Microsoft Reports
Record Third-Quarter Revenue
REDMOND, Wash. — April 24, 2008 — Microsoft Corp. today
announced third-quarter revenue, operating income and diluted
earnings per share of $14.45 billion, $4.41 billion and $0.47,
respectively. Operating income and earnings per share results
included a charge of $1.42 billion, or $0.15 per share, for the
European Commission fine. Income taxes were reduced by $0.15 per
share for the resolution of a tax audit. Read the full report
here.
More tech news & reviews from around the web...
Windows XP SP3
Standalone Update now available on MSDN
Chris Keroack, of Microsoft TechNet, has announced that Windows XP
SP3 (final) is now available for MSDN subscribers. He also went on
to say "the integrated build for Windows XP SP3
during the first week of May". In an earlier post Chris announced
that the final release of SP3 will be available for public download
on April 29th. Keep checking back as we'll have the official
download links as soon as they are available.
More tech news & reviews from around the web...
AMD announces the
availability of three new AMD Phenom™ X3 triple-core processors
SUNNYVALE, Calif. -- April 23, 2008 --AMD (NYSE: AMD) today
announced the availability of three new AMD Phenom™ X3 triple-core
processors that, when combined with the AMD 780 series chipset, can
give consumers a full HD experience and visually stunning gaming and
digital performance. As the world’s only triple-core x86 processor,
AMD Phenom X3 processors bring multi-core technology to a broader
audience in search of desktop processors that easily handle today’s
multi-threaded digital entertainment workloads.
The proliferation of digital media devices and
entertainment changes the way consumers use PCs and creates stronger
demand on the processing and graphics capabilities. Two of the
biggest determinants of the user experience when purchasing a PC are
graphics and processors, with consumers weighing trade-offs. AMD
solution-based PCs can free consumers from this dilemma with
balanced platforms that enable the Ultimate Visual Experience
complete with scalability and great value.
Read the full press release here.
AMD Phoenom X3 Triple Core Processor
Reviews:
FBI wants widespread
Internet Monitoring
Our constitutional rights are under constant attack from the
government. This time the FBI wants to monitor all internet traffic
on all networks, not just government networks.
Read the article over at CNET.
More tech news & reviews from around the web...
Sun Microsystems and
Java Card Forum Announce Next Generation of Industry Leading Java
Card Technology
SANTA CLARA, CA April 22, 2008 Sun Microsystems, Inc. (NASDAQ: JAVA)
and the Java Card Forum (JCF) today announced the availability of
version 3.0 of the award winning Java Card platform specification,
to help kickoff the SIMPosium 2008 Conference in Berlin. This
release is the most significant architectural expansion in the
dynamic, 10 year history of Java Card technology and a revolutionary
step forward for smart card chip manufacturers, smart card vendors,
and Java Card platform implementation providers. A detailed list of
new features and functions for the Java Card Platform 3.0
specification can be found at
http://www.java.sun.com/javacard.
Read the full press release
here.
More tech news & reviews from around the web...
Western Digital
Announces WD VelociRaptor™
- The world's fastest SATA hard drive!
Next-generation 10,000 RPM, 2.5-inch, 300 GB SATA Hard
Drive, WD VelociRaptor is 35 Percent Faster and Twice the Capacity
of the Previous Performance King
LAKE FOREST, CALIF. - Apr. 21, 2008 - WD®
(NYSE: WDC) announced today that it is now shipping WD VelociRaptor™
hard drives, the next generation of its 10,000 RPM SATA "Raptor"
series of drives. Designed with an enterprise-class foundation, the
new WD VelociRaptor hard drive is modified specifically for PC and
Mac® enthusiasts and professional workstations. Destined to become
the new high-performance favorite of these groups, the WD
VelociRaptor hard drive comes packed with twice the capacity and a
35 percent performance increase over the previous generation.
Read about
the details here!
More tech news & reviews from around the web...
