vr-zone tech news for the geeks feb 2011 issue

February 12th, 2011 Published by: VR-Zone

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copper block has been machined to house two Watlow Firerodcartridges inside its body, rated able to generate 150W at 240Vinput voltage each. A small PT100 sensor is installed insidea hole at the highest possible point of the copper core, onlyhalf a mm lower than the top of the copper block. The head ofthe sensor is at exactly the top center point of the copper core,where an actual CPU / GPU core would be.

Copper core

In order to make our testing station compatible with everycooler ever made we went with a very simple design usinginterchangeable PCBs. Creating custom PCBs by drilling exactholes at specific points is very easy, therefore by being able toeasily install different PCBs and adjust their height comparedto the top of the copper core we gained the ability to emulateany CPU core precisely and install any cooler despite itsdesign, size, shape, weight and / or retention mechanism. Bybeing able to use any custom PCB and any size copper core, weensured the usability of our testing station indefinitely.

CPU test PCB

Active Media Launches FlipUSB Flash DriveFebruary 12th, 2011

Active Media Products, manufacturer of SSDs, DOMS, andinnovative USB drives, has unveiled the capless Flip USB flashdrive. Measuring 46 x 13 x 8mm, the tiny device has a USB 2.0interface, NAND flash memory chip, and comes in 4GB and8GB capacities. Available in fire orange or white colors, theFlip can be purchased directly from Amazon at MSRPs of US$12 (4GB) and US$20 (8GB).

ACTIVE MEDIA PRODUCTS PRESS RELEASE

Fremont, California - February 7, 2011- Active MediaProducts, a leading manufacturer of SSDs, DOMs and USBdrives, today announced the new FLIP pivot USB 2.0 flashdrive, an ultra-slim pivot style drive. "The FLIP drive isdesigned in fire orange and white racing colors, giving it aunique look, and the drive is extremely small and ultra-slim,making it a highly portable storage device," stated ActiveMedia Products VP of Sales, Jerry Thomson.

The pivot style lid protects the drive when not in use - andyou'll never have to worry about losing the lid because itconveniently flips open, giving instant access to your data.Pack 4GB or 8GB of data securely onto the FLIP drive. It isdesigned to fit easily on a keychain or in a pocket or clippedto a backpack. Load up to 2000 MP3 songs or up to 2400six megapixel photos onto your FLIP drive to take with youanywhere.


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This new FLIP drive is available today through Amazon, atapproximately $12 for the 4GB model and $20 for the 8GB.The FLIP drive is available in fire orange or white.

About Active Media Products

Based in the heart of Silicon Valley, Active Media Products LLCis dedicated to developing creative new media products thatimprove performance and enhance the user's experience. Ourfocus on innovative product development enables us to bringnew technology to market a step ahead of the competition.AMP is a leader in small form factor SSDs and manufacturesthe Wink and the endangered species line of USB drives.

Fictional spokesperson forSony accidentally retweetsPS3 hack codeFebruary 12th, 2011

When news came out that Sony's PlayStation 3 game consolewas hacked into by hacker GeoHotz, it sent everyone includingSony, into a frenzy. Whilst Sony has been successful instopping the spread of the code thus far, it was convenientlybroadcasted to the world again - this time via Twitter.

Just weeks ago, hacker GeoHotz released the code to jailbreakSony's PlayStation 3 console, online.

Since the leak, Sony has been working hard to contain thespread of the code, and in what seemed like a victorious endto the episode, had successfully been awarded a temporaryrestraining order against GeoHotz himself.

This prevented the hacker from distributing the code online,and also sent out a stern warning to potential hackers.

Just today though, a spokesperson for Sony was spotted re-Tweeting the code on his Twitter page.

Kevin Butler, a fictional spokesperson for Sony, re-Tweetedthe code from user 'evixa', an added his own quibble, saying"Lemme guess... you sank my battleship?"

Just when it seemed that everything was coming to an end, thisis yet another embarrassing smack in the face for Sony.

Apple files patents fortouchscreen OLED technologycurrently in use onsmartphonesFebruary 12th, 2011

It is well known that OLED technology is superior to bothconventional LCD and even the recent Super LCD technologycurrently in use on every single single device that has a screen.Needless to say, Apple has also got its eye on this particulartechnology as well, and clearly intends to integrate with itsline of touch-based electronic devices. But it appears thatthe Cupertino giant might have plans to use this technologyagainst the competition: why else would the company beingfiling patents over touchscreen OLED technology whichappear to be currently in use?

For a company that always claims to be on the bleeding edgeof technology, Apple's line of consumer electronics products,especially its iPod, iPhone and iPads, have consistently been


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missing out on a certain display technology which is currentlyin use by some of its competitors. Yep, we are talking aboutthat expensive display technology known as OLED, whichsupposedly offers much faster response times and betterpower efficiency as opposed to conventional LCD panels.

Needless to say, it is hardly surprising that Apple wouldattempt to discover ways in which it can integrate OLEDtechnology into its products and one-up the competition whilein the process of doing so. And as it turns out, Apple is indeedkeen, or have at least expressed an interest in doing so. Butas most people would have already known by now, wheneverApple is interested in any technological-related advances, italmost always means one thing. Fancy a look a some newpatent applications?

A quick look at the patent applications reveal that Appleprobably has an intention to implement OLED technology intoa future release of consumer electronic devices. Indeed, thefirst diagram features a rather technical illustration of howan OLED panel might be able to fit into a device that makesuse of touchscreen technology, along with the possibility ofimplementing the touchscreen-enabled OLED displays ondevices such as mobile phones, media players and even anotebook. Also included in the second filling are descriptionsregarding layouts for touch sensors, signal routing, otherdetails.

Still, as informative as this may be, it fails to change the factthat Apple is probably one of the last entrants into the OLEDgame. More importantly, it appears that Apple might makeuse of these patents to attack competitors, simply becausethey cover extremely broad methods of implementing OLEDdisplay technology in a wide variety of devices. If one takes into

consideration the fact that Apple has had no prior experiencein working with OLED displays, it would make sense that it isnot possible for them to come up with an entirely new methodof implementing such displays so suddenly.

And needless to say, broad patents make for great offensiveweapons in patent lawsuits, as it almost grantees thatcompetitors would find themselves running afoul of Apple's'patented methods'. But we can only wait and see if things willreally turned out as speculated.

Source and images: Patently Apple

Sony shows off newtranslucent DSLR thatconsumers will never ownFebruary 12th, 2011

DSLRs are well known for being available in any colour theuser wants them to be, as long as it is black. And once again,leave it to Sony to break the mould by exhibiting a newcamera over at the CP+ Camera and Photo Imaging Showthat sports a one-of-a-kind translucent plastic body. The onlyproblem? This camera will never see the light of day in anactual photographer's hands.

If there is one universal feature about DSLRs which appliesto most manufacturers in the market, it has to be the factthat most of the cameras available in the market that fallunder that category typically come with only one availablecolour: black. Of course, that is not necessarily a bad thing:after all, professionalism plays a huge part in the selection ofphotography gear, and needless to say totting around candy-coloured DSLRs to a professional photoshoot does not do one'sprofessional image much help at all.

Still, there are times where life needs to be a little morecolourful that just dealing with things in black and white, andit would appear that Sony's latest camera which debuted in theCP+ Camera and Photo Imaging Show held in Japan might justsupport that fact. Indeed, gracing Sony's exhibit was nothing


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lesser than a new translucent Sony Alpha DSLR, complete withthe company's proprietary translucent mirror technology.

Looks rather nice, doesn't it? Apparently, a website knownas PetaPixel claims that this transparent Alpha DSLR spottedin the show is actually the body for the Japanese electronicsgiant's upcoming Sony Alpha A77 DSLR. Outfitted withthe same translucent mirror technology as mentioned inthe previous paragraph, the A77 is expected to replace thecompany's current A700 DSLR, and will feature various newfeatures such as 1080p video recording and a high-resolutionAPS-C sensor. Which sounds suspiciously like a certain high-resolution APS-C sensor we talked about quite some time ago.

Of course, with the A77 being an upcoming model, it shouldbe expected that Sony is not about to let the cat out of the bagby revealing too much information about it. And it seems to beworking: apparently, no one has the faintest idea as to whenthe A77 will be released, and how much Sony intends to sellit for.

That being said, we can at least say that we have positiveinformation about a certain fact. The translucent body yousee up there? Well, it's not for sale. Yep, you heard that right.What, you mean you were actually hoping that Sony wouldthink of selling its prototype device? Sorry to spoil your hopes,dude.

Source and image: PetaPixel

Windows 7 SP1 finally markedfor RTM, home users need notapplyFebruary 12th, 2011

As always, one can always count on Microsoft to kill off anyinterest in what has to be one of the more highly-anticipatedsoftware releases for the year. After generating a huge deal ofhype over what would eventually be the first Service Pack everfor its popular Windows 7 operating system thanks a couple ofsupposed leaks, the software giant has apparently thought thatit would be a nice touch to announce that SP1 for Windows will

come with...zero new consumer-centric features. What a wayto be a wet blanket, Microsoft.

Well, Microsoft surely took its time with this one. After all,it has been at least an entire month ever since we broughtnews of an alleged leak of an RTM release of SP1 build forWindows 7, only for the Redmond giant to step in and cautionoverenthusiastic users against downloading a service pack thatwas never meant to be used. And on top of that, Microsoftapparently started work on SP1 for Windows 7 as far back asMarch last year, which makes it one of the longer developmenttimes Windows have spent on a Service Pack.

Needless to say, users from all over the world are anticipatingthe day Microsoft makes the inevitable announcement of whenService Pack 1 for Windows 7 will be released, and what newfeatures they can look forward to. And this is where we havethe classic 'good news bad news' situation playing out onceagain.

The good news is that the wait is officially over: Microsoft hasjust announced in a blog post that it has signed off an SP1 buildfor RTM today. As usual, TechNet and MSDN subscriberswill get first dibs on the update: these users will be able todownload it from their respective portals on February 16, while'normal' Windows users have to wait until February 22 to gettheir copy via Windows Update.

Unfortunately, this is also where the 'bad news' part comes in.With SP1 for Windows 7 being under development for almostan entire year, chances are that some users would be expectingMicrosoft to awe with tons of new features, like what happenedfor XP and Vista. But this is not the case for Windows 7, forMicrosoft has confirmed that SP1 will come with no new user-centric features.

According to a blog post made by Microsoft's WindowsServer and Cloud division Senior Technical Product Manager,Michael Kleef, the update will sport two new featuresintended for Windows Server 2008 R2: Dynamic Memory andRemoteFX. The former can be considered as an enhancementto Windows Server's Hyper-V feature: it allows Hyper-V


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users to "increase virtual machine density with existingresources...without sacrificing performance or scalability"

RemoteFX, on the other hand, appears to be the moreappealing feature. In his blog post, Kleef claims RemoteFX'sgrants Windows Remote Desktop and Virtual DesktopInfrastructure clients the ability to leverage a server's GPU toprovide hardware acceleration for applications which makeextensive use of OpenGL and Direct3D. This makes it veryuseful in certain business environments, where thin clientscan easily be used to run applications which have minimumhardware requirements way above what the remote clientsystem can offer.

And if you are thinking of attempting to make use of RemoteFXto play that copy of Crysis sitting on your desktop PC onyour netbook via Remote Desktop while on the move...well,you might want to stop thinking about it right now, becauseRemoteFX can only be used over LAN. Ouch.

Broadcom launches newSoC for smartphones, boasts1080p video playbackFebruary 12th, 2011

Do you remember the days where totting a smartphonethat boasted Qualcomm's Snapdragon platform and single-core Scorpion processor was an instant passport to largeamounts of geek credentials? Well, it appears that the daysof single-core processors on smartphone are all but gone,and Broadcom apparently seems to think so. After all, whyelse would the company launch a new dual-core System on aChip for specially designed for high-performance smartphonecomputing?

Barely as 18 months ago, single-core computing on a mobileInternet device such as smartphones were considered as theonly viable method that provided users with just the right mixof power and energy drain.. After all, one must remember thatsmartphones were originally intended to be used as businesstools and not as fashion statements or mobile entertainmentdevices.

Fast forward to the present, and today the smartphonehas moved from being a mobile business tool to amobile entertainment device for consumers, thanks to theintroduction of the iPhone. Needless to say, the average

consumer is never the smartest kid on the block, since theirjob mostly comprises sitting around and making unreasonabledemands from OEMs and hardware developers under thepretext of spurring innovation. And with dual-core processorsstarting to find their way into smartphones thanks to'consumer demands', it seems that Broadcom is not about tolet itself fall behind. Indeed, the company has just announcedits own dual-core System on a Chip which is specially targetedfor high performance smartphones.

In an announcement posted on its product page, Broadcomclaims that the new BCM28150 smartphone processor is an"advanced 1080p Multimedia Smartphone System on a chip(SoC)" which features a dual-core processor based off the ARMCortex A9 architecture. The processor cores reportedly utilizesBroadcom's proprietary Merlyn app processor and VideoCoreIV mobile graphics to provide fast and seamless hardware-acceleration of 1080p video content and 3D games at thesmartphone's native resolution.

And since a smartphone SoC is mostly useless if it does supportcommonly-used wireless communication protocols, it shouldprobably be of no surprise that Broadcom has taken stepsto ensure that its SoC plays nice with existing standards.Accordind to the company, the BCM28150 features built-insupport for EDGE, WCDMA, 4G HSPA+ and HSDPA, andis intended to be used with the Android operating system,although Broadcom has claimed that the SoC will also workwith other open mobile operating systems.

Last but not least, Broadcom has confirmed that the completeBCM28150 smartphone platform (currently codenamedBroadstone) will include the following hardware: the 40nmBCM28150 HSPA+ system-on-a-chip (SoC) smartphoneprocessor, the BCM2091 radio frequency (RF) IC, theBCM59056 advanced power management unit (PMU) withcharger and audio support and Broadcom's Wi-Fi, Bluetooth,FM, A-GPS and NFC connectivity technologies.

Technical specifications are as listed below:


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MSI unveils X-Slim X370, WindU270 and CR650 with AMD'snew generation dual coreE-350 processorFebruary 12th, 2011

MSI have launched their new powerful performance notebookcomputers which include the 15.6-inch CR650, the 12-inchWind U270, and the 13.4-inch X-Slim X370. All threenotebook PCs are equipped with AMD latest generation dualcore E-350 processor and AMD Radeon HD 6310 discretegraphics that supports DirectX 11, and long battery life.

The MSI CR650 (above picture) features Turbo Battery+shortcut that lets you control digital multimedia with yourmouse; SRS PC Sound that can reproduce sound faithfullywhen you listen to your favorite songs or watching videos;and Cinema Pro technology that claims to offer similar audioexperience of live performances, films and recording studios.

The Wind U270 sports a 12-inch 16:9 wide display, weighsa portable 1.3kg, and is less than an inch thick. it featuresMSI's proprietary ECO power-saving design which allows thebattery to last twice as long as conventional notebooks. It isalso sheathed in color film print which not only looks stylish,but protects against smudging and wear.

The 13-inch MSI X-Slim X370 not only looks good, but it is alsosuper slim, yet comfortable to use. It weighs about 1.4kg andboasts powerful multimedia and processing capabilities. Both

the U270 and X370 come with user-friendly hardware andsoftware, including the MSI S-Bar that lets you control majorOS and hardware hot keys as well as MSI's own applicationsoftware with a simple click of the mouse. No pricing detailsavailable yet.

RunCore launchesExpressCard SSD and USB 3.0host card in oneFebruary 12th, 2011

Notebooks have limited upgradability at best and if you'relucky to own one with an ExpressCard slot, then you will knowhow frustrating it is to have to swap between two differentcards. Especially if one of them happens to be a storageupgrade. Chinese SSD maker RunCore has come to the rescuewith a product that should appeal to notebook PC users, atleast as long as the price is right; the ExpressCard 34 SSD witha built-in USB 3.0 host controller.

The card is called the RunCore Pro IV ExpressCard SSD andit contains a 64GB SSD that connects to your notebook via theExpressCard interface. It also hass a USB 3.0 host controllerwhich allows you to connect USB 3.0 devices to your notebookwhich means that you'll be able to take advantage of fast,external storage devices. Add to the fact that RunCore hasimplemented a USB 3.0 host feature that lets you connect thePro IV to a desktop PC with USB 3.0 connectivity (or USB 2.0for that matter) to copy data at high speed.

The SSD part may not be all that impressive compared to thelatest generation of SSDs and it actually compares more torecent USB 3.0 flash drives with a read speed of 110MB/s anda write speed of 80MB/s. But it is still not too bad consideringhow unique this product is on the market. Sadly, RunCoredidn't announce a launch date or any kind of pricing, but we'dexpect the Pro IV to sell in excess of US$200 considering it isa 64GB SSD and a USB 3.0 host controller in one.


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HP unveils TouchPad tabletand two smartphones, Veerand Pre3February 12th, 2011

HP has announced their new TouchPad webOS tablet devicewhich boasts to introduce fun and mobile productivity. Thecompany has also introduced two new smartphones- Veer andPre3 - which also run webOS.

HP has unveiled their first webOS slate, the HP TouchPad.It features a 9.7-inch capacitive multitouch display, virtualkeyboard, instant-on access, support for Adobe Flash Player10.1 beta in the browser and access to thousands ofwebOS applications. Designed for entertainment and mobileproductivity, the TouchPad boasts to offer unified experienceacross various devices.

You can answer calls or view your Short Message Service(SMS) messages from the slate, or use the exclusive touch-to-share feature to share web URLs from your webOS phoneto the TouchPad. With HP Synergy, simply sign in to yourFacebook, Google, Microsoft Exchange, LinkedIn and Yahoo!accounts and your contacts, calendar and email automaticallypopulate on the slate.

Amazon.com has also announced that it will launch a freeKindle app for HP webOS tailored for TouchPad that will giveuser access to more than 810,000 titles from Amazon's KindleStore. You can also buy and sell on Amazon.com, do internetbanking, buy movie ticketsor check the latest news.

Other features include 1.3-megapixel front-facing webcam, 16or 32GB internal storage, Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n and Bluetoothwireless connectivity and A-GPS. The TouchPad also comeswith built-in HP Touchstone technology for easy charging,and is compatible with the HP Touchstone for TouchPad (soldseparately). You can charge in either portrait or landscapemode, even without removing the TouchPad case (soldseparately).

AvailabilityHP TouchPad is scheduled to be available this summer. Pricingand availability will be announced at a later date.

Specifications:

- Qualcomm Snapdragon dual-CPU APQ8060 1.2-GHzprocessor- 9.7-inch diagonal XGA capacitive, multitouch screen(1024x768)

- 16 GB or 32 GB of internal storage

- HP webOS

- Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n

- A-GPS (3G only)

- Bluetooth wireless technology 2.1+EDR with A2DP stereoBluetooth support

- 3.5mm headset/headphone/microphone jack

- Internal stereo speakers and Beats Audio

- Front-facing 1.3-megapixel webcam

- Light sensor, accelerometer, compass (magnetometer) andgyroscope

- Rechargeable 6,300mAh battery

- Micro-USB connector

- Built-in HP Touchstone technology for easy charging (HPTouchstone for TouchPad sold separately) and HP touch-to-share to share web addresses between TouchPad andcompatible webOS phones

- Dimensions: 190 x 242 x 13.7 mm

- Weight: approximately 740g

The Daily VR-Zone NewsSummary - 9 Feb 2011February 12th, 2011

In today's news roundup: - Review of Kingston HyperX SpecialEdition Sandy Bridge 1600MHz CL9 - Review of SunbeamtechTwister 120 CPU Cooler - Nokia drops MeeGo phone beforelaunch - HP's Palm set to unveil tablet - Video Game Review:Dungeons, and more..

Hardware News:

Description: Kingston's KHX1600C9D3X2K2/4GX is a kitof two 256M x 64-bit 2GB (2048MB) DDR3-1600MHz CL9SDRAM (Synchronous DRAM) memory modules, based onsixteen 128M x 8-bit DDR3 FBGA components per module.


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Each module kit supports Intel XMP (Extreme MemoryProfiles).

Description: The TWISTER 120 incorporates our newest ISO-Turbo Technology for increased cooling. The dual 120mmMFDB fan spins in opposite direction which allows for moreconcentrated airflow, combined with the three 8mm heatpipes and large fin area, the TWISTER 120 offers one of thebest cooling capabilities in its class.

Description: Xigmatek's Aegir CPU cooler does indeed bringa lot to the party. With excellent cooling performance and arobust, yet easily installed mounting solution, this cooler ranksat the top of its class. White LEDs in the fan frame add a bit ofvisual interest to the smoky, PWM fan and will fit nicely intomany color schemes for the enthusiast thet cares about thissort of thing.

Description: ADATA started to introduce speedy USB 3.0 flashdrives to the market, one of them being the Superior SeriesS102 16GB model. These products have different read/writespeeds depending on the capacity and thanks to their veryhigh read speed performances we can use them successfully forbooting Live USB Linux distributions or for transferring theWindows 7/Vista install kits, to speed up the OS installation.

Description: With the launch of the GTX 570 series, somemanufacturers including Gainward also came up wit theiroverclocked GTX 570 models and Golden Sample that providean increase of performance of almost 2.5 to 9.3%

Consumer Electronics and Software News:

Description: Nokia has stopped developing its firstsmartphone using the MeeGo operating system, two industrysources close to the company said.

Description: Ever hear of Coloud? I didn’t until one of theirsets of headphones appeared on my doorstep for review. Theirnew line is called Colors and they’re aptly named as you canget them in many different colors.

Description: The Vatican put its foot down Wednesday overthe idea of "confessing" by iPhone, after news that US users cannow download an application for the Apple gadget that helpsthe faithful gain absolution.

Description: HP has plenty riding on the event, which willshowcase the webOS mobile operating system -- the mostvaluable asset the company acquired when it bought handheldpioneer Palm last summer for $1.2 billion. HP plans to roll outwebOS in a number of products across its portfolio.

Description: Korean manufacturer LG Electronics hasfiled lawsuits over alleged patent infringements in Sony'sPlaystation 3 console and Bravia TVs.

Description: It seems in this day and age everybody wants apiece of the PC peripherals market. This time Corsair, famousfor manufacturing PC hardware, released its own lineup ofhigh-end speakers and headsets. Packing in many popularfeatures, the Corsair HS1NA USB Gaming Headset comes with7.1 virtual surround sound and massive 50mm drivers.

Gaming News:

Description: You Don't Know Jack returns in a packagethat finally brings the game onto the current generation of

consoles, without losing any of the irreverence that originallymade it a hit. With solo, and multiplayer (online and off)options, it's a fun title to stick in when you're not grinding awayin Fallout or fragging people in Black Ops.

Description: Publisher Kalypso and developer RealmformStudios have introduced Dungeons, which on first blush lookslike a spiritual successor to the famed series. You play aDungeon Lord who builds deathtrap dungeons to spread hisinfluence on the land above, and must protect his dungeonheart from invaders, all while trying to keep the denizenshappy.

Enermax readies NAXN SeriesPSUsFebruary 12th, 2011

Enermax is preparing to release its NAXN line-up of PSUs,designed for both gamers and enthusiasts. Available inmodular (NAXN 82+) and non-modular (NAXN 80+) models,they feature Heat and Air Guard functions, multiple protectioncircuitry (OCP, OVP, AC UVP, DC UVP, OPP, OTP, SCP andSIP), active PFC, and are cooled by a silent 120mm (135mmfan for NAXN 82+) fan.

NAXN 80+

Enermax is preparing to release its NAXN line-up of PSUs,designed for both gamers and enthusiasts. Available inmodular (NAXN 82+) and non-modular (NAXN 80+) models,they feature Heat and Air Guard functions, multiple protectioncircuitry (OCP, OVP, AC UVP, DC UVP, OPP, OTP, SCP & SIP),active PFC, and are cooled by a silent 120mm (135mm fan forNAXN 82+) fan.


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NAXN 82+

The 80PLUS certified NAXN 80+ PSUs have two 12V rails andare available in 350W, 450W, 500W and 600W capacities. The82PLUS certified NAXN 82+ come in 750W / 850W modelswith two/ four 12V rails respectively.

Sharkoon Releases Flexi-DriveAccelerate Duo Flash DrivesFebruary 12th, 2011

Sharkoon has announced the Flexi-Drive Accelerate Duoseries of affordable USB 3.0 flash drives, aimed at mainstreamusers. Measuring 72 x 19 x 8mm and weighing about 16g, theseultra-portable aluminum flash drives are available in 32GBand 64GB variants.

Sharkoon has announced the Flexi-Drive Accelerate Duoseries of affordable USB 3.0 flash drives, aimed at mainstreamusers. Measuring 72 x 19 x 8mm and weighing about 16g, theseultra-portable aluminum flash drives are available in 32GBand 64GB variants.

The Flexi-Drive Accelerate Duo features a special controller,supporting data transfer speeds up to 110MB/s (read) and70MB/s (write) via its USB 3.0 interface. They can be foundin store shelves around EU at MSRPs of €69.90 (32GB) and€124.90 (64GB).

Thermaltake Ships Level 10GTFebruary 12th, 2011

Thermaltake, well-known amongst enthusiasts for its highperformance thermal solutions and PC cases, has unveiled thelong awaited Level 10 GT, successor to the best-selling Level10 Super-Gaming Modular Tower Chassis.

Thermaltake, well-known amongst enthusiasts for its highperformance thermal solutions and PC cases, has unveiled thelong awaited Level 10 GT, successor to the best-selling Level10 Super-Gaming Modular Tower Chassis.


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Measuring 584 x 282 x 590mm and weighing 12.7kg, the allblack full tower boasts a myriad of features: an improved cablemanagement system, convertible top-vent 240mm water-cooling design, hinged side-panel door, five hot-swappablehard drive bays, multiple USB 2.0 / 3.0 / eSATA connectors,and a built-in fan controller.

It supports all microATX, ATX, Extended ATX motherboardsand has room for four optical devices, six HDDs / SSDs, andeight PCIe expansion cards. The massive Level 10 GT is cooledby four ColorShift / Turbo fans (x1 top 200mm, x1 front200mm, x1 side 200mm and x1 rear 140mm exhaust fan) andhas three rear pre-drilled holes for water-cooling tubes. It isnow available through major retailers and e-tailers at a MSRPof US$279.99.

PhotoFast announces high-performance USB 3.0 cardreaderFebruary 12th, 2011

Card readers don't tend to be all that exciting these days,mostly because they all do the same job and perform about thesame. Not so with the new CR-8600 from PhotoFast which isone of the first multi-format USB 3.0 card readers to hit themarket. It offers three to four times the performance of the bestUSB 3.0 card readers with current generation memory cardsand will potentially offer even better performance with fastermemory cards.

Card readers don't tend to be all that exciting these days,mostly because they all do the same job and perform about thesame. Not so with the new CR-8600 from PhotoFast which isone of the first multi-format USB 3.0 card readers to hit themarket. It offers three to four times the performance of the bestUSB 3.0 card readers with current generation memory cardsand will potentially offer even better performance with fastermemory cards.


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The CR-8600 supports all standard memory card formatssuch as CompactFlash, SD, SDHC, SDXC, Memory Stick, HSMemory Stick, Memory Stick XC and the various mini andmicro formats of the SD and Memory Stick cards. So farPhotoFast has tested it with a range of the latest generationof memory cards and have reached read speeds of 96.75MB/sand write speeds of 67.73MB/s using a CompactFlash UDMA7 card, read speeds of 84MB/s and write speeds of 48.24MB/s using an SDXC USH-I card and finally read speeds of43.18MB/s and write speeds of 43MB/s using a Memory StickPro-HG card.

Judging by these numbers it's pretty clear that a USB 3.0 cardreader makes sense for those using the latest generation ofmemory cards with their digital cameras and camcorders asthe same UDMA 7 CompactFlash card only mustered 34MB/s read and 33MB/s write performance using a USB 2.0 cardreader. The CR-8600 should hit retail sometime in March withworldwide availability and a retail price of around US$30.

Gigabit speed 802.11acstandard should launch by endof 2012February 12th, 2011

Wireless networking has become a ubiquitous technologythese days that few of us would want to live without, butthe 802.11 Wi-Fi standard isn't without flaws. Most of theproblems tend to be related to either range or speed and thelatter is looking set to get a big boost by the end of 2012when the 802.11ac standard is expected to launch with a draftmoniker tacked onto its name, much like the 802.11n draftstandard that we lived with for so long.

Wireless networking has become a ubiquitous technologythese days that few of us would want to live without, butthe 802.11 Wi-Fi standard isn't without flaws. Most of theproblems tend to be related to either range or speed and thelatter is looking set to get a big boost by the end of 2012when the 802.11ac standard is expected to launch with a draftmoniker tacked onto its name, much like the 802.11n draftstandard that we lived with for so long.

The 802.11ac standard will bring with it Gigabit speeds,but unlike the current 802.11b/g/n standards it will notoperate on the 2.4GHz band. Instead, 802.11ac will be using afrequency close to 6GHz (802.11a and some 802.11n solutionoperates at 5GHz today) which means that there might be yetanother round of complaints from various countries aroundthe world that are already using that frequency range for othertransmissions.

The 0.1 draft standard of 802.11ac is expected to be approvedby the end of February according to the IEEEE 802.11 taskgroup that are working on ratifying the standard, but we won'tsee any retail devices until the end of 2012 by which time weshould see interoperable devices in the market. According tosome research done by In-Stat and quoted by CNET we canexpect no less than a billion 802.11ac devices by 2015, althoughwe'd take this with a pinch of salt as the 802.11n has as yet toreplace the aging 802.11g standard in most places outside thehome.

One of the major advantages 802.11ac should bring with itis sufficient bandwidth for streaming HD video around thehome, something the 2.4GHz 802.11n standard isn't quiteup to task to do. There are of course 5GHz implementationsof the 802.11n standard that does a great job of streamingeven multiple 1080p HD streams such as the solutions fromQuantenna, but these are still fairly rare. By having a singleuniversal standard, we should see a quicker uptake of thistechnology which in turn should mean more devices that willuse it.

On the downside, the USB Wi-Fi dongle might be dead, atleast unless the hardware makers adopts the USB 3.0 interfacewhich is yet another standard that has as yet to gain universalapproval. Although this is really only going to be an issue onolder devices, but as the 802.11ac standard is expected to bebuilt into both notebooks and other mobile devices such astablets and smartphones, it's really just a matter of time beforeit'll gain enough traction in the market. Initially it's likely thathardware will carry a price premium over 802.11n solutions,but this is all par for the course when moving to somethingfaster and better in the IT industry.


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NVIDIA HDMI 3D: now comingto an Acer monitor near youFebruary 12th, 2011

Playing games on the PC is definitely one of the moreenjoyable ways to pass the time, thanks to the wide varietyof PC-only titles and the introduction of extremely powerfulhardware specially dsigned for such purposes. That beingsaid, if something is worth doing, then it is definitely worthoverdoing as well, and gaming is no exception. And what betterway to enhance one's gaming experience than to top of thepackage with a 3D capable monitor from Acer for that addeddegree of realism?

Gaming is probably one of the few digital entertainmentoptions which most of use find ourselves unable to give upon, and for good reason. After all, nothing can come close toreplacing the thrill and exhilaration of blasting the brains off avirtual enemy's head with a double barreled shotgun at pointblank range, especially after a hard day at work or in school.

That being said, taking a trip down to virtual reality townwould definitely be a lot more satisfying if one could actuallyfeel as though he or she was being placed directly into thethick of action, as opposed to merely watching animated headsbob around a computer screen. Fortunately, users who cravesuch realism no longer have to take the trouble of investingin a large (and expensive) 3D television set, because Acer hasjust released its new 3D-capable GN245HQ monitor whichthe company claims is particularly well suited for all forms ofmedia consumption, gaming included.

Acer claims that the LED-backlit, full HD GN245HQ willsport a 23.6-inch form factor along with various featuressuch as an extremely high but meaningless contrast ratio of

1,000,000 : 1(definitely not static) and a fast response timeof 2ms. However, the real draw of the GN245HQ still lies in its3D capabilities, and needless to say Acer has clearly pulled outall the stops in this aspect. According to the Taiwanese OEM,the GN245HQ is the world's first monitor to feature built-in support for NVIDIA's stereoscopic technology over HDMI,along with the more conventional method of transmitting 3Dcontent over dual-link DVI.

And since the GN245HQ has the ability to receive and displaystereoscopic 3D content via HDMI-in, it should come as littlesurprise that the monitor is theoretically capable of supportinga variety of video input device such as digital TV set-topboxes, Blu-ray disc players and even video game consoles.However, chances are these features will be all but useless tothe average Joe at this point of time, especially if one takesinto account that most countries still lack a 3D broadcastinginfrastructure for content producers to take advantage of,essentially rendering the GN245HQ useless in just abouteverything except gaming.

That being said, if the idea of spending good money on a23.6-inch monitor that can only be used for gaming purposessounds like the very thing you have in mind, we'd suggest thatyou start fattening up that piggy bank of yours by feeding itwith all that hongbao money acquired over the Lunar NewYear. With its relatively fat pricetag of US$677, trust us whenwe say that your wallet will need all the food it can get.

More than a million AMDFusion chips shippedFebruary 12th, 2011

AMD's Fusion chips have been heatedly debated recently.The promise of higher performance with less heat, less powerconsumption and lower cost seems to have proven itself true,with AMD shipping over a million of these chips in less thansix months of the product entering consumer markets.

Promising low power consumption, low heat emissions andincreased performance, AMD's Zacate and Ontario chipsbased on the Fusion platform have been selling like hotcakes.The Fusion chip is basically a core processor as well as a


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graphics processor combined on a single die. Also called APU,or Accelerated Processing Unit, these Fusion chips have beendelivering as promised.

The HP dm1z equipped with the first of these APU chips wasrecently tested and the results were astounding. The Zacateplatform for netbooks easily outperforms Intel's dual-coreAtom chips, and is hot on the heels of Intel Atom + nVidiaION based netbooks. Furthermore, these chips consume lesspower, and as a result develop less heat than their Intel andnVidia counterparts.

Combine desirable characteristics with a low cost price, andthe answer is clear. Manufacturers are snapping up these chipsat an alarming rate. As of current, the only Fusion-powerednetbook available locally is the Sony VAIO Y series. However,the number of Fusion-based notebooks is poised to increasesteadily in the near future, as the Intel Atom-based netbooksbegin to phase out.

The Fusion platform was announced a long time ago, but itwas only recently that the chips were showcased and later wenton retail. With such effort and time spent on innovating, itis no wonder that the results produced from these chips arenothing short of stellar. Such a technological advance showsthat the future of mobile gaming need not mean large laptopswith loud fans, high heat output, and the inability to run onbattery-powered sources for more than an hour.

Intel resumes shipmentsof faulty 6-series chipsetsto OEMs with one specificconditionFebruary 12th, 2011

Remember that whole hoo-ha Intel caused among OEMs,system builders and enthusiasts last week when it found outabout the major blunder it made to the design of its 6-seriesCoguar Point chipsets? Well, it turns out that the chip gianthas decided that decided to resume shipment of the affectedchipsets to OEMs, but only if the latter fulfills a certaincondition.

As most would have already been aware, Intel's PR personnelwere having the time of their lives attempting to perform

damage control after the news of the defect in its 6-seriesCougar Point chipsets was made public. Needless to say, thisled to a abrupt halt on all shipments of the affected chipset.Until today, that is: the chip giant has just announced that itintends to resume the shipment of the affected chipsets , butwith a catch.

Simply put, Intel knows that it has a reputation to uphold,and having to deal with hordes of angry consumers whosemachines are experiencing premature hardware failures isdefinitely not going to do itself any favors for its corporateimage. As such, the company has just announced in a pressrelease that the affected chipsets will only be shipped to OEMswho are "committed to shipping the Intel 6 Series Chipset inPC system configurations that are not impacted by the designissue will be receiving these shipments".

This means that OEMs which want to make use of the faultychipsets for their PCs have the responsibility of ensuring thatthe machines are configured in such a way its boards donot sport connectors interfacing the faulty Cougar Point part.Examples of such implementations include making use of thechipsets in 'closed' configurations such as notebooks, or in thecase of desktop configurations, installing a PCIe SATA card toprovide additional SATA ports.

Only when these conditions are met will Intel allow therespective OEMs to continue receiving shipments of the 6-series Cougar Point chipsets.

Dell showcases prototypeWindows 7 tablet andbusiness PCsFebruary 12th, 2011

Dell has showcased their new 10-inch Windows 7-baseddevice and business PCs at the recent company's "Dell MeansBusiness" event in San Francisco.

At the recent Dell event, Steven Lalla, vice president andgeneral manager of Dell commercial client product group,showed a prototype 10-inch business tablet device that isrunning Windows 7 operating system. The tablet is designed


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for users who want mobility, security, manageability, andeasy integration with existing infrastructures. According to thecompany, the Intel-based tablet would also come in Androidflavor though it may not be under the Streak family. No pricinghas been revealed for the Windows 7 business tablet thoughDell said it could be available by June this year.

Other new products unveiled at the event include laptops,desktops, workstations, and Latitude XT3 convertible tablet(above picture).

HTC Saga pictured; Is this theHTC Desire 2?February 12th, 2011

Photos of a new HTC smartphone were leaked online, just aweek before Mobile World Congress, and it was said to be HTCSaga. Could this be the successor to the HTC Desire?

HTC has done very well last year with their Q4 2010financial announcement of a net profit of more than US$500million. And that is mostly thanks to Google's Android mobileplatform. With recent leak of the new HTC Saga smartphone,many speculated that this could be the successor to HTCDesire, or formerly known as the HTC Desire 2.

The HTC Saga looks similar to the Nexus One, except that itdoes not have the trackball below the display. However, thephone looks to be using an integrated design which means the

cost would be fairly high. The HTC Saga will sport a 4-inchscreen, possibly running Android 2.3 (Gingerbread) and hasfront and rear built-in camera.

It is still not known whether the HTC Saga will have at leastan 8-megapixel camera and supports LTE 4G network. Fromthe leaked pictures, the HTC Saga could be named HTC Desire2 after all. We would only know when the company made theannouncement at Mobile World Congress that is happening inBarcelona next week.

Eleventh beta for Firefox 4goes live, prepare for a moreprivate InternetFebruary 12th, 2011

Playing with beta software is never the wisest of choices,especially if the developer in question has a release schedulewhich is completely out of whack with what most typical end-users would expect. And if you currently happen to be testingout the beta builds of Mozilla's browser, you'd better prepareto start hitting the download managers, for the company hasjust rolled out its eleventh beta release of Firefox 4.

Is there such a concept known as 'privacy' when the Internet isconcerned? Many might want to think that they have the rightto prevent content providers from tracking visitor behaviorsuch as browsing preferences and online habbits. After all,it does sound a little disconcerting to know that data thatcould potentially be used to identify oneself is easily floatingaround the depths of cyberspace, with determined hackersand spammers waiting to spring on the slightest opportunityto blast out spam mails about the latest in men's healthsupplements. Not exactly the nicest of thoughts.

Naturally, the increased awareness about online privacy (orrather, the lack of it) has spurred browser developers intosearching for ways that could assist in preventing an ignorantuser from unknowingly giving away such information withouther consent. And it seems that Mozilla has finally settled onwhat it believes is the best possible solution: to implement a DoNot Track feature in its just-released eleventh beta of Firefox 4.


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According to a blog posting made by one of the browser'sdevelopers, the" Do Not Track feature allows users to set abrowser preference that will broadcast their desire to opt-outof third party, advertising-based tracking by transmitting aDo Not Track HTTP header with every click or page view inFirefox". When enabled, web sites will be told by Firefox via aheader that the user does not wish to be tracked online.

"The advantages to the header technique are that it is lesscomplex and simple to locate and use, it is more persistentthan cookie-based solutions, and it doesn’t rely on user’sfinding and loading lists of ad networks and advertisers towork".

Of course, one might be tempted to wonder why Mozilla hadto take an entire year to realize that the Internet needed sucha feature to better safeguard user privacy. Unfortunately, itseems that users who have been waiting that long for such aprivacy feature will probably wind up being very disappointedfor now. This is due to the fact that while the feature isconfirmed to be functional on the browser's end, the samecannot be said for the millions of websites in cyberspace todaywhich neither recognize nor support the new Do Not Trackheader.

And while Firefox believes that the chicken-and-egg problemcan be solved when content providers and webmasters haveno choice but to honour user preferences after receieve largeenough numbers of the header appearing in their server accesslogs, we'd guard against unmerited optimism until someconcrete results finally show up. After all, do users really thinkthat content providers would sacrifice potential ad revenue tobe gained from such tracking over some moral issue aboutprivacy?

*The eleventh beta of Firefox 4 can be downloaded from theMozilla 4 Beta page here. And just to make it clear, betasoftware is usually anything but stable, so the usual warning ofVR-Zone not being responsible for 'unfortunate mishaps' suchas exploding PCs and data mysteriosuly disappearing off harddisks applies.


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VR-Zone.com | Stuff for the Geeks!The Daily VR-Zone NewsSummary - 15 Feb 2011February 15th, 2011

In today's news roundup: HIS's Radeon HD 6970 graphicscard gets reviewed; Seagate officially announces the shipmentof its one millionth self-encrypting hard drive; Apple CEOSteve Jobs gets a virtual boot to the face courtesy of LG; SteveBallmer talks about Internet Explorer 9 and multitasking forWindows Phone 7, and Kohime Musou, the popular Japanesevisual novel which features a genderbent version of the ThreeKingdoms, is getting an arcade fighter adaptation.

Hardware News:

AXLE GeForce GT 430 1GB Video Card Review @ LegitReviewsDescription: Legit Reviews has the NVIDIA GeForce GT 430Classic Edition video card from AXLE 3D up for review today.Equipped with 96 CUDA cores on the GF108 'Fermi' GPUalong with 1GB of GDDR3 memory, the GT 430 is gearedtoward lower end gaming and the home theater markets. Readon to see what we find on the AXLE GeForce GT 430 and tosee how it performs in games lie Mafia 2 and Batman: ArkhamAsylum!

Enermax Hoplite Review @ VortezDescription: Enermax are world renowned for their presencewithin the PSU and cooling departments and are regarded asa household name, but would you be shocked to hear thatEnermax also produce computer cases? Admittedly they haveonly a very small selection to choose from, but in the last 2years Enermax have branched off into the computer case genrewhich will certainly surprised quite a few. These cases havebeen directed toward entry level users, so fundamentally thehardware enthusiast will be ignorant of their existence. Butthis year, things are about to change.

Asus Xonar DG Headphone Amp Sound Card Review @TweaknewsDescription: Asus' Xonar line continues its impressive lineupwith the Xonar DG, proving to be an exceptional value at $30.It does a good job providing richer, fuller sound over speakers,but the built-in headphone amp is where this card really excels.

Xigmatek Achilles Plus SD1484 Heatsink @ BenchmarkReviewsDescription: One of the benefits of testing computer hardwareis that you occasionally get to look at new kit before it'sintroduced to the market. In my time at Benchmark Reviews,I've been fortunate enough to be able to review some casesand CPUs before they were generally available (or in somecases, before they were even announced). Recently BenchmarkReviews was given the oppotunity to evaluate a prototype of

Xigmatek's forthcoming Achilles Plus SD1484 CPU cooler, andI tested it to compares its performance to a variety of air andwater coolers.

ASUS Sabertooth P67 Review @ ocaholicDescription: With the Sabertooth P67, ASUS has an Intel-P67 based motherboard in its portfolio that comes with someinteresting features. Therefore very suspicious is the so calledthermal shield. This plastic cover should allow an optimizedairflow over the boards core components.

HIS HD 6970 Review - XSReviewsDescription: Each generation of graphics cards is made up ofthe kind of GPUs that most people buy, the mid-range and theyhave the budget ones which quite a lot of others buy. Then youhave the monsters, dual chip and single. Today we look at thelatter one from HIS, the HD 6970. A giant card with expectedimpressive performance; though you know this is going to pulla lot of power. Let's see how much.

Seagate Ships One Millionth Self-Encrypting Hard Drive.Description: Seagate Technologies, the company that shipsmost enterprise-class hard disk drives (SEDs), on Mondaysaid that shipments of its self-encrypting drives (SEDs) haveexceeded one millions of units. The company intends to greatlyexpand its lineup of SEDs as it believed that the demand forsuch drives will grow fast.


Watch Steve Jobs Get Kicked In The Face By The LG OptimusPadDescription: Nevermind the man is recovering from cancer,LG just kicked Steve Jobs’ in the face. Really. Well, virtually atleast. But it still counts!

Mad Catz CoD: Modern Warfare 2 Elite USB GamingKeyboard Review @ Bigbruin.comDescription: Mad Catz may not be the best known name inthe electronics accessory business, but odds are that you mayhave used one of their products before. They manufactureeverything from fully licensed console controllers, to RockBand and Guitar Hero branded instruments. For this review,Geeks.com has sent over the Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2Elite USB gaming keyboard.

Sony announces pricing for the EX720 3D TVs, ready for pre-orderDescription: Sony's Bravia EX720 3D TVs are now pricedand can be pre-ordered. The 32" (KDL32EX720) willcost $949, the 40" (KDL40EX720) will cost $1399, the46" (KDL46EX720) will cost $1699, the55" (KDL55EX720)will cost $2299 and the 60" (KDL60EX720) will cost $3299.The TVs will ship soon (in February, except the 60" that willship in April).

SonyEricsson's LiveView finally lands in the US - for $82Description: SonyEricsson's LiveView is finally shipping in theUS - for $82 (it's been available in the UK for quite sometime now). The Liveview is an Android accessory with a small(1.3") PMOLED display and can communicate via Android 2.xdevices. You can control music, get notifications about phone


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calls, updates from applications (twitter, facebook) and more.The idea is that you can wear it like a watch:

Why Apple Will Not Release a Cloud-Based iPhone Nano ThisYearDescription: I like the idea of an iPhone nano. One with a smallscreen with the same resolution of an iPhone 3GS, powered byan A4 processor. I'd buy one. But a cloud-based iPhone doesn'tmake any sense. Not right now.

IE9, multitasking goes head to head with Windows Phone 7Description: Steve Ballmer takes to the stage at the HotelSomethingorother here at Mobile World Congress. We don'teven attempt to make it and sit on the floor at the MWC booth- watching on with increasing leg cramp as the shy and retiringsalesman of Redmond tells us, mostly, what we already knew.

Gaming News:

Koihime Musou Gets Arcade FighterDescription: Heard of Koihime Musou? Girls using popularnames from Chinese history, welding huge blades andweapons ? Well, Koihime Musou is getting a fighter game forthe arcades.

Bizarre Creations Closing This WeekDescription: Bizarre Creations is closing its doors for good thisFriday after Activision failed to find a buyer for the studioresponsible for a string of highly regarded games.

New Assassin's Creed in the worksDescription: Ubisoft confirms it is readying another entry inits award-winning action adventure series; more details due inMay.

ASUS Lamborghini VX6Review: Ultraportable netbookwith great performanceFebruary 15th, 2011

The ASUS Lamborghini VX6 is the latest mobile computerborn from the collaboration between the Taiwanese computermaker and Italian car manufacturer. Like the sports car, itcommands a premium, but boasts a luxurious design andsuperior performance.

If you are looking to get a laptop or netbook, youmay be confused by the sheer number of modelsavailable on the market, not to mention, for differentmarket segments - ultraportable for the frequent travellers,multimedia powerhouse for those who enjoy watching highdefinition movies, and even gaming workhorse for thehardcore gamers.

Aside from these, some computer manufacturers havealso collaborated with fashion designers and even carmanufacturers to come up with a product for the nicheand premium market. For example, HP has worked withworld-renowned fashion designer Vivienne Tam on a specialVivienne Tam edition laptop, while Acer has produced theFerrari laptops with the car maker. And ASUS has their line ofLamborghini notebook PCs too.

The ASUS Lamborghini VX6 is the latest addition to thepremium line of mobile computers, and that is mainly becauseof the "charging bull" logo on the netbook.

Here's a sneak peek at the hardware specifications:-

ASUS Lamborghini VX6CPU 1.8GHz Intel Atom D525

dual-coreMemory Up to 4GB of DDR3 RAMHard disk 320GB SATAScreen 12.1-inchGraphics Nvidia ION 2 dedicated GPUDisplay Resolution 1366x768Connectivity 1x VGA, 1x HDMI, 2x

USB3.0, 1X USB 2.0, 1xLAN RJ-45, 2x audiojack(Headphone / Mic-in), card Reader - MMC/SD(SDXC)

Web camera 1.3-megapixelBattery +10.95V 5200mAh 56WhOS Windows 7 Home Premium

32-bitDimensions 297 x 204 x 28.7mmWeight 1.5kg


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HTC Flyer: HTC's First 7-inchTabletFebruary 15th, 2011

This year's tablet wars just got more interesting. HTC hasfinally joined the crowd with the HTC Flyer, a 7-inch Androidtablet that comes with a battery-powered stylus. Read on tofind out more.

The new tablet has been launched at the company’s pressconference during Mobile World Congress 2011 in Barcelona.

The device sports a uni-body white plastic design with aresolution of 1024 x 600 and is powered by a 1.5GHz single-core Qualcomm chip to run Android 2.4 Gingerbread plus anew version of HTC Sence, which is optimized for tablets.

What makes HTC Flyer stands out against the competitors?It's the stylus. The stylus automatically connects to the deviceenabling control over writing or drawing on a new app calledNotes rather than being needed for navigation.

All good things always come to an end, HTC says that theFlyer is not going to be cheap to justify the beautiful lookinghardware, the stylus and the free case.

