Asus Vows To Bring USB 3.0 Across The Line, Will Others Take Notice?
Asus has been a huge fan of USB 3.0, and they have definitely supported the protocol on a few Eee PC machines and motherboards early on. We personally think everyone should be shifting to USB 3.0 as soon as possible, and it's tough to swallow any new PCs with "just" USB 2.0. Now, Asus is making a challenge to every other company out there: shift to USB 3.0, or get left behind. Asus was the first major company to include USB 3.0 on a mainboard, and the company has a huge lineup of USB 3.0 motherboards on the
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Fusion Garage JooJoo Tablet Now Shipping To U.S.
Fusion Garage hasn't had the easiest time getting their JooJoo tablet out of the door, but no one ever said it was easy being a startup. The company whose tablet used to be known as the CrunchPad is finally shipping out, but only to customers who pre-ordered one from the beginning. We heard that units would begin shipping last month, but that date obviously slipped; still, it's pretty impressive to think that the JooJoo is shipping out before the iPad. Pre-ordered units are leaving Asia now, and they should
Read More ...
AT&T Launches New Music Experience
AT&T is launching a new music experience for users of the LG Xenon, Samsung Solstice and Samsung Impression phones. With AT&T Music, users will be able to download songs and albums, stream radio, and create customized radio stations. The service also has a song match feature that will identify a tune and the ability to search for lyrics to identify a song. You may be wondering why AT&T would want to provide another music offering on top of what's already out there. Mark Collins, senior vice president
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Toshiba Pushes 2.5" HDD Limit to 1TB
When it comes to hard drives, only a few things really matter. Size, durability, and size. Did we mention size? Toshiba understands the demands of the storage world, and the company has really stepped things up lately by pushing the areal density boundaries in order to deliver two of the highest-capacity 2.5" HDDs in existence today. Two new additions of their 5,400RPM drives have been announced, with drives as high at 1TB now available. Best of all, the units have a 9.5mm height, which means that they'll fit
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Jabra CLIPPER Coming To Verizon Wireless
Announced last month at Mobile World Congress, the Jabra CLIPPER caught some people's attention with its built-in 3.5mm headphone jack that essentially brings the power of Bluetooth to any pair of 3.5mm headphones. That's right—with this device, you can listen to your music through your favorite set of headphones while still having the functions of a Bluetooth headset. Of course, the CLIPPER comes with its own set of noise-blocking ear buds as well. As its name implies, the CLIPPER will clip to your clothes,
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OpenPeak's OpenTablet Gains AT&T 3G WWAN, Just Like The iPad
OpenPeak's OpenTablet make a debut last month, but it was quickly forgotten in the wake of Apple's iPad launching and a number of other major competitors hitting the scene as well. There's no reminder like a reminder that involves one of the major for U.S. cell operators, though, and that's exactly what's being announced this week. AT&T and OpenPeak have chosen to collaborate and add 3G WWAN services to the ultra-sleek OpenTablet, a touch-screen tablet that will be based on Intel's Moorestown platform. It
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Gmail Warns Of Suspicious Account Activity
Google rolled out a new security feature for Gmail that can alert you when it thinks someone else may be using your account. By using the IP tracking feature that Google launched in July 2008, the new security feature will display a warning if it detects that your account has been accessed from two different geographic regions within a short timeframe. Although the new feature isn't remarkably accurate (in the US it only displays which state you are in), it can prove useful if an attack comes from across the
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Playstaton Portable Turns 5 (35 in Console Years)
Shame on you, Sony. Why? Well, the company's PlayStation Portable turned 5 years old this week, and did so with little fanfare, or even a few balloons. That's okay, PSP, because HotHardware has your back, though we're not going to sing the birthday jingle. Aw, what the heck.Happy birthday to you, Happy birthday to you,Happy birthday dear PlayStation Portable,Happy birthday to you (you live in a zoo...).Silliness aside, Sony has reason to celebrate the occasion. During its five-year run, the PSP has put up a
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Analyst Predicts Bright Future for PC Gaming Hardware
Jon Peddie Research has released a report pegging the total value of the PC gaming hardware market at some $27 billion in 2010, up from $20 billion in 2008. Currently, 'enthusiast' class hardware accounts for ~46 percent of that amount. JPR predicts that this will fall to 35 percent in 2013, but because that shift will occur in a growing industry, the total dollar value of hardware sales will grow from $9.5 billion in 2009 to $12.5 billion in 2013. Ted Pollak, Video Game Industry Analyst for JPR, cites a number
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EA.com's Editor In Chief Attacks DRM; Ubisoft Hits New Low
We'd like to begin our coverage of the latest DRM idiocy in gaming by apologizing to Ubisoft. After reading about some of EA's recent bright ideas and the constant connection EA's Command and Conquer: Tiberian Twilight requires in order to play the single-player game, we realized we'd unfairly painted Ubisoft as being uniquely stupid, out-of-touch, and clueless. With EA on board, this constant-connection concept is something we gamers need to worry about and vote against financially.The one great thing about
Read More ...
