LG Optimus 3D not getting any Gingerbread love until October

We have some good news and some bad news for the LG Optimus 3D owners out there.













The sad bit is that their beloved smartphone won’t be getting the Android 2.3 Gingerbread treatment for at least a few more months.
On the positive side, the wait might just be worth it as it will improve the 3D capabilities of the device quite significantly.


The Inquirer reports that they managed to get some of the LG tech gurus to talk about the Optimus 3D Android 2.3 update release date and they said it will be coming in October. That might seem like a pretty long wait as by that time 10 months will have passed since the launch of Android Gingerbread, but there will be something to make up for it.

The LG Optimus 3D will be getting the usual bunch of features brought by Android 2.3 Gingerbread plus one key addition – it will be able to convert regular 2D application to 3D as long as the app relies on OpenGL for its graphics. So if you’ve always dreamt of adding an extra dimension to your favorite games or apps this might be your chance.

Now we are not sure how good the feature will work as converting 2D content to 3D automatically sounds pretty hard, but let’s give LG a chance here. We’ll see what happens in three months, when the update is actually released.

LG Optimus 3D not getting any Gingerbread love until October

We have some good news and some bad news for the LG Optimus 3D owners out there.













The sad bit is that their beloved smartphone won’t be getting the Android 2.3 Gingerbread treatment for at least a few more months.
On the positive side, the wait might just be worth it as it will improve the 3D capabilities of the device quite significantly.


The Inquirer reports that they managed to get some of the LG tech gurus to talk about the Optimus 3D Android 2.3 update release date and they said it will be coming in October. That might seem like a pretty long wait as by that time 10 months will have passed since the launch of Android Gingerbread, but there will be something to make up for it.

The LG Optimus 3D will be getting the usual bunch of features brought by Android 2.3 Gingerbread plus one key addition – it will be able to convert regular 2D application to 3D as long as the app relies on OpenGL for its graphics. So if you’ve always dreamt of adding an extra dimension to your favorite games or apps this might be your chance.

Now we are not sure how good the feature will work as converting 2D content to 3D automatically sounds pretty hard, but let’s give LG a chance here. We’ll see what happens in three months, when the update is actually released.

Forza 4 Cars to be Revealed Daily

Effective immediately Turn 10 will regularly announce the vehicles that are set to feature in the upcoming Forza Motorsport 4. How regularly? Daily, apparently.

As detailed over at the official Forza Motorsport 4 website Turn 10 has launched the Forza Garage series and plans to announce cars each day via Facebook and Twitter. Based on the community response Turn 10 may increase the number of cars it announces.





Each Thursday Turn 10 will publish a roundup of the vehicles exposed during the week on forzamotorsport.net.

The first five cars unveiled through the new Forza Garage contain few surprises (and four of them are returning rides from Forza Motorsport 3) but are only the tip of the iceberg in a game promising 500+ cars. They are:

1. 1993 McLaren F1
   
2. 2009 Ferrari California
   
3. 2009 Alfa Romeo Brera Italia Independent
   
4. 2008 Lamborghini Reventon
   
5. 1995 Ferrari F50

46% of smartphone buyers prefer Apple’s iOS, 32% choose Google Android

Among consumers who plan to buy a smartphone in the next three months, the iPhone is the top choice, with nearly half of all prospective buyers choosing Apple.
 
The data comes from the latest survey from ChangeWave Research via a poll it conducted of 4,163 consumers in June. The survey focused primarily on the smartphone market in North America, with 89 percent of respondents being from the U.S. and 11 percent outside of America.
The survey found that 46 percent of consumers who plan to buy a smartphone in the next 90 days prefer a device running Apple’s iOS, which powers the iPhone. That’s up 2 points from a poll done in March.


In second place in the latest survey was Google Android, which 32 percent of planned smartphone buyers said they will choose. Google’s share also increased since March, growing by one percentage point.
The gains of Apple and Google came at the expense of rivals, as Research in Motion’s BlackBerry line lost one point since March. The BlackBerry’s 4 percent share is the lowest level ever seen in a ChangeWave survey, and is far away from its high of 32 percent in September of 2008.
The data showing consumer preferences for the iPhone aligns with previous polls that have told a similar story. Last November, ChangeWave reported that 34 percent of non-ATT smartphone buyers said they wished they could buy Apple’s iPhone. At the time, the iPhone was exclusive to ATT.

The latest survey also tracked the potential impact of Apple’s iCloud service, and found it will increase the value proposition of devices like the iPhone. Among current Apple product owners, 29 percent said iCloud will make them “more likely” to buy Apple products in the future, while the same was said by 13 percent of non-Apple product owners.
“This initial look at the impact of Apple’s new iCloud service shows it enhancing customer loyalty,” the report said. “But the survey also provides highly encouraging signs that iCloud will generate additional customer demand for other Apple products, not only from current Apple product owners but from a substantial number of non-owners as well.”
The latest survey also reaffirmed that the iPhone carries the highest satisfaction rate in the industry. When asked about the operating system on their mobile device, 70 percent of users said they are “very satisfied” with iOS, while 50 percent said the same of Google. Just 26 percent said they were satisfied with RIM’s BlackBerry OS.

In what was characterized as an “encouraging sign” for Apple’s rival Microsoft, the survey found that 57 percent of respondents running Windows Phone 7 said they are “very satisfied.” That total is significantly better than the paltry 14 percent rating the previous-generation Windows Mobile OS earned.
“Even so, the higher Windows Phone 7 rating has yet to produce a sustained momentum boost for Microsoft in terms of buyer preferences,” the report said.

46% of smartphone buyers prefer Apple’s iOS, 32% choose Google Android

Among consumers who plan to buy a smartphone in the next three months, the iPhone is the top choice, with nearly half of all prospective buyers choosing Apple.
 
The data comes from the latest survey from ChangeWave Research via a poll it conducted of 4,163 consumers in June. The survey focused primarily on the smartphone market in North America, with 89 percent of respondents being from the U.S. and 11 percent outside of America.
The survey found that 46 percent of consumers who plan to buy a smartphone in the next 90 days prefer a device running Apple’s iOS, which powers the iPhone. That’s up 2 points from a poll done in March.


In second place in the latest survey was Google Android, which 32 percent of planned smartphone buyers said they will choose. Google’s share also increased since March, growing by one percentage point.
The gains of Apple and Google came at the expense of rivals, as Research in Motion’s BlackBerry line lost one point since March. The BlackBerry’s 4 percent share is the lowest level ever seen in a ChangeWave survey, and is far away from its high of 32 percent in September of 2008.
The data showing consumer preferences for the iPhone aligns with previous polls that have told a similar story. Last November, ChangeWave reported that 34 percent of non-ATT smartphone buyers said they wished they could buy Apple’s iPhone. At the time, the iPhone was exclusive to ATT.

The latest survey also tracked the potential impact of Apple’s iCloud service, and found it will increase the value proposition of devices like the iPhone. Among current Apple product owners, 29 percent said iCloud will make them “more likely” to buy Apple products in the future, while the same was said by 13 percent of non-Apple product owners.
“This initial look at the impact of Apple’s new iCloud service shows it enhancing customer loyalty,” the report said. “But the survey also provides highly encouraging signs that iCloud will generate additional customer demand for other Apple products, not only from current Apple product owners but from a substantial number of non-owners as well.”
The latest survey also reaffirmed that the iPhone carries the highest satisfaction rate in the industry. When asked about the operating system on their mobile device, 70 percent of users said they are “very satisfied” with iOS, while 50 percent said the same of Google. Just 26 percent said they were satisfied with RIM’s BlackBerry OS.

In what was characterized as an “encouraging sign” for Apple’s rival Microsoft, the survey found that 57 percent of respondents running Windows Phone 7 said they are “very satisfied.” That total is significantly better than the paltry 14 percent rating the previous-generation Windows Mobile OS earned.
“Even so, the higher Windows Phone 7 rating has yet to produce a sustained momentum boost for Microsoft in terms of buyer preferences,” the report said.

Pentagon hit by huge cyber attack

The deputy defence secretary said future cyber attacks could even cause deaths

 

The Pentagon has admitted it suffered a major cyber attack in which thousands of files were taken by foreign hackers.

Deputy Defence Secretary William Lynn said that in a March attack and other breaches, hackers had taken information on “our most sensitive systems”.


 The admission came as the Pentagon rolled out a strategy for strengthening US cyber capabilities and addressing threats and attacks in cyberspace.

