DV Hardware

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 video review

Game Trailers published a video review of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 video review - More news at DV Hardware

Zalman debuts universal PWM fan controller

Nordic Hardware found details about Zalman's new universal PWM fan controller. This device is designed to be used with your 4-pin CPU fan and can control the RPM of the fan between 25% and 100%. It's a standalone version of the fan controller that shipped with the Zalman CNPS10X series coolers. Pricing and availability is unknown.

The user can either let the controller handle the fan speed at three different settings, or simply set the speed using the control wheel. The unit measures 55 (L) x 24 (B) x 13.5 (H) mm and use a 4-pin fan connector to connect to the motherboard and then to to the fan.

Zalman debuts universal PWM fan controller - More news at DV Hardware

New Need For Speed: Shift Patch Boosts AMD GPU Performance

Legit Reviews got their hands on the upcoming Need For Speed: Shift game update as well as some upcoming ATI CATALYST drivers. The game patch is said to offer improved ATI graphics card support and multi-GPU performance for those that are lucky enough to be running SLI or CrossFire. Read on to see what you can expect when the patch and drivers become public.

Quote: "This Need For Speed: Shift Patch isn't out yet, but we managed to work our magic and get both the latest beta drivers from AMD and the game patch from EA to see how much smoother and better the game play will be for AMD video card users. We also toss in some NVIDIA GeForce GTX 275 graphics cards into the mix to check out the SLI scaling since the patch is optimized for multi-GPUs. The results we are about to see will be interesting because if we see a huge jump we know that the game wasn't properly optimized for AMD graphics cards from the start. Could that have been because of NVIDIA marketing dollars like AMD implies or the fact that AMD didn't work closely enough with the game developer like NVIDIA suggests? We'll leave that question alone and just focus on the game title..."

Check it out at Legit Reviews.

New Need For Speed: Shift Patch Boosts AMD GPU Performance - More news at DV Hardware

Matrox M9188 drives up to eight displays

Matrox has introduced two new multi-head PCI Express x16 graphics cards today, the M9128 and M9188. The M9128 is a new dual-head graphics card with DisplayPort and DVI support, while the M9188 is a beast capable of supporting eight DisplayPort or DVI outputs. And if this isn't enough, you can add a second M9188 to drive up to 16 displays, all from a single workstation!

Both graphics cards will start shipping this quarter, the Matrox M9128 LP PCIe x 16 will retail for $259 while the Matrox M9188 PCIe x16 will be priced at $1,995.

"The M9188 is designed specifically for professional monitoring environments that require visualization of large amounts of data at once to enhance mission-critical decision making," says Ron Berty, Business Development Manager, Matrox Graphics. "The expansive multi-monitor configuration allows system operators to accurately manage energy grids or train dispatch applications, while ensuring maximum performance across all displays."

Matrox M9128 and M9188 Key Features
* Native PCIe x16 performance
* Single-slot graphics cards
* 1 GB (M9128) and 2 GB (M9188) of memory
* Drive two (M9128) or eight (M9188) DisplayPort monitors at 2560x1600 per display or DVI Single-Link monitors at 1920x1200 per display
* Can be combined with other M-Series products (multi-card support)
* Support for stretched or independent desktop modes across all monitors
* Easy deployment and wide enterprise flexibility with unified driver package
* Support for Windows 7 (32/64bit), Windows Vista� (32/64bit), Windows XP (32/64bit), Windows Server 2003/2008 (32/64 bit) and Linux

Matrox M9188 drives up to eight displays - More news at DV Hardware

Razer Abyssus focuses on the fundamentals

A couple of months ago Razer overwhelmed us with the 17-button Naga mouse, but the new Abyssus mouse is a whole different beast. With the Abyssus the company focuses on providing a gaming mouse without too many bells and whistles, it's an ambidextrous model with a 3.5G 3500 DPI infrared sensor, two buttons and a scrollwheel. The Razer Abyssus will be available worldwide by late December 2009 for $49.99 (39.99EUR).

The Razer Abyssus mouse is designed for gamers that demand reliability and functionality under the fiercest gameplay conditions. The Razer Abyssus is armed with two large non-slip buttons tuned for maximum tactile feedback and features Razer�s built-in Hyperesponse� technology. Underneath, Razer has placed two easily accessible mechanical switches -- one on-the-fly dpi switch giving the user their choice of 450, 1800, or 3500dpi; and one polling rate switch allowing instant adjustment from a standard 125hz to 1000hz Ultrapolling�.

