Tinnos Blufin: PDA y Reproductor Multimedia con 30GB de disco y Windows CE 5.0

Del Fabricante Coreano Tinnos nos llega el Blufin, un PDA (o reproductor multimedia, dependiendo de como quieras verlo) basado en Windows CE con un disco duro de 30GB, 128MB de RAM, cámara de 2 megapíxeles, pantalla LCD de 4.3 pulgadas, ranuras USB y SD (ambas con compatibilidad para conectar periféricos con GPS o WiFi) y un procesador AMD Au1200. Estará disponible en Japón este Junio por alrededor de US$600.

The Million Dollar Cell Phone

Put simply, Gold Vish’s “Le Million De Lu Nuit” is the world’s most expensive cell phone — encrusted with 120 carats worth of VVS-1 grade diamonds. It features a camera with 8x digital zoom, 2GB of memory, Bluetooth, MP3 player, USB connectivity, EDGE, and an FM tuner. There’s only one available in the world, designed by Emmanuel Gueit.

Palm makes the Treo 700p Official

Palm OS and open source lovers are gonna digg this….

Palm has finally refreshed their Palm side of the Treo smartphone lineup with the expected announcement of the Treo 700p smartphone. With the 700p, Palm has released a phone which includes hardware and software upgrades centered on usability, connectivity, multimedia, and compatibility features. This is the first Palm OS based Treo CDMA based smartphone to offer EvDO speeds. It lets you use the device as a modem (via USB or Bluetooth) to connect your laptop to the Internet at speeds of up to 1.8 Mbps. Remember, the p in Treo 700p means Palm.

Here are some of the major new features:

* First Treo smartphone with EVDO support
* First Treo smartphone with built in dial up networking capabilities
* 1.3 megapixel digital camera and built in video camcorder
* Includes pocket tunes application
* 128MB of memory - 60 MB of which is user memory
* SD card support
* New voice memo application
* Enhanced email and messaging support including better support for Microsoft Exchange Server 2003
* Full PDF support
* Uses Palm OS Version 5.4.9

AMD entra en escena con nuevos procesadores

Es increible la cantidad de mercado que ha podido perder AMD por no tener un competidor al Core Duo de Intel, ahora parece que despiertan del letargo y publican una nota de prensa anunciando nuevos procesadores. Harán su aparición en el 2007 por lo que aun le queda un buen trecho a Intel con los Core Duo 2 para demostrar lo que valen. Estos son los nuevos procesadores y precios estimados (recalco “estimados”):

Energy Efficient Desktop Processors++

• AMD Athlon 64 X2 4800+ ($671)
• AMD Athlon 64 X2 4600+ ($601)
• AMD Athlon 64 X2 4400+ ($514)
• AMD Athlon 64 X2 4200+ ($417)
• AMD Athlon 64 X2 4000+ ($353)
• AMD Athlon 64 X2 3800+ ($323)

Energy Efficient Small Form Factor Desktop Processors+++

• AMD Athlon 64 X2 3800+ ($364)
• AMD Athlon 64 3500+ ($231)
• AMD Sempron 3400+ ($145)
• AMD Sempron 3200+ ($119)
• AMD Sempron 3000+ ($101)

Sony hace oficial su UMPC Vaio UX

Para nosotros sería un UMPC, pero para Sony es un PC portátil, muy portátil. El dispositivo incorpora un teclado deslizante, procesador Core Solo y funciona con Windows XP Professional. Tal y como ya apuntaban los rumores de la semana pasada, el equipo también incluye Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, WWAN y un lector de huellas dactilares.

¿Os parece poco? No sufrais, el Sony Vaio UX incorpora dos cámaras digitales, una frontal para videoconferencias, y una posterior para realizar fotografías que luego podremos visualizar en un monitor gracias a la conexión VGA.

La pantalla es de 4,5 pulgadas, con una resolución máxima de 800×600 píxeles.

A parte de la conexión antes mencionada, también incluye otra AV, puerto Ethernet, IEEE-1394 y dos USB 2.0

Sony tiene previsto lanzarla al mercado durante el mes de junio en los EE.UU y se estima un precio de 1.800$.

Creative Zen Vision:M SD

Noticia noticiosa para los anti-iPod, Creative parece que va a pasar su reproductor Creative Zen Vision:M a memoria Flash para recortar gastos (el kilo de discos duros esta por las nubes parece). Este “nuevo” reproductor se pondrá a la venta vía Amazon Japón a un precio inferior a $300 (actual) en los colores de negro y blanco con una capacidad de 30 Gb. Por ahora solo para Japón, pero evidentemente dentro de poco para América y Europa.

iRiver Clix

Aun que viene a ser el sucesor del iRiver U10 me sigue pareciendo el mejor reproductor de iRiver en este momento. El nuevo iRiver Clix se acaba de anunciar oficialmente con unas características muy apetitosas:

• Pantalla de 2,2 pulgadas.
• 2 Gb. de memoria
• Reproduce MP3, WMA, OGG, MPEG4
• Radio FM integrada
• Ejecuta juegos en Macromedia Flash
• Visor de textos
• Batería de 25 horas
• Precio: alrededor de los $200

Sony Officially Unveils VGN-UX50

Sony has officially unveiled their VGN-UX50 Ultra Mobile PC. It features an Intel Core Solo U1300 (1.06-GHz) or U1400 (1.2-GHz) processor, 20GB/30GB hard drive, a 4.5-inch WSVGA touch-screen, and a 1.3-megapixel Motion-Eye camera. External interfaces include 802.11 a/b/g WLAN, CF/MS memory card reader, Bluetooth 2.0+ EDR, and a USB port. Pricing and availability have not yet been announced.

Samsung SCH-W200

The SCH-W200 is Samsung’s first HSDPA-enabled phone for Korea — which allows for data transmission speeds of up to 1.8Mbps. It features a 2.0-megapixel camera, 2.1-inch TFT display, microSD memory card slot, S-DMB tuner, video recorder (H.264/H.263/MPEG), USB connectivity, and TV-out. It measures a slim 99 x 48 x 22.8mm and weighs 115g. No word yet on pricing and availability.

Final Wii Specs

Set for release in Q4 2006, the Nintendo Wii will include four controller ports, a slot-loading disc drive, 802.11 b/g Wi-Fi, 512MB of Flash memory, two USB 2.0 ports, SD card slot for memory expansion, PowerPC CPU (Broadway), ATI GPU (Hollywood), and Gamecube disc compatibility. The Virtual Console lets players download classic games from a selection of SNES, NES, N64, TurboGrafx 16, and Gensis titles. The WiiMote has a built-in speaker, rumble capabilities, expansion bay (Zapper, etc.), d-pad, and a thumb stick. Speculated price range is currently $149 - $299.

