Both AMD and Intel have been talking about new CPU/GPU combination processors for a long time. When we first heard of the combination processors chipmakers were predicting that they would be the end of the discrete GPU. Whether that will play out remains to be seen, but I doubt it. We would have expected the first CPU/GPU hybrid to come from Intel or AMD, but Microsoft has beaten both to the punch.

Microsoft's Xbox 360 team unveiled the new SoC that will power the coming slim Xbox 360 250GB gaming console. The SoC is built by Global Foundries on the 45nm process and combines the GPU and the CPU onto one chip. The goal Microsoft had in mind was making the construction of the gaming console cheaper in an effort to eek all the profit it could out of the console.

Benefits for the gamer looking to buy a new Xbox 360 is that the SoC is more power efficient and more importantly allows that massive power brick the Xbox 360 uses to go on a diet. Less power needed will also mean the console should run cooler, which is a big deal if you cram your console into an entertainment center. Microsoft apparently had to add in a system that reduced the performance of the SoC to keep the new console inline performance wise with older systems. The new SoC uses 60% less power than the original console that debuted back in 2005.

AMD has offered up some official details on a pair of its new CPU cores called Bobcat and Bulldozer. The two cores are aimed at different ends of the market with the Bobcat core being a power sipping offering that is flexible and designed for energy-efficient computing. Bulldozer on the other hand is a core optimized for performance and scalability.

Bobcat is the core that AMD expects to fight the Intel Atom for the netbook and low-end PC market. AMD claims that Bobcat can deliver 90% of the performance of today's mainstream computers in about half the area. Bobcat is targeting a sub-one-watt operation capability and is optimized for low power needs. The need for less power means that any mobile device using the Bobcat core will get longer runtime.

Bulldozer on the other hand is a core aimed at the Intel Xeon series of CPUs found in servers and high-end workstations. Bulldozer is designed around a compact core with a high core count that is designed specifically for performance scaling. Bulldozer will offer support for new x86 instructions including SSE4.1, SSE4.2, AVX, and XOP including 4-operand FMAC. The core also has numerous advanced power management features and will be built on 32nm process technology. AMD is looking at 2011 for the chips to come to market, assuming it can stick to a schedule this time around.

We first heard about 1TB topping broadband internet plans from iiNet and TPG last week, with iPrimus pushing the barrier a bit further and opting for 1.1+ TB of monthly usage; allowances that most people would find very difficult to comprehend as being possible to use up in a single month.

Another (smaller) player has announced plans to compete this week and is really going all out. Spin is soon rolling out a whopping 2TB a month plan, but what's possibly of more interest to many folks is the 'free' ADSL2+ plan they're offering up.

Inverted commas were used there because as you would be quick to assume, there is indeed a catch. Naturally an ISP isn't going to hand out any of its services for free, unless said services are bundled with something that's not free; and that's exactly what the deal is here.

One of the downfalls of owning an Android phone is that you have to wait for an OS update to come to your phone as well as your carrier; it's not just one big happy update for everyone. There are lots of lucky phones running Android 2.2, while others are still stuck on 1.6. Motorola has cleared up the pathway for the expected updates coming for their phones worldwide, and released the schedule this past weekend.

Here's the worldwide lineup: (courtesy of TechCrunch)

North America:

Following an extraordinary result on Saturday, we are now left with a hung parliament and there is a lot of uncertainty in the air as to what lies ahead in Australia's immediate future.

Some say a part of the reason for it is due to so many mixed opinions and concerns between Labor's $43 Billion NBN and the Coalition's much cheaper $6 Billion broadband alternative. While on one hand we have a solution that is much more technologically advanced with future proofing, the immense cost that comes with it has people in discomfort about whether or not the country can really afford it. We all know one way or another Labor would be sucking additional pennies out of us as a result.

