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November 30th, 2011 | 
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Tags: Are you rocking a preview build of Windows 8? If so, you don’t need to go without CPU-Z. There’s a new update available, the first one in about five months, that brings CPU-Z up to version 1.59. Among the short list of changes is official support for Windows 8. The new build also recognizes Intel’s Core i7 2960X, 3930K, and 3820 Sandy Bride-E processors.
Along with support for Sandy Bridge-E chips, CPU-Z v1.59 reads and recognizes Intel’s X79 chipset. The update isn’t all about Intel and Microsoft, however.
Other additions to CPU-Z’s database include AMD Opteron and Valencia (Bulldozer), AMD … [Read More...]
Dolphin Browser HD is one of the most popular alternative browsers on Android, which is why the latest news on that front is so disconcerting. According to an exhaustive investigation by Android Police, Dolphin HD is sending all user URLs in plain text to a Dolphin webserver. The goal is to match URLs to a webzine whitelist service that Dolphin then provides to users, but as Android Police said, this is “an amateur solution.”
It appears that any URL, be it secured or not is sent with no security whatsoever. For its part, Dolphin says that the data is not … [Read More...]
In Washington today, someone got something done. If that was not shocking enough, it was the FCC. We can wait while you compose yourself. The FCC voted unanimously today to re-purpose the universal service program, which was used to get phone service to rural Americans. The fun will now be used to deliver broadband internet access to the most remote areas of the nation.
The new rules will expand broadband by shifting the $4.5 billion dollar fund from subsidizing phone service to pay for the deployment and service costs associated with rural broadband. The FCC has also mandated changes to … [Read More...]
Google announced last May that it intended to begin adding business interiors to Google Maps Street View. Now the first test images are rolling out. Users browsing maps will be invited into shops and offices that make use of the same 360-degree panning view that we’re used to with street view. Considering the very different nature of the content, Google has changed the way they acquire these images.
If a business owner is interested in having their interior added to Google Maps, they have to fill out an application online. Google will then contact the applicant to set up a … [Read More...]
Yes, yes, this was inevitable, but usually there’s rhyme or reason to these things. Or somebody starts a nice little leak in the rumor mill’s engines, and it’s all old news by the time it’s actually “official.” Or there’s a convention (think E3 or GDC) coming up. Or something! Rockstar, though, merely plastered its website the GTA V logo, promised that a trailer’s going for a nice little rampage on November 2, and then quietly strode away while everybody scratched their heads. Meanwhile, Kotaku’s now rumoring that it’ll be set in LA. Which sounds nice enough, but why not try … [Read More...]
Intel’s Core i7 2700K processor is new in town and boy does she get around. We mean that in a good way, and it’s totally with the blessing of her folks from Santa Clara who told her, “Hey, you’re unlocked, go have a good time.” The 2700K took those words to heart and, among other places, found herself hanging around Maingear where she’s running laps at 5GHz and beyond.
Maingear tells us they’ve added the 2700K to its Shift and F131 desktop systems. The less expensive F131 starts out at $1,104, or $1,339 with the 2700K option, and includes an … [Read More...]
Whether you love ‘em or hate ‘em, there’s no denying that WikiLeaks posts stuff that lots of folks would rather remain hidden in the shadows. Those people have (kind of) gotten their wish: WikiLeaks has said that it will temporarily halt its publishing operation to focus instead on raising cash. The reason for the dire financial straits? Many of the major global financial institutions in the world, including banks, credit card companies and even PayPal, have refused to process donations for the controversial site, causing a precipitous drop in funding.
Assange considers the refusal to process funds an “arbitrary and … [Read More...]
NVidia’s founder and president Jen-Hsun Huang was on hand at this years AsiaD conference, and as usual, he put on quite the show. In addition to reconfirming the companies future plans for the Tegra platform, he offered up sage advice for Microsoft on how to manage Intel during the transition to arm, how much his company is spending on R&D, and even openly fantasized about getting his chips in future versions of the iPad.
When asked about his feelings towards Windows on ARM, Huang was quite specific, don’t call it a PC.
“It’s important for [Microsoft] not to position these … [Read More...]
A day after the world’s most popular desktop Linux distro turned seven, Canonical announced a new support policy for its LTS (long-term support) releases, which are released every two years. Beginning with the release of Ubuntu 12.04 (Precise Pangolin) in April, 2012, Canonical will support LTS releases for desktops users for five years instead of the current three years.