Asus Vows To Bring USB 3.0 Across The Line, Will Others Take Notice?
Asus has been a huge fan of USB 3.0, and they have definitely supportedthe protocol on a few Eee PC machines and motherboards early on. Wepersonally think everyone should be shifting to USB 3.0 as soon aspossible, and it's tough to swallow any new PCs with "just" USB 2.0.Now, Asus is making a challenge to every other company out there: shiftto USB 3.0, or get left behind.Asus was the first major company to include USB 3.0 on a mainboard, andthe company has a huge lineup of USB 3.0 motherboards on the horizon.They are also promising to include it on a number of upcoming Eee PCnetbooks (1018, 1015 and 1016), the N Series of notebooks and the EeeBox 1510U and Eee Box 1210U.
Having USB 3.0 on lower-end machines is something we didn't reallyexpect at first; we suspected that higher-end machines would get itfirst, and slowly it would trickle down. But this ground-up approachcertainly bodes well for the future of USB 3.0, so long as everyoneelse will stop trying to evaporate their USB 2.0 chipsets frominventory and get with the program.
ASUS Leads the Way for True USB 3.0 Integration in Complete Product Line From Mainstream to Hardcore, ASUS Introduces Consumers to USB 3.0
Taipei, Taiwan, March 24, 2010 – The introduction of USB 3.0 heralds a new age of faster than ever connectivity to benefit consumers in a reality of massive high definition content. Seeing this evolution coming, ASUS has been the first to ready and launch an entire lineup of products that truly incorporate USB 3.0 in their designs, making the most of its new features.
ASUS was the first to include USB 3.0 on a motherboard, offering the new technology not just as-is, but optimized to realize its potential. Based on world-acclaimed motherboard design expertise, ASUS has been able to quickly move on integrating USB 3.0 so that consumers may take advantage of it without delays and the teething problems associated with generic, after a fashion designs.
One result of the intense efforts ASUS has put into building a roster of USB 3.0-ready products is the unique PCIe x4 bridge chip, designed from the ground up to enable true USB 3.0 performance levels without compromise. This has resulted in blistering fast performance that outstrips other solutions by as much as 74.38%*.
ASUS has extended USB 3.0 implementation to a full range of motherboards, from the mainstream to the hardcore enthusiast. To ensure backward compatibility and protect the investment of existing consumers, ASUS has even developed a standalone PCIe x4 card solution to offer USB 3.0 on previously-released motherboard models.
The P6X58D Premium motherboard by ASUS is also the first to be officially certified by the USB Implementation Forum (USB-IF) as achieving the standard's newly-formulated SuperSpeed USB compliance requirements.
