Psyko Announces Immediate Availability of Latency Free 5.1 Headphones
If you want to make a boisterous entrance at the next LAN party, then you owe it to yourself to look into the new Psyko 5.1 PC gaming headset. You won't have a say a word as you walk through the door, these funky looking headphones will do all the talking; after that, you're on your own. Well, not entirely. The Psyko 5.1, which is now available in the USA and Canda, taps into the company's PsyckoWave Technology to give gamers an "unfair advantage." If we strip out the marketing babble, what this does is pump
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Google Makes Government Censorship Requests Public Knowledge
Net neutrality. Censorship. Freedom of speech. Global search. All of these items are becoming more and more visible in an interconnected world, and we suspect that these issues will become even more important as the Internet spreads. Recently, Google brought some of these matters into the mainstream light by taking on China in a way that no search engine ever had: Google refuses to continue censoring results, and redirected searches to their Hong Kong portal in order to achieve their goal while maintaining within
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Origin PC First Out of the Gates with Asus Rampage III Extreme Motherboard
A little chest thumping never hurt anyone before, and that's what Origin PC is doing today. Why? They're the first boutique system vendor to bring Asus' Rampage III Extreme motherboard to market and, well, they're pretty darn happy about it. The Rampage III Extreme comes as part of an optional upgrade to the system builder's Genesis desktop. It comes with support for 3-way SLI (Nvidia) and CrossFireX (ATI), as well as some other high end goodies, like two SuperSpeed USB 3.0 ports and SATA III. In a unique twist,
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Alcatel-Lucent Discovers 300Mbps DSL Internet Through Existing Copper
Remember when the first 56k modem demolished everything before it? Remember when ISDN made even 56k look sluggish? Remember when cable and DSL modems made the Internet more than just a pain to watch load? Broadband has obviously changed the world as we know it, but even today, many broadband users see upload and download rates that are rather poky in many scenarios. In the U.S., it's unusual to find broadband speeds that exceed 50Mbps, and many ISPs that offer speeds that high charge much more for it than the
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Panasonic Debuts Webcam Add-On For Skype Video Calls Over VIERA HDTVs
It's just a matter of time at this point: the whole world will be ditching the landline phone and Skyping before the next century. Not that we'll be around most likely to see if this pans out, but there's our wild stab at the future. Skype has already become to go-to choice for international calling, and it's already becoming a huge, important part of many smartphones. Now, Skype is invading the television, but considering that no current TVs ship with webcams built right in (or none that come to mind), Panasonic
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Nokia: Camera Phones To Replace DSLR Cameras In Near Future
Cameraphone technology has been evolving for awhile now, and it's not uncommon to see a phone with an 8MP or 12MP camera now. In fact, there are quite a few 8+MP options right now, and even more at 5MP. Not too long ago, just having a 0.3MP or 1.3MP camera onboard was a luxury, but now anything under 3MP seems "last year." Nokia has been known to equip their phones with higher-resolution cameras in the past, and obviously more are on the way. Anssi Vanjoki, an executive within the company, recently said that
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Sony Brings 3D To Audio Realm With New Sound Bars And HT System
At this point, we'd say the 3D revolution is raging on in full force. In fact, it's getting a little bit out of control. It's clearly the bandwagon to be on in the home entertainment industry, and now Sony is expanding the term to an area that has thus far remained clear of any tampering: audio. To be honest, we aren't sure we know what "3D audio" is, but we're guessing it has something to do with simulated surround sound considering that it's supposed to be emitted from the company's first 3D-capable sound
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Sony Firmware Update Adds 3D Gaming Support To PlayStation 3
Sony already announced that 3D gaming would soon be coming to their PlayStation 3 console, which isn't surprising considering how invested the company already is in 3D HDTVs and "3D audio." The PS3 is easily one of the most flexible and versatile game consoles ever, able to play games, Blu-ray Discs, and soon, 3D content. Apparently "soon" is sooner rather than later, with Sony announcing today that the console's latest firmware was being rolled out to users. Version 3.30 should be moving out to systems as we
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Dell Gets Serious With Smartphones: Lightning, Smoke, Thunder And More
Dell sure has come a long way. A company that used to make ends meet by selling customizable beige boxes has evolved significantly, now selling some of the world's best gaming notebooks and desktops courtesy of an Alienware acquisition, and also branching out into new markets as the demand for mobile devices rises sharply. The company made some inroads into the corporate market with their Axim PDA line back in the 90s, and now that PDAs have fallen to the wayside while smartphones, MIDs and UMPCs have gained
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Flash Out: Adobe Kills iPod/iPhone Development
When Apple released a new version of its iPhone developer program last week, it included new eligibility requirements that have serious implications for both advertisers and programmers. Adobe and Apple have been less than chummy in recent months, but the content creation company has always maintained it would bring Flash to the iPhone one way or another—until today. As of now, Flash for the iPhone is dead. Mark Chambers, Adobe's product manager for Flash, gave some insight as to why on his personal blog. One
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NZXT Tempest EVO Camo Case Is Ready For Battle, Showcasing
The most memorable case of the past year? That honor definitely goes to the Level 10 chassis from Thermaltake. But considering the super high price point, it's not exactly a case that most average consumers can touch. It's also huge, so that's yet another reason to take it in from afar. But we have to admit: the latest enclosure from NZXT is pretty high up on the "weird, but in a good way" list. If you've been looking for a new case to fit in your outdoor bungalow or mountain cabin, this might just be the one.
