gadgets, geeks, technology, internet, social media by VR Media Pte. Ltd.

February 25th, 2011

Published by: VR-Zone

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

The Daily VR-Zone News Summary - 25 Feb 2011 Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/the-daily-vr-zone-news-summary--25feb-2011/11338.html February 25th, 2011

To round up this week's news: Overview of the SandForce SF-2000 Series Solid-State Drive (SSD); Review of Spire Slimod II GPU cooler; Google launches preemptive strike at Office 365 ; Barnes & Noble updates Nook Android app, promises a Honeycomb version this spring; Elder Scrolls V preview up on YouTube; Mortal Kombat banned in Australia etc.. Hardware News: Description: SandForce DuraClass technology paired to TRIM support in Windows 7 has helped with this concern, but it was their RAISE technology that provides RAID-like protection for single SSD computer systems paired to AES-128 automatic data encryption that put them on top.

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 the original Antec 600 featuring some new attributes like a larger storage hole for cables, front hot-swap 2.5" bay, top mounted "moon roof" window, and a CPU-Backplate cut out for aftermarket cooler installation, like the Antec Kühler 620. Consumer Electronics and Software News: Description: Google made the algorithmic announcement on its blog yesterday and said that the change is significant. However, it is only designed to target low value websites that copy content from other websites. Description: One of the cooler new features not seen before is AirDrop. Say you're somewhere with no Internet connectivity, don't have a USB key handy, and want to transfer a file to another Mac user in the room. Go into an options page and enable the feature. Description: Google's new Cloud Connect collaboration addin for Microsoft Office strikes at the heart of the Office 365 juggernaut Description: For a six-week period this spring the company will release a series of popular mobile games that have yet to make their way to the platform. The “Must Have Games” sale will include Plants Vs. Zombies, Hydro Thunder Go, Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode I, geoDefense, Doodle Jump and “more,” according to Microsoft’s Major Nelson.

Description: The shape of the heat sink inherits the radiator of the Super Mega Megahalems cooler because Prolimatech was not an experiment. Between the aluminum fins are now found scattered copper fins, reducing the weight increased from 790 grams to 155 grams once to 945 grams.

Description: Okay, so they're rather minor updates, but our guess is that the Nook Honeycomb app that's being promised for some time this spring will be far more exciting. Yep, it's a lot of B&N Android, but while we're on the topic, we've got to admit we're wondering about the whereabouts of that Nook Color app store, which was announced back in November.

Description: Spire are internationally recognised as a premiere producer of cooling technology that specialises in cooling for gaming PCs. But as usual, a name doesn't give you a pass in XSR testing, so let's see how their latest iteration of GPU cooler, the Slimod II stands up.

Description: Staff Buyers of Apple's new MacBook Pro lineup will get the newly out-of-beta FaceTime for Mac free with a new machine, while existing Mac users can buy the video chat software on the Mac App Store for 99 cents.

Description: One of the additions to the Corsair cooling lineup was the original Hydro H50 CPU cooler which provided a near plug-and-play water cooling system for your CPU. Now Corsair is back again with a revamped and beefed up solution called the Hydro H70.

Description: Rockville-based game company Bethesda Softworks has released an in-game preview of the latest installment of its popular Elder Scrolls series of games. The latest installment, called Skyrim, is due Nov. 11.

Description: The GIGABYTE P67A-UD7 is not just new in terms of looks, but also sports all the latest innovations from

Gaming News:

Description: Although many pundits are predicting a change to Australia’s classification system coming soon, Warner

February 25th, 2011

Published by: VR-Zone

Bros. Interactive Entertainment's (WBIE) upcoming Mortal Kombat is the latest game to fall victim to Australia's outdated classification rules.

Intel Began Z68 Chipset Production, Launch in May Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/intel-began-z68-chipset-productionlaunch-in-may/11339.html February 25th, 2011

We have reported earlier that Intel has started P67 B3 production last week and shipment to customers has resumed. Interestingly, Intel has also started production of their Z68 chipset this week along with other Cougar Point SKUs like H61 and Q65. All of them are based on the new B3 stepping therefore the SATA port 2-5 issue is fixed before they hit the market. We have reported earlier that Intel has started P67 B3 production last week and shipment to customers has resumed. Interestingly, Intel has also started production of their Z68 chipset this week along with other Cougar Point SKUs like H61 and Q65. All of them are based on the new B3 stepping therefore the SATA port 2-5 issue is fixed before they hit the market. Judging from the specs, it seems Intel has catered Z68 specially for enthusiasts which allows better processor overclocking, discrete graphics support and SSD caching capability. With these enhancements, Intel has priced the Z68 chipset some US$8 higher than the P67 counterpart. The launch for the Z68 chipset is slated for first week of May.

Do you make heavy use of Western Digital (WD) products in your daily computing and entertainment life? If so, this latest bit of information direct from the American manufacturer of hard disks should be just the news you need to perk up your Friday night after a hard day's work, and that is not because WD is about to start giving away a bunch hard disks as free gifts. Rather, the good news comes from the fact WD has just announced in a media conference held at A*STAR Data Storage Institute (DSI) that it has established a research and development centre right here in sunny Singapore. This new centre, which is situated in the Singapore Science Park, will facilitate the leveraging of the local talent pool and expertise of research organizations/ In his opening address, Western Digital's Chief Operating Officer, Timothy Leyden, spoke about how the humble hard disk has withstood the test of time, while describing the significance of entering such a strategic partnership with the DSI.

Western Digital establishes R&D centre in Singapore Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/western-digital-establishes-r-d-centrein-singapore/11337.html February 25th, 2011

The next time you head out to a computer shop to purchase a Western Digital (WD) product, don't be surprised if you find out that part of the technology used to develop the company's storage devices hails from Singapore's very own laboratories. This is because the American hard disk manufacturer has just announced the establishment of a research and development centre in Singapore with the partnership of our country's A*STAR Data Storage Institute (DSI).

