MSI's 17.3" GE700 Desktop Replacement Boasts Core i5 CPU And ATI GPU
We're not usually ones to call a company "on fire," but MSI is definitely just that. Notebook after notebook has been announced from the company over the past week or two, and instead of taking Friday off, these guys and girls have popped out a real stunner. The GE700 is the company's latest big boy, a 17" gaming and entertainment machine that sports a jet black chassis, brushed silver accents and Intel's newest Core i5 CPU. The desktop replacement sector definitely needs the competition, so we're happy to see
Read More ...
HotHardware and TechVi Video Podcast - Mar. 12, 2010
We are back again this week to talk about some more happenings in the HotHardware world with our friends at TechVi. Topics include Intel's new Core i7-980X Extreme 6-Core processor, a couple of home theater friendly machines from Toshiba and Dell, fake Core i7-920 processors from NewEgg, and Android's rapid growth in adoption rate in the mobile space... Show Notes:0:18 - Intel Core i7-980X Extreme Edition 6-Core Processor1:47 - Toshibia Satellite E205-S1904 w/ WiDi and Dell Inspiron Zino HD5:11 - Newegg Ships
Read More ...
Battery Breakthrough Could Lead To Quicker Charges, Larger Capacities
Battery research is one of those things that continues to frustrate us. How long have we been dealing with AA batteries that die out way too quickly? How long have standard sized notebooks been stuck with batteries that can't last over 3 to 4 hours in heavy use scenarios? Far too long in our estimation, and we're eager for a change. Of course, battery companies are in no hurry to make the items that they sell last longer; we suspect they'll want you to replace your battery as often as possible. But scientists,
Read More ...
PS3 Gets HD Movies From Six Major Movie Studios
Sony's PS3 is getting an upgrade in the form of HD movie content from all six of the major movie studios. Walt Disney Pictures, 20th Century Fox, Paramount Pictures, Sony Pictures Entertainment, Universal Pictures, and Warner Bros. will offer HD movies for purchase and rental on the PlayStation Network video delivery service in the United States. "Securing high definition content from these studios is another significant milestone further validating PlayStation Network as a complete entertainment network in
Read More ...
Virgin Media To Distribute Broadband Internet Over Telegraph Poles
It's no secret that American broadband isn't as robust from a national perspective as it could be, particularly when compared to other nations. Virgin Media a major broadband player in the United Kingdom, and they have pushed for faster speeds in the home for years now. They were responsible for rolling out one of the first commercial 100Mbps cable modems to consumers, and now the cable operator is testing out a new technology that could deliver high-speed Internet over none other than telegraph poles. Yes,
Read More ...
Apple Puts iPad Up For Pre-Order; Shipping Begins April 3rd
Today's the day. And yes, by that we mean it's Friday. But also, Apple has a tempting offer for those wanting to jump on the (second) tablet PC bandwagon, as the iPad has just gone up for pre-order. Apple will arguably be first to market with one of these next-generation tablet PCs, and while we are not yet told whether a Tegra (or Tegra 2) chip is within, we do know that the custom build 1GHz Apple A4 CPU is capable of packing quite the punch. The iPad isn't supposed to ship to U.S. customers until April 3rd,
Read More ...
Darkworks Converts 2D Games Into 3D Games With Software Update
3D is the tech story of the year in 2010, with tablet PCs following closely behind. 3D is now everywhere: in cinemas, in HDTVs, and soon, in video games. Sony already admitted that 3D games would eventually be released for the PlayStation 3, and now Darkworks is making 3D possible for everyone else. At GDC in California this week, the company announced their TriOviz for Games SDK, which is the first available stereoscopic SDK for game consoles. In a few words, this technology allows existing 2D titles (or new
Read More ...
InstantAction Brings Gaming To The Web Browser
OnLive just announced that their remote gaming service would finally launch on June 17, 2010, and already a major competitor has stepped up to create a bit of competition. InstantAction is a company that's offering a new way to game, and as with most everything else these days, it's highly connected to the cloud and highly different from the "I'll just buy this game on a disc" business model that has been fading fast for the past few years. It's not much like Steam, and it's barely similar to OnLive. It uses
Read More ...
