Thermalright has started selling the new True Spirit 120 Rev. A (BW) CPU cooler. The CPU fan features 48 aluminum fins, four 6 mm copper heatpipes and one 120 mm black/white fan operating at 600 to 1500 RPM (up to 28 dBA sound output). Additionally, it is equipped with a mounting kit for Intel LGA 775/1366/1156/1155/2011 and AMD AM2(+)/AM3( +)/FM1/FM2 processors. The Thermalright True Spirit 120 Rev. A (BW) CPU cooler retails for €25.99 ($33). [Product Page]
Yamaha has recently introduced two new high-performance headphones models in the HPH-PRO series. Known as the PRO500 and PRO300, both headphones feature a dedicated iPhone/iPod remote and a microphone. The Yamaha PRO500 headphones come equipped with a pair of 50mm drivers, offering a 22-22,000 Hz frequency response with a 22-Ohm impedance and a 105 dB sensitivity. The Yamaha PRO300 headphones feature a pair of 40mm drivers that produce a 20-20,000 Hz frequency response with a 53-Ohm impedance and a 107 dB sensitivity. The Yamaha PRO500 and PRO300 will be released in December 2012 for 50,000 Yen ($620) and 30,000 Yen ($375), respectively. [Akihabara]
In the U.S., games are rated using ESRB; in Europe, they’re rated using PEGI. This difference resulted in Microsoft inadvertently banning the likes of Skyrim, Call of Duty: MW3, and other Rated-M games from its Windows Store due to its policy prohibiting PEGI 18 games. Microsoft has clarified its position on the issue, and it turns out that it will sell “Mature” games after all.
We reported on October 11 about Microsoft’s apparent ban on ESRB “Mature” games in the Windows 8 App Store, which has been a recent source of controversy among gamers. Microsoft’s stated goal was a ban on Adult-Only games, something that is common amongst many services. The policy, however, prohibited PEGI 18 games.
PEGI 18 encompasses all of the ESRB Adult games, so on the surface, banning the rating seemed logical. The rating’s inclusion of many ESRB “Mature” games, however, caused a bit of a cohesion issue, and gamers were left wondering what games would end up falling through the cracks where these two rating systems intersect. Said Antoine Leblond, Windows Corporate Vice President of Web Services, “It basically ends up disqualifying games that would be ESRB Mature.”
Microsoft has clarified that it will sell ESRB Mature games in the Windows Store, and that it will be updating its policy relatively soon to reflect this. The reworked policy will allow Rated-M games to be sold in the Windows Store even if it falls under the PEGI 18 rating in Europe. The change will not go into effect until sometime in December.
[via Gizmodo]
Windows Store will sell ESRB “Mature” games is written by Brittany Hillen & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.
With all these Snapdragon S4 Pro phones popping up here and there, Xiaomi’s finally announcing its launch plan for the retail version of its very own Xiaomi Phone 2 aka MI-Two, which is also powered by Qualcomm’s APQ8064 SoC. Here’s what’s going to happen: on October 30th, the company’s online store will release the first 50,000 units, followed by another 250,000 units (approximately) in mid-November. Additionally, the device will be offered in both 16GB and 32GB flavors, which are priced at ¥1,999 (about $320) and ¥2,299 (about $370), respectively. Folks who reside in China can now register online for a quota, but it’ll probably be just a matter of time before we see these on eBay in the US, anyway.
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile
Xiaomi Phone 2 officially launching in China on October 30th, 16GB and 32GB flavors offered originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 26 Oct 2012 01:06:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Cheetahs are super fast and to capture them running at full speed is damn near impossible. Well, almost impossible. National Geographic shows how they captured a running cheetah and it’s pretty impressive: over 400 foot of perfectly level dolly track, a bevy of cameras, an able and willing cheetah and really fast instincts. [YouTube via PetaPixel] More »
Today was the official worldwide launch of Windows 8 and Steve Balmer, CEO, Microsoft, took the stage this morning at a press event in NYC to celebrate the “best release of Windows ever”. Nothing really new was unveiled, in fact, everything regarding Windows 8, the new PCs, the new tablets and Surface has been announced during the past few months. We were eager to get our hands on the Microsoft Surface tablet since we only saw a prototype at the Surface announcement event in L.A, back in August. We have purchased a unit for internal software development that we will use for the upcoming complete Surface review, we know that our readers are impatient hear about our “unbiased” opinion (thanks for the comment Jimmy!).
