VR-Zone Tech News for the Geeks Jun 2012 Issue

April 30th, 2012

Published by: VR-Zone

VR-Zone.com | Tech News for the Geeks!

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

NVIDIA Prepares Two More GK104-based cards - GeForce GTX 660 Ti and 670 Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/nvidia-prepares-two-more-gk104based-cards--geforce-gtx-660-ti-and-670/15728.html April 30th, 2012

According to our sources, NVIDIA was delighted with the yields achieved by the 28nm GK104 (Kepler) chip, that they decided to launch not one, but two high-end SKUs before they start releasing value parts.

The word on the street was that NVIDIA worked on GTX 680 and GTX 690 since third quarter of 2012, and once the work was done on the GTX 680 - the company pulled no stops to make GTX 690 the highest performing single slot dual-GPU card. However, even with high yield of fully enabled GK104 chips enabling the launch of GTX 680 (which are in constant shortage sans one AIB that allegedly has an exclusive deal for some markets), there is a lot of 3.5 billion transistor chips which aren't performing up to par.

In order to address those chips, NVIDIA will launch not one, but two cut-down versions of the GK104 chip: the Geforce GTX 660 (or 660 Ti) and GTX 670 (or 670 Ti). According to WCCFTech, the GK104-335-A2 will power the GTX 670, while GTX 660 may be powered by another revision. Given the way NVIDIA labels the GPUs, we would not be surprised if some of NV partners are in a lot of hot water, since NVIDIA typically uses three-number customer codes (GX1XX-XXXAX).

GeForce GTX 670 should feature 1344 CUDA cores, same uncut 256-bit memory controller and paltry 2GB GDDR5 memory. The clocks should be set at around 915-950MHz for the GPU, and 1.25GHz QDR for video memory, resulting in 156GB/s of video memory bandwidth. Estimated price for the part should be around $399-429, going head to head against the Radeon HD 7950.

GeForce GTX 660 would be a different bird, with no less than whole GPC (Graphics Processing Cluster) disabled , resulting with 1152 CUDA codes. Memory bus would be cut to 192-bit, meaning again - the odd combination of either 768MB or 1.5GB. Given that it's 2012, we don't see anyone launching a product with 768MB of video memory. This part should go for $199-249, targeting AMD Radeon HD 7800 Series (Pitcairn GPUs).

The pricing structure would leave a pretty large hole between $249 and $399, but so is the performance difference between the two. That room is left to the partners to come up with overclocked cards, liquid cooled products, multiple memory configurations etc. According to our sources, don't expect GK107 to come to desktop anytime soon - all the allocated volume goes into laptops and Ultrabooks.

NVIDIA pricing structure (for now), should look as follows: • $999 - GTX 690 4GB • $579 - GTX 680 4GB OC (Preferred AIB Pricing) • $499 - GTX 680 2GB • $379 - GTX 670 4GB (Preferred AIB Pricing) • $399 - GTX 670 2GB • $249 - GTX 660 (Ti?) 1.5GB Products are expected to be formally announced next week, with mass availability and custom designs by Computex 1

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Taipei 2012, which is scheduled to take place between June 5-9 at World Trade Center and Nangang Exhibithion Hall in Taipei, Taiwan.

Judge Rules Facebook "Likes" Not Free Speech Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/judge-rules-facebook-likes-not-freespeech/15729.html April 30th, 2012

In the US District Court of Eastern Virginia, a judge has ruled that “Likes” on Facebook do not garner the same protections as other forms of expression as laid out in the First Amendment.

Are Facebook “likes” of a political candidate protected forms of speech like wearing a campaign pin, creating signs and murals, or other forms of political expression? According to the District Court of Eastern Virginia, the answer is “no.”

The plaintiffs in the case Bland v. Roberts, 2012 claimed that Sheriff Roberts, recently re-elected, decided to terminate their employment after the election season due to their endorsement of his opponent on Facebook. Their endorsement consisted of “liking” the candidate’s Facebook page. Sheriff Roberts claims that he simply had to let the plaintiffs go for cost-cutting and budgetary requirements.

The court ruled that simply liking the page did not constitute enough of an activity to be protected as speech. The court said: “In cases where courts have found that constitutional speech protections extended to Facebook posts, actual statements existed within the record.”

This is especially troubling, as the court has access to numerous First Amendment precedents stating that protected speech is not required to be actual speech, such as Tinker v. Des Moines, which established that wearing black arm bands in protest of governmental actions in Vietnam was protected, and Texas v. Johnson, which established that even flag burning is protected under the First Amendment.

Perhaps the court was simply confused by the difference between “liking” something on Facebook and telling someone that you like something in the course of a conversation. Or, perhaps the court doesn’t realize the implications of liking something on Facebook, which includes publicly listing your support on the page, informing your friends list about your like, informing the owner of the page, and even allowing advertisers to use that information to tailor ads for you or your friends. It certainly isn’t just “one click of a button on [a specific] Facebook page.”

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questions squarely. This looks like an excellent case for an appeal.” If this case is appealed, rest assured that we will continue to cover it and all the implications this case will bring.

Crytek backtracks on used games ban controversy Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/crytek-backtracks-on-used-gamesban-controversy/15727.html April 30th, 2012

Crytek caused major controversy last week when it said that a used games ban on next-generation consoles would be “absolutely awesome,” but after a player backlash the studio now says its comments were “not intended to be taken seriously.”

Crytek caused major controversy last week when it said that a used games ban on next-generation consoles would be “absolutely awesome,” but after a player backlash the studio now says its comments were “not intended to be taken seriously.”

Rasmus Hojengaard, director of creative development at Crytek, upset fans last week by suggesting the company might only be in it for the money, which it claims it is losing to used games and piracy, thanks to Crysis 2 being the most pirated game of 2011.

Rumours of mechanisms to prevent players from using second-hand games on the Xbox 720 and PlayStation 4 have been circulating for a number of weeks, but gamers have been staunchly against the idea, which not only prevents resales and cheaper access to what are often very expensive games, but could have a knock-on effect on the survivability of brick-and-mortar stores, which are the primary businesses that profit from this area.

"My comment made in the interview released on the 24th of April, touching upon 'blocking sales of used games', was not intended to be taken seriously nor representative of the opinion of Crytek," Hojengaard said.

The court also laid the foundation for a qualified immunity defense for Roberts, although whether this position is defensible or not is questionable. As Eric Goldman, associate professor of Law at Santa Clara School of Law and director of that school’s High Tech Law Institute, said in comments made about the case to Ars Technica, “we might otherwise excuse Roberts' firings through qualified immunity, or in fact maybe the budget cutting wasn't pretextual, but the judge's techno-confusion prevented it from reaching those 2

April 30th, 2012

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What is hard to take seriously is this dismissal of his earlier comments, which were quite explicit and detailed about how no other software industry would tolerate the sale of secondhand products and that “from a business perspective” he would like the game industry to “fix that issue.” There was no hint of the comments being tongue-in-cheek, nor, indeed, that they were his personal opinion alone.

Some collectors even buy limited edition consoles of certain colours just for that something “unique” to add to their collection.

It seems clear that the company saw player reaction and decided it needed to do some damage control. Perhaps a better strategy would be for senior representatives of a company to think about what they say, how it will affect players, and how it will be seen as the policy of the company before opening their mouth.

Dell launches Alienware highend gaming laptops

The Midnight Purple edition will launch on 20 May, the same day that Mario Tennis Open hits the stores. There is no word on a special bundle available, but we imagine stores will offer one to encourage sales.

Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/dell-launches-alienware-high-endgaming-laptops/15725.html April 30th, 2012

Interestingly, if Hojengaard's views are not those of Crytek itself the company has been tight-lipped about what its actual views on used games are.

Nintendo announces Midnight Purple 3DS Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/nintendo-announces-midnightpurple-3ds/15726.html April 30th, 2012

Nintendo has announced a new colour for its 3DS handheld gaming console, Midnight Purple, set to release with Mario Tennis Open in late May. Nintendo has announced a new colour for its 3DS handheld gaming console, Midnight Purple, set to release with Mario Tennis Open in late May. The colour of royalty is the latest in Nintendo's 3DS palette, which currently includes Cosmo Black, Aqua Blue, Flame Red and Pearl Pink. While existing players are unlikely to buy a new 3DS for this colour alone, new players will have a wider selection to choose from, setting them apart from fellow portable gamers.

Dell has launched three new Alienware laptops to fulfil the needs of mobile gamers, with a wide variety of choices available for an ideal gaming rig.

Dell has launched three new Alienware laptops to fulfil the needs of mobile gamers, with a wide variety of choices available for an ideal gaming rig.

The Alienware M14x features a 14-inch high-definition display, with an option to increase the resolution from 1366X768 to 1600X900. There are a range of processor options, including the 2.5GHz Intel Core i5 and a range of i7 processors up to 2.7GHz. Users can choose between a 1GB or 2GB GDDR5 Nvidia GeForce GT 650M. There is up to 16GB of RAM available and an up to 750GB HDD or 512GB SSD can be employed.

The Alienware M17x features a 17.3-inch wide highdefinition display, with resolution choices from 1600x900 to 1920x1080 and a choice of FHD, LED, or LED with 3D. There are three Intel Core i7 processors to choose from, ranging from 2.3 GHz to 2.7GHz, and higher when Turbo Boost is employed. For graphics, users can choose between three 2GB cards, the Nvidia GeForce GT 660M, GeForce GT 675M, or the AMD Radeon HD 7970M. Up to 32GB of DDR3 RAM is available, while users can choose between a 500GB or 1TB HDD, or 512GB SSD.

Colour choices might seem like something inconsequential, but many players like to have a variety of choices, particularly if their favourite colour is among those on offer.

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The Alienware M18x comes with an 18.4-inch wide LED FHD display with a resolution of 1920X1080. There are five Intel Core i7 options, ranging from 2.3 GHz to 2.9 GHz, with a stock overclocked option that should provide up to 3.8GHz speeds. For graphics users can choose from a 2GB Nvidia GeForce GT 660M or GeForce GT675M, or for the more ambitious users can employ two 675Ms with SLI or, in the near future, two AMD Radeon HD 7970Ms with CrossFireX. There is room for up to 32GB of DDR3 RAM, while strangle only a 750GB HDD option was listed, but we expect an SSD option will also be made available.

All models come with Windows 7 and a choice of a DVD or Blu-ray player, in addition to a slew of standard connectivity features, including Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, HDMI, USB 3.0 and USB 2.0.

“Our customers want the most immersive gaming experience possible, and we’ve taken the all-powerful M14x, M17x, and M18x laptops and made them even better, delivering the latest technologies for almost every need,” said Frank Azor, GM of Alienware. “We’ve always offered the latest technology for the best gaming experience possible, and our enhanced lineup will let you pwn any competitor and provide the sensory experience that we know you crave.”

These laptops are not cheap, however. The M14x starts at $1,099, the M17x retails for $1,499, and the M18x sells for $1,999. That is just the “standard configuration” too, which means any extras or improvements will bump up the price further.

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New evidence suggests Google’s collection of personal data from Wi-Fi networks by its Street View cars was not the work of a rogue engineer.

Google has claimed that the collection of personal information from wireless networks across the country by its Street View fleet was the work of a rogue engineer without the aid or knowledge of anyone else at the company.

However, new details from a FCC investigative report suggest that supervisors and managers within the Street View program knew about the data harvesting, including receiving a detailed report from the engineer in October of 2006 detailing everything that had been done and that payload data, which included website requests, emails, passwords, and other personal information.

Google maintains that the information was never used in other initiatives within the program, but when the FCC requested the data Google had collected, they were refused. Google claimed that if they were to hand over the information, they could be breaking federal privacy and wiretapping laws. The data was collected from 2007 to 2010, with no less than seven engineers working on the code, five of whom tested the code, and one who went through it line by line to review for bugs or errors.

Many questions about the case still remain. The FCC was blocked by the engineer at the heart of the data harvesting plan, called “Engineer Doe” in the FCC report, who invoked his Fifth Amendment right to protect himself from selfincrimination. However, the FCC found that, since the data was unencrypted and being broadcast to anyone with the capability to listen to Wi-Fi signals, the data was not protected by federal wiretapping laws. Despite finding that Google was not in violation of any laws, the FCC fined Google $25,000 for obstructing the investigation.

Google’s attorney, E. Ashton Johnson, sent a letter to the FCC accepting the fine and ending the investigation.

However, in that letter, Johnson attacks the FCC, claiming that the company had done nothing wrong and that it was the FCC itself which had obstructed and prolonged the investigation, with investigators dragging their feet and filing for extensions to the investigation, which Google accepted voluntarily. As Johnson points out in the letter, “This is hardly the act of a party stonewalling the investigation.”

LG Cloud to launch tomorrow in Sth Korea and the U.S. Google Knew About Wi-Fi Data Harvesting

Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/lg-cloud-to-launch-tomorrow-in-sthkorea-and-the-u.s./15723.html April 30th, 2012

Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/google-knew-about-wi-fi-dataharvesting/15724.html April 30th, 2012

In following suit with competitors all around and what is a definitive path, LG is also raising some of its services up onto the Cloud with the Beta of its LG Cloud online storage service having been given the green light.

In following suit with competitors all around and what is a definitive path, LG is also raising some of its services up onto

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the Cloud with the Beta of its LG Cloud online storage service having been given the green light.

The service will provide online storage sharing via your PC, mobile device, smart TV etc. in which music, photos and videos can be shared between these devices signed into the same account.

That date is November 13, 2012. We previously established via spurts of info that November was the expected month for its arrival, but now we have something more subsantial to confirm the date of release.

While details on the title remain limited at this time, it's been said that the next iteration in the Black Ops series is set 10 to 15 years ahead of the first and with a connection to the original Black Ops story in some form or fashion.

No doubt we'll get more of an idea of what's on the cards once E3 kicks off. Also keep you eyes peeled for an official trailer as early as tomorrow.

Additionally the service allows for the exporting of 3D content recorded on an Optimus 3D/3D Max, allowing it to the shared to a TV that is capable of playing it back.

2GB of space is provided straight off the bat following free signup, with that shifting up to 5GB if an LG device has been purchased. Further is that for the first 6 months users will have 50GB of space to tinker with.

Nokia gears up its Lumia 900 for launch in the UK Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/nokia-gears-up-its-lumia-900-forlaunch-in-the-uk/15721.html April 30th, 2012

LG is working on the implementation of optional paid storage, but pricing is yet to be settled on. LG Cloud will launch tomorrow in South Korea and in the U.S. with more regions to follow.

Target reveals release date for Black Ops II Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/target-reveals-release-date-forblack-ops-ii/15722.html April 30th, 2012

Thanks to some revealing information on its newly available pre-order cards we now have something solid to assume the date in which Black Ops II will be launched.

Thanks to some revealing information on its newly available pre-order cards we now have something solid to assume the date in which Black Ops II will be launched.

It's been indicated that Nokia's flagship Windows Phone based handset, the Lumia 900 is due to appear on shelves across the UK in a couple weeks with a pre-order listing on Amazon UK showing availability as being from May 14th.

It's been indicated that Nokia's flagship Windows Phone based handset, the Lumia 900 is due to appear on shelves across the UK in a couple weeks with a pre-order listing on Amazon UK showing availability as being from May 14th.

That date is certainly not set in stone and there is admittedly a note stating that the date is subject to change, but in any case we know the handset isn't at all far away from launching now.

If pre-ordering is the chosen means for purchase, the phone can be secured SIM-free and unlocked at at ÂŁ479.99 (about $780 US / 590 Euro).

Retailer Target, like almost all other retailers now is now accepting pre-orders for the game, but unlike the others, Target's pre-order cards give confirmation to both the name of the title, Black Ops II, and its release date.

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Nokia's sleek 4.3-inch Lumia 900 has proven to be quite the popular choice with strong initial sales post its U.S. launch in early April. It's expected that the success of the phone will branch out into other markets across the globe in weeks to come. With that said, we're still waiting on confirmation from Nokia as to which other countries are lined up to receive it.

The Lumia 900 was launched in several color choices, including Black, Cyan and White. There is talk of a Magenta one arriving in the not too distant future as well, but this is yet to be confirmed.

Nintendo to remain tight lipped on Wii U pricing and release date at E3 Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/nintendo-to-remain-tight-lipped-onwii-u-pricing-and-release-date-at-e3/15720.html April 30th, 2012

Published by: VR-Zone

Please be advised that, as we did for previous platforms that were launched in the year-end sales season, we will announce the launch date and price in each market sometime after E3. Nintendo’s basic strategy is to expand the gaming population. We would like as many people as possible, regardless of age, gender and game play experience, to have access to our product messages.

From that perspective, for our digital business to grow drastically, it is imperative for us to expand the exposure of the digital download products to potential consumers So, it seems we'll be waiting much closer to the actual release date of the unit before the juicy details are shared out. With that said, at least we will get to witness a Wii U in final form during this year's E3 event whilst being provided with more specifics on its functionalities and capabilities.

Additionally, Nintendo will be announcing most of its launch titles for the game at E3 as well as what several other developers are planning for the months ahead of the console's release.

AMD Trinity APU Preview: Evolution or Devolution?

Following an announcement pertaining to its latest financial results, Satoru Iwata, the leader of Nintendo has made a statement that directly indicates the company's intention to withhold information on the launch date and pricing for its next-gen Wii U home console while at E3 2012.

Following an announcement pertaining to its latest financial results, Satoru Iwata, the leader of Nintendo has made a statement that directly indicates the company's intention to withhold information on the launch date and pricing for its next-gen Wii U home console while at E3 2012.

A commitment has been made by Nintendo to launch the console at some point this year, but with this latest statement (seen below) it is clear they aren't in a rush to put it out on shelves just yet.

Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/amd-trinity-apu-preview-evolutionor-devolution-/15716.html April 30th, 2012

On 15th May 2012, AMD will launch the successor of their consumer oriented Fusion A-series "Llano" APUs, codenamed "Trinity", which will be powered by their new "Piledriver" cores (still 32nm follow-up of the much derided Bulldozer). We take an exclusive look at the architecture behind it... and run full suite of benchmarks in an upcoming piece.

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Summary of Trinity APU improvements - now using "Piledriver" modules (2nd generation of Bulldozer, still the obtuse 2 integer/1 FP unit per module design), featuring DDR3-1866 memory support (1600 for notebook) and depending on SKU, up to 384 Radeon "Cores".

Technical Specifications and block diagram of the Trinity's die made with GlobalFoundries 32nm SOI process .

The new Turbo Core 3.0 now balances power envelope of the CPU/GPU to fit within the TDP, dynamically throttling the clocks to fit the workload of the running application. There is no indication on whether this is handled by hardware or software driver (ahem quack3.exe).

The desktop APUs are still rated at 100W TDP like Llano models (not too surprising considering that they are both on the same manufacturing process), with 17W/25W/35W models for mobile variants. Operating frequencies are expected to be between 2.0-3.8GHz on the CPU and 424-800MHz on the GPU. FMA3 instruction set (which is the one adopted by Intel on the upcoming Haswell, instead of FMA4 first seen on Bulldozer) makes a debut here. Improved scheduling, branch prediction and prefetcher also account for allegedly higher IPC (still no L3 though).

Trinity still employs the VLIW4 architecture of the Radeon 6xxx instead of more modern Graphics Core Next on recent AMD Southern Islands GPUs (UVD engine on the Radeon 7xxx was backported though). 3D performance is still nothing to get excited about, with last week's benchmarks on leaked official material putting it to be behind the Nvidia GT550, which can only handle entry level HD gaming.

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exactly the point of building up the Adrenaline, so that you can "Bullet Time" once you have the chance.

What is AMD's perception of "good enough" CPU performance? Stay tuned for our full suite of benchmarks on the Trinity A10-5800K APU!

What if you had run out of Adrenaline. Well, there's the "Dodge Shoot" whereby Max is able to enter a similar slowmotion state like Bullet Time, although that only works when Max is leaping (forward, backward or sideways) and not on the ground when avoiding enemies' shootings. And best of all, you are able to dodge and shoot at the same time. Sounds easy? Truth be told, both "Bullet Time" and "Dodge Shoot" require a lot of practice and getting used to. For experienced gamers like us, we would find ourselves making Max crouch more than often, than make him leap, dodge or shoot at the enemies.

Max Payne 3 Preview Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/max-payne-3-preview/15718.html April 30th, 2012

May Payne is a third-person shooter video game launched in 2001, and was the first to feature the unique bullet timebased gun-fights that was also used in the movie, The Matrix.

VR-Zone was at Rockstar Games office for a sneak peek of their latest game, Max Payne 3, which is due to launch next month.

The third installment of the popular Max Payne series brings about improved and detailed graphics, new plot on Max's life, while retaining his witty monologues, the game's signature Bullet Time shooting, as well as the graphic novel style of story-telling with panels, voice overs and flashbacks.

We had our hands on one part of the game whereby it has been eight years since Max left New York City and is working in a private security sector for a wealthy Rodrigo Branco in Sao Paulo, Brazil. The wife of the boss has been kidnapped and Max needs to deliver the $3 million ransom for her safety. However, things didn't proceed as planned and Max and his partner have to shoot their way out to stay alive.

The in-game health system is similar to the previous Max Payne games, whereby to refill your health bar, you will need to consume painkillers that are commonly found in places.

There is also an Adrenaline bar which builds up after every kill, although you would find that you will deplete it very fast when you use the "Bullet Time" shooting too often. But that's

There is a multiplayer mode on Max Payne 3 (Gang Wars) and according to a Rockstar Games spokesperson, Bullet Time will also be available in this mode. So you may be asking how would Bullet Time work in a multiplayer mode?

Well, the first player to enable Bullet Time will move slightly faster than his or her opponents in sight. On top of that, any player that is within the first player's line of sight will also enter into Bullet Time state, though they will be in a slower version of that state, giving the first player the slight advantage. The Gang Wars multiplayer mode is also a series of matches based on events in the single player campaign.

For example, you might need to defuse bombs set in your territory if your team grabbed the most turf, which is similar to Capture the Flag. These will be linked through Max’s narration in relation to the cut scenes.

Even though we didn't have as much time as we wanted to with the preview, we believe that Max Payne fans would not be disappointed with what Max Payne 3 has to offer. The game is scheduled to go on sale on 18 May for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 game consoles, while the PC version will be launched on 1 June.

Check out this YouTube video on Max Payne 3 Design and Technology Series: "Bullet Time"

Core i7-2600 & 2700K Sandy Bridge chips take a small price dive Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/core-i7-2600--2700k-sandy-bridgechips-take-a-small-price-dive/15719.html

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In a logical manoeuvre on its pricing regime, Intel has just shaven pricing down, albeit only slightly, on two of its beloved previous-generation Sandy Bridge Core i7 CPUs namely the Core i7-2600K and Core i7-2700K.

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XP1000A for Feature Phones and Bluetooth Headsets The lightweight XP1000A serves the needs of the consumers who use feature mobile phones and Bluetooth headsets.

It is easy to use and has a smart LED screen that displays the battery life and charging status. The XP1000A can recharge a phone or headset in approximately four hours, and upon charging, the feature phone can have up to six hours of extra talk time (varies with different phones).

In a logical manoeuvre on its pricing regime, Intel has just shaven pricing down, albeit only slightly, on two of its beloved previous-generation Sandy Bridge Core i7 CPUs namely the Core i7-2600K and Core i7-2700K. The cuts certainly aren't as significant as many would have hoped, but a saving is a saving and in this case with Ivy Bridge now fired out the gate the cuts help the two models retain their price/performance ratio.

The Core i7-2600K has taken a fall of about 10€ ($13 US), now sitting at 255 to 260€. Although contrary to the current exchange rate, Amazon US has it listed at just $308.98 US at the time of writing.

Meanwhile, the Core i7-2700K sees a shaving of about 15€, now costing around 275€ which works out to $364 US at this time. However, Amazon also has it listed lower at just $329.49 US right now.

Energizer "Energi To Go" portable chargers comes to Singapore Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/energizer-energi-to-go-portablechargers-comes-to-singapore/15715.html April 30th, 2012

XP2000A for iPhone and Smartphones More users are purchasing power-hungry devices with faster microprocessors, graphic co-processors, display screens, all in a slim product design. The credit cardsized XP2000A is made for the Apple iPhone and other smartphones, providing instant power backup for the smartphones on the go. The XP2000A has a LED battery power indicator, and charges a smartphone in approximately four hours; the smartphone boasts up to four hours of extra power (varies with different phones and usage).

With mobile phones becoming more powerful and packed with more features, battery life can be an issue for most users. Battery maker Energizer has announced four new portable chargers “Energi To Go” for mobile phone users which will stop them from worrying anywhere, anytime.

XP4003 for Tablets and Smartphones For power users who own both smartphones and tablets, the XP4003 is the ideal mobile charger. It has twice the footprint of the XP1000A and the XP2000A, and is able to charge both the smartphone and the tablet at the same time. The charger has a LED battery status indicator and takes approximately three hours to fully charge devices. Upon charging, a tablet can have up to four hours and a smartphone up to eight hours (varies with different phones and tablets).

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SP1001 Mobile Solar Charger The SP1001 mobile solar charger is ideal for drivers, travelers, and outdoor loving people. Weatherproof, dustproof and heat resistant, it is specially designed for rugged outdoor use. The SP1001 provides an alternative means to charge it via USB, and takes about four hours for this device to be charged and ready to use.

Pricing and Availability The XP1000A is priced at S$39.90, XP2000A is priced at S$69.90, XP4003 is priced at S$109.90 and the SP1001 is priced at S$79.90. The Energi To Go mobile phone chargers are immediately available in Singapore, at EpiCentre, Challenger, GainCity, Evergreen group Pte Ltd, Popular, Harvey Norman and Cyberactive. Once consumers have purchased their selected Energizer Energi To Go portable chargers from these stores, they can get free tips for life upon registration, at http://www.energizerpowerpacks.com/sg/.

Monster launches 2012 headphones line-up in Singapore

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Monster has collaborated with Diesel to produce the Diesel VEKTR (left pic), which aims to offer consumers comfortable and premium quality audio enjoyment in a stylish and compact design. The VEKTR has a silkscreen Mohican head on both ear cups with contrasting black, grey and brushed aluminium, finished with rubberised paint. The cables also feature a special triangular section that prevents tangling.

Inspired by one of Asia's most prominent producer, J.Y. Park, the Diamond Tears claims to incorporate similar technology used in Beats by Dr. Dre headphone line. Its cosmetic design is based on the moniker "edgy like diamonds and smooth like tears", and looks visually stimulating and daring that many consumers might like. The Diamond Tears is targeted at young audiophiles who want an superb audio quality with exquisite fashion-forward design.

The Monster Diesel VEKTR and Diamond Tears will be available in mid and end May at S$580 and S$669 respectively.

Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/monster-launches-2012headphones-line-up-in-singapore/15714.html April 30th, 2012

Monster has recently unveiled their 2012 headphone collection in Singapore, with the country being the first to officially launch "Inspiration", "Diesel" and the highly anticipated "Diamond Tears" range in the world.

The Monster Inspiration claims to be Monster's first noisecancelling over-ear headphone that is perfect for use at home, office or on commute and flights. It features a unique angled plush ear cup and allows users to interchange their headbands to suit their style preferences at any time, any day. The Inspiration also incorporates noise cancelling and isolation technology that can block out noise for your immersive audio enjoyment. The Monster Inspiration headphones will be available end of May at S$669 in titanium or pearl white finish.

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literally billions of combinations of game requirements and hardware configurations.

With such complexity, it’s no wonder that gamers have been flocking to consoles, points out Huang. As long as the game is made for your console, it’s as simple as putting the disk in the system and turning it on. NVIDIA is looking to bring the PC gaming market as close to this as possible.

For the active lifestyle and athletic consumers, the iSport headphones (left pic) is sweatproof and washable, and provides hassle-free experience while engaging in strenuous activities. It is designed to deliver supeior audio performance with great clarity, articulation and deep bass, and comes with advanced noise isolation technology. The angle of the ear pipe is fully adjustable that it contours to the unique angles of each ear, and the headphones features ControlTalk inline control system that users can access music playback control via their smartphones. For those who are interested, there is also a yellow iSport LIVESTRONG edition, whereby part of the money would go to the LIVESTRONG foundation.

The Gratitude headphones is a collaboration with popular American band, Earth, Wind & Fire, and boasts specially engineered noise isolation technology for impressive audio quality. It sports an eye-catching rose gold finish, and is designed and personally tuned by the band. The Monster iSport and Gratitude headphones are selling at S$290 and S$369 respectively. The iSport LIVESTRONG edition is retailing at S$309.

NVIDIA Announces GeForce Experience Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/nvidia-announces-geforceexperience/15713.html April 30th, 2012

Many pundits have announced the end of PC gaming over the years. With the rise of console popularity among gamers, many would claim that certainly PC gaming is dying.

NVIDIA, makers of the popular GeForce video cards, is looking to bring back gamers wooed away by the ease of access to console games.

The problem as NVIDIA sees it, according Jen-Hsun Huang, the company’s president and CEO, is that PC games require a greater knowledge about the capabilities of the system than required by consoles. Many games require users to dig into the configurations and tweak various graphical and post-processing settings in order to make the game run at peak performance while maintaining excellent graphical quality. However, according to NVIDIA’s statistics, 80% of gamers do not adjust their quality settings. With hundreds of thousands of system configurations, it can be daunting for an individual gamer to know for certain what their system is capable of. To add to the confusion, more than 200 games have been released since the start of 2012, and each of those games has an individual list of system requirements and recommendations. This leads to

Huang announced a new initiative, called the “GeForce Experience,” a cloud-computing solution to the problem.

NVIDIA plans on storing every possible system configuration in a database alongside system requirements and recommendations. A simple application will allow the user to connect to NVIDIA’s database and check their system against any game in their library. The servers would then tell the application what the optimal settings for the game in question are for the system it’s on; the application would then make the necessary changes to the configuration files automatically.

To enthusiasts, this may not seem like a big deal, but with the increasing popularity of netbooks, ultrabooks, and efficient, low-power computers, NVIDIA’s idea could be the deciding factor behind a new gamer choosing to play on the PC instead of the console.

The beta will be available for download on June 6th. We will continue to report on this new development over the coming months.

Bionic Eye Tests Planned for 2013 Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/bionic-eye-tests-plannedfor-2013/15712.html April 30th, 2012

Biomedical researchers from the University of New South Wales are hoping to test fully functional bionic eye implants on humans in 2013. The prototypes consist of 98 electrodes that stimulate the nerve cells in the patient’s retina. The retina functions by converting light into electrical impulses which are then sent to the visual cortex in the brain, allowing the person to see. The bionic implant would stimulate the retina through direct electrical impulses, allowing the users to differentiate between light and dark.

Gregg Suaning, a professor from the University of New South Wales Graduate School of Biomedical Engineering, is one of the leaders of the research. He is also the lead researcher responsible for Bionic Vision Australia’s wideview device, the first prototype designed to restore sight to those with degenerative retinal conditions. Suaning released a statement in which he said, “Our primary aim is to complete the first prototypes of the bionic eye so they can be tested in human recipients in 2013.”

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Washington, would “commend” the legislators for taking the “first step in addressing [the] problems in cyber security.”), Microsoft is now saying that “any proposed legislation” should allow them to cooperate with law enforcement while “[allowing] us to honor the privacy and security promises we make to our customers.”

The new device works by taking an image with a camera, such as one mounted on a pair of glasses, which is processed by an external processor in a computer or smartphone.

The processed information is then sent to the bionic eye’s chip, which stimulates the retina through direct electrical impulses of the nerves.

The University of New South Wales has spent $2.5 million to upgrade its labs so that researchers could develop the technology behind this device. The upgrades include high temperature presses, laser cutters, plasma reactors, probing machines, and a “clean room” to develop the electronic components. “The new laboratory gives us the capacity to not only design and test, but to also fabricate novel and intricate bionic implants,” Suaning said. “It will yield enormous potential and promise for future biomedical research and clinical outcomes.”

The labs were opened on April 27th.

Microsoft Backs Away from CISPA Support Due to Privacy Concerns Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/microsoft-backs-away-from-cispasupport-due-to-privacy-concerns/15710.html April 30th, 2012

Microsoft is backing away from its support of the controversial bill after serious concerns about the privacy of Internet users have come to light.

Microsoft, one of the earliest supporters of the controversial Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act (better known as CISPA), is now changing course, withdrawing much of its support of the bill. Microsoft voiced its support of the bill in November of 2011, months before most of the privacy concerns in the legislation were brought to light. It wasn’t until April 5th that a major petition was started online, garnering more than 800,000 signatures, and it wasn’t until April 16th that an anti-CISPA coalition released an open letter condemning the legislation.

The issue arises from a specific phrase in the legislation, which says that “notwithstanding any other provisions of law,” companies may share information with any government agency that requests it, be that the IRS, the NSA, the Department of Homeland Security, or any other. That phrase, “notwithstanding,” is the root of the problem. The drafters of the legislation put that phrase in there specifically to allow CISPA to override any privacy laws currently in effect. Rep. Jared Polis from Colorado, a Democrat and one-time Web entrepreneur, argued on the House floor that CISPA would throw out “every single privacy law ever enacted in the name of cyber security.”

Dan Auerbach, a staff technologist at the Electronic Frontier Foundation, an organization focused on privacy and other concerns in the modern, computer-driven world, welcomed Microsoft’s new statement. “We're excited to hear that Microsoft has acknowledged the serious privacy faults in CISPA,” he said. “We hope that other companies will realize this is bad for users and also bad for companies who may be coerced into sharing information with the government.”\ Microsoft released the following statement to CNET: Microsoft has previously stated support for efforts to improve cyber security, and sharing threat information is an important component of those efforts. Improvements to the way this information is shared would help companies better protect customers, and online services in the United States and around the world from criminal attack. Microsoft believes that any proposed legislation should facilitate the voluntary sharing of cyber threat information in a manner that allows us to honor the privacy and security promises we make to our customers.

Legislation passed by the House of Representatives yesterday is a first step in this legislative process. Since November, there has been active, constructive dialogue to identify and address concerns about the House bill, and several important changes were incorporated. We look forward to continuing to work with members of Congress, consumer groups, the civil liberties community and industry colleagues as the debate moves to the Senate to ensure the final legislation helps to tackle the real threat of cybercrime while protecting consumer privacy.

CISPA was passed by the US House of Representatives by a vote of 248 to 168 on April 26th. President Obama has promised to veto the bill should it reach his desk.

Intel to push MIC aggressively for Exascale computing Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/intel-to-push-mic-aggressively-forexascale-computing/15711.html

While not wholeheartedly supporting CISPA (Fred Humphries, the top lobbyist for the software giant in 12

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Published by: VR-Zone

April 30th, 2012

What's the only major problem, besides of course having to re-compile your apps code to get the best performance?

Well, everytime you get away from the on-board memory via the PCIe bus to retrieve stuff from the system memory, the performance will - just like in GPUs - drop dramatically, even several times. Intel may solve a part of that by using a much faster, simpler sub protocol for rapid data transfer over PCIe, since there's no QPI based MIC as of yet. In fact, Intel might decide never to make a QPI based one, if they succeed in allowing the future MIC chips to be, in a way, normal CPUs that can boot an OS - of course not Windows, I guess - on their own, without requiring a Xeon CPU front end. However, if Xeon E5 or E7 nodes are still kept as the front end, then linking a bunch of MIC chips on board via QPI to all of them as a sort of coprocessor makes much more sense from system memory sharing point of view too.l

Yes, it is Larrabee reborn - this time the focus is strictly on supercomputing and general technical computing acceleration. What's the focus?

Remember Larrabee, Intel's big time attempt to get into the discrete GPU business? Well, it may have failed in this respect, but the core architecture was transplanted to another market segment that would welcome its approach - high performance computing. After all, the idea of using a simplified - in this case, Pentium like - core as a front end to a big, wide SIMD FP engine, and multiplying that by over 50 times on a single die with a high bandwidth interconnect between the cores, and also high bandwidth external memory connection alike that on GPUs, does make sense for a number of technical and scientific computing jobs. And, why not, top end gaming physics too...

Intel call this family of products MIC - Many Integrated Core, chips, or 'Knights' line. The first MIC to be offered to the discerning public, in a limited quantity for a sort of pilot introduction, is 'Knights Corner', basically a GPUlike PCIe accelerator card with a 22-nm process MIC chip that integrates some 50 cores for roughly 1 TFLOPs DP FP performance, or nearly 6 times that of the Xeon E5 top processor bin right now, within a similar power budget - a critical point required to get to, say, Petaflop within 10 racks now, or Exaflop level performance within a single datacentre size and power budget in 2018.

Now, the newest Nvidia and AMD GPUs, the top end versions of Kepler and Southern Islands, can boot a custom OS actually, and run as standalone CPUs of a sort if need be.

Of course, their highly custom instruction set architectures would require a custom OS environment, but that can also change. Then, the MIPS, Alpha and SPARC derivatives of Chinese CPUs are all expected to have very wide, high core count SIMD FP versions with multi-teraflop performance per chip by 2014 too. Even if they are a process generation behind still by that time, the much simpler, more efficient RISC front ends would likely make their overall performance quite competitive.