GPU Designer Plans To Stuff A PS3 In Your Pants
The specs and capabilities of modern smartphones/handheld devices have been increasing rapidly for several years and according to the GPU developers of Imagination Technologies, the sky's the limit. The company owns and develops the PowerVR 3D architecture that dominates the mobile 3D segment; company reps at GDC this week have told journalists that it's already designing smartphone-style GPUs that will deliver PS3-quality graphics and come to market in the next three years. Games wouldn't be limited to tiny
Read More ...
Dell Cancels Thin Notebook Flagship: Adamo XPS We Hardly Knew Ye
Not every high-end, haute couture product turns out to be a bestseller—even Steve Jobs had the Cube—but it's rather odd for a manufacturer to design, advertise, tease, and launch a product only to pull it off the market barely four months later. Nevertheless, that's the news from Dell on the Adamo XPS. The Adamo product line will continue but its 0.4" thick headline XPS system with a 128GB SSD and 4GB RAM as standard has been discontinued. If it's odd for a company to launch a high-end product in November, make
Read More ...
Zotac Reveals MSRP, Availability On Upcoming ZBox
Zotac announced its upcoming next-generation-based Ion system at the beginning of March and has firmed up its launch plans and final system price. The ZBox (model number HD-ID11) is going to be a bit more expensive than what we were initially quoted; instead of $209.99, the ZBox will sell for $239.99. That's still significantly lower than the Zotac MAG HD-ND01 we reviewed (and liked) last winter; it's only $5 more than the lower-end HD-NS01 which is selling for $235.99 at Newegg after a $25 manufacturer rebate.
Read More ...
HotHardware and TechVi Video Podcast - Mar. 12, 2010
We are back again this week to talk about some more happenings in the HotHardware world with our friends at TechVi. Topics include Intel's new Core i7-980X Extreme 6-Core processor, a couple of home theater friendly machines from Toshiba and Dell, fake Core i7-920 processors from NewEgg, and Android's rapid growth in adoption rate in the mobile space...
Show Notes:
0:18 - Intel Core i7-980X Extreme Edition 6-Core Processor
1:47 - Toshibia Satellite E205-S1904 w/ WiDi and Dell Inspiron Zino HD
5:11 - Newegg Ships Fake Intel Chips; Supplier Threatens Journalists For Reporting It
6:24 - Android Crushes the Competition, iPhone Stands Still
8:58 - Showing The Love: HH and Cyberpower PC Sweepstakes
Read More ...
Battery Breakthrough Could Lead To Quicker Charges, Larger Capacities
Battery research is one of those things that continues to frustrate us.How long have we been dealing with AA batteries that die out way tooquickly? How long have standard sized notebooks been stuck withbatteries that can't last over 3 to 4 hours in heavy use scenarios? Fartoo long in our estimation, and we're eager for a change. Of course,battery companies are in no hurry to make the items that they sell lastlonger; we suspect they'll want you to replace your battery as often aspossible. But scientists, thankfully, have a different viewpoint, andthey seem entirely more interested in improving the process rather thancontinuing on as things are.Researchers Ibrahim Abou Hamad from Mississippi State University andcoauthors have engineered a new charging method that relies on newdevelopments in molecular dynamics simulations. The actual study ishighly technical in nature, but it really boils down to this: they havediscovered a way to significantly reduce the charging time of Li-ionbatteries, which are widely used in everything from laptops to electriccard. For a more techy perspective, we're told that they have simulatedthe lithium-ion battery charging process by "simulating theintercalation (i.e. “insertionâ€) of lithium ions into the battery’sgraphite anode," and in their testing, they found that "an additionaloscillating electric field can lower this energy barrier,enabling lithium ions to intercalate more quickly into the anode."
The science behind the breakthrough
As for the future of the discovery? The team hopes to continueinvestigating the findings, and they'll be altering the frequency ofthe oscillating field in order to judge the effect on charging time. Ina best case scenario, this could also provide a boost in battery powerdensities. Unfortunately, we doubt that this breakthrough will effectthe batteries that we see on store shelves for some time to come, butwe'll happy be proven wrong!
Read More ...