"Hard drive technology is remarkable, and it is true nanotechnology. Being more than 50 years old and US$35 billion strong, the hard disk drive industry has survived and thrived because it invested in talented people, built a robust supply chain and has persevered and flourished when confronted with technological hurdles," he said, while adding that the partnership with the DSI "embodies this spirit". Leyden also explained the reason Western Digital had chosen Singapore to be the location for its new R&D centre instead of other developed countries, citing the country's infrastructure and 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 technology research and human resource culture that makes Singapore an ideal location for investment," he said. In response, A*STAR's chairman, Lim Chuan Poh, praised Western Digital's well-deserved success in the data storage 2

February 25th, 2011

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industry, while speaking about how he envisions the strategic partnership as one that greatly benefits both parties.

which claims to be the world's slimmest Android phone on the market, measuring just 7.7mm.

"Our magnetic media research team has built strong research capabilities since its inception in 1996, (and) further enhancing its strengths and capabilities in research is the state-of-the-art infrastructure over at DSI. The Master Research Collaboration Agreement signed today would give WD access to there facilities, as well as to the team of experienced researched in DSI in the magnetic media area," he said.

Today, NTT Docomo in Japan has officially launched the MEDIA N-04C Android smartphone. The smartphone will retail on 15 March while consumers can start to pre-order on 4 March next week.

Last but definitely not least, the agreement was set in black and white when both Leyden and DSI executive director Dr Pantelis Alexopoulos inked their respective signatures onto the documents presented before them.

NEC MEDIAS N-04C is world's slimmest Android phone at 7.7mm Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/nec-medias-n-04c-is-world-sslimmest-android-phone-at-7.7mm/11336.html February 25th, 2011

While NEC phones aren't available in SIngapore, they are selling pretty well in the land of the rising sun. And it looks like the manufacturer has just launched the MEDIAS N-04C

Weighing 105g, the MEDIAS N-04C sports a 4-inch capacitive touchscreen display (480x854) with a layer of toughened guerilla glass. The smartphone runs Android 2.2 Froyo and the company has stated that the 2.3 Gingerbread update will be available this summer. The phone also comes with a 5megapixel CMOS camera, microSDHC card slot and supports i-mode, 3G/GSM and GPS, Wi-Fi, HSUPA and Bluetooth. The N-04C will be available in black and white, and NEC said it will ship the phone outside of Japan soon.

ASUS to launch new notebook PCs at IT Show 2011 Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/asus-to-launch-new-notebook-pcs-atit-show-2011/11320.html February 25th, 2011

ASUS will be launching four new laptops at the upcoming IT Show 2011 in Singapore - Eee PC 1015PW, Eee PC 1015B, ASUS U41Jf and N73Sv. More details inside.

February 25th, 2011

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Pricing information to be announced closer to IT Show 2011.

Xoom corporation sues Motorola over tablet name Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/xoom-corporation-sues-motorola-overtablet-name/11334.html February 25th, 2011

The ASUS Eee PC 1015PW sports a sleek Seashell design with elegant "wave" finish on the exterior and inside. Weighing just 1.25kg, the 1015PW is powered by the dual-core Intel Atom N550 processor and boasts a battery life of up to 10 hours. ASUS also has the 1015B model which uses AMD processor. The Eee PC 1015PW comes in Purple Rain, Gold Dust and Angel Skin.

When it comes to the word "Xoom", most users following consumer technology news would naturally link it with Motorola's latest Android 3.0 tablet that is running a dualcore processor. Well, Xoom is also the name of a company that provides online international money transfer service, and it is no wonder a lawsuit is filed against Motorola over the trademark of the company's name.

Whenever a company comes up with a new product, giving it a name is probably the most difficult task before it goes to market; you wouldn't want to receive lawyer's letters on the infringement over the trademark name. (Well, unless you have the wealth to settle with that company).

The new U series laptop claims to offer an ultra slim design, 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 performance up to 15%, thanks to ASUS’ Super Hybrid Engine (SHE) technology. On top of that, it also features two incredible energy-optimizing technologies to help extend battery life to over 10 hours.

Law firm Morgan, Lewis & Bockius has filed a trademark suit against Motorola, on behalf of San Francisco-based money transfer company Xoom Corporation. Yes, this is all about the Motorola's Xoom tablet device. According to news reports, Xoom has had its name since 2003 and has indisputable trademark over it. Motorola's purchase of the keyword "Xoom" on Google and other search sites could have caused potential disruption to the financial company's business, which was the main ground of complaint. At the moment, Motorola has no comment over the lawsuit. Xoom's company tagline may be "The Smarter Way To Send Money", but in this case, it surely is a smarter way to earn money.

Dead Space 2 PC Review Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/dead-space-2-pc-review/11322.html February 25th, 2011

The ASUS N73Sv boasts SonicMaster audio technology that offers outstanding audio performance on the portable laptop. It is also equipped with the second generation Intel Core processors, and utilizes advanced Smart Performance and Intel Turbo Boost Technology 2.0.

The game starts from the very moment our engineer Isaac Clarke awakes from a coma after events from the first game on the Sprawl, an offshoot human colony on Titan, Saturn’s largest moon. As usual, things do not go favorably with the already tormented engineer, and there is yet another Necromorph manifestation on board the space station. For those who don’t know, Necromorphs are undead, reanimated corpses that have mutated beyond recognition. And they are as blood thirsty as they are intelligent. The usual culprits behind 4

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this outbreak are, of course, the oddball religious fanatics called Unitologists and the Earth Government, who have their own agenda as well.

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With the new iPad 2 expected to be announced next week, many have speculated that Apple will drop its newest iOS 4.3 alongside with their new tablet device. There have been reports that the iOS 4.3 has already hit the golden master stage and the iPad makers are reportedly finalising on the mobile operating system. One of our Apple sources has just informed us that it looks like Apple has finalized the code for its upcoming iOS 4.3 release. The build, we're told, is 8F190 for those keeping track.

The dynamics of the struggle between the two opposing factions are interesting, and throughout the game, clues are dropped in the form of text logs, audio tapes and video tapes to fill you in as you play. The narrative pacing is excellent here; the game does enough to educate and yet intrigue you further as into what happened. The brief walkthrough from a Unitologist centre that leads to their eerie church near the beginning keeps a comfortable momentum going, and while Isaac isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t the most talkative of video game protagonists, he does enough to pull you entirely into his see-saw world of desperation and survival. Isaac has serious personal, but equally pressing issues: his bouts of dementia trigger hallucinations and visions, and the mental manifestation of his girlfriend are as thrilling as they are terrifying. These jarring moments fit in nicely with the gameplay mechanics - Isaacâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s struggle to perpetuate reality from his mental state of mind directly mirrors his tensed physical encounters with the frightening Necromorphs.

