Dang ! or Wow. Just wow. I know I could make a WoW pun or something out of that but I won
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Well, that's a little bit of an overstatement I'd say, and hey if ZDNet says it, i must be right .. right ? Blu-ray is in a death spiral. 12 months from now Blu-ray will be a videophile niche, not a mass market product predicts this ZNET Blog. With only a 4% share of US movie disc sales and HD download capability arriving, the Blu-ray disc Association (BDA) is still smoking dope. Even $150 Blu-ray players won't save it. According to Digital Content Producer Blu-ray doesn't cut it for business:

• Recordable discs don't play reliably across the range of Blu-ray players - so you can't do low-volume runs yourself. 
• Service bureau reproduction runs $20 per single layer disc in quantities of 300 or less. 
• Hollywood style printed/replicated Blu-ray discs are considerably cheaper once you reach the thousand unit quantity: just $3.50 per disc. 
• High-quality authoring programs like Sony Blu-print or Sonic Solutions Scenarist cost $40,000. 
•  The Advanced Access Content System - the already hacked DRM - has a one-time fee of $3000 plus a per project cost of almost $1600 plus $.04 per disk. And who defines project? 
•  Then the Blu-ray disc Association charges another $3000 annually to use their very exclusive - on 4% of all video disks! - logo.

More here.

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Deep Silver has issued a new patch for S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear Sky, bringing the official prequel to the survival FPS game S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl to v1.5.06. The patch includes balance tweaks, bug fixes, and adds DirectX 10.1 support, for which ATI released a hotfix earlier today. Added MSAA for alpha-tested objects ("alpha-to-coverage" for DX10.0, custom "alpha-to-coverage" for DX10.1 for better performance, native DX10.1 implementation for better quality).  Added new quality level for sun-shadows (ultra) for better picture quality.  Added new min/max shadowmap technique (which takes advantage of DX10.1 when available) allows to speed up high quality sunshafts rendering for top video boards and high resolutions.  Added high quality sunshafts acceleration for DX9 renderer Note: 1.5.04 and 1.5.05 saved games will be compatible with new patch.
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Neowin attended a Windows 7 reviewers workshop on Sunday. And they showed the user interface enhancements introduced with Windows 7.

"Keeping with the trend, Averett described herself as a PC, wearing a red top matching her fall colored desktop with orange and red aero glass tones.

The session was an overview of some new features demonstrated on Windows 7 build 6933.winmain.081020-1842. Unfortunately the build that will be handed out to PDC attendees will not feature most of the enhancements I am about to detail.

First up was the new Windows 7 desktop. The new desktop includes a thicker taskbar, improved system tray and no sidebar. The orb on the start menu also glistens after hover over." [Via Neowin]

 

 

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Vienna, October 27th 2008 - Noctua today announced the impending availability of a new mounting kit which makes it possible to install Noctua CPU coolers on Intel's upcoming Core i7 processors for socket LGA1366. The new SecuFirm2

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ATI released an updated hotfix to address the following issues:

Far Cry 2 - fixes image quality issue that was introduced in the preview Far Cry 2 hotfix release posted last week

Stalker Clear Sky - this hotfix includes Stalker performance enhancements for the DirectX 10 version of the game. Also be sure to download the Stalker Clear Sky DirectX 10.1 patch, which will provide further performance enhancements (up to 10% at higher resolutions) and image quality enhancements over DX10.

We strongly recommend you download the game patch and test it in conjunction with this Catalyst hotfix

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Now how sexy is that ?

 

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If you have a serious amount of cash to burn ... look no further mate. And do invite me to watch a movie with you soon okay ?

The 65-inch Mitsubishi LASERVUE Rear Projection TV has been receiving great deal of attentions since its announcement in early April. It

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Where's the bunny, I'm gonna stuff ...  ehm ... Duracell, the world-renowned copper-top battery brand, are moving in a new direction. In fact, they have decided to step into the world of flash memory with SD, microSD, USB drives and Compactflash cards in an effort to expand the brand.  