Apple Releases New MacBook

Apple has just released their all-new Macbook, powered by Intel. With a starting price of $1099, it features an Intel Core Duo 1.83-GHz or 2.0-GHz CPU, 512MB of DDR 2 memory, 60GB or 80GB SATA HDD, built-in stereo speakers, iSight camera, 13.3-inch widescreen display, and a slot-loading Super/Combo drive. External interfaces include a Mini-DVI port, Bluetooth 2.0+ EDR, Gigabit Ethernet, two USB 2.0 ports, and a FireWire port.

Como detectar un email falso

Qué es un e-mail falso?
A. Los e-mails falsos, también conocidos como "spoof e-mails", llegan a los usuarios sin ser solicitados y piden información personal, como el número de tarjeta de crédito, el documento o claves de seguridad, o bien tratan de pasar información errónea a quienes los reciben.
B. Estos mensajes aparentan ser enviados por reconocidas empresas y, para inspirar confianza en los usuarios, utilizan los mismos tipos de gráficos y diseños.
C. Usualmente, contienen links que llevan a sitios web falsos, que imitan el aspecto de los verdaderos, donde se solicita información personal.

Cómo identifico un e-mail falso?
Consejos para reconocer un e-mail falso en todas tus operaciones en Internet:
A. Dirección del remitente
Prestá especial atención a la dirección que aparece cómo remitente.
Recordá que la dirección de un e-mail falso puede parecer legítima.
B. Saludo
Tené en cuenta que muchos e-mails falsos comienzan con saludos generales como "Atención: Usuario de “nombre de la empresa”". En general, los e-mails de empresas serias siempre son personalizados.
C. Urgencia y amenaza sobre tu cuenta
Estos mensajes falsos suelen comunicar que la empresa en nombre de la cual envían el mail tiene la necesidad urgente de actualizar y ampliar tus datos personales.
La mayoría de estos e-mails falsos amenazan con la discontinuidad inmediata del servicio o con la inhabilitación de las cuentas.
Recordá que las empresas serias nunca solicitan datos por e-mail.
D. Pedido de información personal.
Debés estar atento cuando te llega un e-mail que te solicita información personal, como tu nombre de usuario y clave, número de tarjeta de crédito o cuenta de banco, mediante links o formularios incluidos en el cuerpo del e-mail.
Recordá que en general ningún e-mail de empresas serias requieren que el usuario ingrese su clave o nombre de usuario.
E. Links en el e-mail.
En la mayoría de los casos incluyen links con apariencia legítima pero que dirigen a sitios falsos.
Revisá la URL del sitio al que te lleva el link del e-mail, asegurate de que esta sea de la empresa a la que se refieren.
Para estar seguro que ingresaste a un sitio legítimo, comprobá que la URL que aparece la barra de direcciones sea igual a la utilizás habitualmente.

Qué hago cuando recibo un e-mail falso?
Recomendaciones para saber cómo actuar frente a un e-mail falso:
Evitá responder los e-mails que no te generen confianza.
Abrí una nueva ventana para ingresar a la página de la empresa que supuestamente te envió el mail y realizá desde allí la acción requerida por un e-mail que no sea confiable.
Observá la barra de direcciones para saber si te encontrás en un sitio auténtico.
Para reportar un e-mail falso:
Contactate con el sitio, avisales lo ocurrido para que te den las recomendaciones necesarias (cada caso es diferente y se trata por separado).

Cómo proteger tus cuentas y registraciones en Internet.
A. Eligí una buena Clave, fácil de recordar pero difícil de adivinar.
B. Para mantener tu cuenta segura y confidencial, seguí estas recomendaciones:
Mantené tu clave en absoluta confidencialidad, evitá compartirla o revelarla a otra persona.
Utilizá una clave original que sea diferente a la de otros sitios en los que estés registrado.
Cambiá tu contraseña al menos cada 6 meses.
Modificá tu clave si recibís un e-mail con tu nombre de usuario y tu clave sin haberlo solicitado.
C. Controlá la actividad de tu cuenta periódicamente.
Revisá si tus datos de contacto son los correctos.
Revisá tu cuenta frecuentemente para detectar operaciones no autorizadas.
D. Siempre cerrá tu sesión al retirarte de la computadora.
Finalizá correctamente tu sesión, recordá que alguien puede utilizar tu cuenta para operar dentro de los diferentes sitios.
Tomá la precaución de cerrar de tu sesión, especialmente si te conectás desde un Cibercafe o en un equipo compartido.

PlayStation 3 Development Unit

An IGN spy managed to snap pictures of a PlayStation 3 development unit — which sports multiple USB ports, dip-switches, and memory card slots.

Announcing Intel Core 2 Duo

Intel has just passed us word about a new branding decision for the upcoming second generation Core processors. Intel's first generation desktop Core processor, Conroe, will carry the moniker Core 2 Duo, suplementing the 65nm Netburst Presler micro-architecture. Notebook processors, earlier dubbed Merom, will also carry the Core 2 Duo moniker even though the processors are very different than the desktop Core 2 Duo chips. The highest end desktop processors, previously named Extreme Edition, will be labeled as Core 2 Extreme opposed to the mainstream Core 2 Duo.

Core 2 Extreme will actually become the first Conroe processor to launch, followed immediately by Core 2 Duo E6700 -- as outlined by Intel's most recent desktop roadmap. Merom and Conroe are both based on 65nm process designs with shared L2 cache and aggressive power management. Conroe and Merom will both be backwards compatible with recently manufactured desktop and mobile motherboards.

Intel's most recent forward outlook confirms Conroe will ship in July, 2006 followed shortly by Merom in August 2006. This was hinted by Intel CEO Paul Otellini earlier this week during the company's quarterly report. Intel's press release about the new branding claims:

Consumers and businesses will also be able to purchase these processors as part of Intel’s market-focused platforms -- a collection of Intel hardware and software technology innovation that is designed and tested together and tailored to specific computing needs. Intel offers wireless computing, in-home entertainment or business productivity platforms through the company’s Intel Centrino Duo mobile technology, Intel Viiv technology and Intel vPro.

Intel is expected to publicly demonstrate Core 2 Duo at Computex 2006 in Taipei, Taiwan on June 6th, 2006. AMD is expected to launch its next generation DDR2 desktop component on May 23, 2006.

