NEWS HIGHLIGHTS

• Purchase of all of McAfee’s common stock for $48 per share in cash, valuing the deal at approximately $7.68 billion. McAfee will operate as a wholly-owned subsidiary, reporting into Intel’s Software and Services Group.
• Acquisition enables a combination of security software and hardware from one company to ultimately better protect consumers, corporations and governments as billions of devices - and the server and cloud networks that manage them - go online.
• Intel elevates focus on security on par with energy-efficient performance and connectivity. The acquisition augments Intel’s mobile wireless strategy, helping to better assure customer and consumer security concerns as these billions of devices connect.
• Intel has made a number of software-related acquisitions of leaders in their respective industries that also rely on great silicon, including Wind River, Havok and now McAfee.

SANTA CLARA, Calif., Aug. 19, 2010 – Intel Corporation has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire McAfee, Inc., through the purchase of all of the company’s common stock at $48 per share in cash, for approximately $7.68 billion. Both boards of directors have unanimously approved the deal, which is expected to close after McAfee shareholder approval, regulatory clearances and other customary conditions specified in the agreement.

The acquisition reflects that security is now a fundamental component of online computing. Today’s security approach does not fully address the billions of new Internet-ready devices connecting, including mobile and wireless devices, TVs, cars, medical devices and ATM machines as well as the accompanying surge in cyber threats. Providing protection to a diverse online world requires a fundamentally new approach involving software, hardware and services.

Inside Intel, the company has elevated the priority of security to be on par with its strategic focus areas in energy-efficient performance and Internet connectivity.

McAfee, which has enjoyed double-digit, year-over-year growth and nearly 80 percent gross margins last year, will become a wholly-owned subsidiary of Intel, reporting into Intel’s Software and Services Group. The group is managed by Renée James, Intel senior vice president, and general manager of the group.

“With the rapid expansion of growth across a vast array of Internet-connected devices, more and more of the elements of our lives have moved online,” said Paul Otellini, Intel president and CEO. “In the past, energy-efficient performance and connectivity have defined computing requirements. Looking forward, security will join those as a third pillar of what people demand from all computing experiences.

“The addition of McAfee products and technologies into the Intel computing portfolio brings us incredibly talented people with a track record of delivering security innovations, products and services that the industry and consumers trust to make connecting to the Internet safer and more secure,” Otellini added.

“Hardware-enhanced security will lead to breakthroughs in effectively countering the increasingly sophisticated threats of today and tomorrow,” said James. “This acquisition is consistent with our software and services strategy to deliver an outstanding computing experience in fast-growing business areas, especially around the move to wireless mobility.”

“McAfee is the next step in this strategy, and the right security partner for us,” she added. “Our current work together has impressive prospects, and we look forward to introducing a product from our strategic partnership next year.”

“The cyber threat landscape has changed dramatically over the past few years, with millions of new threats appearing every month,” said Dave DeWalt, president and CEO of McAfee. “We believe this acquisition will result in our ability to deliver a safer, more secure and trusted Internet-enabled device experience.”

McAfee, based in Santa Clara and founded in 1987, is the world’s largest dedicated security technology company with approximately $2 billion in revenue in 2009. With approximately 6,100 employees, McAfee’s products and technologies deliver secure solutions and services to consumers, enterprises and governments around the world and include a strong sales force that works with a variety of customers.

The company has a suite of software-related security solutions, including end-point and networking products and services that are focused on helping to ensure Internet-connected devices and networks are protected from malicious content, phony requests and unsecured transactions and communications. Among others, products include McAfee Total Protection™, McAfee Antivirus, McAfee Internet Security, McAfee Firewall, McAfee IPS as well as an expanding line of products targeting mobile devices such as smartphones.

Intel has made a series of recent and successful software acquisitions to pursue a deliberate strategy focused on leading companies in their industry delivering software that takes advantage of silicon. These include gaming, visual computing, embedded device and machine software and now security.

Home to two of the most innovative labs and research in the high-tech industry, Intel and McAfee will also jointly explore future product concepts to further strengthen security in the cloud network and myriad of computers and devices people use in their everyday lives.

On a GAAP basis, Intel expects the combination to be slightly dilutive to earnings in the first year of operations and approximately flat in the second year. On a non-GAAP basis, excluding a one-time write down of deferred revenue when the transaction closes and amortization of acquired intangibles, Intel expects the combination to be slightly accretive in the first year and improve beyond that.

Intel was advised by Goldman Sachs & Co. and Morrison & Foerster LLP. McAfee was advised by Morgan Stanley & Co. Inc. and Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, P.C.