In a statement issued yesterday, Canonical said that the decision to extend support for LTS releases for desktop users was taken in face of Ubuntu’s growing popularity among enterprise users used to longer maintenance periods. Previously, only server LTS releases were … [Read More...]
Amazon has made small tweaks to its Kindle e-book format over the years, but now the retailer has surprised the industry again by announcing a new HTML5 version of the Kindle format called Format 8. This approach leverages a toolset that already has wide support and allows a richer experience — perfect for magazines and comics.
The new HTML5 Kindle format will essentially make books into webpages, with robust handling of images, fonts, and other adaptable content. Amazon has a full list of supported HTML tags, but video and audio tags are not among them, for now at least. So … [Read More...]
As is customary, Apple’s newest mobile device has been torn asunder by curious gawkers in search of a cheap thrill. Also, they want to see what’s inside so they can price out components, but that is pretty thrilling. The iPhone 4S bill of materials was determined by iSupplyi to be roughly $188 for the 16GB version.
The most expensive part is, unsurprisingly, the touchscreen at $37. iSupplyi estimates that manufacturing costs are just $8 per device, so Apple pays less than $200 for the device, and it sells for $200 on contract. The 32GB and 64GB models were priced out … [Read More...]
Last month’s release of Chrome 14 brought along with it Native Client (NaCl) support, paving the way for the execution of native C code within the browser. Native Client is meant to turn the browser into a playing ground for serious 3D games and powerful apps. That said, there haven’t been any real signs of that transformation in the few weeks (a seriously long time in Chrome years) since Chrome 14’s launch. But a new development might just help expedite the whole process.
The Bullet Physics library has been ported to NaCl. Published under the zlib license, Bullet has spread … [Read More...]
It’s not as if Maximum PC readers need any more convincing that the whole ‘post PC era’ theory is a bunch of hogwash, but just in case there remains any lingering doubt, Intel just reported yet another record quarter, for the sixth time in a row, as a matter of fact. Intel set new records for microprocessor units shipped, EPS, earnings, and revenue, which the chip maker reports was up 28 percent year-over-year.
“Intel delivered record-setting results again in Q3, surpassing $14 billion in revenue for the first time, driven largely by double-digit unit growth in notebook PCs,” said Paul … [Read More...]
Samsung is taking its surveillance game to the next level by introducing a new series of Full HD analog video products. Included in the new lineup is the HD-SDI 1920×1080 box camera, HD-SDI 1920×1080 dome camera, and a four-channel HD-SDI digital video recorder (DVR). Samsung’s HD-SDI technology makes it possible to transmit uncompressed and non-packetized digital video signals with no loss of image data and zero latency, the company said.
The obvious benefit here is improved image quality, which is more than five times better than conventional analog technology, Samsung says. But it also offers a “more cost-effective and easier … [Read More...]
This may be bad news to anyone that bought a Droid Bionic last month on Verizon. The Droid RAZR is expected to be announced tomorrow, and bring the RAZR branding roaring back with a slim design and 4G LTE on board. There’s a new teaser site up ahead of tomorrow’s event, and it leaves little to the imagination.
There is a full-size press photo of the new device on the teaser page. Unlike the Bionic and other LTE devices, the Droid RAZR looks to be extremely thin, and has a stylish kevlar back plate. Previous rumors have pegged the device … [Read More...]
When AMD spun off its manufacturing arm as GlobalFoundries back in 2009, it was assumed their controlling interest would drive the bulk of its investments in the same direction. AMD has been forced to use TSMC, a rival to GlobalFoundries in recent years to keep pace in the graphics card wars, however new rumors are suggesting Bulldozer might be forced to shift over as well.
The move would be a strong indication of issues with GlobalFoundries 32 nm HKMG node, and doesn’t bode well for GlobalFoundries as an independent chip maker if the two companies can’t maintain a strong partnership. … [Read More...]
The idea of Amazon’s Silk browser, for the Kindle Fire is an intriguing one. By caching web assets ahead of time, Amazon hopes to accelerate the browsing experience. But running all user traffic through Amazon’s EC2 cloud has made some privacy-minded people a little uneasy. Now members of Congress are starting to ask questions, and some of them are not totally ridiculous.
Rep. Ed Markey of Massachusetts sent a letter to Amazon asking for clarification on a number of points. He seeks the specifics about what data Amazon plans to store about user browsing habits, and what it plans to … [Read More...]
