gadgets, geeks, technology, internet, social media

March 2nd, 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.

Apple slash first-generation iPad prices Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/apple-slash-first-generation-ipadprices/11433.html March 2nd, 2011

March 2nd, 2011

So what will Apple be surpising us in this special media event? Well, we have took the liberty of summerising what has happened at Yerba Buena Center in San Francisco for your reading pleasure.

Apple has slash their prices of their previous generation tablet since the introduction of iPad 2 and prices of iPad have dropped by more than S$200 for some models.

The event kicked off at 10am Pacific Time (2am Singapore Time) and the first major surprise we got was the arrival of Apple CEO, Steve Jobs, on stage for the presentation. Many didn't expect him to turn up due to his deteriorating health, but he did. “We’ve been working on this product for a while and I didn’t want to miss today,” said Jobs, garnering a standing ovation from the audience. iBooks & milestones Once the Apple Online Store came back, we noticed that Apple has dropped their prices for the original iPad by a substancial ammount. This is not surprising since the new iPad 2 will hold the same prices as the original iPad's launch price.

Apple's March 2nd media event Roundup Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/apple-s-march-2nd-media-eventroundup/11431.html

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Besides having over 2500 publishers in iBookstore, Random House will joining the iBookstore today, bringing another 17,000 books to the iBookstore catalog. 100,000,000 books have been downloaded so far from Apple's iBookstore.

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Apple has announced its iPad 2 and overall it's upgrades all around with a new dual core A5 processors, much faster graphics, lower weight, slimmer profile and of course the much wanted cameras. That's pretty much what everyone was hoping for and Apple has left out surprisingly little for an iPad 3 upgrade, but we're sure they'll figure something out to attract people's attention next year.

Apple has announced its iPad 2 and overall it's upgrades all around with a new dual core A5 processors, much faster graphics, lower weight, slimmer profile and of course the much wanted cameras. That's pretty much what everyone was hoping for and Apple has left out surprisingly little for an iPad 3 upgrade, but we're sure they'll figure something out to attract people's attention next year.

According to Jobs, Apple should have the "most accounts with credit cards anywhere on the internet".

Apple has also reportedly paid out US$2 billion to app developers on their App Store.

The A5 processor is still ticking away at 1GHz, but it now has two cores and the graphics core is said to offer up to nine times the performance compared to the original iPad. The rear camera will shoot 720p video at 30fps, while the front camera is stuck at VGA quality at 30fps. To go with the cameras Apple is adding FaceTime to its next release of iOS and we'll also see a new app called Photo Booth alongside a US$4.99 version of iMovie for the iPad 2.

Amazingly Apple has managed to slim down the iPad 2 to a mere 8.8mm which is 0.5mm thinner than the iPhone 4 and the Wi-Fi model weighs in at 601g while the 3G model adds another 12g. Even so, we're looking at the same 10h battery life for the Wi-Fi models, or in the case of the 3G models, 9h. The screen remains the same as on the old model, in other words we're still looking at a 9.7-inch unit with 1024x768 resolution.

Some features that have been carried over includes 802.11a/ b/g/n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR and in the case of the 3G model, support for HSDPA/HSUPA on the 900, 1900 and 2100MHz bands, although Apple has also made a CDMA EVDO version for Verizon in the US which is another first.

Apple has also recently shipped out their 100 millionth iPhone.

Apple launches the iPad 2 Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/apple-launches-the-ipad-2/11432.html March 2nd, 2011

One other new feature is the optional US$39 HDMI out dongle which connects to the docking port and adds an HDMI port as well as a docking port so the iPad 2 can be charged at the 2

March 2nd, 2011

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same time as it's connected to an HDMI screen or projector.

It supports 1080p video mirroring, but oddly enough Apple states that it'll only play back H.264 video with resolutions of up to 720p at 30fps. The dongle doesn't look like the most solid piece of equipment to ever come out of Apple and it's really quite an awkward way to connect the iPad to an HDMI equipped display device.

Apple also designed a new “Smart Cover� for the iPad 2 which attaches by magnets and features a hinge. The cover folds up in three and can be used as a stand. Apple offers the cover in two different materials, polyurethane and leather, each available in five colours for a price of US$39 and US$69.

According to leaked NVIDIA slides, the reference GeForce GTX 550 Ti will be clocked at 900MHz and 1025MHz for the core and memory respectively.

A kind reader has dropped us some scores which do look in line with all the current GTX 550 Ti specifications bits pieced together.

3DMark 11 GeForce GTS 450 P2100

GeForce GTX 550 Ti P2400

Radeon HD 5770

GeForce GTX 550 Ti ~27

Radeon HD 5770

P2600

Lost Planet 2 GeForce GTS 450 ~22

~22

It appears that the new card isn't as fast as expected, with a performance gain of about 25% over AMD's offering in just certain games. Things look pretty ugly in 3DMark 11 though.

Most of the rumours about the iPad 2 didn't come true, as we didn't get a higher resolution screen, no built in SD card reader and most definitely no Thunderbolt support, but even so, it looks like Apple has managed to a pretty good job in updating its tablet.

As far as pricing goes, the Wi-Fi models cost US$499 for 16GB, US$599 for the 32GB model and finally US$699 for the 64GB model. Apple will be offering them in both white and black from day one, which is another first for the iPad 2. In the US the 16GB 3G model is priced at US$629 with the 32GB model at US$729 and finally the 64GB model at US$829, but so far pricing for other countries haven't been announced.

Availability in the US is March 11th followed by Europe, Japan, th

Mexico, Australia and New Zealand on the 25 of March.

Apple didn't announce availability dates for other markets.

NVIDIA GeForce GTX 550 Ti benchmark leak?

Overclockability-wise, the GeForce GTX 550 Ti will continue the legacy of the GeForce GTS 450 by offering excellent headroom. Clock speeds in excess of 1050MHz are said to be attainable and that will send the 3DMark 11 score past P3000 on a well-overclocked 'Sandy Bridge' system.

If the performance figures are true, then perhaps the GF116 should be branded as a GTS, and not a GTX?

ASUS unveils new ROG gaming products at CeBIT 2011 Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/asus-unveils-new-rog-gamingproducts-at-cebit-2011/11422.html March 2nd, 2011

Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/nvidia-geforce-gtx-550-ti-benchmarkleak-/11420.html March 2nd, 2011

We've gotten some rough performance numbers of the upcoming GeForce GTX 550 Ti in Futuremark's 3DMark 11 and Lost Planet 2. Is it as fast as it is rumored to be?

ASUS has unveiled a number of new ROG gaming products at CeBIT 2011. These include the G74Sx gaming laptop, the Rampage III Black Edition motherboard and MATRIX GTX 580 graphics cards for enthusiasts, VG278H 3D monitor, RTN66U high performance dual-band wireless router, and the Vulcan-ANC gaming headset.

ASUS has unveiled a number of new gaming products at CeBIT in March this year, including Republic of Gamers (ROG) notebook PCs, high-performance motherboards, graphics cards, 3D monitors, a router and a headset. With an expanded 3

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product portfolio, ASUS hopes to fulfill its promise of providing choices for everyone.

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enthusiasts to monitor and optimize clock speed, voltage and fan speed to achieve extreme levels of performance.

ROG Rampage III Black Edition motherboard delivers extreme gaming performance The ROG Rampage III Black Edition motherboard is an evolution of the award-winning Rampage III Extreme, which set new world records in overclocking. Everything that made the Rampage III Extreme so great is back, but with a stylish black-themed design, plus many hardware and software improvements.

The ROG MATRIX GTX 580 also runs cool, thanks to the exclusive DirectCU II design that places copper heatpipes in direct contact with the GPU for improved thermal efficiency.

Twin custom-made fans circulate up to 600% more air for a 20% cooler operation too, while the 16-phase Super Alloy Power components ensure greater operational stability and a longer product lifespan.

Most notable is the supplied ROG ThunderBolt expansion card that enhances both LAN and audio performance. This incorporates an award-winning Bigfoot Networks Killer™ E2100 networking platform that automatically classifies and accelerates online game traffic for maximum networking performance. Class-leading XONAR™ audio technology also provides increased sound quality and a built-in headphone amplifier with adjustable impedance settings - perfect for getting the drop on the competition when gaming.

Combined, these two technologies provide gamers with a superior online gaming experience that will overwhelm the competition. Better yet, the ROG Rampage III Black Edition also comes with the ASUS GPU TweakIt utility that is upgraded feature combined in ROG Connect and allows gamers to modify the graphics card settings for greatest visual impact.

ROG MATRIX GTX 580 graphics card makes overclocking easier than ever The new ROG MATRIX GTX 580 graphics card ships with a number of proprietary ASUS iROG technologies for superior gaming performance, including TweakIt for real-time GPU voltage adjustment, ProbeIt for instant voltage readings and a Safe Mode reboot button for a foolproof overclocking experience. The all-new ASUS GPU Tweak utility also allows

Apple Online Store down ahead of iPad media event Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/apple-online-store-down-ahead-ofipad-media-event/11429.html March 2nd, 2011

With just a few hours to go to Apple's media event, the Cupertino-based tech giant has taken its online stores around the world offline, including here in Singapore.

It is a standard operating procedure for the iPhone and iPad makers to bring their online stores down ahead of major events and new product releases. So we can safely say that this is Apple's way of telling us that they are going to introduce something new to their online store.

