OCZ's Agility 2 SSD reviewed: despite limits, SandForce SF-1200 drive performs well

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/04/26/oczs-agility-2-ssd-reviewed-despite-limits-sandforce-sf-1200/

Contrary to popular belief, one solid state drive isn't the same as another solid state drive necessarily. OCZ's new Agility 2 is proof of that, boasting the final (v3.0.5) version of SandForce's SF-1200 firmware. The issue here is that Corsair's recently released Force series of SSDs are shipping (and continue to ship) with v3.0.1 installed, which -- according to SandForce -- will never be viewed as the final version ready for mass consumption. As the story goes, v3.0.1 may experience a reliability issue with a power management state, but v3.0.5 caps small file random write performance as to better separate the SF-1200 drives from the pricier SF-1500 drives. Our compadres over at AnandTech were able to put the (factory limited) Agility 2 SSD through its paces, and for the most part, it came out looking pretty decent. Critics found 5- to 10-percent performance gains when compared to Intel / Indilinx offerings, but unless you have to have the absolute best, paying extra for that bump may not be the most intelligent move. The other point here is that while the Agility 2 may be capped with the v3.0.5 firmware, at least its upgrade path is a lot clearer than the aforementioned Force; if you ever take v3.0.1 away from that unit, you can kiss that extra performance goodbye. Hit the source link for the full, drama-filled look.

OCZ's Agility 2 SSD reviewed: despite limits, SandForce SF-1200 drive performs well originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 26 Apr 2010 18:44:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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(You can't get no) SATAsfaction 6Gbps SSDs (yet)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/04/27/you-cant-get-no-satasfaction-6gbps-ssds-yet/

Enterprise solid state drives aren't typically our foray, but when they support SATA 6G, we pay attention. It also doesn't hurt when they sport a fantastic name. The SATAsfaction drives from Accelerated Memory Production (AMP) have both Sandforce controllers and the speedy ports to match, alongside 12 byte per sector ECC error correction and TRIM support. Still, they're not the fastest SSDs around, clocking in at only 260MB / sec reads and 150MB / sec writes, but they do have SLC flash memory for likely higher reliability than the current speed demon. No pricing or availability yet, but SLC NAND is pretty expensive stuff... so unless you're buying for a corporation with a large bankroll, better count on waiting for the cheaper Devo version.

Continue reading (You can't get no) SATAsfaction 6Gbps SSDs (yet)

(You can't get no) SATAsfaction 6Gbps SSDs (yet) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 27 Apr 2010 01:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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AMD's 3.2GHz hexacore Phenom II X6 1090T comes out for a review roundup

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/04/27/amds-3-2ghz-hexacore-phenom-ii-x6-1090t-comes-out-for-a-review/

How's your memory today? Specifically, can you remember the last time AMD had a legitimate claim to the desktop performance crown? Don't hold your breath, the latest and greatest Phenom II still can't steal the spotlight from Intel's spectacular top-of-the-line Core i7-980X, but if prices actually matter to you, you'll wanna read on. Whereas you'd need to shell out $999 to get six cores from Intel, AMD is offering you its flagship 3.2GHz 1090T model at a reasonable $285, or an even more affordable option with the 2.8GHz 1055T at $199. The T in those names stands for Turbo Core, which automatically downclocks half the cores in order to provide a little extra speed (up to 500MHz more) to the other three. Reviewers agreed that its inclusion helped significantly improve single-threaded performance, to the point where the faster (in default clock speed) 3.4GHz Phenom II X4 965 was falling behind in benchmarks. The general opinion by the typically jaded journalists was that AMD has finally regained some pep in its step and that these new 6-core CPUs are going to give Intel's upper midrange offerings something to worry about. Lest we forget, the 1090T and 1055T also retain socket compatibility with current AM2+ and AM3 motherboards, making upgrades a cinch too. The full reviews await below.

Read - AnandTech
Read - HotHardware
Read - PC Perspective
Read - Hexus
Read - Legit Reviews
Read - TweakTown
Read - TechSpot

AMD's 3.2GHz hexacore Phenom II X6 1090T comes out for a review roundup originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 27 Apr 2010 03:08:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rovio robot controlled via Skype with Emotiv brain-reading headset

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/04/27/rovio-robot-controlled-via-skype-with-emotiv-brain-reading-heads/

The Emotive EPOC "mind-control" headset may not be quite as advanced as some of the brain-reading devices unavailable to the general public, but it looks like it's at least accurate enough for some basic tasks -- like controlling a WowWee Rovio robot via Skype. That impressive feat was accomplished by the folks at ExtremeTech, who paired the headset with the Robodance 5 software program and Skype (not to mention plenty of custom code), which allows the Rovio to be controlled from afar using both facial and mental commands. Needless to say, that's a lot easier said than done, but you can check out the results in the video after the break, and find the complete details on the project at the source link below.

Continue reading Rovio robot controlled via Skype with Emotiv brain-reading headset

Rovio robot controlled via Skype with Emotiv brain-reading headset originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 27 Apr 2010 04:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Toshiba Mobile Display touts 21-inch glasses-free 3D HDTV, raises a few eyebrows

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/04/27/toshiba-mobile-display-touts-21-inch-glasses-free-3d-hdtv-raise/

While we were fretting about what special tech Nintendo's 3DS would use to generate autostereoscopic imagery on its comparatively puny screen, Toshiba Mobile Display (and others) have been working on bringing that same headgear-free 3D to TV-sized panels. Employing a "multi-parallax" technique, the latest from the Toshiba spinoff firm promises "significant reduction in eye fatigue" as well as approximately a 30 degree horizontal viewing angle. The latter might be peanuts compared to a quality 2D display, but let's not begrudge being offered at least some positional flexibility. Other specs include a 1280 x 800 effective resolution and 480 nits of brightness, which are notable achievements when you consider that the 9-parallax implementation requires the generation of 9 separate images and therefore could be achieved with only an "ultra-high definition LCD module." We've sadly no info about this panel's potential for retail availability, but judging by the bezel-free picture we've been given, that might be a good way off from now.

Toshiba Mobile Display touts 21-inch glasses-free 3D HDTV, raises a few eyebrows originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 27 Apr 2010 04:54:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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