I post news across many sites a few days per week, and I thought while I was posting I’d toss some up here as well for your reading pleasure. It’s a collection of articles and reviews, some of it is mobile related and some isn’t, but it’s basically all related to technology in one way or another. It’s stuff from all over the world from the last couple days.

So let me know what you guys think, and maybe I’ll do it a little more often from now on if you think it’s worth it…

Storage Related:

Imation M-Class 128GB SSD
Quote: With SSDs becoming more popular and with newer operating systems finally offering native support, it is only natural that more and more companies would be stepping into the ring with products. Today, HardwareLogic has the Imation M-Class 128GB SSD for review, and is one of Imation’s many entries into the SSD market.
Link: http://www.hardwarelogic.com/articles.php?id=5629

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Title: Ineo Technologies I-NA314Ue – Review
Article Clip: Being a computer enthusiast, i often use accessories to get my work done. I have a lot of files which i keep on about 20 hard drives and sometimes it takes me a while to find the right hard drive with the right files. There are few accessories on the market which will let you to plug your hard drive in and browse the files with in. Those accessories are very much valuable in the geek world. Today we are going to take a look at one of these accessories, I-NA314Ue by Ineo Technologies.
Article Link: http://umlan.com/reviews/hardware/h113.html

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Everything USB is pleased to announce our in-depth review on Seagate BlackArmor PS 110 Portable USB 3.0 Hard Drive review.
Storage is critical in today’s technologically advanced home and business. Some would say more storage is better, others would say performance is king, but what would you say if you could have both performance, capacity and portability in one simple and attractive kit at a generous price? Today we’ll review Seagate BlackArmor PS 110 – the world’s first truly portable USB 3.0 hard drive – over the fastest consumer storage interface available.
http://www.everythingusb.com/seagate-blackarmor-ps-110-usb-3.0-performance-kit-18298.html

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G.Skill PC3-18400 (2300MHz) PI Series 4GB Kit
QUOTE: "When I think of memory companies that want nothing but speed, only a few really come to mind and one of them would have to be G.Skill. While so many companies these days produce high end memory, we only really see a few leading the pack and when I say that I mean we see the same few companies ahead of everyone with most other companies playing catch up when it comes to speed.
While most companies are sitting around the PC3-17600 mark these days, G.Skill as always has kicked it up a notch with a PC3-19200 kit and a PC3-18400 one which we have on hand today. Like most high performance memory kits at the moment, the modules are aimed at P55 platforms due to them coming in dual-channel packets."
For more information, please visit – http://www.tweaktown.com/reviews/3175/g_skill_pc3_18400_2300mhz_pi_series_4gb_kit/index.html

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Kingston SSDNow V+ Series 128GB Solid State Drive
Link: http://www.bigbruin.com/content/kingstonvplus_1
Quote:  The Performance Upgrade Kit is a great way to purchase the Kingston SSDNow V+ Series 128GB SSD. Not only do you get the drive, but you get an external enclosure, mounting rails, and additional cables to allow you to connect your new SSD to just about any system. You might not need all of these extras, but for the difference in price you might as well get the bundle.

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Asus TS Mini Home Server Review @ Tweaknews
Article Url: http://www.tweaknews.net/reviews/asus_ts_mini_home_server_review/
Article Snippet:
"Today I’m going to take the Asus TS Mini home server for a test run and see how it performs when integrated into a typical home network. Since this is a product designed for the home market, it should be easy to setup and maintain, operate quietly, and be small enough to not be in the way of other electronic equipment."

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A-DATA PC3-17600 (2200MHz) Gaming Series 4GB Kit
QUOTE: "There doesn’t seem to be a single memory company standing still at the moment; every week we’re getting a press release from someone that they’ve released a new high speed kit. PC3-16000 seems so last year all of a sudden as PC3-17600 has become the number high end users want.
Today we’ll be looking at an A-DATA kit which is part of the Gaming series. While we haven’t seen anything from the Gaming series before, hopefully the modules follow the same winning formula that we’ve seen on previous kits of A-DATA memory."
For more information, please visit – http://www.tweaktown.com/reviews/3181/a_data_pc3_17600_2200mhz_gaming_series_4gb_kit/index.html

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Axus FiT RAID 500 Storage Device Review @ ThinkComputers.org

Review URL: http://www.thinkcomputers.org/axus-fit-raid-500-storage-device-review/

Quote: “I myself have not played around with a RAID setup as I’ve never had more than 1 of the same hard drive kicking around to try it out. I have seen RAID in action and some of my buddies love to have RAID setups, but I’ve never really looked into it until now. When asked what I wanted to look at next in terms of product reviews, I wanted to look at a storage system with redundant capabilities. In my head I thought some sort of RAID system. Bob got back to me and asked if I wanted to look at a RAID enclosure made by a company called Axus. I got to choose between a 3-disk setup and a 5-disk setu p, naturally I choose the 5-disk setup known as the FiT 500."

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Tsunami Ultimate II 3500 Review  @ XSReviews

Review Link: http://www.xsreviews.co.uk/reviews/cases/tsunami-ultimate-ii-3500/
Quote: "While we’re reviewed some pretty expensive and feature heavy hard drive enclosures and NAS drives in recent weeks here at XSR, not everyone wants something so complicated and all encompassing. What of those that want something that’s far more plug and play, far more simple and most importantly far cheaper. For those perhaps the Tsunami-Tech Ultimate II 3500 is what you’re after. Let’s find out."

