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Monday, November 14, 2011

drag2share: Meet AMD's New History-Making, 16-Core Beast [Guts]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5859235/meet-amds-new-history+making-16+core-beast

Meet AMD's New History-Making, 16-Core Beast Your quad-core computer doesn't seem so great anymore now, does it, champ? AMD's Opteron 6200 boasts 16 cores running at up to 2.6 GHz each. That is a lot of number crunching—and the first x86 with 16 cores.

Sadly, the monster isn't really made for you. AMD's going after server farms with the 16-headed Opteron—places where all of those cores can actually be taken advantage of, as opposed to a game of WoW. But in case you really, really want all those cores—and money isn't a problem—the upper deck model can be snapped up for a cool $1,020. That's only like $64 a core! And since the 6200 uses AMD's power-saving Bulldozer architecture, you might even end up saving money, in some extremely complex rationalization you might want to employ. Tenuous, fine. So how about this? The 6200 can overclock its cores on the fly by up to an extra 1 GHz, and supports up to 384 GB of RAM. I can't wait to see how Skype runs on this thing. [AMD via PC World]

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drag2share: Lenovo IdeaPad U300s review

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/11/13/lenovo-ideapad-u300s-review/

Review enough Ultrabooks and you'll start to wrestle with this idea of value. We've seen cheap ones that don't perform well and expensive ones that do. Things get really dicey when you throw in machines that cost a bit less, look good and perform well, but are nonetheless flawed in some key way -- like having a sticky keyboard or a trackpad with a mind of its own.

For more than a week now we've been testing the Lenovo IdeaPad U300s and, at the risk of spoiling this review altogether, it's made it even tougher for us to stack up one imperfect Ultrabook against another. What to do with a well-made, speed demon of a machine that boots in less than 20 seconds but starts at $1,095 without an SD slot, high-res display or backlit keyboard? Are the U300s' stately looks, brisk performance and sound ergonomics enough to make up for a handful of absent features? Find the answers to that and more in our full review after the break.

Gallery: Lenovo IdeaPad U300s review

Continue reading Lenovo IdeaPad U300s review

Lenovo IdeaPad U300s review originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 13 Nov 2011 10:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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drag2share: Switched On: Next for the nano

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/11/13/switched-on-next-for-the-nano/

Each week Ross Rubin contributes Switched On, a column about consumer technology.

For all the grousing about the minimal changes from the iPhone 4 to the iPhone 4S, Apple's fastest smartphone incorporates sweeping shifts compared to what the company did with its iPod line. From keeping the waning iPod classic in the lineup to leaving the still-potent iPod touch untouched save for a blanching and price reduction, the venerable digital media player line seemed all but ignored at a time of year when Apple once primed the holiday pump for MP3 players.

Yet, while the iPod touch may not have received the processor boost or Siri-ousness of the iPhone 4S, it at least continues to remain vibrant via access to Apple's app store. That's not the case for the nano, once the flagship of the line. While Apple's smallest touchscreen device gained new software that enlarged the main icons and brought new clock faces, these improvements are also being offered to owners of the last-generation iPod nano via a software update.

Continue reading Switched On: Next for the nano

Switched On: Next for the nano originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 13 Nov 2011 17:10:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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drag2share: Intel and MasterCard to offer Ultrabook users 'safer' NFC checkout via PayPass, impulsive shoppers rejoice

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/11/14/intel-and-mastercard-to-offer-ultrabook-users-safer-nfc-checko/

Entering a 16-digit credit card number may be a thing of the past with a new initiative from MasterCard and Intel, which allows users to checkout online by tapping a PayPass-enabled card, tag or smartphone to their Ultrabook. Calling the checkout "safer" and "simpler," Intel is bringing its Identity Protection Technology to the potluck, giving shoppers two-factor authentication and chip-based display protection when forking over that hard earned cash. Here's how it all works: when you tap a NFC smartphone or other PayPass-enabled device, it will communicate with the Ultrabook, generating a six-digit code from the embedded processor or from within the Manageability Engine. The ME hardware, encrypted with third-party algorithms, then transacts with the e-commerce site, hopefully offering shoppers more protection than standard software solutions. Since using the feature requires an NFC-connected device as well as the Ultrabook and a username and password, forgetful folks who tend to misplace their phone or computer won't have to worry about unwarranted spending. Sadly, the solution won't protect your wallet from the perils of a late night shoe shopping spree. Check out the full PR after the break.