Western Digital VelociRaptor Reviews:
Other Reviews & Articles:
Microsoft launches
beta of project Albany
Q&A: Group Product Manager Bryson
Gordon discusses “Albany” -- a new service to help consumers be more
protected, productive and connected and to stay current with
essential software and security updates.
“Albany” is the codename for a new
all-in-one subscription service of essential software and services
consumers told us were most important to them. We’ve pulled together
the productivity tools people need to organize their lives, security
to help keep their personal information safe and online services
that make it easy for them to keep in touch with friends and family,
and folded them all into a single service that also ensures the
user’s PC is running the latest security and productivity software.
Read the full Q&A here.
More tech news & reviews from around the web...
OCZ Technology
Announces Ultra-Fast, Enhanced Latency DDR3-2000 Featuring the
Latest Flex II Water-Cooling Technology
Sunnyvale, CA—April 17, 2008—OCZ Technology Group, a worldwide
leader in innovative, ultra-high performance and high reliability
memory, today unveiled a blazing fast DDR3 addition to the new Flex
II memory series. These premium modules run at incredibly fast
2000MHz speeds at CL8-8-8 timings for added performance to high-end
systems with integrated water-cooling. Designed to the very core to
offer enthusiasts the thermal management innovation of hybrid water
and passive cooling, the new PC3-16000 Flex II Series offers
rock-solid stability and performance for your high-end gaming or
overclocking system.
Read the full press release here.
Google Earth 4.3
Released
Today Google introduced a new version of the Google Earth desktop
client. Google Earth version 4.3 greatly advances the Google vision
of offering a realistic 3D model of the world in Google Earth by
giving users a higher quality, more immersive experience.
You can download
Google Earth v4.3 here.
Firefox 2.0.0.14
available for download
It's not Firefox 3, but the people over at Mozilla have released a
new update to the popular browser.
Check it out here.
More tech news & reviews from around the web...
Choosing the right case for your performance PC can be a difficult
decision. Trying to balance performance, looks and price may
seem like a loosing battle. Today we will be looking at the
latest case from NZXT's Crafted Series; the Tempest. With the
Tempest, NZXT hopes to bring you good looks and unprecedented
cooling with a target price under $100.
We put the Tempest
under the knife to find out just how well it will live up to the
lofty title: The Airflow King!
More tech news & reviews from around the web...
Asus have generally been among the top boards in the enthusiast market.
Not too long ago, Asus stepped up their game by introducing the Republic
of Gamers (ROG) motherboard line. This line of motherboards
promises the best gaming and the best overclocking that you can get on
an Asus board. In other words, this is the best of the best that
Asus has. Being labeled the best of the best has good points and
bad. Since I know I'm getting the best that Asus has to offer, I'm
expecting a lot from this board.
Let's dig into the Striker II
Extreme and see if it can live up to the hype.
Windows XP SP3 to be
released April 21st
Rumor has it Microsoft will make the
final version of Windows XP Service Pack 3 available for download on
4/21/2008. SP3 will then be officially available through MS Download
Center on 4/29/2008. Check back for updates as they are made
available.
More tech news & reviews from around the web...
Tech news & reviews from around the web...
OCZ Technology Announces World’s
Fastest 4GB Kit, the Innovative PC2-9200 Flex II DDR2 Series
Sunnyvale,
CA—April 10, 2008—OCZ Technology Group, a worldwide leader in
innovative, ultra-high performance and high reliability memory,
today unveiled the Flex II memory series, designed for blazing
speeds demanded by enthusiasts. These premium modules run at
incredibly fast DDR2-1150 speeds for high-performance systems with
integrated water-cooling. Designed to the very core to offer
enthusiasts the thermal management innovation of hybrid water and
passive cooling, the new PC2-9200 Flex II Series offers rock-solid
stability and performance for your high-end gaming or overclocking
system.
