Google's "In Stock Nearby" Link Points Mobile Shoppers In The Right Direction
It's half awesome, half scary. There's a line where helpful because downright invasive, and Google seems to always be creeping up on it. First came Buzz, a new social network that many found too invasive due to the auto-add feature and the extremely small "disable" button at the bottom of Gmail. Now, mobile Google searches for products can actually find where you're at and look for those items at nearby stores.The "In Stock Nearby" link now shows up on mobile product searches within Google, and it'll use your
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Apple Vs. Google: Are The Gloves About To Come Off?
It wasn't so long ago that Apple's CEO Steve Jobs was introducing the original iPhone to the world, and on hand to help him do it was none other than Eric E. Schmidt, the chief executive of Google. Google played a huge role in the software side of the iPhone, as both the Google App, integrated Google search within Mobile Safari and Google Maps were included. To say the iPhone relied heavily on Google would be an understatement.But look at the mobile landscape today. One could easily argue that the iPhone's largest
Read More ...
Intel Launches New Six-Core Xeons, Hopes To Sweep Upgrade Cycles
Intel announced its new Xeon 5600 series today in a move the company claims is great for server admins, businesses concerned about security, world peace, and puppies. (We made those last two up). The new chips (codenamed Gulftown) are basically identical to the ultra-high-end Core i7-980X that Intel launched recently, with the exception that Xeons are MP capable. Intel claims that the new six-core processors are up to 50 percent faster than their quad-core, 45nm counterparts while remaining within the same
Read More ...
HH and Cyberpower PC Sweepstakes Winner Announced!
To commemorate the Valentine's Day holiday, we announced an exciting sweepstakes, along with our friends at Cyberpower PC, in which we planned to give away a custom, fully loaded Intel Core i7-powered system, complete with 4GB of RAM, an ATI Radeon HD 5870 graphics card, and a Kingston SSD--among numerous other goodies. The response we received after the announcement of the contest and throughout its duration was absolutely fantastic with hundreds of new members joining our community, posting thousands of comments
Read More ...
All Of This Has Happened Before: Battlestar Galactica MMO In Development
Fans of the reimagined Battlestar: Galactica TV series and its spinoff Caprica have another title to look forward to in a few months. At GDC last week, German game-developer Bigpoint announced it's developing a BSG-themed MMO designed for browser-based play across a wide variety of devices. The developer wants the game to scale well enough to enable iPhone vs. PC match-ups. We're not sure if that's possible given the iPhone's interface but this is one of the first times we've seen a developer talking about games
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Universal 3DTV Glasses Coming This Summer From Xpand
3D TV may be the wave of the future, but the technology definitely has some hurdles to overcome first. For one, the cost of the 3D glasses that are typically sold separately from the television add a chunk of change to the overall price of 3D entertainment. To make matters worse, most of the glasses available today are only compatible with their respective TVs, so Panasonic's glasses work with Panasonic TVs, Samsung glasses with Samsung TVs, etc. Considering 3D glasses typically cost around $150 per pair, the
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Kingston Technology Creates World’s Fastest Memory
Kingston Technology Creates World’s Fastest Memory — Intel Certifies HyperX Clocked at 2400MHz Fountain Valley, CA -- March 15, 2010 -- Kingston Technology Company, Inc., the independent world leader in memory products, today announced it has developed the fastest Intel-certified memory in the world. Running at 2400MHz, Kingston’s HyperX® dual-channel DDR3 memory kit (Kingston® part#: KHX2400C9D3T1K2/4GX) gained Intel® XMP certification on the Core i7™ platform. Intel’s certification is
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NVIDIA Launches Website Detailing Antitrust Case Against Intel
It's been a few months since we've talked much about the FTC's investigation of Intel's alleged abusive, monopolistic behavior but the case isn't sitting still. NVIDIA is a major party of the inquiry and the GPU manufacturer has just launched a new area within its own site dubbed "The Case For Innovation" detailing the findings and documents of the case. "One of the FTC's concerns is Intel's attempt to and behavior of blocking the GPU from getting into the marketplace," said Jen-Hsun Huang, NVIDIA's CEO. "Today
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TomTom 1.3 iPhone GPS Update Adds Real-Time Traffic And More
TomTom has a lot of weight on their shoulders. They're consistently looked at as one of the top dogs in navigation, and thus expectations are extremely high. That's particularly true on the iPhone and iPod touch, where TomTom's app was the first major one into the App Store and the only one that Apple actually spoke of by name during a keynote. In the past months, TomTom's iPhone GPS app had slipped in terms of matching functionality provided by rivals, but a huge update has landed today that shoots it right
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NVIDIA 3DTV Play Adds HDMI 1.4 Support, Free To 3D Vision Users
The Game Developers Conference just wrapped up in California, but one lingering piece of news that didn't quite make the cut for the show has emerged today. NVIDIA has just announced that their 3DTV Play is making its debut, enabling consumers to connect their GeForce GPU-powered computer to newer 3D HDTVs that are equipped with HDMI 1.4. This whole thing is a software solution, making it even more easy to swallow for those who cower at the thought of buying even more hardware.At first, NVIDIA is partnering
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Intel Launches $125 40GB X25-V Value SATA Solid State Drive
Last week, OCZ hit below the $100 belt with a new affordable solid state drive for the performance-minded market, and now Intel is doing something similar. In a race to the bottom (dollar wise) that has been evading us for far too long, it looks as if SSDs may finally be on their way to consumer-levels in terms of pricing. Even as SSD prices have fell, they haven't fallen quick enough to keep pace with hard drives, and many still see them as far too expensive. Today, Intel is introducing the 40GB X25-V Value
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Apple Vs. Google: Are The Gloves About To Come Off?