App Store Subscriptionsrecurring your way soonFebruary 15th, 2011

Apple has just unveiled its brand-new App Store subscriptionservice which offers recurring billing through the subscribers'iTunes Store account. This new feature will be stapled to allpublishers of content-based apps such as newspapers andmagazines, as seen in the debut of News Corp.'s The Daily app.

Expected to debut as one of the key features in iOS 4.3, the newdigital billing service will be similar to In-App Purchases, ascurrently used in most apps in the App Store.

Subscriptions purchased from within the App Storewill be sold using the same App Store billingsystem that has been used to buy billions of appsand In-App Purchases. Publishers set the price andlength of subscription (weekly, monthly, bi-monthly,quarterly, bi-yearly or yearly). Then with one-click,customers pick the length of subscription and areautomatically charged based on their chosen length ofcommitment (weekly, monthly, etc.). Customers canreview and manage all of their subscriptions fromtheir personal account page, including canceling theautomatic renewal of a subscription. Apple processesall payments, keeping the same 30 percent share thatit does today for other In-App Purchases.

With regards to whether content may also be offered outsideof this new billing mechanism, Apple CEO points out thatpublishers are free to offer content outside of the app. But ifso, the same or better offer has to be given to subscribers ofthe app.

"Our philosophy is simple - when Apple brings anew subscriber to the app, Apple earns a 30 percentshare; when the publisher brings an existing or newsubscriber to the app, the publisher keeps 100 percentand Apple earns nothing," said Steve Jobs, Apple'sCEO. "All we require is that, if a publisher is makinga subscription offer outside of the app, the same (orbetter) offer be made inside the app, so that customerscan easily subscribe with one-click right in the app.We believe that this innovative subscription servicewill provide publishers with a brand new opportunityto expand digital access to their content onto theiPad, iPod touch and iPhone, delighting both new andexisting subscribers."

Besides providing customers an easy way to keep track oftheir subsription and ease of activation and billing, Appleis pushing this new App Store Subscriptions as 30% of thecontent providers' revnue will go to Apple.

But for the ease of potential customers and the vastdistribution power of the App Store, I'm sure many content


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providers will submit to Apple's demand in exchange for apotential 160 million iOS users around the globe.

Kingston Introduces FirstSecure USB Flash DriveFebruary 15th, 2011

Kingston Digital, Inc. announced it has joined withBlockMaster to deliver the SafeConsole Ready DataTravelerVault — Privacy Managed (DTVPM) USB flash drives.Measuring 77.9 x 22.2 x 12.05mm, the compact aluminumdrives have hardware-based 256-bit Advanced EncryptionStandard (AES) protection, water-proof, and are managedcentrally by the BlockMaster SafeConsole drive managementsystem. The DTVPM support data transfer speeds up to 24Mb/s (read) and 10Mb/s (write) via a USB 2.0 interface and areavailable in 2Gb, 4Gb, 8Gb, 16Gb and 32Gb capacities.

KINGSTON PRESS RELEASE

The first product to be released from the partnership betweenKingston Digital, Inc., and BlockMaster is presented today atthe opening of the annual RSA conference in San Francisco.The SafeConsole Ready hardware-encrypted secure USBdrive DataTraveler Vault — Privacy Managed (DTVPM) fromKingston is mandatory managed by the central managementserver SafeConsole from BlockMaster.

Kingston, the independent world leader in memory products,is making the secure USB flash drive hardware highlyavailable in its strong distribution channels globally. Thehigh quality DTVPM device is mandatory managed by theleading SafeConsole management server from BlockMaster.The solution will let enterprise customers avoid data loss andget them on the fast track to more productive use of secureUSB flash drives.

“The partnership with Kingston offers customers more choicewhen it comes to hardware. Several device types managed bythe same system are in strong demand and we are happy tonow be able to service even more customers,” says AndersKjellander CSO at BlockMaster.

“Kingston’s relationship with security software leaderBlockMaster enhances our ability to offer enterprisecustomers the most robust and versatile centrally managedsecure USB solution available on the market,” says JohnTerpening, secure USB business manager at Kingston.

The DTVPM secure USB drive is the first SafeConsoleReadyDevice released from Kingston. The full SafeConsoleReadytechnology program from BlockMaster will also be presentedat the RSA conference.

The SafeConsoleReady brand and program will ensurethat BlockMaster partner products work efficiently withSafeConsole management tools and are able to offer customersall the security and management benefits of SafeConsole.

Cubitek Readies HTPX-TankPC EnclosureFebruary 15th, 2011

Taipei-based Cubitek Co. Ltd has taken the wraps off theHTPX-Tank, their latest addition to its soon-to-be releasedTank series PC chassis. Measuring 230 x 600 x 610mm,the aluminum full-tower is designed to support all "HTPX(EVGA Classified SR-2), E-ATX, ATX, micro ATX, and mini-ITX motherboards".


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It has room for ten PCIe expansion cards, five optical devices,nine hard drives (housed in trays with anti-vibration rubberrings), and features four rear pre-drilled holes for water-

cooling tubes, cut-outs on the motherboard tray for cablemanagement, and a top-side I/O panel with two USB 3.0, oneeSATA and audio ports. The HTPX-Tank is equipped with fourspinners (x1 front 230mm, x2 top 140mm, & x1 rear 140mmfan) and is expected to hit store shelves come end March.News via [Techconnect]

Qualcomm wantssmartphones to be morepowerful than your PCFebruary 15th, 2011

Would you believe that the smartphone you are currentlyholding how might actually have the raw processing power tocompletely outclass that full-fledged notebook or desktop PCof yours? Well, Qualcomm seems to think so. And with a newSystem-on-a-chip that features both a quad-core processorand GPU with clock speeds high enough to rival today's mid-range PCs, it seems that the day of reckoning for the traditionalPC is close at hand. Or is it?

A quad-core processor coupled with a GPU that features 4video processing cores sounds like the kind of hardware oneexpects to find in a mid-range desktop PC or high-end laptop,right? Well, don't be surprised, but consumers can expect tosee such top-end hardware making its way to devices as smallas smartphones by as early as 2012.

And when that happens, you can be sure that Qualcommwill have a major part to play in churning out hardware thatdelivers near PC-like performance in a smartphone. That isbecause the American wireless telecommunication companyhas just unveiled its latest Snapdragon System-on-a-chip(SoC) which features the same specifications that we havelisted in the paragraph above.

According to an article posted by Tom's Hardware, the newSnapdragon SoCs were announced by Qualcomm at this year'sMobile World Conference and is expected to be availablein three different configurations, namely the MSM8930,MSM8960 and APQ8064. All three configurations will featurethe new Krait processor core which reportedly features acompletely new microarchitecture, an updated Adreno GPUand will come with the circuitry needed to perform variousconnectivity-related functions such as WiFi, GPRS, Bluetooth,FM and near-field communications (NFC).

However, it goes without saying that the star attraction ofthe trio is the APQ8064 Snapdragon SoC. With four Kraitprocessing cores featuring clock speeds of up to 2.5GHz percore and a quad-core Adreno 320 GPU, Qualcomm claims thatthe APQ8064 is capable of performance at levels up to 150%greater than the current-generation ARM processor cores,while still consuming 65% lesser energy than the latter. Ontop of that, the new quad-core Adreno GPU is reportedlypowerful enough to output full HD media content onto anexternal display and deliver graphics performance similar towhat is found in today's video game consoles.


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With smartphones like these, who needs PCs anymore?

Rumour: Dell to buy AMD?February 15th, 2011

There is no denying that AMD is currently facing yet anotherrough patch, but it appears that the situation over at theSunnyvale chip company might be a lot worse than what thecompany is willing to let on. Apparently, the recent string ofdepartures from AMD's senior executive board has sparked offrumours that the higher-ups are planning to put the companyup for sale, and well...the logo up there says it all. But what arethe chances of such an acquisition actually taking place?

It is no secret that things have not been going AMD's wayof late, in spite what the company would attempt to havemost people believe. Granted, the world's second largest globalsupplier of x86 chips may have been making the headlinesabout various new product launches and plans for the pastfew weeks, but just as attention-grabbing as its product pressreleases were the sudden departures of two of its company'ssenior executive board, namely CEO Dirk Meyer and COORobert Rivet.

And with AMD offering little information to shareholders andthe media as to why two members of its executive board wouldwalk out on the company at such short notice, needless to saythe AMD rumour mill is once again open for business. Exceptthat this time, it seems the personnel running the rumour millhave come to only one possible conclusion: AMD's board ispreparing to put the company up for sale, and Dell appears tohave been identified as the party most likely to take up AMDon its offer should it ever come to pass.

According to Bloomberg News, the possibility of AMDgetting put up for sale is "far-fetched" but entirely plausible,considering that the Sunnyvale company is currently runningits day-to-day operations without any managerial directions.In addition, AMD's established portfolio is deemed to be"highly desirable from the standpoint of several potentialstrategic acquirers based on multiple capabilities, includingboth its x86 capabilities and its graphics processor expertise".

Needless to say, being able to be in control of its own processorand GPU supply has got to be an extremely appealing optionfor any computer OEM to consider, especially if it meansbeing able to restrict the supply for AMD Radeon GPUsfrom competitors in order give itself an unfair competitiveadvantage. But until we actually get concrete information thatAMD is indeed making plans to put itself up for sale, we haveno choice but to call Internet FUD on this one for the timebeing.

RIM announces 4G PlayBookfor LTE and HSPA+ networks,and BlackBerry Travel AppFebruary 15th, 2011

At Mobile World Congress 2011 in Barcelona, Research inMotion has announced two models 4G PlayBook modelsthat support LTE and HSPA+ networks. On top of that, thecompany has also announced a new BlackBerry Travel Appthat lets you plan, book, manage and share travel activitieseasily.

Research In Motion (RIM) has announced two additionalBlackBerry 4G PlayBook tablets in the second half this year,which feature support for LTE and HSPA+ high speed wirelessnetworks.

RIM's BlackBerry 4G PlayBook tablets aims to deliverprofessional, user-friendly experiences that redefine thepossibilities of mobile computing. The tablets offer greatperformance with real-time multitasking and symmetricalmultiprocessing, high-fidelity web browsing with support forAdobe Flash, advanced security features and out-of-the-boxenterprise support.

In addition to the Wi-Fi and 4G connectivity referenced above,each tablet can also support Bluetooth tethering, Mobilehotspots and BlackBerry Bridging.

Intel introduces newXMM platform for mobilecommunications devicesFebruary 15th, 2011


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Wait just a second...Intel? A leading provider hardwaresolutions for mobile communications handsets? That hasgot to be a joke, right? As odd as it might sound, thatis about as true as it can get: thanks to its acquisition ofInfineon Technologies, Intel is now officially one of the leadingproviders of baseband processors in the industry. And as proofthat the chip giant is intent on making its presence in themobile segment felt, the company has just announced thelaunch of its new XMM 7060 compact multimode platform.About time too! *image shown above is purely for illustrativepurposes and is not indicative of the actual product

With MeeGo as good as a'NoGo' now that Nokia has pulledout of the alliance with Intel, it would seem that the chipgiant's plans for introducing an x86-powered smartphone isessentially dead on arrival. After all, it has been proven timeand again that the x86 platform is just not suitable for use inhighly mobile devices such as smartphones, especially whenIntel's most low-power, energy efficient x86 Atom processorspale in comparison to ARM's offerings, which are unmatchedas far as low-power performance is concerned.

However, it appears that Intel might just be shifting itssmartphone strategy a little now that it is seems that itsprocessors will never see the light of day in an actual retailsmartphone. Instead of attempting to compete head on withARM, the chip giant is apparently focusing on basebandprocessors which mobile phones make use of to communicatewith the wireless telephone network, having just announcedits new compact multimode platform, the XMM 7060.

*image for illustrative purposes only. Actual product isexpected to differ significantly

According to a press released issued by the chip giant, theXMM 7060 consists of two key components; the "multimode

baseband processor X-GOLD 706" and SMARTi 4G RFtransceiver. Intel claims that the tightly-integrated chipset issuitable for "integration in LTE-enabled portable devices suchas mobile handsets, data cards/dongles and other embeddedsolutions" when used in conjunction with its "3GPP Release 8triple mode protocol stack".

The X-GOLD 706 baseband processor, manufacturedin 40nm process technology, is based on the proven2G/3G X-GOLD 626 with an integrated low powerLTE L1 subsystem. Therefore smart phones andtablets based on the XMM 6260 2G/3G platformusing the X-GOLD 626 can be easily migrated toLTE ensuring the customers a high degree of reuseof their hardware and software investment. Thenew baseband processor is accompanied with theSMARTi4G, incorporating optimized building blocksof the leading-edge 2G/3G SMARTi UE2 and SMARTiLU RF transceiver -- the world’s first commerciallyavailable LTE transceiver. The 65nm CMOS RFtransceiver employs a proven digital architecturethat significantly reduces the number of external RFcomponents such as power amplifiers and filters,and, hence, reduces board space, BOM and powerconsumption.

The XMM 7060 slim modem platform fits in lessthan 700mm² PCB (Printed Circuit Board) areaincluding all necessary system components for quadband LTE, penta band 3G and quad band EDGEapplications. It supports LTE category 3 (CAT-3)throughputs (100Mbps/50Mbps download/uploadrespectively) and is compliant to LTE Release 8standard supporting FDD and TDD mode for allbandwidth up to 20MHz. In addition Inter-RAThandover features with 3G and 2G systems arenaturally included.

Unfortunately, users hoping to purchase a smartphone thatfeatures the Intel XMM 7060 compact multimode platformwill probably have a great deal of waiting in store for them.This is because Intel has confirmed that the first platformsamples will only be made available in Q3 2011, while massshipments are only expected to commence in the second halfof 2012.

Samsung launches GALAXY SWiFi 4.0 smart playerFebruary 15th, 2011

The Samsung GALAXY S II was unveiled at Mobile WorldCongress, and today, the Korean manufacturer has announcedthe GALAXY S Wi-Fi 4.0 smart player designed to offer music,smartphone-like innovation and app experiences.


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Samsung today announced the GALAXY S WiFi 4.0 smartplayer, the latest addition to its Android-powered GALAXYproduct portfolio. It features a 4-inch Super Clear LCD displayand claims to offer rich smartphone-like experiences withoutthe expense of operator contracts. The smart player also offersvideo communications via VoIP services and rich video andmusic entertainment with multi-codec support to keep youconstantly entertained.

VoIP and a world of applicationsThe Samsung GALAXY S WiFi 4.0 smart player comes withWi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n and runs Android 2.2 (Froyo) operatingsystem. It gives users access to millions of apps, multimediacontent and mobile services. With VoIP support via Skype, youcan make video calls over Wi-Fi as well as free calls amongSkype users. You can also access to social networking serviceslike Twitter or Facebook, and with support for the Qik videoservice, you can capture and share videos with friends andfamily. With access to over 230,000 apps available on theAndroid Market, the Samsung GALAXY S WiFi 4.0 is fullycustomizable. It is equipped with integrated GPS that benefitsusers from Google’s turn-by-turn map services and directoryapplications.

High definition video and imagesThe Samsung GALAXY S WiFi 4.0 supports DivX HD, allowinghigh-definition video playback on the large, high-qualitySuperClear LCD. It also supports for various codec standardsincluding MPEG4, H264, DivX, XviD, WMV codecs ensuresyou can enjoy huge catalogues of content from all over the web.

Audio excellenceThe Samsung GALAXY S WiFi 4.0 is designed to deliverthe best audio and video experience. Incorporating SamsungSoundAlive technology, it offers deeper bass and greater tonearticulation and lets you listen to your favorite tracks with itsbuilt-in stereo speaker.

The Samsung GALAXY S WiFi 4.0 will be available during thefirst half in global markets starting from the UK.

Intel To Increase X25-E SSDPricing Next MonthFebruary 15th, 2011

Yes, you heard right. Intel is going to increase not cut theprices of their X25-E SSDs. A check on our price comparisonengine revealed that X25-E 32GB is now selling for about$380 and the 64GB version is going for $720. With effectivefrom March 6th, the price of the 32GB X25-E will increase by$85 and the price of 64GB X25-E will increase by $170. Thisis probably due to the SLC flash price increase. Anyway, if youare thinking of getting one now, grab it before the price goesup.

Yes, you heard right. Intel is going to increase not cut the pricesof their X25-E SSDs. A check on our price comparison enginerevealed that X25-E 32GB is now selling for about $380 andthe 64GB version is going for $720. With effective from March6th, the price of the 32GB X25-E will increase by $85 and theprice of 64GB X25-E will increase by $170. This is probablydue to the SLC flash price increase. Anyway, if you are thinkingof getting one now, grab it before the price goes up.

Intel updates LGA1366 Core i7900 pricingFebruary 15th, 2011

Following the release of its new flagship, Core i7 990X, Intelhas updated pricing for Core i7 900 CPUs. The new line-up isas follows: Core i7 990X - $999 Core i7 980X - ~$950 Core i7970 - $583 Core i7 960 - $294

To accommodate the Core i7 990X, the 980X must drop inprice. However, this price drop hasn't really shown in e-tail,yet, but the price is expected to stabilize at around $900-$950.It is the Core i7 970 which undergoes a massive cut from$880 to $583, making Intel six-core CPUs that much moreaffordable. (relatively)


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The 3.2 GHz Core i7 960, which is a quad-core CPU, dropsfrom $583 to a much more affordable $294. Of course, it is nomatch for the similarly priced Core i7 2600, except you can'treally get a motherboard to use it with.

The 990X and these price updates are likely to be the lasthurrah for the extremely successful Nehalem generation,with the Sandy Bridge E processors incoming, replacing theLGA1366 platform with LGA2011.

Below is the bulk pricing not retail price, just to serve as areference.

ProcessorsModel

Specs Old Price New Price % Change

Corei7-990XExtremeEdition

3.46GHz,6C/12T,12M Cache,LGA1366

- $990 -

Corei7-980XExtremeEdition


$990 $990 -

Core i7-975 3.33GHz,4C/8T,8M Cache,LGA1366

$990 $990 -


$845 $555 (34%)

Corei7-2600K


$305 $305 -

Corei7-2600


$285 $285 -

Corei7-960


$555 $285 (49%)


$285 $285 -


$285 $285 -

Microsoft Kinect:Now available onAndroid...somewhatFebruary 15th, 2011

If there is one truth about the world of hardware, it is thefact that hackers are always on top, especially when it comesto using devices in ways that they were never intended for.And this latest hack seems to confirm that little fact of life.That being said, does anyone fancy playing around on anAndroid tablet with hand gestures, courtesy of Microsoft'sKinect motion-based controller?

Picture this situation: you are relaxing on a couch after a hardday's work, and that expensive, fututistic tablet powered byGoogle's Android mobile operating system is connected tothe home theatre system, churning out your favourite musicfiles. And with a wave of your hand, the tablet automaticallyinterpretes the gesture and switches over to another track, thussaving you the effort of having to get up and walk over to thedevice to do so.

Sounds futuristic? Perhaps, but don't be surprised if suchfeatures could find their way to Android-powered tablets ina matter of years, especially when hacker inguinity knows nobounds. Apparently, one such enterprising hacker known asHirotakaSter has managed to craft out a method which allowsthe Android operating system to interface with Microsoft'svery own Kinect motion controller. What makes this actsignificant though, is the fact that this is reportedly the world'sfirst successful attempt to get the Kinect in a semi-workingstate on the mobile OS.


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Notice that we said 'semi-working state' in the previousparagraph? Well, that's because the Kinect hack on Androidis still pretty much in a work-in-progress state: at the time ofwriting, the Android-powered tablet may be able to recognizethe device, but it is still incapable of translating typical Kinectgestures into workable commands yet. Indeed, all it can doright now is to transfer the Kinect's video grab onto the tablet'sscreen and interprete user distance information, as shown inthe short clip below.

Unprintable Content (Video, Flash, etc.)

However, the fact that HirotakaSter was able to get theAndroid operating system to even recognize the Kinect motionsensor means that at least half the battle is already won. Infact, the only thing left for the hacker and modding communityto do is to analyze the calls made by the Kinect controller tothe Android OS and attempt to craft out a working API that iscapable of bringing most of Kinect's functionality over to theAndroid platform. And when that happens...well, let's just saythat the idea of contactless PC interaction is bound to receivea major boost.

Unfortunately, in order to do so, the community will needaccess to the hack written by HirotakaSter, and this iswhere there is an immediate obstacle to clear. Apparently,HirotakaSter has yet to pony up the source code he has writtenfor Android hack, but it appears that the hacker communitymight not have to wait much longer for it. After all, sharing isa key aspect of the hacker culture, no?

Intel unveils Core i7 990XExtreme Edition processorFebruary 15th, 2011

Intel has unveiled their new flagship six-core processor for thedesktop, the Coire i7 990X Extreme Edition. While no officialannouncement has been made, the new CPU is expected toretail approximately at US$1,050.

Hardware enthusiasts rejoice. The Intel's flagship six-coredesktop CPU, the Core i7 990X Extreme Edition, is availablefor purchase online. However, don't expect the price to beaffordable though; it retails around US$1,050 with shipping.

According to online sources, the 990X Extreme Editioncomes unlocked and has a 12MB L3 cache. Built on 32nmmanufacturing process, the CPU is clocked at 3.46GHz(3.6GHz Turbo Boost) and has 130W TDP. While Intel has notmade official announcement about the launch of the chip, weexpect the news to be out fairly soon. For the smart buyers, itseems like the 980X may be the better buy, though it is only$50 lesser than the 990X. Of course, that price tag could dropin time.

Pac'n Twit: putting the(Pac)Man into the tweetFebruary 15th, 2011

When the Japanese say that they are born with the 'gamingDNA' infused into them right at birth, chances are that they areprobably not kidding at all. After all, what other explanationcan there be for a Japan-only app for twitter client that seemsto be more PacMan than Twitter? Now, if only that app actuallyallowed you to play a full copy of PacMac...

It is not often that we talk about specific apps for a mobileplatform, and for good reason. Regardless of the platform anapp is designed for, one can definitely be sure that clonesof it will start appearing on the App Store or Market within24 hours or lesser. And when that happens, any noveltyor uniqueness which the original app once boasted of isimmediately reduced to nothing more than 'meh' status.

That being said, that does not stop us from combing theInternet for interesting mobile apps that we feel ought to begiven a little more publicity, simply because they look uniqueenough to warrant a second glance. And once again, one canalways leave it to the Japanese to churn out some of the mostout-of-this-world apps, like this custom Twitter client below.


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Apparently, the Japanese were not kidding when they boastedthat they were born with gaming genes infused into their DNA,and this custom Twitter client is probably the best proof ofthat. After all, where else in the world can one find a Twitterclient that has been (very) heavily skinned to resemble thestage of our favourite yellow dot-munching circle, completewith the authentic PacMan fonts that most of us grew up with?

That being said, here comes some bad news. Apparently, usfolks over in South East Asia will have no chance to downloadthe Pac'n Twit Twitter client for our iOS-powered devices,simply because the app is currently exclusive to JapaneseiPhone users only. But then again, considering that it does notactually allow users to play a game of PacMan while twitting tobuddies while on the go , perhaps it is not that great of a lossafter all.

Power Supply Unit TestingMethodologyFebruary 15th, 2011

At VR-Zone.com, we continuously strive to provide youwith the highest quality and most accurate product reviews.Thoroughly and accurately testing a power supply is acomplicated matter, not only because the testing has to bedone in a controlled environment and with full control overthe power load but also because laboratory grade instrumentshave to be used for taking readings. In order to achieve that,we designed a specialized testing station for computer powersupplies, emulating real world conditions as closely as possible

while giving us complete control over environmental and / orpower load aspects, all while taking readings and recordingsthrough laboratory interfaces and high accuracy instruments.

In order to create a real-world environment for our testing, wedecided to modify and use a common SECC steel tower casefor housing the power supplies during our testing. We installedthree Watlow Firerods inside the case, rated at 500W powereach, the output of which is being controlled by a common ACrheostat. The stock rheostat and its axle have been replacedwith a multi-turn precision rheostat for accuracy, driven bya DC motor with a modified speed control circuit which iscontrolled by our CompuLAB interface and custom software.In layman's terms, we only have to enter our desired ambienttemperature in our software and it automatically adjusts thepower of the Firerods to match it throughout our testing.

Main PT100 sensor and a 500W Firerod installed

Rheostat control

The Daily VR-Zone NewsSummary - 14 Feb 2011February 15th, 2011


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In today's news roundup: OCZ's RevoDrive X2 PCIe SSD,Jetway's Mini-ITX NC98-525E-LF motherboard, Lian Li'saluminium PC-V2120 chassis and ASUS's P7P55D PremiumIntel P55 Express motherboard get reviewed, Antennagatereturns with a vengeance on Apple's new CDMA-band iPhone4 smartphones, Skype for iPhone has been updated to supportthe H.264 codec for video calls, Nokia confirms its newrelationship with Microsoft and Windows Phone 7, effectivelyleaving Intel and its x86 platform in the lurch with MeeGo, andthe popular Final Fantasy musical known as Distant Worldshas been confirmed to be making a comeback this year.

Hardware News:

Alpenföhn Föhn 140 Wing Boost Fan Review @ VortezDescription: Rather unsurprisingly the fan itself looks verysimilar to the Föhn 120 from last year. Its dimensions are ofcourse greater than the 120 and there are two sets of mountholes to accommodate both 120mm and 140mm fan mountholes. The 4pin PWM cable is covered by a rubberised braidwhich should offer a good deal of protection during install andusage.

Jetway Mini-ITX NC98-525E-LF Motherboard MultiMediaReview @ MadshrimpsDescription: Jetway is well know for their Mini-ITXmotherboards. Based on the Intel Atom is this a perfect basefor a small energy saving and environmental friendly HTPCor Home server system. Jetway provided us a D525 CPU andGT218 gpu motherboard and we will take it through a series ofmultimedia tests. Already served well in a previous review forHome Server we will only focus on the HTPC part.

Lian Li PC-V2120 Review @ ocaholicDescription: Lian Li is well known for their high qualitiyaluminium comptuer cases but despite this the PC-V2120 issomething special. It almost doesn't matter to which othercase you compare this one to the PC-V2120 has almost nocompetition. Therefore we're really curious what's awaitingwith this excellent looking case.

OCZ RevoDrive X2 PCIe Solid State Drive Review @ OCIA.netDescription: The RevoDrive X2 is essentially an originalRevoDrive with a daughter card piggybacked on top. Thisdaughter card adds two additional SandForce controllersand room for more memory chips, bringing the totalcontroller count to four. A RAID0 configuration manages thefour controllers and memory chips, resulting in what OCZproclaims is a blazing fast PCIe SSD solution. We were prettyimpressed with the original RevoDrive and can only wonder ifthe follow-up product is equally as impressive.

ASUS ENGTX560 Ti DCII TOP Video Card @ BenchmarkReviewsDescription: Benchmark Reviews tests the ASUS ENGTX560Ti DCII TOP. DCII means this card now comes with animproved version of the Direct CU cooler, now with 2 fansand adding dissipation area. They also tag this product as TOPbecause it sports a 900MHz GPU core instead of the 822MHzfrom the reference design and 1050MHz instead of 1000MHzfrom stock. Aside from that, ASUS also bundles their veryown overclocking/monitoring software to modify frequencyand voltage values and add some extra performance for free. !Let's have a look at the ASUS ENGTX560 Ti and check if it

can be a good contender against the competition, including thehighly acclaimed GeForce GTX 460.

ASUS P7P55D Premium Intel P55 Express MotherboardReviewDescription: While much of Intel's world has been throwninto a tizzy by the Q1'2011 Intel P67/H67 chipset recall (initialB2 stepping only), we thought it timely to look in on IntelP55 motherboards from ASUS that offer some of the bellsand whistles of Intel P67 platforms, with none of the badrecall aftertaste. The ASUS P7P55D-E Pro is one such boardto consider, this review is going to focus on its nearly identicaltwin, the P7P55D Premium. We'll touch on TurboV Evo,Hybrid Phase, ExpressGate, MemOK, EPU, Fan Xpert andStack Cool 3+...

D-Link Boxee Box DSM-380 (German)Description: (Machine translation) The D-Link Boxee Box(DSM-380) with Intel Atom CE4100 arrived Technic3D. TheBoxee Box by D-Link brings all the stuff you normally watch ona computer to your TV; movies and TV programmes streamedfrom the Internet, 400 different apps that let you accesscontent from most popular websites, and a full web browser.The Boxee Box will also help you rediscover your own mediacollection by automatically identifying all the files on a harddrive or home network and then building a stunning visualmedia library for you. Technic3D will check the Features in thefollowing Review...

Corsair Vengeance 8GB Dual Channel DDR3 Memory Kit(CMZ8GX3M2A1600C9) Review at Overclockers OnlineDescription: The Corsair Vengeance is priced at the lower endof the market attracting educated buyers to pick a brand theyknow they can trust. Corsair doesn’t blindside them with aninferior product, instead they have themselves a great gemhere. Corsair Vengeance 8GB PC3-12800 CAS 9 Vengeancelet’s you run all of those memory intensive programs where a2X2GB kit wouldn’t cut it.


HP's ENVY 17 3D laptop now shipping for $2499Description: HP's Envy 17 3D laptop is now shipping for$2,499. This laptop has a 17.3" Full-HD active-shutter3D "ultra brightview" LCD display powered by AMD's 3Dtechnology. Features include a Core i7-920XM CPU, 8GBmemory, 1TB H/D, Blu-ray drive and Windows 7. It comesbundled with one pair of active-shutter 3D glasses.

Speck PixelSleeve 13” Laptop and Netbook Case Review @TestFreaksDescription: Speck loves the term ‘Pixel’. I have reviewednumerous Pixel dubbed items, mostly for the iPhone and iPad.Today we will look at a laptop carrying sleeve case designedfor up to 13” laptops called the PixelSleeve. It can fit most13” machines including the newest Apple MacBook Air 13”revision.

Sony Ericsson LiveView Micro Display Review @DragonSteelModsDescription: Our phones have become indispensible, they’re ahuge part of our lives, they go with us everywhere, and they’vebecome much more than just phones. Sony has decided tomake them even more useful with the addition of a secondscreen called the LiveView that works with most any Android


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phone. The LiveView is a 1.3” Color OLED screen that has a tonof uses like checking your email, reading text messages, andchecking Twitter and Facebook updates. The LiveView can beclipped most anywhere or worn as a watch. It can allow youto control your phone from a distance with the many plug-ins available for it like controlling your media player or evendialing your phone. It’s a very unique and rather useful littledevice.

Google Explains, Apologizes For, CR-48 SpamDescription: Early this morning people who have received aGoogle CR-48 notebook, and people who’ve requested one,got hit with 100 or more emails from a newly created GoogleGroup. Google sent out an email this evening apologizingfor the emails and explaining what happened. Google wasplanning on launching the group next week for all userswho have been selected to be in the program. But someonediscovered it early and posted to it.

Skype for iPhone UpdateDescription: Skype today announced that its Skype for iPhoneapp now supports H.264, one of the most commonly usedformats for the recording, compression, and distribution ofhigh definition video. This small, but significant step nowenables Skype for iPhone users to make video calls to the fullrange of Skype devices, including TVs from Panasonic andSamsung.

With Nokia Dating Microsoft, Intel Was Just Stood UpDescription: Now that Nokia has chosen to dance withMicrosoft’s Windows Phone 7, where does that leave Intelat the mobile prom? Without a date, that’s where. MeeGofor Intel has gone been relegated to experimental status andwithout a software platform, Intel has few mobile prospects.

iPhone 4 Antennagate Returns, Still a Non-StoryDescription: Antennagate is back in the news thanks to theVerizon iPhone 4. The Inquirer has an article about it, decryingApple’s willful negligence with the sub-title “Can’t keep a faultydesign down.” Let’s put this faulty notion to bed, shall we?

Gaming News:

Distant Worlds Final Fantasy Concert Begins AprilDescription: Final Fantasy fans from US, UK and Australia willbe having it lucky as Distant Worlds Final Fantasy concert willbe held in these countries, beginning on 1st April in New York.Here is a full schedule

Ar Tonelico Qoga English Trailer Unveiled, Has JapaneseDubs OptionDescription: NIS America unveiled the English trailer of ArTonelico Qoga, slated for a release stateside on 15th March2011, the game will include a Japanese vocal option for thefolks who loves the vocals of Japanese seiyuu.

Microsoft Announces Defiant Map Pack DLCDescription: Scheduled for this March, the Defiant Map Packfeatures three new maps set on, above, and below the besiegedplanet Reach, and represents the first DL...

Quick hands on with OCosmosOCS1 and a look at futuredevicesFebruary 15th, 2011

OCosmos is not one of the most well-known manufacturersof hand held devices, but the company is trying its luck withwhat is a rather unique offering with its OCS 1 which is a 5-inchWindows 7 tablet PC, although we'd say it reminds us moreof an MID than a tablet, but with the current tablet fad, whyuse a defunct term to describe your device? The OCS 1 isn't setto launch for a couple of months as yet, but that didn't stopthe company from previewing a couple of mockups of futuredevices at its booth as well.

OCosmos is not one of the most well-known manufacturersof hand held devices, but the company is trying its luck withwhat is a rather unique offering with its OCS 1 which is a 5-inchWindows 7 tablet PC, although we'd say it reminds us moreof an MID than a tablet, but with the current tablet fad, whyuse a defunct term to describe your device? The OCS 1 isn't setto launch for a couple of months as yet, but that didn't stopthe company from previewing a couple of mockups of futuredevices at its booth as well.

Windows 7 gives away the fact that we're looking at an x86powered device here and OCosmos has gone for a 1.5GHz IntelOak Trail based CPU and it's paired with one to two GB ofDDR2 and a 32 or 64GB SSD drive. The 5-inch screen featurescapacitive multi-touch and has a resolution of 1024x600pixels. Other features include 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth3.0, GPS, a micro SD card slot, supposedly HDMI output(judging by the labels on the prototypes), USB 2.0 connectivityand optional 3G/UMTS. The OCS 1 sports a rear 3.1Megapixelcamera as well as a front facing 1.3Megapixel camera and itdoes of course have integrated speakers and a microphone andheadphone jack.

However, what sets the OCS 1 apart from the competition isOCosmos unique OMOS key interface which are the eight-way cursor buttons located on each side of the screen. Thesecan be set up to work as either a mouse replacement oreven a keyboard replacement by mapping keys to each of thedirectional movements of the cursor keys. We're not sure how


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well this will actually work in praxis, but it's an interestingapproach at solving the keyboard problem. OCosmos is stillwaiting for the final graphics drives to become available butthe company claims that you'll be able to play a wide selectionof games on the OCS 1. On top of that, OCosmos has developedits own UI on top of Windows 7 which makes the OCS 1 easierto use which quick access to most programs through an icondriven launcher.

Also on display was the OCS 9 tablet which features the samehardware as the OCS 1, but has a larger 9-inch screen with1024x768 resolution. OCosmos is working on a couple ofaccessories for the OCS 9, of which one is a carry case with abuilt in battery pack and the other being a small wireless touchscreen keyboard that also doubles up as a track pad and gamecontroller.

Also on display was a mockup of the next generation OCS1 which features a detachable tablet part leaving the cursorcontrols attached to a rear plate allowing for a somewhat morepocket friendly device when on the road. As much as we likethe concept behind OCosmos' products, we can't say we'resold on the overall platform, but OCosmos recon that peoplewant a truly portable Windows device. They wouldn't go intodetails about the battery life, but the standard battery packis a 4,000mAh unit which isn't terrible as long as the CPU isfrugal enough. The final question is how much the OCS 1 willcost when it arrives in a couple of months' time, but we have afeeling it won't be entirely cheap.

Roccat Unleashes KuloGaming HeadsetFebruary 15th, 2011

Roccat, a German-based manufacturer of numerous gamingperipherals and accessories, has expanded its diversifiedproduct portfolio from performance gaming mice to stereoheadsets with the addition of Kulo.

Roccat, a German-based manufacturer of numerous gamingperipherals and accessories, has expanded its diversifiedproduct portfolio from performance gaming mice to stereoheadsets with the addition of Kulo.


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Weighing just 178g, the lightweight gaming headset isoptimised for gaming, music and voice chat. It boasts 40mmdrivers with neodymium magnets (for great stereo audiooutput), Mylar membranes (for comfort), padded ear-cups(for noise isolation), two 3.5mm jacks, a slim in-line remotecontrol, and a foldable noice-filtering microphone. The Kulo isexpected to start shipping in April at a cost of €59.99.

Thermaltake Unveils Frio OCKCPU CoolerFebruary 15th, 2011

Thermaltake has announced the Frio OCK (OverClockerKings) CPU cooler, targeting hardcore overclockers.Measuring 143 x 136.8 x 158.4mm and weighing 1,093g, thedual tower cooler features a copper base, 0.4mm aluminumfins, six U-Shaped 6mm copper heat-pipes, and is cooled bytwo speed-adjustable 130mm fans that run at speeds of up to2,100RPM at 48dBA. The Frio OCK CPU cooler, compatiblewith all Intel LGA 775/ 1155/ 1156/ 1366 and AMD AM2(+)/AM3 processors, is expected to hit store shelves soon.

THERMALTAKE PRESS RELEASE

Thermaltake, leading DIY thermal solutions brand, launchtheir newest and up to date most powerful CPU cooler, the FrioOCK. Continuing the legacy of the award winning original Friocooler, the Frio OCK is yet once again setting new standards inthe industry. With a whooping heat dissipation capacity of 240W this powerful cooler is clearly leading the pack. Targetingparticularly power users and ambitioned overlcockers, theFrio OCK comes with six 6 mm high-efficiency heatpipes thateffectively transport heat from the base into two separatecooling towers. By adopting this dual-tower design the gapbetween both towers increases airflow and ventilation createdby the dual fans.

Frio OCK's design approach captures and embodies currentlyprevailing computer game elements, in particular the shapeand color scheme is resembling a firm and powerful bunkeras inspired by the popular PC game StarCraft II. In doing so,Thermaltake is trying to bring virtual game visuals into every-day life, resembling a manifestation of the fictional within thereal.

The dual-fan module is not only unique by its looks,but furthermore offers several practical usage advantages.Both fans are designed to work in tandem as a push-pull-combination where one fan pushes cold air over the tower fins,while the other fan on the opposite site pulls out hot air andthen exhausts it through the cases back side. A convenientsingle fan speed control knob adjusts both fans in parallel toguarantee optimized airflow and maximize cooling efficiency.The 130 mm high pressure OC fans can be tuned between1200 RPM for normal operation and up to 2100 RPM in OCmode and under mission critical circumstances when in 24/7operation.

As usual with top-notch Thermaltake products, particularattention is paid to ease-of-use, convenience and an overallsatisfying user experience. Therefore the Frio OCK supplies auniversal installation kit which is meant to keep users futureready for current CPU sockets, including the recently launchedSandy Bridge 1156 sockets. It probably has never been easierto become a true Overclocking King in your own right.


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For more information about the Frio OCK go to:

http://www.thermaltake.com/product_info.aspx?PARENT_CID=C_00001645&id=C_00001646&name=Fr%c3%adoOCK&ov=&ovid=n&parent_cp

Introducing the SamsungGALAXY S II; world's slimmestsmartphoneFebruary 15th, 2011

In addition to the GALAXY Tab 10.1 Android Honeycombtablet, Samsung has also unveiled the GALAXY S II, whichclaims to be the world's slimmest smartphone.

Today, Samsung unveiled the GALAXY S II (Model: GT-I9100), a beautifully thin (8.49mm) and lightweight, dual-core smartphone that boasts amazing viewing experience andimpressive performance.

Running on Android 2.3 (Gingerbread), the GALAXY S IIoffers users Samsung’s new content and entertainment hubs


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for instant access to music, games, e-reading and socialnetworking services.

Powerful PerformanceIncorporating a dual-core application processor and advancedwireless network (HSPA+ 21) connectivity, the SamsungGALAXY S II boasts the speed and power for superior mobileperformance. The processor can deliver compelling featuresincluding fast web browsing, multi-tasking, supreme graphicsquality and responsive 3D user interface on the large screen.With super-fast HSPA+ connectivity, the GALAXY S II offersrapid mobile download speeds.

The Samsung GALAXY S II is equipped with an 8-megapixelcamera and can record videos in full high definition 1080p.With Samsung’s patented AllShare technology, users cancapture, create and then share their experiences hassle-free.

A Next Level of Viewing ExperienceThe Samsung GALAXY S II also sports the new crystal-clear Super AMOLED Plus screen that introduces the bestin quality in color gamut, contrast ratio and edge sharpness.With a wider viewing angle and increased visibility in outdoor,the Samsung GALAXY S II provides a more vibrant viewingexperience and is more energy-efficient compared to othermobile devices.

A New World of Entertainment and Smarter InteractionSamsung GALAXY S II offers various integrated mobileapplications, called Samsung Hubs, designed to fit everyelement of your life.

- Social Hub Premium: Communication history, InstantMessaging status, and updates from social networking sitesare all readily available. Users can access all types of messages(push e-mail, text, VM and SNS) and respond directly withoutresorting to individual applications.

- Readers Hub: Carry an enormous library of books, magazinesand newspapers on-the-go. Samsung Readers Hub offersover 2.2 million books and novels, 2,000 global and localnewspapers in 49 languages and 2,300 popular magazines in22 languages.

- Game Hub: Featuring a 3-axis gyroscopic sensor, theSamsung GALAXY S II lets you try games for free, or downloadpremium titles from partners like Gameloft.

- Music Hub: Access over 12 million tracks from 7digital.Discover what's hot from top charts, search for favoritemusic, get recommendations on albums, enjoy previews anddownload them directly to Samsung GALAXY S II.

For added connectivity, WiFi Direct allows consumers toconnect to wireless-enabled PCs and printers without theneed for wireless access points. The GALAXY S II is able toincorporate Near Field Communication (NFC) technology tosupport emerging mobile payment service and other serviceswith mobile operators.

Android UI: now instereoscopic 3D, thanks toRightwareFebruary 15th, 2011

It is a well known fact that in order for a device to standa chance of doing well in the market, both its underlyinghardware and software must be a perfect match for each other.Similarly, that concept can also be applied to smartphones.After all, of what use is a 3D-capable smartphone if it does nothave a 3D-capable UI for the user to take advantage of?

Smartphones. We all love them, don't we? After all, no otherdevice on the market today offers users the luxury of being ableto experience the 'full web' from the luxury of a highly portabledevice such as a mobile phone while on the move. And as we allknow, the Internet is just that indispensable to our lives today,especially when searching for Facebook and Twitter updatesabout how your best friend's friend's neighbour's son's petdog just celebrated its first birthday while on the bus makesfor more important information than that email from thesupervisor screaming down your neck over a missed deadline.

Of course, it goes without saying that any device which ismarked for consumer usage will often find itself getting its gutsroutinely upgraded every few months so that trend followerscan justify breaking their piggy banks for new products with'upgraded hardware and features'. And with OEMs keen tohop on the 3D bandwagon, it should come as no surprise thatsmartphones featuring stereoscopic 3D displays are starting tomake their entrance in the market. But why stop at 3D displayswhen you can have a fully functional 3D interface to go alongwith the package?


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Apparently, it seems that a company known as Rightware hasmanaged to produce an actual 3D user interface for the mobileAndroid operating system used in the majority of smartphonesand tablets today. According to an article by Ubergizmo,Rightware's 3D stereoscopic user interface or Spectrum UI isbased of the compan's own Kanzi UI, which is "a platform fordisplaying complex 3D UIs on mobile devices".

And since attempting to describe a 3D user interface withwords alone does not do the product any justice, we haveincluded a short video which demonstrates the capabilities andvisual appeal of the Spectrum UI.

Looks great, doesn't it?

Adobe showcases better Flashperformance on mobile phonesFebruary 15th, 2011

At the Mobile World Congress, Adobe showcased performanceadvancements with their Flash Player 10.2 and the companyhas expressed high expectations on the mobile adoption ofFlash Player and AIR.

Adobe has announced that more than 20 million smartphoneswere shipped or upgraded with Flash Player 10.1 software onover 35 certified devices in the first six months following thelaunch. The company expects Flash Player to be supported on

more than 132 million units worldwide this year, amd over 50tablets expected to support Flash Player in 2011.

Adobe is also showcasing their latest Flash Player 10.2 alongwith additional performance advancements. The new releaseincludes support for innovative new features including StageVideo, which delivers much improved video performancethrough optimizing hardware acceleration on mobile devices,desktops and TVs. Tests show up to 80 percent CPU savingswhen playing back 1080p video on Windows and Mac OS.Stage Video support for mobile devices will also be availableon Android 3.0 “Honeycomb” and BlackBerry Tablet OS.

Arctic Debuts Freezer 13 ProCPU CoolerFebruary 15th, 2011

Arctic Cooling has unveiled the Freezer 13 Pro CPU cooler,promising improved performance over its predecessor, theFreezer 13 that was launched in October 2010.

Arctic Cooling has unveiled the Freezer 13 Pro CPU cooler,promising improved performance over its predecessor, theFreezer 13 released in October 2010.


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Measuring 134 x 96 x 159mm and weighing 902g, the massivecooler has four U-shaped 8mm copper heat-pipes, fourty-seven 0.5mm-thick aluminum fins, a copper base, and iscooled by two fluid dynamic bearing fans - a PWM 120mmand 50mm model that operates at 300 ~ 1250RPM and 700 ~2700RPM respectively.

It is compatible with all Intel LGA 775/ 1155/ 1156/ 1366 andAMD S754/ S939/ AM2(+)/ AM3 processors and comes withpre-applied MX-4 thermal grease. The Freezer 13 Pro, coveredby a 6-year warranty, is available through authorized resellersand e-tailers at a MSRP of US$54.90/ €39.90 (without VAT).

MPEG LA declares war onVP8, calls for submissionof patents essential to itsimplementationFebruary 15th, 2011

Remember how Apple's Steve Jobs claimed that the MPEGLA was already in the process of forming a patent pool to'go after' Google's free VP8 codec when the latter was firstreleased? Well, it seems like the MPEG LA has finally drawnfirst blood by calling for the submission of patents that itdeems essential to the implementation of the VP8 codec usedin Google's WebM online video format.

The cold war between Google and the MPEG LA over thelegitimacy of the VP8 video codec currently used in YouTubeand a handful of browsers may have dragged on long enough,but it remains clear that the MPEG LA is not about to tolerateany form of action that might see itself losing control of whathas to be one of the world's widely used video codecs today,especially when royalties are concerned.

And just as we have expected, the firm that specializes in thelicensing of patent pools relating to audio-visual technologyhas decided that the time has finally come to take action.In an announcement posted on its website, MPEG LA hasofficially declared a patent war on VP8, claiming that the firmis actively socializing the aid of parties which believe thatthey have in their possession any patents which would beessential to the implementation of the royalty-free codec. Thepatents in question would then be submitted to the MPEG LAfor evaluation, and submissions which are deemed relevantenough will be included for use in the firm's offensive against


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VP8. Parties interested in taking part in the MPEG LA's patentpool process have until March 18 to make their submissions.

Needless to say, Google would not have any of it. In an emailresponse sent to The Register, the search giant rubbished theMPEG LA's move by claiming that its own licenses require thatusers not be allowed to make patent claims against the royalty-free codec.

MPEG LA has alluded to a VP8 pool since WebMlaunched - this is nothing new. The web succeedswith open, community-developed innovation, and theWebM Project brings the same principles to webvideo.

The vast majority of the industry supports freeand open development, and we’re in the process offorming a broad coalition of hardware and softwarecompanies who commit to not assert any IP claimsagainst WebM. We are firmly committed to the projectand establishing an open codec for HTML5 video. TheWebM license says that if you use the technology, youcan't make patent claims against it.

For those wondering why Google would choose to competehead-on with an open and widely-used video codec, onemust remember that H.264 is not royalty free, especiallywhere playback capabilities are involved. This means browsersvendors wishing to implement H.264 support in their productshave to pay licensing fees to the MPEG LA, a move whichpopular browser developers Mozilla, Google and Opera areopposed to, seeing it as a move that hurts the 'free web'.

As such, it is little wonder why these developers, along withthe W3C body, are willing to support Google's VP8 over H264.And with Microsoft's neutral but generally positive responseto the codec, it is clear that VP8 is gaining traction, and thatis enough to get the MPEG LA concerned about the state ofsupport the online ecosystem has for H.264.

Needless to say, if enough patent submissions make their wayto the firm to allow for the creation of a patent pool, one canbe very sure that the first thing MPEG LA will do is to imposeroyalties on VP8, thus destroying the very reason the codecwas created in the first place. After all, there is plenty of moneyin the form of licensing revenue at stake, considering just howwidely used H.264 is at the moment.

However, one might also be able to take comfort in the fact thatthe MPEG LA's call for patent submission could be consideredas an act of desperation. After all, with patent pools for H.264,MPEG 2 and MPEG 4 under its belt, it would have been veryeasy for the firm to discover instances of patent infringementon VP8's part. The fact that MPEG LA has to find itself calling

for patent submissions over the codec could mean that it hasgot no relevant patents to pin any infringement claims on VP8,thus reinforcing Google's claim that VP8 was indeed designedfrom ground up to specifically avoid getting into trouble oversuch patent pools.

Either way, the die has already been cast, and this time, it is theMPEG LA that has drawn first blood in what appears to be arather unpleasent patent war over the royalty-free VP8 codec.And if one cannot help but wonder why all these sounds sofamiliar, this is because a similar case has actually happenedbefore. Remember Microsoft's VC-1 run-in with the MPEG LAa long time ago? Oh yeah, Microsoft got thwarted. Let's seehow Google will fare this time.

LG unveils new mobile devicesat Mobile World Congress2011February 15th, 2011

LG has unveiled their latest lineup of mobile devices at theMobile World Congress 2011 in Barcelona, Spain. The devicesinclude the LG Optimus 3D smartphone and Optimus Padtablet.

