The Tech Report - Articles

http://techreport.comThe Tech Report - ArticlesPC Hardware ExploredThu, 09 Feb 2012 16:08:00 -0600http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/techreport/articles/~3/9tnu38G1KD4/22452http://techreport.com/articles.x/22452A closer look at the new AMD<p><span class="smallcaps">AMD has faced</span> quite a bit of upheaval in recent months, with the ouster of former CEO Dirk Meyer and the eventual hiring of his replacement, Rory Read. Much of the firm's executive leadership team has turned over, among them high-profile losses like former ATI exec Rick Bergman's departure to Synaptics. Meanwhile, the firm launched its long-delayed Bulldozer microprocessor, almost universally considered a disappointment, and then fired 10% of its workforce.</p><p>The recent turmoil at AMD has taken place against the backdrop of longer-term problems. AMD has long been the junior partner in a duopoly of PC-compatible CPU makers, with industry behemoth Intel taking the lead role and the lion's share of the market. The smaller firm has been a scrappy competitor at times, but an embarrassing string of delays and problems ...</p><p><a href="http://techreport.com/articles.x/22452">Read more...</a></p> <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/-J7FzZRGosJUiXcWoECbD1ZClhc/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/-J7FzZRGosJUiXcWoECbD1ZClhc/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/-J7FzZRGosJUiXcWoECbD1ZClhc/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/-J7FzZRGosJUiXcWoECbD1ZClhc/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techreport/articles/~4/9tnu38G1KD4" height="1" width="1"/>Thu, 09 Feb 2012 16:08:00 -0600http://techreport.com/articles.x/22452http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/techreport/articles/~3/ITbqrBED-FA/22415http://techreport.com/articles.x/22415Intel's 520 Series solid-state drive<p><span class="smallcaps">Intel has gotten a lot of mileage</span> out of the SSD controller it designed for the original X25-M. This chip made its debut <a href="http://techreport.com/articles.x/15433">in 2008</a>, back when Justin Bieber was underground. Since then, the same controller architecture has been stretched over three generations of consumer drives. With each refresh have come firmware enhancements and new flash memory chips built using finer fabrication techniques. The latest in that lineage is the Intel 320 Series, which features 25-nm MLC NAND.</p><p>Despite this cutting-edge flash, the 320 Series can't keep up with the performance of its contemporary rivals. That doesn't seem to bother Intel, whose long-term relationship with the controller has become an open one. Last year, ...</p><p><a href="http://techreport.com/articles.x/22415">Read more...</a></p> <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/wqwHSaR-czk2AJt_Yn7nB28Txbo/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/wqwHSaR-czk2AJt_Yn7nB28Txbo/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/wqwHSaR-czk2AJt_Yn7nB28Txbo/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/wqwHSaR-czk2AJt_Yn7nB28Txbo/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techreport/articles/~4/ITbqrBED-FA" height="1" width="1"/>Mon, 06 Feb 2012 10:00:00 -0600http://techreport.com/articles.x/22415http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/techreport/articles/~3/XURc9dmac3A/22425http://techreport.com/articles.x/22425The TR Podcast 105: Eye candy and SSD scaling<div> <table cellpadding="0" style="border-collapse: collapse;" class="transparent"><tbody><tr><td><a href="http://techreport.com/archive.x?tags=Podcast"><img width="414" height="257" alt="The Tech Report Podcast" src="http://techreport.com/r.x/2012q1/podcast0205.jpg"></a></td> <td style="padding-left: 1em;"><span class="subsubhead">Date: February 5, 2012<br> Time: 1:13:20<br><br> Hosted by Jordan Drake<br><br> Co-Hosts: Scott Wasson, Geoff Gasior, and Cyril Kowaliski<br><br> Download:</span><br><a href="http://techreport.com/podcast/trpodcast_ep105.mp3">MP3</a> (52.9MB) | <a