It wasn't so long ago that Apple's CEO Steve Jobs was introducing the original iPhone to the world, and on hand to help him do it was none other than Eric E. Schmidt, the chief executive of Google. Google played a huge role in the software side of the iPhone, as both the Google App, integrated Google search within Mobile Safari and Google Maps were included. To say the iPhone relied heavily on Google would be an understatement.But look at the mobile landscape today. One could easily argue that the iPhone's largest rival is any phone with Android, and just in case you've forgotten, Android is made by (you guessed it!) Google. For awhile, no one really said anything. It was one of those situations where you knew tensions were running high, but no one was brave enough to step forward and ask if Apple and Google were still on speaking terms. During the iPhone's introduction, Schmidt even said that Apple and Google should combine to form "AppleGoo" (joking of course), and even today Google's big shots praise Jobs for the job he has done at Apple.
But that's just public perception. A variety of insider reports have come to The New York Times, and it all boils down to this: Jobs isn't happy about the situation, and in fact, he feels betrayed by Google. He has said in the past that Apple has yet to venture into the search market, yet Google has jumped directly into the phone market. Jobs also believes that Google wants to see the iPhone die, but that's certainly more speculation than anything else.
In fact, those in the know are saying that the internal battle between Google and Apple is reaching Intel vs. AMD status, and it may not be long before the lid blows off. We've already seen that Apple is capable of taking a stand; they sued HTC for violating a litany of patents, and it seems that Jobs believes that Google has copied some of Android's aspects from the iPhone OS. That alone should cause concern, as another lawsuit could fly out at any time.
So, what'll happen between these two giants? Only time will tell, but we don't think "nothing" is the correct answer. There's obviously too much bad blood between the two for everything to just get swept under the rug, and with Android driving up market share, it's only a matter of time before Apple simply won't take it any more. Could things get so bad that Google Maps are taken off of the iPhone? Will Bing become Safari's default search engine? This could get ugly, but honestly, we're hoping for a clean resolution for the sake of every iPhone and Android user out there.
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Intel Launches New Six-Core Xeons, Hopes To Sweep Upgrade Cycles
Intel announced its new Xeon 5600 series today in a move the company claims is great for server admins, businesses concerned about security, world peace, and puppies. (We made those last two up). The new chips (codenamed Gulftown) are basically identical to the ultra-high-end Core i7-980X that Intel launched recently, with the exception that Xeons are MP capable. Intel claims that the new six-core processors are up to 50 percent faster than their quad-core, 45nm counterparts while remaining within the same 130W TDP envelope. Although, low-power 60W variants are also coming, as are 40W quad-cores."The Intel Xeon Processor 5600 series will be the backbone of mainstream computing environments," said Kirk Skaugen, vice president and general manager of the Intel Architecture Group. "New security capabilities will boost the confidence of IT managers. Improvements in performance, server virtualization and power consumption will foster productivity and efficiency for a broad range of applications ranging from data transactions to workstations performing medical imaging and digital prototyping."
The Intel Xeon 5600 series includes Intel AES-NI, a new set of instructions first introduced last year. These instructions accelerate AES performance to enable faster data encryption and decryption for a wide range of applications such as database encryption features, full disk encryption and secure internet transactions. We've yet to see many real-world programs or applications that can take advantage of the new AES hardware; presumably we'll see more software companies opting to include support throughout 2010.
Any way you slice it, the X5600 series is an impressive step up.
The major theme of the refresh is efficiency, both in terms of power-per-watt and with regard to server rack consolidation. According to Intel, a business that moves from a 2005-era Xeon to a modern 5600-class processor can consolidate five racks into a 1U, cut energy costs by 85 percent, and save $120,769. The chart below is a bit staggering once you realize how the "Then" and "Now" line up.
We don't think Intel is cherry-picking here—the comparison almost certainly is that bad—but 2005 is a banner year for any sort of performance/efficiency argument Intel might want to make. The servers Intel is comparing against were built on the company's 90nm Prescott processor, which happens to be the architecture that destroyed Intel's long-term plans for NetBurst. Systems of this era were also using FB-DIMMs, which drew significantly more power than standard DDR2 (which draws more than the low-power DDR3 that Gulftown uses).
If you're actually stuck with a server room full of 90nm Xeons, then the upgrade path probably is this good. Those of you with different loadouts simply need to be aware that Intel's 5100-series Woodcrest-based Xeons + FB-DIMMs were a high-water point of suck for the company. (We are, of course, referring to power consumption). Gulftown's performance increases may be compelling at any speed, but your annual energy expenditure savings will depend on just how old the server room is.