The plan would treat cyberspace in a similar manner to land, air and sea.

“In the 21st Century, bits and bytes can be as threatening as bullets and bombs,” Mr Lynn said, unveiling the plan.

In a speech at National Defense University in Washington, Mr Lynn said about 24,000 files containing Pentagon data were stolen from a defence industry computer network in March, marking one of the largest cyber attacks in US history.
Extracting files
He said at least one attack – a previously revealed 2008 penetration of classified computer systems – had come from a foreign intelligence service, and in an interview ahead of the speech said the Pentagon believed the March attack had been perpetrated by a foreign government.
Previous cyber attacks have been blamed on China or Russia.

Pentagon hit by huge cyber attack

The deputy defence secretary said future cyber attacks could even cause deaths

 

The Pentagon has admitted it suffered a major cyber attack in which thousands of files were taken by foreign hackers.

Deputy Defence Secretary William Lynn said that in a March attack and other breaches, hackers had taken information on “our most sensitive systems”.


 The admission came as the Pentagon rolled out a strategy for strengthening US cyber capabilities and addressing threats and attacks in cyberspace.

The plan would treat cyberspace in a similar manner to land, air and sea.

“In the 21st Century, bits and bytes can be as threatening as bullets and bombs,” Mr Lynn said, unveiling the plan.

In a speech at National Defense University in Washington, Mr Lynn said about 24,000 files containing Pentagon data were stolen from a defence industry computer network in March, marking one of the largest cyber attacks in US history.
Extracting files
He said at least one attack – a previously revealed 2008 penetration of classified computer systems – had come from a foreign intelligence service, and in an interview ahead of the speech said the Pentagon believed the March attack had been perpetrated by a foreign government.
Previous cyber attacks have been blamed on China or Russia.

Oracle and Microsoft could cash in big on Android

With allegations that Google infringed on several patents in its
Android operating system, two of the biggest beneficiaries of sales of mobile devices that use the technology could well be Oracle and Microsoft.







Both companies are seeking as much as a $20 licensing fee per device from handset makers that choose to use Android. That’d be roughly double the amount that Google makes in search revenue, on average, from every Android device, according to Deutsche Bank analyst Jonathan Goldberg. Google gives away the Android operating system in hopes of generating that revenue.
Goldberg learned of Oracle’s bid to get licensing fees over alleged Java patent infringement in Android by chatting with “various handset makers,” he said. He declined to name them, except to say that “I think they are approaching everyone who has Android OS or apps.”


Goldberg added that Oracle was seeking $15 to $20 per Android device as part of an early adopters program that would, in theory, indemnify those companies in the event that Oracle wins its patent infringement lawsuit against Google, filed last August.
“As far as I know, no one has signed up for this program,” Goldberg said. “They are, and I am too, particularly impressed with Oracle’s spirit.”

Oracle did not respond to a call and e-mail. A Google spokeswoman declined to comment on the claims, except to repeat an earlier statement that “Oracle’s ‘methodology’ for calculating damages is based on fundamental legal errors and improperly inflates their estimates.” (For a great primer on Oracle’s fight with Google, read this article by my colleague, Stephen Shankland, from last summer.)
Meanwhile, Microsoft too continues to eke more money from Android device makers. Last year, the software giant convinced its longtime handset partner, HTC, to license Microsoft’s patents to use in its Android devices. Citi analyst Walter Pritchard estimates that HTC is paying Microsoft $5 per device.

In the last few weeks, Microsoft inked four more licensing deals with Android device makers, albeit much smaller ones than HTC. It’s also sued two other giant Android device makers–Motorola and Barnes Noble–which wouldn’t capitulate to Microsoft terms.
Microsoft is reportedly ratcheting up the pressure on one of the biggest Android handset makers yet, Samsung, which also makes handsets that run Microsoft’s
Windows Phone 7 software. Earlier this week, South Korea’s Maeil Business Newspaper reported that Microsoft has demanded that Samsung pay a $15 per device fee. Microsoft also declined to comment beyond what it’s already said about Android.
Of course, there are differences between the strategies of Oracle and Microsoft. Oracle, which acquired the Java patents that it claims Google is infringing when it bought Sun last year, is merely looking to tap that patent portfolio for more income.
“They see this as a revenue stream,” Goldberg said. “They want to see Android do well and make millions off it.”
While Microsoft is happy enough to skim money from each Android sale, it’s really trying to create uncertainty among device makers in order to better position Windows Phone 7. For more than a year, Microsoft has argued that Android isn’t really free. Clearly, one of the costs, Microsoft believes, are patent licensing fees.
That uncertainty may give device makers pause as they consider creating new devices that run Android. At the very least, they might stop to calculate the potential cost of using the mobile operating system. And now, Microsoft has a new ally in that battle in Oracle.

Oracle and Microsoft could cash in big on Android

With allegations that Google infringed on several patents in its
Android operating system, two of the biggest beneficiaries of sales of mobile devices that use the technology could well be Oracle and Microsoft.







Both companies are seeking as much as a $20 licensing fee per device from handset makers that choose to use Android. That’d be roughly double the amount that Google makes in search revenue, on average, from every Android device, according to Deutsche Bank analyst Jonathan Goldberg. Google gives away the Android operating system in hopes of generating that revenue.
Goldberg learned of Oracle’s bid to get licensing fees over alleged Java patent infringement in Android by chatting with “various handset makers,” he said. He declined to name them, except to say that “I think they are approaching everyone who has Android OS or apps.”


Goldberg added that Oracle was seeking $15 to $20 per Android device as part of an early adopters program that would, in theory, indemnify those companies in the event that Oracle wins its patent infringement lawsuit against Google, filed last August.
“As far as I know, no one has signed up for this program,” Goldberg said. “They are, and I am too, particularly impressed with Oracle’s spirit.”

Oracle did not respond to a call and e-mail. A Google spokeswoman declined to comment on the claims, except to repeat an earlier statement that “Oracle’s ‘methodology’ for calculating damages is based on fundamental legal errors and improperly inflates their estimates.” (For a great primer on Oracle’s fight with Google, read this article by my colleague, Stephen Shankland, from last summer.)
Meanwhile, Microsoft too continues to eke more money from Android device makers. Last year, the software giant convinced its longtime handset partner, HTC, to license Microsoft’s patents to use in its Android devices. Citi analyst Walter Pritchard estimates that HTC is paying Microsoft $5 per device.

In the last few weeks, Microsoft inked four more licensing deals with Android device makers, albeit much smaller ones than HTC. It’s also sued two other giant Android device makers–Motorola and Barnes Noble–which wouldn’t capitulate to Microsoft terms.
Microsoft is reportedly ratcheting up the pressure on one of the biggest Android handset makers yet, Samsung, which also makes handsets that run Microsoft’s
Windows Phone 7 software. Earlier this week, South Korea’s Maeil Business Newspaper reported that Microsoft has demanded that Samsung pay a $15 per device fee. Microsoft also declined to comment beyond what it’s already said about Android.
Of course, there are differences between the strategies of Oracle and Microsoft. Oracle, which acquired the Java patents that it claims Google is infringing when it bought Sun last year, is merely looking to tap that patent portfolio for more income.
“They see this as a revenue stream,” Goldberg said. “They want to see Android do well and make millions off it.”
While Microsoft is happy enough to skim money from each Android sale, it’s really trying to create uncertainty among device makers in order to better position Windows Phone 7. For more than a year, Microsoft has argued that Android isn’t really free. Clearly, one of the costs, Microsoft believes, are patent licensing fees.
That uncertainty may give device makers pause as they consider creating new devices that run Android. At the very least, they might stop to calculate the potential cost of using the mobile operating system. And now, Microsoft has a new ally in that battle in Oracle.

Batman: Arkham City Two-Face Artwork

The biography that accompanied the picture didn’t contain much that we don’t already about Dent, except that he’s apparently “thriving in Arkham City, rallying inmates to join his gang using tried and tested campaign tactics.”

We already knew that Harvey Dent (a.k.a. Two-Face) was in Batman: Arkham City. But here’s the new, and rather stylish, artwork, continuing the monochromatic theme with splashes of colour.

