool!
Today, we take an in-depth look at Cooler Master’s spanking new display panel - the Cooler Master Musketeer 2! How does it fare? Is it a worthy addition to your case mod? Read the review and find out!"
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
Enermax UC-A8FATR4 Fan Controller Review @ 3dgameman.com
March 25, 2004
"As fan controllers go, the Enermax UC-A8FATR4 unit is one of the best on the market. It can control and monitor four fans and temperatures. The front plate can be swapped to match silver or black cases. The four knobs that control the speed of the fans are light up and the LCD can be changed to a blue or green color. Watch the Video to find out more..." ~3dGameMan.com
Click here to read the full article.
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
AMD Athlon 64 FX-53 Processor Review @ Short-Media.com
March 25, 2004
Quote:
"AMD is setting their sights on taking the pole position again with the Athlon 64 FX-53. AMD have launched another processor in the FX family that delivers an intimidating set of benchmarks. FX-53 is more expensive and it won't be immediately coming off the shelves into consumer’s hands in great quantities. Could the purpose of AMD's flagship processor be to establish a reputation as a performance king rather than as the underdog and cheaper alternative? Consumers do buy a reputation and a good reputation can positively influence sales of other products carrying the AMD brand name."
Click here to read the full article.
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
Toshiba introduces dual-format DVD writers
March 24, 2004
In the latest sign that a standards war is petering out, Toshiba has introduced dual-format DVD recordable drives.
Toshiba's Storage Device Division announced on Monday drives for notebook computers and desktop systems that support the "-R/RW" and "+R/RW" technologies.
The so-called "dash" and "plus" formats have been at odds when it comes to DVD recording, but more and more manufacturers are building both technologies into their machines to make things simpler for consumers.
Toshiba had been firmly in the dash camp, building drives that only supported "-R" media for write-once recording and "-RW" media for the ability to write new material over previously recorded content.
"Consumers are accessing and creating more data, video and music files than ever before and expect their systems to support all formats available today," Maciek Brzeski, vice president of marketing at Toshiba's Storage Device Division, said in a statement. "Toshiba's new recordable drives enable desktop and mobile PC users to create DVDs and CDs without concern over media types."
Source: ZDNET News
Full article: Click here.
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
3.4GHz Prescott and Northwood Pentium 4 Review @ HotHardware.com
March 24, 2004
"Intel's latest 3.4GHz Pentium 4 Processors are on the bench today in both Prescott and Northwood flavors. Do they have the guts to keep up with the Athlon 64 3400+ and Athlon 64 FX-53?
You know you're going to find out, so come gets some."
Click here to read the full review.
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
PMI 3200-1024DP Turbo Memory Review @ OCC
March 24, 2004
Jason Camp at Overclockers Club takes a look at the PMI 3200-1024DP Turbo Memory.
Quote:
"I was impressed at how close the performance was against the Corsair, but I can live with the small trade off in performance for the lower price of the PMI 3200-1024DP. Both sets of memory were able to overclock about the same amount, and the difference in price makes the PMI a more attractive buy. Offering great performance at low cost, PMI is on the right track to making a name for their company in the performance memory market."
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
Albatron K8X800 Pro II (VIA K8T800 Chipset) Motherboard Review @ 3DX
March 24, 2004
Here's a clip:
"Today 3DXtreme has the pleasure of reviewing the latest AMD64 motherboard from Albatron. Albatron has always produced some of the best quality products in their respective product lines, will the K8X800 Pro II provide a motherboard worthy of the Albatron name? "
Click here to read the full article.
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
Case4U Mona Designer ATX Mid-Tower Computer Case Review @ Tweaknews.net
March 23, 2004
Tweaknews.net has released yet another review onto the internet.
Article Snippit:
"The Mona case from Case 4u is the lazy modder's dream: It requires no hard work to improve its appearance and can have lights and fans added without drilling or cutting to put in a window or fan opening. While the case requires nothing extra to make it look great, there is room for additions which makes the case a viable option for advanced modders as well. I enjoy the case thoroughly as I am one of those people who want to do nothing to the case but still have an impressive looking computer."
Click here to read the full review.
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
The AMD Athlon 64 FX-53 Review @ HotHardware.Com
March 23, 2004
"We’ve just posted our review of AMD’s latest flagship processor, the new Athlon 64 FX-53. With both AMD and Intel increasing the clock speed of their premiere processors by 200MHz, the relative performance scale should have tilted slightly in favor of AMD this time around. To find out for ourselves, we benchmarked the FX-53 against 6 other high-end platforms, including Prescott, Northwood and the P4 Extreme Edition. Click the link below and take a look"
Click here to read the full article.
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
Shuttle AN50R Athlon 64 Motherboard review @ MetkuMods
March 23, 2004
From the review:
"Overclocking with AN50R was easy job after I found suitable memory module for overclocking. Motherboard didn't have any problems achieve over 300MHz FSBs if HyperTransport bus speed was kept close to 600MHz. So with some help of the voltage mods and Mach II cooling system motherboard was ready for serious overclocking..."
Click here to read the full review.
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
Nokia and Sun ready Java mobile gaming
March 23, 2004
Multi-player online gaming system for a range of handsets due this autumn.
Nokia and Sun Microsystems announced a partnership yesterday to create an online multi-player gaming system for Java games.
The co-developed technology will aim to bring Nokia's mobile online multi-player and community technology to a broad range of handsets running Sun's Java language.
The system is designed to allow developers to create Java-based games with a mobile online multi-player component.
Dubbed SNAP Mobile, the technology is based on Nokia's Scalable Network Application Package middleware and Sun's Java technology for mobile devices.
Source: Vnunet.com
Full article: Click here.
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
Close encounters of the viral kind
March 22, 2004
Viral outbreaks became more frequent and expensive last year, according to a study by security testing outfit ICSA Labs released today.
Almost one in three (30 per cent) of 300 organisations surveyed by ICSA Labs reported a serious virus outbreak last year, compared to 15 per cent in 2002. ICSA Labs defines a serious virus outbreak (or "virus disaster" as it calls it) as one where 25 or more PCs/servers become infected at the same time by the same virus.
