original

Origin PC announces 'Big O' PC/Xbox 360 hybrid

Update: Origin informs us that the Big O will, in fact, support a wireless Xbox controller out of the box.

Origin PC made a strong impression on us a few months ago when, in its first-ever CNET review, it earned an Editors' Choice Award for its high-end Genesis gaming desktop. As strong as we found that near-$5,000 PC, it was a relatively by-the-numbers luxury gaming box. Origin's new Big O desktop is anything but.

Starting at $7,669, the Big O features a double-wide case (the Danger Den Tower 21, to be specific) with all the usual high-end bells and whistles. Even in the base configuration, the CPU, both GPUs, and the motherboard all come liquid-cooled. Upgrade options include up to two six-core Intel Xeon X5680 CPUs, two 1,000-watt power supplies, and up to four graphics cards. All of that is, of course, impressive, but the real innovation comes along the bottom edge of the system, where Origin has built in a liquid-cooled Xbox 360 Slim.

You can see from the detail shot exactly how the Xbox 360 has been built into the Big O. By the wired controller in the picture we gather that Origin has not been able to build in wireless support, but if you're willing to spend $7,000-plus on a PC such as this one, we don't suppose an extra $99 for the Windows wireless controller kit will present much of a financial obstacle.

Vampire Origins HD: Wear a cool trench coat, blast vampires

Load your shotgun, put on your trench coat, and find your best black hat. Vampire Origins HD combines slick design and hardcore vampire-blasting action, but it falls short of great because of poor writing and repetitive game play.

The first thing you notice about Vampire Origins HD for iPad ($4.99) is its great artistic style and smooth interface. Chillingo, makers of InkVaders HD and Angry Birds, seems to have a great eye for design, but in the case of VOHD, game writing does not appear to be a priority.

Despite the coolness of the hero character, Vincent, and the … Read more

Ford to add custom graphics, options to Fiesta

Ford is making its 2011 Fiesta even more festive with new interior and exterior accessories and graphics. Ford's new accessories include a rear roof spoiler, which is exclusive to the hatchback, and a four-piece, race-inspired body kit with a sculpted front air dam, side skirts, and a sleek rear valance.

Ford is also giving you the option to add custom graphics by Original Wraps, which lets you choose the size and design of body-side graphics from a portfolio of images. Original Wraps has more than 18 designs to choose from and they are available in several colors, and include … Read more

Zune HD gets lower prices, 64GB model

It may be a little late to the game in comparison to the iPod Touch, but starting April 12, you'll finally have the opportunity to get your hands on a 64GB version of the Zune HD. The high-capacity player will initially be available exclusively through ZuneOriginals.com in a choice of platinum, black, blue, red, green, purple, or magenta. The black model will also be available through other outlets in the future. Pricing for the 64GB model is set at $349.99, which is competitive with the iPod Touch.

In addition to the new capacity, Microsoft announced a price … Read more

Claws and effect

You may be aware of Activision's X-Men Origins: Wolverine game as well as the hit movie it's based on. It stars Wolverine, a mutant with extensible blade-like claws and a personality like his mammalian namesake: ornery, solitary, and ferocious in a fight. Some may argue, but there's little doubt that the brooding anti-hero is the most popular of the X-Men. Fans will love this free pack of five wallpapers based on the game, the movie, and the comic.

The pack contains five different wallpapers, each in five different sizes to accommodate a wide range of screen sizes … Read more

The Olympics run on Windows (XP)

VANCOUVER, British Columbia--The good news for Microsoft is that all the PCs powering the Olympics are running Windows. The bad news: it's the older Windows XP operating system.

Windows 7, it seems, was a bit too new to be used, while Windows Vista was, well, Windows Vista. So, instead, all the PCs are running an operating system that was first released before the 2002 Games in Salt Lake City.

Representatives for Acer confirmed that the more than 6,000 notebooks and desktops that they delivered to Olympic organizers were all running Windows XP.

"It was the operating system … Read more

Inside the Olympics' 'mission control'

VANCOUVER, British Columbia--While the Winter Olympics have brought many headaches for organizers, the computing systems haven't been one of them.

In fact, things have been pretty quiet inside the low-rise building in east Vancouver where the technology operations are headquartered.

"In here, our objective is to be bored," said Atos Origin's Magnus Alvarsson, one of those in charge of overseeing the Olympics' IT setup. And from where he sits, just outside the computer-filled room that is the equivalent of NASA's mission control, things have been just about as uneventful as he could hope for.

Among … Read more

Olympics and tech: 'No room to fail' (Q&A)

There are numerous companies whose electronics gear goes into making the Olympics happen, but the responsibility for pulling all that technology together rests largely on the shoulders of Magnus Alvarsson.

As lead integrator for tech firm Atos Origin, Alvarsson is in charge of making sure all the PCs, phones, servers, and other gear are up and running so that the judges can judge, the athletes can perform, and the media can write about it all. Their systems handle, among other things, volunteer coordination, reporting of medical issues, and the accreditation of athletes and other Games personnel.

"The world is … Read more

Accused 'Wolverine' pirate calls charges 'ridiculous'

The FBI has accused the man who allegedly was first, or among the first, to upload a pirated copy of "X-Men Origins: Wolverine" that circulated online in April. What authorities have apparently yet to do is identify the original source of the leak.

On Wednesday, after Gilberto Sanchez was charged in New York with violating federal copyright laws by posting "Wolverine" to a file-sharing site a month before the film's theatrical release, he told reporters from The New York Daily News: "It's just ridiculous. I bought it from a Korean guy on the … Read more

FBI makes arrest in 'Wolverine' uploading case

Update 7:50 a.m. PST: To include new information from FBI that suspect may not be source of the leak.

The FBI has accused a man of copyright infringement for allegedly uploading to the Web the feature film "X-Men Origins: Wolverine" last spring.

Gilberto Sanchez, 47, was arrested in the Bronx, N.Y., early Wednesday morning by FBI agents without incident, law enforcement sources told CNET. A spokeswoman from the FBI's Los Angeles field office, which led the investigation, confirmed the arrest.

If convicted, Sanchez faces up to three years in prison and a $250,000 … Read more