Gulftown's arrival could push down prices on current 45nm Nehalem-based Xeons and cause problems for AMD. At present, Sunnyvale's six-core Istanbul processor at 2.6GHz compares fairly well against the older 45nm Core 2-based Xeon E5450 (quad core, 3GHz) and the Nehalem-derived X5500 Xeon (quad core, 2.66GHz); benchmarks show it keeping pace or surpassing both chips thanks to its additional cores. If Intel prices Gulftown aggressively, that's going to change; AMD doesn't have a chip in play that can match Gulftown and it won't until the eight-core and 12-core flavors of its Magny-Cours launch.
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Google's "In Stock Nearby" Link Points Mobile Shoppers In The Right Direction
It's half awesome, half scary. There's a line where helpful because downright invasive, and Google seems to always be creeping up on it. First came Buzz, a new social network that many found too invasive due to the auto-add feature and the extremely small "disable" button at the bottom of Gmail. Now, mobile Google searches for products can actually find where you're at and look for those items at nearby stores.
The "In Stock Nearby" link now shows up on mobile product searches within Google, and it'll use your phone's GPS/data line in order to find out your location and then hit up nearby stores to see if the product you're hunting for is in stock. We love the idea, and we actually aren't bothered by the privacy aspect. You'll have to confirm to let your phone tell Google where you're at, and you can also search a different location manually should you choose.
Currently, Best Buy, Sears, Williams-Sonoma, Pottery Barn, and West Elm are the only stores loaded in the database, but we're sure more will come onboard soon. We tested it out when shopping for a Call of Duty game, and sure enough, it was able to lead us right to a copy at a local Best Buy. We can't wait until more retailers get in here, and better still, Craigslist ads so that we can hunt down used copies. You're on those updates now, right Google?
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Intel Launches $125 40GB X25-V Value SATA Solid State Drive
Last week, OCZ hit below the $100 belt with a new affordable solid state drive for the performance-minded market, and now Intel is doing something similar. In a race to the bottom (dollar wise) that has been evading us for far too long, it looks as if SSDs may finally be on their way to consumer-levels in terms of pricing. Even as SSD prices have fell, they haven't fallen quick enough to keep pace with hard drives, and many still see them as far too expensive.
Today, Intel is introducing the 40GB X25-V Value SATA Solid State Drive, and the $125 price point that follows it will probably gets all sorts of attention. It's designed and marketed as a notebook replacement drive or a boot drive for your desktop, and it is said to be up to 4x faster than a 7200RPM hard drive. The Intel X25-V features 40GB of 34nm NAND flash memory, and is designed and manufactured by Intel using its own NAND flash memory from IM Flash Technologies (IMFT). There'a also a proprietary controller and updatable firmware, and it supports the Microsoft Windows 7 Trim function via the Intel SSD Optimizer. It's shipping out the sales channels now, and we are guessing that this debut will start a new downward trend in the SSD pricing game. We'll be watching the competition closely to see who follows suit.
Intel Brings Affordable Solid-State Computing to Netbooks and Desktop PCs
40GB SSD Offers Consumers Affordable Price Point for Solid-State Performance
NEWS HIGHLIGHTS
- Intel introduces X25-V Value SATA Solid-State Drive (SSD) at $125 entry price point.
- Perfect for value netbooks or as boot drive for dual-drive SSD/HDD desktops, X25-V delivers SSD performance at an affordable price.
- Desktop PCs can now combine an SSD with HDD to boost overall system performance and speed system boot up and opening of applications
SANTA CLARA, Calif., March 15, 2010 – Intel Corporation announced today a new addition to its award-winning lineup of high-performance solid-state drives (SSDs): the Intel® X25-V Value SATA SSD. Priced at $125, the 40 gigabyte (GB) drive is aimed at value segment netbooks and dual-drive/boot drive desktop set-ups to offer users the performance and reliability advantages of solid-state computing at an affordable, entry-level price.
SSDs can replace or coexist with traditional hard disk drives (HDDs). With no movable parts or spinning platters, SSDs are more reliable and higher performing than HDDs. This makes users more productive as they experience faster overall system responsiveness. With the affordable price point, consumers can now enjoy the benefits of an SSD by adding an SSD option to their current desktop PC in a dual-drive or "boot drive" set up. In a dual-drive configuration, the Intel X25-V SSD is added to a desktop with an existing HDD. The SSD is loaded with the operating system and favorite applications to take advantage of the speedy performance which is nearly 4x faster than a 7200RPM HDD.** Users keep their existing HDD as a means of higher capacity data storage. This capability is commonly referred to as a "boot" drive since the SSD accelerates boot or start up time.
For example, with 40GB of boot drive capacity, a user could load the SSD with the Microsoft* Windows* 7 operating system, Microsoft Office applications and their favorite gaming application, such as Dragon Age: Origins*, and experience up to 43 percent faster overall system performance or 86 percent improvement in their gaming experience.** The SSD also speeds operations such as system start up, the opening of applications and files or resuming from standby. "The Intel solid-state drive is our top-selling SSD," said Stephen Yang, product manager for solid-state drives at e-tailer Newegg.com. "This new value entry from Intel means more customers will have the chance to experience the benefits of SSDs, not just in notebooks or high-end PCs, but in mainstream desktops as a boot drive. This is the right price point to help convert more users to SSD computing."