While best known for batteries of all kinds, Duracell is venturing into new territory with not just USB drives and other compact media. They will also produce media card readers. But the real attraction is the company will push out marketing efforts in the places where Duracell is already a trusted name, such as pharmacies and grocery stores.

And it makes sense. After all, batteries are used in many electronic products that require memory. It makes it easier then, if you can rely on the same brand for batteries and memory options. In order to pull off this endeavor, Duracell has teamed up with Dane-Elec, which already has distribution in the U.S., Europe and Asia.

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If you

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Okay, that's a little retro ... Numark has recently announced the PT-01USB, which enables users to convert songs from vinyl records to digital WAV or MP3 files. The portable, battery-powered turntable uses a USB port to connect to Windows PCs or Macs and save the music playing on or through the device. Apart from tracks recorded on vinyl, an auxiliary input makes it possible to convert tracks from cassette decks or other sources into digital formats. The PT-01USB operates as a traditional record player as well, with an RCA line output letting users connect it to a DJ, PA or stereo system. A built-in speaker lets it function on its own.
A carrying handle is integrated into the PT-01USB, which is capable of playing records at 33RPM, 45RPM or 78RPM speeds, and also includes a 10 percent pitch adjustment.

Software for either operating system is included, not requiring users to download any drivers. EZ Vinyl Converter 2 is PC-compatible, while EZ Audio Creator 2 serves Mac users. The former imports songs into a user's iTunes library, separating them. Included Audacity software helps users reduce noise such as clicks and pops in converted tracks.

The PT-01USB is past its announced release date, and pricing information has not yet been revealed.

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Intel proudly announced it was recognized as EPA Green Power Partner of the Year for its efforts to address climate change through green power purchases and its impact in advancing the renewable energy market. Intel signed a multi-year commitment to purchase more than 1.3 billion kilowatt hours of renewable energy certificates (REC) per year, roughly 47 percent of its purchased electricity use. Furthermore, the firm also deployed renewable energy technologies at its sites in Bangalore, India, in Hillsboro, Oregon and New Mexico, while Intel Capital invested more than $100 million in solar energy projects this year.

"This is but one milestone in our long-term strategy to help make renewable energy more economically feasible and a realistic choice for individuals and corporations," said William Swope, vice president of Intel's Corporate Affairs Group. "Renewable energy investment is imperative to spur the growth of the nation's energy market and we'll continue this ramp along with our industry efforts."

In early 2008, Intel signed a multi-year commitment to purchase more than 1.3 billion kilowatt hours of renewable energy certificates (REC) per year - enough power to meet approximately 47 percent of its purchased electricity use - and putting the company at the No. 1 spot on the EPA Fortune 500 Green Power Partners List. With a combination of RECs from Sterling Planet, Austin Energy and PNM, Intel's wide-ranging renewable energy portfolio includes wind projects in the Southwest and Pacific Northwest as well as solar photovoltaic (PV) installations in California. The EPA estimates that Intel's record purchase has the equivalent environmental impact of taking more than 185,000 cars off the road, or avoiding the amount of electricity needed to power more than 130,000 average American homes annually.

"Since Intel's purchase, we have seen a clear increase in market demand for renewable energy," said Mel Jones, Sterling Planet president and CEO. "Our contract backlog has grown more than 90 percent over the same period last year. Intel's commitment is having a significant impact on the market, while raising the bar and setting the example for corporate purchasers large and small."

In addition to its focus on stimulating the renewable energy market through purchasing power, Intel invests and innovates across a range of energy conservation activities, helping save more than $40 million in Intel operations since 2001.

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With the rest of the globe to follow soon I hope. It's one of these other nice titles I like to get my hand on. Bethesda Softworks has announced that Fallout 3 should now be available in North America:

Fallout 3 will be available on store shelves and online in North America on October 28, in Europe and Australia on October 30 and in the UK on October 31. Developed at Bethesda Game Studios - creators of the 2006 Game of the Year, The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion - Fallout 3 is slated for release on the Xbox 360, PLAYSTATION 3 and Games for Windows. Fallout 3 features one of the most realized game worlds ever created. Set more than 200 years following a nuclear war, you can create any kind of character you want and explore the open wastes of Washington, D.C. however you choose. Every minute is a fight for survival as you encounter Super Mutants, Ghouls, Raiders, and other dangers of the Wasteland.