LG has introduced two new flagship devices at Mobile WorldCongress (MWC) - the LG Optimus 3D, a smartphone withsuperior 3D performance, and the LG Optimus Pad designedwith Google Android 3.0 Honeycomb OS.

The company have recently introduced the LG Optimus 2Xwhich claims to be the world`s first dual-core smartphone;LG Optimus Black, one of the world`s slimmest and brightestsmartphones; and LG Revolution, the company`s first 4G LTEnetwork compatible phone. The products are also showcasedat MWC.

LG Optimus 3DThe LG Optimus 3D is equipped with 1GHz OMAP4 dual-coreprocessor and four times more video decoders than competingdesigns, which lets users enjoy superb performance while


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web surfing, running applications and enjoying multimediacontent. In addition, the LG Optimus 3D provides the world'sfirst full 3D experience, from recording to viewing and sharing3D content. It features a dual-lens camera that enablesusers to capture any moment in true 3D which can thenbe viewed immediately on its 4.3-inch WVGA glasses-freedisplay. Connectivity options include HDMI and Digital LivingNetwork Alliance (DLNA) for users to transfer their recordedcontent to other devices.

LG Optimus PadThe LG Optimus Pad untilizes an 8.9-inch display in a formfactor that is comfortable to use one-handed. With a 15:9aspect ratio and Full HD 1080p decoding, the tablet offersan immersive multimedia environment on a 1280 x 768WXGA resolution widescreen display. The new device sportsAndroid 3.0 (Honeycomb), Google's latest platform optimizedfor tablet devices with intuitive PC-like interface for runningtablet software. LG`s tablet runs on a 1GHz NVIDIA Tegra 2dual-core processor for outstanding performance and powermanagement. The LG Optimus Pad also claims to be theworld`s first tablet with a built-in 3D camera that allows usersto capture image and video content that can be viewed on ahigh definition 3D TV or shared on YouTube 3D.

Yet another iPhone 5 rumour?February 15th, 2011

The iPhone 5 may have yet to see the light of day outside ofApple's research labs, but one can be sure that with a deviceas popular as the iPhone, speculation and rumours aboutupcoming products can never be far behind. And needless tosay, we have gone down to dig up some of the more recentbits of information about Apple's upcoming phone from therumour mill.

So you want that shiny iPhone 5 Apple has been teasing youwith for the past few months, don't you? That is fine and all, butlike most sensible customers, merely having a device stampedwith the Apple logo is not a good-enough reason to justify

breaking the piggy bank when the device is released. After all,smartphones are not the cheapest consumer electronic devicesavailable on the market today, and chances are you'd wantto have a little more information about whether you will begetting your money's worth when the iPhone 5 eventually getsreleased for retail.

While we are not about to go around hoping that an Appleemployee might 'accidently' leave an iPhone 5 prototypebehind for us to play around with, the good news is thatthe Internet rumour mill is alive and open for business. Andapparently, the information we have found seems to concurwith what reputable sources have been claiming about Apple'supcoming smartphone.

According to the latest speculation from a Chinese websiteknown as GizChina, one of the more significant upgrades userscan expect from the upcoming iPhone 5 lies in the proprietaryApple A4 processor. Apparently, the upcoming iPhone 5 willreceieve a significant speed bump in the form of an upgradedvariant of the A4 CPU which is supposedly clocked at 1.5GHz,or 500MHz faster than the A4 processor currently found in theiPads.

In addition to the speed bump, it appears that Apple's patentsregarding OLED technology which we spoke about earliermight come into play here, as GizChina claims that theupcoming iPhone 5 might ditch the traditional LCD screenin favor of OLED displays. Once again, this makes sense, asa more powerful processor would typically consume moreenergy, and OLED technology has been known to providebetter power efficiency as opposed to traditional LCD displays.By utilizing OLED displays in its upcoming iPhone, Applewould be in a better position to offer users a lethal combinationof high-performance smartphone computing and long batterylife.

Last but not least, the image shown above hints at the removalof the physical 'Home' button, with a slightly smaller touch-sensitive panel taking its place.

That being said, all these bits of information are nothing morethan rumours floating about the depths of cyberspace. Assuch, there are bound to be issues with accuracy, especiallywhen Apple has been known to make hardware changes to itsdevices at little to no notice. Still, it does give users a hint asto what they might be able to expect from the Cupertino giant,especially when its iconic iPhone is concerned. And of course,rumours always make for good reading material, as long as you


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remember that such information should always be taken witha huge truckload of salt.

Source and image: GizChina

Samsung launches GalaxyTab 10.1 Android HoneycombtabletFebruary 15th, 2011

Samsung has announced the new Galaxy Tab 10.1 (model:P7100) Android tablet at the Mobile World Congressin Barcelona, Spain. The new tablet is running Android3.0 Honeycomb and claims to provide superb multimediaexperience to users.

Samsung, in partnership with Vodafone Group, hasannounced the Samsung GALAXY Tab 10.1 (model: P7100)that features a powerful dual-core Android 3.0 (Honeycomb)Smart Media Device, designed to deliver superb mobileentertainment experience.

The Samsung GALAXY Tab 10.1 sports a 10.1-inch (WXGATFT LCD) display with crystal clear 1280 x 800 resolutionfor immersive experience with hundreds of thousands ofgames and applications available from Android Market. It alsocomes with dual surround-sound speakers to give a completemultimedia experience.

The Samsung features a 8-megapixel rear-facing camera withAuto Focus and a 2-megapixel front-facing camera for videocalls. With the Android browser and Flash 10.1, the SamsungGALAXY Tab 10.1 claims to be the perfect tool for consumingthe world of the internet content wherever you are.

Equipped with a 1GHz dual core application processor, lowpower DDR2 memory and 6860mAh battery, the GALAXYTab 10.1 offers fast and powerful multimedia and webbrowsing experience, in an energy efficient way.

It weighs just 599g and measures a mere 10.9mm slim, whichmakes it easy to carry around with. Samsung has also included

super-fast HSPA+ 21Mbps, Bluetooth 2.1+EDR and Wi-Fi802.11 a/b/g/n for fast mobile and wireless connectivity.

Super Talent ReleasesDataGuardian Secure FlashDriveFebruary 15th, 2011

Super Talent Technology has launched the DataGuardian,an affordable secure flash drive for the mainstream users.Available in 4Gb, 8Gb and 16Gb variants, these USB 2.0compact flash drives boast a password system and are able toblock auto-play malware attacks.

Super Talent Technology today announced the DataGuardianTM, a password protected USB flash drive that makes datasecurity easy, affordable and usable.

By now almost everyone who owns a PC is familiar with USBflash drives. They are incredibly useful and have become anindispensible part of our computing environments. We allknow that we should be using a secure solution, but the factis security solutions are expensive, cumbersome and limit theusefulness of a flash drive. Most security solutions require theinstallation of a program, managing public/ private partitionsand administrative rights. These limitations often create moreproblems then they solve and have dramatically slowed theadoption of secure USB devices.

Finally, there's a solution to keep your data safe without publicand private partitions or even the need for software. Simplyplug in the DataGuardian and an application is automaticallylaunched from the drive's firmware (on-chip). Simply enteryour password and you will have access to your data; unplugthe drive and the drive is secure once again. The DataGuardianalso blocks all Auto-run based malware attacks; a malwarepropagation technique that as become the #1 distributionmethod for recent virus attacks targeted at USB flash drives.

"We developed the DataGuardian based on input from ourcustomers. Security is a basic need for portable data storageand so is the ability to use it anywhere. The challenge was tomake it simple. The DataGuardian does just that," says CHLee, chief operating officer of SuperTalent.

The SuperTalent DataGuardian Secure Flash Drive are nowshipping.


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Sony Ericsson launches theXperia PLAY, we go hands onFebruary 15th, 2011

The much anticipated and already leaked Sony EricssonXperia Play was launched last night at the Mobile WorldCongress in Barcelona, Spain and VR-Zone was on locationto get an early hands-on with the new PlayStation certifiedmobile gaming Android handset. Although the units on displayweren't final production handset, we were impressed withwhat we saw and it's clear that Sony Ericsson is serious aboutits Android based products.

The much anticipated and already leaked Sony EricssonXperia Play was launched last night at the Mobile WorldCongress in Barcelona, Spain and VR-Zone was on locationto get an early hands-on with the new PlayStation certifiedmobile gaming Android handset. Although the units on displayweren't final production handset, we were impressed withwhat we saw and it's clear that Sony Ericsson is serious aboutits Android based products.

Although only four games were playable at the launch event,namely Crash Bandicoot, Star Battalion, FIFA and Asphalt,Sony Ericsson said that the Xperia PLAY will ship with six toseven pre-installed games and as many as 50 downloadabletitles will be available at launch. We got some hands on timewith Star Battalion which is something of a StarFox clone withreasonably impressive 3D graphics and the game was veryresponsive during play. The only games of the ones demoedthat is part of the PlayStation Pocket app was Crash Bandicoot,but more titles are expected here as well, although as thesegames are actual PS One titles, we presume they're beingported over to the Xperia PLAY and this might take some time.So don't expect to find PSP titles on the Xperia PLAY, insteadyou're looking at PS One games, but this might not be a badthing.

Beyond games from Sony Computer Entertainment, SonyEricsson has teamed up with several software launch partnerswhich includes Digital Chocolate, Digital Legends, Electronic

Arts, Fishlabs, Gamehouse, Gameloft, Glu Mobile, HandyGames, Namco Bandai Networks, Polarbit, PopCap, TrendyEntertainment and Unity Tecnologies. As for specific titleswe're looking at Need for Speed, the Sims 3 and FIFA 10 fromEA, Gameloft promised to have 10 of their best-selling gamesready at launch with over 20 titles available over the next sixmonths and with version of Assassin's Creed and Splinter Cellarriving first and finally GLU Mobile/Activision is said to bebringing Guitar Hero to the Xperia PLAY. Many of these titlesshould be available via the Android Marketplace and might assuch not be exclusive to the Xperia Play.

That takes care of the games, but what about the hardware?Well, don't expect the Xperia PLAY to be the fastest deviceannounced during the Mobile World Congress, as it hasa single core 1GHz Qualcomm Scorpion SoC with Adreno205 graphics, although Sony Ericsson didn't specify theexact model, although it's very likely that it's the MSM8655,especially as the Xperia PLAY is said to be launching onVerizon in the US first. What's rather disappointing is thefact that the Xperia PLAY only has 400MB of user accessiblememory and there was no mention of how much RAM it has,although it's likely to be 512MB.

The 4-inch capacitive multi-touch screen has a nativeresolution of 854x480 pixels and can display 16 millioncolours. What we did note is that it's quite a finger printmagnet and it smudges very easily, at least on the prototypesthat were on display, so make sure you have something topolish it with handy if you decide to get one. It also has a5.1Megapixel rear camera with auto focus and an LED light,Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR, Wi-Fi, aGPS, a micro USB port and a3.5mm audio jack. The battery life is said to be good for upto 8h and 25min talk time in GSM mode, up to 6h 25min inUMTS/3G and 7h 40min in CDMA2000 mode while you'llget about 5h 30min worth of game play time out of it. Thedownside of having your phone and your handheld console ina single device is of course when you've been playing gamesfor a few hours, there might not be enough battery life left formaking calls, but hey, such is life.


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A few other interesting features worth pointing out is theability to host multi-player games between to handsets bysetting up a Wi-Fi hotspot on one handset and the ability toplay multi-player games against users on consoles and PCs.Sony Ericsson will also offer an optional dock for the XperiaPLAY called the DK300 and it will be available in black orwhite. We're not really sold on the dock though, as the XperiaPLAY attaches to it via the micro USB port and the 3.5mmaudio jack and these ports are replicated at the rear of the dock.The idea is that it's meant to make it easier to charge the phoneand connect it to a stereo while it also has a built in applicationtrigger that launches the desktop alarm application on thehandset.

As far as the phone side is concerned, the Xperia PLAY comeswith the usual selection of features you'd expect from anAndroid device, although in this case the UI has been tweakedquite a lot by Sony Ericsson. That said, unlike some customAndroid UI's Sony Ericsson has come up with a version thatworks quite well. Finally the Xperia PLAY is expected to hitretail sometime in March in the US, although as far as the restof the world is concerned the launch date is early spring andof course no pricing was announced.

Dell Streak review: Streakingits way into the hearts ofconsumersFebruary 15th, 2011

It is a dog-eat-dog world out there where tablets PCs areconcerened, and the success of Apple's iPad can only mean onething: more OEMs are going to get into the game in an attemptto deliver their own 'iPad killer'. And with tablets and slatePCs of all form factors starting to flood the market, VR-Zonetakes a look at Dell's Streak to see how it stacks up against thecompetition.

As far as tablets are concerned, consumers often findthemselves faced with a wide variety of hardware and softwarechoices which, on closer inspection, actually appear to offerno more choices than what they already had back in the worldof desktop and notebook PCs. For all the various hardwareconfigurations offered by desktop and notebook PC OEMstoday, consumers generally only had three real choices tomake, and that is to get a machine that comes pre-loadedwith one of the three most comonly-used operating systems.Namely, Microsoft's Windows, Apple's Mac OS X and in veryrare cases, a Linux distribution.

Unfortunately, things are no different here in the tablet/slate-like PC market. While OEMs may attempt to differentiatetheir products by offering unique hardware configurations,the fact remains that users are still faced with the samethree choices. Of course, the main difference now is that theOS choice is now that between Windows 7 (again), Apple's'closed-is-awesome-because-we-own-your-device' iOS andGoogle's 'open-is-the-best-because-we-cannot-let-evil-Apple-take-over-the-world' Android operating system.

But herein lies the question: does an oversized smartphone onsteriods even count as a slate-like PC device? Well, we shallsee.

But before that, here is a quick listing of the Dell Streak'stechnical specifications.


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Dell Streak Pocket TabletTechnical SpecificationsBundled Operating System Android 2.2 (Froyo)Processor Qualcomm Snapdragon 8250

platformFrequency Bands UTMS 2100 / 1900 / 850

MHzGSM/EDGE 1900 / 1800 /900 / 850 MHz

HSDPA / HSUPA:HSDPA 7.2Mbps / HSUPA 5.76 Mbps

Display 5" (12.7 cm) WVGA (800x 480) in-cell TFT LCDsupporting multi-touch

Cameras 5.0M Rear-Facing Auto-FocusCamera + VGA Front-FacingCamera

Memory 512 MB ROM + 512 MBSDRAM + 2 GB non-useraccessible MicroSD forsystem & applications filesonly


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The Eee Pad Slider, Eee Pad Transformer, Eee Pad MeMO andEee Slate EP121 are available with three screen sizes, and achoice of either Google Android or Windows 7 Home Premiumoperating systems.

The Eee Pad and Eee Slate tablets claim to deliver fullmultimedia experience with high definition (HD) video,broad connectivity options and the widest range of mediacompatibility with standards like Adobe Flash. Capacitivetouchscreens are standard throughout, as is stylus input andsupport for external HDMI displays.

Location-Aware Smartphone ServicesThe ASUS ‘seamless mobility’ concept extends to pocket-sizedevices too, and there are a number of ASUS smartphonesat MWC. Powered by Google Android, the models all includelocation-aware services that help users connect with the widerworld when they’re on the move with intuitive bespoke userinterfaces.

Smart Cloud Storage for Every DeviceASUS will also demonstrate its range of cloud-based services atMWC. This includes ASUS Webstorage that offers automaticdata backup, easy access to personal data from any locationand instant file sharing. Webstorage adds to the portabilityand flexibility of user data, freeing consumers from theconstraints of physical hard drives, while providing robustprivacy and security measures.

ASUS Webstorage makes massive amounts of online storageavailable, which can then be accessed from any internet-connected device — smartphone, notebook, netbook, tabletssuch as the ASUS Eee Pad range and even a desktop PC.

Entertainment is also part of ASUS’ cloud-based service line-up - the @VIBE portal offers a huge range of online multimediaand educational content, or the MEar music streaming service.

Hands on with ViewSonic'snew Android devicesFebruary 17th, 2011

After its success with the ViewPad 7, ViewSonic is continuingto expand its lineup of tablets and at the Mobile WorldCongress we got to spend a few minutes with ViewSonic's latestadditions, the ViewPad 4 and ViewPad 10s as well as its newdual-SIM 3G Android handset, the V350. Sadly we didn't geta chance to see the ViewPad 10Pro, as ViewSonic had someproblems with the demo unit when we visited their booth.

After its success with the ViewPad 7, ViewSonic is continuingto expand its lineup of tablets and at the Mobile WorldCongress we got to spend a few minutes with ViewSonic's latestadditions, the ViewPad 4 and ViewPad 10s as well as its newdual-SIM 3G Android handset, the V350. Sadly we didn't get

a chance to see the ViewPad 10Pro, as ViewSonic had someproblems with the demo unit when we visited their booth.

The ViewPad 10s is a Tegra 250 based 10-inch tablet with512MB of DDR2 memory and a mere 512Mb of Flash memorythat is currently running Android 2.2. The display has a nativeresolution of 1024x600 and ViewSonic is offering a model withWi-Fi only and one with Wi-Fi and HSPA connectivity. Thespecs aren't that convincing though, as you only get 802.11b/g Wi-Fi and ViewSonic has only fitted a 1.3Megapixel camera.Other features include Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR, a micro SD cardslot, an HDMI port, a USB 2.0 port and a 3.5mm headphonejack. It's not the tablet we'd buy, but we'd expect it to be fairlyaffordable when it launches.

The ViewPad 4 on the other hand is an interesting device, leastnot by ViewSonic's definition of what a tablet is. The ViewPad4 has a 4.1-inch screen and is as such considered a tablet byViewSonic, while anything 4-inches or below is a smartphone.Terminology apart, the ViewPad 4 sports a 1GHz QualcommMSM8255 SoC, tri-band HSPA with download speeds of upto 14.4Mbit, quad band GSM, 512MB of RAM, 2GB of Flashmemory, 800x480 pixel screen resolution, a rear 5Megapixelcamera and a front facing VGA camera, 802.11b/g Wi-Fi,aGPS, a micro HDMI and USB port and a 3.5mm headset jack.It should ship with Android 2.4 when it launches and if theprice point is right we can see this being another big seller forViewSonic.

Finally the V350 is more of a budget handset with a 3.5-inch480x320 resolution display, a 600MHz processor, Android2.2 and of course Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. What sets the V350apart from every other Android handset in the market is thatit has a pair of SIM card slots, both supporting HSPA and bothrunning at the same time. As such you can make and answercalls from two numbers without having to power cycle or


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something similarly frustrating to access the second SIM card.It's also a very light handsets for its size at 125g and althoughwe don't know the price of the V350, we're expecting this tobe a fairly budget friendly handset judging by the hardwarefeatures, despite the addition of support for a second SIM card.

Intel talks 32nm Atom andAndroid, demoes MeeGo tabletFebruary 17th, 2011

Intel didn't have a ton of new things to show at theMobile World Congress beyond its new XMM platform forsmartphones and tablets, but one thing the company iscommunicating very clearly at the show is that Intel will haveAtom powered phones in the market later this year. These willbe based on Intel's upcoming 32nm Medfield Atom processorwhich the company claimed will offer at least the same kindof standby power as the competition, presumably referringto ARM based products here. Intel also showed off a MeeGotablet based on the Oak Trail Atom processor, although thecompany will also actively support Android on both tablets andsmartphones.

Intel didn't have a ton of new things to show at theMobile World Congress beyond its new XMM platform forsmartphones and tablets, but one thing the company iscommunicating very clearly at the show is that Intel will haveAtom powered phones in the market later this year. These willbe based on Intel's upcoming 32nm Medfield Atom processorwhich the company claimed will offer at least the same kindof standby power as the competition, presumably referringto ARM based products here. Intel also showed off a MeeGotablet based on the Oak Trail Atom processor, although thecompany will also actively support Android on both tablets andsmartphones.

Intel wouldn't say too much about its upcoming 32nmMedfield Atom processor, although the company is currentlysampling processors to its partners which is suggesting thatwe should see the first devices within the next six months orso. What is clear is that Intel is very serious about getting intothe mobile phone market space, one way or another and itsannouncement that it's now officially supporting Android is aclear indication of this. It's not as if Intel has that many otheroptions to be fair, despite the fact that Intel is still pushingMeeGo quite heavily.

To that effect, the company was demoing a MeeGo tablet fromEXOPC running a pane based UI, although we can't say thatwe're sold on this approach after a quick play with the tablet.That said, MeeGo is quite flexible when it comes to UI's andthis is just one of many options and an attempt at doingsomething different. Some of the functionality worked quitewell, but not the concept as a whole. The navigation experiencewas kind of peculiar as well, not helped by the fact that thehome/back button was an optical sensor at the top left handside of the screen. This wasn't a very intuitive way of navigatingcompared to every other touch screen based OS/UI we've usedin the past and took a little time to figure out.


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Intel also mentioned that it was disappointed with the fact thatNokia has decided to more or less drop its support for MeeGobefore the OS has even had a chance to show what it can do. Wecan sort of understand Intel's sentiment, especially as Nokiadidn't give Intel a lot of head warning and it was a very keypartner in the project. We have a feeling that MeeGo will havetoo small of a market share in the smartphone market to everreally make it, although as a tablet OS it might still have a fairchance.

Cooler Master kicks off casemod competitionFebruary 17th, 2011

If you want a chance to win a part of prizes worth an estimatedUS$15,000 and see yourself as the greatest case modder onthis planet, then you want to check out Cooler Master's 2011case mod competition. The registration opened today and it'sopen to anyone over the age of 18 worldwide. There are twocategories to compete in this year and three prize categories,so even if you're not a professional case modder, there's a goodchance of winning a prize.

If you want a chance to win a part of prizes worth an estimatedUS$15,000 and see yourself as the greatest case modder onthis planet, then you want to check out Cooler Master's 2011case mod competition. The registration opened today and it'sopen to anyone over the age of 18 worldwide. There are twocategories to compete in this year and three prize categories,so even if you're not a professional case modder, there's a goodchance of winning a prize.

The two competition categories consist of either modifying atower case or building your own case mod from scratch. Thismakes for a very open competition and we should hopefully

see some very interesting projects being submitted. The votingwill be open to the public and will commence on the 16th ofMay, so for those that want to compete, the projects have to befinished by the 15th of May. The winners will be announced onthe 31st of May which happens to be the first day of Computexthis year.

There will be a first prize, two second prize and three thirdprize winners in each of the categories and there's also a bonuscategory where Cooler Master will award a special prize towhat they think is the project that had the best effort put intoit. Prize sponsors include AMD, EVGA, Gigabyte, Kingston,Patriot, PowerColor, THQ, Zotac and of course Cooler Masterthemselves.

Some of the things you can win include SSD drives, RadeonHD 6900 series graphics cards, motherboards, memory, abunch of different products from Cooler Master including acase of your choice, a 1200W PSU, coolers, portable chargers,mice and in the case of THQ, it's soon to launch and muchanticipated Homefront. Sounds like a competition worthentering to us if you're skilled with power tools and knows howto make a case mod that really stands out.

Facebook Launches FacebookPlaces in SingaporeFebruary 17th, 2011

Facebook today announced the launch of Facebook Placesin Singapore. Already available in some countries, FacebookPlaces allows you to “check-in” and share with your friendswhere you are and who you’re with, find friends who arenearby and discover new places your friends like – all in realtime.

Ever felt the need to keep tabs on where your real-life friendson Facebook are currently at so that you might be able to knowif they happen to be in the very same location you are currentlyat? If you do, an announcement made by the world's mostpopular online social networking service would probably bethe news that is guaranteed to put a smile on your face.

Apparently, Facebook has just announced the launch ofFacebook Places in Singapore. For those who are unaware,Facebook Places is a service which allows users to “check-in”and share your location with friends in real time.


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Facebook Places is available to users in Singapore withmobile access to the Facebook application for iPhone,Android, Blackberry, HP webOS, and Windows Phone 7, orto touch.facebook.com. When you use Places, you'll be ableto see if any of your friends are currently checked in nearbyand connect with them easily. You can also check into nearbyPlaces to tell your friends where you are, tag your friends inthe Places you visit together, and view comments your friendshave made about the Places you visit.

How to use Facebook Places?

1. Go to the “Places” icon within the Facebook mobileapplications or touch.facebook.com, then tap the “CheckIn” button, which will pull up a list of places near you.

2. Choose the place that matches where you are. If thereisn’t one already in the list, users can search for it orcreate a new one.

3. Tap the “Check in” button to share that you are at theplace. Users can also add comments and tag friends.

With Places, users are in control of what they share and withwhom they share. They choose whether or not to share theirlocation when they check in at a place, and only friends can seewhen they do, unless users choose to set their privacy settingotherwise. When users check in, they can tag friends who arewith them but only if their settings allow it. When they aretagged, they are always notified.

Chinese notebook gets adiet with ultrathin formfactor, ION2 and even thinnerpricetagFebruary 17th, 2011

China might be a great country for shopping if one desiresto load up on cheap consumer electronic devices which bearmore than a passing resemblance to existing products but ata fraction of the latter's selling price. However, that does notmean that the world's largest clone producer does not haveits own set of original bang-for-buck devices for the domesticmarket, and the release of a new ultrathin notebook fromPhecda should be proof of that.

It is probably common knowledge by now, but it stands thatChina is still the best place to buy cheap consumer electronicdevices such as notebooks and tablets with decent hardware

specifications. And this especially applies if one happens towant said consumer electronics devices to look almost like thereal deal sold globally by established OEMs, but at a merefraction of the latter's asking price.

That being said, not every single consumer electronic devicein China has to be a clone: apparently, there are originalproducts which bear little to no resemblance to the popularproducts sold by established OEMs globally. And Phecda'slatest product: an ultrathin 13.3-inch notebook powered byNVIDIA's ION2 platform, is living proof that there is still somedegree of originality left in the Middle Kingdom.

Currently codenamed the P13, Phecda's ultrathin notebooklooks anything but generic. Apparently, Phecda has pulledout all the stops by opting to furnish the P13 with premiumaluminium for its exterior instead of cheap, generic plastic.Unfortunately, the hardware used in the P13 is anything butpremium: instead of the CULV processor typically found insuch thin-and-light notebooks, Phecda apparently decidedthat the dual-core Intel Atom D525 processor would providesufficient computing horsepower for most of today's basictasks.

Fortunately, it seems that the weak processor was the onlycompromise Phecda has made in order to produce an ultrathinnotebook which does not magically shrinks one's wallet afterpurchase. At least, the P13's screen is capable of a respectable1366 x 768 resolution and comes with a myriad of I/O andconnectivity options such as a 5-in-1 card reader and threeUSB 2.0 ports, along with both a VGA and HDMI-out port forexternal display purposes.


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That being said, there seems to be one major flaw withPhecda's ultrathin P13 notebook, and it lies in the fact thatthe bundled 2200mAh lithion-ion battery is reportedly onlycapable of sustaining up to two hours of usage on a singlecharge. But if that does not sound like a serious enough flawto affect your mobile productivity, the P13 can be had for onlya mere US$365 (approx S$467), though you will have to get aChinese friend to purchase one for you: they are exclusive toChina only. Dang.

Source and images: M.I.C Digi

Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF2ReviewFebruary 17th, 2011

The micro four-thirds camera has come a long way, bringingthe performance and quality that is almost on-par with of anentry-level Digital Single Lens Reflex (DSLR) camera whileboasting the lightweight of a compact camera. With the newGF2 from Panasonic evolving to a slimmer and new re-designed interface, how does it fare ? Read on...

When the first micro four thirds camera from Panasonic cameout in 2008, it was a mixed bag of reactions with its bulkinessof a professional camera and uncertainity of a new technologyback then. Through the years of constant research, Panasoniclaunched the Lumix DMC-GF1 in 2009 with a slimmer designsimilar to a compact camera and promising quality.

Certainly, such bold words bring about much controversyas fanboys of both DSLR and compact cameras argue thepros and cons of their beloved camera. Fast forward to 2011,Panasonic has launched the improvised Lumix DMC-GF2, thesuccessor to the GF1.

Our review model (DMC-GF2C) came with a 14mm f/2.5pancake lens and sports a white exterior and packed in a ratherhumble looking box. Compared with the GF1, the new GF2is approximately 19% smaller in size and approximately 7%lighter.

The GF2's interface has been redesigned to compliment thetouchscreen technology included in the camera. The popupflash unit has been redesigned, it pops forward rather thanpopping up, an improvement to reduce vignetting. Of course,the most noticable change is the removal of the physical modeldial in the camera and includes a dedicated Intelligent Auto(iA) button.

Technical specifications have been bumped up in the GF2and noticable changes include the highest ISO that has beenbumped up to 6400, built-n stereo microphones, support of1080i video recording and the removal of remote shootingfunction.

A closer look and you will realise some of the trademark logoson the box - Dolby, SDXC, AVCHD. It seems like we have agem in our hands and we cant wait to unbox it and unravel outthe awesomeness it is going to bring.

Here is what you get in the retail box of Lumix DMC-GF2,

• DMC-GF2 camera

• Battery charging cradle and power cable

• Battery (DMW-BLD10E / 7.2V / 1010mAh)


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• Startup guide, software CDs

• A/V cable, USB cable

• Neck strap

And a loook at the technical specifications of the camera

Type Digital interchangeable lenssystem camera

Recording Media SD Memory Card, SDHCMemory Card, SDXC MemoryCard

Image Sensor Size 17.3 x 13.0 mm (in 4:3 aspectratio)

Lens Mount Micro Four Thirds mountImage Sensor Type Live MOS SensorTotal / Effective Pixels 13.06 Megapixels / 12.01

pixelsColor Filter Primary color filterDust Reduction Supersonic wave filterRecording Formats JPG, MPO (3D recording),

AVCHD, Quicktime JPEGImage Quality RAW, RAW+Fine, RAW

+Standard, Fine, StandardMPO+Fine, MPO+Standard(When attaching 3D lens inMicro Four Thirds Systemstandard)

Color Space sRGB, Adobe RGBFile Size (pixels) [4:3] 4,000 x 3,000 (L), 2,816

x 2,112 (M), 2,048 x 1,536(S), 1,600 x 1,200 (Whenattaching 3D lens in MicroFour Thirds System standard)[3:2] 4,000 x 2,672 (L), 2,816x 1,880 (M), 2,048 x 1,360(S), 1,600 x 1,064 (Whenattaching 3D lens in MicroFour Thirds System standard)

[16:9] 4,000 x 2,248 (L),2,816 x 1,584 (M), 1,920 x1,080 (S), 1,600 x 904 (Whenattaching 3D lens in MicroFour Thirds System standard)

[1:1] 2,992 x 2,992 (L), 2,112x 2,112 (M), 1,504 x 1,504(S), 1,440 x 1,440 (Whenattaching 3D lens in MicroFour Thirds System standard)

--

[4:3] VGA: 640 x 480, 30fps / QVGA: 320 x 240, 30 fps[16:9] WVGA: 848 x 480, 30fps

[HD] 1,280 x 720, 30 fps

[Full HD] 1,920 x 1,080, 60i(sensor output is 30p) (FSH:17 Mbps, FH: 13 Mbps)[HD] 1,280 x 720, 60p(sensor output is 30p) (SH: 17Mbps, H: 13 Mbps)

--

[Full HD] 1,920 x 1,080, 50i(sensor output is 25p) (FSH:17 Mbps, FH: 13 Mbps)[HD] 1,280 x 720, 50p(sensor output is 25p) (SH: 17Mbps, H: 13 Mbps)

Focus Type Contrast AF systemFocus Mode AFS / AFC / MFAF Mode Face detection / AF

Tracking / 23-area-focusing /1-area-focusingTouch (1-area-focusingin Face detection / AFTracking / Multi-area-focusing / 1-area-focusing)

AF Detective Range EV 0 - 18 (ISO 100)AF Assist Lamp EV 0 - 18 (ISO 100)AF Lock Set the Fn button in custom

menu to AF lockOthers Quick AF, Continuous

AF (during motion imagerecording), AF+MF, Touchshutter, Touch MF Assist

Light Metering Quick AF, ContinuousAF (during motion imagerecording), AF+MF, Touchshutter, Touch MF Assist

Light Metering Mode Intelligent Multiple / CenterWeighted / Spot

Metering Range EV 0 - 18 (F2.0 lens, ISO 100)Exposure Mode Program AE / Aperture

Priority AE / Shutter PriorityAE / Manual

ISO Sensitivity Auto / Intelligent ISO / 100 /200 / 400 / 800 / 1600 /3200 / 6400

Exposure 1/3 EV Step, ±3 EVAE Lock Set the Fn button in custom

menu to AE lockWhite Balance Auto / Daylight / Cloudy /

Shade / Halogen / Flash /White Set 1, 2 / Colortemperature setting

Shutter Speed Still Image: 1/4,000 - 60Shutter Timer 10 sec, 3 images / 2 sec / 10

secScene Mode Still Image - Portrait /

Soft Skin / Scenery /Architecture / Sports /Peripheral Defocus / Flower /


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Food / Objects / NightPortrait / Night Scenery /Illuminations / Baby 1, 2 /Pet / Party / Sunset

Movie - Portrait / Soft Skin /Scenery / Architecture /Sports / Flower / Food /Objects / Low-light / Party /Sunset

(Activated by selectingStill Image SCN mode thenpressing Movie Button. StillImage SCN modes withoutcorresponding Movie SCNmode is recorded in modesuitable for the recordingsituation.)

Burst Shoot H: 3.2 frames/sec, M: 2.5frames/sec (with Live View),L: 2 frames/sec (with LiveView)

Flash TTL Built-in-Flash, GN6equivalent (ISO100 · m),Built-in Pop-up

--

Modes: Auto, Auto / Red-eyeReduction, Forced On, ForcedOn / Red-eye Reduction, SlowSync., Slow Sync. / Red-eyeReduction, Forced Off

--

Sync Speed: Less than 1/160second

LCD Monitor 3.0 inch; 460,000 dots pixelLive View Digital Zoom - 2x, 4x

Others: Guide Lines (3patterns)

Real-time HistogramInterfaces USB, HDMI, AV/OutBattery ID-Security Li-ion Battery

Pack (7.2V, 1,010mAh)(Included)Battery Charger

Dimensions Approx. 475 g / 16.75 oz (SDMemory Card, Battery, H-FS014042 lens included)Approx. 365 g / 12.87 oz (SDMemory Card, Battery, H-H014 lens included)

Approx. 265 g / 9.35 oz (Bodyonl

--

112.8 x 67.8 x 32.8 mm / 4.44x 2.67 x 1.29 in (excludingprotrusions)

Sony Ericsson announcesXperia neo and Xperia proAndroid smartphonesFebruary 17th, 2011

Aside from the Xperia Play (or formerly known as PlayStationphone), Sony Ericsson has also announced the Xperia neoand Xperia pro Android smartphones. Read on for moreinformation.

Sony Ericsson has announced the Xperia neo and Xperia prothat promise exceptional multimedia experience on the latestGingerbread Android platform.

The Xperia pro features a slide-out keyboard with smartfunctions for fast messaging experience. Sony Ericsson Xperiapro has also introduced a subtle but fast Type & Sendfunctionality eliminating the need to open a dedicated appfor each type of message, and Smart Keyboard for predictivemessaging when the user slides out the keyboard.

The Xperia pro is designed as the ideal businessphone for business professionals with functions includingsyncing email, calendar and contacts in a secure way and pre-loaded Office Suite Pro for users to view and edit officedocuments directly on the phone.

The Sony Ericsson Xperia neo sports a stunning design and isergonomically designed to fit perfectly in the user’s hand.


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Sony Ericsson Xperia neo

Key features -- Exmor R. Great stills and videos even in low light

- Reality display with Mobile BRAVIA Engine

- Built-in HDMI. Your stills and videos on HD TV

- More than 100,000 apps on Android Market

- Google services. At your service

The Sony Ericsson Xperia neo will be available in BlueGradient and Red.

Sony Ericsson Xperia pro

Key features

- Touch phone with perfect slide-out keyboard and smartfunctions for fast messaging- Synch your email and edit office documents on the go

- Sony Mobile BRAVIA® Engine and Exmor R for mobile

- HDMI. Connect to an HD TV or a projector

- Google services and more than 100,000 apps on AndroidMarket

The Sony Ericsson Xperia pro will be available in Black andSilver.

Sony Ericsson Xperia neo will be available globally in selectedmarkets from end Q1 and Sony Ericsson Xperia pro from endQ2 2011.

Lenovo and Eedoo prepare tolaunch Ebox game console,goes toe to toe with Xbox'sKinectFebruary 17th, 2011

Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, is it not? Well, ifthe saying were to hold any truth in today's context, thenit would seem that Microsoft's Xbox and its complementing

Kinect motion sensor is the most highly sought-after consoleand accessory of this generation's console wars. After all, whyelse would Lenovo and Eedoo attempt to market a new videogame console that seems to mimic the Xbox's Kinect in moreways than one?

Do you enjoy gaming on a video game console? If you do,well, chances are that you will already own at least one ofthe current-generation game consoles and are undoubtedlyenjoying the unique features it has to offer over thecompetition. That is not surprising though: after all, eachof the three video game consoles feature various specificcharacteristics that are clearly targeted at specific kinds ofconsole gamers.

However, it seems that the console video game market is aboutto get a little shaking up this year, courtesy of Lenovo. That'sbecause the Chinese OEM has announced that it is makingplans to launch a new video game console which will mimicMicrosoft's Kinect controller for Xbox. And not surprisingly,the new console's bears a name which all but reveals the factthat the main source of inspiration comes from Microsoft.Anyone fancy an Ebox?

According to a report posted by gadget website GizChina,the Ebox is the result of a collaboration between Lenovo anda Chinese company known as Eedoo, and is expected to bereleased for retail in China exclusively by June this year. Whichis just as well though: considering that the Xbox 360, NintendoWii and Sony PlayStation 3 are officially not allowed to besold in China, the lack of competition means that the Eboxessentially has the entire Chinese video console market all foritself.

Disposable thumbdrives: willconsumers ever bite?February 17th, 2011

Wouldn't it be nice if our thumbdrives could be madedisposable like sheets of paper on a notepad so that users don't


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have to keep hunting for their tiny flash storage devices thatalways seems to have a knack for mysteriously disappearing ?Well, it appears that a design company known as Art LebedevStudio has found a solution to the problem with its newconcept known as Flashkus.

Gone are the days where going to a hardware shop to purchasea 4GB thumbdrive would cost the purchaser a limb or a secondmortgage. Thanks to the rapidly falling prices of flash storage,the cost of the humble thumbdrive has dropped to the pointwhere most PC users can easily afford to own a handful ofsuch devices with storage capacities ranging from anywherebetween 2GB to 32GB.

That being said, thumbdrives are anything but disposable. Andwhile their prices have dropped to the point where one caneasily afford to own more than one of it, it is still costly enoughfor the average Joe to not make a huge deal out of it whenit eventually gets misplaced due to various reasons. And thisappears to be the kind of problem Art Lebedev Studio intendsto tackle with its new concept thumbdrives, the Flashkus.

Simply put, the Flashkus essentially consists of four cardboardthumbdrives that are designed to be discarded after use, muchlike how one would rip and dump used writing paper from anotepad after it has served its purpose. Users simply rip onethumbdrive off the bunch when the need for data storage orsharing arises, plug it into a PC's USB port and everything'sdandy.

Needless to say, the Flashkus will be ideal for circumstanceswhere data needs to be shared and transferred amongmultiple users without the use of wireless data transfermethods. However, it does not change the fact that the each'disposable' thumbdrive still packs the full performance ofa standard, non-disposable thumbdrive due to it having thesame underlying hardware and cirtuitry hidden beneath thecardboard exterior. That being said, shouldn't it be only fairthat a 'disposable' thumbdrive offer read-write cycles whichare drastically lower than that of an actual thumbdrive in orderto reduce wastage?

Apple iPhone 5 rumored tohave a 4-inch displayFebruary 17th, 2011

Despite various new smartphones announced at Mobile WorldCongress, Apple is still getting a lot of eyeball on its upcomingiPhone 5. Apparently, the Apple iPhone 5 is rumored toincorporate a 4-inch touchscreen display and powered by theARM Cortex-A9-based A5 dual-core processor.

According to various news sources, Apple was said to beunveiling a lower priced iPhone Nano and that the rumorediPhone 5 may sport a 4-inch capacitive touchscreen displayand powered by Cortex-A9-based A5 dual-core processor.

In fact, rumor of the larger screen size has existed for afew months now, with the first version being a 3.7-inch as


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compared to the iPhone 4's 3.5-inch display. The rumorednews source came from the same parts manufacturer whorecently claims that the iPhone 5 is likely to be a 4-inch screeninstead.

With various phone manufacturers putting dual-coreprocessor on their devices, Apple is going with the next-generation Cortex A5 dual-core processor. From iTunes code,Apple will incorporate Qualcomm chip in the iPhone 5 . Itis likely to be Qualcomm's new dual-mode 3G chip whichsupports CDMA/GSM dual-mode 3G network, or that the dualmode means 3G/4G network support.

Spanish hacker arrested forstealing gamers' informationand threatening NintendoFebruary 17th, 2011

Technology news from Mobile World Congress isn't theonly thing coming from Spain this week. Apparently, news of aSpanish hacker has been arrested for stealing gamers' detailsand blackmailing game company Nintendo.

According to BBC news, a Spanish hacker has been arrested forstealing 4,000 Nintendo gamers information. On top of that,the unnamed individual has also threatened to contact thecountry's data protection agency, accusing the game companyof negligence.

The hacker had leaked some details online when Nintendo didnot reply. Authorities said that he planned to release the entireuser information on the web, but the hacker was arrestedbefore he got the chance to do so. It was unclear if the datatheft was done via Nintendo's computer system or through athird-party.

Google: We tried to woo Nokiaover to our foldFebruary 17th, 2011

Think that the deal between Microsoft and Nokia was likea match made in heaven? Far from it, especially if Google hasgot anything to do about it. According to Google CEO EricSchmidt, the search giant had actively attempted to woo Nokiaover into taking back their 'pissing in the pants for short-term relief' comment and join the Android fold even beforeMicrosoft approached the Finnish handset manufacturer.

When Nokia made the headlines last year with theannouncement that its newest CEO would hail directly fromthe Redmond software giant known as Microsoft, many startedto speculate that it would only be a matter of time beforethe Finnish handset manufacturer dropped its Symbian andMeeGo mobile operating systems in favor of Microsoft'sWindows Phone 7 OS. And it made perfect sense too: withSymbian steadily losing market share to the likes of Android,iOS and even the recently-launched Windows Phone 7, it wasclear that Nokia needed to take action to stem the tide.

However, it appears that Microsoft was not the only contenderin the bid to sway Nokia into using its own mobile platformas a replacement for Symbian. According to a statementmade by Eric Schmidt at this year's Mobile World Congress(MWC), Google had already been actively holding discussionswith Nokia's board even before Microsoft made its movein an attempt to convince the Finnish company to considermigrating to the popular Android operating system instead ofcasting their lot with Windows Phone 7.

"We had confidential negotiations with Nokia that were everyextensive," he said.

That being said, at least one analyst thinks that Nokia madethe right choice by passing up on the Android ecosystem andopting to strike a partnership with Windows Phone 7. TonyCripps, a principal analyst for Ovum, claims that there was nodoubt that Nokia's board had carefully weighed the pros andcons of going with either platform.

"Nokia devices in the future would have been vectors forGoogle services, whereas Microsoft has been relatively good atpinpointing ways in which assets could be leveraged on bothsides," he said.

Needless to say, the Google CEO was disappointed that thingsdid not go his way, although he seemed to have taken it in hisstride.

"We would have loved if they had chosen Android. They chosethe other guys," he quipped.

Nvidia unveils Quad-Core "Kal-El" chipsetFebruary 17th, 2011

Most DC comic fans will recognize the name "Kal-El", which isthe Krytonian birth name of Superman. Well, looks like "Kal-


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El" is also the codename for Nvidia quad-core processor formobile devices and tablets that was unveiled at Mobile WorldCongress 2011.

At the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Nvidia unveiled"Kal-El" which is the first quad-core processor for mobiledevices and tablets. Kal-El is only the first; the company hasalso showed their roadmap with chips called "Wayne," "Logan"and "Stark" that claim to offer approximately 100 times theprocessing power of current Tegra 2-based phones, by 2014.

Kal-El is said to offer five times the graphics performance ofthe Tegra 2 and can output to display at 2560 x 1600 pixelresolution. Not only is this higher than high definition, but itis possible to use your mobile phone or tablet as a full-fledgedPC.

According to sources, tablets incorporating Kal-El maybecome available by August, while the phones will be availablein Q4 this year.

iWork '11 available onFebruary 19th?February 17th, 2011

Best Buy's Mexico division has announced and are advertisinga special in-store event for this Saturday involving Apple'siWork '11. What is unusual is, of course, Apple has notannounced or release iWork '11.

Many have speculated that Apple has worked on a replacementto their previous release of their flagship office suite, since

their last release (iWork '09) was more than two years ago (6thJanuary 2009). Even possibly as a Mac App Store exclusive, toboast awareness and sales through their online sales platform.But Best Buy Mexico has really caught us off-guard with thisannouncement.

Translated from Spanish, it reads "visit Best Buy on February19th and find out what you can do with iWork '11."

While this is obviously not an official announcementfrom Apple, this event is a good indication that iWork’11 is nearing release. We hope it is at least, otherwisethere’s going to be a fairly unhappy crowd at a BestBuy in Mexico on February 19th.

The iWork '11 event is currently still listed on the front page oftheir website.

Apple fights jailbreak andpiracy through iBooks 1.2.1updateFebruary 17th, 2011

Even though the United States government explicitly allowsusers to jailbreak their iOS device, Apple has started to takematters into their own hands in the battle against jailbreaking.How? Apple's iBook app will refuse to open content purchasedfrom Apple's iBookstore if the device has been found to bejailbroken.

According to a noted jailbreak author via Twitter, the latestupdate of iBooks inject a series of unsigned binaries as a testto see if the device's OS has been tampered whenever a usertries to open a DRM-protected eBook purchased from theiBookstore. If the improperly signed binaries works, the deviceis listed as having jailbroken and refuses to open the eBook,alongside with an error message. This applies even if youhave legally purchased your eBooks online through Apple'siBookstore.

So far, this affects jailbreak users running on a hack dubbedas "Greenpois0n", and have updated their iBooks to the latestversion. Apple has implemented such jailbreak checks sinceiOS 4.0 but thus far, it has only been triggered by jailbroken


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iOS devices running "Greenpois0n". The only solution by faris to restore the iOS device back to the orignal iOS and thus,removing the jailbreak.

Even though jailbreaking voids your warranty with Apple,the practice of jailbreaking to run unauthorised codes wasapproved and legalised by the U.S. governement last July.With Apple now blocking access to legally acquired iBookstorecontent just because it's running on a jailbroken device, thismay draw interference with legal usage in the States.

February 21st, 2011 Published by: VR-Zone

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VR-Zone.com | Stuff for the Geeks!VR-Zone | Stuff for the Geeks is a bi-weekly publicationcovering the latest gadgets and stuff for the geeks.

AC and DC current:Fundamental differences anda simple explanationFebruary 21st, 2011

Through daily experience with common householdequipment, many people should have noticed the terms ACand DC voltage and / or current; for example on a car batterywhich outputs 12V DC voltage or a household lighting lampwhich needs 230V AC voltage. Yet only very few people canactually realize even that there are differences between AC andDC current, let alone understand the differences themselves.The purpose of this article is to explain the main characteristicsand highlight the differences of AC and DC current, in termsunderstandable by people with very low or without technicalexpertise, along with providing some encyclopedic knowledgeon the subject.

Through daily experience with common householdequipment, many people should have noticed the terms ACand DC voltage and / or current; for example on a car batterywhich outputs 12V DC voltage or a household lighting lampwhich needs 230V AC voltage. Yet only very few people canactually realize even that there are differences between AC andDC current, let alone understand the differences themselves.The purpose of this article is to explain the main characteristicsand highlight the differences of AC and DC current, in termsunderstandable by people with very low or without technicalexpertise, along with providing some encyclopedic knowledgeon the subject.

The Daily VR-Zone NewsSummary - 21 Feb 2011February 21st, 2011

In today's news roundup: MSI's P67-based Big BangMarshal motherboard gets reviewed; Intel has confirmedthat shipment of the silicon-corrected versions of its faultysix-series Cougar Point chipsets have commenced; NECannounces world's thinnest smartphone based off Google'sAndroid operating system; Samsung has unveiled five newlenses for its NX mount; Nintendo's 3DS handheld video gameconsole gets ripped about for a little hardware CSI-ing. and JillValantine from the Resident Evil game series shows off somespiffy-looking combos in Marvel vs Capcom 3.

Hardware News:

Lamptron FC-8 Fan Controller Review @ Legit ReviewsDescription: Lamptron is a company that only a handful ofconsumers may be familiar with at the time of writing this;as they are a brand new company to the enthusiast sceneof PC modding & gaming supplies. Lamptron already offersan impressive array of fan controllers with multiple controlinputs. Today we'll be giving the FC-8 a run through an arrayof tests to see if their newest control really performs as goodas it looks. With 30 watts per channel, will the FC-8 be the lastfan controller you need to buy? Read on and we shall find out.

Crucial Ballistix Active Cooling Fan Review at OverclockersOnlineDescription: Crucial’s Ballistix Active Cooling Fan aims to cooldown your memory by eliminating often ignored dead spotsaround your system memory. Easily installed and compatibleall across memory makers the Ballistix Active Cooling Fanmakes a great addition to any system even if low noise isimportant to you.

