Sony says the 40GB PS3 is still using 90nm chips

We've all been hearing that Sony's new 40GB PS3 featured a revised design with a 65nm Cell processor and improved cooling, but sadly it looks like those reports were in error.
A Sony spokesperson has told Heise Online that the 40GB model continues to use 90mn processors, but does feature an updated design with a lower power consumption of just 120 to 140 watts, compared to 180 to 200 watts for the older models. Sony says its still planning on moving to 65nm processors in the near future, but for now, it looks like the PS3 is 90nm across the board.

Translated Source

D-Link’s Got a New 802.11n Gaming Router

D-Link’s Xtreme N Gaming Router.

Designed for the best online gaming experience ever, the DGL-4500 is supposedly friendly with any incarnation of the 802.11 spec. According to CrunchGear, the unit promises speeds up to 300Mbps. Gamers can also choose between the 2.4 of 5GHZ band to help them slay opponents all over the world.

Other features include D-Link’s own GameFuel technology, which promises to cut interference from other programs to keep games running smoothly. There’s a also a nifty looking Network Activity Display, which allows users to check Internet, LAN, WAN and other various settings all from one screen.

The new 802.11n router is now shipping for $240USD.

More info.

Major Nelson on XBL protection, Gamerscore cheating

Due to the onslaught of phishing and other identity theft-related cases in the Xbox Live Network (XBL), Major Nelson of Microsoft reiterates the importance of guarding your account information when logging on to XBL.

Using an example of how some Halo 3 player would ask for your XBL ID and password to rank you up or find you all the skulls in the game, the Major reminds everyone not to give out their info, tempting as the supposed benefits might be. His stern reminder reads:

If that "friend" of yours decides not return your account and buys a bunch of Arcade titles and movies on your account, there is nothing we can do except cancel the account since you willingly shared your information.

Cancelled.

As in you can never get it back.

Which means... yep, you guessed it. Goodbye Gamerscore, goodbye game saves, goodbye Gamertag, goodbye Hayabusa Armor. Ouchie.

On a related note, Major Nelson also discussed the consequences of tampering your game saves. Any and all users caught messing with their Achievements and Gamerscore can have their numbers totally wiped out. All of it. And if push comes to shove, Microsoft might even ban those accounts and/or console from XBL.

What's the lesson here? Play by the rules. Earn whatever you can using legit ways. No tampering, no cheating, no problems!

More from the source.

Back to Business.

Those aware would have known (can check into my very few first posts) that I have been waiting for a few months now to begin my government assisted business course initiative which will consist of up to 13 weeks (7 weeks minimum) the aim of this all would be to have myself starting a full time business in the field I so enjoy… Computers; Building, Upgrading, Refurbishing and Servicing as well as starting an E business where I’d sell hardware PC parts online at great prices.

I’m currently in my second day as I type this and I do have a positive output towards how it is going thus far, great teachers, environment is helpful and I’m starting to look at my business structure more effectively. I do look forward to what I can put into this course and what it will give me back in the sense of my business and the decisions I make from what I’ve learned.

I will keep an update on how this all plays out as well as implementing what I learn progressively here on my blog also ;)

Keep checking my blog out for more.

Enable both Aero and Glass in Vista Home Basic

Tips for people who are stuck up with Vista Home Basic OEM version.


Well i've read in most in most articles across the web to enable the Aero in Vista Home Basic.

1) Run "regedit"
2) Navigate to "Hkey_Current_User \ Software \ Microsoft \ Windows \ DWM"
3) Change the value of the entry Composition to 1
4) Change the value of the entry CompositionPolicy to 0.
5) Now restart the computer.
6) Now go to Control Panel > Personalization > Window Color and Appearance.
7) When you are on Aero Standard you should now be able to see a color picker with sliders for choosing the colour of the Glass window decorations.

Well this only enables Aero in Vista Home Basic, not the 'Glass effect' like most people want. I tried to Google ways to get the 'Glass effect' but all give the same hack which never ends in the 'Glass Effect'.

You could always install WindowBlinds 6 ---> It's a shareware thing (not good idea imho).

But there is one free app available called Glass2k. Anyone interested in having 'Glass Effect' in their Vista Home Basic can download this free software from
here.

Microsoft: 88 Million Copies of Vista Shipped

Woah 88 million copies, should note that a majority of those copies were pre-installed OEM versions.

Despite underwhelming consumers and being snubbed by enterprises, Windows Vista's numbers keep growing, with Microsoft Corp. saying Thursday that it has now shipped 88 million copies of the operating system, almost double the number of copies of XP in the same amount of time at its launch.

In late July, Microsoft said it had hit the 60 million shipment mark with Vista.

Microsoft had previously said that it had shipped 20 million copies of Vista in its first month and 40 million copies of Vista in the first 100 days.

Microsoft credited Vista with helping it beat Wall Street expectations and raise financial projections for the rest of the year. The company reported revenue of US$13.76 billion for the first quarter ended Sept. 30, up 27 percent from the same quarter in 2006.

Revenue in its client segment, which includes all consumer versions of Windows, was $4.14 billion, edging out the $4.11 billion in revenue from the Microsoft Business Division where Office is produced.

CFO Chris Liddell credited strong sales in emerging markets, due in part to anti-piracy and legalization programs there.

Client revenues, however, did not top those of the first calendar quarter this year, when Vista was officially launched. Revenues at that time were $5.32 billion.

Three-quarters of the copies sold of Vista were higher-priced 'premium' versions, compared to 59 percent of the copies of Windows -- primarily XP -- available a year ago.

The 88 million figure mostly includes Vista-installed PCs bought by consumers and small businesses, as well as packaged copies of Vista sold in stores or online.

It does exclude the tens of millions of Windows corporate volume licenses. There, many enterprises continue to hold off on deploying Vista, acknowledged CFO Chris Liddell, though he expects them to start deploying it when Vista Service Pack 1's arrival in the first quarter of next year.

Nevertheless, revenue from companies renewing their volume licenses for Windows, which gives them the right to upgrade to Vista, was up 27 percent.

Source

Windows and Halo boost Microsoft

Microsoft has seen strong quarterly profits, thanks to demand for its Windows operating system and its popular Halo 3 video game.

The software giant saw net profit rise 23% to $4.29bn from $3.48bn a year earlier, during its first financial quarter, beating expectations.

Revenue added 27% to $13.76bn over the three months to 30 September.

The firm also raised its yearly forecast. Shares rose 11% in after-hours trade, to more than $35.

Morningstar analyst Toan Tran described the results as a "blowout quarter".

"I think Microsoft is going to have a fabulous second quarter. Worldwide PC demand is still very strong and is going to benefit Windows and Office," he added.

"With the holiday season, we're going to have demand for Xbox 360, and for Halo 3 so the second quarter is shaping up to be fabulous for Microsoft."

Outlook

Revenue from Microsoft's Windows Vista operating system grew 25% from a year earlier, hitting $4.14bn while sales climbed 20% to $4.11bn.

Meanwhile the firm's entertainment and devices arm saw revenue climb to $1.93bn - nearly double that seen in the first fiscal quarter of 2006, helped by the Halo 3 game as well as the Xbox consoles on which the game is played.

Looking ahead the firm raised its forecast for the financial year to $58.8bn in sales from a previous estimate of between $56.8bn and $57.8bn.

The results come the same day that Microsoft announced it had paid $240m (£117m) to buy a 1.6% stake in Facebook.

The deal means Microsoft will sell internet ads for Facebook outside the US.

Source