Apple getting 'defensive' with 128GB iPad, says analyst

With its new pricey fourth-generation iPad 4, Apple has one eye on Windows 8 hybrids, a Citibank analyst said today.

"At $799, this latest iPad [model is] priced above the average selling price of a laptop ($703), bringing the two squarely into the same wallet discussion," Glen Yeung of Citibank said in a research note.

Yeung continued: "Given what we estimate to be a 3-quarter slide in 10" iPad unit sales, we can't help but detect a defensive element to Apple's latest iPad [model]."

That defensiveness is rooted in "trying to head off the onslaught of Haswell-based Ultrabooks and hybrids targeted for 2H13 release," he added, referring to laptop-tablet hybrids based on Intel's upcoming power-efficient Haswell chip due in the second half of this year.

Related stories

• Apple iPad jumps to 128GB, starting at $799
• Apple's 128GB iPad: Here's how much the bump really costs

Microsoft's Surface Pro will be a prominent member of that group of hybrids. The 128GB model -- which is offered with a keyboard cover -- will be priced at $999 and pack laptop-like performance.

The initial version will be available on February 9, but Microsoft is undoubtedly planning a future Haswell-based Surface.

Haswell is expected to engender a number of "detachable" designs -- which separate from the base to become a standalone tablet.

Current examples of detachables include Hewlett-Packard's Envy x2, Samsung's ATIV Smart PC 500T Tablet, Asus' VivoTab, and Acer's Iconia W510.

Surface Pro. Is Apple worried about the crush of Windows 8 hybrid designs coming later in the year?

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Most Anticipated PC Games of 2013

It's an exciting year for gamers -- not just because the industry has whipped up an appetizing menu of fresh releases, but because we're approaching the next console generation, which will inevitably come with interesting new software projects, and many of them are bound to hit PC. Assuming Microsoft and/or Sony ship their updated hardware by the holidays, we could see some major launch titles shown at E3 in June, which might render our collection of 35 games (and 10 bonus mentions we're lukewarm about) incomplete.

And with that, we need to smack you with this obvious disclaimer: many interesting upcoming titles were excluded from our list, which is admittedly subjective and impossible to complete without adding everything due in 2013, but that would totally defeat the purpose of a "most anticipated" compilation. As always, you're more than welcome (encouraged, even) to hit the comments and tell us what we've missed and why you think it's important -- just make sure it's a PC game coming out in 2013 or be ready to take your lumps.

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AMD's upcoming 'Richland' APU clock speeds detailed

With AMD's successor to Trinity already shipping to computer makers we’ve been hearing more and more details about the upcoming parts. Last week, Chinese website Expreview revealed the initial lineup for Richland on the desktop, and now VR-Zone is complementing that with the actual clock speeds for each model.

As previously reported, Richland APUs are essentially a tweaked version of Trinity, built using the same 32nm process and "Piledriver" CPU micro-architecture, but featuring higher clock speeds and tweaked graphics -- branded as 8000-series but they’re actually based on the same Radeon HD 6000-series foundation as Trinity’s.

If the published specifications are accurate, we’ll be seeing a 300MHz boost in base clock speed across the entire range, as well as 200-400MHz higher Turbo speeds over equivalent Trinity APUs and only a modest 37-84MHz bump in GPU frequencies. Despite this AMD has managed to maintain the same 65W and 100W TDPs present on Trinity. The initial lineup will consist of four quad core models and a couple of dual core chips.

Leading the pack is the A10-6800K featuring four cores clocked at 4.1GHz (4.4GHz Turbo), built in Radeon HD 8670D mobile graphics clocked at 844MHz and a 100W TDP. Next up the quad core A8-6600K maintains the 100W power rating and unlocked design but offers lower clock speeds at 3.9GHz (4.2GHz Turbo) while stepping down to Radeon HD 8570D integrated graphics. A couple of 65W quad-core variants will be available as the A10-6700 and A8-6500, equipped with HD 8670D and HD 8570D IGPs respectively, but featuring slightly lower clock speeds to keep power consumption down and locked ‘non-K’ designs.

Lastly, a couple of dual core APUs with 65W TDPs will be available in the form of the unlocked A6-6400K with HD 8470D integrated graphics and the A4-6300 featuring HD 8430D integrated graphics.

The new chips should hit the market in Q2 2013 and will be replaced later this year with the 28nm Kaveri APU.