href="http://techreport.com/podcast/trpodcast_ep105.m4a">M4A</a> (72.1MB)<br><br><span class="subsubhead">Subscribe:</span><br><a href="http://techreport.com/podcast_mp3.rss">RSS (MP3)</a> | <a href="http://techreport.com/podcast_m4a.rss">RSS (M4A)</a><br><a href="http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-tech-report-podcast-mp3/id276890851">iTunes (MP3)</a> | <a href="http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=273853335">iTunes (M4A)</a></td> </tr><tr><td colspan="2"><script language="JavaScript" src="http://techreport.com/podcast/audio-player.js"></script><span class="subsubhead">Listen now: </span><br><object type="application/x-shockwave-flash" data="/podcast/player.swf" id="audioplayer1" width="290" height="24"> <param name="movie" value="/podcast/player.swf"><param name="FlashVars" value="playerID=1&bg=0x364B78&leftbg=0xD4D4D4&lefticon=0x364B78&rightbg=0xd4d4d4&rightbghover=0x999999&righticon=0x364B78&righticonhover=0xFFFFFF&text=0xFFFFFF&slider=0xFFFFFF&track=0xFFFFFF&bo rder=0x364B78&loader=0xD4D4D4&soundFile=/podcast/trpodcast_ep105.mp3"><param name="quality" value="high"><param name="menu" value="false"><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></object></td> </tr></tbody></table><div class="hr"> </div><p><span class="subsubhead">Show notes</span> <br> We've got a short and sweet episode of tech reporting this week, featuring Scott's scratchy Bluetooth headset, Jordan's favorite podcasts, and Geoff's sexy SSD roundup. We ...</p><p><a href="http://techreport.com/articles.x/22425">Read more...</a></p> <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/ArbwJRP4PZfSZuqxxKgkaOVZcHA/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/ArbwJRP4PZfSZuqxxKgkaOVZcHA/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/ArbwJRP4PZfSZuqxxKgkaOVZcHA/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/ArbwJRP4PZfSZuqxxKgkaOVZcHA/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techreport/articles/~4/XURc9dmac3A" height="1" width="1"/>Sun, 05 Feb 2012 19:38:00 -0600http://techreport.com/articles.x/22425http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/techreport/articles/~3/2k7Uh5qhiU8/22401http://techreport.com/articles.x/22401Samsung's 830 Series solid-state drive<p><span class="smallcaps">Despite being a consumer electronics giant</span> that makes everything from smartphones to home appliances, Samsung has always been something of a dark horse in the PC storage industry. For years, the company cranked out some of the finest desktop hard drives around, yet they were often difficult to find in stock at online retailers. We got the sense that Samsung was far less interested in selling bare drives to the enthusiast community than the other hard drive makers.</p><p>Indeed, Samsung has now bailed out of selling hard drives completely. This past spring, Seagate <a href="http://techreport.com/discussions.x/20799">announced plans</a> to acquire Samsung's hard drive business. ...</p><p><a href="http://techreport.com/articles.x/22401">Read more...</a></p> <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/sVURkYbm7nZkEE73mf0dIhip7OU/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/sVURkYbm7nZkEE73mf0dIhip7OU/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/sVURkYbm7nZkEE73mf0dIhip7OU/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/sVURkYbm7nZkEE73mf0dIhip7OU/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techreport/articles/~4/2k7Uh5qhiU8" height="1" width="1"/>Thu, 02 Feb 2012 17:40:00 -0600http://techreport.com/articles.x/22401http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/techreport/articles/~3/g9i9irjI3EU/22358http://techreport.com/articles.x/22358SSD performance scaling across the spectrum<p><span class="smallcaps">Let's be honest.</span> In the PC world, size matters. This is true not only for the height of ATX towers, but also for the thickness of ultrabooks. The size of one's SSD is important, too. In addition to defining how many applications, games, and data can enjoy the speedy access times of solid-state storage, an SSD's capacity plays a large role in determining its overall performance.