The Tech Report Podcast - MP3 Feed

The TR Podcast 58: Tales from CES

Tue, 02 Feb 2010 00:35:51 -0500

In this special episode of the TR Podcast, we're taking you back to Sin City and imparting some of the sights, smells, and sounds (okay, maybe just the sounds) of the world's largest consumer electronics expo. Along with a taste of the CES experience, we provide added insight and information into the news and buzz we've already covered on the site and on the podcast. This episode includes special interviews and conversations straight from Vegas hotel suite meetings—you won't want to miss it!

The TR Podcast 57: Viva Las CES

Mon, 18 Jan 2010 02:22:51 -0500

Fresh back from CES 2010, the gang attempts to recap everything seen during and after this year's upbeat electronics expo. We start with Intel's new mobile and desktop platforms and other interesting technologies, like the Wireless Display (WiDi) feature included in a few different Arrandale laptops. From AMD, we have both external graphics and the new, $99 Radeon HD 5670. Nvidia, meanwhile, showed its next-generation Tegra system-on-a-chip and GeForce 3D Vision Surround, a 3D gaming scheme Scott actually likes.
Other CES delights include an exciting motion-control product coming soon from Razer and EVGA's ridiculously massive dual-Xeon motherboard, which we're not sure will actually fit into existing PC enclosures. We also go over Asus' new line of stylish-looking laptops, the fab behemoth that GlobalFoundries is becoming, and a bevy of new SSDs from, well, just about everybody.

The TR Podcast 56: Intel's ups and downs, ultraportable madness, and Avatar

Mon, 21 Dec 2009 04:55:51 -0500

After kicking off this episode with a review of James Cameron's Avatar, the gang welcomes Rob Williams of TechGage, who fills in for TR's venerable chipset and storage expert Geoff Gasior this week. Cyril then follows up on last episode's GPU shortage discussion, giving us the latest on the availability of AMD's Radeon HD 5850 and 5870 graphics cards. Later, in a round of ultraportable stories, Scott shares his experiences with GPU-accelerated Flash video, installing Windows 7 on his Samsung NC20, and using Acer's Aspire Timeline 1810TZ ultraportable. A listener question subsequently prompts several Intel-related stories, including updates about the Larrabee graphics processor, the Federal Trade Commission's recent lawsuit, and the upcoming 32-nm Clarkdale, Arrandale, and Gulftown CPUs.

The TR Podcast 55: Phantom Menace II, the Christmas '09 system guide and a pair of pairs

Sun, 06 Dec 2009 23:54:02 -0500

The fall movie season is well under way, and Scott starts this episode by asking the panel whether $500-million megafilm Avatar> will be worth the cost of a ticket and popcorn. Jordan and Cyril suggest James Cameron will score another hit, while Scott and Geoff are dubious and draw parallels with Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace in 1998—a lot of hype and a big letdown. Scott goes on to relate the woes of giving tech buying advice to friends and family. Moving on, it's time for another TR system guide, and our Christmas '09 edition is rife with compromises to combat the RAM price hikes and GPU shortages. We talk about the possibility of GPU scarcity continuing well into 2010, as well. Also in this episode: Microsoft is trying to combat Steam, we pit two 2TB hard drives against each other, and choosing between Dell and Asus for a 14" notebook turns out to be somewhat complicated.

The TR Podcast 54: Intel and AMD make up, the foot-long GPU, and Modern Warfare 2

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 01:37:21 -0500

We're back to our classic format in this week's episode, starting with a look at some of this season's new games. Scott is still having a blast with Borderlands, and everyone has their take on Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, with its fast-paced, on-rails gameplay and controversial airport scene.
Moving on from gaming, Cyril and Scott tackle major industry news: AMD and Intel have finally shaken hands and made up after four years of litigation and multiple antitrust investigations. Scott goes on to detail what AMD has revealed of its latest processor roadmap, before going on to comment on the company's massive, dual-GPU Radeon HD 5970. Our panel also discusses the slow trickle of graphics cards across the industry, Kanguru's eSATA/USB thumb drive, and more.

The TR Podcast: 10th Anniversary Edition

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 00:40:17 -0500

Kick back and relax in this trip down TR memory lane. Our special anniversary episode is packed with stories from the past 10 years of PC hardware exploration. We reminisce with the usual gang—Scott, Geoff, Cyril, and Adam—and also, for the first time, welcome the amazing Andy Brown to our panel. With talk of everything from TR's launch in 1999 to the future and beyond, this is an episode no TR fan should miss.