Model	Cores	Threads	Base frequency	Turbo	L2 cache	GPU	GPU frequency	TDP
A10-6800K	4	4	4.1GHz	4.4GHz	4MB	HD 8670D	844MHz	100W
A10-6700	4	4	3.7GHz	4.3GHz	4MB	HD 8670D	844MHz	65W
A8-6600K	4	4	3.9GHz	4.2GHz	4MB	HD 8570D	844MHz	100W
A8-6500	4	4	3.5GHz	4.1GHz	4MB	HD 8570D	800MHz	65W
A6-6400K	2	2	3.9GHz	4.1GHz	1MB	HD 8470D	800MHz	65W
A4-6300	2	2	3.7GHz	3.9GHz	1MB	HD 8370D	760MHz	65W

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Office 2013 and Office 365 now available, subscriptions start at $9.99

Microsoft Office 2013 and Office 365 are now available for purchase in retail stores in 162 different countries as well as online at Office.com. Redmond is making a bold decision by moving to a subscription model with Office 365 but with such a heavy focus on cloud computing as of late, Microsoft clearly feels that now is as good a time as any to further explore the emerging market.

Those electing to use the subscription model will pay $99.99 per year for access to Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote, Outlook, Publisher and Access. This bundle allows the user to install the software on five different systems - Mac and PC are both supported – and there’s even a web portal that allows you to work from a computer that doesn’t have the software installed.

The subscription also includes 20GB of SkyDrive storage and 60 minutes of Skype calls per month. The same deal can be had for $9.99 per month if the idea of an annual subscription doesn’t appeal to you.

There’s also the traditional one-time purchase version for $139.99 known as Office Home and Student 2013. This watered down version includes Word, Excel, PowerPoint and OneNote and can only be installed on a single computer. SkyDrive access isn’t included either so you’ll have to resort to tried and true tactics if you want to take your files with you.

Another big difference between this release and previous Office products is that retail versions in large markets like the US and the UK won’t include a physical DVD. Instead, Microsoft is simply putting product codes inside familiar retail boxes that require users to go online and download / activate the software.

At the end of the day, you’ll likely want to ask yourself a number of questions before deciding on which route is best for you. How many computers do you plan to install Office on? Which components are you likely to use? Does SkyDrive access appeal to you? How do you feel about paying $100 each year for the foreseeable future?

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MSI GX60 Gaming Notebook Review

Some time ago I had the opportunity to look at Maingear’s Titan 17 notebook, a system described as a high performance desktop replacement by the boutique PC builder. The portable certainly lived up to the hype as it decimated every benchmark we threw at it, chewing through games on its way to earning the title of the most powerful notebook we had ever reviewed.

The harsh reality, however, is that most people can’t afford to spend a few thousand on a notebook computer, even if it's on a solid gaming machine that doubles as a desktop replacement. To that end, today we'll be checking out a portable from MSI that aims to deliver a similarly solid gaming experience without breaking the bank.

The MSI GX60 is the latest entry in the company's Gaming Series of notebooks. The unit we tested arrived with a quad-core AMD A10-4600M CPU clocked at 2.3GHz alongside AMD Radeon HD 7970M discrete graphics with 2GB of GDDR5 memory, a 15.6-inch non-glare display operating at 1920x1080, 8GB of DDR3 memory in a 4GBx2 configuration, 128GB of flash storage used as the OS drive and a 750GB 7200RPM disk drive for storage.

MSI GX60 - $1,199 - 1,420(w/wo SSD)

• 15.6" 1920x1080 matte display
• AMD A10 Processor (2.3 GHz)
• AMD Radeon HD 7970M, 2GB discrete
• 8GB of DDR3 RAM
• 128GB SSD, 750GB HDD (7200RPM)
• Blu-ray drive
• 1 x HDMI, 1 x Mini-DisplayPort, 1 x VGA
• SD/MMC card reader (left)
• 4 Audio jacks (right)
• 3 USB 3.0, 1 USB 2.0
• Killer NIC 802.11b/g/n, Bluetooth
• 1.3-megapixel (1280x1024) webcam
• Steelseries keyboard
• 15.6 x 10.5 x 2.2 inches, 7.7 pounds

It doesn’t stop there, however, as MSI has implemented a couple of gamer-specific features designed to boost the system’s overall appeal. It starts with an upgraded keyboard provided by SteelSeries that’s said to offer a number of benefits such as simultaneous multi-key presses and a secure tactical feel. MSI even includes a wired gaming mouse as part of the package.

