General Gaming Article |
- Report: Intel Prepping Low-Cost Thunderbolt Controller for Early 2012
- Firefox 8 Hits Beta Channel, Brings Twitter Search
- Psystar Vows to Fight on After Appeals Court Upholds Permanent Injunction
- Microsoft Responds to Chrome Malware Confusion, Apologizes
- Google Goes Retail in London Town
- Major Security Hole Uncovered in Samsung Galaxy S II for AT&T
- Cool Site of the Week: QuestionsProtect.org
- DRAM Market Debacle Takes Toll on Micron
- IBM Leapfrogs Microsoft in Market Value for First Time in 15 Years
- Reports: Microsoft AV Erasing Google Chrome
| Report: Intel Prepping Low-Cost Thunderbolt Controller for Early 2012 Posted: 30 Sep 2011 10:03 PM PDT
If VR Zone is to be believed, Intel has a third, much smaller controller in the pipeline that should enter production before the end of 2011 and reach vendors in early 2012. Reportedly called Port Ridge, it is said to be a low-cost, low power chip with one 10Gbps bi-directional channel that lacks support for pass-through connectivity, making it ideal for small mobile devices. According to the report, Port Ridge will have the smallest package size (5x6mm) of all the controllers. All other controllers, whether those currently available or the ones in the pipeline, have much larger package sizes and feature either two or four Thunderbolt channels. Image Credit: Cnet |
| Firefox 8 Hits Beta Channel, Brings Twitter Search Posted: 30 Sep 2011 09:27 PM PDT
If Mozilla focused on reducing the browser's memory appetite while developing Firefox 7, it's all about delivering a more convenient browsing experience with version 8. "This beta adds features and user interface elements that make browsing easier and tools that help developers build more secure and innovative Web experiences," Mozilla wrote in a blog post. With the latest beta, Twitter search finally gets its rightful place in the pantheon of web services included in the browser's built-in search box by default. If that does not excite you, now you can restore tabs on demand, "resulting in faster start-up times when windows with lots of tabs are restored." This feature can be enabled by going to the General Tab under Options. According to Mozilla, tabs are now easier to "tear off" thanks to "animated tab movement." The beta also packs a number of developer-specific enhancements:
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| Psystar Vows to Fight on After Appeals Court Upholds Permanent Injunction Posted: 30 Sep 2011 04:05 PM PDT
Even though this latest decision seems like a coup de grâce for Psystar, the Miami-based company's lawyer K.A.D. Camera insists it's "far from over" and there's "at least one more round, perhaps two." Psystar could file a petition for rehearing en banc, asking the Ninth Circuit to consider a rehearing of the appeal by all the judges on the bench. As per the Ninth Circuit's rules, an en banc court does not comprise all of its judge's but an 11 judge panel. Another alternative for Psystar is to appeal the decision to the U.S. Supreme Court. According to Camera, Psystar is seriously considering this option as "the Ninth Circuit is now squarely in conflict with the Fifth Circuit on copyright misuse." "The Fifth Circuit held that it is copyright misuse to use copyright to limit your software to your hardware, while the Ninth Circuit held that Apple can do just that," Camera told IDG in an interview. "The principal issue in the case is Apple's limiting Mac OS X to its own hardware. But this is more than only Psystar. It could determine whether the likes of Dell can sell machines that run OS X." Image: Psystar |
| Microsoft Responds to Chrome Malware Confusion, Apologizes Posted: 30 Sep 2011 02:54 PM PDT
Users of Security Essentials should manually update the software, which will change the signatures that were identifying Chrome as the ZeuS trojan. After that is done, everything should reinstall fine. Microsoft says that about 3000 users were affected to their knowledge, but many users likely didn't kick up a fuss. We certainly understand that the damage was minimal, but there are a lot of unhappy Chrome users out there today. It's inevitable that some people will half-jokingly claim that Redmond did it on purpose, but we're betting it was incompetence plain and simple. |
| Google Goes Retail in London Town Posted: 30 Sep 2011 02:35 PM PDT
It isn't being given the same attention as the first Apple Store, but Google's UK branch is at least willing to acknowledge its existence. "It's something Google is going to play with and see where it leads," said Google's head of UK consumer marketing. most consumers are not comfortable buying laptops online, so having an in-store presence is important when selling people on a cloud-based device like a ChromeBook. It would be interesting to see Google continue with this in other regions. It's hard to do retail well, but a successful experience can be a boon to consumer sentiment. Do you think Google will open more retail locations, or is this it? |
| Major Security Hole Uncovered in Samsung Galaxy S II for AT&T Posted: 30 Sep 2011 02:20 PM PDT
To bust into the new AT&T device all you have to do is wake it up, then wait for the lock screen to time out and go back to sleep. Then wake it up again, and the lock screen doesn't even come up; you go right to the home screen. The flaw works on both pattern and PINs, and can only be exploited if the device has been unlock at least once since the last power on, but that's a virtual certainty. AT&T and Samsung are both looking into the issues, but have not released any official statements on the matter. We would imagine that a quick OTA update when the device is released will fix everything, but it's still concerning. Do you think AT&T will tell buyers about the bug if it isn't fixed in time? |
| Cool Site of the Week: QuestionsProtect.org Posted: 30 Sep 2011 11:56 AM PDT
QuestionsProtect.org provides consumers with the knowledge and understanding required to avoid the financial pitfalls that could deprive them of one of their most valuable assets: Their homes.