Disaster recovery costs increased by 23 per cent in 2003 to reach approximately £55,000 ($100,000) per organisation per virus disaster, according to ICSA Labs' 9th annual Virus Prevalence Survey.
The survey recorded more than 2.7 million virus encounters among the sample group of 300 last year. The group (collectively responsible for managing almost one million desktops, servers and perimeter gateways) experienced a rate of 108 virus infections per 1,000 machines per month during the year, up from 105 infections in 2002 and just 10 infections in 1996.
Source: Theregister.co.uk
Full article: Click here.
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
Artec Dual DVD+R/RW Drive Review @ HotHardware.com
March 22, 2004
"Today at HotHardware.com we take a look at a competitively priced dual format DVD writer from Artec, aptly named the Artec Dual DVD+R/RW drive. This is a rather ordinary looking drive on the outside, but boasts a hefty 8MB cache and 8X/4X write speeds that make it an attractive alternative for the cost conscious consumer. Click the link below to see how the Artec Dual DVD+R/RW drive compared to a mainstream competitor."
Click here to read the full article.
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
Samsung SyncMaster 173P 17" TFT LCD Flat Panel Display @ Extreme Overclocking
March 22, 2004
EXTREME Overclocking has just posted a review on the Samsung SyncMaster 173P 17" TFT LCD Flat Panel Display.
Review Quote:
"The SyncMaster 173P is an evolution of the earlier 171P model. The 173P has more and better features, is slightly redesigned, and seems to have corrected many of the flaws of the previous models. This display brings many key features to the table and delivers them in a great package. With a 700:1 contrast ratio, the 173P has the highest contrast ratio of any LCD panel we have tested. Most are between 300:1 and 500:1. Couple this with the 173P's stylish looks and Samsung Warranty and we get excited."
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
Samsung 172x LCD Monitor review @ OCAU
March 22, 2004
OCAU has a review of Samsung's 172x 17" LCD Monitor. This in-depth review is a hefty but interesting read covering the difference between this LCD screen and traditional CRT monitors, not only from a technical perspective but also in terms of usability.
A snip:
"Finally, the 172x has a feature called "MagicBright". There are three preset brightness and contrast combinations made available to you - "Text", "Internet" and "Entertain", with "text" mode the least bright and seemingly lowest contrast mode, to make the screen easy on the eyes when working in text mode. Next is "Internet", with a brighter and more vibrant setup, designed to make pictures on the Internet more bright and better contrasted, whilst still allowing text-mode to be readable. Finally, the "Entertain" mode, which is the brightest and seems to have the highest contrast - I actually found this mode to be TOO bright in my naturally/incandessantly-lit study, though I think I'd have less trouble with it in a room lit with fluorescent lights."
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
Divide between U.S. tech firms, China--a great wall?
March 19, 2004
The honeymoon between China and the U.S. tech industry is over, and the warm feelings may be gone for a while.
In the past several months, China has adopted a series of regulations that seem calculated, at least according to Westerners, to help Chinese manufacturers as well as force multinationals to expand their local operations.
The Chinese-developed Wi-Fi security protocol called Wired Authentication and Privacy Infrastructure (WAPI) is one example. Starting June 1, all Wi-Fi equipment sold in China will have to comply with the proprietary protocol, and Western chipmakers are now required to pay select Chinese companies a per-chip royalty for WAPI and/or partner with them on development. And because WAPI technology can't leave the country, Western companies will have to staff local facilities if they want to participate in the market.
"There are literally thousands of test hours in every driver," said Jeff Thermond, vice president of Home and Wireless Networking at Broadcom, which has decided to pull out of the Chinese Wi-Fi market after the June WAPI law takes effect. "All the work must be done by employees in China."
The country also continues to maintain a value added tax (VAT) on imported semiconductors that is prompting foreign chipmakers to build facilities in the country or sign up with local foundries. Imported products get saddled with a 17 percent VAT, while the VAT on locally made products can be as low as 3 percent. On Thursday, the Bush administration filed suit with the World Trade Organization over the VAT.
Source: ZDNET News
Full article: Click here.
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
Corsair TwinX1024-3200LLPro 1Gig DDR400 Dual Channel Memory Kit Review @ Tweaknews.net
March 19, 2004
Tweaknews.net has released yet another review onto the internet.
Article Snippit:
"Being one of the premier performance memory manufacturers in the world, Corsair provided Tweaknews.net with a 1Gig sample of their representative TwinX PC3200LL PRO Dual Channel DDR memory to test. The version of the DDR400 standard boasts low latency timings of 2-6-3-2, but what really separates it from the pack is the inclusion of activity LEDs which would be a great addition to a windowed case. Although this memory is meant to be used in its stock speed, we wouldn't be called tweakers if we didn't try to see what extra free performance we could squeeze out of this unique purchase. As you will see later on in the review, I was able to push this memory to some nice speeds. Onto the review....."
Click here to read the full article.
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
Demonic XTC Waterblock (P4) Review @ Ninjalane
March 19, 2004
Not to long ago Ninjalane reviewed a new waterblock from Demonic Water Cooling called the X.T.C. Many of the missing pieces are now complete including custom hose barbs, mounting hardware and a P4 mounting kit.
Quote:
"Demonic Water Cooling has been busy finishing parts for the XTC waterblock and was nice enough to send over the updated components for review. These include an upgraded mounting kit, anodized hose barbs and Pentium 4 poly top."
Click here to read the full article.
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
Digitalway MPIO FY200 256MB Digital Audio Player @ Designtechnica
March 19, 2004
Designtechnica reviews the Digitalway MPIO FY200 256MB Digital Audio Player.
Quote:
"You can pack a ton of features into a product, but if they are not executed correctly, they really do not matter in the first place. This is what happens with the Digitalway FY200 MP3 player. The quality of the player and the headphones are clearly above average, but the execution of everything else falls short. You cannot randomly play songs between multiple folders which is a major bummer and those that appreciate hip hop and techno genres will be disappointed by the lack of bass present. Those looking to use an MP3 player while exercising will probably find the included arm band and second set of headphones annoying to say the least.