What do you think of the artwork? And how do you think Two-Face will figure in Arkham City’s expansive roster of villains? Let us know below.
Batman: Arkham City is out on PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and PC on October 18 in US and October 20/21 in Euro

HTC Salsa review: "Like" it or not

The HTC Salsa official photos

Introduction

It takes two to tango, HTC seem to think. The HTC Salsa joins the ChaCha in a bid to treat young Android users to as much Facebook as they can handle. The little blue button makes an appearance again, this time in a more familiar context. While the ChaCha takes its QWERTY keyboard off the beaten path, the Salsa is a typical Android package. It’s got a solid build and seems like a well spec’d midrange smartphone – an HTC Wildfire S for Facebookers.
The Salsa has something the ChaCha doesn’t: a family tree. The Salsa is part of the new generation of midrange phones by HTC, along with the likes of the Wildfire S. But calling it a Facebook-centric Wildfire S would be oversimplifying or just plain wrong. As a matter of fact, HTC went on to give the Salsa more than just that tiny Facebook button. It tops the Wildfire S in terms of screen size and processor clock speed, and throws in a few features that the Wildfire S didn’t bother with – like video calls, HD video and web Flash support.
Let’s take a look at the complete feature list and the possible deal breakers.

Key features

• Quad-band GSM and dual-band 3G support
• 7.2 Mbps HSDPA and 384 Kbps HSUPA
• 3.4″ 16M-color capacitive TFT touchscreen of HVGA (320 x 480) resolution, Gorilla glass
• Android OS v2.3 Gingerbread with HTC Sense
• 800 MHz CPU, Adreno 205 GPU, Qualcomm MSM7227 chipset
• 512 MB RAM and 512 MB ROM
• 5 MP autofocus camera with LED flash and geotagging
• D1 video recording @ 30fps
• Wi-Fi b/g/n and DLNA
• GPS with A-GPS
• microSD slot up to 32GB (2GB card included)
• Accelerometer and proximity sensor
• Standard 3.5 mm audio jack
• Stereo FM radio with RDS
• microUSB port (charging) and stereo Bluetooth v2.1
• Smart dialing, voice dialing
• Front facing camera, video calls
• DivX/XviD video support
• Compact aluminum unibody
• HTC Locations app
• HTCSense.com integration
• HTC Portable Wi-Fi Hotspot
• Ultra-fast boot times (if you don’t remove battery)

Main disadvantages

• Below-par screen sunlight legibility
• Camera not the best we’ve seen
• microSD slot under the battery cover, not (quite) hot-swappable
• No HD video recording

There seems to be so little to worry about but we’re yet to get into the details. As a mid-range smartphone, the Salsa will not set your expectations too high. But users who know what to expect will not be disappointed. The unibody design, the hallmark build quality and the latest Android are all in the deal.

HTC Salsa live pictures

So, it’s a neat little smartphone with a thing for Facebook, one that many are getting ready to befriend. As for us, we have a job to do before we hit “Like”. Our usual tour of the hardware coming up.

HTC Salsa review: "Like" it or not

The HTC Salsa official photos

Introduction

It takes two to tango, HTC seem to think. The HTC Salsa joins the ChaCha in a bid to treat young Android users to as much Facebook as they can handle. The little blue button makes an appearance again, this time in a more familiar context. While the ChaCha takes its QWERTY keyboard off the beaten path, the Salsa is a typical Android package. It’s got a solid build and seems like a well spec’d midrange smartphone – an HTC Wildfire S for Facebookers.
The Salsa has something the ChaCha doesn’t: a family tree. The Salsa is part of the new generation of midrange phones by HTC, along with the likes of the Wildfire S. But calling it a Facebook-centric Wildfire S would be oversimplifying or just plain wrong. As a matter of fact, HTC went on to give the Salsa more than just that tiny Facebook button. It tops the Wildfire S in terms of screen size and processor clock speed, and throws in a few features that the Wildfire S didn’t bother with – like video calls, HD video and web Flash support.
Let’s take a look at the complete feature list and the possible deal breakers.

Key features

• Quad-band GSM and dual-band 3G support
• 7.2 Mbps HSDPA and 384 Kbps HSUPA
• 3.4″ 16M-color capacitive TFT touchscreen of HVGA (320 x 480) resolution, Gorilla glass
• Android OS v2.3 Gingerbread with HTC Sense
• 800 MHz CPU, Adreno 205 GPU, Qualcomm MSM7227 chipset
• 512 MB RAM and 512 MB ROM
• 5 MP autofocus camera with LED flash and geotagging
• D1 video recording @ 30fps
• Wi-Fi b/g/n and DLNA
• GPS with A-GPS
• microSD slot up to 32GB (2GB card included)
• Accelerometer and proximity sensor
• Standard 3.5 mm audio jack
• Stereo FM radio with RDS
• microUSB port (charging) and stereo Bluetooth v2.1
• Smart dialing, voice dialing
• Front facing camera, video calls
• DivX/XviD video support
• Compact aluminum unibody
• HTC Locations app
• HTCSense.com integration
• HTC Portable Wi-Fi Hotspot
• Ultra-fast boot times (if you don’t remove battery)

Main disadvantages

• Below-par screen sunlight legibility
• Camera not the best we’ve seen
• microSD slot under the battery cover, not (quite) hot-swappable
• No HD video recording

There seems to be so little to worry about but we’re yet to get into the details. As a mid-range smartphone, the Salsa will not set your expectations too high. But users who know what to expect will not be disappointed. The unibody design, the hallmark build quality and the latest Android are all in the deal.

HTC Salsa live pictures

So, it’s a neat little smartphone with a thing for Facebook, one that many are getting ready to befriend. As for us, we have a job to do before we hit “Like”. Our usual tour of the hardware coming up.

Samsung Within for Sprint gets spotted in the wild

There is hardly any doubt that the Samsung Galaxy S2 is the king of droids so far this year. Logically, its official arrival in United States is highly anticipated. It looks however, that the wait might soon be over for the folks across the Atlantic. The Sprint Wireless version of the device, dubbed Samsung




Within just got caught in a couple of blurry shots.
As you can see from the picture, the device is slightly curvier than the Galaxy S2 which we have come to know so well. The textured back however, appears to remain the same like its rest of the world sibling.
There is no information on a release date or specs, save for the fact that the device will come with Android 2.3.4 Gingerbread out of the box.

All in all, it appears that the Sprint branded HTC EVO 3D, which we previewed for you a couple of days ago, is bound to get some Super AMOLED Plus competition from within its own ranks very soon.

Samsung Within for Sprint gets spotted in the wild

There is hardly any doubt that the Samsung Galaxy S2 is the king of droids so far this year. Logically, its official arrival in United States is highly anticipated. It looks however, that the wait might soon be over for the folks across the Atlantic. The Sprint Wireless version of the device, dubbed Samsung




Within just got caught in a couple of blurry shots.
As you can see from the picture, the device is slightly curvier than the Galaxy S2 which we have come to know so well. The textured back however, appears to remain the same like its rest of the world sibling.
There is no information on a release date or specs, save for the fact that the device will come with Android 2.3.4 Gingerbread out of the box.

All in all, it appears that the Sprint branded HTC EVO 3D, which we previewed for you a couple of days ago, is bound to get some Super AMOLED Plus competition from within its own ranks very soon.

Microsoft issues critical patch for Windows 7, Vista users

Microsoft released four security bulletins for Patch Tuesday today, including one that fixes a critical hole related to Bluetooth in
Windows 7 and Vista and three less serious patches that plug 21 holes affecting all supported versions of Windows and Visio 2003.
The highest priority is MS11-053, which fixes a vulnerability that could allow an attacker to take control of a computer by sending malicious Bluetooth wireless packets.
Jerry Bryant, group manager for security response at Microsoft, downplayed the possibility of exploitation in the wild, saying there are mitigating factors, including the fact that Bluetooth on a target device would have to be discoverable, which is not the default mode.
“So an attacker would have to be in line-of-sight of you and would have to brute force their way into discovering your (network) address, and that would be assuming you are actively advertising it for them,” he said in an interview. “There are tools out there to help an attacker do that, but they are expensive and take a long time to run. It’s a serious issue but I don’t think it will be something we see active exploits on in the near future.”
Marcus Carey, security researcher at Rapid7 noted that many people regularly rely on Bluetooth-enabled devices, or have Bluetooth set to “on” and don’t realize it. “This should concern users who have internal Bluetooth devices or people that use after-market Bluetooth headphones, mouses, keyboards, and printers through USB,” he said. “The problem with Bluetooth is that often people have their Bluetooth devices activated and are totally unaware that they are transmitting.”
Meanwhile, there were three other bulletins released, all rated “important.” One resolves 15 vulnerabilities in Windows Kernel-Mode Drivers. Another fixes five bugs in Microsoft Windows Client/Server Run-time Subsystem. And the third resolves a vulnerability in Microsoft Visio. More details on the releases is here.
Microsoft also released today a white paper, “Mitigating Software Vulnerabilities,” that has specific information IT professionals can use to enable attack-blocking technologies such as Data Execution Prevention (DEP) and Address Space Layout Randomization (ASLR).