Sapphire PURE Black P67: beyond the limits of Sandy Bridge(Italian)Description: (Machine translation) Last week we brought youthe review of the motherboard X58 Sapphire Pure Black ,high-performance solution in sight to the preview last CESin Las Vegas and designed the first generation of CPUbased on Core i7 Socket LGA 1366. That product was aturning point for Sapphire same: always inextricably linkedto the combination of AMD-ATI decides to change courseand embrace competition from Intel's home, diversifying itsofferings and to attract the attention of users of high-end orenthusiast.


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InWin Dragon Slayer mATX case Review @XtremeComputingDescription: InWin is not the most well known brand, at leastamongst UK enthusiasts, however with the ambitions andworking ethic that In Win have set out, I am looking forwardto reviewing their latest PC case."

Corsair Dominator GT 2133 CL9 Review @ ocaholicDescription: The Dominator GT series is Corsairs flagship. Assoon as you take a closer look at the specifications you'll seethat they are very serious. Accordingly the DIMMs need only1.5 Volt to operate at 2133 MHz with 9-10-9-27 timings.

MSI Big Bang Marshal P67 Review @ ocaholicDescription: With the Big Bang Marshal, MSI presents itsabsolute high-end motherboard for Intels latest Sandy Bridgeprocessors. Therefore it comes for example with a trulysophisticated power design as well as eight PCI-Express x16slots and numerous other features.

NZXT Phantom Computer Case Review @ TweaknewsDescription: The more I played with the NZXT Phantom, themore I liked it. The white finish with its black accents reallymakes this case stand out from the crowd and the roomyinterior was a joy to work in thanks to the excellent cablemanagement.

Intel Begins to Ship B3 Stepping of 6-Series Core-Logic toMainboard, Notebook MakersDescription: Intel Corp. has initiated shipments of correctversions of its Cougar Point chipset for Sandy Bridgeprocessors. Leading manufacturers of mainboards andnotebooks have reportedly received the B3 stepping of thecore-logic and will be able to install it shortly.


Koribo Leira Wireless Keyboard @ TestFreaksDescription: Today for review I’ve got another keyboard fromKoribo called the Leira. It’s a wireless keyboard that featuresa laptop style touchpad and a full set of multi-media keys. It’smade to be used with an HTPC, but you can use it for yourdesktop computer of course, but with an HTPC is where itshines surely. With the Leira you’ve got full control of yourcomputer from a distance and quick access to all of the multi-media functions right at your fingertips.

Apple expected to update MacBook Pro line this weekDescription: Apple's MacBook Pro line is due for a refreshwith all the signs on the magic eight ball that is the Internetpointing to Thursday February 24 as launch day for updatedMacBook Pros with Intel's latest Sandy Bridge processors. Asusual, Apple has been playing its cards close to its corporatechest and hasn't confirmed (or denied) that new MacBookPros are on the immediate horizon, but a couple of listingsof unexplained MacBook Pro part numbers by retailers onlinemay just have let the cat out of the bag before Apple has had achance to announce the new models.

VMWare: Windows 7 Ethernet is Missing @ Computing onDemandDescription: I recently created a VM for Windows 7 andproceeded to waste hours trying to figure out why the Ethernetcontroller was missing from the Device Manager. InstallingVMWare Tools didn't fix the issue, tracking down the correct

Ethernet driver didn't help; other people that created the sameVirtual Machine were not having problems (of course), justme. Fixing the problem is easier than you may think...

Veebeam HD Review @ TestFreaksDescription: Veebeam is a company that I met at last year’sPepcom trade show and they were kind enough to send us asample of their Veebeam HD. This device works by streaminghigh definition video via Wireless USB. Not to be confusedwith AppleTV, GoogleTV or Roku; it’s not so much a mediacenter as a media streamer

Sony's VPL-VW90ES high-end 3D projector is now shippingfor $9999Description: Sony's VPL-VW90ES is now shipping for$9999.99 (including two pairs of active-shutter glasses). TheVPL-VW90ES is Sony's first 3D projector which uses active-shutter glasses (at 240Hz). The projector is a part of Sony'sElevated-Standard (ES) family of high-end products. It usesSilicon X-tal Reflective Display (SXRDTM) technology andoffers Full-HD (1080p,24fps), 1000 lumens, and a 150,000:1contrast ratio.

The world’s thinnest smartphone from NEC is only 7.7mmthickDescription: Some pictures of NEC’s upcoming Android phonehave leaked, and boy it is skinny. Some photographs of theNEC Medias recently leaked online, and it lives up to its 7.7mmthickness by being that width all the way from the top to thebottom of the phone instead of just being slim in one area(like the Xperia Arc). The phone will only weigh 105g, havea 4″ (854 x 480) display, pack an 800MHz processor, a 5.1megapixel camera, digital TV tuner and an e-wallet function(NFC). It will run on Android 2.2 (unfortunately) and probablywon’t it’s make over to the US, but we’re keeping our fingerscrossed. Head here for larger images of the NEC Medias.

Samsung unveils five NX-mount lenses for its 2011 roadmapDescription: Samsung today brought out details of five lensesfor the NX swappable lens system found on cameras likethe NX11. The company is catering first to everyday userswith an 18-200mm, f3.5-6.3 long zoom lens to cover mostshooting situations with a single lens. While image stabilized,it won't have a silent autofocus system and is likely targeted atnewcomers who want an all-purpose lens.

Gaming News:

Nintendo 3DS torn apartDescription: The Nintendo 3DS hasn’t even made its way tothe stores yet, but it has already received a tear down, thanksto some folks who managed to get their hands on an earlydevice and posted it up for the world to see. There’s nothingspectacular or impressive about the console’s innards, so Iguess the magic happens when you actually turn it on. TheNintendo 3DS goes on sale in Japan this week, so we’ll befinding out how much of a hit this device will actually be. Headhere to check out more photographs of the 3DS torn apart(unfortunately the original page is down, so you’ll have to viewa Google cached version of the site).

Marvel vs Capcom 3: Jill Valentine Gameplay VideoDescription: Have you been whipping out those inhumanecombos in Marvel vs Capcom 3 ? Looking forward to see some


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Jill Valentine? Her latest gameplay video has been spotted onyoutube

Agarest Senki 2 ReviewDescription: Fantasy RPG games are often accompanied withcute or hot looking girls, regardless if it is 2D or 3D but inAgarest Senki 2, the game woos fans who stay traditional to thevisual novel and generic RPG elements that comes with lovely2D artworks and non-complex visual gameplay.

Spire Releases Juno NotebookCoolerFebruary 21st, 2011

Spire has unveiled the Juno notebook cooler and stand(SP317AP), targeting mobile users who require a portable andefficient thermal solution for their laptops. Measuring 220 x90 x 20mm, the portable cooler has non-slip rubber pads at thetop and bottom, retractable bars (supports laptops/ netbooksup to 15.4"), and is cooled by a 70mm fan. Juno is backed by athree year limited warranty and cost about US$27.99.

SPIRE PRESS RELEASE

Shenzhen, China - Spire Corp today announced the Juno. TheJuno is an ergonomic laptop base stand and cooler, it is theperfect travel companion when often working on the road orat different locations. The Juno is a great product to makeworking on your laptop more comfortable. The gentle slope,made by foldable rubber pads reduce the neck strain andcomfort screen viewing.

The Juno accommodates small mini- and larger 15.4 inchlaptops by extending the side bars. When folded in the totalsize is only 22x9x2cm, easily fitting your laptop or carryonbag. Equipped with a 7cm cooling fan your laptop is silentlycooled whilst working. The Juno is the perfect portable choicefor mobile computing from Spire - Powered by Innovation.

Main Features

• Gentle slope reduces neck strain and improves typingcomfort

• Extended non-slip protective pads on the base and top

• Active cooling by one 70mm silent USB powered fan

• Portable & small, easy on the go and working on the road

• Stylish, lightweight and innovative structure design

• Telescope bars accommodate 7- to 15.4-Inch laptops

• Extends the life of laptops and battery efficiency

• Backed by 3 year limited service warranty

Compatibility

The Juno ergonomic laptop stand and active cooler iscompatible with the smaller mini- and larger wide-screenlaptop series from 7-inch up to the 15.4-inch.

MSRP

USD$27.99/ EURO 22.95

Product Includes

Multilanguage Owners Manual Attached USB cable Warrantyregistration card.

Availability

The Juno laptop base and cooler is now available from ourfactory in Shenzhen, China and from our branch locationsthroughout Europe and the Americas. For more informationor ordering, please contact us utilizing the e-mail Form on ourContact Page, or feel free to give our branch offices a phonecall, we're glad to be at your service.

In-Win Introduces BUC PCEnclosureFebruary 21st, 2011

In-Win Development Inc., manufacturer of various computercases, PSUs and digital storage devices, has announced theBUC. The all-black steel mid-tower PC case has three exterior5.25" drive bays, three EZ-swap tool-free HDD drive bays(accessible via a lockable flap on the side panel), and a front-side I/O panel with USB 2.0/ 3.0 ports, eSATA, and audioconnectors. The BUC, equipped with 120mm fans for cooling,is expected to start shipping soon.

IN-WIN PRESS RELEASE


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Build and protect with ease, in the latest In-Win BUC PCchassis

Taiwan - February 2011 - In-Win Development Inc., a leadinginnovator in contemporary PC hardware and multiple winnerof the internationally renowned reddot design award, hastoday launched its new performance PC chassis, the BUC.

The "shield" concept behind the BUC's design is echoed acrossits front panel, while the strong SECC steel construction anda hard-wearing black interior and exterior create a reliable,subtle and high quality case for PC builders.

The BUC's design gem is the clever EZ-swap HDD drive bay,with a lockable door that allows access to three HDD withouthaving to remove the whole side panel. The tool-less, vibrationreducing drive bays complete the package to give a tripleinnovation.

With convenient Super-speed USB 3.0, USB 2.0, audio andeSATA ports on the top of the chassis, users can easily connectheadsets, cameras, cell phones, external hard drives and awealth of other devices with ease.

Finally, three integrated 120mm and several extra fanpositions give it excellent cooling potential for all the latesthardware as well.

With core design innovations and high quality of construction,the In-Win BUC PC chassis is a great choice for PC buildersworldwide.

About In Win

IN WIN Development Inc., an ISO 9001 manufacturer ofprofessional computer chassis, server chassis, power suppliesand storage devices, is the leading provider of enclosuresolutions to system integrators worldwide. Founded in 1986,IN-WIN provides high quality product that conform to allsafety regulations, as well as unsurpassed customer service.Our slogan "Contemporary and Innovative" serves as thefoundation of not only our product development but also ourattitudes in serving and catering to our strategic partner'swishes. We take the "im" out of "impossible"…

JAMBOX, world's firstintelligent wireless speakerand speakerphone, comes toCourts SingaporeFebruary 21st, 2011


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Courts Singapore has introduced Jawbone’s JAMBOX, whichclaims to be world's first intelligent wireless speaker andspeakphone, to Singapore.

It can deliver full spectrum audio, and quickly and easilyconnects with mobile phones, computers, tablets, iPods or anyother Bluetooth device. This allow users to seamlessly streamand share music, movies, games, phone and conference callsanywhere wirelessly.

JAMBOX features two powerful acoustic drivers and ultra-small dome that can produce wide audio spectrum. And withan innovative moving-wall passive bass radiator and airtightenclosure, it aims to deliver shimmering highs and massivelow frequencies. It can be updated with apps, software and newfeatures at Jawbone’s industry-first online platform, MyTALK.

Audio alerts let you know battery life, caller ID, call functionsand more. JAMBOX can also be personalised with voice andlanguage options.

JAMBOX comes in four designs: Blue Wave, Black Diamond,Grey Hex and Red Dot. The full JAMBOX line is availabletoday exclusively at Courts – Megastore, Orchard, Ang Mo Kio,Toa Payoh, Jurong Point and Causeway Point for S$328 (GSTincluded).

Skipping class? Careful, yourschool can track youFebruary 21st, 2011

Most students have skipped class at least once during theirschool term. Not exactly an uncommon thing, but schoolsdo not tolerate such behaviour. With the advancementin technology, some education institutes these days haveimplemented a system making use of GPS to trackdown students who played truant. *image taken fromwww.dailymail.co.uk

According to online reports, Anaheim Union High SchoolDistrict in California has participated in a pilot program whichinvolves using Global Positioning System (GPS) technology,

automated telephone reminders, and one-on-one coaching tocut down on truancy. The program is similar to the onesbeing implemented in Baltimore and San Antonio. Basically,students with over four absence without valid excuse will beput in this program.

Every morning during schooldays, students will get anautomated phone call reminder them that they need to get toschool punctually. Each day, they will need to enter a codethat tracks their locations - when they leave for school, arriveat school, lunch hour, when they leave school and at 8pm. Acoach will also be assigned to these students who will call themthrice a week to see their progress and help them find ways tomake sure they are punctual in schools.

Luckily, this program is only available in some schools in US.Hopefully the schools here do not need to implement suchsystem.

*image taken from www.dailymail.co.uk

ZTE tablet from China getsAndroid 3.0 treatmentFebruary 21st, 2011

Of all the China-brand tablets that we have been covering fornews updates, it would appear that ZTE is one of the few OEMswhich have the potential to make a name for itself in both thedomestic and the global arena. Apparently, the Chinese OEMhas just churned out a new tablet that is said to follow the 'high-quality-at-low-cost' trend most Chinese devices are known for.

When it comes to purchasing a portable computing devicesuch as a notebook, smartphone or tablet, most of us wouldonly put our money with a reputable OEM, and for goodreason. After all, devices belonging to be aforementionedcategories are anything but cheap, and more importantly, therole they play in today's digital world means that the word'downtime' is usually not acceptable at any point of time.

Still, it would seem that certain Chinese OEMs are starting tounderstand that there is a potential goldmine to be had out inthe global market instead of merely catering to the domesticmarket. And it would seem that ZTE is next in line to take the


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global market by its horns by introducing a new low-cost tabletwhich it calls the V11.

According to Chinese gadget website Newpad.cn, the ZTE V11is the latest's in the company's line of high-performance, low-cost tablet PCs. Processing power is reportedly provided byan unidentified SoC which features a processor core clockedat 1.2GHz, while backing up the V11's multitasking andstorage capabilities are 512MB of memory and built-in storagecapacities ranging from 8GB to 32GB.

In addition to the aforementioned specifications, Newpad alsoclaims that the V11 comes equipped with dual cameras, whilethe 10-inch touchscreen display sports a native resolutionof 1280 x 800. Last but not least, the V11 will feature thestandard range of wireless connectivity functions such as WiFi,Bluetooth, GPS and support for 4G mobile data connectionsand will come preloaded with the latest version of the Androidoperating system, Honeycomb.

However, it would appear that for a tablet touted to be a'high-performance-low-price' device, ZTE has not revealedhow much users can expect the V11 to be. However, we arequite certain that, given Chinese OEMs' tendency to competeon price, the largest possible pricetag ZTE could attach to theV11 will still be orders of magnitudes below the size of thosecurrently found on competing products from the global, moreestablished OEMs.

IT SHOW 2011 FloorplansFebruary 21st, 2011

Level 4:

Level 6:

Will you name your son ordaughter after popular socialnetwork sites?February 21st, 2011

Finding a good name for your child isn't an easy task. Butwould you go to the extend of naming your son or daughterafter popular social network sites? Well, one Egyptian mandid, and he named his daughter "Facebook".

According to Al-Ahram, one of the popular newspapers inEgypt, an Egyptian man has named his daughter "Facebook"Jamal Ibrahim, from the translation. He did so as a tribute tothe social network site in organizing protests in Tahrir Square,and verthrow Egyptian dictator Muhammad Hosni SayyidMubarak. "Facebook" has received many gifts from youthswho were overjoyed by her arrival.

While it isn't unusual for parents (mostly Asians and evenAfricans) to name their kids after memorable events, it issurely a first in this case to name after a popular social networkwebsite. Would you name your child Twitter or Myspace?

Microsoft vs Google: It's a'social' affairFebruary 21st, 2011

In the next round of the highly-anticipated battle betweenMicrosoft and Google, it appears that both IT giants will be


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taking the fight over to where it really counts: the social mediafield. And with Google already having drawn first blood withan update to its social search, what does Microsoft have up itssleeves to take the thunder out of Google's...erm, Google?

Barely five days ago, Google made a little announcementregarding a slight tweak to its current search algorithms. Byall accounts, there were no major changes taking place overat the California search giant's headquarters: all the companydid was to refine its search service a little by mixing. resultsfrom its Social Search service into that of the standard Googlesearch.

Needless to say, Google wanted to make sure that thecombined results did not end up confusing the user. But at thesame time, it did not want to fall back to its previous tacticof having all social-related searches relegated to the bottomof the search page. The eventual decision was to display theresults based on relevance, as shown in the images below.

But once again, one can always count on a little friendlyintervention from the likes of Microsoft to upstage Google'sshow with another formidable offering of its own. Enter thenew Microsoft Bing Bar, which integrates the functionality

of Facebook so tightly within the browser that users canessentially perform all their Facebook-ing from the comfort ofthe Bing Bar without having to move around tabs on MicrosoftInternet Explorer. As IT website eWeek puts it, Bing Bar isalmost like a miniaturized version of the RockMelt browser intoolbar form.

At first glance, it might appear that Google's Social Search andMicrosoft's Bing Bar are offering the same feature: the abilityto integrate social networking features into the conventionalbrowser. However, it is also clear that this is one of the fewcases where Microsoft simply has the better offering forusers: unlike Social Search which merely integrates socialnetworking results into Google search, the Bing Bar takes thisnotion one step further by putting the user in complete controlof Facebook's services from within the toolbar. For example,Microsoft claims that users can receive Facebook feeds, alertsand even comment or 'Like' any update from the comfort ofthe Bing Bar. Needless to say, this feature will be very useful toPC users who feel the need for Facebook-ing on the sly withouthaving to open a new browser tab and getting called out ondoing so during official working hours.

However, that does leave one major question unanswered.With Google's Social Search integration all but soundlytrounced by Microsoft's Bing Bar, what does the search gianthave in store in order to turn the tide around? Well, accordingto eWeek, speculation is rife that this latest step from Googleis but a stepping stone to a much larger ecosystem knowninternally as Google +1, which will see even greater levels ofintegration between typical web content and social networkingcontent.

Of course, that sounds nice and all, but one should also keep inmind that Google +1 is only slated to come into existence laterthis year. And until the Californian search giant can roll out anactual working service that users from all geographic regionsare able to use (Social Search integration is not available hereyet), Microsoft's Bing Bar will probably be the choice for theonline social networker in all of us. That is, if you don't mindinstalling Windows on your Mac, since Bing Bar is an InternetExplorer-only add-on.


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Sony Ericsson 7-inch 4G-capable tablet device spottedFebruary 21st, 2011

Sony Ericsson has previously stated that it will not belaunching a Windows Phone 7 smartphone or tablet devicesanytime soon. However, it looks like the company may havea tablet device in the works, and one such prototype has beenspotted.

Last June, a top executive from Sony Ericsson has expressedthat the company will be focusing on smartphones although itwill also not rule out the possibility of tablet devices. Ever sinceApple has launched the iPad, various manufacturers havejumped onto the tablet bandwagon. But not Sony Ericssonwho stated there won't be a Windows Phone 7 or tablet productat this point in time.

Recently, NieuweMobiel has exposed a Sony Ericssonprototype tablet. From the picture, it looks like the device isabout 7-inch and there is a LTE 4G logo on the bottom left ofthe display. The tablet also sports a 3-megapixel front camerawith three buttons below it, and the speakers are on both sidesof the screen. It may still be a prototype and probably won't belaunched anytime soon.

It is also obvious that this Sony Ericsson tablet is different fromthe recently exposed S1 tablet. We are led to believe that it willrun Android OS.

Sharp 3D Android phonescoming to China this springFebruary 21st, 2011

LG isn't the only phone manufacturer to come up withsmartphones with 3D display which does not require 3Dglasses. Japanese maker, Sharp, has also launched two 3D

smartphones last year - SH-03C and 003SH - and are likely toretail in China this spring.

The Sharp 003SH and SH-03C 3D-capable smartphones,which does not require 3D glasses, has already gone on theshelves in Japan since December. And it looks like the twomodels would be the first 3D smartphones to enter the Chinamarket around Q1 this year.

The 3D technology works regardless of whether you areviewing in portrait or landscape orientation, and you can alsoswitch between 2D and 3D. According to sources, the Nintendo3DS that is scheduled to launch this month in Japan, is alsousing Sharp's 3D technology, which makes use of the nakedeye parallax 3D grid form, to achieve a true 3D experience.

The Sharp 003SH and SH-03C will be preinstalled with thelatest Android mobile operating system, though in Japan, the003SH is running Android 2.2 Froyo while SH-03C is usingAndroid 2.1 Eclair. Aside from displaying images in 3D, bothsmartphones also have built-in 3D-capable cameras to capturevideos and images in 3D. Sharp has also unveiled various appssuch as one that can convert 2D pictures to 3D, and Chineseinput.

Google releases new beta ofChrome 10 with lightning-fastV8 engineFebruary 21st, 2011


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Just how fast does a browser have to be when it comes tointerpreting JavaScript codes and commands from a webpage? Well, it would seem that Google's answer to sucha question will be 'never enough', especially if its Chromebrowser has got anything to do about it. How does a 66% speedincrease over a previous version of the browser sound like toyou?

Google's Chrome might already be the fastest browser in theworld on the desktop and notebook front, but one can besure that the team of developers working under the searchgiant's payroll are not the kind to rest on their laurels. Atleast, not when the competition for browser market share isstarting to heat up with the advent of HTML5, especially withestablished powerhouses like Microsoft, Opera and Mozillakeen to fight for a larger share of the pie with markedlyimproved performance levels and support for both existingand new web standards.

As usual, Google has once again attempted to test the groundsand score a little headstart over the competition by releasing anew beta build of yet another version of the Chrome browserwhich it dubs Chrome 10. However, unlike the current versionof Chrome which was centered around delivering new featuressuch as webGL, Chrome Instant and Chrome Web Store,Chrome 10 is seemingly built around the premise of sheerperformance, with the updated V8 JavaScript engine takingcenterstage of the new beta release.

According to a blog posting made by Jeff Chang, ProductManager and Min Li Chan, Product Marketing Manager, theupdated V8 engine is so fast the browser is now capable ofrendering JavaScript 'as fast as a bunny'. Obviously, the teamwas still in somewhat of a Lunar New Year mood when the postwas made, but the results more than speak for themselves.

In addition to Chrome 10's updated V8 engine sportingperformance gains of up to 66% over the current stablerelease, Chan and Min claim that the beta build of Chrome 10features rudimentary support for GPU-accelerated video thatis supposedly capable of reducing CPU loads by as much as80%. However, no mention about the type of codec the newbrowser would support was made, which leads us to assumethat both Chan and Min had to be referring to either hardware-accelerated WebM or Flash video, since the search giant hadmade the decision to drop H.264 support from the source treein order emphasize the importance of an Internet that does notrely on proprietary codecs.

Last but not least, it would seem that Chrome 10 would receivea slight UI tweak which allows tech-savvy users to directlymodify their browser settings by keying in a specific URLinstead of navigating through a bunch of windows, as shownin the video below:

Unprintable Content (Video, Flash, etc.)

If that sounds good enough to warrant a test run on yourown PC, feel free to head down to this page and hit up thedownload link to retrieve the beta build of the Chrome 10browser. Google has confirmed that all three major operatingsystems are supported in this particular beta release, so gettinga compatible binary for your OS of choice should not bean issue. That being said, the usual disclaimers about betasoftware applies: we are not responsible if your PC seizes upafter installing Chrome 10 Beta.

And don't worry about bugging Google if issues do crop up:this is the company that promised not to be evil, right?

Mac OS X Lion to feature a"Safe Deposit Box"?February 21st, 2011

Not much new features have been known to the public prior tothe expected Summer release of Apple's upcoming OS, Mac OSX Lion. Besides Launchpad, Mac App Store, Mission Controland full-screen enabled apps, what else is installed for us inLion? According to reports, Apple has patented an application.Is that headed for Lion or beyond?


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Simply dubbed as "Safe Deposit Box", it is a new Mac OS Xfeature that might just appear in this summer's release of MacOS X Lion.

Apple's patent is about a safe deposit box for securingimportant user files. In one aspect, when a user drags-and-drops a file representation onto a safe deposit boxicon, the file is secured. In another aspect, when a userselects the safe deposit box icon and verifies his or heridentity, the user could access secured files through asafe deposit box window.

By simply dragging your vital documents into this all-new"Safe Deposit Box", files are automatically encrytped andstored in a hidden place. Original copies of the file will besecurely wiped out and even copied into the cloud for backuppurposes.

One of the key attributes or selling points of Apple'sSafe Deposit Box Application or OS X feature is thatyour digital valuables could be stored "off site" orbeyond the home computer to safeguard your digitalvaluables which could be something like a Will orLiving Will, agreements, life insurance policies, homeinsurance policies, a simple home inventory list orvideo or perhaps something that's really valuable tomost every iTunes fan: a copy of your iTunes Library.

Well, there's no certainty that this will or will not appear inthe next Mac OS. But this is surely something that Apple issimplifying for Mac users.

HTC reveals size of pricetagfor Flyer tabletFebruary 21st, 2011

Remember how we once spoke about OEMs loving to teaseconsumers by intentionally revealing a lot of informationabout an upcoming product, only to withhold the mostimportant parts in order to feed the hype machine? Well,HTC is at it again: after talking about its plans for a tablet andshowing off the HTC Flyer over at Mobile World Congress,the Taiwanese smartphone OEM has finally spilled the beansabout the elusive pricetag its Flyer will come attached withwhen the device is finally released for retail.

With tablets popping up all over the market like popcornkernels in a microwavable popcorn bag, it should probablycome as little surprise that OEMs need to offer more than just apretty shell in order to capture the hearts of consumers. Not tomention that this is especially so when one takes into accountthat the vast majority of tablets on the market today can onlyoffer a limited choice of operating systems for the consumerto choose from.

And while HTC may have gained a huge deal of publicitywith its upcoming HTC Flyer tablet, the fact remains thatconsumers are still in the dark about certain details pertainingto the device. Granted, everybody knows that the Flyer willcome equipped with a seven-inch capacitive touchscreen, asingle-core Snapdragon SoC clocked at 1.5GHz and 32GB ofNAND flash memory, but HTC has yet to reveal just howbadly the Flyer will hurt one's wallet when the tablet is finallyreleased for retail. And the good news is that consumers nolonger have to wait for that information anymore.

According to our sources, the HTC Flyer is expected to retailfor the handsome sum of US$669 (approx S$853), whichmakes it one of the more costlier tablets to enter the marketin 2011. However, we should point out that the large pricetagwas to be expected: after all, HTC had already confirmed in ourprevious article that the Flyer is not going to be an affordabletablet due to various features such as its design, processorand more importantly, the unique stylus which none of thecompetition has yet to offer.

However, it appears that there might be some good news instore for consumers who are planning to get their hands on anew Flyer when it officially reaches our shores. After all, mosttablets are usually sold at a discounted price as part of a datasubscription bundle, so here's hoping that whichever telco that


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manages to secure distribution rights for the device will be ableto offer an attractive pricetag for the entire data bundle.

Largest Apple retail store toopen in Shanghai?February 21st, 2011

If you have been following closely on "Apple retail store"related news, you would have heard about the largest Appleretail store to be located in Manhattan's Grand CentralTerminal in the States. But now, it seems like Apple have settheir eyes on China instead to build the largest Apple store.

According to an article reported by The Wall Street Journal,the Mac makers is continuing its focus in the Far East andplans to open the largest retail outlet in Shanghai.

The company is planning to open a new store - it'sbiggest in China - on Shanghai's famous NanjingRoad, an Apple spokeswoman has confirmed toChina Real Time after news of the plan appeared inThursday's Beijing Youth Daily.

The newspaper reports (in Chinese) that Ron Johnson,the company's senior vice-president of retail, saidthe company is now looking for bigger spaces toaccommodate the crowds that routinely pack itsChina Apple stores, which are visited by more than40,000 people per day?four times the average trafficin their American stores.

If this comes to fruition, this would be Apple's third inShanghai, with another two outlets located in Beijing. Bringinga grand total of five retail stores out of the target of 25retail stores spread across China by 2012. But Apple might beslowing the pace if it shift its focus on quantity to quality.

Well, this is certainly not surprising if Apple's China retailefforts ranks as the company's top performer worldwide interms of human traffic and product sales.

Apple has opened its first Shanghai store last year in Pudongdistrict. A second Shanghai store will be opened in Hong KongPlaza in September this year.

Apple to adopt Light Peaksoon?February 21st, 2011

Various hardware vendors have already adopted USB 3.0as the choice for the next-generation high speed connection.Nowadays, USB 3.0 peripherals and computers have startedpopping up but Apple has yet to adapt it? A report is nowpointing that Apple will adopt Light Peak instead of USB 3.0for its products "in the near future".

According to reports by CNet, Apple is set and expected toannounce a "new high-speed connection technology" soon.Apple is speculated to rebrand Intel's Light Peak and useanother name for it.

Apple is expected to adopt this Intel technology in thenear future--but likely use a name other than LightPeak, a source familiar with this aspect of Apple'splans said. Intel has said in the past that the firstproducts using Light Peak should appear in the firsthalf of 2011.

While USB 3.0 is considered fast in today's pace, Light Peak issignificantly faster. So why would Apple adopt USB 3.0 now ifLight Peak is going to debut soon enough?

We are expecting Sandy Bridge processors to make anappearance in the upcoming MacBook Pros and reports pointthat there would be additional enhancements. Light Peak?Hmmmmm...


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GIGABYTE GA-X58A-OCOverclocking FeaturesPreviewFebruary 21st, 2011

The folks at GIGABYTE have released a set of picturesshowcasing their upcoming Intel X58 Express chipset-basedoverclocking motherboard, the GA-X58A-OC. There are quitea number of cool features on the board, so we shall take a quicklook at them. Join us!

It appears that both GIGABYTE and us at VR-Zone.com sharethe same thought: the Intel X58 Express platform is farfrom dead. During a period where Intel's new 'Sandy Bridge'seemingly rules the roost, the motherboard maker is aboutto officially introduce its GA-X58A-OC motherboard, basedon the Intel X58 Express chipset and supporting Intel SocketLGA 1366 processors. A decent Gulftown will have a Corei7-2600K for breakfast, lunch and dinner under the sameextreme overclocking conditions, which is why the 'ageing'platform is still the fastest... at least till the end of this year.

GIGABYTE has released some photos of the new board and weshall take a quick look at its five main overclocking features:

• OC-VRM,

• OC-Touch,

• OC-PEG,

• OC-Cool, and

• OC-Dual BIOS

OC-VRM

The GA-X58A-OC motherboard has dual 8-pin CPU powerconnectors for input up to 720A. A variety of Intersil powermanagement ICs handles power delivery on the new board.PWM frequency can be adjusted to 300KHz, 600KHz and800KHz according to the information we have on hand.

The processor voltage regulation module (VRM) is a 12-phase'dual power' design supporting up to 600A output, while theUncore portion is a 3-phase design, and the memory a 2-phase.

Surface mount POSCAP tantalum capacitors are used as theyare not only reliable, but save space as well. The low heightclearance and added space means enthusiasts no longer needto worry if their larger cooling solutions will be obstructed.In fact, on the GA-X58A-OC, GIGABYTE has completely doneaway with the can-type solid capacitors.

OC-Touch

To make things a little more convenient for overclockers, theGA-X58A-OC has voltage measurement points for:

• VCORE,

• CPU PLL,

• DDR,

• DDR VTT,

• QPI VTT,

• QPI PLL, and

• IOH

There is also a debug LED that will flash BIOS POST codes.Debug LEDs almost became extinct the past few years, beforemaking a return starting with higher end Intel P67 Expressmotherboards.

The red power switch is um, self-explanatory I guess...


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The '4G' button will help 'newbies to reach 4GHz'. Man, whata way to put it in the material! Anyway, this button will simplytell the motherboard to automatically overclock the processorto 4GHz on the next boot.

Overclockers can then use the two sets of buttons to adjustCPU ratio (the set on the left) and BCLK (the set on the right)on-the-fly. The 'Gear' button changes the adjustment step ofthe BCLK back and forth between 0.3MHz and 1MHz.

Lenovo ThinkPad T420 withCore i5-2540M pictured in thewildFebruary 21st, 2011

With the launch of Intel's dual-core 'Sandy Bridge' mobileprocessors imminent, VR-Zone.com has already pictured aCore i5-2540M Processor touting Lenovo ThinkPad T420. TheT420 is the successor to the popular T410, although the newlaptop has not been introduced officially so far.

The Lenovo ThinkPad T420 looks very much like its outgoingpredecessor, the T410. However, one noticeable difference isthe display's aspect ratio. Lenovo has dropped the 16:10 14-inch screen in favor of a more common 16:9 one.

The fingerprint reader, originally beside the touchpad, hasbeen shifted down to the right corner. There are also minorfinishing differences such as the position of rubber bumpers.

This particular T420 appears to be a watered-down version,equipped with a dual-core Intel Core i5-2540M Processorwhich runs at a frequency of 2.6GHz. The native screenresolution on this unit also appears to be lower at 1366 x 768.

The display is driven by the integrated Intel HD Graphics 3000controller as there is no discrete graphics solution onboard.The laptop also sports an Intel 82567LM GbE PHY; thisintegrated solution has been used starting from the IntelCentrino 2 platform. Lastly, wireless is handled by a new IntelCentrino Advanced-N 6205 WLAN card.

RaidSonic IntroducesIB-172SK-B 2-Bay HDD MobileRackFebruary 21st, 2011


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It is a trayless module with support for one 2.5" and 3.5" SATAII HDD/ SSD in a 5.25" bay, and features EasySwap (tool-freeinstallations of any HDD/ SSD). The IB-172SK-B is ideal forusers who require data mobility and transfers data amongstdifferent HDDs/ SSDs regularly.

Transcend Unveils StylishJetFlash 560 USB Flash DriveFebruary 21st, 2011

Transcend Information, Inc. has expanded its line-up of USBflash drives with the addition of the JetFlash 560. Measuring45.2 x 23 x 8.5mm and weighing 7g, the classy flash drivefeatures a retractable USB 2.0 connector and supports datatransfer speeds up to 18Mb/s (read) and 10Mb/s (write).The JetFlash 560, covered by a limited lifetime warranty, isexpected to cost about US$15 (4Gb), US$21 (8Gb), and US$41(16Gb).

TRANSCEND PRESS RELEASE

Transcend Information, Inc. (Transcend), a worldwide leaderin storage and multimedia products, today announced thelaunch of its new JetFlash 560 USB flash drive. The newJetFlash 560 features a simple yet exquisite design with easy-to-use retractable USB connector, offering a touch of urbansophistication as well as ultimate convenience.

The JetFlash 560 is the newest member of Transcend’sJetFlash series that boasts an excellent combination of style


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and performance. Its silver-tone metallic case is embellishedwith a classic checkerboard pattern, which adds a chic urbantouch to an otherwise dull portable storage device. Thanks toits use of ultrasonic welding technology, the sleek and trendyJetFlash 560 USB flash drive is rugged enough to withstand afew bumps and falls.

In addition to its eye-catching exterior design, the JetFlash560 also features a handy push-out USB connector. With asimple flick of the thumb, users can effortlessly extend andretract the connector for easy one-handed operation. Suchretractable design not only keeps dust and debris out of thedrive, but also ensures there is no cap to misplace or lose.

The entire JetFlash lineup is backed by Transcend`s LimitedLifetime Warranty. For added value, users can freely downloadand install the exclusive JetFlash Elite data management toolsfor better mobile productivity. With the aid of this software,users can easily turn the flash drive into a key to log on towebsite accounts, or temporarily lock a computer to preventunauthorized access.

Offered with three different storage capacities, the JetFlash560 is now available for a suggested price of US$15 for the4GB model, US$21 for the 8GB model, and US$41 for the 16GBmodel.

Apple's iOS SubscriptionPolicies InvestigatedFebruary 21st, 2011

Apple announced its iOS App Store subscription service on the15th of February. Almost immediately, there has been someviolent criticisms from developers regarding the terms of thenew service.

Under the terms, Apple will take a 30 percent share of therevenue. In addition, a "most favored nation" clause states thatsubscription rates offered to iOS app users will have to matchrates offered through external channels.

This basically means that developers who want to tap onApple's dominance over the tablet market and iTunes' globalreach will have to pay a high price and are forbidden frompassing this extra cost over to the consumers.

The Justice Department recently sued a Michigan health-insurance company, alleging that the company used similarclauses to block competitors. Apple is currently underpreliminary investigations by the US Justice Department andFederal Trade Commission, the EU (European Union) is also"closely monitoring the situation".

The day after Apple announced the details of its in-appsubscriptions, Google revealed a competing service called"One Pass" that will take just 10 percent of revenue. If thisyear's Honeycomb lineup proves to be a hit, Apple might justlive to regret offending it's developers when they decide tooffer their wares on Android instead.

Silicon Power AnnouncesVelox V20 SSD SeriesFebruary 21st, 2011

Taipei-based Silicon Power has unleashed the Velox V20series, its latest SSD offering based on the SandForce(SF-1xxx) controller. Measuring 100 x 69.85 x 9.4mmand weighing 70g, the 2.5" SSDs boast a SATA IIIinterface, MLC (multi-level cell) NAND flash memory,TRIM Command, AES-128 encryption, built-in ECC, “Wear-Leveling” technology, shock and vibration resistance, andsupport data transfer speeds up to 285Mb/s (read) and275Mb/s (write). The Velox V20 SSD Series, available in 40Gb,60Gb, 120Gb and 240Gb capacities, are covered by a threeyear warranty and bundled with a 3.5” adapter bracket.

SILICON POWER PRESS RELEASE


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Taipei, Taiwan, February 15, 2011 ~ World leading flashmemory manufacturer Silicon Power today announces thenew Velox V20 series Solid State Drive (SSD). Instantlyboosting PC performances, it uses the latest SandForcecontroller, featuring a maximum read-speed of 285MB/s andwrite-speed of 275MB/s so enthusiasts can sit back and enjoythe speedy transfer rates!

Tremendous Write-Speed Improvement

Silicon Power's V20 SSD uses the latest SandForce controller,it boasts a continuous read / write speed up to 285MB/ 275MBper second, respectively. An actual test using a 40GB V20required only 13 seconds to boot into Windows and open up aprogram. It is the perfect enterprise office PC storage solutionor the ideal boot-up disk in any PC! In addition, V20 SSD alsosupports TRIM Command and Garbage Collection technologyto counter performance drop issues due to long period of useand continuous write actions.

Significantly Extending Lifespan

Using SandForce controller's patented DuraClass technology,it can extend the SSD lifespan up to 5 years! The DuraWritetechnology optimizes the to-be written data to a reserved7% flash memory storage block that acts as an intermediatestation before data are written with an amplification lessthan 1 to their final storage blocks. This vastly reduces theoccurrences of bad sectors and thus extending the lifespan.

Silicon Power Whole New SSD series V20 Gives You the Bestof Both Worlds

Silicon Power's V20 SSD comes with a 3-year warranty anda 2.5inch to 3.5inch adapter bracket for you to install into adesktop PC to boost performances!

*NOTE: Performances may vary due to platform differences

About Silicon Power

Silicon Power Computer & Communications Inc., foundedin 2003 by a group of enthusiastic specialists of flashdata storage industry. Well dedicated in brand image andproduct quality, Silicon Power has been recognized and well

accepted by millions of end-users in more than 100 countries,becomes the world's leading manufacturer of flash memorycards, USB flash drives, card readers, DRAM modules, solidstate disks, and portable hard drives in less than a decade.Headquartered in Taipei, we continuously established variousbranches throughout the world including Netherlands, Japan,Russia, Mainland China and other emerging market. Withsuperior quality and innovative design, our products stood outin several competitions and awarded Taiwan Excellence andCOMPUTEX Design & Innovation Award in 2009 and 2010.Winning trust of global consumers, Silicon Power holds arecord of successive double-digit revenue growth for last sevenyears. For Silicon Power, the product we introduced is not onlya digital storage device but also a real promise to create andpreserve your most valuable memory in every moment.

Enermax DeButs New Coolerand Fans at Cebit 2011February 21st, 2011

Enermax is ready to introduce its new T.B.Silence fans andhigh-end CPU cooler at Cebit 2011 in Hannover this March.

Enermax is ready to introduce its new T.B.Silence fansand high-end CPU cooler at Cebit 2011 in Hannover thisMarch. The new fans have a 4-pin connector that allows bothautomatic and manual speed control whilst the new cooler hasthree copper heatpipes and boasts a "Vortex Generator Flow"design. The cooler is equipped with two Twister fans to providehigh airflow at relatively low noise levels and will be availablein six variants.

News via [Softpedia]


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Jetstar Airways to offer in-flight iPad rentalsFebruary 21st, 2011

Perhaps the first of its kind around the world, Australia'sJetstar Airways is going to offer in-flight iPad rentals on everyaircraft in its fleet starting as early as April. And you canexperience all of the fun that Apple's tablet can offer on-boardfor a mere AUD$10.

Back in June 2010, Qantas Airways' low-cost airline Jetstarhas been trialing the concept of in-flight rentals of Apple'siPad. Pre-loaded with movies, music, magazines, books, andgames, the rental program was suppose to launch at the endof last year, just in time for the holiday season. But due tocontract negotiations and pending licensing agreements withApple, they weren't able to get it ready in time.

With some airlines already offering integration between iPodsand in-flight entertainment systems and iPads being used aselectronic flight bags for pilots, you can say that the sky isn'tthe limit for Apple.

Five new MacBook Pro modelsto arrive next week?February 21st, 2011

A new series of claims have surfaced and continues to pointto tightening supplies of the current-generation MacBook Proline. The latest rumour is that the upcoming refresh of Apple'sMacBook Pro line could arrive as early as late next week.

According to the first report, Italian rumour site iSpazio claimsthat it has recieved notification from an Apple employee thatApple is preparing to release five new MacBook Pro models.In specific, the model numbers are MC720, MC721, MC723,MC724, and MC725. These five models will span across allthree current MacBook Pro sizes of 13-inch, 15-inch, and 17-inch.

Currently, Apple offers six standard configurations of theMacBook Pro. It seems likely that Apple will drop a standardconfiguration from one of the 15-inch models if they were toever drop to offer five models.

Another Italian site, Slide to Mac, reports that Apple's newmodels of MacBook Pro will arrive either on Thursday orFriday next week, and that the update is not merely just a specbump of the existing offerings.

Apple Bitch, on the other hands, reports on the tighteningof supplies of MacBook Pro over the last month and it hasaffected Apple's own retail distribution points around Asia.

Apparently websites for Apple Stores in several Asiancountries have been updated today to reflect longershipping times for the MacBook Pro. For example, theMalaysian Apple Store updated its website today toshow that shipping times for the 13 inch MacBookPro have slipped from 24 hours to 1-5 days. This isalso reflected in other countries such as Hong Kong,Vietnam and Taiwan.

It is interesting to note that even though neighbouringcountries reflect a delay in shipping date for any MacBook Pro,Singapore still shows "Today" for shipping.

NYTimes: "Apple is notcurrently developing a smalleriPhone"February 21st, 2011


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Contrary to reports published by Bloomberg and The WallStreet Journal, The New York Times published a report thatclaims that Apple is not planning to launch a smaller iPhone.However, they did report that Apple is planning on launchinga cheaper iPhone.

In a conflicting report to the other various published reports,The New York Times has confirmed via their sources thatApple is indeed not working on a smaller version of the iPhone(or N97, iPhone Nano) as well as integrating voice commands.

But contrary to published reports, Apple is notcurrently developing a smaller iPhone, accordingto people briefed on Apple's plans who requestedanonymity because the plans are confidential.

That said, the next-generation iPhone is "likely to be similarin size" to the current iPhone. Which make sense asincorporating a smaller screen would require app developersto rewrite their Apps to fit to the new resolution.

The New York Times' piece, however, did conform to some ofthe details spelled out by The Wall Street Journal's report. Inspecific, Apple is working on improving its' voice commandsystem to allow easier navigation with the iPhone

Apple is also working on changing some of the internalcomponents to reduce costs to possibly sell versions of theiPhone at a cheaper price.

"Although the innards of the phone, including memorysize or camera quality, could change to offer a lessexpensive model, the size of the device would notvary," said the person, who has worked on multipleversions of the device.

Reports on MobileMe seems to be on par with the others, citingthat MobileMe will be available for free and allow users towirelessly access their photos and other media files online.

Apple iPhone 4 awarded "BestMobile Device" at MWCFebruary 21st, 2011

You can say that the Mobile World Congress isn't one ofApple's territory; arguably more of an Android-centric affairthis year. But despite the lack of appearance of the iPhonemakers, the company was awarded the award "Best MobileDevice" for the iPhone 4.

According to the judges of the panel, the iPhone 4 has a "greatscreen, sharp design, fantastic materials, and phenomenalecosystem for app developers. In a tight race, the iPhone 4built on the success of its predecessors to set the pace for smartphones.”

However, despite creating the "Best Mobile Device", Applestill lost to HTC as they were awarded "Device Manufacturerof the Year." What mounts up to HTC's win includes "greatcommunication and good customer service" admist "a strongportfolio of devices across many platforms."

Check out other awards here.

The Daily VR-Zone NewsSummary - 18 Feb 2011February 21st, 2011

In today's news roundup: The 'Wintel' dominance appearsto be on extremely shaky ground now that tablets are fastreplacing traditional PCs and netbooks as the preferredcomputing platform; TSMC is reportedly taking action tofurther ramp up wafer production capabilities at its fabricationplants to meet the growing demand; Sony launches a newpremium line of OLED television sets, and... ... starts crackingdown on users who have 'jailbroken' their PlayStation 3consoles by landing the banhammer on the first group ofoffenders

Hardware News:

Kingston DT Ultimate 3.0 32GB Review - XSReviewsDescription: Kingston have long been known for producinghigh quality memory products, from laptop/desktop memoryto flash drives and SSDs. What we have today falls into


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the flash drive category. It's a 32GB USB 3.0 version of theDataTraveler series, the DataTraveler Ultimate 3.0. Availablein 16, 32 and 64GB versions and boasting some pretty quickread/write speeds it certainly looks impressive but how doesit really do? Let's take a look.

Inno3D GTX570 1.25GB Review @ VortezDescription: The GTX570 appears to be an amalgamation ofseveral graphics cards in one on first impressions. Firstly, itfeatures the tweaked GF110 core found in the GTX580. Likethe GTX480, it has one stream multiprocessor disabled for atotal of 480 CUDA cores and 60 texture units. And lastly, itsports the same memory bus and memory/ROP count of theGTX470, the latter feature being intrinsically to the memory.

Now is the Wintel of Intel’s discontentDescription: Netbooks are just so passé nowadays, don’t youthink? Every vendor in the world has decided that after thesuccess of the Apple iPad, they’ve just got to have a tablet.

Lian Li PC-V354 Review @ ocaholicDescription: With the PC-V354 Lian Li has a m-ATX case init's portfolio which should offer a lot of space for hardware forsuch a compact enclosure. Especially regarding the hard drivesLian Li seems to have made its homework. Of course, like withall Lian Li cases the timeless design alone would be reasonenough to wirte an entire review.

SilverStone Strider Gold 750W Power Supply Review @OCIA.netDescription: The 750W Strider Gold has many of the samespecifications as the 750W Strider Plus (Silver) such as a 750Wcontinuous rating at 40°C, all modular cables, single +12V rail,19dBA 135mm variable speed fan, 2200uF capacitors on thePCI-E cables and all the same protection features. How the750W Strider Gold differs from the 750W Strider Plus, asidefrom the name, is primarily in its greater efficiency.

Cooler Master Silent Pro Gold 1000 Watt Modular PowerSupply ReviewDescription: Cooler Master already showed in our previousreviews, that they manufacture excellent power supply unitsand their Silent Pro Gold 1000W power supply underlinesthis impressively. The results are so impressive, that theCooler Master Silent Pro Gold 1000W received the ocinside.deOverClocking Dream 02/2011 award. In the review wewill examine, among other things, how high the currentconsumption is with this enormously high power of 1KW andif it is worth to buy such a PSU.

TSMC to ramp capacity at Fab 14, hire new staffDescription: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company(TSMC) is currently equipping 12-inch tools at its Fab 14,Phase 4 facility located at the Southern Taiwan SciencePark (STSP). Designed monthly capacity is 40,000 wafers,according to the company.


PI Manufacturing Digital Indoor, Outdoor ATSC Antenna @TestFreaksDescription: One of the great things about society is free stuff,all of the free stuff that’s out there for anyone to have anytimethey want. One of the great free things is TV, it’s just out therefor anyone to grab right out of the air. For many years that’s

what I did, my kids were young and they didn’t care too muchabout TV, but as they got older they needed more, and honestlyI missed it. I tried a few different antennas with mixed results.Today for review I’ve got an over the antenna that can be usedindoors and outdoors, it’s small and from what I’ve learned itworks well.

Sony launches 25-inch OLED TVDescription: Sony has announced its new Trimaster ELseries of OLED (organic light-emitting diode) monitorsfor professional applications, such as video production orbroadcasting rooms. What is interesting about the newmonitors is that the top model, the Trimaster BVME 250, hasa nearly 25-inch panel - 24 5/8 inches, to be precise, or, inmetric terms, 623.4 mm. This makes it the biggest OLED panelcurrently in production. In addition, the newest twins alsooffer 1920x1080 pixel formats, or full HD resolution.

