USB 3.0 not as fast as anticipated
Jan 8, 2009 Gadgets, Technology
In a recent TG Daily interview with a representative of the USB Implementers Forum it was told that the transfer speeds of USB 3.0 will only be 1200 Mb/s but not 5000 Mb/s as was said some time ago. It will take several years for it to reach that speed.
USB 3.0 will be more than twice as fast as USB 2.0 and more power efficient so it’s all alright for now.
[Via Gizmodo]
Asus laptop with 512GB SSD
Jan 8, 2009 Laptops
Tom’s Hardware had a chance to talk to Asus prior to CES’ full opening and they learned that Asus is preparing to launch the first 512GB SSD laptop.
The laptop is called S121 and is an Atom based ultra-portable. The 512GB SSD that it has is significantly bigger than other SSD driver on the market, which range from 60GB to 128GB.
Laptops with SSD drives that are on sale now are extremely expensive but according to Asus their new 512GB SSD laptop will be priced at $1649.
[Via Tom's Hardware]
Windows 7 System requirements
Jan 8, 2009 Software
Windows 7 Beta will be available as a free download tomorrow so it would be nice to know the system requirements, and here they are:
- 1GHz processor (32- or 64-bit)
- 1GB of main memory
- 16GB available disk space
- Support for DX9 graphics with 128MB of memory (for the Aero interface)
- a DVD-R/W drive
Those requirements are just about the same as the system requirements for Windows Vista, which was launched three years ago, which means most people should not have to upgrade their computers to run Windows 7.
[Via Lifehacker]
2008 was the biggest year ever for Xbox 360
Jan 7, 2009 General
Microsoft announced that 8 million units of Xbox 360 had been sold in 2008, which places them ahead of Playstation 3.
"For Xbox, 2008 will be remembered around the world as a pivotal growth year at retail and online - even in the face of tough economic conditions," said Don Mattrick, senior vice president of Microsoft’s Interactive Entertainment Business. "Worldwide, a record number of players flocked to our broadest games and entertainment lineup ever, while the New Xbox Experience thrilled millions of fans by making our console even more engaging. And yet, we’ve only provided a glimpse into the new world of interactive entertainment that we’re imagining. The best of Xbox 360 is yet to come."
[Via TG Daily]
Trojan Blocks Access to BitTorrent Sites
Jan 5, 2009 Internet, Security
A new type of trojan has apparently popped up at several torrent sites. This trojan blocks access to The Pirate Bay and Mininova and informs its victims that “downloading is wrong.” It does so by modifying the hosts file on your computer and redirect the BitTorrent sites to localhost, making them impossible to load.
[Via TorrentFreak]
Tags: Internet
Xbox 360 mod gives keyboard and mouse support
If you want to use a keyboard and a mouse instead of the Xbox 360 controller the XIM 2 lets you do that. It’s availabe from XIM’s website and costs $180.
Although it could be nice to use a keyboard and a mouse in some games I think it will take out the fun in online multiplayer, especially shooters, because some people will be using a mouse and some the controller.
[Via Gizmodo]
Microsoft to lay off 17% staff
Jan 1, 2009 Business
Microsoft is going to lay off 15.000 people of their 90.000 employees, that’s 17%. The lay offs er set to happen on January 15th, 2009.
It’s not clear what departments or regions will be hit the worst, but the rumor says it will be MSN. Microsoft is probably not going to lay off people in successful departments or regions. That means it’s not likely that people working in the Xbox 360 departments will be laid off because of how well console sales have been doing.
[Via Fudzilla]
Tags: Business