Microsoft Opens up its Wallet to Battle Google

Microsoft is doing everything it can to try and stop the rising success of Google -- the current search engine leader. Although many of Microsoft's latest tactics have not worked very well, the company is going to try something that always seems to help one way or another: spend more money. Most importantly, the company plans on dumping more money into MSN and other businesses while trying to keep Google in check. Yahoo, Microsoft and Google have been battling for quite some time, but Google is currently the most dominant. According to Bloomberg news:

"It's important for you to understand our deep commitment," Mr. Ballmer said. "Only two to three companies can really deliver the infrastructure that's required to keep pace with consumer demand and advertisers' needs."

Investors were not ready when Microsoft publicly announced that it would sacrifice billions of dollars in profits to funnel money into R&D of new business areas. It will be interesting to see if Microsoft's gamble is worth it in the long run. In related news, all of the above three companies are entering into agreements with cellular service providers in anticipation of the big Internet-over-cell phone market boon.

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Arte y memorias Flash

El nivel de personalización puede llegar a límites insospechables cuando la tecnología se pone de por medio.

La empresa japonesa Ever Green personaliza las tarjetas de memoria Flash del tipo SD, Mini SD y CF con tu obra de arte o imagen preferida. Es una buena forma de darle algo de color a la siempre fria y sobria tecnología.

Samsung unviels "world's thinnest" 6.9mm phone

Always one for a decent "world's ____" tag line for their product releases, Samsung is naming their new SGH-X820 Ultra Slim Phone the "world's thinnest" at a mere 6.9mm (0.27-inches) thick, the same thickness as the iPod nano. Not content to be merely skinny, the candybar phone also features a 2 megapixel camera, MP3 playback, Bluetooth connectivity and TV out. There is a minor hump near the top of the phone off the back that might sully your results when using this thing to pick door locks, but otherwise it's hard to imagine how it can get much thinner than this and still have a claim to 3D space. The phone should be out in Europe and Russia this week, with China to follow in June, no word on price.

Mechero en tu PC

Lo reconocemos, hay días en los que nos aparece nuestro lado friki, no podemos evitarlo. No es que queramos hacer apología del fumar, y menos en los tiempos que corren, donde fumar ya es casi un pecado, pero si estás sólo en tu habitación o despacho, te apetece un cigarrito y te has quedado sin mechero, este es el gadget que necesitas.

Además, puedes utilizarlo para otros menesteres, como por ejemplo, cargar el móvil o conectar tu reproductor MP3. Vale 14,99$ y lo puedes comprar aquí.

The Combimouse

We were about to write this off as a harmless gimmick, and a great gift to slow down a couple FPS rivals of ours, but after staring mesmerized at the sheer craziness of it all, we're starting to think these Combimouse peeps are on to something. Their concept is quite simple: reduce the repetitive and arduous task of moving your hand from keyboard to mouse and back again a few thousand times a day. They accomplish that by splitting the keyboard and making the right half into a full fledged mouse. Your merely switch up your grip and the mouse function automatically springs into action. You might look a bit dorky in the act, and it surely won't work for everybody, but it seems to us that a spreadsheet pusher could quickly get used to the setup and learn to rock it. The creators of the Combimouse have recently completed their final prototype and are on the lookout for a manufacturer. We'll keep you posted.

Google Launches Free 3D Modeling Software

Google has released yet another beta software package: SketchUp. SketchUp is an application that allows you to create your own 3D objects, color and texture your designs, use real-time shadowing effects and grab from a large library of pre-configured objects to add to your design. And as is always the case with most of Google's software, it is completely free. There is also a commercial version called SketchUp Pro 5 which has a host of additional features, but you may want to take a stab at the free version first to see if it's suitable for your needs. From Google:

Google SketchUp (free) is an easy-to-learn 3D modeling program whose few simple tools enable you to create 3D models of houses, sheds, decks, home additions, woodworking projects – even space ships. You can add details, textures and glass to your models, design with dimensional accuracy, and place your finished models in Google Earth, share them with others by posting them to the 3D Warehouse, or print hard copies. Google SketchUp (free) is a great way to discover if 3D modeling is right for you.

Link:http://sketchup.google.com/product_suf.html

Napster Back to the Basics

Napster has come full circle for the third time, and is offering free music. There is one big catch though; you can only listen to a song five times. After the five times you will need to either buy the title or sign up for a monthly subscription to listen to that song. Napster has 2 million tunes in its collection that users will be able to listen to without having to use their credit card or download the Napster software.

This marketing driven new model is similar to its competitor RealNetworks' Rhapsody service which allows its users to sample 25 songs a month. Napster offers a plan for $9.95 a month that offers its users unlimited online listening, or $14.95 for a plan that lets its users transfer songs to certain portable devices that does not include the most popular music player iPod.

All is not beer and Skittles at Napster. The new Napster, relaunched in 200,3 has lost more than $73M USD in venture capital over the last two years, according to equity firm American Technology Research.

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Google Upset With Microsoft Over Internet Explorer 7

Search giant Google is upset with Microsoft for using MSN Search as the default search engine for Internet Explorer 7's integrated search bar reports The New York Times. Google is citing that similar behaviors in the 90’s of embedding Internet Explorer and Windows Media Player in to the Windows operating system landed Microsoft in hot water with the DOJ in anti-trust litigation of which subsequently Microsoft was found guilty.

Google fears that by setting MSN Search as the default search engine inside IE 7 that it will take away search volume and ad revenue from Google. It should be noted that other major browsers Firefox and Opera both use Google as their default search engine in their integrated search fields. Google also compensates both Opera and the Mozilla Corporation for searches generated using those fields. In addition Microsoft has made it as easy as 3 clicks to set Google as the default search engine within IE 7.

Pioneer's Blu-ray burner reviewed, comes out looking good

We can complain all we want about the price or the delays or the format war in general, but it all comes down performance for people who are actually going to be picking up Blu-ray burners like Pioneer's BDR-101A, which seems to come out a champ in PC Word's tests at least. Write speeds are at 45 minutes to fill a single 25GB BD-R disc at the 2X max burring speed, and while you could get that much data onto multiple single-layer DVD R discs with an 18x burner, it gives 10X double-layer DVD R burning a run for its money. The actual throughput for the burner clocks in at 67mbps, compared to the theoretical maximum of 72mbps for 2X BD-R. It actually took a bit longer to copy the data back off the disc. While the BDR-101A can manage a bit of DVD burning, at less than optimum speeds, there's no room left for a third laser for CD reading or writing. PC World also found the software package a bit thin, as this product is definitely targeted at professionals who have their own authoring solutions. Luckily, third party support isn't far behind, and an upgrade should be available to purchasers of the BDR-101A in order to author you own discs. The burner will also play Blu-ray movies, whenever they arrive on shelves, but it won't support the forthcoming managed content spec.