Google Search Finally Going Fully Social With Shared TwitterLinks And Even Quora DataDescription: At least a couple times a week we get tipped aboutGoogle testing a new “social search” feature. The truth is thatthe “social circle” results that everyone is pointing to havebeen in place since 2009. But Google clearly didn’t think toomuch of them and shoved them all the way down at the bottomof the results page. I’m not sure I’ve ever clicked on a linkserved up there. But this social aspect is about to get a lot moreinteresting starting today.

Some Nokia N8 and C7 phones have defective AMOLEDscreens?Description: It seems that some Nokia N8 and C7 AMOLEDdisplays are defective. The most common complaint (there areseveral actually) is that the screen has a purple tint in darkerareas. It's not clear yet whether this is a software or a hardwareissue. It is speculated that Nokia uses two kinds of displays -although it's unlikely as all AMOLEDs are made by Samsung.

Smartphone Buying Guide: First Half of 2011Description: To help you navigate through the sea of newsmartphones getting released week in and week out we've puttogether a selection with what we consider are the hottestdevices out there. They are listed alongside their respectivespecs, price, and features from newest to oldest. Many deviceslisted here are not yet available but will be in a relativelyshort timespan. We hope this will help you narrow down yourpurchase, and as usual your feedback is always welcome.

Cooler Master Storm Spawn: The Red-Black Fury @InsideHWDescription: As evident from the title, Cooler Master’sStorm Spawn comes in a combination of red and blackcolour. The scroll wheel and all buttons are matted black;according to Cooler Master, Omron microswitches were usedto manufacture these, which guarantees at least five millionclicks - a mind-boggling piece of information, sufficient onits own to make you want to buy this mouse. The rest of themouse’s upper body is coloured glossy red, which really has aneffect on the overall visual impact…

Koribo Mini Keyboard @ TestFreaksDescription: Keyboards are an integral part of our life and theycome in many shapes and sizes and some have specializeduses. A little bit ago I was contacted by a new company and


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they asked me to review a few of their products, specificallywireless keyboards. Today for review I have a small and uniquelittle keyboard from Koribo just called the Mini. It very muchreminds me of a gamepad, it has a full keyboard, many specialkeys, a joystick for controlling the cursor and a touch sensitiveslider for scrolling. It uses two AA batteries that are supposedto give you about three months of use. This little keyboard isperfect for an HTPC setup surely or just anytime you mightneed a little wireless keyboard.

Gaming News:

Valkyria Chronicles 3 To Come With Extra EpisodesDescription: DLC missions and episodes are heading towardsValkyria Chronicles 3 as Sega plans to release them online.Extra episodes cost 600 yen while missions are just 200 yen.Episode one “The Restless” comes out on February 24, whichfollows the squad leader of “Nameless”. Sega plans to releasethe extra mission a week later on March 3.

PS3 hacker bans beginDescription: Sony is apparently already dropping thebanhammer on PS3 jailbreakers and pirates in Europe and theUS.

Corsair Launches EnthusiastSeries TX V2 PSUFebruary 21st, 2011

Corsair has announced the Enthusiast Series TX V2 PSUs,targeting gamers and enthusiasts. Available in 650W, 750Wand 850W capacities, the non-modular 80 PLUS Bronzecertified PSUs boast a single 12V rail, Japanese capacitors,active PFC, an updated DC-to-DC converter design (for tightervoltage regulation), and are equipped with a 140mm doubleball-bearing fan for cooling. The Enthusiast Series TX V2PSUs, covered by a five year warranty, are expected to ship atprices of US$99 (TX650 V2), US$119 (TX750 V2) and US$139 (TX850 V2).

Corsair, a worldwide designer and supplier of high-performance components to the PC gaming hardware market,today announced the Enthusiast Series TX V2 power supplies.The Enthusiast Series TX V2 is the successor to the award-winning Enthusiast Series TX power supplies, which havewon dozens of awards worldwide and received widespreadcritical and customer acclaim. The TX V2 PSUs offerimproved energy efficiency, with 80 PLUS Bronze certificationand European Commission Energy-Related Product (ErP)directive compliance.

The improved efficiency results in lower noise levels thanthe original TX PSUs under typical usage conditions, anda new DC-to-DC converter design provides tighter voltageregulation, with measurably lower ripple and noise. Featurescarried over from the acclaimed TX PSUs include the use

of Japanese capacitors, enthusiast-grade performance, and acomprehensive fixed cable set that accomodates tall PC chassisand multiple-GPU installations.

“For years, the Enthusiast Series TX PSUs have been a favoriteof gamers, high-performance PC enthusiasts, and anybodywho requires reliable, low-noise power delivery,” said RubenMookerjee, VP and General Manager for Components atCorsair. “The new TX V2 power supplies are quieter and evenmore energy efficient, while providing the same legendaryreliability, flexibility, and value that customers have lovedabout the original TX PSUs.”

Corsair Enthusiast Series TX V2 power supplies are nowavailable from Corsair-authorized retailers in the Americasand Europe, and will be available in Asia in March. The TX850V2 is available for a US suggested retail price of $139 USD.The TX750 V2 is available for $119 USD, and the TX650 V2is available for $99 USD. For more information on CorsairEnthusiast Series PSUs, please visit the Corsair website.

Hands on with Asus' Eee Padsat MWCFebruary 21st, 2011

We got a chance to spend a few minutes playing around witha couple of prototypes of Asus' Eee Pads at the Mobile WorldCongress and although it was clear that these models werefar from production ready units, Asus will have somethingon offer that none of its competitors currently has. The bigselling point of both the Eee Pad Transformer and the EeePad Slider is the fact that they have near full size QWERTYkeyboards which makes them productivity devices and not justconsumption devices.

We got a chance to spend a few minutes playing around witha couple of prototypes of Asus' Eee Pads at the Mobile WorldCongress and although it was clear that these models werefar from production ready units, Asus will have somethingon offer that none of its competitors currently has. The bigselling point of both the Eee Pad Transformer and the EeePad Slider is the fact that they have near full size QWERTYkeyboards which makes them productivity devices and not justconsumption devices.

In as much as we don't believe that Android will replace full-fat OSes any day soon, being able to use a tablet for propertyping without having to carry a Bluetooth keyboard aroundwith you is a boon to us. That said, in the case of the Eee PadTransformer, you can of course decide to leave the keyboardat home and just take the tablet part with you. The obviousadvantage here is that Asus offers a battery pack that fits inside


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the keyboard half and which we were told will extend thebattery life to about 15h.

The Eee Pad Transformer also has the largest keyboard of thetwo and we'd say it's on par with the best netbooks out there,even in this early hardware state and hopefully Asus will beable to further improve upon it. As for the hardware, well, wedon't have a ton of details to add to what's already known,but both the Eee Pad Transformer and Slider are powered byNvidia's Tegra 250 SoC. Asus' own UI on top of Android willbe used on all of the models and Asus said that it will be usingthe same UI on future Android smartphones as well.

Sadly the two Eee Pad Slider units on the show that we sawwere not fully operational as the first one wouldn't switch onand the second one seemed to have a broken touch screen, soit was impossible to unlock the screen. That said, the keyboardsliding mechanism might be a concern here as well, at leastin its current state as it was near enough impossible to openthe keyboard on one of the units. The keyboard itself is smallerthan on the Eee Pad Transformer, but still perfectly usable.

The third and final Android tablet is the Eee Pad MeMO, butsadly Asus didn't have a working unit on display. This is alsothe model that is expected to launch last of the three models.The Eee Pad Transformer is expected to arrive sometime inApril with the Eee Pad Slider set to follow in May. For thosethat can't wait until then, Asus should be unveiling it's 12-inchvEee Slate EP121 with a ULV Core i3 processor within the nextmonth or so, although this is a Windows 7 tablet/notebookrather than a low power ARM based Android tablet.

Sharkoon Releases DriveLinkUSB 3.0February 21st, 2011

Sharkoon has announced the DriveLink USB 3.0, a niftycontraption designed to connect any SATA devices to your PCvia an USB 3.0 interface.

Sharkoon has announced the DriveLink USB 3.0, a niftycontraption designed to connect any SATA devices to your PCvia an USB 3.0 interface.


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Measuring 58 x 56 x 21mm and weighing 54g, the compactadapter is powered by a 12V adapter, supports all 5.25"/ 3.5"/2.5" SATA HDD/ SSD (up to 2TB) and optical drives. It alsohas a OTB (one-touch-backup) button for easy data backupand a status/ transfer LED. The DriveLink USB 3.0 can bepurchased from authorised resellers in Europe at a MSRP of€21.

News via [Guru3D]

NTT Docomo shows off 3Ddisplay Android phone at MWCFebruary 21st, 2011

Japanese NTT Docomo was demoing some of its rather uniquephones at the Mobile World Congress and one of the moreinteresting devices that was on display was the Sharp Lynx3D SH-03C which features a 3.8-inch 800x480 pixel glassesfree 3D display. This Android handset is exclusive to NTTDocomo and was developed specifically for the operator bySharp, one of many partners that develop unique phones forNTT Docomo.

Japanese NTT Docomo was demoing some of its rather uniquephones at the Mobile World Congress and one of the moreinteresting devices that was on display was the Sharp Lynx3D SH-03C which features a 3.8-inch 800x480 pixel glassesfree 3D display. This Android handset is exclusive to NTTDocomo and was developed specifically for the operator bySharp, one of many partners that develop unique phones forNTT Docomo.

Normally we'd say 3D screens are just gimmicky, but theone of the Lynx looked pretty decent, although sadly it wasimpossible to recreate the depth of view that the screen offeredin our pictures of the handset. That said, this is one of the mostpromising 3D screen handsets we've seen to date and the twodemos that were running clearly benefited to a degree from the3D screen. It's unlikely that 3D displays will take off any timesoon, as the displays still suffer from limited viewing anglesand bright light doesn't seem to help with the 3D effect either.

Other features of the handset includes a 9.6Megapixel CCDcamera that also records HD video, a “mobile wallet” orin other words an NFC sensor that allows for payments bytouching your phone on a payment terminal, a one-seg TV-tuner (a solution unique to Japan) and interestingly enougheven an infrared transmitter, something we thought was adead technology by not as far as data transfers were concerned,but apparently not in Japan.

Some other peculiar handsets that were on display includethese cookie and chocolate bar flip phones, also from Sharpand oddly named the Q-pot. Feature wise they're nothingreally special apart from the high resolution 854x480 pixel3.2-inch displays they sport and the fact that they're waterproof.

Next we have a Lumix model from Panasonic which sports a13.2Megapixel CMOS camera with a 27mm wide angle lensand an F2.8 aperture, which is pretty impressive for a phonecamera. It too has an 854x480 resolution screen, although atiny fraction larger at 3.3-inches this time around.

The fourth and final model is from Toshiba and it's yet anotherAndroid powered smartphone, although this one featuresToshiba's Regza TV technology for the screen and it evencomes with a desktop dock so you can show off th 4-inch854x480 screen to your friends. Interestingly this handset isalso water proof and it was demoed by having water runningover a unit inside a small box at the booth. The screen did lookvery sharp; although we're not sure it's the best phone screenwe've ever seen.


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A representative for NTT Docomo we talked to said thatPanasonic is looking at launching phones outside of Japanlater this year, although as to what models we can expectis anyone's guess. The Japanese handset makers have beenpredominantly sticking to their home market in recent yearswith the exception of Sony Ericsson. However, by the soundof things, this might slowly be changing, but the question is ifthere's enough space in the market for someone like Panasonicunless they offer something truly unique in the market.

Prolimatech Rolls Out GenesisCPU-CoolerFebruary 21st, 2011

Taipei based cooling specialist, Prolimatech, is preparing toshowcase the Genesis - its latest high-end CPU cooler, atCeBIT 2011. Measuring 146 X 216.5 X 160mm and weighing800g, the massive cooler boasts six 6mm heatpipes, twoaluminum heatsinks, and supports up to three 140mm/120mm spinners. Its low height and two heatsinks allow "highclearance for better motherboard compatibility" and coolingfor both MOSFET and RAM. The Genesis, compatible withall Intel LGA 775/ 1366/ 1156/ 1155 and AMD AM2/ 2+/ 3processors, cost €59.90 and comes bundled with a tube of PK-1thermal compound.

PROLIMATECH PRESS RELEASE

Prolimatech, the master of cooling is going a step furtherafter the success of the Prolimatech Megahalems by presentinganother revolution in CPU cooling with the ProlimatechGenesis. Besides the immaculate quality - which is presentacross their entire product line-up - the Genesis sets newstandards in cooling capability. Prolimatech continues thetrend set forth by the Megahalems and Super Mega by utilizingtwo separate towers, but instead of placing them next to eachother, they have been rearranged for maximum performance.The large array of cooling fins can hold up to three 120 or 140mm fans, two of which can be installed right out of the box withthe included mounting materials. Besides keeping the CPUcool, the construction allows for direct air flow across criticalareas like the memory and power phases of the system.

Due to the innovative construction, Prolimatech manages toraise the bar and cool down the CPU even more. Adding to theexcellent performance, Prolimatech has included additionalblack mounting screws to add further contact pressure, whichtranslates into even lower operational temperatures. The useof these screws is intended for experienced users, which aim


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to get the most out of the cooling solution, as the pressuresurpasses the Intel specifications. Overclockers will be happyto hear that Prolimatech continues the trend and allows forcomplete choice of fans, as none are supplied with the cooler.This enables every user, regardless of their preferences orneeds, to select the right models to equip the Genesis. Evenwhen only using a single 120 or 140 mm fan, the Genesismanages to cool the CPU and keep the noise level at aminimum. To make the selection as easy as possible, Casekingoffers various Genesis bundles with specific fans and setpricing.

The Prolimatech Genesis also features broad compatibility asit ships with an AMD mounting kit intended for all modernsockets like AM2, AM2+ and AM3. Intel users will also be ableto mount the cooler with the included kit for Socket 775, 1155,1156 and 1366. To enable the most efficient transfer of heatbetween the CPU and Genesis cooler, Prolimatech suppliestheir high-performance PK-1 thermal paste, while a sturdybackplate guarantees a stable hold, taking the strain off themainboard and socket.

The Prolimatech Genesis CPU cooler will be available fromMarch 4th 2011 for59.90 Euro at www.caseking.de andis available for pre-order immediately. Additional bundlesconsisting of the Genesis and two 120 or 140 mm fans start at64.90 Euro. An list of coolers can be viewed on here. A videopresentation of the Prolimatech Genesis is also available onCaseking.tv.

Shuttle Unveils Sandy Bridge-based Mini-PCsFebruary 21st, 2011

Shuttle has released the XPC Barebone SH67H3 and SH67H7,supporting Intel's new 32 nm-technology processors (Intel'ssecond-generation Core processor). They feature a H67motherboard, offering four DDR3 memory slots (up to 16GbRAM), one 5.25" and two 3.5" drive bays, one PCIe 2.0 x16slot (for graphic accelerator), one PCIe 2.0 x1 (for expansioncards), four SATA II/ III connectors, four USB 3.0 ports,Gigabit Ethernet, a mini-PCIe port, DVI and HDMI outputs,and a 300W PSU.

SHUTTLE PRESS RELEASE

Shuttle Inc., a leading developer and manufacturer of multi-form-factor solutions such as the world-famous XPC Mini-PC Barebones, showcases two models for Intel's new 32 nm-technology processor generation (code name: Sandy Bridge)at CeBIT 2011.

Shuttle, as the Mini-PC pioneer, is set to launch the XPCBarebone SH67H3 and SH67H7 at the end of March 2011.Both are based on the Intel H67 Express chipset and boastextremely impressive technical features to support all IntelCore 2nd generation i3, i5 and i7 processors with LGA1155.There are four DIMM slots that enable DDR3 memory supportwith a maximum capacity of 16 GB.


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Furthermore, these Mini-PCs are able to accommodate two3.5" drives and one 5.35" drive with the motherboard offering2x SATA 6 Gbit/s and 2x SATA 3 Gbit/s. Additional drives canbe connected externally via eSATA or via an array of USB ports.On the front and rear of the SH67H3 and SH67H7 modelsthere are for the first time 4x USB 3.0 and 4x USB 2.0 ports aswell as 2x eSATA/USB combo ports. A Gigabit-LAN interfaceis also provided for fast network access and data transfer.

All second-generation Intel Core processors have a built-in graphics function. At the rear of both SH67 models aretwo digital monitor outputs. With both HDMI and DVI-I connections, the user can run two monitors and enjoyseamless playback of HD content. The Mini-PCs deliver audiosignals via S/PDIF or HDMI.

Additional graphics performance is provided by the PCI-Express 2.0 x16 port which is compatible with the latest dual-slot graphics cards. If a single-slot graphics card is used, onePCI-Express 2.0 x1 port is then available for expansion cards.The third expansion option is the Mini-PCIe port, which canbe used for various applications, e.g. a WLAN module.

A 300 W, 80-PLUS-certified power supply unit ensures thecompact PC is able to deliver high performance. The overallsystem is cooled by means of a heatpipe with a large speed-regulated fan.

The SH67H3 and SH67H7 are available through majorretailers and e-tailers at MSRPs of €239 and €251 respectivelycome end March.

EKL Debuts Alpenfohn Peterhigh-end VGA cooler at CeBIT2011February 21st, 2011

German based EKL will be introducing its Alpenföhn Peterhigh-performance VGA cooler at CeBIT 2011 this comingMarch.


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Featuring six copper heatpipes and 91 aluminum fins, thenickel plated behemoth is able to support two 140mm (orfour 120mm) fans through a "PCI bracket with a rail fasteningsystem". The Alpenföhn Peter is compatible with all RadeonX1600, X1900, HD 2600, HD 3000, HD 4800, HD 5600, HD5700, HD 6800 series and Nvidia 6600, 7, 8, 9600, 9800, 200,GTX 470, GTX 480 and GTX 580 graphic cards.

Sony reportedly "earnest" inpreparing a PlayStation tabletPC...with Android, of courseFebruary 21st, 2011

How does the idea of being able to game away on your favouritegame titles for the Sony PlayStation console from the luxury ofa tablet PC sound like? Well, don't be surprised, but that daymight actually come a lot sooner than you'd expect. Accordingto various sources, it appears that the Japanese electronicsgiant is well under way in its plans to bring out a new tablet PCfor consumers that will do more than just enjoy the 'standard'media content supported by most competing devices today.

The PlayStation might be Sony's bundle of joy when it comesto video game consoles, but it seems that the Japaneseelectronics giant is starting to see that there are many ways inwhich the PlayStation brand might be able to prove beneficialfor its line of consumer electronic devices. After all, therecent scenario of Sony managing to generate a large deal ofhype over the supposed 'PlayStation Phone' without havingto do anything should be a testament as to how powerful thePlayStation brand really is.

However, it would seem that the Japanese electronics giant isnot about to stand still, especially when it has the infamousdistinction of being one of the few big-name OEMs that hasyet to hop onto the current tablet PC bandwagon. The goodnews though, is that reports from various sources seem toindicate that Sony intends to remedy that situation with anew multimedia tablet that can reportedly do more than justconnect to the Internet and watch movies. And yes, that same

tablet will sport the PlayStation branding that gamers havecome to know and love.

Very few details about the upcoming PlayStation-brandedtablet have been revealed, but what we do know is that thetablet is currently known by its codename of 'S1' from withinSony, and that the company in intending to outsource thedevice's production to Quanta Computer.

In addition, the information that we have managed to gatherseems to indicate that the device will sport the AndroidHoneycomb operating system which Google claims hasbeen specially optimized for larger-than-smartphone displays,while the hardware consists of NVIDIA's Tegra 2 system-on-a-chip, a 9.4-inch display and dual cameras. And of course,the PlayStation branding means that the tablet will be fullycapable of playing games released for the new PlayStationSuite platform.

Last but definitely not least, it seems that Sony does notintend to compete on price with the tablet: it will reportedly bereleased for retail in September this year for US$600.

Google woos Delicious usersFebruary 21st, 2011

Following rumors that Yahoo is trying to offload its popularsocial bookmarking service, Delicious, many opportunisticparties have taken advantage of the chaos and come up withtheir own Delicious boomark importers. Google has joined inthe fray in a bid to market its own Google bookmarks as a safehaven. Read On.


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A few months earlier, Yahoo sent their users scramblingto save their precious collection of bookmarks when aleaked slide classified Delicious, a social bookmarking site, as"Sunsetting". This probably means "selling" in Yahoo-speak,users take that literally as closing down.

While there have been many bookmark migrationofferings from users, Google has stepped in with its Deliciousbookmark migration tool. The search engine giant hopes tomake the switch easier for users and boost its user base withits Google Bookmarks.

Meantime, Yahoo has been unable to find a buyer for itsDelicious site while Google attempts to steal a few bites fromthe cookie. Mmm, delicious.

Monster launches TurbinePearl professional In-EarspeakersFebruary 21st, 2011

Monster has announced the new Turbine Pearl professionalIn-Ear speakers designed for serious audiophile and audioprofessionals. The Monster Turbine Pearl is available now.

Monster has launched its new Turbine Pearl In-Earspeakers in Singapore. The Turbine Pearl claims to deliversuperb quality sound to meet the demands of today's musicprofessionals and audiophile listeners.

Along with Turbine Pearl, the company has also introduced itsnew high performance "SuperTip" eartips that offer superiornoise isolation, while improving the overall performance bypreventing sound leakage. The SuperTip eartips are beingoffered with the Turbine Pearl in two sizes - small and large.For those who love the traditional Monster eartips, three sizesare also included, along with traditional foam tips, and two setsof triple-layered eartips for perfect fit.

The Turbine Pearl comes bundled with an attractive, super softsewn pouch and a matching clip pouch to house the eartips.Monster offers a one-time Lifetime Replacement Guarantee -even if users break the headphones themselves.

Monster Turbine Pearl In-Ear Speakers will be available atHarvey Norman, i Studio, and all Stereo Electronics outlets,and retails at S$339.

No iTunes? No problem: newmusic service offering forAndroid supposedly in theworks for HoneycombFebruary 21st, 2011

Think that a new user interface and built-in support for deviceswith larger display sizes are the only draws that Honeycombhas to offer for the Android lovers out there? Well, it seemsthat Google has got one more ace up its sleeve in ensuring thatthe latest version of its mobile operating system has got whatit takes to go toe-to-toe against the likes of iOS. How does aniTunes-esque music service for Android sound like to you?

Well, that sure took Google long enough. Apparently, in itsquest to wrestle market share over from the likes of iOS, RIM,Symbian and Windows Mobile, the search giant has placedtoo much focus into improving the usability of its Androidoperating system and neglecting a key aspect about suchmobile platform: music. That's right: while Windows Phone7, Symbian and iOS users get services such as Zune, Ovi andiTunes to play with, it would seem odd that Google is the onlyodd player in the group that still does not have its own musicservice for users to sync and purchase audio tracks from.

Fortunately, it appears that someone in Google had finallynoticed the absence of such a service from the Androidecosystem and taken action to silently plug up the hole inGoogle's offering of online services. And of course, all it neededwas a simple slip of the tongue from Motorola's CEO to revealthe fact that Google does indeed have a music service plannedfor a certain future build of Android that a certain tablet willbe making use of.

Speaking at this year's Mobile World Conference held atBarcelona, Motorola CEO Sanjay Jha all but gave away thesecret when he talked about the services that the upcomingMotorola Xoom tablet will be able to offer consumers.

"If you look at Google Mobile services [via Android]today, there's a video service, there's a music service– that is, there will be a music service."


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According to Jha, Google's music service for Android will beoperating system-dependant, although he did mention thatthe version of Android Honeycomb that will be pre-installedinto the Motorola Xoom will come with support for the newservice.This would suggest that the new 'Google Music' serviceis likely to form an integral part of the default Honeycomb userexperience when the new operating system is finally releasedfor public consumption.

Unfortunately, this also leaves a key question aboutbackward compatibility about the new 'Google Music' serviceunanswered. While it is no doubt good news that Honeycombmight come bundled with the means to access the new musicservice, one must not forget that there are countless otherAndroid-powered devices in the market today that are stillrunning off older versions of the mobile operating system.And if the 'operating sytem-dependant' part of the servicemeans that older Android builds will never have access toGoogle's upcoming online music service...well, let's just saythat Google's PR team might want to start preparing itself fora very eventful year ahead when Honeycomb launches.

February 23rd, 2011 Published by: VR-Zone

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The Daily VR-Zone NewsSummary - 23 Feb 2011Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/the-daily-vr-zone-news-summary--23-

feb-2011/11304.html

February 23rd, 2011

In today's news roundup: Enthusiasts ponder ways on howone might be able to build the cheapest possible PC basedoff Intel's new Sandy Bridge platform; OCZ's RevoDrive amdVertex 2 SSDs get reviewed; Angry Birds officially crashesinto Windows; Motorola's Atrix 3G smartphone gets reviewed;Nintendo might eventually produce a 'Wii 2' which mayfeature support for HD content, and EA 'accidently' leaks a fewdetails pertaining to an upcoming sequel for the popular RTStitle Command & Conquer

Hardware News:

XFX Radeon HD 6850 Black Edition Video Card Review @Legit ReviewsDescription: There are a lot of video cards on the market todayto choose from, but when one shows up on the market withkiller performance at the $159 price point and a double lifetimewarranty it is worth a closer look. The XFX Radeon HD 6850Black Edition costs $20 more than the standard version, but itcomes factory overclocked and to some that is worth it. Readon to see how this card performs against a Radeon HD 5770 inboth single and CrossFire situations.

Auzentech X-Meridian 7.1 2G Review - XSReviewsDescription: Auzentech have been around for a few years nowand that's a good thing; as well as being impressive. Theyentered the sound card game when it was all about Creativeand they did so by simply taking a popular chip, the X-Fi, andthrowing it on a board of their own with some nice tweaks. Awinning formula. Now though, they're branching away fromthese roots with the re-tooled X-Meridian 7.1, named the 2g.Packing a C-Media CMI8788 audio processor with supportfor plenty of connectors, a daughter board and replacableOpAmps; audiophiles look like they're in for a treat. Let's seeif the rumours are true.

OCZ RevoDrive and Vertex 2 120GB SSD Review @Overclockers AustraliaDescription: Today we have the opportunity to benchmark apair of mainstream SSDs from OCZ's Vertex 2 and RevoDriveranges. These are separate products and quite differentimplementations of the SSD concept, but we're going toexamine them both in this article. So, let's see what eachvariant has to offer!

Corsair Hydro Series H70 CPU Cooler reviewDescription: In comparison to the previous Hydro H50, theH70 has cut its pump/waterblock height in half, measuringnow only 30mm. However it has boosted heat dissipation witha 48mm-thick radiator, double the previous model, and theaddition of a second fan. It still maintains a black finish andfeatures proprietary hoses that virtually eliminate evaporationof water, and due to the decrease in hose length and pumpheight, it now includes rotating connectors on the pump sideto help with varied mounting positions.

OCZ RevoDrive and Vertex 2 120GB SSDs ReviewDescription: The Vertex 2 follows the standard of a SATA3Gb/s data and SATA power connection as found in anynew mechanical hard drive and most SSDs. However theRevoDrive is a little more exotic, and utilises an x4 PCI-Express connection for even more bandwidth. Unlike earlierSSDs that utilised a PCI-Express interface, the RevoDrive isbootable, meaning that it can be used as primary system drive.

ASUS GTX 560 Ti DirectCU II Top review @ ocaholicDescription: With its GTX 560 Ti Direcet CU II Top, ASUSshows a factory overclocked version of the NVIDIAs latestmid-range GPU. Additionally this card got ASUS' powerfulDirectCU II cooler as well as an attractive design. Theoreticallythis card even has the potential to outperform a Radeon HD6950. Amongst other thigs this is what we'll show in thefollowing review.

PowerColor AX6950 PCS++ Video Card @ BenchmarkReviewsDescription: When is a 6950 not a 6950? Well, quite often,as it turns out. In the case of the PowerColor PCS++ RadeonHD 6950 video card, it just depends on which way you flipthe switch. Push it one way and you have a standard RadeonHD 6950, with 1408 shaders running at 800 MHz. Push it theother way and you have 1536 shaders running at 880 MHz,which is the exact configuration of the HD 6970. The onlydifference is! that PowerColor kept the 1250 MHz memorychips in the PCS++, instead of springing for the 1500 MHzmemory, like a real HD 6970 has. Join Benchmark Reviews


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as we investigate this unique product from PowerColor, that'ssure to cause some excitement in the marketplace.

ECS H67H2-M Black Motherboard Review @ MadshrimpsDescription: The H67H2-M Black motherboard from ECSis the most equipped from their H67 chipset series andincorporates technologies like USB 3.0, EZ Charger and DualGigabit LAN with teaming support. The board supports onlyIntel HD Graphics overclocking, the CPU overclocking bymultiplier is locked and the memory frequency is limited at1333MHz.

Build an Intel Sandy Bridge budget system - OcUK @ VortezDescription: "Today we will be doing something a littledifferent from the typical review/article. With many movingover to the Sandy Bridge platform due to the excellent price :performance ratio, those wanting to upgrade at the currenttime will be surely considering Sandy Bridge. But not everyonehas the cash to spend on a high-end system, and as our SandyBridge reviews have revealed - mainstream boards are nowat a much more affordable cost when compared to any otherplatform to launch. Mainstream performance comes at budgetpricing."


Angry Birds Available For Windows On Intel AppUp StoreDescription: Oh, happy day! Angry Birds is now available forthe PC. “But wait,” you say. “There’s no app store on Windows.How will I download it?” Don’t worry: Intel has you covered.

Backlit LED market drives digital TV semiconductor growthDescription: The market for digital TV (DTV) semiconductorswill see double digit growth in 2011, with backlit LED TVsleading the way.

Mionix Propus 380 Gaming Mouse pad @ TestFreaksDescription: Mionix who are known for their gamingaccessories have released a high performance gamingmousepad named the Propus 380. This oversized mousepad isdesigned to provide an ice like surface for a smooth glide whilestill maintaining the ability to have precise movements.

Motorola Atrix Review: Great Phone, Weak NetbookDescription: Saying that the Motorola Atrix is the best Androidphone isn't a big deal; that throne gets usurped every fewmonths. But even though the Atrix's accompanying laptopdock is slow and and expensive, the idea behind it is one of thefirst innovations in mobile technology in quite a while.

Motorola Atrix 4G Smartphone Performance Benchmarks @Legit ReviewsDescription: This morning AT&T began selling the MotorolaATRIX and since they are marketing it as the world's mostpowerful smartphone we had to buy one and take a look at theperformance of the phone compared to several other popularAndroid devices. How will the Motorola ATRIX do against theDroid X, Epic 4G and Droid Incredible on benchmarks likeLinpack, Quadrant and Nenamark? Read on to find out!

Antec SoundScience Rockus 3D 2.1 Speaker System Review @TweaknewsDescription: Antec's Soundscience has made an impressivelaunch into the PC speaker market with the Rockus 3d 2.1system. Not only can a buyer expect to hear sparkling highfrequencies, clear midrange and tight bass response, the 3D

sound adds a level of immersion to games and movies thatother 2.1 systems cannot reproduce.

BlackBerry Torch 9800: The Olympic Torch @ InsideHWDescription: Research in Motion (RIM), the company behindthe BlackBerry (BB) brand, has been one of the leadingsmartphone manufacturers for a while now. One of the mainreasons for their popularity is the focus on the businessenvironment, in both devices and services offered. A featurepresent in nearly all BB devices is the existence of a physicalQWERTY keyboard with separate keys, and starting with theStorm line, RIM has also delved into the area of touchscreens.Torch is their latest product that unifies these two worldswithin a single device, as well as providing the latest operatingsystem (OS), version 6, with significant advantages…

Gaming News:

Nintendo To Have Wii 2, Supports HD content ?Description: We have heard of various rumors on the Wii2 and possible potential but Nintendo made announcementabout four months ago, claiming the company any has got noimmediate plans to work on an upgrade to its existing Wiivideo game console.

"There is no next [Dissidia]" says Tetsuya NomuraDescription: As Dissidia 012: Duodecim Final Fantasyapproaches its Japanese release date, fans are speculatingon where the series will go from here. According to a recentissue of Dengeki PlayStation (translated by Andriasang) whenproducer Tetsuya Nomura was asked about the future of theseries, he replied "There is no next. We're thinking aboutending this pattern of Dissidia here." He also states that therewill not be an international re-release for the sequel afterlaunch as was the case with Dissidia Final Fantasy: UniversalTuning.

Command & Conquer Gets New Studio, Next Game in theFranchise Now in DevelopmentDescription: Nothing to see here is EA's clumsy response afterlaunching a website yesterday that reveals a new Commandand Conquer game is currently being developed by new studioVictory Games. The site and its details about the new C&Cgame have since been pulled, but the web, she sees all, and shenever forgets.

HP announces redesignedconsumer PC portfolioSource: http://vr-zone.com/articles/hp-announces-redesigned-consumer-

pc-portfolio/11309.html

February 23rd, 2011

HP has recently announced their newly redesigned consumerPC portfolio which include the Pavilion dv4, dv6, dv7, g4, g6,TouchSmart 610 and HPx2301 Micro Thin LED monitor . Theproducts are scheduled to to be available next month and inApril.


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HP has revealed a redesigned consumer PC portfolio at their"A New HP World" event in Shanghai, China, with sleek looksand latest technologies to enhance the way consumers connectto the people, entertainment and information that matter tothem to pursue and achieve their personal passions.

The new HP Pavilion dv series notebook PCs includeimpressive features such as HP CoolSense Technology, HPTrueVision HD webcam and HP SimplePass. Select modelsof the HP Pavilion dv series also feature Beats Audio for apowerful audio experience.

The latest HP TouchSmart610 Consumer PC reclines fromupright to almost flat, providing increased comfort for longer-term use and the freedom to position the TouchSmart610Consumer PC on a kitchen counter, or anywhere the familygathers.

HP Pavilion dv6 and dv7The HP Pavilion dv6 and dv7 boast performance,entertainment and security features that suit seamlessly intothe lives of users. Available in a dark umber metal finish,they use HP‘s exclusive Beats Audio that provide excellentdigital music. Both the Pavilion dv6 and dv7 also include newlyoptimized on-board quad speakers, and the dv7 features a HPTriple Bass Reflex Subwoofer for additional depth and power.

Available with up to second-generation Intel Core i3, i5 or i7processors and optional AMD Radeon graphics, the Paviliondv6 and dv7 provide enhanced performance. HP CoolSenseTechnology combines advanced hardware and intelligentcooling software for a notebook that feels noticeably cooler.The technology automatically adjusts cooling levels accordingto a customer‘s personal preferences.

HP Pavilion dv4

Designed to maximize user‘s multimedia experience, thePavilion dv4 expresses full PC functionality and performancewith up to second-generation Intel Core i3, i5 and i7 processorsand powerful AMD Radeon 6750M graphics. With a stylishexterior in Espresso Black lattice imprint, the notebook isjust 1.11-inch thin and weighs from 2.2kg. It features a 14-inch diagonal HD BrightView display and has an optionalintegrated Blu-Ray player. An integrated six-cell batteryprovides up to 6 hours of battery life.

HP Pavilion g-seriesThe new HP Pavilion g-series is ideal for the everyday user,offering up to second-generation Intel Core i3, i5 and i7processors, attractive designs at a great value. Available incharcoal grey and sonoma red, the Pavilion g-series notebooks– the Pavilion g4 and g6 – offer full connectivity for surfingthe Internet and connecting with friends . The notebooks alsoinclude a HD BrightView display, with Altec Lansing speakersand SRS Premium Audio for enjoying movies and music.

HP TouchSmart610 Consumer PCThe new HP TouchSmart610 Consumer PC offers increasedrange of motion, superior viewing and an intuitive touchexperience with a 23-inch diagonal high-definition (HD)display. It has touch-optimized applications from Facebook,Twitter, as well as HP‘s exclusive RecipeBox, webcam andmusic applications where users can add new applications viathe TouchSmart Apps Center . For the gaming enthusiast,select models of the TouchSmart610 Consumer PC areavailable with an exclusive HP touch-enabled version ofUbisoft‘s real-time strategy game, R.U.S.E.. It also featuresBeats Audio and the new HP LinkUp application for users towirelessly link a notebook PC to the TouchSmart using a homenetwork .


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Monitor that delivers your digital worldThe limited edition, stunning, multi-faceted 23 inch HP x2301Micro Thin LED monitor, features LED backlighting whichilluminates the display and an edge lit illumination around thescreen. The HP x2301 Micro Thin LED monitor comes in asleek, slim and sophisticated profile and full HD resolution.

Pricing and availability— The HP Pavilion dv4 starts from US$749 and will beavailable from mid March 2011 in Asia Pacific.— The HP Pavilion dv6 starts from US$799 and will beavailable from early March 2011 in Asia Pacific.— The HP Pavilion dv7 starts from US$899 and will beavailable from early March 2011 in Asia Pacific.— The HP Pavilion g4 and g6 starts from US$549 and will beavailable in March 2011 in Asia Pacific.— The HP TouchSmart610 Consumer PC is expected to beavailable in China from 28 February, Australia and NewZealand from 7 March and Hong Kong from 8 March. Thepricing starts from US$1,399.— The HPx2301 Micro Thin LED monitor is expected to beavailable in April 2011 in Asia Pacific, starting at USD$239.

Apple scheduled media eventto unveil iPad 2 on 2nd March?Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/apple-scheduled-media-event-to-

unveil-ipad-2-on-2nd-march-/11307.html

February 23rd, 2011

Numerous reports have surfaced suggesting that theCalifornia-based tech giants have plans for a media event on2nd March to introduce the much-anticipated next-generationiPad. Update: The rumours are true, Apple has started to sendout invites.

According to a report by All Things Digital, Apple hasscheduled a media event in the start of March where they aregoing to announce the upcoming iPad 2.

To those who intensely cares about this kind of stuff- which would be pretty much everyone in the techecosystem - Apple will hold its much-anticipated eventon March 2, where the tech giant seems poised tounveil a new version of its hugely successful iPad.

As in, iPad 2! Or, as BoomTown is now officiallynicknaming it: iPad Too!

The report goes on to say that the scheduled date is firm andthat the event will take place in San Francisco.

It's not clear when Apple will begin sending out itsfamous invites for gathering, but I am guessing soon,in order to get the Apple faithful to the proper level offroth.

Reuters also posted a story and they are also hearing that Applewill introduce the next iPad on the same day.

Apple will host an event on March 2, where thecompany is expected to take the wraps off the newestiPad model, an individual with knowledge of thesituation said. Apple declined to comment.

The New York Times also ran a similar story announcing thatApple will indeed introduce their flagship tablet on the secondday of March.

Now people with knowledge of the matter say thatApple will host an event on Wednesday, March 2 toshowcase its new iPad.

If true, Apple should be sending out media invites for the eventin the following days.

Update: Engadget just posted on their site that they'vereceived the following media invite from Apple indeedscheduled on 2nd March. As you can see, they are very likelygoing to announce the next iPad from the teaser invite.

Refreshed 13-inch MacBookPro specs leaked, Intel's LightPeak known as Thunderbolt?Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/refreshed-13-inch-macbook-pro-specs-

leaked-intel-s-light-peak-known-as-thunderbolt-/11306.html


5

February 23rd, 2011

Earlier today, leaked photos and specs of Apple's upcoming13-inch MacBook Pro hit the Internet and through the leakedimages, we discover this shocking symbol. Is that Light Peak?Well...

It seems that according to this leaked image, Apple hasincorporated Light Peak into their new machines under thename "Thunderbolt". And it seems that the new Thunderboltport will be a hybrid port found on the new 13-inch MacBookPro, sharing the port with the DisplayPort.

No delay of iPad 2 and iPhone5?Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/no-delay-of-ipad-2-and-

iphone-5-/11305.html

February 23rd, 2011

Just yesterday, there were a pair of analyst reports thatsuggests Apple's upcoming iPad 2 and iPhone 5 will see a delayon their launches due to "issues" with production. But now,there is a chorus of denials on those claims.

Barron's and Reuters are now refuting the claim that the next-generation iPhone 5 and the upcoming iPad 2 is delayed forshipping and will arrive consumers' hands later.

According to The Loop's Jim Dalrymple, these claims ofdelayed iPad 2 and iPhone 5 launch are simply untrue.While he did mention that he does not know when the next-

generation versions of Apple's flagship iOS devices will beavailable, he explicitly mentions that any "delays" are false andeverything is going like clockwise on Apple's side.

From what I've heard this morning both products areon schedule and will ship when they are supposed to.Only Apple knows exactly when that will be, but theproducts are not delayed.

In addition, Dalrymple goes on to note the phenomenon of"delays" for products that haven't even been announced to thepublic.

It seems amazing that rumors of Apple missingproduct deadlines are running rampant when Applehasn't even announced the product yet. The onlydeadlines that have been set are by the media, notApple.

Having said that, the iPhone 5 and iPad 2 are notdelayed.

Without delays, Apple is expected to launch the next iPadbetween March and April, and June-July window for the next-generation iPhone.

GlacialTech Unleashes NewNotebook CoolersSource: http://vr-zone.com/articles/glacialtech-unleashes-new-notebook-

coolers/11303.html

February 23rd, 2011

GlacialTech, provider of cooling, power supply and PCenclosure solutions for consumers and industrial applicators,has released the V-Shield Series Cooling Pads.

GlacialTech, provider of cooling, power supply and PCenclosure solutions for consumers and industrial applicators,has released the V-Shield Series Cooling Pads.


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V-Shield Series V3

V-Shield Series V5

First up, we have the V3, which measures 340 x 310 x 59mm. Itsupports netbooks/ notebooks up to 15.6”, has anti-slip padsat the bottom, one USB 2.0 port, and is cooled by a 120mmLED fan. The V5, available in red (V5R) or blue colors (V5B),measures 345 x 340 x 43mm. It has two USB 2.0 ports, supportnetbooks/ notebooks up to 15.6", a perforated metal meshsurface, and is cooled by a 200mm LED fan.

V-Shield Series V7

Last but not least, we have the V7. Measuring 350 x 335x 45.5mm and weighing 1.3kg, the aluminum cooler hastwo USB 2.0 ports, four rubber feet, supports laptops up to15.6", and is equipped with a 200mm LED fan for cooling.Availability and pricing is unknown.

Nokia launches E7 businessphone in Singapore, availablenowSource: http://vr-zone.com/articles/nokia-launches-e7-business-phone-in-

singapore-available-now/11300.html

February 23rd, 2011

Today, Nokia announced their new E7 that claims to be "TheUltimate Business Smartphone" in Singapore, designed formobile professionals. The E7 is available now.


7

Vlasta Berka, general manager of Nokia Singapore,Malaysiaand Brunei, gave an opening speech and talked abt the trendof users who are using their smartphones for business.

"More and more users are using their personal smartphones ormobile devices for business use. According to IDC, this trendis the biggest contributor to the growth of business mobileemail. It is also forecast by 2014, there is going to be roughly62 percent of all mobile devices being used are in the businessmobility area. But 60 percent of those are personal devices thatare being used in the business and enterprise areas."

Antony Wilson, head of marketing for Nokia Singapore,Malaysia and Brunei, was next to introduce the E7smartphone and its various features which include the 4-inch ClearBlack touchscreen display, QWERTY keyboard,8-megapixel camera, mobile office, security, and socialnetworks.

So, how will the company convince customers that they willhave the support, say one or two years time, especially whensecurity features get updated fairly frequently?

"Nokia has got over 200 million Symbian-based devices on themarket and have also announced to sell another 150 million(or excess of 150 million) Symbian-based devices, which isclose to half a billion in the market. This is by far the largestinstall-base of any other platform and manufacturing in themarket. While the Windows Phone 7 is going to be the primarysmartphone for the Finnish company, we will be mad notto look after the customers. What we have got in store arenumber of improvements and very robust roadmap. For theremainder of this year, we are expecting to release in excessof 50 improvements to the Symbian platform. They will range

from enhancement in performance and functionalities, for thewhole range" says Berka.

According to Berka, the company is working on thetransformation and transitioning from Nokia Ovi Store onspecific levels. and what will happen to Ovi Store and MicrosoftMarketplace. There isn't a lot of details released yet, thoughthe intention is to port the content into Marketplace and Nokiawill be working with the developers to do so. Nokia will alsobe making sure to look into new and innovative areas in termsof content.

Genius Announces Navigator905 Vogue MouseSource: http://vr-zone.com/articles/genius-announces-navigator-905-

vogue-mouse/11302.html

February 23rd, 2011

KYE Systems Corp. (or Genius), manufacturer of the first scrollwheel mouse (Genius EasyScroll) in 1995, has unveiled theNavigator 905 Vogue wireless mouse.

KYE Systems Corp. (or Genius), manufacturer of the first scrollwheel mouse (Genius EasyScroll) in 1995, has unveiled theNavigator 905 Vogue wireless mouse.


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The mouse boasts a stylish diamond-pattern design, BlueEyeadvanced optical tracking technology (works on any surface),storage slots for the wireless dongle, two buttons, ‘MagicRoller’ scroll-wheel technology, and connects to the PC via a2.4 GHz RF wireless interface. Powered by one AAA battery,the Navigator 905 Vogue is available through major resellersand e-tailers at a MSRP of US$45.

News via [Techshout]

AMD has "no plans" to entersmartphone marketSource: http://vr-zone.com/articles/amd-has-no-plans-to-enter-

smartphone-market/11299.html

February 23rd, 2011

While Intel still valiantly attempts to make a break into themobile and embedded space with its x86 processors, it seemsthat AMD has already given up the fight even before starting.According to a statement made by the company's interim CEO,AMD has got no plans at the moment about even thinkingof making a break into the highly competitive mobile andembedded segement. On a brighter node, it appears that thecompany's line of Fusion APUs are performing much betterthan expected.

The market for processors and highly-integrated System-on-a-chip (SoCs) is currently all for ARM and its licensees to take atthe moment, and it seems that the status quo is not about to seeany sudden upsets, at least in the near future. After all, almostevery single smartphone and tablet out on the market todaymake use of an ARM-based SoC save for a few niche devicesthat sport full-fledged Atom processors.

Apparently, this current state of affairs is all the informationneeded to convince AMD that it does not stand much of achance in successfully breaking ARM's dominance in thatmarket segment. In a statement made by AMD's interim CEO,Thomas Seifert put an end to any further speculation bydeclaring that the company has no plans to make an entry intothe smartphone chip market, even though it has an extremelylow power, 1W chip up its sleeves in the form of its Bobcatprocessor which is currently being used by Acer for its newWindows 7-based tablet.

"We have no intention of entering the smartphone space atthis point of time. We are not in the process of developing[a] baseband [chip] and this is a clear statement. Thereare enough players in the is market that have a hard timeearning money," he said, when asked about AMD's plans forthe smartphone market at the Goldman Sachs Internet andTechnology Conference.

On a brighter note, it would seem that AMD's Fusion strategymight well be starting to pay off handsomely. Accordingto a report on DigiTimes, unusually high demand for thecompany's 40mm Ontario and Zacate processors is causingsupply for the aforementioned chips to dry up. To remedy theissue, AMD has reportedly started stocking up on its inventorylevels and placed new orders for more processing capabilityfrom TSMC.

Windows 7 SP1: Now availablefor downloadSource: http://vr-zone.com/articles/windows-7-sp1-now-available-for-

download/11298.html

February 23rd, 2011


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Do you see that Update button hiding inside the Control Panelin your copy of Windows 7? Well, now is the best time toactually start making use of it if you have not been doingso. That is because Microsoft has just released the highly-awaited SP1 update for its popular operating system for publicdownload.

Well, everybody asked for it, and it would seem that Microsofthas finally delivered. Remember the few stories we ranabout the highly overdue SP1 update for Microsoft's current-generation operating system, Windows 7? Yep, it seems thatthe day has finally come for all Windows 7 users to hit the'Check for Updates' button on Microsoft/Windows Updateand start patching the world's most popular operating systemagainst from the few security vulnerabilities that it has beenexposed to in the past year of its life.

As we have stated before, SP1 for Windows 7 does not offerany new user-centric features, so you might want to shelf allexpectations of seeing some random new option pop up inWindows 7's Control Panel after applying the update. Thatbeing said, what you should preparing yourself for whenyou reach home today is a very, very long updating process.According to Microsoft, the 32-bit version of SP1` for Windows7 sports an astronomical package size of 755MB, while the 64-bit version throws all notion of size out the window with acombined size of 1GB.

Needless to say, you will want to hit the 'Update Now' buttonand leave your PC or notebook on overnight while Windowsdoes its work uninterrupted. Here's hoping your ISP is up tothe task of dealing with larger-than-usual data consumptionstonight: after all, nobody wants to see the dreaded 'ServicePack failed to install' error message, right?

Rumour: Nintendo Wii 2will feature support for HDcontent?Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/rumour-nintendo-wii-2-will-feature-

support-for-hd-content-/11297.html

February 23rd, 2011

Nintendo may have kept its lips tightly sealed over thepossibility of releasing an updated Wii console to competeagainst the likes of the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, but itseems that the heat competition might be finally starting toget to the Japanese console maker. While the company hasconfirmed that a console refresh is a distinct possibility, itwould seem that Nintendo might have a little extra somethingplanned for the new machine. Read on to find out more.

Barely four months ago, Nintendo made an announcementclaiming that the company has got no immediate plans to workon an upgrade to its existing Wii video game console. And itsreason was as simple as it could get: its current sales numbersdid not justify the pouring of additional resources into creatinga successor for the current-generation console.

To top it off, Nintendo's US president Reggie Fils-Aime bluntlytold the media back then that that would be no talk of such aconsole until the company could meet its sales targets:

"As we sit here today we're saying the Wii has many,many more units to sell. After we've reached aninstalled base of 45m here in the US we can have aconversation about the next generation."

