memory
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Kingston unveils blazing fast HyperX DDR2 RAM modules
While Kingston's no stranger to the memory world, the firm is easing off its portable solutions to focus on the release of two new DDR2 modules, presumably in conjunction with AMD's most recent processor announcements. The RAM giant has announced mass availability of the speediest modules around with its new PC9200 (1.15GHz) and PC9600 (1.2GHz) HyperX offerings. Part of the gaming-ready KHX series, these speedsters both sport CAS latencies of five and are available in 512MB / 1GB sizes. Although Kingston recommends an AMD CPU "for optimal results," we're sure Intel chips will find a way to get along as well, and the firm even burns them in for 24 hours to prevent any DOAs. The KHX9200D2 modules can be had individually for $137 (512MB) or $259 (1GB), or in kits of 1GB ($273) or 2GB ($518); the flagship unit will run you $139 for 512MB, $263 for 1GB, and kits are available in sizes of 1GB for $278, or 2GB for $525.
OCZ kicks out liquid-cooled PC2-9200 FlexXLC Edition memory
Sure, liquid-cooling your gadgetry is oftentimes done to prove your 1337-ness, but in cases like Apple's oh-so-toasty Dual G5 PowerMac and Microsoft's notoriously warm Xbox 360, we consider the task quite appropriate. In OCZ's case, however, we're leaning towards the unnecessarily flashy side, as the company's PC2-9200 FlexXLC (Xtreme Liquid Convention) Edition memory touts both air and water cooling possibilities. Dubbed the "world's fastest DDR2 RAM" at 1,150MHz, the modules feature an eight-layer PCB which hinders crosstalk and improves signal integrity, and sports a "fin-like heatsink" to waft warmth away from the components. Moreover, it also boasts liquid-dispersing units that pass water across copper lines to cool things off when taxing your system. While we're not sure how much this showstopping memory will run you, it does feature a lifetime warranty in case the liquid decides to boil over and create a bonafide disaster.[Via Electronista]
PNY and Olympus team up to release 2GB xD-Picture Card
If you've been holding off on picking up Fujifilm's 2GB xD card in hopes of future competition driving prices down, you're in luck. PNY is teaming up with Olympus to release a 2GB xD-picture card which can house "one thousand digital shots with a camera resolution of eight megapixels." It also touts compatibility with the "exclusive Olympus panorama option," but we're sure they're just stretching for reasons to pick this up over the much more abundant SD and CF alternatives. Regardless, if you're still in need of high-capacity xD storage, you can pick up the PNY xD-Picture Card Type M now for £61.00 ($117).[Via Camborg]
Artificial aid annoys user to counteract short-term memory loss
It's oftentimes tough to recall recent events, names, or gamertags while having a perfectly "normal" state of mind, but folks with brain damage, Alzheimer's disease, or ADHD are commonly plagued with the inability to bring back memories from just moments earlier. The function of the brain known as the "phonological loop" acts as a type of echo to hold snippets of pertinent information (such as phone numbers, directions, etc.) momentarily in your brain until you can get it written down; individuals suffering from short-term memory loss often lack this overlooked, but obviously critical, functionality. Daniel Bogen, a researcher at the University of Pennsylvania, has crafted a handheld device which acts as an aural stopgap to help people remember important information. The device boasts a speaker, microphone, and controls for recording / playback, and will automatically play reminders of the user's latest sound byte every two minutes, or if chosen, will nag its carrier to vocally repeat the message into the machine until he / she does so. To presumably prevent those amnesiac customers from perpetually misplacing their device, Bogen is considering integrating the hardware into "cellphones or wristwatches," but apparently forgot to mention when he hopes to see these in consumers' hands.