TabletKiosk eo UMPC delayed until June-ish

If you were one of those early-adopter types who pre-ordered your TabletKiosk eo V7110 UMPC, then you've probably already received the bad news. After selling-out their "entire initial production" stock (is that 10 or 10,000 units?), TabletKiosk is officially delaying what would have been the first UMPC to market with "most orders fulfilled by the beginning of June." It seems those first eos suffered a problem whereby the system fan was striking the unit's back panel which now must undergo a "slight redesign." We can only assume this affects shipments of the SmartCaddie in Japan and the It's UMPC version we've seen floating about France as well. Alas they won't be the first, but at least TabletKiosk will have the distinction of being the cheapest UMPC on the market come June.

ASUS W5F reviewed

That 12.1-inch ASUS W5F ultra-portable pulled an enthusiastic review over at PC Perspective. They ran a 1.66GHz T2300 Core Duo model packing 512MB of DDR2 RAM and a 5400rpm 100GB disk through the gauntlet of tests and found this "attention magnet" to make all contenders look "bulky and unrefined." They were stoked by their unit's performance and integrated 1.3 megapixel webcam, bundled Bluetooth mouse, and SPDIF output for full-on digital audio. They also noted the laptop's battery life compared to others in the class even though their W5F only eked-out about 3.5 of the 4-hours advertised under a "reasonable office load." The biggest knock came for the single SODIMM slot for RAM upgrades and that "Vista-ready" Intel GMA 950 graphics engine which means you won't be doing any serious fraggin' here. But hey, if that's your gig then you should be looking elsewhere anyway.

Dell's XPS M1210 leaked?

Looks like all you Alienware buyout fear mongers officially need not worry -- for now. According to Notebook Review, the cat's out of the bag and Dell's launching (or is about to launch) their second gaming-centric laptop, but this one's a little easier on the shoulder and presumably also the pocketbook. The XPS M1210 rocks a 12.1-inch widescreen display, Core Duo processor, NVIDIA 7300 or ATI X1300 graphics, dual later DVD burner, Bluetooth 2.0, 802.11a/b/g, 5-in-1 media reader, ExpressCard54 slot, up to 4GB RAM, and an optional webcam. Should be out some time in May, but we'll know for sure when we get the official word from the gang at Dell.

Proyector Inalámbrico WiFi CP120 de Benq

El CP120 de Benq es uno de las nuevos lanzamientos que nos trae este fabricante, particularmente por el detalle de ser súper compacto e inalámbrico. Posee un sistema de corrección trapezoidal automática que corrige el ángulo de inclinación de la imagen proyectada en tiempo real. Tiene una resolución nativa de 1024x768 pixeles, brillo de 1500 ANSI lúmenes, radio de contraste de 2000:1 y una paleta de colores de 16.7 millones de colores. Para la conexión inalámbrica utiliza WiFi 802.11 a/b/g, simplificando la instalación y configuración con portátiles.

Destruye tus discos daados con Disk Killer

Este producto esta especialmente hecho para personas y empresas que desean mantener su información muy confidencial a pesar de que el medio de almacenamiento ya no tenga utilidad. El HD-1 Professional Degausser de Datadev es el primer producto específicamente diseñado para destruir "literalmente" cualquier disco duro dañado para que no pueda volver a ser utilizado y la información que contenga no sea vista por otras personas. Sin embargo debes querer que tu información permanezca bien protegida para comprar un dispositivo como este ya que tiene un valor de US$2299.

Iomega lanza su NAS inalmbrico StorCenter 1TB

Nosotros hemos visto equipos NAS de un terabyte antes. Y hemos visto los inalámbricos también. Pero Iomega podría ser una de las primeras compañías en combinar ambas en una solución simple, con el dispositivo inalámbrico de almacenamiento de red StorCenter 1TB. La caja incluye Ethernet gigabit, dos puertos USB, soporte para redes 802.11g, y cuatro discos duros de 250GB y 7200RPM que pueden ser configurados en RAID 0, RAID 1 o RAID 5. El precio sugerido para este NAS es de unos 899 dólares. Iomega también presentó un NAS de 500GB (solo conexión Ethernet), el StorCenter External Hard Drive, con un precio de US$499.

UMPC Samsung Q1 analizado

Sabemos que las noticias sobre UMPCs (especialmente el Q1) han sido todo menos escasas, pero tenemos que admitir que aunque nos quedamos un poco fríos con la primera generación de estos dispositivos en cuanto a funcionalidad y uso, seguimos estamos interesados en ellos. Y para nuestra sorpresa, la página inglesa Personal Computer World no solo ha analizado el primer Q1, sino que además le ha dado una muy buena nota de 4/5, citando su silencioso ventilador, cuidado diseño y brillante pantalla como lo mejor del miniPC. De hecho, únicamente lo han criticado por su autonomía "estándar" (¿eh? ¿2 horas y media es lo normal ahora?), escasa capacidad de almacenamiento (40 GB) y por supuesto su floja CPU Celeron.

No sabemos si su veredicto convencerá a muchos consumidores británicos para pagar las 799 libras (1.156 euros/1.460 dólares) por las que estará disponible en las tiendas, pero no nos parece muy halagüeño que Samsung haya informado a PCW de tan solo "cientos" de reservas.

'Halo 3' Will Make Appearance at E3 2006

As anticipation continues to build as we get close to E3 2006, which starts nine days from now, a Halo 3 video will be shown during a news briefing on Tuesday, May 9, according to IGN. The video that will be shown is around two minutes long, but it is unknown what kind of content is in the video. Unfortunately for Halo fans, it will most likely be at least a year before the game is released. Halo 3 appears to already be the most anticipated game for the Microsoft Xbox 360 game console. IGN reports:

Diehard Halo fans shouldn't be too surprised. Bungie is notorious for taking its time, and the game is not likely to come out until 2007. Microsoft's most valuable franchise has been out of the limelight since last year's Map Pack, a set of additional multiplayer maps for 2004's Halo 2.

It was reported late last year that the third installment of the Halo series would have a different name, but that has not been confirmed yet.

AMD Single Core Price Cuts for Ides of May

We’ve received a new price forecast for AMD’s single core Athlon 64 and Sempron 64 processors for the month of May. The new price forecast shows price drops among the lower-end and mid-range product ranges. These processors vary from the Sempron 64 2800+ all the way up to the Athlon 64 3500+. Price drops vary from 10-15% on Athlon 64 3200+ and 3500+ models while Sempron 64 receive a 19-25% drop on the upper end 3400+ and 3300+ models. Lower-end Sempron models receive rather modest price drops of around 10-14%.