The Intel X25-V features 40GB of 34nm NAND flash memory. This non-volatile memory retains data, even when the power is turned off, and is used in applications such as smartphones, personal music players, memory cards or SSDs for fast and reliable storage of data. SSD benefits over a traditional HDD include higher performance, battery saving and ruggedness. "Adding the Intel X25-V to our existing family of high-performance SSDs gives our resellers a full range of high-performing, quality SSDs for notebook upgrades, dual-drive desktop set ups or embedded applications," said Pete Hazen, director of marketing for the Intel NAND Solutions Group. "SSD adoption continues to be one of the more exciting trends in personal computing, and this entry-level product enables users to enjoy the productivity and performance benefits of Intel SSDs at a new price point."
The 40GB Intel X25-V complements Intel's higher performance Intel® X25-M Mainstream SATA SSD product line that offers 80GB and 160GB capacities. All Intel SSDs are designed and manufactured by Intel using its own NAND flash memory from IM Flash Technologies (IMFT) and include a proprietary controller and updatable firmware. The X25-V is priced at $125 for 1,000-unit quantities and is currently stocked and available in worldwide distribution.
In addition, the X25-V supports the Microsoft Windows 7 Trim function via the Intel® SSD Optimizer. Also included is the Intel® SSD Toolbox, a set of utility tools developed by Intel to help better manage and retain the out-of-box performance of Intel SSDs. Windows* XP and Vista* users can also use these enhancements which can be downloaded at: www.intel.com/go/ssdtoolbox.
To review the specifications of the Intel X25-V please visit www.intel.com/go/ssd.
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HH and Cyberpower PC Sweepstakes Winner Announced!
To commemorate the Valentine's Day holiday, we announced an exciting sweepstakes, along with our friends at Cyberpower PC, in which we planned to give away a custom, fully loaded Intel Core i7-powered system, complete with 4GB of RAM, an ATI Radeon HD 5870 graphics card, and a Kingston SSD--among numerous other goodies.
The response we received after the announcement of the contest and throughout its duration was absolutely fantastic with hundreds of new members joining our community, posting thousands of comments throughout the forum and news. Before we announce the winner, we want to extend a big thank you to everyone that made this contest possible and of course to all of our loyal community members who participated.
Well, we've had a chance to sift through all of the data and we’ve picked a lucky winner.
She's All Yours, Rapid1!
Are you ready for it? Drum roll please! And the Winner Is...
Congrats brother! You've just scored yourself once heck of a killer rig!
Now everyone, congratulate your compatriot and prepare for our next exciting give-away! We've actually got TWO awesome rigs on tap for you all in the coming weeks / months--the giving just never stops around here! Once we've got the details hammered out, we'll announce the next contest, but we promise it won't be long. Regardless of how long it takes to announce the next contest though, the fact that it's got a GULFTOWN processor in it, will make it worth the wait--we promise. The SSD, 6GB of RAM, Blu-Ray player, and liquid cooling kit are nice too. :)
Thanks,
Team HotHardware
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Kingston Technology Creates World’s Fastest Memory
Kingston Technology Creates World’s Fastest Memory —
Intel Certifies HyperX Clocked at 2400MHz
Fountain Valley, CA -- March 15, 2010 -- Kingston Technology Company, Inc., the independent world leader in memory products, today announced it has developed the fastest Intel-certified memory in the world. Running at 2400MHz, Kingston’s HyperX® dual-channel DDR3 memory kit (Kingston® part#: KHX2400C9D3T1K2/4GX) gained Intel® XMP certification on the Core i7™ platform. Intel’s certification is posted at: http://www.intel.com/en_US/Assets/PDF/prodspec/ww09-2010-XMP-self-cert_Core-i7-BlueBadge.pdf.The 2400MHz kit runs at 9-11-9-27-2 timings at 1.65 volts and was developed for enthusiasts, gamers, and benchmarkers looking to scale new memory heights. As with all Kingston memory, the 2400MHz kit was created with the highest design-engineering principles and subjected to OEM-quality production and testing standards to gain Intel XMP certification. The memory was tested to great success on several P55-based systems including the GIGABYTE GA-P55A-UD4P motherboard.
The 2400MHz kits will be available in Q2. Kingston HyperX memory is backed by a lifetime warranty and free 24/7 technical support. For detailed information please visit the Kingston Web site at www.kingston.com.
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NVIDIA Launches Website Detailing Antitrust Case Against Intel
It's been a few months since we've talked much about the FTC's investigation of Intel's alleged abusive, monopolistic behavior but the case isn't sitting still. NVIDIA is a major party of the inquiry and the GPU manufacturer has just launched a new area within its own site dubbed "The Case For Innovation" detailing the findings and documents of the case."One of the FTC's concerns is Intel's attempt to and behavior of blocking the GPU from getting into the marketplace," said Jen-Hsun Huang, NVIDIA's CEO. "Today if you were buying a high-end desktop PC you could have amazing graphics and the GPU inside is doing 3D graphics for you...in certain form factors, like notebooks, where Intel bundles everything together and prevents other technology, like the GPU, from being able to be purchased by our customers. [This means] that the consumer in a notebook environment can't benefit from great graphics."
Asked if he thinks Intel and his own company could come to the bargaining table and work out an amicable relationship, Jen-Hsun said no. "There's no reason to do that. They're a large company we're a large company, we both have plenty of financial and legal resources."