</p><p>Drive makers admit as much on their datasheets, which routinely list slower performance specifications for lower rungs on the capacity ladder. Writes are affected more than reads, the MB/s and IO/s ratings say, and models around ...</p><p><a href="http://techreport.com/articles.x/22358">Read more...</a></p> <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/XgCihMGL3Fu3aS_TRrA6gONyCEk/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/XgCihMGL3Fu3aS_TRrA6gONyCEk/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/XgCihMGL3Fu3aS_TRrA6gONyCEk/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/XgCihMGL3Fu3aS_TRrA6gONyCEk/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techreport/articles/~4/g9i9irjI3EU" height="1" width="1"/>Wed, 01 Feb 2012 20:09:00 -0600http://techreport.com/articles.x/22358http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/techreport/articles/~3/JwP-9Gc24iE/22384http://techreport.com/articles.x/22384AMD's Radeon HD 7950 graphics processor<p><span class="smallcaps">If you're plugged into</span> the PC hardware and gaming worlds at all, you probably already know about the Radeon HD 7970, AMD's world-beating graphics card that debuted recently. As the world's first GPU built with 28-nm fabrication tech, the 7970 asserted its dominance in our tests by humbling the prior king of the hill, the GeForce GTX 580, through higher performance <i>and</i> lower power consumption. Not only that, but the 7970 is based on a new GPU architecture—oh-so creatively named Graphics Core Next—that establishes rough parity with Nvidia in terms of GPU-computing capabilities, as well. What's not to like about that? </p><p>Well, the price, ...</p><p><a href="http://techreport.com/articles.x/22384">Read more...</a></p> <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/trz5-lvz3jV2F7J4guNgtguSRV8/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/trz5-lvz3jV2F7J4guNgtguSRV8/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/trz5-lvz3jV2F7J4guNgtguSRV8/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/trz5-lvz3jV2F7J4guNgtguSRV8/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techreport/articles/~4/JwP-9Gc24iE" height="1" width="1"/>Tue, 31 Jan 2012 01:37:00 -0600http://techreport.com/articles.x/22384http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/techreport/articles/~3/ny4XJ03-GZo/22350http://techreport.com/articles.x/22350PC gaming in 3D stereo: 3D Vision 2 vs. HD3D<p><span class="smallcaps">Stereoscopic 3D has made its way</span> into just about every medium of visual entertainment over the past few years. Most blockbuster films are in 3D nowadays, with movie theaters delighted to charge extra for the privilege—and for the disposable polarizing glasses. 3D televisions from the likes of Sony and Samsung are being sold at Best Buy. Even some game consoles, both set-top and handheld, now offer stereoscopic graphics.</p><p>The PC, too, has jumped on this bandwagon, thanks in large part to the efforts of Nvidia and AMD. Though ...</p><p><a href="http://techreport.com/articles.x/22350">Read more...</a></p> <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/7mM9LH5ZZ3IH_L48hpgF-oSdKW4/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/7mM9LH5ZZ3IH_L48hpgF-oSdKW4/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/7mM9LH5ZZ3IH_L48hpgF-oSdKW4/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/7mM9LH5ZZ3IH_L48hpgF-oSdKW4/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techreport/articles/~4/ny4XJ03-GZo" height="1" width="1"/>Wed, 25 Jan 2012 11:47:00 -0600http://techreport.com/articles.x/22350http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/techreport/articles/~3/Y3wBVA5Cqo4/22351http://techreport.com/articles.x/22351The TR Podcast 104: The rundown on CES 2012<div> <table cellpadding="0" class="transparent" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><tbody><tr><td><a href="http://techreport.com/archive.x?tags=Podcast"><img