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Apple Has Moral Responsibilities: If You Want Porn, Jobs Says, Buy An Android
There's an app for darn near everything on the iPho, iPa, err, iPhad these days—but not for porn. No one paid much attention to this until recently, but the recent frenzy over Apple's decision to block political cartoonist Mark Fiore from the App Store (since reversed) has shone a spotlight on other restricted content. The issue came to a head when Jobs opted, as he sometimes does, to answer an email from an Apple enthusiast who expressed reservations regarding the company's content restrictions. On April 15,
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MiLi Announces Power Skin iPhone 3G/3GS Charger Case
It's sort of funny when think about it. The iPhone accessory market seems to be nearly as big as the phone itself; it's rare to find an iPhone owner with no accessories whatsoever, and with that large touch screen, many people are looking for ways to protect that panel and the corners surrounding it. It's no surprise to find that iPhone cases are amongst the most popular peripherals to buy for them, and quite a few companies have tried their hand at it. Mophie really jump-started the battery-case craze with
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MSI Ships Core i5-Powered GX640 15.4" Gaming Notebook
If you're in the market for a new gaming notebook, you're in an interesting spot. On one hand, the abundance of new options is great for those who love to do their research and price shop. If you're drowning in those options, however, we sympathize with you. MSI has been serving up value-packed multimedia and gaming laptops for as long as we can remember, and the new GX640 is just another standout in the long list of great options. The 15.4" GX640 is ideal for those who don't want to haul around a large 17"
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Apple Reports Record Quarter, iPhone Sales Double
The fat cats at Apple have reason to celebrate, and we're not talking about the successful launch of the iPad. Not directly, anyway. The Cupertino gang turned in record financial results for Apple's fiscal 2010 second quarter ended March 27, 2010, at least for a non-holiday quarter. Apple posted revenue of $13.60 billion and net quarterly profit of $3.07 billion, which works out to $3.33 per diluted share. That's a pretty sizable bump from one year ago when quarter profit sat at $9.08 billion and net quarterly
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Jobo Launches PhotoGPS 2 And 4 For DSLR Geotagging
Geotagging is a technology that has grown in popularity recently, with many new cameras and camcorders boasting integrated GPS chips that can "tag" photos and videos with GPS coordinates of the location at which a given shot or clip was taken. Jobo, a company best known for their bendable, flexible camera tripod mounts, has just released a new pair of GPS receivers for cameras. The geotagging PhotoGPS 2 and PhotoGPS 4 both fit into the hot shoe of a DSLR, and both enable your GPS-less camera to tag photos in
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Laptop Falls from Helicopter, Narrowly Misses 10-Year-Old
Don't try telling little Grayson Peterka that the sky isn't capable of falling. He may only be 10-years-old, but he knows first hand that the sky can come tumbling down at any moment. And by 'sky,' we really mean laptop, as in the kind that falls out of a medical helicopter and comes barreling towards the earth. We're not making this up, folks. Little Peterka was enjoying a family cookout on Saturday night when a laptop fell from the sky and landed on the ground just inches away from him. Apparently the laptop
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Lenovo IdeaPad S10-3t Multi-Touch Tablet/Netbook Review
Lenovo's IdeaPad line is somewhat unpredictable. In our estimation, it's the company's "fun" line of products; in other words, it's the range of notebooks that they can tinker with, while the ThinkPad caters to business-class users. The IdeaPad S10 line of netbooks has been going for a few years now, obviously with a good deal of success. But as netbooks become more and more popular, the risk of creating another "also-ran" increases. Lenovo is hoping to set its newest netbook apart from the crowd by
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ViewSonic Takes 3D To The Projector With XGA PJD5352
3D cinemas, 3D handhelds, 3D glasses, and 3D HDTVs. What's next? 3D projectors! If a 50" (or larger) 3D TV isn't large enough for you and your family, ViewSonic is making a move to bring the 3D frenzy that has taken the world by storm to a slightly larger format. The new PJD5352 projector is a short-throw device that can work in extremely small spaces, casting a 50" image at a distance of just 3 feet away. There's a DLP chip within the XGA projector, a 1.2x optical zoom, 2600 lumens and a 3000:1 contrast ratio.
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OCZ Debuts 4GB And 8GB "Gold Series" DDR3 RAM Kits
OCZ Technology thinks you need some new RAM, and if you're struggling to open yet another Firefox tab without seeing lots of lag, you just might. The company has just unveiled their Gold Series modules in 4GB and 8GB dual-channel kits. These are designed for both existing and next-generation platforms, and they run at 1333MHz CAS 9, operating at a low-voltage specification of 1.65 volts and are tested and qualified on the latest platforms to ensure ultimate performance and stability. Each module is backed up
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Valve Introduces Left 4 Dead 2: The Passing DLC, New Weekly "Mutations"
It's not often that we cover software titles specifically here at HotHardware, but the Left 4 Dead series isn't your average software title. We use it religiously when testing out the latest desktop rigs, and in our down time, we spend way too many hours blasting through the undead in an attempt to hit that next level. Valve has today announced yet another reason to crank up the title if you've been letting it collect dust: The Passing. It's a new add-on that aims to "bring L4D1 survivors down south," and it'll
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AT&T Debuts AirCard 890 With ExpressCard And PCMCIA Support
Mobile data use is sharply on the rise. There's really no arguing that. A lot of data flows through AT&T's network, and with the introduction of this new card, a lot more probably will. Sierra Wireless has just announced one of the more unique WWAN cards that we have ever seen, and in fact, it's the first on AT&T's network to boast a "2-in-1" form factor. This means that it can support both ExpressCard and PC Card (PCMCIA) slots, so regardless of which you have, you'll be all set here. The AirCard 890
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T-Mobile To Carry Android-Based Garminfone This Spring