The TR Podcast 53: Windows 7 arrives, tiny P55 boards, and Borderlands

Sun, 25 Oct 2009 19:48:19 -0400

This technical potpourri of an episode starts with the official Windows 7 launch, as the gang discusses pricing, and Jordan remains alone in his hopes for an entertaining Windows 7-sponsored Family Guy episode... very alone. Moving on to gaming, Mass Effect 2 is looking good, World of Goo is selling for just $2 a copy, and Borderlands gets the pre-PC-launch review treatment from Scott. After several weeks of anticipation, Geoff also shares his thoughts on two MicroATX Intel P55 motherboards—both compact yet surprisingly feature-packed little offerings. Finally, Scott gives us the scoop on the Radeon HD 5770 and 5750, Cyril joins Jordan as a fan of Apple's aluminum keyboard, and we close with some Intel financial news.

The TR Podcast 52: Killing Inferi, finding the 5850, and all about Fermi

Sun, 11 Oct 2009 23:23:27 -0400

We've got podcast tunnel vision for one subject in particular this week: graphics. Fresh from the Nvidia GPU Technology Conference, Scott has plenty to say about Nvidia's latest efforts, especially on the general-purpose computing front. We cover everything from the next-gen Fermi architecture to general-purpose applications for Nvidia GPUs, which have included cool-looking fire effects in the Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince movie.

The TR Podcast 51: New theme music, high-end graphics, and the Intel roadmap

Sun, 27 Sep 2009 23:49:18 -0400

This episode marks a new day for the TR Podcast, particularly with the new theme song kicking off the show. After a serenade and introduction, we delve into a discussion about the newly crowned fastest graphics processor in the world—AMD's new Radeon HD 5870. Also of interest is a variety of CPU stories that have come from Intel's latest Developer Forum. Scott and Cyril break down everything from Pat Gelsinger's departure to a working demo of the future Sandy Bridge architecture. On the AMD front, we talk six-core desktop processors, and Scott expresses skepticism about the value of the new $99 Athlon II X4.

The TR Podcast 50: Lynnfield arrives, the future of storage, and next-gen gaming

Sun, 13 Sep 2009 23:50:05 -0400

We kick off this milestone episode by introducing Loyd Case for his second appearance on the TR Podcast. Loyd starts us right off with his impressions of AMD's Eyefinity hexa-monitor gaming technology, which Scott also wrote about earlier this week. Then, Cyril talks about his desktop-centric review of Windows 7, and our panelists chip in with their feelings on Microsoft's upcoming operating system. Moving into the world of sports—something we rarely do—Geoff gives us the skinny on the SwiMP3 underwater MP3 player. From there, we transition right into the meat of the episode by addressing Intel's new Core i5 and Core i7-800 processors and the accompanying P55 Express chipset. Our panelists dissect the new platform, going over everything from new motherboard layout possibilities to power-efficiency and the future of the X58 platform. The remainder of the episode includes talk of Zunes and iPods, new CULV laptops, and the future of removable storage.

The TR Podcast 49.5: Tales from Beijing

Thu, 10 Sep 2009 22:35:44 -0400

Join Jordan in this special episode of the podcast as he travels to Beijing, China to cover MSI's Master Overclocking Arena 2009 world final.

The TR Podcast 49: A special guest, upcoming CPUs, and laptop woes

Sun, 23 Aug 2009 20:25:14 -0400

We begin this week's episode introducing our special guest: Loyd Case, a veteran tech journalist and ExtremeTech's former Editor in Chief. His current projects include a personal blog, Improbable Insights, as well as a Twitter account and freelance writing for publications like PC World and Maximum PC. Jumping right into the meat of the show, Scott and Loyd talk about Gigabyte's MicroATX P55 motherboard, what the two expect from Intel's new platform, and what other manufacturers like Asus and MSI are bringing to the table. Scott also gives his two cents on the new Phenom II X4 965 from AMD.Moving on to a set of laptop stories, Geoff has been testing Acer's Aspire Timeline 13.3" ultraportable, Scott just purchased a new Samsung NC20, and Dell and MSI have some noteworthy notebook updates to discuss. We the end the show with Geoff's headphone-focused sound card testing, thoughts on the Zune HD, and debate over DVD fair-use rights.

The TR Podcast 48: Windows 7, old-man rants, and luxury SSD's

Sun, 09 Aug 2009 14:22:17 -0400

In the wake of the Windows 7 RTM rollout, our panel shares their impressions of the new operating system, from the new, OS X-esque taskbar to the departure of Windows Mail. Later, a listener question prompts some display discussion, while upcoming Left 4 Dead bonus content suggests Valve isn't neglecting fans of the original game, after all.
Moving on, MSI's upcoming Wind U200 laptop prompts an "old-man rant" from Scott, after which Geoff briefs us on the pros and cons of AMD's 785G integrated graphics chipset. Finally, we share our thoughts on OCZ's upcoming terabyte SSD (and its rumored $2,500 price tag).
Also in this episode: two cool interviews with contestants from MSI's Master Overclocking Arena 2009. First-place winner Mike Graf tells us about his practical uses for overclocking on a day-to-day basis, while acclaimed case modder Ton Khowdee talks pro modding, overclocking, and more.