The OCZ Flex II heat management solution
enables high-frequency memory to operate within an optimal balance
of extreme speeds and low latencies without the high temperatures
that inhibit or damage the module. Each PC2-9200 Flex II memory
module features this breakthrough thermal management technology from
OCZ. Combining an effective new heatspreader design with integrated
liquid injection system and dedicated channels directly over the
module’s ICs, Flex II effectively dissipates heat produced by
high-speed memory. This sophisticated series was engineered with a
unique “flexible” design to give enthusiasts the option to run the
modules passively or water cooled via the thick array of aluminum
fins, and the concurrent use of both options promotes maximum heat
dissipation. For more information on the OCZ Flex II PC2-9200 4GB
Kit, please visit the press release
here or the product page
here.
Microsoft Proposes
Comprehensive Self-Regulatory Approach for Online Privacy
WASHINGTON — April 11, 2008 —Today, Microsoft Corp. proposed a new
structure for self-regulation of online advertising, submitting to
the Federal Trade Commission a proposal for a five-tiered system to
protect consumers’ privacy. Microsoft’s recommendations call for
distinct privacy standards in five key circumstances: when site
visitors’ data is collected for online advertising, when ads are
delivered on unrelated sites, when sites engage in behavioral
advertising, when personally identifiable information is used, and
when sensitive personal data is used.
Read the press release here.
More tech news & reviews from around the web...
Although I'm not a Mac/Apple guy by anyone's standards, I will be
the first one to admit that there are some very cool stuff on the
Mac side of the world. Mac fan or not, I think most people love
Mac's style and unbeatable quality. So what in the world is a PC
overclocking website doing talking about Macs? It's simple really,
there are some very cool products on the other side that were
originally intended for the Mac, but have also been designed to work
with the PC. One such product line is external hard drives. Just
recently I received an offer from a company called
Other World
Computing, which is devoted almost entirely to the Mac side of the
computing industry. Other World Computing is Located in Woodstock
Illinois and is a leading retailer in Macintosh and PC upgrades and
peripherals serving all of North America and international markets
since 1988. OWC has a great reputation, but let's take a look at one
of their products and see for ourselves. Today we are testing OCW's
1 Terabyte Mercury Elite-AL Pro external hard drive that comes
equipped with ports for eSATA, FireWire 800, FireWire 400, and USB
2.0.
Read the review right here at Club Overclocker!
Get your free sample of AiT
Cool-Silver!
Don't forget to register for your free sample of
AiT
Cool-Silver thermal paste! We only have a few of these left so
register for yours today!!!
NVIDIA Introduces
Fastest GeForce Platforms Ever—Optimized For Gaming PCs
SANTA CLARA, CA—APRIL 10, 2008—NVIDIA Corporation (Nasdaq:
NVDA) continues to address the global demand for better visual
experiences on the PC with the recent market introduction of a
series of new powerful graphics processing units (GPUs) and media
and communications processors (MCPs) that unleash consumers’
creativity and self-expression. The new NVIDIA GeForce® and NVIDIA
nForce® products, including the new GeForce® 9800 GX2, GeForce 9800
GTX, GeForce 9600 GT GPUs, along with the nForce 790i Ultra SLI®
media and communications processor (MCP), enable consumers to
optimize their PCs for drastically improved performance with the
latest operating systems, photo applications, mapping software,
games, and HD movies. Considered one of, if not the most important
processors inside the PC, the NVIDIA GPU, in combination with an
NVIDIA MCP, provides consumers with untold choices for building
completely flexible, scalable, and high-definition entertainment
platforms, driving visual computing capabilities to new heights.
Read the full press release here.
EMCORE Corporation to
Acquire Intel's Enterprise and Storage Optical Assets, Intel
Connects Cables Business
SANTA CLARA, Calif. and
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M., April 10, 2008 – EMCORE Corporation (NASDAQ:
EMKR) announced a definitive agreement with Intel Corporation to
acquire the enterprise and storage assets of Intel's Optical
Platform Division as well as the Intel® Connects Cables business.