The FY200 is a fairly good product and we are sure once the kinks are worked out, will be one of the better MP3 players on the market. If you can, try out the FY200 before you buy it or purchase it from a store with a good return policy. The FY200 will most likely fit the needs of some people just fine, but will also leave others disappointed."
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
Nvidia next-gen chip 'to launch 13 April'
March 18, 2004
Nvidia will unveil its next-generation graphics chip - almost certainly the long-awaited NV40 - on 13 April.
So claims a source close to the company cited by
Alas, the source proved unable to say much about the chip itself. Unconfirmed reports from a variety of websites suggest it will be a DirectX 9.0 part with 16 parallel pipelines running through enhanced pixel shaders.
The NV40 is not expected to support PCI Express directly but ship with an AGP-to-PCI Express bridge chip. One source Hachman spoke to said the chip's AGP bus will be boosted to an unofficial 16x spec. to match the needs of PCI Express. Certainly, Nvidia's first line of PCI Express parts - the GeForce PCX 5950, PCX 5750, PCX 5300 and PCX 4300 - are all AGP 8x chips that ship with a bridge part.
If the NV40 is launched next month, it marks the end of a long wait for the part, which was originally roadmapped for a late 2003 debut. When that was the case, Nvidia had a revised version, the NV45, on its roadmap for a Q2 2004 introduction.
Source: Theregister.co.uk
Full article: Click here.
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
Chaintech Apogee AA5700U review @ HotHardware.com
March 18, 2004
"Our man Rob just finished up giving the latest video card to find its way to us a major once over. This time around he gives the Apogee AA5700U from Chaintech a complete workout to see what this card is made of. This is no typical 5700 Ultra though. Chaintech decked this puppy out with a custom lighted cooling package, copper RAM sinks and a fine compliment of other goodies. Think this card has what it takes to compete with similarly priced cards? Click below to find out!"
Click here to read the full article.
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
OCZ EL DDR PC-3700 Gold Rev. 2 Memory Review @ Legit Reviews
March 18, 2004
Here is a blurb:
"OCZ Dual Channel Gold Edition PC-3700 Revision 2 memory is speed rated for 466MHZ (PC-3700) speeds at relatively tight timings of CL 2.5-3-3-7, 1T. With CL2.5 ratings at PC-3700 speeds it is likely that this module will be able to run a wide variety of timings and speeds, but only testing will tell if the IC's used can handle different CAS Latencies..."
Click here to read the full review.
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
SiS655TX Chipset Review @ ASE Labs
March 18, 2004
"With a new memory controller andsome tweaks, this evolution to the 655FX proves to be faster indeed. This is the new chipset to buy for the Pentium 4 boards. Find out why..."
Click here to read the full review.
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
IT staff desert dull private sector
March 17, 2004
Public sector has 'money to spend, a clear goal and more interesting projects'
Relentless cost cutting and mundane work is driving talented IT staff to desert the private sector for lower-paid but more interesting public sector jobs, recently unveiled research has claimed.
A survey by software company Tridion of 30 of its public sector customers found that a quarter of IT workers had left private sector jobs after projects were shelved.
Investment freezes over the past few years have left many private sector IT staff bored and disillusioned.
Source: Vnunet.com
Full article: Click here.
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
Transcend 64MB SiS Xabre 400 review @ Extreme Reviews
March 17, 2004
eXtreme Reviews has just posted a review on the Transcend 64MB SiS Xabre 400.
Quote:
"Graphics cards are one of the easiest and most obvious ways to upgrade your computer. In this review, we will look at the Transcend 64MB SiS Xabre 400 Graphics Card to see if it is worth the possible upgrade."
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
IOGEAR MiniView III 4 Port KVMP Switch @ Voided Warranty
March 17, 2004
Quote:
"If you have several computers as I do, you know that desktop real estate is used up pretty quickly by monitors, keyboards and mice. IOGEAR has a perfect solution with the 4 port KVMP Switch."
Click here to read the full article.
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
Samsung SyncMaster 192T LCD Review @ IPKonfig
March 17, 2004
"The SyncMaster 192T supports both Analog and Digital connectors, provided your video card supports digital--which most do. Digital is beneficial to graphics artists who require a more accurate calibration of color. This also works well in conjunction with the 750:1 contrast ratio, which gives a higher range of purest of white, and darkest of black. However, LCDs operate best with the default setups when operating in native resolution. Using the digital connection feature reduces the adjustments allowed."
Click here to read the review.
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
10-Gigabit Ethernet comes alive
March 16, 2004
The market for 10-gigabit-per-second Ethernet switching got off to a slow start, but now that corporate customers are looking for more speed on their networks, the technology seems to be hitting its stride.
Few applications currently require the full bandwidth provided by 10-Gigabit Ethernet. But demand is picking up amid sharp price cuts fuelled by new designs and higher-density products. In addition, a new standard to run 10-Gigabit Ethernet over copper cable could help reduce costs and spur adoption later this year.
"It's really remarkable how quickly the prices have fallen," said Zeus Kerravala, an analyst at The Yankee Group. "And the falling prices have really helped spur adoption."
The arrival of 10-Gigabit Ethernet, also known as 10-GigE, highlights the growing business demand for bandwidth. In systems, it promises to leapfrog current technology in much the same way that 1-Gigabit Ethernet replaced the older Fast Ethernet. But 10-GigE's impact could be even more profound in the long run, as it offers a one-size-fits-all technology for IT applications from supercomputing to networked storage.
In addition, 10-GigE is front and center in the red-hot debate over computer clustering. It has emerged as a leading contender alongside InfiniBand for the high-speed links that connect groups of computers into what's effectively a single machine. (A cluster can match the performance of supercomputers for a fraction of the cost, according to advocates.)
Source: ZDNET News
Full article: Click here.
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
Kingwin Thermal Center TC-02BK Review @ OCC
March 16, 2004
Bryan McDaniel at Overclockers Club takes a look at the Kingwin Thermal Center TC-02BK.
Quote:
"We've seen our fair share of thermal monitors in the past, and one thing is for sure, no two have been exactly the same. Today, we'll be taking a look at another thermal monitor, the Kingwin Thermal Center. With three thermal probes and three fan speed monitors, the Kingwin Thermal Center doesn't appear to be the most sophisticated thermal monitor out there, but it does have one unique quality, it automatically adjusts fan speeds based on temperatures recorded from the associated thermal probe."