Apple Puts iPad Up For Pre-Order; Shipping Begins April 3rd
Today's the day. And yes, by that we mean it's Friday. But also, Applehas a tempting offer for those wanting to jump on the (second) tabletPC bandwagon, as the iPad has just gone up for pre-order. Apple willarguably be first to market with one of these next-generation tabletPCs, and while we are not yet told whether a Tegra (or Tegra 2) chip iswithin, we do know that the custom build 1GHz Apple A4 CPU is capableof packing quite the punch.The iPad isn't supposed to ship to U.S. customers until April 3rd, butApple is enabling those who are ready to buy one sight-unseen to plopdown their money early in hopes of snagging a first run unit. We'vealways been a little wary about buying a product from the first batch,but Apple has historically had great build quality. Well, aside fromthat recent iMac screen issue.
At any rate, both the Wi-Fi and Wi-Fi + 3G (AT&T) models are nowavailable to pre-order, with prices set for $499 (16GB), $599 (32GB)and $699 (64GB) for the Wi-Fi only model and $629 (16GB), $729 (32GB)and $829 (64GB) for the Wi-Fi + 3G model. Another interesting thing tonote is that Apple is limiting each customer to just 2 iPad pre-orders,presumably in an attempt to stop eBayers from stocking up and sellingthese for massive profits on release day.
We have to wonder if a device such as this is really ready forprimetime given that iPhone OS 3.x will be included, and multi-taskingwill not be supported. We would rather see a full blown, multi-taskingoperating system onboard our tablet, but then again, Apple has a way ofluring you in even if you have gripes about functionality. Are youbiting into this Apple, or are you waiting to play with one first? Goodluck with that as well, as we imagine the line to get your hands on onein early April will be excruciatingly long.
Read More ...
PS3 Gets HD Movies From Six Major Movie Studios
Sony's PS3 is getting an upgrade in the form of HD movie content from all six of the major movie studios. Walt Disney Pictures, 20th Century Fox, Paramount Pictures, Sony Pictures Entertainment, Universal Pictures, and Warner Bros. will offer HD movies for purchase and rental on the PlayStation Network video delivery service in the United States."Securing high definition content from these studios is another significant milestone further validating PlayStation Network as a complete entertainment network in the home. PlayStation Network is the first and only service to deliver high definition home entertainment from all six major studios, directly to consumers for download," said Peter Dille, senior vice president, marketing and PlayStation Network, SCEA. "PlayStation Network continues to offer the most comprehensive catalogue of HD movies to PlayStation Network members that realize the wide-ranging entertainment power of the PS3 system."
New titles available today on PlayStation Network include:
- 20th Century Fox – "Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian", "Jennifer's Body" and "Fantastic Mr. Fox" (on March 23)
- Walt Disney Pictures – Disney Pixar's "Up", Jerry Bruckheimer's "G-Force" and Disney's "Earth"
- Paramount Pictures – "Star Trek", "Paranormal Activity" and "Zoolander"
- Sony Pictures – "This Is It", "2012", "District 9" and "Zombieland"
- Universal – "Inglourious Basterds", "Couples Retreat" and "Public Enemies"
- Warner Bros. Digital Distribution - "The Hangover", "Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince" and "The Wizard of Oz"
Read More ...
Eyefinity and display port troubles
Hey all. Thinking about doing some tax time upgrades. Nothing is final yet, but I am thinking of getting a 5770 or 5830 and rounding out my 22" monitors for 3 22" monitors for eyefinity gaming. Trouble is all the Graphics cards seem to have 2 DVI 1 HDMI and 1 display port. Trouble with that is 22" monitors with display port is really hard to find. I'm wondering if I can use a display port to DVI adapter like this. Will this work with eyefinity?
Edit after a little more reading looks like they don't work. Does anyone know a way around this issue?
Edit2: Ok so I need a active display port to DVI adapter. Which costs around $100. Killing my budget sadly. Anyone know where I can find a 22" monitor with display port that doesn't cost me $300. I can find normal 22" monitors for $170 shipped. Newegg doesn't even filter by display port. I need 1680x1050 res.
Read More ...