Mobile Related:

BELKIN Iphone 3G/3GS Leather Folio Case @ PCShopTalk
Quote:
"For the Iphone 3G and 3GS there are a lot of cases on the market, from different materials; not all of them offer complete protection: for example, some of the cases do not cover the main Iphone button which can become damaged after a while because of dust accumulation. In this review I will take a look upon the Belkin Iphone 3G/3GS Leather Folio case made from leather, which offers complete protection to your phone and looks extremely well when it is closed."
Link: http://www.pcshoptalk.com/content.php?280-BELKIN-Iphone-3G-3GS-Leather-Folio-Case

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Lenovo ThinkPad T410 Review:
http://hothardware.com/Articles/Lenovo-ThinkPad-T410-Review/

Lenovo proved at the Consumer Electronics Show in January that it wasn’t messing around when it comes to latest generation of notebook technologies. The company has a vast array of options, from tiny to huge, and they span the gamut from casual road warriors to hardcore business users. There’s also a machine or two in there for the gaming and multimedia crowd, though you probably wouldn’t guess that the ThinkPad T410 was in that category at first glance. This machine, along with the T410s, T510 and W510, received notable upgrades just last month, with Intel’s latest Core i5 and Core i7 processors hopping on board to give the classically tough and plain ThinkPad line a much-needed breath of life.

The T410 that we’re reviewing today is a ThinkPad through and through. From top to bottom, side to side, there’s no mistaking that this is a member of the iconic ThinkPad family…

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Top 10 Essential (And Not So Essential) Car Gadgets

If there are two things that we guys really like, it’s cars and gadgets. And when you combine the two and give us gadgets for our cars, well, that’s Heaven on four wheels.

Link: http://www.thebachelorguy.com/top-10-essential-and-not-so-essential-car-gadgets.html

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Review: Destinator 9 for iPhone

The iPhone version of the application brings a rich, featured filled GPS client complete with real time traffic updates, on-board maps, voice guided directions, extended POIs and more.

link: http://www.geardiary.com/2010/03/12/review-destinator-9-for-iphone/

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This Week’s Best iPhone Apps

In this week’s bipolar app roundup: Foursquare, squared! Slow ISPs, tattled on! Videos, easily streamed! Street Fighter fans’ high standards, met! Twitter apps, set free! Your entire life, documented! Your every plan, shared! And more…

link: http://gizmodo.com/5492332/this-weeks-best-iphone-apps

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Audio / Video:

QNAP NMP-1000 NETWORK MEDIA PLAYER REVIEW @ APH NETWORKS

Description: When I started to plan the upcoming review schedule for APH Networks early last month, the influx of new network media players onto the market really caught my attention. Providing more digital media integration
with your living room audio/video equipment than ever before, long gone are the days when we were restricted to watching certain videos on our computers only, or swapping a bunch of CDs every time you wanted to listen to those songs on the big system. Last month, we reviewed the Patriot Box Office network media player, which delivered excellent media compatibility for a very low price of admission, but failed to provide the kind of experience users would come to expect for a home entertainment device. Inevitably, there are compromises due to its cost. At the same time, I also began testing QNAP’s NMP-1000 network media player. QNAP is known for making absolutely brilliant network appliances in both performance and reliability, such as the QNAP TS-439 Pro network attached storage system we examined back in September last year. But here’s the thing: The QNAP NMP-1000 retails for $400 at press time — effectively four times the price of products such as Asus’ O!Play and the Patriot Box Office as aforementioned. It is probably no surprise that you are wondering at this point what makes the NMP-1000 so much more expensive than other products that carry out pretty much the same tasks. And you know what? I was asking the same question before I got my hands on these products as well, haha. Is the QNAP NMP-1000 truly the ultimate, no compromise, fully featured high performance network appliance with multimedia features for the home user to justify its price tag, or will it fail to hold its own against the competition? To answer all these questions and address everything else in a detailed and thorough manner, well, let me present to you this week’s review!

* Link: http://aphnetworks.com/reviews/qnap_nmp_1000

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Plantronics Gamecom 777 Surround Sound Gaming Headset Review on Technic3D

Link: http://www.technic3d.com/article-1044,1-plantronics-gamecom-777-surround-sound-fuer-gamerohren.htm

Translation Link: http://translate.google.de/translate?u=http%3a%2F%2fwww.technic3d.com%2Farticle-1044%2C1-plantronics-gamecom-777-surround-sound-fuer-gamerohren.htm&sl=de&tl=en&hl=&ie=UTF-8

Quote: "The Plantronics Gamecom 777 Surround Sound Gaming Headset arrived Technic3D. With full 5.1 Dolby surround sound capabilities, the GameCom 777 Stereo Headset will let you hear your opponents before you actually see them, so you can fire off crisp, clear orders during your next line of attack? The GameCom 777’s 5.1 Dolby technology gives you the surround sound effects of a five-speaker setup by using digital signal processing that electronically simulates five speakers in a virtual room. This and more see you in the following Rewiew."

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Title: Patriot Box Office Media Player
URL: http://www.bcchardware.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=8335&Itemid=40
Quote:

I must admit that I am kind of spoiled. My primary media box is a full PC running XBMC and so I have come to have high expectations from my media device. I don’t think I am alone though in my expectations. However the Box Office does definitely have price in its favor, and if you can overlook some of its UI shortcomings you will get an inexpensive device that is well built, quiet as a mouse (even after playing 1080P video), power friendly and very small. . .