Product Features:
* 3500dpi Razer Precision� 3.5G infrared sensor
* 1000Hz Ultrapolling� / 1ms response time
* Mechanical dpi/polling rate switches
* On-The-Fly Sensitivity� adjustment
* Always-On� mode
* Ultra-large non-slip buttons
* 16-bit ultra-wide data path
* 60-120 inches per second and 15g of acceleration
* Three independently programmable Hyperesponse� buttons
* Ambidextrous design
* Scroll wheel with 24 individual click positions
* Zero-acoustic Ultraslick� Teflon feet
* Seven-foot, lightweight, non-tangle cord
* Approx. size in mm 115(L) x 63(W) x 40(H)

Razer Abyssus focuses on the fundamentals - More news at DV Hardware

Dell Zino HD nettop uses AMD chips
The Tech Report spotted Dell started shipping the Zino HD nettop in Ireland, this is a cheap AMD Athlon based nettop. Prices start at 329EUR for a system with the AMD Athlon 2650E 1.6GHz processor, ATI Radeon HD 3200 integrated graphics, 2GB DDR2 memory, 320GB 7200RPM HDD, DVD burner, HDMI, 802.11n WiFi, eSATA port and Windows 7 Home Premium.

The system measures 7.8" x 7.8" x 3.4" and weighs just 1.6kg. You can get it in quite a lot of funky colors and can customize the Zino HD with dual-core Athlons, the ATI Radeon HD 4330 graphics card, up to 1TB of storage, up to 8GB memory, Blu-ray, and more.

Dell Zino HD nettop uses AMD chips - More news at DV Hardware

Investigated: Where is the Radeon HD 5800?

HardOCP investigates the ATI Radeon HD 5800 series availability problems in a new article, you can check it out over here. The site heard from AMD that the number of 5800 series cards shipped into the channel is in the very high tens of thousands, and that thousands of video cards are shipped on a weekly basis. If all goes well, shipments are expected to climb into the tens of thousands by the end of this month or early December, and this will hopefully lead to mass widespread availability by the end of the year.

Currently, it's hard to get one of these cards as everything is sold out almost immediately, and therefore you shouldn't expect to see any price cuts until next year.
The fact of the matter is that 5800 series video card e-tail and retail availability sucks right now. That is not to say these cards are not hitting the shelves, there are just so few of them spread out globally at the moment, that when a card does actually go into stock, those cards are sold immediately. I know we have many readers waiting like hawks for a 5800 card to stick its head out of the grass. If you are impatient, the 5800 is likely not for you, but if you have a bit of time to stake out your target, the elusive 5800 can be had, and it will get simpler to lay your hands on one in the next few weeks.

Investigated: Where is the Radeon HD 5800? - More news at DV Hardware

First computer virus created 26 years ago
Wired points out the first computer virus was made public 26 years ago by Fred Cohen, a University of Southern California graduate student. Cohen demonstrated his proof-of-concept code during a security seminar at Lehigh University in Pennsylvania.
Cohen inserted his proof-of-concept code into a Unix command, and within five minutes of launching it onto a mainframe computer, had gained control of the system. In four other demonstrations, the code managed to seize control within half an hour on average, bypassing all of the security mechanisms current at the time. It was Cohen�s academic adviser, Len Adleman (the A in RSA Security), who likened the self-replicating program to a virus, thus coining the term.

First computer virus created 26 years ago - More news at DV Hardware

NVIDIA CEO outs love for Apple and shows off Tegra tablet
NVIDIA CEO Jen-Hsun Huang visited Dubai last weekend and gave a speech at the American University of Dubai (AUD). Shufflegazine was present at a round-table discussion after the speech and reports Huang showed off a tablet PC that features the NVIDIA Tegra processor. According to the site, NVIDIA made this tablet to show off to various companies.

The site also heard Huang expressed his love for Apple, he said he only uses Apple Mac computers because he believes Apple uses the best technology for their computers
Mr Huang said that in his home they�re �all Apple.� According to him �Apple uses the best technology for their [computers]. Apple says to their customers: if you buy a computer from us you can be sure we have selected the best technology inside for you. That is their promise to consumers. Their promise to consumers isn�t we�ve selected the best technology for you with the exception of what Intel allows us to use. That�s not their promise. And that�s why Apple uses the best technology where they want whenever they want. And that�s why I�m all Apple! At home it�s just Macs everywhere. It�s NVIDIA�s technology in all of them but I use Macs. My son has two Macs, my daughter has a Mac, there�s an extra Mac just in case and my wife has a Mac. It�s just Mac, Mac, Mac! Because I know it�s got the best stuff inside.�

NVIDIA CEO outs love for Apple and shows off Tegra tablet - More news at DV Hardware

Firefox had the most vulnerabilities in 1H 2009

Firefox celebrated its fifth birthday yesterday, but security vendor Cenzic spoiled the party with a report that Mozilla's browser was the most vulnerable browser in the first half of 2009. Cenzic claims 44 percent of all browser vulnerabilities were found in Firefox, followed by Apple's Safari with 35 percent of all reported vulnerabilities. Microsoft Internet Explorer does relatively well with just 15 percent, and Opera takes the best place with only 6 percent of all reported browser vulnerabilities.

Cenzic CTO Lars Ewe believes the large number of vulnerabilities in Firefox is a result of the large exposure of Firefox and the way the browser handles plug-ins. However, he also added that the large number of vulnerabilities doesn't necessarily mean that Firefox users were more vulnerable.
Ewe said that Cenzic looked at all reported vulnerabilities. There is no specific differentiation for zero day bugs in the browser vulnerability count either. All that raises the question of how Cenzic actually came up with their vulnerability counts in the first place.