The GX60 also represents the first time that MSI has incorporated Killer Intelligent Networking (aka Killer NIC) into a notebook, specifically the E2200 platform. According to Killer, the solution is able to automatically detect and accelerate game traffic ahead of other network traffic for smoother, stutter-free in-game performance which could lead to a competitive edge.

When first looking at the GX60, it’s immediately clear that this system will never be mistaken for an Ultrabook. Simply put, at 15.6 x 10.5 x 2.2 inches and weighing in at 7.7 pounds, it’s pretty hefty. It’s not as massive as the aforementioned Titan 17, but in today’s market, a 7.7-pound computer is heavy.

Having said that, the GX60 is more aesthetically pleasing than other barebones gaming systems we've seen. The outer lid is mostly glossy with a raised design in the middle that terminates at the MSI logo. The right edge of the system is home to four audio jacks, a USB 2.0 port and a Blu-ray drive. Around back is a locking slot, the power jack, Ethernet jack, VGA connector, DisplayPort connection and an HDMI connector. It’s worth pointing out that the trio of video outputs support AMD Eyefinity Multi-Display Technology, allowing you to output to three displays simultaneously. On the left side of the GX60 are three USB 3.0 ports and a card reader.

Opening the lid reveals a spacious keyboard deck complete with number pad. Above the matte screen is the prototypical 720p HD webcam and microphone. The bezel surrounding the display is pretty thick but it seems to blend in well enough with the overall theme of the notebook.

 

Stereo speakers flank the power button and various touch-sensitive controls that lie just above the keyboard. We’re also told that the system includes a subwoofer although it isn’t readily visible. One of the more interesting buttons here is the ability to manually control the system’s cooling fan – simply touch the icon and the internal fans come to life. This is the first time I’ve seen such a feature on a notebook of any kind. Other touch buttons allow you to control the system’s wireless connection, eject the optical tray and shut down the computer’s display.

MSI says the SteelSeries keyboard is more rigid than the typical notebook board. I’d somewhat agree with this although it’s not perfectly rigid by any stretch of the imagination. I noticed there is no Windows key to the left side of the spacebar like normal, I imagine to save space and fit the numpad cleanly. I didn’t find anything to complain about with the SteelSeries board.

The touchpad is off-centered to the left because of the numpad, but still centered in respect to the actual keyboard like usual. The touchpad is recessed and features a separate one-piece button for the left and right click functions. There isn’t a ton of surface area with this touchpad but odds are, serious gamers will use a mouse when playing anyway. Five LED indicators adorn the bottom of the touchpad, giving status updates to things like hard drive activity and battery life.

The wrist rest and surrounding area look to be built of a brushed aluminum, while the keyboard deck uses a contrasting glossy black plastic that matches the upper half of the system near the speakers. The majority of the screen bezel is also glossy in nature which will no doubt attract fingerprints over time.

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UPnP flaws place millions of networks in danger

Several security vulnerabilities found within common UPnP implementations have prompted experts at Rapid 7 torecommend the public disable UPnP entirely. Research spanning several months in 2012 revealed that over 2 percent -- or about 50 million -- of all IPv4 accessible networks suffer from one of just three flaws outlined in the paper(there are eight flaws in total). These vulnerabilities enable hackers to remotely access networks or even execute code. In fact, one remote code execution bug affects 23 million networks and can be triggered by the transmission of a single UDP packet.

UPnP is a zero-config technology that allows software and devices to automagically trigger the opening and forwarding of ports on managed network equipment (e.g. gateway, router, commercial switches). At home, UPnP is particularly useful for game servers, file sharing and P2P applications -- essentially any service that depends on incoming connections but doesn't utilize a mediation server. Without UPnP, users must manually configure port forwarding and IP address assignment via their router and firewall administration utilities.

According to security researchers, 81 million unique IPv4 addresses responded to remote UPnP discovery requests. Of those 81 million, about 20 percent allowed SOAP access -- an unsettling result when you consider this allowance can permit hackers remote access to networked devices behind a router. Possible exploits include stack overflows, remote code execution and unauthorized access to network management interfaces and even the networks themselves.