USB 3.0 here to stay
The availability of super fast data transfer to consumers is not a gimmick; it is the way of the future and a means to providing better technology to people around the world. Knowing this, ASUS now offers USB 3.0 on a wide range of products beyond motherboards. This includes notebooks, the Eee PC range of netbooks, all-in-one PCs and even digital media players. All of these feature designs specifically tailored to accommodate USB 3.0 connectivity so that its true benefits are available in full.
In this, too, ASUS is first, offering far reaching coverage of different product segments. While for many USB 3.0 remains a novelty confined to ultra-pricey offerings, ASUS believes every product that can be designed to optimize its performance must include the new standard.
Speaking about the innovative move of introducing USB 3.0 in as many product lines as possible, ASUS CEO Jerry Shen said:
"We are the first in the world to introduce USB 3.0 through our notebooks, namely the multimedia N Series. We're also the first to win USB-IF certification, achieved on our P6X58D premium motherboard. We believe that USB 3.0 has a pivotal role to play in delivering the ultimate experience to a new generation of multimedia-savvy users. With USB 3.0, everyone can enjoy fast data backup and ultra-speedy file sharing."
As of this writing, ASUS has already integrated USB 3.0 into the following products, with numerous others to be added in the immediate future.
         o N Series notebooks
         o Eee Box 1510U/1210U
         o Eee PC 1018/1015/1016
         o Motherboards:
               + P7P55/P7P55D/P7P55D-E Series (Intel P55 chipset)
               + P7P55 WS SuperComputer (Intel P55 chipset)
               + ROG Rampage II Series/Rampage III Extreme (Intel X58 chipset)
               + ROG Maximus III Series (Intel P55 chipset)
               + P6T/P6TD/P6X58 Series (Intel X58 chipset)
               + P7F7-E WS SuperComputer (Intel 3450 chipset)
               + P7H57/P7H55 Series (Intel H57/H55 chipset)
               + P5G41T-M/USB3 (Intel G41 chipset)
               + P5P43TD/USB3 (Intel P43 chipset)
               + M4A89 Series (AMD 890GX/890FX chipset)
               + M4A88/M4A87 Series (AMD 880/870 chipset)
               + M4A77 Series (AMD 770 chipset)
               + M4A785 Series (AMD 785G chipset)
               + M4A78 Series (AMD 780 chipset)
               + M4A79 Series (AMD 790FX chipset)
For further information on the continuing integration of USB 3.0 in more ASUS products, please visit these sites:
http://event.asus.com/mb/2010/USB3/index.htm
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Toshiba Pushes 2.5" HDD Limit to 1TB
When it comes to hard drives, only a few things really matter. Size,durability, and size. Did we mention size? Toshiba understands thedemands of the storage world, and the company has really stepped thingsup lately by pushing the areal density boundaries in order to delivertwo of the highest-capacity 2.5" HDDs in existence today.Two new additions of their 5,400RPM drives have been announced, withdrives as high at 1TB now available. Best of all, the units have a9.5mm height, which means that they'll fit nicely into standardnotebook spaces. For notebooks with larger spaces, the 12.5mm MKxx59GSMseries offers 750GB and 1TB of storage. These two new product offeringsexpand Toshiba's mobile HDD productline into the highest-capacity segment of the 2.5-inch HDD market andrepresent the company's first mobile HDD platforms developed with thecombined engineering resources from the integration of Fujitsu's HDDbusiness, which Toshiba acquired last fall.Â
If you're curious as to how Toshiba has managed to reach such heights,the company has anticipated just that. Have a listen. To deliver thesenext-generation storage capacities, Toshiba hasimplemented Advanced Sector Format technology in both families. Â Thistechnology uses 4K byte-per-sector formatting and improvederror-correcting code (ECC) functions, providing maximum data integrityand making efficient use of the storage surface area. Â Toshiba isguiding efforts to ease industry transition to the advanced 4Kbyte-per-sector format, while continuing to provide a full line ofmobile HDDs, including models that support the legacy 512byte-per-sector configuration.