GPU Designer Plans To Stuff A PS3 In Your Pants
The specs and capabilities of modern smartphones/handheld devices have been increasing rapidly for several years and according to the GPU developers of Imagination Technologies, the sky's the limit. The company owns and develops the PowerVR 3D architecture that dominates the mobile 3D segment; company reps at GDC this week have told journalists that it's already designing smartphone-style GPUs that will deliver PS3-quality graphics and come to market in the next three years. Games wouldn't be limited to tiny screens or lousy resolutions either, but could be delivered (or output to TV) at 720P.This sort of capability is just one of Imagination Technologies' targets. The company has already been working with Adobe to develop PowerVR-compatible Flash acceleration functionality and already supports OpenCL. Going forward, PowerVR intends to explore using multiple GPUs in concert (think mobile SLI); a process which could theoretically boost performance considerably without drawing additional power or generating more heat than a handheld device can dissipate.
With the iPhone already capable of this... We're off to a pretty good start
Claiming that a console will fit into a pocket in three years is a bold statement but not necessarily an impossible one. Let's take a look.
NVIDIA And PowerVR: Past, Present, And the PS3
The PS3's GPU is based on NVIDIA's G70 (NV47) architecture, first unveiled in June 2005. It was the last NVIDIA design to feature fixed pixel and vertex shader pipelines (24 PS, 8 VS) and it's not programmable in the same sense that a modern G80/R600-derived solution is. Even if it's not a modern GPU, the Reality Synthesizer inside the PS3 is several orders of magnitude more powerful than your current PowerVR SGX535 processor and considerably 'wider.' The real-world size and heat constraints of a modern handset make PowerVR's claims sound like hype, and they might be, if PowerVR used standard rendering techniques. They don't.
The Hercules Prophet II 4500. Definitely a unique solution in its day, but no, it can't play Crysis.
Nine years ago, in the chaotic rearrangement of products and preferences that followed 3DFX's sudden collapse, PowerVR partnered with STMicroelectronics and brought a GPU to market called the Kyro II. On paper, the Kyro II looked like a joke against NVIDIA's GeForce2 GTS; it had less than half of that card's theoretical fillrate, half its memory bandwidth, just two pixel pipelines (compared to four on the GF2) and couldn't apply more than one texture in a single pass.
What made the Kyro II competitive was the fact that it used tiled rendering; we can explain the difference using the Half Life 2 screenshot above. Looking at the image, you can tell that some barrels and objects are in front of and partially obscure others. Asked to render the above scene, the GeForce 2 would draw all of the objects completely, including those objects we can only see part of (or maybe can't see at all). This wasn't a problem at low resolutions or 16-bit color but proved staggeringly inefficient as games became more visually complex.
Kyro II sidestepped this problem by breaking the image into tiles and only rendering what was actually visible. As a result, it scaled much more effectively than any other GPU on the market as detail levels, resolutions, and color depth were raised. Ironically, the PowerVR solution actually competed more effectively at higher resolutions than lower ones—for a little while it seemed as though PowerVR might take 3DFX's place and maintain a three-way competition in the GPU market. This didn't happen for a variety of reasons, no Kyro III ever materialized, and PowerVR faded off the radar.
Nine years later the company is still using tiled rendering and the inherent efficiency of the approach could make it an ideal solution for mobile devices where low power consumption and small die size are more important than theoretical peak performance. Perhaps most interesting is the fact that PowerVR's 3D solutions three years hence will almost certainly be bumping up against NVIDIA's Tegra. We might all have front-row seats to a grudge match nearly 15 years in the making.
We'll bring popcorn.
Read More ...
InstantAction Brings Gaming To The Web Browser
OnLive just announced that their remote gaming service would finallylaunch on June 17, 2010, and already a major competitor has stepped upto create a bit of competition. InstantAction is a company that'soffering a new way to game, and as with most everything else thesedays, it's highly connected to the cloud and highly different from the"I'll just buy this game on a disc" business model that has been fadingfast for the past few years.
It's not much like Steam, and it's barely similar to OnLive. It uses anew streaming process that captures files onto your hard drive whileyou're playing, and similar to have an HDX quality movie plays fromVUDU, this system downloads just enough of the game onto your HDD inorder to get you going, and then it downloads more and more in thebackground as you play. The games that users can trial or purchase arefull versions, and the same requirements that the out-of-the-boxversion would have are shared here. InstantAction enables users todownload games and play them from within a web browser, but unlikeOnLive, the actual processing happens locally on the PC.