Miis on the go
From some leaked developer documents some time ago, it was revealed that each Wiimote would have around 6 kb of memory built right in. Some believed it to be purely for the internal speaker, while others had crazier ideas: personalized settings, content, and once the Mii system was unveiled, perhaps even the storing of one's own digital avatar. Is it true? You bet your gold coins it is. Straight from the mouth of George Harrison, each Wiimote will be able to store up to 10 Mii creations for those on-the-go fixes of Wii Tennis.Nintendo seems to be fostering the concept of a personalized Wiimote for each player, something never before attempted. If one can indeed store some settings (and a saved game or two? Maybe the internal memory was increased since then), the feeling would only increase. Get ready to show off your creations![Thanks, Jrathert!]
Platinum-coated virus to be used for speedy memory
All the hip-cool scientists these days are enslaving living organisms to do their bidding. Luckily, they're sticking with the micro end of the size spectrum, or "nano" end in this case. Apparently they've managed to create some supa' fast memory chips by coating 30-nanometer-long bits of tobacco mosaic virus (pictured above in its natural habitat) with itsy-bitsy platinum nanoparticles. Millions of these virus transistors could eventually end up in MP3 players or digital cameras, speeding up image capture or file transfer. We're not exactly sure what makes these virus transistors so special, but apparently the transistors they've built out of the nano-coated strands, and sandwiched between two electrodes, are easy to switch between ON and OFF states, since they don't need to build up a charge at a lame-o capacitor before they can be switched. We suppose we'll just have to trust the methods of these "well meaning scientists who might just instigate the end of civilization through their attempts to advance humanity through science." If it means faster memory chips, that's a risk we're willing to take.
Flash-based MacBooks next year?
Buzz has been flying for a while now around the hard drive's belated evolution into flash-based drives, much like the solid-state memory found in the iPod nano. Engadget has of course been covering this NAND flash memory for some time, while manufacturers have been demoing real-world notebooks that use them as early as March 2006. The advantages of these drives are far better power usage (meaning: much longer battery lives), faster seek times (meaning: stuff works faster), vastly improved durability (no moving parts) and even some claim "instantaneous" OS booting.This all gets interesting when considering Apple's position, as they have one of the largest reputations with NAND flash memory manufacturers among PC makers, due to the success of the iPod. Sure, Samsung has been showing off their own flash-based notebook prototypes, but that's because they're cheating - they're one of the largest manufacturers of NAND memory. Apple's close relationship with these manufacturers is leading many to speculate that they could be one of the first manufacturers with a flash-based notebook, even as early as 2007, especially since Samsung is already selling commercial models with at least 32GB NAND drives baked in.This is, of course, speculation, and when speculation comes from the rumor gurus, you'd darn well better take it with at least one, if not two, grains of salt. Besides, back in March, a 32GB NAND flash drive cost $900 alone at $30/GB. With the way things move in this industry, prices should undoubtedly be at least a little better by now, but the question of when they become appealing enough for manufacturers like Apple to start including them as standard parts is anyone's guess. If anything, I'll bet that we'll start seeing rumors of NAND-based MacBooks at Macworld San Francisco 07 once the season kicks in. Stay tuned.