In the world of computers there are always trade-offs between power, money, and space. ITX boards have stood at the lower end of the spectrum conserving space and money at the price of performance. Jetway introduces a new ITX board that boasts about the "Next-Generation ION" chipset. But is the improvement really there, or is it all just smoke and mirrors? Read on and find out.
Jetway JNC98-525E-LF Atom Motherboard @ TechwareLabs

"Thermalright are no strangers to dual radiator tower heatsinks. In fact
they were one of the first to introduce the concept with their famous IFX-14
cooler. Although it never received as much attention as the much revered
Ultra 120 Extreme, the IFX-14 was a revolutionary design that allowed users
to attach up to three fans of varying thicknesses (25mm/38mm) so it proved
highly efficient for brute air cooling performance. However, the Ultra 120
Extreme has now been succeeded by the superior Venomous X, which proved to
be one of the best coolers we have tested here at Vortez, so it's now the
IFX-14's turn to undergo the same treatment. The result is the Thermalright
Silver Arrow.

Some of you may notice that the Silver Arrow is reminiscent of the Cogage
Arrow and that's because the latter was designed by the same engineer team.
Cogage is a budget oriented company that falls under the umbrella of its
parent company, Thermalright. That's not to say that the Silver Arrow is a
direct copy of the Cogage solution because it has undergone several
refinements to deliver a highly polished product that is deserving of its
Thermalright heritage. The most significant difference is the inclusion of
Thermalright's latest TR TY-140 fans but more on that later."
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Thermalright Silver Arrow CPU Cooler Review @ Vortez.co.uk

City of Industry, CA -- Aug 18, 2010 -- Shuttle, an industry-leading designer and manufacturer of high-performance small form factor (SFF) PC solutions and creator of the XPC, is now shipping its new XS35 slim PC in three ready-to-ship (RTS) configurations -- everyday, media, and high-definition -- at leading retailers in the U.S. and Canada, including online at Newegg.com and SuperBiiz.com (formerly eWiz.com).

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Highlights for PC-Q11A / PC-Q11B / PC-Q11R / PC-Q11W

• Supports Mini-ITX/Mini-DTX motherboards
• Two 3.5" HDD & two 2.5" HDD
• One 140mm system fan at the front
• Two PCI expansion slots
• One standard 5.25" optical drive
• Standard ATX PS/2 power supply units
• Support two USB3.0 / HD audio multimedia I/O ports
• Available in four colors: black, silver, red and (New!) piano white
• Availability: Arriving at local distributors end of August
• MSRP (VAT not included): US$94.99 for PC-Q11A/B (silver/black), US$114.9 for PC-Q11R (red), and US$174.99 for PC-Q11W (white) 

"As good as the chassis is, there are several things that pulled it back from being top dog. First for the size and weight of the case, let alone the price, a set of rails should be included. The case is too heavy to keep removing from a rack when needing to perform maintenance or upgrades. Getting it into the rack in the first place takes at least two people and the rack ears seem to hold it, but for how long?"

Norco RPC-4020 4U Review @ OCC

"The NZXT Sentry LXE takes the internal design of a standard fan controller and removes it from the optical drive bay, placing it directly on a user’s desk. This puts the fan controller within arms length, which should improve the ability to quickly access the control panel and adjust the fan and temperature settings on the fly. Additionally, the LXE uses a sleek brushed aluminum design with a large 5.27” LCD touch-screen, so if the controller is as functional as it is stylish we may well have a good product on our hands."

NZXT Sentry LXE Review @ Neoseeker

"When we saw this ultra low-end iMicro PS-IM400WH power supply being sold for only USD 12, we couldn't help ourselves. We had to buy it and test it using the same standards we use for evaluating more expensive units. So, how will this bargain unit perform? Is it safe to use it? Let's check it out."

iMicro PS-IM400WH Power Supply Review @ Hardware Secrets

Roughly three months have passed since Valve unleashed Steam (along with a handful of Source games) onto Mac OS X. Early performance results were disappointing, but Valve has been working with Apple to eke some extra speed out of OS X's graphics drivers. Yesterday's Snow Leopard Graphics Update is the first result of that collaboration, and it has given us some encouraging results.

News: Latest OS X update boosts Team Fortress 2 performance

This red-and-black notebook touts a Core i5 processor, switchable GeForce graphics, and generous connectivity. Are those perks worth the extra bulk over thinner and lighter machines?