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Arctic Sound E361 Earphones and the link to the review is:
http://www.topreviewshop.com/arctic_sound_e361_earphones
"The Arctic Sound E361 earphones are advertised to work equally well with mobile phones, digital music players and computers. Let’s find out if these Swiss earphones live up to the reputation Arctic Cooling has earned in other markets."

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Arctic Cooling E361-BM Earphone
Review  Link : http://www.bayreviews.com/electronics/2445-arctic-cooling-e361bm-earphone
Quote : "I recently had a chance to check out these head phones by Arctic Cooling and I have to say, they are awesome. If you like bass, this is a must have. It also has outside noise cancellation so you can enjoy your music even more."

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Assorted Stuffs:

‘So did you order an iPad yet?’
Yesterday Apple started accepting pre-orders for the iPad to be delivered in the US on April 3. Did you pre-order an iPad yesterday? If so, which one did you go for?
The Full Article can be viewed at http://tech.tbreak.com/2010/03/so-did-you-order-an-ipad-yet/

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Gaj-it Weekly Round Up of Gadget News and Reviews

1. iPad UK Launch Date: April 2010 – But How Can You Buy the iPad Earlier in the UK?

2. Street Fighter 4 iPhone/iPod Touch App Released & Available to Buy!

3. YouTube Switches On Mobile Advertising

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WIN the perfect formula – ASUS Crosshair III Formula Motherboard
DESCRIPTION:
"It’s competition time again. We have teamed up with ASUS UK to give one lucky reader the chance of winning an ASUS Crosshair III Formula Motherboard worth over £150."
LINK: http://www.vortez.co.uk/contentteller/content_page/win_the_perfect_formula_asus_crosshair_iii_formula_motherboard.html

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A List of PC Game Classics Available Free of Charge
http://www.techspot.com/guides/258-free-pc-game-classics-list/
Major game companies don’t hesitate to charge an arm and a leg for new releases, with most launching around $60 these days. As much as you enjoy lining up outside the local GameStop at 3AM to embrace the latest shooter, parting with 60 big ones hurts a little inside. It doesn’t help that many developers rub salt in the wound by lacing titles with DRM mechanisms — but let’s not go there.
Alternatively, there are tons of free games online, but very few are worth playing (yeah, we’re looking at you Obama Alien Defense). What you may not be aware of however, is the wealth of older commercial titles freely available, just waiting to be discovered.
Dozens of old school favorites like Doom and GTA can be had at no cost. We’ve compiled a brief list of popular titles from yesteryear that you can download absolutely free of charge — and that’s something to appreciate in an age of hidden fees and fine print.

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Proluma Deluxe Triple LCD Stand
QUOTE: "Since the release of Eyefinity, we’ve seen a larger push for multi screen setups. Sure, the technology has been around for years and years; I was using a dual 17" CRT setup back in the day myself which was always fun. But what ATI have done is make the technology a bit more mainstream. Sure, Matrox did it a few years ago with the TripleHead2Go, but they don’t have the same weight as a company like ATI.
Eyefinity has brought with it a more mainstream push for multi screen setups. What we’re seeing is companies working on getting bezels thinner and other ways to make the technology simply better. Something that was lacking was high quality monitor stands for three-monitor setups. Having a look around eBay we found some cheap ones that promised support for 24" monitors, but didn’t actually support them. You can find a few floating around the U.S. market, but they’re extremely expensive and it doesn’t help people in other parts of the world."
For more information, please visit – http://www.tweaktown.com/reviews/3176/proluma_deluxe_triple_lcd_stand/index.html

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, ‘Kaspersky Internet Security 2010 Review’
Top notch features at a reasonable price.
The Full Article can be viewed at
http://tbreak.com/tech/2010/03/kaspersky-internet-security-2010-review/

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DIY Guides: Exploring CPU Performance in Windows Vista vs. Win 7

"Stuck with an older PC that runs slow in Vista? Upgrading to Windows 7 might breath new life into that PC and extend its useful life. In this DIY Guide PCSTATS is going to compare the performance of a handful of AMD and Intel processors running under Windows Vista to Windows 7, with an eye towards answering this question; "Will upgrading to Windows 7 breath new life into older PC hardware previously sluggish under Windows Vista?"

URL:  http://www.pcstats.com/articleview.cfm?articleID=2507

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Tips and Tricks: Optimize Your Computer For Speed and Efficiency

I’ve been into computers for many years now, too many to count at this point, but when someone in my family or any friends have a computer problem they call me to help them out. One of the biggest complaints I run across is speed, and why is their computer running slow. There are of course a plethora of reasons their computer is running slow, usually it’s a virus or they’ve just got too much stuff going on at the same time and their computer just can’t handle it. Another thing I’ve run across is that people think a five year old computer should be able to do everything that a one year old computer can do, they think if it’s not broke, don’t fix it. Generally that’s a good rule, but not for computers really, the technology evolves so fast that in about six months your brand new computer is now a generation or two behind what’s on the market today. There are several things that one can do to make their computer faster and more responsive and I’ve compiled a list of many of them, it’s by no means every single thing you can do, but a lot of them are ones that the average user can do themselves with little or no technical knowledge. These tips are not limited to desktops, but for netbooks and laptops as well, but they can be limited by the operating system you’re using…

Link: http://www.testfreaks.com/blog/information/tips-and-tricks-optimize-your-computer-for-speed-and-efficiency/

Core i7 Six Core CPU Coverage:

Overclock3D have just published a new article titled: Intel 980x Gulftown.