If the situation seems a bit muddled, remember that there are two separate cases at work here. First there's the lawsuit between Intel and NVIDIA in which NVIDIA is alleging that Intel broke its contractual agreements and Intel is claiming that it should be allowed to dissolve the agreement between itself and NVIDIA, terminate NVIDIA's rights to the tech in received from Intel, and retain full access to the technology NVIDIA made available to itself. The second case is the actual FTC investigation. NVIDIA is a significant partner to the FTC inquiry but did not launch the probe.
There could also be a bit of personal enmity at work here. The two companies have been headed for a collision for several years. NVIDIA's chipset division was a competitive threat against Intel's while published benchmark comparisons left Intel lurching along like an arthritic, three-legged elephant. Then Intel announces that it'll be getting into graphics and changing the entire way 3D rendering is done. NVIDIA counters those statements with some choice comments on how Intel's GPU looks like something from five years ago, waits until Intel's Atom is really making waves, and launches Ion. Two months later (immediately following legal paper-waving), Intel gets caught red-handed distributing internal FUD about NVIDIA's Ion.
We're not sure there's a law against being a jerk but documents like this didn't endear NVIDIA towards Intel. It's also hilarious.
Despite Jen-Hsun's remarks we wouldn't be surprised if the two companies do settle out of court. NVIDIA's chipset business is essentially on hiatus and it's licensed SLI technology to Intel. It's possible that Team Green will actually argue that it was only forced to license SLI tech to non-NVIDIA chipsets because Intel was making trouble in other areas; we don't know much about the GPU designers' legal strategy yet. As for Intel, the company has already taken quite a bit of heat from multiple governments and investigations worldwide. In all such cases Intel has maintained that it competes fairly and that its strategies do not harm consumers. To be fair, the company's activities have never been found to be illegal in a court of law, but none of the administrative bodies (including the FTC) have ever found Intel's argument compelling enough to not launch an investigation once the question of whether or not monopolistic abuse occurred was set before the organization.
CNN Money has posted an interview with Jen-Hsun available here
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All Of This Has Happened Before: Battlestar Galactica MMO In Development
Fans of the reimagined Battlestar: Galactica TV series and its spinoff Caprica have another title to look forward to in a few months. At GDC last week, German game-developer Bigpoint announced it's developing a BSG-themed MMO designed for browser-based play across a wide variety of devices. The developer wants the game to scale well enough to enable iPhone vs. PC match-ups. We're not sure if that's possible given the iPhone's interface but this is one of the first times we've seen a developer talking about games that scale vertically across the entire range of devices without effectively sandboxing the mobile version.
The Unity 3D engine at work. The fact that a German developer is involved is amusing, given that this looks like Bavaria
Bigpoint plans on leveraging the Unity3D engine to create the game, which helps explain how it plans to scale a single product across such a wide range of devices and detail levels. The Unity engine (currently on version 2.6, with V3.0 in the works) is specifically designed for browser-based gaming and supports multi-core processors, both D3D and OGL, and continues to be updated with various performance enhancements.
Unity at work again. We think of this as a metaphysical puzzle. Why is the ball there? How is the ceiling holding it up? Was your interior decorator on crack?
Browser-based games are still in their infancy, although id's Quake Live has helped push the idea that browser gaming doesn't have to be sluggish, primitive, or based entirely around Flash. Unity3D is clearly capable of generating good-looking content; gamers interested in seeing a few current products can check out The Quest For R2-D2 or Batman Streets of Gotham. Both of these are small free-to-play games; we assume that a browser-based MMO would be a bit more polished, particularly if Bigpoint intends to use a monthly subscription model.
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Universal 3DTV Glasses Coming This Summer From Xpand
3D TV may be the wave of the future, but the technology definitely has some hurdles to overcome first. For one, the cost of the 3D glasses that are typically sold separately from the television add a chunk of change to the overall price of 3D entertainment. To make matters worse, most of the glasses available today are only compatible with their respective TVs, so Panasonic's glasses work with Panasonic TVs, Samsung glasses with Samsung TVs, etc.Considering 3D glasses typically cost around $150 per pair, the price deters people from buying many additional pairs to share with friends. For this reason, many executives believe a "bring your own glasses" model may be the norm. That is, assuming you and your friends all own compatible glasses/TVs. There's a good chance the glasses will eventually become standardized, but in the meantime, manufacturers are shipping with proprietary TVs and glasses.
However, there is a promising solution that could arrive as early as this summer: Xpand's Chief Strategy Officer Ami Dror said his company is working on universal active shutter glasses that will be able to adapt to just about every TV on the market.
According to Dror, the company's X101 glasses are used in most 3D cinemas outside of the U.S. These glasses work with projectors that cycle at 144 frames per second using a triple flash technology. The company recently announced a deal with Mitsubishi to use its X102 glasses. The X102 glasses use DLP Link technology which puts a tiny flash of white light into a black interstitial frame to control the shutters on the glasses.
Xpand's next series of glasses, the X103, will be universal active shutter glasses which will search for infrared signals. These glasses will be able to interpret signals from major manufacturers such as Panasonic, LG, Samsung, and Sony as well as the signals used in Nvidia 3D Vision glasses. Xpand describes the technology behind the X103 glasses:
Stereoscopic 3D works by separating images into right- and left-eye versions. The right- and left-eye images are shown on a 3D enabled screen separately, one eye at a time. The X103 works with time sequential methods and uses Pi-Cell lenses that blocks each eye very rapidly, alternating left and right in sync with the image being shown on the 3D ready screen, which creates the 3D image in your brain.