The TR Podcast 47: Two sneak peeks, what's next for physical media, and Wall Street for gamers

Sun, 09 Aug 2009 14:20:04 -0400

After a slew of mega-length episodes, we slim down a bit this week with a shorter, more tightly packed podcast presentation. To kick things off, fantasy football season is starting, and we finally have a presence in the Twitter-verse. We go on to discuss how we use the social media service as yet another tool to stay on top of the PC hardware industry. Moving into the meat of the episode, we bring you not one, but two sneak previews of articles you can expect to see this week. Scott and Geoff share their thoughts on both Intel's new SSDs and a pair of 11.6" netbooks. Also on the agenda: can gamers invest in future titles? And what will happen to DVDs and Blu-Ray with the rise of portable flash media? Finally, don't miss our interview with pro-overclocker and Xtreme Systems owner Charles "Fugger" Wirth.

The TR Podcast 46: The Google OS, browser wars, and all things storage

Sun, 12 Jul 2009 17:41:56 -0400

This week's episode starts off with a bang. Damage Labs adds a new member to the team, and Scott and Jordan discuss the joys of patriotic explosions. For the most part, the remaining episode tackles software and storage. We discuss Google's just-announced Chrome OS, Firefox 3.5, and VLC 1.0.0. We even take a look at our own web server stats to see which browsers you, the readers and listeners, use the most. To break things up, we have another MSI sponsored segment, which includes motherboard tech discussion and an interview with competitive overlocker Gautam Bhatnager. We also answer two listener mail questions. Finally, a veritable pod of storage stories finishes up the show, as we talk SSDs, hard drive history, and backup strategy.

The TR Podcast 45: Gaming roundup, Swiss Army knives, and Windows Vista II

Sun, 28 Jun 2009 01:15:08 -0400

As the month of June comes to a close, we turn off the noisy air conditioning and swelter in our studios to record another episode of the TR Podcast—at least, that's what I did. This episode starts with a variety of gaming topics: everything from the campy and somewhat uninteresting Battlefield Heroes to the acquisition of id Software, the reasoning behind which we discuss at length. We then talk phones, as the iPhone 3G S has made its way into two of our panelists' hands, and Scott has wandered back into his old Sprint store to check out the Palm Pre. Cyril and Scott go on to introduce the Pocket Swiss Army Knife from the latest TR system guide, and we share our (mixed) feelings about Windows 7 pricing. Later, Scott examines MSI's new consumer ultraportable laptop, we round up the latest netbook news, and we wrap up with high-end Socket AM3 chipsets. What a show!

The TR Podcast 44: Computex compendium, air vs. water, and budget CPU madness

Sun, 14 Jun 2009 21:03:28 -0400

If you've been following the news from Computex, or perhaps looking for a concise overview of the biggest stories from the event, you'll love this episode. We kick things off with Cyril, Scott, Jordan and Geoff covering the coolest innovations and new products from companies like Intel, AMD, Nvidia, Gigabyte, Corsair, and Synaptics. We go on to bring you the latest about our solid-state drive tests, Scott's CPU benchmarking extravaganza, and France's failed anti-piracy law. Also in this episode, Jordan and Joshua Buss discuss TR's latest processor cooler roundup.

The TR Podcast 43: Troublesome SSDs, tired rhetoric, and a podcast exclusive

Sat, 23 May 2009 22:45:15 -0400

We're all stretching our brain muscles as we kick off yet another TR Podcast episode. Wolfram|Alpha, our first point of discussion, is both confusing and brilliant, but we're not holding our breath to see it become the next big web thing. Moving on to yet another ad-war, we discuss Apple's response to the Microsoft laptop hunter spots. Does Apple stick with tired rhetoric or truly take the lead? Soon after our ad discussion and a short iPhone rumor roundup, Scott and Geoff tackle our latest SSD roundup and the controversy surrounding it. The sinking U.S. dollar means Intel is getting fined just a little bit more each day in Europe, and Scott gives us a cool AMD CPU sneak preview.

The TR Podcast 42: Tech rockstars, awesome ultraportables, and the day Duke died

Sat, 09 May 2009 17:41:06 -0400

Tune in this week for our thoughts on everything from the tragedy of 3D Realm's death to the narrow-mindedness of Microsoft's latest ad campaign. We also talk about our favorite new ultraportables and Intel's rock stars.