Quote: Intels Gulftown is the tock to the i7 tick. Have we got unlimited power within our grasp?
Link: http://www.overclock3d.net/reviews/cpu_mainboard/intel_980x_gulftown/1

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PC Games Hardware has reviewed the Core i7-980X, Intel’s first 6-core Gulftown. We ran benchmarks in applications and games to check the performance of the new processor. Furthermore we took a look at the overclocking capabilities as well as the new Boxed Cooler.

http://www.pcgameshardware.com/aid,699873/Core-i7-980X-aka-Core-i9-Review-of-the-six-core-Gulftown/Reviews/

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Intel I7-980X Gulftown Six Core Processor Review @ Tweaknews
Article Url: http://www.tweaknews.net/reviews/intel_i7-980x_gulftown_processor_review/
Article Snippet:
"The Intel I7-980x being reviewed today is one of those products coming onto the market that you know know is more of a 32nm victory lap rather than a product that is trying to leap-frog the competition. With nothing in sight that could even touch the Nehalem in terms of performance, the Gulftown adds to an impressive performance market lead that will not be superceded by anyone but themselves for some time to come."

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Intel Core i7 980X 6 Core Gulftown CPU Review

Without a doubt, the Core i7-980X is a fast CPU, the fastest out of the box CPU available. The 980X has a retail price of $999, meaning it will replace the 975X in Intel’s lineup. In terms of applications that will take advantage of the 6 cores, there are many game manufacturers working on optimization for multiple cores and with the support for DirectX 11 multithreaded rendering speeding up performance in games that support it, the Core i7-980X CPU to the next level, allowing for higher level of detail and more animations in games that support multi-threading. . The new CPU cooler allows the retail purchaser to overclock the CPU more than the traditional Intel cooler that doesn’t provide much leeway due to thermal margins.

Review Link: http://www.motherboards.org/reviews/motherboards/2024_15.html

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Intel’s new Gulftown Six Core CPU meets LN2 Extreme Cooling
QUOTE: "I’ve been chomping at the bit to have an opportunity to torture this latest offering. With whispers of massive headroom for overclocking, more tolerance for extreme cooling and performance to die for, it’s enough to get any tech-head excited.
For this article we will be torturing this latest offering from Intel over a variety of multi-threaded applications at pre-determined speeds as well as seeing how much further we can push the cooling before we start hitting cold bugs (most Bloomfields stopped operating around -90 to -100 degrees celcius)."
For more information, please visit – http://www.tweaktown.com/articles/3178/intel_s_new_gulftown_six_core_cpu_meets_ln2_extreme_cooling/index.html

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Intel’s Core i7-980X Extreme Edition – Ready for Sick Scores? @ Techgage
Link: http://techgage.com/article/intels_core_i7-980x_extreme_edition_-_ready_for_sick_scores/
Quote: It’s official. We’re now entering the six-core realm, thanks to Intel’s Gulftown. The first model, Core i7-980X, is more than capable of delivering the sick scores that our title suggests, and along with it, we can begin to see some major benefits of the 32nm process. To sweeten the deal further, Intel even includes an effective new CPU cooler.

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Intel Core i7-980X 32nm LGA-1366 Six Core CPU
QUOTE: "In the current market our CPUs are multi-core. It is almost unheard of to have a CPU with a single core, unless you are buying a netbook or a very low-end system. Starting at the mainstream level the dual core is king. You find them in all shapes and sizes. Moving up, AMD has their tri cores. From there both AMD and Intel have quads and finally Intel has the quad with Hyper Threading; the 8 thread monster called the Core i7.
Well, Intel is looking to add a new level at the very top. This is a 6 core, 12 thread behemoth called Gulftown. Once it hits the retail channels it will be the Core i7-980X. But Gulftown is more than just 6 cores on a CPU die. Intel has moved to 32nm and also stuffed in some new instructions (including AES encryption)."
For more information, please visit – http://www.tweaktown.com/reviews/3177/intel_core_i7_980x_32nm_lga_1366_six_core_cpu/index.html

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Intel Core i7-980X Extreme 6-Core Processor:
http://hothardware.com/articles/Intel-Core-i7980X-Extreme-6Core-Processor/

The new Core i7-980X Extreme is an interesting animal, however, that requires much explanation. Although its branding implies that it may be just a simple speed-bump over the previous flagship Core i7-975 Extreme, the 980X is actually a totally different beast. Come on by and take a look…

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Intel Core i7 980X Extreme 6 Core Gulftown Desktop CPU Video Review

Well Intel Has done it again folks and they now bring to the table the first Six-Core CPU to the desktop market. The Core i7-980X is codenamed Gulftown and replaces the Core i7-975X CPU in Intel’s lineup as their top of the line CPU. Gulftown is their first 6-core consumer CPU to hit the market. This also marks the separation from the mainstream i7 CPUs as the new CPU requires the X58 chipset and won’t work on the LGA-1156 CPU Socket found on the P55/H55/H57 etc chipsets. This CPU is also an Extreme Edition CPU, meaning that it is unlocked and can be overclocked higher by changing the multiplier as well as the BCLK upwards. This CPU will become publicaly available in a few weekes from the release of this review. Want to see the fastest CPU available? Check out the review.

