Thursday, July 30, 2009

ASUS G60Vx lappy smuggled out of the Peoples Republic of Gamers for in-depth review

ASUS G60Vx lappy smuggled out of the Peoples Republic of Gamers for in-depth review

Sure, it looks good enough on paper, but how does the new G60Vx gaming laptop from ASUS stack up in the real world? The kids at Bit-Tech have got their hands on this guy and have been cool enough to let us in on their findings. According to the review, the machine "acquits itself pretty well," with the 2.53GHz Core 2 Duo, 4GB RAM and Blu-Ray drive all holding up their end of the bargain -- aside from the "stuttery" and "dramatically low" framerates encountered while playing Crysis (well, it is Crysis, after all). That said, the device will play "a good number of modern games at the native resolution," even if they deem resolution "irritatingly low" for 2D use. But, you know what? That ain't all, not by a long shot... to see the benchmarks and analysis in their full, unexpurgated glory, hit that read link.

Filed under: Gaming, Laptops

ASUS G60Vx lappy smuggled out of the Peoples Republic of Gamers for in-depth review originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 30 Jul 2009 12:37:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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3 pocket-sized digital cameras for the enthusiasts' toy-box - http://bit.ly/mJ3e5 - love! want!

This Is How You Sell Wide-Angle Lenses [Photography]

This Is How You Sell Wide-Angle Lenses [Photography]

It's extremely rare to find a tasteful ad campaign that uses sex and clever humor to perfectly define the qualities of a technology product. This series of print ads for Omax wide-angle lenses is one of them:

The campaign was created by Publicis India, showing alternative uses for the wide shots that these lenses can get. I, on the other side, just point and shoot with no shame whatsoever. [Advertolog—Thanks Eduardo Lozano!]

Windows 7 RTM Cracked (What Took So Long?) [Windows 7]

Windows 7 RTM Cracked (What Took So Long?) [Windows 7]

I mean, it's been six days since the RTM first leaked on BitTorrent. SIx days! That's like an eternity. At any rate, it is true—Windows 7 RTM Ultimate has already been cracked using a Lenovo OEM product key.

The key and OEM certificate were extracted from Win 7 Ultimate's .wim files. A similar method was used to bypass Vista, and those vulnerabilities were never addressed so there is no reason to suspect that Microsoft will do anything about it now (but there are no guarantees). Supposedly, the crack works with 32-bit and 64-bit Ultimate versions and can be implemented on HP, Dell, and MSI computers in addition to Lenovo. Of course, you would need to engage in a little BIOS magic to fool the OS that you are using an OEM machine before any of this would work in the first place. [Softpedia via Download Squad via Lifehacker]

Google Dumps Another Half-Million Free Titles Into Sony's eBook Store [Ebooks]

Google Dumps Another Half-Million Free Titles Into Sony's eBook Store [Ebooks]

Sure, their authors are all dead, and they're already technically free anyway, but another 500,000 properly formatted, lovingly .EPUBed public domain titles have arrived in Sony's ebook store, courtesy of Google, earning their catalog a deserved—if slightly dubious—claim to the title of the "largest source for eBooks." Mazel tov. [Sony]

Kanex Mini DisplayPort Adapter With Audio Review: Someone Finally Gets It Right [Review]

Kanex Mini DisplayPort Adapter With Audio Review: Someone Finally Gets It Right [Review]

The Kanex Mini DisplayPort and USB audio to HDMI adapter, which one-ups the previous Monoprice adapter because there's audio.

The Price: $40

The Verdict: It works. IT WORKS! Playing back 1080p trailers in Quicktime, powered by a MacBook Pro, on our plasma TV was fantastic. And the part where it actually has audio? Yes please.

It's quite easy to use. The USB and Mini DisplayPort goes into the MacBook Pro (or Mac Mini), and the other end takes an HDMI cable. Your Mac should automatically detect the new display, but you have to manually switch the audio output to the USB audio device. If you're planning on using a new Mac Mini, this is the way to go. The video quality is pretty much what you'd expect from a clean 1080p source, and those trailers look good.

And with the problems Apple's own Mini DisplayPort to DVI adapters are having, using this and an HDMI-capable monitor might be a smart idea.