The next-generation iPad is expected to announce within the next few hours. Stay with us as we bring you the latest developement from Apple's special media event.

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Asus and MSI displays miniITX H61 boards at CeBIT Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/asus-and-msi-displays-mini-itx-h61boards-at-cebit/11428.html March 2nd, 2011

We should soon be seeing some much more affordable miniITX boards for Intel's second generation of Core i processors and both Asus and MSI has shown off new models based on the new H61 budget chipset for the platform. The two boards are quite different in terms of what they offer though and we're pretty sure that these are only two of the first boards of many to come.

We should soon be seeing some much more affordable miniITX boards for Intel's second generation of Core i processors and both Asus and MSI has shown off new models based on the new H61 budget chipset for the platform. The two boards are quite different in terms of what they offer though and we're pretty sure that these are only two of the first boards of many to come.

Asus has gone for a full-on HTPC design for its P8H61-I with a x16 PCI Express slot, four SATA 3Gbps ports and two headers for an additional four USB 2.0 ports. Around the back the board has a PS/2 port, four USB 2.0 ports, two USB 3.0 ports, a Gigabit Ethernet port, a D-sub, DVI and HDMI port and three audio jacks for 5.1-channel audio. Bear in mind that this is a budget board and it won't compete with the H67 boards in terms of features.

ASRock also shows off Z68 board at CeBIT Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/asrock-also-shows-off-z68-board-atcebit/11427.html March 2nd, 2011

ASRock decided to show off its Z68 board as CeBIT too and it actually looks like one of the better boards that have been shown so far. We're not entirely sold on the colour scheme, but that's really a minor issue considering that ASRock appears to have loaded up the Z68 Extreme4 with pretty much every feature you could need or want.

ASRock decided to show off its Z68 board as CeBIT too and it actually looks like one of the better boards that have been shown so far. We're not entirely sold on the colour scheme, but that's really a minor issue considering that ASRock appears to have loaded up the Z68 Extreme4 with pretty much every feature you could need or want.

Slot wise the board has three x16 PCI Express slots, of which of course the second one is of the switchable x8 type while the third slot only has four lanes worth of bandwidth. The board also has two x1 PCI Express slots and two PCI slots. ASRock has also fitted a pair of additional SATA 6Gbps ports for a total of four, as well as four SATA 3Gbps ports. There are also headers for two USB 3.0 ports (using an Etron controller), four USB 2.0 ports, a FireWire port and even a parallel port.

MSI on the other hand decided to go really basic with its H61IE35 and only included a x1 PCI Express slot, although you still get four SATA 3Gbps ports and two headers for four USB 2.0 ports. Around the back the MSI board appears to have a PS/2 port, six USB 2.0 ports, a D-sub and HDMI port and three audio jacks for 5.1-channel audio. This board should be very affordable and a great match with the upcoming Sandy Bridge Pentium and Celeron processors expected later this year.

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question will be does it perform? Read on to find out if the performance matches the looks!

New, more effective optical fibers have semiconductive core Description: Fiber optic cables can transmit over a terabyte of information per second – but that doesn't mean there still isn't room for improvement. One of those improvements, which was officially announced today, involves replacing the silica glass core of fiber optic strands with semiconductive zinc selenide. This new class of fiber optics, invented and created at Penn State University, is said to "allow for a more effective and liberal manipulation of light." The technology could have applications in the fields of medicine, defense, and environmental monitoring.

Around the back the board has a PS/2 port, four USB 2.0 ports, two USB 3.0 ports, a FireWire port, an eSATA port, a Gigabit Ethernet port, a DisplayPort, HDMI, DVI and D-sub connector and finally 7.1-channel audio with optical S/PDFI out. There's also a CMOS reset button around the back and the board also appears to have power and reset buttons and a POST80 debug LED display. We also noted a PLX bridge chip on the board that we're not quite certain what the purpose of it is.

Overall the Z68 Extreme4 is what we'd expect from a high-end Z68 board, but this might not be the top of the range model from ASRock, as the company offers higher-end P67 models, so we might get to see something even more feature packed by the time the platform launches.

The Daily VR-Zone News Summary - 02 Mar 2011 Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/the-daily-vr-zone-news-summary--02mar-2011/11425.html March 2nd, 2011

In today's daily news roundup: Bigfoot Networks announces its new high-performance Killer WiFi cards for notebooks; Intel releases a new dual-core Atom processor for netbooks; TP-Link showcases new energy-efficient powerline adapters at CeBIT; Razer's Naga Epic MMO gaming mouse gets reviewed; Sony is reportedly thinking of exploiting a loophole to get around the import ban on PlayStation 3 consoles in the EU, and Dawn of War 2 : Retribution gets a new launch trailer.

Hardware News: GIGABYTE P67A-UD4 Motherboard Performance Review @ Legit Reviews Description: GIGABYTE Motherboards have always employed a wide variety of colors on them. At least until now. The GIGABYTE P67A-UD4 motherboard features the all new blacked out color scheme! First impressions, they look great!

Unfortunately, looks won't do anything for performance.

Today we are going to take the newly designed GIGABYTE P67A-UD4 out for a test drive. While it looks great, the

Sunbeamtech Rheosmart 6 Fan Controller Review @ XtremeComputing Description: Sunbeamtech have been around for as long as I can remember, however due to their limited product range, they often don’t get the recognition they deserve. This latest fan controller will hopefully continue their high-quality, highvalue reputation. Personally I own a Scythe Kaze Master, so I know what a quality fan-controller should do.

Coolit Vantage A.L.C. CPU Cooler @ Benchmark Reviews Description: Sealed, all-in-one water coolers seem to be the fastest-growing segment of the CPU cooler market today. Air coolers are reaching their physical limits: given the room inside existing cases, and the (frequently ignored) weight limits defined for CPU coolers, something like a Prolimatech Megahalems is about as big as you can get without running into problems. Water cooling systems work around these problems by moving the heat exchanger off of the CPU socket, and using a fluid to transfer heat from the CPU to the heat exchanger.

Coolit Systems has been making retail and bespoke liquid cooling systems for some years now, and the Coolit Vantage A.L.C. cooler brings new features and performance to the fray.

Benchmark Reviews pits this new entry against existing air and water coolers in a performance showdown.

Be Quiet Silent Wings USC 12cm Review @ XSReviews Description: It can't always be about the graphics cards, the gaming mice, the motherboards and the high powered speakers, right? Well no indeed, sometimes us reviewers have to look at something a little less exciting. Ladies and gents, may I present to you the BeQuiet Silent Wings USB 12cm fan. Let's check it out. Hurray!

Chip Shot: Intel Delivers New Dual-Core Intel® Atom™ Processor for Netbooks Description: Today, Intel announced the dual-core Intel® Atom™ processor N570, providing netbook users Internet access on the go and a more responsive experience in the same compact form factor and great battery life as single-core Intel Atom processors. Running at 1.66 GHz, these processors support four threads, with 1 MB of L2 cache, 8.5W TDP and DDR3 667, helping spur further innovation around netbooks and other devices requiring the low power goodness of Intel Atom architecture.

NAND flash contract prices stable Description: Contract prices for 16Gb, 32Gb and 64Gb MLC NAND flash chips dropped slightly in the second half of February, while 8Gb parts went flat, according to latest data 6

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posted by DRAMeXchange. Meanwhile, the price of 32Gb 3bit per cell MLC products was similar to the level in the first half of the month.

Killer NICs Comes to Laptops for Latency Freaks Description: Bigfoot Networks, the technology company behind the Killer line of networking products for online games, today introduced its new Killer Wireless-N family of highperformance Wi-Fi adapters for laptops.

Consumer Electronics and Software News: Smartfish Whirl Laser Mouse w/ Anti-Gravity Comfort Pivot Review @ TestFreak Description: The mouse is the one thing that most of use take for granted, not for how it’s used but for what can happen to you with long terms usage. For those of us that use a mouse everyday for hours on end we can be susceptible to RSI or repetitive stress injury. Sure there are companies out there that have come out with ergonomic mice, but only one claims to be the world’s first truly ergonomic mouse and that’s the Whirl from Smartfish. The mouse is wireless and it sits on top of pivoting platform so you hand moves more naturally when you’re using thus possibly reducing the risk of RSI to the user. The Whirl has been designed in collaboration with the #1 orthopedic hospital in the states, so they might know what they’re talking about.

Google’s Schmidt States Mobile Growing Faster than All Predictions Description: Google representatives, especially those high up on the ladder, are no stranger to major events. This is especially true for Eric Schmidt who, over the years, has given keynote addresses at almost every top technology and business event even slightly related to his industry. It’s no surprise, then, that he would be selected for the opening keynote at the IAB Leadership Conference...

An Exciting Keynote for Skype at Enterprise Connect and News with Citrix Description: Skype today announced a partnership with Citrix Systems that will expand Skype’s web and audio conferencing capabilities. Based on Citrix’s successful GoToMeeting product, Skype’s new Web conferencing and audio features are expected to become available towards the end of the year.

TP-LINK showcases new energy-saving powerline adapters at CeBIT 2011 Description: TP-LINK, a global provider of SOHO and SMB networking products, today announced a new range of powerline adapters which will be on display at CeBIT 2011.

