memory
Latest
The Daily Grind: What's your favorite PvE memory?
Rare indeed is the game that allows players to avoid the PvE side of the game altogether. Of course, that's assuming you'd even want to. Fighting great beasts and horrid beastmen in Final Fantasy XI, hunting down villains and preventing dimensional incursions in City of Heroes, aiding the quest of the Ring-bearer in Lord of the Rings Online... there are great experiences to be had in the PvE of most any game you care to name. But it's not always the most epic events that stick in your memory after the game has faded. Today, we'd like to know what PvE moment in a game is your fondest memory. It could be from a game you no longer play or your current game of choice, but it should be the sort of experience that's stuck with you as a happy recollection. It could be defeating Kel'thuzad in his original form, or it could be facing off against the Borg in Star Trek Online. What's your favorite memory from the PvE game? Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!
SanDisk and Toshiba announce world's smallest NAND flash memory chips for tinier gadgets
20 nanometer manufacturing processes, you say? We say pshaw, be gone luddite. Sandisk and Toshiba just announced the latest product from their joint venture: a 19nm 64Gb (8GB) X2 memory chip; aka, the smallest NAND flash memory chip in the world. At least it will be when it hits production in the second half of the year. They are, however, sampling the monolithic chip this quarter in case you're interested in stacking a batch of 16 into an ultra-high density 128GB SSD. Anyone?
Addonics SATA adapter turns six CF / CFast cards into one SSD
This isn't the first time we've seen a CF-to-SATA hard drive adapter, but Addonics' CF / CFast Drive is definitely the biggest. The thing sports six separate slots, which means you can use it to turn your memory cards into six different drives, or combine them in a RAID configuration to form a high capacity SSD. What's more, the whole thing fits comfortably in a standard 5.25-inch drive bay. If you've got a stack of CF cards collecting dust somewhere, you can get your hands on one of these bad boys starting at $135 at the source link below. Full PR after the break.
Eye-Fi launching new 8GB wireless SD card today, kicking out Direct Mode for iOS and Android next week
Remember how Eye-Fi was cooking up some software to let their WiFi-enabled SD memory cards sling photos directly to your tablet or phone? Here's some sweet news -- starting next week, Direct Mode will be a free download for any Eye-Fi X2 card, and debut alongside companion apps in the Android Market and iTunes App Store. Moreover, the company's celebrating the launch of the new transfer protocol with a brand-new card, the $80 Eye-Fi Mobile X2, which should be available for purchase online momentarily and make its merry way to Best Buy and Apple stores by April 17th. Basically, the Mobile is a redux of the $50 Connect X2, but with double the storage capacity (8GB) and Direct Mode pre-installed -- though a price drop on the top-of-the-line Pro X2 (to $100) will add geotagging and RAW support for just one Jackson more. Need a refresher on how Direct Mode works? Peek our CES video demo (and a hefty press release) after the break.
iPad, iPad 2 get unofficial CF card compatibility (video)
Given the impressive knockoffs and official camera kits we've seen, we'd say the iPad's definitely got the stuff to help out most shutterbugs, but up until now, uploading content from a CF card wasn't exactly easy. Well, our friends over at MIC Gadget recently showed off an iPad / iPad 2-compatible card reader that fixes that on the cheap. Simply called the CF card reader for iPad and iPad 2, the thing slips right into the slate's dock connector port and, as you can see from the video below, it transfers HD video and high-res images in a snap -- it also sports USB connectivity. Like its predecessor, the reader's available from MIC for $29.90, but you'll have to wait at least a month to get your hands on one. Oh, and a word of warning, you might want to make sure the iPad supports your camera's video format before shelling out the dough, as MIC found the slab couldn't playback video from a Canon EOS 5D Mark II.
Samsung starts baking 30nm 4Gb LPDDR2 chips, packaging 2GB mobile RAM in April
When it comes to mobile RAM, capacity is often what pops to mind first while we overlook speed and power consumption, but Samsung's latest delivery is worth the extra attention. Earlier this month, said Korean giant started producing 30nm 4Gb 1066Mbps LPDDR2 (or simply Mobile DDR2) chips, in order to phase out its 40nm ones that topped 2Gb at a 800Mbps transmission rate. To put it in perspective, a 40nm 1GB package consists of four 2Gb chips, whereas the new 30nm one will only need two 4Gb chips, thus reducing the package thickness by 20 percent (down to 0.8mm) and power consumption by 25 percent. It's hard to tell when we'll start seeing these bits of silicon entering the consumer market, but Samsung's already stamping out 1GB modules this month, with a 2GB version to follow next month. Oh yes, we're definitely liking the sound of 2GB RAM for mobile phones.