Review Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ggDpMHB4bI4

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Today Intel launched a new CPU based on their newest 32nm process technology codenamed "Gulftown". It is an "Extreme" CPU both in name and price – weighing in at 3.33 GHz (base, Turbo hits up to 3.60 GHz) with six individual cores (and thanks to HyperThreading that means twelve threads) and 12MB of shared L3 cache, the Core i7 980X Extreme Edition will set you back a bit over $1000 when it hits e-store e-shelves this week.

We put it to the test against the identically clocked (and nearly identically priced) Core i7 975 Extreme, and a handful of other $500+ processors to see how it competes in today’s applications (we threw in a Phenom II for good measure, too).

So how does this beast perform today? Read on to find out!

http://www.hardcoreware.net/intel-core-i7-980x-extreme-six-core-cpu-review/

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TITLE: Intel Core i7-980X Gulftown Processor Review @ Benchmark Reviews

DESCRIPTION: Intel offers something for everyone, as their extensive product line can prove. The chipmaker produces desktop, notebook, server, and personal digital appliance CPUs, Ethernet and WiFi network processors, and countless co-processor units. Keep this in mind as Benchmark Reviews presents the Intel Core i7-980X processor, a six-core Westmere 32nm CPU. Codenamed Gulftown, this 3.33GHz Extreme Edition processor features an unlocked clock speed multiplier with twelve computing threads and a 12MB cache. Built for the Intel X58-Express enthusiast platform, Benchmark Reviews tests the BX80613I7980X retail part in gaming, computing, and overclocking performance.

ARTICLE URL: http://benchmarkreviews.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=475&Itemid=63

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Hardware Canucks is pleased to present our review of the new Intel Core i7-980X Gulftown Six-Core 32nm processor.

Article URL: http://www.hardwarecanucks.com/forum/hardware-canucks-reviews/29632-intel-core-i7-980x-gulftown-six-core-32nm-processor-review.html

Quote: It has been a long time coming.  Intel’s six core processors have been talked about since the Nehalem architecture was first introduced and with the Core i7 980X, Gulftown has finally seen the light of day.  Naturally, this new processor is expensive but with six physical cores and 12 threads, can it perform up to everyone’s expectations?

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Intel i7 980x (Extreme).
SNIP:
With the Intel Core i7 980x in hand benchmarks have been humming along. Strictly business gaming sessions (that’s our story), photo editing, and general computing have been eye popping. Some things have been flying by so fast that we had to re-check them just to make sure they actually happened.
With six cores (32nm) and 12 threads pushing the Westmere processors, 1.17 billion transistors sitting on a 248mm square die data isn’t the only thing pumping along. Once in a great while you get your hands on a game changing product that sets your blood pumping and the mind careening wildly along possibility paths previously unexplored. The Intel Core i7 980x is one of those products.
When the Core i7 965x hit the bench it was a thrilling day even for seasoned reviewers. At that time it meant upgrading your motherboard to LGA 1366, upgrading to (then) expensive DDR3 triple channel RAM, and purchasing a top end i7 965 that ran (at release) $1200. The thought of sitting on a cutting edge i7 965 was a daunting proposal. The i7 980x is an LGA 1366 drop in upgrade. If you’re sitting on a LGA 1366 platform already, simply flash to the latest BIOS, pop out the old processor and drop in the i7 980x and you will be running the top desktop processor on the planet.
In the short time we’ve had the Core i7 980x we’ve been flooded with benchmarks and fielding a lot of inquiries. We couldn’t comment on the i7 980x because of Non-Disclosure Agreements but one question we get asked almost daily is: ‘What’s the fastest desktop computer on the planet?’ All we could do under those conditions was point to the test bench and say with certainty, ‘That one.’
http://www.bjorn3d.com/read.php?cID=1801

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Intel’s dominance with the Nehalem Core i7s has been nearly complete, and yet a replacement will soon arrive in the form of Gulftown, a 32-nm, six-core monster with 12MB of cache.  How good is it?  Should it replace your Pentium 4?  Your Core 2 Quad Q6600?  We investigate.
http://techreport.com/articles.x/18581

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Intel Core i7-980XE Gulftown 6-Core 32nm Processor Review

Today’s processor technology is the result of years of innovative thinking put to action. For instance, Intel’s microprocessor architecture has proven that we’ve taken the first steps into an era where computers are capable of doing far more than just calculating a few spread sheets or playing video games.

There is a lot more unlocked potential from Intel and if you love your Quad-Core i7, then you’re going to love this! How about a 6-core Intel Core i7-980XE Gulftown 32nm Processor? That’s right! We’ve got Hexa-Core!

Direct Link: http://www.futurelooks.com/intel-core-i7-980xe-gulftown-6-core-32nm-processor-review/

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Article Title: Intel Core i7-980X Processor Extreme Edition Review @ Legit Reviews
Article URL: http://www.legitreviews.com/article/1245/1/

Quote: "The Intel Core i7-980X Desktop Processor Extreme Edition was found to exceed our exceed our initial expectations, which says a ton. Having six physical processing cores created an amazing user experience when running multi-threaded applications. The enormous growth of HD media content in the home is driving the demand for computer systems that have the horse power to deliver an enjoyable user experience for the consumer. If you have ever tried to create a Blu-ray movie or just tried to transcode some HD movies you know how much time it takes to work on a project and that can be frustrating for those that do it often. With the new Intel Core i7-980X Processor you can improve productivity, save power and the best part is that it can be a drop-in replacement for those with existing socket LGA1366 motherboard. Anybody that runs multi-thread applications is sure to appreciate a six-core processor…"