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
VIA EPIA ME6000 Mini-ITX Motherboard Review @ Tweaknews.net
March 16, 2004
Tweaknews.net has released yet another review onto the internet, this time of the VIA EPIA ME6000 Mini-ITX Motherboard.
Article Snippit:
"I am quite happy with the Epia ME6000. Certainly, there are a couple things that I would have liked to see done differently. The ability to handle faster DDR would have been nice, not to mention the availability of more USB headers on the motherboard. And were it possible, an AGP slot would propel this motherboard much further for HTPC users. Lastly, the file transfer on this system is quite slow.
However, let's stack that against the boards strong points? low power consumption, fanless for ultra-quiet operation, geared toward HTPCs and multimedia users, 6 channel sound, embedded MPEG-2 decoder, DDR support up, and the list goes on."
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
XGI Dual GPU Benchmarked - Volari Duo V8 Ultra @ TweakTown
March 16, 2004
"XGI has been in the 3D graphics game for only a little over nine months and already has a top to bottom line of products available from their short list of AIB partners. Today we look at the XGI Volari Duo V8 Ultra Dual GPU graphics card put directly against the 9800 XT and FX 5950. We use a whole bunch of the latest drivers including nVidia's ForceWare 56.64 which is being released today."
Click here to read the full review.
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
Evercool "Magic Cooler" MAG-01 Heatsink Review @ 3DX
March 15, 2004
Here's a clip:
"Today at 3DXtreme we have the great pleasure of reviewing the ?Magic Cooler? MAG-01 Heatsink by Evercool. Yet again Evercool has given us the chance to voice our opinion about one of their new products in their product line. The MAG-01 is versatile enough to carry out multiple CPU applications while keeping performance differences to a minimum. This ?Magic Cooler? has many different applications by having the ability to be installed on many different socket types..."
Click here to read the full article.
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
Arctic-Cooling Super Silent 4Pro L HSF @ Legit Reviews
March 15, 2004
Here is a blurb:
"The Arctic-Cooler 4Pro L is an inexpensive alternative for the budget case-modder. The 4Pro L cools a little better than the retail HSF unit by a few degrees. This is largely due to the fact that the 4Pro L has more fins on the heatsink than the retail stock HSF unit..."
Click here to read the full review.
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
SiS 655FX Chipset Review @ ASE Labs
March 15, 2004
"SiS makes some great chipsets. The 655FX is the first dual channel SiS chipset for the Pentium 4 platform. It targets the Springdale market, and it does it well. It is even faster than the Springdale! Read on... "
Click here to read the full article.
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
Europe funds safer surfing initiative
March 15, 2004
Four-year programme to protect kids from illegal or harmful internet content
The European Commission is backing new hotlines that allow the public to report spam and other illegal or harmful internet content.
The aim of the four-year Safer Internet Programme is to make surfing less dangerous for children.
The €50m initiative will run from 2005 to 2008 and will provide funding to develop technologies which filter out harmful material at source.
In line with its self-regulatory approach, the Commission plans to get the message across by persuading the public, private and voluntary sectors to prepare hard-hitting safety campaigns.
Its four action lines are:
Fighting illegal content
Tackling unwanted and harmful content, including spam
Promoting a safer environment
Making parents and teachers more aware of the technology available to protect children when online.
Source: Vnunet.com
Full article: Click here.
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
China tells Intel to calm down over Wi-Fi
March 12, 2004
Intel has been told to "calm down" and reconsider its decision to stop selling Wi-Fi products in China.
The chip giant objects to the Chinese government's insistence that WLAN products sold in China support the country's own wireless security system, dubbed Wired Authentication and Privacy Infrastructure (WAPI). The technology will become mandatory on 1 June. WAPI was to have become effective on 1 December 2003. However, US government lobbying persuaded the Chinese to put back the deadline.
In any case, Intel wants none of it, and this week formally said it would not support the Chinese specification.
"This could be a critical decision that Intel is making," said an official of the state-backed group behind WAPI, according to the Financial Times. "China is such a strategic market. I think Intel should calm down."
If Intel doesn't support WAPI, its WLAN products, including its ProWireless mini-PCI add-in cards and the Centrino platform that they enable, will be banned from sale in China on 1 June.
"If the Centrino remains what it is today, without any upgrading, it will not comply with the law so it will obviously be banned," said the Chinese official said. "I don't see any reason why the Chinese government should retreat on this."
Source: Theregister.co.uk
Full article: Click here.
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
Shure E3C Earphones review @ Designtechnica.com
March 12, 2004
Designtechnica reviews the Shure E3C Earphones.
Quote:
"Before you consider buying the E3C, decide what you want to use them for, and what type of music you will be listening to.
If the answer is more bass driven music like drum and bass or trance, you may want to pass on the E3C. If you plan to listen to vocal, rock, or pop, the E3C is an excellent choice. The sound is lively and clear on the upper end and midrange, and slightly lacking in the low range."
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
Chaintech Apogee 5700 Ultra Video Card Review @ Ninjalane
March 12, 2004
Ninjalane has just posted their review of the Chaintech Apogee AA5700U GeForce FX5700 Ultra video card.
Quote:
"The Chaintech Apogee AA5700U is a very solid card that not only performs well but also has enough overclocking headroom to boost performance up by 20% across the board."
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
Minitar 802.11g 54mb Wireless Network Bundle review @ OCAU
March 12, 2004
OCAU took a look at a few 54mb/sec wireless networking components from Minitar. Is it time to throw out the ethernet cable all over your house?
A snip:
"Wireless networking would have to be one of the coolest things to come to maturity over the last year or so. Quicker video cards and larger hard drives are all well and good, but they don't even approach the sheer convenience of being able to run a network around your home or office without expensive in-wall cabling or the old tape-cables-to-the-floor approach. Of course, the traditional problem with the widespread 802.11b 11mb/s standard has been the speed. Minitar have a few components based on the newer 802.11g standard at 54mb/s, which brings it closer to the speed of wired networks - most of which are 100mb/s Ethernet."