Portable UPnP, one of the four major UPnP libraries affected, released a patch today which resolves these troublesome exploits. However, it's up to equipment vendors (e.g. D-Link, Linksys etc..) to incorporate such security fixes into their firmware and distribute it to their users. For this reason, many devices that are no longer supported will remain unprotected indefinitely.

Not sure if your equipment is affected by one of the flaws? Rapid7 is offering a free utility to verify the safety of your network's UPnP implementation. There have been numerous complaints about downloading, installing and running this scanner though: your mileage may vary until they get the bugs worked out. If you're unsure or don't want to take any chances, disabling UPnP is probably the way to go.

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AMD chief says company will return to profitability later this year

AMD held a conference call following yesterday’s earning results in order to clear up any misunderstandings and field questions from analysts and investors. According to reports, CEO Rory Read outlined AMD’s three-phase restructuring plan with the goal of returning to profitability by the second half of this year.

Read said the turnaround is expected to take several quarter and involves a complete restructuring of how the company runs its business. Furthermore, AMD plans to deliver a new set of powerful products this year and will begin transitioning the company to take advantage of high-growth opportunities in other markets where their intellectual property could provide others with a competitive advantage.

Those other markets include things like servers, custom silicon, the embedded space and ultra-low-power products like gaming consoles. Read told investors that AMD has already scored solid design wins for semi-custom APUs and embedded products and that we can expect to see products using those designs later this year. AMD hopes to collect 20 percent of their revenue from these alternate markets by the end of 2013.

The executive also touched on spending cuts related to the company’s research and development efforts. Industry watchers have been concerned that AMD is cutting this segment too deep but as Read noted, they are taking expense management steps at all levels of the business. He said the cuts to R&D are designed to help improve efficiency and productivity by doing things like reusing intellectual property and utilizing fewer process technologies.

If you missed yesterday’s earnings report, AMD posted an operating loss of $422 million and a net loss of $473 million for the fourth quarter when factoring in charges related to ending their wafer supply agreement with Globalfoundries.

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Nintendo president reveals new Mario, Zelda titles headed to Wii U

Since launching in October 2012, the Nintendo Wii U’s gaming catalog has only seen a handful of new games and even fewer big name titles. Nintendo President Satoru Iwata aimed to change that earlier today as he unveiled a series of new titles in the works featuring some of the company’s biggest franchises.

Iwata’s remarks came during one of the company’s regular Nintendo Direct Webcasts. In it, the executive promised two new Mario titles in addition to the 2D side-scrolling New Super Mario Bros Wii U that’s already available.

One will be a new 3D Mario game in the style of Super Mario Bros. 3D while the second will be a Mario Kart racing title. We expect to see both games on display at the Electronic Entertainment Expo in mid-June. Another Mario spinoff featuring Yoshi is also being planned, we’re told.

If Mario isn’t your cup of tea, perhaps a couple of new titles under the Zelda franchise will give you something to look forward to.  Iwata pointed out that Nintendo was in the process of remaking the 2003 GameCube game The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker for the Wii U. The game will feature updated HD graphics and should be ready for a fall 2013 release. A second Legend of Zelda game is also in the pipeline but details on it were lacking.

We also learned that a software update coming this spring will add the Nintendo Virtual Console to the Wii U. This service allows gamers to access classic games from consoles past like the NES and the Super NES. Expect to pay between $5 to $9 for each retro title.

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Samsung overtakes Apple as top semiconductor buyer in 2012

Samsung has vaulted past Apple to become the world’s biggest buyer of semiconductors, according to new data from Gartner. The two were virtually tied for semiconductor purchases in 2011, but last year the scale tipped slightly to the South Korean firm’s side, which bought 8% of the world’s semiconductors to the tune of $23.9 billion, while Apple’s spending on semiconductors rose to $21.4 billion for a 7.2% share.

Overall semiconductor market sales decreased by 3%, however, and outside of the two post-PC heavyweights six of the top ten chip buyers actually cut spending due to a slowdown in traditional computer sales.

HP came in as the third largest spender at $14 billion, which was almost 13% lower than the previous year, while fourth-placed Dell cut spending by a similar proportion to $8.6 billion. Sony rose to fifth in the rankings after boosting spending 1.9 percent to $7.9 billion, followed by Lenovo in sixth up by a slight 0.3% to $7.2 billion and Toshiba which reduced semiconductor purchases in 2012 by 17% to $6.5 billion.