width="414" height="257" src="http://techreport.com/r.x/2012q1/podcast0122.jpg" alt="The Tech Report Podcast"></a></td> <td style="padding-left: 1em;"><span class="subsubhead">Date: January 22, 2012<br> Time: 1:58:46<br><br> Hosted by Jordan Drake<br><br> Co-Hosts: Scott Wasson, Geoff Gasior, and Cyril Kowaliski<br><br> Download:</span><br><a href="http://techreport.com/podcast/trpodcast_ep104.mp3">MP3</a> (85.5MB) | <a href="http://techreport.com/podcast/trpodcast_ep104.m4a">M4A</a> (117.9MB)<br><br><span class="subsubhead">Subscribe:</span><br><a href="http://techreport.com/podcast_mp3.rss">RSS (MP3)</a> | <a href="http://techreport.com/podcast_m4a.rss">RSS (M4A)</a><br><a href="http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-tech-report-podcast-mp3/id276890851">iTunes (MP3)</a> | <a href="http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=273853335">iTunes (M4A)</a></td> </tr><tr><td colspan="2"><script language="JavaScript" src="http://techreport.com/podcast/audio-player.js"></script><span class="subsubhead">Listen now: </span><br><object type="application/x-shockwave-flash" data="/podcast/player.swf" id="audioplayer1" width="290" height="24"> <param name="movie" value="/podcast/player.swf"><param name="FlashVars" value="playerID=1&bg=0x364B78&leftbg=0xD4D4D4&lefticon=0x364B78&rightbg=0xd4d4d4&rightbghover=0x999999&righticon=0x364B78&righticonhover=0xFFFFFF&text=0xFFFFFF&slider=0xFFFFFF&track=0xFFFFFF&bo rder=0x364B78&loader=0xD4D4D4&soundFile=/podcast/trpodcast_ep104.mp3"><param name="quality" value="high"><param name="menu" value="false"><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></object></td> </tr></tbody></table><div class="hr"> </div><p><span class="subsubhead">Show notes</span> <br> Footsore and skull-numbed, our panelists join us in this extra-long episode of the podcast to unload their collective brains of all they saw at CES 2011. The gang runs through everything from the mood ...</p><p><a href="http://techreport.com/articles.x/22351">Read more...</a></p> <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/2IvNxFQlARqMzjlpKEtw4-KQfno/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/2IvNxFQlARqMzjlpKEtw4-KQfno/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/2IvNxFQlARqMzjlpKEtw4-KQfno/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/2IvNxFQlARqMzjlpKEtw4-KQfno/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techreport/articles/~4/Y3wBVA5Cqo4" height="1" width="1"/>Mon, 23 Jan 2012 02:30:00 -0600http://techreport.com/articles.x/22351http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/techreport/articles/~3/zByc_ehGl9s/22306http://techreport.com/articles.x/22306Cooler Master's Cosmos II enclosure<p><span class="smallcaps">Hot on the heels of our</span> <a href="http://techreport.com/articles.x/22240">Antec P280 review</a>, we've got another next-generation case in the lab with some mighty big shoes to fill. Today's object of techno-lust is none other than the Cooler Master Cosmos II—an "ultra-tower" chassis that seems a little bit ironic in a world filled with slender ultrabooks and <a href="http://www.michelobultra.com">watered-down light beer</a>. The Cosmos II is anything but.</p><p>When the original hit the retail circuit, it inspired double-takes. The tubular aluminum handles protruding from its futuristic, sculpted body made the Cosmos look less like a computer case and more like something that should ...</p><p><a href="http://techreport.com/articles.x/22306">Read more...