The company has thus far landed a deal with LucasArts to bring thosetitles to the platform, and they're hoping that many other unknown gamedevelopers will choose this platform for sharing their games with theworld. Rather than seeking out a publisher, this is a new way toself-publish software. Another unique feature of this software is theability to embed full games into any web browser; each game is assignedan HTML embed code, and if you publish a game through InstantAction,you can them embed it into forums, blogs, etc. for others to see. Fromthere, they can just click "Try game" in order to test it out for agiven amount of time, or they can buy it and play it endlessly. Have alisten at the CEO below as he describes in detail what he hopes theservice will accomplish; this may not be a true Steam rival, but itcould definitely make a huge splash with gamers that already favordigital distribution.
Everything InstantAction from InstantAction on Vimeo.
Browser-based gaming innovator InstantActiontoday announced the immediate availability of a new direct-to-consumeronline video game distribution platform that enables game creators toembed any video game anywhere on the web, including blogs, email, andsocial media sites such as Facebook and MySpace.
Using a hybrid combination of in-browser, thin-client, and progressive downloading technologies, InstantActionmakes embedding premium video games as easy as uploading a standardvideo or photo, and at equivalent speeds. As a result, game creatorscan dramatically expand distribution by putting games where consumersare online and in settings where friends' recommendations andinvitations are most powerful.
LucasArts announced last night at GDC they are using the InstantAction platform for online distribution of The Secret of Monkey Island: Special Edition, which is launching soon.
Benefits of InstantAction for consumers:
- Browseand sample the actual game for free, or consume content in apay-as-you-go method. No more paying large sums up front, sight unseen.
- Instant access. You don't have to wait hours to have access to the game... you're literally playing in just a couple of minutes.
- Better than ownership of a game... InstantActionis an entitlement-based platform. Once you've paid for the game,whether it was incrementally or in one chunk, you own it. You can playit on your computer, on your friend's computer, on a hundred computers.As long as you're logged in as yourself, you can play it. Additionally,all saved games are stored on InstantAction servers and backed up regularly.
Benefits of InstantAction for game creators:
- Free trials & rent-to-own capabilities put games instantly in front of more potential consumers.
- "Sample as you go" models produce more revenue and more loyal customers.
- The ability to embed a game anywhere means consumers can play agame inside the review site, on a fan site, and inside their Facebookor MySpace pages. Embed a game in the same way you'd embed a YouTubevideo... send an html email with a game just like you would a picture.Invite friends in your social network to play in same way you'd sharepictures or movies. InstantAction is the only platform that offers this capability.
Read More ...
Darkworks Converts 2D Games Into 3D Games With Software Update
3D is the tech story of the year in 2010, with tablet PCs followingclosely behind. 3D is now everywhere: in cinemas, in HDTVs, and soon,in video games. Sony already admitted that 3D games would eventually bereleased for the PlayStation 3, and now Darkworks is making 3D possiblefor everyone else. At GDC in California this week, the companyannounced their TriOviz for Games SDK, which is the first availablestereoscopic SDK for game consoles.In a few words, this technology allows existing 2D titles (or newtitles that are being developed in 2D) to be enjoyed in 3D. It's a2D-to-3D conversion, of sorts, but one of the most interesting aspectsis that it doesn't require a 3D HDTV. It's made to be used on standard2D televisions, with the patent-pending post process giving users a 3Deffect without forcing them to sink more money into an expensive 3Dtelevision or active-shutter glasses. According to the company:
"TriOviz for Games SDK leverages existing three dimensional graphics information to greatly enhance the depth-of-field; as well as volume and position of geometry and characters within a scene. This negates the need for rendering multiple images so TriOviz for Games does not require intensive computing power – the resolution, performance and game play integrity are maintained. As a post-process, Darkworks’ SDK easily integrates into the production pipeline, supporting both popular and proprietary game engines; requiring as little as a couple of days or a week to integrate, depending on the implementation."
Darkworks has yet to talk about specific game titles that will use thistechnology, but they do say that it will function on PCs, Xbox 360 andthe PS3. Sounds like a pretty sweet upgrade for those looking to testthe 3D waters without another huge investment.
Key Features of TriOviz for Games
- First and Only 3D Software SDK for AAA Console Games: TriOviz for Games works on Xbox 360™, PlayStation®3 and PC, delivering an immersive 3D experience to the most demanding games while maintaining performance, game play and content integrity.
