Tech Update

Next dual-GPU Radeon to beat the GT200? - VR-Zone claims the Radeon HD 4870 X2 can beat the GeForce GTX 280 by a healthy margin in 3DMark Vantage. Earlier reports quote a 240W thermal envelope and a $650 launch price for the GTX 280, while different reports claim single-GPU Radeon HD 4000 GPUs will all be priced under $350

Western Digital cooking up 20,000-RPM Raptor? - Bit-tech claims the drive is in the works and will be WD's weapon against high-speed solid-state drives

Samsung 22-inch Widescreen LCD Monitor 2220WM-HAS Tested - The monitor features a bright screen, a 5ms response time, a reported 1000:1 contrast ratio, RGB/VGA and DVI connectors, speakers and a base with adjustable height and tilt.

Opera 9.5 to Include Protection From Malware - Available in Opera 9.5, the upcoming new version of Opera’s Web browser, Fraud Protection featuring HauteSecure technology prevents users from accidentally or unknowingly downloading rogue malware designed to steal personal data such as credit card numbers, passwords and other identity information.

Watch out for a sneaky blackmailing virus that encrypts your data - Kaspersky Lab found a new variant of Gpcode, a dangerous encryptor virus has appeared, - Virus.Win32.Gpcode.ak. Gpcode.ak encrypts files with various extensions including, but not limited, to .doc, .txt, .pdf, .xls, .jpg, .png, .cpp, .h and more using an RSA encryption algorithm with a 1024-bit key.

Forbes: iPhone 'Could Kill Nintendo DS' - Forbes seems to think that Apple’s iPhone and iPod Touch could eventually pose a serious threat to Nintendo’s DS