Toshiba's MKxx59GSM series and MK7559GSXP drives are scheduled to shipto PC manufacturers and distributors in the second and third quartersof 2010, respectively, but pricing has yet to be established.
The MK7559GSXP HDD features an areal density of 541.4Gbit/in^2, making it ideal for mobile applications in which capacity iskey, including notebook computers and portable storage products. Â TheseHDDs also are well-suited for devices that value high capacity in asmaller footprint with improved acoustic performance and lower poweroperation compared to larger form factor HDDs. Â Those applicationsinclude all-in-one desktops, televisions and set top boxes. Â
At 12.5 millimeters-high, the MKxx59GSM seriesis geared to external add-on and removable storage, tape replacementand docking station applications, as well as addresses the escalatingdemand for capacity and portability in gaming notebooks, mobileworkstations and other capacity-hungry applications. Â The 1TB MK1059GSMmodel can store up to 285,000 digital photos, 263,000 digital musicfiles or 820 digital movies.
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EA.com's Editor In Chief Attacks DRM; Ubisoft Hits New Low
We'd like to begin our coverage of the latest DRM idiocy in gaming by apologizing to Ubisoft. After reading about some of EA's recent bright ideas and the constant connection EA's Command and Conquer: Tiberian Twilight requires in order to play the single-player game, we realized we'd unfairly painted Ubisoft as being uniquely stupid, out-of-touch, and clueless. With EA on board, this constant-connection concept is something we gamers need to worry about and vote against financially.The one great thing about Ubisoft is that the company doesn't sit on its laurels. It wasn't enough to pioneer invasive DRM in single-player games; Ubisoft now requires a constant connection in single-player game demos. I downloaded and installed the Settlers 7 demo yesterday, patched it up today, and ran it, only to encounter the following error: "An internet connection is required to play this game. Failed to connect to the Ubisoft master servers. Please verify that your internet connection is functional and try again."
The Settlers 7 Demo is a 2.6GB download of Screw You
Not only was my Internet connection functional, Windows Firewall was disabled, Ubisoft's launcher was set as an exception *anyway* (just in case something snafu'd), and I confirmed that my system was configured to run in my router's DMZ. There's literally no firewall whatsoever sitting between my rig and the Ubisoft servers, but the demo can't connect.
We're (nearly) past the point of mockery. DRM schemes that attach to a commercial product can at least be marginally defended on the grounds that they exist to safeguard a company's financial investment. Demos may be an investment in the sense that they take resources to create, but the entire purpose of a trial product is to address the legitimate desire of consumers to try before they buy. To that end, it's in the best interests of the company to make trial versions available to anyone who wants one. Potential customers who can't access the demo of a product due to malfunctioning DRM systems certainly aren't going to drop real money for a broken program. In this sense, I suppose Ubisoft is doing gamers a favor by showing them just how poorly the authentication system functions.
EA's DRM Drives EA.com Editor Batty
It's absolutely beautiful right up to the point you're kicked to desktop.
If you've payed attention to computer games much over the past 20 years you should remember Jeff Green. Green helmed Computer Gaming World for nearly a decade; he's currently the editor-in-chief for EA.com. He took some time recently to play Command and Conquer: Tiberian Twilight, and tweeted the following about his experience (in chronological order.)
- "Booted twice--and progress lost--on my single-player C&C4 game because my DSL connection blinked. DRM fail. We need new solutions."
- "Yeah, Steam's ability to have off-line play is the clear, better model when talking about SP games."
- "However, C&C4 experiments w/what a "single-player game" is--given it's constantly uploading progress/stats for unlocks. It's complicated....I agree with what you guys are saying. A better solution would be to cache progress/stats for upload later."
- "I think if we think of C&C4 as an "online-only" game--which it basically is--then maybe we'd adjust our expectations accordingly."