The TR Podcast 41: Customer reeducation, CPU nirvana, and everone loves Atom

Sat, 25 Apr 2009 20:16:06 -0400

We're back after a brief hiatus with a well-rounded podcast episode. Scott kicks off the conversation with a frustrating revelation about Lenovo's new ThinkPad automatic update feature, then we share our thoughts on Time Warner Cable's bandwidth quota trial saga. We also give Apple a shout-out for making all iTunes Store music DRM free—despite the ensuing price increase.On the CPU front, we examine AMD's latest Phenom processor as well as the chipmaker's new Opteron roadmap. Finally, Matt gives us the rundown on OCZ's first foray into the netbook world, we discuss the merits of Nvidia's Ion chipset, and our latest poll prompts Scott to comment on the Atom processor's usefulness. A quick reminder: we've switched to a twice-a-month schedule for the podcast, so our next episode will air on May 9. The episode after that will go up on May 23.

The TR Podcast 40: The GPGPU tax, three strikes you're out, and the end of netbooks

Sun, 05 Apr 2009 23:13:47 -0400

Listener mail is back, starting one of our longest episodes ever with an interesting question about the effects of general-purpose usage on a GPU's life span. Our editors also dive into the debate generated by Microsoft's latest "I'm a PC" ad, giving their take on whether Microsoft has hit a home run or a foul ball. Then, after we lament the expansion of Time Warner Cable's bandwidth quotas to several U.S. cities, Cyril rants about a draconian new copyright bill in France. Other topics in this episode include Geoff's review of a handy little Mini-ITX motherboard, the newest and blazingly fast Xeon 5500 processors from Intel, and a variety of netbook and handheld news.

The TR Podcast 39: Burning the TP, wavy digital clothing, and a gaming news roundup

Sat, 28 Mar 2009 18:14:28 -0400

This week's podcast gets off to a spoilerific start. Now that our panelists have seen the Battlestar Galactica series finale, we follow up on last week's predictions with a spoiler-heavy review... you have been warned. It's been a while since we've done a good gaming news roundup, so we also spent some time on sequel watch, analyzing what we know about Bioshock 2, Modern Warfare 2<, and Mass Effect 2. Other gaming-related topics include Valve's "DRM free" claims, Havok and AMD's physics demo at GDC, and the next generation of fancy network cards from Bigfoot Networks. Also in this episode: Cyril finds another mechanical keyboard to lay his hands on, the Pirate Bay wants to cloak its users for a small fee, and Geoff asks what we'd like to see in an instant-on motherboard OS

The TR Podcast 38: Hello Mr. Hawking, Dell does sexy, and affordable Core i7

Sat, 21 Mar 2009 16:52:27 -0400

This week's episode starts off in geek central with a short Battlestar Galactica series finale discussion, which is sure to amuse the BSG fans who already saw the climactic finish last night. Matt then kicks off our actual tech talk with an overview of WD's TV HD Media Player and how it compares to other media-center options on the market. Moving on, we beat the iPod shuffle dead horse just a tad more, and we segue into equally cynical commentary about Dell's latest attempt at a MacBook Air competitor. Cyril later explains the current processor landscape in terms of bang for buck, after which Geoff goes over affordable Core i7 motherboards, we speculate on Intel and AMD's latest schoolyard fight, Geoff tells us why Nvidia's Hybrid Power technology is dead on the desktop, and much more

The TR Podcast 37: Frothing at the MacHole, not-so-new GPUs, and a trip down memory lane

Sun, 08 Mar 2009 00:16:23 -0500

This episode features our largest panel ever, with both our regular team and new TR blogger Jason Fox. We kick off the show by exploring Jason's first post, in which he described his recent exodus from cable TV to over-the-air HD broadcast. After discussing services like Hulu and Boxee, our panel gets down and dirty in a platform debate over the latest Mac hardware upgrades. As the show goes on, we get schooled by Intel's Convertible Classmate PC, explore Nvidia's mobile GPU branding controversy, and dig through Geoff's closet to find legacy tech toys.

The TR Podcast 36: AMD's gimpy goodness, Microsoft retail, and the Athlon Neo

Sun, 22 Feb 2009 20:01:22 -0500

This week, Scott joins us to talk about netbooks, new triple-core Phenoms, and his recent trip to AMD Austin, where he got a chance to see six-core Opterons and HP's new Athlon Neo-powered laptop. Scott signs off for the second half of the show, and Matt Butrovich returns by popular demand for a round-table discussion about lawsuits, future Microsoft retail outlets, his new MacBook, and Newegg's shipping policies.

The TR Podcast 35: Breaking the glass, surfing the music, and suing Apple

Sat, 14 Feb 2009 17:47:02 -0500

Scott starts off this week's tech discussion with tales of his recent trip to Oregon, where he talked with Intel executives about the newly announced 32nm Westmere processors. Our editors are skeptical about Intel's motives for making Westmere into a CPU/GPU chimera, especially since—as Geoff points out—current Intel integrated graphics are still considerably slower than competition.