In summary, Intel MIC is a flagship representative of the new family of devices that evolved the GPU Compute into the Supercompute, with higher performance per socket leading to less sockets required - especially as we hit the physical scaling limits of aggregating tens of thousands of multi-core CPUs to reach multi-petaflop and exaflop computing levels.

The immense per-chip double-precision FP performance and easier programmability due to the common X86 front end help too, however the competition from several other vendors, including the GPU and CPU makers, will have very competitive solutions of their own.

Prolimatech Megahalems Revision C CPU Cooler Review Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/prolimatech-megahalems-revision-ccpu-cooler-review/15709.html April 30th, 2012

The thing that differentiates MIC from ATI or Nvidia GPGPUs is that it's front end is a X86 core, therefore the same programming model can apply for both the main CPU and the accelerator, rather than resorting to OpenCL or CUDA. On the other hand, the first MIC cores are based on a 64-bit enhanced version of the 16 year old Pentium that fronts a very wide SIMD FP unit, whose dual-issue inorder instruction approach limits the maximum achievable FP rates. Intel will surely fix that in the next round, but using the X86 as a front end, with all the associated baggage, remains a double-edged sword.

Undoubtedly Megahalems, the first CPU cooler which Prolimatech released in 2008, is largely responsible for the high reputation of the company among enthusiasts and their highly successful market penetration despite the steep competition. Today we are going to test and review the third revision of the Megahalems CPU cooler which, despite the virtually unchanged design and physical dimensions, the 13

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Published by: VR-Zone

cooler today can be installed on virtually all recent Intel and AMD CPUs. Undoubtedly Megahalems, the first CPU cooler which Prolimatech released in 2008, is largely responsible for the high reputation of the company among enthusiasts and their highly successful market penetration despite the steep competition. Today we are going to test and review the third revision of the Megahalems CPU cooler which, despite the virtually unchanged design and physical dimensions, the cooler today can be installed on virtually all recent Intel and AMD CPUs. Manufacturer features and specifications • Top fin made of scratch-resistant Stainless Steel to preserve shine.

• Minimal air resistance between fins allowing best balance between noise and performance. For all out performance, fan RPM at 1600 or above is recommended.

• Heatpipes are lined up in a straight line to prevent air back draft allowing air to easily pass through the heatsink body.

• Wide gaps between fins with mathematically calculated thickness to maximize best air-to-surface cooling rate.

• Easy-to-install retention mechanism for LGA 775, 1366, 1155, 1156 and 2011 and AM2/AM2+/AM3/ AM3+.

• Includes easy-to-apply high grade thermal compound, a perfect sidekick to all Prolimatech heatsinks.

• New Universal Backplate to support all Intel platforms.

• Two sets of fan clips for a duo-fan installation.

Heatsink Dimension Heatsink Weight Heatpipe Suggest Fan Suggest Noise Level (dBA) Air Flow Direction of heatsink CPU Platform

(L)130mm X (W)74mmX (H)158.7mm 790 g Ø 6mm X 6pcs 120mm X 120mm X 25mm 140mm X140mm X25mm Below 26dBA 57 CFM Faces the rear exhaust system fan Intel Socket LGA 775/1366/1156/1155/2011

April 30th, 2012

Microsoft quietly released a fix to close a major security hole, which allowed anyone with basic computer knowledge to hijack anyone's Hotmail account.

Microsoft quietly released a fix for a severe security risk discovered in their Hotmail servers. The flaw affected Hotmail’s password reset system, allowing an attacker to reset the target’s email password without their knowledge.

In fact, the error was so severe that any and every Hotmail account was vulnerable to the attack.

The flaw relied on an error in the way Hotmail handles password reset requests. In order to prevent anyone but the owner of the account from resetting the password, Hotmail’s servers use a token-based system, where the user clicks a link in an email sent to them by Hotmail’s servers which contains the token information; the link then allows the user to reset their password. The flaw lied in the way Hotmail’s servers verified the tokens, allowing attackers to reset the passwords of any account they wanted.

The hack was so easy to perform that hackers initially offered to crack any Hotmail account for as little as $20. Eventually, the method became known to a wider audience and began to spread like fire across the internet, but was more prevalent among the Arab communities. The flaw was discovered independently by a Saudi hacker at dev-point.com and by the team at Vulnerability Labs. Vulnerability Labs discovered the flaw on April 6th, but waited until April 20th to report it to Microsoft, who released a fix within hours of receiving the notice.

If your account was hacked using this method, it will be fairly easy to spot, as your password will no longer work when attempting to access your account. Regaining access to your account may be a problem, however, because one of the first steps a hacker takes in an attack like this is to change the recovery information once access to the account has been obtained. This prevents the target from regaining access to their account. Submitting a support ticket to Hotmail’s support staff would be the only recourse available at that point.

DARPA Looking to Recycle Space Junk Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/darpa-looking-to-recycle-spacejunk/15706.html April 30th, 2012

AMD Socket AM2/2+/3/3+

Microsoft Fixes Severe Hotmail 0-day Password Hole After Widespread Exploitation Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/microsoft-fixes-severe-hotmail-0day-password-hole-after-widespread-exploitation/15707.html

In a move that gives a new sense of hope to space exploration exthusiasts, DARPA announced a plan to recycle space junk and derelict satellites for use in military communications networks and other projects, taking the first step towards space-based servicing and repair facilities.

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, better known as DARPA, is looking into the possibility of turning 14

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disabled, out-of-commission satellites into new, functioning systems. Barring that, they hope to at least salvage components, such as antennas and solar arrays, for use in new satellite systems.

DARPA is hosting the “Fostering Sustainable Satellite Servicing” conference in Arlington, VA on June 26th. This event will be focused on discussing various legal, technical, and political issues involved in salvaging satellites and their components.

"Reusing existing satellite components may not only dramatically lower the cost of [geosynchronous orbit] satellite missions for Defense Department needs,” says Dave Barnhart, the program manager for DARPA’s Phoenix program, “but may also serve to demonstrate, through advanced techniques and technology, a model for future onorbit servicing activities.” DARPA’s Phoenix program was established for the same purpose.

Satellites have a finite lifespan, and when they fail they are typically moved into what is known as a “graveyard orbit.”

Dead satellites remain in these orbits indefinitely. Many of these satellites still have usable parts and components, however, which is why DARPA is interested in them. The Phoenix program is looking to create two new types of spaceship: small “satlets” that could attach to the antennas of dead satellites and use them to create a working system, and a satellite servicing ship that could be sent up to repair and service dead and dying satellites.

This news is particularly interesting with the recent announcement of Planetary Resources and their asteroid mining plans. In short, Planetary Resources hopes to capture a near-Earth asteroid in the next few years and bring it into an orbit either around the moon or at one of Earth’s lagrangian points. A space-based servicing capability would be greatly beneficial to a space-based mining operation.

DARPA’s satellite servicing plans could be the first step to a new industry centered on servicing a burgeoning privatesector space industry.

Zynga Posts Big Loss to Start 2012 Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/zynga-posts-big-loss-tostart-2012/15704.html April 30th, 2012

The first quarter of 2012 has been very rough on social games giant Zynga, with the company posting a large loss and internal strife casting doubt over the future of the company.

Zynga, the polarizing social gaming developer, has posted a loss to begin the 2012 year. The loss comes from the period from January to March, despite the company’s revenues rising by 32% over the same period. Zynga’s total revenue was $321 million, with their gross revenue from virtual goods and ads coming to a new record for the company, at $329 million. User numbers were up, Zynga recently launched six new games, and eight of the top ten games on Facebook were owned by Zynga. Zynga is also planning on launching its own social gaming platform in order to reduce its reliance on Facebook’s platform. With all these positive numbers, the revenue loss seems to be incongruous.

Published by: VR-Zone

On the other hand, Zynga recently acquired the developer OMGPOP, makers of the wildly popular social game Draw Something. The move came shortly after Draw Something topped Zynga’s Scrabble clone Words With Friends, with 12.2 million concurrent players. Reports indicate the sale was somewhere around $180 million, although no exact figure has been released.

The acquisition of OMGPOP has caused some amount of strife and division internally at Zynga, with reports that many insiders, including the company’s founder, are looking to unload their stock in the company. The strife stems from disagreement about the future direction of the company, with dissenters saying the company should stick with what made them successful in the first place: social games on Facebook and other social networking platforms.

Currently, Zynga is looking to end their reliance on Facebook’s platform for their business model, with a new focus on developing mobile games like the iOS versions of Words With Friends and Draw Something, although history shows that many of the social networks that have grown up in the past few years looking to dethrone Facebook have either failed or been swallowed up into Zuckerberg’s giant. Only time will tell if the same fate will befall Zynga’s attempts.

HighPoint launches the RocketStor USB 3.0 dock with RAID, claims 10Gbps speeds Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/highpoint-launches-the-rocketstorusb-3.0-dock-with-raid-claims-10gbps-speeds/15705.html April 30th, 2012

We've already seen HighPoint's peculiar USB 3.0 RocketU cards with performance claims of 20Gbps and now the company has followed up with the RocketStor that might actually be able to take advantage of some of that claimed performance. The RocketStor is a simple USB 3.0 hard drive dock, but with a pair of USB 3.0 connectors at the rear.

We've already seen HighPoint's peculiar USB 3.0 RocketU cards with performance claims of 20Gbps and now the company has followed up with the RocketStor that might actually be able to take advantage of some of that claimed performance. The RocketStor is a simple USB 3.0 hard drive dock, but with a pair of USB 3.0 connectors at the rear.

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been waiting for, as both of these just announced models will end up just below the P8Z77-V LE in Asus' range of Z77 motherboards. We've seen LX and LE boards in the past from Asus, but the LK is a new budget model we haven't seen in previous generations.

If you like many others have found Asus' range of P8Z77V motherboards a bit on the expensive side, then the new P8Z77-V LK and P8Z77-V LX models might be what you've been waiting for, as both of these just announced models will end up just below the P8Z77-V LE in Asus' range of Z77 motherboards. We've seen LX and LE boards in the past from Asus, but the LK is a new budget model we haven't seen in previous generations.

HighPoint is offering two different versions of the RocketStor, the Smart Backup and the Smart RAID. The main differentiator appears to be that the backup model is intended for Windows and comes with backup software and a one-touch backup button, whereas the RAID version is intended for OS X and comes with a basic RAID drive management utility. For some reason the Windows version doesn't appear to support RAID, although it might be possible to do this in the disk manager regardless of the software that HighPoint supplies.

In theory the RocketStor should work with any USB 3.0 connection as long as you have two ports available and HighPoint doesn't appear to claim that you need one of its USB 3.0 add-in cards. Either model can accept up to two 3.5 or 2.5-inch drives, or one of each for that matter. The Windows model launched a little while back and retails for around US$90, whereas the Mac model is over twice the price at US$189, although that price includes a two port PCI Express x4 USB 3.0 host controller.

Asus reveals two budget friendly P8Z77-V motherboard models

We're not entirely sure what Asus is trying to achieve by offering so many models as right now we have no less than seven P8Z77 SKUs if we include the Premium, plus two mini ATX, one ITX, the Sabertooth, the WS and soon to be two Maximus V boards with a potential third launching at Computex. That's no less than 15 models in total and as you'll see with these two new additions, only very minor features differ.

The P8Z77-V LX is the new entry level model and it has a smaller PCB at 305x218mm and gone are fancy features like heatsinks on the MOSFETs. Still, it's not quite the scrape of the barrel, although Asus hasn't really included any extra features either. You get the standard six Intel SATA ports, two x16 PCI Express slots that can operate in dual x8 mode, two x1 PCI Express slots and three PCI slots. There's no TB_Header on this board, as it doesn't have the required x4 PCI Express slot, something it shares with the P8Z77-V LE. No extra USB 3.0 controllers are to be found here either, so you have to make do with a header for two internal USB 3.0 ports, as well as six USB 2.0 ports.

Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/asus-reveals-two-budget-friendlyp8z77-v-motherboard-models/15703.html April 30th, 2012

If you like many others have found Asus' range of P8Z77V motherboards a bit on the expensive side, then the new P8Z77-V LK and P8Z77-V LX models might be what you've

The rear I/O isn't terrible with a PS/2 port, four USB 2.0 ports, two USB 3.0 ports, Gigabit Ethernet, three audio 16

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jacks, optical S/PDIF out and a D-sub, DVI and HDMI port.

Price wise this board comes in at around US$140, not an incredible saving compared to the P8Z77-LE, but it might get cheaper over time.

Published by: VR-Zone April 30th, 2012

What appears to be HP's first Windows 8 tablet has made an appearance in what is allegedly and internal HP presentation slide. It's only a render of what the device might look like, but it gives us a good idea as to what to expect from HP's first Windows 8 tablet, which will be using an x86 CPU as it's targeting businesses rather than consumers.

What appears to be HP's first Windows 8 tablet has made an appearance in what is allegedly and internal HP presentation slide. It's only a render of what the device might look like, but it gives us a good idea as to what to expect from HP's first Windows 8 tablet, which will be using an x86 CPU as it's targeting businesses rather than consumers.

For an extra US$5-10 you could pick up the P8Z77-V LK which has a slightly larger PCB at 305x224mm, yet is still smaller than the P8Z77-V LE at 305x244mm. The overall feature set of the P8Z77-V LK is similar to the P8Z77V LX, but here you get angled SATA connectors which a bonus compared to the P8Z77-V LE, although no extra SATA controller is present. The slot layout has also been improved by adding a x4 PCI Express slot in lieu of a PCI slot, but we can't spot a TB_Header on this model. Asus has also kitted out the P8Z77-V LK with an ASMedia USB 3.0 host controller for a total of six USB 3.0 ports and a small heatsink on part of the MOSFETs.

Around the back you get a PS/2 port, two USB 2.0 ports, four USB 3.0 ports, a Gigabit Ethernet port, six audio jacks, an optical S/PDIF and a D-sub, DisplayPort, DVI and HDMI connector. The only thing you lose out compared to the P8Z77-V LE is an eSATA port, but price wise this board is about $10-15 cheaper than the P8Z77-V LE and if you don't need the extra eSATA and SATA ports, we'd go for the P8Z77-V LK out of the two. One other thing that we noticed is that neither of these two new models features Asus' TPU, USB BIOS Flashback or USB Charger+, so you're trading off some features for cost. Both models should be available as of now.

The tablet in question is simply named the HP Slate 8 and it should sport a 10.1-inch display of unknown resolution.

It will come with Windows 8 Professional and has support for both multi-touch and stylus based input. HP will also be offering an "enterprise level" docking solution which presumably means keyboard, mouse, display and wired Ethernet connectivity. A wide range of security features will come as standard as well, such as TPM, HP's ProtectTools software and support for Computrace device tracking.

The slide also claims that the tablet will measure a mere 9.2mm thick, that's slimmer than Apple's iPad and that it'll weigh in at 680g, yet somehow be able to deliver 8-10h of battery life. It's not clear if HP will use an Intel or AMD processor, but due to the corporate business angle of the Slate 8, we'd guess we'll see a 17W Ultrabook CPU from Intel in it once it potentially launches.

MIT Researchers Develop Glare-Free Self-Cleaning Glass Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/mit-researchers-develop-glare-freeself-cleaning-glass/15701.html April 30th, 2012

A glare free, self-cleaning, hydrophobic, non-reflective glass has been developed by researchers at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

HP's first Windows 8 tablet leaks, maybe Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/hp-s-first-windows-8-tablet-leaksmaybe/15702.html

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The technology is based on a nano sized scale, and its special properties come from a microscopic landscape of conical spikes. These cones make the special glass resistant to fogging, glare and reflection. Additionally, they make the glass hydrophobic, meaning it repels water. It is so hydrophobic, in fact, that MIT released a video showing water droplets bouncing off the glass like beach balls.

The water resistant properties of this material cause it to be self-cleaning. Water, naturally rolling down the glass’s surface, collects and carries away dirt and dust particles, leaving a clean and shining screen.

Kyoo-Chul Park, co-author of the paper describing the new technology, explains that the glass will aid in increasing the efficiency of photovoltaic panels by reducing the amount of sunlight lost in reflection. In addition, researchers hope that the technology will help to improve other optical devices, including consumer electronics like cell phones and computer monitors.

From a consumer’s standpoint, the addition of this technology to the market would mean a vastly improved end experience. With a huge market for screen covers and other protection accessories to keep cell phones and other devices clean and glare free, this new glass could eliminate hassle and expense from the life of an average electronics user.

Consumers, however, may have to wait for some time before having access to such impeccable glass. The microscopic nature of the technology leaves its efficiency in question.

More testing must be done to ensure that the glass is not too fragile to withstand the conditions of practical applications.

Yahoo Accuses Facebook of 'Retaliation' Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/yahoo-accuses-facebook-ofretaliation-/15699.html April 30th, 2012

Published by: VR-Zone

Two months ago, Yahoo filed a lawsuit against Facebook, claiming that the company had violated several of their patents, mostly related to social networking. Earlier this month, Facebook countersued, charging Yahoo of violating some of Facebook’s own patents.

Yahoo points out, however, that eight out of the ten patents that Facebook mentioned were acquired in the last five months. Apparently, none of these eight patents were even developed by Facebook, and some of them even predated the social networking website completely. Thus, Yahoo explains that “any, if not all, of these patents were acquired by Facebook for purposes of retaliation against Yahoo in this case.”

Facebook denies these accusations, and said in a statement that "we remain perplexed by Yahoo's erratic actions. We disagree with these latest claims and we will continue to defend ourselves vigorously."

These battles between both Facebook and Yahoo intersect with a time of great change for both. Yahoo is radically changing the company’s course, having lain off 2,000 employees earlier this month. Meanwhile, Facebook is preparing for an IPO as early as next month, with an anticipated valuation of $100 billion.

Regardless of “whodunit” so far as concerns the patent allegations, Yahoo bemoans that both companies had an agreement to approach each other about intellectual property issues before bringing each other to court. Yet, Yahoo claims that “Facebook provided no notice to Yahoo of any alleged infringement, and Facebook never attempted to resolve any alleged infringement of any of its patents by Yahoo prior to asserting them in litigation.”

Asus' P8Z77-V Premium gets almost official Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/asus-p8z77-v-premium-gets-almostofficial/15700.html April 30th, 2012

According to Yahoo, Facebook is retaliating against the company by claiming violation of ten patents, some of which Yahoo accuses Facebook of purchasing deliberately for the charge.

According to Yahoo, Facebook is retaliating against the company by claiming violation of ten patents, some of which Yahoo accuses Facebook of purchasing deliberately for the charge.

Remember that new Asus Z77 motherboard we reported about the other day? It appears that the P8Z77-V Premium is almost ready for launch, as now a collection of much more detailed pictures have made an appearance online, 18

April 30th, 2012

Published by: VR-Zone

courtesy of a subsidiary Asus website, although since then the pictures have been pulled.

Remember that new Asus Z77 motherboard we reported about the other day? It appears that the P8Z77-V Premium is almost ready for launch, as now a collection of much more detailed pictures have made an appearance online, courtesy of a subsidiary Asus website, although since then the pictures have been pulled.

The board also has an ASMedia controller for a pair of extra USB 3.0 ports, although it appears that the P8Z77-V Premium has fewer USB 3.0 ports in total than the P8Z77-V Deluxe, as it only seems to have four rear ports and two front ports. Asus seems to have implemented around 20 power phases on the board, but it's a little bit hard to tell once again, due to the angles of the pictures.

Luckily we grabbed the pictures before that happened, so we can shed some more light on the P8Z77-V Premium. It looks like most of our conclusions where correct with regards to the features of the P8Z77-V Premium, but we did miss a couple of things. For starters, the board has four additional SATA 6Gbps ports which suggest that there should be one 3Gbps eSATA port alongside the six SATA 6Gbps, three SATA 3Gbps ports and of course an mSATA slot.

As for Thunderbolt support, well, it appears we were right once again, as although we haven't been able to locate the physical Thunderbolt chip on the motherboard, if you look just above the third PCI Express x16 slot on the board, Asus has spelled out Thunderbolt on the PCB which pretty much gives it all away, despite the cropped rear I/O picture which doesn't show the mini DisplayPort connector. Note that the text was photoshopped out on the picture above, but not on the one below.

Unlike the P8Z77-V Deluxe, the P8Z77-V Premium also appears to sport dual Intel Gigabit Ethernet ports if our eyes don't deceive us. It has also been suggested by some websites that the board will ship with a 32GB mSATA SSD and we'd guess we're looking at a Marvell powered mSATA SSD due to the fact that it sports DRAM cache, but we couldn't say for sure and we haven't managed to find another mSATA SSD that looks the same.

Now all we need is an official launch date and that US$300 plus price tag to have close to the full picture of this board, but this isn't likely to appear for a couple of days at least.

We're not entirely sure that Asus got the mix of features right on this board, but it's most definitely as feature packed as it gets, as long as you can afford it.

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US House of Representatives ignores Obama veto threat by passing CISPA Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/us-house-of-representatives-ignoresobama-veto-threat-by-passing-cispa/15698.html April 30th, 2012

The US House of Representatives has passed the Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act (CISPA), defying a threat by the White House to veto the bill.

The US House of Representatives has passed the Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act (CISPA), defying a threat by the White House to veto the bill.

The Act was approved by a vote of 248 for and 168 against, leading supporters of the bill to claim that it has the support of Republicans and Democrats alike.

The bill allows for federal agencies like the National Security Agency (NSA), which already eavesdrops overseas in efforts to protect American interests, to share secret cyber threat information with US companies to help protect against attacks.

It does not appear that cybersecurity is the issue, however, but rather the sweeping powers given and the potential for the abuse of user privacy on the internet, a concern held by numerous internet-based firms which might be forced to share information.

While advocates of CISPA have attempted to differentiate it from the equally controversial Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA), critics like Demand Progress and the Centre for Democracy and Technology believe it is equally damaging to online privacy.

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The White House does not approve of CISPA, however, which it claims does not provide important safeguards for privacy, confidentiality and civil liberties. It criticised the broad nature of the sharing of information that would be allowed under the law and the legal immunity offered to prevent privacy and antitrust lawsuits when companies comply with the new rules.

The White House wants a different bill to be passed, one authored by Senator John Rockefeller and supported by the majority of Democrats in the Democrat-controlled Senate.

It allows for the Department of Homeland Security to order companies that maintain critical infrastructure, such as water and power facilities, to meet higher standards of security. This follows numerous reports about the threat to such essential infrastructure.

US President Barack Obama has the power to veto the bill, and while traditionally this presidential power is avoided as much as possible, it may be employed in the unlikely even that CISPA is also passed in the Senate.

Crytek dismisses TimeSplitters 4 rumours Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/crytek-dismisses-timesplitters-4rumours/15697.html April 30th, 2012

The UK branch of Crytek, which was known as Free Radical before Crytek bought it, has dismissed rumours of a fourth instalment of its popular TimeSplitters series.

The UK branch of Crytek, which was known as Free Radical before Crytek bought it, has dismissed rumours of a fourth instalment of its popular TimeSplitters series.

Rumours of the game surfaced in recent weeks after reports that the studio had restarted development, which appeared to be cancelled in 2007. The rumoured release was expected to launch on the PlayStation 4 and Xbox 720 consoles, which are not expected until the end of next year.

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Crytek UK denied this was true, saying “it's not in development,” news that will disappoint fans of the first-person shooter series, the last instalment of which, TimesSplitters: Future Perfect, launched in 2005.

It may be that, since Crytek took over, the UK studio has been forced to work on titles like Crysis 3, expected to release in Spring 2013. This is upsetting news for fans, but possibly less than the developer's call for used game bans on nextgeneration consoles.

The next TimeSplitters game might not be in the works, but the company quipped that it “spent all of the development budget on buying monkeys,” suggesting it might be working on a real-life version of the game in its Nottingham office.

Samsung overtakes Nokia to become global phone leader Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/samsung-overtakes-nokia-tobecome-global-phone-leader/15696.html April 30th, 2012

Samsung has become the global leader in the mobile phone market, knocking Nokia out of its prior first place position, which it held for the last 14 years.

Samsung has become the global leader in the mobile phone market, knocking Nokia out of its prior first place position, which it held for the last 14 years.

The Korean electronics giant already dominates the TV and flat screen market, but with Nokia losing ground in the smartphone race, it is no surprise that Samsung has managed to take its crown.

Samsung shipped 93.5 million mobile phones in the first quarter of this year, compared to 82.7 million by Nokia, which rose to fame for its feature phones in almost every sector of the market. Failure to keep up with the success of the iPhone and Android smartphones, however, has seen

Published by: VR-Zone

the company make significant losses, with even a deal with Microsoft for Windows Phone 7 devices doing little to help.

Apple is in third place with 35.1 million units shipped, giving both rival companies a significant lead. If Nokia continues to lose money and Apple continues to soar, however, we could see Nokia drop into third place in the coming years.

Thanks to widespread success in many of its businesses, Samsung reported a rise in quarterly profit of a whopping 81 percent, bringing in 5.05 trillion won ($4.5 billion), its highest quarterly profit since 2008.

The company said it “cautiously” expects its momentum to continue, a view echoed by many analysts.

China to go ahead with 'National Processor Architecture', but which one?

Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/china-to-go-ahead-with-nationalprocessor-architecture--but-which-one-/15695.html April 30th, 2012

Reports say China is going ahead with its own nationwide instruction set architecture, something that will surely not be X86. This is a massive endeavor - what may really happen?

We've been reporting quite a bit about China's multiple CPU development and production efforts across many instruction sets, even those long ignored in the West like the Alpha, for instance. Now, the news, also referred to in the US press (source http://www.eetimes.com/electronicsnews/4371529/China-mulls-national-IC-architecturespec ) is that there was a top level meeting last month at their Ministry of Industry and IT to start the selection process for their own National CPU Architecture choice, meaning an instruction set, first and foremost. Cutting off the licenses and national security come up as possible reasons too. And no, that most likely doesn't mean a processor instruction set with instructions written in Chinese language, huh.

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This is a big one, because it means that, among at least five instruction sets to choose that are locally further developed, one would become the preferred one. Basically, we got MIPS in Loongson and Ingeniq, covering all from smartphone to supercomputer; then 'Shenwei' Alpha, mostly for militarylinked workstation, servers, supercomputers and such; 'Fengtian' SPARC in the same fields as Alpha; Icube UPU integrated CPU-GPU for mobile and microserver markets, and over a dozen ARM licensees.

I made some calls here, and the take is this: there is concern about MIPS' possible sale of the company and the associated IP and such, but MIPS is trying to sell itself for over a decade now, without results. Plus, Loongson seemingly has an architectural license of the architecture, enabling them to modify and evolve it as needed - no matter what happens to the original license provider. After all, tens of millions of mini PCs with Loongson are there for Chinese schools here.

And, the Alpha core in Shenwei is a derivative of a 1995 design, for which the IP challenge would be all but gone.

Therefore, these two architectures, by themselves having been acknowledged as the most elegant and simple that the West had by the end of last century and so easy to develop further, are good candidates. Then, the Icube's own, existing ISA, that has both CPU and GPU integrated at the register set and execution level, comes in for consideration too.

Beyond this, we're pretty sure if will not be another instruction set to be defined from scratch, especially not by a committee. Defining a new ISA is a colossal task, and something that, in the West, hasn't really been done since the Alpha over two decades ago. We all still seem to be enslaved by the archaic X86, and no, don't blame Intel for it. It's is IBM that made the far reaching bad decision to propel X86 into the PC realm 30 years ago, just to save a bit of money compared to the vastly superior Motorola 68000, the one used by Apple Mac soon later - its power enabled the first GUI, after all.

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First picture of the Sony NEXF3 leaks Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/first-picture-of-the-sony-nex-f3leaks/15694.html April 30th, 2012

Sony is expected to update its entry level NEX camera family shortly and the new model has now been confirmed to be the NEX-F3. A single picture of the new camera – or at least part of it – has made its way onto the internet and it looks like it's at least bringing one new feature with it.

Sony is expected to update its entry level NEX camera family shortly and the new model has now been confirmed to be the NEX-F3. A single picture of the new camera – or at least part of it – has made its way onto the internet and it looks like it's at least bringing one new feature with it.

Not much is known so far about the NEX-F3, but piecing together information posted on Sonyalpha Rumors gives us at least an idea as to what to expect. The camera was expected to launch last month, but was apparently delayed for some unknown reason. The big selling point of the NEXF3 was said to be a "180 degree LCD" and it was suggested that it would work much in the way as the display on Samsung's MV800, i.e. it tilts up and over for self-portraits.

We're not entirely sure if this will be the case or not, but as you can see from the picture below, the NEX-F3 does indeed appear to have a swivel display of some kind and it doesn't appear to be the same kind of swivel display as the NEX-C3 has.

China needs to keep a choice of architectures, it's a large country and big market unto itself, and a bit of competitive spirit would help those architectures develop faster and keep prices in check.

After all, a single chosen ISA will not be pressed to innovate and advance, if being granted the market dominance and government support. Beyond that, the whole thing would need a big ecosystem, with design and simulation tools, compilers, libraries, and so many other things.

Let's see what happens, based on what I was told this morning, the decision is likely by early next year, and there could be more than one 'winner' at the end.

We also know from this picture that Sony has stuck a 16.1Megapixel sensor in the NEX-F3, which is actually 0.1Megapixels less than in the current NEX-C3. The design has clearly been changed, although only marginally so, but one interesting addition is the flash button located just behind the NEX accessory port. This suggests that the NEXF3 might have a built in flash which would be a big selling point. The NEX-F3 is expected to be announced sometime in the middle of next month now, so we'll either have to wait

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for more leaks or the official announcement to find out more about this upcoming camera from Sony.

Giada launches mini-ITX motherboard with mobile Sandy Bridge CPU Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/giada-launches-mini-itxmotherboard-with-mobile-sandy-bridge-cpu/15693.html

Published by: VR-Zone

Other features consist of headers for four USB 2.0 ports, a serial port header and an LVDS header. The rear I/O is fairly basic with a power connector, two USB 2.0 ports, a Gigabit Ethernet port, a pair of audio jacks, an optical S/PDIF out, a D-sub and an HDMI port. Admittedly the MI-HM65T isn't really a consumer product and it's missing a few features like USB 3.0, but it could make for a very compact HTPC or something similar. Sadly we don't have any information with regards to pricing, but the MI-HM65T should be shipping out to Giada's resellers as of now.

April 30th, 2012

Palit GeForce GTX 680 Jetstream 2GB Review Low profile mini-ITX motherboards seem to be something of a trend at the moment and Chinese Giada has come up with an interesting take on the subject. Its new MIHM65T mini-ITX motherboard is unusual in as much as it features a mobile Intel CPU and the mobile HM65 chipset, a combination you don't see that often in consumer desktop hardware.

Low profile mini-ITX motherboards seem to be something of a trend at the moment and Chinese Giada has come up with an interesting take on the subject. Its new MIHM65T mini-ITX motherboard is unusual in as much as it features a mobile Intel CPU and the mobile HM65 chipset, a combination you don't see that often in consumer desktop hardware.

Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/palit-geforce-gtx-680-jetstream-2gbreview/15691.html April 30th, 2012

Last month when Nvidia launched their consumer GeForce Kepler architecture, Palit was the first AIB vendor to debut a non-reference GTX 680 design with their Jetstream series, featuring a reworked 6-phase PWM (DrMOS) and an attractive triple-fan blue LED cooler.

The Palit GeForce GTX 680 Jetstream 2GB takes up two slots (means 4-way SLi is achievable) and uses a triple fan cooler (8cm at the sides, 9cm in the middle) for maximum airflow to eliminate any hotspots. The black and gold colour scheme is not too gawdy and should not look out of place in most setups.

Stacked 8+6 pin PCIe power connectors (as opposed to 6+6 pin on reference designs) allow pushing the power limit up to a theoretical 300W.

The MI-HM65T will work with all of Intel's mobile Sandy Bridge processors, but it seems like the base model will come with the Celeron 867 which is a dual core 1.3GHz part with basic Intel HD graphics and a TDP of a mere 17W. The motherboard sports a single SO-DIMM slot, two SATA 6Gbps ports, an mSATA slot and a half-size mini PCI Express slot. No standard expansion card slots are available, as this motherboard is intended to very low profile systems.

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No change at the I/O panel, with Palit sticking with fullsized HDMI/DP ports and dual DVI (one of them single link only, meaning up to 1920x1200 @ 60 Hz). The obvious improvement from the previous generation GTX 580 flagship is that we can now run triple-display 3D Vision Surround from a single card (previously only possible on SLi setups), although it might be hampered on graphically intensive scenarios or higher resolutions by the puny 2GB of framebuffer.

As expected from non-reference designs, the Palit card comes factory overclocked by 80-100MHz on the core and 75MHz on the memory base clock.

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Box accessories wise we get dual 6-pin to 8-pin PCIe splitter, a HDMI to DVI-D converter, and a DVI to analog VGA dongle (no idea why anybody would need this anymore in 2012).

Netgear first out with 802.11ac Wi-Fi router Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/netgear-first-out-with-802.11ac-wifi-router/15692.html April 30th, 2012

Looking to boost the speed and range of your Wi-Fi network?

Then maybe Netgear's new R6300 802.11ac router is what you've been waiting for, as it promises speeds of up to 1300Mbps. That said, Netgear has thrown in a few other features as well, which is a good thing as it's not the cheapest router around.

Looking to boost the speed and range of your Wi-Fi network?

Then maybe Netgear's new R6300 802.11ac router is what you've been waiting for, as it promises speeds of up to 1300Mbps. That said, Netgear has thrown in a few other 24

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features as well, which is a good thing as it's not the cheapest router around.

802.11ac has several advantages over 802.11n of which speed is the most obvious, but as the standard also supports beamforming the standard is also said to offer improved range due to reduced interference. Throw in some multiuser MIMO where each connected device can receive and independent data stream and you got a pretty good set of features. The downside is a move to the 5GHz band which can be finicky is some countries where few channels are support, especially as 802.11ac uses twice as wide channels at 80MHz compared to a maximum of 40MHz for 802.11n, although 160MHz channels can also be used for faster data transfer speeds.

Netgear's R6300 router sports speeds of up to 1300Mbps over 802.11ac, but it also supports simultaneous 2.4GHz 802.11n Wi-Fi at speeds of up to 450Mbps. This suggests that we're looking at a 3x3 MIMO device due to the high 802.11n speeds, although Netgear doesn't actually mention how many antennas the router has. The router also has five Gigabit Ethernet ports, four for LAN and one for WAN connectivity, two USB 2.0 ports for printer or storage sharing as well as a WPS and a Wi-Fi on/off button.

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Netgear is recommending that the R6300 should be used with 3x3 450Mbps MIMO Wi-Fi adapters on the 2.4GHz band, or 3x3 802.11ac MIMO adapters, although for some reason Netgear doesn't actually offer a compatible 802.11ac adapter to go with the R6300 which is a bit odd. Price wise the R6300 is actually quite competitive at US$199.99 (S $249) when it arrives in May, which compares to high-end simultaneous dual-band 802.11n routers, so at least the good news is that the extra speed won't cost you a lot more on the router side of things.

Lenovo Singapore launches IdeaCentre A720, IdeaPad Y480 and ThinkPad Edge E430 Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/lenovo-singapore-launchesideacentre-a720-ideapad-y480-and-thinkpad-edge-e430/15683.html April 30th, 2012

Lenovo Singapore has announced the launch of their quadcore IvyBridge products - the IdeaCentre A720 all-in-one PC, IdeaPad Y480 and ThinkPad Edge E430 laptops. The A720 claims to incorporate a foldable screen with 10point multi-touch for comfortable use; the IdeaPad Y480 is designed to bring high-performance entertainment, while the stylish ThinkPad Edge E430 is targeted at business users.

The only specifications in terms of the hardware inside the router that Netgear has decided to share is that it sports an unspecified Broadcom chip, 128MB of RAM and flash memory, as well as having high-powered radio amplifiers, something usually only found in more expensive routers such as the R6300. On the software side Netgear has added its “Genie� dashboard to make the router easy to use for your average consumers and there's also an app for iOS and Android devices that lets you control the router. The R6300 also supports DLNA and AirPrint as well as being pre-configured with Wi-Fi encryption.

Lenovo IdeaCentre A720 Sporting a sleek metallic exterior, the Lenovo IdeaCentre A720 claims to be the industry's slimmest 27-inch all-inone (AIO) at just 24.5mm. It has an adjustable hinge that allows the frameless screen (with 10-point multi-touch) to be pulled towards the user at -5-degree and folded back up to 90-degree, making it extremely comfortable to use even after long hours. Internally, it is powered by NVIDIA GeForce graphics, up to 1TB hard disk and 64 GB SSD storage. Other features include Dolby Home Theatre V4 audio, Lenovo High-Sense (720p HD) Webcam, and Lenovo IdeaTouch (a suite of touch-optimized applications and games).

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1TB of storage that can be combined with solid state drive storage, USB 3.0 ports and a high resolution web camera.