The adapters, which offer energy savings of up to 75%, feature a range of benefits from AC pass-through to speeds of up to 500Mbps, making them ideal for high demand usage.

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in the iTunes App Store, now supports multiple attachments and up to 90 minutes of audio recording per note. A new resources button helps to find information based on context, and users can find notes on a map, based on the location where the data was entered, or browse by images or attachments.

Android Users Get An Official Taste Of Foodspotting Just In Time For SXSW Description: Back in December of last year, I noted the existence of the first Foodspotting build for Android just in time for the holidays. Turns out, the app was a little undercooked — still in beta — and the team didn’t really want me giving out the link to download it. Whoops.

Gaming News: Sony can get around LG patent shipment ban Description: Sony could still get around the PS3 shipment ban thanks to a loop in the patent enforcement code...

Dawn of War 2: Retribution Gets Launch Trailer Description: Retribution is setting in at Dawn of War 2 as the 2nd expansion of the original game goes on retail today. The game offers various campaigns from different races’ viewpoint in the sub-sector of Aurelia, new map for The Last Stand and of course, new units in multi-player.

Japanese developers comment on NGP Description: With the introduction of the Sony NGP, it's inevitable that the people who will be working on the system's software, the game developers and publishers, will be putting in their two cents on the handheld device.

How to turn your iPhone 4 transparent Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/how-to-turn-your-iphone-4transparent/11412.html March 2nd, 2011

Still remember a while back we ran an article on how a guy in Hong Kong managed to strip his iPhone 4's front and back panel and made them transparent? Well, there's now a simpler (yet somewhat complicated) way of achieving that jawdropping transparent panel.

Razer Naga Epic gaming mouse review at Examiner Description: The Razer Naga Epic MMO gaming mouse is more than just a wireless version of the Razer Naga—it also sports some design enhancements to ‘level up’ the Naga even more.

Too Much Data? New Evernote Should Help Description: Evernote launched a redesigned version of its iPhone software Tuesday, adding new views and features that further help organize thoughts on the go. Evernote 4, available 7

March 2nd, 2011

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In the original story of the transparent iPhone 4, what the Hong Kong enthusiast did was to disassemble and remove the front and back panel of the phone. He then used paint thinner and carefully remove the paint from the panels and assemble the iPhone back again once the panels are clear.

While that sounds painstakingly risky and requires some time, there's now a somewhat easier way of achieving the same effect. And this method is reversible.

The folks over at M.I.C gadgets has brought in a transparent back panel iPhone 4 DIY kit. It comes with a clear back panel and the required set of screw drivers so you can start pimping your iPhone 4 right away. As I've mentioned, since you are accuiring an additional back panel, you can keep your own original back panel and do a swap if you fancy.

Available in 3 frame colours, you can get yours from their website for a measily US$23.90.

TazTag to unveil new Android tablet at CeBIT? Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/taztag-to-unveil-new-android-tablet-atcebit-/11421.html March 2nd, 2011

With the whole world going 'goo-goo-ga-ga' over tablets, smartphones and the operating systems used to power them, it should probably not be surprising to see unheard-of OEMs attempting to capitalize on the mobile bandwagon by offering a product which runs off the ever-popular Android OS. And it seems that there is one such OEM right there at CeBIT as we speak: TazTag is reportedly announcing a new Androidpowered tablet that will boast certain connectivity features not found in today's devices.

Near-field communications or NFC is definitely one of the neater features to exist in the market, and it is understandable as to why technologists are keen on integrating this technology into the highly advanced smartphones and tablets of today.

After all, the idea that one could simply a tablet at a reader to perform certain tasks such as electronic transactions and scanning mobile RFID tags sounds like something that has the potential to be a both a major time-saver and source of convenience.

Unfortunately, it would seem that the adoption of NFC has been rather slow, despite the fact that it was introduced to the market way back in 2003. However, the first major break for NFC might just come in the form of an Android-powered tablet that will supposedly be unveiled in CeBIT this year. Ladies and gentlemen, we present to you...the TazPad.

Not much is known about the device, although its OEM TazTag, has claimed that the TazPad will feature a seveninch color display capable of recognizing multitouch input.

In addition, the tablet will also come standard with common hardware such as a built-in camera, GPS module and an accelerometer.

However, the real draw of the TazPad stems from the fact that the TazPad is touted by TazTag to be the world's first device which fully supports the NFC communication stack. Not to mention that TazTag has apparently come up with a rather novel way of utilizing the TazPad's NFC's capabilities: by using it as a means of delivering HD content via HDMI-out. Now that is not something you often get to see in a tablet.

Last but definitely not least, the TazPad will also feature support for other wireless communication protocols such as WiFi, Bluetooth and ZigBee, as well as an option for biometric authentication.

No pricing or release date has been announced for the TazPad though, although various sources claim that the tablet is due to ship sometime in Q2 this year. And while there is no denying that the TazPad might have the potential to change the way we all look at our tablets, the key question remains: will the NFC infrastructure be ready by the time the tablet starts shipping?

We shall see.

ASUS unveils new Blu-ray player and voice-cancelling headphones at CeBIT Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/asus-unveils-new-blu-ray-player-andvoice-cancelling-headphones-at-cebit/11419.html March 2nd, 2011

Today might be only the second day of CeBIT, but it seems that ASUS is not about to sit down and take it easy in this particular exhibition. Unveiled today at ASUS's booth in the exhibit are three new consumer electronics device, and they come in the form of a new Blu-ray player, a Blu-ray writer and an active noise-cancelling headphones.

ASUS may be a well-known brand when it comes to PCs, notebooks, hardware components and media players, but it would seem that the company is now attempting to diversify its portfolio by attempting to compete in other areas that do not necessarily make up part of the PC ecosystem. And that cannot have been more clearly demonstrated at this year's 8

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CeBIT exhibition held in Germany, where the Taiwanese OEM has rolled out what appears to be its first foray into the home theatre market with three new offerings: a Blu-ray player, an external Blu-ray writer for PCs and a pair of active noisecancelling headphones.

though it was recently launched, the device has purportedly been cracked to run copied DS games easily.

ASUS O!Play BDS-700

The new ASUS O!Play BDS-700 Blu-ray player uses Qdeo video post-processing to deliver clear, vivid images in native high definition and upscaling of 480p DVD content. On top of that, ASUS claims that the O!Play BDS-700 also supports Blu-ray 3D playback on compatible screens, and is capable of delivering 7.1-channel surround sound mastered in Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD. In addition, the O!Play BDS-700 comes with built-in support for a wide range of video, audio, image and subtitle formats to ensure maximum compatibility with most existing media formats today, while content can also be played directly from external storage devices via the included USB port, or streamed through a network via Ethernet or WiFi. Last but definitely not least, ASUS claims that the O!Plau BDS-700 will feature support for remote control via any existing iPhone, Android, Windows Phone 7, Blackberry and Symbian device.

S pecifications O!Play BDS-700 3D Blu-ray player Blu-ray 3D Video noise reduction Separated A/V HDMI output Wi-Fi 802.11n wireless Dimensions Weight

Supported Supported Supported Built-in 430mm x 50mm x 252mm 3kg

Nintendo 3DS launched in Japan, with user complaints and purportedly already cracked Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/nintendo-3ds-launched-in-japan-withuser-complaints-and-purportedly-already-cracked/10971.html March 2nd, 2011

Nintendo's latest generation of handheld consoles were recently launched in Japan to a great start, with the company reporting an initial shipment of 400,000 and Enterbrain annoucing an estimate of 371,326 sold. Despite the popularity of the 3DS, complaints are arising with regards to eyestrain in just five minutes of usage in 3D mode. Additionally, even

Nintendo's latest generation of handheld consoles were recently launched in Japan to a great start, with the console maker reporting an initial shipment numbering 400,000 units. Due to be released in the West on 27 March, the company expects worldwide sales to hit four million by the end of this fiscal year.

Estimates by Enterbrain (a Japanese magazine publisher) indicates that only 371,326 units were sold. Reuters has also reported a slump in Nintendo's stock over the sales figures, which may indicate investors feeling unimpressed by the launch.

And yet despite the huge popularity of the 3DS, complaints are arising from significant numbers of users about eyestrain within five minutes of usage. This is despite the company's own official health advisory of a ten to fifteen minute break every hour for non-3D usage, and for the touted 3D mode, thirty minutes is necessary to warrant a break.

Needless to say, Nintendo supporters are hoping that these users are only the vocal minority. Otherwise, it could suggest a intrinsic fatal flaw to the 3DS, which would have Sony supporters celebrating.

Whether or not the 3DS faces a bleak future in sales, despite being merely available for days, the device has purportedly been cracked to run copied DS games without fuss, with video evidence embedded below. (Note : The 3DS is backwards compatible with legit DS game cards.)

3DS with Ninjapass, a device that enables users to play stored DS games.3DS with Codefreak, a device that enables cheats, running a GBA game.3DS with Codefreak, this time running a DS game.

Olympus unveils TG-810, SZ-30MR and SZ-20 digital cameras Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/olympus-unveils-tg-810-sz-30mr-andsz-20-digital-cameras/11418.html

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Comes in black or silver, there's no news as to when the Olympus SZ-30MR will be available, or its pricing.

Olympus has unveiled the new additions to their line of digital cameras, namely TG-810, SZ-30MR and SZ-20. The TG-810 will be available this month, though no availability dates confirmed for the SZ-30MR and SZ-20.