Click here to read the full article.
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
MS legal case: Dash is 'dows, 'dows means Windows, which we own
March 11, 2004
Court documents obtained by The Register show Microsoft's legal campaign to stamp out Lindows in Benelux becoming positively surreal. In addition to merely demanding the impossible, i.e. blocking Benelux access to the Lindows.com site, the company insists that Lindows.com should stop using names that might sound like names that might sound like names... Well, you get the picture.
According to a Tuesday court filing, "On its we site Lindows.com encourages visitors to pronouce 'Lin---s' as 'LinDash', which also bears an auditive resemblance to Windows." Well, it might in Bethnal Green, but the complaint doesn't mention that. Instead, it goes on to tell us that Lin---s is so little different from Lindows that it should be assumed that the public, "when confronted with 'Lin---s', will be reminded of 'Lindows'." And as Lindows, according to the court, infringes the Windows trademark in Benelux, then Lin---s must be wrong too, right?
We caution you not to pursue this logic too far, in case your head explodes. Should Lin---s be ruled out of court too, and should Lindows.com subsequently go for something that sounds like Lindash... No, don't go there.
Source: Theregister.co.uk
Full article: Click here.
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
Arctic-Cooling Coolers (4ProL & 2L) Review @ 3dgameman.com
March 11, 2004
"These Arctic-Cooling Coolers look great with the blue LED 80mm fan and offer good cooling performance at a very low price. The 4ProL cooler is designed to fit the Socket 478, is all aluminum with a smooth base and has a great clip design. The 2L cooler fits the Socket 462 and is aluminum with a smooth copper base. However, the clip design on the 2L requires the use of the screwdriver for installation and removal. Watch the Video to find out more..."
Click here to read the full article.
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
HighPoint e.SATA Upgrade Kit v3 review @ Extreme reviews
March 11, 2004
eXtreme Reviews has just posted a review on the HighPoint e.SATA Upgrade Kit v3.
Quote:
"HighPoint Technologies, Inc. has been providing cutting-edge, cost effective mass storage solutions since 1995. Over the years they have grown bigger & better. They are now concentrating on the new SATA market providing internal and external solutions for SATA users."
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
NoiseBlocker Fortron 400W PSU review @ MetkuMods
March 11, 2004
From the review:
"Voltages were what Fortron promises. On "burn" +5 V line was as stable as in idle, but +12 V started to fluctuate a bit on "burn". In my opinion the voltages were excellent and during the test weeks there were no crashes that could have been caused by the power supply."
Click here to read the full review.
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
Germany to plug in national grid
March 10, 2004
The German government on Wednesday is expected to launch a multiyear effort with IBM to use grid computing for advanced research.
Called the Deutschland Grid, or D-Grid, the initiative involves linking several machines together to tackle complex computing tasks for scientific research.
The German minister of science, Edelgard Bulmahn, is expected to announce the D-Grid plan in Berlin at a meeting of the Global Grid Forum, a grid computing standards body, according to IBM.
The German government's project involves universities, research institutes and commercial companies. It is one of several grid-related initiatives that involve combining the computing capacity of servers in universities.
Companies such as IBM, Sun Microsystems, Hewlett Packard and Oracle are investing in grid software and standards to make grid computing commercially viable and to increase sales of server hardware, related software and consulting services.
Source: ZDNET News
Full article: Click here.
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
Kingwin KT-424-BK-WM Case Review @ OCC
March 10, 2004
Quote:
"It's been a few months since we've taken a look at a case around here, and it's been even longer since we've seen anything from Kingwin. Today we get to kill two birds with one stone with a review of the Kingwin KT-424-BK-WM Case. The Kingwin KT-424-BK-WM is a black case made from an all aluminum construction. It features a clear acrylic glass window, front media ports, 3x case fans, slide out motherboard tray, and a rather unique anti-shock absorber system for hard drives. Can the KT-424-BK-WM give the Lian Li PC-70 a run for it's money? Read on and find out!"
Click here to read the full article.
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
Silverstone SST-ST46F 460 Watt PSU review @ Short-Media.com
March 10, 2004
Quote:
"Newcomer Silverstone Tek is more well known for PC cases but the move to power supplies was a logical choice. The Silverstone Tek SST-ST46F 460 watt power supply is the latest option for Silverstone Tek consumers. 460 Watts of power more than meets the demand of power hungry systems and Silverstone Tek has learned from the competition by providing what others don't. However, Silverstone Tek may have not learned everything."
Click here to read the full article.
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
Corsair TwinX 4400 DDR550 Memory Review @ HardExtreme.org
March 10, 2004
HardExtreme.org has reviewed the TwinX 4400 DDR550 Memory.
Quote:
"Whoa, DDR550, is this possible? Intel's Canterwood and Springdale chipsets, released back in April 2003, only support a 200MHz bus speed, but Corsair now has Double Data Rate RAM running at 275MHz, much higher then the stock speed of 200MHz. RAM used to be the limiting factor of a system?s performance, but now it?s the motherboard and the CPU?s ability to reach the huge 275 MHz mark. So all in all, The TwinX 1024 4400 550 DDR will definitely make your computer a kick ass machine, and blazing fast."
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
Virus war of words falls silent
March 9, 2004
Netsky and Bagel variants continue to spring up, but virus writers' slanging match cools down
New versions of the Netsky and Bagel worms have emerged in the wild, but neither infection seeks to rekindle the public spat that broke out last week between the rival virus authors.
Security experts reported that both the Netsky J and Bagel K mutant worms were spreading, but that the virus writers' slanging match appears to have ended.
The latest Bagel variant uses new social engineering techniques to persuade readers to open the password-protected zip file attachment.
The message warns that complaints have been made against the recipient for improper email use.
Carole Theriault, security consultant at Sophos said: "There is no progress in the war of words.
Source: Vnunet.com
Full article: Click here.
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
Tagan TG480-U01 Power Supply Review @ Short-Media.com
March 9, 2004
Quote:
"Tagan offers a solution with the 480w "Ultra-Silent" Power Supply to battle against "lack of power hell". Tagan confidently backs up their promise with a surprisingly long 36-month warranty."