Scott then leaves our show early to continue his work in Damage Labs, and TR blogger and reviewer Matt Butrovich fills in to talk about everything from Mirror's Edge PhysX performance to a possible $99 iPhone. We also hear Geoff's thoughts on the 2TB Western Digital Caviar Green drive and his favorite musical rhythm game.

The TR Podcast 34: Headaches, our anniversary, and meeting an Intel engineer

Sun, 08 Feb 2009 15:00:53 -0500

Our longest episode ever brings the thunder with a combination of great news and reviews and one of our most interesting interviews to date. Before our foray into the tech world begins, Jordan informs us that this episode marks the TR Podcast's one year anniversary, we pause for a quick celebration and then start into our discussion. Geoff begins with review of Nvidia's ION platform, followed by our concern over bandwidth caps and a look into the future for the curious NIC card maker Bigfoot. Our editors also debate the wisdom of another extensive sku list for Windows 7, Scott gives us an interesting perspective on the recent purchase of Shacknews, and Cyril thinks Mirrors Edge for the PC is worth a second look. Finally, Scott evaluates Nvidia's new 3D vision scheme and is only able to conclude that 3D zombies are cool, 3D women are hot.... and the rest kinda goes down hill from there.

The second half of our episode contains an interview with Intel engineer Matthew Hiltner. Scott and Geoff ask him a mix of editor and user submitted questions and Matthew talks about everything from silicon testing and bios emulation, to what happens when someone in the workplace fries an expensive testing motherboard.... don't miss this interview.

The TR Podcast 33: Facebooking, SSDs on steroids, and the bacon explosion

Sun, 01 Feb 2009 01:29:10 -0500

This week really has it all. We start with listener mail, as Scott and Geoff answer questions about solid-state storage and the future of AMD. Our recent escapade into the wacky world of Facebook generates buzz both in the comments and among our panelists, Josh Buss joins us to talk about a very unusual ATX case design, and we talk about Gmail getting better for the corporate world. Lastly, the Kansas City original "Bacon Explosion" has our editors drooling on mic... and Damage promises to benchmark the BBQ beauty this weekend.

The TR Podcast 32: Troubled times, scary storage, and the dark oscar

Sat, 24 Jan 2009 17:57:18 -0500

Listen to this week's episode as we dive into the tech economy, the Seagate debacle, disappointing Oscar nominations, and more.

The TR Podcast 31: Liberated music, faster for less, and clicky keyboards

Sat, 17 Jan 2009 12:07:51 -0500

Our first regular podcast of the year covers everything from CES and Macworld news to the latest processors and graphics cards, the Windows 7 beta, and clicky keyboards.

The TR Podcast 30: The CES 2009 edition

Sun, 11 Jan 2009 16:13:31 -0500

In this special edition of the TR Podcast, Jordan and Scott summarize TR's coverage of CES 2009. Scott (on the phone with us from the airport in Las Vegas) talks about the markedly different mood for the new year, the unusual bevy of product releases for the event, highlights from the show floor, and more.

The TR Podcast 29: 2008, a year in review

Sat, 20 Dec 2008 17:10:39 -0500

After almost of year of vocal tech reporting, our panelists sit down with hindsight 20/20 to dissect this past year of tech. Scott starts us off with an overview of the three tech trends he believes have outlined the industry in 2008. In brief, these are the solidification of the "productivity" usage model, the stagnation of graphical requirements for games, and the inevitable collision of CPUs and GPUs.

With these three tech themes serving as an outline, our editors dive into the top news and reviews from their areas of expertise. Geoff discusses the rise of netbooks, 780G and P45 chipsets, Xonar sound cards, and the advancement of solid-state storage technology. Cyril and Scott discuss some of 2008's biggest corporate news, including AMD's early CEO swap and Nvidia's acquisition of Ageia. Finally, Scott does a roundup of the CPU and GPU designs that made this year one of the busiest we've seen in TR's 9 year history.

Before signing off on our last episode of 2008, Jordan asks each of the editors what they're most looking forward to in 2009, and we all pick our favorite 2008 game.

The TR Podcast 28: Graphical eye candy, the nettablet, and congratulations, it's a boy!

Sat, 13 Dec 2008 16:55:26 -0500

Scott starts off the discussion this week with a scathing technical review of the recently released EA survival-horror game, Dead Space. After a brief cool down period, we deliver the news that TR's marketing maestro Adam Eiberger is the proud father of a newborn baby boy. (Daniel Micah Eiberger weighs in at 8 lbs, is in good health, and is consistently scoring 240 in WorldBench.)

Before taking time off to prepare for the new baby gerbil, Adam and Scott worked to put together TR's 2008 Christmas Giveaway. Scott fills us in on the impressive specs of the giveaway PC, and he says he expects to post an article very soon with details on how to enter. The rest of our episode covers this past week's helping of TR news and articles. Our editors discuss SSD speeds in Windows 2000, the advancement of physics technology in games, the recent release of OpenCL 1.0, Gigabyte's new 'nettablet,' Intel's Core i7-940 and more.