The 16-megapixel OLYMPUS SZ-20 sports a stylish body, supports high-sensitivity shooting and features super-wide 12.5x optical zoom from its 24mm wide-angle lens, DUAL IS, and full high definition movie recording. Like the TG-810 and SZ-30MR, this one also offers eight Magic Filters for various effects, 3D photo shooting and is Eye-Fi card compatible. The SZ-20 will be available in black and silver. No word as to when it will be on retail shelf, or its pricing.

The OLYMPUS TOUGH TG-810 digital camera claims to be waterproof to a depth of 10 meters, shockproof against falls from as high as two meters, freezeproof at temperatures as low as -10째C and crushproof loads up to 100kgf. Available in black, blue, red and silver, the 14-megapixel compact camera is also equipped with GPS functions and an electronic compass that record location data. Other features include high definition movie (1280x720) recording, eight Magic Filters for various effects, 3D photo shooting and Eye-Fi card compatible.

England attempts to hit the 'Del' button on Facebook cyberbullying Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/england-attempts-to-hit-the-delbutton-on-facebook-cyberbullying/11416.html March 2nd, 2011

The TG-810 is scheduled to go on sale in Singapore in March, 2011. Pricing to be announced.

Think that you are well protected by a veil of anonymity when you post messages online to various message boards and social networking sites? Well, think again: law enforcement agencies are hard at work in ensuring that users who frequently intimidate other web users online face the consequences of their actions under the legal system. And what better way to ensure a more civil Web by hitting users where it hurts the most: at the popular online social networking service known as Facebook?

Designed for travel, sports, athletic meet or other events, the Olympus SZ-30MR is an easy-to-use "all-in-one" camera that lets users enjoy advanced photography and movies.

It features a 16-megapixel Backlit CMOS sensor and dual image processing engines for multi-recording, simultaneous recording of photo and movie, and full HD movies. With its 24x optical zoom lens, you can go up-close to the subject and capture almost every details conveniently. On top of that, the DUAL IS uses a CMOS-shift image stabilization mechanism and high-sensitivity image capturing to reduce picture blur.

This should be a common scenario for certain Facebook users: someone who just has a bone to pick with you will not stop harrassing you and your virtual account for days, or even weeks on end. And more often than not, the victim is often helpless in such situations, as the veil of anonymity offered by humankind's invention known as the Internet all that is 10

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Published by: VR-Zone

needed to bring out some of the more undesirable facets of human behaviour.

Still, it does not mean that other more sensible humans have not been hard at work in attempting to make sure that such situations cease to be common occurrences. And the good news is that law enforcement agencies are starting to clamp down on acts of online bullying, with the latest action being centred around the popular online social networking service known as Facebook.

Details are somewhat sparse, but according to a report posted

by The Telegraph, detectives now have the authority to send warning messages to cyber bullies informing them that their actions are running afoul of the law and could face prosecution if they do not desist. In addition, to strike the fear of having that very veil of anonymity stripped away into the aforementioned bullies, the offenders' parents will also be notified by law enforcement agencies via a letter describing the offences committed by the child and what are the possible consequences of not ceasing such activities.

This scheme is the brainchild of a police constable in England known as Dave Thomas, who described it as a move designed to "nip the problem in the bud".

"By alerting their parents to the problem, we are aiming to nip the problem in the bud and prevent it becoming something more serious.," he said, adding that Internet users typically do not think twice about what they write online.

"If we have to investigate Facebook messages as harassment or public order offences and the young person gets charged, it could seriously affect their future. While we want them to realise how serious the matter is, we also want to avoid that and keep young people out of the criminal justice system if possible," he explained.

It seems like the numbers for browser market share are filly out for public viewing, and that is always good news for most browser fans and pundits. After all, there is no better proof than a bunch of statistics to justify one's claim of 'which browser is the next thing to look out for', especially when the browser market is chock full of competitors today from the likes of heavyweight software vendors such as Apple, Google, Microsoft and Mozilla.

So, the question most of you will probably be having right now will probably go along the lines of 'How much market share did Microsoft lose in February' or 'How much did Firefox/Chrome/Safari gain'. However, it would seem that the numbers for February seem to buck the trend we have all been accustomed to: instead of continuing to lose market share like it had always been, Internet Explorer actually saw a gain of 0.77% in browser share for the month of February.

On the other hand, Firefox was the unexpected casualty time, dropping 0.99% from its January results, as shown in the charts below.

Internet Explorer sees modest gains in market share for February Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/internet-explorer-sees-modest-gainsin-market-share-for-february/11415.html March 2nd, 2011

It seems like February may have been a very good month for Microsoft and its Internet Explorer team in particular.

According to the latest statistics released by Netmarketshare, Microsoft's web browser gained more than 0.5% in market share, all at Firefox's expense. Does this mean that Microsoft has finally gotten things right with Internet Explorer?

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However, fans of Microsoft and Internet Explorer might want to hold their horses instead of celebrating their newfound gain in browser market share. This is due to the fact that the analyst firm responsible for churning out the results have claimed in an announcement that the spike in IE's share was the cause of switching to a new counting algorithm released by the C.I.A. Unfortunately, the lack of further details from Netmarketshare means that it is not possible to determine whether Internet Explorer's sudden spike in popularity is truly caused by more users moving back to Internet Explorer (especially when IE9's Release Candidate was only released recently), or whether it is merely the result of a simple adjustment to the way browser market share is calculated.

Still, it does not change the fact that the numbers reflect positively on Microsoft and Internet Explorer for the month of February. After all, a gain is still a gain, and with Microsoft having demonstrated that it can produce a standardscompliant browser with IE9, it may not be that surprising to find out if the Redmond giant is really starting to win more Internet users back to its fold.

Google fixes Gmail issues, provides explanation for the freak incident Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/google-fixes-gmail-issues-providesexplanation-for-the-freak-incident/11414.html March 2nd, 2011

Remember the little freak accident caused by Google by some users woke up on Monday only to find their Gmail accounts emptied of all their messages? Well, it seems that Google has managed to identify the culprit responsible for the little incident, and has issued a statement describing what actually happened that day. On the plus side, the search giant has also assured users that no data was permanently wiped off the face of the virtual world. Read on to find out more.

Published by: VR-Zone

single message and folder in their Gmail account has been cleaned off without their knowledge? We're sure you did: after all, email conversations are serious business, and having all your messages wiped out in an instant without warning is definitely the best way to ruin anyone's day.

Well, the good news about this little issue is that Google has confirmed what most people were probably anxiously waiting for. According to a message posted on Google's official Gmail blog, the loss of emails was caused by a botched storage software update: this update apparently contained a bug severe enough to affect several copies of backup content stored across multiple data centres.

However, uses can rest assured that their data is still safe from complete erasure. This is because the search giant claims that it has kept additional backups on tape drives which are not hooked up to online-capable machines, and has thus survivied the failed update. The only issue is that it will take time for the search giant to restore said data from the tape drives, as the recovery process appears to be much more complex than simply sending a request to another data centre.

Still, users can take consolation in the fact that Google has been working hard to ensure that all recovered content is being processed and sent out to affected users as soon as possible.

According to the latest update from the search giant, all backup content has already been successfully processed and are now currently on their way back to their respective users' mail folders, where they rightfully belong.

With any luck, affected users should have their Gmail messages fully restored by the end of today.

IT Show 2011 Promotions: Sony Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/it-show-2011-promotionssony/11400.html March 2nd, 2011

Sony will be at the IT Show 2011, which is happening from 10 to 13 March at the Suntec City Convention Centre. Here are some of their promotions at the Show.

Do you remember the article we posted two days back about some users logging into Gmail, only to find out that every 12

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*Varies depending on each application

Intel Solid State Drive 320 Series to launch mid-April Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/intel-solid-state-drive-320-series-tolaunch-mid-april/11407.html March 2nd, 2011

Sony Electronics Asia Pacific has announced their latest USB charger, which boasts 4,000 mAh capacity. Sporting two USB ports, it allows users to power up two mobile devices simultaneously and was designed to for mobile professionals.

The Sony USB Charger is also equipped with USB Authentication software, allowing instant charging with most USB powered devices such as smart phones, mobile phones, Walkman, iPod, iPad, portable game consoles as well as upcoming models of Cybershot and Handycam with USB power supply function.

The Intel Solid State Drive 320 Series, codenamed 'Postville Refresh', is the long-awaited successor to the present mainstream X25-M. The new SSDs are set to launch in midApril.

It features a conventional AC input for fast charging and comes with a detachable USB output module with embedded Li-ion rechargeable battery for portable power supply. Uses can detach and carry just the USB output module when they need extra power on-the-go for their mobile devices.

The USB Portable Power Supply CP-A2L will be launched during IT Show 2011 at a suggested retail price of S$49.90 inclusive of GST. Input Source Input Module Dimension (WxHxD mm) Weight No. of USB output ports Output Source

Output Module Output Module Dimension (WxHxD mm) Weight USB Authentication Detachable (Input/Output) Batteries Capacity Charging Source Charging Time Cycle Time Output Time (5V/1.0A constant)

AC 100-240 V 58 x 56 x 21.5 45g 2 Standard USB 5V 0.5A per port for 2 ports or USB 5V 1.0A for high power output for 1 port only Li-ion rechargeable battery with USB Standard Output 58 x 84.5 x 26.4 145g Yes Yes Li-ion 4,000 mAh AC Approx. 5 hours 500 120 min

The 320 Series will be pushed as 'the fast hard drive alternative' with performance and data reliability as two key focus areas.