AMD Desktop Processor Price List
Processor (Retail)	Current	May 15, 2006
Athlon 64 3500+ S939	$203	$185
Athlon 64 3200+ S939	$154	$135
Athlon 64 3200+ S754	$154	$135
Sempron 3400+ S754	$118	$95
Sempron 3300+ S754	$108	$91
Sempron 3100+ S754	$93	$81
Sempron 3000+ S754	$83	$76
Sempron 2800+ S754	$73	$65

AMD Desktop Processor Price List
Processor (Tray)	Current	May 15, 2006
Athlon 64 3500+ S939	$208	$189
Athlon 64 3200+ S939	$158	$138
Athlon 64 3200+ S754	$158	$138
Sempron 3400+ S754	$120	$97
Sempron 3300+ S754	$110	$93
Sempron 3100+ S754	$95	$83
Sempron 3000+ S754	$85	$76
Sempron 2800+ S754	$74	$67

There is no word on price forecasts on AMD’s dual core and higher end 4000+ single core processors. If you are interested in the AM2 launch prices, please refer to our previous article containing these price details. AM2 processors are expected to launch the week after the 939/754 price cuts, on May 23, 2006.

Matsunichi's MF228 Football MP3 Player

Ah yes, that most convenient, ergonomic, and yet elusive of all MP3 player shapes: the soccer ball. Preceded by the Shiro AS, Matsunichi's new MF228 Football MP3 Player has managed to land a bit nearer the World Cup, but still we're not quite sure we're going to put up with the pocket bulge for six whole weeks. That said, the player features a 80 x 48 pixel display, supports MP3, WMA and WAV files, has FM and voice recording, 10 hours of battery life off of a built-in rechargeable battery, and an epic 256MB or 512MB memory capacity. The player also outsizes the 37.4mm diameter Shiro AS at 45.2mm. Reportedly, the MF228 is due "worldwide" on May 1st, and if that means us soccer-phobic Americans then more power to it.

JoyTech's LCD makes your Xbox 360 portable -- or something

Yeah, we've seen plenty of LCDs haphazardly attached to about every recent console out there in hopes of creating a portable system of sorts, but we're not sure they've ever looked quite as ridiculous as this 9.2-incher from JoyTech. Sure, 9.2-inches is a decent bit of display as far as these setups go, and the 800 x 480 widescreen resolution is welcome, but with as hot as the 360 gets already, we don't think it'll take very kindly to having its side vents sealed off by a hunk of plastic. We also can't imagine this thing riding on your lap while you game in the backseat of your next roadtrip, but it doesn't look like even JoyTech would presume that, and instead probably hope to squeeze this into a few tight dorm rooms that would otherwise resign to being entries in Xbox 360 Fanboy's most pathetic 360 setup contest.

Sony ready to take on the iPod ... again

Sony senior vice president Takao Yuhara met with reporters yesterday to announce that the company is working on -- drum roll, please -- a new digital audio player, software and download service to take on Apple's iPod. Yuhara didn't provide a whole lot of details, though he did say the player would be "typically Sony," by which we assume he meant it would be hobbled by intrusive DRM, poor support for formats other than ATRAC and prices that will make it completely uncompetitive in a market where you can get a decent 512MB flash player for well under $100. Still, we wish Sony luck. We really would like to see the company come up with an audio player that could return this pioneer to its early Walkman-era glory (we have an idea: hand the division over to the team that designs the Walkman phones). But we fear that what we'll be seeing will instead be this year's answer to the Bean.

El nombre final de Revolution es Wii

Nintendo desvela finalmente el nombre comercial de su consola.

Nintendo acaba de anunciar que Revolution se llamará Wii (sí, sólo Wii, prescindiendo, al menos de momento, de "Nintendo" como parte del nombre).

Según la nota de prensa de la compañía, Revolution expresaba la dirección que querían seguir, y Wii representa a dónde querían llegar.

Wii suena como "we" ("nosotros" en inglés), lo que enfatiza que esta consola es para todo el mundo.

Wii es muy fácil de recordar para una persona de cualquier parte del globo, hable el idioma que hable. Sin confusiones. Sin necesidad de abreviaturas. Sólo Wii.

Wii tiene una peculiar doble i que simboliza tanto su mando único como la imagen de gente que se da cita para jugar. Cada "i" representa al mando de la consola, simbolizando a dos mandos juntos, es decir, dos personas jugando juntas; además "ii" en japonés quiere decir "bueno".

Asimismo, podéis ver un vídeo de presentación en el enlace que os facilitamos a la página oficial de la consola.

Toshiba's Dynabook Satellite CW1 flies low

Toshiba just squeezed their new low-end Dynabook Satellite CW1 laptop onto the scene. A base model kitted out with a 1.6GHz Intel Celeron M420 processor, 14.1-inch WXGA display, 60GB disk, 512MB of RAM, ATI Radion Xpress 200M graphics, and dual-layer DVD burner will set you back, oh just $957 in Japan. Yeah, that kind of green will get you Core Duo power 'round these parts but that still constitutes affordable in the land of the rising sun.

Nokia's N73 and N93 launched

Well hello there N73 (bottom) and N93, how nice to see you in the for realz at last. Other than finally making these phones official we don't really have too much new information to offer. Both models run Series 60 3rd Edition and feature large 2.4-inch 262k color QVGA displays, Bluetooth 2.0, a MiniSD slot, MP3 / ACC media players, FM radio with Visual Radio, and a chubby 3.2 megapixel shooter with Carl Zeiss optics, autofocus, mechanical shutter, and integrated flash. Want to share those snaps? Coolio daddy-o, 'cause a new partnership with Flickr gives you the ability to upload and add comments to your photos directly from your new N-series cellphone without the need to download any additional software (don't forget to ZoneTag!). The N73 will launch as both a quad-band GSM / EDGE model and another which includes 3G (2100MHz UMTS). It features 42MB of on-board memory and 3D stereo speakers at the top and bottom of the unit to kick out some tinny jams. Meanwhile the N92-lookin' N93 turns out 900 / 1800 / 1900 GSM / EDGE and 3G (2100MHz UMTS), 50MB built-in memory, 802.11b/g, UPnP, TV-out, and adds a 3x optical zoom to the camera, which can record MPEG-4 VGA video at 30fps. If you're looking for mobile TV, you'll have to stick with the N92 though, since the N93 does not feature a DVB-H tuner. Both will drop in July; welcome to the show, boys. More product images after the break.