The ThinkPad E430 also comes with Lenovo Solution Center powered by Intel Small Business Advantage.

Pricing and Availability The Lenovo IdeaCentre A720 will be available from the first week of June, retailing at S$2,699. The IdeaPad Y480 will be available from the first week of May with a retail price of S$1,499, while the ThinkPad Edge E430 will be available in mid-May, starting from S$1,249.

Samsung GT-i9300 service manual surfaces Lenovo IdeaPad Y480 Featuring a dark gray finish, the Lenovo IdeaPad Y480 laptop is designed to handle intensive multimedia applications and comes with a back-lit keyboard and large touchpad for computing comfort. It is equipped with NVIDIA GeForce GTX660M graphics (with 2GB GDDR5 VRAM), and full high definition display that is ideal for gaming and multimedia. On top of that, the IdeaPad Y480 comes with Dolby Home Theatre V4 enhanced audio, JBL designed speakers and OneKey Theater II to provide bright images and richer audio for your enjoyment.

Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/samsung-gt-i9300-service-manualsurfaces/15690.html April 30th, 2012

One thing that is as yet not confirmed is if the Samsung GT-i9300 is the Galaxy S III or not, but regardless of this details from the service manual of the upcoming GT-i9300 has surfaced and it looks like it'll be a top of the range device from Samsung. One thing in the GT-i9300's favour that it would be the Galaxy S III is that it's listed as sporting a 1.5GHz quad core CPU, although that's 100MHz faster than the just announced Samsung Exynos 4 Quad.

One thing that is as yet not confirmed is if the Samsung GT-i9300 is the Galaxy S III or not, but regardless of this details from the service manual of the upcoming GT-i9300 has surfaced and it looks like it'll be a top of the range device from Samsung. One thing in the GT-i9300's favour that it would be the Galaxy S III is that it's listed as sporting a 1.5GHz quad core CPU, although that's 100MHz faster than the just announced Samsung Exynos 4 Quad.

The GT-i9300 also sports a 4.8-inch Super AMOLED display, but it's not clear if this is a plus model or not, so it might still be a pen-tile screen. Other features mentioned in the service manual includes an 8Megapixel camera with auto focus and an LED flash, Bluetooth 4.0, 802.11a/b/g/n WiFi, A-GSP, USB 2.0 OTG, 21Mbps HSDPA+ and 5.76Mbps HSUPA. The GT-i9300 can also record and play back 1080p video, although this is fairly common for higher-end phones these days.

Lenovo ThinkPad E430 The ThinkPad E430 is built to meet the requirements of every SMB. The 14-inch business laptop has a black lid with rounded corners and is equipped with the latest Intel Core processors, choices of integrated or discrete graphics, up to 26

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There are still plenty of features missing and some doesn't appear to line up with previous rumours, such as the camera which isn't exactly what we'd call an upgrade over the Galaxy S II. The fact that the drawing of the handset also includes buttons have us wondering of this really is the Galaxy S III, or an entirely different model, but the GT-i9300 has been suggested as the model that will appear as the Galaxy S III time and time again in the rumour mill. It should all become a lot clearer in about a weeks' time, but until then we'll just have to take this as yet another rumour.

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

Samsung Galaxy S III spec leaked ahead of official unveiling Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/samsung-galaxy-s-iii-spec-leakedahead-of-official-unveiling/15768.html May 3rd, 2012

announcement of an official Olympics phone, which would explain why Samsung picked London for this event.

Samsung is seen by many as the most viable contender to Apple in both the smartphone and tablet markets, with both companies fighting in the courts to gain the upper hand in their bitter battle. The Galaxy S 3 might have a fighting chance against existing iPhone models, but rumours are circulating that Apple plans to release its next iPhone in early Summer.

ASUS P8Z77-I Deluxe Review: Redefining the ITX Gaming PC The specifications of the Samsung Galaxy S III have been leaked by an employee of a Chinese firm affiliated with the company, according to reports.

Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/asus-p8z77-i-deluxe-reviewredefining-the-itx-gaming-pc/15357.html May 3rd, 2012

The specifications of the Samsung Galaxy S III have been leaked by an employee of a Chinese firm affiliated with the company, according to reports.

The device, which will have its official unveiling later today in London, is said to pack a 4.8-inch Super AMOLED display capable of 1080p resolution, a 1.5GHz quad-core CPU, an 8megapixel camera with LED flash, and will run Android Ice Cream Sandwich.

The Jakarta Post reports that Samsung launched an investigation into the leak, discovering that it was carried out by a Korean employee at an unnamed Chinese affiliate. The details were allegedly sold to “a local firm� and were likely then sold to the media.

At the time of writing there are several hours to the official unveiling, which is believed will coincide with the

Mini-ITX motherboards are stripped down variants of their full sized counterparts, doing away with non-essential expansion options and using "good enough" components. In recent times ASUS has dabbled in small form factor systems with great success - their Republic of Gamers GENE series of mATX motherboards has a cult following of enthusiast builders. The P8Z77-I Deluxe, paired with the latest Ivy Bridge processors, represents the motherboard giant's latest salvo for the mindshare of performance ITX system buyers.

Package and Bundle

The P8Z77-I Deluxe - Overall a very functional layout with the standout item being the 8-pin EPS connector and vertically fitted daughterboard for the voltage regulators.

Traditionally, ITX motherboards have been fitted with the 1

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bare minimum of power circuitry due to space and budget constriants, ruling out the possibility of high TDP operation.

At the I/O panel area, we get a generous eight USB ports (Four of them USB 3.0), triple display connectivity (single HDMI, DP, DVI-D), Gigabit LAN, Wifi/Bluetooth 4.0 connectors, two eSATA 3GB/s and buttons for actuating Clear CMOS/BIOS Flackback functions. Although there are only three audio jacks at the rear, 8-channel audio can still be achieved if the side speakers are connected to the front panel jacks.

Onboard SATA comes directly from the Z77 PCH, with the white ports for 6Gb/s operation.

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No obvious anamolies underneath - and we have the soldering points of a full PCIe 3.0 x16 slot. Actually instead of Z77, ASUS could have used a stripped down/marginally less expensive Z75 PCH instead since there is no SLi/CrossFireX action here.

Although this is not something you'll see on most ITX setups, the mounting of a 140mm Thermalright Archon CPU tower was not obstructed by the VRM daughterboard.

Depending on the size of the enclosure, we can fit a dual slot graphics card like the HD 7970 (the ASUS board does come with Lucid MVP for fps boosting voodoo). Clearance from the CPU socket is pretty good too, even with a large heatsink used here..

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Tablet market begins to slump due to poor Android sales Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/tablet-market-begins-to-slump-dueto-poor-android-sales/15767.html May 3rd, 2012

Poor sales of Android tablets is having a negative effect upon the overall tablet market, with a sharp decline in shipments across the sector.

Poor sales of Android tablets is having a negative effect upon the overall tablet market, with a sharp decline in shipments across the sector.

The fourth quarter of 2011 saw record-breaking shipments of 28.2 million units, partly due to Christmas sales, but the first quarter of 2012 saw a large drop, even bigger than that expected when the normal seasonal slowdown is taken into consideration.

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Amazon showed strong potential in the fourth quarter of 2011, shipping 4.8 million units and grabbing 16.8 percent of the market, but this share fell to just over 4 percent in the first quarter, allowing Samsung to regain its spot in second place.

Despite the weakness in Android shipments, IDC predicts that they will rebound quickly, particularly with new products from Samsung and Lenovo, which many see as viable alternatives to the iPad. New low-cost products from Amazon and Google will also play a huge role in restoring the might of Android.

The launch of Windows 8-based tablets in the fourth quarter of this year will have a dramatic effect on the market, with the effect of Microsoft's operating system yet to be determined.

IDC predicts that Apple will stay in top place and that it will be the runners-up who will be competing most fiercely.

Activision promises "disruptive innovation" in Call of Duty: Black Ops II Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/activision-promises-disruptiveinnovation-in-call-of-duty-black-ops-ii/15766.html May 3rd, 2012

The International Data Corporation (IDC) predicted a drop of 34 percent, but the figure was 38.4 percent, with strong sales from Apple failing to make up for a steep drop in Android shipments.

Apple shipped 15.4 million iPads in the fourth quarter of 2011, but that figure dropped to 11.8 million in the first quarter of this year. Its market share increased from 54.7 percent to 68 percent, however, ensuring it remains in first place.

Activision has countered claims by EA that Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 looks like a “tired” game by promising it will be “groundbreaking and visceral” and will feature “disruptive innovation.”

Activision has countered claims by EA that Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 looks like a “tired” game by promising it will be “groundbreaking and visceral” and will feature “disruptive innovation.”

The two studios are competing for the lucrative Christmas season sales, with EA releasing its first-person shooter Medal of Honour: Warfighter a few weeks earlier. Activision 3

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is not giving up without a fight, however, and hints that it has a few surprises it its sleeves.

"Hands down, this is the most ambitious Call of Duty ever," said Eric Hirshberg, CEO of Activision. "We are bringing disruptive innovation to the franchise and we are doing it on several fronts. We're pushing the boundaries technologically, graphically, and from a narrative and gameplay perspective."

The studio is promising “an experience that Call of Duty fan have never seen before,� adding that it is challenging assumptions in relation to the single player campaign and its multiplayer setting, the latter of which will feature zombies and come with more ways to play. It is touting its storyline, which features multiple branches and meaningful choices that impact the narrative, as a key element of what will set the game apart from its rivals.

The game launches on 13 November, competing not just with Medal of Honor: Warfighter, but Halo 4 and Assassin's Creed III as well, making this holiday season an exciting time for gamers.

TSMC Catches GlobalFoundries with their own 28nm Cortex-A9 Core at 3.1 GHz Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/tsmc-catches-globalfoundries-withtheir-own-28nm-cortex-a9-core-at-3.1-ghz/15753.html May 3rd, 2012

Published by: VR-Zone

With 40nm, 32nm and now 28nm process node, foundries such as TSMC and GlobalFoundries utilized test wafers with ARM Cortex-A9 processor logic. The reason is simple - test the ultimate performance of the process node, i.e. achieve as high clock as possible. At 40nm, we saw GlobalFoundries delivering 2GHz, while TSMC delivered 2.5GHz. However, at 28nm process node, GlobalFoundries reached 3GHz first (almost a year ago), while TSMC had its test chips operating at 1.7-2.5GHz. Thus, we were pleasantly surprised when we received a press release from TSMC, stating that the foundry managed to clock ARM Cortex-A9 dual-core processor testchip all the way to 3.1 GHz.

TSMC used its 28nm HPM (High-Performance Mobile) process node which for example, is used by Qualcomm for its dual-core Snapdragon S4 SoC processors. While you should not expect to see a 3.1GHz processor in a mobile phone, tablets, clamshells and Ultrabooks are whole another ballgame. The foundry now claims the company has now demonstrated its technology leadership in PPA capabilities (Performance, Power, Area). For a comparison, TSMC's 40nm node was nowhere as successful, given that NVIDIA Tegra 3 has five Cortex-A9 cores operating at up to 1.7GHz - the very maximum TSMC was able to achieve with that process node. This was confirmed with the following statement: "At 3.1 GHz this 28HPM dual-core processor implementation is twice as fast as its counterpart at TSMC 40 nm under the same operating conditions," said Cliff Hou, TSMC Vice President, Research & Development. "This work demonstrates how ARM and TSMC can satisfy high performance market demands. With other implementation options, 28HPM is also highly suited for a wide range of markets that prize performance and power efficiency."

The foundry battle between TSMC, world's largest foundry and GlobalFoundries, world's second or third foundry is heating up. Today, TSMC announced that the company managed to clock the ARM Cortex-A9 core all the way to 3.1GHz using 28nm process node.

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May 3rd, 2012

Published by: VR-Zone

touch Valve and a sure fire way to help retain the lead as the number one online game delivery system.

E FUN brings $130 Android 4.0 ICS 7-inch tablet to market Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/e-fun-brings-130-android-4.0-ics-7inch-tablet-to-market/15763.html May 3rd, 2012

Now you know what to expect with second generation 28nm parts from Qualcomm, and first generation 28nm from NVIDIA, Texas Instruments etc. It will be interesting to see how Intel will compete with its lower clocked 32nm Medfield and upcoming 22nm Silvermont.

Steam adds Remote Downloading feature to avoid pre-loading pain

Tablet maker E Fun is dabbling in a saturated market with yet another 7-inch model to hit the scene, the Next 7S. Before you yawn however, it is running Ice Cream Sandwich with a price tag of just US $129.99.

Tablet maker E Fun is dabbling in a saturated market with yet another 7-inch model to hit the scene, the Next 7S. Before you yawn however, it is running Ice Cream Sandwich with a price tag of just US $129.99.

Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/steam-adds-remote-downloadingfeature-to-avoid-pre-loading-pain/15764.html May 3rd, 2012

A new feature has made its way into the latest Steam beta client which gives users some more flexibility in terms of managing their game downloads.

A new feature has made its way into the latest Steam beta client which gives users some more flexibility in terms of managing their game downloads.

The new Remote Downloads feature allows Steam users to be able to manage their game libraries remotely by logging into the official Steam website and accessing their games list.

From there downloads can be initiated and monitored all within a standard web browser. The only requirement is that the user's main machine needs to be online and logged into Steam at the time.

Valve's Steam Apps for Android and iOS currently allow for game purchases as well, but there is no ability to interface them with a user's home install; at least not yet. With that said, given the new Remote Downloads feature is accessible via a standard web browser, smartphone users shouldn't run into any problems making use of it that way.

Brilliant idea really. Will save people getting home and having to twiddle their thumbs while pre-loading is done.

The download can be initiated long before with the game ready to play as soon as you walk in the door. Another nice

For that money you'll get a 7-inch slate with a 800 x 480 display, 1GHz single core processor, 4GB of internal storage (which can be expanded via the residing MicroSD slot), and an Android 4.0.3 running OS. It should be noted this little $130 tablet does not support Google Play at this time, leaving you with the option of Barnes & Noble's Nook shop or the GetJar App Store.

InCase Book Jacket and Magazine Jacket for iPad 3, coming to Singapore Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/incase-book-jacket-and-magazinejacket-for-ipad-3-coming-to-singapore/15762.html

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May 3rd, 2012 May 3rd, 2012

Renowned accessories maker InCase has recently launched their new Book Jacket and Magazine Jacket for the latest third-generation Apple iPad. From the InCase website, the Book Jacket is currently sold out in US, while the Magazine Jacket will be made available soon. Both products are scheduled to retail in stores in Singapore by end of next week.

InCase Book Jacket for iPad 3

Published by: VR-Zone

Is Apple Ten Years Behind In Security?

Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/is-apple-ten-years-behind-insecurity-/15761.html May 3rd, 2012

Recently, Macs across the world were exposed to a family of malware known as Flashback. The spread of this malware was aided by Apple’s seemingly senseless delay in patching a software flaw that has been known to them since January, the same flaw Microsoft patched within three weeks. By the time it was patched, more than 600,000 Macs had been infected by the malware. Referring to this security failure, Eugene Kaspersky, founder of Kaspersky Labs, declared that Apple was “10 years behind Microsoft” when it comes to security.

But is that really a fair comparison? Some say it’s not, that trying to compare Microsoft and Apple when it comes to security is like comparing apples to oranges.

The InCase Book Jacket for third generation Apple iPad (and iPad 2) has a pebbled texture with suede lining that gives a premium look and feel, but without compromising on the protection for the device. It features a new magnetic cover that wakes and sleeps your iPad, and four viewing angles and one working angle for comfortable typing. It also has an elastic band which helps to secure the iPad for easy transport. Available in Black/Black and Dark Cranberry/ Grey, the InCase Book Jacket is retailing at S$99.

InCase Magazine Jacket for iPad 3

Microsoft learned the importance of security the hard way when Windows XP released. To this day, Windows XP receives more attacks, malware, Trojans, worms, and viruses than any operating system on the market. Shortly after XP released, in January of 2002, Bill Gates issued his famous “Trustworthy Computing” memo to all Microsoft personnel, which sparked a company-wide focus on security. Today, Windows 7, while still not perfect, is far more secure than Windows XP was at the same point of its lifecycle. Instead of trying to outpace the virus writers, Microsoft outsourced the protection from malware and viruses to the antivirus software industry, freeing them up to focus on securing and patching just the operating system. This also allows companies like Oracle and Java to patch their programs without Microsoft’s input.

Apple, though, has a disdain for third-party antivirus software, insisting on patching third-party software security flaws itself. Without any transparency in their security responses, it can take Apple far longer to patch flaws, and often the underground communities, such as the jailbreak community for iPhones, where the same tightlipped attitude about security, have fixes for security flaws before Apple has fixed the issue.

"It's only a matter of time before a serious worm hijacks tens of millions of devices and thousands of App Store apps at once, and similar on the desktop," Jonathan Zdziarski, a forensic scientist who hacks into iPhones for viForensics, said. "Flashback seemed small potatoes; more of a warning that Apple runs the risk of screwing up as big as Microsoft in letting poor design lead to widespread attacks."

The popular InCase Magazine Jacket has been redesigned for the latest Apple iPad 3. It has a durable hardshell back that offers streamlined protection against bumps and drops, and features integrated magnets to wake and sleep your iPad when you open and close the screen cover. Simply fold the screen cover back, and the Magazine Jacket converts into a stand with two viewing angles and a working angle that is ideal for typing. The Incase Magazine Jacket for iPad 3 will be available in Black/Black and Cranberry/White at S$75.

Researchers Claim Cyber Attacks Could Be Prevented By "Hyperspeed Signalling" Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/researchers-claim-cyber-attackscould-be-prevented-by-hyperspeed-signalling-/15760.html May 3rd, 2012

Security researchers from the University of Tulsa are reporting that they have found a way to allow network admins to take pre-emptive protective measures to secure their networks by identifying an attack before it even reaches 6

May 3rd, 2012

Published by: VR-Zone

its target. The report was published in the International Journal of Critical Infrastructure Protection; in it, the researchers and engineers who worked on the project explain that by slowing network traffic almost imperceptibly (just a few milliseconds per packet), network security software would be given enough time to identify whether a packet is malicious or not.

The Core i3-3110M is said to be clocked at 2.4GHz, the same speed as the current Core i3-2370M which just happens to be Intel's fastest 35W TDP Core i3 mobile Sandy Bridge chip.

The Core i3-3110M is in fact very similar and keeps the 35W TDP, 3MB L2 cache and two cores with hyper threading, although it gains Intel HD 4000 graphics and support for faster memory which is a bonus.

After identifying the attack, an algorithm developed by the team would send high-speed, high-priority packets across the network to the target of the attack, engaging defensive measures before the attack can even be carried out. It works by reserving optimal network paths for high-priority traffic and routing everything else across an extra connection or two, slightly slowing normal traffic across the network.

Apparently Intel has seemed fit to reduce the clock speed for the GPU to 1GHz compared to 1150MHz for the Core i3-2370, but hopefully the upgraded GPU core will more than make up for that reduced top turbo speed for the GPU. We'd expect further models to follow, but with a launch this late in the year, we're only likely to see a couple of additional Core i3 models this year.

This new method, one of the authors of the report cautions, shouldn’t be seen as a miracle cure for network security.

Adapting an existing network to run this algorithm would require investing in caching technology and defensive programs, and allocation of network pathways for the command and control signals for the defensive measures could be seen as a waste of network capacity. Additionally, the system is only as capable as the sensors being used to detect an attack. Attack variants or newly created attacks the sensors are unable to detect can still slip through and cause havoc.

New security software in development is showing promise, however. One program, being developed at Dartmouth College and the University of Calgary would allow network infrastructure to effectively monitor itself by detecting changes in sequences of code from within the kernel, potentially identifying malicious programs. When combined with the new hyperspeed signaling algorithms, the network security professional now has the capability of preventing all but the most serious attacks from even breaching the first line of defense.

Intel is planning more mobile Core i3 processors Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/intel-is-planning-more-mobile-corei3-processors/15759.html May 3rd, 2012

Details of a full-fat mobile Ivy Bridge Core i3 processor have turned up and it looks like we were right about the fact that these chips will be arriving much later this year than their higher-end siblings. The chip in question is the Core i3-3110M and it's expected sometime in Q3 this year, which right now is pretty far away for anyone looking at getting a budget Ivy Bridge notebook.

Asus updates its ProArt professional displays with the PA2428Q Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/asus-updates-its-proartprofessional-displays-with-the-pa2428q/15758.html May 3rd, 2012

When it comes to professional monitors, brands like Eizo, Mitsubishi and NEC springs to mind, but Asus is trying to make some room for its range of ProArt displays in this highmargin market space. The latest addition is the PA2428Q which is an updated version of the PA246Q and carries on the tradition of using a 1920x1200 IPS panel.

When it comes to professional monitors, brands like Eizo, Mitsubishi and NEC springs to mind, but Asus is trying to make some room for its range of ProArt displays in this highmargin market space. The latest addition is the PA2428Q which is an updated version of the PA246Q and carries on the tradition of using a 1920x1200 IPS panel.

The biggest difference between the PA2428Q and the older PA246Q is a move from CCFL to LED backlight. This is most likely a standard white LED backlight though, rather than the much more expensive RGB backlight found on some high-end professional displays. The other upgrade consists of four USB 3.0 ports rather than USB 2.0 ports for the older PA246Q.

Details of a full-fat mobile Ivy Bridge Core i3 processor have turned up and it looks like we were right about the fact that these chips will be arriving much later this year than their higher-end siblings. The chip in question is the Core i3-3110M and it's expected sometime in Q3 this year, which right now is pretty far away for anyone looking at getting a budget Ivy Bridge notebook.

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May 3rd, 2012

Published by: VR-Zone

Not much is known about the VAIO T11 which is the 11.6inch model, but it should at least share some of its features with the larger VAIO T13. For whatever reason, Sony only saw fit to kit out the new VAIO T13 with a meagre Core i3-2367M CPU which is a paltry 1.4GHz chip with no turbo boost. The press release didn't make a mention of a chipset, but it's possible that we're looking at the UM77 chipset, or one of the other announced 7-series models. Why? Well, we'd guess it would make a lot of sense to stick a low-end Sandy Bridge CPU in the VAIO T13 if Sony was planning on higher-end versions with Ivy Bridge in a months' time, as at least the company can try to build up some hype in the meantime.

Asus still includes features like its "QuickFit" on screen display virtual scales/rulers for various standard photo sizes as well as centimetres and inches. You also get a heightadjustable stand with pivot, swivel and tilt support for an ergonomic working environment. Connectivity includes DisplayPort, DVI, HDMI and D-sub, just as with the older model, but it's not clear if Asus is still including an audio jack or a memory card reader.

It's not clear as to when the PA2428Q will be available for purchase and Asus has as yet to announce official pricing, but it should end up cost in excess of US$500, much like the PA246Q.

Another no so impressive feature is the inclusion of a 320GB 5,400rpm hard drive, although Sony has at least also fitted a 32GB mSATA SSD for some caching action. The 13inch in display is a standard 1366x768 model, rather than something a bit more appealing. Sony has also included 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0, a USB 3.0 and a USB 2.0 port, an HDMI and D-sub connector, a memory card reader, a combined headphone/mic jack, a Gigabit Ethernet port and a 1.3Megapixel webcam.

Sony launches VAIO T Ultrabooks, uses wrong CPU Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/sony-launches-vaio-t-ultrabooksuses-wrong-cpu/15757.html May 3rd, 2012

Intel's Ultrabook branding doesn't really matter all that much for some notebook makers, as they've been making ultra-thin notebooks for years and one of those companies are Sony. Despite this, Sony has announced a pair of VAIO T series Ultrabooks with 11.6 or 13.3-inch displays and a few other interesting features, but sadly Sony is about a month too early, as we end up with a Sandy Bridge CPU rather than Ivy Bridge.

Intel's Ultrabook branding doesn't really matter all that much for some notebook makers, as they've been making ultra-thin notebooks for years and one of those companies are Sony. Despite this, Sony has announced a pair of VAIO T series Ultrabooks with 11.6 or 13.3-inch displays and a few other interesting features, but sadly Sony is about a month too early, as we end up with a Sandy Bridge CPU rather than Ivy Bridge.

The overall design on the VAIO T looks a lot like the much more impressive VAIO Z and the screen hinge design is nighon identical as the laptop ends up resting on the bottom of the screen when in use. That said, at 1.6kg, the VAIO T13 is a fair bit heavier, but this should be a much more affordable model from Sony, although no pricing was announced. The press release is hinting on SSD only versions and we'll have to wait and see what the T11 has to bring to the table, but so far we're not overly impressed with the T13, but a sprinkle of Ivy Bridge might change our mind in a months' time or so.

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May 3rd, 2012

Published by: VR-Zone

Samsung UK pre-announces 15-inch Series 9 Ultrabook with Ivy Bridge Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/samsung-uk-pre-announces-15-inchseries-9-ultrabook-with-ivy-bridge/15756.html May 3rd, 2012

Intel's Ivy Bridge processors for Ultrabooks aren't set to arrive for another month, but that hasn't stopped Samsung's UK branch to show off one of its upcoming Series 9 notebooks featuring one of the new processors. The NP900X4C as the model is known as is Samsung's first 15-incher in the Series 9 family of notebooks and it does come with at least a couple of noteworthy features for those looking for a larger Ultrabook.

Intel's Ivy Bridge processors for Ultrabooks aren't set to arrive for another month, but that hasn't stopped Samsung's UK branch to show off one of its upcoming Series 9 notebooks featuring one of the new processors. The NP900X4C as the model is known as is Samsung's first 15-incher in the Series 9 family of notebooks and it does come with at least a couple of noteworthy features for those looking for a larger Ultrabook.

Samsung has gone with a mid-range CPU choice for its first entry into the 15-inch Ultrabook space with a Core i5-3317U which is a 1.7GHz part with a top turbo speed of 2.6GHz. Samsung has paired the CPU with the HM75 chipset, 8GB of 1600MHz DDR3 memory and a 128GB SSD and we're most likely looking at an mSATA drive here.

The NP900X4C also comes with 802.11a/b/g/n Wi-Fi with WiDi support, Bluetooth 4.0, a micro HDMI port, two USB 3.0 ports, a USB 2.0 port, a combo headphone/mic jack, an SD/MMC card slot and a 1.3Megapixel webcam. The notebook also has two custom ports for a D-sub and an Ethernet port via dongles, not exactly an elegant solution, but it allows Samsung to keep the notebook at a mere 14.9mm thick. An integrated 62Wh 8-cell battery is also part of the package, but Samsung didn't provide any details with regards to the battery life.

Samsung has also included a backlit keyboard, a large multitouch “clickpad� i.e. a button-less touchpad and a light sensor for both the screen and keyboard that automatically adjusts the backlight. We would expect the NP900X4C to arrive in early June, but sadly Samsung didn't provide any pricing information. That said, we'd expect the latest addition to the Series 9 to be sitting comfortably in the expensive category of notebooks, least not thanks to its allaluminium chassis.

Microsoft to Roll Out $99 Xbox Bundle Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/microsoft-to-roll-out-99-xboxbundle/15755.html May 3rd, 2012

The 15-inch screen features a resolution of 1600x900 which is at least a step up over your average 1366x768 display that we've become all too used to see and Samsung has once again gone for a panel with 400nits brightness. As you might've already guessed, the graphics power comes courtesy of Intel's integrated HD 4000 IGP, which isn't as terrible as previous iterations, but a bit of a shame considering the size of the notebook.

According to The Verge, Microsoft will be selling a ninetynine dollar Xbox bundle with a four-gigabyte model and a Kinect motion sensor device.

According to The Verge, Microsoft will be selling a ninetynine dollar Xbox bundle with a four-gigabyte model and a Kinect motion sensor device.

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May 3rd, 2012

Published by: VR-Zone

Today, RIM confirmed that current BlackBerry owners will not receive the much anticipated Blackberry OS 10 update.

The only way to get it will be to purchase a new Blackberry handset.

Today, RIM confirmed that current BlackBerry owners will not receive the much anticipated Blackberry OS 10 update.

The only way to get it will be to purchase a new Blackberry handset.

Currently, such bundles sell for three-hundred dollars at retailers. But that doesn’t mean Microsoft has suddenly undergone a charitable change of heart. The catch to the twothirds price reduction is two years of a fifteen dollar a month subscription plan.

It’s a smart idea on Microsoft’s part. At the end of a two year period, customers will be paying slightly more than they otherwise would have for the same bundle and a similar subscription. However, despite the extra charges, it is entirely likely that customers will still go for the option of paying less now. For some, fifteen dollars a month is a lot more realistic than three hundred dollars in a day.

Included in the subscription is a two year warranty, membership to Microsoft's Xbox Live Gold service, and possible extra streaming material. If customers are so inclined, they can break from the contract early by paying an early termination fee. However, the sum of this fee has not been disclosed.

The announcement has been made while Microsoft and other gaming companies prepare for next month’s Electronic Entertainment Expo in Los Angeles, the biggest industry showcase.

If the bundle does end up selling well, Microsoft will receive more customers and more money simultaneously, albeit over a more prolonged period of time. It just goes to show that good things really to come to those who wait.

Current BlackBerry Users Will Not Receive BlackBerry OS 10 Update Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/current-blackberry-users-will-notreceive-blackberry-os-10-update/15754.html May 3rd, 2012

Considering the new features of this firmware, and the types of phones for which it is built, this news will come as no surprise to those who have kept up with the new OS. Yesterday, RIM previewed Blackberry 10 at Blackberry World 2012, releasing an "Alpha Dev" phone to developers.

The new phone is stylized after popular smartphones, featuring a full touch screen with no physical keyboard.

With these radical new modifications, the software would be infeasible on the smaller and much differently built BlackBerry devices of the past. Although this consequence was probably inevitable, it is bound to disappoint fans who already own BlackBerry devices.

RIM's choice to upgrade BlackBerry software to a more modern and marketable form has been compared to Microsoft's migration from the enterprise oriented Windows Mobile, to the more mainstream Windows Phone. This change, while not a disaster, could be thought of as a small failure. iOS and Android dominate the market, with Windows phone lagging far behind.

What remains to be seen is how these changes will end up affecting RIM’s position. If some BlackBerry fans are excited about these new changes, there are certain to be others who will not be. However, considering where RIM is right now, new customers are probably the real goal.

While business users may stick with BlackBerry for the various infrastructures it offers, how lay users will respond is unknown. Will the new design and overhauled OS be enough to pull them over, or will it just bore a market with too many superior devices to care? Only time will tell.

How to Circumvent ISP Block of The Pirate Bay Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/how-to-circumvent-isp-block-of-thepirate-bay/15752.html

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May 3rd, 2012 May 3rd, 2012

The week started with the British High Court ordering UK Internet Service Providers (ISPs) BT, Everything Everywhere, O2, TalkTalk and Virgin Media to block. Read on how to laugh at the block and continue using the site.

The problem with banning the approach to a specific website is the fact that we still live in unregulated Internet (even though ACTA and CISPA are seriously endangering current state of play), and such bans are fairly easy to avoid. For example, if you live in the UK and are affected by the recent High Court order to ban access to The Pirate Bay, it should not be an issue to access the site - if you are one of users of The Pirate Bay, that is.

The easiest way is to use services such as the Anonymouse.org, a website which was designed to answer the two Great Internet Firewalls of Great Britain and Germany. As you are probably aware, the governments of Great Britain, Germany and Australia all just love to bash the Chinese government for censoring the access to the Internet - while they are censoring access to its own citizens as well.

Published by: VR-Zone May 3rd, 2012

Where HDDs still have the upper hand over SSDs in terms of storage capacity in line of their respective price points, for those seeking out the best of both worlds and cost not being of primary concern, OCZ has just been confirmed to have updated its consumer level Octane series of SSDs with a new 1TB variant that remains 2.5-inch in size and sports the SATA 6Gb/s interface.

Where HDDs still have the upper hand over SSDs in terms of storage capacity in line of their respective price points, for those seeking out the best of both worlds and cost not being of primary concern, OCZ has just been confirmed to have updated its consumer level Octane series of SSDs with a new 1TB variant that remains 2.5-inch in size and sports the SATA 6Gb/s interface.

We even noticed a website setup to enable you to search The Pirate Bay (and other websites) with minimal amount of work, located on the following address:

The 1TB model was announced at the time of OCZ's Octane series launch back in October of last year, but had been yet to make its arrival to the masses.

Now, instead of all the fuss about illegal sites, which can't be stopped just like the grey economy cannot be stopped (in fact, some governments use it as a leverage against organized economies), why not work on a global, restrictionfree distribution network for content? After all, if you did not learn the lesson that people want to pay for content when the option is given (it is in human nature to own something, not steal something) with Amazon, Apple iTunes, App Store, Valve's Steam, Hulu, Netflix etc‌

OCZ readies up 1TB Octane SSD for market

Using the Indilinx Everest controller, the drive uses 25nm MLC NAND flash along with 512MB of DRAM cache and provides read and write rates of up to 460MB/sec and 330MB/sec respectively. 4K random access performance is rated at up to 24,000 read and 32,000 write IOPS. Pricing hasn't yet been revealed, but those serious enough to be wanting one of these won't be too bothered by the inevitably steep tag. The OCT1-25SAT3-1T is slated for release around the middle of this month.

First official gameplay trailer for Black Ops 2 released Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/first-official-gameplay-trailer-forblack-ops-2-released/15750.html May 3rd, 2012

Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/ocz-readies-up-1tb-octane-ssd-formarket/15751.html

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May 3rd, 2012

No more than a couple days after we learned of its release date, that being November 13th this year, Activision has unveiled the first official trailer for Call of Duty: Black Ops II. No more than a couple days after we learned of its release date, that being November 13th this year, Activision has unveiled the first official trailer for Call of Duty: Black Ops II. The video supports a storyline akin to Terminator that takes place in the near future (2025 to be exact) with a kaboodle of high tech gadgets, quad-rotor drones and other unmanned aerial weaponry thrown into the frey.

Have a watch of the trailer below for your first real taste of what's taking place in a time set 13 years into the future.

Published by: VR-Zone

Over at the external I/O panel, we see a plethora of USB ports (10), six of them being USB 3.0 (UASP capable). Besides the dual Gigabit Ethernet (Intel and Realtek solutions) and 6Gb/s eSATA, we get the usual 7.1 channel integrated audio and an Optical S/PDIF out. On the integrated display output front we get full-sized HDMI 1.4a and DisplayPort 1.1A connectors, and regretably no more space to add another connector for three simultaneous displays. One interesting gimmick on recent ASUS boards is the "USB Bios Flashback" capability, allowing the user to move between BIOS releases stored on a thumbdrive without the need to install a CPU or memory.

Unprintable Content (Video, Flash, etc.)

Black Ops is back. Experience near-future black operations with the next evolution of the legendary Call of Duty: Black Ops. Pre-order now

ASUS P8Z77-V Deluxe Review Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/asus-p8z77-v-deluxereview/15685.html May 3rd, 2012

Cynically speaking, Z77 motherboards are just refined versions of their P67/Z68 predecessors, giving motherboard vendors a chance to build on on existing innovations and eradicate notorious design flaws, particularly in the UEFI BIOS firmware and electrical engineering department.

Today we review a refined and feature packed offering in ASUS's P8Z77-V Deluxe, and run benchmarks with an Ivy Bridge i7-3770K processor at 4.8GHz against two other contenders.

Accessories and Documentation - a Wi-Fi 802.11 AGBN + Bluetooth 4.0 (Broadcom based) module can be installed at the I/O panel and wired with two low-profile antennas.

ASUS P8Z77-V Deluxe is an ATX sized Socket 1155 motherboard that is fitted with the latest Intel Z77 "Panther Point" PCH (Platform Controller Hub), optimized for the also newly released 3rd generation "Ivy Bridge" Core i5/i7 processors. The product positioning of the "Deluxe" is of the higher end mainstream (entailing more bells and whistles), just below the Republic of Gamers enthusiast boards and the upcoming "Premium" SKU that has 4-way multi-GPU support, bundled mSATA SSD and onboard Thunderbolt support.

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May 3rd, 2012

Published by: VR-Zone

Here we have the Z77 Express "Panther Point" PCH block diagram, which is more or less a tweaked Z68 PCH with the addition of native USB 3.0 support and Rapid Start/Smart Connect technologies.

The update is a refreshing one for the ageing Android 3.2 Honeycomb running device bringing several new features to the table aside from the redesigned user interface with new app icons and resizeable widgets. Owners who update will also be greeted with an improved web browser, power management and much more.

Huawei provides Android 4.0 ICS update for its 7-inch MediaPad

Japanese Cell Phone Sends Vibrations Directly to Eardrums Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/japanese-cell-phone-sendsvibrations-directly-to-eardrums/15739.html May 3rd, 2012

Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/huawei-provides-android-4.0-icsupdate-for-its-7-inch-mediapad/15749.html May 3rd, 2012

A technology has been developed by ROHM, an electronics supplier in Japan, allowing handset users to listen by touching the phone's corner to their ears.