The TR Podcast 27: Attack of the fanboys, the Crushinator, and crack... on crack

Sun, 07 Dec 2008 09:52:00 -0500

After a brief Thanksgiving hiatus, the TR Podcast is back in action with one of our best sounding episodes yet (no really, it is). The holidays are fresh on our minds as we start the show, and Scott jokes about the geekiness himself and others display by using LED Christmas lights. We go on to talk about our latest TR poll, a sneak preview of Scott's super-high-end GPU benchmarks, this season's new games, and the Christmas TR system guide (which includes the infamous Crushinator configuration, inspired by the namesake robot in Futurama).

Moving on to the latest TR review articles, Scott and Geoff dive into our Core i7 memory speed analysis, and they discuss Intel's blazing fast X25-E Extreme solid-state drive. Finally, Cyril talks fondly of his new 24" LCD monitor, and the intriguing tale of AMD's RV770 GPU unfolds with colorful insight from Scott.

The TR Podcast 26: Faith, revelations, and exploring Shanghai

Sun, 23 Nov 2008 10:27:06 -0500

If you're in the market for a Core i7-based system, our episode starts off with some advice just for you. Geoff talks about a pair of X58 motherboards from Gigabyte and MSI and gives us his pick(s) out of the four he's reviewed so far. Other topics of discussion include the ForceWare "Big Bang II" drivers from Nvidia, our first impressions of Left 4 Dead and Mirror's Edge, a sneak preview of our 45nm Shanghai Opteron review (with a special guest), and the scoop on AMD's upcoming Phenom II processors.

This episode also continues our series of editor biographies. This time, Cyril joins us on Skype to talk about his early tech influences, writing tech articles at the age of 14, playing Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata on the piano, and more.

The TR Podcast 25: All about AMD, fixing the shift key, and a new season of TV

Sat, 15 Nov 2008 17:04:36 -0500

In the aftermath of Intel's Core i7 processor launch, everyone wants to know: what's AMD going to do to compete? This week on the TR podcast, we examine a flurry of news fresh from AMD's Financial Analyst Day presentation in order to answer that question. Future desktop and mobile processors, foundry spinoff plans, and even an overview of how Radeon GPUs are doing in the marketplace—we cover it all.

After AMD news marathon, Geoff gets very practical with his unruly Eee PC shift key, and our panel reveals what's on their DVRs for this new season of TV shows. Our favorites include: The Office, Fringe, Top Gear, The Sarah Connor Chronicles, and a few others. As always, our show finishes with a sneak peek at what's coming up on the site and our podcast.

The TR Podcast 24: Core i7, where motherboards come from, and driving around Far Cry 2

Sat, 08 Nov 2008 21:27:11 -0500

Our episode starts on a light note as Scott, Cyril, and Jordan have a round-table discussion about Ubisoft's Far Cry 2. Has the game held Scott's attention? Does the driving bother Cyril? And how many weapon sound effects can Jordan imitate? Scott also explains how the upcoming Steam Cloud feature, while great for the average gamer, might interfere with our benchmarking here at TR.

After that, we dive into the meat of the episode as Scott and Geoff discuss the intricate details of Intel's Core i7 processors and their companion X58 Express chipset. We also discuss the possible rollouts of cheaper derivatives and how much you'll have to spend to get the latest and greatest over the next few months. Finally, before our habitual teaser of upcoming TR content, Joshua Buss gives us a vocal walkthrough of his Gigabyte motherboard factory tour. This is certainly one of our most packed episodes in a long while.

The TR Podcast 23: Windows 7, the end of the giveaway, and the real Geoff Gasior

Sat, 01 Nov 2008 19:10:19 -0400

Clocking in at under an hour, our shortest episode ever still manages to pack a punch. TR biz guy Adam Eiberger starts us off with a quick recap of our recent Acer Aspire One netbook giveaway. We reveal both the winner (for those that haven't read the news) and the official answers to our three entry questions. Geoff, Cyril, Jordan, and Matt have a little round-table chat about the fresh Windows 7 news coming from PDC2008. Cyril follows up by sharing first impressions of his new MacBook, after which Geoff summarizes his thoughts on Western Digital's latest Caviar Green hard drive. Finally, the podcast gets up close and personal as Jordan quizzes Geoff about his childhood, likes and dislikes, and non-tech hobbies.