Apple's iOS 4.3 available for all at next week's media event? Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/apple-s-ios-4.3-available-for-all-atnext-week-s-media-event-/11330.html February 25th, 2011

Apple's upcoming iOS 4.3 for iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad has reported hitting the golden master stage, and ready for its public appearance as early as next week.

iOS 4.3 could make its debut public appearance sometime next week, possibly at Apple's media event scheduled for next Wednesday. The updated mobile operating system is set to add more unique features such as personal Wi-Fi hotspot functionality, enhanced support for AirPlay video streaming and more.

Elpida considers increasing DRAM price in March Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/elpida-considers-increasing-dramprice-in-march/11332.html February 25th, 2011

Dynamic random access memory (DRAM) price may increase come March, as Japanese PC chip maker Elpida considers raising DRAM prices in view of growing demand. Projected price 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 increase come March, as Japanese PC chip maker Elpida considers raising DRAM prices in view of growing demand. Elpida President and Chief Executive Yukio Sakamoto suggested that projected price for 2Gb DRAM chips in March could be as high as $2.50, a 19% increase over the current $2.10. Sakamoto also reiterated his hopes for a merger with Taiwan's Powerchip Technology Corp, Rexchip Electronics Crop and ProMOS Technologies Inc. The merger would see the new alliance holding a 40 to 50 percent share of the global mobile DRAM market, and be in a better position to combat South Korean giants Hynix Semiconductor Inc and Samsung Electronics Co Ltd. Rexchip, which is a joint venture between Elpida and Powerchip, will start production in the third quarter of this year. Elpida also has plans to buy all of Powerchip's DRAM output to 'bolster its competitiveness and help it focus on higher-end chip production'.

The Daily VR-Zone News Summary - 24 Feb 2011 Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/the-daily-vr-zone-news-summary--24feb-2011/11328.html

February 25th, 2011 February 25th, 2011

In today's news roundup: Intel is reportedly planning to demonstrate its new Medfield platform for tablet PCs in the upcoming Computex 2011 event held at Taipei; The market for NOR flash memory is set to shrink by as much as six percent this year; Android and Nokia Maemo users can play with a beta of the Firefox 4 browser which has been specially made for both operating systems; The Google Nexus S officially loses the ability to perform Facebook syncing; A new Crysis 2 trailer has emerged, and Dead Space 2 is set to gets its first set of DLC on March 1 this year. Hardware News: Intel expected to offer 3rd-generation MID platform Medfield in 3Q11 Description: Intel, in order to compete with ARM architecture devices which are prevailing in the tablet PC industry, has had Medfield, its third-generation MID platform, enter testing by Taiwan-based hardware partners, with products to be demonstrated at Computex Taipei 2011 and shipments to begin as early as the third quarter, according to industry sources. Edimax ES5500 G Gigabit Switch Review -XSReviews Description: The easiest way to get yourself some faster network transfer rates is to throw a Gigabit switch into the mix. That's what I'm looking to do today with the Edimax ES 5500G 5 port gigabit switch. Is it worth the money? Does it give good transfer 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 following Review from Technic3D the next PSU with four +12V rails (18A), 120mm Fan, 6x SATA hard disk connectors and 3x PCIe 6+2-Pin NOR flash memory shipments set for 2011 drop Description: NOR flash memory is going to take a slight knocking this year, with IHS iSuppli research claiming that the market will drop by nearly six percent. Deepcool Ice Matrix 400 Review at Overclockers Online Description: When looking at the entire picture, Deepcool’s Ice Matrix 400 is a spectacularly assembled piece of equipment. Combining four heat pipes with a simple 120mm fan, the heat sink does well at keeping the CPU at acceptable operating temperatures. Thermaltake MAX 5G External HDD Enclosure Review @Hi Tech Legion Description: The Thermaltake Max 5G 3.5” HDD Enclosure offers a solution to data and OS portability. Offering 5Gbs USB 3.0 transfer speeds along with SATA III capability, the Thermaltake Max 5G offers portability along with all of the speed one would expect from an internal HDD. The Max 5G is also the first external HDD enclosure offering the superior cooling capabilities of twin 80mm fans. These fans also offer a little eye candy with glowing blue LEDs which are

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selectable on or off accenting a sleek black enclosure design. The Thermaltake Max 5G is, of course, backwards compatible to USB 2.0/1.1, as well as SATA II/I. The Thermaltake Max 5G also offers quick and easy installation to go along with rock solid build quality. ASRock P67 Profess1onal Fatal1ty - Layout and Design @ ocaholic Description: With the P67 Profess1onal Fatal1ty, ASRock has a high-end Sandy Bridge motherboard in its portfolio which especially targets the gaming market. Next to a very attractive design the board also features three PCI-Express x16 slots and ten SATA-Ports. Antec LanBoy Air ATX Case Review Description: At first glance you can tell this is an enthusiast and gamer-oriented product. Antec touts the LanBoy Air for its highly customizable and modular design. Weighing 20.3 lbs (9.2 kg), the case can be outfitted with an insane fifteen 120mm fans -- so you know the "Air" moniker belongs in its name. Perhaps more intriguing, nearly every part of the case is modular, even the motherboard and PSU mounts. Scythe Mine 2 cooler @ Hardwareoverclock.com Description: The Mine 2 CPU Cooler is based on a twin cooler Layout. Eight copper heatpipes transport heat to two generously dimensioned cooling blocks. By placing the fan in between the 2 heatsink towers, intake as well as exhale airflows are optimized to provide high performance. By default, the Mine 2 will be delivered with a centrally placed, adjustable 140 mm Slip Stream PWM & VR fan. Although the fan supports the PWM feature, the user can manually adjust the PWM bandwidth between 470 to 1,370 rpm and 740 to 1,900 rpm. OCZ Vertex 3 240GB SATA 3 6Gbps SandForce SSD Preview @ Legit Reviews Description: Since the inception of the line, the Vertex name has been synonymous with performance and helped propel OCZ to a prominent position in the SSD market. Not resting on their laurels, OCZ has jumped out in front again with the Vertex 3 to be the first to launch a line featuring the latest SandForce controllers paired with a SATA III 6Gbps interface and 25nm NAND, while others ostensibly seem a little more conservative in their speed to market. Just how high has the bar been set? Read on to see. Consumer Electronics and Software News: New Firefox 4 for Android Available Now Description: Firefox 4 for Android and Nokia Maemo devices is now available in a new beta version that’s made huge leaps in terms of stability and performance. Coolermaster Spawn gaming mouse: comfortable, powerful, portable Description: Good things come in small packages, and Coolermaster’s Spawn gaming mouse is one of them, packing a good balance of features and comfort into a small, inexpensive, capable gaming mouse. A Sleeping OS X Lion Stirs Description: The iPad 2 nears! An iPad 3 is on the horizon! iPhone 5 is coming! Maybe an iPhone nano! New MacBook Pros! New iMacs! Maybe even an Apple television! Of all the