The X103 glasses will have replaceable batteries that Xpand claims will last for approximately 250 hours of active 3D usage. To help conserve battery power, the glasses have an Auto On/Off feature.
Dror expects these universal active shutter glasses will be in stores by June. They will come in 12 colors in both adult and kid's sizes. Although final pricing isn't set, Dror said the glasses will likely cost between $125 and $150.
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Acer Launches Aspire Z5610-U9072 All-in-One Desktop
Acer introduced the Acer Aspire Z5610-U9072, an all-in-onedesktop PC with multi-touch technology and Windows 7 Home Premium. This all-in-onefeatures a 23-inch HD display with 1920x1080 pixel resolution, ATI MobilityRadeon graphics, and Intel Pentium Dual Core processing. The Aspire Z5610-U9072 supports multi-touchtechnology and comes with Microsoft Touch Pack for Windows 7 as well as theAcer TouchSuite.You'll find 4GB DDR3 SDRAM (upgradeable to 8GB) and a 320GBSATA hard drive in the Aspire Z5610-U9072. A slot load DVD+/-R/RW SuperMultidrive is also included. The Aspire Z5610-U9072 will be available in time forthe holidays for approximately $900.
Acer Aspire Z5610 All-in-One PC, A Cut Above in Style,
Performance and Multi-Touch Technology
Delivers a rich, interactive computing experience in an elegant designto U.S. customers
IRVINE, Calif., Oct. 14, 2009 – Acer, the third largestvendor in the worldwide PC market, today announced the Acer Aspire Z5610-U9072,a truly elegant, no-compromise all-in-one desktop PC featuring intuitivemulti-touch technology and Windows 7 Home Premium. A powerful entertainment hub for the home,the Z5610 packs first-class performance and feature-rich functionality in astriking design. It will be availablethis holiday season at online retailers for an attractive price of$899.99.Engineered to eliminate clutter and maximize workspace, thispractical all-in-one streamlines the home or office with a flash of style and offersa unique blend of features and architecture. Boasting a stunning 23-inch HDdisplay, ATI Mobility Radeon™ graphics and Intel® Pentium® Dual Coreprocessing, the Aspire Z5610 offers world-class digital prowess.
“Our Aspire Z5610 all-in-one is a beautiful blend of visualelegance, state-of-the-art technology and premium performance,†said Susan Hu, desktopproduct manager for Acer America. “Theintuitive touch-screen with Windows 7 multi-touch capability brings newexcitement and hands-on efficiency to digital media applications. Packaged in a powerful platform, it willdeliver fun and productivity for years to come.â€
Intuitive Multi-TouchDisplay
Featuring 1920x1080 pixel resolution, the 23-inch HD 16:9TFT display enhances games, Internet surfing and more with ultra-sharp,colorful imagery. Intuitive multi-touch technology brings an entirely new levelof control to the computer user. In thepast, the touch experience has been limited to one-finger touchcapability. With multi-touch, users canintuitively interact with the PC using multiple fingers as they would amouse. They can open and close programs,browse online newspapers, flick through photo albums and shuffle files andfolders, using nothing but their hands.
Windows 7 is the first Windows operating system to fullyembrace multi-touch technology. To zoom in on an image or map, users just needto place two fingers on the screen and spread them apart. To right click a file, users simply touch itwith one finger and tap the screen with a second. The integrated multi-touch technologyenables more gesture combinations and functionality than single-touch screensfor a faster and more intuitive digital experience.
Premium Performance
Comprised of powerful desktop components, 4GB DDR3 SDRAMupgradeable to 8GB and a 320GB SATA hard disk for storing a huge multimedialibrary, the Z5610 is a no-compromise desktop solution. Discrete ATI Mobility Radeon graphics displayimages in vivid color and sharp detail, while Intel® Pentium® Dual Coreprocessors fuel the system with significant power.
For dynamic audio, 5.1-channel surround sound is deliveredvia an integrated 5W stereo speaker system. With ports for headphones,microphones and other audio peripherals, users can immerse themselves in theirfavorite high-def music and movies. DVDmovies and other files from a digital camera or videocam can be enjoyed withthe slot load DVD+/-R/RW SuperMulti drive for archiving media.
The Acer Aspire Z5610 provides a fast network connectionwith 802.11b/g/Draft-N wireless and Gigabit Ethernet. It also has a built-in HD webcam andmicrophone for videoconferencing with family and friends.
Aesthetic State-of-the-ArtDesign
The combination of style, top-of-the-line desktop componentsand touch technology make this PC a powerful entertainment hub for the home. Inspired by high-end digital entertainment, theAspire Z5610 is an elegant PC that bridges the gap between traditional desktopsand monitors. A seamless integration ofa desktop PC with the usability of a multi-touch LCD display, it’s an easy fitfor any living room, den or office.
Designed as a timeless piece, the Z5610 boasts simplepurposeful details such as an illuminated strip between the LCD and sound bar,which helps users see the keyboard in a darkened environment. The system’s clean and simple lines emphasizethe ease and simplicity of the user’s PC experience. Elevated by two chrome legs, users candiscretely stow away the keyboard under the desktop to further free upworkspace and maximize the system’s multi-touch capabilities.
