When Windows Vista first hit the scene, it was quite a departure from Windows XP. It had been a while since a major desktop operating system release from Microsoft, and consumers along with many businesses, were slow to adopt. Add to that the new and sometimes cumbersome security features, plus reports that Vista was slower as a gaming platform, and you had an equation for low initial adoption. Even as service pack 1 was released adoption was still less than stellar, prompting Microsoft to launch new marketing

Intel published a new price list on Sunday that reflects large decreases on certain processors including a 40% decrease in price for the Top-end Core 2 Quad Q9650 (12M L2, 3.0GHz, 1333 MHz FSB 45nm) down from December 1,000 unit tray wholesale pricing of $530 to $316.   Although the rumor mill may relate the change in Quad Core prices to the debut of the AMD Phenon II, more than likely it is due in part to Intels release of the Core I7 processor line. It has been Intels historical practice to decrease pricing

Today, we will be firing up our new Intel Core i7 test system and putting several enthusiast CPU coolers through the paces. Join us as we see how coolers from Asus, Cooler Master, Intel, Noctua, Thermalright, and Vigor Gaming stack up to one another.

Comcast, Comcast, Comcast. You can’t seem to satisfy the FCC, no matter what you do. While Comcast has just switched to a new protocol-agnostic network management scheme, the FCC has some new questions for the company: namely, why its new policy affects the VOIP services of other companies, but not Comcast’s own Digital Voice service. Last year FCC objected to Comcast’s prior network management policy, which punished specific protocols (such as BitTorrent). Their new policy de-prioritizes a user’s connection

Video:Matrox TripleHead2Go Digital @ techPowerUpHIS ATI Radeon HD 4870 1GB IceQ4+ Turbo @ bit-techLeadtek GeForce GTX 285 1024 MB @ techPowerUpMSI Radeon HD 4670 review at Ultimate HardwareZOTAC GeForce GTX285 and GeForce GTX295 Video Card Review @ FuturelooksMotherboards and Chipsets:Gigabyte EX58-UD5 motherboard @ NeoseekerASUS Rampage Extreme @ t-breakMemory and Storage:Running 12GB of DDR3 Triple Channel Memory on Intel Core i7 Platforms @ Legit ReviewsOCZ SLI-Ready DDR3-2000 2GB Dual Channel Memory Kit

Those who desperately need to watch tomorrow’s inauguration on their iPhone are in luck. Just in the nick of time, Apple’s App Store approved the Ustream iPhone Viewing Application.  It’s only available in WiFi “to ensure the highest quality broadcast on the iPhone.” That may change in the future, the company says.Of course, it’s not only for watching the 44th president take the oath of office. iPhone users will be able to “watch and chat with any Ustream show” via their phone. You can download it here. 

The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) has released its report on Digital Music 2009. According to the report (.PDF). It concludes that despite initiatives by the music industry, 95% of music downloads continue to be illegal. Yes, the IFPI, or as it’s known, the global version of the RIAA, says that 40 billion songs were illegally downloaded in 2008, and the report goes on to state that:The debate has a huge way to go, but the campaign for ISPs to act as proper partners in helping protect

After some angry Barracuda owners expressed their dissents over failing disk drives, Seagate is fessing up to the issue, and is now admitting to a firmware bug in Barracuda 7200.11, DiamondMax 22, and Barracuda ES.2 SATA drives that could make the disks inaccessible when the host system is powered on. According to some users, the drives tend to freeze for about 30 seconds during I/O transfers of streaming video or when reading or writing files at low speeds. According to the Seagate Knowledgebase, once a drive

Acer Introduces Sleek 23-Inch Display with Sensor Touch; Enhances Desktop LineNew Display Features 16:9 Aspect Ratio, Glossy Bezel and Speakers; Desktops Range from a Pentium-Powered Small Form Factor to Radical Gaming RigSAN JOSE, CALIF., Jan. 19, 2009 – Acer, the third largest vendor in the PC market, today announced the slick new Acer 23-inch widescreen display and Acer Aspire desktop PC line-up for customers in the United States.  The Aspire desktops range from several compact models to an aggressively

Thermaltake Toughpower 1000W Review @ OCC and other reviews from around the web can be found by visiting our forums!

“The Thermaltake Toughpower 1000W meets the requirements of the claimed 80 Plus certification on 110VAC and 230VAC (PF>0.9 & Efficiency>80%). Actual measurements once again show the PF to be best at 110VAC and efficiency at 230VAC. Maximum efficiency of 85% is an excellent result and puts this power supply up with the best.”