Philips self-destructing MRAM on the way
Joining the ranks of quintessential kit that any spy (or CuteCircuit-equipped individual) should have on hand is Philips' self-destructing MRAM (magnetoresistive RAM). While securing data typically deals with some sort of password protection or biometrics, Philips' creation takes a page from the Mission: Impossible book by relying on magnetic loops remaining in flux to keep data accessible. Its MRAM chips are wrapped in two layers of soft, metallic foil -- one which is magnetized, and one that acts as a "keeper" by gathering flux from a permanent magnet and maintaining a closed loop surrounding the precious bytes. If a crazed data thief manages to crack open the enclosure and rip into the first layer of foil, all flux breaks loose and magnetic forces immediately raze any top secret files you may have been toting. If you just can't afford to spill those oh-so-privatized digital beans (or you simply enjoy that double agent lifestyle), keep an eye out for the presumably hush-hush release -- assuming, that is, this invention makes it from the patent stage into actual hardware.[Via New Scientist Tech]
Wii accessories list, courtesy of Gamestop [Update 1]
EB Games/Gamestop/EB Gamestop or whatever they're called these days occasionally gets some inside information before the press. (I say occasionally; please hold off on the "my local EB Games employee told you the Wii was coming out December 17th" tips.) A quick search of Gamestop's online store in the accessories section yields some interesting results, shows as follows:Wii Controller Glove 9.99 Wii G-Pak Travel Case 29.99 Wii Game Wallet 9.99 Wii HD Premium Component Cable 59.99 Wii Memory SD 1.0GB 59.99 Wii Memory SD 512MB 39.99 Wii S-Video Premium AV Cable 39.99 Wii Sling Bag 29.99 Wii Storage & Protection 1.0GB Kit 69.99We knew about the Power Glove, but the SD cards just seem like a convenient excuse for Gamestop to take people's money; the prices are quite high. The premium component cable is insanely expensive, but hey, it's premium. Other than that, your classic game-toting sling-bag take-it-anywhere-but-not-really-because-no-one-ever-does-that accessories are on the list. With the immediate need for extra controllers, memory, and games at launch, is anyone going to pick up any of these other things?[Thanks, Randy!][Update 1: Clarified that the SD cards are not officially from Nintendo, and realized that you can in fact get SD cards for far cheaper.]
Corsair's Flash Readout USB 2.0 drive
Wouldn't it be nice to see how much space was left on your flash drive without having to find a computer to jam it into? Although the problem already has a few solutions, Corsair has released the CMFUSBREADOUT-1GB and CMFUSBREADOUT-2GB USB 2.0 drives rocking a not-so-typical Bi-stable Cholesteric Display (BCD). While internal functionality is nothing out of the ordinary, the snazzy external display features a 4 digit readout showing the capacity remaining (in MB), a pie chart showing the space used, and just for those who just love to customize, an 11 character programmable display to enter the drive's content. If you're concerned about the longevity of the display, it's presumably charged while in use, and can function "without a battery" for a year (saywha?). These data-driven drives will run you $39.99 (1GB) and $59.99 (2GB) and should go perfectly with your collection of devices that sport unnecessary, yet beneficial, displays. [Via The Gadgets Weblog]
Another Wii mystery port spotted
A member of the Spanish gaming forum Canal Nintendo has posted an image that appears to feature another mystery port located near the bottom of the left side of Wii.Last month, Nintendo's Reggie Fils-Aime debunked rumors that the front flap concealed anything more than a SD card port, adding that Wii will be compatible with several memory options. If this newly discovered detail is indeed another port, could it just be another expansion slot? ... Probably.
Freescale first to market with MRAM chips
Remember those new MRAM (magnetoresistive RAM) chips the industry's been working on for the last decade or so? Well Freescale stepped away from all that UWB bidness long enough to develop what they're calling the world's first commercially available MRAM chips to combine RAM's endurance with the hard disk's ability to keep data while powered down. What about Flash memory you ask? Kicked to the curb son, since MRAM (or universal memory) is faster than flash and doesn't degrade over time. Only don't expect these new chips to hit your price sensitive consumer electonics just yet. The first markets for MRAM will most likely be automotive or industrial settings where durability is critical. So hold tight and let the invisible hand work some magic, mkay?
iStat nano updated with support for Intel Mac CPU temp
iStat nano, a handy system monitoring Dashboard widget, has been updated to version 1.51b with support for CPU temps on Intel Macs. The one catch is that you'll have to install SpeedIt, a System Preference pane and kernel extension that allows this kind of functionality (and much more). We've heard nothing but good things about SpeedIt and the features it provides (such as controlling CPU whine by regulating voltage), but we'd understand if the thought of installing kernel extensions has already made you skip this post in your newsreader.If you're still reading this, however, it seems both iStat nano and the SpeedIt kernel extension are provided free, so have at it.[thanks Aaron]
1GB Pro Duo on the cheap
If you swing on over to online retailer Buy.com, you can acquire a 1GB Pro Duo for your PSP for the very reasonable sum of $24.95 U.S. after a mail-in rebate. Offer is only valid until the 4th of June, so if you've been holding off on shelling out some dough for a larger memory stick, now seems about as good a time as any to upgrade.