Continue reading Intel and MasterCard to offer Ultrabook users 'safer' NFC checkout via PayPass, impulsive shoppers rejoice

Filed under: Laptops

Intel and MasterCard to offer Ultrabook users 'safer' NFC checkout via PayPass, impulsive shoppers rejoice origin ally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 14 Nov 2011 00:14:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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drag2share: Netflix signs up Lionsgate UK films for its British debut

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/11/14/netflix-signs-up-lionsgate-uk-films-for-its-british-debut/

Now that Netflix has made its plans to launch in the British Isles official, it's gotten busy signing content deals and the latest affiliation is with Lionsgate's UK arm. The deal makes Netflix the "exclusive subscription streaming service" in the UK and Ireland for the studios first-run movies, with upcoming titles like The Expendables 2, and the Dirty Dancing remake already on deck. The agreement also extends to catalog hits like Reservoir Dogs, 3:10 to Yuma and The Blair Witch Project, which should be available when the service launches early next year. Check the press release after the break for all the details, although there's still plenty of time to decide whether or not its worth your pounds, pence, or bank notes.

Continue reading Netflix signs up Lionsgate UK films for its British debut

Netflix signs up Lionsgate UK films for its British debut originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 14 Nov 2011 03:16:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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drag2share: Maingear brings Intel i7-3960X Extreme Edition chip, Epic Audio Engine to desktops, extreme gamers

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/11/14/maingear-brings-intel-i7-3960x-extreme-edition-chip-epic-audio/

Looking to add a dash of extremity to your gaming existence? Maingear's got you covered, now that it's added a second generation Intel Core i7 CPU to a handful of its desktop offerings. Today, the company announced yet another upgrade to its SHIFT, Quantum SHIFT and F131 desktops, with the addition of the Intel Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition processor. According to Maingear, this extra horsepower will provide gamers with a 34 percent improvement in performance at normal speeds, while offering similar enhancements in video editing and 3D rendering capabilities. That's all thanks to the fact that the i7-3960X can be overclocked at a handsome 5.2GHz, with a quad-channel memory structure that brings even more bandwidth to the table. On top of that, the company has also added its own EPIC Audio Engine to this troika of rigs, using Aphex's processing technology to offer audio that, according to Maingear, is "more balanced, more articulated, and simply put, better sounding." The revamped desktops are on sale now, so hit up the source link for more information, or check out the full PR, after the break.

Continue reading Maingear brings Intel i7-3960X Extreme Edition chip, Epic Audio Engine to desktops, extreme gamers

Maingear brings Intel i7-3960X Extreme Edition chip, Epic Audio Engine to desktops, extreme gamers originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 14 Nov 2011 03:24:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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drag2share: Exclusive: Lenovo to release a 10.1-inch Ice Cream Sandwich tablet with Tegra 3 by year's end

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/11/14/exclusive-lenovo-to-release-a-10-1-inch-ice-cream-sandwich-tabl/

You wouldn't think a giant like Lenovo would stop at just three (or four) Android tablets now, would you? In fact, a little birdie has informed us that said Chinese company will release a new 10.1-inch tablet by the end of the year, and unsurprisingly, Ice Cream Sandwich along with NVIDIA's Tegra 3 T33 are on the menu. Other features include 2GB of speedy 1,600MHz DDR3 RAM, a standard USB host socket (covered by a not-so-elegant pop-out flap), a back-facing camera of unknown resolution, a "Special Fusion-Skin Body" and, most interestingly, a fingerprint scanner that apparently doubles as an optical joystick on the seemingly flat backside -- only time will tell whether this layout makes sense. Our source hasn't spilled any info on the dimensions and weight, but judging by the photos in our gallery, this 1.6GHz quad-core slate should be significantly thinner than the IdeaPad K1 or LePad sitting underneath. As always, you'll hear from us as soon as we find out more.

[Thanks, Anonymous]

Gallery: Exclusive: Lenovo to release a 10.1-inch Ice Cream Sandwich tablet with Tegra 3 by year's end

Exclusive: Lenovo to release a 10.1-inch Ice Cream Sandwich tablet with Tegra 3 by year's end originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 14 Nov 2011 07:13:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of ! feeds.

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drag2share: Samsung Captivate Glide and DoubleTime hands-on

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/11/14/samsung-captivate-glide-and-doubletime-hands-on/

Samsung Captivate

Samsung's got a pair of QWERTY-sporting Android handsets heading to AT&T, targeting distinctly different different ends of the smartphone spectrum. Sure, both the Captivate Glide and the DoubleTime attempt to woo messaging addicts with their physical keyboards, but that's about where the similarities end. The Glide is packing a full gig of RAM, a 1GHz Tegra 2 processor, 8GB of internal storage, an 8 megapixel camera (plus a 1.3MP front-facing cam), Gingerbread slathered with TouchWiz and a 4-inch Super AMOLED display. The 800 x 480 panel isn't the best we've ever seen, but it's brightness and superb contrast certainly don't disappoint. Like many Samsung handsets, the Glide is surprisingly light thanks to its all plastic construction, but the textured battery plate and satisfyingly firm sliding mechanism keep it from feeling cheap. The landscape keyboard is quite pleasant. The keys don't have much travel, but they're well spaced and we had no trouble quickly banging out a bunch of texts right away.