Apparently, Nintendo seem to have backtracked on its words,for the company's European MD of Marketing was reportedlytelling a reporter from Edge that there will (eventually) be aWii 2. And when the time is right to release the Wii's successorout to the retail market, it will still sport the optical drive as themain medium for gameplay, although digital game downloadswill still be supported.

But that is not all. According to the predictions made byMichael Patcher, an analyst with Wedbush, the Wii 2 will comewith support for HD content, if only because the console makeris already trailing far behind the competition in this aspect.

Of course, much of this information is made up of nothingmore than speculations from consumers and analysts, so it is


10

highly prudent that readers take these details with nothing lessthan a truckload's worth of salt.

Apple iPad 2 shipmentsdelayed from April to June?Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/apple-ipad-2-shipments-delayed-from-

april-to-june-/11293.html

February 23rd, 2011

Apple's upcoming next-generation iPad is expected to beannounced later this month and shipped out to consumers'hands by April. But according to a note, the iPad may bedelayed from April to June.

As reported by Bloomberg, they cited a research note byYuanta Securities Co. with the claims of the much-anticipatediPad 2 meeting production issues and thus, a delay inshipment.

The report by Vincent Chen and Alison Chen, analystsat Yuanta, cited ?production bottlenecks? at HonHai Precision Industry Co. after Apple made designchanges before the Lunar New year.

With the delay in release of the next iPad, this might just givea small gap of oppurtunity for the Andriod 3.0 tablets, whicha number are to be launced in April and May.

Motorola confirms a specialfeature on Xoom for AndroidenthusiastsSource: http://vr-zone.com/articles/motorola-confirms-a-special-feature-

on-xoom-for-android-enthusiasts/11296.html

February 23rd, 2011

Motorola has had its fair share of criticism from theAndroid hacker community, especially with its less-than-friendly policies regarding any act of ROM or firmwaremodification. However, the latest news from the companyseems to hint at a complete about-turn of Motorla's Androidstrategy: apparently, the upcoming Xoom tablet will sporta certain feature that should make it highly sought afterby the aforementioned enthusiasts. How does the ability to

install custom ROMs legitimately into your Xoom sounds like?*Note: the image shown above is NOT that of the real MotorolaXoom's bootloader screen!

Installing custom ROMs on a smartphone is always consideredto be an act that resides well within the grey area betweenmaking legal or illegal modifications to one's device. However,the case for smartphones based off Google's Android operatingsystem is a lot more complex, as its open nature means thattechnically anybody who is savvy enough can potentially cookup their own custom ROM and release it for public use whilebeing covered by the various open-source licenses governingthe use of Android.

Unfortunately, as far as most OEMs are concerned, thevery act of rooting an Android-powered smartphone to gainaccess to its bootloader is an instant passport to voidingone's warranty. But once again, it would seem that certainflagship products are exempt from the need to lock down thedevice's bootloader. In an announcement made on a Twitter,Motorola's mobile department has confirmed that the Xoomwill sport an unlockable bootloader, just like the Nexus Sbefore it. And lest you think we are making this up, here is theactual Twit in all its glory:

So what will this mean for both end-users and developers?Well, simply put, it appears to be a win-win situation for allparties involved. End-users who desire a more customizedversion of Android are free to load up the Xoom withcustomized Android ROMs for their own use without havingto worry about tripping any electronic security mechanism (ifany) found in the tablet. On the other hand, developers arefree to perform all kinds of hacks on both the Xoom and itsfirmware to further tweak the device and fix certain bugs, ifneed be.


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*This is NOT the real bootloader screen for the MotorolaXoom!

Still, whether Motorola will continue to offer the freedom of anunlocked bootloader in future tablet and smartphone offeringsremains to be seen. However, it would also seem that theability to install custom ROMs without having to worry abouttreading into what is essentially a legal minefield out theredefinitely more than makes up for the lack of Flash support inthe initial batch of Xoom tablets to hit retail shelves, don't youthink?


feb-2011/11292.html

February 23rd, 2011

In today's news roundup: Gigabyte is expected to launch anew overclocker-friendly motherboard, the X58-OC, whichwill supposedly feature various options not found on standardenthusiasts boards; Intel finally updates its aging Itaniumlineup with the new Poulson processor; Microsoft charts outits ambitious plans to sway cloud computing and software-as-a-service applications to its fold via an extremely largeecosystem based on Windows 7, Internet Explorer andWindows Live; Apple's draconian restrictions pertaining toin-app subscriptions has drawn friendly-fire from evebn itsown partners; Gran Turismo 5 gets an update, and Sonyhas been rumoured to be hard at work on a new version ofthe PlayStation 3 console that cannot be compromised by themaster key discovered by 'geohotz' and the fail0verflow group.

Hardware News:

ATi Forum.de investigates the top AIB of 2011. Lastyear, Sapphire won and so how will it end this year?The contenders for this year are Sapphire, HIS, ASUS,XFX, PowerColor, MSI, Club3D, Gigabyte, Vertex3D, GeCubeand, Diamond. The survey runs until 21 April 2011 so cast yourvotes today.

PQI 64GB SDXC Class 10 Flash Memory Card Review @ LegitReviewsDescription: The 64GB PQI SDXC card has a very impressivestorage capacity with respectable performance numbers. Forexample the Canon EOS Rebel 550D/T2i DSLR camerarecords HD video and the user's manual recommends atleast Class 6 memory cards in order to record 1080p videosmoothly. The PQI 64GB SDXC card should be able to keep upwhen recording 1080p video and images in continuous burstmode. Having a card that pushes 20MB/s read and write alsomeans you can easily offload all of images and videos from thememory card to computer...

Corsair Vengeance 12GB DDR3 1600 CL9 Memory Review onTechnic3D (German)Description: (Machine translation) The Corsair Vengeance12GB DDR3 1600 CL9 Memory-Kit arrived Technic3D.Technic3D will see as good they are with Overclockingagainst the G.Skill Trident, Mushkin Ridgeback and CorsairDominator Memory Kits on Windows 7 64 Bit and theGigabyte X58 Extreme Mainboard. You can see 1.932MHz(1,65V) with 9-11-11-24 (2T) and more in the following Review.

Corsair Graphite 600T Computer Case @ Benchmark ReviewsDescription: It seems that vanity has no limit, as there aren'tmany markets more entwined in style and appearance thanthe consumer electronics industry. It makes sense, since theseare called Personal Computers, after all. Identity is everythingto consumers, which is what makes computer cases such apersonal choice for system builders. Corsair is helping tomake these decisions a little easier for enthusiasts by offeringtheir Corsair Graphite 600T computer case. Like most thingsthat come from this performance-orientated company, theGraphite series of computer enclosures delivers what peoplewant most. In this article, Benchmark Reviews investigates theCC600T model for functionality and value.

Crucial Ballistix Tracer Black PC3-12800 Review @ OCIA.netDescription: What always surprises me about computermemory, is that for months it can hover around the same pricerange, and then seemingly overnight the bottom will dropout. About this time last year I was reviewing some BallistixTracer Red in a 4Gb dual channel kit, and now they have thatsame pair listed for half the cost, even less at some onlineretailers. As far as I can determine, prices fell through the floorsometime between the holidays and prior to CES 2011 lastmonth. For those users still on DDR2 who have been holdingoff on a memory upgrade, waiting for prices to come down,now may be the perfect opportunity to do so.

ASUS GeForce GTX 580 DirectCU II Review @ OverclockersAustraliaDescription: ASUS kick-started the year with a new rangeof non-reference Radeon HD 6900 and GeForce GTX 500series graphics cards, both featuring an exclusive DirectCU IIcooler with copper heat pipes and twin cooling fans. Todaywe overclock and test the GTX 580 version - let's see if it's aworthwhile addition to their range.

Micron: Our 25nm NAND Flash Memory Is Perfectly Fine.Description: Transition of NAND flash memorymanufacturing to 25nm fabrication process seems to haverun into issues. Some customers of OCZ Technology havecomplained about lower capacities of solid-state drives based


12

on 25nm memory and also their lower performance. ButMicron Technology, the maker of 25nm NAND flash memory,claims that the memory itself has the same reliability asprevious-generation and competing makers of SSDs are to beblamed.

Intel updates Itanuim architecture with PoulsonDescription: Intel is finally starting to talk about the upcomingPoulson chip, the first real update to the Itanium architecturein years. While the chip may be huge and technically complex,it is hard to see anyone other than die-hard HP big iron shopsactually caring.

Gigabyte to release X58-OC overclockers moboDescription: Gigabyte is working on a new X58 motherboardtotally pimped up and designed for overclocking, as theirblog reported. The new color schema is quite wicked alright,anyway the mobo will be called the X58-OC and will come withfour PCIe x16 slots and one PCI slot.

Consumer Electronics and Software news:

Microsoft's strategy for cloud devices and developmentof relevant applications: Establish a complete computingarchitecture of Cloud plus Client based on Windows 7, IE 9.0,and Windows LiveDescription: Estimates by IDC, Gartner, Strategy Analytics,and Wall Street analysts show that the global PC shipmentin 2014 would be at least 50% higher than 2010, and 18% ofthe growth would come from notebooks, compared to only1% from desktops. According to Jochen Siegl, manager ofODM Business Development, Microsoft, it is obvious thatuntypical computing devices such as notebooks, netbooks,and smartphones are replacing desktops and becomingmainstream products in the market, but this also helps extendthe average product life cycle of PCs.

Apple Smacks Readability In The Face With SubscriptionRules; All SaaS In TroubleDescription: We’ve already been over (and over and over andover and over) Apple’s new iOS subscription rules. And theinitial backlash has seemingly cooled down as everyone hasmoved on to the next hot topic of the hour. But it’s pretty clearthat this issue is going to keep surfacing, because it really doesscrew a lot of developers. And sure enough, it’s already backtoday.

Google May Kill Chrome URL BarDescription: Google is working on a “major” overhaul of itsChrome browser user interface (UI). Among the options onthe table is the elimination of the URL bar, which could bethe most significant UI change to the web browser since itsinvention. Another feature that appears to be already signedoff is the support of multiple user profiles that can be used inparallel.

Antec Rockus 3D SoundScience 2.1 Speaker System Review@Hi Tech LegioDescription: The Antec Rockus 3D SoundScience 2.1 SpeakerSystem is Antec's entry product into the sound market. TheRockus 2.1 Speaker System offers out-of-the-box professionalquality sound. The Rockus contains two 25 Watt satellitespeakers constructed out of anodized aluminum that offerclear highs and mids. There is a 100 Watt active subwooferwith a passive radiator that creates an extended low

frequency response. Total output for the Ruckus is 150 Watts.SoundScience has also added 3Dsst™. This technology usesdigital sound processing algorithms to simulate a surroundsound environment. Inputs include 3.5mm, RCA, and optical(TOSLINK).

Windows Phone 7 update bricks some Samsung usersDescription: Uh oh – bad news for Microsoft. After releasingthe Windows Phone 7 update this week, some folks have endedup with an unusable phone and no way of fixing them savea factory reset or returning them to the store. Although theproblem is said to only affect a limited number of people, itmakes you wonder whether Microsoft’s decision of pushingout the updates themselves was a good decision to make.Hopefully this issue gets resolved sooner than later and won’thappen again in the future. On the bright side, this was onlya minor update and not the long-awaited copy paste updatefor the phone – Microsoft could learn from this mistakes tomake the next update a better experience for those who gottheir devices bricked this time around. How many of you havehad problems updating your Windows Phone 7 device?

Sony makes neon-hued VAIO CA, CB officialDescription: Sony on Tuesday took the second of its notebookconcepts into reality on Tuesday by launching the VAIO CAand CB. The line comes in a wrap-around translucent plasticand has the option of rare neon orange and green hues thatcreate a "glow" around the edges and the trackpad; black,white and (in Europe) pink are also available. TV integration isa cornerstone as they both have the option of WiDi 2.0 wirelessvideo streaming to an adapter as well as Remote Keyboard tosteer menus and the keyboard on a Bravia TV, Blu-ray playeror PS3.

Windows Phone 7 update updates updaterDescription: Microsoft has finally shipped an update toWindows Phone 7. Unfortunately, this is not the long-awaitedcopy-and-paste update. For that, we still have to wait untilMarch. No, this new update updates Windows Phone 7'supdate mechanism. It's an update to allow next month'supdate to actually work properly.

Gaming news:

Sony Developing Hack-Proof PS3?Description: Sony is currently working on a 'hack-proof'PlayStation 3 as a counter-measure against recent piracyconcerns, according to EverythingHQ.

Donations pour in for PS3 hacker; Sony court battle continuesDescription: George Hotz is in the middle of what could bea long, punishing legal battle with Sony, and his money isrunning out. "Media, I need your help. This is the first time Ihave ever asked. Please, if you support this cause, help me outand spread the word," he wrote on his newest blog entry. "Iwant, by the time this goes to trial, to have Sony facing some ofthe hardest hitting lawyers in the business. Together, we canhelp fix the system."

GT5 update revs onto PS3Description: Sony Computer Entertainment Hong Kongrecently announced a new online update for Gran Turismo5 that is now available upon starting up the game. The


13

new update adds a slew of features, including remote racingbetween PSN friends to level up their drivers.

Lenovo launches six newThinkPad laptopsSource: http://vr-zone.com/articles/lenovo-launches-six-new-thinkpad-

laptops/11295.html

February 23rd, 2011

Lenovo has launched six new ThinkPad laptops - T420s, T420,T520, L420, L520 and W520 - based on the second generationIntel Core and Core vPro processors. The ThinkPads arescheduled to be available in March.

Lenovo has announced six new ThinkPad laptops - the T420s,T420, T520, L420, L520 and W520 - that claim to maximizeperformance and offer higher productivity for mobile businessprofessionals.

The ultra-thin, sub 1.8kg ThinkPad T420s speeds up boot time30 percent with Lenovo Enhanced Experience 2.0; the T420boasts battery life of up to 30 hours with extended battery;the W520 mobile workstation offers twice the performanceof previous models; and the L Series gives users recognizedThinkPad durability at exceptional value.

Smart PC Power & Performance ManagementThe new laptops incorporate self-aware and adaptivetechnologies to sense where power is needed most. WithIntel Turbo Boost Technology 2.0, it can increase processorspeed during performance intensive tasks such as videoediting, and 3D applications. Incorporating Lenovo TurboBoost+, it enables laptops to stay in Turbo Boost even longerby keeping processor temperatures below required thermallimits. In this way, the notebook PCs can achieve up to 30percent longer battery life.

Extended Battery LifeWith its standard 9-cell battery, the ThinkPad T420 deliversup to 15 hours of battery life, while the T420s offersup to 10 hours with its 6-cell and optional optical bay

battery combined. For extreme battery life requirements,the ThinkPad T420, with its standard 9-cell battery andoptional 9-cell slice battery, provides up to 30 hours ofcomputing power. The business class laptops also featureNVIDIA Optimus that switches graphics automatically; the TSeries and W Series laptops provide 33 percent better batteryperformance over previous discrete graphics models.

Ease of UseLenovo’s Instant Resume helps to maintain wirelessconnection on the laptop during sleep mode for up to 99minutes, eliminating the need to login and reconnect. TheThinkPad T420s claims to be the first business class notebookto offer Dolby Home Theater v4 for clearer audio quality.

Pricing and AvailabilityThe ThinkPad T, L and W Series will be available starting inMarch from Lenovo business partners and www.lenovo.com.Pricing for the T420s, T420, T520, L420, L520 and W520starts at approximately US$1,329, US$779, US$909, US$719,US$719 and US$1,329, respectively.

Additional details on Intel'sZ68 and Patsburg modelsSource: http://vr-zone.com/articles/additional-details-on-intel-s-z68-and-

patsburg-models/11294.html

February 23rd, 2011

It didn't take long for additional details to make its way onlineabout Intel's Z68 motherboards that we wrote about earliertoday and now a slide detailing both models have appearedover at Xfastest which gives a lot more details than whatwe'd seen so far. It also gives us a few additional details ofIntel's upcoming consumer focused Patsburg chipset modelscodenamed Siler and Thorsby that we wrote about a few weeksago.

It didn't take long for additional details to make its way onlineabout Intel's Z68 motherboards that we wrote about earliertoday and now a slide detailing both models have appearedover at Xfastest which gives a lot more details than whatwe'd seen so far. It also gives us a few additional details ofIntel's upcoming consumer focused Patsburg chipset modelscodenamed Siler and Thorsby that we wrote about a few weeksago.

Also on the roadmap are details of Intel's first H61 model, theDH61AG which is a mini-ITX board. Although the H61 chipsetis Intel's budget chipset, this board has a few extra featuresthat you don't normally get as standard with it, such as SATA6Gbps and USB 3.0 support. The board will also sport DVI andHDMI connectivity and SO-DIMM slots, the latter most likelyto save space on the PCB. It's also interesting to note that Intel


14

labels this as a thin-AIO (All-in-One) board which means itmight be a low profile board.

As for the Z68 boards, first up we have the mediafocused DZ68DB which will offer USB 3.0 and SATA6Gbps connectivity as well as DVI, HDMI and DisplayPortconnectors. It's clear that this isn't the board most peoplehave been waiting for, but if you want an ATX size board thathas a good selection of display outputs alongside overclockingabilities and RAID support, this might be the one for you.

The board that is interesting in this case is the DZ68BC whichagain sports USB 3.0 and SATA 6Gbps, but it also offers apair of x16 PCI Express slots (in dual x8 configuration), afeature that should appeal to high-end users and the reasonwhy this board is located in Intel's Extreme range of boards.The DZ68BC also offers Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity viaa USB adapter (a feature Intel is already offering on some of itsother boards) and it does of course feature overclocking andRAID support. There's no mention of any display outputs onthis board, although we'd guess there is at least one port onthe board.

As for the Patsburg boards, well, still no model number, butthe Siler model is now listed as the DXxxSI so all that's left forIntel to insert is the expect 68 or 78 numbers in the middle(for X68 or X78) depending on what the company decidesit want to call its next high-end chipset. The Thorsby is nowthe DXxxTO and shared features between the two modelsinclude dual x16 PCI Express slots, although it might be worthpointing out that these are PCI Express 3.0 slots and bothboards also sports eight DIMMs (four more than we expected),USB 3.0 connectivity, most likely SATA 6Gbps even thoughit isn't mentioned, but it's part of the chipset spec and ofcourse overclocking and RAID support. The DXxxSI also offersdual Ethernet ports, most likely of the Gigabit variety and theDXxxTO sports a TPM module.

It's interesting that Intel has chosen to go with eight DIMMs,as this means two DIMMs per channel as the LGA-2011 SandyBridge-E processors use quad channel memory. However, asthe memory controller will throttle the memory speed if youadd more than one DIMM per channel, this seems like a badmove on a consumer motherboard as it could have a potentialnegative impact on the system performance. Pictures thatleaked of a somewhat blurred out MSI board about a monthago showed that MSI had decided to go with only one DIMMper channel for a total of four DIMMs and we're not sure whyIntel didn't do the same.

According to this roadmap we're looking at the H61 chipsetto arrive fairly shortly and the Z68 towards the end of thishalf of the year, at least if the scale is corresponding tolaunch dates. This falls in line with what we said in ourearlier post today with most Z68 chipset boards launching atComputex. As for the Patsburg based boards, well, it looks likewe're in for a longer wait here and we're hearing late Q3 orearly Q4, suggesting a potential IDF San Francisco launch inSeptember. So for all of those of you waiting for new chipsetsand motherboards, sadly you're going to have to wait a bitlonger as Intel doesn't seem to be in too much of a hurry at themoment.

Zalman Unveils 135mm ZM-F4FanSource: http://vr-zone.com/articles/zalman-unveils-135mm-zm-f4-

fan/11291.html

February 23rd, 2011

Korean cooling specialist Zalman has announced the 135mmZM-F4 fan, targeting overclocking enthusiasts. Measuring 135x 135 x 25mm and weighing 151g, it can be installed on 120mmmounting fan holes and has a MTBF of 50,000 hours. TheZM-F4 Fan can operate at speeds of up to 1,300RPM (at26dBa) and is bundled with Anti-Vibration Silicone Pins anda Resistor Cable (to control fan speed and noise).

ZALMAN PRESS RELEASE

It is our pleasure to introduce Zalman NEW fan, ZM-F4. Thereare many Case fans in the market, but they only restrict the sizeup to 120mm for the normal cases. With our ZM-F4, you don’thave to worry about what kind of cases you have. Once yourcase can support 120mm fans, then you can just go ahead withour new ZM-F4 to enjoy bigger 135mm Fan for higher CFM.

Please check for your cases if they have mounting holes for120mm Case fans, then you are ready for ZM-F4!

Like our Case fan series, ZM-F4 comes with Silicone pins foranti-vibration operation with RC56 (Resistor) to lower fanspeed for lower operation noise.

Please go thru below for further information of ZM-F4

Super Talent ReadiesCoreStore Series SSDsSource: http://vr-zone.com/articles/super-talent-readies-corestore-series-

ssds/11290.html


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February 23rd, 2011

Well-known flash storage and memory maker Super Talentis preparing to introduce its CoreStore line-up of SSDs.Featuring mini PCIe/ PCIe interfaces, they boast a Marvell88NV9143 controller, MLC (multi-level cell) or SLC (single-level cell) NAND flash memory, and support data transferrates up to 350Mb/s (read) and 80Mb/s (write) for MLCmodels and 350Mb/s (read) and 220Mb/s (write) for SLCvariants. The CoreStore SSDs are available in capacitiesranging from 16Gb to128Gb.

SUPER TALENT PRESS RELEASE

San Jose, California - February 21th, 2011 - Super TalentTechnology, a leading manufacturer of Flash storage solutionsand DRAM memory modules, today announced theirCoreStore TMline of SSD solutions designed to bring a newlevel of performance to the SSD market. By combining the verylatest Marvel controller (88NV9143), new DDR ONFi 2 flashand plugging directly to the PCIe bus, Super Talent is now ableto create two solutions that deliver unforeseen performance.

Available in two standard formats, mini-PCIe and PCIe Card,Super Talent has a drive to fit many popular applications. Themini-PCIe card (30mm x 50.95mm) is perfect for embeddedapplications, Industrial PCs, All-in-One PCs, Netbook PCs,Notebooks. Don't have a min-PCIe slot, Super Talent alsooffers a version of this product that will plug directly into astandard PCIe card slot; perfect for any Desktop PC. Note Gen2 PCI slot required for top speeds.

"By utilizing our relationships with both first tier controllermanufactures and DDR flash manufactures, we are able tocreate innovate solutions such as the CoreStore SSD and offerthem to our customers before anyone else.", CH Lee COO ofSuperTalent.

YouTube Demohttpwww.youtube.comgosupertalent#pu01ySFYRYuz8s

Available March 2011

About Super Talent Technology

Super Talent Technology Corporation based in San Jose,California, designs and manufactures a full range of DDR,DDR2, and DDR3 memory modules and Flash based storagedevices for computers and consumer electronics. An ISO 9001certified company, Super Talent utilizes its state- of- the-art factories and leading-edge components to produce awardwinning products with outstanding reliability. Super Talent isan active member of the JEDEC and ONFI standards bodies.With over 250 patents, the company was ranked 38th in the2009 Wall Street Journal's Patent ScorecardTM for the ITindustry.

Sony Singapore unveilsnew products at "InspiringInnovation" launch for 2011Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/sony-singapore-unveils-new-products-

at-inspiring-innovation-launch-for-2011/11288.html

February 23rd, 2011

This morning, Sony Singapore held their "InspiringInnovation" 2011 product launch at Marina Bay SandsConvention and Expo, showcasing the new products this year.

Taisuke Nakanishi, managing director of Sony South EastAsia, was at the event and said that this year, the companywill launch products that can enhance, engage and redefine theviewing experience.

The products unveiled at the launch include full high-definition (HD) 3D-capable BRAVIA LCD TVs, Cyber-shot cameras, Handycam camcorders and VAIO personalcomputers.


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For the BRAVIA HDTV lineup, there will be 26 new models,with eleven 3D-capable and 20 Internet TVs in the 2011lineup. Some of the new models will also incorporate Sony'snew X-Reality PRO and X-Reality Engine digital videoprocessors to produce the best picture. The new BRAVIA rangeinclude BRAVIA HX925 with LED backlight and supports 3D(available in May); 3D-capable BRAVIA NX720 (availablein April); BRAVIA EX720 with LED backlight and supports3D;BRAVIA BX420 and BX320 (both scheduled for March).

GIGABYTE GA-X58A-OCOverclocking FeaturesPreviewSource: http://vr-zone.com/articles/gigabyte-ga-x58a-oc-overclocking-

features-preview/11262.html

February 23rd, 2011

The folks at GIGABYTE have released a set of picturesshowcasing their upcoming Intel X58 Express chipset-basedoverclocking motherboard, the GA-X58A-OC. There are quitea number of cool features on the board, so we shall take a quicklook at them. Join us!

It appears that both GIGABYTE and us at VR-Zone.com sharethe same thought: the Intel X58 Express platform is farfrom dead. During a period where Intel's new 'Sandy Bridge'seemingly rules the roost, the motherboard maker is aboutto officially introduce its GA-X58A-OC motherboard, based

on the Intel X58 Express chipset and supporting Intel SocketLGA 1366 processors. A decent Gulftown will have a Corei7-2600K for breakfast, lunch and dinner under the sameextreme overclocking conditions, which is why the 'ageing'platform is still the fastest... at least till the end of this year.

GIGABYTE has released some photos of the new board and weshall take a quick look at its five main overclocking features:

• OC-VRM,

• OC-Touch,

• OC-PEG,

• OC-Cool, and

• OC-Dual BIOS

OC-VRM

The GA-X58A-OC motherboard has dual 8-pin CPU powerconnectors for input up to 720A. A variety of Intersil powermanagement ICs handles power delivery on the new board.PWM frequency can be adjusted to 300KHz, 600KHz and800KHz according to the information we have on hand.

The processor voltage regulation module (VRM) is a 12-phase'dual power' design supporting up to 600A output, while theUncore portion is a 3-phase design, and the memory a 2-phase.

Surface mount POSCAP tantalum capacitors are used as theyare not only reliable, but save space as well. The low height


17

clearance and added space means enthusiasts no longer needto worry if their larger cooling solutions will be obstructed.In fact, on the GA-X58A-OC, GIGABYTE has completely doneaway with the can-type solid capacitors.

OC-Touch

To make things a little more convenient for overclockers, theGA-X58A-OC has voltage measurement points for:

• VCORE,

• CPU PLL,

• DDR,

• DDR VTT,

• QPI VTT,

• QPI PLL, and

• IOH

There is also a debug LED that will flash BIOS POST codes.Debug LEDs almost became extinct the past few years, beforemaking a return starting with higher end Intel P67 Expressmotherboards.

The red power switch is um, self-explanatory I guess...

The '4G' button will help 'newbies to reach 4GHz'. Man, whata way to put it in the material! Anyway, this button will simplytell the motherboard to automatically overclock the processorto 4GHz on the next boot.

Overclockers can then use the two sets of buttons to adjustCPU ratio (the set on the left) and BCLK (the set on the right)on-the-fly. The 'Gear' button changes the adjustment step ofthe BCLK back and forth between 0.3MHz and 1MHz.

VR-Zone Giveaway 3: It'sCooler Master WeekSource: http://vr-zone.com/articles/vr-zone-giveaway-3-it-s-cooler-master-

week/11289.html

February 23rd, 2011

Follow 4 easy steps and stand a chance to win different prizesevery week. This week..we are giving away: 3x ( CM Elite 430

Chasis + CM Storm Spawn Mice) Check out http://launch.vr-zone.com and find out how you can win these prizes

New MacBook Pro to belighter, have larger trackpadsand dedicated SSD to bootMac OS X?Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/new-macbook-pro-to-be-lighter-have-

larger-trackpads-and-dedicated-ssd-to-boot-mac-os-x-/11287.html

February 23rd, 2011

Yes, as mentioned in the (mouthful) title of this news, theseare the latest rumours to the upcoming MacBook Pro that isexpected to drop on us later this week. A lighter machine withlarger trackpad and a dedicated SSD just to store and boot theMac OS X?

Despite the rumour that the latest updated Apple MacBookPro will be available later this week and the inclusion of thelatest generation Sandy Bridge processors, not much is knownabout what other new features the new refreshed MacBook Prowould carry. But more details have been leaked from recentreports.

A larger trackpad in the new MacBook Pros? Well, that'scertainly highly possible as that will allow Apple to developmore vivid gestures and flexibility for users.

The reports also claim that the new and updated laptops willoffer a dedicated solid-state drive of 8 to 16 GB purely to housethe Mac OS X system files. The result will be similar to thosethat we can see in today's MacBook Air: dramatically fast boot-up and performance. Additional storage for other applications


18

and media files will be available in either traditional harddrives or with solid-drives upgrades.

The next bit of information doesn't quite make senseto us, but we have been told the OS on the laptops willbe loaded to a separate (internal) 8-16GB SSD whileeverything else will remain on the regular hard drive.There will be options for just SSD drives but the basemodels will feature regular hard disks with the SSDcombo for the OS.

The report ends off with the source indicating that Apple hasapparently reduced half a pound off the weight of each of theMacBook Pro models. The new and improved MacBook Proshas been speculated for release this coming Thursday.

MSI announces new ultrathinnetbook for the massesSource: http://vr-zone.com/articles/msi-announces-new-ultrathin-

netbook-for-the-masses/11285.html

February 23rd, 2011

Is the netbook in danger of getting replaced by the tablet? In allhonesty, the likelihood of it happening some time in the futureis there, but it would seem that the netbook is still safe for now.And with the demand for netbooks still going relatively strong,it would seem that MSI has deemed it fit to launch yet anothernotebook and capture a little more market share in the processof doing so.

Is the netbook in danger of going the way of the dodo? Severalpundits and analysts might seem to think so, but it would seemthat their eventual death is not about to take place any timesoon, especially when the tablets of today still sport price tagswhich are large enough to warrant the purchase of a morepowerful, full-sized notebook PC that supports the vast libraryof hardware available for the Windows software ecosystem.

Of course, there is no denying that technologicaladvancements in hardware fabrication and design will meanthat the prices of tablets will eventually drop given sufficienttime. However, it is also clear that road warriors who desirea cheap yet highly mobile computing device are not about tosurrender their handy netbooks for a 10-inch slate that doesnot come with a large-enough physical keyboard that is vitalfor for their productivity needs. And it appears that MSI isbanking on this particular premise with its new netbook, theMSI Wind U160MX.

The fact that MSI is calling the U160MX a 'netbook; shouldbe a clear giveaway as to what kind of hardware will comebundled with the device. True enough, a quick look at MSI'spress release reveals that the U160MX is about as network-worthy as it can be: it sports 2GB of DDR3 memory, a 10-inch LED-backlit screen makes up the netbook's display, whileprocessing power is provided by the not-so-impressive single-core Intel Atom N455 processor and onboard GMA 3150 GPU.

However, it would seem that MSI is also bundling the netbookwith various different features in order to distinguish it fromthe competition. Apparently, the U160MX will come standardwith MSI's proprietary TDE Overclocking Engine to givethe processor a speed boost needed for certain heavy usagesituations, while its ECO energy-saving technology claims upto 8.5 hours of computing uptime on a single battery charge.

Unfortunately, as is the case with most MSI-relatedannouncements, no release date and pricing details have beendisclosed. Bummer. Oh well, at least they left the full list ofhardware specifications behind for us:

Nexus One gets Honeycomb,problems are aplentySource: http://vr-zone.com/articles/nexus-one-gets-honeycomb-problems-

are-aplenty/11284.html

February 23rd, 2011

The Nexus One is supposed to be one of only two Android-powered phone that can receive OTA vanilla firmware updates,


19

but it would seem that such a luxury means nothing to anenterprising developer. Apparently, a group of hackers whohave gotten a little impatient about having to wait for theofficial Honeycomb build have gone ahead and cooked theirvery own such ROM. The caveat? The holes in its usabilityoutnumber those found in a block of Swiss cheese.

Do you own a smartphone which happens to be powered byGoogle's Android operating system? If you do, chances areyou should be no stranger to the healthy demand for customROMs, which supposedly offers users added benefits overOEM-supplied ROMs such as better battery life, improvedperformance, or even the ability to install newer builds ofFroyo which the OEM has got no intention of supporting.

Of course, the last 'benefit' mentioned above does not reallyapply if the user happens to be using an official Google-branded smartphone such as the Nexus One or the NexusS, especially when these particular handsets are capable ofreceiving OTA firmware updates directly from Google itself.However, it seems that a group of developers who havegotten impatient with Google's slow progress on the upcomingHoneycomb build has taken matters into their own hands. Andtheir response? A custom Honeycomb ROM cooked speciallyfor the Google Nexus One.

According to a forum posting made on XDA-Developers, thecooked Honeycomb ROM should install into any Nexus Onesmartphone, although its usability is anything but smooth.Apparently, the successful installation of Honeycomb into theNexus One is the only thing that works right now for thesmartphone: almost every single other critical feature such asphone calls, WiFi, Bluetooth, sound, 3G are non-functional.In short, a Nexus One flashed with the custom Honeycombbuild is nothing more than a black brick with a nice digital userinterface and more usability holes than an actual honeycomb.

Of course, this means that the custom Honeycomb ROM forthe Nexus One is definitely not intended to be used by endusers. The forum post on XDA-Developers also backs thisclaim, stating that there are easily 'a million (issues)' withfunctionality at the moment and is intended for developerswho desire a clean vanilla build for tackling very specificissues.

And no, we are not going to tell you how you can root yourNexus One and install the cooked Honeycomb ROM, simplybecause there is enough information floating about the web forthat kind of instructions.

It's official: Microsoft opensKinect development librariesto hackers, as long as theyuse WindowsSource: http://vr-zone.com/articles/it-s-official-microsoft-opens-kinect-

development-libraries-to-hackers-as-long-as-they-use-windows/11283.html

February 23rd, 2011

Well, it seems that Microsoft has finally understood whatthe age-old saying of 'if you can't beat them, join them'means. Apparently, the software giant has decided that thehacker community could prove to be a valuable resourceand has thus released a full SDK for the Kinect motioncontroller for the aforementioned community to play aroundwith. Interestingly, this sudden turn of events comes exactlythree months after the Redmond giant claimed that it had'intentionally' left the Kinect's interface open for precisely thesame reason.

Remember how we spoke about how the average Joe mightsoon be able to to look forward to the day where just abouteverything in our come could be operated with the humbleKinect motion controller for the Xbox 360? Well, it seems thatthat day might just be around the corner after all, thanks to acertain act of charity from the likes of the Redmond giant. No,it is not because they are about to start shipping free Kinects toevery single hacker who wants to tinker around with the device(though that would be very nice indeed).

Rather, it is the fact that Microsoft appears to have finallyrecognized that the hacker community could prove to be anextremely valuable asset in helping to promote the Kinect asa versatile device that has the potential to change the waywe interact with our daily electronic devices. To that end, theRedmond giant has gone ahead and done the unexpected:the company has just announced in a press release that acomplete, non-commercial SDK for the Kinect will be madeavailable as a free download for hackers who wish to get moreout of the device.

According to the press release, the non-commercial SDK willcontain all the bits and pieces needed to exercise completecontrol over the Kinect, and is aimed at igniting "furthercreativity in an already vibrant ecosystem of enthusiasts".


20

But of course, as is always the case the Microsoft, there willalways be a few certain 'conditions' that need to be met inorder for users and developers to enjoy the benefits of itscharitable act. While Microsoft has not disclosed the termsof the developer license agreement for the non-commercialKinect SDK, the press release seems to suggest that the SDKis not cross-platform compatible and must be installed on aWindows-powered system.

And we all know what that means, don't we? Yup, it seemslike OS X and Linux users will have to resort to reverse-engineering the Windows-only development libraries in orderto set up their own development environment for the Kinect.Well, that's only fair: after all, Microsoft has to look out for itsown ecosystem, doesn't it?

News'flash': No Flashfor Xoom + HoneycombcombinationSource: http://vr-zone.com/articles/news-flash--no-flash-for-xoom--

honeycomb-combination/11281.html

February 23rd, 2011

It might not be the case down here in sunny Singapore, but inother countries, it would appear that the success of a tablet istied to a single critical factor: support for the 'full Web content'.Which, needless to say, includes Adobe's proprietary Flashplugin used in a vast majority of websites today. However, itwould seem that Motorola is about to test the validity of such aclaim: after all, what other reason can there be for the formerto even think about shipping an Android tablet sans the criticalplugin?

So the Motorola Xoom tablet is well on its way to hitting retailshelves, and certain carriers will get first dibs on the devicebefore the tablet is released for saleas a standalone unit andnot as part of a data contract bundle. That sounds good enoughfor us: after all, just about all the details pertaining to the Xoomhas already be revealed, so nothing else could go wrong forMotorola's and Google's flagship tablet, right?

Unfortunately for us consumers, it would seem that thisis a typical case of Murphy's Law in action. Apparently, amicrosite hosted by US carrier Verizon to advertise the Xoomhas dropped a bombshell which is sure set tongues wagging.According to Verizon, it seems that the first batch of Xoomsbeing sold to consumers will be offered sans support for the all-important Adobe Flash plugin, as shown in the image below.

Now, the lack of Flash support for Android devices is definitelynot unheard of. After all, earlier versions of Android were well-known for not having support for the Flash plugin as well, andit was only with Froyo that Android users were finally able toexperience the 'full web experience' often touted by Google andhardware OEMs as a key factor of its alleged superiority overiOS.

Still, it does not change the fact that the lack of Flash supportis definitely not going to give Honeycomb users the 'full webcontent' that they can come to expect, especially after thesuccess that was Froyo and Gingerbread. That being said, it isworth pointing out, if only for consolation's sake, that Flashwill eventually make its way down to Honeycomb, as long asusers do not mind waiting it out for a few more months. Afterall, 'eventual' Flash support is still infinitely better than optingfor a platform that has 'completely zero support' for the plugin,is it not?

Intel's first Z68 board modelnames leakedSource: http://vr-zone.com/articles/intel-s-first-z68-board-model-names-

leaked/11282.html

February 23rd, 2011

Intel have been anything but forthcoming with details aboutits upcoming Z68 chipset, but VR-Zone can now as firstpublication give you the model names of Intel's own brand Z68chipset motherboards. Intel is planning two models at launchand they're placed in the extreme and media motherboardsections in Intel's line-up.

Intel have been anything but forthcoming with details aboutits upcoming Z68 chipset, but VR-Zone can now as firstpublication give you the model names of Intel's own brand Z68chipset motherboards. Intel is planning two models at launchand they're placed in the extreme and media motherboardsections in Intel's line-up.

Sadly we don't have a ton of detail's at hand, but we wouldn'texpect it to be too long until the first real solid details will start


21

to appear. What we do know is that the top of the line modelwill be called the DZ68BC and the slightly lower-end mediaboard will go under the name of DZ68DB. Both of the boardsare expected to arrive in the second half of this year accordingto roadmap details we've seen. However, the chipset shouldlaunch some time in Q2 alongside Intel's budget H61 chipset.

This suggests that there won't be too many Z68 boards ondisplay at CeBIT in March, although there ought to be plenty of

boards on display at Computex which starts on the 31st of May.The slide that leaked some time ago detailing the specificationsof the Z68 proved to be the real deal and nothing has changedin terms of chipset features since then. We would like to pointout one small thing though, the Z68 chipset won't supportSSD caching from day one, as this is a feature that will relyupon Intel's Rapid Storage Technology drivers which will onlyadd SSD caching in release 10.5. This would also require afirmware upgrade for the Intel SATA controller, but this wouldbe part of a BIOS upgrade for the Z68 motherboards.


1



feb-2011/11338.html

February 25th, 2011

To round up this week's news: Overview of the SandForceSF-2000 Series Solid-State Drive (SSD); Review of SpireSlimod II GPU cooler; Google launches preemptive strikeat Office 365 ; Barnes & Noble updates Nook Android app,promises a Honeycomb version this spring; Elder Scrolls Vpreview up on YouTube; Mortal Kombat banned in Australiaetc..

Hardware News:

Description: SandForce DuraClass technology paired to TRIMsupport in Windows 7 has helped with this concern, but it wastheir RAISE technology that provides RAID-like protection forsingle SSD computer systems paired to AES-128 automaticdata encryption that put them on top.

Description: The shape of the heat sink inherits the radiator ofthe Super Mega Megahalems cooler because Prolimatech wasnot an experiment. Between the aluminum fins are now foundscattered copper fins, reducing the weight increased from 790grams to 155 grams once to 945 grams.

Description: Spire are internationally recognised as a premiereproducer of cooling technology that specialises in cooling forgaming PCs. But as usual, a name doesn't give you a passin XSR testing, so let's see how their latest iteration of GPUcooler, the Slimod II stands up.

Description: One of the additions to the Corsair cooling line-up was the original Hydro H50 CPU cooler which provided anear plug-and-play water cooling system for your CPU. NowCorsair is back again with a revamped and beefed up solutioncalled the Hydro H70.

Description: The GIGABYTE P67A-UD7 is not just new interms of looks, but also sports all the latest innovations from

GIGABYTE’s laboratories, including 24-phase power design,Driver MOSFETs and Dynamic Energy Saver 2 technology.

Description: The Antec 600 v2 is a slight redesign of theoriginal Antec 600 featuring some new attributes like alarger storage hole for cables, front hot-swap 2.5" bay, topmounted "moon roof" window, and a CPU-Backplate cut outfor aftermarket cooler installation, like the Antec Kühler 620.


Description: Google made the algorithmic announcement onits blog yesterday and said that the change is significant.However, it is only designed to target low value websites thatcopy content from other websites.

Description: One of the cooler new features not seen before isAirDrop. Say you're somewhere with no Internet connectivity,don't have a USB key handy, and want to transfer a file toanother Mac user in the room. Go into an options page andenable the feature.

Description: Google's new Cloud Connect collaboration add-in for Microsoft Office strikes at the heart of the Office 365juggernaut

Description: For a six-week period this spring the companywill release a series of popular mobile games that have yet tomake their way to the platform. The “Must Have Games” salewill include Plants Vs. Zombies, Hydro Thunder Go, Sonic theHedgehog 4: Episode I, geoDefense, Doodle Jump and “more,”according to Microsoft’s Major Nelson.

Description: Okay, so they're rather minor updates, but ourguess is that the Nook Honeycomb app that's being promisedfor some time this spring will be far more exciting. Yep, it'sa lot of B&N Android, but while we're on the topic, we've gotto admit we're wondering about the whereabouts of that NookColor app store, which was announced back in November.

Description: Staff Buyers of Apple's new MacBook Pro lineupwill get the newly out-of-beta FaceTime for Mac free with anew machine, while existing Mac users can buy the video chatsoftware on the Mac App Store for 99 cents.

Gaming News:

Description: Rockville-based game company BethesdaSoftworks has released an in-game preview of the latestinstallment of its popular Elder Scrolls series of games. Thelatest installment, called Skyrim, is due Nov. 11.

Description: Although many pundits are predicting a changeto Australia’s classification system coming soon, Warner


2

Bros. Interactive Entertainment's (WBIE) upcoming MortalKombat is the latest game to fall victim to Australia's outdatedclassification rules.

Intel Began Z68 ChipsetProduction, Launch in MaySource: http://vr-zone.com/articles/intel-began-z68-chipset-production-

launch-in-may/11339.html

February 25th, 2011

We have reported earlier that Intel has started P67 B3production last week and shipment to customers has resumed.Interestingly, Intel has also started production of their Z68chipset this week along with other Cougar Point SKUs likeH61 and Q65. All of them are based on the new B3 steppingtherefore the SATA port 2-5 issue is fixed before they hit themarket.

We have reported earlier that Intel has started P67 B3production last week and shipment to customers has resumed.Interestingly, Intel has also started production of their Z68chipset this week along with other Cougar Point SKUs likeH61 and Q65. All of them are based on the new B3 steppingtherefore the SATA port 2-5 issue is fixed before they hitthe market. Judging from the specs, it seems Intel hascatered Z68 specially for enthusiasts which allows betterprocessor overclocking, discrete graphics support and SSDcaching capability. With these enhancements, Intel has pricedthe Z68 chipset some US$8 higher than the P67 counterpart.The launch for the Z68 chipset is slated for first week of May.

Western Digital establishesR&D centre in SingaporeSource: http://vr-zone.com/articles/western-digital-establishes-r-d-centre-

in-singapore/11337.html

February 25th, 2011

The next time you head out to a computer shop to purchase aWestern Digital (WD) product, don't be surprised if you findout that part of the technology used to develop the company'sstorage devices hails from Singapore's very own laboratories.This is because the American hard disk manufacturer has justannounced the establishment of a research and developmentcentre in Singapore with the partnership of our country'sA*STAR Data Storage Institute (DSI).

Do you make heavy use of Western Digital (WD) products inyour daily computing and entertainment life? If so, this latestbit of information direct from the American manufacturer ofhard disks should be just the news you need to perk up yourFriday night after a hard day's work, and that is not becauseWD is about to start giving away a bunch hard disks as freegifts.

Rather, the good news comes from the fact WD has justannounced in a media conference held at A*STAR DataStorage Institute (DSI) that it has established a research anddevelopment centre right here in sunny Singapore. This newcentre, which is situated in the Singapore Science Park, willfacilitate the leveraging of the local talent pool and expertiseof research organizations/

In his opening address, Western Digital's Chief OperatingOfficer, Timothy Leyden, spoke about how the humble harddisk has withstood the test of time, while describing thesignificance of entering such a strategic partnership with theDSI.

"Hard drive technology is remarkable, and it is truenanotechnology. Being more than 50 years old and US$35billion strong, the hard disk drive industry has survivedand thrived because it invested in talented people, built arobust supply chain and has persevered and flourished whenconfronted with technological hurdles," he said, while addingthat the partnership with the DSI "embodies this spirit".

Leyden also explained the reason Western Digital had chosenSingapore to be the location for its new R&D centre instead ofother developed countries, citing the country's infrastructureand location as key factors in the company's eventual decision.

"Singapore has built a treasure trove of engineering talent.This environment has produced an advanced technologyresearch and human resource culture that makes Singapore anideal location for investment," he said.

In response, A*STAR's chairman, Lim Chuan Poh, praisedWestern Digital's well-deserved success in the data storage


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industry, while speaking about how he envisions the strategicpartnership as one that greatly benefits both parties.

"Our magnetic media research team has built strongresearch capabilities since its inception in 1996, (and)further enhancing its strengths and capabilities in researchis the state-of-the-art infrastructure over at DSI. The MasterResearch Collaboration Agreement signed today would giveWD access to there facilities, as well as to the team ofexperienced researched in DSI in the magnetic media area,"he said.

Last but definitely not least, the agreement was set in blackand white when both Leyden and DSI executive director DrPantelis Alexopoulos inked their respective signatures ontothe documents presented before them.

NEC MEDIAS N-04C is world'sslimmest Android phone at7.7mmSource: http://vr-zone.com/articles/nec-medias-n-04c-is-world-s-

slimmest-android-phone-at-7.7mm/11336.html

February 25th, 2011

While NEC phones aren't available in SIngapore, they areselling pretty well in the land of the rising sun. And it lookslike the manufacturer has just launched the MEDIAS N-04C

which claims to be the world's slimmest Android phone on themarket, measuring just 7.7mm.

Today, NTT Docomo in Japan has officially launched theMEDIA N-04C Android smartphone. The smartphone willretail on 15 March while consumers can start to pre-order on4 March next week.

Weighing 105g, the MEDIAS N-04C sports a 4-inch capacitivetouchscreen display (480x854) with a layer of toughenedguerilla glass. The smartphone runs Android 2.2 Froyo andthe company has stated that the 2.3 Gingerbread update willbe available this summer. The phone also comes with a 5-megapixel CMOS camera, microSDHC card slot and supportsi-mode, 3G/GSM and GPS, Wi-Fi, HSUPA and Bluetooth.

The N-04C will be available in black and white, and NEC saidit will ship the phone outside of Japan soon.

ASUS to launch new notebookPCs at IT Show 2011Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/asus-to-launch-new-notebook-pcs-at-

it-show-2011/11320.html

February 25th, 2011

ASUS will be launching four new laptops at the upcoming ITShow 2011 in Singapore - Eee PC 1015PW, Eee PC 1015B, ASUSU41Jf and N73Sv. More details inside.


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The ASUS Eee PC 1015PW sports a sleek Seashell design withelegant "wave" finish on the exterior and inside. Weighingjust 1.25kg, the 1015PW is powered by the dual-core IntelAtom N550 processor and boasts a battery life of up to 10hours. ASUS also has the 1015B model which uses AMDprocessor. The Eee PC 1015PW comes in Purple Rain, GoldDust and Angel Skin.

The new U series laptop claims to offer an ultra slimdesign, and superb performance for the mobile road warriors.The ASUS U41Jf is equipped with the latest Intel Core i5/i3 processor and you can boost the machine's performanceup to 15%, thanks to ASUS’ Super Hybrid Engine (SHE)technology. On top of that, it also features two incredibleenergy-optimizing technologies to help extend battery life toover 10 hours.

The ASUS N73Sv boasts SonicMaster audio technology thatoffers outstanding audio performance on the portable laptop.It is also equipped with the second generation Intel Coreprocessors, and utilizes advanced Smart Performance andIntel Turbo Boost Technology 2.0.

Pricing information to be announced closer to IT Show 2011.

Xoom corporation suesMotorola over tablet nameSource: http://vr-zone.com/articles/xoom-corporation-sues-motorola-over-

tablet-name/11334.html

February 25th, 2011

When it comes to the word "Xoom", most users followingconsumer technology news would naturally link it withMotorola's latest Android 3.0 tablet that is running a dual-core processor. Well, Xoom is also the name of a companythat provides online international money transfer service, andit is no wonder a lawsuit is filed against Motorola over thetrademark of the company's name.

