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Say sayonara to salmonella

On April 10 of this year, hospitals recorded the first case of what would become a three-month possibly tomato-linked (though now the suspected culprit is the dreaded jalapeno pepper) salmonella outbreak. By the time the FDA lifted the warning on July 17,1220 people in 42 states had been affected by the virus, leading to an estimated $100 million loss recorded by the tomato industry. (http://www.huffingtonpost.com)

The outbreak served as a rude awakening for some that food safety is still something worth caring about. In the 1980s, salmonella poisoning presented itself as a threat to people eating … Read more

Intel cuts chip prices up to 31 percent

Intel has cut processor prices up to 31 percent, though overall cuts are limited in number and degree.

The desktop Core 2 Duo E8500 (3.16GHz) got the largest cut, from $266 to $183 (31 percent) on the new pricing list, dated July 20.

The next biggest price reduction was the desktop Core 2 Duo E7200 (2.53GHz), reduced 15 percent, from $133 to $113.

Other price cuts include the popular quad-core Q6600 (2.4GHz). It drops 14 percent, from $224 to $193. The desktop Core 2 Duo E8400 (3GHz) falls 11 percent, from $183 to $163.

Xeon server processors … Read more

Nvidia cuts prices on GTX 260, 280 graphics boards

Nvidia has slashed the price of products with its newest GTX 260 and 280 graphics processors only a few weeks after it launched the chips, in response to stiffer competition from Advanced Micro Devices' ATI unit.

Nvidia said Sunday night that the GeForce GTX 280 is now available for $499 and the GTX 260 for $299. The high-end GTX 280 was originally $649, while the 260 was priced previously at $399. Both products were rolled out less than a month ago.

Nvidia's graphics boards are now more in line with ATI's newest offerings. At $299, the GTX 260 … Read more

Xbox 360 price cut coming July 13

A couple of weeks ago I wrote about rumors that Microsoft was planning to chop the Xbox 360's price in July. Well, that price cut was all but confirmed today by Kotaku.

After posting leaked photos of upcoming Best Buy, Kmart, and other circulars, the gaming blog now has a GameStop employee's cell-phone snapshots of shelf art and an internal memo announcing that the Xbox 360 Pro (aka the Premium) would drop to $299.99 on Sunday, July 13. Not coincidentally, E3 kicks off the next day with--you guessed it--Microsoft's press conference.

As Sony's PlayStation 3 … Read more

Another report of Xbox 360 price cut

For the second time in as many weeks, reports are circulating that Microsoft will be announcing a price cut for the Xbox 360.

The Hollywood Reporter is quoting anonymous sources as saying the 20GB version of the console will be cut to $299--a $50 reduction--before the E3 game industry show begins July 15 in Los Angeles. The report follows rumors of a price cut that surfaced last week on various game blogs.

Microsoft declined to comment on the reports, but an Xbox 360 price reduction on the U.S. market would follow similar moves in Europe and Asia earlier … Read more

Cambridge SoundWorks cuts prices

Cambridge SoundWorks has recently cut prices on some of its most popular products through its new "Direct to You" campaign. The audio brand is eschewing the retail channel--and the resulting price markups--and selling its products directly through its Web site at a discount. For example, the Newton Theater MC155 and SoundWorks i765--both of which have garnered mostly high marks from CNET----each received a $200 price cut, representing a 20 percent and 40 percent markdown, respectively. Related coverage: All recent Cambridge SoundWorks product reviews on CNET

Featured Freeware: Avidemux

Making simple crop edits to videos of all formats shouldn't be tricky business, but most tools out there either do way too much or are so belabored with ads that no one knows what evil lurks within their code.

Open source on the GNU license, Avidemux for Windows and Mac is a breath of fresh air. Cropping a video is as simple as highlighting a section to remove and then hitting the Delete key. Re-encoding a video is equally painless: select the output format from the drop-down list, save the file, and you're good to go. When choosing … Read more

Rumor: Xbox 360 price cut coming soon?

With Metal Gear Solid 4 finally available for the PlayStation 3, it doesn't take a genius to predict that the PS3 is going to get a boost from having a hit console-exclusive title under its belt. Nevertheless, analysts are boldly proclaiming change is asunder. Sony's got the Big Mo--as in momentum--while Microsoft's got the big Slo--as in demand for its Xbox 360 is slowing down. Which inevitably means the price-cut rumors are getting the Big Sto--as in stoke those flames, baby.

Joystiq is reporting that EEDAR analyst Jesse Divnich, "Believes the PS3 is going to keep … Read more

Cut Copy, 'Hearts on Fire (Joakim remix)': Free MP3 of the Day

Just when you think you can't possibly stand to hear another electronic group that dances coyly over the line between indie and club culture, Cut Copy comes along and slices that notion to bits. The trio born from DJ Dan Whitford sound like Americans shopping in hot Paris record stores and blaring their selections over crackling amps with infectious excitement.

Download free MP3 now!

Microsoft cuts Xbox 360 prices in Asia

Microsoft is ratcheting up the battle against rivals Sony and Nintendo in the hotly contested Asian market, cutting the price of its Xbox 360 between 5 percent and nearly 20 percent in four areas throughout the region.

The price of the 20GB model was cut 17 percent in Taiwan, 10.7 percent in Hong Kong, and 5 percent in South Korea. The steepest reduction was made in Singapore, where that version of the gaming console dropped 19.5 percent and the company cut the price of two other models: The 120GB Elite was reduced 12.5 percent and the Arcade, … Read more