Gallery: Samsung Captivate Glide and DoubleTime hands-on

Continue reading Samsung Captivate Glide and DoubleTime hands-on

Samsung Captivate Glide and DoubleTime hands-on originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 14 Nov 2011 08:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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drag2share: Intel's Sandy Bridge E gets rounded up and reviewed, the E is for Excessive

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/11/14/intels-sandy-bridge-e-gets-rounded-up-and-reviewed-the-e-is-fo/

You can guess how this one's gonna go: top marks for performance and a shriek of despair when it comes to value for money. Is there anyone out there who really needs an over-sized six-core CPU that requires its own chubby LGA-2011 socket and tailored X79 chipset before it'll even switch on in the morning? Could people seriously be persuaded to drop a grand on merely incremental improvements in technology, such as 15MB of L3 cache and a bigger 600MHz Turbo Boost for stock clock speeds up to 3.9GHz? Well now, let's not get distracted. Even if there were no market -- which there is -- Intel would probably carry on releasing world-beating desktop chips simply to remind us that its rivals can't, and we'd probably carry on reading about them. So here goes, a bunch of reviews covering both the i7-3960X and i7-3930K variants, which together represent the absurd awesomeness of Sandy Bridge E and are on sale at Newegg for $1,050 and $600 respectively:

AnandTech: bemoans the absence of an on-die GPU, criticizes the X79 chipset, and dislikes the "performance/functionality tradeoffs"

PC Pro: sedately noted that the i7-3960X shows an "improvement" over i7-2600K in real-world benchmarks, and that "AMD must be sweating."

HotHardware: regards the 3960X as an "excellent overclocker" despite its vast power consumption, and says it combines with the X79 chipset to make "the most potent" desktop for gaming, content creation or productivity.

Tom's Hardware: describes the 3960X is a "symbolic king in a crowd full of value," and the 3930K is the processor moneyed enthusiasts should be lusting over.

ExtremeTech: says "the 3960X is a great chip on a solid platform," but cautions that only the most demanding gamers and content creators need this kind of power.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Intel's Sandy Bridge E gets rounded up and reviewed, the E is for Excessive originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 14 Nov 2011 08:21:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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drag2share: VIA offers $89 processor and motherboard combo for custom HTPCs

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/11/14/via-offers-89-processor-and-motherboard-combo-for-custom-htpcs/

If you're looking to craft a small form factor HTPC to an equally small budget, then VIA's own-brand internals deserve some serious consideration. The company's 1.4GHz dual-core Nano X2 CPU was recently put to good effect in Zotac's ZBOX Nano VD01 and is now available as part of a DIY combo called the VE-900, which puts the processor on a compact mini-ITX motherboard alongside a VX900 dedicated media accelerator for smooth video handling up to 1080p. The board has a single PCI slot, room for up to 8GB of DDR3, two SATA pin headers and four USB 2.0 ports. The rear panel adds to this with HDMI and VGA video outs, three analog audio jacks, Gigabit LAN, four more USB 2.0 ports and other standard fare -- but alas, it seems that the $89 price tag won't fetch you digital audio outs or USB 3.0. You'll find a full PR and promo video after the break, plus some Nano X2 benchmarks at the More Coverage link.

Continue reading VIA offers $89 processor and motherboard combo for custom HTPCs

VIA offers $89 processor and motherboard combo for custom HTPCs originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 14 Nov 2011 08:39:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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drag2share: AMD ships '16-core' Bulldozer-powered Opteron 6200

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/11/14/amd-ships-16-core-bulldozer-powered-opteron-6200/

We seem to have mislaid our definition of fashionably late -- a fortnight after the promised "October" launch, systems packing AMD's Bulldozer-powered Opteron 6200 (formerly Interlagos) will commence shipping to enterprise customers. If you haven't been paying too much attention, you might just believe the claim about it having 16 cores -- Bulldozer's architecture has eight two-core modules rather than 16 independent ones. Despite the short delay and the conspicuous claims, the company reckons it's 84 percent faster, 73 percent more efficient and uses half the power of the equivalent Intel Xeon. At the same time, Sunnyvale firmed up news on the Valencia (Opteron 4200) and announced 2012's Opteron 3000 platform with the new Zurich chip -- designed to run on low-power web hosts. Enterprise customers can read the PR we've got after the break and then begin placing orders; the rest of us will have to keep waiting to see if Andre Yang can push his FX all the way to 9GHz.

