Latest Techgage News http://techgage.com Fri, 10 Jul 2009 02:41:57 +0100 FeedCreator 1.7.2 http://techgage.com/images/press/techgage_logo_medium.jpg http://techgage.com Techgage.com http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TechgageNews/~3/q7jaKC6OUkE/macbook_pro_13_cant_display_millions_of_colors_-_or_can_it <p>Although I appreciate a quality display when I see one, I'm far from being a guru on the subject, so I'm absolutely stumped regarding recent news that the MacBook Pro 13" model can't display millions of colors as promised, but rather only a few hundred thousand. In a blog post made by icon designer <a href="http://mantia.me/blog/macbook-pro-thousands-of-colors/" target="_blank">Louie Mantia</a>, he claims that though he believed the 13" MacBook Pro would feature an 8-bit panel like the larger models, it in fact comes equipped with only a 6-bit panel.</p> <p>Louie sold his 17" last-gen MacBook Pro for something a little more portable, but was burned with this realization. After putting in some extensive effort to get a response from Apple, it couldn't be done, so whether or not he found a dud, or if <em>all</em> such notebooks include a 6-bit panel, is unknown. To cloud the situation even further, professional photographer Rob Galbraith recently <a href="http://www.robgalbraith.com/bins/multi_page.asp?cid=7-10041-10146" target="_blank">posted an article</a> praising the new MacBook Pro line-up's incredible panel quality, including the 13" variant.</p> <p>So what is it? Do all 13" MacBook Pro's include a 6-bit panel? And for that matter, do most notebook displays include 6-bit panels? Do even the larger MacBook Pro's include 8-bit panels? The situation seems so utterly confusing, and in looking around the web, everyone's opinion on the matter seems to conflict with one another. It's not helping that Apple's keeping so tight-lipped either, but it's no real surprise.</p> <p>Perhaps the most mind-boggling question would have to be... who on earth would want to do design work on a 13" monitor?! Either way, if you're in the market for a new notebook, especially the 13" MacBook Pro, be sure to do some extensive research before a purchase to make sure you are getting what you're expecting.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><img src="/images/news/apple_macbook_pro_snow_leopard_060909.jpg" alt="" /></p> <p><em>A few days later, I get a phone call from Apple, letting me know that Apple Engineering has declined to disclose this information. Excuse me? Declined? I just purchased your product and all I want is for you to verify the specs that you advertise. It should not be that difficult to do. But apparently, it is. A few years ago, a few individuals started a class-action lawsuit against Apple for advertising millions of colors with their 6bit displays. Unfortunately, they needed a &ldquo;class&rdquo; for a class-action lawsuit, and not enough people cared/noticed. The matter was settled out of court.</em></p> <table border="0" width="100%"> <tbody> <tr> <td>&nbsp;</td> <td> <div style="text-align: right;"><strong>Discuss:</strong> <a href="http://forums.techgage.com/showthread.php?t=4956">Comment Thread</a></div> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TechgageNews?a=q7jaKC6OUkE:YjOUbt8jeuI:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TechgageNews?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TechgageNews?a=q7jaKC6OUkE:YjOUbt8jeuI:7Q72WNTAKBA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TechgageNews?d=7Q72WNTAKBA" border="0"></img></a> </div> http://techgage.com/news/macbook_pro_13_cant_display_millions_of_colors_-_or_can_it http://techgage.com/news/macbook_pro_13_cant_display_millions_of_colors_-_or_can_it http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TechgageNews/~3/liSK0A7CUvk/pandora_has_saved_internet_radio_for_now <p>The future of online radio has been unclear for quite some time, thanks to the greedy music industry, but it looks as though Pandora has saved the day... not only for themselves, but for Internet radio as a whole. In a new agreement, Pandora is giving up 25% (at least) of their revenue, but it does mean security until at least 2015. That gives Pandora and other online radio stations a fair amount of time to work a more reasonable deal, or for the clueless beings overseeing the entire process a clue or two.</p> <p>The key part in all of this is that SoundExchange agreed to a 40-50% reduction in the per-song (per listener) rates, and in return, Pandora gives up some of its revenue as mentioned above. But that's not all. Listeners of the free service are going to be affected, but only those who use the service for more than 40 hours per month. If you happen to be one of those, you'll have to pay $1 for unlimited access (that seems more than fair).</p> <p>If you already happen to be a paid member of Pandora, then you're going to see absolutely no change. Overall this is a huge win for Pandora and Internet radio as a whole, but it's really too bad that these companies have to bend over backwards to cater to the music industry. It's in no way like this with typical radio, so it's strange that online radio gets the industry's panties in a bunch. Either way, this is a great outcome, and we can all relax for the next while.</p> <p>Oh, and if Pandora could <em>finally</em> come to Canada, that'd be great, too.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><img src="/images/news/pandora_071009.jpg" alt="" /></p> <p><em>But Pandora also had to give up a little more. Because the rates agreed upon are still quite a bit higher than other forms of radio, the service is going to have to put limits in place for users of its free version. Apparently, this will only affect 10% of the user base, as it&rsquo;s basically just anyone who uses Pandora over 40 hours per month. If a user hits that wall, it will only cost them $0.99 to go unlimited for the remainder of the month. Seems fair.</em></p> <table border="0" width="100%"> <tbody> <tr> <td><strong>Source:</strong> <a href="http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/07/07/pandora-and-other-internet-radio-has-officially-been-saved/" target="_blank">Tech Crunch</a></td> <td> <div style="text-align: right;"><strong>Discuss:</strong> <a href="http://forums.techgage.com/showthread.php?t=4956">Comment Thread</a></div> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TechgageNews?a=liSK0A7CUvk:dDXG7ZBW8qo:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TechgageNews?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TechgageNews?a=liSK0A7CUvk:dDXG7ZBW8qo:7Q72WNTAKBA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TechgageNews?d=7Q72WNTAKBA" border="0"></img></a> </div> http://techgage.com/news/pandora_has_saved_internet_radio_for_now http://techgage.com/news/pandora_has_saved_internet_radio_for_now http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TechgageNews/~3/mC3YKk-tG1U/upgrading_ubuntu_from_one_major_version_to_another_simple <p>Regular visitors to the site probably know by now that I'm a Linux user, and I've been using Gentoo as my preferred distribution for the past three years. But because Gentoo requires a fair amount of attention (even just for the install), when it comes to installing Linux on a mobile machine, there are few distros easier to get up and going like Ubuntu. This is far from being an unknown choice in the Linux world, but it's for good reason... it's stable, detects a plethora of hardware and runs super-fast.</p> <p>The reason I particularly enjoy it on notebooks is because it detects almost everything, if not <em>everything</em> there is to detect, from Bluetooth to WiFi to the graphics card to the audio and whatever else. I also found out this past weekend just how easy it is to upgrade as well, from one major version to another, and it impressed me enough to actually post about it.</p> <p>For whatever reason, Ubuntu 9.04 would not boot up properly on my HP dv2. Not wanting to waste time with trouble-shooting, I downloaded the 8.04 LTS version instead, and sure enough, it booted up no problem. But since I wanted to remain current, I obviously wanted to upgrade to 9.04 and hope for the best, so that's what I did. The process is remarkably simple, and given we're talking about a full OS upgrade here, it's in all regards impressive.