February 25th, 2011

Apple rumors out there right now, there’s a odd lack of talk about something we know is coming — and soon: OS X Lion. Eurocom Launches Intel Core i7-990X Extreme Processor in its Panther 2.0 Description: Eurocom Corporation (www.eurocom.com) announces support for Intel's new high performance i7-990X Extreme Edition Processor inside the EUROCOM Panther 2.0 performance notebook. The addition of the Intel Core i7-990X to the long list of processor options gives Eurocom customers even greater choice when customizing their unique systems. What the iPad 2 Needs to Steal From Android and WebOS Description: Motorola and HP proved that companies can make tablets with UI as usable, if not more so, than the iPad. Now, with the iPad 2 being announced next week, Apple is the one that needs to play catch-up to others. But is it possible without drastically retooling iOS? Replace or Add User Profile Fields in WordPress @ Computing on Demand Description: If you take into consideration that WordPress is the most widely used blogging platform, it is confusing why they are still living in the past. I am referring to the usage of AIM, Jabber, and Yahoo in the user's profile. Currently, within WordPress, there is no way for you to modify these choices. However, with a few simple lines of code in our functions.php file, we can bring WordPress into the 21st century. New Google PageRank Algorithm Debunked Description: In my recent article on SEJ about Google PageRank I suggested that a new formula could be in action. The article has gone big on Twitter and LinkedIn, with hundreds of shares. And from some comments, it looks like many people accepted it for a fact. Google Drops Facebook Sync On Nexus S: Google/Facebook Battle Continues Description: The reason Google cites is because Facebook contacts “cannot be exported from the device” and thus do not allow users to “control their data” as freely as Google would like. Gaming News: New Crysis 2 Trailer Focuses On Story, PC Multiplayer Demo on March 1 Description: With about a month to the launch of Crysis 2, the folks from EA released another trailer focusing on the story and giving a sneak of the transition of story from its predecessor. The trailer revolves around Jacob Hargreave, a man with an obsession with the Nanosuit for most of a century. Check out “Prophet’s Journey” below

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out their children were racking up huge purchases without understanding what they were doing - including one young gamer who managed to download more than $1,400 in virtual Smurfs currency...

Intel announces Thunderbolt Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/intel-announcesthunderbolt/11333.html February 25th, 2011

So what's all the fuss about? Well, Intel and Apple has announced the launch and availability (at least in Apple's products) of a new co-developed I/O interface previously known as Light Peak, but it now goes under the name of Thunderbolt. The new interface uses the same physical connector as the mini DisplayPort interface and it's compatible with DisplayPort signals, but it also offers up to 10Gbps of PCI Express data to allow for a wide range of external peripherals to be connected to it. So what's all the fuss about? Well, Intel and Apple has announced the launch and availability (at least in Apple's products) of a new co-developed I/O interface previously known as Light Peak, but it now goes under the name of Thunderbolt. The new interface uses the same physical connector as the mini DisplayPort interface and it's compatible with DisplayPort signals, but it also offers up to 10Gbps of PCI Express data to allow for a wide range of external peripherals to be connected to it. With so much bandwidth available it's clear that Thunderbolt was designed with the future in mind. That said, with companies such as Aja, Apogee, Avid, Blackmagic, LaCie, Promise and Western Digital as launch partners, it's pretty clear that the bandwidth is much wanted, especially in the video and audio industry. Thunderbolt is at the moment the fastest interface you'll find on any computer that isn't a highend server and then you'd end up talking about network cards or Fiber Channel or something similarly advanced that isn't easily implemented into consumer and business devices.

Dead Space 2 Gets Severed March 1 Description: Finished strategically dismembering an entire space station's worth of Necromorphs? Go back and do it all over 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 games Description: The Federal Trade Commission has confirmed it will investigate mobile games that are advertised as free but then entice players into buying virtual goods within the game, especially those that target younger users. This comes after several complaints surfaced by parents who found 7

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five devices and one display are supported â&#x20AC;&#x201C; it's bi-directional and it delivers power. However, on the power side things aren't fantastic, as Thunderbolt is limited to 10W, a typical external 3.5-inch hard drive requires 12W, so it's not going to be possible to power plenty of external storage device directly from the bus. Something of an oversight in our eyes, but then again, it's unlikely that single hard drives will even be kitted out with Thunderbolt interfaces. Another interesting aspect is what you can connect to a Thunderbolt interface, since as it uses PCI Express signalling, pretty much anything that connects to the PCI Express bus can interface with Thunderbolt. In this way Thunderbolt is very much like the external PCI Express interfaces that never really took off, just with a much more compact connector. This means that solutions like laptop docks could become quite advanced and offer a wide range of advanced interface that don't have to be built into the notebook to save space. Another option would be to build a display that acts as a laptop dock with all of the ports built into it rather than the notebook. The use of the mini DisplayPort connector is an odd choice in our opinion, although as the DisplayPort signal runs parallel with the PCI Express signal used for all other data, it sort of makes sense, at least in a notebook implementation. We haven't heard or seen anything relating to desktop implementations of Thunderbolt, although we'd expect it to be entirely possible, just something of a hassle, especially as you'd need a motherboard with a mini DisplayPort connector and a way to route the graphics card signal through this port. We won't put it past the motherboard makers to come up with a solution in due time though, as this would be a differentiator on high-end motherboards. As for notebooks, so far it's only Apple's MacBook Pro models that will come with Thunderbolt, although others are expected to follow. However, we'd go as far as to say that this is a technology that at least for now will be used exclusively on high-end notebooks due to the additional cost involved. Also, as far as the implementation goes, the Thunderbolt controller requires four PCI Express lanes and connects directly to Intel's PCH, so it seems like it's an exclusive technology tied into Intel's platform, at least for the time being. Call it a competitive advantage if you like, although it's possible that it'll work with any other chipset and/or device that have four available PCI Express lanes of bandwidth available.

