DvdDrive
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Samsung SE-S084D claims to be world's thinnest external DVD drive, SH-B123 the fastest Blu-ray drive
Oh Samsung, always setting world records. At an intimate (though slightly awkward) press conference yesterday, Samsung pulled the wraps off its newest SE-S084 external DVD as well as its 12x SH-B123 Blu-ray drives. The former is pretty much your standard external 24x CD-ROM / 8x DVD-ROM peripheral, except it's only 17mm thick. Samsung is claiming it's the world's thinnest, but in all honesty, we weren't all that blown away by its slimness. We have an HP drive sitting right here that looks to have very comparable dimensions, but at .5 pounds it was incredibly light in hand -- we actually thought the model on display was a dummy at first. Available in seven colors that apparently match Samsung's netbook line up, the drive should be available just about now for $69.99. On the total opposite end is Sammy's new 12x SH-B123, which it's claiming to be the world's fastest BD-ROM/DVD writer. The player packs DVD up-scaling technology and uses an aerodynamic design for lowering acoustic spinning noise. There's no pricing details on the SH-B123 yet though it should hit stores in July. Until then, there's a bunch of shots of both the new drives below and full PR after the break. %Gallery-95168% %Gallery-95169%
Gateway pumps out EC Series ultraportables
Gateway might want us to refer to its new EC Series laptops as ultraportables, but we're calling this one like we see it... it's almost a netbook, but not quite. Regardless, the just announced EC14D boasts and 11.6-inch display and, oddly enough, an integrated DVD drive. Weighing in at just around 3 pounds, the EC14D is light and thin... just like a small laptop should be. Internally, it's got an Intel Ultra Low Voltage Pentium Core CPU, a 320GB hard drive, up to 8GB of memory (in two 4GB modules), a multicard reader, and Windows 7 Home Premium. If you're filled with anticipation at the thought of this one, well, you won't have to wait long. It'll be available by the end of January for a starting price of $629.99. Full press release is after the break.
Dash update to quiet loud 360 DVD drive?
German website Cynamite is reporting that Microsoft has released a dashboard update to developers that will quiet the loud Xbox 360 DVD drive. This update will supposedly prevent the DVD drive from spinning at full RPM unnecessarily and will manage the drive's spin speed much better. In general, the update would tell the DVD drive not to spin so fast when it isn't needed, which would in turn make it less noisy. Cynamite is also reporting that the dashboard update should be coming to Xbox Live soon for the rest of us to download. Even though we know your answer we have to ask, would you welcome an update that would ultimately quiet down your 360's DVD drive?[Via GamersReports]
New "super quiet" DVD drive for 360s
Our friends at Xbox-Scene have discovered that a new "super quiet" DVD drive is sneaking its way into Xbox 360 consoles. The BenQ drive (model VAD6038) is reportedly much quieter than previous drives and it even seems to load information faster. The drive was apparently incorporated into the Xbox 360 during the Christmas season last year, and 360 owners with a console manufactured in November 2006 or later may have the drive in their console. Of course, the drive wasn't incorporated across all manufacturing lines at the same time, so a November 2006 manufacturing date does not guarantee a new drive. Now if they could just cram those cheaper, cooler 65nm chips in there, we'd have us an icy cold, quiet 360.While the new drive is a blessing for 360 owners with sensitive ears (I swear mine is getting louder now), it presents a new hurdle for L337 H4XX0RZ, as there is currently no modified firmware for the new drive. Rest assured, someone will analyze the hardware and create a hack. See? Everybody wins.Would you be willing to buy a new 360 just for a quieter DVD drive?[Via Joystiq]
MS responds to DVD firmware hacks
Microsoft has responded to rampant (in certain circles) DVD firmware hacking with a new version of the Hitachi-LG GDR-3120L Xbox 360 DVD drive (0078FK), currently found in post-August '06 manufactured consoles bound for the UK and Australia, and probably everywhere else in the near future. Xbox-Scene has details on changes that seem designed to confound the best the hacking community has to offer. Ok, so how long before some 13-year-old in Norway cracks this thing?By the way, if you want to know what version you have, there's a helpful sticker on the drive.[Thanks AoE]
Poll results: Hitachi drives rule the roost, Samsung ain't so quiet
Well, it looks like most of us are proud owners of the (reportedly) louder Hitachi drive. While we won't disagree that the Hitachi drive is loud, many of our readers disagree that the Samsung drive is quiet. Simon writes, "Well I have the Samsung but it isn't anywhere near what I'd call quiet."; Todd agrees, "my Samsung [is] LOUD too, I have it sitting next to my G5 Mac and that thing definitely takes over in the sound department when on." The list goes on and on. So there's two different drives and both are apparently pretty loud. There have to be some trade offs for the increased 12x read speed; loud drive or fast load times?
MS responds to 360 firmware hack
Microsoft has issued an official response to that firmware hack saying pretty much exactly what you would expect them to say.I noticed one of the commenters at GamerScoreBlog complimenting MS on their security efforts (however compromised) and blasting Sony for not showing the same zeal in his opinion. We know that the PS3 has been delayed at due in part to security concerns about Blu-Ray. Which console do you think will ultimately prove the more "hackable" and will that affect your purchasing decision?
360 back-up hack in reach?
Legendary (at least in the XboxHacker.net forums) hacker TheSpecialist reports progress regarding the Xbox 360's DVD firmware:Word on the street is that some smart people of this board combined their forces, formed an underground team and are very, VERY close to getting the first 360 backup booting....MS did a very good job on the 360 itself this time. However, they made a big mistake by forgetting about the firmware They even didn't remove the debug routines from the FW, quite amazing ... The 360 has a little bit more advanced protection in its FW than the original xbox, but still, they did some stupid things (like forgetting about the debug routines, that were very helpful to us, hehe, and most importantly: not signing the firmware).Curry of Xboxic explains the implications:Not signing the firmware is indeed a major mistake, as it allows the hacker to gain full control of the drive. Microsoft can issue a forced update via Live to disable the modification, but a new firmware could be installed again which goes undetected. As such the hacker is in control of the cat/mouse game.It's important to note that there's still no way to run unsigned code. Flashing the firmware requires a hardware programmer, so it's doubtful this hack will see wide useage when it's finally released, if it's released at all. It also means the really cool homebrew like XBMC is still a hacker's dream. All of this stuff is either Intriguing or unsavory depending on your level of technical interest and adherance to the Boy Scout oath. See Xboxic's excellent analysis for more detail/background.