Innovative Software
In addition to Windows 7 Home Premium, the Aspire Z5610 alsocomes with Microsoft Touch Pack for Windows 7, a set of six multi-touchoptimized applications and games. These include three casual games, MicrosoftBlackboard, Microsoft Garden Pond and Microsoft Rebound and three surfaceapplications - Microsoft Surface Globe that lets users browse the world andzoom in on any location on a virtual 3D earth; Microsoft Surface Collage, atouch-enabled background and Microsoft Surface Lagoon, a touch interactivescreensaver.
In addition, the Aspire Z5610 offers Acer TouchSuite, anintegrated touch interface that syncs the PC and Internet with fingertipprecision. Acer TouchSuite makes it easyto browse and enjoy social networking and digital media of all types. Users simply go to the Acer TouchPortal toactivate Acer Touch Gadgets, which include:
- Acer TouchMediaShare – Uses touch controls to make themanagement and sharing of photos fun and easy. It includes a photo browser, photo album shortcut and quick import forimporting photos directly from a digital camera or USB drive with just onetouch. Users can edit, zoom-in/out andemail images to friends as well as view and download their friend’s updatedphoto albums from Facebook and Flickr.
- Acer TouchMusic – Launches the music player and organizesthe music collection.
- Acer TouchPhotoShow – Allows the integration of online andlocal photo albums as well as slideshow creation.
- Acer TouchFriends – Provides auto-integrated friends listfrom Flickr and Facebook as well as photo update notifications, which enableinstant photo browsing.
- Acer TouchMemo – Launches a note, enables a handwritten memoand provides an alarm reminder.
Pricing, Availabilityand Specifications
The Acer® Aspire Z5610-U9072 all-in-one desktop PC is availablein the U.S. via leading online technology retailers this holiday season for aMSRP of $899.99.
Acer Aspire Z5610-U9072 All-in-One Desktop
- Windows 7 Home Premium
- Microsoft Touch Pack for Windows 7
- Intel® Pentium® Dual Core E5300 Processor (2.60GHz, 2MB L2Cache, 800MHz FSB)
- 4GB DDR3 SDRAM
- 320GB SATA Hard Disk
- SuperMulti Optical Drive
- Multi-in-One Card Reader
- ATI Mobility Radeon HD4570 Graphics With 512MB Memory
- High Definition Audio With 5.1 Channel Support
- 10/100/1000 Gigabit Ethernet, IEEE 802.11 b/g/Draft N
- Six USB 2.0 Ports (Two Side, Four Rear)
- eSATA Port
- Integrated HD Webcam with Microphone
- Integrated Keyboard Light and Foot-Mounted Ambient LightingWith Toggle Switch
- 10-20 Degree Ergonomic Tilt Adjustment
- Wireless Keyboard and Mouse
- Built-In Speakers
- 1920x1080 Resolution
- 300 cd/m2 Brightness
- 5 ms Response Time
- 1000:1 Contrast Ratio
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TomTom 1.3 iPhone GPS Update Adds Real-Time Traffic And More
TomTom has a lot of weight on their shoulders. They're consistently looked at as one of the top dogs in navigation, and thus expectations are extremely high. That's particularly true on the iPhone and iPod touch, where TomTom's app was the first major one into the App Store and the only one that Apple actually spoke of by name during a keynote. In the past months, TomTom's iPhone GPS app had slipped in terms of matching functionality provided by rivals, but a huge update has landed today that shoots it right back up to the top.Version 1.3 of the TomTom iPhone app brings a few much-needed updates to the program, including real-time traffic, Local Search powered by Google and enhanced integration with the iPhone ecosystem. There's also the addition of pinch-and-zoom, a new map update, automatic day/night modes, music fading (that keeps your iPhone or iPod touch music fading as text-to-speech commands come and go) and an "Add To ToTom" feature that allows you to save locations from other iPhone apps to your TomTom app. All in all, it's a worthy update if you've already got the app (free to download), but if not, the new version is available with U.S. maps for $59.99. Of note, the real-time traffic is a separate add-on that will cost you $19.99 for 12 months of service.
TomTom App for iPhone Now Offers Real-Time Traffic, Local Search Powered by Google and Enhanced Integration with the iPhone Interface
Concord, MA – March 15, 2010 – TomTom, the world’s leading provider of navigation solutions and digital maps, today announces several important enhancements to its popular TomTom app for iPhone, including real-time traffic compatibility and Local Search powered by Google. These new features, combined with enhanced integration with the iPhone interface, ensure optimal routing and an even more intuitive navigation experience. The latest version of the TomTom app (Version 1.3) can be purchased on the App Store today.
"TomTom continues to expand its offering of premier navigation services and features to a growing base of TomTom app for iPhone users," said Tom Murray, vice president of market development. "Among the many enhancements in the latest version of the app, TomTom’s comprehensive traffic offering gives users dynamic, real-time information that helps them avoid traffic delays and find the fastest routes. It makes the TomTom app for iPhone even more useful in our daily lives."
TomTom Traffic updates are received automatically every three minutes, providing real-time traffic speed and incident reports directly on the iPhone. As soon as a delay is found on the route, users are notified and can be automatically re-routed to an alternative, faster route. Traffic delays can be heard audibly on the device as well as displayed on the screen. TomTom Traffic is an optional service available for purchase on the App store.