Click here to read the full review.
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
Evercool WC-201 Water Cooling Kit Review @ 3DX
March 9, 2004
Here's a clip:
"Usually with a water cooling setup this has been confined to the Do-It-Yourself?ers out there but more and more we are seeing companies provide complete kit solutions for those who do not wish to piece together their cooling system. This is where Evercool has come in with the WC-201, a complete water cooling kit solution for the average user..."
Click here to read the full article.
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
Chaintech ZNF3-150 ZENITH Motherboard Review @ OCC
March 9, 2004
Quote:
"Usually when we review a product at OCC, we?ll take one item and put it up against similar products. Today we are going to try something a little different with the Chaintech ZNF3-150 Motherboard review. One reason for this is I wanted to give a real life scenario look at the motherboard. You are probably saying, ?what the hell is he talking about ?real life scenario??? Most people that I know don?t go out and build a whole new computer, instead they?ll buy a part here and a part there and upgrade as they have time and/or money. This is the angle we are going to use today in our review of Chaintech?s latest motherboard, the ZNF3-150 ZENITH. Is the Athlon 64 setup worth the upgrade? Read on and find out."
Click here to read the full review.
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
LCD panel shortage easing up
March 8, 2004
A long-standing supply crunch for liquid-crystal display panels is starting to lift, providing hope that prices for flat-panel monitors will begin falling again later this year.
Prices rose in the United States in 2003 amid demand for LCD panels for use in monitors, notebook computer screens and the latest craze: flat-panel televisions.
"We see supply of LCD panels beginning to loosen from the shortage we saw the last three quarters of last year," Ross Young, president of research firm DisplaySearch, said Friday.
LCD panels allow for thinner, lighter display units compared with traditional cathode-ray tube devices. Worldwide revenue for LCD panels is expected to reach $47 billion in 2004, up 32 percent from last year, according to earlier research from iSuppli. In 2003, the worldwide LCD market rose 27.9 percent to $35.7 billion, the research firm said.
The majority of LCD panels that are 10 inches or more in diagonal width are used in computer monitors, Young said. But suppliers focused on notebook and TV applications last year because those products have higher profit margins, he said. Monitors "sort of got the short end of the stick during the shortage," he added.
Source: ZDNET News
Full article: Click here.
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
Gateway M275XL Tablet PC review @ Designtechnica.com
March 8, 2004
Quote:
"The Gateway M275 XL is an excellent performer that provides the power of a notebook and versatility of a tablet. The flexibility this provides becomes invaluable as you become comfortable with using the unit in tablet mode.
With its Intel Centrino based processor and 802.11b wireless, the M275 XL is both powerful and portable. Useful for both the home and business user, the combination of a Tablet PC and a standard notebook makes this unit something that a wide range of users can appreciate."
Click here to read the full article.
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
*World's First Review* ATI All in Wonder Radeon 9200 Multimedia Videocard Review @ Tweaknews.net
March 8, 2004
Tweaknews.net has released yet another review onto the internet.
Article Snippit:
"With the successful release of the newest member of the ATI Radeon family, all consumer areas have been covered with a version of the All in Wonder that will fit their budget. As you can see through the benchmarking, this card is not a huge performer while 3D gaming, but, it's not meant to be. But what realistically can you expect from a complete multimedia card that has a tiny pricetag of US$149.
If you a very occasional gamer that want acceptable 3D performance, but still wants all the great features associated with an All in Wonder videocard, you will not find a videocard that will give you a bigger bang for the buck than this card. Hell, even the bundled software is worth more than US$150 bucks."
Click here to read the full article.
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
Gigabyte's GV-R96X128D Review @ HotHardware.Com
March 8, 2004
"Our man Jeff just put the finishing touches on his latest review of Gigabyte's Radeon 9600 XT. He ran this card through a wide array of DirectX and OpenGL benchmarks, comparing it to a Radeon 9600 Pro and GeForce FX 5700 Ultra throughout. If you think your readers would be interested, click the link below and take a look to see which one came out on top..."
Click here to read the full review.
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
Nvidia touts GDDR 3 'first'
March 5, 2004
Nvidia has signed Samsung to provide its graphics card partners with Graphics DDR 3 SDRAM for inclusion in their 128MB GeForce FX 5700 Ultra-based boards.
Products utilising the memory technology will ship later this month.
GDDR 3 runs at up to around 1.5 times the speed of GDDR 2 yet consumes half the power, thanks to a lower operating voltage: 1.8V compared to 2.5V. GDDR 3 provides an aggregate bandwidth of 6.4GBps per device thanks to a 1.6Gbps per pin data rate. It clocks between 600MHz and 800MHz.
Source: Theregister.co.uk
Full article: Click here.
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
Motorola MPx200 Smartphone review @ Designtechnica.com
March 5, 2004
Designtechnica reviews the Motorola MPx200 Smartphone.
Quote:
"If you are looking for a phone with complete PDA capabilities, the MPx200 would not be your first choice. Microsoft's Smartphone OS is a compromise that appeals to those that do not care for full blown PDA features. If you just want to stay connected to your friends and co-workers and manage your contacts and meetings, the MPx200 may be perfect for you.
The Motorola MPx200 is a fantastic phone for business users. It is very stylish, powerful and offers the basic functions business users' desire. We love that you can upgrade the memory on the MPx200 using the memory slot as well as the fact that you get a basic MP3 player and PDA functionality.
In the case of the MPx200, the physical design saves it from dropping down to a 7 rating since the headset problems we encountered could be serious to some users. Overall, although the MPx200 does not offer Bluetooth or a integrated camera, considering its $99 price tag it could quite possibly be the best Smartphone value currently on the market."
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
Albatron FX5700 Ultra Review @ Techware Labs
March 5, 2004
Techware Labs has just published a review of Albatron's Geforce FX5700 Ultra based graphics card.
Here is a preview:
"After consistently lackluster reviews for their FX5600, Nvidia a revision of the series and a winning chipset, the FX5700. With reports that ATI has overtaken Nvidia to become the number two chip supplier, next to number one Intel, Nvidia needed to continue to work hard to regain their reputation and market share. It appears that they have gained sufficient experience with this GPU and manufacturing process to pump out a surprisingly better card than was seen with the first revision, the FX5600. It will be interesting to see if Nvidia can improve upon the next generation of cards as much as they improved this revision."
