Friday, January 15, 2010

Avatar vs Modern Warfare 2: Billionaire Earnings Fight! [Movies]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/DWoI_ceFFTo/avatar-vs-modern-warfare-2-billionaire-earnings-fight

Avatar, the soon king of movies, vs Modern Warfare 2, the king of videogames. Here's a look at how their earnings stack up by the numbers. The biggest surprise? Modern Warfare had a significantly larger ad budget. [Business Management]




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Google Hacked the Chinese Hackers Right Back [Google]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/yLyo8ZgiGoE/google-hacked-the-chinese-hackers-right-back

One of the cooler stories out the whole Google-China debacle is that Google hacked the hackers. It "began a secret counteroffensive," breaking into a computer in Taiwan, gathering evidence the attacks originated from mainland China, possibly orchestrated by the government.

Google's delta force found evidence that the hackers had attacked 33 other companies, like Adobe, and that the onslaught actually came from China, not Taiwan. More to the point, "much of the evidence, including the sophistication of the attacks, strongly suggested an operation run by Chinese government agencies, or at least approved by them." Unfortunately, Google can't prove the Chinese government's involvement 100 percent, which is why the Obama administration is pussy-footing around the issue.

Still, it's pretty awesome: If you hack Google, they will hack your ass right back. [NYT]




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Kingston SSDNow V 30GB Flash Drive for $80 [Storage]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/OL-n_mDmjg0/kingston-ssdnow-v-30gb-flash-drive-for-80

Lost in the CES maelstrom, we missed the Kingston SSDNow V 30GB, a solid state hard drive designed to run your operating system, faster faster, kill kill, pussycat. The best thing is the price: Only $80 after rebates.

• Sequential Speed**: up to 180MB/sec. read, 50MB/sec. write
• Performance: enhances productivity; makes users more efficient
• Innovative: 2.5" form factor; uses NAND Flash memory components
• Silent: runs silent and cool with no moving parts
• Reliable: less likely to fail than a standard hard drive
• Shock Resistant: no moving parts; handles rougher conditions than a hard drive
• Supports S.M.A.R.T.: Self-Monitoring, Analysis and Reporting Technology
• Guaranteed: three-year Kingston warranty, 24/7 tech support
• Capacity1: 30GB
• Storage temperatures: -40° C to 85° C
• Operating temperatures: 0° C to 70° C
• Vibration operating: 20G Peak, 10-2000Hz, (20min/Axis)x3 Axis
• Vibration non-operating: 20G Peak, 10-2000Hz, (12 Cycle/Axis) x 3 Axis, x 20min.
• Power specs: Read: 1.4W (TYP), 2.5W (MAX)
• Write: 1.7W (TYP), 4.2W (MAX)
• Idle, Standby, Sleep: 55mw (TYP)
• Life expectancy: 500,000 hours MTBF

** Test system: Intel® DG945ID Desktop Motherboard; Intel® Quad Core Q9550; 4GB DDR2 800MHz system memory; on-board SATA 3Gbps with ACHI enabled in BIOS; OS: Windows® 7 Professional x64 or Windows XP Pro x86 SP3 (Intel® IMSM installed in both operating systems).
** Based on internal testing. Performance may vary based on system settings.

It's coming in February for $110 without the promotional rebates. ! [Kingston]




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Apple Wants to Do the Same Thing for Mobile Ads It Did for Digital Music [Unconfirmed]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/8go7MtSoQrQ/apple-wants-to-do-the-same-thing-for-mobile-ads-it-did-for-digital-music

Apple's interest in mobile advertising clearly goes beyond flicking Google in the nads, since they spent $275 million on mobile ad company Quattro after losing AdMob to Google. In fact, according to BusinessWeek, Apple's mobile ad plans are downright ambitious.

"Mobile ads suck" is a sentiment BusinessWeek vaguely ascribes to Steve Jobs through a "source familiar with his thinking." So Jobs, along with "his lieutenants," have been talking about "ways to overhaul mobile advertising in the same way they had revolutionized music players and phones," two sources told BusinessWeek.

Why care so deeply about mobile ads? Besides the ongoing Google rivalry, which stands to get even testier in the mobile space—just check out figures like ones out of this 424-page Morgan Stanley report, which talk about how the mobile internet will be twice as big as it is on the desktop. (Also, this.) The first guy to really figure out mobile ads (whatever that entails)? Wins a truckload of money. Case in point: Google figured out search advertising. Look where they are today.

Mobile browsers aside, just think of all of those free and cheap iPhone apps with room for innovative advertising to make somebody even more money. Not us, though. [BW via Alley Insider]




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RED ONE getting Mysterium-X sensor upgrade next week

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/14/red-one-getting-mysterium-x-sensor-upgrade-next-week/

RED may be busy talking up and showing off its new EPIC-X and Scarlet cameras these days, but it's not about to leave its loyal RED ONE users behind, with it now announcing that they'll be able to upgrade their camera to the new Mysterium-X sensor starting January 22nd.. That's the same sensor that will come standard on the EPIC-X, and promises a range of improvements for the $5,750 it'll cost you -- not the least of which is improved low-light performance (one of the few knocks against the original sensor). Along with it, you'll also get a new version of REDCINE-X to handle the improved video, and those interested in stepping up to the EPIC-X beta program can expect to get a $1,250 credit if they qualify and join at the first or second stage.

RED ONE getting Mysterium-X sensor upgrade next week originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 14 Jan 2010 15:51:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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