Posted 03/11/2010 at 07:22:24am

Popular online computer parts vendor Newegg this week gave one of its suppliers, IPEX, the boot. The reason, says Newegg, is that IPEX was the one who supplied the vendor with fake Core i7 chips.

"Initial information we received from our supplier, IPEX, stated that they had mistakenly shipped us 'demo units.' We have since come to discover that the CPUs were counterfeit and are terminating our relationship with this supplier," Newegg said in a statement.

Initial reports had pegged D&H Distributing as the culprit, but the supplier has since been cleared of any wrongdoing.

"Contrary to any speculation, D&H Distributing is not the vendor that supplied us with the Intel Core i7 920 CPUs in question," Newegg added.

Fake CPUs weren't terribly difficult to spot. There were several misspelled words on the retail packaging, including a sticker that spelled "socket" as "sochet," eWeek.com reports. In some cases, the user manual inside the box was blank.

As for customers who were affected, Newegg said it is sending out replacement chips.

See here for an unboxing video of one of the counterfeit chips.

Posted 03/11/2010 at 07:22:21am

What a difference an OS makes. Whereas those in charge of IT took a very cautious approach to Vista, Windows 7 is enjoying a much warmer reception and more rapid adoption rate.

"We have 50 percent of our users, that's 2,500 machines, deployed on Windows 7 in 2010," said Jim Thomas, CIO at Pella.

By the end of next year, Thomas says that number will likely rise to 90 percent. That's quite the contrast to Vista, in which some 80 percent of IT organizations shunned, according to Gartner.

There are big benefits to be had in moving to Windows 7, suggests Thomas, who says that upgrading from Windows XP to Windows 7 has resulted in a 80 percent reduction in the number of system images he'll need.

"It has to do with drivers and Windows 7 being able to understand and adapt to them versus having a specific image built," Thomas explained.

IT execs are also drawn to Windows 7's faster boot times, though the redesigned task bar can go either way, depending on who you ask.

Posted 03/11/2010 at 07:22:19am

Want to make waves in the mobile market? Slap a Core i7 Extreme Edition processor into a 15.6-inch chassis and call it the "world's most powerful" mobile workstation in its size class.

That's exactly what Dell has done with its just-announced Precision M4500. In addition to the super fast processor, the M4500 also boasts Nvidia Quadro FX 1800M graphics, an optional SSD MiniCard (another first for 15.6-inch mobile workstations), an optional HD+ sRGB LED screen, optional 3MP camera, and support for 32-bit and 74-bit versions of Microsoft Windows 7, Vista, and XP, as well as Red Hat Linux 5.3 64-bit support.

"The Dell Precision M4500 establishes new heights for performance and mobility for a workstation," said Greg Weir, senior manager, Dell Precision workstations. "This system provides the freedom to discover, create and imagine on your terms, wherever creativity takes you. Top that off with the assurance that you are backed by our robust ‘eco system’ of ISV partners and our ability to deliver the application performance you need to be productive…now that’s getting it done!"

No word yet on price or availability.

Posted 03/10/2010 at 10:48:40am

Pining away for a medium format DSLR camera but can't bring yourself to drop 20 large for Mamiya's DM40? Maybe Pentax has your number, who just introduced its 645D camera for the comparatively bargain-bin price of $9,400.

It's the company's first medium format DSLR, which comes with a high-performance CCD image sensor produced by Kodak. The sensor measures 44mm by 33mm and boasts 40MP shots.

Other features include a 14-bit A/D converter, lightweight body, dual SD/SDHC memory card slots, the company's DR (Dust Removal) II mechanism, 11-point wide-frame AF sensor, 77-segment multi-pattern metering, 3.0-inch color LCD, HDR function, HDMI output, and whole host of other goodies.

Get the full scoop here.

Posted 03/10/2010 at 10:31:45am

You're not likely to find a bona fide rock star on stage pounding a series of colorful buttons rather than strumming away on real guitar strings, so as fun as Rock Band and Guitar Hero are to play, they're not very faithful recreations of the real deal. Looking to bridge that gap is Seven45 Studios and the company's upcoming game, Power Gig: Rise of the SixString.

Like other musical videogames, you'll follow on-screen beat sequences, only you'll have to strum the right string rather than mash a button. There will also be a "Power Gig" mode in which players have to hit specific strings to produce chords. When you're finished chasing achievements, you can then plug the guitar into any standard amp and start playing for real.

"The leap to (playing) guitar will be seamless," said Jeff Walker, vice president of marketing at Seven45.

While price could end up an obvious prohibiting factor, Seven45 promises it will be comparable with existing music games. Look for Power Gig to ship this fall for the PS3 and Xbox 360 consoles. And if you get attached to the included guitar, Seven45 says it will also work with Rock Band and Guitar Hero. Groovy.

Posted 03/10/2010 at 10:17:13am

Asus today announced the launch of its Cine5 PC speaker. According to Asus, it's the world's most compact five-channel speaker and serves up multi-directional surround sound.

"By integrating an array of speaker drivers into a single bar, the Cine5 PC speaker helps users save space in their study rooms," Asus said. "Additionally, installation is simplified by eliminating the need to set up multiple satellite speakers—users just need to place the Cine5 PC speaker below the computer monitor. No positional adjustment is necessary to get the sweet spot for audio recreation."

The Cine5 pumps out 25W max (15W RMS) and measures 373 x 100 x 100 mm with metal stands (373 x 100 x 80 mm with rubber stands). it comes with a 3.5mm jack for multi-channel inputs, headphone output, volume knob, and a 5.1 channel audio cable.

Asus also says you can expect a bit of punch with the Cine5, despite its compact size. By using a specially-designed bass reflex port, Asus claims the Cine5 provides 15dB more bass than speakers of similar size.

No word yet on price or availability.