"Conroe" To Account for 40% of Intel Desktop in Q1'07

Intel plans to put multi-core processors in 85% of new Intel-based desktops by 2007, at least according to the most recent roadmaps from the company. Three quarters after the launch of Intel's upcoming Core processor, dubbed Conroe, is expected to account for a staggering 40% of all Intel-based desktops. 65nm Pentium D processors will account for the multi-core desktop processors not allocated for Conroe -- roughly 45% of all Intel desktop sales.

Intel also released its guidance for retail processor sales of Conroe, and the trend is identical to the OEM forecasts; Conroe will account for 40% (or more) of retail Intel desktop chip sales in Q1'07. The 65nm Pentium D processors still in the retail and OEM channel by 2007 will mostly be used in business platforms and low cost systems. Pentium 4 processors will still hold a small percentage of the Intel market, but these chips are for the absolute lowest end systems and include Celeron single core forecasts.

This is one of the most aggressive ramps for a new technology outlined by Intel on the desktop. Prescott, Intel's 90nm single core CPU, was only expected to consume 30% of OEM desktop sales three quarters after launch. Even a year after Intel's Pentium D launch, dual core technology still accounts for less than 35% of all desktops.

Conroe gave enthusiasts a bit of a double take after benchmarks from the Intel Developer Forum put the CPU 20% faster than AMD's best offerings in head to head benchmarking. AMD has plans of its own to counter Conroe. By the middle of 2007, AMD is expected to launch its K8L architecture. AMD's Henri Richard claims K8L is more "evolutionary than revolutionary," but even minimal improvements on the tried and true K8 could cascade into large gains in performance.

Google Opens Calendar Beta

Google has opened up yet another beta program. This time, the company is showcasing its Calendar service. Google Calendar is fully integrated with GMail and can even recognize dates from email messages and add them to your calendar.

Google Calendar features the ability to share calendar information with family and friends, integrated search, mobile access with event reminders and notifications and of course it's absolutely free. The service supports calendar data from Apple iCal, Microsoft Outlook, Yahoo! Calendar and any application that support .XML or .CSV files.

Google Calendar supports IE 6.0+ and Firefox 1.07+ on Mac, Linux and Windows platforms.

"Real video iPod" delayed by display problems, studio talks

Whew. That's a relief. We were afraid for a while there that we'd have to go a whole week without any rumors about Apple's alleged plans for a "true video iPod." But ThinkSecret has come through as usual. According to the site, Apple had been on track to release the widescreen video iPod in time for the company's 30th birthday this month, but had to delay the project due to display problems and negotiations with movie studios. ThinkSecret claims that Apple is committed to a touchscreen controller including a "virtual track wheel," but actually achieving this has proven to be a challenge for Apple's display manufacturer. Meanwhile Apple is reportedly having a hard time negotiating content deals with movie studios. According to ThinkSecret, the company wants to stick with the iTunes model of selling individual flicks, while the studios are looking for a MusicNet-style subscription service. We've got an idea: as long as Apple is chatting it up with the other Apple, why not see if the rights to "Help" and "A Hard Days Night" are available? Either that or they can see if Disney's working on a sequel to "High School Musical."

TDK hard at work on 8-layer 200GB Blu-ray Disc

Since Sony, et al.'s hammered out the Blu-ray Disc spec, there's been speculation, theorization, and discussion of an 8-layer 200GB disc. Sony even supposedly had some working 200GB BRD demos way back in 2004. Well, now those mammoth coasters are in the works over at TDK, who apparently hope to commercialize the first presumably quad-layered dual-sided discs (or possibly octo-layered single-sided discs -- yeah, right). They're not giving it up as to when these discs could come out or how much they'll cost, but right now we're more worried about just getting our hands on some players, you know?

Una de cada dos PC no podrá ejecutar Windows Vista

En general, prácticamente todas las computadoras actuales podrán ejecutar Windows Vista, pero sólo la mitad estará en condiciones de aprovechar todas las funciones del próximo sistema operativo de Microsoft.

Tal sería la conclusión de un estudio realizado por la prestigiosa consultora Gartner. La entidad sugiere a los directores de Ti de todo el mundo tener tal situación presente al comprar nuevas computadoras.

Gartner indica que incluso en aquellos casos en que sea suficiente con los procesadores actuales, de todas formas será necesario adquirir una nueva tarjeta gráfica. Esto será especialmente relevante para aquellos usuarios que deseen aprovechar al máximo el nuevo interfaz Aero. También será necesario disponer de, al menos, 1 GB en RAM para que el sistema operativo funcione óptimamente.

Microsoft, por su parte, asegura que 512 MB en RAM serán suficientes, aunque aún no ha presentado todos los requerimientos de hardware para su próximo sistema operativo.

Gartner sugiere a los directores de adquisiciones TI tener presente que los nuevos sistemas que adquieran deberán contar al menos con el set 945 G de Intel, un procesador Pentium 4 y un GB de memoria. Para el caso de las notebooks, Gaurner recomienda que al menos estén provistos de procesadores de nivel Core Duo.

Varibel glasses sport eight conversation-enhancing mics

Any gadget that enhances two of your senses at once is worth at least a mention in these pages, so we hereby present you with the not-completely-unattractive-looking Varibel hearing aid eyeglasses. The manufacturers would take issue with calling it a hearing aid, however, as regular in-ear models pick up conversations as well as ambient noise, while the four mics on each arm of Varibel's glasses supposedly separate the two types of sound, enhancing the former while dampening the latter. Developed by the Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands, these devices will initially be limited to a Dutch release, but because of Varibel's partnership with Phillips and Frame Holland, they may end up seeing a wider release. Integrate these with a pair of those bifocal-eliminating LCD glasses, and you've got something that actually makes us look forward to old age (well, kinda). [Warning: foreign language link, may be confusing to some.]laptop computers

La pesada herencia de Microsoft retrasa a Vista

Microsoft arrastra una pesada herencia debido a que cada nueva versión de Windows ha de ser totalmente compatible con antiguos programas y computadoras. Esto pudiera explicar, al menos en parte, que Windows Vista haya sido retrasado hasta enero de 2007.

Recientemente, Microsoft anunció que el ya atrasado sistema operativo Windows Vista será lanzado en enero de 2007. La última versión de Windows para usuarios particulares y empresas, Windows XP, fue lanzado hace cinco años. ¿Cual sería la razón de que los miles de desarrolladores de Microsoft al cabo de cinco años no logren tener a tiempo la nueva versión?