It's the return of the nuvifone! Or, is it? Last year, Garmin finally launched their long awaited nuvi-branded smartphone on AT&T (with a little help from Asus, as it were), but by the time it launched, most of the hype surrounding it was dead. Between the time the phone debuted and when it shipped, Android phones had flooded the market, the iPhone 3GS was out, and Windows Phone 7 was just around the corner. Early reviews on the handset weren't exactly glowing, and even thought AT&T is still offering
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HP Refreshes TouchSmart 300/600 PCs, Updates Other Desktop Lines
Talk about unveiling a boatload of products at once. HP has issued a rather lengthy list of updates in their desktop/all-in-one ranges today, with the highlights being revamped TouchSmart PCs (complete with Intel Arrandale Core i5 and Core i3) and a new Pavilion Elite desktop with a quad-core AMD chip.Speaking of which, we'll get started with that very machine. The HP Pavilion Elite HPE-210f is a typical mid-sized PC tower, equipped with a 3.00GHz Phenom II 945 Quad-Core CPU, Windows 7 Home Premium (64-bit),
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HomePlug Powerline Alliances Gets IEEE Backing: Standard To Come Soon
HomePlug is one of those technologies that have probably been around longer than you know, but it never really took off in a way that Bluetooth and Wi-Fi have. If you've never heard of it, it basically allows signals (usually network signals) to travel through a home's existing power network. Instead of forcing users to run long Ethernet drops or use flaky Wi-Fi, this is a happy medium solution.The HomePlug Powerline Alliance just announced that the IEEE P1901 Working Group has passed an initial sponsor ballot,
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Lenovo IdeaPad S10-3t Multi-Touch Tablet/Netbook Review
Lenovo's IdeaPad line is somewhat unpredictable. In our estimation, it's the company's "fun" line of products; in other words, it's the range of notebooks that they can tinker with, while the ThinkPad caters to business-class users. The IdeaPad S10 line of netbooks has been going for a few years now, obviously with a good deal of success. But as netbooks become more and more popular, the risk of creating another "also-ran" increases. Lenovo is hoping to set its newest netbook apart from the crowd by
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Comments made in the year 1955,....
'I'll tell you one thing, if things keep going the way they are, it's going to be impossible to buy a week's groceries for $10.00.
'Have you seen the new cars coming out next year? It won't be long before $1, 000.00 will only buy a used one.
'If cigarettes keep going up in price, I'm going to quit. 20 cents a pack is ridiculous.
'Did you hear the post office is thinking about charging 7 cents just to mail a letter
'If they raise the minimum wage to $1.00, nobody will be able to hire outside help at the store.
'When I first started driving, who would have thought gas would someday cost 25 cents a gallon. Guess we'd be better off leaving the car in the garage.
'I'm afraid to send my kids to the movies any more Ever since they let Clark Gable get by with saying DAMN in GONE WITH THE WIND, it seems every new movie has either HELL or DAMN in it.
'I read the other day where some scientist thinks it's possible to put a man on the moon by the end of the century. They even have some fellows they call astronauts preparing for it down inTexas .
'Did you see where some baseball player just signed a contract for $50,000 a year just to play ball? It wouldn't surprise me if someday they'll be making more than the President.
'I never thought I'd see the day all our kitchen appliances would be electric. They are even making electric typewriters now.
'It's too bad things are so tough nowadays. I see where a few married women are having to work to make ends meet.
'It won't be long before young couples are going to have to hire someone to watch their kids so they can both work.
'I'm afraid the Volkswagen car is going to open the door to a whole lot of foreign business.
'Thank goodness I won't live to see the day when the Government takes half our income in taxes. I sometimes wonder if we are electing the best people to government.
'The drive-in restaurant is convenient in nice weather, but I seriously doubt they will ever catch on.
'There is no sense going on short trips anymore for a weekend, it costs nearly $2.00 a night to stay in a hotel.
'No one can afford to be sick anymore, at $15.00 a day in the hospital, it's too rich for my blood.'
'If they think I'll pay 30 cents for a hair cut, forget it.'
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Steam for Linux for real this time?
I'm not going to hold my breath hoping this means... what I hope it means, but I saw this post over at Phoronix, that included the following part of the shell script used to bootstrap Steam on a Mac:
if [ "$UNAME" == "Darwin" ]; then
PLATFORM=osx32
# prepend our lib path to LD_LIBRARY_PATH
export DYLD_LIBRARY_PATH="${STEAMROOT}"/${PLATFORM}:$DYLD_LIBRARY_PATH
elif [ "$UNAME" == "Linux" ]; then
PLATFORM=linux32
# prepend our lib path to LD_LIBRARY_PATH
export LD_LIBRARY_PATH="${STEAMROOT}"/${PLATFORM}:$LD_LIBRARY_PATH
fi
Pretty interesting that the shell script isn't just assuming it's running on a Mac, and actually sets the library path when running on Linux, eh? I wonder if this means those years long rumors of internal builds for Linux are true?
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MUST-SEE IMAGES OF THE SUN:
For your "Hot" information, RealNeil
At a press conference today, researchers unveiled First Light images from the Solar Dynamics Observatory, NASA's "Hubble for the Sun." There are huge erupting prominences, crackling solar flares, and gigantic shock waves shown with a clarity ten times better than HDTV. The images must be seen to be believed.
Go directly to NASA for the full story:
http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2010/21apr_firstlight/
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Old Movie, Very Cool
1905 San Francisco Street Car film - Going back in time!
Give this film TIME to load...it has weird back ground music dubbed in, but it is the film
which is amazing!
This film (7 minutes And 10 seconds) was "lost"
for many years.
It was taken by camera mounted on the front
of a cable car.
This film, originally thought to be from 1905
until David Kiehn with the Niles Essanay Silent
Film Museum figured out exactly when it was shot.
From New York trade papers announcing the film
showing to the wet streets from recent heavy
rainfall & shadows indicating time of year & actual
weather and conditions on historical record, even
when the cars were registered (he even knows who
owned them and when the plates were issued!).. It
was filmed only four days before the quake and
shipped by train to NY for processing.