The TR Podcast 22: A product opportunity, speedy video encodes, and bringing SLI up to snuff

Sat, 25 Oct 2008 19:44:23 -0400

We have a nice cross-section of topics for you this week. We kick off this episode of the podcast with a question from an inebriated reader, then we delve behind the scenes of our new, overhauled system guide. After a look at the "product opportunity" AMD filled with its Radeon HD 4830 graphics card, we go over Seagate's new 1.5TB monster hard drive, and we chat about two new goodies awaiting GeForce users: the upcoming ForceWare 180 driver release and Elemental's Badaboom video transcoder. The episode closes with a discussion of the latest games, where Geoff explains what makes Dead Space so scary and Scott gives his impressions of Far Cry 2

The TR Podcast 21: Of macbooks, tech peer pressure, and an awesome giveaway

Sat, 25 Oct 2008 19:47:10 -0400

This week on the show, we start with a frank discussion of Apple's latest laptop release, in which Scott and the gang (including new TR blogger Matt Butrovich) talk about the pros and the cons of the new MacBooks. The discussion explores the industry trends affecting today's operating systems and should interest even Mac-hating PC hardware enthusiasts. Joshua Buss talks about the Gigabyte Open Overclocking Championship he covered from Taiwan. Geoff and Scott follow up with Nvidia's GeForce 9300 chipset, and we finish the episode with a discussion of tech peer pressure, the best netbook yet, and grandma's computer.

Also in this episode, we announce and begin our first-ever TR Podcast giveaway. Jordan starts the show with a quick explanation of the contest and rules, but you should check out our official giveaway post here. Thanks to NCIX for providing the Acer Aspire One that we're giving away to a lucky podcast listener.

The TR Podcast 20: The biggest story of the year, screaming CPUs, and a $1600 chair from the 70s

Sat, 11 Oct 2008 18:51:57 -0400

Coming to you in this special time of year, when the leaves are turning color, cute little woodland creatures are preparing to hibernate, and large microprocessor companies sell their fabs, this episode of the TR Podcast continues to bring home the proverbial tech bacon. Following a short listener Q and A, our editors discuss the biggest story of the year – AMD spins off their fabrication business. Following this look at the past, present, and future of the industry, we prognosticate and pontificate over the latest Core i7 rumors (all of which come from Asian rumor sites….). In the middle of the episode, Jordan interviews The Perfect Creation (as he is know in the pro wrestling world) – aka PerfectCr (on the forums) – aka Rich Criado (as he is known on his driver’s license). Rich talks about tech, wrestling, and gaming tattoos. To finish things up, our editors discuss the controversy surrounding our latest GPU review, Intels G45 Express Chipset, and of course, what you can expect in the following week on front page and on our podcast.

The TR Podcast 19: Android is open, Microsoft is confusing, and the Tech Share has shipped!

Sat, 04 Oct 2008 00:48:06 -0400

This episodes spends some quality time catching up on some major tech and TR topics. We start the show by introducing our marketing manager extraordinaire, Adam Eiberger. He talks about his work here at TR and then teams up with Scott to cover the latest TR Tech Share news. If you haven’t been following TR’s latest philanthropic endeavors – you’ll enjoy hearing about the cool tech stuff we are doing in Uganda! Continuing down the road of vocal tech reporting, our editors answer listener mail, talk about Google’s Android platform, discuss one of the latest case reviews, and more.

The TR Podcast 18: Netbooks, bargain-bin graphics, and consoles ruining PC games.... again

Sat, 27 Sep 2008 20:15:54 -0400

Join us this week as we try making sense of the netbook market, cast judgment on a surprisingly capable low-end GPU, complain about console-PC warfare, review two of the hottest games, and more!

The TR Podcast 17: Moore's Law versus whatchamacallit's law and the fight for the future

Sat, 13 Sep 2008 17:39:23 -0400

Put on your favorite 3D glasses and hop aboard the TR Podcast's train of geekiness. In this episode, we cover Scott's shiny new Eee PC, a shareholder's lawsuit against Nvidia, AMD's compelling sub-$100 Radeons, Mirror's Edge, that one law we forgot the name of... and much more.

The TR Podcast 16: AMD roadmappery, and GPUs suss out Sasquatch

Sat, 06 Sep 2008 19:24:22 -0400

Amidst all the recent Intel news, one listener asks what AMD is up to and gets a comprehensive AMD roadmap update from our own Scott Wasson. Then we chat about how SoftKinetic plans to one-up the Wiimote and how MotionDSP may help find Sasquatch—all podcast exclusives.

The TR Podcast 15: Of conferences, cores, case reviews, and cannabis

Sat, 30 Aug 2008 20:20:28 -0400

Gather round the table for a discussion of the latest and greatest from IDF and Nvision 08. Scott, Geoff, Cyril, and Jordan talk about the x58 chipset - the core of core i7 technology - a new way to use multi-gpu's - "turbo mode" and more. Plus, TR case reviewer Joshua Buss talks about his first review for our website, the Hyper Osiris enclosure.