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
Heatsink Roundup '04 @ Techware Labs
March 5, 2004
Tweaknews.net has released yet another review onto the internet, this time of the DFI Lanparty PRO875 "Revision B" Canterwood Motherboard.
Article Snippit:
"If any series of motherboards could be crowned as one of the most popular product line introduction in 2003, the Lanparty line would be definitely on the top of the class. With quality, performance, features, an unrivaled bundle coupled with UV reactive aesthetic goodness, the Lanparty motherboard has been a sought after enthusiast motherboard looking for the complete package.
Today I will be reviewing the Revision B release of the Lanparty PRO875 Canterwood enhanced motherboard. With even more features and additions added onto an already solid Revision A release, the PRO875B is not an update to correct problems, but is a release to make a great product even better."
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
Apple silences beeps, hissing
March 4, 2004
Apple Computer confirmed this week that there was a noise issue with some of its dual-processor Power Mac G5 models and said the issue has been fixed for new machines rolling off the production lines.
The problem, which appeared on dual 1.8GHz machines, created a beeping or hissing noise on some machines when used in conjunction with professional external audio gear, according to reports on Macintosh enthusiast sites including Think Secret and Macworld UK. The issue has also been a frequent topic of discussion on Apple's support site.
An Apple representative told CNET News.com that a "small number" of customers have experienced the problem, which has been fixed in production. The company said any customers experiencing the issue should contact the company's customer support.
Some consumers reported that a new power supply helped either reduce or eliminate the noise problem.
Apple introduced the dual 1.8GHz machines last November.
Source: ZDNET News
Full article: Click here.
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
Intel Pentium 4 2.8E (Prescott) Overclocking @ Legit Reviews
March 4, 2004
Wondering just how fast that 2.8E Prescott can go? Today is your lucky day! Legit Reviews pull out the Zalman HSF and the new Retail 2.8E and see what it can do!
Here is a blurb:
"With our Vcore set at 1.55, we were able to get an overclock of 270MHz FSB, which gave us a cpu speed of 3,780MHz. We did this speed at both 1:1 overclocking with our OCZ 4000EL and at a divider of 5:4 with our OCZ 3700 Gold Rev2. We would have to say that this chip absolutely screamed at these speeds. As far as temps go, we expected and got much higher temps as the Vcore was raised. Our cpu idled at 42°C and at load it reached 53°C. The temperatures did not seem to hinder our overclocking by any means..."
Click here to read the full review.
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
FIC Radeon 9600XT 128MB Video Card Review @ 3dgameman.com
March 4, 2004
"The Radeon 9600XT series of cards are meant to have great bang for the buck and the FIC Radeon 9600XT 128MB Video Card has excellent affordability with great performance. The sporty looking cooler is quiet but keeps the core cool and even allows for overclocking. If your current Video Card is a little dated then consider an 9600XT upgrade. Watch the Video to find out more..."
Click here to read the full review.
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
Xoxide Ultima Dancing Light 2.1 Speaker Set Review @ 3DX
March 4, 2004
Here's a clip:
"Today 3DXtreme is proud to present a review brought to us by the fine folks over at Xoxide. We will be taking a close look at the Xoxide Ultima Dancing Light 2.1 Speakers. The Xoxide Ultima Dancing Light 2.1 Speakers are unique adding a bit of flair in the form of lights that react to the sound. Both satellite speakers and the subwoofer flash blue light in conjunction with the sounds being produced. With all this flair will the Xoxide Ultima Speakers be able to deliver in the sound department? Read on..."
Click here to read the full review.
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
'Weakest link' users push up ISP costs
March 3, 2004
Better-value broadband prevented by poor subscriber security
Combating virus and worm attacks is costing internet service providers around the world millions of dollars, with the figure rising every year as broadband is more widely adopted.
According to network equipment provider Sandvine, ISPs are shouldering a massive burden in order to minimise these attacks on residential subscribers.
Yesterday home users were blamed by antivirus company MessageLabs for being the most vulnerable to attacks because of poor security on home PCs.
"While every sector has been impacted in the past year, it is no surprise to see that those worst hit by both viruses and spam have high levels of interaction with home users," said Mark Sunner, chief technology officer at MessageLabs, in a statement.
Source: Vnunet.com
Full article: Click here.
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
Hercules Muse Pocket USB @ HotHardware.com
March 3, 2004
"Our resident Crazy Canadian "DJ Jazzy Jay" (he hates when I call him that), fires off with a look at a new Sound product from Hercules. The Muse Pocket USB delivers full 5.1 Surround Sound Stereo through a USB port with a volume knob as its housing. Sing it Jay-boy! (no worries, were not letting him quit the day job)"
Click here to read the full article.
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
Spire KestrelKing III Heatsink Review @ 3DX
March 3, 2004
Here's a clip:
"Today 3DXtreme has the great pleasure of reviewing another CPU heatsink from Spire Heatsinks. The KestrelKing III is a heatsink for the AMD Athlon64 and Opteron line of processors. There are not a lot of choices on the market right now for Athlon64/Opteron heatsinks and as usual Spire is one of the first to jump out and provide an aftermarket cooling solution. Let?s take a look at it and see how well it performs."
Click here to read the full article.
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
Evercool SCP-A review @ Extreme Reviews
March 3, 2004
eXtreme Reviews has just posted a review on the Evercool SCP-A.
Quote:
"Evercool is a very well known company for producing cooling products for the PC. In this review, we will take a look at an attractive fan controller, which enables you to control the speeds of up to three fans."
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
IBM lobbies Sun in open source Java debate
March 2, 2004
The controversy surrounding the open sourcing of Java continues unabated, writes Bloor Research analyst Robin Bloor. Printed below is an open letter from Rod Smith (VP, Emerging Technogies, IBM Software Group) to Sun, suggesting that it should be made available to the open source community. Officially, the letter was sent to Sun's Chief Engineer Rob Gingell. The text has been very slightly edited:
Hi Rob,
This is an open letter to Sun.