Gartner notes “a dramatic change” in consumer demand was contributed significantly to the shift in semiconductor buying. Despite this the PC market still represented the largest sector for chip demand, Gartner notes. But the slowdown caused a substantial decrease in semiconductor demand in 2012, as the semiconductor content of a smartphone or a media tablet is far less than that of a PC.

Top 10 semiconductor design TAM by company, worldwide 2012, preliminary (billions of dollars)

Rank 2011	Rank 2012	Company	2011	2012	Growth (%)	Share (%)
2	1	Samsung Electronics	18.6	23.9	28.9	8.0
1	2	Apple	18.8	21.4	13.6	7.2
3	3	HP	16.0	14.0	-12.7	4.7
4	4	Dell	9.9	8.6	-13.4	2.9
5	5	Sony	7.7	7.9	1.9	2.7
7	6	Lenovo	7.8	7.8	0.3	2.6
6	7	Toshiba	7.8	6.5	-17.1	2.2
9	8	LG Electronics	6.5	6.0	-6.7	2.0
11	9	Cisco	5.4	5.4	-0.8	1.8
5	10	Nokia	8.6	5.0	-42.6	1.7
		Others	199.7	191.1	-4.3	64.2
		Total	306.8	297.6	-3.0	100.0

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Nokia is building a WP8 handset with a true PureView image sensor

Nokia is reportedly working on what is described as a true PureView Windows Phone 8 handset that would ship with a super-high resolution image sensor similar to the 41-megapixel monster found in the 808 PureView. The device, which goes by the codename EOS, will be a high-end addition to the Lumia family according to The Verge.

The publication points out that the phone will be built using lightweight aluminum rather than the usual polycarbonate that recent Lumia Windows Phones have used. The phone will use square edges as well which is said to be part of a fresh design cycle for Lumia handsets.

There’s reason to believe this rumor as we heard rumblings of a similar Nokia handset earlier this month. Codenamed Catwalk, that handset is also expected to use aluminum as a building material. The internal hardware, however, should be in line with the current generation Lumia 920 which means a 4.5-inch display, a dual-core processor, PureView camera technology and 4G LTE connectivity.

The choice of codename is a bit interesting as it could be taken from Canon’s line of digital cameras considering the EOS will use a high-resolution sensor. Of course, that could be a complete coincidence as well.

Either way, we’re told that AT&T will get first dibs on the new Nokia handset sometime later this year. A third mid-range Windows Phone 8 device is expected to debut this summer. With any luck, we could see all three phones on display at Mobile World Congress next month.

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Intel to exit desktop motherboard business after Haswell

Intel has announced plans to shutter their retail motherboard business after more than 20 years on the job. The chip maker informed a number of tech publications of the decision late yesterday, stating that there will be no more retail boards from Intel after the fourth generation Intel Core processors are released later this year. This includes all standard ATX, mini-ATX and micro-ATX offerings.

It’s worth clarifying that the announcement won’t impact Haswell production as Intel still plans to volume produce motherboards based on that architecture. The decision to stop making boards after that shouldn’t deter buyers from picking up an Intel-branded board, however. The company has confirmed that they plan to offer traditional warranty and BIOS support that previous boards have enjoyed for years.

After Haswell’s life cycle of 18 months to two years, Intel and buyers alike will have to rely on motherboards from third party manufacturers like Asus, Gigabyte and MSI, just to name a few. Chipzilla plans to reallocate resources from the motherboard division to other product teams like those working on all-in-ones and Ultrabooks.

It’s also worth pointing out that Intel will still be responsible for making motherboard chipsets found in aftermarket boards.

At the end of the day, this really won’t mean much of anything for the average consumer that buys a PC off the store shelf. For enthusiasts that build their own systems, it simply means that you’ll have to select another board maker to base your build on. That said, one has to wonder how often a DIY PC builder selects an Intel-branded board to begin with.

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Intel to launch Haswell just days before Computex on June 2

We all know that Haswell is the successor to current generation Ivy Bridge CPUs but up to this point, we haven’t had a date to circle on our calendar for its arrival. That’s all changing now according to a new report from DigiTimes which says we can expect to see Intel’s revamped architecture arrive on June 2 – just two days before Computex kicks off in Taipei, Taiwan.