TomTom app for iPhone Version 1.3 includes additional advanced features that are available for free to existing TomTom app customers:
- Local Search powered by Google - The TomTom app for iPhone now provides a countless number of points of interest at the user’s fingertips. Users can tap into the latest local Google listings from within the TomTom app to locate and route to anything from restaurants to flower shops.
- Pinch and Zoom – Integrating one of the iPhone’s most popular features, the latest version of the TomTom app allows users to "pinch and zoom" for a more detailed view of the navigation map.
- New Map Update – The TomTom app incorporates TomTom’s latest map, which was rated best for overall accuracy and includes 1 million more miles of U.S. roads than the competition.
- Automatic Day/Night Mode - For a safer drive, the TomTom app now also calculates local sunrise and sunset times to automatically adjust the screen brightness while driving.
- Music Fading – This music fading feature ensures that you never miss a navigation instruction while listening to music on your iPhone. The music volume decreases during turn-by-turn instructions and then increases when instructions are complete.
- Add to TomTom Feature – Save locations from other iPhone apps and Web browsers to your TomTom app.
The TomTom app offers the same great features users have come to rely on from TomTom, including IQ Routesâ„¢ Technology and Advanced Lane Guidance. TomTom IQ Routesâ„¢ incorporates historical speed profile data for both day of week and time of day to calculate the fastest route available at that moment. Advanced Lane guidance provides extra clarity when navigating difficult junctions by showing the user which lane to take for an upcoming exit.
Price and Availability:
Continental and regional versions of the TomTom for iPhone app for iPhone 3G, iPhone 3GS and iPod Touch users, are available today at http://www.tomtom.com/tomtom-app.
The new version of the software is available for free to existing TomTom app for iPhone customers. For new users, the TomTom app for iPhone, including maps of the U.S., is available for $59.99. The app, including maps of U.S. and Canada, is available for $69.99. TomTom Traffic for iPhone users is available via in-app purchase for an additional $19.99 per 12 months of service.
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NVIDIA 3DTV Play Adds HDMI 1.4 Support, Free To 3D Vision Users
The Game Developers Conference just wrapped up in California, but one lingering piece of news that didn't quite make the cut for the show has emerged today. NVIDIA has just announced that their 3DTV Play is making its debut, enabling consumers to connect their GeForce GPU-powered computer to newer 3D HDTVs that are equipped with HDMI 1.4. This whole thing is a software solution, making it even more easy to swallow for those who cower at the thought of buying even more hardware.At first, NVIDIA is partnering with Panasonic to allow consumers to test the product out on the new VIERA Full HD 3D HDTVs that just launched this month. The software will also leverage the power of your GPU to deliver high-frame-rate 3D games to your television, not to mention push pixels from 3D Blu-ray Disc titles. It'll be provided for free to current NVIDIA 3D Vision owners, while it will be available later this Spring for $39.99 to everyone else.
Facts about NVIDIA 3DTV Play:
- Can be run on GeForce GPU-based desktop or notebook PCs equipped with an HDMI or DVI connector
- Full support for all HDMI 1.4-compatible 3D TVs, including Panasonic VIERA Plasma full HD 3D TVs
- Enables 1080p24, 720p60, and 720p50 3D formats
- AdvancedNVIDIA software and graphics drivers automatically convert more than400 games to stereoscopic 3D in real time, without the need for specialpatches.
- Enjoy full HD Blu-ray 3D playback with real-time GPU accelerated decoding and playback on GeForce GPUsi
- Watch streaming 3D movies
- View 3D photographs directly on the 3D TV
- NVIDIA 3DTV Playsoftware will be available later this spring and sold separately withan anticipated U.S. MSRP of $39.99. It will also be available for freefor current NVIDIA 3D Visionâ„¢ customers.
Quotes:
“NVIDIA is a premier choice for gamers,and 3D Vision TV delivers an easy way for them to game on the bigscreen, for the ultimate, immersive experience,†said Bob Perry, SeniorVice President, Panasonic Consumer Electronics Company. “We’re pleasedthat NVIDIA shares our commitment to providing awesome technology tosavvy consumers, and we are happy to offer NVIDIA the opportunity tohighlight their 3D solution as part of our nationwide road show.â€â€œNVIDIA is all about raising the bar of PC gaming, and gamers aregoing to love playing in 3D on one of the new Panasonic VIERA 50-inchfull HD 3D TVs,†said Phil Eisler, general manager of 3D Visiontechnology at NVIDIA. “This is truly one of those ‘must experience tobelieve it’ moments, and we are ecstatic that consumers will have thechance to try it for themselves on any of our 15 stops across the US.â€
About the Panasonic Touch the Future Tour
The2010 Panasonic Touch the Future Tour will give consumers the chance toexperience hands-on demos of exciting new Panasonic products, includingits first full HD 3D home theater system. The tour will spend threedays at popular venues in 15 national markets between March 15-April17, and one lucky sweepstakes winner in each market will receive acomplete Panasonic full HD 3D home theater system—featuring a PanasonicVIERA® 50†full HD 3D TV, a Panasonic 3D Blu-ray Disc player, and apair of Panasonic 3D Eyewear. Visit www.panasonic.com/future for tour locations and details.
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