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><a href="/viewimg/?img=/images/news/ubuntu_upgrade_071009.png&amp;desc=Upgrading Ubuntu" target="_blank"> <img src="/images/news/ubuntu_upgrade_071009_thumb.png" alt="" /></a></p> <p>Since I was using the LTS version (long-term support), it meant that I had to change which packages it could download (LTS versions are designed to remain that version for the life of the support), and once done, the updater within Ubuntu will pick up that a new major version is available. So, I updated first to 8.10 and then to 9.04 and the entire process was unbelievably simple. The best part is that <em>anyone</em> could get by with this method of updating... not only Linux users. We're definitely on the right track here.</p> <p>For some bizarre reason, my audio card stopped working after the upgrade, but I'll deal with that another day. One thing after another, it seems!</p> <table border="0" width="100%"> <tbody> <tr> <td></td> <td> <div style="text-align: right;"><strong>Discuss:</strong> <a href="http://forums.techgage.com/showthread.php?t=4955">Comment Thread</a></div> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TechgageNews?a=mC3YKk-tG1U:pC7MHXiZ92U:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TechgageNews?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TechgageNews?a=mC3YKk-tG1U:pC7MHXiZ92U:7Q72WNTAKBA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TechgageNews?d=7Q72WNTAKBA" border="0"></img></a> </div> http://techgage.com/news/upgrading_ubuntu_from_one_major_version_to_another_simple http://techgage.com/news/upgrading_ubuntu_from_one_major_version_to_another_simple http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TechgageNews/~3/MwoKB28jLWg/tech_roundup_-_july_10_2009 <ul> <div class="reviewSectionsecondary">Motherboards &amp; Processors</div> <li>ASUS Crosshair III Formula - <a href="http://www.overclockersclub.com/reviews/crosshair_iii/" target="_blank">Overclockers Club</a></li> <li>ASUS P6T SE - <a href="http://www.pcshoptalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=17472" target="_blank">PCShopTalk</a></li> <li>Gigabyte MA770T-UD3P - <a href="http://www.pcper.com/article.php?aid=740" target="_blank">PC Perspective</a></li> <br /> </ul> <ul> <div class="reviewSectionsecondary">Displays &amp; Video Cards</div> <li>ECS GeForce GTS 250 - <a href="http://www.dragonsteelmods.com/index.php?option=com_content&amp;task=view&amp;id=13312&amp;Itemid=1" target="_blank">DragonSteelMods</a></li> <br /> </ul> <ul> <div class="reviewSectionsecondary">Memory &amp; Storage</div> <li>Corsair P256 SSD - <a href="http://www.tweaktown.com/reviews/2813/corsair_p256_2_5_inch_solid_state_disk/index.html" target="_blank">TweakTown</a></li> <li>OCZ Vertex 120GB SSD - <a href="http://www.hardwarecanucks.com/forum/hardware-canucks-reviews/18195-ocz-vertex-120gb-ssd-review.html" target="_blank">Hardware Canucks</a></li> <li>Seagate BlackArmor PS 110 External Hard Drive - <a href="http://www.testfreaks.com/blog/review/seagate-blackarmor-ps-110-external-hard-drive/" target="_blank">TestFreaks</a></li> <li>USB Novelty Flash Drive Roundup - 36 Tested and Compared - <a href="http://www.testfreaks.com/blog/information/usb-novelty-flash-drive-roundup-36-tested-and-compared/" target="_blank">TestFreaks</a></li> <br /> </ul> <ul> <div class="reviewSectionsecondary">Peripherals &amp; Gadgets</div> <li>Razer Carcharias Headset - <a href="http://www.rbmods.com/content/10547/razer-carcharias-headset-review.aspx" target="_blank">Red and Blackness</a></li> <li>Roccat Taito Gaming Mousepad - <a href="http://www.overclock3d.net/reviews.php?/input_devices/roccat_taito_gaming_mouse_pad/1" target="_blank">Overclock3D</a></li> <br /> </ul> <ul> <div class="reviewSectionsecondary">Cooling</div> <li>Coolink Silent Savior HDD Cooler - <a href="http://hardwarebistro.com/index.php?option=com_simple_review&amp;Itemid=84&amp;review=105-Coolink-Silent-Savior-HDD-Cooler-Review" target="_blank">Hardware Bistro</a></li> <li>EVERCOOL Transformer 4 CPU Cooler - <a href="http://www.pcshoptalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=17530" target="_blank">PCShopTalk</a></li> <li>GlacialTech UFO V51 CPU Cooler - <a href="http://www.hardwarecanucks.com/forum/hardware-canucks-reviews/17535-glacialtech-ufo-v51-cpu-cooler-review.html" target="_blank">Hardware Canucks</a></li> <li>OCZ Gladiator Max CPU Cooler - <a href="http://verdisreviews.com/reviews/ocz-gladiator-max-cpu-cooler-review/" target="_blank">Verdis Reviews</a></li> <br /> </ul> <ul> <div class="reviewSectionsecondary">Chassis &amp; Power Supplies</div> <li>In Win X-Fighter Chassis - <a href="http://www.bjorn3d.com/read.php?cID=1613" target="_blank">Bjorn3D</a></li> <li>Lian Li PC-8 Mid-Tower Chassis - <a href="http://www.ocaholic.ch/xoops/html/modules/smartsection/item.php?itemid=311&amp;sel_lang=english" target="_blank">ocaholic</a></li> <li>PC Power &amp; Cooling Silencer 910W Power Supply - <a href="http://www.jonnyguru.com/modules.php?name=NDReviews&amp;op=Story&amp;reid=157" target="_blank">JonnyGURU</a></li> <br /> </ul> <ul> <div class="reviewSectionsecondary">Competitions, Complete Systems &amp; Et cetera</div> <li>ASUS N90Sv-A2 Multimedia Notebook - <a href="http://www.tweaktown.com/reviews/2812/asus_n90sv_a2_multimedia_notebook/index.html" target="_blank">TweakTown</a></li> </ul><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TechgageNews?a=MwoKB28jLWg:Ue7f_BI3IP8:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TechgageNews?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TechgageNews?a=MwoKB28jLWg:Ue7f_BI3IP8:7Q72WNTAKBA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TechgageNews?d=7Q72WNTAKBA" border="0"></img></a> </div> http://techgage.com/news/tech_roundup_-_july_10_2009 http://techgage.com/news/tech_roundup_-_july_10_2009 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TechgageNews/~3/O6loV1UxmB4/google_announces_chrome_os <p>It looks like we can finally put another long-run rumor to rest, because Google has made it official that they've been working on their own OS, which currently goes by the name of Chrome OS. Like their browser, Chrome OS is going to be completely open source later this year, allowing developers to edit, tweak, and if you are like me, remove a line from the source code absolutely required for compiling because you don't know what you're doing.</p> <p><span>When Chrome OS is launched, it will first target <span>netbooks</span>, and the focus will be on the Internet. The company has a goal to have a machine boot up within seconds, and essentially also allow you to check your e-mail within seconds. The OS isn't going to focus on desktop applications, either, but rather cater to the cloud and utilize web-based apps. For a <span>netbook</span>, that sounds like a great idea, but I'm not so sure how it will fare if it's ever ported to a desktop (although many will disagree with me).</span></p> <p><span>The OS is, not surprisingly, going to be based on the Linux Kernel. It will however utilize it's own window manager, which we can expect will likely mimic the Chrome web browser to some degree (not a bad thing). It'll run on both x86 and ARM processors, and given the latter, we can also expect the OS to cater to various <span>MIDs</span> as well. Though that might be the case, Google stresses that this project is completely separate from Android, although both projects may overlap at some point.</span></p> <p><span>The release is slated for next year, but it won't be until early next year until we get a better idea of exact timing. The company is currently working with <span>netbook</span> vendors to release their product with Chrome OS <span>pre</span>-installed though, so it's only a matter of time before we see just how great adoption will be.</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><img src="/images/news/google_chrome_070909.jpg" alt="" /></p> <p><em><span>Speed, simplicity and security are the key aspects of Google Chrome OS. We're designing the OS to be fast and lightweight, to start up and get you onto the web in a few seconds. The user interface is minimal to stay out of your way, and most of the user experience takes place on the web. And as we did for the Google Chrome browser, we are going back to the basics and completely redesigning the underlying security architecture of the OS so that users don't have to deal with viruses, <span>malware</span> and security updates. It should just work.</span></em></p> <table border="0" width="100%"> <tbody> <tr> <td><strong>Source:</strong> <a href="http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2009/07/introducing-google-chrome-os.html" target="_blank">Official Google Blog</a></td> <td> <div style="text-align: right;"><strong>Discuss:</strong> <a href="http://forums.techgage.com/showthread.php?t=4954">Comment Thread</a></div> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TechgageNews?a=O6loV1UxmB4:C6gEKd-ZK9A:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TechgageNews?