The amount of automobiles is staggering for 1905.
Absolutely amazing! The clock tower at the end of
Market Street at the Embarcadero wharf is still there.
It is interesting to see how disorganized the street
scene is – cars, horses, horses and buggies, horses
and wagons, street cars, pedestrians (notice all the
men in suits) – all going every which way! Good
thing they are moving at a slow pace! Also bicycles.
I want to know how many "street cleaning" people were employed
to pick up after the horses? Heh-Heh!
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Apple Reports Record Quarter, iPhone Sales Double
The fat cats at Apple have reason to celebrate, and we're not talking about the successful launch of the iPad. Not directly, anyway. The Cupertino gang turned in record financial results for Apple's fiscal 2010 second quarter ended March 27, 2010, at least for a non-holiday quarter.Apple posted revenue of $13.60 billion and net quarterly profit of $3.07 billion, which works out to $3.33 per diluted share. That's a pretty sizable bump from one year ago when quarter profit sat at $9.08 billion and net quarterly profit at $1.62 billion, or $1.79 per diluted share.
"We're thrilled to report our best non-holiday quarter ever, with revenues up 49 percent and profits up 90 percent," said Steve Jobs, Apple's CEO. "We've launched our revolutionary new iPad and users are loving it, and we have several more extraordinary products in the pipeline this year."
One of those products will be the iPhone 4G, Apple's next generation smartphone that has been the center of tech talk in recent days after a prototype was left in a bar, purchased by Gizmodo, and thrust online for all the world to see. Pretty embarrassing, but unlikely to damage Apple's long term outlook. In fact, Apple said it sold 8.75 million iPhones in the quarter, which is a whopping 131 percent more than was sold one year ago.
The company also sold quite a few Macintoshes - 2.94 million to be exact, a rise of 33 percent over the same quarter one year ago. Only iPod sales noted a decline, however not by much. Apple said it sold 10.89 million iPods during the quarter, which is one percent less than a year ago.
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ViewSonic Takes 3D To The Projector With XGA PJD5352
3D cinemas, 3D handhelds, 3D glasses, and 3D HDTVs. What's next? 3Dprojectors! If a 50" (or larger) 3D TV isn't large enough for you andyour family, ViewSonic is making a move to bring the 3D frenzy that hastaken the world by storm to a slightly larger format. The new PJD5352projector is a short-throw device that can work in extremely smallspaces, casting a 50" image at a distance of just 3 feet away.There's a DLP chip within the XGA projector, a 1.2x optical zoom, 2600lumens and a 3000:1 contrast ratio. It also supports a 120Hz framerate, 5W speaker and a weight of 5.5lbs. Several other convenientfeatures include multiple preset presentationmodes, closed captioning for the hearing impaired, an “Off to Goâ€feature for bypassing the usual cool down phase and a Kensingtonsecurity lock and security bar for increased theft deterrence.
It's available now for $749, but we get the feeling that most consumerswill wait for an HD version of the 3D projector. If you're going 3D,you might as well go 720p or 1080p too, right?
ViewSonic® Moves Projectors to the Front Row
Powerful new XGA 3D-capable short throw PJD5352 produces a 50†image at a distance of only three feet
WALNUT, Calif. - April 20, 2010
ViewSonic® Corp., a leading global provider of visual display, computing and digital content solutions, today announced the commercial availability of its PJD5352 portable 3D-capable short throw projector.
An advanced short throw DLP projector, the PJD5352 is ideal for giving both multimedia lessons in the classroom and dynamic presentations in the boardroom. Equipped with BrilliantColor™ technology, a short 0.9 throw ratio and 1.2X optical zoom, the PJD5352 produces a 50†image with life-like color and clarity at a distance of only three feet away. Delivering 2,600 lumens with a 1024x768 XGA native resolution and 3,000:1 contrast ratio with DCR, this projector performs in even the brightest environment.
With an amazingly fast 120Hz frame rate and integrated 5W speaker, this versatile projector supports Texas Instruments’ DLP® Link™ technology, making it optimized for 2D and 3D performance. At just 5.5 lbs., this projector is designed for tabletop use or it can be mounted on the wall with an optional short throw mount. Several other convenient features include multiple preset presentation modes, closed captioning for the hearing impaired, an “Off to Go†feature for bypassing the usual cool down phase and a Kensington security lock and security bar for increased theft deterrence.
For power consumption, the PJD5352’s Eco Mode offers up to a 6,000-hour lamp life and reduced noise, and <1w>
ViewSonic’s Finch Club offers resellers an opportunity to benefit from specialized product training and discounts. To sign up, please visit FinchClub.com.
For further information on ViewSonic products and news, visit ViewSonic.com, or follow ViewSonic on Facebook®, YouTube® and Twitter®.
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OCZ Debuts 4GB And 8GB "Gold Series" DDR3 RAM Kits
OCZ Technology thinks you need some new RAM, and if you're strugglingto open yet another Firefox tab without seeing lots of lag, you justmight. The company has just unveiled their Gold Series modules in 4GBand 8GB dual-channel kits. These are designed for both existing andnext-generation platforms, and they run at 1333MHz CAS 9, operating ata low-voltage specification of 1.65 volts and are tested and qualifiedon the latest platforms to ensure ultimate performance and stability.Each module is backed up by a Lifetime Warranty,and they're optimized for P55, H55 and H57 chipsets. No pricing has yet been announced, but they should be on sale momentarily.