The Huawei Mediapad tablet which first launched in October of last year has just been given the ability to be updated to Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich via the Huawei download center. As the 330MB update isn't available for download over the air, to update you will need to download software for your PC to be able to apply it.

A technology has been developed by ROHM, an electronics supplier in Japan, allowing handset users to listen by touching the phone's corner to their ears.

The Huawei Mediapad tablet which first launched in October of last year has just been given the ability to be updated to Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich via the Huawei download center. As the 330MB update isn't available for download over the air, to update you will need to download software for your PC to be able to apply it.

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Published by: VR-Zone May 3rd, 2012

Google is constantly striving to provide new and better ways of using their products to their end users. One way they do this is through the Google Labs program.

Essentially an extended beta, Google Labs allows Google to test functionalities and programs that its developers have been working on in the wider world. Eventually, if the Lab proves popular and useful, Google will incorporate it into its existing products. Today, Google announced the “graduation” of three Labs: Automatic Message Translation, Title Tweaks, and Smart Mute.

The technology is based on a phenomenon known as 'cartilage conduction', discovered by Hiroshi Hosoi of Nara Medical University in Japan. Hosoi found that by attaching a vibrating source to ear cartilage, vibrations travel to the inner ear, where they are transmitted to the eardrum. Thus, the vibrations can actually be heard without sound waves passing through the air.

ROHM's application of cartilage conduction involves a vibrator, located in the corner of a cell phone handset. The cell phone's user will touch the corner of the device to his 'tragus' (the protrusion in front of the earlobe), and sound signals will be sent in the form of vibrations to his eardrums.

The idea of this technology is to provide a way for people to communicate in loud and busy environments. Since the tragus is located directly above the ear canal, it can be simultaneously depressed while talking in order to block out all sound excluding the phone conversation.

ROHM will be previewing the technology between May 10 and 12 this year, at the '113th Annual Meeting of ORL Society of Japan' in Japan's Niigata Prefecture. Hosoi will be giving a lecture on the technology at the same event.

Japan is known for its variety of cell phones, many eccentric or impressively futuristic. Thus, it is no wonder that ROHM has developed, rather than simply resorting to a noise cancelling Bluetooth headset.

Gmail Now Includes AutoTranslation Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/gmail-now-includes-autotranslation/15737.html

Title Tweaks changes the order of the text in the tab header for Gmail, allowing users to more easily see when they have unread email, and how many unread messages they have.

Smart Mute adds improved algorithms to Google’s muting of emails, ensuring that noisy, constantly updating threads do not clutter up a user’s inbox. The most interesting new feature, however, is the new Automatic Message Translation.

Automatic Message Translation leverages Google’s translation servers to make any email received in a language foreign to the user automatically translate into that user’s native language. For example, if a user in California were to receive a message from a potential business partner in Shanghai, but the message were written in Mandarin, Google could automatically translate that message into English, facilitating communication between these two individuals. If desired, Gmail can leave messages in the original language as well if, for instance, the user happens to be multilingual; certain languages can be marked as “do not translate” in cases such as this.

During testing, Google learned from Apps for Business users that the automatic translation was a killer feature when dealing with multinational teams and coordinating projects across language barriers. Some users just wanted to read foreign newsletters, and they too loved this new feature.

Google will be rolling out these changes to their entire user base over the next few days. The original announcement can be read on Gmail’s official blog, located here.

Microsoft preps Union Flag themed Xbox 360 Bundle for May 25th Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/microsoft-preps-union-flag-themedxbox-360-bundle-for-may-25th/15748.html

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Another bold themed Xbox 360 bundle pack is just around the corner which is all about the UK. In timely fashion for the Olympics in London (although Microsoft aren't directly linking it to this), Microsoft's upcoming Xbox 360 Celebration Pack will hit shelves donned with the Union Flag on the console itself, the bundled Kinect sensor and the wireless controller.

Another bold themed Xbox 360 bundle pack is just around the corner which is all about the UK. In timely fashion for the Olympics in London (although Microsoft aren't directly linking it to this), Microsoft's upcoming Xbox 360 Celebration Pack will hit shelves donned with the Union Flag on the console itself, the bundled Kinect sensor and the wireless controller.

Published by: VR-Zone May 3rd, 2012

Rovio has just reached yet another milestone in rapid pace with an announcement pertaining to its latest entry in the Angry Birds franchise, Angry Birds Space. The game has tipped a staggering 50 million downloads in just 35 days.

Rovio has just reached yet another milestone in rapid pace with an announcement pertaining to its latest entry in the Angry Birds franchise, Angry Birds Space. The game has tipped a staggering 50 million downloads in just 35 days.

"Angry Birds Space hit 50 million downloads within 35 days, making it the fastest growing mobile game yet and breaking all our previous records. This has been simply amazing, and the whole Rovio team is thrilled to see such a fantastic reception for the game."

Angry Birds Space retains all the best elements of what has always made the series so addictive and sprinkles additional goodies into the mix with its gravitational influences. The game originally launched with 60 levels, and Rovio recently added 10 new ones for the iOS and Android versions. The game is also available for PC and Mac users.

As noted by Rovio in its announcement, this game has now taken the lead as the fastest growing mobile game released to date. Bravo Rovio.

The bundle has been confirmed to arrive on Friday May 25th comprising a special edition white Xbox 360 4GB console, Kinect sensor and wireless controller. As mentioned, the bundle all also include commemorative Union Flag skins for the console, Kinect bar and controller. Further is the inclusion is a couple Kinect games; Kinect Adventures and Kinect Sports and three months of free Xbox Live Gold use.

There is a matching special edition Microsoft Wireless Mobile Mouse 3500 also just around the corner (launching May 3rd at ÂŁ29.99). The Celebration pack will set you back ÂŁ249.99.

Angry Birds Space reaches for the stars with 50M downloads in 35 days Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/angry-birds-space-reaches-for-thestars-with-50m-downloads-in-35-days/15747.html

Calvin Klein iPhone 4/4S cases now available in Singapore Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/calvin-klein-iphone-44s-cases-nowavailable-in-singapore/15745.html May 3rd, 2012

Calvin Klein is a popular fashion brand, although it seems like the company has also come up with the line of accessories for the Apple iPhone. The Calvin Klein iPhone 4/4S cases are now available in stores.

CK-081 Metallic Laser Case

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Available in Gold, Pewter, Silver, Royal Blue and Red, the CK-081 Metallic Laser Case features the Calvin Klein Logo design at the back. The minimalistic snap case has an ultra thin reflective metallic cover that keeps your iPhone protected.

Published by: VR-Zone

Price - S$59

The CK-082 Jacquard ck signature case is a fashion-hybrid iPhone case that not only looks fashionable but it also provides the protection to the iPhone while on the go. It features two piece hardshell protection with inlaid woven CK Signature, and comes in Khaki/Brown, Black, Cream, and Black/Cherub.

CK-080 Metallic Laser Case

Price - S$69 CK-083 CK Monogram case

The CK-080 Metallic Laser Cases are also available in the five colors, though the rear incorporates CK Signature design, rather than the logo. Like the CK-081, the case also comes with an ultra thin reflective metallic cover to protect your iPhone.

Available in Khaki/Brown and Off White/Champagne, the stylish CK-083 CK Monogram case offers hardshell protection with inlaid CK Signature Mongram which could appeal to fashionistas.

Price - S$59

Price - S$69

CK-082 Jacquard CK Signature Case

The Calvin Klein iPhone 4/4S cases are now available at iStudio and Multimedia Integrated, and will retail in Nubox and EpiCentre outlets by mid-May.

HGST cranks up SAS SSD interface speed to 12Gbps Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/hgst-cranks-up-sas-ssd-interfacespeed-to-12gbps/15744.html May 3rd, 2012

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By the look of things we can expect a doubling in SAS speeds in the not too distant future from 6Gbps to 12Gbps and HGST – soon to be a part of Western Digital – is set to demo its first SSD using the new 12Gbps SAS interface next week at a SCSI trade association technology showcase in the US. However, it looks like this is only the beginning when it comes to new SAS SSDs, as it's apparently possible to put two SAS interfaces on a single drive for double the bandwidth.

By the look of things we can expect a doubling in SAS speeds in the not too distant future from 6Gbps to 12Gbps and HGST – soon to be a part of Western Digital – is set to demo its first SSD using the new 12Gbps SAS interface next week at a SCSI trade association technology showcase in the US. However, it looks like this is only the beginning when it comes to new SAS SSDs, as it's apparently possible to put two SAS interfaces on a single drive for double the bandwidth.

HGST hasn't revealed much in terms of details about its new SAS SSD, but the company has apparently already tested it with SAS cards from LSI and PMC-Sierra at speeds of 12Gbps. The press release is also briefly mentioning the dual interfaces and talks of potential bandwidths of 4.8GB/ s per drive. This would be very impressive in the HPC server market and we can see a lot of companies wanting to get their hands on these much faster SSDs. The advantage of the SAS interface over for example going with a PCI Express SSD is that SAS drives uses standard 2.5 or 3.5-inch form factors and can often be used with existing infrastructure, whereas PCI Express SSDs have a much more limited appeal as most servers only has space for one or two drives. That said, dual interface drives would require new backplanes, but this is still a much more affordable upgrade than swapping out an entire server farm for servers with additional PCI Express slots.

Hopefully HGST will be revealing more details about its new SAS SSDs in the near future, but SAS 12Gbps isn't expected to arrive until early next year. Hopefully this means that we'll see a move to SATA 12Gbps as well, since the two standards have been upgraded almost in tandem for the past couple of iterations. That said, it looks like the SATA IO wants consumers to use SATA Express rather than move on to SATA 12Gbps for the time being, so for those looking at getting the fastest possible SSD come next year, a SAS 12Gbps based drive might be the way to go.

Pioneer goes 3D with new Blu-ray drive

Published by: VR-Zone

humble DVD drive. Its latest addition, the BDR-2207 adds support not only for BDXL discs, but also 3D Blu-ray content and a few Pioneer specific features.

The BDR-2207 will write to all standard disc formats such as BD-R, BD-R DL/TL/QL, BD-RE, BD-RE DL/TL and all standard DVD and CD formats including DVD-RAM and it will of course also read all of these formats, plus the ROM versions of the above as applicable. It'll write to BD-R SL/ DL discs at 12x, BD-R TL-QL discs at 6x and all BD-RE formats at 2x. As for DVD discs the drive tops out at 16x for recordable discs and 8x for re-writeable discs and dual layer discs. CD-R discs can be written at 40x and CD-RW discs at 24x.

However, this in itself doesn't really put the BDR-2207 apart from the competition, but Pioneer bundles a copy of CyberLink's PowerDVD 10 with support for Blu-ray 3D playback which might appeal to those interesting in putting together an HTPC using this drive. It also sports what Pioneer calls PowerRead which is supposed to help improve video playback from smudges and lightly scratched discs or skip ahead slightly on badly smudged or scratched discs.

It also features an auto quiet mode which reduces the rotational speed of the drive when playing Blu-ray and DVD movies and QuickStart which is meant to shorten the time it takes from when you insert a disc until it's available to play by up to 42 percent.

At US$99.99 the BDR-2207 is far from the cheapest Blu-ray writer you can get these days, but most of the cheaper models come without software. Pioneer is expecting the BDR-2207 to start shipping later this month.

Samsung launches the Series 7 Gamer with Ivy Bridge CPU Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/samsung-launches-the-series-7gamer-with-ivy-bridge-cpu/15742.html May 3rd, 2012

Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/pioneer-goes-3d-with-new-blu-raydrive/15743.html May 3rd, 2012

Blu-ray never really took off as far as optical drives in computers are concerned, but there are still a few companies like Pioneer who's trying to push for the format to replace the humble DVD drive. Its latest addition, the BDR-2207 adds support not only for BDXL discs, but also 3D Blu-ray content and a few Pioneer specific features.

Blu-ray never really took off as far as optical drives in computers are concerned, but there are still a few companies like Pioneer who's trying to push for the format to replace the

When it comes to notebooks, Samsung has as yet to become a go to brand for most of us, but the company keeps improving and its Series 9 notebooks caught the attention of more than one notebook buyer. Now the company is trying to get into the already fairly crowded gaming notebook sector with its Series 7 Gamer and even though the company has a rather understated design, there's some serious hardware to be found inside the Series 7 Gamer.

When it comes to notebooks, Samsung has as yet to become a go to brand for most of us, but the company keeps improving and its Series 9 notebooks caught the attention of more than 17

May 3rd, 2012

Published by: VR-Zone

one notebook buyer. Now the company is trying to get into the already fairly crowded gaming notebook sector with its Series 7 Gamer and even though the company has a rather understated design, there's some serious hardware to be found inside the Series 7 Gamer.

At 3.8kg's the Series 7 Gamer isn't exceptionally heavy considering its size, but it's hardly something you're going to want to lug around with you on your commute to work.

Samsung has priced the Series 7 Gamer at US$1899 with a copy of Windows 7 Home Premium, but you'll have to be pretty serious about being able to play games away from home on your notebook to splash out that much cash on a notebook these days.

Depending on where you live, the Series 7 Gamer will be available in black and/or orange and at least initially it'll come with a quad core Core i7-3610QM CPU clocked at 2.3GHz and a max turbo clock of 3.3GHz. Samsung will apparently stick no less than 16GB of RAM in the Series 7 Gamer as standard and you also get 1.5TB worth of storage space with an 8GB ExpressCache. Graphics comes courtesy of Nvidia's rebranded GeForce GTX 675M which should still be pretty decent.

Intel's LGA-1356 Xeon's coming this quarter, follows

by Pentiums Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/intel-s-lga-1356-xeon-s-coming-thisquarter-follows-by-pentiums/15741.html May 3rd, 2012

It would appear that Intel is finally getting ready to unveil its LGA-1356 Xeon processors later this quarter and initially we'll see the Xeon E5-2400 series, a platform that will support up to two sockets. Oddly enough, Intel is said to be planning a couple of Pentium models that are compatible with the LGA-1356 socket, something that doesn't make sense at first.

It would appear that Intel is finally getting ready to unveil its LGA-1356 Xeon processors later this quarter and initially we'll see the Xeon E5-2400 series, a platform that will support up to two sockets. Oddly enough, Intel is said to be planning a couple of Pentium models that are compatible with the LGA-1356 socket, something that doesn't make sense at first.

The 17.3-inch display sports a resolution of 1920x1080 and 400nits brightness. Other features include a Blu-ray drive, 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi with Intel WiDi support, Bluetooth 4.0, Gigabit Ethernet, two USB 3.0 ports, two USB 2.0 ports, a DisplayPort and HDMI port, a pair of audio jacks, a D-sub connector, a memory card reader and a 2Megapixel webcam.

As you can see from the pictures, the Series 7 Gamer has a massive 4-prong power connector and it's supplied with a 200W AC adapter to charge the 8-cell battery pack which is only good for a mere 3.7 hours. Interestingly Samsung appears to have borrowed the rear hot air exhausts vents from Gigabyte's P2542G notebook, although this is actually a good thing as it vents the hot air away from the user.

The E5-2400 series of Xeon CPU's will be covering a wide range of market spaces and is intended for a lot of vertical applications such as networking equipment and various other non-standard applications, as well as cover Intel's midrange server segment. There will be CPU's with a mere four cores and four threads all the way up to eight core models with support for 16 threads ranging in price from US$192 to Us$1440.

That still doesn't explain the Pentium SKUs though, but Intel has produced a few strange beasts in the past, such as the single core, hyper threaded Celeron P1053 for the LGA-1366 socket, clocked at a mere 1.33GHz. This was a chip specifically designed for the embedded market and we have a feeling the two upcoming models, the Pentium 1403 and 1407 are heading for the same market sometime later this year.

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The Pentium 1403 is said to be a 2.6GHz part, with the 1407 being a 2.8GHz part. Both models have two cores and 5MB of L3 cache which sounds somewhat odd. The TDP should be 80W which is fairly high considering Intel has slower clocked Xeon models at 50 or 60W TDP with far more cores operational. Notably both models will support triplechannel memory, as the LGA-1356 shares the same amount of memory channels as the LGA-1366 platform. It's unlikely that either model will ever end up in retail and both are so called “off-roadmap” models.

First Skyrim DLC details to be announced today Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/first-skyrim-dlc-details-to-beannounced-today/15736.html May 3rd, 2012

Published by: VR-Zone

Apple predicted to become direct mobile service provider Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/apple-predicted-to-become-directmobile-service-provider/15735.html May 3rd, 2012

A veteran wireless industry strategist has predicated that Apple will launch a direct wireless service for the iPad and iPhone, while Google will follow suit.

A veteran wireless industry strategist has predicated that Apple will launch a direct wireless service for the iPad and iPhone, while Google will follow suit.

Bethesda will provide details today of the first downloadable content (DLC) for its popular role-playing game Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim.

Bethesda will provide details today of the first downloadable content (DLC) for its popular role-playing game Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim.

The company's VP of PR and marketing, Pete Hines, confirmed in a tweet that the first info would drop some time today.

Fans have already uncovered hints as to what the DLC might involve, however. A recent update to the game included a folder entitled “DLC01,” which contained game assets for Snow Elf characters, a Snow Elf Princess, crossbows and new vampires animations like feeding and hypnosis, according to CVG.

Whitey Bluestein, who has advised companies on mobile strategy for over two decades, told attendees of the Informa MVNO Industry Summit in Barcelona that Apple was likely preparing a major new move into the wireless service market.

Citing a series of Apple's pending patents from 2006 onwards, one of which deals with network architecture required to become a wireless service provider, Bluestein postulated that Apple will change how it approaches wireless for its products in the future.

He predicted that the launch of such a service, which would provide phone, data, voice and roaming, would be “in the near future,” citing an extension of the network architecture patent in Autumn of last year.

Bethesda also trademarked the title Dawnguard in March, suggesting it might be the name of the first Skyrim DLC, particularly given the vampire link in the game assets.

The company has also launched Kinect support for the game today, though this is currently limited to the English language, with over 200 voice commands available.

He speculated that Apple will likely offer mobile data plans with iPads, rather than selling them with AT&T or Verizon data plans, which could upset its former partners. However, this would give Apple direct control and a larger slice of the profits, though it will have to fork over an initial investment to make up for the subsidies offered by existing operators.

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Published by: VR-Zone

Bluestein suggested Apple will avail of its popular iTunes Store, where there are 250 million accounts, to offer activation, data and international roaming plans.

Other plans could include an ala carte model for providing iPhone customers with voice, data and message plans as an alternative to their existing mobile operator.

Bluestein also believes that Google will follow suit, taking advantage of its ability to acquire companies and services to fill the gaps in its system.

“The battleground is set, but Apple will be the first mover,” said Bluestein. “Google will have to scramble because it lacks retail distribution, experience with subscriber services and the iTunes ecosystem of content. iTunes and the iTunes Store provide Apple with one-click buying and customer care. Google can acquire most of these capabilities, as it has before, but it is not a core competency of the company.”

UK watchdog widens iPad 4G investigation after Apple compliance failure Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/uk-watchdog-widens-ipad-4ginvestigation-after-apple-compliance-failure/15734.html May 3rd, 2012

However, Apple still lists a 4G option for the new iPad for UK customers, which means it has failed to comply with the ASA's demands. This has resulted in the ASA expanding its investigation.

An anonymous source at Apple told the BBC that the company had not directed staff to remove all references to 4G from the website, suggesting wilful defiance of the regulator, or perhaps some communication breakdown inside Apple.

Apple previously got in trouble in Australia over similarly misleading advertising relating to the 4G feature of the new iPad. After pressure from the country's advertising watchdog it agreed to offer refunds to affected customers, an offer it may be forced to make to UK customers in the near future.

Microsoft Investing in Barnes & Noble's Nook e-Reader The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) is to widen its investigation into false advertising for Apple's new iPad over the tablet's 4G capabilities after Apple failed to comply with its initial requests.

Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/microsoft-investing-in-barnes-noble-s-nook-e-reader/15733.html May 3rd, 2012

The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) is to widen its investigation into false advertising for Apple's new iPad over the tablet's 4G capabilities after Apple failed to comply with its initial requests.

The UK advertising watchdog began an inquiry in early April after receiving numerous complaints about the promised 4G feature, which does not work in the UK, due to a lack of 4G networks and different frequencies used, which means even the rollout of network availability will net resolve the problem.

It appears that some of those issues were resolved after the ASA launched discussions with Apple. The ASA agreed it would close the file once Apple removed every reference to 4G from its UK website.

Microsoft invests $300 million in Barnes & Noble, giving them a large stake in a newly forming subsidiary company of the bookstore giant.

Microsoft is looking to influence the world of eBooks, eReaders, and college textbooks with a $300 million investment into a new subsidiary company being formed by Barnes & Noble. The as-yet unnamed company will focus on Barnes & Noble’s digital bookstore as well as their college textbook business. After the investment, Microsoft will own 17.6 percent of the new company, and will produce a Nook application for the Windows 8 operating system, which unofficial sources have pegged as being released in October of this year.

Barnes & Noble announced their intention to split their business into physical and digital stores. The formation of this new company to handle digital books and college textbooks could be the first step towards that endgame.

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Published by: VR-Zone

Some commentators believe that it could have a detrimental effect on the company, however, saying that the move will not help save the physical Barnes & Noble stores; it’s possible the split could even accelerate the physical stores’ decline.

The partnership between Microsoft and Barnes & Noble also signals an end to the patent disputes. Barnes & Noble released the Nook eReader to compete with Amazon’s Kindle in 2009. Microsoft then sued the bookstore giant in March of last year, claiming that the Nook tablet, which runs on the Android operating system, infringed on their patents.

Barnes & Noble, like many other book sellers, has been struggling to cope with the eBook revolution. Competing with Amazon’s reduced prices for used books was difficult enough, but with the popularity of the Kindle, and eBooks in general, book stores have been struggling to compete.

With the cost of publishing an eBook at almost nothing, publishers have quickly embraced the format, leading to higher profits. Readers enjoy the new format as well, as it allows them to carry a library of books with them in a convenient, lightweight format.

Shortly after the announcement of the collaboration, Barnes & Noble’s stock price rocketed to $25 per share, an increase of around 85%. Trading slowed as the day wore on, and Monday closed with Barnes & Noble up 52%.

Silicene Could Beat Graphene to Market Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/silicene-could-beat-graphene-tomarket/15732.html May 3rd, 2012

Silicene, a single-atom thick layer of silicon, could beat graphene to the components market due to the industry’s familiarity with silicon and its properties.

Graphene is a truly wondrous molecular structure. Since its discovery a few years ago, scientists have become more and more excited about the possibilities graphene affords.

It is the most conductive material in the known universe with surprising optical qualities, and IBM has shown that graphene could allow computers to operate close to the terahertz range (one terahertz, or THz, is equal to roughly 1,000 gigahertz, or GHz). The problem is that graphene does not have a band gap. A band gap is the difference in energy from an on state, where electrons are flowing through a circuit, and an off state, where no electron motion is possible. Without a band gap, it’s extremely difficult to build transistors, which have to be able to switch from “on” to “off” and back again very quickly. Some progress in creating a band gap in graphene has been made, but the material is still years or possibly decades away from being used in current computer components.

Now, research has been released from multiple research groups around the planet announcing the creation of silicene, a one-atom thick layer of silicon equivalent to graphene. This presents a lot of promise to researchers and engineers, because silicene, being based on silicon, should be compatible with current electronics and electronic fabrication techniques. The research groups created the silicene sheet by condensing silicon vapor onto a silver substrate. Currently, we only have proof that silicene exists, as the scientists observed it through a scanning tunneling electron microscope, but they theorize that silicene should have highly desirable electrical properties, perhaps even close to the electrical conductivity of graphene.

The next step is to grow silicene on an insulator, so that it can be used to create a circuit. At least four research groups managed to successfully create silicene on a silver substrate, so it’s highly likely that they’re working to find an insulator that will allow them to repeat their success.

With silicon reaching the physical limits of its capabilities sometime in the next decade, silicene could be exactly what the electronics industry needs.

Tim Cook Says Apple Will Not Combine iPad and MacBook Mocks Windows 8 Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/tim-cook-says-apple-will-notcombine-ipad-and-macbook--mocks-windows-8/15731.html May 3rd, 2012

According to Apple CEO Tim Cook, Apple will not be combining the iPad and Macbook Air into a new product.

Cook compares Microsoft's decision to run Windows 8 on multiple products to meshing a refrigerator and toaster.

According to Apple CEO Tim Cook, Apple will not be combining the iPad and Macbook Air into a new product.

Cook compares Microsoft's decision to run Windows 8 on multiple products to meshing a refrigerator and toaster.

Microsoft plans for Windows 8 to run on PC's, tablets, laptops, and various other devices. According to Cook, this unified platform compromises product functionality. As such, he made it quite clear that Apple has no intentions of converging the iPad and Macbook Air.

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"You wouldn't want to put these things together because you end up compromising in both and not pleasing either user." says Cook. "Some people will prefer to own both, and that's great too. But to make the compromise of convergence, we're not going to that party."

Published by: VR-Zone

exploiting music and other creative works without paying a penny to the people who created them."

Steve Jobs himself was a detractor from the idea of a Mac with an iPad-like screen, calling it "ergonomically terrible".

But according to Laurence ('Loz') Kaye of the Pirate Party UK, "The truth is that we are on a slippery slope towards internet censorship here in the United Kingdom." Kaye isn't the only one to question the approach of blocking websites to counter piracy.

In order to demonstrate his point, Cook said in an analogy "You can converge a toaster and a refrigerator, but you know, those things are probably not going to be pleasing to the user." Reportedly, Microsoft's head of PR Frank Shaw jokingly responded in a tweet that Cook was actually referring to a toaster-oven.

Although UK ISP Virgin Media complied with the court order, they expressed to the BBC their view that "changing consumer behavior to tackle copyright infringement also needs compelling legal alternatives, such as our agreement with Spotify, to give consumers access to great content at the right price."

Despite its detractors, Microsoft may yet have an honest shot with Windows 8. Their idea of using Windows on tablets is not new to them. Immediately before the release of Apple's first iPad, Microsoft launched the Slate PC running Windows 7. That product ended in failure, and the Slate was abandoned very soon afterwards. But the Windows 8 to run on future tablet PC's may fare better, since the operating system has been specifically designed in a simplistic and minimal way to better fit the tablet layout.

Spotify is a music service launched in 2008, giving its users an ad supported option of listening to music for free. "Piracy is so old fashioned!" goes one of their many advertisements. “When it's free and easy to listen to music on Spotify, who needs music piracy?� Although this may be jumping the gun a bit, perhaps Spotify is on to something.

Time will tell whether or not Tim Cook is right in his ideas. Steve Jobs was legendary for his sense of style and ergonomics. Perhaps what Cook thinks about Windows 8 will serve as a litmus test to see whether he shares these same insights.

There continues to be great debate regarding decisions to block websites, which many consider an inevitable first step in establishing internet censorship. Instead of changing the internet, more companies may start seeking to change the entire system of entertainment.

UK ISPs Ordered to Block 'The Pirate Bay' Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/uk-isps-ordered-to-block-the-piratebay-/15730.html May 3rd, 2012

The British High court has ordered UK ISPs Sky, Everything Everywhere, TalkTalk, O2 and Virgin Media to block The Pirate Bay, self-proclaimed "galaxy's most resilient BitTorrent site" and "world's largest BitTorrent tracker".

The British High court has ordered UK ISPs Sky, Everything Everywhere, TalkTalk, O2 and Virgin Media to block The Pirate Bay, self-proclaimed "galaxy's most resilient BitTorrent site" and "world's largest BitTorrent tracker".

In November, the British Phonographic Industry ordered the same from ISPs, but they refused to do so without a court order. Now, with the court order in place, all these ISPs will be placing a block on The Pirate Bay, excluding a sixth ISP, BT, which requested more time to consider their position in the matter.

This means that internet users in the UK will no longer be able to access the site, which hosts links to a treasure trove of illegally pirated games, movies, music and more.

"The High Court has confirmed that The Pirate Bay infringes copyright on a massive scale." said BPI chief executive Geoff Taylor. "Its operators line their pockets by commercially 22

May 7th, 2012

Published by: VR-Zone

VR-Zone.com | Tech News for the Geeks!

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

Assassin's Creed early concept art and demo revealed Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/assassin-s-creed-early-concept-artand-demo-revealed/15797.html May 7th, 2012

Ubisoft has revealed initial concept art and an early concept demo for Assassin's Creed, giving some unique insight into how the game was originally conceived.

Ubisoft has revealed initial concept art and an early concept demo for Assassin's Creed, giving some unique insight into how the game was originally conceived.

Both the artwork and the demo show that the game was initially intended to be a Prince of Persia spin-off called Prince of Persia: Assassins, but that many of the original gameplay elements and ideas were already in place early on before they decided to make it into an entirely new franchise.

The video below shows a number of concept demos, with the Assassin's Creed one starting at the 1:30 minute mark. After viewing it, it is not surprising that the game was given the goahead, as it showed the typical throat-stabbing and sneaking around that we have come to expect from the Assassin’s Creed games.

The concept art also shows similar ideas, while also hinting at the original Prince of Persia setting.

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May 7th, 2012

Published by: VR-Zone

Researchers, having spent a great deal of time studying how this process works in the bacteria, have successfully imitated it themselves, literally 'growing' magnets. Magnets are important components of computer hard drives, and this new technology could potentially create much faster ones.

The researchers have also managed to produce biological "wires" using the membranes of cells. In the future these membrane wires could be used in place of traditional metal wires to transfer information through computers, and could potentially be used in surgery as well.

This release is a rare glimpse into how a game studio operates and how games develop from a conceptial stage into a blockbuster success on release.

Assassin's Creed III launches on 30 October.

Researchers look to magnetproducing bacteria to create bio-computer components

Nature has been a constant source of inspiration for human innovation throughout the centuries, inspiring flight, the invention of Velcro, and other inventions in the making, such as possible cancer fighting nanoparticles. Thus, while scientists work to create power quantum computers, natureinspired designs and materials may be the course of traditional computer technology.

Blizzard touts global play in Diablo III Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/blizzard-touts-global-play-in-diabloiii/15795.html May 7th, 2012

Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/researchers-look-to-magnetproducing-bacteria-to-create-bio-computer-components/15796.html May 7th, 2012

Researchers from the UK and Tokyo are imitating ironeating microbes to create bio-computer components.

Technology is shrinking, and nearing its physical limit. Until it reaches that final stage however, scientists are looking for new ways to create tinier computer components, which are becoming increasingly difficult to create using conventional methods. A team from UK's University of Leeds and Japan's Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology are seeking the answer in bacteria that ingest iron.

"We are quickly reaching the limits of traditional electronic manufacturing as computer components get smaller." said Dr. Sarah Staniland of the University of Leeds,"The machines we've traditionally used to build them are clumsy at such small scales." She went on to say that "Nature has provided us with the perfect tool to [deal with] this problem."

Blizzard has announced that Diablo 3 will feature “global play,” letting players in any region around the world play on any server they want.

Blizzard has announced that Diablo 3 will feature “global play,” letting players in any region around the world play on any server they want.

The much-anticipated hack-and-slash role-playing game will have servers divided into three regions, the Americas (which includes Australia and New Zealand), Europe and Asia. However, players will not be forced to play on servers within their region.

This is a step in the right direction for allowing players maximum freedom, but it is not without its flaws, as players will have to create new characters in each region, rather than being allowed to import their existing character from one region to another. This is likely due to technical limitations, but should still be explored in future for a truly region-free experience.

Magnetospirilllum magneticum, the bacteria being used in the study, generally lives in watery environments like ponds and lakes. Staying deep below the surface in oxygen poor water, they align themselves with earth’s magnetic pull, swimming up and down searching for a preferred concentration of oxygen.

When these organisms ingest iron, proteins interact with the element inside of them to create crystals of the world's most powerful magnetic material - magnetite.

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May 7th, 2012

Published by: VR-Zone

LG is the second largest TV manufacturer in the world, behind Samsung, so getting the support of this company is a major boost for Google's TV efforts, which failed to entice customers in 2010. A revamped version of the software has been released and the internet-enabled TV market has shown strong growth potential, with IHS iSuppli predicting 60 percent growth this year, so it is no wonder Google and its allies are giving it another shot.

There are no details yet about screen sizes or estimated prices, but we can likely expect something in the medium range, perhaps around 36 or 40-inches, to cater for as wide an audience as possible, with prices likely to be reasonably steep, given the relative newness of the technology.

Real-money auctions will also be restricted by region.

This is not entirely surprising, as there are likely legal restrictions and complications that would apply for crossregion auctioning involving real cash.

Another difficulty, though not necessarily a restriction, is that players will need to recreate their friends lists and items from scratch, in addition to their characters, so it is effectively like re-rolling to experience something new.

For those with friends halfway across the world, however, it still opens up the gameplay considerably and could help players who like to play at off-peak times in one region find players at peak times elsewhere.

The TV will initially only be available in the US, but LG said it would be evaluating the success of it there to decide if it will expand into the European and Asian markets.

Unlocked Ivy Bridge CPUs: i7-3770K worth getting over the i5-3570K? Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/unlocked-ivy-bridge-cpus-i7-3770kworth-getting-over-the-i5-3570k-/15793.html May 7th, 2012

Diablo III launches on 15 May.

LG to launch Google TV later this month Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/lg-to-launch-google-tv-later-thismonth/15794.html May 7th, 2012

We address one of the most pertinent question that is on the minds of new Ivy Bridge platform shoppers - is the hyperthreading capable / 2MB more L3 cache i7-3770K (US$313) worth the almost 50% price premium over the i5-3570K (US$212), especially when both chips are overclocked at 4.8GHz?

LG will launch a Google TV later this month, according to a senior executive at the company, giving new hope for Google's internet-connected TV platform.

LG will launch a Google TV later this month, according to a senior executive at the company, giving new hope for Google's internet-connected TV platform.

The LG Google TV will begin production on 17 May in LG's Mexican factory and will be available for purchase from the week of 21 May, two weeks time.

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May 7th, 2012

Published by: VR-Zone May 7th, 2012

THQ and Relic Entertainment have announced Company of Heroes 2, the sequel to the popular real-time strategy game, which will see players face off in the harsh winters of Russia.

THQ and Relic Entertainment have announced Company of Heroes 2, the sequel to the popular real-time strategy game, which will see players face off in the harsh winters of Russia.

The first instalment of the game, released in 2006, focused on the Western Front of World War II, but Company of Heroes 2 will give players the opportunity to experience the epic battles on the Eastern Front, where the Red Army will be tasked with pushing back the Nazi invaders.

The game uses Relic Entertainment's Essence 3.0 Engine, which adds some new technological advancements to the game, including dynamic battle tactics, improved graphical fidelity and additional environmental destruction, not to mention a slew of new Commander abilities.

“Company of Heroes 2 is a true successor, introducing a new front, new protagonists and new technology while retaining the unique mix of strategic gameplay and competitive multiplayer that made the original Company of Heroes such a success,� said Greg Wilson, Producer at Relic Entertainment.

The developer plans to release a slew of downloadable content after launch to enhance the game's life-cyle, but it is not yet clear what this content will involve.

Company of Heroes 2 is currently slated for release in early 2013 for PC.

THQ and Relic Entertainment announce Company of Heroes Intel SSD 910 800GB (PCIe) 2 Preview Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/thq-and-relic-entertainmentannounce-company-of-heroes-2/15792.html

Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/intel-ssd-910-800gb-pciepreview/15788.html

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May 7th, 2012

Published by: VR-Zone

May 7th, 2012

Back at IDF Beijing 2012, Intel unveiled its enterprise data centre/cloud computing oriented 910 series "Ramsdale MLC" PCI Express Solid-State Drive, available in 400GB ($1,929) and 800GB ($3,859) capacities. We do a quick preview of the new 25nm HET MLC based card before putting it through some heavy duty real world tests over the next few weeks for a formal review.

As Lars mentioned during his 910 SSD launch coverage piece, traditional SATA and SAS interfaces are becoming increasingly inadequate for high-performance SSDs and from Intel's SSD roadmap, PCI Express is the future interface for its high-end SSDs. The 800GB engineering sample that we have in our labs has three stacked PCBs (400GB only has two) and uses a 1U lowprofile form factor (full length bracket included). Eight PCI Express 2.0 lanes provides up to 4GB/s of transfer bandwidth in each direction and the drive draws up to 25W by default and 38W in high performance mode.

Four discreet SAS controllers handle fourteeen NAND packages each, and each controller is recognized as a separate 200GB volume, which can be aggregated together by software RAID (quite puzzling why there is no native hardware solution for its considerably high price). The PCIe to SAS bridge (under the silver heatsink) is a fairly ubiquitous LSISAS2008 ASIC (PowerPC 440 @ 533MHz), which is good for plug and play, out of the box operating system compatibility.

Here we have the 25nm HET (High Endurance Technology) MLC NAND in TSSOP packages, which has comparable write endurance to 50nm SLC. Intel rates it up to 14 petabytes of writes (or ~18000 times/50 years worth of a full 800GB transacted per day), much better mileage and reliability than what your typical SSD or mechanical hard drive can achieve.