Microsoft issues critical patch for Windows 7, Vista users

Microsoft released four security bulletins for Patch Tuesday today, including one that fixes a critical hole related to Bluetooth in
Windows 7 and Vista and three less serious patches that plug 21 holes affecting all supported versions of Windows and Visio 2003.
The highest priority is MS11-053, which fixes a vulnerability that could allow an attacker to take control of a computer by sending malicious Bluetooth wireless packets.
Jerry Bryant, group manager for security response at Microsoft, downplayed the possibility of exploitation in the wild, saying there are mitigating factors, including the fact that Bluetooth on a target device would have to be discoverable, which is not the default mode.
“So an attacker would have to be in line-of-sight of you and would have to brute force their way into discovering your (network) address, and that would be assuming you are actively advertising it for them,” he said in an interview. “There are tools out there to help an attacker do that, but they are expensive and take a long time to run. It’s a serious issue but I don’t think it will be something we see active exploits on in the near future.”
Marcus Carey, security researcher at Rapid7 noted that many people regularly rely on Bluetooth-enabled devices, or have Bluetooth set to “on” and don’t realize it. “This should concern users who have internal Bluetooth devices or people that use after-market Bluetooth headphones, mouses, keyboards, and printers through USB,” he said. “The problem with Bluetooth is that often people have their Bluetooth devices activated and are totally unaware that they are transmitting.”
Meanwhile, there were three other bulletins released, all rated “important.” One resolves 15 vulnerabilities in Windows Kernel-Mode Drivers. Another fixes five bugs in Microsoft Windows Client/Server Run-time Subsystem. And the third resolves a vulnerability in Microsoft Visio. More details on the releases is here.
Microsoft also released today a white paper, “Mitigating Software Vulnerabilities,” that has specific information IT professionals can use to enable attack-blocking technologies such as Data Execution Prevention (DEP) and Address Space Layout Randomization (ASLR).

Samsung escalates LED patent row

Korean electronics firm Samsung has hit back in a patent dispute with Osram, a rival maker of light emitting diodes (LEDs).

Samsung LED has filed a complaint with the US International Trade Commission against Osram and two of its subsidiaries.




The spat began in June, when Osram accused Samsung and another firm of violating its LED patents.
LEDs are used in electronic displays in cars mobiles phone screens and TVs.
The Samsung unit also filed a lawsuit in a court in Delaware seeking damages.
Korea’s LG Electronics, which was the other firm sued by Osram in June, has also launched legal action in the US.


Light touch?
On Friday, Samsung LED filed its complaint with the US International Trade Commission (ITC) against Osram and its units Osram Opto Semiconductors and Osram Sylvania Inc.
Osram is owned by the German manufacturing giant Siemens.
Should the complaint be upheld by the ITC then it may lead to a ban on the import of some Osram LED products into the US.

However, the complaints may also be settled by the payment of licensing fees.
In a separate move, Samsung filed a lawsuit in Delaware against Osram, alleging eight patent infringements and an outright ban on the Osram products it identified.




Samsung said it “intends to vigorously enforce its intellectual property rights, and these lawsuits reflect Samsung LED’s commitment to that enforcement”, the company said in a statement.
Osram said it was “well prepared” for the actions taken by Samsung.
Other Samsung companies are also taking an aggressive stance in the world of global technology
Samsung Electronics is in the middle of fighting multiple lawsuits with Apple over technology used in its smartphones and tablets.

Samsung escalates LED patent row

Korean electronics firm Samsung has hit back in a patent dispute with Osram, a rival maker of light emitting diodes (LEDs).

Samsung LED has filed a complaint with the US International Trade Commission against Osram and two of its subsidiaries.




The spat began in June, when Osram accused Samsung and another firm of violating its LED patents.
LEDs are used in electronic displays in cars mobiles phone screens and TVs.
The Samsung unit also filed a lawsuit in a court in Delaware seeking damages.
Korea’s LG Electronics, which was the other firm sued by Osram in June, has also launched legal action in the US.


Light touch?
On Friday, Samsung LED filed its complaint with the US International Trade Commission (ITC) against Osram and its units Osram Opto Semiconductors and Osram Sylvania Inc.
Osram is owned by the German manufacturing giant Siemens.
Should the complaint be upheld by the ITC then it may lead to a ban on the import of some Osram LED products into the US.

However, the complaints may also be settled by the payment of licensing fees.
In a separate move, Samsung filed a lawsuit in Delaware against Osram, alleging eight patent infringements and an outright ban on the Osram products it identified.




Samsung said it “intends to vigorously enforce its intellectual property rights, and these lawsuits reflect Samsung LED’s commitment to that enforcement”, the company said in a statement.
Osram said it was “well prepared” for the actions taken by Samsung.
Other Samsung companies are also taking an aggressive stance in the world of global technology
Samsung Electronics is in the middle of fighting multiple lawsuits with Apple over technology used in its smartphones and tablets.

Samsung starts rolling our Gingerbread update for Ace

Although the Gingerbread ROM for the Samsung Ace leaked months back Samsung never got around to releasing it officially. Until now, that is.
SamFirmware is reporting that Samsung has started rolling out the Gingerbread update for the Ace through Kies.










The update for now is available in limited countries, namely, Russia and Poland but will be available in other regions soon.
As for the update, there is nothing much to report on it. It will update the Android version to 2.3.3 and bring the usual Gingerbread goodness to your Samsung Ace.

Samsung starts rolling our Gingerbread update for Ace

Although the Gingerbread ROM for the Samsung Ace leaked months back Samsung never got around to releasing it officially. Until now, that is.
SamFirmware is reporting that Samsung has started rolling out the Gingerbread update for the Ace through Kies.










The update for now is available in limited countries, namely, Russia and Poland but will be available in other regions soon.
As for the update, there is nothing much to report on it. It will update the Android version to 2.3.3 and bring the usual Gingerbread goodness to your Samsung Ace.

Activision Wants ModernWarfare3.com

Activision is looking to seize control of ModernWarfare3.com after the website was found redirecting to the official Battlefield 3 website.

The website domain name, which is not owned by Activision or Electronic Arts, takes jabs at the Modern Warfare series by saying, among other things, “Modern Warfare 3 is an copy and paste experience that looks exactly like Modern Warfare 2…”

Activision has apparently had enough, and after the website recently began redirecting users to Battlefield 3, the publisher filed a first domain name dispute compliant on Friday, spotted by Fusible.com, requesting control over the domain name.

“It appears that the Respondent supports the game Battlefield from the game developer Electronic Arts (“EA”),” the complaint reads. “EA is one of Complainant’s principal competitors in the video game industry, and Battlefield game competes in the marketplace with Complainant’s MODERN WARFARE games and its other military-themed shooter games in the CALL OF DUTY series.”

Microsoft sees smartphone prices cut in half by 2012

The head of Microsoft’s Windows Phone division believes the company and its partners can cut the costs of smartphones running the company’s mobile operating system by as much as half over the next year as a plethora of new devices hit the market.

Andy Lees, president of the Windows Phone division, told the 15,000 attendees at Microsoft’s Worldwide Partner Conference in Los Angeles today that he expects the price of devices, before carrier discounts for long-term contracts, to hit $100 to $150 next year. Right now, they cost $200 or more, he said. And a year ago, those devices ran upwards of $400.

Microsoft’s Andy Lees at the 2011 Microsoft Worldwide Partner Conference in Los Angeles.

That’s possible because chipmakers are now able to pack more and more functionality onto tiny processors that can fit into phones.
“You’re seeing a dramatic price reduction,” Lees said in a speech that was streamed online.
Lees also explained why Microsoft won’t be offering its Windows Mobile operating system to
tablet computer makers. The company believes that tablet users want many of the functions available to them when they use PCs such as the ability to connect to a network and the ability to print documents.