Final performance figures and drive lifespan are not available yet, but we do expect them to be pretty much the same as rumored specifications so far:

Apple iPad 2 Rumour Roundup Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/apple-ipad-2-rumourroundup/11413.html March 2nd, 2011

The moment we have been waiting for; in less than 24 hours to Apple's announcement of the highly-anticipated iPad, let's take a moment and look at what are some of the things we may expect of the upcoming iPad 2.

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Published by: VR-Zone

Storage It is sort of Apple's tradition to bump up their products' internal storage. But judging from the sizes of current iPad and flash RAM prices, it would be unlikely. We go with the guess that Apple would stick to their offering of 16GB, 32GB and 64GB. Internal storage size will be somewhat irrevelant if Apple really launch their cloud-based iTunes and MobileMe. Holes

Literally months and months of rumours have come about when it comes to the upcoming iPad 2. While there are many claims, only a few of them we feel that are plausible and we have taken the liberty to feature them here. iPad 2 body: thinner and lighter?

Through many leaked cases made for the upcoming iPad 2, as well as mockups seen at Macworld, we can conclude that the successor will feature a thinner shell than the first born. On top of shedding weight in that slimmer shell, it should feature a flat back with sides tappering in. While the general consensus is that it will be made of aluminium, there is a rumour out there that the device will be covered in carbon fiber to reduce the weight and offers scratch resistant.

One of the most recent rumour is that the tablet may feature a white face as seen in the leaked front bezel found in China. If Apple do drop the whitey on us, it would not be surpising for Apple to launch it alongside a black version.

No Retina but better screen?

Since the introduction of the Retina screen on the iPhone 4, many have expected Apple to incorporate that into the next iPad. But this myth was debunked by analysts and manufacturers as it would require more juice and raw power to drive the tablet. Instead, we believe that screen will have the same size and resolution, but thinner design (which gives the iPad 2 a thinner shell too). Quality of the screen could be improved too.

The insides What's the point of including the same power graphics, CPU and RAM in the newer version? That's why many speculated that Apple will be using a faster ARM Cortex A9-based unit with dual cores. Some have called that A5, and some A8. Guess we will only find out when it is officially out.

Cameras Many other tablet makers have included cameras in their own versions and Apple has been criticised for not including any. With reference to FaceTime in the iOS 4.3 betas for iPad, and leaked iPad 2 cases with camera holes on the back, we are extremely certain that Apple will include a front and rear camera for video-taking, photography and FaceTime (for video conferencing). The front camera is said to be of the same resolution to those found on the iPhone 4 (VGA-resolution).

The back, on the other hand, should feature a 3.2-megapixel camera that is capable of recording HD videos.

With closer analysis of the holes of the leaked iPad 2 cases, it can be said that Apple will still retain its 30-pin iPod connector. Some might argue that Apple is scrapping that due to recent EU rulings. But we expect Apple to just go around that issue with a 30-pin to micro-USB adaptor.

The large hole at the bottom left of the iPad is expected to be a much superior speaker. But the hole that raises more questions is the "new" hole on the top of the iPad 2 cases. Some say it is a mini DisplayPort, for easier connectivity to HDTV screens. But it might be a hybrid port featuring the recently released Thunderbolt. It is unlikely to be a USB port.

In a nutshell...

There are other rumours that circles around the next iPad, but these are the ones which we feel might actually come true for iPad 2. To find out the truth, remember to stay tuned to our coverage of Apple's media event tomorrow.

The Daily VR-Zone News Summary - 01 Mar 2011 Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/the-daily-vr-zone-news-summary--01mar-2011/11408.html March 2nd, 2011

In today's news roundup: Intel's unlocked i7-2600K processor gets reviewed; AMD claims that Intel's Thunderbolt is 'just another proprietary interface', Samsung is reportedly planning a Galaxy Tab 2 launch on March 22; Images of Apple's iPad 2 appears to have been leaked out before its official launch; Our sister site SGCafe has a quick hands on with the new Crysis 2 demo, and Thousands of PlayStation 3 consoles have been seized in the EU, ostensibly due to an ongoing dispute between LG and Sony over Blu-ray copyright infringement claims Hardware News: Arctic Cooling Freezer 13 Pro CPU Cooler Review @ Legit Reviews Description: The sound level rating that Arctic Cooling used for the Freezer 13 Pro is the Sone. The Sone is a perceived level of sound; it is not like dB ratings. Since there is no direct conversion, in a roundabout way, 0.4 Sone is roughly equivalent to 24 dBA. Now the Scythe fans I use in the test bench for top exhaust are rated 1200RPM and push 68.5 CFM at 24dBA. In my testing I found the Freezer 13 Pro’s fans to 14

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sound the same or quieter as the Scythe fans; I know I could not hear the Freezer 13 Pro over the Scythe fans...

Increasing processor efficiency by matching power with demand Description: As more and more devices go mobile and these devices become more and more powerful, chipmakers must also take the energy efficiency into account. Harvard graduate student Wonyoung Kim has developed and demonstrated an on-chip, multi-core voltage regulator (MCVR) that he says could allow the creation of "smarter" smartphones, slimmer laptops and more energy efficient data centers by more closely matching the power supply to the demand of the chip.

Intel I7-2600K Sandybridge Processor Review @ Tweaknews Description: After several weeks testing and trying out Intel's Core i7-2600k Sandybridge processor, there isn't a whole lot to say other than it's relatively cheap, it's fast and it's extremely overclockable. When a processor comes in just over US$300 and is this fast, NO ONE can complain Apevia X-Fit-100 Mini-ITX Case Review @Hi Tech Legion Description: One lucky case in the Mini-ITX market is the Apevia X-Fit-100 Mini-ITX Case. The X-Fit-100 offers a slim profile and sleek look that will work with any mini-ITX application. There is enough space to fit a 2.5" hard drive, slim optical drive, and a low profile PCI card. The X-Fit-100 comes equipped with a Apevia Flex ATX 250W power supply, which is more than enough for a mini-ITX system. There are vents on the top and sides that help expel heat and keep the case quiet. The X-Fit-100 also has a sturdy build, constructed from 0.7mm metal SECC. The style and finish is black, which matches perfect with most people's decor.

ARM strikes microcontroller licensing deals Description: ARM has announced two strategic partnerships in the microcontroller (MCU) market with an aim to strengthening ties and developing on the technologies.

Enermax ErPRO 80+ -350W PSU Review on Technic3D (German) Description: (Machine Translation) The Enermax ErPRO 80+ -350W PSU arrived Technic3D. See you in the following Review from Technic3D the next PSU with two +12V rails (17A), 120mm Twister Fan, 6x SATA hard disk connectors and 1x PCI-e 6+2-Pin. Seventeam V-Force 650w Preview - XSReviews Description: While we may have reviewed this unit before and we may not be doing full PSU reviews unless we have access to the proper equipment, that doesn't stop us doing a quick unboxing and feature analysis preview right? So here we have the Seventeam V-Force 650w ST-650Z-AF. Let's, you know, open the box and look at it; and stuff. " AMD Does Not Believe in Intel's Thunderbolt.

Description: Advanced Micro Devices, the second largest supplier of x86 microprocessors on the globe and the designer of half of the world's discrete graphics adapters, said that Intel Corp.'s recently introduced Thunderbolt input/output technology will become just another proprietary standard with not a lot of chances to be adopted widely. The chip designer also doubted that the TB actually brings any tangible improvements.

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Consumer Electronics and Software News: Samsung To Launch 8.9-inch Galaxy Tab on March 22?

Description: Samsung has announced a special March 22 event where it’s very likely to unveil a new, 8.9-inch version of its Galaxy Tab tablet.

Fujitsu shows off wireless PC display at CeBIT Description: Many of us can now wirelessly stream images from a computer to a screen over Bluetooth or Wi-Fi without too much trouble, but the display is still inevitably powered by cables. At CeBIT 2011, Fujitsu is showing off a working prototype of a 22-inch computer display that receives both images and power wirelessly. The power transfer is made possible by magnetic induction technology – similar to Powermat chargers – that's concentrated into hotspots built into office furniture or conference tables.

OKI Adds a Flair of Colour to its Dot Matrix Printer Range Description: Blisteringly fast, printing up to 700cps (characters per second) the ML5700eco Series is a range of reliable, high performance desktop dot matrix printers all with truly versatile paper handling and low energy consumption. A first for OKI, the ML5700eco Series incorporates a convenient front paper feed to complement rear, bottom and top paper inputs for maximum flexibility. Included as standard is a multi-position tractor feed unit to make feeding continuous paper, single or multi-part, easy and straightforward.

Tobii unveils the world’s first eye-controlled laptop Description: Tobii Technology today unveiled the world’s first laptop with integrated eye control. The prototype laptop has been developed in collaboration with computer manufacturer Lenovo and will be shown publicly for the first time at CeBIT in Hannover, March 1-5.

Antec SoundScience Rockus 3D Speaker System @ Benchmark Reviews Description: Antec has dominated the computer chassis market for more than a decade, and with many of their customers slowly converting to portable platforms it makes good business sense to diversify the product portfolio. Enter soundscience, a subsidiary of Antec, that is dedicated to audiophile-level products for use on multiple platforms.