- "Welp. I've tried to be open-minded. But my 'net connection is finicky--and the constant disruption of my C&C4 SP game makes this unplayable."
- "The story is fun, the gameplay is interesting and different at least--but if you suffer from shaky/unreliable DSL--you've been warned... the online connection killed it for me personally--my router is too shaky. :( Not a fan of this scheme."
Jeff is one of the older salts around in PC gaming and he's not known for being a hothead or rushing to conclusions. An intermittant web connection is bearable if you're surfing the 'Net or even watching video (provided you let it buffer first). The fact that a dodgy connection makes games unplayable and kills the fun from advancing is further proof that players that encounter these sorts of issues don't suffer through it ad nauseam; sooner or later they just plain quit.
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Fusion Garage JooJoo Tablet Now Shipping To U.S.
Fusion Garage hasn't had the easiest time getting their JooJoo tabletout of the door, but no one ever said it was easy being a startup. Thecompany whose tablet used to be known as the CrunchPad is finallyshipping out, but only to customers who pre-ordered one from thebeginning. We heard that units would begin shipping last month, butthat date obviously slipped; still, it's pretty impressive to thinkthat the JooJoo is shipping out before the iPad.Pre-ordered units are leaving Asia now, and they should be distributedin America soon. If you have forgotten, the unit includes a 7" touchpanel, Flash 10.1 support, a rechargeable battery and a $499 price tag.If you'd rather spend your dollars on a non-Apple tablet, there aren'tany better options currently shipping; you can get your order in now,and it should ship within a few days to weeks after all the pre-orderfolks get their own.
New joojoo orders can be placed at https://thejoojoo.com/storeat a cost of $499 USD. With its easy to use user interface, joojooallows users to tap into Internet applications, news, music, highdefinition video, social media and Web services. Thedevice boasts the largest capacitive touch screen of any device on themarket, measuring 12.1 inches in length. joojoo is Flash 10.1 and Javacompliant and comes equipped with a built-in, rechargeablelithium-polymer battery.
For more information, please visit www.thejoojoo.com.
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Gmail Warns Of Suspicious Account Activity
Google rolled out a new security feature for Gmail that can alert you when it thinks someone else may be using your account. By using the IP tracking feature that Google launched in July 2008, the new security feature will display a warning if it detects that your account has been accessed from two different geographic regions within a short timeframe. Although the new feature isn't remarkably accurate (in the US it only displays which state you are in), it can prove useful if an attack comes from across the country or from overseas. Since there are plenty of legitimate reasons for accessing an account from multiple locations, Google doesn't lock you out of the account. Instead, it simply displays a warning message and provides an easy way to change your password.
The message also provides detailed information so you can see the latest account activity with information about the most recent access points. If the access was legitimate, you can click "Dismiss" to remove the message.
Recognizing security is also a high priority for businesses and schools, Google plans to offer this feature for Google Apps in the future after it has gathered and incorporated feedback.
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This is the day the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 480 is released.
I gotta ask myself, where are all the reviews for this fly or crash product?
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Are Those Speakers Worth to Buy?
Any one have it or have tried the Bose Companion 5 Multimedia Speaker System? becuase I saw them in Best Buy during a demostration and the sound of these speakers are amazing, I wanted to buy them but the high price makes me wonder if they are worthy or choose a different Speaker System for my gaming rig.
What do you suggest me?
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AT&T Launches New Music Experience
AT&T is launching a new music experience for users of the LG Xenon, Samsung Solstice and Samsung Impression phones. With AT&T Music, users will be able to download songs and albums, stream radio, and create customized radio stations. The service also has a song match feature that will identify a tune and the ability to search for lyrics to identify a song.You may be wondering why AT&T would want to provide another music offering on top of what's already out there. Mark Collins, senior vice president of Data and Voice Products for AT&T Mobility and Consumer Markets, explained that AT&T wanted to weave together all of the most popular music services into a single application and provide a more streamlined way for customers to access their mobile music.