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May 7th, 2012

Published by: VR-Zone

Price: S$1,298 (including GST) ASUS N series

ASUS announces four Ivy Bridge laptops in Singapore Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/asus-announces-four-ivy-bridgelaptops-in-singapore/15789.html May 7th, 2012

The newly redesigned ASUS N Series multimedia notebooks, which include the N46, N56 and N76, boast pro-grade sound, stylish elegance and third generation Intel Core processors. It utilized ASUS SonicMaster audio technology, exclusive ASUS Super Hybrid Engine II technology to offer two-second instant on resume, and features wide-view screens with up to full HD 1080p resolution.

ASUS has announced their new range of Ivy Bridge laptops in Singapore - K series, N series and ROG G series. Both the K and N series are now available, while the ROG G series will be retailing in June next month.

Availability: Now Price: S$1,498 (including GST)

ASUS K series

ASUS ROG G series

The new ASUS K series notebooks are super-thin and light, constructed with aluminium and textured finish that is durable gives a classy look. It is equipped with third generation Intel Core processor, NVIDIA GeForce 600 series graphics, exclusive SonicMaster Lite audio, and claims up to three times the battery longevity. The K series also incorporates ASUS IceCool Technology that ensures cooler notebook's palm rests, SuperBatt Technology for extended battery charge-cycle lifespan (up to three times that of normal notebooks), and two-second Instant on from sleep mode and longer standby times with ASUS Super Hybrid Engine ll Technology.

The new ASUS ROG G Series gaming notebooks features Intel third generation Core i7 processors and the latest NVIDIA GeForce GTX 660M/670M GPUs with up to 3GB of GDDR5 VRAM, up to 16GB of DDR3 DRAM and support for dual hard drives in RAID 0/1. It has dual-fan intelligent thermal mechanism that ensures the system runs cooler and longer, built-in subwoofer, ASUS SonicMaster Lite audio and active shutter glasses with NVIDIA 3D LightBoost technology for immersive 3D experience.

Availability: June Price: ASUS G55VM S$2,698 (including GST), ASUS G75VM S$2,998 (including GST)

Availability: Now 6

May 7th, 2012

Published by: VR-Zone

HP ENVY 14 Spectre Review: Ultrabook with unique glass design Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/hp-envy-14-spectre-reviewultrabook-with-unique-glass-design/15717.html May 7th, 2012

Ports

Slots

Webcam

Audio

With more Ultrabooks coming to the market, consumers may be confused between them and the thin and light notebooks. HP had unveiled the stylish ENVY 14 Spectre at CES this year, but is this portable machine as good as it looks? VR-Zone finds out.

Network Interface

Wireless Weight Dimension Operating System

HDMI, headphones, USB 2.0, USB 3.0, RJ-45, minidisplay 2-in-1 integrated Digital Media Reader for SD and MMC cards HP TrueVision HD Webcam with Integrated Digital Microphone Beats Internal Speakers, Beats Audio Playback with HP Triple Bass Reflex Subwoofer; HP Wireless Audio Integrated 10/100/1000 Gigabit Ethernet LAN (RJ-45) 802.11 a/b/g/n, Bluetooth starts at 1.8kg 327 x 221x 20 mm Windows 7 Professional 64bit

Facebook Adding Messenger Feature to Increase Transparency Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/facebook-adding-messenger-featureto-increase-transparency/15787.html May 7th, 2012

The HP ENVY 14 Spectre was unveiled early this year, though it only arrived in Singapore around end February.

The latest member to HP's ENVY portfolio features a clever and unique use of midnight Corning Gorilla Glass on the outside and silver glass on the inside, which combined to give an extremely stylish look. Not to mention, this also differentiates the HP from the other Ultrabooks on the market today.

Facebook's messenger is becoming even more transparent.

Now, users will be better able to see when you type and when you have read their messages.

Facebook's messenger is becoming even more transparent.

Now, users will be better able to see when you type and when you have read their messages.

According to the company, the ENVY 14 Spectre has a 14-inch diagonal screen that is packed inside a 13.3-inch diagonal body, and the reason HP has chosen the name "Spectre" was to evoke a sense of mystery. Like its sibling in the series, this one also comes with Beats Audio technology which promises superb audio experience to the users.

Howver, the Beats Audio headphones were not included with the review unit and you may have to purchase it separately.

Here's a look at the specifications of the HP ENVY 14 Spectre:Processor Chipset Memory Hard disk Graphics Display

HP ENVY 14 Spectre 1.8GHz Intel Core i7-2677M Intel HM65 Express 4GB DDR3 128GB SSD hard drive Intel HD graphics 300 14-inch (1600x900 pixel resolution)

This new level of transparency creates a dilemma for users who want to ignore awkward messages, or don't have the time for responding. If you read a message that has been sent to you, the sender will be able to tell whether or not you have already read it. It is obvious that this functionality could potentially serve to facilitate misunderstandings.

This entire functionality is based off of "read receipts", which will be accessible not only to individuals, but to users in a 7

May 7th, 2012

Published by: VR-Zone

group-chat setting. Under a sent message, the names of the people presumed to have read it will be listed.

The update allowing for this new feature will be first released to Facebook's messenger application, and then to the website, and later to its default mobile apps.

Strangers to the Facebook application will not understand why there is a need for a "messenger" application in the first place. But messaging, in its text-message like chat form, is not available in Facebook's default mobile application. While messages can be sent from the app, they are more like email, and cannot easily be used for conversational purposes.

A lesser known fact about Facebook’s messaging capabilities is that users of Facebook do not need a smartphone to message on the fly. A 'dumbphone' is sufficient, if enabled with Facebook for the purpose of texting. So, if users are wary of other people seeing so much about their messaging antics, they could switch to messaging off of their normal cell phones. Facebook cannot tell whether or not users have read regular texts.

Palit Nvidia CS Tournament Prize Presentation Event Report

Champions Dream[s]cape, here posing with local Palit distributor Convergent Systems' Michael Tan, with each member walking away with almost SGD$1000 worth of Palit GTX 680 Jetstream 2GB, Patriot 60GB SSD and Nvidia 13' laptop sleeve.

Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/palit-nvidia-cs-tournament-prizepresentation-event-report/15765.html May 7th, 2012

Last Thursday evening, the winners of the inaugural Palit Nvidia Counter-Strike Tournament, dream[s]cape and Momentum, were awarded nearly $7,000 worth of product prizes at a dinner event, in conjunction with the launch of Palit's GeForce GTX 680 Jetstream edition here in Singapore.

Last month, Palit and Nvidia partnered to co-sponsor a Counter-Strike Source online 5v5 competition organized

by VR-Zone, named the "Palit Nvidia CS Tournament", in tandem with the marketing activities for the launch of the award winning and current single GPU king of the hill Nvidia GeForce GTX 680. Sixteen teams from around the region participated to shoot it out for very attractive prizes, ranging from Palit's own custom GTX 680 Jetstream Edition to Patriot SSDs and high speed memory kits.

Runner-up Team Momentum, together with local Palit product manager Cheah Wei Min, got themselves a decent prize bundle consisting of Palit GeForce GTX560 Ti, PATRIOT Division2 1866 8GB Kit and Nvidia 13' laptop sleeve.

Interested readers can still check out the round by round action with video highlights and demo replays at the http:// cs.palit.biz event microsite.

Prize presentation aside, the event was held to promote the official launch of the Palit GTX 680 offerings in Singapore, with Cheah Wei Min giving a short presentation about the AIB's innovations included in the new GeForce cards.

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Published by: VR-Zone

Also available in Singapore retail stores is the regular reference GTX 680 design, which is a good buy too.

All the guests at the event were treated to a sumpteous buffet and had a chance to play Battlefield 3 on a Nvidia 3D Surround rig, which can be now comfortably driven from a single 6-series Nvidia GPU.

Here we have the Palit GTX 680 Jetstream edition (our review), available in 2GB and 4GB memory configurations.

Besides spotting their own triple-fan heatpipe Jetstream cooler, the card is equipped with a 5-phase DrMOS VRM design (as opposed to 4-phase analog on the reference), purportedly giving it better overclockability.

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May 7th, 2012

Published by: VR-Zone

Early pictures of the DX79SI from last year showed the board with a total of 10 SATA ports, but in the end the board only arrived with six, to many potential buys disappointment.

The DX79SR has at least in part remedied this by sporting an extra Marvell SE9128 SATA controller which adds two more SATA 6Gbps ports.

The rear I/O has also been changed slightly with the addition of two more USB 3.0 ports courtesy of a four port host controller, although we're not sure who the manufacturer is.

Again, this was a feature missing on the DX79SI which it had space for. Intel has also done some minor changes to the PCB layout, there are no longer any lane switches between the first and second PCI Express x16 slots and many of the capacitors appear to have been changed.

Intel updates the DX79SI with the DX79SR Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/intel-updates-the-dx79si-with-thedx79sr/15785.html May 7th, 2012

If you remember, when Intel initially revealed the X79 chipset it was said to feature additional SAS ports which over time were meant to be additional SATA ports, but in the end the chipset arrived with no extra storage interfaces at all. Even though Intel was expected to remedy this with a later chipset revision, this doesn't appear to be the case anymore, but Intel has decided to issue a revised version of its DX79SI motherboard with additional connectivity in a couple of areas.

If you remember, when Intel initially revealed the X79 chipset it was said to feature additional SAS ports which over time were meant to be additional SATA ports, but in the end the chipset arrived with no extra storage interfaces at all. Even though Intel was expected to remedy this with a later chipset revision, this doesn't appear to be the case anymore, but Intel has decided to issue a revised version of its DX79SI motherboard with additional connectivity in a couple of areas.

The DX79SR will ship with an internal Wi-Fi/Bluetooth 2.1 module that attaches to one of the USB 2.0 headers. Sadly it's limited to 150Mbps Wi-Fi and if you have a chassis with no plastic parts or large enough holes to the outside world so to speak, it'll be hard to get any kind of signal with this module.

Intel also includes a mouse pad and a thermal probe with the board. The DX79SR is set to replace the DX79SI entirely and it should end up costing around US$300 (S$375) at launch which should be later this month.

Samsung's Galaxy S III gets benchmarked, impresses Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/samsung-s-galaxy-s-iii-getsbenchmarked-impresses/15784.html

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Published by: VR-Zone

May 7th, 2012

Although Samsung's new Galaxy S III has received mixed reports in terms of features and design compared to the expectations of Samsung's new flagship handset, one area where it doesn't disappoint is in terms of performance. Early benchmarks are out and the Galaxy S III is pretty much the fastest handset you will be able to get your hands on soon.

Although Samsung's new Galaxy S III has received mixed reports in terms of features and design compared to the expectations of Samsung's new flagship handset, one area where it doesn't disappoint is in terms of performance. Early benchmarks are out and the Galaxy S III is pretty much the fastest handset you will be able to get your hands on soon.

Both Anandtech and Nordic Hardware have put the new handset through a range of benchmarks and the two publications have come up with fairly similar numbers. In the Sunspider JavaScript benchmark we're looking at the fastest ARM powered handset to date, although interestingly Intel's Atom powered Xolo X900 is actually top dog in this specific test.

With a faster version of ARM's Mali-400/MP4 GPU inside the Exynos 4 Quad SoC, Samsung has also managed to impress in terms of 3D performance. In fact, at the moment there doesn't appear to be a single handset that performs better in GLBenchmark 2.1, although the iPhone 4S comes close in the Pro tests. Admittedly this is only during offscreen testing as there's no v-sync to limit the frame rate.

With v-sync enabled there are plenty of handsets that offer the same performance, but then again this would be expected. The handset doesn't fare quite as well in RightWare's Basemark ES 2.0, but it's still one of the faster handsets here too.

Opinions might we split over the design, features and so on, but if you're looking for what at least for the time being is the fastest handset in the market, the Galaxy S III is most likely what you're going to want. That said, it's questionable as to what extent this extra performance will translate into actual usable performance that have an impact on your day to day usage of your handset. The Galaxy S III looks like it could be a gamer's dream, that is if there were any games good enough to take advantage of all the GPU power on offer. Either which way, Samsung has proven that it can make better quad core ARM SoC's than Nvidia, which is no mean feat in itself.

Microsoft details Windows Media Center for Windows 8 In Rightware's BrowserMark Samsung is way ahead of its closest competitor which is oddly enough Asus' Transformer Prime tablet, but considering that the Galaxy S III is some 53,000 points and change ahead of it, we wouldn't exactly call it close. In fact, there are plenty of dual core phones that were launched last year that can't even manage 53,000 points in this specific benchmark and that should speak volumes for how fast the Galaxy S III is.

In Basemark the Galaxy S III gets beaten by the HTC one S and HTC's other flagship phone the one X beats the Galaxy S III in Vellamo, but in the latter case we're looking at the dual core Qualcomm powered version for the US market rather than the Tegra 3 powered international version.

Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/microsoft-details-windows-mediacenter-for-windows-8/15783.html May 7th, 2012

Unlike previous versions of Windows, Microsoft is planning quite a change for Windows 8 when it comes to Windows Media Center. The company has explained the upgrade path from Windows 8 and Windows 8 Pro and it does hold at least one surprise, although it seems like Microsoft might've gone a little bit too far this time around.

Unlike previous versions of Windows, Microsoft is planning quite a change for Windows 8 when it comes to Windows Media Center. The company has explained the upgrade path from Windows 8 and Windows 8 Pro and it does hold at least one surprise, although it seems like Microsoft might've gone a little bit too far this time around.

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No matter if you start out with a retail, upgrade or OEM version of Windows 8 or Windows 8 Pro, you can install Windows Media Center, but it will be available as two distinctly different upgrade packages. If you're on Windows 8 then you'll have to get what is known as the Windows 8 Pro Pack which upgrades your system to Windows 8 Pro with Media Center. On the other hand if you already have Windows 8 Pro, then you get the Windows 8 Media Center Pack which gets you to the same end result.

Microsoft hasn't come clean with the pricing as yet, so it'll be interesting to see what the upgrade costs are, especially from the more basic version of Windows 8, as you're in essence upgrading to Windows 8 Pro at the same time. However, there's a big catch in all this, as Microsoft has dropped native DVD playback in Windows 8, so you'll either need a third party solution, or Windows Media Center to be able to watch DVDs on your computer. That said, for many of us this is likely to be a non-issue, but it's still an odd move by Microsoft.

Windows 8 will come with support for H.264, VC-1/WMV and MP4 part 2 and it'll handle AVI, MPEG-2 TS (M2TS/ MTS), MP4 and ASF video containers natively. Add to this support for non-disc based Dolby Digital Plus, AAC, WMA, MP3 and PCM audio in M4A, ASF, MP3 or WAV containers and you got all the formats Microsoft will support without additional upgrades. Windows Media Center will add DVD playback, although this will only be supported from within Windows Media Center itself and it will also add support for playback of VOB files and of course recording and playback of TV content if your PC has a compatible TV-tuner card.

Considering the vast option of third party programs to handle most of this, Microsoft might very well have shot itself in the foot here, as we can't see a lot of users getting Windows Media Center over some of the – in our opinion – much better options available. The only reason would be because of some obscure DRM limitation if you want to use your PC as a DVR, but that's really all we can think of. At the end of the day it'll all come down to cost and if Microsoft manages to price things right for once, it might not be all bad news.

Akasa Nero 3 CPU Cooler Review Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/akasa-nero-3-cpu-coolerreview/15782.html May 7th, 2012

It has been nearly a year since we had a look on the Venom Voodoo, Akasa’s best CPU cooler to this date. However, high thermal performance and a fancy appearance usually are not a priority for mainstream users who are looking for good overall performance at the lowest possible price. Realizing that, Akasa released the Nero 3 cooler, a product which the company claims that offers both peak performance and near silent operation combined with a strongly competitive retail price. We will thoroughly examine and test the Nero 3 CPU cooler in this review.

Published by: VR-Zone

It has been nearly a year since we had a look on the Venom Voodoo, Akasa’s best CPU cooler to this date. However, high thermal performance and a fancy appearance usually are not a priority for mainstream users who are looking for good overall performance at the lowest possible price. Realizing that, Akasa released the Nero 3 cooler, a product which the company claims that offers both peak performance and near silent operation combined with a strongly competitive retail price. We will thoroughly examine and test the Nero 3 CPU cooler in this review.

Socket type

Cooler dimensions Heatsink material Heatpipe Weight Installation

Fan dimension Fan speed Max airflow Max air pressure Noise level Voltage rating Bearing type Fan life expectancy Fan connector Product code

Intel LGA775, LGA1155, LGA1156, LGA1366 & LGA2011 AMD Socket AM2, AM2+, AM3 & FM1 120 (W) x 86.7 (D) x 160 (H) mm High grade aluminium fins, copper heatpipes 6mm x 4 609g Push pins (Intel LGA775 / 1155 / 1156 / 1366) Screws (Intel LGA2011) Cam-lever clip (AMD) 120 x 120 x 25mm 500-1500 RPM (PWM controlled) 50.54 CFM 1.32 mm H2O 24.6 dB(A) DC 12V EBR 40,000 hours 4pin PWM AK-CC4007EP01

LG reveals the Optimus LTE2 in Korea Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/lg-reveals-the-optimus-lte2-inkorea/15781.html May 7th, 2012

It's not easy being top dog in the smartphone market these days, as shortly after Samsung announced the Galaxy S III, its Korean counterpart LG revealed its Optimus LTE2 handset. The company held back on some key specs, but the Optimus LTE2 looks set to be another interesting device that will go head to head in the 720p screen resolution market.

It's not easy being top dog in the smartphone market these days, as shortly after Samsung announced the Galaxy S III, its Korean counterpart LG revealed its Optimus LTE2 handset. The company held back on some key specs, but the

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Optimus LTE2 looks set to be another interesting device that will go head to head in the 720p screen resolution market.

LG didn't reveal the processor in the Optimus LTE2, so it's unclear as to what kind of performance we can expect.

However, this is as far as we're aware the first phone to feature 2GB of RAM and we doubt LG would pair this up with a mediocre processor. LG is of course claiming that this will allow you to run more apps simultaneously, but this is generally not an issue on devices with 1GB of RAM.

Published by: VR-Zone

The Optimus LTE2 also supports wireless charging via a dock, although it's not clear if this comes with the handset or if it's an optional accessory. The camera is also said to come with some kind of smart features and it appears to offer voice notes to go with the pictures. Finally the Optimus LTE2 will come with Android 4.0.x and it should arrive in Korea in the next couple of weeks and it'll be available on at least three Korean networks.

Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War Ultimate Collection now available Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/warhammer-40-000-dawn-of-warultimate-collection-now-available/15780.html May 7th, 2012

The Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War Ultimate Collection is now available to purchase, combining all previous versions of the popular real-time strategy series set in Game Workshop's futuristic war-torn setting.

The Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War Ultimate Collection is now available to purchase, combining all previous versions of the popular real-time strategy series set in Game Workshop's futuristic war-torn setting.

This edition will feature the original Dawn of War, plus its three expansions, Winter Assault, Dark Crusade and Soulstorm, in addition to Dawn of War II and its two expansions, Chaos Rising and Retribution.

The actual screen size wasn't revealed either, but the device looks huge, however LG did reveal that it's a TrueHD IPS screen. That said, this isn't a 1080p screen, but it's expected to be 720p and LG is taking aim at Samsung's pen-tile Super AMOLED displays as this screen offers a full RGB matrix. LG also claims a 40 percent battery life improvement compared to the Optimus LTE, although this might in part be thanks to the 2,150mAh battery pack.

The games, developed by Relic Entertainment and published

by THQ, were previously released in Game of the Year Editions and Gold Editions, which included one expansion pack, but this is by far the most comprehensive collection available, with a reasonable price cost.

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May 7th, 2012

Prices vary from retailer to retailer, but Overclockers UK has the pack available for £21.98, cheaper than the Steam price of the last expansion alone, which retails for £29.99. For those new to the games, or those wishing to grab a bargain, this is certainly worth considering.

Published by: VR-Zone

game industry, which is being helped along by the likes of Kickstarter.

Persson also added that he no longer considers his company Mojang to be “indie,” most likely due to its growing mainstream success.

The game is only available on PC.

Minecraft creator slams EA for "destroying" gaming Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/minecraft-creator-slams-ea-fordestroying-gaming/15779.html May 7th, 2012

Facebook to raise $10.6 billion in IPO Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/facebook-to-raise-10.6-billion-inipo/15778.html May 7th, 2012

The creator of the popular Minecraft game has criticised big shot gaming company Electronic Arts, claiming it is “destroying” gaming.

Facebook plans to raise a whopping $10.6 billion as part of its initial public offering (IPO), making for one of the largest moves to go public in the technology industry.

The creator of the popular Minecraft game has criticised big shot gaming company Electronic Arts, claiming it is “destroying” gaming.

Facebook plans to raise a whopping $10.6 billion as part of its initial public offering (IPO), making for one of the largest moves to go public in the technology industry.

Markus Persson, better known as Notch, took offence to EA's decision to market some of its products with the term “indie,” such as in the “EA Indie Bundle” on Steam, which includes DeathSpank: DeathSpank: Thongs of Virtue, Gatling Gears, Shank, Shank 2 and Warp.

“EA releases an 'indie bundle'? That's not how that works, EA. Stop attempting to ruin everything, you bunch of cynical bastards,” Persson said on Twitter, adding: “Indies are saving gaming. EA is methodically destroying it.”

The world's dominant social network suggested an IPO price for shares at between $28 and $35 today, which would bring in between $77 billion and $96 billion.

The figure is estimated to be $10.6 billion at the end of the day, but it could be as much as $12 billion if sales go well, or even a mind-staggering $13.6 billion if it clears shop.

These figures would give Facebook a market value similar to that of Amazon, which has grown beyond being just an online book store, including the success of its Kindle range.

Persson was careful to qualify his remarks by saying that he's not questioning the games, which he considers good, but rather EA's misuse of the term.

It does raise questions about how appropriate the “indie” term is for products published by one of the world's largest gaming companies, and if EA's marketing team is trying to cash in on the growing success of the independent 14

May 7th, 2012

Published by: VR-Zone

The patches address issues that affect Windows, Office and .NET. While details on each of the patches are limited at this time, we do know that the patches will resolve 23 vulnerabilities that may lead to remote code execution and information disclosure. full details will be announced by Microsoft on release, which is at exactly 10 am PDT (5 pm GMT) on May 8th.

k|ngp|n achieves 1442MHz core clock on air cooled GTX 680 Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/k-ngp-n-achieves-1442mhz-coreclock-on-air-cooled-gtx-680/15776.html May 7th, 2012

Overclocking expert k|ngp|n has been tinkering a lot with his EVGA GTX 680 SC card lately and recently reported his result of a whopping 1957MHz on the core using extreme cooling measures.

Facebook's trading figure will be 13 to 16 times the revenue it is forecast to make this year, according to Max Wolff, an analyst for GreenCrest Capital. Google only trades at up to 6 times its current year's projected revenue, showing the considerable faith being put into the long-term investment strength of Facebook. “We certainly haven't ever seen a tech IPO on this grandiose a scale,� said Lise Buyer from IPO advisory firm Class V Group, according to Reuters.

Overclocking expert k|ngp|n has been tinkering a lot with his EVGA GTX 680 SC card lately and recently reported his result of a whopping 1957MHz on the core using extreme cooling measures.

Since then he moved onto seeing what he could do with a more day to day setup, confining himself to air cooling and reaching for the skies once again. Despite the more limited cooling properties in place, the card still managed to handle being boosted from the default frequency of 1058MHz (1124MHz Boost) to 1.44GHz.

Microsoft lines up seven patches for Windows, Office and .NET next week Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/microsoft-lines-up-seven-patchesfor-windows-office-and-.net-next-week/15777.html May 7th, 2012

Another round of patches are scheduled for release by Microsoft next week, on the 8th of May to be exact which many refer to as Patch Tuesday. There are seven to come out in total with four being rated as Important, and three Critical.

Another round of patches are scheduled for release by Microsoft next week, on the 8th of May to be exact which many refer to as Patch Tuesday. There are seven to come out in total with four being rated as Important, and three Critical.

You can see in the screenshot grab that k|ngp|n had applied 1.212v to the card which is the highest voltage limit set by NVIDIA, while the memory frequency sat at 1812MHz (or 3623MHz effective).

The platform used for the result was Intel's i7-3960X, overclocked just shy of 5GHz and the system memory at 1245MHz (2490MHz). The result of this overclock allowed k|ngp|n to achieve a 3DMark 11 score of P12745.

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May 7th, 2012

Ultrabook prices soon to take a dive with plastic material used

Published by: VR-Zone

Details of a couple new all passively-cooled "Nano PCs" from Foxconn have emerged with an announcement soon to follow. The two new models include the AT-5300 which is powered by Intel's Atom D2700 processor, and an AMD E-450 "Brazos" APU powered variant in the AT-5600.

Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/ultrabook-prices-soon-to-take-adive-with-plastic-material-used/15775.html May 7th, 2012

A report from Focus Taiwan confirms that much cheaper Ultrabooks are around the corner. The Ultrabook market has remained very pricey no thanks to expensive all-aluminum chassis' people could often care less about.

A report from Focus Taiwan confirms that much cheaper Ultrabooks are around the corner. The Ultrabook market has remained very pricey no thanks to expensive all-aluminum chassis' people could often care less about.

Intel's Taiwan chief Jason Chen has stated that in the second half of this year "it is likely there will be US$599 models in selected regions, but the mainstream price should fall around US$699." Chen believes that as a result of a significant price drop, Ultrabooks will end up accounting for between 30 and 40% of all notebook shipments for the year.

The new breed of upcoming cheaper ultrabooks will comprise a combination of cheaper materials, with the casing itself to use fiberglass-reinforced plastic that has been claimed by Intel to respond similarly to metal chassis' in torque tests. There will also be select models that sport aluminum-coated plastic chassis'.

The sub US $200 price points for both the AT-5300 and AT-5600 sound appealing, but it must be made known that they are barebones machines requiring DDR3 SO-DIMM module(s) to be added (taking up to 4GB) and a 2.5-inch HDD/SSD. Measurements of these little units come in at 190 x 135 x 38 mm with a weight of about 600g. Connectivity is respectable with a couple USB 3.0 ports, four USB 2.0 ports, an SD/SDHC/MS/MS Pro/MMC card reader, 802.11n WiFi, Gigabit LAN, HDMI and D-Sub.

Certainly, one of the major highlights is the totally fanless nature of these little units, while consuming no more than 24W of power at full load.

As mentioned, an official announcement is on the way soon from Foxconn on its new Nano PC line and they are expected to be made available worldwide soon after.

Foxconn to roll out two "Nano Toshiba Singapore launches PC" fanless barebone units Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/foxconn-to-roll-out-two-nano-pcnew notebooks and glassesfanless-barebone-units/15774.html free 3D TV May 7th, 2012

Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/toshiba-singapore-launches-newnotebooks-and-glasses-free-3d-tv/15771.html May 7th, 2012

Details of a couple new all passively-cooled "Nano PCs" from Foxconn have emerged with an announcement soon to follow. The two new models include the AT-5300 which is powered by Intel's Atom D2700 processor, and an AMD E-450 "Brazos" APU powered variant in the AT-5600.

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May 7th, 2012

Published by: VR-Zone

Toshiba Singapore has announced their latest notebook PCs which include the stylish Satellite M800, Satellite L800, Satellite C800 for the lifestyle and fashion-conscious consumers; Satellite P850 that offers glasses-free 3D technology and Qosmio X870 which claims to be the ultimate gaming and multimedia machine. On top of that, the company also unveiled the Toshiba 55RZ1 glasses-free 3D TV with Quad full HD resolution, and the Power TV series of LED TVs with the new REGZA ENGINE for sharper images and superior audio quality.

The new Toshiba Qosmio X870 is designed unique Toshiba Black Widow finish, superb performance and audio quality for the for gaming enthusiasts. It is powered by the third generation Intel Quad-Core processor, the latest Nvidia GTX670M graphics (with 3GB GDDR5 VRAM) and 32GB RAM, which should be sufficient to handle most intensive applications and games. It has a 3D-enabled 17.3-inch full high definition (HD) display, and supports the latest Nvidia 3D Vision active shutter glasses and Nvidia LightBoost technology for immersive 3D viewing experience. The Qosmio X870 also comes equipped with two Harman Kardon stereo speakers, Blu-ray disc player and HDMI connector that lets you stream 3D content from the portable machine to a 3D-capable TV. The Toshiba Qosmio X870 will be available from June in South East Asia with starting price from S$3,699 (inclusive of GST), depending on configurations.

The new Toshiba Satellite M800, L800 and C800 claim to offer smarter productivity, better enjoyment and portability to consumers. The stylish laptops are available in wide range of configurations, screen sizes and colors. All the new Satellite models now come with at least one USB 3.0 port, Bluetooth 4.0, PC Health Monitor and Toshiba's eco Utility that helps to conserve power. The Satellite M800 has a starting price of S$1,199 with choice of Intel Core i3-2350M 2.3GHz, i5-2450M 2.5GHz or i7-3612QM 2.1GHz processor; the Satellite L800 has a starting price of S$1,099 with choice of i3-2350M 2.3GHz or i5-2450M 2.5GHz processor; and the Satellite C800 has a starting price of S$869 with Intel Core i3-2350M 2.3GHz processor.

Verizon Representatives Avoiding iPhone Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/verizon-representatives-avoidingiphone/15769.html May 7th, 2012

Messaging boards and a test by CNNMoney show that lately, Verizon has been directing customers to 4G Android phones over the Apple iPhone 4S. Of late, messaging boards and a test by CNNMoney show that Verizon has been directing customers to 4G Android phones over the iPhone 4S.

An overwhelming number of people on forums and other outlets, have reported that Verizon associates will not recommend that they purchase an iPhone. This is always because Verizon iPhones are not compatible with 4G.

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CNNMoney’s David Goldman did a test to see whether this was true, contacting Verizon representatives on the phone and over the internet.

“The iPhone is a great phone, but it's on 3G,” said a Verizon Wireless store representative from New York City, “I'm not going to recommend a phone that's outdated.”

Another representative explained that there isn’t anything wrong with the iPhone. He went on to say that “It just costs the company a lot of money for returns when customers find out that a faster 4G network is available and the iPhone's only on 3G.” When recommending smartphones, Verizon representatives have tended to point customers to 4G Android phones, such as the Droid Razr and LG Lucid.

It is relevant to note that Verizon, along with other iPhone carriers, end up paying much higher subsidies up front for the iPhone than for other smartphones. It is possible that Verizon is trying to reduce its iPhone sales for this reason.

Also, they may want to reduce the load on their 3G network, and funnel more customers into their newer, larger and more stable 4G network.

Published by: VR-Zone

'bolted on' to the experience. This created some amount of customer confusion."

The upcoming incarnation of Windows, Windows 8, has been highly controversial in recent times due to its addition of a smartphone style UI called 'Metro'. But clearly, simplicity has been a common theme in the preparation for future Windows operating systems. "Windows 8 provides us with an opportunity to reimagine our approach to services and software and to design them to be a seamless part of the Windows experiences." said Jones.

Such simplifications extend beyond the termination of Windows Live and the introduction of Metro. In the future, for example, all contacts and messaging will simply fall under 'People app' and 'messaging app'.

While Microsoft has been highly criticized for its interface in the upcoming Windows 8, it has also took flak in the past for being too similar to Macintosh operating systems.

At least now, Microsoft is finally coming up with new ideas to revolutionize and individualize their operating system.

Asked whether or not sales representatives were being told to avoid the iPhone, Verizon spokesman Tom Pica did not directly answer the question, explaining that Verizon does try to help their customers better understand what products to buy.

Microsoft to Terminate 'Windows Live' Brand Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/microsoft-to-terminate-windowslive-brand/15770.html May 7th, 2012

Microsoft said it will do away with 'Windows Live', a brand which has been a notorious confusion to customers.

The Windows Live brand was intermingled with various Windows services, giving them new names and confusing long term users of Microsoft Windows. An example of this is ‘Windows Live Movie Maker’, a Windows video editor by the company. In previous versions, the software had simply been ‘Windows Movie Maker’.

Microsoft itself has admitted to the confusion the brand caused. Microsoft VP Chris Jones said online that, "Windows Live service and apps were built on versions of Windows that were simply not designed to be connected to a cloud service for anything other than updates, and as a result, they felt

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May 9th, 2012

Published by: VR-Zone

VR-Zone.com | Tech News for the Geeks!

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

Microsoft to update Kinect with cross-game fitness tracking

Lenovo announces latest ThinkCentre M and Edge Series PCs Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/lenovo-announces-latestthinkcentre-m-and-edge-series-pcs/15822.html May 9th, 2012

Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/microsoft-to-update-kinect-withcross-game-fitness-tracking/15823.html May 9th, 2012

Microsoft is planning to introduce Kinect cross-game fitness tracking, which could make the Xbox 360 with Kinect the primary choice for fitness enthusiasts who also like to game.

Lenovo has announced its latest lineup of ThinkCentre M and Edge Series desktop and all-in-one PCs, designed to fulfil the needs of business professionals.

Microsoft is planning to introduce Kinect cross-game fitness tracking, which could make the Xbox 360 with Kinect the primary choice for fitness enthusiasts who also like to game.

Lenovo has announced its latest lineup of ThinkCentre M and Edge Series desktop and all-in-one PCs, designed to fulfil the needs of business professionals.

The software studio will update the Xbox 360 dashboard software to allow the cross-application exercise tracking, according to anonymous sources cited by The Verge. This will let players continue to monitor their fitness while playing a larger variety of Kinect games.

The ThinkCentre Edge 92z all-in-one comes with a 21.5inch high-definition Infinity Glass LED display, 10-point multi-touch, Intel Wireless Display technology, and a builtin high-definition camera and array microphone. Users have a variety of choices for processors, up to an Intel Core vPro i7, while the Lenovo Solution Centre powered by Intel Small Business Advantage comes as standard. This retails for $699.

Microsoft will also release a heart-rate monitor accessory, currently codenamed Joule, as as part of the “Kinect Play Fit� update, to enhance the fitness tracking aspects of Kinect titles.

The Joule accessory will not be required to make use of cross-game fitness tracking, but it will provide additional features by allowing wireless communication of heart rate activity to ensure that users are reaching their targets for weight loss and general fitness.

There is no release date set for the update, but more details are expected at the E3 gaming event next month, where other Kinect and Xbox plans will be revealed.

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The ThinkCentre Edge 72 desktop offers similar choices from the third generation Intel Core vPro processor family, but also features support for two independent displays. This is one of the more affordable options at $439.

The ThinkCentre M72z all-in-one offers a 20-inch LED backlit LCD display, with touch screen optional, and a choice of Intel Core i3, i5, i7 processors, with Lenovo EE3. This build is designed for space-saving, with a 65 percent smaller footprint compared to traditional desktops of similar spec.

Security is also important here, with Lenovo PC Auto Lock, a TPM security chip, and an optional self-encrypting HDD. This computer retails for $599.

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game's release to February 26, 2013. We wanted to let our loyal (and very patient!) fans know this as soon as possible.�

The game was originally scheduled for release on 16 October in North America and 19 October for the rest of the world, but gamers will now have to wait over than four months more. It also means that the studio misses out on the lucrative Christmas shopping season, but it would also face stiff competition then from other major first-person shooters.

The ThinkCentre M72e desktop is an affordable build designed for large businesses and state government organisations. It features a small form factor micro tower, with an Intel Core vPro processor and up to 16GB of RAM. Optional WiFi and Bluetooth enhances the connectivity abilities of the system. This sells for $499.

The ThinkCentre M82 desktop features a similar micro tower and spec as the M72e, but adds some extra security with the Trusted Platform Module chip and enhanced thermal levels for greater reliability. It retails for $599.

All of Lenovo's latest business range also tout high greenfriendly standards, either using less energy or employing less packaging to reduce unnecessary waste.

The M72e, M82, and M72z are available from June. The Edge 92z is available from July. The Edge 72 is available from September.

BioShock Infinite delayed until next year Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/bioshock-infinite-delayed-until-nextyear/15821.html May 9th, 2012

Steampunk first-person shooter BioShock Infinite has been delayed until next year, with developer Irrational Games blaming the delay on a desire to polish the game further.

Levine cited a similar delay with the original BioShock, touting the developer's dedication to delivering as high quality a title as possible.

The game will not be shown at big gaming events this year like E3 and Gamescom either, as the studio does not want to show a version of the game it is unhappy with. It also said that preparations for these events takes away from development time.

The BioShock title for the PlayStation Vita has also been delayed, as BioShock Infinite is taking higher priority.

AMD to Fight Nvidia with HD 7970 GHz Edition, 7990 Launch Imminent?

Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/amd-to-fight-nvidia-with-hd-7970ghz-edition-7990-launch-imminent-/15820.html May 9th, 2012

Steampunk first-person shooter BioShock Infinite has been delayed until next year, with developer Irrational Games blaming the delay on a desire to polish the game further.