Sources say that the Core i7-4770K, i7-4770, i7-4770S, i7-4770T, i7-4765T, i5-4670K, i5-4670, i5-4670S, i5-4670T, i5-4570, i5-4570S, i5-4570T, i5-4430 and the i5-4430S will all be released during the second quarter of 2013. The chip maker is further expected to launch the Core i3 Haswell and Ivy Bridge-E processors during the third quarter followed by Pentium and Celeron chips after that.

As you may already know, Haswell will require a brand new socket, LGA1150. Chips will ship with Intel HD Graphics 4600 and a new memory controller that is able to hit speeds of up to 1,600MHz. The platform will also use a new chipset known as Lynx Point which includes up to 14 USB 2.0 ports, six USB 3.0 / SATA 6Gbps ports and eight PCIe 2.0 lanes.

Jumping back to Computex, sources say that related products like motherboards, notebooks and maybe even tablets will likely be on display during the show. Along with motherboards, we have little doubt that third party cooling makers will have heatsinks and water cooling kits ready for the new socket as well.

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Google exec pushes North Korea for open web, smartphones

Google Chairman and former CEO Eric Schmidt completed his controversial but brief sojourn to North Korea, describing it as a private visit "to talk about the free and open Internet" and as a "private humanitarian mission." North Korea is an infamously reclusive and highly secretive nation headed by Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un, son of former leader Kim Jong-il.

Schmidt warned North Korean officials that Internet access is imperative for economic expansion and that continuing its isolation from the rest of the world digitally would "affect their physical world."

"The government has to do something, It has to make it possible for the people to use the Internet. It is their choice now. It's in my view time for them to start, or else they will remain behind."

Accompanied by U.S. Senator Bill Richardson, U.S. State Department officials criticized the visit as "ill timed", interfering with sanctions and other U.S. political strategies by conveying a false sense of legitimacy to North Korea.

"We had a good opportunity to talk about expanding the Internet and cell phones in the DPRK" saidRichardson. The senator added that their discussions on technology were seemingly the most productive. Schmidt seemed to agree, telling reporters that some North Korean officials seemed receptive to various points during technology talks.

North Korea's original cellular network was shut down around 2004, an official reason for which remains elusive. An updated wireless network with 3G capability was rolled out in 2008 though, but only select citizens have access to the highly-censored and filtered network. The country's government recently deemed using a cell phone as a criminal act, punishable by its heavy-handed "war criminal" laws.

According to some human rights activists, Eric Schmidt has already done more than most by virtue of heading Google for several years. Google Earth, for example, helped reveal dozens of gulag-style prison camps believe to be sites for inhumane conditions and even executions. 

"What Eric Schmidt does or does not do in Pyongyang will probably be forgotten in a few weeks," said Joshua Stanton, a Washington lawyer and human rights activist. "The good that Google has done, however inadvertently, by helping people tell the truth about North Korea, will probably be reflected in the history of the country one day".

In addition to Schmidt's technology talks, Richardson took part in negotiations regarding the release of anAmerican detainee and discussed North Korea's development of nuclear technologies alongside its recent ballistic missile launch endeavors.

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Micron and Crucial announce next generation M500 solid state drive

Micron has unveiled the M500 solid state drive that uses Micron’s latest 20-nanometer multilevel cell (MLC) NAND flash technology. Using the SATA 6Gbps interface, the M500 drives can deliver up to 80,000 IOPS with sequential read and write speeds topping out at 500 MB/s and 400 MB/sec, respectively.

The M500 uses what’s known as device sleep (DEVSLP) where the SSD draws an average of 150mW during use and just 5mW during sleep, meaning excess heat in cramped spaces shouldn’t be a concern. Other useful features include a small bank of capacitors designed to protect against data loss in the event your system loses power.

The drives also incorporate TCG Opal 2.0 + IEEE 1667, 256-bit AES hardware encryption should your system or drive be compromised by theft or loss. Furthermore, Micron says the M500 can wake up from sleep in just 0.2 seconds, or about five times faster than the previous generation.

The M500 will likely gain the most media attention based on the price tag that Crucial has pinned on the 960GB SSD – less than $600, or under $0.63 per GB. When you consider that most solid state drives in the 1TB range cost around $1,000 or more, you quickly realize why this drive will be a hot commodity when it hits the market.