One unanswered question is how much it'll cost to implement Thunderbolt, but it can't be too expensive considering that Apple doesn't appear to charge a premium for the technology. That said, just judging by the picture of the controller Intel supplied, it's going to be vastly more expensive than USB 3.0. It's also possible that Thunderbolt will stun the continued development and deployment of USB 3.0 which in our opinion would be a bad thing. Thunderbolt was developed with the future in mind and as such it's almost overkill today, but given some time it's likely that even Thunderbolt won't be able to keep up. However, with more than twice the practical bandwidth of USB 3.0 and nearly twice that of SATA 6Gbps we can see a lot of companies coming up with creative usages of the new interface. The video and audio hardware creation companies are happy to have been given yet more bandwidth to play with and the storage device manufacturers are some of the first to jump aboard the new interface. The big question is if Thunderbolt will ever become mainstream and this isn't likely to happen for quite some time.

Intel Resumes P67 B3 Shipment, Limited Initially In many ways Thunderbolt is a bit like the old FireWire interface, as it can be daisy chained â&#x20AC;&#x201C; up to six devices or

Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/intel-resumes-p67-b3-shipmentlimited-initially/11331.html

February 25th, 2011

Published by: VR-Zone

February 25th, 2011

Last week, Intel has began production on the P67 B3 chipsets and has shipped out to various motherboard manufacturers. This week, we saw ASUS and Biostar announcing that they are shipping out their P67 B3 motherboards to their customers and the same goes for Gigabyte, MSI, Asrock as well. We can expect the new boards to reach by early March. However, full recovery won't be expect till late March or early April therefore replacement boards for end users are expected to be in shortage initially.

Apple releases first developer preview of Mac OS X Lion Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/apple-releases-first-developer-previewof-mac-os-x-lion/11329.html February 25th, 2011

First demonstrated last October, we have not heard anything from Apple since. But now Apple, along with the release of their updated line of MacBook Pro, has provided us with some info on their new features in Mac OS X Lion which is all set for a public launch later this summer. Apple today released a developer preview of Mac OS X Lion, which takes some of the best ideas from iPad and brings them back to the Mac for the eighth major release of the world's most advanced operating system. Lion features Mission Control, an innovative new view of everything running on your Mac; Launchpad, a new home for all your Mac apps; full screen apps that use the entire Mac display; and new Multi-Touch gestures. Lion also includes the Mac App Store, the best place to discover, install and automatically update Mac apps. The Lion preview is available to Mac Developer Program members through the Mac App Store today, and the final version of Lion will ship to customers this summer. Apple has also outline a number of key features that will be included as part of Mac OS X Lion: - Mail, a new version of Mail, with an elegant, widescreen layout inspired by the iPad; Conversations, which automatically groups related messages into one easy to read timeline; more powerful search; and support for Microsoft Exchange 2010; - Versions, which automatically saves successive versions of your document as you create it, and gives you an easy way to browse, edit and even revert to previous versions; - AirDrop, a remarkably simple way to copy files wirelessly from one Mac to another with no setup;

Along with the updated line of MacBook Pros, Apple has also just announced the release of the first developer preview version of Mac OS X Lion. Let's see what is Apple going to surprise us with in this upcoming version of the Mac OS.

- Resume, which conveniently brings your apps back exactly how you left them when you restart your Mac or quit and relaunch an app; - Auto Save, which automatically saves your documents as you work; - the all new FileVault, that provides high performance full disk encryption for local and external drives, and the ability to wipe data from your Mac instantaneously; and 9

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- Mac OS X Lion Server, which makes setting up a server easier than ever and adds support for managing Mac OS X Lion, iPhone, iPad and iPod touch devices. More information on the upcoming Mac OS X can be found on Apple's feature page for it here.

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way. The speed in which it can achieve, is expected to replace the need for USB 3.0 "Thunderbolt is a revolutionary new I/O technology that delivers an amazing 10 gigabits per second and can support every important I/O standard which is ideal for the new MacBook Pro." The following new models are available now online at the Apple Store.

Apple launches refreshed MacBook Pros with Quad Core CPUs, AMD GPUs and Thunderbolt Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/apple-launches-refreshed-macbookpros-with-quad-core-cpus-amd-gpus-and-thunderbolt/11308.html February 25th, 2011

Apple has just formally launched their refreshed MacBook Pros and it's available right now online. While still retaining the same body, there has been a lot of changes under the hood.

• 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 USB 3.0 External HDDs The much-anticipated refreshment of MacBook Pros are here. For the first time ever in the company's history, Apple has included Quad Core CPUs into their laptops. The 15-inch and 17-inch models offer Quad Core CPUs using the Intel 2.2GHz Quad Core 2720QM and 2.0GHz Quad Core 2630QM. The new Sandy Bridge processors found in these new MacBook Pro also feature Intel's Turbo Boost 2.0, which will increase athe speed of the remaining cores when the others are underultilised. Intel® Turbo Boost Technology 2.0 automatically allows processor cores to run faster than the base operating frequency if it's operating below power, current, and temperature specification limits. For those who are interested in the Quad Cores, the maximum Turbo clock speeds for the 2720QM and 2630QM are 3.2GHz and 2.9GHz respectively. Another new feature that Apple has introduced in this refreshment is the hybrid Thunderbolt/ mini Display port. This revolutionary technology, which represents Intel's Light Peak technology, is expected to surface in other Macs along the

Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/a-data-launches-ch11-usb-3.0-externalhdds/11327.html February 25th, 2011

A-Data has expanded its line-up of external HDDs with the addition of the CH11. The compact 2.5" external HDD delivers transfer speeds up to 90Mb/s (read) via a USB 3.0 interface and comes with custom tags (allowing users to label drive contents). Available in black, white or pink colors, they are expected to start shipping in Europe soon. A-DATA PRESS RELEASE Taipei, Taiwan - February 21 2011 - ADATA™ Technology, a leading manufacturer of high-performance DRAM modules and NAND Flash application products, today introduced the new CH11 external hard drive, the company's latest contender in the high-speed external storage market.

