OCZ dropped off the radar shortly into 2013 as it struggled to correct dodgy accounting and stem ongoing losses. Unfortunately, it couldn’t turn things around quickly enough — the one-time legend in memory technology has declared bankruptcy . That isn’t necessarily the end of the story, though. Toshiba has offered to buy all of OCZ’s assets as long as the ailing company maintains its value. The bankruptcy represents a sad (potential) end for a firm that was once synonymous with speedy RAM and SSDs, but there’s a good chance that its work will live on in future products. Filed under: Storage Comments PC Perspective Source: OCZ

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OCZ declares bankruptcy, may sell its assets to Toshiba

That game console headlining this text? It isn’t a white PS4 : it’s a commercial Steam Machines box, or at least a prototype of one. iBuyPower tells us that it’s building the box for a 2014 launch, but says it’s still early. The company says the prototypes are running an early build of Steam OS , but it’s not quite a finished product. That rings true of our impressions of Valve’s own reference model , which hosted a version of that same OS devoid of media playback and streaming options and had a very limited selection of games. iBuyPower tells us that it actually has two models, codenamed Gordon and Freeman, in the works. The two consoles are identical, save for the light bar round the middle — one model’s is clear, while the other’s is black when not illuminated. And, while the company wouldn’t tell us about the boxes’ internals, it did confirm that the hardware will run all Steam titles in 1080p resolution at 60fps. Not as much info as we’d like to know, but s till, it’s good to see hints of what we’ll see from Steam Machines when they hit the market — though we’ll likely have to wait until CES to see them in action. Filed under: Gaming Comments

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Here’s the first non-Valve Steam Machine prototype, care of iBuyPower

Performance-minded PC users frequently want both a fast solid-state drive for crucial apps and a regular hard disk for everything else, but that’s not always feasible in the tight space of a laptop. Western Digital is making that two-drive option a practical reality through its new Black2 . The design puts both a 120GB SSD and a 1TB spinning disk into a single 2.5-inch SATA enclosure, offering more speed and capacity than you’d find in a typical hybrid drive . It’s potentially an ideal blend for gamers and small form factor PC builders, although they’ll pay for the privilege — WD is shipping the Black2 today for $300, or roughly as much as the two drives by themselves. [Thanks, Metayoshi] Filed under: Laptops , Storage Comments Source: Western Digital

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Western Digital Black2 drive packs both solid-state and spinning storage

GPS turn-by-turn directions are staid and boring, whether they are relayed by a male or female voice. Waze wants to give us what we really want, which is, quite naturally, driving directions delivered with the gravitas only Hollywood actors can bring. To that end, the social navigation company has partnered up with Universal Pictures to deliver some cross-promotional synergy that’ll have actors in forthcoming films acting as your virtual co-pilot. The first such star of the silver screen is comedian Kevin Hart (promoting the aptly titled film Ride Along ), and you can get a taste of what Waze will be like with Hart telling you where to go in the video after the break. Filed under: GPS , Software , Mobile Comments Via: VentureBeat

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Waze partners up with Universal Pictures to let celebrity voices give you driving directions

Intel’s current Xeon Phi doesn’t really fulfill the promise of many-core computing — it’s a co-processor that needs a ‘real’ CPU to function. That will change when the next-generation Knights Landing model arrives, Intel revealed at the Supercomputing Conference this week. The 14-nanometer chip will be available as a stand-alone model that can run all software, like a traditional processor; since it won’t have to shuttle data between two components, it should be faster, easier to program and cheaper, too. There will also be high-speed memory built into the chip, as well as a number of (unspecified) architectural tweaks. Knights Landing isn’t likely to ship until late 2014 or 2015, but it could be worth the wait for researchers, server operators and anyone else who wants massively parallel computing power. Filed under: Desktops , Intel Comments Via: Computerworld Source: Intel

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Intel’s next many-core chip will be a true stand-alone processor

Amazon only just released a new Kindle Paperwhite e-reader two months ago, but we’re already hearing rumors that a newer model is on the way. According to a new report from TechCrunch , the new version, to be released in early Q2 of next year, will boast a sharper 300-pixel-per-inch screen, allowing it to better compete with models like the Kobo Aura , which has a 265-ppi screen. (Not that Kobo’s represents much of a threat to Amazon’s book-selling empire.) Also it’s worth noting that E Ink makes the displays for basically all these e-readers, so it seems unlikely that Amazon would hold an exclusive on a 300-ppi panel — at least not for long. Additionally, TechCrunch claims the new Paperwhite will have a lighter design that mimics the new Kindle Fire HDX tablets , with chamfered edges, a rear power button and a glass screen that sits flush with the bezels. The device is also rumored to have haptic feedback along the edges, which will give vibrating feedback when you do things like move to the next page. There’s no big software update planned, apparently, although Amazon is said to be working on a new custom font that’s more conducive to marathon reading sessions. We suppose if this report is true, all will be revealed over the coming months — hopefully those of you who just bought a new Paperwhite won’t be too cheesed off by the timing. Filed under: Amazon Comments Source: TechCrunch

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Amazon’s next-gen Kindle Paperwhite reportedly arriving in Q2 with a sharper screen, lighter design

Dropbox may be late to the iOS 7 app update party , but it’s making up for lost time with an abundance of new features in the just-launched version 3.0 release for Apple’s platform. The refresh brings the expected iOS 7-friendly look and includes AirDrop , making it easy to share links or whole files with nearby friends. It’s also easier to send files to other apps or save videos to the device library, and iPad owners can quickly open files in a full-screen view. If your cloud storage revolves around Dropbox, we’d strongly recommend swinging by the App Store for an upgrade. Filed under: Cellphones , Tablets , Storage , Internet , Mobile Comments Source: App Store

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Dropbox gets an iOS 7 makeover with AirDrop sharing

Among the many surprise costs that annoy cellphone owners, unwanted text message service fees can be the worst; they’re hard to stop, and not always worth the effort. Those fees may not irk many US subscribers after today, though — AT&T, Sprint and T-Mobile now stop “problematic” premium SMS services from billing their customers. Donations and those all-important talent show votes will still go through. Verizon isn’t part of today’s announcements, although the company’s General Counsel William Petersen tells us that Big Red is already “winding down” premium SMS services. There’s a good chance that these shady messagers will simply change tactics, but they’ll at least have a tougher time scamming phone owners. Filed under: Cellphones , Wireless , Mobile , Verizon , Sprint , AT&T , T-Mobile Comments Source: Vermont Attorney General , T-Mobile

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US carriers no longer let premium text message services bill customers