"The process that we follow is looking at a number of different vulnerability databases and sources that we have and trying to come up with a fair percentage based on the deviations we see between the databases," Ewe said. "You could make the argument, that's its 40 percent or 42 percent and there might be some variation on how you analyze it, but certainly it's not off by 20 percent."
More info at InternetNews.

Firefox had the most vulnerabilities in 1H 2009 - More news at DV Hardware

Apple fixes dozens of bugs with Mac OS X 10.6.2 update

Apple has released Mac OS X 10.6.2, the second update for Snow Leopard. This patch fixes dozens of bugs, including the guest account bug that could potentially delete all user data. Mac users can download the 473MB update over here.
The 10.6.2 Update is recommended for all users running Mac OS X Snow Leopard and includes general operating system fixes that enhance the stability, compatibility, and security of your Mac, including fixes for:

* an issue that might cause your system to logout unexpectedly
* a graphics distortion in Safari Top Sites
* Spotlight search results not showing Exchange contacts
* a problem that prevented authenticating as an administrative user
* issues when using NTFS and WebDAV file servers
* the reliability of menu extras
* an issue with the 4-finger swipe gesture
* an issue that causes Mail to quit unexpectedly when setting up an Exchange server * Address Book becoming unresponsive when editing
* a problem adding images to contacts in Address Book
* an issue that prevented opening files downloaded from the Internet
* Safari plug-in reliability
* general reliability improvements for iWork, iLife, Aperture, Final Cut Studio, MobileMe, and iDisk
* an issue that caused data to be deleted when using a guest account

Apple fixes dozens of bugs with Mac OS X 10.6.2 update - More news at DV Hardware

Corsair Flash Survivor GT series now ships with 32GB and 64GB
Corsair has introduced 32GB and 64GB Flash Survivor GT USB flash drives, these models feature an ultra-durable metal housing. Performance details, pricing and availability are unknown.
�The Flash Survivor GT is the ultimate flash drive for users requiring both high speed and extreme ruggedness,� said John Beekley, VP of Technical Marketing at Corsair. �These drives will carry your data and media into the harshest environment and still provide rock-solid protection.�

Corsair�s ultra-durable Flash Survivor USB drives have proven extremely popular with consumers thanks to their super-strong, CNC-milled, aircraft-grade aluminum casing, which makes them practically indestructible. Each drive is also fitted with a molded, shock-dampening collar and EPDM seal, which provides water-resistance to a depth of 200 meters. In independent reviews, the Corsair Flash Survivor has suffered countless tests of strength, and always comes out on top!

The 32GB and 64GB Flash Survivor GTs are available immediately from Corsair�s authorized distributors and resellers worldwide. All Corsair USB flash products are backed by a 10-year Limited Warranty.

Corsair Flash Survivor GT series now ships with 32GB and 64GB - More news at DV Hardware

Amazon Kindle for PC application now available

Amazon released Kindle for PC, this free application lets you read Kindle books on your PC. You can download this application over here.
Kindle for PC features Amazon�s Whispersync technology that automatically saves and synchronizes bookmarks and last page read across devices. Whether you read Kindle books on a Kindle, Kindle DX, or one of the free Kindle applications, you can always have your reading with you and never lose your place. With Kindle for PC, you can read some on your PC, read some on your Kindle, and always pick up right where you left off. Whispersync helped make the Kindle for iPhone application the most popular books app in the Apple App Store.

"Kindle for PC is the perfect companion application for customers who own a Kindle or Kindle DX," said Ian Freed, vice president, Amazon Kindle. "Kindle for PC is also a great way for people around the world to access a huge selection from the Kindle Store and read the most popular books of today even if they don�t yet have a Kindle."

Amazon Kindle for PC application now available - More news at DV Hardware

HIS Radeon HD 5750 iCooler IV gets pictured
TPU found details of the upcoming HIS HD 5750 iCooler IV, an upcoming custom-design graphics card that feature Accelero L2 Pro cooling from Arctic Cooling. The card uses the stock clockspeeds and is bundled with a coupon for DiRT2.
The design involves use of the company's iCooler IV GPU cooler the company has used on mid-range accelerators in the past, the blue PCB, and an overall compact design, including a rear-panel cluster that breaks away from AMD's connector cluster design for the Radeon HD 5000 series. Instead, the card uses a single bracket that includes one each of DVI-D, DisplayPort, and HDMI, although the card itself occupies two slots due to its cooler design.

HIS Radeon HD 5750 iCooler IV gets pictured - More news at DV Hardware

ATI Radeon HD 5950 gets pixellized
Hexus found some photos of what is said to be an engineering sample of the upcoming ATI Radeon HD 5950 graphics card. The card is pictured alongside a standard Radeon HD 5870, and is said to measure about 12" in length.
The Radeon HD 5950 is said to measure 12in in length, making it almost as long as the massive Radeon HD 5970. Each Radeon HD 5850 GPU is said to be equipped with 1,440 processor cores, but there's no mention of GPU, shader or memory frequencies yet.

ATI Radeon HD 5950 gets pixellized - More news at DV Hardware