- 3D Experience on 2D TVs; No Additional Equipment Required: Consumers can enjoy 3D games on their existing HDTV or even SD televisions without having to purchase additional hardware.
- Low-Impact Integration for High-Impact Return: TriOviz for Games supports both popular and proprietary game engines, resulting in minimal man-hours to deploy or hit to performance, while maintaining the original creative vision.
“The success of films like Avatar and buzz over 3D devices at CES illustrates that audiences are ready to embrace 3D for their entertainment,†stated Gourand. “We believe we can offer a quality, rich experience that honors the creators’ vision and is hassle-free for the end users as they explore the emerging in-home 3D trend.â€
The first game implementing the Darkworks 3D technology is already announced, with future titles to follow Spring 2010.
Read More ...
Zotac Reveals MSRP, Availability On Upcoming ZBox
Zotac announced its upcoming next-generation-based Ion system at the beginning of March and has firmed up its launch plans and final system price. The ZBox (model number HD-ID11) is going to be a bit more expensive than what we were initially quoted; instead of $209.99, the ZBox will sell for $239.99. That's still significantly lower than the Zotac MAG HD-ND01 we reviewed (and liked) last winter; it's only $5 more than the lower-end HD-NS01 which is selling for $235.99 at Newegg after a $25 manufacturer rebate.It's important to remember that the Zbox is not a direct update to the MAG products. The two series use the same chassis, but the feature sets are different. The two MAG systems currently on the market are based on NVIDIA's original Ion chipset, have two DIMM slots, offer VGA and HDMI outputs, and ship with a 160GB hard drive and 1-2GB of RAM depending on the model.
The ZBox is built on Intel's Pine Trail SoC, uses NVIDIA's NG-Ion graphics solution, and includes a 512MB frame buffer. It's clocked a bit faster than the original MAG systems; 1.67GHz on a 667MHz FSB as opposed to 1.6GHz on a 533MHz FSB (expect a minimal performance difference). The ZBox offers a dual-link DVI output in place of the MAG series' VGA but does not include a hard drive or RAM.The cost comparison against the HD-ND01 currently is as follows. A single 2GB SODIMM (Crucial DDR2-667) is $43.99; a 7200.4 RPM Seagate Momentus is $58.99. That brings the ZBox's effective purchase price up to $341.98 before shipping. That's a fair bit more than the HD-ND01, but it's not a bad price—the extra $40 buys you DVI output, 512MB of dedicated video memory, and a faster GPU (NVIDIA claims its second-generation Ion will offer up to twice the performance of the original.
Given the additional features the price seems reasonable; we're quite curious to see how the ZBox performs against the Mag once both units are in the field.
Read More ...
MSI's 17.3" GE700 Desktop Replacement Boasts Core i5 CPU And ATI GPU
We're not usually ones to call a company "on fire," but MSI isdefinitely just that. Notebook after notebook has been announced fromthe company over the past week or two, and instead of taking Fridayoff, these guys and girls have popped out a real stunner. The GE700 isthe company's latest big boy, a 17" gaming and entertainment machinethat sports a jet black chassis, brushed silver accents and Intel'snewest Core i5 CPU.The desktop replacement sector definitely needs the competition, sowe're happy to see another entry from MSI making its debut. Thismachine will ship with Windows 7 Home Premium, ATI's Radeon HD 5730 GPU(1GB VRAM), twin DDR3 RAM slots, a 17.3" HD+ panel, a 2.5" hard driveslot (250/320/500GB HDD with dual drive support as an option), a 4-in-1card reader, HDMI and VGA outputs and four USB 2.0 ports. There's alsoeSATA, mic-in, a headphone out, Ethernet, a 6- or 9-cell battery,Bluetooth 2.1, 802.11a/b/g/n Wi-Fi, an HD webcam, stereo speakers and asubwoofer, a numeric keyboard and support for DirectX 11.
There's plenty of horsepower here for the vast majority of users, butit's not quite as potent as a Core i7 machine. We view this as a happymedium between a hardcore gamer's notebook and a multimedia viewer'snotebook. The Core i5 will handle most games with ease, and it shouldlead to lower prices and better power ratings than Core i7-basedalternatives. MSI isn't revealing price or release data yet, but theyusually ship machines fairly soon after announcements.