Whenever a company comes up with a new product, givingit a name is probably the most difficult task before it goes tomarket; you wouldn't want to receive lawyer's letters on theinfringement over the trademark name. (Well, unless you havethe wealth to settle with that company).

Law firm Morgan, Lewis & Bockius has filed a trademark suitagainst Motorola, on behalf of San Francisco-based moneytransfer company Xoom Corporation. Yes, this is all about theMotorola's Xoom tablet device. According to news reports,Xoom has had its name since 2003 and has indisputabletrademark over it.

Motorola's purchase of the keyword "Xoom" on Google andother search sites could have caused potential disruption to thefinancial company's business, which was the main ground ofcomplaint. At the moment, Motorola has no comment over thelawsuit.

Xoom's company tagline may be "The Smarter Way To SendMoney", but in this case, it surely is a smarter way to earnmoney.

Dead Space 2 PC ReviewSource: http://vr-zone.com/articles/dead-space-2-pc-review/11322.html

February 25th, 2011

The game starts from the very moment our engineer IsaacClarke awakes from a coma after events from the first gameon the Sprawl, an offshoot human colony on Titan, Saturn’slargest moon. As usual, things do not go favorably withthe already tormented engineer, and there is yet anotherNecromorph manifestation on board the space station. Forthose who don’t know, Necromorphs are undead, reanimatedcorpses that have mutated beyond recognition. And they are asblood thirsty as they are intelligent. The usual culprits behind


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this outbreak are, of course, the oddball religious fanaticscalled Unitologists and the Earth Government, who have theirown agenda as well.

The dynamics of the struggle between the two opposingfactions are interesting, and throughout the game, clues aredropped in the form of text logs, audio tapes and video tapesto fill you in as you play. The narrative pacing is excellenthere; the game does enough to educate and yet intrigue youfurther as into what happened. The brief walkthrough froma Unitologist centre that leads to their eerie church near thebeginning keeps a comfortable momentum going, and whileIsaac isn’t the most talkative of video game protagonists,he does enough to pull you entirely into his see-saw worldof desperation and survival. Isaac has serious personal,but equally pressing issues: his bouts of dementia triggerhallucinations and visions, and the mental manifestation ofhis girlfriend are as thrilling as they are terrifying. Thesejarring moments fit in nicely with the gameplay mechanics- Isaac’s struggle to perpetuate reality from his mental state ofmind directly mirrors his tensed physical encounters with thefrightening Necromorphs.

Apple's iOS 4.3 availablefor all at next week's mediaevent?Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/apple-s-ios-4.3-available-for-all-at-

next-week-s-media-event-/11330.html

February 25th, 2011

Apple's upcoming iOS 4.3 for iPhone, iPod Touch and iPadhas reported hitting the golden master stage, and ready for itspublic appearance as early as next week.

With the new iPad 2 expected to be announced next week,many have speculated that Apple will drop its newest iOS 4.3alongside with their new tablet device. There have been reportsthat the iOS 4.3 has already hit the golden master stage and theiPad makers are reportedly finalising on the mobile operatingsystem.

One of our Apple sources has just informed us that itlooks like Apple has finalized the code for its upcomingiOS 4.3 release. The build, we're told, is 8F190 for thosekeeping track.

iOS 4.3 could make its debut public appearance sometimenext week, possibly at Apple's media event scheduled for nextWednesday. The updated mobile operating system is set toadd more unique features such as personal Wi-Fi hotspotfunctionality, enhanced support for AirPlay video streamingand more.

Elpida considers increasingDRAM price in MarchSource: http://vr-zone.com/articles/elpida-considers-increasing-dram-

price-in-march/11332.html

February 25th, 2011

Dynamic random access memory (DRAM) price may increasecome March, as Japanese PC chip maker Elpida considersraising DRAM prices in view of growing demand. Projectedprice for 2Gb DRAM chips in March could be as high as $2.50,a 19% increase over the current $2.10.

Dynamic random access memory (DRAM) price may increasecome March, as Japanese PC chip maker Elpida considersraising DRAM prices in view of growing demand. ElpidaPresident and Chief Executive Yukio Sakamoto suggested thatprojected price for 2Gb DRAM chips in March could be as highas $2.50, a 19% increase over the current $2.10.

Sakamoto also reiterated his hopes for a merger with Taiwan'sPowerchip Technology Corp, Rexchip Electronics Crop andProMOS Technologies Inc. The merger would see the newalliance holding a 40 to 50 percent share of the globalmobile DRAM market, and be in a better position to combatSouth Korean giants Hynix Semiconductor Inc and SamsungElectronics Co Ltd.

Rexchip, which is a joint venture between Elpida andPowerchip, will start production in the third quarter of thisyear. Elpida also has plans to buy all of Powerchip's DRAMoutput to 'bolster its competitiveness and help it focus onhigher-end chip production'.


feb-2011/11328.html


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February 25th, 2011

In today's news roundup: Intel is reportedly planning todemonstrate its new Medfield platform for tablet PCs in theupcoming Computex 2011 event held at Taipei; The market forNOR flash memory is set to shrink by as much as six percentthis year; Android and Nokia Maemo users can play with abeta of the Firefox 4 browser which has been specially madefor both operating systems; The Google Nexus S officially losesthe ability to perform Facebook syncing; A new Crysis 2 trailerhas emerged, and Dead Space 2 is set to gets its first set of DLCon March 1 this year.

Hardware News:

Intel expected to offer 3rd-generation MID platform Medfieldin 3Q11Description: Intel, in order to compete with ARM architecturedevices which are prevailing in the tablet PC industry, hashad Medfield, its third-generation MID platform, enter testingby Taiwan-based hardware partners, with products to bedemonstrated at Computex Taipei 2011 and shipments tobegin as early as the third quarter, according to industrysources.

Edimax ES5500 G Gigabit Switch Review -XSReviewsDescription: The easiest way to get yourself some fasternetwork transfer rates is to throw a Gigabit switch into the mix.That's what I'm looking to do today with the Edimax ES 5500G5 port gigabit switch. Is it worth the money? Does it give goodtransfer rates? That's what we're here to find out.

FSP Aurum AU-600 -600W PSU Review on Technic3D(German)Description: (Machine translation) The FSP Aurum AU-600-600W PSU arrived Technic3D. See you in the followingReview from Technic3D the next PSU with four +12V rails(18A), 120mm Fan, 6x SATA hard disk connectors and 3x PCI-e 6+2-Pin

NOR flash memory shipments set for 2011 dropDescription: NOR flash memory is going to take a slightknocking this year, with IHS iSuppli research claiming that themarket will drop by nearly six percent.

Deepcool Ice Matrix 400 Review at Overclockers OnlineDescription: When looking at the entire picture, Deepcool’s IceMatrix 400 is a spectacularly assembled piece of equipment.Combining four heat pipes with a simple 120mm fan, the heatsink does well at keeping the CPU at acceptable operatingtemperatures.

Thermaltake MAX 5G External HDD Enclosure Review @HiTech LegionDescription: The Thermaltake Max 5G 3.5” HDD Enclosureoffers a solution to data and OS portability. Offering 5GbsUSB 3.0 transfer speeds along with SATA III capability, theThermaltake Max 5G offers portability along with all of thespeed one would expect from an internal HDD. The Max5G is also the first external HDD enclosure offering thesuperior cooling capabilities of twin 80mm fans. These fansalso offer a little eye candy with glowing blue LEDs which are

selectable on or off accenting a sleek black enclosure design.The Thermaltake Max 5G is, of course, backwards compatibleto USB 2.0/1.1, as well as SATA II/I. The Thermaltake Max 5Galso offers quick and easy installation to go along with rocksolid build quality.

ASRock P67 Profess1onal Fatal1ty - Layout and Design @ocaholicDescription: With the P67 Profess1onal Fatal1ty, ASRock hasa high-end Sandy Bridge motherboard in its portfolio whichespecially targets the gaming market. Next to a very attractivedesign the board also features three PCI-Express x16 slots andten SATA-Ports.

Antec LanBoy Air ATX Case ReviewDescription: At first glance you can tell this is an enthusiastand gamer-oriented product. Antec touts the LanBoy Air forits highly customizable and modular design. Weighing 20.3lbs (9.2 kg), the case can be outfitted with an insane fifteen120mm fans -- so you know the "Air" moniker belongs in itsname. Perhaps more intriguing, nearly every part of the caseis modular, even the motherboard and PSU mounts.

Scythe Mine 2 cooler @ Hardwareoverclock.comDescription: The Mine 2 CPU Cooler is based on a twincooler Layout. Eight copper heatpipes transport heat to twogenerously dimensioned cooling blocks. By placing the fan inbetween the 2 heatsink towers, intake as well as exhale airflowsare optimized to provide high performance. By default, theMine 2 will be delivered with a centrally placed, adjustable 140mm Slip Stream PWM & VR fan. Although the fan supportsthe PWM feature, the user can manually adjust the PWMbandwidth between 470 to 1,370 rpm and 740 to 1,900 rpm.

OCZ Vertex 3 240GB SATA 3 6Gbps SandForce SSD Preview@ Legit ReviewsDescription: Since the inception of the line, the Vertex namehas been synonymous with performance and helped propelOCZ to a prominent position in the SSD market. Not restingon their laurels, OCZ has jumped out in front again with theVertex 3 to be the first to launch a line featuring the latestSandForce controllers paired with a SATA III 6Gbps interfaceand 25nm NAND, while others ostensibly seem a little moreconservative in their speed to market. Just how high has thebar been set? Read on to see.


New Firefox 4 for Android Available NowDescription: Firefox 4 for Android and Nokia Maemo devicesis now available in a new beta version that’s made huge leapsin terms of stability and performance.

Coolermaster Spawn gaming mouse: comfortable, powerful,portableDescription: Good things come in small packages, andCoolermaster’s Spawn gaming mouse is one of them, packing agood balance of features and comfort into a small, inexpensive,capable gaming mouse.

A Sleeping OS X Lion StirsDescription: The iPad 2 nears! An iPad 3 is on the horizon!iPhone 5 is coming! Maybe an iPhone nano! New MacBookPros! New iMacs! Maybe even an Apple television! Of all the


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Apple rumors out there right now, there’s a odd lack of talkabout something we know is coming — and soon: OS X Lion.

Eurocom Launches Intel Core i7-990X Extreme Processor inits Panther 2.0Description: Eurocom Corporation (www.eurocom.com)announces support for Intel's new high performance i7-990XExtreme Edition Processor inside the EUROCOM Panther 2.0performance notebook. The addition of the Intel Core i7-990Xto the long list of processor options gives Eurocom customerseven greater choice when customizing their unique systems.

What the iPad 2 Needs to Steal From Android and WebOSDescription: Motorola and HP proved that companies canmake tablets with UI as usable, if not more so, than the iPad.Now, with the iPad 2 being announced next week, Apple is theone that needs to play catch-up to others. But is it possiblewithout drastically retooling iOS?

Replace or Add User Profile Fields in WordPress @ Computingon DemandDescription: If you take into consideration that WordPress isthe most widely used blogging platform, it is confusing whythey are still living in the past. I am referring to the usage ofAIM, Jabber, and Yahoo in the user's profile. Currently, withinWordPress, there is no way for you to modify these choices.However, with a few simple lines of code in our functions.phpfile, we can bring WordPress into the 21st century.

New Google PageRank Algorithm DebunkedDescription: In my recent article on SEJ about GooglePageRank I suggested that a new formula could be in action.The article has gone big on Twitter and LinkedIn, withhundreds of shares. And from some comments, it looks likemany people accepted it for a fact.

Google Drops Facebook Sync On Nexus S: Google/FacebookBattle ContinuesDescription: The reason Google cites is because Facebookcontacts “cannot be exported from the device” and thus do notallow users to “control their data” as freely as Google wouldlike.

Gaming News:

New Crysis 2 Trailer Focuses On Story, PC Multiplayer Demoon March 1Description: With about a month to the launch of Crysis 2,the folks from EA released another trailer focusing on thestory and giving a sneak of the transition of story from itspredecessor. The trailer revolves around Jacob Hargreave, aman with an obsession with the Nanosuit for most of a century.Check out “Prophet’s Journey” below

Dead Space 2 Gets Severed March 1Description: Finished strategically dismembering an entirespace station's worth of Necromorphs? Go back and do it allover again on March 1, this time from a different perspective,in the first DLC pack for Dead Space 2: Severed.

FTC agrees to investigate "deceptively free" iPhone gamesDescription: The Federal Trade Commission has confirmedit will investigate mobile games that are advertised as freebut then entice players into buying virtual goods withinthe game, especially those that target younger users. Thiscomes after several complaints surfaced by parents who found

out their children were racking up huge purchases withoutunderstanding what they were doing - including one younggamer who managed to download more than $1,400 in virtualSmurfs currency...

Intel announces ThunderboltSource: http://vr-zone.com/articles/intel-announces-

thunderbolt/11333.html

February 25th, 2011

So what's all the fuss about? Well, Intel and Apple hasannounced the launch and availability (at least in Apple'sproducts) of a new co-developed I/O interface previouslyknown as Light Peak, but it now goes under the nameof Thunderbolt. The new interface uses the same physicalconnector as the mini DisplayPort interface and it's compatiblewith DisplayPort signals, but it also offers up to 10Gbps of PCIExpress data to allow for a wide range of external peripheralsto be connected to it.

So what's all the fuss about? Well, Intel and Apple hasannounced the launch and availability (at least in Apple'sproducts) of a new co-developed I/O interface previouslyknown as Light Peak, but it now goes under the nameof Thunderbolt. The new interface uses the same physicalconnector as the mini DisplayPort interface and it's compatiblewith DisplayPort signals, but it also offers up to 10Gbps of PCIExpress data to allow for a wide range of external peripheralsto be connected to it.

With so much bandwidth available it's clear that Thunderboltwas designed with the future in mind. That said, withcompanies such as Aja, Apogee, Avid, Blackmagic, LaCie,Promise and Western Digital as launch partners, it's prettyclear that the bandwidth is much wanted, especially in thevideo and audio industry. Thunderbolt is at the moment thefastest interface you'll find on any computer that isn't a high-end server and then you'd end up talking about network cardsor Fiber Channel or something similarly advanced that isn'teasily implemented into consumer and business devices.


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The use of the mini DisplayPort connector is an odd choicein our opinion, although as the DisplayPort signal runsparallel with the PCI Express signal used for all other data, itsort of makes sense, at least in a notebook implementation.We haven't heard or seen anything relating to desktopimplementations of Thunderbolt, although we'd expect it to beentirely possible, just something of a hassle, especially as you'dneed a motherboard with a mini DisplayPort connector anda way to route the graphics card signal through this port. Wewon't put it past the motherboard makers to come up with asolution in due time though, as this would be a differentiatoron high-end motherboards.

As for notebooks, so far it's only Apple's MacBook Pro modelsthat will come with Thunderbolt, although others are expectedto follow. However, we'd go as far as to say that this is atechnology that at least for now will be used exclusively onhigh-end notebooks due to the additional cost involved. Also,as far as the implementation goes, the Thunderbolt controllerrequires four PCI Express lanes and connects directly to Intel'sPCH, so it seems like it's an exclusive technology tied intoIntel's platform, at least for the time being. Call it a competitiveadvantage if you like, although it's possible that it'll work withany other chipset and/or device that have four available PCIExpress lanes of bandwidth available.

In many ways Thunderbolt is a bit like the old FireWireinterface, as it can be daisy chained – up to six devices or

five devices and one display are supported – it's bi-directionaland it delivers power. However, on the power side thingsaren't fantastic, as Thunderbolt is limited to 10W, a typicalexternal 3.5-inch hard drive requires 12W, so it's not going tobe possible to power plenty of external storage device directlyfrom the bus. Something of an oversight in our eyes, but thenagain, it's unlikely that single hard drives will even be kittedout with Thunderbolt interfaces.

Another interesting aspect is what you can connect to aThunderbolt interface, since as it uses PCI Express signalling,pretty much anything that connects to the PCI Express buscan interface with Thunderbolt. In this way Thunderbolt isvery much like the external PCI Express interfaces that neverreally took off, just with a much more compact connector. Thismeans that solutions like laptop docks could become quiteadvanced and offer a wide range of advanced interface thatdon't have to be built into the notebook to save space. Anotheroption would be to build a display that acts as a laptop dockwith all of the ports built into it rather than the notebook.

One unanswered question is how much it'll cost to implementThunderbolt, but it can't be too expensive considering thatApple doesn't appear to charge a premium for the technology.That said, just judging by the picture of the controller Intelsupplied, it's going to be vastly more expensive than USB 3.0.It's also possible that Thunderbolt will stun the continueddevelopment and deployment of USB 3.0 which in our opinionwould be a bad thing.

Thunderbolt was developed with the future in mind and assuch it's almost overkill today, but given some time it's likelythat even Thunderbolt won't be able to keep up. However, withmore than twice the practical bandwidth of USB 3.0 and nearlytwice that of SATA 6Gbps we can see a lot of companies comingup with creative usages of the new interface. The video andaudio hardware creation companies are happy to have beengiven yet more bandwidth to play with and the storage devicemanufacturers are some of the first to jump aboard the newinterface. The big question is if Thunderbolt will ever becomemainstream and this isn't likely to happen for quite some time.

Intel Resumes P67 B3Shipment, Limited InitiallySource: http://vr-zone.com/articles/intel-resumes-p67-b3-shipment-

limited-initially/11331.html


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February 25th, 2011

Last week, Intel has began production onthe P67 B3 chipsets and has shipped out tovarious motherboard manufacturers. This week, wesaw ASUS and Biostar announcing that they are shipping outtheir P67 B3 motherboards to their customers and the samegoes for Gigabyte, MSI, Asrock as well. We can expect the newboards to reach by early March. However, full recovery won'tbe expect till late March or early April therefore replacementboards for end users are expected to be in shortage initially.

Last week, Intel has began production on theP67 B3 chipsets and has shipped out tovarious motherboard manufacturers. This week, wesaw ASUS and Biostar announcing that they are shipping outtheir P67 B3 motherboards to their customers and the samegoes for Gigabyte, MSI, Asrock as well. We can expect the newboards to reach by early March. However, full recovery won'tbe expect till late March or early April therefore replacementboards for end users are expected to be in shortage initially.

Apple releases first developerpreview of Mac OS X LionSource: http://vr-zone.com/articles/apple-releases-first-developer-preview-

of-mac-os-x-lion/11329.html

February 25th, 2011

Along with the updated line of MacBook Pros, Apple hasalso just announced the release of the first developer previewversion of Mac OS X Lion. Let's see what is Apple going tosurprise us with in this upcoming version of the Mac OS.

First demonstrated last October, we have not heard anythingfrom Apple since. But now Apple, along with the release oftheir updated line of MacBook Pro, has provided us with someinfo on their new features in Mac OS X Lion which is all set fora public launch later this summer.

Apple today released a developer preview of MacOS X Lion, which takes some of the best ideasfrom iPad and brings them back to the Mac for theeighth major release of the world's most advancedoperating system. Lion features Mission Control, aninnovative new view of everything running on yourMac; Launchpad, a new home for all your Mac apps;full screen apps that use the entire Mac display; andnew Multi-Touch gestures. Lion also includes the MacApp Store, the best place to discover, install andautomatically update Mac apps. The Lion previewis available to Mac Developer Program membersthrough the Mac App Store today, and the finalversion of Lion will ship to customers this summer.

Apple has also outline a number of key features that will beincluded as part of Mac OS X Lion:

- Mail, a new version of Mail, with anelegant, widescreen layout inspired by the iPad;Conversations, which automatically groups relatedmessages into one easy to read timeline; morepowerful search; and support for Microsoft Exchange2010;

- Versions, which automatically saves successiveversions of your document as you create it, and givesyou an easy way to browse, edit and even revert toprevious versions;

- AirDrop, a remarkably simple way to copy fileswirelessly from one Mac to another with no setup;

- Resume, which conveniently brings your apps backexactly how you left them when you restart your Macor quit and relaunch an app;

- Auto Save, which automatically saves yourdocuments as you work;

- the all new FileVault, that provides highperformance full disk encryption for local andexternal drives, and the ability to wipe data from yourMac instantaneously; and


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- Mac OS X Lion Server, which makes setting upa server easier than ever and adds support formanaging Mac OS X Lion, iPhone, iPad and iPodtouch devices.

More information on the upcoming Mac OS X can be found onApple's feature page for it here.

Apple launches refreshedMacBook Pros with QuadCore CPUs, AMD GPUs andThunderboltSource: http://vr-zone.com/articles/apple-launches-refreshed-macbook-

pros-with-quad-core-cpus-amd-gpus-and-thunderbolt/11308.html

February 25th, 2011

Apple has just formally launched their refreshed MacBookPros and it's available right now online. While still retainingthe same body, there has been a lot of changes under the hood.

The much-anticipated refreshment of MacBook Pros are here.For the first time ever in the company's history, Apple hasincluded Quad Core CPUs into their laptops. The 15-inch and17-inch models offer Quad Core CPUs using the Intel 2.2GHzQuad Core 2720QM and 2.0GHz Quad Core 2630QM.

The new Sandy Bridge processors found in these new MacBookPro also feature Intel's Turbo Boost 2.0, which will increaseathe speed of the remaining cores when the others areunderultilised.

Intel® Turbo Boost Technology 2.0 automaticallyallows processor cores to run faster than the baseoperating frequency if it's operating below power,current, and temperature specification limits.

For those who are interested in the Quad Cores, the maximumTurbo clock speeds for the 2720QM and 2630QM are 3.2GHzand 2.9GHz respectively.

Another new feature that Apple has introduced in thisrefreshment is the hybrid Thunderbolt/ mini Display port.This revolutionary technology, which represents Intel's LightPeak technology, is expected to surface in other Macs along the

way. The speed in which it can achieve, is expected to replacethe need for USB 3.0

"Thunderbolt is a revolutionary new I/O technologythat delivers an amazing 10 gigabits per second andcan support every important I/O standard which isideal for the new MacBook Pro."

The following new models are available now online at theApple Store.

• 17" 1920x1200 Display. 2.2Ghz Quad i7. 4GB RAM.750GB HD. AMD 6750M 1GB. S$3398

• 15" 1440x900 (1680 option) Display. 2.2GHz Quad i7.750GB HD. AMD 6750M 1GB. S$2988

• 15" 1440x900 (1680 option) Display. 2.0GHz Quad i7.4GB RAM. 500GB HD. AMD 6490M 256MB. S$2488

• 13" 1280x800 Display. 2.7GHz Dual i7. 4GB RAM.500GB HD. Intel HD Graphics. S$2048

• 13" 1280x800 Display. 2.3GHz Dual i5. 4GB RAM.320GB HD. Intel HD Graphics. S$1648

Full specifications are available here.

A-Data Launches CH11 USB3.0 External HDDsSource: http://vr-zone.com/articles/a-data-launches-ch11-usb-3.0-external-

hdds/11327.html

February 25th, 2011

A-Data has expanded its line-up of external HDDs with theaddition of the CH11. The compact 2.5" external HDD deliverstransfer speeds up to 90Mb/s (read) via a USB 3.0 interfaceand comes with custom tags (allowing users to label drivecontents). Available in black, white or pink colors, they areexpected to start shipping in Europe soon.

A-DATA PRESS RELEASE

Taipei, Taiwan - February 21 2011 - ADATA™ Technology,a leading manufacturer of high-performance DRAM modulesand NAND Flash application products, today introduced thenew CH11 external hard drive, the company's latest contenderin the high-speed external storage market.


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The CH11 incorporates the most recent "SuperSpeed" USB3.0 standard, and achieves read speeds of up to 90 MB/sec. As end-users worldwide become increasingly aware ofthe tremendous performance advantages of USB 3.0 capabledevices, products like the CH11 are expected to displace drivesusing the older USB 2.0 standard in the market. Consumerswho need to transfer large image, video, or other media fileswill find the CH11 an appealing option.

An added benefit of the CH11 is the inclusion of customlabels, providing users with a handy solution for labeling drivecontents. The unit can be stored and used vertically, makingit an excellent choice for those who frequently work withmultiple external drives of different categories. The CH11 willbe available in 500GB, 750GB and 1TB capacities.

Availability

The CH11 will be available through ADATA's selecteddistributors and resellers. More information can be found atthe company's website at:

http://www.adata-group.com.

About ADATA

ADATA Technology, the world's 2nd largest vendor of DRAMModules (iSuppli, May 2010), 3rd largest of USB Flash

Drives (Gartner, May 2010), and the Top 20 global brandin Taiwan, provides complete memory solutions, includingDRAM Modules, USB Flash Drives, Memory Cards, solidstate drives and portable hard drives. ADATA products areinternationally recognized by Germany's iF Design Award, reddot Award, CES Best of Innovations Award, Japan's GoodDesign Award, Best Choice of Computex Award, and TaiwanExcellence Gold Award. For more information, please visit thecompany's website at www.adata-group.com.

Last minute MacBook ProrumoursSource: http://vr-zone.com/articles/last-minute-macbook-pro-

rumours/11326.html

February 25th, 2011

The MacBook Pro rumours continue to appear all over theweb and the latest one bring with them some additional detailsthat may or may not prove to be true, although it seems like wewon't have to wait too long to find out what's true and what'snot. On top of that, Intel is readying an announcement relatedto Thunderbolt for later today together with Apple, but wecan't give you all the details quite yet as that is under NDA forthe time being, so check back with us later for the full details.

The MacBook Pro rumours continue to appear all over the weband the latest one bring with them some additional details thatmay or may not prove to be true, although it seems like wewon't have to wait too long to find out what's true and what'snot. On top of that, Intel is readying an announcement relatedto Thunderbolt for later today together with Apple, but wecan't give you all the details quite yet as that is under NDA forthe time being, so check back with us later for the full details.

The new rumours are talking to some degree aboutThunderbolt and without getting ahead of things, yes, thisis Intel's Light Peak technology, but as we said, more onthat later. What is clear now though is that all of Apple'sMacBook Pro models will feature Thunderbolt support, but it'snot certain that the vanilla MacBook's will. It's also unclearas to when and if we'll see this on desktop Apple computers,although we'd expect Apple to implement this at least on itsMac Pro's. The downside here is of course that Apple won'tsupport USB 3.0 which is suggesting the standard has lost amajor promoter for better or worse.

Other rumours include dropped support for Nvidia graphicsin favour of AMD, something that's been a long term rumourbut which might finally prove to be true. Considering thatApple have been using AMD graphics in its Mac Pro and iMacdesktops for quite some time, we'd say this is a very likelyrumour to come true.

Sadly it seems like the 13-inch MacBook Pro's have to makedo with Intel's HD 3000 series integrated graphics, at least


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if the leaked specs are anything to go by. At least the entirerange from top to bottom will get kitted out with Intel's secondgeneration of Core i processors which in a way is a big win, asApple has finally decided to give up on Intel's Core 2 platformin lieu of something much faster.

The rumours about SSDs don't seem to have proven to be truethough, but we should find out shortly if this is the case or not.The high-resolution screen rumours have as yet to be provenright as the spec leaks for the 13-inch model suggested nochange here. Apple is expected to unveil its new product rangeshortly, so stay tuned for more on the new MacBook models,as well as a detailed look at Tunderbolt.

MSI releases finalized versionof Afterburner 2.1.0Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/msi-releases-finalized-version-of-

afterburner-2.1.0/11324.html

February 25th, 2011

After months of being in beta status, MSI Afterburner 2.1.0has been finalized and is now available for download. Thenew version supports the latest graphics cards, including theNVIDIA GeForce 500 Series and AMD Radeon HD 6000Series.

After months of being in beta status, MSI Afterburner 2.1.0has been finalized and is now available for download. Thenew version supports the latest graphics cards, including theNVIDIA GeForce 500 Series and AMD Radeon HD 6000Series.

The latest Afterburner has a new feature known as Predator,which allows users to capture a video of the game you arecurrently playing.

Win a Survivor gamingcase: BitFenix FacebookSweepstakes 2Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/win-a-survivor-gaming-case-bitfenix-

facebook-sweepstakes-2/11323.html

February 25th, 2011

After the wildly successful original Facebook contest, BitFenixis pleased to announce BitFenix Facebook Sweepstakes 2.From now until March 9th, users can go to the BitFenixFacebook page and enter the contest by "liking" the page andfilling out the sweepstakes entry form. At the end of the contestperiod, one lucky fan will win a brand-new BitFenix Survivorgaming chassis!

BitFenix Press Release

Facebook fans can enter to win a brand-new Survivor chassis

(BitFenix Design Lab, February 23th, 2011) - After the wildlysuccessful original Facebook contest, BitFenix is pleased toannounce BitFenix Facebook Sweepstakes 2. From now untilMarch 9th, users can go to the BitFenix Facebook page (http://facebook.bitfenix.com) and enter the contest by "liking" thepage and filling out the sweepstakes entry form. At the end ofthe contest period, one lucky fan will win a brand-new BitFenixSurvivor gaming chassis!

"We had so much fun with our fans last time, so we justhad to bring it back," says David Jarlestedt, BitFenix ProductManager. "The support for the fans has been tremendous and


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these contests are meant to give back to the very communitythat helped make BitFenix into what it is today."

Entering the contest is easy:

1. Go to the BitFenix Facebook Page (http://facebook.bitfenix.com) and click "Like"2. Find the Sweepstakes tab and fill in the contest form

In addition, BitFenix will give away one additional chassis ifthe BitFenix Facebook page can reach 2,000 fans during thecontest period! The more people that enter, the more prizeswill be given away!

Enter the sweepstakes by going to the BitFenix Facebook page:http://facebook.bitfenix.com

Full contest details can be found here: http://bit.ly/eysnEl

For more information on BitFenix, visit: http://www.bitfenix.com.

AC Ryan launches Playon!HD2 and Playon!HD Mini2 inSingaporeSource: http://vr-zone.com/articles/ac-ryan-launches-playon-hd2-and-

playon-hd-mini2-in-singapore/11317.html

February 25th, 2011

This morning, AC Ryan has announced their new Playon!HD2 and Playon!HD Mini 2 full high definition players inSingapore. They are available now and you can check them outat the upcoming IT Show 2011.

Eugene Wong, senior product engineer for AC Ryan,introduced the two new media players from the company -Playon!HD2 and Playon!HD Mini2, which claim to featurethe latest Realtek 1185 media player processor. According toWong, both media players allow users to interact with friendson Facebook, Twitter and Instant Messenger (ebuddy).

The Playon!HD2 (ACR-PV73700) supports video formatsincluding AVI, MKV, TS, TP, M2TS, MPG, MP4, MOV, M4V,VOB, ISO, DVD-ISO, IFO, DAT, WMV, ASF, RM, RMVB, BD-ISO, FLV resolution up to 1080p. Even though it supportsGigabit full HD streaming of up to 1000Mbps, wired datatransfer only reaches 100Mbps due to the limitation of theonboard processor.

The power button is at the front of the Playon!HD2 whileon the right holds a card reader, three USB ports (one TypeB USB3.0). The USB ports can also connect to an externalhard disk as well as a wireless dongle for wireless connectivity.However, note that full high definition (HD) streaming will notbe that seamless via wireless. According to Wong, the optionalwireless dongle can be purchased at S$49, and the Playon!HD2 with built-in wireless is scheduled to be available nearend of March.

More connectivity options are at the rear of the media playerincluding composite, component, HDMI, LAN, optical andcoaxial.


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The hard disk compartment is on the right and to insert yourhard disk, simply remove the side cover.

The Playon!HD Mini2 (ACR-PV73800) is more compact thanits Playon!HD2 sibling though it also supports most videoformats.

At the rear are component, composite, HDMI, LAN, opticaland two USB connectors.

Both the Playon!HD2 and Playon!HD Mini2 are alredayavailable at S$269 and S$199 respectively, and will also beretailing at the IT Show 2011.

Microsoft launches free trial ofWindows Azure PlatformSource: http://vr-zone.com/articles/microsoft-launches-free-trial-of-

windows-azure-platform/11314.html

February 25th, 2011

It is clear that Microsoft wants Windows to be as ubiquitousin the cloud as it currently is in the desktop and notebookPC market. And while Microsoft is also considered to beone of the latecomers to the entire 'software-as-a-service'ecosystem, it would seem that this minor setback is not aboutto hinder the software giant in its plans for (virtual) worlddomination: Microsoft has announced the commencement ofa free trial in a bid to attract more users to its Azure ServicesPlatform.

Cloud computing and 'software-as-a-service' might be mereblanket terms used to describe the future of computing, butas far as Microsoft is concerned, it would seem that the suchservices are more than ready to be implemented in today'scomputing ecosystem. After all, enterprises have been knownto be relatively slow on the uptake of new technology, and inmost cases, all it needs is just a simple push to get the entireindustry moving in the 'right' (or wrong) directions.

With that in mind, what would Microsoft's plan for pushingpeople onto the path of cloud computing under the Windowsbanner and ecosystem be? Simple: to offer a free trial ofits Windows Azure Platform, in the hopes that enterprisedevelopers will be able to get their feet wet with Microsoft'scloud computing solution and join the Microsoft ecosystem.

For those who might not be aware, Microsoft's Azure ServicesPlatform is a 'platform-as-a-service' offering and forms acore part of Microsoft's cloud computing strategy. It allowscustomers to deploy applications and data into the cloud, andis designed to compliment the company's other 'software-as-a-service' offering, Microsoft Online Services.

So what's in the free trial of Microsoft's Windows AzurePlatform for developers who bite? Well, according to


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Microsoft, interested developers can choose between one oftwo offers, namely 750 hours of an Extra Small ComputeInstance or 25 hours of a Small Compute Instance. And inaddition to the free computing time offered, Microsoft isalso throwing in a few extra features such as free inboundand outbound data transfer of up to 500MB and 100,000AppFabric access control transactions across two service busconnections, as shown in the screenshot below:

Of course, this complimentary trial is not without its ownset of caveats though. Developers and system administratorsmight want to take note that Microsoft does not imposehard data transfer or storage caps: this means that systemadministrators who end up consuming more than the amountof data allocated to them will be charged at Microsoft'scurrent rates. Last but definitely not least, Microsoft has alsoconfirmed that the trial is time-bombed to expire on 30 Junethis year, and that any subsequent usage of its Windows AzurePlatform after the aforementioned date will be charged at thestandard rates as well.

If that sounds reasonable enough to warrant getting yourhands and feet wet with what Microsoft has to offer the cloudcomputing ecosystem, hit up the registration link located here.

ASUS to begin shippingmotherboards with revised'B3' P67 and H67 chipsets thisweekSource: http://vr-zone.com/articles/asus-to-begin-shipping-motherboards-

with-revised-b3-p67-and-h67-chipsets-this-week/11319.html

February 25th, 2011

As part of an overall recovery plan following the detection ofthe Intel 6 Series chipset design error, ASUS has implementedvarious customer support measures, including extensiveproduct replacement and return with additional servicehotlines around the world. Based on new information fromIntel, ASUS has announced that its updated Intel 6 Series-based motherboards will begin shipping starting this week,

immediately after the revised design is released by Intel.ASUS hopes that its fast response will prevent any furtherinconvenience and interruption to customers.

As part of an overall recovery plan following the detection ofthe Intel 6 Series chipset design error, ASUS has implementedvarious customer support measures, including extensiveproduct replacement and return with additional servicehotlines around the world.

Based on new information from Intel, ASUS has announcedthat its updated Intel 6 Series-based motherboards will beginshipping starting this week, immediately after the reviseddesign is released by Intel. ASUS hopes that its fast responsewill prevent any further inconvenience and interruption tocustomers.

As Intel indicated the design error only occurs with certainSATA 3Gb/s ports, ASUS has created the SATA Verifierutility to help customers clearly identify all unaffectedSATA 6Gb/s ports for each relevant product. Moreinformation can be found at http://event.asus.com/2011/mb/Identify_unaffected_SATA_port/.

Customers who already own potentially affectedmotherboards may visit http://event.asus.com/sg/2011/SandyBridge/ for product return and replacement details andregistration.

Users can easily identify revised products by checking forthe 'New B3 Revision' label displayed on the packaging. Thechipset version can also be verified through the sticker affixedon the motherboard itself, the BIOS, ASUS SATA Verifier andCPUID’s CPU-Z utility.


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ASUS would like to use this opportunity to encourage anycurrent users in possession of affected products to carry outreturn and replacement promptly, so that the transition to therevised hardware is as smooth and fast as possible.

Rumour: NVIDIA GeForce GTX590 release during PAX East2011Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/rumour-nvidia-geforce-gtx-590-

release-during-pax-east-2011/11318.html

February 25th, 2011

According to a latest report from DonanimHaber, NVIDIA'supcoming dual-GPU flagship, the GeForce GTX 590, is all setto release at PAX East 2011 - which takes place between March11th and March 13th. Prior to PAX East, the GTX 590 willbe introduced behind closed doors at upcoming CeBIT 2011(March 1st to 5th).

As has been rumoured for quite a while now, the GTX 590 isexpected to sport two fully enabled GF110 GPUs. The powerconsumption is rumoured to be through the roof - likelybreaking the PCI-SIG certification limit of 300W. The GTX590 is certainly going to be an exclusive, ultra-enthusiastproduct, with limited availability.

AMD's competitor - the Radeon HD 6990 - which was earlierplanned for a December 2010 release, is also expected tofinally release some time in March.

Sony quietly discontinuesNEX-3 series of digitalcamerasSource: http://vr-zone.com/articles/sony-quietly-discontinues-nex-3-

series-of-digital-cameras/11313.html

February 25th, 2011

The NEX-3 may be one of the more drool-worthy digitalcameras to exist on the market today, but it seems that Sonyhas got other plans in store for the market segment currentlytargeted by the aforementioned device. In what is probably theshortest-ever product lifespan for a digital camera, Sony Japanhas labelled the NEX-3 as a discontinued product, despite itbeing barely a year since it was launched.

Well, this is indeed surprising. For a company that has alreadyprided itself on having products which boast some of thelongest product lifespans, it would seem that Sony has also gotquite a few products which do not seem to live past its firstyear of retail life before getting canned from the company'sproduction line.

And in this case, it would appear that even popular productsare not spared from the hammer, for the latest device to get theheave-ho from Sony's production line is that of the compact-sized 'DSLR' known as the NEX-3. Indeed, a quick peek intoSony's Japanese site reveals that the information was no hoax:the NEX-3 has indeed been dropped, with the product pagelisting the camera's status as 'Discontinued'.

Unfortunately, Sony has not been very forthcoming with itsreasons for the sudden pulling of the NEX-3 from its NEXlineup. And with no press release issued, it would seem thatconsumers do not have much choice but to wait for the officialexplanation from the Japanese consumer electronics giant.

ImageShack pulls plug onhotlinking to unregistereddomainsSource: http://vr-zone.com/articles/imageshack-pulls-plug-on-hotlinking-

to-unregistered-domains/11312.html

February 25th, 2011

Do you make use of ImageShack's image hosting services?Well, if you do, you might want to seriously start consideringmoving over to other alternative image hosting services.Apparently, it seems that ImageShack has made the decisionto pull the plug on hosted images that have been hotlinkedto 'unregistered domains'. And we all know what that means,don't we?

Free image hosting services are a dime a dozen, so migratingover to another service should be as easy as pie, should it not?


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After all, the only thing one has to do is to download the entirephoto album from the original hoster, extract the images fromwithin and re-upload them into the new image hoster.

Okay, so maybe it might be a little more tedious that it sounds.However, users who often upload images to a particualarimage hosting service known as ImageShack for the solepurpose of sharing them on websites or forums might wantto start considering a migration to alternative services. Notbecause ImageShack is shutting down though: rather, this isdue to a new policy implemented across ImageShack's imagehosting services.

Apparently, the hoster has just recently implementeda 'registered domains' system: this policy requires thatwebmasters register their domains with ImageShack in orderto ensure that visitors to their site can view all ImageShack-hosted images. And because no prior warning about thissudden change in policy was made to the Internet-goingpublic, it seemed that many were caught unaware when thepolicy was enforced. As such, ImageShack users who havehotlinked images to unregistered domains will only see thisimage on the offending site:

More importantly, it appears that this issue is affecting userson a global scale, and is not just limited to users from aparticular geographical region. To remedy the situation, userscan either attempt to visit the link listed on the image aboveand register their often-visited sites with the image hostingservice, or bug the webmasters of those websites to do so ontheir behalf.

Of course, at this point, users can also just opt to ditchImageShack completely and go for an alternative, no-costimage hosting service. After all, as they always say, whateverfloats your boat.

Mach Xtreme TechnologyAdds 128Gb Model to FX USB3.0 Flash Drives SeriesSource: http://vr-zone.com/articles/mach-xtreme-technology-adds-128gb-

model-to-fx-usb-3.0-flash-drives-series/11316.html

February 25th, 2011

Mach Xtreme Technology has expanded its FX USB3.0flash drive line-up with the addition of a 128Gb(MXUB3MFX-128G) variant. Measuring 78 x 27 x 9.3mm andweighing 39g, the compact flash drive delivers data transferspeeds up to 130Mb/s (read) and 90Mb/s (write). MachXtreme has also obtained Asus's USB 3.0 certification forits MX-FX series of flash-drives, offering users full USB 3.0usability and compatibility with ASUS mainboards.

MX-TECHNOLOGY PRESS RELEASE

Mach Xtreme Technology Inc., a worldwide leader in topperformance, high reliability and user-friendly designed PCcomponents, announces that MX-FX Series gets “OptimizedFor ASUS USB 3.0 Mainboards” certification and adds 128GBmodel to expanding FX USB3.0 flash drives series today.

MX has announced its successful certification of MX-FX USB3.0 series flash drives, confirming close cooperation withASUS. Only devices rigorously tested with ASUS USB3.0motherboards feature a prominent logo. Customers canrecognize this logo and purchase ASUS certified USB 3.0devices with peace of mind. The extensive compatibility testingensures complete compatibility with ASUS mainboards,offering consumers full USB 3.0 usability.

Besides, Mach Xtreme Technology adds 128GB model toexpanding FX series. The MX-FX 128GB flash drive deliversbest-in-class read and write speeds clocking in at up to 130MBsread and 90MBs write along with its ultra compact size (78mmx 27mm 9.3mm). Mach Xtreme FX flash drives come also in16GB, 32GB and 64GB flavors.

All this combined with 3-Years warranty and consumerfriendly pricing nominates MX-Technology FX Series USB 3.0flash drive as the #1 choice.


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128GB FX Series USB 3.0 Flash Drive at A Glance

• USB 3.0 Interface

• Max. Read Performance up to 130MBs

• Max. Write Performance up to 90MBs

• Bus Power 900mA (no external power cable needed)

• Power Consumption Idle 1.0W Active up to 4.0W

• Shock and vibrations resistant

• Compact and easy to carry 78mm x 27mm x 9.3mm

• Lightweight 39g

• Certification ROHS, CE, FCC

• Capacity 128GB (MXUB3MFX-128G)

• Warranty 3-Years


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ASUS unveils WAVI Xtionmotion-sensing PC experienceat CeBIT 2011Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/asus-unveils-wavi-xtion-motion-

sensing-pc-experience-at-cebit-2011/11389.html

February 28th, 2011

We're sure you've heard of Microsoft's Kinect for Xbox 360, a'controller-free gaming and entertainment experience'. Well,here's something quite similar. Meet the ASUS WAVI Xtion,the world's first motion-sensing experience package for thePC!

Here's something similar to Microsoft's Kinect. Meet the ASUSWAVI Xtion (pronounced 'way-vee action'), the world's firstmotion-sensing experience package for the PC! The WAVIXtion comprises of two components - the WAVI wirelessmedia streaming device and the Xtion motion sensor. Itstreams high definition media wirelessly from a PC locatedin one room to a TV in another, while infrared gesture-basedmultimedia playback, games and applications introduce thefirst ever officially-supported motion-sensing PC interface.

Motion-sensing PC entertainment on big screen TV

WAVI Xtion integrates motion-sensing technology fromPrimeSense® with the exclusive ASUS Xtion Portal userinterface to bring consumers closer to technology throughintuitive interaction with applications. Connections to bothPCs and TVs via wireless HDMI (WHDI technology) deliversmooth transfers of high definition content such as movies,games and photos in 5GHz with a range of up to 25 meters.

Software products available on launch include MayaFitCardio Lite, a motion-sensing fitness training game andBeatBooster™, a multiplayer racing adventure game whereusers maneuver jet aircraft with their body movements.Enjoying PC games on the living room big screen TV ispossible; the proprietary Xtion engine supports the remappingof keyboard controls into motion gestures for a variety ofpopular third party games.

Speaking on cooperation with ASUS when developing WAVIXtion motion-sensing technology, PrimeSense CEO InonBeracha said, "our collaboration with ASUS in providing a3D sensing solution for WAVI Xtion proves to the industrythat natural interaction technology is the ideal fit for livingrooms, and that intuitive, gesture-based control will bethe go-to route for operating all devices. We believe thatPrimeSensesolutions like the user interface used on ASUS’WAVI Xtion represent the future of the way people interactwith consumer electronics, and help break down barriersof useto allow people to sync with the electronic world around them."

Online store offers diverse choice

WAVI Xtion enables a wide selection of multimedia contentand entertainment applications, working seamlessly with theASUS @vibe online store* to deliver music, games and apps,all through the cloud.

Xtion Pro developer kit

Developers interested in creating gesture-based PCentertainment content can make use of the ASUS Xtion PROdeveloper pack, the world’s first professional PC motion-sensing toolset. It opens up new opportunities for cost andtime-efficient development of various applications, includinggames of every genre. ASUS plans to launch the Xtion Pro


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Developer Challenge in March, with attractive prizes andpublishing deals for winning developers. Selected apps will beplaced on the ASUS @vibe online store*.

*ASUS @vibe integration expected early Q3 2011.

ASUS to showcase latestinnovations at CeBIT 2011Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/asus-to-showcase-latest-innovations-

at-cebit-2011/11390.html

February 28th, 2011

Echoing the CeBIT 2011 theme of 'Work and Life in the Cloud',ASUS will showcase four different tablet computers includingthe Eee Slate EP121 and Eee Pad MeMO, along with the latestmotion-sensing technology called WAVI Xtion, the all-newAMD Brazos-packing K series notebooks and a wide range ofgaming products designed for a superior gaming experience.

Singapore (February 28, 2011) - ASUS today kicked offCeBIT 2011 with a booth media tour where journalists fromaround the world were given the opportunity to explore andexperience the latest ASUS innovations prior to the officialopening of the event.

Echoing the CeBIT theme of 'Work and Life in the Cloud',ASUS will showcase four different tablet computers at CeBIT2011, along with the latest motion-sensing technology calledWAVI Xtion (pronounced 'way-vee action'), the all-new Kseries notebook and a wide range of gaming products designedfor a superior gaming experience.

ASUS will address various consumer needs with its range oftablet PCs. These include the 12-inch Eee Slate EP121, the 7-inch Eee Pad MeMO (mee-mo), the Eee Pad Slider with asliding keyboard and the Eee Pad Transformer which comeswith the option of a full size docking keyboard that also servesas an extended battery pack.

As the industry's leading innovator, ASUS will also showcasethe first motion-sensing technology for PCs - WAVI Xtion. Itis a PC peripheral that allows consumers to access content ontheir PCs wirelessly with simple gestures in front of their TVsets. The preloaded Xtion Portal interface provides intuitiveaccess to PC content as well as allows users to browse ASUS@vibe for the latest multimedia content.

The ASUS tradition of combining performance and aestheticsacross all its notebooks continues. New ASUS K Seriesnotebooks combine the multitasking power of 2nd generationIntel® Core™ processors with NVIDIA® GeForce™ graphicsto deliver spectacular computing, and are offered in 14", 15.6",17.3" and 18.4" screen sizes. Models are available in a varietyof colors including classic brown and silver, passion red, partygold, urban green, chill blue, seduction pink and simplicitywhite. These use unique textured aluminum covers that areboth stylish and durable. The K Series also includes newAMD® Brazos™ processors, with powerful graphics for bettergaming and multimedia. All new K Series notebooks featureexclusive ASUS IceCool technology to keep palm rests cool forincreased comfort during the longest sessions.

As a mainstay in the gaming community, ASUS continuesto develop and widen its product portfolio to serve gamingenthusiasts. An entire line of gaming products includingnotebooks, motherboards, graphics cards, 3D monitors and anoise cancelling headset will be well-received by the gamingpublic.

CeBIT 2011 Information

ASUS plans an extensive showing during CeBIT 2011, takingplace March 1-5 in Hannover, Germany. The ASUS booth canbe found at Hall 17, stand J06. Members of the media maycontact local ASUS representatives to arrange for interviewsand private product demonstrations.

Further details on ASUS at CeBIT 2011 may be accessed from:http://cebit2011.asus.com

Source: ASUS Press Release


feb-2011/11388.html

February 28th, 2011

In today's news roundup: AMD plans to showcase its Bulldozermicroprocessors at the upcoming CeBIT trade show; MSI'sP67A-GD65 motherboard gets reviewed; Google's Chromebrowser is slowing starting to wrest control away fromstandalone software typically installed on a PC; A new versionof Prime 95 has been released for hardware enthusiasts andoverclockers to download and play around with, and Sony isstarting to make more of Square's classic PS1 games availableon its PlayStation Network

Hardware News:

The Future of Computer Enclosures @ Benchmark Reviews


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Description: I can remember the lead-sleds that rolled witha curb weight similar to moving vans, and it reminds meof modern-day desktop computer cases. Originally, giant-sized computer cases painted in beige were once the de factostandard for system builders wanting to construct their ownIBM clone personal computer from separate components. Ibelieved this horrible trend would phase itself out aroundthe turn of the century, but when Y2K came and went andthere was still significant demand for large full-tower cases Iknew something was wrong. The more things change in thisindustry, the more they seem to remain the same. Now morethan ten years later, we're still building our PCs with the sameheft as an Oldsmobile Toronado.