"When we announced the release date of BioShock Infinite in March, we felt pretty good about the timing,� said Ken Levine, creative director of Irrational Games. "Since then, we've uncovered opportunities to make Infinite into something even more extraordinary. Therefore, to give our talented team the time they need, we've decided to move the

While the fanboys in AMD camp are asking themselves how the company will react to superior benchmark results of competing Kepler-based graphics cards, the company is working in silence on improving the performance of its flagship discrete parts.

According to a report on the Australian Atomic PC magazine, AMD will boost the reference clock from 925MHz to a 2

May 9th, 2012

round figure of 1GHz. The reason why the original 7970 did not operate at 1GHz, i.e. "GHz Edition" (as AMD touted in its marketing materials for 7870 and 7770) was - engineering sample ASICs required too much operating power for qualification within the 230W TDP.

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It turns out that Samsung was not satisfied with the performance of the dual-core processor and decided to postpone the release of both Samsung Galaxy SIII and Galaxy Note 10.1 until the quad-core chip, Exynos 4412 was ready with proper performance.

However, Exynos 4412 had a troubled birth as well. The first tapeouts did not yield chips capable of such performance, as Samsung Semiconductor was occupied with a prospect of new clients as well. With the new findings in order how to make quad-core operate at sufficient thermal limitations, Exynos 4412 was taped out in the final revision and brought a significant jump in performance.

The first 28nm Tahiti silicon required quite a significant bump in voltage in order to achieve the 1000 MHz clock, and AMD decided to launch the board clocked 45 MHz faster than its predecessor, HD 6970. However, later bins of production silicon got better and we've grown accustomed to seeing the products from AIC partners (board vendors) clocked at 1.0, 1.05, 1.15 GHz. We've also seen factory overclocks in the 1.3GHz range, making a viable competitor for NVIDIA's GeForce GTX 680, which is currently out of stock everywhere since launch.

But the preparations aren't stopping there, as the improved silicon will also power the Radeon HD 7990, a dual-GPU board codenamed New Zealand that competes with the (gorgeous looking) GTX 690. AMD is expected to release the board in time for Computex Taipei 2012 in early June, with retail availability to follow in mid-June. The Radeon HD 7990 would keep the clock as close to the original 925MHz of Tahiti XT (don't be too surprised to see an Ăœber mode bios switch like on HD 6990) Furthermore, early next week the Sunnyvale based outfit will flog the power sipping Trinity APUs, i.e. Fusion A10 series of processors featuring the Radeon 7000 Series graphics processors (rebranded Northern Islands VLIW-4 parts with Southern Islands UVD engine).

Its a good time to buy AMD (currently 6.77 - 6.90 on the NYSE)...

Samsung's Next-Gen Galaxy Note 10.1 Tablet is a QuadCore, not a Dual-Core

In fact, the performance rose by a significant margin.

When we saw the initial results using the test silicon, the performance was at the levels of Qualcomm Snapdragon S4.

However, with the new silicon revision and the powerful Mali GPU (we expect T-604 based one, rather than the Mali-400MP) the performance skyrocketed.

We've stumbled on Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 GT-N8000 on Rightware's Powerboard, one of largest databases of benchmarked mobile devices. The fastest score we've ever stumbled across was 37 (Snapdragon S4), but the new Exynos 4412 quad-core processor achieves 60. Needless to say, this level of performance belongs to the next-generation of devices, rather than the present.

As such, we expect that GT-i9300 (Samsung Galaxy SIII) and GT-N8000 (Galaxy Note 10.1) will significantly increase the bar among numerous competitors, like ASUS's (Nvidia Tegra powered) Transformers and Apple's next iPad refresh.

Digilink readies up well loaded 8-inch Android 4 tablet for cheap Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/digilink-readies-up-well-loaded-8inch-android-4-tablet-for-cheap/15819.html May 9th, 2012

Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/samsung-s-next-gen-galaxynote-10.1-tablet-is-a-quad-core-not-a-dual-core/15807.html May 9th, 2012

Details of a cheap yet respectably spec'd up 8-inch tablet from Digilink have surfaced online, with the folks over at Netbook news providing a video preview for us ahead of launch.

Back at the MWC 2012 in Barcelona, Samsung showed dualcore powered GT-N8000 tablet. Even though it does not have a full HD resolution, Samsung decided to make a lot of changes in the final version.

Details of a cheap yet respectably spec'd up 8-inch tablet from Digilink have surfaced online, with the folks over at Netbook news providing a video preview for us ahead of launch.

Unprintable Content (Video, Flash, etc.)

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The Android 4.0 ICS running tablet with a presumed model name of DI-807H runs a 1.2GHz Boxchip A10 processor (w/ Mali 400 GPU), 512MB RAM, 4GB NAND flash storage, IPS capacitive touchscreen with a resolution of 1024 x 768 and a microSD card slot accepting up to 32GB cards.

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phones have CDMA support and are expected to arrive sometime in the second half of the year; most probably exclusive to Sprint given the long partnership between the two companies.

The tablet has a thickness of 11.9mm and build quality is apparently very impressive given its presumed price point.

It also boasts a pretty beefy 5600mA battery. Other features include Mini USB and Mini HDMI connectivity, a 0.3MP front facing and 2MP rear facing camera, audio jack and an accelerometer. There is no 3G or Bluetooth connectivity built-in, but it does of course have WiFi. Based on the confirmed cost of US $93 each when purchasing 500 units, the retail price is expected to come in at somewhere around US $120.

Kyocera shares details on upcoming Hydra and Rise Android 4.0 handsets Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/kyocera-shares-details-onupcoming-hydra-and-rise-android-4.0-handsets/15818.html May 9th, 2012

Kyocera is soon to hit up the U.S. market with a couple new Android phones dubbed the Hydro and Rise, both of which run almost identical specs across the board with the only discerning difference being in their form factors.

Kyocera is soon to hit up the U.S. market with a couple new Android phones dubbed the Hydro and Rise, both of which run almost identical specs across the board with the only discerning difference being in their form factors.

Let's touch base on the specs of the phones, which I will be quick to mention are somewhat underwhelming for yet to be released Android handsets. They both have 3.5inch sized HVGA capacitive IPS LCD touchscreens running a resolution of 480 x 320. while inside lurks a 1GHz Qualcomm MSM8655 Snapdragon processor. Both phones are equipped with 2GBs of ROM, 512MB RAM and a microSD card slot taking cards of up to 32GB. There is also a 3.2MP rear positioned camera on each phone with LED flash and camcorder function.

Aside from its form factor, the Hydro has one other difference on the spec sheet when compared to the Rise, that being its IPx5 and IPx7-level water resistance that protects it against sprayed water and immersion of up to one meter deep for as long as 30 minutes.

Both handsets will ship with Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich out of the box.

Microsoft confirms $99 Xbox 360 Kinect bundle deal Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/microsoft-confirms-99-xbox-360kinect-bundle-deal/15817.html May 9th, 2012

Confirming unofficial reports last week which at the time seemed almost too good to be true, Microsoft has now put up an offer on the Microsoft Store website for an Xbox 360 + Kinect bundle for a mere US $99.

Confirming unofficial reports last week which at the time seemed almost too good to be true, Microsoft has now put up an offer on the Microsoft Store website for an Xbox 360 + Kinect bundle for a mere US $99.

The Hydro is your more traditional candybar design, while the Rise includes a full slide-out QWERTY keyboard. Both

It must be noted that the deal isn't set in stone for the long term and Microsoft mentions that they may choose to terminate it at any time. And if you're wondering what the catch is, indeed there is one. You are required to sign up for 4

May 9th, 2012

a $14.99 a month Xbox Live Gold subscription for 2 years as a part of the deal.

The other important thing to note is that at the end of the day you end up being slightly further out of pocket versus just buying an Xbox 360 4GB + Kinect bundle outright and setting yourself up on 2 years of Xbox Live Gold. At about $300 outright for the bundle and a year of Xbox Live Gold being $59.99, this equates to a total of $420.

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The ValueStar L Series desktop houses a Core i7-3770S at 3.1GHz, 8GB of dual-channel memory, GeForce GT 435 graphics, a 2TB HDD and comes with a 23-inch display.

If you compare that to the $99 deal + its $360 of 2 year Xbox Live subscription, that totals $460, leaving you $40 out of pocket. Nonetheless, some may still prefer this route to pick up a new 360 with low initial costs.

But otherwise, it's all above board and what you see is what you get. To place the order you just need to bring the above offer code (885370366266) to your local Microsoft Store.

NEC equip ValueStar desktop and LaVie notebook models with Ivy Bridge Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/nec-equip-valuestar-desktop-andlavie-notebook-models-with-ivy-bridge/15816.html May 9th, 2012

NEC Japan has refreshed specs on both its existing ValueStar L Series desktop and LaVie L Series notebook models which include the use of Intel's third generation "Ivy Bridge" Core processors.

NEC Japan has refreshed specs on both its existing ValueStar L Series desktop and LaVie L Series notebook models which include the use of Intel's third generation "Ivy Bridge" Core processors.

The LaVie L notebook is a 15.6-inch (1366 x 768) sized model packing a Core i7-3610QM clocked at 2.3GHz, 1TB HDD, 8GB of RAM, a BDXL burner, USB 3.0 and an optional digital TV tuner.

Both models along with the renewed LaVie S, E, M and ValueStar W and N Series models are expected to hit Japanese stores a little later this month.

HP unveils more than 30 new products for business users Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/hp-unveils-more-than-30-newproducts-for-business-users/15805.html May 9th, 2012

Today in Shanghai, technology giant HP has announced 30 new products designed for the business users which include EliteBook Folio 9470m Ultrabook, the durable EliteBook P-series notebook PCs, as well as desktop PC series consisting of Compaq Pro 4300 Business Desktop and All-in-One PC, Compaq Pro 6300 and Compaq Elite 8300.

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May 9th, 2012

Published by: VR-Zone

HP EliteBook Folio 9470m The sleek 14-inch HP EliteBook Folio 9470m Ultrabook measures 19mm thin and weighs just over 1.63kg, and claims to offer enterprise-class docking, security features and the reliability that business users require. It can boot quickly from sleep and has a full array of connectivity options such as built-in 4G wireless WAN, Ethernet, VGA, DisplayPort and USB 3.0, as well as option for a secondary battery for extended usage. The company also introduced the HP ENVY Pro Ultrabook and the ENVY SpectreXT Pro with embedded TPM security chip to secure data in email and information on solid state drive. The three Ultrabooks feature for optional a-band wireless capabilities and optional three-year limited warranties.

HP ProBook 6570b

HP EliteBook 2170p The EliteBook 2170p claims to be HP’s smallest and lightest business notebook. Weighing 1.31kg, the 11.6-inch notebook PC boasts up to eight hours of battery life and offers enterprise-class connectivity, security and management features. It is also compatible with the common docking stations in HP business notebook portfolio. Featuring a 12.5inch high-definition (HD) display, the HP EliteBook 2570p comes with an optical drive and extensive connectivity options. With the new HP 2570p Docking Station and longlife battery support, you can have advanced features and extended usage on the HP EliteBook 2570p.

The HP ProBook b-series mainstream notebook PCs, available in 14- or 15.6-inch displays with UMA or discrete graphics, are protected by a durable case with wear-resistant tungsten-colored finish. The ProBooks incorporate HP 3D DriveGuard that help to protect the notebooks against bumps, as well as keep data safe. The HP ProBook 6470b and 6570b are equipped with Intel vPro Technology that provides enhanced IT manageability capabilities, while the ProBook 6475b comes with the latest AMD technology for affordable business productivity. Designed for small and medium businesses, the ProBook S-series notebook PCs come in durable aluminum casing and provide easy-touse security. Measuring 13.3- to 17.3-inches, the S-series notebooks offer seamless video conferencing in the office and entertainment enjoyment in both Intel and AMD-based configurations.

Available in 14- or 15.6-inch displays, the HP EliteBook 8470p and 8570p premier business notebooks deliver smooth audio quality from SRS Premium Sound PRO and claim to be provide good good durability, manageability, security features as well as expanded battery options for the mobile road warriors. The EliteBook 8470p is said to be capable of providing up to 36 hours run time on a single charge, with the optional HP Ultra Extended Life Notebook Battery.

HP Compaq Pro 4300 SFF The HP Compaq Pro 4300 All-in-One touts itself to be the company’s most space-efficient commercial all-in-one built for business users. Powered by the latest third-generation Intel Core processors and Intel HD Graphics, the HP Compaq Pro 4300 All-in-One sports a 20-inch LED backlit display and comes with multimedia-rich features and superb graphics, and smart connectivity such as a serial port and 6

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expandable storage including solid state and self-encrypting hard drives.

For small businesses, the HP Compaq Pro 4300 Small Form Factor Desktop PC has a small footprint, is equipped with the latest Intel processors, offers business-class quality and reliability, and is affordably priced.

Pricing and Availability The HP EliteBook Folio 9470m is expected to be available in October 2012 and pricing will be announced at a later date. The HP ENVY SpectreXT Pro Ultrabook and HP ENVY Pro Ultrabook have a starting retail price of approximately US$1,099 and US$849, respectively, and are expected to be available in June 2012.

The HP EliteBook 2170p and HP EliteBook 2570p start at approximately US$1,399 and US$1,299, respectively, and would be available in July 2012. Both the HP EliteBook 8470p and 8570p start at approximately US$1,199 and are expected to be available in June 2012. The HP ProBook 6470b and 6570b start at approximately US$899, the HP ProBook 6475b starts at approximately US$799 and the HP ProBook s-series starts at approximately US$799. All three HP ProBook series are expected to be available in June.

The HP Compaq Pro 4300 All-in-One starts at approximately US$529, while the HP Compaq Pro 4300 SFF starts at approximately US$499. Both are expected to be available in July 2012.

Published by: VR-Zone

4 lineup. Here's a breakdown of the improvements to expect from the update :-

Owners of the 128GB model will be particularly wrapped with levels of performance now equal to the 512GB's enterprise-grade characteristics using nothing more than a firmware update.

Following the release of firmware 1.4RC, Ryan Petersen, CEO of OCZ said, "OCZ strives to deliver new features and superior performance with our premium Vertex 4 solid state drives by continuing to enhance our firmware and making those improvements available to all our valued customers. With firmware v1.4, OCZ continues to fulfill its promise of delivering the most innovative, and highest performing SSDs on the market, regardless of file and data type, I/O workload, queue depth, and drive capacity."

The firmware upgrade is available for download via this link as of now, with Vertex 4 SSDs soon to start shipping to resellers sporting the final v1.4 firmware.

U.S Facebook users login from phones more than computers Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/u.s-facebook-users-login-fromphones-more-than-computers/15809.html May 9th, 2012

OCZ provides highly impressive firmware 1.4 update for Vertex 4 owners Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/ocz-provides-highly-impressivefirmware-1.4-update-for-vertex-4-owners/15811.html May 9th, 2012

Following the launch of OCZ's Vertex 4 series of Indilinx Everest 2 powered SSDs about a month ago, owners of these drives have just been provided with a real tasty morsel in the form of a firmware update that gives a pretty considerable boost to the drives' existing performance characteristics.

Following the launch of OCZ's Vertex 4 series of Indilinx Everest 2 powered SSDs about a month ago, owners of these drives have just been provided with a real tasty morsel in the form of a firmware update that gives a pretty considerable boost to the drives' existing performance characteristics.

In fact, in some cases (particularly with the lower capacity variant) sequential write performance is almost doubled and sequential read performance at low queue depths also sees a decent boost.

According to Internet Marketing research company comScore, U.S users of Facebook spent more time accessing the social networking website from their phone than from their computer in March.

According to Internet Marketing research company comScore, U.S users of Facebook spent more time accessing the social networking website from their phone than from their computer in March.

The time spent from cell phones averaged 441 minutes, compared to an average 391 minutes from personal computers.

Actually considering the nature of social networks makes this news unsurprising. Users of social networking sites like Facebook customarily discuss the regular happenstances of their life. Doing so in real-time has been made possible by the addition of social network apps into smartphone application stores. Users can post about events as they occur, and upload pictures on the spot.

No matter how you look at it though, Firmware v1.4 will see notable performance improvements right across the Vertex 7

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Published by: VR-Zone

movie tickets." says research director for NPD Connected Intelligence, Linda Barrabee.

Popular payment applications now include the PayPal app, Starbucks, and Fandango movies. Also popular are payment accepting applications, such as Square and Pay Anywhere.

Android is certainly not alone in its variety of mobile payment apps, as iOS has quite a similar list itself.

Facebook's 901 million users make it no surprise that it was the most used on smartphones out of those mobile social network applications surveyed, including Twitter and Foursquare.

A comScore spokeperson said in a statement, "Social networking proved to be a particularly popular activity on smartphones with several brands demonstrating exceptionally high engagement, in some cases higher than the corresponding time spent by users via traditional web access.

Analysis of the share of time spent across apps and browsers revealed that even though these access methods had similar audience sizes, apps drove the lion’s share of engagement, representing 4 in every 5 mobile media minutes. Analysis of the top properties also revealed widely varying degrees of time spent between app and browser access methods."

This news is bound to provoke discussion about smartphones taking place of personal computers. This idea has yet to be statistically evaluated. The increasing amount of things that people can actually do from their smartphones makes it a possibility. But, in any case, it is quite clear that mobile devices are gaining a huge dominance in social related activities, which is what phones are for anyways.

35% Android device owners buy things with their phones Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/35-android-device-owners-buythings-with-their-phones/15808.html May 9th, 2012

But the entire mobile wallet scheme is not complete. Unlike with credit cards, one does not simply walk into a store and expect their phone to be accepted. The convenience of the technology is enough to convince people to use it where its available, but the market is slow to fully adopt it yet.

"Ultimately,” says Barrabee,” the success of mobile payment and wallet initiatives rests on changing entrenched consumer behaviors, and shifting the reliance on, and use of, physical wallets and all of its contents to a mobile (digital) version. In order to do this, and facilitate on-thego consumer transactions and commerce, wireless carriers, credit card companies, and e-commerce companies need to make sure the process is convenient, simple, and secure for consumers."

Samsung unveils more Ivy Bridge notebooks, this time it's the Series 5 Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/samsung-unveils-more-ivy-bridgenotebooks-this-time-it-s-the-series-5/15814.html May 9th, 2012

Owners of Android phones are making purchases with their cell phones more and more frequently, according to NPD. From large transactions, to so-called "micro-transactions", Android applications are being used more often to buy things online and in stores. According to research firm NPD, March statistics said that 35% of Android users were using mobile payment applications, up 8% from last month.

Applications are being introduced into the Android store all the time to let smartphones purchase more and more things.

"Consumers are doing everything from basic utility (bill pay, moving money, and account management) to using the phone itself to pay for goods and services of limited value (micro-transactions), including buying a cup of coffee or

It appears that Samsung is planning world domination, well, at least when it comes to Ivy Bridge based notebooks, as the company has unveiled another three new models. What we’re looking at this time around is the more affordable Series 5 and more specifically the 550P sub-set which consist of 15 and 17-inch models.

It appears that Samsung is planning world domination, well, at least when it comes to Ivy Bridge based notebooks, as the company has unveiled another three new models. What we’re looking at this time around is the more affordable Series 5 and more specifically the 550P sub-set which consist of 15 and 17-inch models.

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First out is the largest of the three new models, the NP550P7C which has a 17.3-inch screen with 1600x900 resolution. It also sports a quad core, Core i7-3610QM CPU which is a 2.3GHz part with 6MB of L3 cache. Other features include a GeForce GT 650M GPU, 8GB of DDR3 memory, a Blu-ray drive and a 1TB hard drive as standard. Samsung has also thrown in 802.11a/b/g/n Wi-Fi courtesy of an Intel based card, Bluetooth 3.0, Gigabit Ethernet, a pair of USB 3.0 and USB 2.0 ports, an HDMI port, a D-sub connector and a webcam.

Published by: VR-Zone

The NP550P7C should launch later this month and according to a UK online retailer we can expect a price of around £730 (US$1,180/S$1,475) excluding VAT for the larger model of the three. The NP550P5C with the GeForce GT 650M is slightly cheaper at around £600 (US$970/S $1,210), although this model isn’t likely to arrive until next month.

Fujitsu and Lenovo announces DisplayLink based USB 3.0 port replicators Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/fujitsu-and-lenovo-announcesdisplaylink-based-usb-3.0-port-replicators/15813.html May 9th, 2012

The other two models both fit under the NP550P5C model name which as far as we’ve managed to find will come with a Core i5-3210M CPU, although Samsung hasn’t officially specified which CPU the SKU comes with. Here we sadly have a 15.6-inch display with 1366x768 resolution and the differentiator between the two models is that one comes with a GeForce GT 650M and the other doesn’t. Samsung will offer SKU’s with 6 or 8GB of DDR3 memory, up to 1TB of storage and a DVD drive. Connectivity appears to be the same as for the 17.3-inch model.

If you've been going around wanting for a USB 3.0 based port replicator for your notebook, then we have good news, as both Fujitsu and Lenovo has announced a product each based on DisplayLink's USB 3.0 chipset. The two products differ slightly, but both use the DL-3900 chipset with offers dual display connectivity.

If you've been going around wanting for a USB 3.0 based port replicator for your notebook, then we have good news, as both Fujitsu and Lenovo has announced a product each based on DisplayLink's USB 3.0 chipset. The two products differ slightly, but both use the DL-3900 chipset with offers dual display connectivity.

In the age of the Ultrabook, port replicators are set to make something of a comeback, as many people need more than a handful of ports on their notebook. A port replicator also makes it much easier to connect your notebook to an external display, a wired network and of course keyboards and mice as well. The neat thing with a USB 3.0 based port replicator is that you only need to attach a single cable, yet 9

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the performance will be vastly much better than similar USB 2.0 based products.

Published by: VR-Zone May 9th, 2012

Come next month, Intel will expand its range of mobile Ivy Bridge CPUs will some more dual core models as well as some new ULV models and although this in itself is no big secret, pricing of the upcoming models have now turned up.

This gives us a good idea as to how Intel is positioning the various SKU's and it also makes for an easy comparison to the current models.

Come next month, Intel will expand its range of mobile Ivy Bridge CPUs will some more dual core models as well as some new ULV models and although this in itself is no big secret, pricing of the upcoming models have now turned up.

This gives us a good idea as to how Intel is positioning the various SKU's and it also makes for an easy comparison to the current models.

Starting with Fujitsu and its USB 3.0 Port Replicator PR08 we're looking at a couple of unusual features. For starts, Fujitsu has added DisplayPort connectivity to the PR08 which means that you can use a 2560x1600 display with it and this is as far as we're aware a first for a USB 3.0 port replicator. It also sports a DVI-I port which can be used with an adapter to provide a D-sub connector. Other ports include a Gigabit Ethernet port, two USB 2.0 ports, two USB 3.0 ports – albeit not at full speed as you might already have guessed – and audio jacks for 2.1 or 5.1-channel audio. Again, we're not aware of any other USB based port replicator that offers 5.1-channel sound.

Lenovo has gone down a much more traditional route with its ThinkPad USB 3.0 Dock which offers a pair of DVI ports, five USB 3.0 ports – once again, not at full speed – Gigabit Ethernet and some kind of audio ports. Lenovo provided an

Starting at the top – cost wise that is – we have the Core i7-3667U and Core i7-3520M, both of which are dual core models priced at US$346. This is a mere US$32 cheaper than the quad core Core i7-3720QM and the same as the current Core i7-2649M and Core i7-2640M. With regards to the Core i7-3667U you're actuall getting a CPU that's 300MHz slower than the Core i7-2649M, but in all fairness, the Core i7-2649M isn't a ULV model, but rather an LV model with a 25W TDP. The Core i7-3520M on the other hand is 100MHz faster than the Core i7-2640M. Next up we have the Core i5-3360M at US$266, or the same price point as the Core i5-2540M, but with a 200MHz higher base clock. The last two models are the US$225 Core i5-3427U and Core i5-3320M. Here only the Core i5-3320M is a direct replacement in terms of cost as it should replace the Core i5-2520M and once again we're looking at a 100MHz clock speed improvement. The Core i5-3427U is actually US$25 cheaper than any of Intel's current Core i5 ULV models and it's clocked 100MHz faster than the Core i5-2557M which makes it the only relative bargain in this collection of upcoming mobile CPUs.

Asus launches R.O.G. desktop with Ivy Bridge, GTX 680 and more Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/asus-launches-r.o.g.-desktop-withivy-bridge-gtx-680-and-more/15810.html May 9th, 2012

MSRP of US$179.99 and an availability date of May 15th, whereas Fujitsu decided to provide neither a price, nor a launch date.

Upcoming mobile Ivy Bridge CPU pricing revealed Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/upcoming-mobile-ivy-bridge-cpupricing-revealed/15812.html

We're far from sold on Asus' range of desktop systems and its R.O.G. series has yet to really impress, but the new CG8580 does at least have some pretty decent specs to say the least.

This time around Asus has pulled out all the stops and gone with an Ivy Bridge CPU, a GeForce GTX 680 graphics card, Xonar DX audio and even a pair of SSD's in RAID, although most of these features are optional.

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Published by: VR-Zone

We're far from sold on Asus' range of desktop systems and its R.O.G. series has yet to really impress, but the new CG8580 does at least have some pretty decent specs to say the least.

This time around Asus has pulled out all the stops and gone with an Ivy Bridge CPU, a GeForce GTX 680 graphics card, Xonar DX audio and even a pair of SSD's in RAID, although most of these features are optional.

The CG8580 will come with a Core i7-3770K CPU overclocked to 4.6GHz, between two and 16GB of DDR3 1600MHz memory and a choice of graphics cards which consists of a GeForce GTX 560 Ti – or two in SLI – or a GTX 680. Amusingly, Asus hasn't specified which motherboard it has kitted out the CG8580 with and there's not even a mention of chipset, but we'd presume it's the Z77 chipset.

The default configuration will have a hard drive and Asus claims that it will offer models with up to 10TB of storage space. A pair or 128GB SSD's in RAID 0 is also available as a cost option, although we do hope that the SSD's Asus use is a lot faster than four times as fast as a hard drive as per the claims in the company website. The standard audio solution is via a Realtek ALC892 audio codec, but optionally one of Asus' Xonar DX cards can be fitted.

Expansion slots consist of three x16 PCI Express slots, two x1 PCI Express slots and two PCI slots. The system also has four SATA 3Gbps and four SATA 6Gbps ports, four USB 3.0 ports, eight USB 2.0 ports, a PS/2 port, Gigabit Ethernet, 7.1-channel audio with optical S/PDIF out, DVI, D-sub and HDMI out and a front card reader as well as a pair of 3.5mm jacks for a headset. A 700W PSU is also part of the package as well as an unspecified optical drive – the pictures are showing a Blu-ray drive – a hot-swappable drive caddy, a keyboard, an Asus gaming mouse and a Wi-Fi card.

Asus bundles the CG8580 with Windows 7 Home Premium 64, Office 2010 starter and a copy of LucidLogix Virtu MVP. This is all good and well, but what we have a hard time understanding is Asus' choice of chassis. There's nothing about Asus' R.O.G. chassis that makes us want to buy this system and the outright ugly rear-end of the chassis doesn't help the overall look of it. That said, we all have different taste and we're sure there are people that disagrees with us, but we'd suggest having a look at it in person before going ahead and ordering one of these systems. Due to the various configurations there's no word on price, but the CG8580 should be available as of right now.

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Published by: VR-Zone

EA to invest $80 million in next-gen console games

Jury finds Google infringed Oracle's Java copyright

Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/ea-to-invest-80-million-in-next-genconsole-games/15806.html May 9th, 2012

Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/jury-finds-google-infringed-oracle-sjava-copyright/15804.html May 9th, 2012

Electronic Arts (EA) has promised a whopping $80 million investment in games for next-generation consoles over the next year, expressing a staunch belief that the console market still has potential.

The jury in the Oracle versus Google trial has found that Google infringed the copyright of Java, which Oracle acquired when it bought Sun Microsystems in 2009.

Electronic Arts (EA) has promised a whopping $80 million investment in games for next-generation consoles over the next year, expressing a staunch belief that the console market still has potential.

Over the course of the company's 2013 fiscal year, which ranges from 1 April 2012 to 31 March 2013, EA will invest $80 million in games for consoles like the Wii U, Xbox 720 and PlayStation 4.

“We are strong believers that console will return to strong growth, representing great opportunity, one that is in lockstep with our digital plan,” said John Riccitiello, CEO of EA.

The jury in the Oracle versus Google trial has found that Google infringed the copyright of Java, which Oracle acquired when it bought Sun Microsystems in 2009.

The San Francisco jury agreed with Oracle's claims that Google infringed its copyright on three charges, but found in favour of Google on two others.

There was disagreement over whether or not Google's actions fall under “fair use” laws. The judge, William Alsup, said that there is “zero finding of liability on any copyright so far,” citing the defence of “fair use” as being still in play.

Oracle wants $1 billion in compensation over the affair, but the infringed copyright, which only amounts to nine lines of Java code employed in Android, can only result in statutory damages ranging from $200 to $150,000. $80 million might sound like a lot on paper, but it's a small figure when translated into the funds needed for AAA games, some of which cost more than that alone. Even if only $10 million was afforded to each game it would result in only eight games from EA for the newest consoles.

Of course, this is only its investment for this year. With the next Xbox and PlayStation consoles not releasing until late 2013 EA may be being a bit more cautious with its spending.

A good chunk of its investment over the coming year could go to Wii U titles, with Nintendo's new console releasing later this year.

While it looks like a victory for Oracle, the potential damages it will gain are extremely small compared to what it was looking for. Google wants a mistrial declared, in which case it won't have to pay anything.

The trial is not over yet, however. A second phase, involving the same jury, will cover Oracle's claims that Google infringed two of Oracle's Java patents in Android.

Nevada approves license for Google self-driving cars Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/nevada-approves-license-for-googleself-driving-cars/15803.html

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The US state of Nevada has approved the first licence for self-driven cars designed by Google, paving the way for a revolution in road travel.

The US state of Nevada has approved the first licence for self-driven cars designed by Google, paving the way for a revolution in road travel.

A modified Toyota Prius will be the first self-driven car to hit the streets, powered by software designed by Google to take the steering wheel out of the hands of drivers.

Google has tested its self-driven cars with trained drivers who could take control if the software bugged out and managed to cover 140,000 miles without a single accident, apart from a bump received by a car behind when stopped at traffic lights.

In fact, while we might think safety is an issue for selfdriven cars, the opposite could prove through. A Californian Senator, Alex Padilla, said that “the vast majority of vehicle accidents are due to human error.� Removing the human element could mean safer road travel.

Other car companies are seeking licences for self-driven cars in Nevada and the state's Department of Motor Vehicles believes these will be the cards of the future. Other states and countries around the world are likely to follow suit.

Micron Announces First DDR4 DRAM Memory Module: DDR4-2400, DDR4-3200 Incoming

Published by: VR-Zone May 9th, 2012

While there are a lot of internal arguments between JEDEC members when exactly DDR4 is supposed to arrive on market (2013 or 2014), Micron is pressing forward with the first evaluation DDR4 prototypes operating at 2400 MHz. To get the DDR4 certification process going, Micron Technology Incorporated announced that the company begun shipping the first engineering samples of "fully functional DDR4 DRAM modules" in DIMM form factor to its major customers. Micron expects to have the memory ready for mass production by fourth quarter of this year, for fast adoption by key industry players in 2013.

The focus on DDR4 is reducing the power consumption while increasing the performance over prevalent DDR3 standard. The memory was developed in conjunction with Taiwan's Nanya (part of Formosa Plastics conglomerate), utilizing Micron's 30nm process node.

The 4 Gigabit, 512MB DDR4 x8 memory chip promises memory densities of up to 8GB per single DIMM module, i.e. mainstream systems with 32GB of memory, 64 and 128GB going to the high-end. Micron will make memory chips with x8, x16 and x32 solder connections, reaching clocks from 2.4-3.2 billion transfers per second, i.e. "effective GHz", as memory vendors like to put it.

One of biggest players in the industry, Intel Corporation doesn't plan to introduce the DDR4 memory before 2014, with the first server chipsets for Haswell-EX. Desktop and mobile would only follow in 2015 with Broadwell, a 14nm die-shrink of Haswell.

Naturally, when a company like Intel is resisting the introduction during 2013, one might think that the game is over. However, companies such as AMD, NVIDIA, Qualcomm and TI are on the opposite side of the spectrum.

Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/micron-announces-first-ddr4-drammemory-module-ddr4-2400-ddr4-3200-incoming/15799.html

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Published by: VR-Zone

How the GeForce GTX 690 is a Prime Example of NVIDIA Reshaped?

Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/how-the-geforce-gtx-690-is-a-primeexample-of-nvidia-reshaped-/15786.html May 9th, 2012

Recently, NVIDIA introduced its current king of the hill product in the form of two GK104 GPUs placed on the same board and called the part GeForce GTX 690. In the next couple of days, we will see the launch of GTX 670. We'll dig a bit deeper and see the consequences of recent strategy moves.

Many of you, our respected readers, industry analysts, media were all surprised at the cadence NVIDIA executed its Kepler launch. This is the first time the company launched both high-end and mainstream GPUs in its history (GeForce 4 Ti / MX launch comes to mind, but the MX part was based on GeForce 2 die).

The Birth of Kepler came from Fermi If we want to come to the point of how GeForce GTX 690 came to life, we have to go back all the way to October 2009.

While AMD gathered large number of press, analysts and partners for what it turned out to be the final nail in the ATI Technologies coffin (ATI Radeon HD 5000 Series was the last before the rebrand into AMD Radeon) - NVIDIA did a gathering of a different sort.

The quarterly global meeting was not in a good mood.

The global economy was heading south, and the executive management pulled what seems to be the decision that turned the company around - instead of reducing headcount, complete executive management shifted to a $1 salary after tax and benefits. While "the $1 CEO club" usually means executives receive millions of dollars in stocks and other types of compensation, Jen-Hsun Huang and his team decided otherwise. The total salary AFTER tax and benefits was cut to $1, and no employee would get fired.

Some executives decided not to stick around and left, but the remaining majority of executives suddenly had an army of zealots who were grateful somebody else is weathering the storm for them.

Second part of the execution initiative was the broken Fermi die, i.e. GF100. The first batch of engineering silicon that was supposed to go head to head against the AMD/ATI came back from TSMC in a non-functional state. While ATI had a similar problem in 2005 with its R520 Fudo, NVIDIA's problem was not a single transistor as with R520 (X1800), it was the die as such.

At the GPU Technology Conference in 2010, Jen-Hsun Huang explained; We found a major breakdown between the models, the tools and reality. So when we first got the first Fermi back, that piece of fabric, so imagine we're all processors, all of us seem to be working. But we can't talk to each other. It's like we're all deaf, we're all mute and deaf.

And we found out it's because this connection between us is completely broken.It turns out the reason why the fabric failed isn't because it was hard, but because it sat between the responsibility of two groups. The fabric is complicated in the sense that there's an architectural component there's a logic design component and there's a physics component.

My engineers who know physics and my engineers who know architecture are in two different organisations, and so you see this underlap of responsibility... 'is it my job or your job?' If you'd just simply moved it from one side to the other side they'd been more than happy to pick up the slack, but we let it sit right in the middle. 'Let's be both of our jobs'... that's a bad answer."

The result of GF100 was newly found approach for the subsequent Kepler generation. It was decided to do a dieshrink of Fermi dies such as GF100 (GTX 480), GF104 (GTX 460) etc. giving birth to GF110 (GTX 580), GF114 (GTX 560 Ti) and so on and so forth. In that time, AMD executed Evergreen architecture (Radeon HD 5000), Northern Islands (Radeon HD 6000) and now Southern Islands (Radeon HD 7000). However, NVIDIA had a new approach to launching the parts and for the first time, the company was working on three dies at the same time, what was called high-power, high-efficiency and low-power dies, i.e. entry, mainstream and high-end silicon. The high-end silicon is supposed to debut really soon, on a HPC event on May 10th.

When the company received first GK100, GK104 and GK107 dies, the performance of GK104 shocked the company executives. Our sources were telling us that there was a genuine surprise from CEO to PR/Marketing/Sales teams, since GeForce GTX 660 part was outperforming GTX 580 by a significant margin. The decision was made to rebrand the part into GTX 660 and 670 Ti, with GK100 taking the role of 14

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head honcho. Then, AMD came out with Radeon HD 7970, the very first part based on its Southern Islands architecture.

The performance unveiled was the reason why the author of these lines got multiple calls from NVIDIA insiders asking "Does AMD have hidden cores in the die? What did they disable?" However, with Southern Islands being AMD's first compute intensive part (just like G80/Tesla and GF100/ Fermi were compute milestones for NVIDIA), the company had to sacrifice some efficiency/performance for their first true GPU compute architecture.

The decision to rebrand GK107 into GTX 680/690 was made. Furthermore, the company decided to further increase the performance of the high-end die, giving birth to GK110. GK110 will debut in just three days, but this is the part that targets the HPC i.e. GPGPU community. We were told that the number of pre-orders for Kepler-based Tesla cards (Tesla 3000 Series) should exceed the overall number of Teslas shipped so far (over 150,000 units sold).