OCZ Technology Announces High-Density 4GB DDR3 Modules and 8GB Dual Channel Kits
SAN JOSE, CA-April 20, 2010-OCZ Technology Group, Inc. (OTCBB:OCZT), a worldwide leading provider of high-performance solid-state drives (SSDs) and memory modules for computing devices and systems, unveils its all new "Gold Series," 4GB (4096MB) modules and 8GB dual-channel kits for current and next generation platforms. Enabling enthusiasts and professionals to maximize their system RAM with a single solution, the all-new OCZ high-density Gold kits deliver superior performance and multi-tasking for high-end PCs, workstations, and gaming rigs.
"As new software for productivity and entertainment become available consumers are looking to get the very most out of their PC's and our new 4GB DDR3 modules will help them do exactly that," said Ryan Petersen, CEO of the OCZ Technology Group. "Designed for both Intel and AMD platforms, the new 8GB Dual Channel Kits improve application loading times, frame rates and task switching, all of which make them an excellent solution for everyone from graphic designers to gamers."
As large, high-definition multi-media files are becoming progressively more ubiquitous in all facets of entertainment, OCZ is addressing the steady need for increased system memory, especially on motherboards with limited DIMM slots such as home theater PCs and small form factors (SFF). The new OCZ Gold Series 4GB modules and 8GB kits are engineered specifically for memory-demanding applications and intensive design and editing software. Graphic designers, CAD engineers, along with music and video professionals will benefit from increased memory resources, along with enhanced fluidity of game-play and increased frame rates with the latest gaming titles.
OCZ Gold Series 4GB modules 8GB Dual Channel kits run at 1333MHz CAS 9, operating at a low-voltage specification of 1.65 volts and are tested and qualified on the latest platforms to ensure ultimate performance and stability. Each module comes backed by the industry-leading OCZ Lifetime Warranty and technical support for unparalleled peace of mind.
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Valve Introduces Left 4 Dead 2: The Passing DLC, New Weekly "Mutations"
It's not often that we cover software titles specifically here atHotHardware, but the Left 4 Dead series isn't your average softwaretitle. We use it religiously when testing out the latest desktop rigs,and in our down time, we spend way too many hours blasting through theundead in an attempt to hit that next level. Valve has today announcedyet another reason to crank up the title if you've been letting itcollect dust: The Passing.It's a new add-on that aims to "bring L4D1 survivors down south," andit'll be released tomorrow exclusive for the Xbox 360 console and thePC. It also introduces something new to the gaming world--weekly gamemode events dubbed "Mutations." These week-long runs of new gameplaymodes range from "Realism Versus" mode to "Chainsaw Massacre," whichgives all players chainsaws with an unlimited supply of gasoline. Thereare over 20 Mutations planned, each playable on all L4D2 Campaigns, andthey'll be available only to "The Passing" owners.
It'll be available for 560 Microsoft Points on Xbox 360 and free on the PC, but c'mon, you know you bought this for PC to begin with, right? Hope so!
LEFT 4 DEAD 2 THE PASSING COMING APRIL 22
Game Add-On Brings L4D1 Survivors Down South
April 20, 2010 - Valve, creators of best-selling game franchises (such as Half-Life, Portal, Team Fortress, and Counter-Strike) and leading technologies (such as Steam and Source), today announced the first game add-on for its co-operative zombie thriller, Left 4 Dead 2 The Passing, is due for release Thursday, April 22 exclusively for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system and the PC.
           The first game add-on for Left 4 Dead 2 (L4D2) brings the original Left 4 Dead (L4D1) Survivors down south for a meeting with the L4D2 cast, while delivering new single-player, multiplayer and co-operative gameplay for the PC and Xbox 360.
           The Passing also introduces a series of weekly game mode events dubbed "Mutations." These week-long runs of new gameplay modes range from "Realism Versus" mode to "Chainsaw Massacre," which gives all players chainsaws with an unlimited supply of gasoline. There are over 20 Mutations planned, each playable on all L4D2 Campaigns. Mutations are exclusively available to owners of "The Passing" DLC.
In addition, "The Passing" offers a new co-operative challenge mode of play, support for infected bot play in Versus, a new "uncommon common" zombie class (the fallen survivor), melee weapon (golf club), and firearm (M-60).
Available for 560 Microsoft Points on Xbox 360 and free on the PC, "The Passing" takes place just after the Dead Center campaign of L4D2. Set in a small town in rural Georgia, players assume the role of the L4D2 Survivors as they meet with the L4D1 characters.
           Exclusively available for Xbox 360 and the PC, L4D2 sets a new benchmark for co-operative action games. The title adds melee combat to enable deeper co-operative gameplay, with items such as a chainsaws, frying pans, axes, baseball bats, and more.
           With the AI Director 2.0, L4D's dynamic gameplay is taken to the next level by giving the Director the ability to procedurally change weather effects, world objects, and pathways in addition to tailoring the enemy population, effects, and sounds to match the players' performance. The result is a unique game session custom fitted to provide a satisfying and uniquely challenging experience each time the game is played.
           Finally, with new Survivors, boss zombies, weapons, and items, Left 4 Dead 2 offers a much larger game than the original, featuring more co-operative campaigns, more Versus campaigns, new Survival maps, and the new competitive game mode, Scavenge.
           For more information, please visit www.l4d.com
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Asus P7P55D Deluxe
Just found Asus P7P55D Deluxe is on sale, currently there's a good price on centralcomputer.
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Subscribe Button?
I have noticed at an increasing rate that the Subscribe button has a glitch in it.
I was beginning to wonder if it was just on my side. But the pattern I noticed is about the same as that Edit problem we talked about a couple weeks ago.
When I hit the Subscribe to this conversation button, it immediately takes me to the top of the screen?
One click or two, it only does it about every other page I visit.