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TechgageNews?a=O6loV1UxmB4:C6gEKd-ZK9A:7Q72WNTAKBA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TechgageNews?d=7Q72WNTAKBA" border="0"></img></a> </div> http://techgage.com/news/google_announces_chrome_os http://techgage.com/news/google_announces_chrome_os http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TechgageNews/~3/yfxYekMUekM/new_contests_from_nvidia_and_intel <p>We know you guys love to win stuff, so your ears are sure to perk up with the knowledge of two sweet contests being held by NVIDIA and Intel. Neither are related, but both offer up some great prizes. First is NVIDIA with their contest that aims to have gamers saying, "WoW"... can you even guess what game this is centered around? Purchase a qualifying GPU from a qualifying e-tailer between July 1 and August 1, and you'll have the chance to enter.</p> <p>There only seems to be one prize, but it's an all-expenses paid trip to Blizzcon for you and a friend, so not a bad one at all. If you enter and don't win, you'll still get a free 30-day trial of WoW Classic out of the deal (because we all know a trial for that game is hard to come by, right?). The good news is that the contest is open to many different countries including of course USA, but also Canada, France, UK, Germany, Netherlands, Finland, Norway and also India. You can find out more at the <a href="http://www.nzone.com/WoW" target="_blank">contest site</a>.</p> <p>Intel arguably has the more interesting contest though, at least if the $80K in prizes is anything to go by. The company has teamed up with Destructoid for "Friday.Night.Fights", where you compete to top their leaderboards for the chance to win some truly incredible hardware (even PCs valued at over $5K!). If you aren't the best gamer out there, don't worry... luck can also win you a prize here. You can access the contest site at the bottom of this post!</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><img src="/images/news/world_of_warcraft_nvidia_contest_070909.jpg" alt="" /></p> <p><em>It begins! Register and compete to win some breathtaking gaming computers from Cyberpower and random prizes just for participating! The first game we're playing is Quake Live. Here's an extensive guide on how to pair up. The top 6 players after 2 weeks will move to a private semi-final mini-ladder tournament hosted by Destructoid Staff where we'll give away the computer prizes, live!</em></p> <table border="0" width="100%"> <tbody> <tr> <td><strong>Source:</strong> <a href="http://fnf.destructoid.com/" target="_blank">Friday.Night.Fights.</a></td> <td> <div style="text-align: right;"><strong>Discuss:</strong> <a href="http://forums.techgage.com/showthread.php?t=4953">Comment Thread</a></div> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TechgageNews?a=yfxYekMUekM:1uh8RbF6cbQ:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TechgageNews?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TechgageNews?a=yfxYekMUekM:1uh8RbF6cbQ:7Q72WNTAKBA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TechgageNews?d=7Q72WNTAKBA" border="0"></img></a> </div> http://techgage.com/news/new_contests_from_nvidia_and_intel http://techgage.com/news/new_contests_from_nvidia_and_intel http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TechgageNews/~3/3eh1O9AVE1o/the_joys_of_updating_our_test_suites_part_thrice <p>Guess what's tiring? If you said, "Doing a complete overhaul on all of Techgage's methodologies and test suites", you'd be absolutely correct! It feels like forever that I've been working on things around here, but we're inching ever closer to completion, and I can't wait. As mentioned before, our GPU scheme of things is all wrapped-up, and we're in the process now of benchmarking our entire gamut of cards, so you can expect a review or two within the next few weeks with our fresh results.</p> <p>As it stands right now, we're eagerly working on revising our CPU test suite, and that's proving to be a lot more complicated than originally anticipated. There's obviously more to consider where CPUs are concerned, so we're testing out various scenarios and applications to get an idea of what makes most sense to include. The slowest part is proving in getting prompt responses from all the companies we're contacting, but that's the nature of the business!</p> <p>If there's one thing you can expect to see in our upcoming CPU suite iteration, it's a beefed-up number of tests. I don't believe we're lacking in that regard as it stands, and I certainly don't want to go the opposite direction where we have too many results, but I do want to make sure we offer up the most robust set of results out there, to cater to not only the regular consumer or enthusiast, but also the professional. So in addition to tests such as 3ds Max 2010, we're also going to add in Maya 2009. There are other professional and workstation apps I'm considering, but I won't talk about those just yet.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><a href="/viewimg/?img=/images/news/graphics_card_testing_machine_070909.jpg&amp;desc=Techgage's Updated GPU Test Rig" target="_blank"> <img src="/images/news/graphics_card_testing_machine_070909_thumb.jpg" alt="" /></a></p> <p>Given that Linux is more popular than ever (and a decent number of our visitors are using the OS), I'd like to also introduce the OS again into our CPU content, and also possibly our motherboard content (not for performance, but rather compatibility). More on that later though, as we're still looking to see which benchmarks would make the most sense with that OS (you can be sure one test would be application compilation).</p> <p>Oh, and that machine in the photo above? That's our revised GPU testing machine. Because the six titles we use for our testing total 55GB, we've opted to stick to a speedy Seagate Barracuda 500GB hard drive, while for memory, we're using Corsair's 3x2GB DDR3-1333 7-7-7 kit. Huge thanks to Gigabyte for supplying us with a brand-new motherboard for the cause, their EX58-EXTREME, and also Corsair for their HX1000W power supply. Other components include Intel's Core i7-975 Extreme Edition and Thermalright's Ultra-120 CPU cooler. And yes, that's a house fan in the background, and no, it's not part of our active cooling!</p> <table border="0" width="100%"> <tbody> <tr> <td></td> <td> <div style="text-align: right;"><strong>Discuss:</strong> <a href="http://forums.techgage.com/showthread.php?t=4922">Comment Thread</a></div> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TechgageNews?a=3eh1O9AVE1o:mrY_3LXjNfA:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TechgageNews?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TechgageNews?a=3eh1O9AVE1o:mrY_3LXjNfA:7Q72WNTAKBA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TechgageNews?d=7Q72WNTAKBA" border="0"></img></a> </div> http://techgage.com/news/the_joys_of_updating_our_test_suites_part_thrice http://techgage.com/news/the_joys_of_updating_our_test_suites_part_thrice http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TechgageNews/~3/hGkNU2gdFzM/tech_roundup_-_july_9_2009 <ul> <div class="reviewSectionsecondary">Motherboards &amp; Processors</div> <li>EVGA X58 3X SLI Classified - <a href="http://www.gamepyre.com/reviews/hardware/motherboards/1128_1.html" target="_blank">GamePyre</a></li> <br /> </ul> <ul> <div class="reviewSectionsecondary">Displays &amp; Video Cards</div> <li>ASUS EAH 4770 Formula Series - <a href="http://www.overclockersclub.com/reviews/asus_eah4770_formula/" target="_blank">Overclockers Club</a></li> <li>Sapphire Radeon HD 4870 Vapor-X 2GB - <a href="http://www.motherboards.org/reviews/hardware/1916_1.html" target="_blank">Motherboards.org</a></li> <li>XFX HD 4890 1000M Black Edition - <a href="http://www.hardwareoverclock.com/XFX_Radeon_HD4890_Black_Edition.htm" target="_blank">Hardwareoverclock</a></li> <br /> </ul> <ul> <div class="reviewSectionsecondary">Memory &amp; Storage</div> <li>Corsair Dominator GT PC3-16000 6GB - <a href="http://www.tweaktown.com/reviews/2810/corsair_dominator_gt_pc3_16000_6gb_memory_kit/index.html" target="_blank">TweakTown</a></li> <br /> </ul> <ul> <div class="reviewSectionsecondary">Peripherals &amp; Gadgets</div> <li>NZXT Cryo S Notebook Cooler - <a href="http://www.bjorn3d.com/read.php?cID=1611" target="_blank">Bjorn3D</a></li> <li>OCZ Alchemy Elixir Keyboard - <a href="http://www.technic3d.com/article-865,1-ocz-alchemy-elixir-gaming-tastatur-im-test.htm" target="_blank">Technic3D</a></li> <br /> </ul> <ul> <div