Published by: VR-Zone

the board. Beside the fan fins, there are no plastic parts on the card. The PCB is a 10-layer one with a layer of copper ("2 ounce", popular amount of copper on PCBs) for increased thermal conductivity.

The cooling solution for this card was really expensive. In fact, we've been told that the company budgeted this part for over three times as much as the most expensive cooling system they've used so far (you've guessed it right, GTX 295 and 590 cooling had a price tag of an "arm and a leg"). The base for the heatsink used to be plastic, but it is now made of aluminum with trivalent chromium plating. The bimetal approach results in extreme rigidity, which prevents PCB from bending down. This is one of reasons why NVIDIA didn't needed to use a plastic or aluminum backplate to reduce PCB flex (GTX 295, GTX 590 being prime examples) base of the heatsink is a stabilizing element itself. Two vapor chambers did not change as much from GTX 590, but with the reduced thermal load, these chambers are more efficient since they're not pushed as hard as it was the case with previous boards. Going back to the base, you can see that it is perforated to better drive the airflow across the board.

An injection-molded magnesium alloy was used for fan housing, and it fits the aluminum base without danger of vibrations causing any bending, as was the case with plastic housing on an aluminum or even plastic base.

Getting back to GK104, the newly reorganized NVIDIA board team went on to build the GTX 680 first. Then, they followed up with Gemini (GTX 690) and the lessons learned on building the Gemini PCB were used on GTX 670. It is not excluded that you are even going to see a GTX 680 board using the PCB from the upcoming GTX 670, since it improved two steps. Seeing a GTX 680 4GB using a PCB that is smaller than GeForce GTX 550 and Radeon HD 7650 was considered impossible, but the new engineering cadence at the green company is executing on target.

GeForce GTX 690 All of this brings us to why GeForce GTX 690 product is a paramount product for the company. The performance achieved by GK107 and GK104 were beyond targets and the decision was made to go against AMD with a dual-GK104 board.

The decision to put polycarbonate windows has two sides one to give you a look into aluminum fins, and another to show you if the heatsink accumulated dust on itself and to give it a good cleaning. From personal experience, decision to go all-metal (besides the plastic fan blades, but metal ones would be a potential security hazard) also reduces the amount of dust that gathers purely by statically charged plastics.

All in all, the GTX 690 is engineered like no graphics part before, and the decision to price it as high as the company did will keep it out of reach for vast majority of users. But, just like the car industry has million dollar cars such as Bugatti Veyron or Rimac Concept One, this industry has a top performing dual GPU part.

Good news for the graphics industry as such is that NVIDIA doesn't plan to stop using these materials in future boards.

You can expect to see the technologies used on GTX 690 to spread on the high-end line-up, and GeForce, Tesla and Quadro parts are all planned to get the highest quality components going into the future.

Current iPad was actually 'Plan B' Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/current-ipad-was-actually-planb-/15798.html May 9th, 2012

The performance results of the board show that engineers did not sacrifice anything in the design and you can run the card at GTX 680 clocks without any issues. We've been talking to our sources in the AIB board manufacturing community, and seeing a 1.2GHz clock for both GK104 dies isn't all that uncommon.

According to Raymond Soneira, CEO of DisplayMate Technologies, the current iPad is not the device that Apple originally intended as the tablet’s third incarnation.

During the creation phase, GeForce GTX 690 was planned as the no-cost-sparing part, with top parts being used across 15

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According to Raymond Soneira, CEO of DisplayMate Technologies, the current iPad is not the device that Apple originally intended as the tablet’s third incarnation.

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fairly slim at the moment, but the Aspire E1-421 is a budget notebook to every extent of the word.

Brazos 2.0 has arrived, well, at least unofficially as Acer has started to sell its Aspire E1-421 in parts of Asia and it sports AMD's yet to be announced E1-1200 APU. The details are fairly slim at the moment, but the Aspire E1-421 is a budget notebook to every extent of the word.

Besides the 1.4GHz E1-1200 APU, Acer has equipped the Aspire E1-421 with a measly 2GB of RAM and a 320GB hard drive. As this is a 14-inch notebook, Acer has also squeezed in a DVD drive for those that still rely on optical discs for their storage needs.

Raymond Soneira, CEO of DisplayMate Technologies, said in an interview with CNET that the third generation iPad was going to be thinner, sporting a new display from Sharp, featuring so-called "IGZO" technology.

"The plan was to use this new technology called IGZO from Sharp — a lot higher electron mobility that allows them to make the transistors a lot smaller and the circuit elements a lot smaller," said Soneira in his interview with CNET. "There's no question that the iPad 3 is Plan B. They pushed amorphous silicon to a higher [pixels per inch] than anybody else."

Apparently, Sharp's IGZO wasn't ready in time for the iPad, and Apple had to go with their plan B. It's also been reported that Sharp could not keep up with the manufacturing demand that the new iPad would have necessitated.

But despite what could be seen as a disappointment, the iPad is in no sad condition, nor is it exactly a Stone Age device. The current version of the iPad is packed with plenty of fantastic specs, including the high resolution Retina display and a five megapixel iSight camera. That isn't to speak of the Apple A5X CPU. This news does match several rumors that floated about before the iPad was revealed, suggesting that Apple would indeed try to use the IGZO technology from Sharp. The affirmation of this case is sure to be fresh fuel for rumors of the next iPad. As the old saying goes, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. And, as one observer pointed out, it seems that plan B for Apple is plan A for everybody else.

Acer sneaks out the Aspire E1-421 with Brazos 2.0 APU Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/acer-sneaks-out-the-aspire-e1-421with-brazos-2.0-apu/15802.html May 9th, 2012

The GPU of the E1-1200 is according to the label on the notebook a Radeon HD 7310 and it shares at least 256MB of system memory which makes the paltry 2GB look even stingier. Other features include 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi and a 6cell battery. The chipset should support native USB 3.0, but it's possible that Acer is using an older chipset that doesn't support USB 3.0, as we would've thought the company would high-light this feature, but there's no mention of it.

Let's hope AMD has some more interesting partners lined up for the launch of Brazos 2.0, as the Aspire E1-421 is hardly the kind of product that will draw a lot of attention to AMD's new budget APUs. It's interesting that we're looking at a CPU clock of 200-250MHz slower than the current Brazos APUs, but hopefully this is a sign of much improved CPU cores.

Brazos 2.0 has arrived, well, at least unofficially as Acer has started to sell its Aspire E1-421 in parts of Asia and it sports AMD's yet to be announced E1-1200 APU. The details are 16

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Seagate is readying Pulsar.2 SSD with 12Gbps SAS interface Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/seagate-is-readying-pulsar.2-ssdwith-12gbps-sas-interface/15801.html May 9th, 2012

It was only last week that HGST, a division of Western Digital announced that it was working on a 12Gbps SAS SSD and now Seagate has followed up with its own announcement, but with a little bit more meat on the bones. Seagate is getting ready to show off its 12Gbps SSD at the SCSI Trade Association technology showcase this week and Seagate was kind enough to provide a name for the product, Pulsar.2.

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It's not too often that a manufacturer pulls apart one of its products down to near component level and then explains in detail what it has done to create the product in question, but Samsung has decided to give us a peek inside its 13.3inch Series 9 notebook. In all fairness it doesn't give away every little detail, but the Series 9 is no less impressive on the inside than one of Apple's MacBook Air's.

It's not too often that a manufacturer pulls apart one of its products down to near component level and then explains in detail what it has done to create the product in question, but Samsung has decided to give us a peek inside its 13.3inch Series 9 notebook. In all fairness it doesn't give away every little detail, but the Series 9 is no less impressive on the inside than one of Apple's MacBook Air's.

Samsung does have some advantages over many of its competitors, as the company produces all major components that would go inside one of its notebooks. Looking at the display this is very obvious as Samsung is using an extra slim LCD with a custom made controller board, something many of its competitors can't offer to this degree.

It was only last week that HGST, a division of Western Digital announced that it was working on a 12Gbps SAS SSD and now Seagate has followed up with its own announcement, but with a little bit more meat on the bones. Seagate is getting ready to show off its 12Gbps SSD at the SCSI Trade Association technology showcase this week and Seagate was kind enough to provide a name for the product, Pulsar.2.

The Pulsar.2 will as such have a SAS 12Gbps interface and Seagate is targeting the new SSD towards the server and storage solution market. Little else is known about the product, but Seagate is making a big deal about the fact that using SAS 12Gbps drives rather than PCI Express based SSDs allows for better scalability and serviceability, in the latter case thanks to the hot swap ability of SAS drives.

Unlike HGST, Seagate doesn't talk about any dual interface option for increased performance; however the press release mentions a move towards SAS 12Gbps on hard drives in the future. The advantage in this case though is that SAS 12Gbps and 6Gbps drives can be used in a mixed environment where say, an older SAS controller is being used, but once the controller or server is upgraded, the drives would potentially offer a small performance boost.

The keyboard features OLED technology for the backlight rather than LED, something we didn't know and according to Samsung this is a first on a notebook. The touchpad is also different than in your average notebook, as it's made of polyethylene terephthalate or PET rather than relying on a more traditional PCB design and this apparently allows it to be some 40 percent thinner than your average touchpad.

Seagate also let us know that the SAS 12Gbps standard is expected to be finished by the end of the year, but no products are expected in the market until 2013 and most won't turn up until the second half which seem quite late for something that's being demoed already. That said, we're talking server products here and reliability is everything, so corner cutting isn't exactly an option.

Samsung pulls apart its Series 9 notebook for your viewing pleasure Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/samsung-pulls-apart-its-series-9notebook-for-your-viewing-pleasure/15800.html May 9th, 2012

Unusually for a notebook, Samsung designed a single sided PCB as apparently this would allow for a 16 percent reduction in thickness compared to a traditional notebook PCB. That said, as with most notebook motherboards, Samsung has broken it up into three different parts to fit around the cooling fans, with all the external connectors being fitted to two separate PCBs from the motherboard itself. The only standard component used is the mSATA SSD and it also appears to be the only user upgradeable part in the Series 9.

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The cooling system consists of two heatpipes and a pair of 4mm thick fans, a fairly unusual design choice, but most likely a necessity due to the thin design. The 40Wh 6cell battery pack takes up nearly as much space as the motherboard, although it's flanked by the speakers which are taking up a fair amount of space. Judging by the massive engineering that went into the Series 9, we wouldn't expect any big changes for Samsung's Ivy Bridge version. Instead we presume that Samsung will simply swap out the chipset and the CPU on the motherboard and go with the same chassis design, but it's possible that Samsung will surprise us and come up with something even more impressive. Hit the source link below for more pictures and details.

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VR-Zone.com | Tech News for the Geeks!

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

Samsung announces the Omnia M Windows Phone 7 smartphone Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/samsung-announces-the-omnia-mwindows-phone-7-smartphone/15850.html May 11th, 2012

If you're on the hunt for an affordable, large screen Windows Phone 7 handset, then maybe Samsung's new Omnia M is what you've been waiting for. Admittedly no pricing was announced, but judging by the features, the Omnia M should be a mid-range model with a price to match.

If you're on the hunt for an affordable, large screen Windows Phone 7 handset, then maybe Samsung's new Omnia M is what you've been waiting for. Admittedly no pricing was announced, but judging by the features, the Omnia M should be a mid-range model with a price to match.

The biggest selling point of the Omnia M would be its 4inch Super AMOLED display with a resolution of what we presume is 800x480 pixels. As with most Windows Phone 7 devices, the Omnia M has a 1GHz single core CPU and we should be looking at one or another model from Qualcomm here, but Samsung hasn't mentioned any specifics as yet.

2.0 port. The handset measures 121.6x64.1x10.5mm and weighs in at 119g. The Omnia M ships with Windows Phone 7.5 as well as a wide range of Samsung apps and 25GB of free SkyDrive storage space. No word on availability as yet, but we'd expect the handset to roll out shortly.

Belkin is working on 802.11ac Wi-Fi products Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/belkin-is-working-on-802.11ac-wi-fiproducts/15849.html May 11th, 2012

We've already seen a few 802.11ac "5G" Wi-Fi products and now Belkin has announced that it will be adding its own products to the handful or so already announced solutions from its competitors. Sadly Belkin didn't go into any specifics, but we do at least have a basic idea of what the company is planning.

We've already seen a few 802.11ac "5G" Wi-Fi products and now Belkin has announced that it will be adding its own products to the handful or so already announced solutions from its competitors. Sadly Belkin didn't go into any specifics, but we do at least have a basic idea of what the company is planning.

For starters, Belkin is working with Broadcom and will be using its chips in its upcoming products. Belkin is planning at least one 802.11ac router with a throughput of 1.3Gbps and we'd expect a few cards/dongles as well, although for what it's worth, Belkin appears to be targeting upcoming mobile devices with built in 802.11ac. Specifically Belkin is talking about backup and data synchronization when it comes to mobile devices and it's possible that the company is planning some kind of “home cloud� storage solution.

Belkin is also pushing 802.11ac as the clear choice for streaming HD video around the home, so we wouldn't be surprised if the company is launching some kind of TV compatible adapter, or maybe even some kind of media player with built in 802.11ac support. These are of course only guesses as to what Belkin might be planning, but the good news is that Belkin is expecting to have its first 802.11ac products in retail come this summer, which is only a month or two away.

Other features include 4GB of user accessible storage, 384MB of RAM, a 5Megapixel rear camera, plus a front camera for video calls, HSDPA 7.2Mbps connectivity, 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 2.1, A-GPS and a micro USB

Microsoft to launch Internet Explorer with Kinect support on Xbox 360 Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/microsoft-to-launch-internetexplorer-with-kinect-support-on-xbox-360/15848.html

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Microsoft is to launch a version of Internet Explorer for the Xbox 360 gaming console, which is set to feature Kinect motion capture support.

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Ubisoft and Marvel Entertainment have teamed up to deliver an aptly-timed Avengers game for the Xbox 360 with Kinect and Nintendo Wii U. Ubisoft and Marvel Entertainment have teamed up to deliver an aptly-timed Avengers game for the Xbox 360 with Kinect and Nintendo Wii U.

Microsoft is to launch a version of Internet Explorer for the Xbox 360 gaming console, which is set to feature Kinect motion capture support.

Marvel Avengers: Battle for Earth will feature interactive environments inspired by Marvel's comic artwork and the Secret Invasion storyline.

The software firm is testing a modified version of IE9 for the console, according to anonymous sources cited by The Verge. The browser will operate exactly like the one on the PC, allowing users to search the web in the comfort of their living room.

The game will feature 20 different characters, including popular Avengers like Iron Man, Hulk, Captain America and Thor, in addition to other super heroes and super villains form the Marvel Universe.

The integration of Kinect gestures and voice controls will make for an enhanced experience, however, as users will be able to search via Bing for web pages in this manner.

Users will not require a Kinect to make use of the Xbox 360 web browser, but it will reportedly be fine-tuned specifically for Kinect use, so users will not be getting the full experience without the motion capture camera.

Microsoft's Internet Explorer was once the unequalled champion of the web browser arena, but it has been steadily losing market share to Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox.

Integrating it into its more popular products may be a good way to go, and the use of Kinect support will also encourage more Kinect sales.

“We are excited to team up with Marvel Entertainment to bring some of the most iconic comic book characters from the Marvel line-up to life in motion-gaming,” said Tony Key, SVP of US sales and marketing at Ubisoft. “Fans of the Marvel universe and superhero games are going to love the extensive combinations of characters, motion-controlled moves and competitive gameplay.”

Motion control is being touted as a huge element of this game, which is not surprising, given it will be launching on the two dominant motion control gaming consoles. The choice to launch on the Wii U suggests we might see some additional elements that take advantage of the tablet controller.

Marvel Avengers: Battle for Earth will launch in Autumn.

No release date has been revealed, but further details may surface at E3 next month.

Ubisoft announces Avengers game for Kinect and Wii U Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/ubisoft-announces-avengers-gamefor-kinect-and-wii-u/15847.html May 11th, 2012

Zotac GeForce GTX 680 2GB meets Subzero Ivy Bridge 3770K Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/zotac-geforce-gtx-680-2gb-meetssubzero-ivy-bridge-3770k/15815.html May 11th, 2012

We've been covering the GTX 680 since day one with our reviews of several different cards. Today we're doing something a little different. We're going to have a look at the 2

May 11th, 2012

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competitive scene benchmarking performance of the GTX 680 using a cascade cooled Ivy Bridge i7-3770K on an ASUS P8Z77-V Deluxe. Zotac have kindly provided a sample for our benchmarking.

Introduction It's coming up to two months since the launch of Nvidia's GTX 680. You can check out our launch coverage here.

We've also looked at some non reference models. Today we're doing something a bit different. Instead of an orthodox GPU review, we'll run through the traditional overclockers 3D benchmarks using a Zotac GTX 680 with a heavily overclocked cascade cooled 3770K to see how it does.

First up, we'll take a look at the GTX 680 Zotac kindly provided for our article.

The card is a standard reference model, with 1536 Shader processors clocked at 1006 Mhz (base) to 1056Mhz (boost).

The 2Gb of GDDR5 memory is clocked at 6008 Mhz effective. The full specifications of the card are seen below.

Model Model

ZT-60101-10P

Interface

PCI Express 3.0* x16 (Compatible with 1.1)

Interface

Chipset Chipset NVIDIA速 Manufacturer GPU GeForce速 GTX 680 Core clock 1006 MHz (base) - 1058 MHz (boost) Stream 1536 Processors Shader Clock na

The Zotac GTX 680 comes with a nice bundle of extras. In addition to common accessories such as DVI-VGA adapter, molex to 6pin PCIe connectors, manual and driver, Zotac have included full versions of three Assassins Creed games, a three day Trackmania pass and additional software utilities.

Memory Memory Clock Memory Size Memory Interface Memory Type

6008 MHz

DirectX OpenGL

DirectX速 11 OpenGL速 4.2

2 GB 256-bit DDR5

3D API

Ports 3

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DVI

2 (DVI-I and DVI-D) HDMI-Ports 1 DisplayPort- 1 Ports VGA (With included DVI-to-VGA adapter) General Tuner RAMDAC Max Resolution RoHS Compliant SLI Supported Cooler

None 400 MHz 2560 x 1600 Yes Yes (3-way) With fan (dual-slot) Yes

The European Parliament has passed new regulations that significantly reduce the price of mobile phone calls and data usage when travelling in the European Union.

The European Parliament has passed new regulations that significantly reduce the price of mobile phone calls and data usage when travelling in the European Union.

Beginning in July, there will be a cap on mobile data usage of 70c per MB, while calls will be capped at 29c per minute, including VAT. Data charges will drop further in future years, down to 45c per MB in 2013 and just 20c per MB in 2014.

Additionally, mobile users will be able to choose a different operator when abroad than the one used at home, starting in 2014. This is intended to encourage more competition in the market and give users greater freedom, as they will be able to select a new tariff in their destination country without having to change their number or phone.

DualLink DVI Supported Windows® 7 Certified for Capability Windows® 7 with DirectCompute support Packaging Package Contents

Driver Disk User Manual DVI-to-VGA adapter 2 x Dual MOLEX to 6-pin PCIe power cable

TrackMania 2 Canyon 3-Day Game Pass Game Bundle ZOTAC Assassin’s Creed® 3Game Pack

Europe introduces cheaper roaming laws Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/europe-introduces-cheaper-roaminglaws/15846.html May 11th, 2012

Currently there are different roaming prices throughout Europe, with some that are relatively cheap and others that are astronomical, sometimes as much as €5 per MB and 35c per minute for calls, which have already been subject to caps in recent years.

These insane roaming prices have contributed to what is being called the “bill shock” phenomenon, where holidaymakers or business people receive outrageous bills for mobile usage abroad, where the same usage at home would have resulted in minimal charges.

The European Union believes these new laws will save an average business person over €1,000 a year, while those wanting to make a few calls while on holiday will also enjoy significant savings.

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Ivy Bridge proven to suffer from poor thermal grease Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/ivy-bridge-proven-to-suffer-frompoor-thermal-grease/15844.html May 11th, 2012

Intel has as yet to offer a full explanation as to why it changed the way its interfacing the IHS with the CPU die on its Ivy Bridge processors and previous reports weren't clear on how much of an effect Intel's move to using thermal grease had on the actual cooling performance. Thankfully Japanese website Impress PC Watch has come to the rescues and done some testing by itself and the publication has clearly proven that Intel's thermal interface material isn't up to scratch.

Intel has as yet to offer a full explanation as to why it changed the way its interfacing the IHS with the CPU die on its Ivy Bridge processors and previous reports weren't clear on how much of an effect Intel's move to using thermal grease had on the actual cooling performance. Thankfully Japanese website Impress PC Watch has come to the rescues and done some testing by itself and the publication has clearly proven that Intel's thermal interface material isn't up to scratch.

Move up to an average overclock of 4.6GHz and the difference is even bigger with 15 degrees for the Freezer Pro and a massive 20 degrees difference using the Liquid Pro. On top of all that, higher stable overclocking speeds without thermal throttling were reached at lower Voltages using either of the replacement TIMs, although once again the best results were achieved using the Liquid Pro which allowed a stable 5GHz overclock on air at 1.55V. We should mention that the rather large and expensive Thermalright Silver Arrow SB-E CPU cooler was used for these tests, so mileage might vary depending on cooler choice, but even so, the results speak for themselves.

If anything, this is an issue that Intel shouldn't be having, as it's not as if we're talking about low-cost Celeron or Pentium models here, but rather premium models with overclocking enabled. We can only hope that Intel will consider changing its thermal grease for something a little bit more advanced on the K-series CPUs, as the company can't expect users to replace it by themselves and thus voiding their warranties.

It's also quite embarrassing that such a small cost is what's holding these new CPUs back, but as has been suggested elsewhere, this might be part of Intel's plan so it can flog some more Sandy Bridge-E CPUs.

First of all, we wouldn't recommend anyone to tear off the integrated heat spreader on their CPU, as for one it voids your warranty and moreover you might actually damage your CPU. That said, Impress PC Watch tore off the IHS on a Core i7-3770K, wiped off the Intel thermal grease and then replaced it with OCZ's Freeze Extreme and Coollaboratory's Liquid Pro to see how much of a difference a change of thermal interface material would make.

Coollaboratory claims that its Liquid Pro TIM offers 82W/ mk of thermal conductivity and hitting up some reviews it seems to be superior to OCZ's Freeze Extreme, something the Impress PC Watch test also showed. However, both materials were vastly superior to whatever gunk Intel sticks inside its CPU's, as at the standard 3.5GHz clock speed the temperature was reduced by 8 degrees C using the Freeze Extreme and 11 degrees C with the Liquid Pro.

Mozilla bemoans Windows 8 RT - a 'return to the digital dark ages' Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/mozilla-bemoans-windows-8-rt--areturn-to-the-digital-dark-ages-/15838.html May 11th, 2012

In a blog post, Mozilla's chief counsel Harvey Anderson wrote that the anti-competitive restrictions of tablet oriented Windows RT (Windows on ARM) indicate “an unwelcome return to the digital dark ages."

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In a blog post, Mozilla's chief counsel Harvey Anderson wrote that the restrictions of Windows RT (Windows on ARM) indicate “an unwelcome return to the digital dark ages."

Published by: VR-Zone

NEC announces 999g 13.3inch LaVie Z notebook in Japan Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/nec-announces-999g-13.3-inchlavie-z-notebook-in-japan/15843.html May 11th, 2012

If there's a company that seems to understand what Ultrabooks is all about – and no, we're not talking about Apple – it has to be NEC, as its upcoming LaVie Z is a mind-blowingly light Ultrabook that weighs in at a mere 999g. This is at least in part thanks to its lithium-magnesium alloy chassis which is said to be half the weight of the usual aluminium alloys used in notebooks.

If there's a company that seems to understand what Ultrabooks is all about – and no, we're not talking about Apple – it has to be NEC, as its upcoming LaVie Z is a mind-blowingly light Ultrabook that weighs in at a mere 999g. This is at least in part thanks to its lithium-magnesium alloy chassis which is said to be half the weight of the usual aluminium alloys used in notebooks.

Windows RT is a kind of future Microsoft Windows OS specifically designed for tablet friendly ARM chips.

Restrictions on RT make it impossible for compatible browsers besides Internet Explorer to access special APIs to take full advantage of platform features.

Sadly, the company didn't reveal much in terms of specifications beyond the fact that we're looking at a 13.3inch Ultrabook. All that we can deduct from the pictures is that it'll have at least one USB 3.0 port, one USB 2.0 port, a single audio jack, an HDMI port and a memory card reader.

Mozilla is creating a Firefox for the PC version of Windows 8. But, if it does create a version for RT, it will be unable to compete with Internet Explorer due to the restrictions.

Additionally, while RT is specifically designed for tablets, it may also expand to laptops and other devices in the future, further spreading the restriction problem.

There is no elephant in the room about Internet Explorer being the scourge of internet browsers. There are many people who use Internet Explorer for one reason downloading a new browser. But if RT’s restrictions come to pass, according to Mozilla's Asa Dotzler, "there's no way another browser can possibly compete with IE in terms of features or performance."

Critics have pointed to Apple's iOS, which has similar restrictions on applications, giving its own ‘Safari’ browser advantages over competition. But Dotzler argues that Microsoft has former agreements with the EU regarding browser choice on Windows. He writes that the restrictions are "in direct violation of the promises [Microsoft] made to developers, users, and OEMs about browser choice."

Andersen ended his post by admonishing Microsoft to drop these upcoming restrictions, and embrace their more traditional path of user choice.

Of the three relevant operating systems- Mac OS, Linux and Windows- Windows is the in-between; not as open as Linux, but not as closed as Mac. Each OS, therefore, appeals to different people, and gives them a good variety of choice.

NEC also revealed that the LaVie Z will be using an Intel ULV Ivy Bridge CPU which isn't exactly a surprise and we'd presume the company is using the UM77 chipset as well as an mSATA SSD, or possibly something even smaller to help keep the weight down. Sadly we'll have to wait until later this summer for the LaVie Z to launch and we have a feeling its price won't be as light to carry as the Ultrabook itself.

Samsung's 17.3-inch Series 7 notebook with Ivy Bridge lands Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/samsung-s-17.3-inch-series-7notebook-with-ivy-bridge-lands/15842.html

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May 11th, 2012

Another day, another new notebook from Samsung, what can we say, but the company is nothing but busy launching products. This time we're looking at the mid-range Series 7 Chronos, or more specifically the top of the range NP700Z7CH which comes with a Core i7-3615QM quad core Ivy Bridge CPU. Another day, another new notebook from Samsung, what can we say, but the company is nothing but busy launching products. This time we're looking at the mid-range Series 7 Chronos, or more specifically the top of the range NP700Z7CH which comes with a Core i7-3615QM quad core Ivy Bridge CPU. Besides the 2.3GHz CPU, Samsung has kitted out the NP700Z7CH with 8GB of DDR3 memory as standard, a 1TB hard drive with 8GB of ExpressCache and a GeForce GT 650M graphics card with 2GB of GDDR5 memory. The 17.3inch screen sports a 1920x1080 resolution as you'd expect and there's also a slot loading DVD writer and some JBL branded speakers.

At US$1,499.99 (S$1,879) it's also something of a bargain for what you get in terms of features and although Samsung hasn't really changed the design from its predecessor, it's hard to know the overall looks of the NP700Z7CH.

Panasonic shoves Core i5 chips in a netbook package Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/panasonic-shoves-core-i5-chips-in-anetbook-package/15841.html May 11th, 2012

Apparently Panasonic doesn't think Intel's Ultrabooks are all that and although its new Let's note J10 is a fair bit chunkier than an Ultrabook at 35mm thickness, these 10.1inch notebooks somehow manages to pack a 35W TDP Core i3, i5 or i7 CPU without burning up. What's even more impressive though is that they can delivery up to 12.5h battery life, a feat we'd like to see some Ultrabooks pull off.

Samsung has also thrown in 802.11a/b/g/n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0, Gigabit Ethernet, two USB 3.0 ports, two USB 2.0 ports, an HDMI port, a mini DisplayPort, a D-sub connector, a pair of audio jacks, a memory card reader and an HD webcam as part of the package. No word on battery life, but we'd imagine the 8-cell battery pack should last a good few hours at least. At 2.84kg the NP700Z7CH isn't exactly the most portable notebook around, but at just under 25mm thick it's far from the fattest 17.3-inch notebook out there.

Apparently Panasonic doesn't think Intel's Ultrabooks are all that and although its new Let's note J10 is a fair bit chunkier than an Ultrabook at 35mm thickness, these 10.1inch notebooks somehow manages to pack a 35W TDP Core i3, i5 or i7 CPU without burning up. What's even more impressive though is that they can delivery up to 12.5h battery life, a feat we'd like to see some Ultrabooks pull off.

The base model isn't all that exciting with a Core i3-2350M and a 320GB hard drive, but move up a notch and you get a Core i5-2450M with a 128GB SSD and things start to get interesting. Panasonic is also offering the J10 with an optional Core i7-2640M and an optional 256GB SSD or a 1TB hard drive. Common features include 4GB of RAM as standard (8GB for the Core i7 model), a 10.1-inch screen with 1366x768 resolution, an Intel Centrino Advanced-N + WiMAX 6250 card which sports WiMAX speeds of up to 28Mbps in Japan, Gigabit Ethernet, a USB 3.0 port, two USB 2.0 ports and SD card reader, HDMI and S-sub ports and a pair of audio jacks. Bluetooth is optional for some reason, but all SKUs come with a protective carrying case.

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Published by: VR-Zone

Panasonic has paired the CPU up with the HM76 chipset, 4GB of DDR3L 1333MHz memory and a 640GB hard drive.

Other features include a DVD writer, 802.11a/b/g/n Wi-Fi, Gigabit Ethernet, two USB 3.0 ports, a USB 2.0 port, an SD card reader, an HDMI port, a D-sub connector and a pair of audio jacks, but oddly enough no Bluetooth support and no webcam.

The standard battery is good for 7.5-8h of usage (HDD/SSD) while the extended battery pack which adds 13mm to the thickness of the J10 allows for between 11.5 and 12.5h of usage (HDD/SSD). At 990g with the standard battery and no protective casing this is an extremely impressive machine in terms of portability, but once again the pricing isn't exactly in the realm of affordability. The Core i3 model comes in at 120,00 Yen (US$1,500/S$1,880), with the Core i5 model with a 128GB SSD at 170,000 Yen (US$2,130/S$2,670) and an insane 267,250 Yen (US$3,345/S$4,189) for the Core i7 model with a 256GB SSD. Now if Panasonic would just catch up in the design department a little and lower them prices, we'd almost consider a Let's note J10 just for the portability factor, as at under 1kg with a full-fat CPU and a for the size decent resolution screen, this is a really cool mobile work horse.

Panasonic announces its first Ivy Bridge notebook in Japan Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/panasonic-announces-its-first-ivybridge-notebook-in-japan/15840.html May 11th, 2012

Optional features include a larger 750GB hard drive or a 256GB SDD, 8GB of memory, Bluetooth 4.0 and a Bluray drive. The 15.6-inch screen offers 1920x1080 resolution, something in itself which is a bit of a selling point on this 1.895kg heavy notebook. Actually, that's quite light for a 15.6-inch notebook and competes easily with most 14-inch notebooks, although this is with the standard battery pack which is only rated for 3h usage, whereas the optional large battery packs adds another 310g and an additional 3h of battery life for a total of 6h of untethered usage.

Best known for its Toughbook range of notebooks in most of the world, Panasonic produces a range of more consumer friendly notebooks in its home country of Japan and the company has announced its first Ivy Bridge based model, the Let's note B11. We're used to seeing fairly compact models from Panasonic, so this high-end 15.6-inch laptop isn't the typical product we'd expect, but it does pack a lot of highend features at least.

Best known for its Toughbook range of notebooks in most of the world, Panasonic produces a range of more consumer friendly notebooks in its home country of Japan and the company has announced its first Ivy Bridge based model, the Let's note B11. We're used to seeing fairly compact models from Panasonic, so this high-end 15.6-inch laptop isn't the typical product we'd expect, but it does pack a lot of highend features at least.

The only problem is that Panasonic is expecting you to part with an insane 175,00 Yen (US$2,190/S$2,739) for the base model, with the fully loaded model coming in at a mind boggling 284,250 Yen (US$3,560/S$4,460), which is most likely a lot more than most people would be willing to pay for a notebook these days and then there's that retro design and round touch pad...

The Let's note B11 sports a Core i7-3615QM quad core CPU which is a 2.3GHz part with 6MB L3 cache and a 45W TDP, that will turbo boost up to 3.3GHz on a single core.

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AMD shows off embedded APU performance, pulls the presentation pronto Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/amd-shows-off-embedded-apuperformance-pulls-the-presentation-pronto/15839.html May 11th, 2012

Published by: VR-Zone

hardware. In saying that, only the R-464L supports DDR3 1600MHz memory, as the R-272F is apparently limited to DDR3 1333MHz. As for the rest of the specifications and more interestingly the consumer version of Brazos 2.0 we're going to have to hold out a little longer.

Exclusive: Intel's mobile Haswell chipset names revealed Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/exclusive-intel-s-mobile-haswellchipset-names-revealed/15836.html May 11th, 2012

It would appear that we're very close to AMD's Brazos 2.0 unveiling as the company had posted a performance preview of its upcoming R-series of embedded APUs on its website, although it has since then been taken down.

The benchmark graph contained in the PDF is showing the upcoming R-464L APU as being more than twice as fast as Intel's Core i7-2710QE in terms of graphics performance.

It would appear that we're very close to AMD's Brazos 2.0 unveiling as the company had posted a performance preview of its upcoming R-series of embedded APUs on its website, although it has since then been taken down.

The benchmark graph contained in the PDF is showing the upcoming R-464L APU as being more than twice as fast as Intel's Core i7-2710QE in terms of graphics performance.

AMD is planning a range of embedded APUs, although the only two included in the graph is the R-464L and the R-272F. Sadly AMD didn't provide any specifications for the CPU or GPU part beyond the 35W TDP, but we're most likely looking at an adaptation of a mobile chip here, especially as AMD is making comparisons with various 35W mobile CPU's from Intel, including the 45W Core i7-2710QE which is an embedded version of a mobile quad core CPU.

Admittedly, AMD is comparing its GPU performance to that of Intel's older HD 3000 graphics which isn't an entirely fair comparison, but until Intel actually announces its embedded Ivy Bridge chips AMD is at least comparing apples to apples so to speak. As you can see from the graph above, AMD has a 45 percent and a 106 percent lead in terms of average performance across 3DMark 06 and 3DMark Vantage compared to the Core i7-2710QE. In as much as GPU performance matters in some embedded applications, we're fairly certain that any potential customers are also looking for good CPU performance and here AMD hasn't provided any details.

As for the rest of the test setup AMD was using its own development motherboard codenamed Pumori which is based on the A75 chipset as well as 4GB DDR3 1600MHz memory and a 160GB hard drive, hardly mind blowing

Intel has as yet to launch all of its mobile Ivy Bridge chipsets, as we're still waiting for a couple of business-end chipsets, but VR-Zone can now exclusively reveal Intel's next generation mobile chipsets for the Haswell CPUs. Interestingly, Intel has cut back from no less than seven chipset for Ivy Bridge to a more acceptable five chipsets for Haswell, or the same amount of options as it offered for Sandy Bridge.

Intel has as yet to launch all of its mobile Ivy Bridge chipsets, as we're still waiting for a couple of business-end chipsets, but VR-Zone can now exclusively reveal Intel's next generation mobile chipsets for the Haswell CPUs. Interestingly, Intel has cut back from no less than seven chipset for Ivy Bridge to a more acceptable five chipsets for Haswell, or the same amount of options as it offered for Sandy Bridge.

Part of the reason for the move to fewer chipsets is that Intel is moving to a one chip platform for some of its mobile Haswell processors, or should that be SoCs? As we've reported time and time again, the platform will be known as Shark Bay and so far the chipsets have been known as Lynx Point and in the case of the single chip solution Intel is putting what it's calling Lynx Point LP – LP for low power we presume – on the same package as the CPU and GPU. With that out of the way, the five chipsets that will arrive for Shark Bay are the HM87, HM85 and HM80 for general consumer notebooks, the UM83 for Ultrabooks and the QM87 for business focused notebooks for the corporate market space. Only the HM87 and QM87 chipsets will support RAID and Intel Smart Response technology, which in the latter case we don't understand why Intel wouldn't want to add to its entire range of mobile chipsets, as it makes a lot more sense in a notebook than on a desktop.

That's sadly all the information we have on the new mobile chipsets for the time being and it's of course possible that things can change between now and next year, as they so often do. What we are expecting though in terms of features on these new chipsets is a full set of SATA 6Gbps ports as well as additional USB 3.0 ports, although as to how important this will be in the notebook segment is questionable, as very few notebooks has more than two SATA devices and three or four USB ports.