The adapters will be available later in the week. I suggest you pick one up if ! you have any kind of Mini DisplayPort-capable computer you want to throw up onto your TV once in a while. Also, Monoprice has a unit coming up soon as well that's pretty similar. [Kanexlive]

A Guide To Finding The Best SSD For Your Money [Storage]

A Guide To Finding The Best SSD For Your Money [Storage]

If you want to boost your computer's performance, solid state drives can deliver. However, if you find the choices out there to be daunting, LaptopMag's comprehensive SSD roundup can help you get the most performance for your money.

They tested seven 2.5-inch 128GB SSDs with SATA that ranged in price between $200 and $450. In the end the OCZ Vertex came out on top in terms of overall performance, but the Kingston SSDNow V-Series held its own with a "budget" price tag of $249. Hit up Laptop Mag for the full breakdown. [LaptopMag]

Kodak debuts EasyShare Z950, M381 and M341 digicams

Kodak debuts EasyShare Z950, M381 and M341 digicams

Had enough Kodak this fine morning? No? Good. Just hours after showcasing its newest 1080p pocket camcorder, the aforesaid firm is hitting us up with a few more new pieces to digest. First up is the EasyShare Z950, a modest megazoom-in-a-P&S-body that packs a 10x optical zoom, 12 megapixel sensor and a $279.99 price tag. Next, we've got the totally ho hum EasyShare M381, which also offers a dozen megapixels alongside a 3-inch rear LCD, 5x zoomer, easy upload to Facebook / YouTube, face detection, a variety of lovely hues and an MSRP of $179.99. The last cam is the M341, which steps down to a 3x optical zoom and a smaller 2.7-inch LCD for $149. Closing things out is the EasyShare D830 (£119.99; $196) and D1030 (£169.99; $279) digital photo frames, which check in at 8- and 10-inches respectively (in terms of display size) and tout interchangeable face plates, 512MB of internal memory, a Quick Touch border, memory card reader and a USB port. Everything here should ship in the US and UK by September, though those hungry for additional details are welcome to tap that read link.

[Via DigitalCameraInfo]

Filed under: Digital Cameras

Kodak debuts EasyShare Z950, M381 and M341 digicams originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 29 Jul 2009 05:22:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Samsung's 1TB Spinpoint F3 hard drive serves 500GB per platter

Samsung's 1TB Spinpoint F3 hard drive serves 500GB per platter

Oh sure, Seagate did it first, but since when have we been ones to kvetch about one-upmanship? Over in South Korea, Samsung has debuted an all new high-density hard drive family for use in "high-end computing environments," or in more comestible terms, your next desktop / workstation. The Spinpoint F3 hums along at 7,200RPM, uses a 3Gbps SATA interface, packs 16/32MB of buffer memory and will be made available in sizes as large as 1TB by utilizing a pair of 500GB-per-platter disks. The boost in areal density provides up to 30 percent higher performance when compared to a three platter 1TB drive in the same 3.5-inch form factor, and the reduction in mechanical parts also makes it less likely to fail prematurely. Sammy isn't being too forthright when it comes to MSRPs, but those looking to snag one regardless can find the 500GB model on shelves now and the 1TB edition later next month.

Filed under: Storage

Samsung's 1TB Spinpoint F3 hard drive serves 500GB per platter originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 29 Jul 2009 06:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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2GB Eye-Fi Geo automatically geotags wirelessly uploaded photos, makes your day

2GB Eye-Fi Geo automatically geotags wirelessly uploaded photos, makes your day

Check it, wireless uploaders -- Eye-Fi has just outed its latest WiFi-enabled Secure Digital card, and this one promises to disclose your every move to anyone who'll bother to follow your image feed. Announced today, the Eye-Fi Geo is a 2GB card that will enable users to automatically upload photos from a digital camera while geotagging them as they hit the 'net. The geotagging service is included for life, and for whatever reason, this one's being made exclusively available through Apple stores and online. Of course, it could have something to do with that "seamless integration" with iPhoto and MobileMe, but we're guessing it ought to play nice with other applications and image portals as well. If you're suddenly unable to move on with your life until you've got one of these in your hands, you can snag one today for $59.99. Full release is after the break.