class="reviewSectionsecondary">Cooling</div> <li>Koolance CPU-LN2 Liquid Nitrogen Evaporator - <a href="http://legitreviews.com/article/987/1/" target="_blank">Legit Reviews</a></li> <li>Thermaltake ISGC-400 CPU Cooler - <a href="http://www.hitechlegion.com/reviews/cooling/heatsinksfans/860-thermaltake-isgc-400-cpu-cooler-review" target="_blank">Hi Tech Legion</a></li> <li>Zalman CNPS10X Extreme CPU Cooler - <a href="http://www.tweaktown.com/reviews/2811/zalman_cnps10x_extreme_cpu_cooler/index.html" target="_blank">TweakTown</a></li> <br /> </ul> <ul> <div class="reviewSectionsecondary">Chassis &amp; Power Supplies</div> <li>Cooler Master Storm Scout Gaming Chassis - <a href="http://tech-reviews.co.uk/reviews/cooler-master-storm-scout-gaming-case/" target="_blank">Tech-Reviews</a></li> <li>NZXT Panzerbox Chassis - <a href="http://www.tweakpc.de/hardware/tests/gehaeuse/nzxt_panzerbox/s01.php" target="_blank">TweakPC</a></li> <br /> </ul> <ul> <div class="reviewSectionsecondary">Competitions, Complete Systems &amp; Et cetera</div> <li>An Interview With A Linux Game Porter - <a href="http://www.phoronix.com/vr.php?view=14014" target="_blank">Phoronix</a></li> <li>Testing Clear's WiMax Internet Service - <a href="http://news.digitaltrends.com/feature/122/testing-clear-s-wimax-internet-service" target="_blank">Digital Trends</a></li> </ul><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TechgageNews?a=hGkNU2gdFzM:o2ynjxL3ogw:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TechgageNews?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TechgageNews?a=hGkNU2gdFzM:o2ynjxL3ogw:7Q72WNTAKBA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TechgageNews?d=7Q72WNTAKBA" border="0"></img></a> </div> http://techgage.com/news/tech_roundup_-_july_9_2009 http://techgage.com/news/tech_roundup_-_july_9_2009 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TechgageNews/~3/uzpjkZNdNek/mixing_your_mouth_with_simple_technology <p>I don't talk too often about music or music artists in our news section, but this is one of those times when there's no reason not to. Not because the music is technologically advanced, but rather because of the exact opposite. Beatboxing is the art of creating music with nothing other than your mouth. Most often, created sounds come in the form of drum beats and other rhythm, and some pull it off so well, that it's makes it hard to believe that no instruments or computers were involved.</p> <p>Back in April, a friend linked me to <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WhBoR_tgXCI" target="_blank">a YouTube video</a> by beatboxer Dub FX, for a song called Flow. Fifteen or so watches later, I knew I had to pick up the album, which I did a few weeks ago. I was a little skeptical, but I have to say, it's very, very impressive, and I'm having a hard time putting it down. Call me naive, but in some parts I actually have a hard time accepting the fact that it's beatboxed beats I'm listening to, and nothing else.</p> <p>To create more robust music, Dub FX (and other beatboxers) use loop pedals to play back the music they've created, then sing over it. Other techniques are used to create even more robust music, but ultimately, the source music is from the mouth and nothing else. You can check out the video above to get a sample of Dub FX's music, and also check out his <a href="http://www.dubfx.net/" target="blank">official site</a>.</p> <p>I'm sure there are thousands of beatboxers worthy of mention, but another group in particular I find to be quite amazing (despite the musical genre not really being to my tastes) is Naturally 7. This is a seven-part R&amp;B band, and again, all the music is created with the mouth. Want to be impressed? Check <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z5MkNOXSdkA" target="_blank">out the video</a>.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><img src="/images/news/dub_fx_070509.jpg" alt="" /></p> <p><em>Dub Fx the street-loop-beatboxer grew up in St Kilda / Melbourne / Australia performing in various bands before hitting the world-wide road. Dub Fx uses Roland BOSS effect &amp; loop pedals to create sounds which when layered creates a live musical construct. Predominantly Dub Fx can be found busking through Europe with his Girlfriend the 'Flower Fairy' who also performs along side.</em></p> <table border="0" width="100%"> <tbody> <tr> <td><strong>Source:</strong> <a href="http://www.dubfx.net/" target="_blank">Dub FX Official Site</a></td> <td> <div style="text-align: right;"><strong>Discuss:</strong> <a href="http://forums.techgage.com/showthread.php?t=4952">Comment Thread</a></div> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TechgageNews?a=uzpjkZNdNek:eGRp4IW0fuo:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TechgageNews?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TechgageNews?a=uzpjkZNdNek:eGRp4IW0fuo:7Q72WNTAKBA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TechgageNews?d=7Q72WNTAKBA" border="0"></img></a> </div> http://techgage.com/news/mixing_your_mouth_with_simple_technology http://techgage.com/news/mixing_your_mouth_with_simple_technology http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TechgageNews/~3/qB5Ajc3kkq0/china_bans_virtual_goods_selling <p>Some say that PC gaming is dying, but that's hardly the case. What has seemed to have happened over the course of the past ten years is a shift of the type of games people play. MMORPG titles are more popular than ever, and with World of Warcraft exceeding 10,000,000 subscribers at the current time, it doesn't look like the trend is going to die off anytime soon.</p> <p>If you are one of the millions that currently subscribe to an MMO (*raises hand*), you likely know just how much of a <a href="/news/game_developers_on_gold_selling/">problem gold-selling is</a>, and perhaps you've even partook in some of this forbidden fruit yourself. I'd like to think that the majority of people who play an MMORPG would agree that gold-selling is a problem, and it's for what I believe to be obvious reasons. Gold-selling means more bots and a skewed in-game economy... it's that simple. But as hard as the game companies try to stop it, their attempts all but ultimately fail.</p> <p>But, I read with great excitement the other day that the Chinese government has declared that virtual currency and services <em>cannot</em> be traded or sold. This is huge news, as China has the vast majority of gold-sellers. Will such a ruling actually thwart the practice? Here's to hoping it will, but it'd be awful naive to believe that the problem is simply going to vanish. For something like this to remain truly effective, the entire world would have to create laws around it, and that's obviously not going to happen (and it shouldn't given all the more important things going on). Oh well, it's at least a start... now to see if we'll actually notice a difference.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><img src="/images/news/gold_selling_041309.jpg" alt="" /></p> <p><em>The Chinese government estimates that trade in virtual currency exceeded several billion yuan last year, a figure that it claims has been growing at a rate of 20% annually. One billion yuan is currently equal to about $146 million. The ruling is likely to affect many of the more than 300 million Internet users in China, as well as those in other countries involved in virtual currency trading. In the context of online role playing games like World of Warcraft, virtual currency trading is often called gold farming. </em></p> <table border="0" width="100%"> <tbody> <tr> <td><strong>Source:</strong> <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/news/internet/ebusiness/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=218101859" target="_blank">InformationWeek</a></td> <td> <div style="text-align: right;"><strong>Discuss:</strong> <a href="http://forums.techgage.com/showthread.php?t=4951">Comment Thread</a></div> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TechgageNews?a=qB5Ajc3kkq0:tciv6sJs-pE:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TechgageNews?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TechgageNews?a=qB5Ajc3kkq0:tciv6sJs-pE:7Q72WNTAKBA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TechgageNews?d=7Q72WNTAKBA" border="0"></img></a> </div> http://techgage.com/news/china_bans_virtual_goods_selling http://techgage.com/news/china_bans_virtual_goods_selling http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TechgageNews/~3/AU1FRtaiqp0/virtualbox_30_final_released <p>Boy, it feels like it was just a few weeks ago that the VirtualBox 3.0 beta was released. Oh, right... <a href="/news/virtualbox_30_introduces_direct3d_and_opengl_support/">it was</a>. This release set a new record for software moving from the beta to final release stage, but apparently the software was "virtually" finished... the developers simply wanted to have beta-testing go on for a few weeks before shipping it as final. So, if you're a VirtualBox user, you'll want to make sure you give this one a download.