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Chinese System-Maker Markets Bejeweled Rigs

Andy Salisbury — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 18:54:03 -0600

Ms. Hilton! I must say, it is a pleasure to know that you’re a reader of our fine publication. Today we’ve got a wonderful story just for you, and it’ s all about an exceptional machine that will match perfectly with your comically undersized dog of the week.

China’s very own Eazo is offering a jeweled up PC that will come in many different colors, depending on what your desk is looking. Just make sure that you don’t throw off your feng shui!

The Eazo F20-SE Xing Crystal packs an Intel Core 2 Quad Q9450 processor and a Western Digital Green Power 1 TB HDD for storing all those important documents. So far though, there’s no word on how much memory is installed or what kind of graphics processing is available.

And while you’re looking at just how attractive this PC will look next to the pictures of your family, fifth car, and private jet pull out your wallet. This little beast will run you a fresh $70,000 for the top end model.

Image Credit: Tom's Hardware

Got 2 Grand? AMD Shanghai Chips Begin Appearing at Online Resellers

Andy Salisbury — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 16:28:32 -0500

Race fans, fire up your wallets! AMD’s first 45nm chip, the Shanghai quad-core has finally made its appearance at online resellers.

These bad boys aren’t cheap, either. The quad-core 2.7GHz chip will run potential buyers $2,499 over at PC Connection and $2,240 (for the chip without any fan) over at Buy.com. And these prices are pretty standard all the way across the board.

Admittedly, expectations might be low for these chips considering the debacle caused by the massive delays of Barcelona due to the production issues. Still, AMD’s hopes remain high. Shanghai is currently in full production, and supposed to have a 20 percent performance boost over Barcelona. There have also been confirmations from the likes of Sun Microsystems for plans to offer the chip in current x64 platforms that are running Barcelona by as early as Q1 2009.

While these chips do offer surprisingly low power consumption for a quad core chip (only 75 watts) and some burly clock speeds, the prices are pretty difficult to swallow. Although, to be fair, they’re meant for servers… or badasses.

Image Credit: Chip-Architect.com

Daily News Brief: Meet the $750K Desktop!

Wed, 30 Jan 2008 19:40:34 -0600

The Three-Quarter-of-a-Million Dollar Desktop PC

Pack your PC with four 8800 Ultra videocards, an Intel QX9650 quad-core processor, four Raptors in a RAID0 array, the largest LCD panel you can find, and even dip the chassis in gold a la VoodooPC and you still won't approach the price tag of a Jupiter PC from manufacturer Zeus. For just shy of $750,000 USD, Jupiter's internal specs bely the exorbitant cost: Intel E6850, 2GB DDR2-667, 1TB hard drive, 8400GS, and a Blu-ray optical. But it's the solid platinum case adorned with diamonds that propel the budget rig into an anything-but-budget pricing tier. If you can't justify the cost, consider the gold model instead, which will only set you back about $560,000.

Verizon Faces Class Action Suit

Miffed over early termination fees, Scott Bursor, on behalf of over 70 million Verizon Wireless subscribers, has brought forth a class action lawsuit against the No. 2 mobile phone carrier. The suit appears to rank as the largest ever of its kind, and could potentially cost Verizon nearly $1 billion in payouts. Insert 'Can you hear me now' joke here.

Hilton Hotels Has New Training Tool

It may not sport rocket launchers or a team deathmatch option, but Hilton Hotel employees will soon choose between housekeeping, food service, engineering/maintenance, and reception classes. It's all part of Ultimate Team Play, a new training simulation built around Epic Games' Unreal Engine 3 technology. Hilton's Garden Inn line will task employees with virtual guest situations while keeping track of the hotel's SALT (Satisfaction and Loyalty Tracking) score. Beta testing will see a limited run in select Garden Inns, with a full interactive game version planned for a January 2009 release at all locations.

Stephen Chao: Back from Exile

Once on the verge of becoming president of Fox Television Stations, Stephen Chao, who helped created America's Most Wanted and Cops, received a pink slip instead. Turns out corporate heads weren't as amused with Chao's antics, which included hiring a male stripper at a company meeting and, according to reports, almost drowning his boss's dog. But the former UFO chaser is back with the formation of a new site, WonderHowTo.com, dedicated to how-to videos. As you might expect, videos will run the gamut from ho-hum to oddball submissions.

Cable Rupture Causes Internet Outtages in Middle East

Several Middle Eastern nations found their internet disrupted after an undersea cable in the Mediterranean was cut. One of the ISPs, DU, attributed the fault to "two international cable systems" but did not provide any further details, and it's still not clear what caused the damage. Egypt, which suffered partial disruption to both its internet services and other telecommunications, has been trying to reroute traffic through satellite connections. More details here.

Hot Coffee Costs $35

That's how much offended buyers of Rockstar Games' Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas stand to receive as part of a class action settlement. The settlement puts to rest a long- standing complaint over the Hot Coffee mod, which unlocked simulated sex scenes in a game that tasks users with burying construction workers alive under concrete, and killing a valet driver to steal his uniform in order to complete a mission. But if you found the prospect of unlockable, pixelated sex too disturbing, you can file a claim online. Eligibility requirements apply.