Tech News and Gossip thread...

[stingerhs]

^^^^

yeah, the new 360 actually looks pretty good. heard they did something slick with the cooling system, too; although i wouldn't be surprised if that was an exaggeration.

 

at any rate, the big news from MS was really the $50 price drop on their existing hardware. that currently makes the 360 the best console value on the market (assuming that you aren't a Sony fanboi). as for the other E3 news, the only things that really caught my eye was SW: TOR, Crysis 2, and Dead Rising 2. Kinect and Move are too much like the underwhelming Wii to really catch my attention.

 

and, for the record, its good to be back.

[Astrotoy7]

SW: TOR

The fact that it is going to be fully voiced is great news indeed - definitely something lacking in STO. But I'll need to try the actual game before making a call on it.

 

and, for the record, its good to be back.

 

welcome back! But I must admit, I didn't know you had gone anywhere stinger Hopefully it was a nice holiday to somewhere sunny!

 

* * *

 

EVGA GTX 465 Superclocked review at G3D

 

I'm an nvidia/EVGA fanboi, but even I'd recommend the 5850 as a better value option Of course, if you prefer nvidia, like to fold and like lifetime warranties, it isnt a bad card by any means Best wait til the price drops or you can chalk up some rebate/discounts on it.

 

mtfbwya

[Astrotoy7]

US Phone fans/Verizon users.... before you go out and splurge on an iPhone4, have a think about the amazing new Droid X by Motorola. (nb. if you're curious: Yes, Motorola pay Lucasfilm a licensing fee to be able to use the word 'Droid')

 

Huge screen, 1Ghz android 2.1 -soon to be upgraded automatically to the full flash supporting 2.2

 

 

That screen and the 1Ghz under the hood will make it a great candidate for running the upcoming PS1 emu for android, as well the existing NES/SNES/Genesis emulators that run a treat. Inbuilt google maps/navigation support..and NO ITUNES SLAVERY! Getting music into your android device = drag n drop files into a folder

 

check one out in person more info here I love the 720p HDMI/DLNA to TV support

 

mtfbwya

[Hallucination]

blah blah android blah blah blah

blah blah

mtfbwya

In unrelated news, the guy who took that photo has huge hands.

[Astrotoy7]

blah blah blah dude haz huge handz he he hee.

 

lolz...these phones always look bigger in hand photos At engadget, the first preview of the DroidX was done by a lady reporter, who has smallish hands... In all the hand photos she posted folks were freaking out at how large the phone was.

 

Thats why I prefer to see pics of phones next to other phones, on their own In this instance we got treated to phones side by side in a largish hand

 

Anyway, iPhone4 prospective buyers may want to read about the issues being reported where holding the phone in a particular way cuts out your reception.

 

more info HERE

 

Update: Hilarious Video.

 

Sucks if you like to hold the IP4 in your left hand.

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Digging around on YT you can see that this plagued the 3G as well. WTF Anyway, a common remedy is getting a protector case for the phone - but if you don't want to do that and like to hold the phone in your L. hand, you may want to give the IP4 a miss.....

 

The retina display tech has also been reported as problematic by some.

 

mtfbwya

[Astrotoy7]

Some Browser News:

 

Firefox 3.6.6 is now out. It was quickly patched up from 3.6.4 which was officially released just a couple of days ago, mainly to fix a flash related issue.

 

Chrome, now the worlds #3 Browser, overtaking Safari - has gone to version 6 stable, and has flash built in.

 

It now has its own in built extensions gallery, including adblock. I really like the interface, but preferring FF only extensions like integrated gmail, so use FF with the chromifox extension to make FF look and behave like Chromium.

 

mtfbwya

[Astrotoy7]

hehe... here's some EPIC "kick you in the nuts" action from Motorola to Apple.

 

Given the outlined issues with the iPhone4 antenna, Motorola took out a full page in the NYTimes with this ad for their lovely Droid X. It must be noted that this high end android device has two antennas, meaning you will never get the gripes poor iP4 people get.