The soundscience rockus 2.1 speaker system features 3Dsst sound technology, which makes use of 3D-audio optimized solid aluminum satellite drivers and an active subwoofer with passive radiator to create an extended low frequency response. In this article, Benchmark Reviews tests the Antec SoundScience Rockus 3D speaker system against the Logitech Speaker System Z623 and see how well it works for gaming consoles.

Did The iPad 2 Just Leak Out? Description: Is this the iPad 2? Nearly everything lines up with the leaked info: flat back with tapered edges, speaker in the bottom corner, camera up top. It even matches-up with most of the leaked cases. If it’s not the real thing, it’s a damn good render. I’m sold.

Gaming News: PS3 shipments halted in Europe as Sony, LG fight over Bluray patent

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Description: Sony's court troubles currently involve more than just tracking down hackers. According to a report from the Guardian, shipments of PlayStation 3s are being confiscated

by European customs officers as Sony fights a patent battle with LG over Blu-ray.

Quick Look: Crysis 2 Multiplayer Demo Description: It is time to put on your nanosuit and have a feel of Crysis 2 PC demo. The PC multiplayer download is now available on the official site, that offers 2 maps available for online play. Pier 17 and Skyline.

Valve is Bringing Steam to the Living Room with Big Picture Mode Description: PC gamers that prefer playing video games on the big screen will soon be able to take Steam from their monitors to their televisions. Valve announced its "big picture" plan for Steam today, responding to consumer requests to make the online gaming platform available in more places. Read More Âť

Published by: VR-Zone

instantly". You probably noticed the above screenshot stating "The Next Generation in Game Advertising". Well, that is also part of what Gaikai do since it provides a new video game advertising network for publishers, developers, retailers and affiliates via online game demos and software apps. Well, there is no free lunch in this world - the company will need to sustain itself while providing users like us with great gaming experiences.

At the moment, Gaikai is currently in closed beta though you can sign up for a beta invite and hopefully be chosen to try out Gaikai.

Gigabyte shows off early Z68 board at CeBIT Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/gigabyte-shows-off-early-z68-board-atcebit/11411.html March 2nd, 2011

Cloud-based gaming technology Gaikai goes live Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/cloud-based-gaming-technologygaikai-goes-live/11410.html March 2nd, 2011

Gaikai has gone live. For those who don't know what Gaikai is, it is a cloud-based gaming technology that is similar (and probably a competitor) to Onlive. Yes, you don't need to download or install any software to play games like Call of Duty or Mass Effect 2; simply play the game via your web browser.

Cloud-computing applications are not only limited to Facebook, email, Microsoft Office Live Workspace, Google Docs or Dropbox; it has also extended to the gaming space.

Imagine playing your favorite first-person shooter game like Crysis using your web browser, without the need of high-end graphics card, CPU, or even download and install software.

Yes, that could be possible in the near future.

Not to be out done by its competitors, Gigabyte was also showing off an early Z68 board prototype at CeBIT, although in this case it appears to be a much earlier sample than its competitors were displaying, at least judging by the blue PCB, black slots and grey heatsinks. Also on display was Gigabyte's P67X-UD4 board which is part of what appears to be a new sub family of boards from Gigabyte, as the P67A-UD4 is still around and was just re-launched with the B3 stepping chipset.

Not to be out done by its competitors, Gigabyte was also showing off an early Z68 board prototype at CeBIT, although in this case it appears to be a much earlier sample than its competitors were displaying, at least judging by the blue PCB, black slots and grey heatsinks. Also on display was Gigabyte's P67X-UD4 board which is part of what appears to be a new sub family of boards from Gigabyte, as the P67A-UD4 is still around and was just re-launched with the B3 stepping chipset.

The Z68X-UD4H as the Z68 chipset based board is called doesn't look overly impressive, at least not compared to other UD4 models in Gigabyte's line-up. For starters, the power regulation on the model on display only appears to consist is a 6+1 phase design, although it's clear that it uses driver MOSFETs. In terms of slot configuration we're looking at a fairly standard setup with two x16 PCI Express slots where the second slot is activated by switching to dual x8 in the BIOS. The board also sports three x1 PCI Express slots and two PCI slots.

Gaikai is the latest cloud-based gaming technology that has gone live recently, which allows users "to play major PC and console games like Call Of Duty or World Of Warcraft 16

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Other onboard features include four SATA 6Gbps ports (two via an external controller), three SATA 3Gbps ports, pin headers for eight USB 2.0 ports and a single FireWire port as well as a pin header for two USB 3.0 ports via an Etron controller, a first for Gigabyte. Around the back we find a PS/2 port, four USB 2.0 ports, two USB 3.0 ports – again via an Etron controller – a FireWire port, an eSATA 3Gbps port, DisplayPort (full size), HDMI, DVI and D-sub connectors, Gigabit Ethernet and 7.1-channel audio with optical S/PDIF out. That's a pretty loaded layout, although by now we wouldn't miss the D-sub connector or even to a degree the DVI connector terribly.

Published by: VR-Zone

You also get pin headers for two USB 3.0 ports (again using an Etron controller) six USB 2.0 ports and a single FireWire port. Around the back things are looking like a rainbow exploded, although presumably this won't be the case on the final production boards. Here we have a PS/2 port, seven USB 2.0 ports, two USB 3.0 ports, one powered eSATA/USB 2.0 combo port, one eSATA port, one FireWire port, Gigabit Ethernet and 7.1-channel audio with optical and coaxial S/ PDIF out. Overall an interesting board and what looks set to be a good successor of the P67A-UD4 if that's the plan, as we can't see anyone not picking this over the old model, or even the P67A-UD5.

HTC Incredible S lands in Singapore Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/htc-incredible-s-lands-insingapore/11409.html March 2nd, 2011

As for the P67X-UD4, well it actually looks like the better choice over Gigabyte's own P67A-UD5 model, as it offers some additional advantages of the pricier model. For starters, it has a crazily stretched out PWM design which appears to be a 16+2 design which is as long as the rear I/O, a rather unusual design if nothing else. The board has a pair of x16 PCI Express slots, again with the second slot only operating in x8 mode when enabled and there are also two x1 PCI Express slots and two PCI slots. It's good to see that Gigabyte has added an additional pair of SATA 6Gbps ports to this board for a total of four, alongside four SATA 3Gbps ports.

HTC has announced the Incredible S smartphone in Singapore, which will be available this coming weekend.

The Android phone features the company's HTC Sense user interface and 8-megapixel camera with dual flash. More details inside.

HTC has unveiled their latest Incredible S Android smartphone that offers distinct design, great performance and

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value. It also incorporates the company's unique HTC Sense user interface that makes usability more simple and natural.

The Incredible S smartphone features a contoured body and lets you capture and view video in crystal clear high-definition on its 4-inch WVGA Super LCD display. With the stereo surround sound, it brings cinematic experience to the palm of your hand. You can take high quality pictures with the buildin 8-megapixel camera with dual flash, and shares videos, photos and music from the handset direct to a TV using DLNA technology.

Availability The HTC Incredible S will be available in Singapore through mobile operators and authorized resellers from this weekend onwards at a suggested retail price of S$758.

VR-Zone Giveaway #4 Steelseries 4XB, 5XB and 4H headsets

Published by: VR-Zone

Busy professionals have it good when it comes to carting that all-important notebook of theirs from one place to another, right? After all, most of the aforementioned professionals tend to use small suitcases as their apparel of choice for storing various documents, and most are easily large enough to accommodate a laptop if the situation calls for it.

However, there are times where a typical suitcase might lack the real estate needed to shove a laptop into them for storage purposes, especially when most of the available space in one has already be occupied by all manner of documents and whatnot. And it would seem that this is the very kind of problem that a Chinese OEM has attempted to solve with its new, one-of-a-kind business suitcase. After all, why struggle over putting the PC into a suitcase, when one can put the suitcase right into the computer?

It starts off a a very innocent-looking suitcase...

Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/vr-zone-giveaway-4-steelseries-4xb-5xb-and-4h-headsets/11406.html March 2nd, 2011

Follow 4 easy steps and stand a chance to win different prizes every week. This week..we are giving away: SteelSeries 4XB, 5XB and 4H headsets Check out http://launch.vrzone.com and find out how you can win these prizes ...that has a mini briefcase built into it.

Now this is we would call a real 'suitcase PC' Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/now-this-is-we-would-call-a-realsuitcase-pc-/11405.html March 2nd, 2011

Have you ever experienced a need to pack your notebook into a suitcase, only to find out that it will not fit because of the lack of real estate needed to do so? Well, leave it to the Chinese to solve the little problem in what has got to be the most novel of ways. Now this is certainly a good example of thinking within the box, no?

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Published by: VR-Zone

Opening the 'briefcase' reveals the prize: a tablet PC built right into the briefcase, complete with a full-sized keyboard.

Amazing, is it not? Unfortunately, this is where the classic 'good news bad news' situation comes into play. Apparently, in an attempt to squeeze the PC into the confines of a tiny suitcase, the OEM was forced to make some significant compromises with the machine's performance levels. While the 'suitcase PC' will come preloaded with Windows XP to ensure maximum compatibility with the existing Windows ecosystem, the hardware used to power the device is anything but impressive.