“We view a tablet as a sort of PC,” Lees said.
And Microsoft’s believes that tablets aren’t PC replacements, as Apple’s Steve Jobs has suggested, but rather pieces of the technical landscape that can all be used for different purposes. Microsoft wants to leverage its strength with its dominant Windows operating system in PCs to strengthen its position in mobile phones, where it’s market share is small, and slates, where Apple dominates. Lees believes Microsoft’s “unified ecosystem” will be a lure for consumers.
“We won’t have an ecosystem for PCs, and one for phones and one for tablets,” Lees said.

Microsoft’s Steve Guggenheimer, showing an unnamed Samsung mobile phone, in a speech that was streamed online

To that end, Steve Guggenheimer, Microsoft corporate vice president in the original equipment manufacturer division, showed off a handful of devices that will be hitting the market in the coming months that fit into that ecosystem. He quickly showed off phones from Acer, Fujitsu, and ZTE running the version of the Windows Phone operating system, codenamed Mango, due this fall. Guggenheimer also pulled a soon-to-be-released Samsung device from his pocket showing the unnamed model, he said, for the first time. He didn’t offer any other details about the device.
“It’s very thin and it’s light,” Guggenheimer said. “And that’s the theme you’re going to see as the processors get better.”

He also highlighted a few slate computers running Windows, including the Asus B121 slate and Acer W500, which both have a Trusted Platform Module chip in it that for corporate users that want added security. And he showed a slim Sony Vaio Z laptop, designed to give Apple’s MacBook Air new competition.

“You give me any thin, lightweight laptop device, we’ll take it head-to-head,” Guggenheimer said. “You’ll see a lot of innovation in thin and light.”

Microsoft sees smartphone prices cut in half by 2012

The head of Microsoft’s Windows Phone division believes the company and its partners can cut the costs of smartphones running the company’s mobile operating system by as much as half over the next year as a plethora of new devices hit the market.

Andy Lees, president of the Windows Phone division, told the 15,000 attendees at Microsoft’s Worldwide Partner Conference in Los Angeles today that he expects the price of devices, before carrier discounts for long-term contracts, to hit $100 to $150 next year. Right now, they cost $200 or more, he said. And a year ago, those devices ran upwards of $400.

Microsoft’s Andy Lees at the 2011 Microsoft Worldwide Partner Conference in Los Angeles.

That’s possible because chipmakers are now able to pack more and more functionality onto tiny processors that can fit into phones.
“You’re seeing a dramatic price reduction,” Lees said in a speech that was streamed online.
Lees also explained why Microsoft won’t be offering its Windows Mobile operating system to
tablet computer makers. The company believes that tablet users want many of the functions available to them when they use PCs such as the ability to connect to a network and the ability to print documents.

“We view a tablet as a sort of PC,” Lees said.
And Microsoft’s believes that tablets aren’t PC replacements, as Apple’s Steve Jobs has suggested, but rather pieces of the technical landscape that can all be used for different purposes. Microsoft wants to leverage its strength with its dominant Windows operating system in PCs to strengthen its position in mobile phones, where it’s market share is small, and slates, where Apple dominates. Lees believes Microsoft’s “unified ecosystem” will be a lure for consumers.
“We won’t have an ecosystem for PCs, and one for phones and one for tablets,” Lees said.

Microsoft’s Steve Guggenheimer, showing an unnamed Samsung mobile phone, in a speech that was streamed online

To that end, Steve Guggenheimer, Microsoft corporate vice president in the original equipment manufacturer division, showed off a handful of devices that will be hitting the market in the coming months that fit into that ecosystem. He quickly showed off phones from Acer, Fujitsu, and ZTE running the version of the Windows Phone operating system, codenamed Mango, due this fall. Guggenheimer also pulled a soon-to-be-released Samsung device from his pocket showing the unnamed model, he said, for the first time. He didn’t offer any other details about the device.
“It’s very thin and it’s light,” Guggenheimer said. “And that’s the theme you’re going to see as the processors get better.”

He also highlighted a few slate computers running Windows, including the Asus B121 slate and Acer W500, which both have a Trusted Platform Module chip in it that for corporate users that want added security. And he showed a slim Sony Vaio Z laptop, designed to give Apple’s MacBook Air new competition.

“You give me any thin, lightweight laptop device, we’ll take it head-to-head,” Guggenheimer said. “You’ll see a lot of innovation in thin and light.”

Microsoft will open 75 new stores within 3 years

Microsoft plans to open 75 new Microsoft stores in the next two to three years, massive expansion of its retail outlets for a company that abandoned an earlier store strategy a decade ago.
The software giant’s chief operating officer, Kevin Turner, told the 15,000 attendees at Microsoft’s 2011 Worldwide Partner Conference in Los Angeles that the stores have given the company tremendous insight into consumers.







“It’s helping us transition from thinking about our customers to thinking like our customers,” Turner said today in a speech that was streamed online.

Microsoft’s Kevin Turner at the 2011 Microsoft Worldwide Partner Conference in Los Angeles.

A map of the locations show that many will be concentrated in the northeastern United States, California, and Florida. However, Turner said the company will begin to open stores outside the United States as well. Right now, there are 11 Microsoft stores open, all in the United States.
Of course, Microsoft is chasing Apple, which has more than 320 stores, including 86 abroad. Microsoft actually was once ahead of Apple on the retail front, opening its first retail store in 1999 at the Metreon shopping center in San Francisco. But Microsoft abandoned the effort, shutting the store a little more than two years later. After witnessing Apple’s retail success, Microsoft revived the store strategy in 2009.

Turner, the resident flame-thrower at Microsoft, spent much of his speech ridiculing rivals in a bid to motivate Microsoft’s partners. He started in early on Salesforce.com, which pioneered selling customer-relationship management software as a service, well before Microsoft ventured into the market. Now that Microsoft has a product in the market, Turner tweaked Salesforce Chief Executive Marc Benioff.

“We now have this humongous pacifier to stick in the mouth of Marc Benioff, and it’s called Dynamics CRM Online,” Turner said.
(After I posted a link to this story on Google+, Benioff replied to Turner’s comments by linking to Wikipedia’s definition for “phallic stage.”)
Turner went after Google, too, saying with more than a bit of hyperbole that the press wrote off Office as a business when the search giant began offering Google Apps, its online productivity suite. With the launch of Office 365 two weeks ago, Microsoft’s customers now have Web functionality with products previously tied to desktops and servers.

“Office 365 is nothing but a Google butt-kicker,” Turner said. “That’s all it is.”
Then, Turner alluded to Google’s transgressions with regard to customer privacy.
“Google is a company that has a mission statement to remind themselves not to be evil,” Turner said. “We don’t scan your e-mail. We’re not snooping your Wi-Fi.”
He laid into Oracle as well, criticizing the company’s pricing and attacking the company’s executives.

“Should our customers bet on Oracle? Let’s look at the cast of characters and you make the call,” Turner said as photos of Oracle Chief Executive Larry Ellison, President and Chief Financial Officer Safra Catz, and President Mark Hurd flashed on monitors around the arena to the amusement of attendees. “I don’t even know what to say.”

Microsoft will open 75 new stores within 3 years

Microsoft plans to open 75 new Microsoft stores in the next two to three years, massive expansion of its retail outlets for a company that abandoned an earlier store strategy a decade ago.
The software giant’s chief operating officer, Kevin Turner, told the 15,000 attendees at Microsoft’s 2011 Worldwide Partner Conference in Los Angeles that the stores have given the company tremendous insight into consumers.







“It’s helping us transition from thinking about our customers to thinking like our customers,” Turner said today in a speech that was streamed online.

Microsoft’s Kevin Turner at the 2011 Microsoft Worldwide Partner Conference in Los Angeles.

A map of the locations show that many will be concentrated in the northeastern United States, California, and Florida. However, Turner said the company will begin to open stores outside the United States as well. Right now, there are 11 Microsoft stores open, all in the United States.
Of course, Microsoft is chasing Apple, which has more than 320 stores, including 86 abroad. Microsoft actually was once ahead of Apple on the retail front, opening its first retail store in 1999 at the Metreon shopping center in San Francisco. But Microsoft abandoned the effort, shutting the store a little more than two years later. After witnessing Apple’s retail success, Microsoft revived the store strategy in 2009.

Turner, the resident flame-thrower at Microsoft, spent much of his speech ridiculing rivals in a bid to motivate Microsoft’s partners. He started in early on Salesforce.com, which pioneered selling customer-relationship management software as a service, well before Microsoft ventured into the market. Now that Microsoft has a product in the market, Turner tweaked Salesforce Chief Executive Marc Benioff.