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AT&T Debuts AirCard 890 With ExpressCard And PCMCIA Support
Mobile data use is sharply on the rise. There's really no arguing that.A lot of data flows through AT&T's network, and with theintroduction of this new card, a lot more probably will. SierraWireless has just announced one of the more unique WWAN cards that wehave ever seen, and in fact, it's the first on AT&T's network toboast a "2-in-1" form factor. This means that it can support bothExpressCard and PC Card (PCMCIA) slots, so regardless of which youhave, you'll be all set here.The AirCard 890 is the most versitile LaptopConnect card ever, and it'sable to support AT&T's high-speed 7.2Mbps HSPA technology. It alsohas integrated GPS technology which enables location-based services towork, making it easier than ever for customers to get to their desireddestination, or providing benefits to companies with a mobileworkforce. The AirCard 890 also ships with AT&T's Global NetworkClient (AGNC),which provides business customers integrated and highly secureconnectivity with AT&T VPN Services.
It will be on sale starting on May 5 for $49.99 after mail-in rebate and a new two-year DataConnect contract of at least $35 a month.
Whether traveling across town or in the more than 195 countrieswhere AT&T offers data service, the AirCard 890 is a great solutionfor business customers who need to access email, the internet andbusiness applications from their laptop while on the go. Customers canalso enjoy convenient access to AT&T's more than 20,000 U.S. Wi-Fihotspots (with qualified DataConnect plan and Wi-Fi enabled laptop). Â
"TheSierra Wireless AirCard 890 offers our first 2-in-1 form factor, withboth PC Card and ExpressCard slot compatibility," said Michael Woodward,vice president, Mobile Phone Portfolio, AT&T Mobility and ConsumerMarkets. "In addition to enhancing our portfolio of HSPA 7.2 devices,the AirCard 890 provides a flexible and convenient solution forbusiness customers to access email and business applications while onthe go."
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Laptop Falls from Helicopter, Narrowly Misses 10-Year-Old
Don't try telling little Grayson Peterka that the sky isn't capable of falling. He may only be 10-years-old, but he knows first hand that the sky can come tumbling down at any moment. And by 'sky,' we really mean laptop, as in the kind that falls out of a medical helicopter and comes barreling towards the earth.We're not making this up, folks. Little Peterka was enjoying a family cookout on Saturday night when a laptop fell from the sky and landed on the ground just inches away from him. Apparently the laptop came from a medical helicopter that was leaving St. Cloud Hospital in Minnesota, as someone managed to leave it on the helicopter's skid.
"It fell about here and I was standing right here," Peterka said. "I heard the helicopter going by. It was pretty low and then they made like a turn. When that happened it fell to the ground."
According to hospital officials, Life Link III had just finished dropping off a patient and was leaving the helipad when the incident occurred. Though the crew retrieved most of the laptop, bits and pieces are still scattered in the alleyway behind Peterka's home.
"At first you think it's kind of humorous and then you think about it for a little bit and you go 'Wow, he could have really got hurt,'" said Mike Peterka, Grayon's father.
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LGA2011 and LGA1155 annouced for Q3 2011!!!
Intel is already planning on upgrading their already very successful Core i7 and Core i5 line of processors.
"Sandy Bridge CPUs will be based on the current 32nm, second generation High-k metal gate manufacturing process, but will include new architectural features such as AVX - Advanced Vector Extensions - and AES - Advanced Encryption Standard - acceleration and will arrive in Q1 next year, with possibly very limited products popping up late Q4, although depending on who we talk to the story changes."
They will be split into two markets:mainstream and enthusiast. LGA1156 = Mainstream, LGA2011 = Enthusiast
What this means to the end user is that you'll have EVEN more choices to choose from.
LGA1156 --> LGA1155 Is not compatible with LGA1156 motherboards
LGA1366 --> LGA2011 is also not compatible with LGA1366 motherboards. Note how 2011 directly corresponds to the year that it'll come out.
We are now gonna be seeing Quad-and-Six core processors with integrated GPU capabilities. Not to mention Quad Channel DDR3 memory. 8 sticks of RAM anybody?
"The IMC [Integrated Memory Controller] will feature support for Quad Channel DDR3 with an estimated maximum capacity of 32 GB. This offers a significant performance increase, as current Westmere-based sexa-core, Core i7 980X comes with triple-channel memory controller which can yield up to 38.4 GB/s [using DDR3-1600]. With native support for DDR3-1600, Sandy Bridge processors will offer 51.2 GB/s of system memory bandwidth - an impressive feat."
Almost double system memory bandwidth, pricing is still not available but is believed to be very similar to the current Core i7's. At launch 300+ for the motherboard and probably a similar pricing scheme for the processors (300.500,999).
Here are some articles about the new line of processors...
http://www.brightsideofnews.com/news/2010/4/16/intel-shows-off-sandy-bridge-at-idf-2010.aspx
http://www.bit-tech.net/hardware/cpus/2010/04/21/intel-sandy-bridge-details-of-the-next-gen/1
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Windows Genuine Advantage!
I am suddenly not as keen on Microsoft hardware as I was before. My opinion of their business practices remains unchanged.
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RANT
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iPad Thieves Strip Man's Finger While Stealing New Apple Tablet
Gross. Just gross. And depressing. Those feelings aren't typically associated with new tablet PCs, and definitely not with new Apple products. But each time a new, hot product hits the market, some level of crime usually surrounds it. A few years back, someone actually implemented a drive-by shooting in order to secure a PlayStation 3. People were robbed blind on eBay after the Wii launch. And now, a Denver-area man is missing most of his pinky finger thanks to two knuckleheads who'd rather steal an iPad than earn their keep and buy one.According to various reports out of Colorado, a 59-year old male went to a nearby Apple store in order to procure an iPad for a co-worker. Someone he knew in Canada had just been promoted, and he was sent out to purchase an iPad as a congragulatory gift. The man, Bill Jordan, didn't even really know much about the iPad itself. He was quoted as saying that he "didn't even know what it was," simply thinking it was just the next hot "toy." He definitely didn't realize that people would go to great lengths in order to get one.