</a></p> <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/6Za0NpBlk3hbhNPHqp5gyWnatVY/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/6Za0NpBlk3hbhNPHqp5gyWnatVY/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/6Za0NpBlk3hbhNPHqp5gyWnatVY/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/6Za0NpBlk3hbhNPHqp5gyWnatVY/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techreport/articles/~4/zByc_ehGl9s" height="1" width="1"/>Wed, 18 Jan 2012 14:39:00 -0600http://techreport.com/articles.x/22306http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/techreport/articles/~3/VVhlGV9Oag0/22278http://techreport.com/articles.x/22278The TR Podcast 103: Down and dirty with the 7970<div> <table cellpadding="0" style="border-collapse: collapse;" class="transparent"><tbody><tr><td><a href="http://techreport.com/archive.x?tags=Podcast"><img width="414" height="257" alt="The Tech Report Podcast" src="http://techreport.com/r.x/2012q1/podcast0108.jpg"></a></td> <td style="padding-left: 1em;"><span class="subsubhead"> Date: January 8, 2012<br> Time: 1:37:08<br><br> Hosted by Jordan Drake<br><br> Co-Hosts: Scott Wasson, Geoff Gasior, Cyril Kowaliski, and special guest <a href="http://www.realworldtech.com/">David Kanter</a><br><br> Download:</span><br><a href="http://techreport.com/podcast/trpodcast_ep103.mp3">MP3</a> (70.1MB) | <a href="http://techreport.com/podcast/trpodcast_ep103.m4a">M4A</a> (95.3MB)<br><br><span class="subsubhead">Subscribe:</span><br><a href="http://techreport.com/podcast_mp3.rss">RSS (MP3)</a> | <a href="http://techreport.com/podcast_m4a.rss">RSS (M4A)</a><br><a href="http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-tech-report-podcast-mp3/id276890851">iTunes (MP3)</a> | <a href="http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=273853335">iTunes (M4A)</a></td> </tr><tr><td colspan="2"><script language="JavaScript" src="http://techreport.com/podcast/audio-player.js"></script><span class="subsubhead">Listen now: </span><br><object type="application/x-shockwave-flash" data="/podcast/player.swf" id="audioplayer1" width="290" height="24"> <param name="movie" value="/podcast/player.swf"><param name="FlashVars" value="playerID=1&bg=0x364B78&leftbg=0xD4D4D4&lefticon=0x364B78&rightbg=0xd4d4d4&rightbghover=0x999999&righticon=0x364B78&righticonhover=0xFFFFFF&text=0xFFFFFF&slider=0xFFFFFF&track=0xFFFFFF&bo rder=0x364B78&loader=0xD4D4D4&soundFile=/podcast/trpodcast_ep103.mp3"><param name="quality" value="high"><param name="menu" value="false"><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></object></td> </tr></tbody></table><div class="hr"> </div><p><span class="subsubhead">Show notes</span> <br> We ring in a new year of tech reporting this week with listener mail, a monster review, and special guest. After answering questions from listeners Mike and Daniel, Scott ...</p><p><a href="http://techreport.com/articles.x/22278">Read more...</a></p> <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/Vs1Hk--Bkmh5utc2oXLJP09MDrQ/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/Vs1Hk--Bkmh5utc2oXLJP09MDrQ/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/Vs1Hk--Bkmh5utc2oXLJP09MDrQ/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/Vs1Hk--Bkmh5utc2oXLJP09MDrQ/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techreport/articles/~4/VVhlGV9Oag0" height="1" width="1"/>Mon, 09 Jan 2012 00:18:00 -0600http://techreport.com/articles.x/22278http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/techreport/articles/~3/aAcxP0h30G4/22240http://techreport.com/articles.x/22240Antec's P280 enclosure<p><span class="smallcaps">If heroes get remembered, but legends never die</span>, then Antec's P180 series of enthusiast computer cases is likely to outlive most of us mere mortals. Six years ago, this iconic enclosure was unleashed as a follow-up to the P160, heralding a 180° stylistic departure from its forerunner. The P180 introduced a combination of performance, silence, and styling that were unmatched at the time.</p><p>Built in collaboration with Mike Chin of Silent PC Review, the original P180 melded an innovative chambered design with acoustical accoutrements galore. Rubber grommets, ...</p><p><a href="http://techreport.com/articles.x/22240">Read more...