 

Apple fanboys across the world have gotten upset at Moto, calling it a low blow. I don't see the big deal. They're just using an ad to outline some appealing design characteristics of their new device. Good to know for those of you in the US - who are currently the only ones that can get the Droid X.

 

Perhaps this IS the droid you are looking for?

 

THIS is Apples solution to the problem...a $29USD Piece of Plastic, which they recently instructed Apple Care reps to NOT give out for free to people ringing in with complaints of the antenna woes.

 

In other parody news, I like this pic of Jobs that is doing the rounds. Someone who orders their customers how to hold their phone rather than admitting a design flaw is obviously surrounded by too many yes men [/iMO]

 

 

mtfbwya

[Astrotoy7]

lolzOMG.... Remember AMD, Kings of 'Cool n Quiet' and Green Computing in those magical days of the 2002-6....

 

Well that AMD is dead, and theyve proven it, check out ASUS latest Planet Raper behemoth card, the ARES, sporting dual 5870, a buttload of copper and a suicidial set of 4GBGDDR5 hotplates[/hyperbole]

 

 

A 3 slot monstrosity, limited edition that costs $1200USD, and according to benchies still cant crack th CryTek engine at 1600p

 

 

Speaking of redundant overkill, expreview posted some benchies of a ludicrous GTX 480 QUAD-SLI setup on one of the snazzy EVGA x58 mainboards... In some instances, including the crytek engine, the 4th GTX 480 made an inefficient/expensive contribution of an extra 4-5 frames/sec

 

edit: it seems expreview have since pulled that article! I wonder why?

 

mtfbwya

[Astrotoy7]

Team Kermit have just released the GTX 460, and the general consensus is that it is a winner for the midrange segment.

 

engadget has done a review roundup... which you can get to from HERE

 

"The $200 king" according to anandtech

 

I'll refrain from posting Crysis benchies, but here's CODModern Warfare 2 at 1920x1200.. It outperformes the GTX 280, and the 5770. It isnt too far behind the 5850, which is significantly costlier... Heat levels arent too bad either, definitely cooler than the 480 Good news for the midrange market

 

mtfbwya

[Q]

OK, folks, this is the Nvidia card to get. Performance better than a GTX 285 for ~$200! I totally wasn't expecting NV to redesign their architecture like that. The 1GB model is probably worth the extra 30 bucks, since it sports the full 256-bit memory bus. Looks to be pretty overclockable, too. This card just can't be beat ATM. Let the price wars begin!

[Char Ell]

edit: HOLY CRAP!! Sorry Char! I've just butchered your post thinking I was editing a quote Im currently on a 15" 1024x768 screen at work, cant see sh*t

 

sorry man Damn my 30" screen at home!!

 

....And a continuing big thumbs down for NVIDIA's product naming practices.

[Astrotoy7]

....And a continuing big thumbs down for NVIDIA's product naming practices.

 

I think JHH's Posse have gone way too far on this one .... there are TWELVE versions of the 460

 

A general rule with nvidia, buy the version with the X in the name.. X= fast apparently....like XFX GTX460 XXX EXXXTREME OC EDITION

 

Speaking of deleted posts... Apple are getting into dangerous territory. Consumer Reports have just published their review of the iPhone4, and like many others, stated the antenna issue as significant flaw in the device - and hence recommending people to stay away from it.

 

Even engadget, who gave the iPhone4 a ridiculous 9/10 in their initial review have stopped making excuses for Apple and gone on the attack, especially when they started receiving reports that any mention of the Consumer Reports recommendation was being deleted from Apples forums.

 

Apple definitely aren't kicking any goals in the PR dept recently

 

mtfbwya

[Negative Sun]

I like the Droid X phone because that's by far the coolest name ever...

[Astrotoy7]

I like the Droid X phone because that's by far the coolest name ever...