The TR Podcast 14: X2s, X3s, and why more is less

Sat, 16 Aug 2008 19:59:10 -0400

Join us in this episode as we dive into the top of the line graphics offering from ATI, Nvidia's financial and technical woes, Asus's latest Eee product, and how the TR people backup... or don't backup... their data. If last week's Folding@Home segment caught your interest, our 'how to' on folding in this episode is just for you.

The TR Podcast 13: Deconstructing Larrabee and the strange art of CPU naming

Sat, 09 Aug 2008 22:39:26 -0400

Gather 'round the water cooler as TR's editors consider Intel's Larrabee architecture, the weird science of CPU naming, the week's tech news, and a bundle of recent reviews. Then listen as we invite some of our top Team TR members in to talk about Folding@home.

The TR Podcast 12: The $700 chair and the $69 Atom

Sat, 02 Aug 2008 15:52:39 -0400

This episode keeps the tech news coming, pits two brand new CPU architectures against each other, solves your back pain, and erases the need for built in bluetooth. We discuss Asus's exclusive audio chip dealings, the move towards 16:9, Newegg coming to Canada, and the Mojave Experiment videos.

The TR Podcast 11: The system guide to knols and rants

Sat, 26 Jul 2008 11:36:42 -0400

In this episode, we cover a ton of recent tech news, answer listener questions, and talk about two great tech topic articles. What is AMD up to with fab spin-offs? How should Microsoft fix the Vista image problem? What wisdom can be found in our latest system guide? And much more!

The TR Podcast 10: The dark barbecue headband fantasy

Sat, 19 Jul 2008 23:25:17 -0400

In this episode, we chat with TR forum members Kevin and idchafee, discuss the latest TR reviews (including our exclusive 4870 X2 preview), and do our first TR Podcast movie review. Does the Dark Knight live up to the hype?

The TR Podcast 9: The big announcement

Sat, 12 Jul 2008 18:48:16 -0400

In this episode, we discuss the Radeon HD 4800 series from AMD and the GeForce GTX 200 series from Nvidia. The editors also talk about the latest tech news from companies like Apple, Nvidia, and Asus, and our host makes a big announcement.

The TR Podcast 8: The Mini-Note and the zune

Sat, 14 Jun 2008 12:03:38 -0400

A post-Computex trio of ultra-portable news and reviews (again:-), the P45 Express Chipset, and the Microsoft Zune

The TR Podcast 7: Of chicks and chips

Sat, 31 May 2008 18:05:52 -0400

Episode 7 returns to our classic podcast format. Listener mail takes us all the way from portable media to geeks looking for a spouse or partner. In tech news, we take a look at the ultraportable market, as well as a cornucopia of the latest Nvidia news, direct from Santa Clara. We wrap things up with discusions of our CPU and GPU value articles and the P45 chipset from Intel.

The TR Podcast 6: Optimized and home-brewed

Sat, 03 May 2008 12:07:54 -0400

We kick off episode 6 by talking to Drew Henry of Nvidia about the optimized PC initiative and hybrid SLI. Our editors answer your emails covering everything from PC gaming to our favorite TV shows. To wrap up the episode, Geoff and Jordan talk to long time forum member and new TR blogger Mike “Just Brew It” Uchima about the stone age of computers, building “The Beast”, brewing mead, and much more.

The TR Podcast 5: CPU-GPU balance considered

Sat, 19 Apr 2008 14:32:23 -0400

We talk with AMD VP Pat Moorhead about striking the right CPU-GPU balance and the future of the PC market. After the interview, TR editors hold a short roundtable discussion offering their own views.

The TR Podcast 4

Sat, 05 Apr 2008 22:05:19 -0400

In this episode, we start off with lots of great listener mail covering GX2 and SLI, future technology that makes us giddy, and our favorite freeware. Asus and Creative dominate the tech news section, and in the tech topics, we go from the fastest hard drives to mobile processor technology

The TR Podcast 3

Sat, 22 Mar 2008 22:45:58 -0400

In this episode, we talk about Nvidia and VIA, Vista and XP, the 790i and X48 and much more!

The TR Podcast 2

Sat, 08 Mar 2008 16:20:42 -0500

In this episode, we read listener mail, discuss the latest Eee PC upgrades, talk about three-way SLI vs. CrossFire X, review the AMD 780G chipset, and much more!

The TR Podcast 1

Sat, 09 Feb 2008 18:23:50 -0500

Our debut episode features all of your favorite Tech Report staffers! Scott starts of by introducing Geoff, Cyril and Jordan (host of the OCF Podcast). Our editors talk about all of the latest tech news including Nvidia's buyout of Ageia, Microsoft's bid for Yahoo and more! Geoff and Scott talk about the latest PSU roundup and Skulltrail, and Cyril explains the pricing between the 3870 and the 8800gt. Future episodes will be released every other Saturday right here on the front page.