</a></p> <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/q8-PGQaeFXdWLuJN9RirJ6iJg0A/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/q8-PGQaeFXdWLuJN9RirJ6iJg0A/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/q8-PGQaeFXdWLuJN9RirJ6iJg0A/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/q8-PGQaeFXdWLuJN9RirJ6iJg0A/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techreport/articles/~4/aAcxP0h30G4" height="1" width="1"/>Sun, 08 Jan 2012 23:51:00 -0600http://techreport.com/articles.x/22240http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/techreport/articles/~3/yM1uoyxf24o/22201http://techreport.com/articles.x/22201Asus' Eee Pad Transformer Prime tablet<p><span class="smallcaps">Do a Google image search</span> for Transformer Prime, and you'll be inundated with pictures of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Optimus_Prime">this guy</a>. Optimus Prime was the leader of the Autobots of my childhood, and I may or may not have cried when he died in the first movie (<em>Transformers: The Movie</em>—not the tripe Michael Bay has spewed out in recent years). You'll have to scroll through three pages of search results to come across the first picture of Asus' Transformer Prime, an altogether different machine.</p><p>Hasbro <a href="http://techreport.com/discussions.x/22209">isn't pleased with the association</a> , which Asus has admittedly made pretty blatant. One might be tempted to chide the company for tugging at the childhood nostalgia of geeks everywhere, but the Transformer name has been a good fit for ...</p><p><a href="http://techreport.com/articles.x/22201">Read more...</a></p> <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/T0Qdp4_gQ1Pty4b3Vj3QiD9ldBo/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/T0Qdp4_gQ1Pty4b3Vj3QiD9ldBo/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/T0Qdp4_gQ1Pty4b3Vj3QiD9ldBo/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/T0Qdp4_gQ1Pty4b3Vj3QiD9ldBo/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techreport/articles/~4/yM1uoyxf24o" height="1" width="1"/>Wed, 04 Jan 2012 19:35:00 -0600http://techreport.com/articles.x/22201http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/techreport/articles/~3/iumkSueFwH0/22192http://techreport.com/articles.x/22192AMD's Radeon HD 7970 graphics processor<p><span class="smallcaps">Oh, man.</span> Just a few days before Christmas, AMD uncorked a massive jug of holiday cheer in the form of the Radeon HD 7970 graphics card. Sloshing around inside? The world's first GPU produced on an 28-nm manufacturing process. This incredibly fine new production process has allowed AMD to cram more transistors—and thus more graphics horsepower of virtually every sort—into this puppy than any graphics chip to come before. While many kids were looking forward to the latest Xbox 360 game under the tree on Christmas morning, the Radeon HD 7970 delivers nearly <em>fifteen times</em> the texel filtering speed of Microsoft's venerable game console, to name one key graphics rate. I don't want to dwell on it, but this new Radeon is nearly an order of magnitude more powerful than an Xbox 360 in nearly every respect that matters. </p><p>Ok, so I kinda do want to dwell on it, but we need to ...</p><p><a href="http://techreport.com/articles.x/22192">Read more...</a></p> <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/Zx-WCLfJeaRq0kckh4e7giChmuQ/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/Zx-WCLfJeaRq0kckh4e7giChmuQ/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/Zx-WCLfJeaRq0kckh4e7giChmuQ/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/Zx-WCLfJeaRq0kckh4e7giChmuQ/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techreport/articles/~4/iumkSueFwH0" height="1" width="1"/>Mon, 02 Jan 2012 23:47:00 -0600http://techreport.com/articles.x/22192http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/techreport/articles/~3/QwBsFwcnmrI/22187http://techreport.com/articles.x/22187The TR Podcast 102: Future TV and a holiday Ti fighter <div> <table cellpadding="0" class="transparent" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><tbody> <tr> <td><a href="http://techreport.com/archive.x?tags=Podcast"><img width="414" height="257" src="http://techreport.com/r.x/2011q4/podcast1218.jpg" alt="The Tech Report Podcast"></a></td> <td style="padding-left: 1em;"> <span class="subsubhead"> Date: December 18, 2011<br> Time: 