“We now have this humongous pacifier to stick in the mouth of Marc Benioff, and it’s called Dynamics CRM Online,” Turner said.
(After I posted a link to this story on Google+, Benioff replied to Turner’s comments by linking to Wikipedia’s definition for “phallic stage.”)
Turner went after Google, too, saying with more than a bit of hyperbole that the press wrote off Office as a business when the search giant began offering Google Apps, its online productivity suite. With the launch of Office 365 two weeks ago, Microsoft’s customers now have Web functionality with products previously tied to desktops and servers.

“Office 365 is nothing but a Google butt-kicker,” Turner said. “That’s all it is.”
Then, Turner alluded to Google’s transgressions with regard to customer privacy.
“Google is a company that has a mission statement to remind themselves not to be evil,” Turner said. “We don’t scan your e-mail. We’re not snooping your Wi-Fi.”
He laid into Oracle as well, criticizing the company’s pricing and attacking the company’s executives.

“Should our customers bet on Oracle? Let’s look at the cast of characters and you make the call,” Turner said as photos of Oracle Chief Executive Larry Ellison, President and Chief Financial Officer Safra Catz, and President Mark Hurd flashed on monitors around the arena to the amusement of attendees. “I don’t even know what to say.”

Report reaffirms Apple will launch new MacBook Airs next week

A new report Thursday corroborates that Apple is expected to launch new MacBook Airs next week, featuring backlit keyboards and minimum 128GB solid-state hard drives.
 
Updated:
The report from All Things D corroborates numerous details that have been published elsewhere online over the last several days. It cites “several” anonymous sources as having indicated the notebooks will go on sale late next week.

“So look for an announcement Thursday or Friday, with the new hardware spec’ing out pretty much the way rumors in AppleInsider have described: New Sandy Bridge processors from Intel, support for Apple’s new high-speed Thunderbolt port, backlit keyboards and a winnowing down of configuration options to 128GB and 256GB of flash,” the revised report said.

It was AppleInsider that was first and only to report last week that Apple’s new MacBook Airs would have a backlit keyboard, replacing an omission from the 2010 model, and also that the hardware would debut sometime during the week of July 21. That’s next Thursday, when the latest report reaffirmed the new ultraportable notebooks could arrive.

In addition, it was first reported here on Thursday that the new notebooks could do away with the entry-level 64GB solid-state flash hard drive and offer 128GB as the lowest capacity. Those details were provided in a communication with Concord Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who also indicated the devices are expected come with 4GB of RAM as the standard.

In addition to the more recent rumors in the past week, reports have indicated for months that the new MacBook Air models will feature Intel’s latest generation Sandy Bridge processors, which first hit the market earlier this year. The new notebooks will also sport the high-speed Thunderbolt port that already appeared in Apple’s MacBook Pro and iMac lineups earlier this year.

Report reaffirms Apple will launch new MacBook Airs next week

A new report Thursday corroborates that Apple is expected to launch new MacBook Airs next week, featuring backlit keyboards and minimum 128GB solid-state hard drives.
 
Updated:
The report from All Things D corroborates numerous details that have been published elsewhere online over the last several days. It cites “several” anonymous sources as having indicated the notebooks will go on sale late next week.

“So look for an announcement Thursday or Friday, with the new hardware spec’ing out pretty much the way rumors in AppleInsider have described: New Sandy Bridge processors from Intel, support for Apple’s new high-speed Thunderbolt port, backlit keyboards and a winnowing down of configuration options to 128GB and 256GB of flash,” the revised report said.

It was AppleInsider that was first and only to report last week that Apple’s new MacBook Airs would have a backlit keyboard, replacing an omission from the 2010 model, and also that the hardware would debut sometime during the week of July 21. That’s next Thursday, when the latest report reaffirmed the new ultraportable notebooks could arrive.

In addition, it was first reported here on Thursday that the new notebooks could do away with the entry-level 64GB solid-state flash hard drive and offer 128GB as the lowest capacity. Those details were provided in a communication with Concord Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who also indicated the devices are expected come with 4GB of RAM as the standard.

In addition to the more recent rumors in the past week, reports have indicated for months that the new MacBook Air models will feature Intel’s latest generation Sandy Bridge processors, which first hit the market earlier this year. The new notebooks will also sport the high-speed Thunderbolt port that already appeared in Apple’s MacBook Pro and iMac lineups earlier this year.

IGN People’s Choice Awards at Gamescom

Gamescom is, of course, the world’s largest trade and consumer video games event, and runs from 17-21 August in Cologne, Germany.

IGN is proud to announce its largest ever gamer-voted award: the IGN People’s Choice Awards at Gamescom.

Voting will be open to you, our lovely readers, bringing you closer the event, and the quarter of a million people who will attend this year’s show.
More details will be on their way soon.

AMD Will Not Endorse SYSmark 2012 Benchmark

AMD (NYSE: AMD) today announced that it will not endorse the SYSmark 2012 Benchmark (SM2012), which is published by BAPCo (Business Applications Performance Corporation). Along with the withdrawal of support, AMD has resigned from the BAPCo organization.

“Technology is evolving at an incredible pace, and customers need clear and reliable measurements to understand the expected performance and value of their systems,” said Nigel Dessau, senior vice president and Chief Marketing Officer at AMD. “AMD does not believe SM2012 achieves this objective. Hence AMD cannot endorse or support SM2012 or remain part of the BAPCo consortium.”
AMD will only endorse benchmarks based on real-world computing models and software applications, and which provide useful and relevant information.

AMD believes benchmarks should be constructed to provide unbiased results and be transparent to customers making decisions based on those results. Currently, AMD is evaluating other benchmarking alternatives, including encouraging the creation of an industry consortium to establish an open benchmark to measure overall system performance.

AMD encourages anyone wanting more details about the construction and scoring methodology of the SM2012 benchmark to contact BAPCo. For more details on AMD’s decision to exit BAPCo, please read AMD’s Executive Blog authored by Nigel Dessau.

AMD Will Not Endorse SYSmark 2012 Benchmark

AMD (NYSE: AMD) today announced that it will not endorse the SYSmark 2012 Benchmark (SM2012), which is published by BAPCo (Business Applications Performance Corporation). Along with the withdrawal of support, AMD has resigned from the BAPCo organization.

“Technology is evolving at an incredible pace, and customers need clear and reliable measurements to understand the expected performance and value of their systems,” said Nigel Dessau, senior vice president and Chief Marketing Officer at AMD. “AMD does not believe SM2012 achieves this objective. Hence AMD cannot endorse or support SM2012 or remain part of the BAPCo consortium.”
AMD will only endorse benchmarks based on real-world computing models and software applications, and which provide useful and relevant information.

AMD believes benchmarks should be constructed to provide unbiased results and be transparent to customers making decisions based on those results. Currently, AMD is evaluating other benchmarking alternatives, including encouraging the creation of an industry consortium to establish an open benchmark to measure overall system performance.

AMD encourages anyone wanting more details about the construction and scoring methodology of the SM2012 benchmark to contact BAPCo. For more details on AMD’s decision to exit BAPCo, please read AMD’s Executive Blog authored by Nigel Dessau.

Google profits beat expectations

 

 

Internet giant Google has reported a large rise in profits and revenue, well ahead of market expectations.

Net profit for the three months to June rose 36% on the same period last year to $2.5bn (£1.5bn), while revenues rose 32% to $9bn.




Last month, Google launched its social networking site Google+, in an attempt to take on Facebook.
The results were the first under chief executive Larry Page, who replaced Eric Schmidt in April.
Mr Schmidt had held the role for 10 years. Analysts said the decision for Google co-founder Mr Page to take over was made because he now carries more weight with investors and could re-energise the search giant.

The results will help reassure investors that the company is still thriving under his leadership.
“We had a great quarter,” said Mr Page. “I’m super excited about the amazing response to Google+.”
‘Six-trick pony’ Shares in Google surged 11% in extended trading.
Jordan Rohan, an analyst at Stifel Nicolaus, said the results were “well beyond expectations from Wall Street”.

“Clearly, the combination of mobile search, Android, ad exchange, YouTube, and the core search businesses, they’re all doing well,” he said.
“Google is no longer a one-trick pony. You might say six-trick pony if you count Google+.”