Continue reading 2GB Eye-Fi Geo automatically geotags wirelessly uploaded photos, makes your day

Filed under: Digital Cameras, Storage

2GB Eye-Fi Geo automatically geotags wirelessly uploaded photos, makes your day originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 29 Jul 2009 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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BenQ's new 1080p LCD TV monitor makes someone in Europe very happy

BenQ's new 1080p LCD TV monitor makes someone in Europe very happy

Looks like viewers in the Benelux countries have one more option for their Eurovision parties this year. BenQ has just announced the MK2442, a 23.6-inch LCD TV / computer monitor that sports a 5ms response time, full HD at 1920x1080 / 1080p / 24Hz, an HDMI 1.3 interface, and something called Senseye Human Vision Technology (a proprietary image enhancement engine that, you know, "mimics the human eye" for "deeper, richer and more detailed images"). Available from August 20 all over Europe -- and just the thing for all your Russian techno-pop viewing needs.

[Via Far East Gizmos]

Continue reading BenQ's new 1080p LCD TV monitor makes someone in Europe very happy

Filed under: Displays

BenQ's new 1080p LCD TV monitor makes someone in Europe very happy originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 29 Jul 2009 10:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Windows 7 activation already cracked with Lenovo's OEM license key

Windows 7 activation already cracked with Lenovo's OEM license key

Sort of funny that Microsoft made a big show of handing over the Windows 7 RTM code to Lenovo and other manufacturers last week -- the first activation crack for the OS has just appeared, and it's based on Lenovo's OEM license key. Oops. The crack apparently works with 32- and 64-bit versions of Windows 7 Ultimate, and it apparently passes Genuine Advantage, so things are looking good for all you wannabe pirates out there. You did buy an upgrade disc, though, right?

[Via DownloadSquad]

Filed under: Software

Windows 7 activation already cracked with Lenovo's OEM license key originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 29 Jul 2009 12:14:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Pioneer's ultraslim DVR-XD09 burner is more jewel case than drive

Pioneer's ultraslim DVR-XD09 burner is more jewel case than drive

While ASUS is busy stuffing DVD burners into Eee PCs, Pioneer and others are working hard to make the integrated optical drive a thing of the past. The freshly announced XD09 measures in at 5.24 x 0.58 x 5.24-inches and 8 ounces, or slightly beefier than your average CD case. Pioneer claims that it's the most compact drive design yet. Essentially this means if you can carry your optical media around with you, then you can carry the player for it too. Power comes via the USB 2.0 connection, and all the usual DVD plus, minus, reading, writing, dual-layer mumbo jumbo is retained with top writing speeds of 8x on single-layer and 6x on double-layer media. This inspired minimalism can be yours for $79.99 in August.

[Via Hot Hardware]

Filed under: Peripherals, Storage

Pioneer's ultraslim DVR-XD09 burner is more jewel case than drive originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 29 Jul 2009 12:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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HP reportedly beginning production of new 10.1-inch, 11.6-inch netbooks / ultralights

HP reportedly beginning production of new 10.1-inch, 11.6-inch netbooks / ultralights

This is about as early and unofficial as it gets, but DigiTimes is reporting that HP has contracted Quanta to begin production of an apparently all new 11.6-inch netbook in August, and another new 10.1-inch before the end of the year, which SlashGear rightly speculates could well be CULV ultralights rather than standard "netbooks." That's further bolstered by the fact that HP has separately contracted Inventec to build a revision to its current 10.1-inch netbook at the end of September. It's not all netbooks and ultralights for HP, however, as Quanta has also landed a deal to produce some new 15.6- and 17.3-inch laptops, while Compal will be handling HP's new 13.3- and 14-inch enterprise notebooks.

[Via SlashGear]

Filed under: Laptops

HP reportedly beginning production of new 10.1-inch, 11.6-inch netbooks / ultralights originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 29 Jul 2009 13:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Pre-ordered Viliv X70s delayed to August 11, new customers might have to wait till September

Pre-ordered Viliv X70s delayed to August 11, new customers might have to wait till September

The way we hear it, there are plenty of Viliv fans out there disappointed that Dynamism missed its promised delivery date for pre-ordered X70 units this week. The retailer says that component shortages are responsible for the delay and is now hoping to deliver by August 11, but there's worse news: new orders aren't expected to ship until September 2, turning what was once a fashionably late arrival to US shores into a rather embarrassing month-long delay.

[Via Pocketables]

Filed under: Handhelds, Tablet PCs

Pre-ordered Viliv X70s delayed to August 11, new customers might have to wait till September originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 29 Jul 2009 14:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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