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Typically I'd say fashionably late Inno3D today announced their GeForce 9600 GSO 512MB but this card has 48 stream processors, 650MHz core, 1625MHz shaders, 256-bit memory bus and 512MB memory clocked at 1600MHz. Meaning they changed the chip as suggested earlier. Pretty much it's now based of a GeForce 960 GT silicon.

Hong Kong 28th October, 2008 - Inno3D

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The Taiwanese based company G.Skill just launched two new SSD drives. They will be available in volume sizes from 64 and 128 GB and come with that lovely SATA2 interface.  Speeds on paper certainly don't sound that bad with 155 MB/sec read and a 90 MB/sec write speed.

Debatable can be the use of MLC based flash chips but G.Skill estimates an MTBF is 1.5 Million hours. We are not sure how fast these products will reach the EU market and what exactly the prices will be.

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We land at the blue colored premises of Gigabyte, they just launched this particular product with the 216 shader processors as well, but under yet another name, the Gigabyte GeForce GTX 260 OC. And it's interesting when you think about it really, these are thus the 216 Core versions of the product, offering 10 maybe 15% more performance, yet Gigabyte didn't overclock the product at all.

Which is kind of weird if you tag a product as OC right ? That doesn't mean though there's no room for overclocking, in fact far from it, you'd be nuts to not overclock it yourself. 

Read the full Guru3D review right here.

 

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Monolith's spooky shooter sequel F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin will be available through PC digital distribution platforms Steam and Direct2Drive on February 10, the same day it hits retailers, publisher Warner Bors. announced today. In addition to the PC, F.E.A.R. 2 will hit PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 on February 10.

Developed by Warner Bros. Entertainment's Monolith Productions for the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, Windows PC and the PLAYSTATION 3 computer entertainment system, and published by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin fans in North America will be able to download the game the same day the retail version hits store shelves on February 10, 2009.

F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin, the highly anticipated sequel to the 2005 smash hit game, F.E.A.R., is a blend of advanced visceral combat mixed with seamless game pacing set inside a sinister and paranormal universe that begins shortly before the ending of F.E.A.R. A Special Forces squad is on a routine mission when the city of Auburn is rocked by a supernatural explosion. Alma, a girl with immense power and a thirst for revenge, has unleashed her wrath upon the city and thrown it into chaos. The squad must combat enemy forces and the supernatural as they struggle to find a way to stop Alma and uncover the mysterious forces arrayed against them before it's too late.

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Good stuff has been surfacing about Windows 7 for quite some time now and as information leaks out, we

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Yesterday we reported that a small batch of HIS graphics cards has a faulty BIOS, disabling a shader cluster on the GPU. Please read about that here. I retreived the serial numbers of the boards effected so you can check it out for yourself wether or not you need to flash a new BIOS.

Step 1: Verify the serial number

H081001881-H081001930
H081002871-H081002880
H081002881-H081002920
H081018911-H081018960
H081023731-H081023750
H081031791-H081021890

H081032991-H081021995
H081035691-H081035788
H081036931-H081037010
H081037451-H081037560
H081037761-H081037820
H081038371-H081038410
H081038821-H081038840
H081038841-H081038940
H081041271-H081041360
H081042081-H081042130

Upgrade the BIOS:

Download the latest BIOS from here: http://download.hightech.com.hk/bios/HD4830_SJ3G01.ZIP

• Boot up the HD4830 into Windows XP / Vista. 
• Unzip the HD4830_SJ3G01.ZIP into a directory 
• Go to that directory and run  SJ3G01_00R_01.exe 

After the BIOS update is complete, reboot the system and you are set to go, this time with 640 Shader units.

 

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The lads over at GIGABYTE are debuting the new GIGABYTE GA-E7AUM-DS2H motherboard powered by the latest NVIDIA Geforce

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