</p> <p>As I mentioned in the news post a few weeks ago, 3.0 brings two major additions: Guest SMP with up to 32 CPUs and also the introduction of 3D support (OpenGL 2.0 for Windows, Linux, Solaris and Direct3D 8/9 for Windows). As I mentioned in a <a href="http://forums.techgage.com/showthread.php?t=4909">forum thread</a>, I didn't have the best of luck when testing out the beta, and for the most part, nothing has really changed with the final. Hopefully your experiences will prove better than mine.</p> <p>In looking around the web, it seems that some people have even been able to get Aero to work, although I've yet to see a screenshot showing that to be the case. Ryan Paul at <a href="http://arstechnica.com/open-source/news/2009/07/virtualbox-3-brings-3d-graphics-support.ars" target="_blank">Ars Technica</a> did show a screenshot of the 3D in action using Ubuntu, however, and it works well enough to even allow Compiz to function. For all we know right now, the 3D aspect might work better on certain cards, but I'm not so sure. In the screenshot below, you can see Windows Vista 32-bit running under the 3.0 final under Gentoo Linux, and neither can I get Aero to work, nor do I have more than one CPU core available (I specified two and three, neither worked).</p> <p>I'll have to give VB 3.0 a try on other OS' and see if my luck improves. Either way, if you've ever wanted to run Linux under your Windows or vice versa, or even run a different Linux distro (or another OS) under your preferred OS, give the latest version a download... you're likely to regret it.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><a href="/viewimg/?img=/images/news/virtualbox_running_vista_under_gentoo_070509.png&amp;desc=VirtualBox 3.0 Running Windows Vista under Gentoo Linux" target="_blank"> <img src="/images/news/virtualbox_running_vista_under_gentoo_070509_thumb.jpg" alt="" /></a></p> <p><em>VirtualBox 3.0, the newest version of Sun's high-performance, cross-platform virtualization software, is now freely available for download. The new version can handle heavyweight, server-class workloads like database and Web applications, as well as desktop workloads on client or server systems. It can support virtual SMP (symmetric multiple processing) systems with as many as 32 virtual CPUs in one virtual machine and delivers enhanced graphic support for desktop-class workloads.</em></p> <table border="0" width="100%"> <tbody> <tr> <td><strong>Source:</strong> <a href="http://www.sun.com/featured-articles/2009-0701/feature/index.jsp" target="_blank">VirtualBox 3.0</a></td> <td> <div style="text-align: right;"><strong>Discuss:</strong> <a href="http://forums.techgage.com/showthread.php?t=4950">Comment Thread</a></div> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TechgageNews?a=AU1FRtaiqp0:sWvOYaMu8O8:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TechgageNews?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TechgageNews?a=AU1FRtaiqp0:sWvOYaMu8O8:7Q72WNTAKBA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TechgageNews?d=7Q72WNTAKBA" border="0"></img></a> </div> http://techgage.com/news/virtualbox_30_final_released http://techgage.com/news/virtualbox_30_final_released http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TechgageNews/~3/QKhbuK70_M0/tech_roundup_-_july_8_2009 <ul><div class="reviewSectionsecondary">Motherboards & Processors</div> <li>ASUS Maximus II GENE P45 - <a href="http://www.hardwarecanucks.com/forum/hardware-canucks-reviews/19083-asus-maximus-ii-gene-p45-matx-motherboard-review.html" target="_blank">Hardware Canucks</a></li> <br /></ul> <ul><div class="reviewSectionsecondary">Displays & Video Cards</div> <li>ASUS GeForce ENGTX275 - <a href="http://www.neoseeker.com/Articles/Hardware/Reviews/asusengtx275review/" target="_blank">Neoseeker</a></li> <li>Sparkle GeForce GTX 275 - <a href="http://www.legitreviews.com/article/1006/1/" target="_blank">Legit Reviews</a></li> <br /></ul> <ul><div class="reviewSectionsecondary">Memory & Storage</div> <li>Kingston SSDNow M-Series SSD Upgrade Kit - <a href="http://www.tweaktown.com/reviews/2809/kingston_ssdnow_m_series_ssd_upgrade_kit/index.html" target="_blank">TweakTown</a></li> <br /></ul> <ul><div class="reviewSectionsecondary">Peripherals & Gadgets</div> <li>Antec Veris Multimedia Station Premier - <a href="http://www.overclock3d.net/reviews.php?/misc_content/antec_veris_multimedia_station_premier/1" target="_blank">Overclock3D</a></li> <li>Eagle Arion ET-AR402IR-BK 2.1 iDock Speakers with Subwoofer - <a href="http://www.testfreaks.com/blog/review/eagle-arion-et-ar402ir-bk-21-idock-speakers-with-subwoofer/" target="_blank">TestFreaks</a></li> <li>Maximo iM-590 iMetal Earphones - <a href="http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/iMetal/iM-590" target="_blank">techPowerUp</a></li> <li>Plextor PX-B310U External Blu-ray Combo Drive - <a href="http://www.ccereviews.com/reviews/plextor-px-b310u-external-blu-ray-combo-drive/" target="_blank">CCE Reviews</a></li> <li>Rosewill RM-8500 Gaming Mouse - <a href="http://www.bjorn3d.com/read.php?cID=1607" target="_blank">Bjorn3D</a></li> <li>Trendnet Wireless N Gigabit Router and Wireless N USB Dongle - <a href="http://www.overclockershq.com/hardware-reviews/trendnet-wireless-n-gigabit-router-and-wireless-n-usb-dongle-review.html" target="_blank">OverclockersHQ</a></li> <br /></ul> <ul><div class="reviewSectionsecondary">Cooling</div> <li>CoolIT Domino A.L.C Watercooling Kit - <a href="http://www.overclock3d.net/reviews.php?/cases_cooling/coolit_domino_a_l_c_dm-1000_cpu_cooler/1" target="_blank">Overclock3D</a></li> <li>CoolIT Domino A.L.C Watercooling Kit - <a href="http://tech-reviews.co.uk/reviews/coolit-domino-a-l-c-water-cooling-kit/" target="_blank">Tech-Reviews</a></li> <li>Nexus TDD-9000 Liquid Cooling Pad Laptop Cooler - <a href="http://tech-reviews.co.uk/reviews/nexus-tdd-9000-liquid-cooling-pad/" target="_blank">Tech-Reviews</a></li> <br /></ul> <ul><div class="reviewSectionsecondary">Chassis & Power Supplies</div> <li>In Win Matrix HTPC Chassis - <a href="http://www.hitechlegion.com/reviews/cases/908-in-win-matrix-htpc-case-review" target="_blank">Hi Tech Legion</a></li> <br /></ul> <ul><div class="reviewSectionsecondary">Competitions, Complete Systems & Et cetera</div> <li>Samsung R10 1080 HD Flash Camcorder - <a href="http://www.dreamwarecomputers.com/reviews_2009/samsung_r10/" target="_blank">Dreamware Computers</a></li> <li>Top Digital Camera Accessories - <a href="http://reviews.digitaltrends.com/guide/277/top-digital-camera-accessories" target="_blank">Digital Trends</a></li> </ul><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TechgageNews?a=QKhbuK70_M0:H3Lcg8cRsMQ:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TechgageNews?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TechgageNews?a=QKhbuK70_M0:H3Lcg8cRsMQ:7Q72WNTAKBA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TechgageNews?d=7Q72WNTAKBA" border="0"></img></a> </div> http://techgage.com/news/tech_roundup_-_july_8_2009 http://techgage.com/news/tech_roundup_-_july_8_2009 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TechgageNews/~3/IkIidRX-nAs/top_music_inventions_from_the_past_50_years <p>If there's one thing many of us can relate to, it'd be our love for music, whether it's listening or playing. If you share a similar passion as I do for listening to whatever genre strikes your fancy, could you pick just one particular music-related invention that you'd consider to be the most important ever to be unveiled?</p> <p>I'd personally vote for the MP3 file format, because although it wasn't the first digital music format to hit the market, it was the one that really kicked-off some amazing things to come. Such things include MP3 players (iPod, Zune, Sansa, etc), digital music sharing/purchasing and overall, the ease of handling such files. Imagine if today we still had to deal with our hard-copy CDs just to listen to the music... insane!</p> <p>Online tech magazine T3 picks their top ten music inventions, and not surprisingly, the MP3 format (and even Napster) is on there, but their first is still a good one... Sony's Walkman. If you were alive in the 90's and enjoyed music, chances are you owned one of these bulky players that are quite humorous to look at today. I'm not a fan of ultra-small MP3 players such as the iPod Nano, but I sure prefer it over a book-sized player!