Kingston's Class 10 microSD family gets bigger, stays tiny
Kingston is putting an extra boost the smallest of its tiny memory cards. The popular provider of flash storage is upping its 4GB and 8GB microSDHC cards from Class 4 specifications (up to a 4 MB/s transfer rate) to a whopping Class 10 spec and all of its 10 MB/s goodness. The newly announced models join a 16GB version that has been available for several months. By completing the family tree of Class 10 cards, Kingston is offering faster all-round performance for file transfers on smartphones, quicker write times for microSD-wielding cameras and basically a few seconds of your life back -- at lower prices than before, though you'll still be paying a premium compared to slower cards. Our microSDHC-accepting devices are itching to hop aboard this speedier train of data storage, and luckily we won't have to wait long. The two memory cards start shipping at the end of March and are being offered with an available Mobility Kit, which includes an SD adapter and a USB card reader. But, if you want a full-fat 32GB model, you'll have to wait for Q2 of 2011 like the rest of us. Pricing starts at $22 for a 4GB model up to $138 for the 16GB model -- check after the break for full breakdown of prices and more in the PR.
Lost Pages of Taborea: What just happened?
There are always plenty of memories to make and share with others, as MMOs tend to be never-ending playgrounds for us to romp around in. And after recalling major events for Runes of Magic's second birthday, I've been stuck in fond-memory mode. Two years of playing RoM is a lot of time to build up memories, too. I've gone through many a server, guild and character since I started, and I've both made memories with friends and remembered events the game itself created. Sometimes a developer forgets to turn off a light switch, a new bug appears, or a new patch brings unintended changes. I remember a handful of times some pretty interesting things have happened. Mysterious statues popping up, bosses appearing in houses, and other anomalies await after the break.
Steampunk USB cufflinks are as awesome as they are pricey
You wouldn't think something classifiable as "wearable storage" would look so darn dapper, but here we are, staring at just about the finest cufflinks we ever did see. Not only are these handmade shirt cuffs beautiful in the most steampunk of ways, they're also pretty useful as each features an 8GB flash storage chip with the utterly ubiquitous USB connector attached. Basically, they're what James Bond would wear if James Bond wore really awesome cufflinks. The general idea behind them might not exactly be original anymore, but we can't really fault the execution here. What we could probably find fault with is our lack of $225 of disposable coin, the price one will have to pay to sport this unique pair of hand-carved, walnut-enclosed memory sticks. [Thanks, Amelia]
Lexar now shipping 128GB and 64GB SDXC cards from the future straight to your door
One of the great many announcements of CES 2011 was Lexar's new pair of Class 10 SDXC memory cards, one sized at 64GB and the other touting a spectacular 128GB capacity. The two performance -- minimum transfer speeds of 20MBps -- and storage enhancers for DSLRs and camcorders have now started shipping, asking for a measly $200 and $330, respectively. Those are steep price hills to climb, to be sure, but they're peanuts compared to the initial $400 and $700 MSRPs that Lexar was touting back in January. And hey, that Professional label adorning the new cards isn't there accidentally either, Lexar's offering a limited lifetime warranty with each storage cell. Full press release and locations where you can buy the new SDXC lovelies await after the break.
New phase-change memory gets boost from carbon nanotubes, puts PRAM claims to shame
We've been hearing about the potential flash killer for years, and now a team of University of Illinois engineers is claiming that its new phase-change technology could make the PRAM of our dreams look quaint by comparison. Like so many groundbreaking discoveries of late, carbon nanotubes are at the heart of the this new mode of memory, which uses 100x less power than its phase-change predecessors. So, how does it work? Basically, the team replaced metal wires with carbon nanotubes to pump electricity through phase-change bits, reducing the size of the conductor and the amount of energy consumed. Still too much technobabble? How 'bout this -- they're using tiny tubes to give your cellphone juice for days. Get it? Good. [Thanks, Jeff]
OWC introduces 8 GB RAM modules for 2011 MacBooks
If, like many who've just purchased one of the brand new MacBook Pros released last week, you still have US$1,600 rattling around in your change purse, OWC have just the thing for you - a pair of 8 GB SODIMMs. A 16 GB memory upgrade is just what you need to give your shiny new MacBook the oomph it really needs. Even though Apple says the new machines have an 8 GB upper memory limit, OWC says its testing confirms the MacBooks can use 16 GB of RAM. Larry O'Connor, founder and CEO of Other World Computing said, "Our initial confirmed results, using the same 'diglloydMedium' CS5 testing parameters employed by macperformanceguide.com, reveals a nearly 50% performance improvement with 16 GB of RAM installed vs. the factory maximum of 8 GB. This upgrade truly lets owners of the latest MacBook Pro models unleash the power of their machine with performance approaching that only previously available in Apple desktop and tower models." Those with slightly shallower pockets can go for the 12 GB upgrade, a mere $879.99. [via MacStories]
Rumor: iPhone 5 to have 64 GB?