After purchasing the device, he wrapped the cords that stick out of Apple's typical sales bags around his hand as he was leaving. He didn't think twice about it. But on his way out, two criminals came up behind him, with one yanking hard on the bag in an attempt to steal the iPad and make a break for it. Unfortunately, the hard yank also resulted in the skin around his pinky being ripped off, leaving his hand gushing blood and the man himself in an incredible amount of pain.
He was taken away and treated for his injuries, but he's still in rough shape as you can see in the image above. In an interview, the victim had this to say: "I never hear it coming, I never see it coming. I just remember this kid pulling and pulling and pulling and it got caught?took the flesh right off, the tendons and everything. There was nothing but bone. It didn't dawn on me (that) this is a new product that's in demand and somebody would go to this length to get something like this. To destroy someone's hand. Who knows how far they would have gone if it didn't come off my hand?"
Directing one quote to the thives who injured him: "I hope you understand what you've done to my life and my family's life for a simple piece of apparatus that'll be junk in a couple of years."
Law enforcement officials are now looking at surveilliance footage in hopes of locating the crooks and service justice, but there's little doubt that Mr. Jordan's hand will never fully be the same.
Â
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Lenovo IdeaPad S10-3t Multi-Touch Tablet/Netbook Review
Lenovo's IdeaPad line is somewhat unpredictable. In our estimation, it's the company's "fun" line of products; in other words, it's the range of notebooks that they can tinker with, while the ThinkPad caters to business-class users. The IdeaPad S10 line of netbooks has been going for a few years now, obviously with a good deal of success. But as netbooks become more and more popular, the risk of creating another "also-ran" increases. Lenovo is hoping to set its newest netbook apart from the crowd by doing a couple of things: dressing it up, and providing a multi-touch, swivel screen that few others will include.The S10-3t ("t" is for touch) is the latest iteration of the S10 netbook, and it's also one of the first IdeaPad machines to incorporate Intel's newest Atom processor. The 1.83GHz Atom N470 should improve performance somewhat, and the inclusion of Windows 7 Home Premium also gives a fresh face to a line that was previously saddled with Windows XP. The design here has also been stepped way up, with gorgeous (and funky) overlays splattered about and a swivel display that can pivot 180-degrees in either direction or be flipped entirely to "iPad mode." We made that last bit up, but it can definitely become a full-on tablet with just a swing and a click...
Lenovo IdeaPad S10-3t Multi-Touch Tablet/Netbook Review
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HP Refreshes TouchSmart 300/600 PCs, Updates Other Desktop Lines
Talk about unveiling a boatload of products at once. HP has issued a rather lengthy list of updates in their desktop/all-in-one ranges today, with the highlights being revamped TouchSmart PCs (complete with Intel Arrandale Core i5 and Core i3) and a new Pavilion Elite desktop with a quad-core AMD chip.
Speaking of which, we'll get started with that very machine. The HP Pavilion Elite HPE-210f is a typical mid-sized PC tower, equipped with a 3.00GHz Phenom II 945 Quad-Core CPU, Windows 7 Home Premium (64-bit), 8GB of DDR3 memory, a 1TB hard drive, Blu-ray drive, ATI Radeon 5450 GPU with 512MB of DDR3 graphics memory, Wi-Fi (802.11b/g/n), a front-panel 15-in-1 card reader and a 1-year warranty. There's also Gigabit Ethernet, three PCIe x1 slots, 1 PCIe x16 slot seven USB 2.0 ports, FireWire, audio in/out, DVI/HDMI outputs and a bundled HP USB keyboard and optical mouse. Nothing too extraordinary, but a solid overall entertainment machine for those who don't need the abosolute best in CPU/GPU technology.
Updates to the TouchSmart PC line are next, with the TouchSmart 600 boasting a 23" touch-panel, new Core i3/i5 options, Beats Audio and a host of new touch-friendly applications. The new TouchSmart 300 will start at $799; the TouchSmart 600 will start at $1099. There's also a new HP All-in-One desktop (model number: 200-5020 PC) starting at $699, which features a 21.5" 1080p LED panel, integrated webcam, Windows 7, built-in microphone, integrated Wi-Fi and stereo speakers, an optional wireless keyboard/mouse SuperMulti DVD writer and the MediaSmart software suite.
For the business user, the AMD-based HP Compaq 6005 Pro Ultra Slim desktop is an "enterprise-grade" machine that measures just 10" high and 2.6" wide, equipped with ATI Radeon 4200 graphics, dual-monitor support, DDR3 memory and ten USB ports. It starts at $599 and will ship April 26.
HP Offers Powerful Performance and Energy Efficiency in
Desktop PCs for Consumers and Businesses
Beats Audio and touch applications now available on HP
TouchSmart PCs
PALO ALTO, Calif., April 21, 2010 – HP, the world’s number one desktop
manufacturer (1), today introduced two energy-efficient, space-saving desktop PCs
along with updates to its TouchSmart PC, including new Intel™ Core® processor
options, an enhanced experience with Beatsâ„¢ Audio and new touch applications
from Corel® and Roxio.
— The HP All-in-One200 features an ideal balance of form and function, offering
consumers the performance of a traditional tower and monitor solution in one
sleek, integrated design.
— The HP Compaq 6005 Pro Ultra Slim desktop PC delivers business users energy
efficiency, productivity and security in a small, sleek design.