According to a report made by Chinese IT website 1Pad.cn, the device uses a RDC3306 x86-compatible processor clocked at 1.2GHz, while the system will sport a mere 512MB of memory.

As there does not appear to be any room for a dedicated hard disk, storage is accomplished by loading the device with 8GB worth of NAND flash memory chips, while the 10-inch touchscreen utilizes resistive technology and sports a rather low resolution of 1024 x 600.

Granted, the hardware specifications sound mediocre at best, but 1Pad.cn claims that the device was intended to be sold as a corporate gift for businesses. As such, it would make sense that such a computer does not need to possess the computing power found in today's PCs. Still, would you not agree that this PC would make for a rather practical gift, considering its relatively small price tag of approximately 2,000 yuan (US $305)?

Singapore Airlines customers in the US, Singapore and five other Asia Pacific countries and territories can now pay for their flights with PayPal on singaporeair.com. This service will be made available to the Airline’s customers in up to 17 countries, which claims to be the largest collaboration between PayPal and an Asian carrier to date.

After booking Singapore Airlines flights online, travellers can now pay for tickets using their PayPal account in as few as three clicks and without the need to re-type their credit card or financial details.

A year-long global marketing campaign will be launched to celebrate the collaboration between Singapore Airlines and PayPal. The first marketing promotion allows travellers in the initial launch markets who pay for their Singapore Airlines flight with PayPal the chance to win back the price of their flight (up to S$2,000). One lucky winner will be selected daily from 7 March 2011 to 6 April 2011.

Besides using their online balance, PayPal users can pay for their Singapore Airlines flights from their bank accounts, credit cards or debit cards that are linked to their PayPal account.

Adobe kicks off Acrobat X Wizard quiz Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/adobe-kicks-off-acrobat-x-wizardquiz/11401.html March 2nd, 2011

You can now pay your SIA flight tickets with Paypal Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/you-can-now-pay-your-sia-flighttickets-with-paypal/11402.html March 2nd, 2011

From today, Singapore Airline customers from seven countries including Singapore and USA are able to purchase their flight tickets using Paypal. The service will also extend to 17 countries. Read on for the details.

Adobe's software is highly regarded by many professionals to be the de facto standard set of tools for churning out creative works in the media industry. Unfortunately, having the power of professional software at one's fingertips usually comes at a heavy price, literally. But if you want a chance to get your hand on some of Adobe's software without having to foot a single cent, why not give this little quiz of sorts from Adobe a go and see what prizes await you?

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Do you fancy getting your hands on a copy of Adobe's latest office productivity and creative tools? If so, then you are in luck: Adobe has got a few of these products to give away as prizes. All you have to do is take part in a simple quiz or 'quest' known as the Adobe PDF Guild Quest, answer some questions, recommend a few friends to take the quiz and you might be one of the lucky few to walk away with a copy of Adobe Photoshop Elements 9.

Published by: VR-Zone

Here's a caveat though: users are only allowed one attempt at the quiz, and the scores gained in the process of doing so is definitely not enough to net some of the better prizes Adobe is giving away. This is where having a huge network of virtual friends becomes a huge asset. Indeed, Adobe has confirmed that there are other ways of chalking up points, and that involves being an active member on Adobe's PDF Guild's Facebook page and recommending more friends to take up the Guild quiz.

To take part, users have to visit Adobe's PDF Guild website at http://www.adobepdfguild.com/and sign in with their Facebook account, as shown in the screenshot below. Doing so will make you a member of the Guild.

Of course, you can also expect some form of rewards for your efforts.

Do take note that you will need to have an actual working copy of Adobe Acrobat X (either 30-day trial or full version) in order to proceed with the quiz, as users are required to use the software as a tool for fulfilling certain tasks such as creating certain PDF files which must then be uploaded to Adobe's servers. The goal is to attain a 'Wizard' ranking at the end of the quiz to prove your mastery of Adobe's Acrobat X productivity tool.

Asus and MSI's Z68 boards unveiled at CeBIT Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/asus-and-msi-s-z68-boards-unveiledat-cebit/11403.html

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Published by: VR-Zone

two x1 PCI Express slots and two PCI slots. However, MSI has added a third SATA 6Gbps port via a third party controller for a total of three SATA 6Gbps ports and four SATA 3Gbps ports.

The very first Z68 motherboards are starting to trickle out at CeBIT and the first two boards are from Asus and MSI. The models are the Asus P8PZ68-V Pro and the MSI Z68A-GD80, of which the MSI board appears to be the higher-end model.

The selling point of both boards is that they overclock, but you can still make use of Intel's integrated graphics, something that might become appealing with a sprinkle of LucidLogix Virtu software.

The very first Z68 motherboards are starting to trickle out at CeBIT and the first two boards are from Asus and MSI. The models are the Asus P8PZ68-V Pro and the MSI Z68A-GD80, of which the MSI board appears to be the higher-end model.

The selling point of both boards is that they overclock, but you can still make use of Intel's integrated graphics, something that might become appealing with a sprinkle of LucidLogix Virtu software.

The Asus P8Z68-V Pro actually looks a lot like Asus' P8P67 Pro, but with a different rear I/O layout. This might not be the final layout, so expect the possibility of some features to change before it launches. The board has three x16 PCI Express slots, although the second one only works when two graphics cards are inserted in dual x8 mode and the third slot only has four lanes worth of bandwidth. The board also has two x1 PCI Express slots and two PCI slots.

MSI has also added headers for two USB 3.0 ports, six USB 2.0 ports and one FireWire port. This board also features a Voltage readout block just in front of the power connector, just like the P67A-GD80. Around the back MSI has fitted four USB 2.0 ports, two USB 3.0 ports, a PS/2 port, an eSATA 6Gbps port, a FireWire port, dual Gigabit Ethernet, a DVI and HDMI port and 7.1-channel audio with optical S/PDIF out.

Of the two boards we'd say the MSI looks like the winner, at least in terms of features, but it's also likely to be the more expensive model of the two. Both companies have worked with LucidLogix in the past, so we'd expect that its Virtu software will be bundled with both boards when they ship. Without it, the Z68 chipset is still something of a winner, although be aware that it's not likely that you'll be able to use Intel's QuickSync technology without it, at least not if the Z68 chipset works anything like the H67 chipset when you insert a discrete graphics card.

MAINGEAR unleashes TITAN 17 gaming laptop Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/maingear-unleashes-titan-17-gaminglaptop/11378.html March 2nd, 2011

Other onboard connectors include two SATA 6Gbps ports, four SATA 3Gbps ports and three pin headers for up to six USB 2.0 ports. Around the back we spotted six USB 2.0 ports, two USB 3.0 ports (via a Renesas controller), an eSATA port, a Gigabit Ethernet jack, a DVI, HDMI and D-sub connector, 7.1channel audio with optical S/PDIF out and a Bluetooth dongle.

All pretty much par for the course, of course with the addition of the display interfaces, something that so far hasn't been a feature found on high-end motherboards.

MAINGEAR, a popular PC manufacturer in USA, has announced their most powerful laptop. Dubbed the TITAN 17, this desktop replacement packs the high-end hardware components that offer superb performance to gamers and creative professionals.

MSI has gone even higher up the scale with its Z68A-GD80, at least if the model name follows that of MSI's standard naming scheme. The slot layout is actually identical to Asus' P8PZ68-V with three x16 PCI Express slots with the same configuration, 21

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- Media Card Reader: Built in 3-in-1 Media Card Reader (MMC/RSMMC/MS/MS Pro/MS Duo/SD/Mini-SD/SDHC/ SDXC) - Operating System: Genuine Professional or Ultimate 64-Bit

Windows®

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- Battery: Removable Smart Lithium-Ion battery pack (8 cell) - I/O Ports: 1-HDMI out, 1-DVI-I out, 2-USB 3.0, 3-USB 2.0, 1 IEEE-1394 Fire Wire, 1-S/PDIF out, 1 RJ-45 LAN, 1 RJ-11 , 1-eSATA Port MAINGEAR has added the TITAN 17 high performance desktop replacement to their product line, designed for PC gamers who want desktop-like performance wherever they go, and creative professionals who can work on site without losing productivity.

The TITAN 17 features the fastest processor - the Intel Core i7 990X Extreme Edition - and with fast, intelligent multi-core technology, it claims to be capable of delivering an incredible breakthrough in gaming performance.

Equipped with NVIDIA GeForce GTX 485M, the TITAN 17 combines the power of DirectX 11 and NVIDIA PhysX technologies to achieve the fastest performance and visuallystunning graphics on its 17.3-inch full 1080P HD LED-backlit display. The GTX 485M can also be configured in SLI to offer up to 2x performances scaling on today’s latest games.

You can even connect your notebook to an NVIDIA 3D Visionready display for an immersive gaming experience.

This powerhouse notebook comes with up to 12GB DDR3 memory, two hardwired USB 3.0 ports, up to three SSD or SATA HDD’s with hardware RAID support, and even when fully loaded it keeps the option for an optical drive.