Recently-revealed engineering samples of iPhone 4s have been found to have 64 GB of memory -- see picture above from Unwire, and this M.I.C. Gadget story -- showing that there's no physical reason why the iPhone 5 couldn't have this much memory. The iPad 2 has already been criticised for sticking with the earlier version's 64 GB limit, and releasing an iPhone 5 with the earlier model's 32 GB limit would be bound to increase the complaints. Previous speculation about the 32 GB limitation on the iPhone's memory capacity centered on lack of physical space, production capacity and cost. With capacity due to almost double this year and prices falling, it looks like the third barrier may now have fallen if Apple can secure enough supplies. The 64 GB engineering samples are very similar to the (in)famous Gizmodo iPhone 4 from last year (with a similar serial number) and appear to date to early 2010, showing that it was indeed constraints other than physical ones which kept Apple from releasing an increased-capacity iPhone 4. It was apparently obtained from sources at Apple manufacturer Foxconn rather than on the Hong Kong grey markets - you can watch a video of it in action here. Update: Engadget spotted a 64 GB iPhone prototype in Hong Kong's Sin Tak shopping mall. Upon investigation it appears as though it was made in 2010 but the serial numbers were invalid. Perhaps if prices on memory drop the iPhone 5 could still sport a higher capacity. [via MacRumors]
Some 2008 MacBooks, MacBook Pros can accept 8 GB of RAM
Older Core 2 Duo MacBook and MacBook Pros from late 2008 may support 8 GB of RAM, according to hardware parts vendor Other World Computer. Other World Computer discovered that a newer version of the EFI, when combined with an updated Boot ROM, would let the computer use the full 8 GB of RAM without slowdowns or crashes. EFI is the Mac equivalent of the BIOS firmware on IBM PCs. Previous tests by Other World Computer revealed that these older Macs could accept 8 GB of RAM, but would come to screeching halt when an application tried to use the full 8 GB. The optimal RAM was assumed to be 6 GB according to tests by OWC. Despite this presumed limitation, reports circulating on the internet continued to suggest the older MacBook models could effectively use 8 GB of RAM with Snow Leopard. OWC discovered that Apple released a new version of the EFI for these older MacBooks in 2009. This update was designed to reduce the noise from optical drives. OWC noticed that Apple modified the memory addressing in the update and did not notify anyone of these changes. OWC claims the Mac OS X software update does not recognize this latest version as new and does not prompt people to upgrade. Unbeknownst to them, most MacBook users continue to have the old code, which supports 6 GB. After upgrading the EFI manually and installing the updated Boot ROM, OWC was able to efficiently access the full 8 GB of memory. This is good news for folks with an older MacBook as the 2 GB addition may give older models enough of a boost to stay in service for a little longer.
Enzyme found to make fading memories fresher, old wounds painful again
There's something of a saying that you can only remember the things you try to forget, but if you'd prefer to hang on to those photographic moments from Thunder Mountain back in 1991, a gaggle of gurus from the Weizmann Institute of Science just might have the magic elixir you've been yearning for. According to a newly published study on long-term memory revitalization, Reut Shema and colleagues found that boosting the amount of PKMzeta could potentially help one recall memories that were on the brink of being forgotten. In testing, lowering the levels of PKMzeta caused rats to lose track of memories more quickly, but the zany part is that boosting levels on a specific day helped animals recall memories from days prior -- days where they weren't having PKMzeta jacked into their system. Heaven help our legal system should this ever get FDA approval for use in humans.