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Quick Links:

PowerColor HD 5750 Go Green @ techPowerUp

Altitude – PC @ LanOC Reviews

NZXT Panzerbox @ LanOC Reviews

InWin Diva MITX Case @ TechwareLabs

Overclock3D have just published a new article titled: Mionix NAOS 5000 Review

Antec P183 Advanced Mid Tower Case Review @ ThinkComputers.org

SteelSeries Xai Laser Mouse

Lian Li PC-T1R Spider @ techPowerUp

Sapphire Radeon HD 5770 1GB Review  @ XSReviews

CoolerMaster GX Series 750 Watt ATX Power Supply Review

Thermaltake SpinQ VT CPU Cooler Review @ Legit Reviews

CeBIT 2010 Coverage with more than 100 pictures on 11 pages

Enermax MODU 87+ 600W PSU Review on Technic3D

NZXT Hades @ techPowerUp

ASUS HD 5870 Matrix 2GB & ASUS HD 5870 "V2" Sneak Peek @ Hardware Canucks

iXBT Labs Review: AMD Athlon II X2 215 Processor

Zalman CNPS10X Performa CPU Cooler Review @ ThinkComputers.org

Overclock3D have just published a new article titled: Win a Dell XPS Laptop with OC3D and Dell Outlet.

Overclock3D have just published a new article titled: Mionix KEID 20 Review

Razer Imperator Gaming Mouse @ TechwareLabs

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Facebook launches payments between friends service

"With the need to move towards a more energy efficient nation, by investing in renewable sources of energy, it was imperative that we seek solar energy not only for our homes and businesses, but our electronic devices as well, and make it affordable," says Willie E. Nason, Solarologist/Founder/Co-CEO, USA Solar and Digital Communications Technologies LLC , "Muzatch" brand name.

Our aim was to look at the most used electronic devices, not only in the US but worldwide, and how we could make them more energy efficient, i.e. the mobile phone. Solar energy devices for mobile phones and other devices such as laptops was the answer, thus the iPhone solar charger was developed. It has over 2000 uses, it will last over 4 years with continued daily use, (provided sun is available).

With over 95% of all Americans using mobile phones and laptops, and over 40 million iPhone users, losing power can be very frustrating, especially when an emergency hits of any kind. Solar energy will be the best and only way to continue to operate and communicate with the various emergency agencies as well as family and friends.

Millions of Americans use the iPhone currently and so it was the first choice for developing the initial solar charger. We are currently designing other solar chargers for several additional types of mobile phones, such as the "BlackBerry," which will be coming in the near future.

"It’s almost unbelievable that something so small and compact can produce so much electrical power. To be able to instantly charge not only your iPhone, but iPod and Nanos, it’s simply Amazing," says Jay Yenter, CEO, The Muzatch Co., a division of USA Solar and Digital Communications Technologies LLC. "Especially in cases of emergency, or loss of power, no longer will you have to be tethered to your electrical a/c connection or care charger."

The Muzatch Co. is leading the way in developing the latest in new solar energy products with exciting new models coming soon. The MZH-1200 iPhone power station is now available worldwide through the Muzatch Co.’s website, at: www.muzatch.com. It comes in 5 colors, white, black, blue, silver and GREEN! At this introductory price of only 49.59+s/h.

Pre Plus smartphones operating on the Palm webOS(TM) platform offer customers exciting gaming functionality, including 3D graphics. The games range from action and strategy to mobile versions of popular console games, all from the leading content providers in the mobile gaming industry.

Some of the games available to Verizon Wireless customers with Pre Plus smartphones include:

• Asphalt 5
• Brain Challenge®
• Glyder 2
• Let’s Golf
• Assassin’s Creed(TM)
• Altair’s Chronicles
• Brothers In Arms®: Hour of Heroes
• Gangstar: West Coast Hustle
• Hero of Sparta
• Dungeon Hunter
• Monopoly
• Need for Speed Undercover(TM)
• SCRABBLE
• Sudoku
• Tetris®
• The Oregon Trail
• The Sims(TM) 3
• Apollo
• X-Plane

Palm Pre Plus is available exclusively from Verizon Wireless for $149.99 after a $100 mail-in rebate with a new two-year customer agreement. Customers can find these games, along with many more apps, in the Palm App Catalog located on Palm webOS smartphones. More information on great apps for Palm webOS is also available at www.palm.com/applications.

For more information about Verizon Wireless products and services, visit a Verizon Wireless Communications Store, call 1-800-2 JOIN IN or go to www.verizonwireless.com.

At its core it is a cel-shaded arcade racing game which takes advantage of Apple’s built-in accelerometer to make controlling your snowboarder simple and realistic. Controls are intuitive especially if using the tilt controls. There is also a swipe option to guide your snowboarder if you prefer a more analog style of control.

Game play modes include freestyle, racing and trick based events based in six different world locales.