1:12:09<br><br> Hosted by Jordan Drake<br><br> Co-Hosts: Scott Wasson, Geoff Gasior, Cyril Kowaliski<br><br> Download:</span><br><a href="http://techreport.com/podcast/trpodcast_ep102.mp3">MP3</a> (52MB) | <a href="http://techreport.com/podcast/trpodcast_ep102.m4a">M4A</a> (71MB)<br><br><span class="subsubhead">Subscribe:</span><br><a href="http://techreport.com/podcast_mp3.rss">RSS (MP3)</a> | <a href="http://techreport.com/podcast_m4a.rss">RSS (M4A)</a><br><a href="http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-tech-report-podcast-mp3/id276890851">iTunes (MP3)</a> | <a href="http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=273853335">iTunes (M4A)</a> </td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="2"> <script language="JavaScript" src="http://techreport.com/podcast/audio-player.js"></script><span class="subsubhead">Listen now: </span><br><object type="application/x-shockwave-flash" data="/podcast/player.swf" id="audioplayer1" width="290" height="24"> <param name="movie" value="/podcast/player.swf"> <param name="FlashVars" value="playerID=1&bg=0x364B78&leftbg=0xD4D4D4&lefticon=0x364B78&rightbg=0xd4d4d4&rightbghover=0x999999&righticon=0x364B78&righticonhover=0xFFFFFF&text=0xFFFFFF&slider=0xFFFFFF&track=0xFFFFFF&bo rder=0x364B78&loader=0xD4D4D4&soundFile=/podcast/trpodcast_ep102.mp3"> <param name="quality" value="high"> <param name="menu" value="false"> <param name="wmode" value="transparent"></object> </td> </tr> </tbody></table> <div class="hr"> </div><p><span class="subsubhead">Show notes</span> <br> It's a short and sweet episode of vocal tech reporting this week, starting with a few listener mail questions. Before diving into the news and reviews, Jordan stirs up conversation and anticipation for Christopher Nolan's third <em>Batman</em> film coming next summer. Then, ...</p><p><a href="http://techreport.com/articles.x/22187">Read more...</a></p> <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/GkfKvLANFsmrzqc1BG90pbIk3-s/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/GkfKvLANFsmrzqc1BG90pbIk3-s/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/GkfKvLANFsmrzqc1BG90pbIk3-s/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/GkfKvLANFsmrzqc1BG90pbIk3-s/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techreport/articles/~4/QwBsFwcnmrI" height="1" width="1"/>Sun, 18 Dec 2011 23:05:00 -0600http://techreport.com/articles.x/22187http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/techreport/articles/~3/B7dMGQc7s60/22151http://techreport.com/articles.x/22151Nvidia's GeForce GTX 560 Ti 448 graphics card<p><span class="smallcaps">The video card</span> market has been surprisingly static in the second half of 2011, so Nvidia's recent introduction of a new product—the GeForce GTX 560 Ti 448—was a happy occasion on several counts. First, it was a chance for something different to perhaps offer a little extra value to Christmas shoppers. Second, it was an opportunity for us to revisit some fancy new GPU testing methods with the latest games. Thus, we fired up the graphics test systems in Damage Labs, installed titles like <em>Skyrim</em> and <em>Batman: Arkham City</em>, and set to work. Finishing up this review has taken a little longer than we'd have liked, but we've managed to include some fresh insights on several fronts. Read on for our take.</p><p><img src="http://techreport.com/r.x/geforce-gtx-560ti-448/zotac-standing.jpg" width="620" height="559" alt="" border="0"> ...</p><p><a href="http://techreport.com/articles.x/22151">Read more...</a></p> <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/WifHkNLX3waxrcJ5cNRbBfxoN1E/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/WifHkNLX3waxrcJ5cNRbBfxoN1E/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/WifHkNLX3waxrcJ5cNRbBfxoN1E/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/WifHkNLX3waxrcJ5cNRbBfxoN1E/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techreport/articles/~4/B7dMGQc7s60" height="1" width="1"/>Wed, 14 Dec 2011 17:01:00 -0600http://techreport.com/articles.x/22151