The service will cost $6.99 per month for customers who already have an unlimited data plan. Song and album purchases are charged a la carte. AT&T expects to offer the AT&T Music experience for additional handsets in the future.
AT&T Launches New Music Experience
New Service Combines Ways to Discover, Play and Shop for Music in a Single Mobile Broadband App. Launching First on Three Popular Handsets; More Coming Soon
Dallas, Texas, March 24, 2010 - AT&T today announced a new AT&T Music application that combines the most popular mobile music services – song and album downloads, streaming radio, song match, lyric search and an enhanced music player – into a single, cohesive experience for AT&T mobile phones. The service is available first as a download on three of AT&T’s most popular quick messaging phones, delivering the tightest integration of mobile music services available to this category of devices.Within one mobile broadband application, subscribers to AT&T Music can:
- Listen to 40 commercial-free genre radio stations;
- Customize unlimited personal radio stations;
- Use song match to identify the tune by holding their phone up to music playing on the radio, TV or elsewhere;
- Search for lyrics to identify song title and artist;
- Preview, buy and download songs and albums straight to their phone; and
- Listen to personal music saved on their mobile device, including the ability to create and manage playlists and find music by artist, album, song or genre.
The app was designed to deliver deep integration of tasks while maintaining simple, easy-to-use navigation. A customer with a song line stuck in his or her head can enter those lyrics into the lyric lookup function to identify the song and artist and, from there, view full lyrics, access the artist’s bio, preview and buy the song, or create a personalized radio station from that song.
AT&T plans to enable full song and album downloads through direct deals with Sony Music Entertainment, EMI Music and indie music distributor The Orchard. Details on additional content providers will be announced in the future.
The new AT&T Music experience is available today on the LG Xenon, Samsung Solstice and Samsung Impression. AT&T plans to make the service available as a download on additional handsets soon and will begin preloading the service on devices beginning this summer.
Feature enhancements, such as the ability to purchase and manage ringtones and ringback tones from within the application, are also planned.
The service is available for $6.99 per month to customers who subscribe to an unlimited data plan. Song and album purchases are charged a la carte.
Customers with currently compatible handsets can download the new AT&T Music experience through the AT&T App Center, available directly from their phone or www.att.com/appcenter. Customers can also text MUSIC to 7299 to receive a link to download the application; messaging rates apply.
For the complete lineup of AT&T offerings, visit www.att.com.
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How a $500 car beat $400K rally racers.
Great article from Jalopnik, its a long read but worth it. to sum things up this guy bought an almost 20 year old BMW off craigslist for $500 made some modifications so that car could compete in a sanctioned Rally Race, it placed 3rd in its class. Now that is an epic tale.
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First 3d Hockey game shown in NYC theater
Gearlog had an update the other day on the first 3D Hockey game broadcast. Interesting read, it was one of those Real 3D shows in a movie theater, so normal glasses. I'm kind of sad my team, the New York Islanders had such a terrible showing losing 5-0 to the NY Rangers. Still it does shows us what might be possible.
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OpenPeak's OpenTablet Gains AT&T 3G WWAN, Just Like The iPad
OpenPeak's OpenTablet make a debut last month, but it was quicklyforgotten in the wake of Apple's iPad launching and a number of othermajor competitors hitting the scene as well. There's no reminder like areminder that involves one of the major for U.S. cell operators,though, and that's exactly what's being announced this week.AT&T and OpenPeak have chosen to collaborate and add 3G WWANservices to the ultra-sleek OpenTablet, a touch-screen tablet that willbe based on Intel's Moorestown platform. It will also have 802.11n/g/nWi-Fi, Bluetooth connectivity, and access to the OpenPeak DeviceManagement Services/OpenPeak App Shop. The company is included a lot ofextras here that aren't usually found on tablets; for example, devicemanagement allows providers to remotely provision, monitor and updatethe tablet over a broadband networ, while the OpenPeak App Shop bringsconsumers and third-party developers togetherto enable a wide range of multimedia and home management applications.