News: Samsung's R480 14-inch notebook

Sierra Madre, California – (August 18, 2010) – Booq, a leading brand of premium laptop and iPad carrying cases for creative professionals, announces Boa push iPad messenger bag. Boa push is a slim and lightweight option to carry an iPad, iPhone, credit cards, identification, and all of the necessities you need to tackle your day. Available at booqbags.com and retailers throughout the country, booq’s sophisticated design and functionality delivers high-quality bags and cases for the next generation of ambitious professionals.  

"The collective image of an AMD 890GX-based motherboard is quite attractive. It's a mid-end feature-rich full-size ATX model with two graphics slots, SATA 6Gbps support and an optional but nevertheless provided USB 3.0 controller. Besides, MSI demonstrated that the same functionality could be compacted into the mATX form factor as well."

iXBT Labs Review: AMD 890GX Motherboard Roundup

With five unique fan controllers and temperate probes the NZXT Sentry LXE looks to provide easier management of your internal temperatures. Providing options for either manual or automatic control this fan controller gives an impressive feature list, but does this "High Performance Touch Screen Fan Controller" manage to stay cool under the critical gaze of our reviewer?

NZXT Sentry LXE Fan controller @ Rbmods

Calgary, AB – August 17, 2010 – CoolIT Systems, leaders in advanced liquid cooling technology, announced today that Michael Grey has joined their team as Regional Manager - Americas. With Michael’s business experience as well as keen understanding of microprocessors and technology, CoolIT is well positioned to once again move forward and bring the very best in products and services to their customers.

"I'll be the first to admit that having a job as a hardware  reviewer isn't exactly a bad lot. We get to check out some of the latest pieces of kit around, and occasionally when we're done we get to hang on to them. This of course has no impact on what score we give an item when reviewing it; but it does occasionally give rise to random items being reviewed.

NZXT Hades Review - XSReviews

City of Industry, CA -- Aug 18, 2010 -- Shuttle, an industry-leading designer and manufacturer of high-performance small form factor (SFF) PC solutions and creator of the XPC, today announced the launch of the its next generation slim PC -- the Shuttle XS35 -- that pushes the limits of the desktop in terms of size, functionality and design, setting a new benchmark for slim PCs, and available now at leading online retailers in the U.S.

" The ominous and looming Dark Fleet of cases from Antec have arrived. This new line brings a much different look from previous high-end designs like the Hundred series. The DF-85 is a full size ATX case with plenty of room for cable management and includes some special features. It also has a red and black design which is always a plus. "

Antec Dark Fleet DF-85 Enthusiast Gaming Case Review @ HardwareLogic

Ever bought a new phone and immediately scratched it or
dropped it? We all know that scenario could happen to everyone. I really
hate having a new gadget that is all scratches and looks like its been used
for a very long time. The phone market is so expensive that I cant see
myself buying one every time something new comes out. With a hefty price
tags anywhere between 400 and 800$ the phone makers really know what they
doing so keeping the phone in a mint condition is my number one priority. Ok
so now I got a shiny new phone now to pick the right body skin. There is a
good amount of companies that claim that their skins are better than the
others by protecting your electronics better. The only way to find out is
the company is credible is by reading a review. Today we are going to be
taking a look at XO Skins Droid X skin.

UMLan Article Release: XO Skins Droid X - Review

"Here in the UK OCZ memory is amongst the most popular brand besides the
likes of Corsair. Stores like Scan, Overclockers UK, ebuyer, ARIA, CCL and
others always stock this brand of memory. It's a firm favourite with
hardware enthusiasts and has national (and international) recognition for
being affordable and solid in performance.

The kit we are taking a look at today is designed for the AMD platform, and
more rightly - the AMD Black Edition of CPU's. The idea is that this memory
kit will compliment such a setup. We will be allowing it to unleash it's
true potential on the 890FX chipset accompanied by an AMD X6 1055T. The
perfect combination.

The OCZ Black Edition series are deemed as special edition and come in two
flavours CL7 or CL8. The kit we will be looking at is a CL8 4GB Dual Channel
kit rated at PC3-12800 that is - 1600MHz. It's timings come as 8-8-8-24 at
1.65v."

OCZ DDR3 PC3-12800 4GB AMD Black Edition Dual Channel Kit Review @ Vortez.co.uk

I believe that majority of computer enthusiasts want a case that has had plenty of thought put into it. Small features that make system builder's life easier, and manageable interior space that makes for a clean build. Thermaltake continually makes improvements on their cases and they put more thought in each new release. One of their latest is the Armor A90.

Thermaltake Armor A90 Case @ TechwareLabs