X2 Snowboarding

Author: Tomas Ratas
Vendor: X2 Games

Price: $6.99

Overall Rating: 4.5/5

From X2 Games, the makers of X2 Football… comes X2 Snowboarding.
X2 Snowboarding is a fast-paced extreme sports simulation, combining console quality graphics & physics with arcade style game play. Players compete in a series of freestyle, race & trick-race events across an international stage.
• Fluid motion and touch controls
• Optimal graphics & unique visual style
• Bluetooth & local WiFi multiplayer
• Full motion-captured player animations
• In-game rewind: re-wind and re-play during your run to retry missed opportunities
• Adrenaline: slow down time and enhance your handling and trick performance capabilities
• Replay save system
• Tru Thoughts Recordings licensed soundtrack: featuring Quantic, Bonobo & Mr Scruff
• Official Salomon in-game boards unlocked as you progress
*****
After learning the basics and earning your boarding pass from the Boarding School, take the character of your choice to the varied international slopes. Choose from 6 colorful boarders; Adler (Germany), Yukiko (Japan), Edward (UK), Katie (Canada), Aaron (America) & Terhi (Finland), each with individual strengths and weaknesses suiting particular playing styles and event types.
Your boarder will be taken from the commercial slopes of USA, to going off the beaten track under the setting sun of Japan, to taking illicit advantage of the ski-only slopes in Switzerland, the perilous back country traverse of Chile, the night-life of a snow-village resort in Canada and the final treacherous cliff edge teeter in New Zealand.
The boarding is performed with an intuitive combination of iPhone accelerometer tilt & on-screen touch/gesture control- with 2 varying tweaked control mechanisms to choose from. Once you’ve got the hang of the controls, you’ll soon realize that X2 Snowboarding is no ordinary snowboarding game!
Successfully performing and chaining spins, flips, grabs, grind maneuvers & buttering bestows your boarder with time-warping abilities to rewind & replay sections of the course in real-time, release adrenaline to slow down time to perfect tricky maneuvers or ‘boost’ to leave your opponents standing. Using these special abilities wisely will give your boarder the edge in competition.
For a different challenge, take on your friends in multiplayer events over a Bluetooth or Wi-fi connection. In our first update (coming soon), online multiplayer will become available allowing for infinite competition once you’ve excelled your friends and our AI.

The Review:

The game starts with a play as you go tutorial stopping the player along their first ride down the mountain to point out different tricks and maneuvers that can be performed. Once this tutorial is finished you on your own to traverse the snow-covered mountains of your iPhone or iPod Touch.

Maneuvers such as jumping, grinding, and in air tricks are performed by pressing the on screen virtual buttons. For instance the jump “button” is found on the lower left of the screen.

Once airborne two on-screen snowboards appears with multiple hand hold points that your virtual rider can grab. Depending on which part of your board is grabbed will vary your tricks. Used in conjunction with the tilt movement controls you’re free to perform any trick your nimble fingers can carry out.

Simple and intuitive controls help set X2 Snowboarding apart from its competitors. The game play is fast so come pushing many of these maneuvers will take nimble fingers.

Another unique feature is the ability to slowdown or rewind time to help recover from horrific crashes. This “bullet time” feature is a nice addition to a fast pace game where crashes can make a difference in the player’s score.

Course locales include slopes in the US, Japan, Switzerland, Chile, Canada and New Zealand. Each location offers differing challenges. There are six snowboarders to choose from each with differing characteristics making choosing the right character as important as choosing the right board.

Picking up coins along the course will do two things – provide a 2X multiplier and help unlock boards in the Board Shop.

The game also features multiplayer support where the player can compete via local wireless connections or through Bluetooth. Unfortunately there is no online multiplayer at this moment.

Visually the game looks great. The cel-shading (such as found in Legend of Zelda – Twilight Princess) works well with the power of the Apple processor as the game plays fluidly. The game settings are accessible via the pause button and numerous options can be changed including the music. If you choose the player can play their own iTunes music in the background in place of the included soundtrack.

Load times on the iPhone 3G are a little bit long as the intro load screen takes 10-15 seconds before getting to the game. Loading up a race takes another few seconds. The loads may be faster on the new iPod Touch models and the iPhone 3GS.

Conclusion:

The game price is $6.99 which is rather “expensive” than cheaper competitors but the game play and graphics make it worth the investment. If you are a fan of racing or snowboarding games in particular then X2 Snowboarding is worth the investment.

Pros:

+Simple intuitive controls

+Use of “bullet time”

+Smooth graphics

Cons:

-Lack of online multiplayer

-Load up times too long

(via: WMPU)

“HTC has gone wrong. The nice clean look on the first versions of Manila has been abandoned.
The clean icons have been replaced by disorderly icons, in every color of the rainbow. Grey turned into color.
The evolvement of the interface itself was good, but the designers began to imitate Samsung.

GTX Sense is – what I think – the way HTC should design. I am not saying they should make a white theme, but that fancy flashing stuff is everything except eyecandy. The design of this theme is mainly inspired by HTC.com and the ZuneHD. The clean look of those interfaces is just excellent.

It’s been a hard job to get everything working. It was not only graphics work, but also a lot of scripts needed to be enhanced.”

Requirements: WVGA or VGA device with manila version 2.5.192X. Any additional mod, such as Co0kie’s mod, could cause bugs.
Important: If you haven’t got the Manila Locker installed, make sure to install this.
If you’re using an official (stock) ROM, or your manila is not CFC Compressed, download the CFC Uncompressed one.
Currently only Manila version 2.5.1921 is supported. 2.5.1922 is not advised. 2.5.201X will follow soon.
Size of theme: 2,6 MB, CFC Uncompressed 11,4 MB

Make sure you head on over to XDA and check this out and thank [ElCondor] for his awesome work. Remember, tipping these guys goes a long way and keeps them developing! A few dollars (seriously 2-3) does a long way if more people would donate. So skip that Mountain Dew, well, skip something else, gotta have your morning caffeine and show some love!