The M500 will be available in 120GB, 240GB, 480GB and 960GB capacities in the first quarter of 2013 as Crucial-branded drives. M.2 and mSATA form factors will be available in 120GB, 240GB and 480GB capacities starting in Q2 2013. Units will also be available directly to OEMs under the Micron brand through their distribution network, we’re told.

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Nokia's Lumia did 'better than expected' in Q4, 4.4 million units sold

Nokia has revealed that fourth quarter sales of their Lumia handsets were better than expected, giving the company’s stock a nice boost in the process. A strong holiday season pushed Lumia sales to 4.4 million, a solid increase over the 2.9 million handsets moved in Q3 2012 and the 4 million in the previous quarter.

Looking at all smartphones, Nokia sold 15.9 million units in Q4 2012 which includes the 4.4 million Lumia phones, 9.3 million Asha smartphones and 2.2 million Symbian devices. Net sales for the Devices & Services division stands at $5.1 billion for the quarter while total device volumes sit at 86.3 million units.

Nokia’s press release said they achieved underlying profitability in the quarter as the mobile phone business and the Lumia portfolio did better than expected. Operating expenses were also lower than anticipated thanks to better than expected cost management which is always a good thing. As of writing, share value is up nearly 20 percent following the announcement.

Nokia did warn that seasonality and the competitive environment are expected to have a negative impact on the first quarter 2013 underlying profitability compared to the fourth quarter 2012. This of course is expected as the holiday buying season is typically more lucrative than any other time of year.

It’s worth mentioning that these are all preliminary figures. The Finnish handset maker is expected to report full fourth quarter details and a full year report on January 24.

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Why Adobe (and other vendors) should give away older software

No doubt you heard earlier this week that Adobe is giving away Creative Suite 2, an older version of its popular (and pricey) image-editing and design bundle.

Then it turned out that, no, the software wasn't free; Adobe's Don Isaacs wrote that the company was merely "terminating the activation servers for CS2," and that the download page was only for those who already owned licenses for the product.

Ah, but it was too late: the story had gone viral (big time), and it appears Adobe has decided not to try stuffing the genie back into the bottle. As of now, you can download the whole of CS2 (for Windows or Mac) or individual components (like, say, Photoshop) free of charge, and unlock them using the serial numbers provided right on Adobe's download page.

There's nothing there to indicate you need an Adobe account, an existing software license, or anything else. There are no warnings about who's allowed to use the software or for what purposes. It sure looks like a freebie to me. Indeed, I downloaded and installed Photoshop, using Adobe's provided serial number, and no police have arrived at my door.

Good for Adobe. The company may not have intended to give away this old, discontinued product, but think of the goodwill they'll earn by doing so. (The company could use some, asusers of Photoshop Elements are incensed about Adobe's discontinued support of Photoshop.com.) Think how many users who would never try, say, Illustrator or Premiere Pro that now have the chance to do so. And if they try it and like it, they're at least a little more likely to pay for the latest version, CS6.

This is not an unprecedented move. For the past couple years, SoftMaker Software has given away SoftMaker FreeOffice, an older (but still very capable) version of its office suite. It's a great way to introduce customers to their products (and, hopefully, get them to upgrade) by giving them something of real value.

Can you imagine if Microsoft did something similar? I'd love to see the company release, say, Windows XP free of charge. Give it away to people running older computers, making clear that it's provided without support, and watch as former Microsoft haters turn into Microsoft lovers. At the same time, how about making Microsoft Office 2003 a freebie? It can't be generating much (if any) money for the company, yet it's more than sufficient for many users -- especially those with older PCs.

Maybe it's just me, but if Microsoft actually gave me something like that for free, I wouldn't have such a bad taste in my mouth when it came time to buy Office 2013.

Indeed, I'd love to see more software vendors step up and give away their discontinued wares. (Actually, you can find a ton of "oldware" at OldVersion.com, but most of it was freeware to begin with.) How about it, Intuit? And Corel? And Apple, and Symantec? This might be just the scheme you need to compete with the mountains of freeware and Web apps out there.

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Razer Edge becomes reality at CES: Hands-on with the tablet-PC-game console

LAS VEGAS--Gaming hardware usually takes a backseat at CES, but this year seems to be an exception. We've already seen Nvidia's blockbuster Project Shield handheld Android/PC game streaming device. Today Razer announced the Edge PC gaming tablet, and we took a good long look at and played with it along with Razer CEO Min-Liang Tan at this year's CES.