Technical Specification: - Video Card: up to NVIDIA GeForce GTX 485M SLI with 2GB GDDR5 - Display: 17.3-inch Full HD 1920 x 1080 - (1080p) Widescreen (16:9 Aspect Ratio) LED Backlit with Super Clear Anti-Glare Type Screen - Processor: Up to Intel Core i7 990X Extreme Edition Desktop Processor - Memory: Up to 12GB Dual Channel DDR3 - 1333Mhz - Optical Drive: Up to 2X Blu-ray reader/8x Multi Combo (BDR, DVD+-RW, CD-RW) - Hard Drive: Up to 3x 485GB Solid State Drive or 750GB 7200RPM SATA 2.5 - Network Adapter: Bigfoot Networks Killer™ Wireless-N 1102 supports 802.11a/b/g/n - Audio: Built-in High-Definition Audio

- Security: Kensington Lock and fingerprint reader - Dimensions: (W)16.5" x (H)2.2" x (D)11.3", 12.13 LBs with battery pack Price starts at US$2,799

NVIDIA to make parallel programming easier with CUDA 4.0 Toolkit Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/nvidia-to-make-parallel-programmingeasier-with-cuda-4.0-toolkit/11399.html March 2nd, 2011

NVIDIA today announced the latest version of the NVIDIA® CUDA® Toolkit for developing parallel applications using NVIDIA GPUs. The NVIDIA CUDA 4.0 Toolkit was designed to make parallel programming easier, and enable more developers to port their applications to GPUs. Unified Virtual Addressing, GPU-to-GPU Communication and Enhanced C++ Template Libraries Enable More Developers to Take Advantage of GPU Computing SINGAPORE - March 1, 2011 - NVIDIA today announced the latest version of the NVIDIA® CUDA® Toolkit for developing parallel applications using NVIDIA GPUs. The NVIDIA CUDA 4.0 Toolkit was designed to make parallel programming easier, and enable more developers to port their applications to GPUs. This has resulted in three main features: • NVIDIA GPUDirect™ 2.0 Technology - Offers support for peer-to-peer communication among GPUs within a single server or workstation. This enables easier and faster multi-GPU programming and application performance.

• Unified Virtual Addressing (UVA) - Provides a single merged-memory address space for the main system memory and the GPU memories, enabling quicker and easier parallel programming.

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• Thrust C++ Template Performance Primitives Libraries - Provides a collection of powerful open source C+ + parallel algorithms and data structures that ease of programming for C++ developers. With Thrust, routines such as parallel sorting are 5X to 100X faster than with Standard Template Library (STL) and Threading Building Blocks (TBB).

"Unified virtual addressing and faster GPU-to-GPU communication makes it easier for developers to take advantage of the parallel computing capability of GPUs," said John Stone, Senior research programmer, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.

"Having access to GPU computing through the standard template interface greatly increases productivity for a wide range of tasks, from simple cashflow generation to complex computations with Libor market models, variable annuities or CVA adjustments," said Peter Decrem, director of Rates Products at Quantifi. "The Thrust C++ library has lowered the barrier of entry significantly by taking care of low-level functionality like memory access and allocation, allowing the financial engineer to focus on algorithm development in a GPU-enhanced environment."

The CUDA 4.0 architecture release includes a number of other key features and capabilities, including: • MPI Integration with CUDA Applications - Modified MPI implementations like OpenMPI automatically move data from and to the GPU memory over Infiniband when an application does an MPI send or receive call.

• Multi-thread Sharing of GPUs - Multiple CPU host threads can share contexts on a single GPU, making it easier to share a single GPU by multi-threaded applications.

Published by: VR-Zone

• New GPU binary disassembler

A release candidate of CUDA Toolkit 4.0 will be available free of charge beginning March 4, 2011, by enrolling in the CUDA Registered Developer Programme at: www.nvidia.com/paralleldeveloper. The CUDA Registered Developer Programme provides a wealth of tools, resources, and information for parallel application developers to maximise the potential of CUDA. For more information on the features and capabilities of the CUDA Toolkit and on GPGPU applications, please visit: www.nvidia.com/cuda.

Source: NVIDIA Press Release

Crysis 2 PC Multiplayer Demo Pictorial Review (56k warning!)

Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/crysis-2-pc-multiplayer-demopictorial-review-56k-warning-/11398.html March 2nd, 2011

System Specs used in this review: Intel C2Q @ 4.2ghz ATI Radeon 6950 flashed to 6970 @ 935/1450 Windows 7 64bit SP1 ATI Catalyst 11.2 with CAP 11.2 (Tesellation forced to off)

• Multi-GPU Sharing by Single CPU Thread - A single CPU host thread can access all GPUs in a system. Developers can easily coordinate work across multiple GPUs for tasks such as "halo" exchange in applications.

• New NPP Image and Computer Vision Library - A rich set of image transformation operations that enable rapid development of imaging and computer vision applications.

• New and Improved Capabilities • Auto performance analysis in the Visual Profiler • New features in cuda-gdb and added support for MacOS • Added support for C++ features like new/delete and virtual functions 23

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AMD Radeon HD 6990 Launch on 8th March Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/amd-radeon-hd-6990-launch-on-8thmarch/11397.html March 2nd, 2011

Donaminhaber has leaked out the presentation slides on the upcoming AMD Radeon HD 6990 graphics card which is slated to launch on March 8th. AMD is touting it as the world's fastest graphics card as least till NVIDIA GeForce GTX 590 comes along. The Antilles card comes with dual Cayman XT GPUs at 40nm process, 2 x 389mm2 die size, 2 x 2.64B transistors, 3072 ALU, 192 TMUs, 64 ROPs, and 4GB of GDDR5 memory at 256-bit width and 5.0 Gbps data rate.

Donaminhaber has leaked out the presentation slides on the upcoming AMD Radeon HD 6990 graphics card which is slated to launch on March 8th. AMD is touting it as the world's fastest graphics card as least till NVIDIA GeForce GTX 590 comes along. The Antilles card comes with dual Cayman XT GPUs at 40nm process, 2 x 389mm2 die size, 2 x 2.64B transistors, 3072 ALU, 192 TMUs, 64 ROPs, and 4GB of GDDR5 memory at 256-bit width and 5.0 Gbps data rate.

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everything else is secondary it if you are going for the scores.

Pricing is unknown for now.

Android 2.3 Gingerbread coming to Samsung Galaxy S Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/android-2.3-gingerbread-coming-tosamsung-galaxy-s/11396.html March 2nd, 2011

Good news to those who are still using the Samsung Galaxy S. Even though the upcoming Samsung Galaxy S II Android smartphone was announced in February, the Korea manufacturer has not forgotten the loyal fans who are still using their flagship Galaxy S. And the company is bringing the Android 2.3 Gingerbread update to them.

Samsung has performed well in the Android smartphone market in 2010, with the introduction of their Galaxy S (model: GT-I9000) which has since sold more than 10 million units.

According to reports, the Samsung Galaxy S will soon have an upgrade to Android 2.3 Gingerbread.

A Samsung Germany official has expressed that the Galaxy S I9000 will receive the update in March, though no specific date or details were given. If the news is believed to be true, this surely benefits the Galaxy S owners and the Android 2.3 Gingerbread update will no doubt provide better features, performance and experience.

Looking at the slides, there is a dual BIOS switch on the card that allows to overclock the card on the fly. The default shipping clocks for the card is 830MHz core and 1250MHz memory and by switching to OC mode, the core clock becomes 880MHz but memory clock remains unchanged. However, the VGPU is increased from 1.17V to 1.175V and the TDP is increased from 375W to 450W. Do your own maths if that few percent improvement in gaming performance is worth the additional heat generated if you are a gamer but definitely, 25

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HTC confirms Gingerbread update for Incredible S and entire Desire smartphone lineup Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/htc-confirms-gingerbread-update-forincredible-s-and-entire-desire-smartphone-lineup/11373.html March 2nd, 2011

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by HTC's announcement. This is due to the fact that the Desire is one of the oldest phones in HTC's current lineup, and it is understandable that many were worried if HTC would decide to drop the phone from future updates, considering that the Desire has already been given one such update to bring its firmware version up from Eclair to Froyo.

Still, we would encourage that owners of the aforementioned smartphone models avoid 'sweating the small stuff' and just enjoy what HTC is bringing to their mobile phones. After all, a firmware upgrade is always a good thing, right?

Do you happen to own a HTC-branded smartphone that runs off Google's Android operating system? Well, if your answer to that questions is 'yes', this might be just the news needed to kick off your Tuesday morning to a good start: the OEM has confirmed that at least four products in its Android lineup have been given the green light for getting Gingerbread by Q2.

Firmware upgrades. Don't we all love them? After all, nothing can be more exciting than pressing the 'Software Update' button on an Android-based smartphone and learning that there is a free update in store for your device. And this is especially so since each subsequent update of the Android operating system is supposed to provide additional benefits over the previous version, such as the introduction of various new features or more efficient battery usage.

And if you happen to be utilizing a HTC-branded device as your mobile phone of choice, it would seem that there is much to look forward to where such firmware updates are concerned.

According to a recent announcement made by the Taiwanese smartphone OEM, the company plans to update at least four of its smartphones to version 2.3 of the Android operating system (aka Gingerbread) by Q2 this year, and the lucky models are: • HTC Desire • HTC Desire Z • HTC Desire HD, and • HTC Incredible S While it is expected that the Desire Z, Desire HD and Incredible S would eventually receive the Gingerbread treatment due to them being fairly recent introductions to the Android ecosystem, Desire owners would probably be elated 26