February 25th, 2011

Published by: VR-Zone

Drives (Gartner, May 2010), and the Top 20 global brand in Taiwan, provides complete memory solutions, including DRAM Modules, USB Flash Drives, Memory Cards, solid state drives and portable hard drives. ADATA products are internationally recognized by Germany's iF Design Award, red dot Award, CES Best of Innovations Award, Japan's Good Design Award, Best Choice of Computex Award, and Taiwan Excellence Gold Award. For more information, please visit the company's website at www.adata-group.com.

The CH11 incorporates the most recent "SuperSpeed" USB 3.0 standard, and achieves read speeds of up to 90 MB/ sec. As end-users worldwide become increasingly aware of the tremendous performance advantages of USB 3.0 capable devices, products like the CH11 are expected to displace drives using the older USB 2.0 standard in the market. Consumers who need to transfer large image, video, or other media files will find the CH11 an appealing option.

Last minute MacBook Pro rumours Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/last-minute-macbook-prorumours/11326.html February 25th, 2011

An added benefit of the CH11 is the inclusion of custom labels, providing users with a handy solution for labeling drive contents. The unit can be stored and used vertically, making it an excellent choice for those who frequently work with multiple external drives of different categories. The CH11 will be available in 500GB, 750GB and 1TB capacities. Availability The CH11 will be available through ADATA's selected distributors and resellers. More information can be found at the company's website at: http://www.adata-group.com.

About ADATA ADATA Technology, the world's 2nd largest vendor of DRAM Modules (iSuppli, May 2010), 3rd largest of USB Flash

The MacBook Pro rumours continue to appear all over the web and the latest one bring with them some additional details that may or may not prove to be true, although it seems like we won't have to wait too long to find out what's true and what's not. On top of that, Intel is readying an announcement related to Thunderbolt for later today together with Apple, but we can't give you all the details quite yet as that is under NDA for the time being, so check back with us later for the full details. The new rumours are talking to some degree about Thunderbolt and without getting ahead of things, yes, this is Intel's Light Peak technology, but as we said, more on that later. What is clear now though is that all of Apple's MacBook Pro models will feature Thunderbolt support, but it's not certain that the vanilla MacBook's will. It's also unclear as to when and if we'll see this on desktop Apple computers, although we'd expect Apple to implement this at least on its Mac Pro's. The downside here is of course that Apple won't support USB 3.0 which is suggesting the standard has lost a major promoter for better or worse. Other rumours include dropped support for Nvidia graphics in favour of AMD, something that's been a long term rumour but which might finally prove to be true. Considering that Apple have been using AMD graphics in its Mac Pro and iMac desktops for quite some time, we'd say this is a very likely rumour to come true. Sadly it seems like the 13-inch MacBook Pro's have to make do with Intel's HD 3000 series integrated graphics, at least 11

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if the leaked specs are anything to go by. At least the entire range from top to bottom will get kitted out with Intel's second generation of Core i processors which in a way is a big win, as Apple has finally decided to give up on Intel's Core 2 platform in lieu of something much faster. The rumours about SSDs don't seem to have proven to be true though, but we should find out shortly if this is the case or not. The high-resolution screen rumours have as yet to be proven right as the spec leaks for the 13-inch model suggested no change here. Apple is expected to unveil its new product range shortly, so stay tuned for more on the new MacBook models, as well as a detailed look at Tunderbolt.

MSI releases finalized version of Afterburner 2.1.0

Published by: VR-Zone February 25th, 2011

After the wildly successful original Facebook contest, BitFenix is pleased to announce BitFenix Facebook Sweepstakes 2. From now until March 9th, users can go to the BitFenix Facebook page and enter the contest by "liking" the page and filling out the sweepstakes entry form. At the end of the contest period, one lucky fan will win a brand-new BitFenix Survivor gaming chassis! BitFenix Press Release

Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/msi-releases-finalized-version-ofafterburner-2.1.0/11324.html February 25th, 2011

Facebook fans can enter to win a brand-new Survivor chassis After months of being in beta status, MSI Afterburner 2.1.0 has been finalized and is now available for download. The new version supports the latest graphics cards, including the NVIDIA GeForce 500 Series and AMD Radeon HD 6000 Series.

(BitFenix Design Lab, February 23th, 2011) - After the wildly successful original Facebook contest, BitFenix is pleased to announce BitFenix Facebook Sweepstakes 2. From now until March 9th, users can go to the BitFenix Facebook page (http:// facebook.bitfenix.com) and enter the contest by "liking" the page and filling out the sweepstakes entry form. At the end of the contest period, one lucky fan will win a brand-new BitFenix Survivor gaming chassis!

After months of being in beta status, MSI Afterburner 2.1.0 has been finalized and is now available for download. The new version supports the latest graphics cards, including the NVIDIA GeForce 500 Series and AMD Radeon HD 6000 Series. The latest Afterburner has a new feature known as Predator, which allows users to capture a video of the game you are currently playing.

Win a Survivor gaming case: BitFenix Facebook Sweepstakes 2 Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/win-a-survivor-gaming-case-bitfenixfacebook-sweepstakes-2/11323.html

"We had so much fun with our fans last time, so we just had to bring it back," says David Jarlestedt, BitFenix Product Manager. "The support for the fans has been tremendous and

February 25th, 2011

Published by: VR-Zone

these contests are meant to give back to the very community that 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 if the BitFenix Facebook page can reach 2,000 fans during the contest period! The more people that enter, the more prizes will 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 www.bitfenix.com.