We are also learning more about the specifications: it will be poweredby an Intel Atom chipset and have a 7" multi-touch display, an HDMIoutput, USB interface, MicroSD slot, and a case that measures9"x5"x0.59". The whole tablet will weigh just 1.15lbs., though it's notclear if AT&T will sell these directly. At any rate, we're stillwaiting for a set price to be announced, but with integrated 3G (justlike the iPad), this one really feels like a strong contender.
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Analyst Predicts Bright Future for PC Gaming Hardware
Jon Peddie Research has released a report pegging the total value of the PC gaming hardware market at some $27 billion in 2010, up from $20 billion in 2008. Currently, 'enthusiast' class hardware accounts for ~46 percent of that amount. JPR predicts that this will fall to 35 percent in 2013, but because that shift will occur in a growing industry, the total dollar value of hardware sales will grow from $9.5 billion in 2009 to $12.5 billion in 2013.Ted Pollak, Video Game Industry Analyst for JPR, cites a number of influences for this phenomenon. "PC hardware has caught up to most of the software and people are able to play computationally intensive games on Performance level systems. Performance systems now even support high resolution for all but the most demanding simulations and FPS's. The frequency of Direct X updates is also driving some people toward mid-range GPU's. Some gamers are buying Performance GPUs at a higher refresh rate to engage the latest Direct X version, instead of a longer term investment for Enthusiast GPU's." (We're assuming that when Pollak refers to 'refresh rate', he's referring to the rate at which gamers replace their video card rather than the actual refresh rates the card can handle.)
And a chicken in every pot!
According to Jon Peddie himself, this market growth is driven by the appearance of hardware that couldn't be purchased for any price a few years ago. "gamers are ordering, building, and modding their rigs with components that just a few years ago were simply not available with any economy of scale. SSD's, water cooling, gaming mice and keyboards and other components have come to the Performance class and gamers are starting to snap them up. "
We're not willing to link the current availability of new technology as a special/unique causal factor in greater enthusiast expenditures—at least not across the board. It's a safe bet that SSDs will grow rapidly, but SSDs themselves appeal to everyone from office users to gamers; they may currently carry enthusiast-level prices, but their benefits are universal.
AMD has Eyefinity, NVIDIA has 3D, but neither company has demonstrated that their respective display technology is anything more than a niche product. Display manufacturers of all stripes want consumers to demand 3D; the mass market has yet to express an opinion. As far as computer monitors are concerned, AMD may have a bit of an advantage here; there are far more Eyefinity-capable displays on the market than there are 3D LCDs. Buyers who depend on a panel's color reproduction or clarity also might not be willing to drop money on a separate 3D display that can't match their current panel in those areas.
We'd like to put the question to you readers. Of all the potential "new" areas you might invest in, including SSDs, DX11, Eyefinity, 3D, water cooling, SLI/Crossfire, or high-end gaming peripherals, what are your top three—and what technologies do you not care about?
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Playstaton Portable Turns 5 (35 in Console Years)
Shame on you, Sony. Why? Well, the company's PlayStation Portable turned 5 years old this week, and did so with little fanfare, or even a few balloons. That's okay, PSP, because HotHardware has your back, though we're not going to sing the birthday jingle. Aw, what the heck.Happy birthday to you, Happy birthday to you,
Happy birthday dear PlayStation Portable,
Happy birthday to you (you live in a zoo...).
Happy birthday dear PlayStation Portable,
Happy birthday to you (you live in a zoo...).
Silliness aside, Sony has reason to celebrate the occasion. During its five-year run, the PSP has put up a respectable fight in the handheld console arena. Sony has sold 60 million PSPs worldwide, and of those, 17 million have landed in the United States. Yes, that's a far cry from the Nintendo DS, which as sold some 125 million units worldwide since November 2004, but that's like an MMORPG comparing itself to WoW's numbers and then being disappointed with half the amount of subscribers.