In an effort to educate the site's visitors on important topics like predatory lending, mortgage fraud and foreclosure scams, the National Fair Housing Alliance provides a wide range of resources in both in English and Spanish to aid consumers looking to purchase their first home, as well as those looking to keep the one they've lived in for years. If that's not cool, we don't know what is. Be sure to check in every Friday for another edition of Maximum PC's Cool Site of the Week.
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| DRAM Market Debacle Takes Toll on Micron Posted: 30 Sep 2011 11:48 AM PDT
There are a number of reasons why Micron's DRAM business is struggling. The biggest one is a continued oversupply of DRAM chips, a situation Micron warned will negatively affect its margins going forward, Reuters reports. Lower than expected PC sales growth is also playing a role. Rising NAND flash sales only provide a modicum of relief. According to Reuters, NAND accounts for only about 25 percent of Micron's sales, whereas DRAM makes up more than half. "DRAM is going to be problematic for them for the next several quarters," Avian Securities analyst Win Cramer told Reuters. "I don't think anytime in the near term NAND would be completely able to offset DRAM problems." Image Credit: Micron |
| IBM Leapfrogs Microsoft in Market Value for First Time in 15 Years Posted: 30 Sep 2011 11:20 AM PDT
According to Bloomberg's figures, IBM's market value jumped to $214 billion yesterday. Microsoft moved in the opposite direction and was worth $213.2 billion at the closing bell. Based on those figures, IBM is the fourth biggest company in the world, as it pertains to market value, and sits behind only Apple in the technology sector. Apple's lead isn't in danger. The Cupertino outfit surpassed Microsoft last year in market value and boasted a $362.1 billion market cap at yesterday's close. With iEverything devices selling like gangbusters, Apple will likely lead the technology pack for a long while. Image Credit: MammothIce.com.au |
| Reports: Microsoft AV Erasing Google Chrome Posted: 30 Sep 2011 10:55 AM PDT
Both ZDNet and The Register are reporting that they've received numerous complaints about the critical false positive. The AV programs are identifying Chrome as part of the ZeuS Trojan, and users who try to reinstall the browser are finding that the antivirus program won't let them, citing "PWS:Win32/Zbot" as a severe threat. Register readers are reporting that the beta version of Chrome isn't affected, nor are browsers that are configured to not send Google any information. Nobody's saying anything official at the moment – both Google and Microsoft have been mum on the matter. So, has any of you been affected by the bug? Chime in with your experiences in the comments! I've got Chrome and MSE installed on my laptop, and nothing fishy has gone on yet. |
Intel introduced the world to the next generation of Thunderbolt controllers at IDF 2011 recently. We were told that the next-generation controllers, codenamed "Cactus Ridge," will be available next year when chips based on the Ivy Bridge architecture begin shipping. But a fresh rumor suggests that the 
Time and browser updates wait for no one. Even though Firefox 7's reign as the latest stable release of the browser is just two days old, the countdown to version 8 has already begun. 
A U.S. appeals court on Wednesday dealt an almost mortal blow (more on the "almost" after the jump) to former hackintosh vendor Psystar's remaining chances of a comeback in its legal battle against Apple. Dismissing Psystar's appeal, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit upheld a 2009 district court decision to award Apple a permanent injunction against Psystar's infringement of Mac OS X.
Google has spent most if its existence being an innovative web company, but the search giant has just jumped into a decidedly old-business environment: retail stores. Yes, the first ever Google store 
While reviewing the new Samsung Galaxy S II for AT&T, the folks at BGR noted something unusual. With the right combination of button presses, the device's pattern and PIN lock screens 
Ask an economist what a recession is, and you'll be told that it's a period of contraction during a given business cycle, often signaled by a slow down in economic activity. Now, ask the same question of members of your family, your neighbors or friends. Chances are, you'll find there's at least someone you know who'll say a recession was responsible for their being laid off, the loss of their retirement funds or even their homes. As if the these fiscal hard times the world is going through weren't already rough enough, unscrupulous bankers, mortgage brokers and other financial vultures have been licking their chops in anticipation over the possibility of getting their rat claws on our hard-earned assets at the first sign of our weakness or despair. While it's not capable of outright saving your home, the National Fair Housing Alliance's 
Micron this week announced financial results for its fourth fiscal quarter and 2011 fiscal year ended September 1, 2011, and the numbers aren't pretty. The company's revenue from DRAM in the third quarter dropped 12 percent compared to Q3, a slump Micron said was the result of declines in the average selling prices. Revenue from sales of NAND flash products picked up some of the slack and grew 11 percent, but doesn't have enough volume to make up for the downturn in DRAM.
Walk past an IBM board room and you might hear cries of "Huzzah!" Big Blue has reason to celebrate as it just became the second highest valued technology company in the world. IBM had to step over Microsoft to claim the No. 2 spot, something it hasn't been able to do for the past 15 years.
Mighty funny timing, Microsoft. Just yesterday, we reported that Google's Chrome browser was threatening to overtake Firefox in the coming months thanks to soaring usage rates caused, in large part, by FF and IE defectors. Then, this morning, Internet forums are awash with rage because a new update to Microsoft's Security Essentials and ForeFront AV software began calling Chrome a Trojan and erasing it from users machines. Coincidence? Yeah, it probably is. But that still doesn't change the fact that users are pissed.| You are subscribed to email updates from To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now. | Email delivery powered by Google |
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