 

Indeed. They have to pay Lucasfilm licensing for the ability to use that name. It's always in the fine print in the ads. Mind you, in Europe, the phone usually changes its name when released locally. The original droid is called the Milestone over in your neck of the woods NegSun. If you're ever interested in tracking down cheap sim unlocked android phones in the UK, I highly recommend Clove. Getting a phone from a provider(voda, orange etc) allows you to go on a plan of course, but comes with an OS ROM that is usually full of propietary junk apps you cant remove

 

In other news, the Windows 7 SP1 Public Beta is now official. If you're super keen, you can download it from MS HERE

 

Also, a hearty thank you to those of you involved in getting me that Notable Contributor Badge for this techforum stuff. I understand it was a long and drawn out process, matched only by your stunning perserverance! Cheers!!

 

mtfbwya

[Astrotoy7]

Those of you interested in the financial performance of AMD:

 

AMD makes $1.65billion, net loss of $43million

 

I'm no financial guru, but if a company is still bringing in billions, Id say that is a good thing, despite the loss figures. They'll just need to tweak things a bit obviously.

 

Also, the Apple iPhone 4 Fiasco continues. Here's the quick and dirty:

*Consumer Reports canned the device/Apple Deletes Mentions of it on their forums

*US Senator weighs in/goes media whoring

*Apple Engineer/Patent holder had warned them of the antenna issue and was ignored

*Apple stock takes a kick in the nuts to the tune of $25.6 Billion

*Apple calling an emergency press conference scheduled for later today(Friday 16th)

 

Everyone is eager to find out if Apple will own up or try spin some more crap like "the software that displays barz iz wrong"

 

longstoryshort: Fanboy or no, best don't get an iPhone4 until this is confirmed fixed. If you are in the US, you should seriously look into the DroidX which was also released today. It has 2 antennas In other PR nightmares for Apple, Whoopi Goldberg admitted to a viewing audience of tens of millions (of mainly ladies) around the world that she hated her iP4 so much she smashed it to pieces in her car door lolz....Don't mess with Guinan!

 

I made this picture for the occasion

 

EDIT: You can catch the Apple Press Conference here The skinny is that Jobs compared the iphone4 to an old blackberry and android phone from 2008-9 and said they have the same problem. They then stated that everyone can have free bumper cases.

 

Does that fill you with confidence now Apple fans?

 

mtfbwya

[Astrotoy7]

lolz... someone needs to call the EPA and The Fire Dept....

 

ASUS seem to be working on the Mars II - a DUAL GTX480 One can only guess at its power consumption and heat production. Thought it would likely fold a massive 30,000PPD

 

 

mtfbwya

[Char Ell]

...

 

longstoryshort: Fanboy or no, best don't get an iPhone4 until this is confirmed fixed. If you are in the US, you should seriously look into the DroidX which was also released today. It has 2 antennas

 

...

 

mtfbwya

Only problem is I don't buy Motorola phones anymore. I've owned two of them in the past and did not care for them at all. I'm thinking of going with the HTC Incredible.

 

RE: dual GTX 480, that is just too much card for me. From what I've read the GTX 460 gets a little over 9K PPD running folding@home. Considering how my GTS 250 usually gets around 5K PPD with only 128 SP's I'm kind of surprised the GTX 460 doesn't get more PPD with its 336 SP's.

[Astrotoy7]

Only problem is I don't buy Motorola phones anymore. I've owned two of them in the past and did not care for them at all. I'm thinking of going with the HTC Incredible.

 

The incredible is a great phone too. US users are also about to finally get the HTC Desire as well, which is what I have, and can thoroughly recommend

 

The incredible/desire have the sense interface, which is a big plus IMO. Motorola runs the stock android interface. There's plenty of vids on YT if you want to see what sense is all about

 

mtfbwya

[Negative Sun]

US users are also about to finally get the HTC Desire as well, which is what I have, and can thoroughly recommend

lolz that's the one my other half is getting soon

 

Good to see it's got Astro's seal of approval

[Astrotoy7]

lolz that's the one my other half is getting soon

 

Good to see it's got Astro's seal of approval

 

once you see hers NegSun, you will want one too... these are some must apps to download from the android market:

 

*snesoid/gensoid/gameboid >> the ultimate emulators for SNES/Genesis/GBA

*Jewellust - better than bejeweled

*BeyondPod - the ultimate podcast manager

 

 

There are free trials of each of those. There are of course free alternatives podcast managers too(like Google Listen), but beyond pod is slick, and supports video podcasts as well.