"It's been a resounding success," says Peter Dille, Sony's senior VP of marketing and the PlayStation Network.
Yes it has, but don't expect the price to drop any time soon. According to Dille, Sony is content with the PSP's $249 price point and they "have no plans to make any changes to that."
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Jabra CLIPPER Coming To Verizon Wireless
Announced last month at Mobile World Congress, the Jabra CLIPPER caught some people's attention with its built-in 3.5mm headphone jack that essentially brings the power of Bluetooth to any pair of 3.5mm headphones. That's right—with this device, you can listen to your music through your favorite set of headphones while still having the functions of a Bluetooth headset. Of course, the CLIPPER comes with its own set of noise-blocking ear buds as well.As its name implies, the CLIPPER will clip to your clothes, bag, or belt. All of the controls are built in to the 0.7 ounce unit. The CLIPPER can connect to two devices at once, and calls will override a song so you won't miss an important phone call when you're listening to your favorite tunes.
At the time this headset was announced, there was no word on US availability. Now, we know the headset will head to Verizon Wireless stores in May. It will sell for $59.99.
Jabra CLIPPER Allows Users To 'Clip & Go,' Between Music & Calls
Available Exclusively at Verizon Wireless Retail and Online Stores in May
LAS VEGAS, March 24 /PRNewswire/ -- Listening to music while seamlessly answering phone calls will become much easier with the Jabra CLIPPER, a new Bluetooth® stereo headset announced today at the 2010 International CTIA Wireless® show. Building on Jabra's already successful line of stereo headsets, the tiny clip-on device with noise-blocking ear buds combines style with minimalistic, easy-to-use controls, clipping on to bags, clothing, and belts while easily switching between music and calls. Developed by GN Netcom, a world leader in innovative headset solutions, the Jabra CLIPPER will be available exclusively at Verizon Wireless retail stores across the country and on VerizonWireless.com, in May.With the Jabra CLIPPER, there is no need to change between an Mp3 player and a phone when a call comes in as both devices connect wirelessly, allowing users to switch between calls and music instantly. In addition, incoming calls will automatically override music played on a cell phone and, at the touch of one multi-function button, users can easily pause, skip tracks or alter the volume. You can also keep a phone and Mp3 player separately in a bag or pocket without breaking the connection.
"We have been thrilled with the success of the Jabra HALO and feel that the market is ready for the release of another Bluetooth stereo headset, especially as the popularity of portable music devices continues to grow," said Jonas Forsberg, General Manager North America, Mobile Division, GN Netcom, Inc. "Verizon Wireless was impressed with the CLIPPER since our initial discussions with them and felt strongly that launching it exclusively in North America would help achieve their goal of expanding stereo headset offerings for their customers."
Industry analysts expect global Bluetooth stereo headset revenues to grow at an above-average rate of 5% in 2010. The stereo headset and speakerphone categories are still emerging and offer the brightest prospects for Jabra's growth.
The Jabra CLIPPER is compatible with any device that features Bluetooth wireless technology and has the ability to connect to two different devices at the same time through Multiuseâ„¢ technology. Users will also be able to connect it to a PC to listen to music.
The headset provides complete flexibility with how users listen to music. Noise-blocking ear buds are included with the headset which eliminate any external sounds. The Jabra CLIPPER can also be used with any other 3.5mm headphones.
Key product specifications of the Jabra CLIPPER include:
- Bluetooth 2.1 (Including EDR, A2DP and AVRCP)
- Clip-on wearing style
- Talk time = up to 6 hours
- Standby time = up to 8 days
- Dimensions = 4.8 cm (L) x 1.6.5 cm (W) x 2.55 cm(H)
- Weight = .7 ounces
- Noise-blocking ear buds, in different sizes
- AC Charger
For further information on Jabra, please visit www.jabra.com.
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