BitFenix,

visit:

http://

The Playon!HD2 (ACR-PV73700) supports video formats including AVI, MKV, TS, TP, M2TS, MPG, MP4, MOV, M4V, VOB, ISO, DVD-ISO, IFO, DAT, WMV, ASF, RM, RMVB, BDISO, FLV resolution up to 1080p. Even though it supports Gigabit full HD streaming of up to 1000Mbps, wired data transfer only reaches 100Mbps due to the limitation of the onboard processor.

AC Ryan launches Playon! HD2 and Playon!HD Mini2 in Singapore Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/ac-ryan-launches-playon-hd2-andplayon-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 in Singapore. They are available now and you can check them out at 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 feature the latest Realtek 1185 media player processor. According to Wong, both media players allow users to interact with friends on Facebook, Twitter and Instant Messenger (ebuddy).

The power button is at the front of the Playon!HD2 while on the right holds a card reader, three USB ports (one Type B USB3.0). The USB ports can also connect to an external hard disk as well as a wireless dongle for wireless connectivity. However, note that full high definition (HD) streaming will not be that seamless via wireless. According to Wong, the optional wireless dongle can be purchased at S$49, and the Playon! HD2 with built-in wireless is scheduled to be available near end of March.

More connectivity options are at the rear of the media player including composite, component, HDMI, LAN, optical and coaxial. 13

February 25th, 2011

Published by: VR-Zone

It is clear that Microsoft wants Windows to be as ubiquitous in the cloud as it currently is in the desktop and notebook PC market. And while Microsoft is also considered to be one of the latecomers to the entire 'software-as-a-service' ecosystem, it would seem that this minor setback is not about to hinder the software giant in its plans for (virtual) world domination: Microsoft has announced the commencement of a free trial in a bid to attract more users to its Azure Services Platform.

The hard disk compartment is on the right and to insert your hard disk, simply remove the side cover.

Cloud computing and 'software-as-a-service' might be mere blanket terms used to describe the future of computing, but as far as Microsoft is concerned, it would seem that the such services are more than ready to be implemented in today's computing ecosystem. After all, enterprises have been known to be relatively slow on the uptake of new technology, and in most cases, all it needs is just a simple push to get the entire industry moving in the 'right' (or wrong) directions. With that in mind, what would Microsoft's plan for pushing people onto the path of cloud computing under the Windows banner and ecosystem be? Simple: to offer a free trial of its Windows Azure Platform, in the hopes that enterprise developers will be able to get their feet wet with Microsoft's cloud computing solution and join the Microsoft ecosystem.

The Playon!HD Mini2 (ACR-PV73800) is more compact than its Playon!HD2 sibling though it also supports most video formats.

At the rear are component, composite, HDMI, LAN, optical and two USB connectors. Both the Playon!HD2 and Playon!HD Mini2 are alreday available at S$269 and S$199 respectively, and will also be retailing at the IT Show 2011.

For those who might not be aware, Microsoft's Azure Services Platform is a 'platform-as-a-service' offering and forms a core part of Microsoft's cloud computing strategy. It allows customers to deploy applications and data into the cloud, and is designed to compliment the company's other 'software-asa-service' offering, Microsoft Online Services.

Microsoft launches free trial of Windows Azure Platform Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/microsoft-launches-free-trial-ofwindows-azure-platform/11314.html February 25th, 2011

So what's in the free trial of Microsoft's Windows Azure Platform for developers who bite? Well, according to 14

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Microsoft, interested developers can choose between one of two offers, namely 750 hours of an Extra Small Compute Instance or 25 hours of a Small Compute Instance. And in addition to the free computing time offered, Microsoft is also throwing in a few extra features such as free inbound and outbound data transfer of up to 500MB and 100,000 AppFabric access control transactions across two service bus connections, as shown in the screenshot below:

Published by: VR-Zone

immediately after the revised design is released by Intel. ASUS hopes that its fast response will prevent any further inconvenience and interruption to customers.

Of course, this complimentary trial is not without its own set of caveats though. Developers and system administrators might want to take note that Microsoft does not impose hard data transfer or storage caps: this means that system administrators who end up consuming more than the amount of data allocated to them will be charged at Microsoft's current rates. Last but definitely not least, Microsoft has also confirmed that the trial is time-bombed to expire on 30 June this year, and that any subsequent usage of its Windows Azure Platform after the aforementioned date will be charged at the standard rates as well.

Based on new information from Intel, 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 further inconvenience and interruption to customers. As Intel indicated the design error only occurs with certain SATA 3Gb/s ports, ASUS has created the SATA Verifier utility to help customers clearly identify all unaffected SATA 6Gb/s ports for each relevant product. More information can be found at http://event.asus.com/2011/mb/ Identify_unaffected_SATA_port/. Customers who already own potentially affected motherboards may visit http://event.asus.com/sg/2011/ SandyBridge/ for product return and replacement details and registration.

If that sounds reasonable enough to warrant getting your hands and feet wet with what Microsoft has to offer the cloud computing ecosystem, hit up the registration link located here.

ASUS to begin shipping motherboards with revised 'B3' P67 and H67 chipsets this week Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/asus-to-begin-shipping-motherboardswith-revised-b3-p67-and-h67-chipsets-this-week/11319.html February 25th, 2011

As part of an overall recovery plan following the detection of the Intel 6 Series chipset design error, ASUS has implemented various customer support measures, including extensive product replacement and return with additional service hotlines around the world. Based on new information from Intel, ASUS has announced that its updated Intel 6 Seriesbased motherboards will begin shipping starting this week,

Users can easily identify revised products by checking for the 'New B3 Revision' label displayed on the packaging. The chipset version can also be verified through the sticker affixed on the motherboard itself, the BIOS, ASUS SATA Verifier and CPUIDâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s CPU-Z utility.

February 25th, 2011

Published by: VR-Zone

ASUS would like to use this opportunity to encourage any current users in possession of affected products to carry out return and replacement promptly, so that the transition to the revised hardware is as smooth and fast as possible.

Rumour: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 590 release during PAX East 2011 Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/rumour-nvidia-geforce-gtx-590release-during-pax-east-2011/11318.html February 25th, 2011

According to a latest report from DonanimHaber, NVIDIA's upcoming dual-GPU flagship, the GeForce GTX 590, is all set to release at PAX East 2011 - which takes place between March 11th and March 13th. Prior to PAX East, the GTX 590 will be introduced behind closed doors at upcoming CeBIT 2011 (March 1st to 5th).