EMCORE will issue 3.7 million shares of restricted stock for the
acquisition, with certain adjustments based on EMCORE's stock price
twelve months after the closing of the transaction. The assets
include intellectual property, inventory, fixed assets and
technology relating to optical transceivers for enterprise and
storage customers, as well as optical cable interconnects for
high-performance computing clusters. The transaction is expected to
close in the second quarter of this year. Read more
here.
Service Pack 2 for
SiSoftware Sandra XII Released
London, UK, April 7 2008 - "We are pleased to launch Service Pack 2
for SiSoftware Sandra XII, the latest version
of our award-winning utility, which includes remote analysis,
benchmarking and diagnostic features for PCs, servers, and
networks."
Read more about Sandra XII SP2 here.
Quad-Core AMD
Opteron™ processor-based server systems ship today
SUNNYVALE, Calif. -- April 9, 2008 --AMD (NYSE: AMD) today announced
availability and widespread shipping of Quad-Core AMD Opteron™
processor-based server systems among its channel partners. Ten AMD
Validated Server Program platforms are also available and shipping
today, addressing customer demand for the business-focused
advantages of systems based on Quad-Core AMD Opteron processors.
These systems all deliver the benefits of AMD Direct Connect
Architecture – energy efficiency, performance, scalability, and
virtualization performance.
Read the full press release here.
Microsoft Releases
Preview of New Version of Its Robotics Platform
PITTSBURGH — April 9, 2008 — Today, at the RoboBusiness Conference
and Exposition in Pittsburgh, Microsoft Corp. released the first
community technology preview (CTP) of Microsoft Robotics Developer
Studio 2008, the new version of its robotics programming platform.
Microsoft Robotics Developer Studio 2008 contains improvements in
its runtime performance, distributed computational capabilities and
tools. Scheduled for release later this year, the first preview of
the product is now available for evaluation and testing by
developers, customers and partners. Microsoft Robotics Developer
Studio 2008 is a Windows-based environment that can be used by
academic, hobbyist and commercial developers for the creation of a
variety of robotic programs and testing scenarios.
Read the details here.
More tech news & reviews from around the web...
DDR2 may be the most common memory type on the market
today, but the future of high performance memory has already
arrived. DDR3 promises to take memory to the next level of
performance. Who better to show us the future of DDR3
than OCZ technology with their PC3-12800 Intel XMP Ready Titanium
Edition Modules? Using Intel's own XMP profiles, these 1600
MHz modules promise to be the easiest overclock yet through an
automated setup. We take this 2 GB set of memory optimized for
the Intel X38 chipset to the latest ASUS motherboard
to see what
they can do here at the Club.
Get your free sample of AiT
Cool-Silver!
Don't forget to register for your free sample of
AiT
Cool-Silver thermal paste! We only have a few of these left so
register for yours today!!!
OCZ Technology
Introduces the Highly Efficient EliteXStream PSU
Sunnyvale, Calif.—April 7, 2008—OCZ Technology Group, a worldwide
leader in innovative, ultra-high performance and high reliability
memory and PC components, today unveiled the EliteXStream power
supply family for high-powered gaming systems and workstations.
Designed to offer the consumer market an enthusiast-grade computer
power supply with a state-of-the-art architecture, the EliteXStream
is the ultimate power solution for those users that require an
ultra-efficient, highly reliable, high-wattage solution for their
leading-edge gaming machine.
Read the press release here.
More tech news & reviews from around the web...
AMD to cut workforce
by 10%
Today CNET is reporting that AMD will be cutting its workforce by
10% by the end of Q3 2008.
Read the news here.
Vista SP1 problems
fixed and automatic updates resumed
"As posted last month on the Windows Vista blog, we
suspended automatic distribution of the SSU while we investigated
the problem. Over the past few weeks, we’ve learned a lot more
about the problem and have taken steps to address the issue. Today,
we’d like to let you know that we are resuming automatic
distribution of the SSU tomorrow and provide more clarity on what
happened."