[Thanks, Khan]

Continue reading AMD ships '16-core' Bulldozer-powered Opteron 6200

AMD ships '16-core' Bulldozer-powered Opteron 6200 originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 14 Nov 2011 10:44:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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drag2share: Barcelona readies hybrid ARM-based supercomputer, uses NVIDIA GPUs for heavy lifting

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/11/14/barcelona-readies-hybrid-arm-based-supercomputer-uses-nvidia-gp/

NVIDIA has announced that it'll be providing CUDA GPUs for Barcelona's Supercomputing Center, with the facility looking to substantially boost its energy efficiency with these later this week at the SC11 Conference in Seattle. While the words "low power" and "energy efficiency" are a bit of a buzz kill in the ~~high-octane~~ high-MFLOP world of supercomputing, the BSC thinks it'll use between 15 to 30 times less power than current systems. Titled the Mont Blanc Project, it's aiming to multiply those energy savings by four to ten times by 2014. While other supercomputers eat their way though megawatts of the electric stuff, hopefully a drop in power demands won't affect this machine's supercomputing scores.

Continue reading Barcelona readies hybrid ARM-based supercomputer, uses NVIDIA GPUs for heavy lifting

Barcelona readies hybrid ARM-based supercomputer, uses NVIDIA GPUs for heavy lifting originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 14 Nov 2011 11:04:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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drag2share: Sprint undercuts AT&T and Verizon with new Mobile Broadband data plans

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/11/14/sprint-undercuts-atandt-and-verizon-with-new-mobile-broadband-data/

Sprint just tossed some new data options our way for those of you who tend to ~~sip~~ gulp gigs of data each month. Under the new plans, 6GB of data will run you $49.99, while an extra 30 bucks will let you boost consumption to 12GB -- an amount exceeding Verizon's standard offering (but not the holiday LTE promo) by two gigs, while blowing away AT&T, which doesn't offer an option quite so beefy (12GB there will run you $120, after overage fees). Sprint customers with lighter use can add a 3GB plan to their tablets, mobile hotspots or USB cards for $34.99, while tablet users can opt for 1GB of data for just $19.99 per month. All plans include overage rates of 5 cents per MB for in-network usage (a whopping $50 per additional GB), while roaming will run you 25 cents per MB. All of these plans apply to data-only devices, and don't affect smartphones. Jump past the break for the full PR from Sprint.

Continue reading Sprint undercuts AT&T and Verizon with new Mobile Broadband data plans

Sprint undercuts AT&T and Verizon with new Mobile Broadband data plans originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 14 Nov 2011 11:27:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sunday, November 13, 2011

drag2share: Shanghai Science and Technology Commission proposes 100 'innovation houses' for DIYers

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/11/12/shanghai-science-and-technology-commission-proposes-100-innovat/

Shanghai Hackerspace

Here we call them hackerspaces and generally they're sustained through the contributions of paying members. The Science and Technology Commission of Shanghai Municipality has decided to go with the more esoteric "innovation house" and is expecting support from the government, but the concept is the same -- a pubic place where those with an idea can go and make it a reality. The commission is proposing building 100 such studios equipped with wood and metal lathes, drills, saws and milling machines. Shanghai may be a sprawling city of over 23 million (the largest in the world), but if even just half of those hackerspaces are eventually constructed it would have one studio for every 460,000 citizens and become one of the most DIY-friendly metropolises in the world. By comparison, New York City's roughly 8 million residents share just eight.

Shanghai Science and Technology Commission proposes 100 'innovation houses' for DIYers originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 12 Nov 2011 20:44:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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drag2share: Evolve Motorcycles shows off $50k Xenon lightcycle, Lithium electric streetbike

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/11/13/evolve-motorcycles-shows-off-50k-xenon-lightcycle-lithium-elec/

This year's Milan International Motorcycle Show is definitely featuring a healthy assortment of battery-powered two wheeled machines, and now Evolve Motorcycles has two more plug-in designs to add to the list. First up is its Xenon, aka the Tron Lightcycle replica, which is a real bike that you can purchase 32-inch hubless rims, OLED light tape and all for $50,000. It's even claiming a top speed of 100mph with a 100 mile range on its custom lithium ion battery system, so all you have left to do is regret not grabbing one for $35k on eBay last year. The Lithium however, chooses to keep things more conventional as a streetfighter concept built around a 54hp electric motor that is expected to cost around $20,000 when it actually goes on sale. Check after the break for a pic of the Lithium, or head over to our friends at Autoblog Green for a gallery full of eyecandy featuring both bikes.

Continue reading Evolve Motorcycles shows off $50k Xenon lightcycle, Lithium electric streetbike

Evolve Motorcycles shows off $50k Xenon lightcycle, Lithium electric streetbike originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 13 Nov 2011 07:03:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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