The way the plan works is that the buyer is allowed one CPU replacement with no questions asked. The new insurance is called the Performance Tuning Plan and is valid only on certain CPUs. It is in addition to the normal 3-year warranty and costs just a little extra to get.

If the processor fails under normal use, the regular warranty fixes it. If it fails under overclocking, the tuning plan replaces the part. This sounds pretty cool to me. I wonder if AMD will follow suit. Pricing for the plan varies from $20 to $35 (USD) making this cheap insurance for overclockers – especially when spending $1000 or more on a top-of-the-line Core i7-3960X CPU.

When Intel strapped its Atom line of processors with a screen size limitation of 10.2-inches I wondered why it even bothered with the netbook segment if they obviously didn’t really want to sell the Atom CPUs. Intel has now got at least half a clue and announced that it would be lifting the screen limits for the Atom N550 CPU.

The CPU is set to launch in the second half of 2010. Makers can now put the CPU into machines with up to 12.1-inch screens. Those machines must run at least 1GB of DDR3 RAM and at least a 32GB SSD or a 250GB HDD. Wait a minute, those are still limitations!

[via DigiTimes]

The guys at digiZoid hope to overcome that problem with their newly-announced zo personal subwoofer system. The portable box connects between your media player and headphones or speakers to create an enhanced bass experience. It’s really a misnomer to call this thing a subwoofer though, as it’s really some sort of digital audio processor, not an actual loudspeaker.

While I’m really not exactly sure how it works, digiZoid claims their SmartVector sound contouring system dynamically adjusts audio equalization on a constant basis, providing deeper low-end than you’ve ever heard through your headphones. I’ll leave it to the smart guys to explain:

“SmartVector sound contouring works to counterbalance the loss in sound pressure level due to the speaker’s and the ear’s inefficiencies. This is achieved by performing dynamic signal gain adjustment in relation to frequency (or what we call dynamic contouring).”

“Knowing the human ear does not perceive all frequencies of sound with equal loudness, and that people have different listening preferences, we’ve applied isophonic science to solve these problems.”

While that all sounds cool to me, I question whether or not digital audio processing equipment like this can really improve the frequency range of your physical listening devices. Guess there’s only one way to find out. You can buy the digiZoid zo over on their website for $99 (USD).

[via Coolest Gadgets]

The dual-purpose of memristors could also lead to processors that use up a lot less power and generate a lot less heat, which means memristor-based devices will be more efficient, and hopefully cheaper to maintain, compared to today’s transistor-based machines.

Memristors can also be stacked three-dimensionally, whereas transistors can only be crammed into a chip in a linear fashion. More memristors = more powerful processor. And, going back to the memristor’s dual-purpose, eliminating the distance between the processor and storage will lead to a faster computer. I’ve also heard that memristors can cook a mean omelet. Memristors can also drink a case of beer and still pass the breathalyzer test, whereas the uncool transistors can’t even finish a bottle without having rashes pop up over their arms. Memristors also know that those last two statements are lies.

[via Pop Sci]

My sources sent me that picture, and they swore to me that that the Core i7 processor literally looks like its logo and is really that big. Something tells me I shouldn’t trust my sources anymore.

[via ZDNet via Gear Live]

It’s all fancy tech, but I don’t think the current gambling generation will be so impressed or welcoming of the improvements on their end. I mean, if you’ve been playing poker using good ol’ cards for decades, it won’t be that easy to switch to touchscreens won’t it?

Click to View Embedded Video Clip

Also, isn’t a Core2Duo slot machine just overkill? Will players be able to send instant messages or emails while playing? Will I be able to blog using the slot machine itself while gambling? Will I?

The Inquirer’s Charlie Demerjian says sources have confirmed to him that Intel paid to get a new chip, code-named Larrabee, into Sony’s next console. Also per Demerjian’s sources, AMD will be handling Nintendo and Microsoft’s next-next gen systems under the ATI label. We’re gonna have to start working on a name for this round, because next-next gen is going to get difficult after a while.

Seems sudden, doesn’t it? There’s a bright side, however, and it’s that all this is rumor as yet, with nothing confirmed and no official statements made. In fact, Sony has already issued a denial about their purported switch to Intel, so this particular story may be a complete bust.  But one thing is pretty likely: these decisions are being made, and the reliability (or lack thereof) of Demerjian’s intel doesn’t change that. The future of gaming is just around the corner.

[The Inquirer via VentureBeat]

Despite its size, Waves’ iGTR Personal Guitar Processor is a sophisticated piece of music gear, packing in a variety of effects which simulate the sounds of concert amplifiers and effect processors.

The portable gadget offers up a variety of virtual amp sound profiles which start out as simple as “Warm”, “Normal” and “Bright”, but that can be tuned and tweaked to the exact sound you like. The iGTR also offers effects like Phase, Tremelo and Wah-Wah, as well as Reverb, Chorus and Delay settings.

Click to View Embedded Video Clip

Not only can you plug in your guitar, there’s an AUX jack for connecting your MP3 player for accompaniment too. There are even dual headphone jacks, so you and a friend can listen together. The whole thing fits in a box that’s not much larger than a pack of cigarettes, and runs on AAA batteries. You can get your hands on the iGTR over at Sweetwater Music for just $80 USD.

[Waves iGTR Product Info | Interactive Demo]