Read the blog here.
More tech news & reviews from around the web...
NesteQ ASM 620W PSU Review @ Rbmods
Overclock3D Content: XFX 9600 GT XXX Alpha Dog Edition 740M 512mb
ATI Radeon 3870 Review @ TechwareLabs
Logisys 550W Clear Acrylic Power Supply Review @ TechwareLabs
Sapphire Radeon HD 3870 512MB Toxic @ HotHardware.com
Coolink GFXChilla Review
MSI N9600GT-1GB @ t-break
OCZ DDR2 PC2-8500 Reaper HPC 4GB Edition @ Bjorn3D
Gigabyte 9600 GT 512MB review
Bill Gates announces
Windows 7 may come within the next year...
CNET - MIAMI--Microsoft Chairman Bill
Gates on Friday indicated that Windows 7, the next major version of
Windows, could come within the next year, far ahead of the
development schedule previously indicated by the software maker.
I'm surprised that Microsoft is already making this announcement,
but with so many people having trouble with Vista right from the
start, It's the right thing to do. I've personally seen company news
letters advising and even forbidding the use of Vista due to
hardware and software compatibility issues. Not to mention Vista
takes twice as much memory to run as XP. If for one have tried to
run Vista, but in order to do so I'll have to spend another $2000
for other software upgrades I wasn't expecting and can't afford.
Anyway, you can
read the full article over at CNET.
More tech news & reviews from around the web...
MX vs ATX Untamed PSP Review
Xigmatek Red Scorpion, S1283 CPU Cooler @ Rbmods
Tagan Icy Box NAS4220 Server @ 3dGameMan.com
Nexus HXR-5500 reviewed at BurnOutPC.com
Nesteq EECS 700w Review @ XSReviews
EagleTech I-Series JBOD Enclosure @ Pro-Clockers
Maxtor Shared Storage II 1TB Review @ Techgage
CSX Wraith Tower Case Review @ OCIA.net
OCZ Technology Group
Announces PC Power & Cooling’s Expansion of Silencer Line, Including
the All-New 500W for Mainstream Systems
Sunnyvale, Calif.—April 3, 2008—OCZ Technology Group, a worldwide
leader in innovative, ultra-high performance memory and PC
components, today announced the release of all-new additions to the
Silencer line of power supplies from PC Power & Cooling including a
500W EPS12V and Dell™ compatible model. The efficient and economical
370W, 420W, and 500W Silencers offer mainstream system builders and
professionals a robust power resource at an affordable price point.
"I am pleased that PC Power & Cooling is able to
offer exceptional Silencer series performance and reliability at
such an affordable price point, " stated
Doug Dodson,
founder of PC Power & Cooling and CTO of Power Management for the
OCZ Technology Group. "The Silencer line now offers every type of
computer user an option for the premium power management of their
system."
The Silencer 370, 420, and 500 offer a range of power for mainstream
gaming, home theatre, and work station PCs. The 500W series features
a specialized Dell version that allows Dell owners to upgrade their
systems with the latest components including any of the new
power-hungry high-performance video cards. Ideal for PC users who
prefer a straight-forward, value-minded PSU, the Silencer 370, 420,
and 500 provide cool, quiet, and reliable power.
Read the full press release here.
Intel and Epic Games
Launch "$1 Million Intel Make Something Unreal Contest"
CARY, N.C. – April 3, 2008 – Epic Games, Inc., the award-winning
developer of multimillion-selling games and the world's leading game
engine, Unreal Engine 3, today announced plans to follow up the
original "$1 Million Make Something Unreal Contest" with an all new
competition to include esteemed sponsor, Intel Corporation. Winnings
exceed $1 million in value, and consist of one coveted Unreal Engine
3 license as a grand prize and other cash awards and prizes,
including Intel® Software Development Products and Velocity Micro
PCs based on the Intel® Dual Socket Extreme Desktop Platform with
two Intel® Core™2 Extreme quad-core processors. The 2008 "$1 Million
Intel Make Something Unreal Contest" will be judged in four
preliminary phases and a grand final. Judging will begin in June
2008 and will conclude, with the grand final prizes being awarded,
in fall 2009.