It's hard to know exactly what is going to happen at this point with regard to the future of our tech, but I think it's pretty safe to say Labor's mandatory net filter policy is all washed up, amongst other things. However, the NBN could still very much be moving forward with very little, if any change of plans. The Greens have made it clear they want it and with three rural-based independents along with AU's first-ever Greens member, the Lower House will be forced to support it.

LG may be a little late jumping into the smartphone business, but that's not stopping them from having supreme confidence in their new products getting ready to hit the market. They have plans for ten new smartphones and an Android tablet under their Optimus banner by the end of the year and sell five million devices globally across 120 operators.

Chang Ma, vice president of marketing for LG's mobile-devices unit, has high hopes; especially for the tablet. "Our tablet will be better than the iPad," he stated. "It's going to be surprisingly productive." The tablet will be based on the Android OS and focus on "the ability to create content instead of simply displaying it." No word yet on whether a wireless carrier will be involved in distribution of the tablet.

If you were so inclined, you could hack your PS3 right now to allow you to play games from the HDD or install homebrew software that you might want. The catch is that most of those hacking solutions involve opening up the case and voiding your warranty. That can be a big hassle for a lot of gamers.

A company called PS Jailbreak has announced a new hacking solution that doesn't require you to open up your PS3 or add any chips to the machine. It will work with the old fat PS3 and the new PS3 Slim as well. The device is a USB flash drive that you plug into the PS3. Once plugged in a GUI launches and walks you through the setup of the software.

Once you apply the software, you can store games to your HDD and play them just like you would on a disc. The hack also allows you to run and install homebrew software from any USB drive. Since the jailbreak tool is all software, you warrant remains intact in case you ever have a problem with your console the manufacturer's site is having issues today and has been down repeatedly. Pricing is unknown at this time.

External storage solutions have been around for a very long time and they are getting better all the time with more storage capacity and better performance. As the amount of data people store on their computers grows, the time it takes to back up a machine gets longer and longer. Many don't have the time or patience to wait for USB 2.0 backups to complete.

This is where USB 3.0 comes in with much greater bandwidth allowing large backups to be completed more quickly. Samsung has announced a new version of its S2 Portable external HDD that has USB 3.0 connectivity. The new drive uses a 2.5-inch HDD inside that spins at 7200 rpm. The drive also uses Samsung features to make it quieter when in operation.

Samsung uses onboard USB technology to allow the drives to be packed inside more compact cases to make them more portable. The new S2 USB 3.0 HDDs will be offered in 320GB and 640GB capacities and are set to start shipping in Europe this month. Presumably, the drives will come to the US but no estimates are offered at this time.

Intel and McAfee are two companies that most are familiar with. Intel is the largest maker of processors in the world and McAfee is one of the largest PC security companies around with antivirus software and more. Intel has announced that it plans to purchase McAfee at $48 per share in cash. The value of the deal is about $7.68 billion.

The purchase will allow Intel to offer a combination of software and hardware that will be able to better protect customers when they go online. Intel claims that the purchase will also improve its mobile wireless strategy. Presumably, that means more security for mobile devices like MIDs and smartphones as Trojans and other attacks become more common on these devices.

Intel reports that its board of directors and the McAfee board unanimously approved the buyout. However, the deal is still subject to other customary conditions. Those conditions include the approval of McAfee shareholders, regulatory clearances, and other specifics in the purchase agreement.

It wasn't all that long ago when it was thought to be impossible for man to set foot on Mars. But that hasn't stopped the likes of NASA researching continuously to find out if there's a way to accomplish it without kicking the bucket (short or long term).

However, recent studies have determined that a mission to the Red Planet would be a significant health concern for those willing to suit up for the 3 year return trip (if a one year stay on the planet is factored in).

Researchers at Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin have taken samples of tissue from nine US and Russian astronauts who spent around six months on the International Space Station. Biopsies were taken 45 days before launch and again on the day of return. The results showed dramatic muscle atrophy which was caused by a prolonged period in zero gravity.