</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><img src="/images/news/sony_walkman_070409.jpg" alt="" /></p> <p><em>Without a shadow of a doubt, Sony&rsquo;s portable music box altered the way we think about and enjoy music forever, and such an achievement has got us thinking about all the other innovations in music that should be celebrated and revered with just as much gusto. Thus, we&rsquo;ve compiled a list of the top ten innovations in music tech over the last 50 years. As Friedrich Nietzsche once said: &ldquo;Life without music would be a mistake.&rdquo;</em></p> <table border="0" width="100%"> <tbody> <tr> <td><strong>Source:</strong> <a href="http://www.t3.com/feature/10-key-musical-innovations-of-the-last-50-years" target="_blank">T3 Magazine</a></td> <td> <div style="text-align: right;"><strong>Discuss:</strong> <a href="http://forums.techgage.com/showthread.php?t=4948">Comment Thread</a></div> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TechgageNews?a=IkIidRX-nAs:N3nw36fXaas:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TechgageNews?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TechgageNews?a=IkIidRX-nAs:N3nw36fXaas:7Q72WNTAKBA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TechgageNews?d=7Q72WNTAKBA" border="0"></img></a> </div> http://techgage.com/news/top_music_inventions_from_the_past_50_years http://techgage.com/news/top_music_inventions_from_the_past_50_years http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TechgageNews/~3/K3UVjRbFIrM/our_labs_have_adopted_acronis_true_image <p>As I mentioned a few <a href="/news/the_joys_of_updating_our_test_suites/">weeks ago</a>, we're in the process of updating the entire gamut of test suites for all of our performance and non-performance-related content. Yes, it's taking a lot longer than we could have ever anticipated, part in thanks to various things that came up (such as a four-day trip I took last week). We're closer than ever to wrapping some up though, so you can expect to see some great things within the next few weeks.</p> <p>Up to this point, we've always used Norton Ghost for all our hard drive backup/restore needs, but with this total test suite overhaul, I decided to test out some of the competition, to see if we could make an improvement there as well. I like Ghost, but it hasn't proven to be the most reliable for me (sometimes I'd have to restart the restore process two or three times before it would actually work), and it doesn't allow total drive backups (multiple partitions + MBR) that I could see. Those are two major issues for our particular needs.</p> <p>Thanks to our <a href="/article/kingston_ssdnow_m_series_bundle/">review of Kingston's</a> SSD upgrade kit, I was introduced to Acronis True Image, and to my surprise, the version included allowed me to test out the simple backup/restore with my other drives. So, I tested it out with my new HP dv2, because I wanted to backup the entire drive (to retain the recovery partition), and keep the backup file handy in case I accidentally wipe that partition in the future.</p> <p>Well, it worked, and the entire process was far easier to pull off than with Ghost. Both partitions along with the MBR were retained, and after wiping the target drive and restoring the backup, it was good as new. This impressed me enough to download the trial of the full-blown version, and again, the feature-set is amazing (especially for $50!). This isn't an advertisement, but a real-world testament. I've only used one feature for any good deal of time, but that one alone is worth the price-tag to me.</p> <p>We're waiting on the shipment of a few copies, and once received, I'll put it all to good use and follow-up in a few weeks with my thoughts. If you're curious about the entire feature-set, you can check out the <a href="http://www.acronis.com/homecomputing/products/trueimage/" target="_blank">product site</a>.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><img src="/images/news/acronis_drive_cleanser_070509.png" alt="" /></p> <p><em>Acronis True Image Home 2009 is an award-winning backup and recovery solution for a good reason: it protects your PC after just one click and allows you to recover from viruses, unstable software downloads, and failed hard drives. Create an exact copy of your PC and restore it from a major failure in minutes, or back up important files and recover them even faster.</em></p> <table border="0" width="100%"> <tbody> <tr> <td><strong>Source:</strong> <a href="http://www.acronis.com/homecomputing/products/trueimage/" target="_blank">Acronis True Image Home 2009</a></td> <td> <div style="text-align: right;"><strong>Discuss:</strong> <a href="http://forums.techgage.com/showthread.php?t=4947">Comment Thread</a></div> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TechgageNews?a=K3UVjRbFIrM:oMR5Pz7bKC8:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TechgageNews?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TechgageNews?a=K3UVjRbFIrM:oMR5Pz7bKC8:7Q72WNTAKBA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TechgageNews?d=7Q72WNTAKBA" border="0"></img></a> </div> http://techgage.com/news/our_labs_have_adopted_acronis_true_image http://techgage.com/news/our_labs_have_adopted_acronis_true_image http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TechgageNews/~3/4HqewBmI3l8/if_software_companies_were_soccer_teams <p>It's an odd comparison to make, but is there a single software company that immediately comes to mind that is most like your favorite sporting team? I couldn't immediately think up one for mine, but luckily Martin Veitch at CIO News took care of it, and I'd now have to agree. He took a handful of football (soccer) teams and compared them to some of the largest software companies around, and some of the comparisons are spot-on.</p> <p>I'm an Arsenal supporter (or "Gooner", more appropriately), and he compared them to Google. Fancy footwork, nice location, cool ideas and "easy on the eye" (what?). He surmises that both have good work that goes nowhere, and that sure seems to be the case with both lately. I'll also add that both Google and Arsenal are some of the richest in their respective fields, but that's not all that counts, aye?</p> <p>Who could Manchester United possibly be like? IBM, says Martin. Both have old money and great tradition, and "<em>everybody ends up going there in the end, even if they don't like them.</em>". In some regards, that's actually scarily true. One of my favorites is Real Madrid, who are most like Oracle. Tons of money, and they end up buying anything that moves. That's probably a little more true for Real, though...</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><img src="/images/news/arsenal_football_070509.jpg" alt="" /></p> <p><em>I dare say some other genius has already tried this schtick but in the spirit of Friday afternoon (and the neverending battle for employment preserving hits) here is Another! Stupid! Tabloid! List! of software companies that have strangely morphed into professional football (that's *soccer*, not the boring American variety) teams. </em></p> <table border="0" width="100%"> <tbody> <tr> <td><strong>Source:</strong> <a href="http://www.cio.co.uk/opinion/veitch/2009/06/19/if-software-companies-were-football-teams/" target="_blank">CIO News</a> &amp; <a href="http://www.cio.co.uk/opinion/veitch/2009/06/30/extra-time-if-more-software-companies-were-football-teams/" target="_blank">Part 2</a></td> <td> <div style="text-align: right;"><strong>Discuss:</strong> <a href="http://forums.techgage.com/showthread.php?t=4946">Comment Thread</a></div> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TechgageNews?a=4HqewBmI3l8:W6DXQIQrrKA:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TechgageNews?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TechgageNews?a=4HqewBmI3l8:W6DXQIQrrKA:7Q72WNTAKBA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TechgageNews?d=7Q72WNTAKBA" border="0"></img></a> </div> http://techgage.com/news/if_software_companies_were_soccer_teams http://techgage.com/news/if_software_companies_were_soccer_teams http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TechgageNews/~3/lILKlyKGBH8/tech_roundup_-_july_7_2009 <ul><div class="reviewSectionsecondary">Motherboards & Processors</div> <li>EVGA X58 3X SLI Classified - <a href="http://hothardware.com/Articles/eVGA-X58-3X-SLI-Classified-Motherboard/" target="_blank">HotHardware</a></li> <li>GIGABYTE MA790FXT-UD5P AM3 - <a href="http://www.tweaktown.com/reviews/2808/gigabyte_ma790fxt_ud5p_am3_motherboard/index.html" target="_blank">TweakTown</a></li> <br /></ul> <ul><div class="reviewSectionsecondary">Displays & Video Cards</div> <li>NVIDIA 9500GT & 9600GT Cards on a Diet - <a href="http://vr-zone.com/articles/9500gt--9600gt-on-a-diet/6859.html" target="_blank">VR-Zone</a></li> <li>Gainward GTX 295 1792MB - <a href="http://tech-reviews.