“Today’s announcement expands HP’s portfolio with compelling desktop offerings
for consumers and businesses who want great performance and design,†said
Anneliese Olson, director, Worldwide Product Marketing, Desktop PCs, HP. “These
new offerings consume less energy and are proof of our commitment to reducing
waste in the design, manufacturing, packaging and transportation of our products.â€
Desktop PCs never looked so good
The HP All-in-One200 consumer desktop PC offers the performance of a traditional
desktop solution in a slim, stylish profile. The All-in-One200 is simple to set up and fits
seamlessly in a kitchen, family room or bedroom. Its features include:
— A 21.5-inch diagonal, 1080-pixel, LED backlit, high-definition display(2) that tilts
up to 30 degrees and swivels from side to side
— An integrated webcam and built-in microphone(3)
— Built-in wireless LAN (802.11 b/g/n), enabling users to surf the web quickly
and easily(4)
— Integrated premium stereo speakers 2/5
— Optional wireless keyboard and mouse
— SuperMulti DVD player with LightScribe technology
— The HP MediaSmart software suite, which offers a fun and easy way to enjoy
digital content – including watching TV or movies with Hulu and Netflix,
sharing photos via Snapfish by HP,(3) and burning music and videos to DVDs
The HP All-in-One200 is ENERGY STAR® qualified and meets the standards for Silver
registration in the Electronic Products Environmental Assessment Tool (EPEAT®). It
features a mercury-free, white light-emitting diodes (WLED) display that uses less
energy than previous-generation displays. The display’s solid-state components also
are more resistant to damage caused by external shock. Additionally, in response
to growing environmental concerns regarding the use of brominated flame
retardants (BFRs) and polyvinyl chloride (PVC), the All-in-One200 is the first consumer
desktop available with some BFR/PVC free components.
Enterprise-class performance with energy savings
The HP Compaq 6005 Pro Ultra Slim desktop (USDT) is an enterprise-grade
performance PC designed with the environment in mind. Measuring just 10 inches
high and 2.6 inches wide, the approximate size of a ream of paper, the 6005 Pro
USDT can be easily connected to the back of a display by using the optional HP
Integrated Work Center, promoting a clutter-free workspace.
The sixth generation of HP business desktop PCs to feature AMD® processors, this
slim and sleek PC features VISION Pro(8) technology from AMD, delivering highperformance
computing. Additionally it features tailored security software –
including HP ProtectTools – and impressive energy-efficiency for enterprise business
users on a budget. The HP Compaq 6005 Pro USDT is designed for corporate
enterprise, midmarket, government, healthcare and education customers that want a
dependable, high-performance PC with energy-efficient features, enhanced graphic
capabilities, flexibility and expandability, including:
— Integrated ATI RadeonTM 4200 graphics and DirectX 10.1 for a stunning visual
experience
— Dual-monitor capability for easier multitasking
— DDR3 memory technology for higher bandwidth
— DASH 1.1 for expedited remote management tasks
— Mini PCIe x1 slot so users can add a wireless card and stay connected
— Ten USB ports to help businesses expand their capabilities
HP’s second business PC and the first AMD PC in the industry to be BFR/PVC free,
the HP Compaq 6005 Pro USDT offers an 87-percent-efficient power supply, meets
ENERGY STAR® qualifications and EPEAT® registration, and includes a range of
preinstalled software tools such as HP Power Assistant(10) to help business users stay
on track with energy savings and contribute to their company’s short- and long-term
environmental goals. The new integrated side port memory enhances energy
savings by putting the CPU into deep sleep at idle.
HP TouchSmart – the next generation of amazing
The HP TouchSmart 600 – a 23-inch-diagonal widescreen, touch-enabled PC – now
features new Intel™ Core® i3 and i5 processor options, delivering the ultimate in
smart performance.
Engineered to reproduce the sound quality found in music studios, Beats Audio is
now available on the HP TouchSmart 600. This unique, high-performance
technology, developed by HP and Beats by Dr. Dreâ„¢, provides the optimal sound
experience – the way the artist intended it.
The HP TouchSmart 300 and 600 PC series also now feature new built-for-touch
applications, including Paint It! by Corel and Roxio CinemaNow. Paint It! Studio
lets users get in touch with their inner artist, edit photos and create original designs.
Paint It! digital art tools allow experimentation with color theory, composition and
brush strokes, without the mess associated with traditional art.
Roxio CinemaNow lets users browse new releases with a touch of a finger, then
watch them directly on the HP TouchSmart PC. Roxio CinemaNow has more than
12,000 movies to rent or buy.
Pricing and availability
— The HP All-in-One200 desktop PC starts at $699 and is available today on
www.hp.com.
— The HP Compaq 6005 Pro Ultra Slim desktop starts at $599 and is expected to
be available April 26.
— The HP TouchSmart 600 with Intel Core i3 and i5 processors, Beats Audio, and
Paint It! by Corel and Roxio CinemaNow starts at $1099 and is available with
Intel Core i3 today and Intel Core i5 on April 28 on www.hp.com.
— The HP TouchSmart 300 with Paint It! by Corel and Roxio CinemaNow starts at
$799 and is available today on www.hp.com.
More information about the products, including product specifications and images,
is available at www.hp.com/personalagain.
HP Total Care
HP products are backed by HP Total Care – the company’s award-winning service,
solutions and support – both in and out of warranty. HP’s online support options
include consumer support forums, online classes offered at no charge, a dedicated
support video channel and the HP Customer Care site, named one of the “Ten Best
Web Support Sites of 2009†by the Association of Support Professionals. HP
support professionals also are available by phone 24/7.
Windows and Windows Vista are U.S. registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation.
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I voted for Obama,….but I may not do it again. I believe that he could move faster on many fronts and he’s not doing it. Unfortunately, he seems to be drinking the ‘Kool-Aid’ that his generals are pouring and suddenly he doesn’t fully understand that we want out of Iraq and Afghanistan. He should have closed the Guantanamo Prison down by now and he has not.
Equal Rights should be an overriding factor for this man, but it’s not so far,……
So now I find that I can only believe in change that really happens.