During the Windows 8 event, several devices including Ultrabooks and tablets were briefly showcased and Steve Balmer closed the show by reminding the audience that there are 670 million Windows 7 installs out there, 16 Millions Windows 8 pre-release installs and that a total of 1.24 billion hours of public testing went into achieving the final version of Windows 8. Additionally, there are 420 million of compatible devices supported (including mice, keyboards and other accessories).
By Ubergizmo. Related articles: Microsoft Surface tablet having production problems?, Microsoft Surface Tablet First Impressions: Awesome,
When we originally reviewed the TiVo Premiere DVR back in 2010, one of our laments was that its revamped HD guide style didn’t cover all of the screens in its menu system, and the issue still existed when we reviewed the XL4 earlier this year. Finally, that’s being addressed, as TiVo VP Margret Schmidt has confirmed the upcoming fall update will bring reworked screens for the To Do List, Season Pass Manager and My Shows (for networked DVRs), and tweeted screenshots. Also of note are a number of Comcast areas recently added to the list of places that support Xfinity VOD via TiVo, so check your zip code to be sure. As far as the update goes, as usual, if you’d like to be first on the list to try it out, go ahead and sign up on the Priority list right away.
Continue reading TiVo teases long-awaited HD guide upgrades for fall DVR update
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TiVo teases long-awaited HD guide upgrades for fall DVR update originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 26 Oct 2012 00:06:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Earlier this month, Samsung stated that it expected profits of $7.28 billion for its third-quarter. The Korean company has surpassed that number, however, with its Q3 earnings press release boasting $7.4 billion in operating profits and a net income of $5.97 billion. The company’s Q3 profit in 2011 was $3.8 billion.
According to the press release, Samsung’s revenue is due primarily to smartphones and a “stronger demand for display panels.” The company’s Mobile Communications Business accounted for over half of the company’s revenue, while a higher demand for LCD and OLED panels contributed significantly to the Korean giant’s overall profits. Samsung’s Digital Media and Communications experienced a 41-percent year-on-year increase.
Said Robert Yi, Senior Vice President and Head Investor of Relations at Samsung, “The business environment remained difficult with global economic uncertainties persisting amid the fiscal concerns in the US and Europe. However, we continued to break our quarterly profit records.” Yi went on to state that it is expected that market competition will grow, but that the company will attempt to sustain its earnings in Q4 by “implementing strategies we have developed for our businesses.”
According to the press release, demand for smartphones and tablets is expected to increase throughout the rest of the year. On the other hand, demand for PC DRAM is expected to drop due to excess supply, with Samsung’s Semiconductor segment reporting a year-on-year sales drop of 8-percent. Decreased digital appliance sales is also expected due to an “unfavorable market.”
Samsung exceeds expectations with $7.4 billion Q3 profits is written by Brittany Hillen & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.
Research by Strategy Analytics via its Tablet & Touchscreen Strategies service, more commonly known as TTS, shows that Android received a record 41-percent share of global tablet shipments in the third-quarter of 2012. Apple, while still boasting 57-percent of the global market share, experienced a statistically significant drop in sales. This shift was caused for multiple reasons, not the least of which is the recently-announced iPad mini.
Total global tablet shipments in Q3 hit 24.7 million, which is a 43-percent increase from 2011 Q3’s grand total of 17.2 million. Apple shipped a total of 14 million iPads, resulting in a drop to 57-percent from last year’s 64-percent. While overall tablet sales have decreased due to a poor economy, Apple experienced a double-whammy due to consumers holding off on buying iPads in anticipation of the recently-announced iPad mini.
Apple’s sales slump was the edge Android needed to gain a record footing in the market. Said Neil Mawston, Executive Director at Strategy Analytics, “Android captured a record 41-percent share of global tablet shipments in Q3 2012, jumping from 29-percent a year earlier. Global Android tablet shipments doubled annually to 10.2 million units. No single Android vendor comes close to Apple in volume terms at the moment, but the collective weight of dozens of hardware partners, such as Asus, Samsung and Nook, is helping Google’s Android platform to register a growing presence in tablets.”
The TTS research also revealed some other tablet-related data, the most relevant of which is perhaps the massive drop reported in global tablet shipments. While tablet sales grew 43-percent in Q3 of this year, it is a significant drop from the 289-percent annual growth in Q2 2011. For its part in the market, Microsoft snagged 2-percent of the global tablet shares this past quarter, which is expected to jump with the release of its Surface RT tablet.
[via Strategy Analytics]
Android boasts 41% share of Q3 global tablet shipments, sets record is written by Brittany Hillen & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.
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