Well, this is indeed surprising. For a company that has already prided itself on having products which boast some of the longest product lifespans, it would seem that Sony has also got quite a few products which do not seem to live past its first year of retail life before getting canned from the company's production line. And in this case, it would appear that even popular products are not spared from the hammer, for the latest device to get the heave-ho from Sony's production line is that of the compactsized 'DSLR' known as the NEX-3. Indeed, a quick peek into Sony's Japanese site reveals that the information was no hoax: the NEX-3 has indeed been dropped, with the product page listing the camera's status as 'Discontinued'.

As has been rumoured for quite a while now, the GTX 590 is expected to sport two fully enabled GF110 GPUs. The power consumption is rumoured to be through the roof - likely breaking the PCI-SIG certification limit of 300W. The GTX 590 is certainly going to be an exclusive, ultra-enthusiast product, with limited availability. AMD's competitor - the Radeon HD 6990 - which was earlier planned for a December 2010 release, is also expected to finally release some time in March.

Sony quietly discontinues NEX-3 series of digital cameras Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/sony-quietly-discontinues-nex-3series-of-digital-cameras/11313.html February 25th, 2011

Unfortunately, Sony has not been very forthcoming with its reasons for the sudden pulling of the NEX-3 from its NEX lineup. And with no press release issued, it would seem that consumers do not have much choice but to wait for the official explanation from the Japanese consumer electronics giant.

ImageShack pulls plug on hotlinking to unregistered domains Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/imageshack-pulls-plug-on-hotlinkingto-unregistered-domains/11312.html February 25th, 2011

The NEX-3 may be one of the more drool-worthy digital cameras to exist on the market today, but it seems that Sony has got other plans in store for the market segment currently targeted by the aforementioned device. In what is probably the shortest-ever product lifespan for a digital camera, Sony Japan has labelled the NEX-3 as a discontinued product, despite it being barely a year since it was launched.

Do you make use of ImageShack's image hosting services? Well, if you do, you might want to seriously start considering moving over to other alternative image hosting services. Apparently, it seems that ImageShack has made the decision to pull the plug on hosted images that have been hotlinked to 'unregistered domains'. And we all know what that means, don't we? Free image hosting services are a dime a dozen, so migrating over to another service should be as easy as pie, should it not? 16

February 25th, 2011

After all, the only thing one has to do is to download the entire photo album from the original hoster, extract the images from within 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 particualar image hosting service known as ImageShack for the sole purpose of sharing them on websites or forums might want to start considering a migration to alternative services. Not because ImageShack is shutting down though: rather, this is due to a new policy implemented across ImageShack's image hosting services. Apparently, the hoster has just recently implemented a 'registered domains' system: this policy requires that webmasters register their domains with ImageShack in order to ensure that visitors to their site can view all ImageShackhosted images. And because no prior warning about this sudden change in policy was made to the Internet-going public, it seemed that many were caught unaware when the policy was enforced. As such, ImageShack users who have hotlinked images to unregistered domains will only see this image on the offending site:

Published by: VR-Zone

Mach Xtreme Technology Adds 128Gb Model to FX USB 3.0 Flash Drives Series Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/mach-xtreme-technology-adds-128gbmodel-to-fx-usb-3.0-flash-drives-series/11316.html February 25th, 2011

Mach Xtreme Technology has expanded its FX USB3.0 flash drive line-up with the addition of a 128Gb (MXUB3MFX-128G) variant. Measuring 78 x 27 x 9.3mm and weighing 39g, the compact flash drive delivers data transfer speeds up to 130Mb/s (read) and 90Mb/s (write). Mach Xtreme has also obtained Asus's USB 3.0 certification for its MX-FX series of flash-drives, offering users full USB 3.0 usability and compatibility with ASUS mainboards. MX-TECHNOLOGY PRESS RELEASE Mach Xtreme Technology Inc., a worldwide leader in top performance, high reliability and user-friendly designed PC components, announces that MX-FX Series gets â&#x20AC;&#x153;Optimized For ASUS USB 3.0 Mainboardsâ&#x20AC;? certification and adds 128GB model to expanding FX USB3.0 flash drives series today.

More importantly, it appears that this issue is affecting users on a global scale, and is not just limited to users from a particular geographical region. To remedy the situation, users can either attempt to visit the link listed on the image above and register their often-visited sites with the image hosting service, or bug the webmasters of those websites to do so on their behalf.

Of course, at this point, users can also just opt to ditch ImageShack completely and go for an alternative, no-cost image hosting service. After all, as they always say, whatever floats your boat.

MX has announced its successful certification of MX-FX USB 3.0 series flash drives, confirming close cooperation with ASUS. Only devices rigorously tested with ASUS USB3.0 motherboards feature a prominent logo. Customers can recognize this logo and purchase ASUS certified USB 3.0 devices with peace of mind. The extensive compatibility testing ensures complete compatibility with ASUS mainboards, offering consumers full USB 3.0 usability.

Besides, Mach Xtreme Technology adds 128GB model to expanding FX series. The MX-FX 128GB flash drive delivers best-in-class read and write speeds clocking in at up to 130MBs read and 90MBs write along with its ultra compact size (78mm x 27mm 9.3mm). Mach Xtreme FX flash drives come also in 16GB, 32GB and 64GB flavors. All this combined with 3-Years warranty and consumer friendly pricing nominates MX-Technology FX Series USB 3.0 flash drive as the #1 choice.

February 25th, 2011

Published by: VR-Zone

128GB FX Series USB 3.0 Flash Drive at A Glance •

USB 3.0 Interface

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Max. Read Performance up to 130MBs

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Max. Write Performance up to 90MBs

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Bus Power 900mA (no external power cable needed)

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Power Consumption Idle 1.0W Active up to 4.0W

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Shock and vibrations resistant

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Compact and easy to carry 78mm x 27mm x 9.3mm

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Lightweight 39g

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Certification ROHS, CE, FCC

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Capacity 128GB (MXUB3MFX-128G)

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Warranty 3-Years