Exceptional multimedia and processing performance
ATI Radeon HD5730 discrete graphics card (with 1GB DDR3 VRAM):TheGE700 is equipped with the ATI Radeon HD5730 discrete graphics cardwith 1GB DDR3 display memory for superior display performance and lowerpower consumption. It also supports DirectX 11 for outstanding 3Dgraphic effects.
All new 2010 Intel® Core™ Processor:The MSI GE700 comes withIntel's powerful, energy-sipping Core i5 processor with Intel TurboBoost and Intel® Hyper-Threading technology for dynamic enhancedprocessing efficiency. It handles more data and greatly enhancesoverall system performance.
All new style goes high tech
High tech black and silver body:The GE700's all new high techexterior comes with MSI's own color film print technology. The coverhas a bright jet black coating, while the area below the keyboard has alayered silver brushed finish. The blending of silver and black givesthe GE700 a distinctively high tech feel.
Luminescent Touch Hotkeys:The GE700 continues the MSI gamingnotebook tradition of high tech style. Above the keyboard is a uniqueluminescent touch hotkeys strip with fire-engine red shortcut keys,including GPU Boost, Cinema Pro, and Multimedia Control, are arrangedsystematically to highlight the GE700's speed.
Flexible performance to maximize battery time
Exclusive ECO Engine Power Saving Technology:The GE700 comesequipped with MSI’s exclusive ECO Engine Power Saving Technology whichallows you to select from among five power management levels—VideoGame, Film, Presentation, Word Processing, and Turbo Battery, for justthe right amount of performance, when you need it.
Exclusive GPU Boost Technology:MSI’s exclusive GPU BoostTechnology allows the GE700 to strike the ideal balance betweenmultimedia performance and battery efficiency. When using applicationsthat require high performance image processing, a touch of the GPUBoost key puts the GE700 into discrete mode for the ultimate inmultimedia performance. When extended battery life is a priority,however, simply depress the Battery key to cut off the discretegraphics card and switch the GE700 to integrated display chip mode.
Exclusive Cinema Pro Technology:The GE700's powerful hardwaremaximizes both your gaming and film viewing experience. A touch of theCinema Pro key switches the GE700 to film mode for higher screenresolution and richer colors.
Read More ...
Virgin Media To Distribute Broadband Internet Over Telegraph Poles
It's no secret that American broadband isn't as robust from a nationalperspective as it could be, particularly when compared to othernations. Virgin Media a major broadband player in the United Kingdom,and they have pushed for faster speeds in the home for years now. Theywere responsible for rolling out one of the first commercial 100Mbpscable modems to consumers, and now the cable operator is testing out anew technology that could deliver high-speed Internet over none otherthan telegraph poles. Yes, telegraph poles.The idea here is to get broadband (Virgin Media's broadband, of course)to another one million or so homes that aren't currently beingserviced. Just as the American government is actively looking for waysto spread broadband to more rural locations, this Virgin Mediainitiative is hoping to ship faster broadband speeds to underservedareas. Plans are already in plans to extend their fiber optic networkby half a million new homes, with over one million British homesidentified already as homes that could benefit from deployment overtelegraph poles. Chief Executive Neil Berkett had this to say about the potentially crazy sounding idea:
"This unique trial will allow us to understandthe possibilities of aerial deployment and may provide an exciting newway to extend next generation broadband services."
We're glad to see someone overseas taking initiative, and we can onlyhope that other nations follow suit soon. Broadband for all, we say!Fight the good fight!
Read More ...
Memory Stick Pro Duo
So I know that Sony, Sandisk, and Lexar produce this memory format.
I don't have too much knowledge about these flash cards or the last two companies. I always see the Sony equivalent priced higher. Is there any difference between the 3? Is the quality between the 3 manufacturers the same? Any differences in performance?
Since these are pretty expensive, especially the 8GB+ cards compared to regular SDHC, I just wanted some input/opinions. Thank you.
Read More ...
Should I buy new PC or upgrade ?