XDA Link: CLICK HERE

Source: WMPU

Based on SPB Quadronica game, SPB Quads is the new arcade game for Symbian in which one has to put together all his/her pattern-finding skills to succeed. A player’s goal in this game is to reveal and mark rectangles’ corners of the same colors in a field filled with color bricks, thus "destroying" them and earning scores. There are two modes in the game: a time-limited mode and an endless, "strategic" mode. This effectively creates two different scenarios of playing.

SPB Quads for Symbian is compatible with Symbian S60 v.5-based touchscreen phones only. A free, 15-day trial can be downloaded, or SPB Quads for Symbian may be purchased for 9.95 USD from www.spb.com. The application can also be purchased from OVI store.

The IWCE event will be held at the Las Vegas Convention Center in South Halls 3 and 4 and is scheduled for 11:10 a.m. through 12:10 p.m. EST on Friday, March 12, 2010. Contact information can be found after the break if you want to attend.

Read the Press Release After The Break:

Howard Melamed, CellAntenna CEO, to Discuss Implications of Cell Phone Jamming Technology

CORAL SPRINGS, Fla.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Howard Melamed, CEO of CellAntenna Corporation and an expert in jamming and enhancing cell phone communication, will participate in a panel discussion at the 2010 International Wireless Communication Expo (IWCE) event in Las Vegas.
“Cell-Phone Jamming: What Are the Implications Beyond the Prison System?”

Who: Melamed, who has a decade of experience with wireless communication signals, will participate with Jack Daniel, owner of Jack Daniel Company; and Alan Tilles, partner with Shulman, Rogers, Gandal, Pordy & Ecker, PA. Tilles will also serve as the panel’s moderator.

What: The panel, titled “Cell-Phone Jamming: What Are the Implications Beyond the Prison System?” will discuss whether jamming the signal is the right solution for combating contraband cell phones in prisons. The panelists will also discuss the implications beyond prisons and if hospitals, schools or even retailers can choose to jam signals at their own discretion.

When: “Cell-Phone Jamming: What Are the Implications Beyond the Prison System?” is scheduled for 11:10 a.m. through 12:10 p.m. EST on Friday, March 12, 2010.

Where: The IWCE event will be held at the Las Vegas Convention Center in South Halls 3 and 4.

Why: Melamed is at the forefront of the national discussion surrounding cell phone jamming. His decade of experience includes the successful testing and implementation of cell jamming solutions. As a result, he knows firsthand what the implications are for the technology beyond the prison walls. At this conference Melamed will provide evidence that the problem of cell phones used by inmates in US prisons is of pandemic proportions.

Journalists interested in meeting with Howard Melamed at the IWCE event should contact Derek James at 408-727-0351 or derekj@mcgrathpower.com. For additional information on CellAntenna solutions, please visit: www.cellantenna.com.

About CellAntenna Corporation
CellAntenna Corporation offers solutions to either enhance or prohibit cell phone signals. For nearly a decade, the company has increased productivity and safety through the boosting of signal strength and reduction of dropped calls. Products include cellular repeaters, cell phone signal boosters and fixed wireless terminals. CellAntenna’s broad portfolio also includes solutions for cellular detection, jamming and passive handset control. Headquartered in Coral Springs, FL, CellAntenna also has offices in the United Kingdom and Poland.

Once upon a time I was driving after dark on a windy unlit road in Westport Connecticut and as I got close to a blind curve on a hill I noticed a car pulled over on one side of the road and an incapacitated deer in the middle of the other. I did some calculations in my head and determined that traffic headed toward that deer wouldn’t be able to see him in time to make an evasive maneuver and that the deer, whom I’ll go ahead and personify for narrative effect as Mister Deer, was presenting a major hazard so I thought I’d do a good deed and pull over to drag him out of the way for the deer scooper man to deal with later.

As I approached Mister Deer, I saw that he was alive and conscious. I heard a car approaching, bam, the deer tumbled underneath and was now twenty feet further away from me and the car kept going (Toyota maybe?). I was briefly relieved that there was no serious accident and that the deer was surely dead this time but as I got closer I saw that the deer was still alive and kicking. Five seconds pass, history repeated itself and if you can believe it he was still alive. Resilient little fella. That has got to be some kind of Westport deer record for surviving so many abrupt introductions to fenders, windshields and tires.

Depending on how your mind works this is going to get a little more disturbing. Don’t judge me.

I have a healthy relationship with animals. I like petting them (I’m really good at it, I know all the special spots) but I don’t mind eating them, I don’t carry around buckets of red paint either and I don’t give to PETA. I’m not a hunter. But Mister Deer needed to die right quick and the three cars had proven ineffective.

At the time I wasn’t packing so I asked myself what MacGyver would do. I surveyed the scene, found a bowling ball-sized rock, hauled it toward Mister Deer, fired off a quick prayer for good aim, acquired the appropriate target (we maintained eye contact actually), I raised the rock way up high, then I swiftly did the opposite — goodnight Mister Deer, may you heal a lot during your ascent into Deer Heaven.

Finally managed to accomplish my initial objective, got him and the improvised gravitational device out of the way. The woman who had first hit him was hysterical throughout all of this (did you know that the the Greeks came up with that word because they believed that it only afflicted women and was therefore triggered by disturbances in the uterus?) so I went up to her, told her that it wasn’t her fault, could have been anyone, the deer wasn’t suffering anymore, “maybe you should talk to someone about this tomorrow,” yada yada yada, and was Oscar Mike.

Doug Simmons