Seagate ships 7,200RPM 3TB Barracuda XT internal hard drive, we wonder what took so long
We've been hearing about Seagate's plans to offer an unencumbered 3TB hard drive since May of last year, but despite promises of a 2010 launch and the release of similarly large HDDs from companies like Western Digital and Hitachi, we're only now seeing the 3TB Barracuda XT shipping all on its own. We won't claim to have an explanation for the delay, but it's possible that the company's proprietary software -- which breaks the 2.1TB legacy OS barrier and enables this guy to function within Windows XP -- could have something to do with it. It might be tardy to the party, but the new Barracuda can definitely hold its own when stacked against the competition -- it spins at 7,200RPM, touts a 64MB cache, and plays nice with the 6Gbps SATA interface. It ain't the only 3TB fish in the sea, but at $280, it's definitely not dead in the water.
Super Talent debuts CoreStore MV, super small, super fast mini PCIe SSD
Super Talent is living up to its name today with the release of the world's "smallest and fastest" mini PCIe SSD. When we last took a look at the company's mini PCIe offerings, they were rocking 40MBps reads and 15MBps writes, but with the release of the new CoreStore SSD line, these exceptional storage makers have destroyed those 2009 specs with speeds topping out at 350MBps and 80MBps. The speedy CoreStore MV measures a mere 30mm x 50.95mm, combines Marvell's latest controller with DDR ONFi 2 flash, and is compatible with netbooks, notebooks, and other devices sporting a second gen mini-PCIe slot. Those devices working a standard PCIe slot can expect 350MBps reads and 220MBps writes with MV's big brother, the CoreStore MP. Both drives come in 16GB, 32GB, or 64GB and should be available starting next month at an undisclosed price -- though we figure true speed freaks will pay just about anything to get their fix. Jonesing for specs? Check out the source link below.
Samsung develops mobile DRAM capable of 12.8GB/sec data transfers, making all other memory jealous
Much like clockwork, Samsung's memory labs are cranking out yet another innovation in the mobile DRAM sector, with the goal being to make the next (next) generation Galaxy Tab -- and any other mobile device relying on Samsung memory -- faster than ever. This go 'round, the crew has developed a 1Gb mobile DRAM module with a wide I/O interface for smartphones and tablets, enabling it to transmit data at 12.8GB/sec. For those keeping count, that's an eightfold increase in bandwidth compared to LPDDR2 DRAM chips, and the company has also managed to trim power consumption by 87 percent all the while. In order to boost the data transfer rate, Samsung's new wide I/O DRAM uses 512 pins for input and output, dwarfing the 32 pins used in the previous generation. Following this, Sammy's hoping to provide 20nm-class 4Gb wide I/O mobile DRAM sometime in 2013, but we're hoping to see this particular development sashay into tablets that hit the market long before then. Sadly, there's no specific word on when, but you know we'll be handing that information over just as soon as we get it.
The Daily Grind: What NPCs stick in your memory?
I'm not fond of a lot of the storytelling on display in the Prophecies campaign of Guild Wars, but I have to admit that, against all logic, I was happy when Gwen showed up again. I joked about her, I complained about her uselessness and her irritating habits, but the fact that she turned up alive again always tickled me on some level. When I think about the game, I think of her, and her trials and tribulations stuck with me long after Prince Rurik had all but vanished into memory. In an MMO with any sort of story, some NPCs are going to stand out to different people. Even beyond the signature characters of a game's box art, incidental figures wind up getting embedded in the consciousness of players. Maybe it's one of the recurring heroes in the City of Heroes tip missions, or perhaps it's one of the more amusing mission NPCs in Star Trek Online. Whatever the reason, what NPCs stick in your mind regardless of their importance or lack thereof? Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!
Sandy Bridge memory performance tested, value of expensive top-shelf memory questioned
Intel's Sandy Bridge chipset hasn't exactly had a flawless launch, but let's move past that and take a look at how well it performs before it starts breaking. One of the improvements here is meant to be better memory performance, and The Tech Report ran a variety of sticks through the gamut to see what the benefits of high-cost, high-speed memory is versus the cheaper stuff. The results showed that, in the vast majority of cases, DDR3-1333MHz memory was barely outclassed by the DDR3-2133MHz stuff, exhibiting only a modest improvement in games, just a couple FPS at most. Lesson learned? Save your pennies -- or go ahead and spend 'em elsewhere, like that new Thermaltake case.