 

There are plenty of other great apps, you can browse the android market on the device, or go on sites like androlib to browse online, use a barcode scanner to scan the barcodes supplied and get it on your phone.

 

Appbrain now also enables sending/syncing of apps from browser to phone(which will be enabled by default in Android 2.2 which the Desire will likely get updated to in Sept/Oct)

 

Let us know if you need any more android pointers

 

I also recommend installing an extra media player or two. I use one for podcasts, one for music, and another for audiobooks so I can jump in and out of each one independently off widgets on the homescreen

 

mtfbwya

[Astrotoy7]

zOMG!!!! The epically awesome NMANews from China have put their characteristic CG News Reconstruction Parody spin on the Apple iPhone 4 debacle....and it has a Star Wars flavour. It's in Chinese, but the visuals say it all I love how they included Jobs' 'Reality Distortion Field'

 

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For those that have a compulsive need to know what is being said, someone has added english subs

 

mtfbwya

[Astrotoy7]

A few bits n pieces

 

*ATI and nvidia will be moving to 28nm process, products by end of 2011, including the ATI 6000 series, and hopefully some cooler running Fermi derivatives >>source

 

*Samsung weighs in on the iPhone 4 signal issue.. LMAO

 

*The Amiga turns 25 ! My first pc was a C64, but I really loved my Amiga 600. I wonder where computers will be in 25 years time.... and if anything can run Crysis at 1600p

 

Happy BDay Amiga!

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mtfbwya

[Char Ell]

*ATI and nvidia will be moving to 28nm process, products by end of 2011, including the ATI 6000 series, and hopefully some cooler running Fermi derivatives >>source

 

...

 

mtfbwya

I'm disappointed that it's apparently going to take two years to transition from 40 nm to 28 nm though maybe my expectations were set too high. I was expecting 28 nm graphics products to ramp up in mid-2011.

[Astrotoy7]

I'm disappointed that it's apparently going to take two years to transition from 40 nm to 28 nm though maybe my expectations were set too high. I was expecting 28 nm graphics products to ramp up in mid-2011.

 

I think TMSC and GF are covering their backs with that time frame, considering the silicon yield gripes they experienced last year in particular.

 

In other super news...

 

PSX4droid has finally hit the android market = Final Fantasy VII-IX on your android! Also includes includes wiimote and bluetooth gamepad controller support. Some of the games that are predominately 2D will likely work on the slower processors.

 

Ive been playing the original Psx final fantasy tactics, which works great.

 

Its version 1.0, so not perfect, but FF7 works pretty well from what Ive seen. I'll be trying FF8/9 myself later tonight.

 

 

It of course goes without saying that you need a higher end android device to pull it off. Android Version 2.0+ is a prerequisite - such as The various Motorola Droids, HTC Incredible, Google Nexus One, HTC Desire, HTC EVO 4G etc anything packing a 1Ghz snapdragon processor under the hood.

 

I did try the rare and elusive SW game - Masters of Teras Kasi on it - which is somewhat choppy/slow

 

mtfbwya

[Char Ell]

I've never played FF7 but have wanted to for a number of years now. Just another bit of motivation for me to pick up an HTC Incredible I guess.

 

From TechReport.com: Intel announces silicon photonics breakthrough

 

The future of I/O connectivity is bright—literally. Intel has developed what it says is the "world's first silicon-based optical data connection with integrated lasers using Hybrid Silicon Laser technology." Using an integrated transmitter chip, an integrated receiver, and beams of light going through a fiber-optic cable, the prototype can transfer data at a whopping 50Gbps. More exciting still, Intel expects to be able to manufacture the components cheaply enough to make them a staple of both consumer and server I/O by the middle of the decade.

So is this the beginning of the end for SATA, USB, and Firewire? With Intel's LightPeak technology reportedly on the way, offering 10 Gbps connectivity, it appears that Intel is getting ready to alter the computer I/O landscape with even further advancements.