Widget Watch: iStat pro and nano updated
Two of my favorite system monitor widgets have been updated: iStat pro 2.3 and iStat nano 1.5. The main new additions are drive filtering, as in: CDs, DVDs and .DMGs will no longer appear in the drive list, and support has been included for MacBook Pro batteries. Unfortunately, it looks like the temp and fan monitors don't support the MacBook Pros just yet.Both of these widgets are available from iSlayer.net, apparently for free, as I can't even find a donation link. Also: their download links do point to these new versions, so don't pay any attention to the versions listed on their site, as it seems they haven't updated it to reflect these new additions just yet.
SanDisk RapidGX Memory Stick PRO Duo cards trump Sony
If you want something done right, you'd better do it yourself. That's SanDisk's thinking anyways, with their new RapidGX Memory Stick PRO Duo cards they're showing at E3. The cards do the usual Memory Stick PRO Duo thing, namely providing music, movies and other content for PSP owners, but they include a bit of SanDisk special sauce performance enhancements to speed file transfers up to 15MB per second, double the normal rates for PRO Duo cards. Seems like they just got tired of Sony's limitations in the Memory Stick tech, and figured a way to improve it themselves. The 1GB card is all that's available right now, and it retails for $85. The price -- for a limited time only -- includes for free SanDisk's new MicroMate high-speed card reader to help the RapidGX hit its maximum speeds, and also includes PSP loader software to maximize space and convert files.
Cellphones do/don't make you indecisive?
With most people unconvinced or just plain agnostic about conflicting reports regarding cellphone radiation leading to cancer, researchers have decided to turn their gaze to the important topic of... indecisiveness? Turns out an Australian study points to electromagnetic radiation from your mobile phone as an impairment to your ability to make snap decision, such as when driving a car. It seems quite obvious that talking on a phone can and does make people worse drivers, but these findings seem to come from study participants who were given straight up radiation, so they shouldn't have been distracted by a conversation during tests. Another interesting finding of the study was that the participants showed a slight improvement in working memory, such as remembering a phone number long enough to dial it. Other than a few scientific high fives, we can't imagine these findings making much of a societal impact, but it's always good to know.
Samsung's 2GB MMCmicro cards announced, industry yawns
Samsung just laid their 2GB MMCmicro cards on the table. These little slivers of NAND-based flash memory are said to be the "fastest and highest capacity mobile phone" memory cards available... once they uh, actually ship. Come on Sammy, we're still waiting on your 1GB cards to hit the market, not to mention devices which use them before getting too worked up over this, mkay?
Samsung debuts new 32GB Flash drive
Back in September, Samsung Electronics introduced the first 16GB NAND Flash-based memory device. Today, at the Samsung Mobile Solution Forum in Taipei, the South Korean-based manufacturer demonstrated a 32GB notebook version of the solid state disk.These mini marvels require only 5% of the power needed for today's hard disk drives, and are projected to hit storage capacities of 100GB by next year. They also read data three times faster than hard disks, which will make them appealing to desktop and console gamers, as well as road warriors.
Widget Watch: SysStat nano
SysStat Nano is a great little system monitoring widget (similar to MiniStat 2) that gives you a quick, birds-eye view of various system statistics. Your processor, used memory, hard drive usage, IP and (very handy) external IP, amongst other things, are all at the press of a key.While SysStat Nano offers an overview of various stats (pictured), it doesn't offer quite as much information as the aforementioned MiniStat 2. Either way, it's a darn handy widget, doesn't seem to hog too many cycles and, best of all, it's free.
