Magnetar QX: the first eight-core workstation review
Armari's Magnetar QX is the first workstation we've seen to include Intel's brand new quad-core Xeon processor, the X5355. It's fast, but its value is debatable.
Reviews
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D80 review
The Nikon D80 digital SLR is the successor to the company’s highly regarded D70 and D70s models. It features a 10.2-megapixel CCD, large 2.5-inch screen, and an improved 11-point autofocus system.
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Alpha 100 review
The Alpha 100 is Sony’s first digital SLR. Based on assets from Konica Minolta’s photographic business, and the 10.2mp camera reflects the collaboration between the two companies.
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GPS-CS1 review
For photographers on the move, Sony’s GPS-CS1 records your location while shooting, enabling you to incorporate this data into how you use your photos.
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AMD Opteron 2000 vs Intel Xeon 5100 review
Yesterday, AMD released its latest generation of Opteron processors, the 'Socket F' 2000 line. We place them head-to-head with Intel's 'Woodcrest' Xeon 5100 to see which is best.
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Cyber-shot DSC-H2 review
The H2 is a better-looking camera compared its predecessor, the H1, but it’s underneath the silver polycarbonate shell that the refinements are more significant.
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PowerShot S3 IS review
The PowerShot S3 IS is only a marginal upgrade from the S2 IS. The new model boasts an extra megapixel, a larger screen, and slightly improved sensitivity.
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Craft Camera Tools review
Craft Camera Tools is a set of 3D camera plug-ins that allows you to record travelling, flying, or wandering cameras through scenes in Autodesk 3DS Max and VIZ.
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Cordless Desktop S530 review
The Cordless Desktop S530 is the first keyboard-&-mouse combo we’ve seen that’s aimed squarely at Mac-based designers, video editors, and animators. The bundle features a sleek keyboard with a stylish laser mouse, which both connect wirelessly.
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FireGL 7350 review
Innovations in 3D graphics cards usually appear first in the gaming market. However, the first board to boast 1GB of RAM is the FireGL 7350, which is aimed squarely at 3D artists.
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xw9300 workstation review
HP released the xw9300 workstation over a year ago, but this version is the first model we’ve seen to offer two Quadro FX 3450 graphics cards, using NVidia’s SLI technology.
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After Effects 7.0 review
Adobe hasn’t taken its foot off the pedal for AE’s seventh major release. High-end users working on digital intermediate (DI) and digital film projects will love the expanded colour space, with support for HDR 32-bit media.
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Kinemac 1.0 review
Kinemac is refreshingly simple to get to grips with. Anyone who has used a timeline-based program will instantly recognize the usual conventions. The interface is split into four main areas – the Stage, Sprite, Inspector, and Bezier windows...
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Pro815 review
Samsung isn’t a name that immediately springs to mind when thinking of high-end digital cameras – most of their previous models have been point-&-shoots aimed at the budget-conscious. But that is about to change.
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Data Animator review
An After Effects plug-in that creates charts and graphs is not the most creatively exciting effects tool you’ve ever seen, but the huge time savings that Data Animator offers over building graphs manually is a great bonus for corporate work.
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Paint Shop Pro X review
Paint Shop Pro has been around for years, but this is the first major version to be released after its acquisition by Corel. While often seen as a poor man’s Photoshop, there’s enough here to satisfy people who infrequently edit images, such as 3D modellers and animators, and video editors and compositors. At £99, it’s also a lot less expensive.
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Cybershot R1 review
The Cyber-shot-R1 is something of a departure for Sony. Historically, the company’s focus in terms of sensors has been centred on CCD technology, but this is its first camera to feature a large, low-noise, CMOS chip.
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MotionBuilder 7 review
MotionBuilder's workflow is straightforward. You create the character model with bones in your normal application, export it as a FBX file, and open it in MotionBuilder. The application ships with a number of updated FBX plug-ins so you can transfer your work with ease. You then characterize the model – adding a structured template to it that MotionBuilder understands.
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HDR-HC1 review
The HDR-HC1 is the little brother of the HDR-FX1. It drops the FX1’s 3CCDs in favour of a single CMOS sensor, and shrinks the body size and weight down to that of a traditional consumer handheld.
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PowerShot S2 IS review
There’s a high demand for big-zoom, image-stabilized cameras, and manufacturers are rolling them out like there’s no tomorrow. We reviewed Canon's PowerShot S2 IS.