| Samsung Announces 850 Pro Solid State Drives with 3D Vertical NAND Flash Memory Posted: 01 Jul 2014 12:06 PM PDT  A new breed of SSDs is born
Solid state drives are starting to feel like a dime a dozen, but don't mistake Samsung's newest line for just another ordinary SSD. Samsung's 850 Pro is the first SSD to sport the company's cutting-edge 3D vertical NAND (V-NAND) flash memory technology. In case you've never heard of V-NAND, it features a proprietary vertical cell structure that overcomes the density limit currently facing planar NAND architecture. "With the new 850 Pro V-NAND SSD, Samsung is introducing the next major evolution of SSD technology, taking the lead in delivering high-density SSDs with outstanding endurance, performance and energy efficiency," said Unsoo Kim, senior vice president of branded product marketing team at Samsung Electronics. "We are fully committed to establishing an innovative computing environment by providing customers with leading-edge V-NAND SSDs with unrivaled performance." Samsung also baked in a technology called Dynamic Thermal Guard. This makes the drive maintain ambient temperature while operating to guard against the possibility of data loss due to overheating. In terms of performance, the 850 Pro offers sequential read transfers of up to 550MB/s, sequential write transfers of up to 520MB/s, random read performance of up to 100,000 IOPS, and random write speeds of up to 90,000 IOPS. Samsung's 850 Pro SSDs will come in 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB capacities. No word yet on price or availability. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook |
| Microsoft Hopes Windows 9 Will Win Over Desktop Users Posted: 01 Jul 2014 11:16 AM PDT  Are you ready for a new OS?
Microsoft is reportedly aiming to win back its core desktop audience with the release of Windows Threshold next year. These are the same users clinging to Windows XP and Windows 7, or perhaps even made the jump to Linux in order to avoid Windows 8/8.1. Microsoft has a chance to atone for the usability mistakes it made in Windows 8/8.1 with Windows 9, and you can expect a whole bunch of new features aimed at desktop users. So says Mary Jo Foley over at ZDNet. Based on the sources Foley has been speaking with, Windows 9 will look and work different based on the hardware it's installed on. If you install the OS on a desktop or laptop machine, it will focus on the Windows Desktop experience. And if you run a two-in-one hybrid device, Windows 9 will support switching between the Start screen and Windows mode. The desktop SKU of Windows 9 will reportedly include a customizable mini Start menu. You'll also have the ability to run Windows Store apps in windows on the desktop, and you may even be able to turn off the Metro-esque Start screen completely. Windows 9 is still months down the road -- think spring of 2015. In the meantime, Microsoft will reportedly deliver a second and final update for Windows 8.1. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook |
| Leaked Roadmap Reveals Intel's Desktop Processor Plans Through 2015 Posted: 01 Jul 2014 10:44 AM PDT  Broadwell and Skylake headed for a Q2 2015 release
A Chinese-language website posted what it claims is an official roadmap for Intel's consumer-based desktop platforms from now through the second quarter of 2015. The roadmap covers several processors broken up into Mainstream, Premium, and Extreme categories. It also includes a time frame for Intel's upcoming Broadwell and Skylake-S architectures, both of which are scheduled for the Q2 2015, according the roadmap. For those of you waiting on Haswell-E parts, there are three such chips coming out in Q3 2014, according to the roadmap posted by VR-Zone's Chinese channel. Two of them fall into the Premium category, Core i7 5930K and 5820K, while the Core i7 5960K is listed in the Extreme category. It's the Broadwell and Skylake-S parts that's perhaps most interesting. Broadwell was originally supposed to have launched by now, but getting down to 14nm has been more challenging than anticipated. Now it's expected to release in the Q2 2015. When it does, it will slip into socket 1150 motherboards built around Intel's 9-Series chipset. These parts are also said to feature unlocked multipliers. Skylake-S will sport a 14nm manufacturing process, but with a locked multiplier. They'll likely run on socket 1151 motherboards based on Intel's upcoming 100-Series chipset. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook |
| Samsung Shrinks Its Flagship Phone, Announces Galaxy S5 Mini Posted: 01 Jul 2014 09:14 AM PDT  A small and somewhat spunky version of its bigger brother
Samsung today unveiled the Galaxy S5 mini, a downsized version of the Galaxy S5 with comparatively subdued specs. That said, it's not as much of a downgrade over the Galaxy S5 as the Galaxy S4 mini was from the Galaxy S4. Its core foundation consists of a 4.5-inch HD (1280x720) Super AMOLED display powered by a 1.4GHz quad-core processor, 1.5GB of RAM, and 16GB of internal storage (expandable via microSD card slot). Though there's a large audience for big-screen smartphones, there's also a significant consumer base that's interested in smaller sized handsets that fit comfortably into pockets and other tight areas. "We always strive to develop devices that appeal to a range of consumer tastes and styles," said JK Shin, CEO and Head of IT & Mobile Communication at Samsung Electronics. "The Galaxy S5 mini allows consumers to enjoy the iconic design and essential and useful features of the Galaxy S5 through a maximized minimalism approach." The Galaxy S5 mini shares the same perforated pattern on the back cover as the Galaxy S5. It also features a 2.1MP front-facing camera, 8MP rear-facing camera with auto-focus and LED flash, 802.11n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0 LE, USB 2.0, GPS, LTE radio, and Android 4.4 KitKat. While we wouldn't recommend taking the Galaxy S5 mini for a swim, it is IP67 dust and water resistant, which means a splash of wetness shouldn't ruin the handset. Samsung will launch the Galaxy S5 mini in Russia early this month, followed by a global launch sometime after. No word yet on price. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook |
| Newegg Daily Deals: Western Digital VelociRaptor 1TB HDD, Intel Core i7 4770, and More! Posted: 01 Jul 2014 08:29 AM PDT |