Al mismo tiempo, su competidor Apple ha lanzado cuatro versiones de su sistema operativo, y Macintosh ya ofrece muchas funciones -como gráficos 3D, búsquedas en el desktop, etc- que los usuarios de Windows recién conocerán con Windows Vista.

La explicación es que Mac OS X sólo necesita ser ejecutado en las computadoras de la propia Apple, en tanto que Windows debe ser compatible con decenas de miles de distintos modelos de computadoras, y decenas de millones de configuraciones individuales. A ello se agrega que Microsoft arrastra una enorme carga en forma de antiguos programas y hardware antiguo, que debe ser soportado por Windows.

Esto significa que la complejidad de Windows aumenta exponencialmente con cada nueva versión: más de 300 fabricantes de computadoras venden sus máquinas con Windows preinstalado. Además, decenas de miles de unidades de hardware como impresoras, escáneres y reproductores de música han de funcionar junto al sistema, e innumerables conectores que funcionan con el sistema operativo.

”Windows ha llegado a ser tan voluminoso e intimidatorio debido al tamaño de su código fuente y a la decisión de mantener la compatibilidad retroactiva. Esto repercute en la velocidad. Por ello, la innovación es mucho más fácil para una compañía como Apple”, comentó el catedrático David B. Yoffie, de la Escuela de Negocios de Harvard, a la publicación New York Times.

Respecto de las críticas, en el sentido que los desarrolladores de Microsoft no han producido nada digno de mencionar durante los últimos cinco años, la compañía responde que se han liberado dos versiones de Tablet PC y cuatro versiones de Windows Media Center.

”La idea de que la División Windows de Microsoft no ha hecho absolutamente nada desde XP es muy alejado de la realidad”, comentó Brad Goldberg, director de Windows al periódico neoyorquino.

Algunos observadores consultados por New York Times indican que Microsoft podría verse obligada a abandonar la compatibilidad retroactiva, que hace que Windows sea demasiado complejo y aparatoso. En 2001, Apple decidió incorporar un nuevo sistema operativo basado en Next, Mac OS X, que no era compatible con OS 9. Al ”sacrificar” la compatibilidad con software y hardware antiguo, Apple consiguió un sistema operativo más ligero y moderno.

Microsoft ha explicado que el atraso con el lanzamiento de Vista no obedece a un problema específico o error determinado, sino a que desea usar más tiempo para asegurar la calidad del producto. Los clientes corporativos de la compañía podrán comprar Vista a partir de noviembre; sólo los usuarios particulares deberán esperar hasta enero.

New FT "FemaleType" femme bot brings the sexy

Alright, we've seen plenty of these man and boy-man styled humanoids, when are the ladies going to get their proper send up as an anime-styled future bot? That's a good question, and Takahashi-san -- creator of the wonderful Chroino and Manoi bots -- has an answer with his new femme bot, the FT "FemaleType." Of course, being sexy isn't all about how you look standing still, so FT has the strut of a fashion model with the twist of her hips and feminine posture. We'll keep an eye out for video of this strut in action, but we do know that FT is built out of carbon fiber, stands 14-inches tall, weighs a mere 1.8 pounds, and should be in production in a bit more than a year. Rumors of romantic interest between Manoi and FemaleType could not be confirmed at this time, but apparently Chroino and FT have a "history."

OMFG Primer Juego de REVOLUTION

Mis comentarios : No lo puedo creer Revolution callnado boca , para los que decian k no llegaria a la altura grafica de otras consolas.

Samsung Plans to Ship World's Slimmest Cell Phones

The Samsung SGH-T509 will compete with the Motorola RAZR and SLVR

The third largest cell phone maker in the world, Samsung, hopes to make a big splash in the US with one of its newest phones. The company has unveiled the t509 which will be the thinnest cell phone on the market in the U.S. The Samsung T509 will be released in May, designed specifically for the T-Mobile wireless service. Some of the features of the T509 will include the following: a color display to watch videos, integrated Bluetooth wireless technology, instant messaging and an external battery slot. The slim phone is 9.8 millimeters thick, compared to the 11.5-millimeter thick Motorola SLVR. According to Reuters:

Samsung will unveil the new phone and other models at the annual CTIA Wireless show in Las Vegas this week in a bid to boost its market share in the United States, where it competes with Nokia and LG Electronics for second place, according to the Gartner research group.

The popular Motorola RAZR cell phone shows that there is a high demand for ultra-thin cell phones in the United States. MobileMedia has a few more specifications for the device.

AMD to Invest $5.8B USD into Dresden Fabs

AMD prepares for a major ramp up this year leading all the way through to 2008

AMD's position as a force to be reckoned is no longer under question. The company has invested significantly over the last several years and made very good bets on its strategy that are now bringing fruits to the effort that was put in.

We previously reported earlier in the year that AMD was putting in a rough sum of $500M USD to upgrade Fab 36 in Germany. The money was laid out to upgrade the facility to produce larger wafers with smaller lithography processes. Since then, Fab 36 has been operating at a good pace and is now producing a good amount of revenue.

Despite the initial investment, competition often sparks innovation, and innovation doesn't stand still. According to German reports (english), AMD is in the process of rounding up another $5.8B USD which is to be spent gradually up to 2008. The company is using the money to further invest into its Dresden location. If this plan goes through successfully, AMD would have made one of its largest ever expansions in its history -- or for that matter, any semiconductor company.

The money is initially slated for Fab 36 and Fab 30 in Dresden, but the German report indicates much of the earmarked money will also go towards a third AMD foundry in the Dresden area, with work beginning this summer. Some of the funds will also be used for employee salaries at the new and upgraded facilities.

The year so far has been exciting, with many announcements from both sides of the camp. Thanks to first impressions of Intel's upcoming Conroe processor, many analysts are now looking at AMD with a great deal of anticipation to see what the company will come out with next, specifically the K8L architecture. AMD is currently on track in terms of timely product releases and expects to deliver quad-core desktop solutions in early 2007. The company recently broke its own 3GHz barrier with its Opteron family.

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Firefox da otro paso en su carrera por vencer al Internet Explorer

Los fanáticos de Firefox vuelven a estar de festejo. Según la encuesta que realiza Net Applications, el navegador gratuito de la Fundación Mozilla es utilizado por el 10,05% de los internautas del mundo.

El espacio que gana mes a mes Firefox coincide prácticamente con el que pierde el Internet Explorer de Microsoft.

Según los datos de marzo del 2006, el producto mantiene una alta cuota de mercado: 84,7%.