I read a eWeek (February 5th) article in which Simon Phipps (Chief Technology Evangelist at Sun) was quoted on open source Java with quite a bit of interest.
In the article, Simon asked "Why hasn't IBM given its implementation of Java to the open-source community?" I'm sure you recall the discussion we had over dinner in December around open sourcing Java. Simon's comment appears to be an offer to jointly work towards this common goal. IBM is a strong supporter of the open source community and we believe that a first class open source Java implementation would further enhance Java's position in the industry by spurring growth of new applications and encouraging new innovation in the Java platform.
Here is the offer: IBM would like to work with Sun on an independent project to open source Java. Sun's strong commitment to open source Java would speed the development of a first class and compatible open source Java implementation to the benefit of our customers and the industry. IBM is ready to provide technical resources and code for the open source Java implementation while Sun provides the open source community with Sun materials including Java specifications, tests and code. We are firmly convinced the open source community would rally around this effort and make substantial contributions as well..."
Source: Theregister.co.uk
Full article: Click here.
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
Ezonics ESound 5.1 Headphones review @ Designtechnica.com
March 2, 2004
Designtechnica reviews the Ezonics ESound 5.1 Headphones.
Quote:
"Overall, the ESound did a great job of producing actual surround sound in supported movies and games. Stereo music also sounded good, and even games without 5.1 surround sound audio benefited from the ESound solution.
Bass response was excellent, but at times too much and had to be turned down. With a few refinements, Ezonics would have a hard-to-beat product.
Six-channel sound in gaming is a reality and Ezonics has done a great job bringing that reality to a headset. We look forward to future versions that address our concerns but definitely think the ESound is a great start."
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
Shuttle SN85G4 nForce3 Barebones XPC Review @ OCC
March 2, 2004
Jason Camp at Overclockers Club takes a look at the Shuttle SN85G4 nForce3 Barebones XPC.
Quote:
"One of the fastest growing markets in home computing is the SFF (Small Form Factor) PC; this is due largely in thanks to HTPC (Home Theater PC) designs that have recently become popular. Shuttle is one of the most recognized names in SFF systems, because of their innovative designs and use of today?s fastest chipsets. One of Shuttles latest creations, the SN85G4, is one of the fastest XPC?s to date. The system is based around NVIDIA?s nForce3 150 chipset that offers support for AMD?s new 64-Bit CPU?s. The size and weight of the SN85G4 makes it a very attractive package for LAN parties and HTPC rigs. Will the size of the system impact performance? Read on to find out."
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
Microsoft Wireless Optical Desktop Elite @ JustFPS
March 2, 2004
JustFPS has just reviewed the new Microsoft Wireless Optical Desktop Elite Desktop Set. It is the first wireless keyboard and mouse combo that features an upgraded receiver that removes any “mouse-lag” that gamers used to experience while playing. This item seems to be a great wireless solution that can be used for gamers along with everyday users without any performance issues.
Quote:
"Not a bad list of features for this little combo. One nice thing to note is the fact Microsoft has upgraded their receivers in the new desktop sets. They have upgraded to a higher reception rate, which I believe is 27MHz. This is supposed to allow more data to be transmitted into your computer so you wont experience the annoying "mouse lag" while gaming. It is good to hear that this issue was addressed since gamers are the ones who go through keyboards/mice every 8-12 months. One more thing worth mentioning is the fact that this mouse does not feature a rechargeable base station like the Logitech MX700/900. I would have expected that for $99 MS would include this feature. Instead it seems that MS just increased the battery life (by 3x). I am not sure if this was a better decision or not but we will see how it works in our performance testing. I have already mentioned the Tilt-Wheel Technology as well as the Leather palm wrest, so no need to repeat myself."
Click here to read the full article.
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
Intel connects chips with optical fiber
March 1, 2004
It's going to take a number of years, but optical fiber is going to get inside your PC.
Intel's Components Research Lab is working on ways to replace copper wiring between motherboards and chips inside computers with faster, more energy-efficient optical fiber.
The lab has created a prototype system with chips connected to each other through eight optical channels transferring data at more than 1 gigabit of data per second for an aggregate bandwidth of over 8gbps (gigabits per second). The individual channels, called waveguides, can transfer data at up to 3gbps.
That's slower than conventional optical technology--and even some standard connections in PCs today--but the entire unit is housed inside a chip package and should be cheaper than current optical parts. And eventually it will speed up, Intel said.
Source: ZDNET News
Full article: Click here.
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
Razer Viper Optical Mouse Review @ OCC
March 1, 2004
Quote:
"The Razer Viper is a newly designed mouse that looks and feels much different than the Razer Boomslang. The Viper is an optical mouse that features a translucent exterior shell design and ultra slick teflon feet to provide an effortless glide across your mouse surface. The Viper also follows in the footsteps of the Boomslang because it operates at a very high resolution (1,000 DPI) making it extremely accurate and causes less fatigue on your wrists. How does the Viper stack up with the Boomslang and other optical mice? Let's find out!"
Click here to read the full article.
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
Titan TTC-K8ATB socket754 AMD64 Heatsink Review @ 3DX
March 1, 2004
Here's a clip:
"Today 3DXtreme has the pleasure of reviewing one of Titan?s latest heatsinks for the AMD Athlon64 platform. AMD64 heatsinks have been for the most part very slow to trickle out to the market and the biggest problem that we have yet found is that they are having a tendency of being loud. For some that isn?t a big deal but for others it can really represent the reason why they would buy the product in the first place, regardless of how well it performs. Will Titan be able to provide a solid cooling solution and also come in with a quiet fan? We?ll soon find out..."
Click here to read the full article.
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
Vantec Aeroflow 2 Coolers (Socket 478/462) Review @ 3dgameman.com
March 1, 2004
"These two coolers come in two flavors, one for the Socket 370/7/462 and the other for the Socket 478. Both come with a 4000 RPM 70mm fan and grill. Excellent clip design makes installation and removal easy, and the heatsinks have a smooth solid core surrounded by aluminum. Result? Great performance while keeping costs low. Watch the Video to find out more..." ~3dGameMan.com
Click here to read the full review.
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
