Intel’s six-core, twelve-threaded Core i7-980X Extreme Edition has turned the hardcore gaming community on its head, and just about everyone is scrounging around in a (mostly futile) attempt to locate $999. For those in dire need of an entire system replacement, it seems that today’s the day to start looking. Shortly after we heard that this 32nm Gulftown chip would be landing with Alienware and Origin PC rigs, a veritable plethora of other outfits have shown up to make similar announcements. Digital Storm has popped an overclocked (4.4GHz) version into its Black|OPS machine (which conveniently starts at $5,642, while CyberPower is now offering the silicon in its Black Mamba, Black Pearl and Gamer Xtreme 3D machines. Maingear’s also sliding said CPU into its world-beating Shift “supercomputer,” and anyone shopping a high-end Velocity Micro system will also see the option. We suspect most every other PC maker in existence will be following suit soon, so if your prefab PC builder hasn’t yet jumped on the bandwagon, just hold tight. Real tight. Intel’s Core i7-980X Extreme Edition hits a slew of new gaming desktops originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 16 Mar 2010 20:12:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink

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Microsoft is having a good old time at MIX10 , showing off all sorts of new things. New things like… Internet Explorer 9 , which has just been previewed at the developer event, and here’s what we’ve gleaned about it so far. First off, as expected it will support HTML5 video , boast a new Microsoft JavaScript engine which is codenamed “Chakra,” and it’ll support new-fangled web technologies like CSS3 and SVG2. Microsoft says one of its main goals with IE9 is to provide a faster browsing experience — always good news — though they don’t have things cranked quite as high as the competition just yet (remember, this is still early). Preliminary ACID3 tests on the preview show the IE9 scores a 55/100, up from IE8’s dismal 20/100 — a huge leap forward no doubt, but still a far cry from Chrome and Safari’s scores of nearly 100. In both PCMag ’s and ZDNet’ s SunSpider JavaScript Benchmark test, the preview performed competitively as well. Microsoft has also confirmed that IE9 will not support Windows XP, but the preview Microsoft is showing off plays nice with Vista SP2 and higher, meaning the shipping version will probably do the same. No shockers there, really. Microsoft’s also made the first developer preview of Internet Explorer 9 available for download today — hit the source link to check that out. Microsoft shows off Internet Explorer 9: says ‘yes’ to HTML5, ‘no’ to Windows XP originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 16 Mar 2010 19:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink

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Chatter over the Milestone’s impending Android 2.1 update has reached a rolling boil in recent days, but it’s actually the Milestone’s American cousin that’s getting the official coverage today. That’s right: Verizon’s just posted details on the Droid’s upgrade to Google’s latest and greatest cut, and you’ve got the expected host of goodies including the new 3D Gallery app, voice-to-text, news and weather widgets, pinch-to-zoom support, “improved” pattern lock, and — get this — live wallpapers, something we’d originally thought Motorola might leave out. It appears to lack the Nexus One’s 3D app launcher (which we’d expected), but it’s still pure gold for owners. Let us know when you’ve gotten it, eh? [Thanks to everyone who sent this in] Verizon posts Android 2.1 upgrade details for Droid originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 16 Mar 2010 19:17:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink

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Dear Lifehacker, Yesterday you shared an article about cube-friendly plants . Any tips on cube-friendly fish? I’ve heard everything from Bettas to Goldfish to no fish at all. What would you suggest? More

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Dear Microsoft, you did a good job at out-Appling Apple with the Windows Phone 7 . At least on paper. But instead of trying to beat them completely, it seems that you want to screw it all with two stupid decisions. More

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Kaleidoscopes: Fun for five minutes when you were a kid until you discover the joy of the opposite gender. KaleidoVid, however, is fun for considerably longer, because it involves your phone! More

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Read more from the original source:
Google phone now works on iPhone’s wireless system (AP via Yahoo! News)

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We’ve always had a soft spot for Commodore computers. Compact, economical, and robust for their day, they were ubiquitous throughout the 1980s. Unfortunately, the machine’s glory days are long behind it, with little more than some gaming rigs and the tireless work of Ben Heck to keep the flag flying. But all that could change if Barry Altman has his way. As President and CEO of the newly minted Commodore USA, he’s spent the better part of a year crawling through the arcane red tape necessary to get the rights to the Commodore name. And now? With any luck, later this year the company’s monumental advertising campaign will have had its effect (“something like you’ve never seen in your life,” as Altman described it to us on the phone this afternoon) and you’ll be able to have your very own keyboard computer with the Commodore logo slapped on for good measure. Presumably based on the Cybernet ZPC-GX31 , the exact configurations and pricing will all be spelled out soon enough. In the meantime, hit the source link to see for yourself. And please, guys — make us a beige one, will ya? The Commodore name licensed again for a line of keyboard PCs originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 16 Mar 2010 18:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink

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When chipmakers slim down their silicon, they need finer and finer tools to organize all that circuitry. With MIT’s latest self-assembling chips , the detail work is handled by molecular strands that, freakishly, just know where to go. More

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