En abril del 2005 Firefox era utilizado por el 7,38% de los internautas, mientras que el IE ostentaba el 88%.

En la lista elaborada por Net Applications, el navegador Safari de Apple se ubica en el tercer lugar con el 3,19% de mercado. En cuarto lugar está Netscape (1,05%), seguido por Opera, con el 0,54% del mercado.

“Con su atractivo paquete de características, un ciclo de desarrollo de producto agresivo, su plataforma de código abierto y su carácter gratuito, Firefox cuenta con la estrategia correcta para mantener su crecimiento”, aseguró el analista de Net Applications Vincent Vizzaccaro.

Sin embargo, “Microsoft tiene la tarea mucho más sencilla de defender una posición afianzada en lugar de tener que estar atacando otra”, concluyó.

Firefox saltó a la fama luego de publicar un aviso en The New York Times gracias al aporte económico de más de 2.500 usuarios. Desde ese día, el crecimiento del producto completamente gratuito se fue generando más que nada gracias al “boca a boca” y ahora al atrevimiento de algunos de sus usuarios.

LG's LG550 musicphone

CTIA is just getting rolling here in Vegas, but we've already spotted a couple of fine looking new handsets, most notably LG's new LG550 musicphone. LG was lame and wouldn't let us take any hands-on shots, which turned out to be a big mistake since the press shots they gave us really don't do this thing justice.

Yeah, that touchpad on the front definitely reminds us of you-know-what, but the rest of the phone is sleek and thin, and along with the Chocoloate Phone, the LG550 represents an evolution of LG's handset design sensibility Specs are decent, but not extraordinary: EV-DO, Bluetooth, a MicroSD memory card slot, a 1.3 megapixel digital camera, swappable faceplates, and software for creating your own ringtones by humming the melody of what you want it to be (or something along those lines). No carrier or price confirmed yet, but the LG550 should be available here in the States sometime in Q2.

La UE advierte que podría prohibir Windows Vista

La Unión Europea dice estar dispuesta a prohibir la distribución de Windows Vista si Microsoft incorpora ”demasiadas” funciones en su próximo sistema operativo.

Diario Ti: Neelie Kroes, comisario para temas de competencia, ha informado por escrito a Microsoft que si Windows Vista incorpora demasiadas funciones, el sistema operativo podría ser prohibido en la Unión Europea.

Kroes envió la semana pasada una misiva al presidente de Microsoft, Steve Ballmer, donde describe las preocupaciones de la Comisión Europea sobre Windows Vista. La UE considera improcedentes los planes de Microsoft de incorporar en Vista diversas funciones que ahora son cubiertas por aplicaciones independientes.

Entre otras cosas, la UE menciona la relación entre el software integrado en Vista y las búsquedas por Internet, como asimismo la integración de funciones de seguridad.

Microsoft, por su parte, asegura que será posible configurar el navegador de forma que pueda usar servicios de búsqueda de otros proveedores. Asimismo, ha señalado que Vista no integrará software antivirus. No obstante, las funcionalidad mejorada de búsqueda y la seguridad integrada han sido precisamente factores que Microsoft ha destacado al referirse a Windows Vista.

La reacción de Kroes fue motivada en parte por una carta recibida en la Comisión Europea de compañías como IBM, Sun y Oracle, donde señalan que las ”funciones integradas” de Windows Vista podrían atentar contra la normativa comunitaria de competitividad.

Microsoft no ha comentado la carta, pero recalca que cumplirá con las expectativas de los consumidores, a la vez que respetará los aspectos jurídicos aplicables.

AMD Socket AM2 Pricing Information

We have received some rather interesting info on AMD's new range of Socket AM2 processors. According to internal AMD documents, system builders will be able to purchase the new AM2 processor starting on May 15^th. Dual core and single core Athlon 64 processors will be available as well as 64-bit Sempron processors.

According to our previously published roadmaps, AMD's Athlon 64 FX-62 will be the company's top desktop offering for the remainder of the year. It is not until Q1 of 2007 that we will see the FX-64 hit the market. All other AM2 processors are officially under embargo until June 6, 2006.

AMD Desktop Processor Price List
Processor	Socket	SSBP
Athlon 64 FX-62	AM2	$1,236
Athlon 64 X2 5000+	AM2	$696
Athlon 64 X2 4800+	AM2	$645
Athlon 64 X2 4600+	AM2	$558
Athlon 64 X2 4400+	AM2	$469
Athlon 64 X2 4200+	AM2	$365
Athlon 64 X2 4000+	AM2	$328
Athlon 64 X2 3800+	AM2	$303
Athlon 64 3800+	AM2	$290
Athlon 64 3500+	AM2	$208
Sempron 3600+	AM2	$123
Sempron 3500+	AM2	$109
Sempron 3400+	AM2	$97
Sempron 3000+	AM2	$77
Sempron 2800+	AM2	$67

The SSBP above denotes the Suggested System Builder Price. Actual manufacturer purchase prices are approximately 10% less. And of course, you can be sure those new CPUs will come with heatpipe coolers and new packaging. AMD insiders have confirmed to us that AM2 motherboards will be shipping for several weeks before the launch to assure widespread availability at launch.

ATI's R580+ revealed

NVIDIA put some extra pressure on ATI with its G71 generation. The X1900 XTX can put up a fight but ATI's cost is still quite a bit higher. Nvidia's chip is cheaper and cooler but this is about to change in the next few months.

G71 should be Nvidia's last Geforce 7 generation card, and after than it will move to G80, the eight generation powered with Unified Shaders. ATI, on the other hand, is preparing to move to 80 nanometres first.

It informed its partners that it has a R580+ card up at its corporate sleeves. It is nothing more than 80 nanometre R580 core, but this shrink will make the chip cooler, smaller and cheaper to produce. ATI will probably be able to get some higher clocks out of it as well.

Samples are scheduled for May, while production should start in Q3 between June and August. Such timing clearly indicates that ATI is not in a rush to release the R600 and we know that R600 is actually doing just fine. The R600 needs Vista to glow.

Hacker team gets close to Xbox 360 holy grail

AFTER a team of hackers admitted that their XBox360 hack was not really practical, another team has said that it is closer to a practical solution.

In hackerland getting a useable 360 hack is a bit like finding a cure for cancer. An outfit called team executer claims to have found a way to managed to write to the DVD drives firmware, without the need to de-solder the chip, flash, and replace it.

The group’s hack works by hooking up to your PC drive and flashing it over the S=ATA bus.

True you need a custom connector, because Vole uses a lot of proprietary stuff, but it is a step closer to the XBox360 being wide open, the group claims