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=55" target="_blank">Tech-Reviews</a></li> <li>Nanovision MIMO UM-710 USB Monitor - <a href="http://www.ocmodshop.com/ocmodshop.aspx?a=1604" target="_blank">OCModShop</a></li> <br /></ul> <ul><div class="reviewSectionsecondary">Memory & Storage</div> <li>SSD Performance under Windows Vista - <a href="http://techreport.com/articles.x/17136" target="_blank">Tech Report</a></li> <br /></ul> <ul><div class="reviewSectionsecondary">Peripherals & Gadgets</div> <li>Radius Atomic Bass Earphones for iPhone - <a href="http://www.thinkcomputers.org/index.php?x=reviews&id=1003" target="_blank">Think Computers</a></li> <li>Razer Salmosa Gaming Mouse - <a href="http://www.phoronix.com/vr.php?view=14006" target="_blank">Phoronix</a></li> <br /></ul> <ul><div class="reviewSectionsecondary">Cooling</div> <li>Arctic Cooling Freezer XTREME Rev.2 CPU Cooler - <a href="http://tech-reviews.co.uk/reviews/arctic-cooling-freezer-xtreme-rev-2/" target="_blank">Tech-Reviews</a></li> <li>How-To: Set Up A Split Loop Water Cooling - <a href="http://www.bjorn3d.com/read.php?cID=1609" target="_blank">Bjorn3D</a></li> <li>Spire TherMax II CPU Cooler - <a href="http://www.technic3d.com/article-887,1-spire-thermax-ii-cpu-kuehler-im-test.htm" target="_blank">Technic3D</a></li> <br /></ul> <ul><div class="reviewSectionsecondary">Chassis & Power Supplies</div> <li>Antec CP-850W Power Supply - <a href="http://www.xsreviews.co.uk/reviews/power-supply-units/antec-cp-850w/" target="_blank">XS Reviews</a></li> <li>NZXT Panzerbox Mid-Tower Chassis - <a href="http://www.hardwarecanucks.com/forum/hardware-canucks-reviews/19351-nzxt-panzerbox-mid-tower-case-review.html" target="_blank">Hardware Canucks</a></li> <li>OCZ FATAL1TY 550W Power Supply - <a href="http://tech-reviews.co.uk/reviews/ocz-fatal1ty-550w-psu" target="_blank">Tech-Reviews</a></li> <li>Thermaltake DH101 HTPC Chassis - <a href="http://www.overclockersonline.net/?page=articles&num=2921" target="_blank">Overclockers Online</a></li> <li>Xigmatek Midgard - <a href="http://www.dexgo.com/index.php?site=artikel/view.php&rubrik=Hardware&id=395" target="_blank">DeXgo</a></li> <br /></ul> <ul><div class="reviewSectionsecondary">Competitions, Complete Systems & Et cetera</div> <li>Acer DX900 Dual SIM Windows Smartphone - <a href="http://verdisreviews.com/reviews/acer-dx900-dual-sim-windows-smartphone-review/" target="_blank">Verdis Reviews</a></li> <li>MSI Wind U100 Netbook Overclocking Guide - <a href="http://www.legitreviews.com/article/1010/1/" target="_blank">Legit Reviews</a></li> </ul><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TechgageNews?a=lILKlyKGBH8:CbOLd2bhOCg:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TechgageNews?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TechgageNews?a=lILKlyKGBH8:CbOLd2bhOCg:7Q72WNTAKBA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TechgageNews?d=7Q72WNTAKBA" border="0"></img></a> </div> http://techgage.com/news/tech_roundup_-_july_7_2009 http://techgage.com/news/tech_roundup_-_july_7_2009 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TechgageNews/~3/V7tGXQ9AUfA/lenovo_takes_keyboard_alterations_seriously <p>What would a computer be without a keyboard? Useless if you ask me. But just how much thought has gone into the keyboard as we know it, and is there room for improvement? The folks at Lenovo think so, but it's obvious that changes can't be made without some serious thought first. How many times have you purchased a new keyboard or notebook, only to be upset by a certain placement? It's happened to me too many times.</p> <p>On their latest ThinkPad model, Lenovo moved their "Delete" key, and for some it might be a welcome or loathed change. But in an article by USA Today, it's shown that the company doesn't take such changes lightly, and they put in mass amounts of research before committing to one. Recently, they even installed keypress tracking software on 30 employees' computers (the employees knew) in order to see which keys were used most often, and this helped them decide which keys should and shouldn't be touched.</p> <p>The question must be begged... are we due for a major keyboard overhaul? With the advent of people being able to type on ridiculously small keyboards (cell phones, PDAs, etc), it seems as though the current layouts could likely be changed for the better and no one would mind. Not to mention we still have some keys that seemingly have little purpose, such as the CAPS LOCK. I'm perfectly happy with current layouts on most boards, and I'm not opposed to change, but I'm really not sure what major changes any company could make that most everyone would be pleased with. That's a tough one.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><img src="/images/news/lenovo_keyboard_070509.jpg" alt="" /></p> <p><em>Push-back from consumers hasn't stopped companies from testing and even manufacturing keyboards with unconventional designs over the years, in some cases demonstrating that people could learn to type faster than on standard QWERTY keyboards, so-called because of the arrangement of the top row of letters. During Hardy's time at IBM, researchers came up with ball-shaped one-handed keyboards that he said were faster than standard ones.</em></p> <table border="0" width="100%"> <tbody> <tr> <td><strong>Source:</strong> <a href="http://www.usatoday.com/tech/products/2009-06-26-delete-key_N.htm" target="_blank">USA Today</a></td> <td> <div style="text-align: right;"><strong>Discuss:</strong> <a href="http://forums.techgage.com/showthread.php?t=4945">Comment Thread</a></div> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TechgageNews?a=V7tGXQ9AUfA:zuRelygpOCM:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TechgageNews?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TechgageNews?a=V7tGXQ9AUfA:zuRelygpOCM:7Q72WNTAKBA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TechgageNews?d=7Q72WNTAKBA" border="0"></img></a> </div> http://techgage.com/news/lenovo_takes_keyboard_alterations_seriously http://techgage.com/news/lenovo_takes_keyboard_alterations_seriously http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TechgageNews/~3/Nvvk-xEWmaY/pc_gaming_through_the_ages <p>A few weeks ago, we <a href="/article/gogcom_-_breathing_new_life_into_old_games/">posted an article</a> that took a look at GOG.com (Good Old Games), a service that sells, as the name suggests, old titles. Some are older than others, so it's fun to look through their collection to see how graphics have improved over time. Depending on how old you are and how long you've been using a computer, you may have jumped into things more recently when SVGA or better was available, and if so, you've missed a lot.</p> <p>If you're an old-school PC gamer, and I mean <em>old-school</em>, then you may have even played games that lacked color, also known as monochrome. I played few that way, because I quickly made the move to CGA when I was able. CGA was painful in many regards, because the game developers had two color palettes to work with, and both were headache-including. But hey, at least it was color.</p> <p>Then the shift was made to EGA, which was pretty-well on par with 8-bit consoles (16 colors), then VGA (256 colors), then SVGA (65,536 colors) and beyond. The sky's the limit nowadays, but it's great to take a look at the history of PC gaming to see just how far we've come. We could very well still be using EGA or VGA... and we wouldn't even know of anything better. Imagine that! Tech Radar has a nice article discussing these color limitations and a lot more, which I've linked below. I recommend reading, especially if you've never had the privilege (is it a privilege?!) of experiencing this history.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><img src="/images/news/space_questiv_070509.jpg" alt="" /></p> <p><em>What separated this era of gaming from the likes of Crysis (if you ignore roughly 15 quantum leaps in various areas of technology) was that tricks such as these were essential. Elite used wireframe 3D graphics on most platforms because that was as much as they could hope to handle. Most games assumed the player would understand that principle, although some built it into the fiction of the game.