AMD Sees 15 Percent Growth in Six Months on Newest List of TOP500 Supercomputers

AMD (NYSE: AMD) is prominently featured in the newest bi-annual TOP500 Supercomputers list, announced today at the International Supercomputing Conference 2011. AMD’s leadership in High Performance Computing (HPC) is demonstrated by double digit growth in the total number of systems on the TOP500 list that are based on AMD platforms. More than half of the 68 supercomputers based on AMD technology now feature the 8- and 12-core AMD Opteron™ 6100 Series processor. These systems demonstrate massive performance capability as measured by the LINPACK benchmark, while driving commerce and helping researchers investigate complex science problems.
“The introduction of the AMD Opteron processor coincided with the HPC industry’s shift to x86 and cluster-based architecture, away from expensive proprietary or RISC-based systems,” said Leslie Sobon, corporate vice president, product marketing, AMD. “AMD provided the server technology that helped drive the democratization of supercomputing and has shown steadfast leadership in helping HPC break performance boundaries. Our new 16-core processor codenamed “Interlagos” will add features specifically for HPC and offer the world’s highest core count for x86. In addition to CPUs, we are also now seeing adoption of our GPU technologies in HPC and believe this will be a significant area for further development.”

The Upcoming 16-Core “Interlagos” Processor

Based on the eagerly anticipated new “Bulldozer” core, AMD’s 16-core “Interlagos” processor, planned for launch in Q3 of 2011, will feature multiple new advancements for High Performance Computing, including new instructions for HPC applications, significant memory enhancements, and the new Flex FP for 256-bit floating point processing, an innovation that allows for significant overall processor power savings when the Flex FP is not fully utilized.

Key Aspects of the TOP500 List

• 14 global OEMs have achieved placements based on AMD technology including Acer, Appro, Clustervision/Supermicro, Cray, Dawning, Dell, Fujitsu, Hitachi, HP, IBM, Koi Computers, Megware, Oracle, and Penguin
• Commercial customers deploying AMD-based TOP500 systems include IT service providers, web content providers, and companies in financial services, technology distribution and consulting, and consumer electronics distribution
• Major global research organizations on the TOP500 are using AMD Opteron processor technology to study complex problems in the areas of weather prediction and climate change, computer science, biology and other life sciences, astronomy, physics, nuclear and alternative energy, among many others
• AMD’s TOP500 Supercomputing reach extends to 14 countries: Austria, Brazil, Canada, China, Finland, Germany, Japan, South Korea, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, the United Kingdom, and the United States
• Government installations heavily rely on AMD technology with TOP500 systems in use at the US Air Force Research Laboratory, Department of Defense Supercomputing Resource Center, Department of Energy, National Energy Research Scientific Computing, National Institute of Computational Science, National Nuclear Security Administration, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Naval Oceanographic Office, and the US Army Research Laboratory

AMD Sees 15 Percent Growth in Six Months on Newest List of TOP500 Supercomputers

AMD (NYSE: AMD) is prominently featured in the newest bi-annual TOP500 Supercomputers list, announced today at the International Supercomputing Conference 2011. AMD’s leadership in High Performance Computing (HPC) is demonstrated by double digit growth in the total number of systems on the TOP500 list that are based on AMD platforms. More than half of the 68 supercomputers based on AMD technology now feature the 8- and 12-core AMD Opteron™ 6100 Series processor. These systems demonstrate massive performance capability as measured by the LINPACK benchmark, while driving commerce and helping researchers investigate complex science problems.
“The introduction of the AMD Opteron processor coincided with the HPC industry’s shift to x86 and cluster-based architecture, away from expensive proprietary or RISC-based systems,” said Leslie Sobon, corporate vice president, product marketing, AMD. “AMD provided the server technology that helped drive the democratization of supercomputing and has shown steadfast leadership in helping HPC break performance boundaries. Our new 16-core processor codenamed “Interlagos” will add features specifically for HPC and offer the world’s highest core count for x86. In addition to CPUs, we are also now seeing adoption of our GPU technologies in HPC and believe this will be a significant area for further development.”

The Upcoming 16-Core “Interlagos” Processor

Based on the eagerly anticipated new “Bulldozer” core, AMD’s 16-core “Interlagos” processor, planned for launch in Q3 of 2011, will feature multiple new advancements for High Performance Computing, including new instructions for HPC applications, significant memory enhancements, and the new Flex FP for 256-bit floating point processing, an innovation that allows for significant overall processor power savings when the Flex FP is not fully utilized.

Key Aspects of the TOP500 List

• 14 global OEMs have achieved placements based on AMD technology including Acer, Appro, Clustervision/Supermicro, Cray, Dawning, Dell, Fujitsu, Hitachi, HP, IBM, Koi Computers, Megware, Oracle, and Penguin
• Commercial customers deploying AMD-based TOP500 systems include IT service providers, web content providers, and companies in financial services, technology distribution and consulting, and consumer electronics distribution
• Major global research organizations on the TOP500 are using AMD Opteron processor technology to study complex problems in the areas of weather prediction and climate change, computer science, biology and other life sciences, astronomy, physics, nuclear and alternative energy, among many others
• AMD’s TOP500 Supercomputing reach extends to 14 countries: Austria, Brazil, Canada, China, Finland, Germany, Japan, South Korea, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, the United Kingdom, and the United States
• Government installations heavily rely on AMD technology with TOP500 systems in use at the US Air Force Research Laboratory, Department of Defense Supercomputing Resource Center, Department of Energy, National Energy Research Scientific Computing, National Institute of Computational Science, National Nuclear Security Administration, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Naval Oceanographic Office, and the US Army Research Laboratory

AMD Second Quarter 2011 Results To Be Announced On July 21

AMD (NYSE: AMD) today announced that it will webcast its quarterly earnings conference call on Thursday, July 21, 2011 at 5:00 pm EDT/ 2:00 pm PDT to discuss the results of its fiscal second quarter ended July 2, 2011. All interested parties will have the opportunity to listen to the real-time audio webcast of the teleconference over the Internet through AMD’s Web site at http://quarterlyearnings.amd.com.
The webcast will be available for 10 days after the conference call.

AMD (NYSE: AMD) is a semiconductor design innovator leading the next era of vivid digital experiences with its ground-breaking AMD Fusion Accelerated Processing Units (APU). AMD’s graphics and computing technologies power a variety of solutions including PCs, game consoles and the servers that drive the Internet and businesses. For more information, visit http://www.amd.com.

AMD Second Quarter 2011 Results To Be Announced On July 21

AMD (NYSE: AMD) today announced that it will webcast its quarterly earnings conference call on Thursday, July 21, 2011 at 5:00 pm EDT/ 2:00 pm PDT to discuss the results of its fiscal second quarter ended July 2, 2011. All interested parties will have the opportunity to listen to the real-time audio webcast of the teleconference over the Internet through AMD’s Web site at http://quarterlyearnings.amd.com.
The webcast will be available for 10 days after the conference call.

AMD (NYSE: AMD) is a semiconductor design innovator leading the next era of vivid digital experiences with its ground-breaking AMD Fusion Accelerated Processing Units (APU). AMD’s graphics and computing technologies power a variety of solutions including PCs, game consoles and the servers that drive the Internet and businesses. For more information, visit http://www.amd.com.

Half-Life 3 or Episode Three?

Remember when Half-Life came out in 1998 and it was one of the best first-person shooters ever made? Remember when the same thing happened in 2004 when Half-Life 2 came out? And in 2007 with Half-Life 2: Episode Two? Not too many franchises out there boast such preposterous standards of quality. Few can hope to be as memorable. None have induced such acute anxiety in their fan bases.

Over the years, Valve’s developed a reputation for announcing slippery release dates. Portal 2 was supposed to be out for the holidays in 2010. Then pushed to 2011. Then February 9th, 2011. Then April 18th. Then we played it and it was amazing, so the delays didn’t really matter. With Half-Life, it’s been a different story. As in, Portal 2 shipped, and the next Half-Life still hasn’t.
It’s not that Valve hates working. There have been significant Team Fortress 2 updates alongside Dota 2′s development. The entire Left 4 Dead franchise launched and updated after Episode Two’s release. Yet still nothing about Episode Three. According to what Valve founder Gabe Newell said back in 2006, the episodic release strategy would allow Valve to more quickly deliver Half-Life games. As we all know, almost six years later, that hasn’t exactly held true.


At least back then, Newell was committed to the episodic format. “There are three [episodes] in this arc. There are three that are worked out, and those are the ones that we’ve been talking about so far,” he told Eurogamer. But now, considering how silent Valve’s been on the topic of Gordon Freeman’s future, anything could be happening. Thanks in no small part to the success of Steam, Valve’s bigger than ever, so it’s not as easy to blame a lack of manpower. While we wait, here are a few possibilities for what might be next for Half-Life.

