expansion

This is an update of a deal I posted a few months back.

A RAM upgrade is a great way to make your PC run faster, especially if you run a lot of programs simultaneously. More RAM means less reliance on the comparatively sluggish hard drive.

If you own a desktop system, here's one of the best memory deals I've ever seen: TigerDirect has the Kingston KHX1333C9D3B1K2 8GB desktop RAM kit for $24.99, plus around $2 for shipping. That's after a $20 mail-in rebate (PDF).

The kit includes a pair of 4GB, 240-pin DDR3 sticks … Read more

Apple's last major connectivity advancement was in the late '90s with FireWire, which was used as a replacement for the SCSI bus on Mac systems; however, the licensing and complexity of the port made it a less attractive option than alternatives like USB for many device manufacturers, especially given the ease of implementation and eventual speed of USB 2.0. While FireWire has extended beyond its initial 400Mbps speeds to offer 800Mbps, and potentially up to 3,200Mbps, in the face of current alternatives the technology does not seem to be advancing much beyond its current implementations.

Given the … Read more

In the wake of the announcement by Sonnet for its Thunderbolt-based Echo ExpressCard adapter that will allow any compatible ExpressCard to work on a Thunderbolt Mac, peripheral developer Magma has announced a Thunderbolt-based expansion chassis for full-size PCI Express cards that will accommodate anything from audio cards, modems, and connectivity peripherals to video cards for additional displays.

According to a press release, the Magma "ExpressBox 3T" will hold up to three PCI Express cards side-by-side to offer any Thunderbolt-equipped Mac the option to add more functionality, even if the Mac does not have any built-in expansion ports, which … Read more

Angry Birds maker Rovio is witnessing strong growth in China and is expanding operations there to capitalize on it.

The company announced today it has opened corporate and marketing operations in China that will aid its plans to develop titles for Chinese users. To kick things off, Rovio in September will be launching the "Moon Festival" episode of Angry Birds Seasons to coincide with the country's Mid-Autumn Festival. Moon Festival will also be available to Rovio's users outside of China.

To help embed itself in the Chinese market, Rovio is creating "Angry Birds-themed moon cakes,&… Read more

Thought I'd take a reader request today. Cheapskate fan Tom told me that he's looking to upgrade the RAM in his desktop, and wanted to know if I could steer him to a good deal on 4GB modules.

Your wish is granted, Tom! Buy.com has the Kingston HyperX Genesis 4GB DDR3 memory module for $29.95 shipped. A $10 mail-in rebate (PDF) drops the price to $19.95, which makes this one of the best deals on a 4GB stick (with these specs, anyway) I've ever seen.

The HyperX is a 240-pin DDR3 module with a … Read more

Apple is said to have inked a deal on new office space near its existing Cupertino, Calif., headquarters that will house up to 1,300 additional employees.

The deal, which was reported by the Oakland Tribune yesterday, will give Apple 373,000 square feet in the Results Way Corporate Center, located a few minutes away from Apple's main offices.

The extra space is a band-aid while Apple works on approval from the City of Cupertino to begin work on a new campus located across town on 150 acres, some of which was purchased from Hewlett-Packard. When completed, that building … Read more

Hot on the heels of Seagate launching its GoFlex Satellite wireless external storage device for iOS devices, Kingston has trotted out its own flash-based external drive--the Wi-Drive--which offers very similar features.

With mobile devices like the iPad offering limited memory (and no expansion slot), the idea behind these accessories is that you'd store large video files, as well as other content (including photos, documents, and music) on the drive and then wirelessly access that content via a direct Wi-Fi connection (you don't need an actual Internet Wi-Fi connection to stream content; you stream directly to and from … Read more

After expanding its streaming service into Canada, it seems Netflix is looking elsewhere internationally to build its business.

Speaking to the CBC last week, Netflix spokesman Steve Swasey said the company is "talking about other regions in the world." He went on to tell the publication that Netflix is planning to "continue our international expansion next year." He also told the CBC that the company will "allocate significant dollars to it."

Even more potential evidence of Netflix expanding internationally was revealed today when AdWeek cited unnamed sources that claim Netflix is working with "… Read more

After two months of waiting, Android users will be getting the first batch of OpenFeint-enabled games this week.

Among some of the notable launch titles will be Half Brick Studios' Fruit Ninja, MiniSquadron by Supermono, and Must.Eat.Birds by Mediatonic--all of which will feature the same version of the company's social-gaming platform offered on Apple's iOS.

OpenFeint, which can be found in many of the top games on the iOS platform, offers game developers a way to add things like achievements, in-game currency, and intra-network messaging to their titles. More recent versions also add things like cloud-based … Read more