Read all about it here.
Microsoft Announces
Extended Availability of Windows XP Home for ULCPCs
REDMOND, Wash., –April 3, 2008 – Today Microsoft announced the
worldwide extension of the availability of Windows XP Home for an
emerging, new class of mobile personal computers commonly known as
ultra-low-cost PCs, or ULCPCs. Windows XP Home for ULCPCs will be
available until the later of June 30, 2010, or one year after
general availability of the next version of Windows.
Read about the details here.
More tech news & reviews from around the web...
Windows Vista Service Pack 1: A performance check @ Tech Report
In Win B2 Stealth Bomber Case Review @ High Tech Reviews
Kingwin Heat-Pipe Direct Touch CPU Coolers Review @Virtual-Hideout
ASUS M3A78-EMH HDMI @ HotHardware.com
Logisys 650W Power Supply Review @ TechwareLabs
BFG Tech ES-800 Power Supply Review - Frequency Conversion
OrigenAE C10 Low Profile CPU Cooler @ techPowerUp
Apevia X-Supra G Type Case Review @ HardwareLogic
ASUS WL-520gU Wireless Router Review @ Techgage
Apevia X-QBOII Micro-ATX Case Review @ OCIA.net
TrustedReviews Article Bulletin: Sapphire PI-AM2RS780G
Get your free sample of AiT
Cool-Silver!
For a limited time we are giving away free samples of
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Antec Introduces
The Three Hundred PC Case
Fremont,
CA - April 2, 2008 - Antec, Inc., the leading global brand of
high-performance computer components for the PC upgrade and
Do-It-Yourself markets, today launched the Three Hundred enclosure.
Built on the Nine Hundred's success in the market, this affordable
enclosure combines versatility, convenience and robust cooling to
deliver an unbeatable value.
Read the full press
release here!
Intel Corporation today introduced five new Intel®
Atom™ processors
INTEL DEVELOPER FORUM, Shanghai, April 2, 2008 – Intel
Corporation today introduced five new Intel® Atom™ processors and
Intel Centrino® Atom™ processor technology for Mobile Internet
Devices (MIDs) and embedded computing solutions.
The technology package includes the Intel® Atom™
processor (formerly codenamed "Silverthorne") plus a single-chip
with integrated graphics called the Intel® System Controller Hub
that enables PC-like capabilities, an uncompromised Internet
experience and long battery life in smaller devices that can fit in
your pocket. Manufacturers around the world are planning to ship
Intel-based MIDs beginning this summer.
Read the details here.
Firefox 3 Beta 3 Released!
Firefox 3 Beta 5 is
now available for
download. This milestone is focused on testing the core
functionality provided by many new features and changes to the
platform scheduled for Firefox 3. Ongoing planning for Firefox 3 can
be followed at the Firefox 3 Planning Center, as well as in
mozilla.dev.planning and on irc.mozilla.org in #granparadiso.
More tech news & reviews from around the web...
Icy Box NAS Enclosure Review @ TechwareLabs:
http://www.techwarelabs.com
EVGA e-GeForce 9800GTX 512MB Video Card Review:
http://www.gamepyre.com
Crucial Ballistix Tracer 2Gig PC2-8500 Review @
Tweaknews.net:
http://www.tweaknews.net
Apevia Warlock 750 Watt Power Supply @ Pro-Clockers:
http://www.pro-clockers.com
Nesteq ECS 7001 700 Watt Power Supply Review @
OCIA.net:
http://ocia.net
ATI HD 2400 XT 256MB Video Card Reviewed @
TheTechLounge:
http://www.thetechlounge.com