</em></p> <table border="0" width="100%"> <tbody> <tr> <td><strong>Source:</strong> <a href="http://www.techradar.com/news/gaming/the-evolution-of-gaming-graphics-609050" target="_blank">Tech Radar</a></td> <td> <div style="text-align: right;"><strong>Discuss:</strong> <a href="http://forums.techgage.com/showthread.php?t=4944">Comment Thread</a></div> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TechgageNews?a=Nvvk-xEWmaY:NWqfoqo9dCI:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TechgageNews?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TechgageNews?a=Nvvk-xEWmaY:NWqfoqo9dCI:7Q72WNTAKBA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TechgageNews?d=7Q72WNTAKBA" border="0"></img></a> </div> http://techgage.com/news/pc_gaming_through_the_ages http://techgage.com/news/pc_gaming_through_the_ages http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TechgageNews/~3/5Grt6G1GAJY/windows_7_rtm_set_for_july_13_family_pack_a_possibility <p>We've been so immersed in Windows 7 news for the past year, it's going to be great when the freaking OS is finally released! Who's with me?! As we discovered early <a href="/news/windows_7_launch_date_box_art_revealed/">last month</a>, that will happen on October 22, so the wait isn't going to be too long from here on out. It now also appears that the RTM (release-to-manufacturing) will be distributed beginning on July 13 to TechNet subscribers (doesn't seem like the public will have legal access to this one, but I could be wrong).</p> <p>Also, as a reminder to what we spoke about <a href="/news/windows_7_pricing_announced_plus_a_half-price_sale/">two weeks ago</a>, Microsoft is currently selling all Windows 7 editions for half-price until July 11. You need to act fast, because a deal like this might not come again anytime soon (and maybe not at all... even OEM prices aren't quite this good usually).</p> <p>Another interesting thing to note is that a Family Pack might be en route, but even then the pricing is unlikely to hold a candle to this current half-price sale. Some <a href="http://bink.nu/news/microsoft-to-offer-windows-7-family-pack-license.aspx" target="_blank">keen individual noticed</a> a note in the end of the Windows 7 EULA that states, "<em>If you are a 'Qualified Family Pack User', you may install one copy of the software marked as "Family Pack" on three computers in your household for use by people who reside there.</em>".</p> <p>It hasn't been made official yet, but it's pretty hard to misinterpret that.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><img src="/images/news/windows_7_official_box_art_060809.jpg" alt="" /></p> <p><em>The main purpose of the RTM build will be to give hardware manufacturers more time to tweak their drivers with a working "final" version of Windows 7. The release of the build will coincide with the kickoff of Microsoft's Worldwide Partner Conference (WWPC) set to kick off in New Orleans. Reportedly TechNet, MSDN, and a few other partner connections will all get the RTM build on July 13.</em></p> <table border="0" width="100%"> <tbody> <tr> <td><strong>Source:</strong> <a href="http://www.dailytech.com/Reports+Windows+7+Release+to+Market+Set+for+July+13/article15596.htm" target="_blank">DailyTech</a></td> <td> <div style="text-align: right;"><strong>Discuss:</strong> <a href="http://forums.techgage.com/showthread.php?t=4943">Comment Thread</a></div> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TechgageNews?a=5Grt6G1GAJY:bZZcAwtAWuQ:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TechgageNews?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TechgageNews?a=5Grt6G1GAJY:bZZcAwtAWuQ:7Q72WNTAKBA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TechgageNews?d=7Q72WNTAKBA" border="0"></img></a> </div> http://techgage.com/news/windows_7_rtm_set_for_july_13_family_pack_a_possibility http://techgage.com/news/windows_7_rtm_set_for_july_13_family_pack_a_possibility http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TechgageNews/~3/1GkDbbfinxw/tech_roundup_-_july_6_2009 <ul> <div class="reviewSectionsecondary">Motherboards &amp; Processors</div> <li>AMD TWKR Edition Preview - <a href="http://hothardware.com/articles/AMD-Phenom-II-Black-Edition-TWKR/" target="_blank">HotHardware</a></li> <li>AMD TWKR Edition Preview - <a href="http://www.legitreviews.com/article/1009/1/" target="_blank">Legit Reviews</a></li> <li>AMD TWKR Edition Preview - <a href="http://www.neoseeker.com/Articles/Hardware/Reviews/amd_phenom_ii_twkr_black_review/" target="_blank">Neoseeker</a></li> <li>AMD TWKR Edition Preview - <a href="http://www.overclockersclub.com/reviews/amd_twkr_edition_cpu_preview/" target="_blank">Overclockers Club</a></li> <br /> </ul> <ul> <div class="reviewSectionsecondary">Displays &amp; Video Cards</div> <li>ASUS Radeon HD 4890 Voltage Tweak - <a href="http://www.tweaktown.com/reviews/2806/asus_radeon_hd_4890_voltage_tweak_graphics_card/index.html" target="_blank">TweakTown</a></li> <li>Samsung LN55A950 120Hz 55" LCD TV - <a href="http://www.tweaknews.net/reviews/samsung_120hz_LN55A950_lcd_tv/" target="_blank">Tweaknews</a></li> <li>Sapphire HD 4730 512 MB - <a href="http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Sapphire/HD_4730" target="_blank">techPowerUp</a></li> <br /> </ul> <ul> <div class="reviewSectionsecondary">Memory &amp; Storage</div> <li>Kingston HyperX (KHX-FAN) Memory Cooler - <a href="http://www.tweaktown.com/reviews/2805/kingston_hyperx_khx_fan_memory_cooler/index.html" target="_blank">TweakTown</a></li> <li>Macbook Pro Kingston SSDNow 80 GB SSD + RAM Upgrade - <a href="http://www.motherboards.org/reviews/hardware/1914_1.html" target="_blank">Motherboards.org</a></li> <li>Patriot Memory Torqx 128GB SSD - <a href="http://www.cdrinfo.com/Sections/Reviews/Specific.aspx?ArticleId=25599" target="_blank">CDRInfo</a></li> <br /> </ul> <ul> <div class="reviewSectionsecondary">Peripherals &amp; Gadgets</div> <li>Microsoft Wireless Desktop 3000 - <a href="http://www.technic3d.com/article-896,1-microsoft-wireless-desktop-3000-im-test.htm" target="_blank">Technic3D</a></li> <li>Optiarc AD7240S 24X DVDRW - <a href="http://www.cdrinfo.com/Sections/Reviews/Specific.aspx?ArticleId=25591" target="_blank">CDRInfo</a></li> <li>Speedlink Vento 2.0 Speaker Set - <a href="http://verdisreviews.com/reviews/speedlink-vento-20-speaker-set-review/" target="_blank">Verdis Reviews</a></li> <li>Sungale ID800WT 8 Inch Wi-Fi Digital Touchscreen Photo Frame - <a href="http://www.testfreaks.com/blog/review/sungale-id800wt-8-inch-wi-fi-digital-touchscreen-photo-frame/" target="_blank">TestFreaks</a></li> <br /> </ul> <ul> <div class="reviewSectionsecondary">Cooling</div> <li>Thermaltake ISGC-300 CPU Cooler - <a href="http://www.cdrinfo.com/Sections/Reviews/Specific.aspx?ArticleId=25490" target="_blank">CDRInfo</a></li> <br /> </ul> <ul> <div class="reviewSectionsecondary">Chassis &amp; Power Supplies</div> <li>Antec ISK300-65 Mini-ITX HTPC Chassis - <a href="http://benchmarkreviews.com/index.php?option=com_content&amp;task=view&amp;id=320&amp;Itemid=61upplies" target="_blank">Benchmark Reviews</a></li> <li>Cooler Master Sileo 500 Mid-Tower Chassis - <a href="http://www.thinkcomputers.org/index.php?x=reviews&amp;id=1002" target="_blank">Think Computers</a></li> <li>Rosewill RX81-MP-US External SATA Enclosure - <a href="http://tech-reviews.co.uk/reviews/rosewill-rx81-mp-us-external-sata-enclosure/" target="_blank">Tech-Reviews</a></li> <li>Synology DS209 NAS Box - <a href="http://www.bjorn3d.com/read.php?cID=1583" target="_blank">Bjorn3D</a></li> <li>Thermaltake Litepower 450W Power Supply - <a href="http://www.pureoverclock.com/article774.html" target="_blank">PureOverclock</a></li> <br /> </ul> <ul> <div class="reviewSectionsecondary">Competitions, Complete Systems &amp; Et cetera</div> <li>JVC Everio X GZ-X900 - <a href="http://reviews.digitaltrends.com/review/6573/jvc-everio-x-gz-x900-review" target="_blank">Digital Trends</a></li> <li>Robots that Live Among Us - <a href="http://news.digitaltrends.com/feature/121/robots-that-live-among-us" target="_blank">Digital Trends</a></li> </ul><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TechgageNews?a=1GkDbbfinxw:tw7vHy8WD-A:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TechgageNews?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TechgageNews?a=1GkDbbfinxw:tw7vHy8WD-A:7Q72WNTAKBA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/TechgageNews?d=7Q72WNTAKBA" border="0"></img></a> </div> http://techgage.com/news/tech_roundup_-_july_6_2009 http://techgage.com/news/tech_roundup_-_july_6_2009