Antec LanBoy Air Case Review @Hi Tech LegionDescription: The Antec LanBoy Air is unlike any mid-towercase ever seen before. Nearly all the parts of the AntecLanBoy Air can be re-arranged to fit the user’s needs. TheAntec LanBoy Air mid-tower case has perforated panels formaximum airflow, utilizing positive air pressure to push allthe hot air out while keeping dust away from your systemcomponents. The LanBoy Air Case uses the new revolutionaryAntec AirMounts™ HDD mounting system to reduce drivevibration and noise. Users can install up to 15 fans inside theAntec LanBoy Air and even has room on top for mounting awater cooling radiator. The Antec LanBoy Air is simply themost flexible and customizable mid-tower case ever built.

OCZ ZX Series 850w Power Supply Review @ OCIADescription: Like many other manufacturers at CES 2011, OCZhad a collection of their most recent hardware on display,including solid state drives, memory and power supplies. It'sone of the latter that we have for review today, the ZX Series850W. The ZX replaces the Z Series as OCZ's MaximumPerformance line of power supplies, and is available in 850W,1000W and 1250W capacities. These models all feature 80PlusGold efficiency levels, multi-GPU support and OCZ's exclusivefive year PowerSwap Warranty

Turn an HP SFF Computer Into a Great HTPC @ Computingon DemandDescription: Face it, most of us like the idea of having an HTPC(Home Theater PC) hooked up to our TV. The flexibility weget with an HTPC over just a DVD player or a gaming consoleis enough alone to justify the cost. I have built a bunch ofthese for people and until recently, I have never used pre-built systems. There are many advantages to building a custommachine for your theater, but the biggest disadvantage is thecost. Lately, I have been using Small Form Factor (SFF) HP'sand believe it or not... they make great HTPC's.

Kingston SSDNow V100 128GB SSD Review @ Legit ReviewsDescription: Kingston's SSDNow series of solid state driveshave done very well in the marketplace due to their range ofvalue to performance oriented drives which cover the needsof just about any user. Available since the end of 2010, theV100 products land in the middle of the SSDNow lineup withexcellent performance without needing a second mortgage tofinance the purchase. Read on to see how it stacks up againstthe competition.

MSI P67A-GD65 Review @ ocaholicDescription: With the P67A-GD65, MSI shows a motherboardwhich defines the entry point into their high-end classe.

Therefore the manufacturer wants to convince with a good mixof price, performance and features.

In Win Dragon Rider full tower case review at ExaminerDescription: The In Win Dragon Rider is a massive, well-designed black beauty that is easy to work with and providesample elbow room and expansion space for demandingenthusiasts. Sock Monkey not included.

AMD to Showcase Bulldozer Microprocessors at CeBIT Trade-Show.Description: At the forthcoming CeBIT trade-show inHannover, Germany, Advanced Micro Devices plans todemonstrate and announce its new microprocessors that willsucceed the company's Phenom II central processing units(CPUs). Based on the program of CeBIT show, the companywill show off the desktop versions of code-named Bulldozerchips.


Burning ChromeDescription: Little by little, iteration by iteration, the Chromebrowser is quietly morphing into a full-fledged multitaskingoperating system in its own right. Oh, sure, technically it’sactually running on another OS, but you increasingly neverneed to launch anything else. View and edit documents inGoogle Docs, watch and listen to HTML5 video and audio,communicate via Gmail and its Google Voice plugin, useGoogle Docs as a file system – and the line between “ChromeOS” and “Chrome on any other OS” suddenly grows very fine.

Prime95 26.5.5 Released @ NGOHQ.comDescription: Prime95 has become extremely popular amongPC enthusiasts and overclockers as a stability testing utility.It includes a "Torture Test" mode designed specifically fortesting PC subsystems for errors in order to help ensure thecorrect operation of Prime95 on that system, which effectivelystress-tests a PC.

TRENDnet TEW-687GA 450Mbps Wireless N GamingAdapter Review @ MadshrimpsDescription: The new Wireless 450Mbps TEW-687GA fromTRENDnet is not USB anymore like the previously releasedproducts, but offers a Gigabit network interface betweenitself and the computer we are connecting the adapter to;this way, we don't have to install drivers anymore and iscompatible with any platform (we can even configure itthrough the Playstation3 Internet Browser). We will performsome data transfer speeds to see if it is really better in termsof performance.

RAZER Ferox Mobile Gaming & Music Speakers Review @MadshrimpsDescription: The new Ferox portable speakers from Razer areideal for both normal users that want to get a better sound outof their laptop or gamers that are mostly on the go. The soundthat these speakers deliver is clear even at high volumes, butthey lack a good bass reproduction. The internal rechargeablebatteries allow them to be used for about 12 hours and they canbe also used while recharging.

Logitech F540 Wireless PS3/XBOX360 Headset Review @Madshrimps


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Description: With a battery life of up to 10 hours the F540guarantees a delivery of high quality sound to your earsthroughout the longest and darkest of nights. In the unlikelyevent that you should run out of juice at some point, the F540allows you to simply recharge it through the use of an usb cablewhile you carry on with your killing spree. Overall the F540 is awell built quality product that does come with a €120-140 pricetag, but surely is worth every penny. If you are one of thosepeople who benefits from using a wireless headset on a dailybasis, the Logitech F540 sure is worth your consideration.

Patriot PBO Core Media Player Review at Overclockers OnlineDescription: Patriot relaunched the Patriot Box Office asthe PBO Core with an improved user interface and addedfunctionality. The new GUI lives up to the relaunch and iseasy to use and with a long list of file compatibility makesit a great device for your digital media playback for even thetechnologically challenged members of your family

ESET Update Brings Mass False Positive Alerts @NGOHQ.comDescription: It seems that another antivirus software has gonemad. This time it's the reputable ESET aka NOD32 and SmartSecurity. In the past few days, users have been complainingof massive amount of false positive alerts with ESET and thelatest virus definition update. It looks like ESET is flaggingplenty of legitimate 3rd party software as Win32/OpenCandyadware. Even yours truly has encountered the same issue –especially with installation programs

Gaming News:

Bulletstorm GPU & CPU Performance In-depthDescription: As usual our focus with this performance reviewwill be on how Bulletstorm will run on your PC. Afterstruggling with the game's configuration settings, we were ableto run all the necessary tests using a large array of GPUs as wellas a number of different processors.

Vagrant Story re-told on PlayStation Network tomorrowDescription: Xenogears last week ... Vagrant Storytomorrow ... and Parasite Eve soon. It seems the gears arefinally in motion to bring all of Square's beloved "PSoneClassics" to the PlayStation Network. (Still, North Americahas a long way to go before reaching Japan's lofty 600-gamebenchmark.)

Big in Japan Feb. 14-20: Marvel vs. Capcom 3, CatherineDescription: PS3 and Xbox 360 editions of crossover fightinggame storm Japanese sales charts, but adulterous Atlus RPGtops the list, more than doubling next best-selling title.

Microsoft set to discontinueits SideWinder productsSource: http://vr-zone.com/articles/microsoft-set-to-discontinue-its-

sidewinder-products/11395.html

February 28th, 2011

VR-Zone can as first publication reveal that Microsoft hasdiscontinued its range of SideWinder gaming products, for asecond time. The first time was back in 2003, although thecompany re-launched its gaming brand in 2007 after some co-operation with Razer, although this time around it's not likelythat we'll see a return of the SideWinder brand.

VR-Zone can as first publication reveal that Microsoft hasdiscontinued its range of SideWinder gaming products, for asecond time. The first time was back in 2003, although thecompany re-launched its gaming brand in 2007 after some co-operation with Razer, although this time around it's not likelythat we'll see a return of the SideWinder brand.

This time around it's not because of poor sales, but rather toomuch competition from companies such as Razer, SteelSeriesand to a degree also Logitech and just about every othercompany out there making PC gaming accessories. Microsofthas also failed to keep up with the market a little bit and notgetting enough new products out in a timely manner.

The entire SideWinder range only ended up with a handful ofproducts in the end with four mice and two keyboards beinglaunched over three years, hardly an impressive track recordfor a company the size of Microsoft. In fact, the latest mouseaddition, the SideWinder X8 has already been pulled fromMicrosoft's hardware website and no more units are beingproduced to our knowledge.

Time will tell if Microsoft decides to buy out one of its smallercompetitors and use their brand instead, something that wewouldn't be surprised to see happening. It's really a shame thatMicrosoft didn't decide to stick with it, as the company hascome up with some innovative ideas like the swappable keypadon the X6 and the magnetic cable attachment on the X8, butit seems like this is the end of the line for Microsoft's gamingproducts, at least for now.


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Asus MeMic for the Eee PadMeMO revealedSource: http://vr-zone.com/articles/asus-memic-for-the-eee-pad-memo-

revealed/11393.html

February 28th, 2011

With tablets being all the rage these days, one of the biggestproblems is not connectivity, but rather making voice calls.No-one wants to hold a 7-inch+tablet to the side of their face,as it simply just makes you look stupid. Asus has come up withwhat looks like a very reasonable solution to the problem withits MeMic which is a Bluetooth “handset” that connects to itsEee Pad MeMO tablet and handles voice calls.

With tablets being all the rage these days, one of the biggestproblems is not connectivity, but rather making voice calls.No-one wants to hold a 7-inch+tablet to the side of their face,as it simply just makes you look stupid. Asus has come up withwhat looks like a very reasonable solution to the problem withits MeMic which is a Bluetooth “handset” that connects to itsEee Pad MeMO tablet and handles voice calls.

The MeMic is about the size of a traditional candy bar phone,albeit without a keypad and with a translucent display, muchlike the Sony Ericsson Xperia Pureness. The display is forcaller ID information and most likely also for things likenavigating contact lists etc, although it's not quite clear howit all works at the moment, as the units on display at CeBITdidn't actually work.

The MeMic can also work like a more traditional Bluetoothheadset if you attach a wired headset to it, as it has a 3.5mmjack in the bottom. It's charged via a micro USB port andthere's a little hole for a lanyard at the bottom so you can hangit around your neck if you so wish. On the front it has a call andend call/power button, a back button and what appears to bea four-way navigation pad with a select button in the middle.In addition to handling calls, the MeMic will also allow youto stream music over Bluetooth and control media playbackfunctionality of the tablet.

The MeMic is said to be bundled with Asus' 7-inch Eee PadMeMO when it arrives sometime in June this year and we'dexpect it to launch at Computex, since this is Asus home show.It's not clear if the MeMic will be bundled with all models ofthe MeMO, nor has Asus said if it'll sell the MeMic on its ownor if it'll be possible to use it with other Android devices, butwe're sure more details will trickle out this week at CeBIT.

Aircraft passengers treated toone of the best views of theDiscovery shuttle launchSource: http://vr-zone.com/articles/aircraft-passengers-treated-to-one-of-

the-best-views-of-the-discovery-shuttle-launch/11387.html

February 28th, 2011

During a flight from Orlando, lucky passengers on a jet had oneof the best views of the Discovery's launch. Watch the video.

Lucky jet passengers were asked to look to their right by theirpilot and there it was, the Discovery space shuttle. This is aview they will never forget.

The Discovery's launch is one of the last three shuttle launchesby NASA. NASA does not have a replacement for the shuttleprogram, for at least the next 10 years.

Huawei asks for USgovernement to Investigate itSource: http://vr-zone.com/articles/huawei-asks-for-us-governement-to-

investigate-it/11386.html

February 28th, 2011

The world's second largest supplier of communicationsinfrastructure, Huawei, has had enough of being accused ofbeing linked to Chinese intelligence services. It has just issuedan open letter asking the US Government to vet its operations.Read On.

With an ex-member of the Chinese military as president,it is no wonder why Huawei, the world's second-largestcommunications infrastructure supplier has been accusedof espionage. Especially after it suffered several businesssetbacks this year, most of which can be attributed to theaccusation of espionage by the US government.


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Huawei has since issued an open letter, asking for the USgovernment to vet its operations and prove that it is not somesort of a trojan horse for the Chinese government.

In its letter, Huawei quoted two presidents, Obama andLincoln. It also reiterated that it is a fully commercialcompany, not enjoying any additional financial incentivesfrom the Chinese governement compared to other companies,and most importantly, Huawei is a company owned by it'semployees.

Apple's iPad 2 to come inwhite?Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/apple-s-ipad-2-to-come-in-

white-/11380.html

February 28th, 2011

Forget about the white iPhone 4, the upcoming next-generation iPad 2 available in white too? I mean, the thoughtof it isn't as appealing as the iPhone, right?

For those who are following close to months and months ofiPad 2 rumours would know that the upcoming tablet fromApple would feature front and rear cameras, thinner designand an improved (but not Retina) display. With just about afew days away from Apple's iPad media event, this new (andrather interesting) rumour pops up from nowhere.

Originating from Shenzhen, China, this front bezel in whitedoes include a hole for a front-facing camera. But what reallysurprised us is the colour. Apple originally announced thewhite iPhone 4 alongside with the black iPhone 4, but till thisdate have yet to deliever their flagship phone in white.

But on a personal note, I feel that having the iPad 2 in whitejust looks a tad weird.

In white or not, we'll find out soon on this Thursday morningat Apple's iPad media event.

ECS Computer securesdistribution rights for Dell andLexmark productsSource: http://vr-zone.com/articles/ecs-computer-secures-distribution-

rights-for-dell-and-lexmark-products/11379.html

February 28th, 2011

In today's local news, ECS has announced that it has signedan agreement with both Dell and Lexmark which will allow itto serve as a distribution partner for a wide range of productsfrom the aforementioned companies. Read on to find outmore.

ECS Computers (Asia) Pte Ltd, a wholly-owned Singaporesubsidiary of ECS Holdings Limited, has just signed twoagreements which will see it gain Authorised Distributor statusfor two major brands in the IT industry: Dell and Lexmark.

According to statements made by the respectiverepresentatives of both companies, ECS was chosen to serveas an Authorised Distributor due to the latter sporting anextremely "wide network across the region". Apparently, it wasthis asset which made ECS well-suited to cater to the growingneeds of the local IT community.

“We appointed ECS due to their strong and long-termcommitment to the imaging solutions and services industry,”said Richard Tan, Country Sales Manager, Singapore andOffshore, Lexmark International (Singapore) Pte Ltd. “WithECS’ extensive network of resellers specialising in bothcommercial and consumer accounts across the region, and itsrepresentation of complementary products with our imagingsolutions, we are confident that this new relationship will bea success. ECS will play an important role in helping Lexmarkbring our entire range of products to their extensive partners,propelling our market share in the imaging solutions andservices space in Singapore.”

Dell also had similar praise for ECS, claiming that thepartnership will prove to be beneficial for Dell in attemptingto provide customers with immediate benefits, such as fasterdelivery time and better, more professional support services.


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"We are extremely excited about the business opportunitiesthat this new partnership brings," said Varinderjit Singh,Managing Director, Dell Singapore and Malaysia. "Ourcollective expertise and extensive marketing and salessupport, coupled with ECS's wide network across the region,will make it easier for us to provide value add and cater to theunique demands of our customers."

BlackBerry Torch 9800, nowavailable in red and whiteSource: http://vr-zone.com/articles/blackberry-torch-9800-now-available-

in-red-and-white/11376.html

February 28th, 2011

Black has always been the standard color for BlackBerrymobile devices (well, it is Black-Berry, duh). But there areoccasions whereby Research in Motion (RIM), the companywho manufactures BlackBerry, come up with other colors likethe white BlackBerry Bold 9700. Today, RIM has announceda red and white version for their BlackBerry Torch 9800.

The BlackBerry Torch 9800 claims to be the world’s firstsmartphone to offer a BlackBerry keyboard with a full touchscreen experience. And good news to those who don't exactlyenjoy the black phone: it is now available in two new vibrantcolours - red and white. Customers in Singapore will havemore color choices to suit their personality and preference.The BlackBerry Torch features a large touchscreen display,optical trackpad, backlit slide-out BlackBerry keyboard and 5-megapixel camera with continuous auto focus that supportsvideo recording. It also supports high-speed 3G (UMTS/HSDPA) networks and comes with built-in GPS for location-based applications and geo-tagging.

Rumor: Nikon D4 to get LightPeak/Thunderbolt?Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/rumor-nikon-d4-to-get-light-

peakthunderbolt-/11371.html

February 28th, 2011

Apple was the first to get it, and the rest of the PC industryis expected to start mass adoption of the technology as soonas most OEMs successfully iron out any outstanding issuespertaining to the new standard. But it would seem that PCsare not the only devices which would play nice with Light Peak(aka Thunderbolt): rumour has it that Nikon's future DSLRmight see the first such implementation of the new interfaceon a camera.

A new superfast interface that is capable of transferring dataat speeds of up to 10 Gbps sounds like the most practicalinnovation for the digital worker of today, and for good reason.After all, if one takes into account the ever-growing file sizesof digital content today, it would make sense that a PC andits communication infrastructure needs to be well equippedin order to ensure that even the largest file sizes will not bean obstacle to ensuring that the content gets sent to the otherparty in time.

However, will a standalone device that has never beendesigned to accept and process data from external storagedevices require the use of the very same interface that hasbeen designed for use on a PC? Well, rumour has it that Nikonapparently thinks so: apparently, word has been floatingaround the depths of cyberspace that the Japanese cameramanufacturer plans to stuff in a Light Peak (or Thunderbolt)port into a future professional-grade DSLR, which is said to bethe D4.


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Quite unsurprisingly, many members of the online communityhave expressed varying levels of scepticism about thelikelihood of a DSLR being able to implement the newThunderbolt interface successfully. For one, most usersseldom transfer their images out from a digital camera throughthe use of a cabled connection: rather, the camera's storagemedium (usually an SDHC or CF card) is extracted from thedevice and then connected to a PC via a card reader.

As such, users who want to make the most out of theThunderbolt interface in a camera will have to get used toconnecting their cameras directly to the PC instead of goingthrough the card reader route. This also potentially opens thedoor to potential compatibility issues, as any device connectedto a PC needs to have an appropriate driver installed in orderto communicate with the computer. Without this driver, userswill have to fall back to the card reader method, which greatlyreduces the usefulness of having a superfast interface built intoa camera.

However, do take note that this is nothing more than a rumourmaking its way around the Internet; as such, whether such afeature will eventually make its way into a Nikon DSLR is reallyanyone's guess. Until the actual specifications for Nikon's D4have been set in stone, we'd advice that readers take thisinformation with nothing less than a truckload's worth of salt.

Chinese OEM releases newtablet with ARM Cortex A9processorSource: http://vr-zone.com/articles/chinese-oem-releases-new-tablet-with-

arm-cortex-a9-processor/11370.html

February 28th, 2011

With most of the tablets on the market still making use of thepopular ARM Cortex A8 processor microarchitecture, it wouldseem like the A8 is safe from being rendered obsolete for atleast another year. However, this does not mean that all OEMsare content with using the same technology as the competition:a Chinese OEM has just upped its game with a new tablet thatsports the more recent ARM Cortex A9 processor.

If there is one thing that most tablet PCs on the markettoday have in common, it would have to be the humble ARMprocessor or System-on-a-Chip (SoC) which provides all theprocessing power needed for such a device to function. Despitehow OEMs may claim to have their own SoC which works beston their tablet, it does not change the fact that most of theseSoCs still feature processor cores based of ARM's Cortex A8specifications.

However, it would seem that a humble Chinese OEM by thename of Heiner might have gained an early advantage in thebattle to feature the most recent hardware in a mobile device.According to reports, Heiner is set to release a new tablet, theHaiPad M703, which will feature a CPU based off what ARMcalls its current highest-performance processor series for theARMv7 architecture: the ARM Cortex A9.

The seven-inch HaiPad M703's ARM Cortex A9 processingcore is clocked at 800MHz and will be provided by AMLogic.In theory, this spec bump should see the M703 claimingtop spot as the faster ever tablet produced by Heiner.Furthermore, various reports claim that the M703 will beavailable in two versions: one will feature resistive touchscreentechnology, while the other will sport capacitive touchscreensinstead.

Of course, a powerful processor is not the only thingconsumers will look out for when it comes to selecting atablet, and it would seem that Heiner understands this as well.Complementing the M703's AMLogic 8726-M processor are adedicated Mali-400 GPU, 512MB of memory , 8GB of built-inFlash storage, at least one full-sized USB port and support forHDMI-out.


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However, it would appear that Heiner decided to cut a fewcorners over the choice of OS to be bundled into the M703.Instead of hopping onto Honeycomb bandwagon like whatmany tablet OEMs are currently doing, the M703 will comebundled with Froyo instead. Not that it is a huge loss though,since Froyo does feature built-in support for Flash 10.1, alongwith various utilities such as USB tethering and WiFi hotspot.

Still, the real draw about the HaiPad M703 has to be its price.Apparently, Heiner is intending to sell the devices for the(very) low price of US$160, or US$180 if consumers preferto go for the capacitive version. Unfortunately, it also appearsthat the M703 is not intended to be sold anywhere outsideof China's domestic market. Well, China always gets the besttoys, right?

Nintendo 3DS sold out inJapan on first day of retailSource: http://vr-zone.com/articles/nintendo-3ds-sold-out-in-japan-on-

first-day-of-retail/11369.html

February 28th, 2011

Just how popular is Nintendo's new handheld video gameconsole, the 3DS? Well, it would seem that any fears of theconsole maker's potentially failing in their attempt to ventureinto 3D gaming would be busted, at least for the time being.After all, how else can one explain the complete sell-out of all400,000 available units in the company's domestic market?

So, Nintendo's long-awaited handheld video game console, the3DS, has finally been released for sale in its domestic market.That is perfectly fine with us: after all, Nintendo and its 3DSare both products of the Japanese economy, and it would makesense that Nintendo would want to use the domestic market asa gauge of its device's popularity before making concrete salestargets for the console's eventual international launch.

That being the case, what would the the reception of theJapanese gaming public towards Nintendo's first forray ontothe whole 3D bandwagon? Well, if sales numbers meananything, the answer would probably go along the lines of'awesome', for the lack of a more appropriate expression.This is because the Nihon Keizai Shimbun (aka Nikkei) hasconfirmed that every single last unit of the first shipment of400,000 3DS consoles designated for the domestic market hasbeen completely sold out on the same day the console wasreleased for retail.

But that is not all. When one takes into consideration thatNintendo plans to ship 1.5 million 3DS consoles for thedomestic market by 31 March, it would make sense that thecompany will want to ensure that its production line andresellers remain well stocked up with inventory. Apparently,it has already taken action by ordering another shipmentof the new 3D-capable console this morning which, in alllikelihood, is probably being wiped clean off the shelves as thisarticle is being posted. Ouch. Oh well, there is always the nextshipment...and the next...and the next...right?

Sony PSP price drops to US$130Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/sony-psp-price-drops-to-

us-130/11374.html

February 28th, 2011

Sony has announced the drop of price of their Sony PlayStationPortable (PSP) handheld game console. It was retailing at


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US$169.99, and now, the price tag has been revised to anattractive US$129.99.

Whenever a new product is going to be available on retail, thesure sign would be that the current ones will face a definiteprice drop. And that is apparent to Sony handheld gameconsole: The Next Generation Portable (NGP) is arriving anda price drop has been announced for the Sony PlayStationPortable (PSP).

According to news reports, the company has lowered the pricefrom US$169.99 to US$129.99, which seems like a sign to"clear the old stocks" in order to make room for the newNGP. However, the price drop only applies to the PSP-3000models, and not the PSP Go.

Sony has also rolled out new discounted titlesincluding Assassin's Creed Bloodlines, LittleBigPlanet, MetalGear Solid: Peace Walker and Resistance: Retribution at US$19.99; Monster Hunter Freedom, Killzone: Liberation andCrisis Core: Final Fantasy VII are selling at US$9.99.

7-inch Creative ZiiO tabletreview: Because tabletsneed their own creative spinsometimesSource: http://vr-zone.com/articles/7-inch-creative-ziio-tablet-review-

because-tablets-need-their-own-creative-spin-sometimes/11206.html

February 28th, 2011

So the Android tablet craze is about to hit fever pitch with theintroduction of Honeycomb and Motorola's XOOM. That isperfectly fine with us: after all, tablets are handy little deviceswhich have the potential to do a whole lot of things. And whilemost OEMs are busy trying to work on making their tabletsas versatile as possible, out comes Creative with its own ideaof what a tablet should be used for. Or does it? We put theCreative ZiiO tablet to the test.

Tablets are making their way to the market en masse, andbased on what we have seen, the current trend and demandfor these devices are not about to slow down anytime soon.After all, it cannot be denied that these devices fill a certainniche in the market, especially when they appear to be capableof offering computing performance well above that of a typicalnetbook. but without their heft and bulkiness of a dedicatedkeyboard and touchpad.

However, it would also seem that most OEMs dealing withtablets have got a little problem on their hands. Due to theseclass of devices now being marketed as consumer electronicsdevices as instead of the enterprise tools they once served as,manufacturers are seemingly keen on cramming every singlefeature that could think of save for the kitchen sink, into thesemobile devices in an attempt to making it as multi-purpose aspossible to suit consumers' needs.

But is a multi-purpose device like the Galaxy Tab and DellStreak really what consumers expect in a tablet? Well, at leastone OEM by the name of Creative does not think so. So,how would the company's ZiiO tablet with its 'less-is-more'approach fare in the market? We shall see.

Before that, here is a quick list of the various hardware used inthe ZiiO, along with their specifications:

Creative 7-inch ZiiO TabletTechnical SpecificationsBundled Operating System Customized Google Android

2.1 Update 2 with Creative Ziiapps

Processor ZiiLABS ZMS-08 HD Media-Rich Applications Processor

Display 16.8mill color TFT ResistiveTouchscreen with resolutionof 800 x 480

Cameras Front-facing VGA cameraMemory and Flash storagecapacity

8GB storage, expandable withMicroSD cards of up to 32GB;

Wireless Connectivity options WiFi (802.11 b/g only),Bluetooth 2.1 EDR

I/O ports and connectors HDMI-out (up to 720p only),MiniUSB, 3.5mm stereo jack

Dimensions 207.4 x 133 x 13.7mm


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Google investigatingunexplained erasure of allemails in GmailSource: http://vr-zone.com/articles/google-investigating-unexplained-

erasure-of-all-emails-in-gmail/11368.html

February 28th, 2011

Did you wake up yesterday and turn on your PC only to findout that every single message in your Gmail account has beeninexplicably wiped clean off the face of the virtual world? Well,it seems that there is some consolation to be had: the searchgiant has been informed of the sudden loss of data and hadstarted an investigation into the issue.

When it comes to free online email services, few can matchthe functionality and usability of Google's very own free Gmailoffering, and for good reason. After all, it was the first freeemail provider to offer users access to an astronomical (backthen) inbox size of 1GB, and did not require users to sign upfor a paid account in order to gain access to certain featuressuch as IMAP and POP3 access.

However, it would seem that even the best and most popularfree email service suffers from embarrassing outages fromtime to time, and the latest fiasco which the search giant hasfound itself caught in is anything but pleasant, especially forthe end user. Apparently, a few users found themselves on theshort end of the stick when they signed into Gmail on Sundayonly to realize that every single message in their account(including the spam and trash folders) has been inexplicablycleaned off without warning.

Needless to say, this has triggered a huge wave of complaintsin Google's support forums:

Based on what we have gathered from both independentreports and forum postings in Google's support boards, itwould appear that the sudden data loss took place at theearly hours of 27 Feb (US time), and that it is more than justan isolated case of compromised accounts, as almost 0.29%of all Gmail users have been affected by the data erasure. Unfortunately, Google has not been very forthcoming aboutthe root cause of the issue, preferring instead to exercise itsPR muscles and assure users that the issue is currently beinglooked into.

Curiously, no mention about the incident was made on theofficial Gmail blog as well. However, surely one can take someconsolation in the fact that a Google employee has alreadyconfirmed that the search giant will be 'looking into the issueright now', right?

MSI annouces exchangeprocedures for P67 and H67motherboardsSource: http://vr-zone.com/articles/msi-annouces-exchange-procedures-

for-p67-and-h67-motherboards/11361.html

February 28th, 2011

MSI has announced it is now ready to swap faulty B2-steppingIntel P67 and H67 motherboards with revised B3-steppingones. Users can either register online for an exchange and waitfor MSI's go-ahead for a swap, or wait till the end of March fora walk-in exchange at the store the board was purchased from.

MSI is now ready to provide B3-stepping Intel P67 and H67Express boards for replacement.


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According to MSI, the following is a list of motherboards inSouth Asia that have the updated chipset:

P67 Expressmodels

H67 Expressmodels

H61 Expressmodels

Big BangMarshal (B3)

H67MA-E35 (B3) H61MU-E35 (B3)

P67A-GD80 (B3) PH67A-C43 (B3) H61M-E33/E23 (B3)

P67A-GD65 (B3) PH67S-C42 (B3) H61MA-P35 (B3)P67A-GD55 (B3) H67MS-E43 (B3) H61M-P23 (B3)P67A-GD53 (B3) H67MS-E33 (B3) P67A-C45 (B3) H67MA-ED55 (B3) P67A-C43 (B3) H67MA-E45 (B3) P67S-C43 (B3)

Swap flow for South Asia end-users

Either register online:

Or, if you are not able to access the Internet:

MSI will provide a one-to-one exchange for affected customersand their motherboards once the B3-stepping boards areavailable. On top of the swap, MSI will provide a free SATA3card.

For more details, visit http://event.msi.com/mb/2011/replace_event/sea/swap/ .

How do I identify the motherboard chipset's version / steppingfrom its outlook?

The updated MSI Intel P67 and H67 Express boards will havea 'MSI B3 Stepping Ready' sticker affixed to its packaging.

Apart from the packaging, the barcode on the box andmotherboard labels will also indicate if the motherboard hasa B3-stepping chipset. A more detailed guide is available athttp://event.msi.com/mb/b3/ .

MSI 6 Series SATA SCAN Utility

If you still happen to be on a board with the older stepping,MSI's SATA Utility will indicate which ports are in use. Thiswill help the user determine if he / she has connected anydevices to the faulty SATA 3Gbps ports. The utility will alsoguide users to connect SATA devices to the unaffected SATA6Gbps ports.

Source: MSI Press Release

GIGABYTE shipping new B3P67 and H67 motherboards,available as early as this weekSource: http://vr-zone.com/articles/gigabyte-shipping-new-b3-p67-and-

h67-motherboards-available-as-early-as-this-week/11362.html

February 28th, 2011

GIGABYTE has announced on Friday that they have begunshipping motherboards with the new B3-stepping Intel P67and H67 Express chipsets. The products are expected to beavailable as early as this week, when shipments start to clearcustoms in markets around the world.

GIGABYTE has announced on Friday that they have begunshipping motherboards with the new B3-stepping Intel P67and H67 Express chipsets. The products are expected to beavailable as early as this week, when shipments start to clearcustoms in markets around the world.

All new motherboard, retail packaging and product name


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The new 'B3' motherboards from GIGABYTE have beenredesigned and renamed so that they can easily bedistinguished from the older B2 versions through thesignature ‘B3’ at the end of the model name. For example,the GA-P67A-UD7 has been replaced by the GA-P67A-UD7-B3 and the GA-H67A-UD3H by GA-H67A-UD3H-B3. The newmodel name is highly visible on the retail box, PCB, in the BIOSat start up and on applications such as the GIGABYTE 6 SeriesSATA Check utility and CPU-Z.

Also, the new B3 version 6 Series motherboard packagingfeatures a large B3 Stepping logo that users will easily be ableto identify.

GIGABYTE 6 Series SATA Check Utility

Before chipset replacements were ready, GIGABYTE rolledout a 6 Series SATA Check utility to help optimize SATAperformance by identifying the problem-free white SATA6Gbps ports on B2-stepping chipsets, while advising usersnot to use the affected SATA 3Gbps ports. As the new'B3' motherboards start to ship, GIGABYTE has released anupdated 6 Series SATA Check utility that also identifies thechipset and its stepping (either B2 or B3).

Motherboard model name as PC boots

Another way to identify a B3 stepping chipset motherboard isto look for the motherboard model name as the PC boots.

Source: GIGABYTE Press Release

Play PC games on your iPhoneand iPad now, PS3 games inthe near futureSource: http://vr-zone.com/articles/play-pc-games-on-your-iphone-and-

ipad-now-ps3-games-in-the-near-future/11364.html

February 28th, 2011

While you can't literally install your desired PC games ontoyour iOS devices for gaming-on-the-go, there has been a wayaround this: by using remote desktop connectivity to remotelycontrol your PC at home. Now, a developer is working onbringing the PS3 experience to your iOS device.


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Software developer PandaElf has already amazed us with theirunique remote desktop application. How? Well, besides theusual streaming of Flash content and able to access and useyour files on-the-go, their strongest suit is probably gaming.Their app allows users to "stream" and play resource-hungryPC games such as World of Warcraft and Starcraft 2 all throughyour iOS devices. The result; unbelievably smooth and fastframerates.

Impressive so far, but the developers caught us off-guardwith what they are working on now. The app has now beentweaked to play PS3 games. Yes, the joy and goodness of Sony'sunrivalled gaming experience right in your hands throughyour iPhone, iPod touch or iPad. Mindblowing, isn't it?

Well, it isn't as easy as it sounds as it requires a computerand some other components on top of having a PS3. Not forthe non-tech-savvy and the faint-hearted, but it is defintelyfeasible and it just shows what is capable with the iOS SDK.

All excited? I'm sorry to say that this version of everyAir thatallows your to play PS3 games isn't available to the public yet.But don't worry, the developers have plans to release this inthe near future.

everyAir is available now for US$4.99 on the iTunes App Store.

Zalman Launches New USB3.0External HDD EnclosuresSource: http://vr-zone.com/articles/zalman-launches-new-usb3.0-external-

hdd-enclosures/11353.html

February 28th, 2011

Korean cooing specialist has unveiled its new line-up of USB3.0 enclosures (ZM-HE250 U3, ZM-HE350 U3 & ZM-HE350

U3E) and a USB 3.0 expansion card (ZM-PC302 U3), targetingenthusiasts. The stylish aluminium enclosures support 2.5"and 3.5" SATA I/ II HDDs and deliver data transfer speeds upto 5Gbps via a USB 3.0 interface. The ZM-PC302 U3 is a dualUSB 3.0 port expansion card with PCI-e 1X interface and 4-Pinauxiliary power support (for stability), allowing users to addUSB 3.0 functionalities to their PCs.

ZALMAN PRESS RELEASE

Zalman is pleased to introduce its brand new USB3.0 ExternalH.D.D. enclosure series.

New ZM-HE250 U3, ZM-HE350 U3 and ZM-HE350 U3E willmake even largest files transfer possible with Ultra fast speedof 5Gbps.

As long as Motherboard supports USB3.0, then you canenjoy the cutting edge USB3.0 Speed with these new ExternalH.D.D. Enclosures. In addition, elegant design looks woulddifferentiate them from existing products in the market.

Apart from these new models, we will also release ZM-PC302U3 PCI-e card to sever many users without USB3.0 port ontheir system. Regardless of any system you have, once it hasPCI-e 1X slot, you just install our ZM-PC302 U3 on to yoursystem to boost up your file transfer rate with ZM-HE250 U3/HE350 U3/ HE350 U3E.

Please go thru below to get more information on theseproducts.


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OCZ Preps Vertex 3 andVertex 3 Pro SSDsSource: http://vr-zone.com/articles/ocz-preps-vertex-3-and-vertex-3-pro-

ssds/11346.html

February 28th, 2011

OCZ Technology Group's Vertex 3 and Vertex 3 Pro SSDs arepoised to make their debut at Cebit 2011 next week. The 2.5"SSDs, powered by SandForce's SF-2000 series controllers,deliver data transfer speeds up to 550Mb/s (read) and 500Mb/s (write) and feature TRIM support, MLC NAND flashmemory, and a SATA III interface. The Vertex 3, aimedat prosumers, is equipped with the SandForce SF-2200processor and will be available in 120Gb and 240Gb capacities.

The "enterprise-class" Vertex 3 Pro features a SF-2500 chipand will come in 100Gb, 200Gb, and 400Gb models. All Vertex3 series SSDs are covered by a three-year warranty.

OCZ Technology Group, Inc., a leading provider of high-performance solid-state drives (SSDs) for computing devicesand systems, today unveiled its next generation Vertex 3 SATAIII SSD product family, a lineup that caters to both clientand enterprise applications. Harnessing the 6Gbps speed ofthe SATA III interface, the new series delivers double theperformance of the previous generation.

The Vertex 3 is the first solution to feature the new SandForceSF-2200 SSD processor, and raises the bar in performancewith up to 550MBs read and 500 MBs write transfer ratesand up to 60,000 IOPS (4k random write). This maximizedspeed significantly improves gaming, multimedia, and theoverall computing experience over traditional mechanicalhard drives, as well as other competing SSDs.

The new Vertex 3 solid state drive series builds on the successof our previous two generations of products and deliversexceptional performance by utilizing fast synchronous mode2Xnm MLC NAND flash technology, said Ryan Petersen, CEOof OCZ Technology Group. These storage solutions featureboth the highest sequential speeds available with a SATA6GBps SSD and the highest IOPS of any current 2.5 inchSSD on the market today, allowing us to once again setthe benchmark for industry leading SSD performance andreliability.

Also included in the new series is the enterprise-class Vertex3 Pro which not only delivers industry-leading performance,but is optimized to provide unparalleled reliability, security,and endurance. Featuring the premium SF-2500 SSD SATAIII processor, Vertex 3 Pro SSDs are the ideal solution forclients seeking enterprise-grade MLC (Multi-Level Cell) SSDstorage for their server farms and IT infrastructures. Dueto its ability to implement MLC, Vertex 3 Pro provides anoptimized balance of reliability and component-based cost-savings, resulting in superior TCO (Total Cost of Ownership)for enterprise clients.


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The new Vertex 3 Series will be showcased at next week'sinternational CeBIT tradeshow in Hanover, Germany, andwill begin shipping following the event through OCZ's globalchannel. Vertex 3 SSDs will be available in capacities of 120GBand 240GB, while the Pro edition comes in 100GB, 200GB,and 400GB models. The entire Vertex 3 line features TRIMsupport to optimize performance over the drive's lifespan anda 3 year warranty to ensure customer satisfaction.

GeForce GTX 550 Ti spotted inEU e-tailSource: http://vr-zone.com/articles/geforce-gtx-550-ti-spotted-in-eu-e-

tail/11343.html

February 28th, 2011

Several EU e-tailers have listed PNY's take on NVIDIA'supcoming GeForce GTX 550 Ti, well ahead of launch. Thereare no major surprises from the details we first reported onthe GTX 550 Ti earlier. The specifications are remarkablysimilar to the outgoing GeForce GTS 450 - 192 SP, 32 TMU,16 ROP, based on GF116, a tuned GF106. The GTX 550 Tialso continues to have 64-bit of the 192-bit in the GF116 chipdisabled, for an effective bus width of 128-bit. Where the GTX550 Ti largely differs from its predecessor, the GTS 450, is inclocks and pricing (and, of course, branding).

The leaked listings confirm the clock speeds. The GTX 550 Ti isclocked at 900 MHz, 15% over the GTS 450. The 1GB GDDR5is clocked at 4.1 GHz, 13.6% higher than the GTS 450, for amemory bandwidth of 65.5 GB/s. Despite the higher clocks,the power consumption is only 4W more, at 110W. The biggestupset is the pricing - starting at €157 (incl VAT), and expectedto be $200 in the US. Of course, these are retail pricings whichmust be taken with a grain of salt.

Still, compared to the average GTS 450 prices of €100, theGTX 550 Ti commands an excessive premium of over 50% forwhat appears to be a modest ~15% increase in core/shader andmemory clocks. Considering the GTS 450 struggles to keepwith the Radeon HD 5770, we are unsure as to how much a15% boost in clock speed would help in competing with muchfaster products - Radeon HD 6850 or GTX 460 1GB - whichthe GTX 550 Ti seems to be priced against.

Of course, we are still 2 weeks away from release, and manythings could change. The GTX 550 Ti definitely has potentialto find its own niche between the HD 5770 and the HD 6850 /GTX 460 1 GB. However, at first glance, prices like $200 /€160 seem very overpriced for the specifications leaked withthe early listings. Unless, NVIDIA have made major changesto the GF116 core (over GF106) and/or the specifications andprices leaked thus far are erroneous.

The listings can be viewed at Fudzilla.

Biostar unveils its H61motherboardsSource: http://vr-zone.com/articles/biostar-unveils-its-h61-

motherboards/11344.html

February 28th, 2011

Ahead of CeBIT, Biostar has unveiled its Intel H61 chipsetbased motherboard models and the company will offer threedifferent SKUs of what is pretty much the same board as wellas one more advanced model. The H61 chipset is Intel's budgetsolution for the second generation Core i processors and isreally intended to be paired up with the cheaper Pentiumbranded CPUs which are expected to launch sometime laterthis year.

Ahead of CeBIT, Biostar has unveiled its Intel H61 chipsetbased motherboard models and the company will offer threedifferent SKUs of what is pretty much the same board as wellas one more advanced model. The H61 chipset is Intel's budgetsolution for the second generation Core i processors and isreally intended to be paired up with the cheaper Pentiumbranded CPUs which are expected to launch sometime laterthis year.

First up we have the H61ML which is the most basic, featurestripped version which uses a compact 24.4x20cm mATXboard. Feature wise it's nothing much out of the ordinarywith a single x16 PCI Express slot, two PCI slots and one x1PCI Express slot. The board also only has two memory slots,but this is part for the course for the H61 chipset alongsidefour SATA 3Gbps ports. Around the back you get four USB2.0 ports, a PS/2 port, a D-sub connector, a DVI connector,a 10/100Mbit Ethernet port and three audio jacks for 5.1-channel audio out. Finally the board has two pin headers forfour USB 2.0 ports and a pin header each for a serial andparallel port.


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Next up we have the H61MH which adds an HDMI port andupgrades the Ethernet port to Gigabit speed. The third andfinal model in this SKU is the H61MU3 with replaces two ofthe USB 2.0 ports with two USB 3.0 ports connected to anASMedia controller.

The TH61U3+ differs by being a larger 24.4x24.4cm mATXboard and although the board has the same rear port layoutas the H61MU3, the rest of the board is quite different. Thistime around we have two x16 PCI Express slots, although thesecond one only has four lanes worth of bandwidth and there'salso a single x1 PCI Express slot and a PCI slot. The board stillonly has two memory slots and four SATA 3Gbps ports andthere are still two headers for four USB 2.0 ports and a serialport header, but no parallel port header. This board also usesa USB 3.0 host controller from Renesas rather than ASMedia.

Maybe not the most exciting range of boards, but these shouldallow for cheaper Sandy Bridge builds, especially once Intellaunches the cheaper processors. So now we're just waiting forthe first Z68 chipset announcements, which may or may nothappen during CeBIT.

iPhone 5 to feature largerscreen and thinner bezel?Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/iphone-5-to-feature-larger-screen-and-

thinner-bezel-/11341.html

February 28th, 2011

It seems that parts of the upcoming iPhone 5 has been leakedin China. Yes, the image is the rumoured iPhone 5 screencomponent.

As you can see, the front bezel of the claimed iPhone 5 partfeatures a much larger screen as compared to today's iPhone 4.

China's 1st iPhone 5 photo has surfaced! From this photo itseems that the screen size will be larger than iPhone 4. Therehas been a lot of specualtion about a larger screen and maybethis will be one of the upgrades we will see when iPhone 5 isreleased this summer.If this is indeed for the next-generation iPhone, this wouldmatch the claims of a larger 4-inch screen as well as claims ofa "edge-to-edge" screen which results in the thinner bezel. Butit's hard to tell without the currect iPhone 4 next to this screenpart.

Patriot Launches Wildfire SSDseriesSource: http://vr-zone.com/articles/patriot-launches-wildfire-ssd-

series/11342.html

February 28th, 2011

Patriot Memory, manufacturer of high performance memorymodules and flash products, has unveiled the Wildfire,targeting enthusiasts. The 2.5" SSD is powered by SandForce'snew SF-2200 processor, supporting sequential read and writespeeds up to an astonishing 500Mb/s. It is available in 64Gb,128Gb and 256Gb capacities and sports a SATA III interface.The Patriot Wildfire, bundled with a 2.5" to 3.5" bracket, areexpected to hit store shelves in Q2 2011.

PATRIOT PRESS RELEASE

Patriot Memory, a global pioneer in high-performancememory, NAND flash, storage and enthusiast computerproducts, today announces the new Wildfire series solid-state drives powered by a new SandForce SSD processor.The Patriot Wildfire series obliterates expectations ofstorage devices and delivers enterprise-class performance toconsumer desktops and notebooks.

Storage bottlenecks are a thing of the past with the PatriotWildfire series SSD. The new SandForce SF-2200 SSDprocessor enables the Patriot Wildfire series to shatter


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previous performance records with up to breathtakingly-fast500 MBs sequential read and write speeds backed by a SATA6.0 Gbs interface.

The Patriot Wildfire is the fastest SSD drive we have everreleased to the public, says Les Henry, Patriot Memory's VicePresident of Engineering. SandForce has done a fantastic jobengineering the SF-2200 SSD processor and combined withour research and development, we are able to further tweakthe design and maximize performance with the processor andour flash memory.

We are happy to see Patriot Memory is expanding their currentSandForce Driven product line with the new SandForceSF-2200 and SF-2100 Client SSD Processors, said Kent Smith,Sr. Director of Product Marketing of SandForce. Patriot haswon numerous awards and we anticipate they will win evenmore with our latest generation 6.0 Gbs client processor.

The Patriot Wildfire series feature a standard 2.5-inch formfactor for compatibility with notebooks and select desktops.A 2.5-inch to 3.5-inch mounting bracket is included with thePatriot Wildfire for compatibility with standard hard drivemounting.

Expect the Patriot Wildfire to ship in Q2 2011 in 64GB, 128GBand 256GB capacities.

General details

• New Patriot Wildfire series SSDs

• 64GB, 128GB and 256GB capacities

• SandForce SF-2200 SSD processor

• SATA 6.0 Gbs interface

• Up to 500 MBs sequential read and write speeds

ASUS RT-N56U Dual-BandGigabit Wireless RouterReviewSource: http://vr-zone.com/articles/asus-rt-n56u-dual-band-gigabit-

wireless-router-review/11321.html

February 28th, 2011

When we talk about consumer wireless routers, we wouldoften think of it as yet another rectangular plastic box withantennas on its back. ASUS, however, has done away withthis 'tradition' by coming up with a uniquely-designed pieceof hardware, the RT-N56U. The company claims the BlackDiamond is not just about its aesthetics but also its feature setand high routing performance. VR-Zone.com puts this gem tothe test!

When we talk about consumer wireless routers, we wouldoften think of it as yet another rectangular plastic box withantennas on its back. ASUS, however, thought out of the boxand came up with a uniquely-designed piece of hardware.

The RT-N56U's innovative design is what separates fromits predecessors. The Black Diamond is not just about itsaesthetics but also its high routing performance and a wholelot of features packed underneath its hood. In fact, ASUSclaims that this revolutionary wireless router is the mostadvanced in the market.

ASUS also brags about their Web User Interface the ‘EZ UI’which offers an intuitive router setup without having the needto read manuals. Setting up the internet connection fromscratch can be much of a hassle to the inexperienced.


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While most routers sit flat on a surface, the RT-N56U standsout (and tall) from the rest with its angled-vertical rest. Unlikethe D-Link DIR-685 which has its ports at the rear bottom,the RT-N56U's ones are on the right side. Weighing only 330g,stabilizing the router or even cable management alone can bequite tricky especially when using stiff LAN cables.

It also has a WPS button located at the lower corner in thefront. WPS or WiFi Protected Setup allows devices to connectto the router securely with ease.

Scythe Unveils New High-Speed FansSource: http://vr-zone.com/articles/scythe-unveils-new-high-speed-

fans/11340.html

February 28th, 2011

Japanese cooling specialist Scythe has updated its GentleTyphoon fan series with the addition of three new 120mm fans.Available in 3,000RPM, 4,250RPM and 5,400RPM models,they boast dual Nidec Servo bearings, a MTBF of 100,000hours, and stabilizing rings on their fan blades. The GentleTyphoon High RPM series can be purchased from majorretailers and e-tailers at a MSRP of €16 (excluding VAT).

SCYTHE PRESS RELEASE

Scythe Co. Ltd. extends the popular Gentle Typhoon fan seriesby three powerful high RPM models. The new Gentle TyphoonHigh RPM fans are available with 3.000, 4.250 and 5.400 rpm.These high fan speeds generate an incredible airflow of 141,197 and 255 m³ per hour (83.0/ 116.5/ 150.1 CFM).

In direct comparison to fans with similar specs, the GentleTyphoon High RPM series scores with a significant lowernoise. Like the normal GT models, a perfectly balanced NidecServo bearing is used, ensuring an average MTBF of 100.000hours. The reliable motor operates with an almost fluctuation-free rotational torque. Vibrations transferred from the motorto the venturi (fan case) are reduced to a minimum.

In addition, the fan blades of the Gentle Typhoon High RPMseries are equipped with a stabilizing ring. In this way, theair flow is more focused which results in a higher coolingperformance. At the same time the stabilization effect furtherhelps to reduce vibrations.

The Gentle Typhoon High RPM series is now available for €16excluding VAT.


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For more information, visit the product page.

vr-zone tech news for the geeks feb 2011 issue

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