I'm thinking about buying a new PC or building one or upgrading my current PC. This is what I have now
P965 Motherboard
Core 2 Duo E6600
8800 GTS video card
250 gb HD
500 watt PSU
Sound Card XFI extreme gamer
I was originally going to upgrade what I have, I was thinking of getting an ATI 5850, bigger power supply 950 watt and a bigger hard drive like a 1 TB, and keep the CPU and MOBO the same. and instead of vista which i have now I would like to install windows 7. I use my PC for mostly gaming, So what do you think I should do ?
Read More ...
World's Highest-Resolution Satellite Imagery
If you ever have that nagging feeling that you are being watched, you might not be wrong. But with your watcher being 423 miles above you, you might have a hard time confirming your suspicions. And while being spied upon from such a distance may seem like not much detail can be realized, you might be in for a surprise--the GeoEye-1 Satellite, which just achieved "full operational capability certification from the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency" (NGA), can capture images on the ground down to 0.41 meters (or about 16 inches). GeoEye claims that the GeoEye-1 now delivers "the world's highest resolution, most-accurate satellite imagery.";) Â |
"Half-meter resolution image of Khalifa Sports City, Doha, Qatar, was collected by the GeoEye-1 satellite on January  10, 2009" (Credit: GeoEye) |
Images captured at the GeoEye-1's maximum ground resolution of 0.41 meters are captured using a panchromatic (black-and-white) sensor; the GeoEye-1's maximum color ground resolution is 1.65 meters (or about 64 inches)--the satellite's electronics can process 700-million pixels-per-second. The GeoEye-1 is in a sun-synchronous, polar-orbit, traveling at 7.5km/sec (about 16,800-mph), and it can collect "up to 700,000 square kilometers in a single day, an area about the size of Texas, and in the multispectral mode 350,000 square kilometers per day; the equivalent of photographing in color the entire State of New Mexico." The GeoEye-1 makes just under 15 orbits per day (it has a 98-minute period) and can revisit virtually any location in less than three days.
GeoEye-1 started delivering imagery to commercial customers as of February 5, and now that the NGA has certified GeoEye-1 for its needs, the satellite is officially delivering images to the NGA as of today. Now that it is officially online for the NGA, GeoEye-1 will begin generating $12.5 million per month in revenue from the NGA for GeoEye. GeoEye's chief operating officer, Bill Schuster, stated, "we are already working on the advanced camera and camera electronics for GeoEye-2 and look forward to continuing to serve NGA with next-generation capabilities."
Read More ...
Dell Cancels Thin Notebook Flagship: Adamo XPS We Hardly Knew Ye
Not every high-end, haute couture product turns out to be a bestseller—even Steve Jobs had the Cube—but it's rather odd for a manufacturer to design, advertise, tease, and launch a product only to pull it off the market barely four months later. Nevertheless, that's the news from Dell on the Adamo XPS. The Adamo product line will continue but its 0.4" thick headline XPS system with a 128GB SSD and 4GB RAM as standard has been discontinued.If it's odd for a company to launch a high-end product in November, make it readily available in December, and kill it in March, it's even stranger for company reps and retail partners like Best Buy to identify the Adamo XPS as discontinued while the PR division first argues that the system is available, only to switch gears and claim that the XPS version was actually a limited edition model meant as proof that Dell could build shiny, pretty computers. As Dell told CrunchGear: "It [Adamo XPS] has not been “discontinued†as such, but was meant to be a proof point to Dell’s design and engineer capabilities. Because of this, it was similar to a “limited editionâ€, and most of the original supply has since been accounted for."
Claiming that the Adamo XPS was a retrospective psuedo-'limited edition' is disingenuous. If a company intends to build an LE it'll always announce it first. A limited edition product is, by definition, scarce, and thereby commands a higher price. An expensive laptop is just an expensive laptop; an LE laptop with gold-plated keys, a mirror finish, and attached popcorn machine is something only a few people can own. The phrase is a marketing gimmick designed to sell you on the idea that because a product is harder to come by, it must be worth more money.
We don't have any inside information, but it's likely that the Adamo XPS was either on shaky ground before it launched or was killed before products even shipped out the door. Three months simply isn't enough time to evaluate consumer demand for a notebook design, particularly when said notebook is very late to the Christmas party and the economy is just beginning to recover from its biggest downturn in several decades.
No word yet on whether or not we'll see aspects of the Adamo XPS' design in future laptops or revived for a 32nm Core i3/i5.
Read More ...
No comments:
Post a Comment