Razer teased the tablet at last year's CES under the code name Project Fiona. The company then conducted a crowd-sourcing campaign in which gamers provided Razer with feedback about the specs they'd like to see in a mobile PC gaming device.

Razer Edge brings full PC gaming to a versatile tablet (pictures)

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It’s an innovative approach, but the result is what you could probably guess anyway: the Edge splits the difference between hard-core gaming PCs and tablets with a full-fledged Windows 8 tablet running an Intel Core i5 or i7 processor and Nvidia GeForce GT640M LE graphics. It looks...well, it looks like a tablet. But, under the hood, it has the guts of a high-powered gaming ultrabook.

(Credit: Rich Brown/CNET)

If the specs are perhaps predictable, it's the accessories that help it stand out.

The accessories help the Edge transform into a few different modes: a handheld dual-controller case looks nearly identical to the Project Fiona images shown last year. It adds gaming console-like buttons and sticks and makes the Edge a large gaming handheld, of a sort.

(Credit: Razer)

There's also a dock that offers external HDMI and USB connectors to plug into a TV and add additional Xbox 360-like controllers, for two-player simultaneous gaming. You can use the dock with a larger-screen monitor or TV, or as a standalone device.

The Razer Edge: Windows 8 gaming tablet

(Credit: Rich Brown/CNET)

(Credit: Scott Stein/CNET)

A keyboard accessory turns the Edge into a little gaming hybrid device, and both the keyboard and the game pad accessories support a removable battery that doubles the life of the Edge. You will likely want an extra battery, too. Without it, Razer estimates the Edge has 2 hours of power during general tablet use, and around 1 hour when you're playing games, but an extended 40-watt battery will take gaming use up to 2-4 hours, or around 8 hours for less graphics-intensive tablet use.

Razer Edge gaming tablet from every direction (pictures)

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The Edge costs $999 in its base configuration with a Core i5 chip, 4GB of RAM, and a 64GB solid-state hard drive. That's in the same ballpark as other Windows 8 tablets like Microsoft's forthcoming Surface Pro.

The $1,299 Edge Pro model will get a bump to Core i7, 8GB of memory, and either a 128GB or 256GB SSD. A $1,499 bundle includes the game pad case. Both models are available for purchase today from online retailers and Razer's own Web site, but will be available starting Q1 of 2013.

(Credit: Scott Stein/CNET)

We had a chance to play with the Razer Edge in all its various modes, and in person it surprises and impresses more than we even expected. In particular, the Edge shines as a desktop or TV-connected device: its easy keyboard, mouse, or controller hookup turns the 10-inch tablet into a pretty capable gaming mini-console, and games ranging from Dirt Showdown to Dishonored looked and played better than we thought they would. Granted, the Edge only has a 1,366x768-pixel display, but the smaller IPS screen's pixel density shows off the games to very good effect, and held in your hands, it obviously blows away any gaming handheld.

Held in your hands, the Edge is a tiny bit more awkward. The game pad looks cool and controls well, but the dual-stick yoke and feel and the size of the entire package makes for an odd in-hand feel: bigger and heavier than any handheld, and your hands end up farther apart than they'd be using a standard game controller.

(Credit: Scott Stein/CNET)

Split-screen simultaneous gameplay on a large-screen TV using the HDMI-output on the dock works as well as advertised. The Edge supports 720p output, and a heated race in Dirt Showdown was highly playable and fun using the Xbox 360-like Razer controllers.

The laptop-like keyboard dock, coming later this year, gives the Edge a feel that's reminiscent of the original Switchblade "gaming Netbook" concept from several CESes ago, except in this case the Edge is a far more powerful, even smaller-screened PC. Using the keyboard and either touch-screen or mouse controls to play games like Rift worked pretty well, too.

(Credit: Razer)

The Razer Edge, along with Nvidia's Project Shield, signals a strategy shift from companies with strong ties to PC gaming due to an increasingly portable consumer computer landscape. Whether gamers of any variety want these devices is an open question, but we expect they won't be the last to tempt PC gamers away from the desktop. The best news about the Razer Edge is that it's ready to go: all its modes feel weirdly practical, avoiding the challenges that the touch-screen Switchblade UI continues to pose for Razer's Blade gaming laptop. And, especially compared with the Blade, its price isn't too high. As a demonstration of the evolution of the PC and PC gaming, the Edge succeeds.

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