Maybe we all just need to shut up and wait. Valve is a busy company. The Team Fortress 2 support and updates have been outstanding, an industry standard for a multiplayer shooter. The Left 4 Dead series offers some of the best co-operative gameplay ever designed. Portal 2 is near the top of our list of best modern games. Valve doesn’t want to be known as just the house of Half-Life.

On the other hand, Valve wouldn’t exist as it does today without Half-Life. There has to be some significant reason we haven’t heard anything about Episode Three. Maybe now that Dota 2 is the only game on Valve’s release calendar, it’s finally time for some real Half-Life news.

The game will still pick up after Episode Two’s dramatic cliffhanger, but now it’ll just be called Half-Life 3, and it’ll be a longer game. No sense dragging out the whole episodic format now that economy-sized chunks of DLC are the standard. As much as Valve wanted to reframe the Half-Life 2 expansions as “Episodes,” Episode Two felt very much like an old-school expansion pack. You know, that additional content format from the dark, dangerous days of PC gaming. 4:3 monitors. Voodoo3 cards. Throne of Bhaal. Chaos.


It would make sense if the Half-Life information blackout is because a whole bunch of employees are busy working on a new engine. Let’s call it Source 2 because I lack imagination. Developing something like this could take a very long time, especially if Valve is trying to drop the world’s jaw when the next Half-Life is revealed.

But then again, Gabe Newell told Develop that Valve was content to continuously upgrade the existing Source Engine instead of build something new. That’s a sensible thing to say. It means when Valve announces Half-Life 3 running on Source 2, it’ll be even more of a surprise.
At this point it’s difficult to imagine anything but a multiplatform release. The Orange Box was released on multiple platforms. Portal 2 is multiplatform. Valve even put a modified version of Steam on PlayStation 3. Though Team Fortress 2 didn’t exactly work out on consoles, a single-player experience like Half-Life always will.

Considering the span of time between now and Episode Two, Half-Life 3 / Episode Three may already be done. While Half-Life 3 will very likely be a multiplatform release, that doesn’t mean it can’t come out on PC first. What better way for Valve to promote its digital download service?
Taking this idea a step further is GameSpy editor Ryan Scott, who suggests that when Valve finally announces Half-Life 3 (this scenario precludes Episode Three), it will hit Steam mere weeks (if not days) later. Console versions will follow at some point, but the mouse-and-keyboard crowd will get first access. It’s not as though Valve really needs to advertise for Half-Life anyway; the community takes care of that, and would certainly support Half-Life 3′s release with viral YouTube videos and constant chatter across social networks.

Valve sees a lot of money in multiplayer experiences, so it’s likely the next Half-Life could be paired with one. Half-Life 2: Deathmatch was never much more than a goofy diversion. If the next Half-Life is to have a multiplayer component it could, a little more plausibly, at long last be Counter-Strike 2. Leveraging the experience Valve’s had overseeing Counter-Strike Online outside of North America, Counter-Strike 2 would serve as another Valve entry in the free-to-play microtransaction market. In this scenario, Half-Life 3 could also be free, or at least severely discounted on PC, leaving the microtransaction bit to generate profit. It might help explain why it’s been so very long since Valve has said anything about what’s happening with Half-Life – because the studio isn’t just working on one all-new game on new technology, but two.

I’ve reached out for a comment. If I get one, I’ll update this answer field.
Maybe the next Half-Life won’t be a single-player game at all. Maybe Valve is completely changing the format and making it a multiplayer experience where you can fight alongside Gordon, Alyx and resistance fighters or as the Combine soldiers. Considering Valve’s commitment to microtransactions seen in everything from the now free-to-play Team Fortress 2 to the overpriced robot accessories in Portal 2, it’s very, very, very, very remotely possible something like this might find its way into Half-Life.

If it did, though, I would expect purists to completely lose their minds. I know I’d freak out. Half-Life has never been about any of this, and it would be extremely surprising if the studio moved in this direction. It’s always been about Gordon, the silent hero, overcoming impossible odds to plant crowbars in the foreheads of all that want to nefariously warp the world. And occasionally hopping across irritating terrain on Xen.
What do you think? Are you still itching to see what’s next for Gordon Freeman? Do you have your own theories about what’s going on?

AMD Launches AMD Radeon™ HD 6990M

AMD (NYSE: AMD) today launched the AMD Radeon™ HD 6990M GPU – the world’s fastest single mobile graphics processor – an uncompromising GPU that delivers massive computing power to mobile users.  The AMD Radeon HD 6990M GPU was measured to be up to 25% faster than any other announced notebook enthusiast GPU¹. 
Furthermore, hardcore gamers can experience additional gaming performance through AMD CrossFireX™ technology.

Ultra-fast performance and portability is imperative for enthusiast mobile gamers who crave technology that helps deliver an incredible gaming experience with the latest graphic-intensive titles. With the arrival of the AMD Radeon 6990M GPU and the recently launched AMD A-Series Accelerated Processors (APU), AMD is pushing graphics capabilities to the limits for a wide range of notebook form factors and price points while enhancing the experience through technologies like AMD CrossFireX™ and Dual Graphics^2,3 (using a combination of AMD Radeon GPUs or an AMD Radeon™GPU and an AMD APU). AMD CrossFireX technology combines the output of two GPUs that helps deliver increased performance allowing gamers to immediately notice higher resolutions and greater image quality. With two AMD Radeon HD 6990M GPUs and AMD CrossFireX technology enabled, the notebook gamer can appreciate exceptional performance scaling in their favorite games.


“There’s always been a belief that when it comes to mobile computing you need to make performance compromises. Today AMD demolishes that myth,” said Matt Skynner, corporate vice president and general manager, GPU division, AMD.  “The AMD Radeon HD 6990M GPU, which not only packs AMD Eyefinity technology with unprecedented specs, also provides full Microsoft DirectX® 11 and Stereo 3D support. Bottom line, this processor is epic and it’s here – now.”
The AMD Radeon HD 6990M also represents a significant upgrade from AMD’s current gaming notebook graphics solution, the AMD Radeon HD 6970M, raising the bar from both a performance and image quality perspective.  With support for DirectX® 11, users can expect ultra-fast frame rates and superior image quality, which gives gamers every advantage their desktop computers once enjoyed exclusively.  With AMD Eyefinity technology users can immerse themselves in an ultra-rich environment that supports up to six displays.⁴ The AMD Radeon HD 6990M graphics processor also delivers AMD App Acceleration technology⁵, which uses the power of the GPU to improve video playback, streaming and faster web browsing with Internet Explorer 9 and Mozilla Firefox.  AMD HD3D technology⁶ ensures mobile users aren’t just watching videos or viewing pictures — rather they become immersed in a truly stereoscopic 3D environment backed by an open ecosystem with supporting software and hardware.

“At its core, the Alienware brand is about pushing the limits and finding new extremes in gaming performance,” said Arthur Lewis, Vice President and General Manager for Alienware. “By offering two AMD Radeon HD 6990M graphics processors in our flagship M18x laptop, Alienware and AMD have come together to provide gamers the ultimate mobile experience.”
As the PC gaming technology leader, AMD is dedicated to delivering the fastest technology and industry support needed to help create the best possible gaming experience on the PC. Whether it’s driving up frame rates, extending quality settings or pushing clock speeds⁷, the AMD Radeon HD 6990M GPU is the ideal notebook for hardcore gamers looking to run the industry’s most demanding DirectX 11 games such as Dragon Age 2, DiRT 3 and Shogun 2.

“We’re excited by the new AMD Radeon HD 6990M GPU for enthusiast Clevo notebook users, specially implemented in our X7200/P170HM/P150HM gaming product lines,” said Stephen Chien, Sales and Marketing Vice President, Clevo. “With 2GB GDDR5 memory along with 1.6 teraFlops of raw compute power and 1120 stream processing units, those notebook users will reign supreme. The AMD Radeon HD 6990M will help users achieve intense effects and blazing fast frame rates for outstanding performance.”

“Eurocom high performance notebooks offer exceptional performance with the addition of AMD Radeon HD 6990M graphics,” said Mark Bialic, President, Eurocom.  “Our customers can expect record breaking gaming with unmatched realism and blistering speeds in all Eurocom systems powered by AMD Radeon HD 6990M in both single and AMD CrossFireX configurations!”