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HP Global Influencer Summit in Shanghai Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/hp-global-influencer-summit-inshanghai/15835.html May 11th, 2012

VR-Zone is one of the media to attend the HP Global Influencer Summit in Shanghai, China this week whereby the company unveiled more than 80 products for both business and mainstream consumers. President and CEO Meg Whitman, and executive vice president, Printing and Personal Systems Group were also present at the event,

"It has only been about a month and a half that we announced our PC and Printing businesses are going to be joining forces to forge the Printing and Personal System Group. And I would say we have made great products in the process. We are going to simplify our business; we are going to remove complexities from HP by putting the two businesses together. Importantly, we are going to make it easier for customers and partners to do business with HP. So increasingly, you will see a unified brand, a unified design language, which would make our PC and printing business much stronger. And you would also see the interoperability between devices as well" said Whitman.

Published by: VR-Zone

Dion Weisler, senior vice president, Printing and Personal Systems Group for HP said that from APJ (Asia Pacific and Japan) perspective, the company's strategy has been very clear. "We are operating in a tremendous growth market which made the composition of Asia Pacific and Japan, with two of the largest markets in the world - China being the largest PC market in the world and Japan being third largest in the world. There are 1.3 billion people in China (officially) and over a billion people in India, 230 million in Indonesia, 80 million in Vietnam etc. We have got very diverse markets when we think about Australia, Japan and Singapore. They are very matured markets as compared to emerging markets in China and India. The depth of 80 products that we have launched the last few days means that our strategy is that "One size does not fit all". We need to have different products for different customers with different services and after sales," said Weisler.

One of the highlights at the summit is the HP ENVY SpectreXT (whereby XT denotes extremely thin). It is positioned as a premium Ultrabook, but will be priced slightly more affordable than its ENVY 14 Spectre sibling that was launched in February. For Singapore, the SpectreXT will also come with the concierge service that was offered on the ENVY 14 Spectre. It will only be available on SSDs and have a starting retail price of US$999. The SpectreXT is scheduled to be available in Asia Pacific starting from end May. According to a HP executive, laptops that do not conform to the Ultrabook specifications is called "Sleekbooks", though the term seems to be coined and used only by HP. The AMD version of the Sleekbooks, in A6 and A10 processor variants, will have a starting price of US$699, though it will not be made available for countries in the Asia Pacific.

GIGABYTE GTX 670 OC WindForce 3X 2GB Review Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/gigabyte-gtx-670-ocwindforce-3x-2gb-review/15831.html May 11th, 2012

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Published by: VR-Zone

Nvidia's newest GK104 (Kepler) powered GeForce GTX 670, positioned to go against the HD 7950, is simply a GTX 680 with one of eight SMX units disabled and reduced core clock speed, retaining everything else like the 256-bit GDDR5 memory bus and 32 ROPs. We review GIGABYTE's nonreference take on the new US$399 entrant that really doesn't differ much from their flagship model.

As we can see from this block diagram of the GK104 die, the GTX 670 has one of eight SMX units disabled, which is a common way of putting crocked ASICs that do not meet full binning standards to good use instead of throwing them away. As a result, the GTX 670 has 12.5% less fillrate/ pixel pushing performance and lower TDP than the GTX 680, much like how the HD 7950 Tahiti Pro is to the HD 7970 Taihiti XT. Given that everything else remains the same (number of ROPs, memory bus bandwidth, fancy AA algorithms and other technologies), do the loss of shaders really matter for most use cases? We find out in the following pages...

From the onset, we must say that GIGABYTE's GTX 670 OC WindForce 3X 2GB card looks exactly the same as its flagship non-reference GTX 680 model that we've reviewed earlier this year... because it is! Other than a white sticker that identifies it as a GTX 670 over existing silkscreen on the PCB , the card we are looking at today has the same component layout, output connectors and and cooling solution as the top dog, which is a good thing as the old design is engineered for more overclocking headroom and is pin compatible with the crippled GK104 die anyway.

Unlike the standard GTX 670/GTX 680 design, GIGABYTE's choice pf 8+6 PCIe power inputs allows the 11

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card to scale up to 300W of power instead of the anemic 225W.

As we've mentioned earlier, the GTX 670 has a familar board design. 5-phase digital VRMs allows for more power headroom and efficiency while the use of 2oz copper and sensible chokes/capacitors on the PCB ensure uninterrupted gameplay without the chance of things going up in blue smoke.

The Taiwanese TSMC made GK104 Kepler, although not as GP compute friendly (dismal 1/32 DP to FP ratio) as its direct AMD Taihiti competitor, is an efficiency monster when it comes to 3D benchmarks and gaming. Actual frequency headroom varies with voltage and the quality of the ASIC, but generally we should be able to hit 1.2-1.35GHz with conventional cooling and near 2GHz with subzero.

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SK-Hynix's 1.5GHz GDDR5 BGA modules makes its way on this board as well, arranged in a 256-bit bus configuration for up to 192GB/s of memory bandwidth.

To take care of the default 170W of TDP, GIGABYTE deployed their " WindForce 3X" direct touch copper heatpipe cooler, which is actually similar in design to the ASUS's DirectCU II (they share the same heatsink OEM, Cooler Master). Each of the three 80mm PWM capable fans are rated up to 0.35A at 12V. There is also a dedicated heatsink for the MOSFETs and the whole cooler is secured to the card by only four screws.

EA says mobile games won't wipe out console industry Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/ea-says-mobile-games-won-t-wipeout-console-industry/15834.html May 11th, 2012

The CEO of Electronics Arts (EA), John Riccitiello, has gone on record saying that mobile games will not wipe out the console gaming industry, despite fears expressed by some investors and analysts.

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The CEO of Electronics Arts (EA), John Riccitiello, has gone on record saying that mobile games will not wipe out the console gaming industry, despite fears expressed by some investors and analysts.

During a keynote address at the CTIA Wireless conference in New Orleans, Riccitiello outlined his vision for the future of the mobile game industry, highlighting that it will exist simultaneously with other gaming sectors rather than completely replacing it.

"Games, more than any other type of application or function, are driving dramatic growth in the mobile industry," he said. "Mobile games will co-exist and even interoperate with games on consoles, PCs, and cable television."

Riccitiello said that there were four rules for success in the mobile games market. The first is that games always become the dominant area when a new device is released, whether it is a PC, tablet or smartphone. He expects the same to apply to internet-connected TVs in the future.

Published by: VR-Zone

tablet, or smartphone is something that is becoming increasingly important.

He compared the mobile platforms as a “peer” to the Wii, Xbox and PlayStation systems, a rare recognition of the potential of the mobile gaming industry that has boomed over the past few years. EA has already promised to invest $80 million in next-generation console games.

“Mobile games are not going to wipe out the console business,” Riccitiello said.

Apple and Foxconn to share costs of improving working conditions Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/apple-and-foxconn-to-share-costsof-improving-working-conditions/15833.html May 11th, 2012

Apple and Foxconn are to share the cost of improving working conditions at factories in China, Foxconn's CEO, Terry Gou, has revealed.

Apple and Foxconn are to share the cost of improving working conditions at factories in China, Foxconn's CEO, Terry Gou, has revealed.

"We've discovered that this (improving factory conditions) is not a cost. It is a competitive strength," said Gou, according to Reuters. "I believe Apple sees this as a competitive strength along with us, and so we will split the initial costs."

The second rule is that this is a “branded world,” where usually only games with demonstrated quality and brand recognition generate revenue. He dismissed the majority of games on mobile platforms as little more than “lunch boxes,” touting colourful graphics over a poor application. Of course, it is somewhat biased for one of the biggest brands in the world to say that branding is so important, when we all know that independent games have sprung up everywhere to great success.

It is not clear if this will be an equal split and what is included in the “initial costs,” but it shows that Apple takes this matter seriously and is willing to invest some of its money into the factories where its lucrative products, such as the iPhone and iPad, are made.

The third rule is that the platform wars won't mean replacing one with the other, but having several platforms exist simultaneously. This is the key to the console part, which Riccitiello believes can still compete with the mobile gaming industry, and that games will exist everywhere, on big and small screens, with no erosion of core business.

The fourth rule is that games and gamers are forming ecosystems, which will in future become more of a crossplatform and cross-device phenomenon. Having access to games, friends and achievements across a PC, console,

There have been numerous criticisms of the working conditions at these plants, following a spate of suicides in 13

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recent years. An investigation by the Fair Labour Association uncovered a number of labour law violations, including excessive overtime and poor living conditions.

Both Apple and Foxconn have pledged to address the issue, called by some Apple's “Nike moment,� a reference to the sweat shop allegations facing the shoe maker in the 1990s.

Foxconn has already increased wages for staff and plans to hire more workers to cut down on overtime. This has hurt its profits considerably, but if Apple is prepared to take some of the cost, Foxconn should still be able to reach its projected 10 percent revenue growth this year.

Controversial Carmageddon game seeks Kickstarter funding Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/controversial-carmageddon-gameseeks-kickstarter-funding/15832.html May 11th, 2012

The controversial pedestrian-killing game Carmageddon will make a return thanks to a Kickstarter project to raise $400,000.

The original game was released in 1997, but even before its debut there was staunch criticism of its extreme violence, with threats of a sales ban forcing the developer, Stainless Games, to replace running over pedestrians with the more acceptable running over zombies (perhaps the zombie community disagrees).

An uncensored version of the game was released a year later.

Since then we have had numerous similar games, including Grand Theft Auto, which caused similar controversy and even lawsuits for the alleged encouragement of crime amongst youths.

Carmageddon: Reincarnation is now being worked on by five of the original eight developers at Stainless Games. They

Published by: VR-Zone

already have a prototype up and running, with plenty of pedestrians running around.

Kickstarter has become a major asset to the independent games industry, opening the doors to more controversial or innovative titles. However, restrictions to US companies means that UK-based Stainless Games was forced to create a company in the US to pursue funding in this way.

Gamers who donate $1,000 to the project will be featured in the game. Even better, donators can choose who they want to be a pedestrian, so it may be time to get out the old grudge book. The project currently has over 4,500 backers and has raised over $160,000.

Twitter demeans recent info dump Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/twitter-demeans-recent-infodump/15824.html May 11th, 2012

Twitter responded to a recent massive dump of usernames and passwords, saying that many of them were duplicates or banned spam accounts.

Twitter responded to a recent massive dump of usernames and passwords, saying that many of them were duplicates or banned spam accounts.

On Monday, five files were uploaded to the text storage website Pastebin.com. These files stored over 55,000 username/password combinations of Twitter users. Only allowing 512 kb uploads, the website could not accept the massive dump of information in a single file.

Twitter spokeswoman Rachel Bremer said of the situation via email that "We are currently looking into the situation."

She also attempted to discredit the attempt as a whole, claiming that "It's worth noting that, so far, we've discovered that the list of alleged accounts and passwords found on 14

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Published by: VR-Zone

Pastebin consists of more than 20,000 duplicates, many spam accounts that have already been suspended, and many login credentials that do not appear to be linked (that is, the password and username are not actually associated with each other)."

"If you want to look at a macro level, there are a lot of similarities to everything in the market that's an Ultrabook today," Wolff told Engadget. "It is not because those guys (Apple) did it first. It's just that's where the form factor is leading it."

Public sentiment towards the situation is not friendly.

Users entrust a good deal of personal information to social networking websites, believing that the information will be guarded with security and care. However, it is possible that the information was not obtained via an exploit or security flaw, but through phishing attacks. In that case, the blame would not fall to Twitter, but on users careless enough with their information to use fake “bugged” versions of the Twitter website.

“Apple may like to think they own silver, but they don't," Wolff said. "In no way did HP try to mimic Apple. In life there are a lot of similarities."

Although no less than 58,978 accounts were uploaded to Pastebin, the actual percentage of violated users is quite low.

If Twitter's claim to 140 million active users is accurate, then the number of accounts on Pastebin constitutes approximately 0.04% of Twitter's active user base.

HP's Steve Wolff dismisses claims of imitation - says Apple doesn't own silver Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/hp-s-steve-wolff-dismisses-claimsof-imitation--says-apple-doesn-t-own-silver/15825.html May 11th, 2012

This statement, explaining the apparent similarities between the two products, could also be seen as a humorous slander of the so called "patent wars", which is often viewed as a trifling back and forth in lawsuits between Apple and other tech corporations, disputing design similarities.

Besides dismissing allegations of imitation, Wolff also went on to highlight differences between the Spectre XT and the MacBook Air, pointing out the XT's rubber coated bottom, magnesium chassis, it's brush pattern, and use of Beats Audio.

There are only so many usable laptop designs, and even fewer that really standout. In the future, laptops may become more and more visually generic, just like cars and television sets.

HP's Envy Sleekbooks and Ultrabook's announced, not as small as the names suggest Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/hp-s-envy-sleekbooks-andultrabook-s-announced-not-as-small-as-the-names-suggest/15829.html May 11th, 2012

HP executive Steve Wolff responded to a question about the Envy Spectre XT laptop's uncanny similarity to the MacBook Air, saying that Apple does not own silver.

HP executive Steve Wolff responded to a question about the Envy Spectre XT laptop's similarity to the MacBook Air, saying that Apple does not own silver.

The Envy Spectre XT Ultrabook by Hewlett-Packard has been compared to Apple's MacBook Air in its look and design. Steve Wolff, HP's vice president of Industrial Design explained that these similarities are not due to imitation, but are simply necessitated by the path of technology.

In addition to the Envy Spectre XT, HP also announced an additional four Envy notebooks, the 14 and 15.6-inch Envy Sleekbooks and the Envy Ultrabooks. The main difference is that the Ultrabooks will be Intel only, whereas the Sleekbooks will feature Intel and AMD processors, with the Sleekbooks having a lower starting price.

In addition to the Envy Spectre XT, HP also announced an additional four Envy notebooks, the 14 and 15.6-inch Envy Sleekbooks and the Envy Ultrabooks. The main difference is that the Ultrabooks will be Intel only, whereas the Sleekbooks will feature Intel and AMD processors, with the Sleekbooks having a lower starting price.

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Published by: VR-Zone

The 14-inch models weight in at 1.81kg and all models are apparently 19.8mm at their thinnest point. HP claims up to 8h of battery life for the 14-inch models and up to 9h battery life on the 15.6-inch models. The Intel equipped Ultrbooks also supports Intel’s Rapid Start, Smart Response and Smart Connect technologies.

For whatever reason HP figured it was a good idea to offer its new Envy models with the current generation of Intel ULV processors, rather than wait for early June when Intel’s Ivy Bridge ULV processors become available. As such, both the Sleekbooks and Ultrabooks are available as of right now in the US, although the 15.6-inch Sleekbook won’t arrive until late June, as it’ll feature a second generation APU from AMD.

Common features include a standard screen resolution of a mediocre 1366x768, the aforementioned CPU options, 4GB of DDR3 1600MHz memory, hard drives in the Sleekbooks and hard drives with 32GB mSATA SSD’s for caching in the Ultrabooks, 802.11/a/b/g/n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Gigabit Ethernet, USB 3.0, USB 2.0, HDMI and an SD card reader.

All models will also sport beats branded speakers and an HD webcam. HP will also offer an optional discrete AMD Radeon HD 7670M GPU with 2GB of dedicated graphcis memory with some of the SKUs.

Price wise the 15.6-inch Sleekbook will be the cheapest model with a starting price of US$599.99 (S$750), followed by its 14-inch sibling at US$699.99 (S$875), the 14-inch Ultrabook at US$749.99 (S$940) and finally the 15.6-inch Ultrabook at US$799.99 (S$1,000). All models will come in the two tone black/red colours you see in the pictures, as well as a brushed metal and black finish for a US$25 price premium. In the US it appears that the 14-inch Sleekbook will be known as the Envy 4t series and the 15.6-inch Ultrabook will be known as the Envy 6t series.

Sony Mobile launches its first LTE smartphones, only in Japan for now Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/sony-mobile-launches-its-first-ltesmartphones-only-in-japan-for-now/15828.html May 11th, 2012

Parting with Ericsson seems to have been a good move by Sony, as so far this year we've seen a big increase in new devices from Sony Mobile and the company has announced its first two LTE equipped handsets, although for the time being they remain exclusive to the Japanese market. The Xperia GX and Xperia SX is the name of the two new Android smartphones which seems to use slightly older Xperia designs.

Parting with Ericsson seems to have been a good move by Sony, as so far this year we've seen a big increase in new devices from Sony Mobile and the company has announced its first two LTE equipped handsets, although for the time being they remain exclusive to the Japanese market. The Xperia GX and Xperia SX is the name of the two new Android smartphones which seems to use slightly older Xperia designs.

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The Xperia GX seems to share its basic curved design with the Xperia Arc, although the front and rear are clearly different, but seems to have a little bit in common with the Xperia S. Feature wise we're looking at a huge 4.6inch 720p display, a dual core 1.5GHz SoC – presumably from Qualcomm – 16GB of flash memory and a 13Megapixel camera.

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HP's new Envy Spectre XT almost impresses Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/hp-s-new-envy-spectre-xt-almostimpresses/15827.html May 11th, 2012

Apparently HP didn't get Microsoft or Intel's memos about screen on premium notebooks/Ultrabooks being increased, as its new Envy Spectre XT ticks pretty much every other check box when it comes to being a premium Ultrabook.

HP's new addition to its Envy Spectre range is by all means a nice looking notebook and the company has even managed to reduce the weight by a fair amount compared to the original Envy Spectre, yet it's not quite there.

The smaller Xperia SX sports a 3.7-inch screen of unknown resolution, the same dual core 1.5GHz SoC, 8GB of flash memory, an 8Megapixel camera, IrDA, mobile wallet and mobile TV –using the Japanese One-Seg standard. The Xperia SX weighs in at a mere 95g which apparently makes it the world's lightest LTE handset.

Common features between the two models include Android 4.0, LTE download speeds of up to 75Mbps, Exmor R camera sensors, HDMI output, DLNA support and the ability to control the phones via the TV remote when connected to a compatible Sony TV. Both models will be available in both black and white and should launch in Japan sometime this summer.

Apparently HP didn't get Microsoft or Intel's memos about screen on premium notebooks/Ultrabooks being increased, as its new Envy Spectre XT ticks pretty much every other check box when it comes to being a premium Ultrabook.

HP's new addition to its Envy Spectre range is by all means a nice looking notebook and the company has even managed to reduce the weight by a fair amount compared to the original Envy Spectre, yet it's not quite there.

The 14-inch Envy Spectre came in at a less than impressive 1.81kg and although it somehow still passed as an Ultrabook.

HP seems to have taken some of the criticism to heart with the Envy Spectre XT as the company has gotten the weight down to just over 1.39kg, although it also has a smaller 13.3-inch display. Despite this, the Spectre XT is only 11mm narrower than the Spectre, while being 2.5mm deeper, but HP has also managed to shave 2.5mm of its height making it a mere 17.5mm thick.

Feature wise HP has as yet to reveal the exact CPU options, but we're making the assumption here that we're looking at a Core i5 or i7 ULV CPU here and it will of course have an Ivy Bridge chip. The base configuration will come with 4GB of DDR3 1600MHz memory and a 128GB mSATA SSD, although a 256GB option will also be available.

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Samsung readying more affordable MHL equipped displays Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/samsung-readying-more-affordablemhl-equipped-displays/15826.html May 11th, 2012

HP is also kitting out the Spectre XT with 802.11a/b/g/n Wi-Fi with WiDi support, Bluetooth of some kind, a Gigabit Ethernet port, an HDMI port, a USB 3.0 port, a USB 2.0 port, a memory card reader, a combined headphone/mic jack and an HD webcam. You also get a backlit keyboard and what HP calls an "Imagepad" or trackpad to the rest of us – although HP is using the kind that has no physical buttons – and let's not forget the four Beats branded speakers.

The USB-IF might not approve of the MHL standard, but it isn't stopping mobile handset markers from using the standard. One limitation so far though is that you need to use a dongle to connect your phone or tablet to a display of some kind, but this might soon be another accessory we won't need, as more and more displays with MHL support is launching and Samsung has added two new, more affordable models to its line-up.

The USB-IF might not approve of the MHL standard, but it isn't stopping mobile handset markers from using the standard. One limitation so far though is that you need to use a dongle to connect your phone or tablet to a display of some kind, but this might soon be another accessory we won't need, as more and more displays with MHL support is launching and Samsung has added two new, more affordable models to its line-up.

Samsung's first display with MHL support was the S27B750V which is a comparably expensive 27-inch full HD display, although in this case you're also paying a pretty penny for the design which is rather unusual, if not to everyone's taste. The new models on the other hand might lack some of the design flair, but they'll save you a bit of money. First up is the S27B550V which is yet another full HD 27-inch model and it's followed by its smaller 23-inch sibling, the S23B550V which also sports a full HD panel.

The design of the Spectre XT is appealing and so is the 8h of claimed battery life and HP even has a decent software bundle with a copy of both Adobe Photoshop Elements and Premiere Elements included. Sadly all of this is for naught thanks to the horrible 1366x768 display, we really don't understand what HP was thinking here and it's not as if there's a shortage of 13.3-inch 1600x900 displays if the company didn't want to go all the way to 1920x1080 or beyond. It's sad when a big company like HP misses the goal by such huge margin on what is a premium product. Admittedly the US$999.99 (S$1,250) starting price is actually quite good for the Spectre XT when it arrives on June 8th, but we can only hope that HP will offer a display upgrade by then.

The S27B550V has been on sale in the US for a little while, but the S23B550V has only just launched and both models are still generally not available in other markets.

Beyond the resolution, common features between the two models include a 2ms GTG response time, a static contrast ratio of 3000:1, two HDMI inputs, a D-sub input, a pair of audio jacks for audio in and out and a pair of 5W speakers. The S23B550V features a brightness of 250cd/ m2 and a 40W power consumption whereas the S27B550V

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features a 300cd/m2 brightness and a slightly higher power consumption of 50W. Price wise the S23B550V can be had for around US$200 (S $250) with the S27B550V coming in at twice that at around US$400 (S$500). It's worth nothing that although both models support MHL input via one of the HDMI ports, we have yet to see a micro USB to MHL cable, but with support for MHL arriving in more and more TV's as well as computer monitors we'd expect these to arrive in the coming months, unless the USB-IF or the HDMI group throws a spanner in the wheel, which has happened before, hence why HDMI to DisplayPort cables are anything but common.

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VR-Zone.com | Tech News for the Geeks!

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

• Native Command Queuing (NCQ) - Up to 32 commands • ECC Recovery: Up to 55 bits correctable per 512-byte sector (BCH) • Sequential Read & Write Transfer: 550MB/s read | 520MB/s Write

Patriot Pyro SE 120GB SSD Review

• Max Random Write IOPS: Up to 85,000 (4K aligned) • O/S Support: Windows® XP / Vista / 7 / Mac® OS / Linux

Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/patriot-pyro-se-120gb-ssdreview/15889.html May 16th, 2012

Facebook increases IPO size by 25 percent Patriot Memory is one of the leading US based RAM and SSD manufacturers. Today we are going to have a look at their fastest consumer SSD drive, the Pyro SE. The Pyro SE 120GB drive is a Sandforce SF-2281 based SSD, boasting speeds up to 550MB/s read and 520MB/s write. How does it compare against other popular drives already out in the market? We will find out in this review.

Patriot Memory is one of the leading US based RAM and SSD manufacturers. Today we are going to have a look at their fastest consumer SSD drive, the Pyro SE. The Pyro SE 120GB drive is a Sandforce SF-2281 based SSD, boasting speeds up to 550MB/s read and 520MB/s write. How does it compare against other popular drives already out in the market? We will find out in this review.

• SandForce SF-2200 series SSD processor paired with qualified MLC NAND flash for best performance, value and reliability • SATA 6Gb/s, 3Gb/s and 1.5Gb/s • TRIM support (O/S dependent) • DuraClass™ technology • DuraWrite™ extends the endurance of SSDs • Intelligent Block Management and Wear Leveling

Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/facebook-increases-ipo-size-by-25percent/15888.html May 16th, 2012

Facebook has added nearly 25 percent to its initial public offering (IPO), which could raise funds of up to a whopping $16 billion, much more than originally expected.

Facebook has added nearly 25 percent to its initial public offering (IPO), which could raise funds of up to a whopping $16 billion, much more than originally expected.

Strong demand by investors encouraged the world's dominant social network to increase the amount of shares on offer when it goes public on Thursday.

A total of 421 million shares are expected to go on sale, 84 million more than planned, and even this huge number might not be enough to meet demand. These additional shares will be sold by early investors, rather than the company itself.

• Intelligent Read Disturb Management • Intelligent "Recycling" for advance management (Garbage Collection)

free

space

• RAISE™ (Redundant Array of Independent Silicon Elements) • Intelligent Data Retention optimization • Best-in-class ECC protection for longest data retention and drive life.

• Power/Performance Balancing • Thermal Threshold Management

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Despite the public ownership of a good chunk of the company, Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg will retain voting power of 55.8 percent, giving him a small majority control. His percentage was originally expected to be 57.3 percent.

Initial estimates for Facebook's IPO were around $10.6 billion, with a liberal estimate of $13.6 billion if investors went mad for Facebook shares. It looks like the frenzy to grab a slice of the social network's pie has gone well beyond that, however, with the company more likely to bring in $16 billion. In contrast, search giant Google only pulled in around $2 billion with its IPO in 2004.

German TV maker Loewe denies Apple acquisition rumours Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/german-tv-maker-loewe-deniesapple-acquisition-rumours/15887.html May 16th, 2012

AppleInsider claimed exclusive news of the alleged takeover deal, suggesting that Loewe's financial advisor strongly encouraged acceptance of the terms, a decision on which was reportedly due on 18 May. Since then, Rainer Hecker, chairman of Loewe's board of directors, told shareholders that there had been “no contact” between the two companies.

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A company spokesperson further emphasised the lack of veracity to the claims, stating that there is “absolutely nothing to it” when it comes to the rumoured takeover.

The speculation of Apple acquisitions within the TV market make sense with the widespread belief that the company is planning to launch its own TV set, dubbed iTV, but as far as Loewe is concerned, there is clearly no merit to the rumours.

Google patents Project Glass augmented reality glasses Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/google-patents-project-glassaugmented-reality-glasses/15886.html May 16th, 2012

Google has patented its Project Glass augmented reality technology, which marks a further step in bringing the idea to reality.

Google has patented its Project Glass augmented reality technology, which marks a further step in bringing the idea to reality.

The search giant filed three patents, numbered D659,739, D659,740 and D659,741, for a “wearable display device” and a “wearable display device frame,” showing several versions of augmented reality glasses, some that have lens and others that are just a frame.

The science-fiction like technology was demonstrated in a video last month, spreading like wildfire across the internet as consumers rooted for what could become the next big thing since smartphones and tablet computers.

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Interestingly the patents were filed on 26 October of last year and were granted yesterday, suggesting the company has been working on this idea for some time. Others like Valve and the US military are toying with similar technology, but Google's securing of patents could give it a major advantage against the competition.

The technology is being researched at the company's Google X laboratory and prototypes are being tested

by Google's executives, including Sergey Brin and Vic Gundotra, showing support for the technology coming from the very top, which is a good sign for the likelihood that we might see Project Glass on store shelves in the future.

If you are wondering what NVIDIA did pack in the 7.1 billion transistors, the answers are as follows: • 2880 CUDA Cores • 15 SMX Clusters • 384-bit Memory Controller • Up to 24GB of GDDR5 memory • 2nd Gen ECC

NVIDIA's Monster GPU for Tesla K20, 2013 GeForce and Quadro Cards Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/nvidia-s-monster-gpu-for-teslak20-2013-geforce-and-quadro-cards/15884.html May 16th, 2012

• Hardware GPU Silicon Virtualization • Hyper-Q (Slashes CPU idle time by allowing multiple CPU cores to simultaneously utilize a single Kepler GPU, dramatically advancing programmability and efficiency) • Dynamic Parallelism (Simplifies GPU programming by allowing programmers to easily accelerate all parallel nested loops – resulting in a GPU dynamically spawning new threads on its own without going back to the CPU) • 50-85% Double Precision Rate to Single Precision • At least 1.5 TFLOPS DP FP64 • Target: 250 GB/s bandwidth

During the GTC 2012 opening keynote, NVIDIA announced two Tesla cards, K10 and the K20. While the K10 is effectively a 8GB Tesla-version of the GeForce GTX 690, the K20 brings the monster silicon - 7.1 billion transistors.

The long awaited Kepler GK110 made a public appearance during yesterday's GTC 2012 opening keynote, arriving to the world stage in the form of NVIDIA Tesla K20 GPU Computing card, a DP-FP GPGPU beast. Curiously the actual availability is pushed all the way to Q4 2012, in time for the actual debut at SC’12 in Salt Lake City . The unpublished goal is to have a Tesla card sit on top of Top 500 list of world’s most powerful supercomputers with upgraded Jaguar, i.e.

Titan at Oak Ridge National Laboratories (ORNL). Given that there will be around 15,000 Tesla K20s in the system, that is one heck of a competitor for the crown.

The reason for the wait until the fourth quarter does not lie with the company, though. The one spec remaining was the amount of memory that Tesla K20 will have, and the answer is not the easy one; amount of memory. Currently, NVIDIA has access to 6GB and 12GB memory (up to 24 chips per board), but there are developments that might double the amount of memory in a single chip. Given that Tesla is a part with 70% gross margin, there is plenty of space for NVIDIA to even order a small quantity and pay the associated premium of high-density 8Gbit (1GByte) GDDR5 memory chips.

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The K20 is not the only GK110 based Tesla, though.

We’ve learned that the company will offer more affordable products as well, most likely with 1-4 SMX cores disabled, i.e. 192-768 CUDA cores might end up disabled from lesser ASICs. GK110 will not appear in Quadro or GeForce products this year. It is expected that NVIDIA will fight AMD’s new Graphics Core Next based FirePro at SIGGRAPH 2012 (early August 2012), with GK107 and GK104 based parts, while professionals will probably have to wait for GK110based Quadro until April 2013 (NAB 2013). GeForce gamers should get their hands on GeForce GTX 700 Series sooner, though. Did we just mention GTX 780? Dang...

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The new PROLiNK PRO1301WE is a USB-powered LED monitor that features a slim 8mm frame with glossy black exterior, and is one of the slimmest and lightest LED monitors available in the market, weighing a mere 654g. You can mount on your laptop or view the display horizontally or vertically on a separate stand. It can be folded against the back of the laptop and is also very convenient to store away, making it extremely ideal for mobile road warrior.

PROLiNK WNR1012 4G Wireless-N MIMO AP/Router

PROLiNK to launch 13.3-inch USB monitor and 4G wirelessN MIMO AP router at PC Show 2012 Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/prolink-to-launch-13.3inch-usb-monitor-and-4g-wireless-n-mimo-ap-router-at-pcshow-2012/15883.html May 16th, 2012

PC Show, the mid-year IT and consumer electronics trade fair will be held at the Suntec Convention Centre from 7 to 10 June. And PROLiNK will be launching their new portable USB-powered 13.3-inch LED monitor, and 4G Wireless-N MIMO AP/router at their booth.

PROLiNK PRO1301WE LED monitor

The PROLiNK WNR1012 incorporates various features including wireless access point, universal repeater, 3G/4G and network-attached storage. It boasts up to 300Mbps data transfer speeds and users can also remote access to their secure private networks by plugging in a 3G USB dongle, as well as file sharing with multiple users. On top of that, setting up the router is a breeze with the WNR1012's new setup wizard.

The PROLiNK PRO1301WE 13.3-inch LED monitor and WNR1012 4G Wireless-N MIMO AP/router will be at PROLiNK's booth (A2061) at the PC Show 2012 from 7 to 10 June, retailing at S$229 and S$59 respectively.

Sony Singapore launches Android-powered Walkman Z series Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/sony-singapore-launches-androidpowered-walkman-z-series/15880.html

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Z1050 comes in 16GB capacity and will retail at S$429 in Sony Stores and authorized outlets this month.

Sony Singapore has launched their Walkman Z series mobile entertainment player which claims to be the first to be powered by Google Android. It will be available at all Sony stores and authorized outlets this month.

Nvidia launches three new GeForce 600 GPUs for desktops Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/nvidia-launches-three-newgeforce-600-gpus-for-desktops/15882.html May 16th, 2012

The plot thickens, as Nvidia and its partners have announced no less than three new budget GPUs in the 600-series, or have they? Judging by the specifications, we're in fact not looking at new GPUs here at all, but once again re-branded GPUs from yester year.

The Sony Walkman NWZ-Z1050 series features five Clear Audio Technologies - S-Master MX, Clear Bass, Clear Stereo, DSEE (Digital Sound Enhancement Engine) and EX headphones to provide portable and quality audio experience from Sony Walkman. Powered by 1GHz Nvidia Tegra 2 dual-core processor and running Google Android 2.3.4 Gingerbread operating system, the Sony Walkman NWZ-Z1050 sports a 4.3-inch anti-reflective touchscreen and comes with xLOUD speaker system that can provide high level of clear sound reproduction from its integrated speaker. The mobile entertainment player has a W.BUTTON that lets you explore your music collection intuitively and enjoy the onscreen visualizations while the music plays. It will also automatically sort your music collection from 14 mood-themed channels, based on your mood and time of the day.

The plot thickens, as Nvidia and its partners have announced no less than three new budget GPUs in the 600-series, or have they? Judging by the specifications, we're in fact not looking at new GPUs here at all, but once again re-branded GPUs from yester year.

The three “"new" GPUs are the GeForce GT 610, GT 620 and GT 630 which appear to be the rebranded versions of the GeForce GT 520, GT 430 and GT 440 respectively. The dead giveaway that we're not looking at new GPUs here is the PCI Express 2.0 interface, as Kepler has native PCI Express 3.0 support. We're not even going to bother listing the specs here, as nothing has changed in terms of clock speeds or rated performance.

Aside from music playback, you can share and connect to other DLNA-enabled devices, as well as access and download from over 450,000 apps from Google Play (Android Market). On top of that, you can also display your videos. photos and games on your TV via the micro HDMI connector, or wirelessly via Bluetooth to compatible speakers, headphones and hi-fi systems. The Sony Walkman 5

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Published by: VR-Zone

and mouse, although a USB hub would still be required.

The internals remain the same as far as we're aware, namely a dual core Cortex-A9 ARM SoC with ARM Mali-400MP graphics, 1GB of RAM, 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.

Nvidia has made some minor changes to its reference PCB pictures though in case of the GT 620 which is sporting a different cooler than the GT 430, but that's about as much as the company has bothered with these products. What's even more disappointing is that the OEM GT 630 card is based on an actual Kepler chip, so why the retail cards will use an antiquated chip is anyone's guess. Apparently Nvidia has more love for its OEM customers than consumers who buy cheap card to upgrade their PCs with.

We also spotted an interesting change on Nvidia's website.

Rather than having GeForce as a product category as it has been in the past, Nvidia is now listing it as a sub category under "Processors" alongside its Quadro, Tegra and Tesla products. Admittedly GPU stands for Graphics Processor Unit, but it's a confusing change none the less.

In one end of the device is an HDMI port which allows the Cotton Candy to be attached directly to a display, be it a computer screen or a TV and in the other end is a USB port which allows it to be plugged into a computer and acting as a separate system while being able to take advantage of the keyboard and mouse/touchpad. By default it'll ship with Android 4.0 as mentioned above, but a copy of Ubuntu Linux will also be an option.

It's not all good news though, as apparently FXI has no intention of accepting any further orders and the current lot are simply sold as development devices. The company is looking for a partner to work with to try and sell the devices into retail. As far as the pre-orders are concerned, FXI has started to contact those that pre-ordered from Scandinavia first with Europe being second on the list and the rest of the world potentially not getting their units until later in the summer.

FXI almost ready to ship the Cotton Candy computer on a USB stick Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/fxi-almost-ready-to-ship-the-cottoncandy-computer-on-a-usb-stick/15881.html May 16th, 2012

It's been over six months since we last reported about FXI's Cotton Candy "computer on a USB stick" and although the hardware remains mostly the same, the company has spruced up the product design in time for the launch. The company is in fact shipping its first pre-order units as of now and if you placed an order for a Cotton Candy, then you'll be glad to know that the final units are shipping With Android 4.0.

It's been over six months since we last reported about FXI's Cotton Candy "computer on a USB stick" and although the hardware remains mostly the same, the company has spruced up the product design in time for the launch. The company is in fact shipping its first pre-order units as of now and if you placed an order for a Cotton Candy, then you'll be glad to know that the final units are shipping With Android 4.0.

The Cotton Candy is an interesting device, but we're not sure if there's a big enough market for it outside of the developer/ hobby community. It has some appeal, but as to why you'd want to bring it with you over a notebook on your business trip is beyond us, as you couldn't use it in the airport for one and not all hotels allow you to plug in HDMI devices to their TV's and you'd still have to carry a keyboard and a mouse with you. It's possible we're missing the point here, but as a smart TV upgrade for a "dumb" TV, it might not be such a bad fit, as long as it handles most media formats, which it ought to.

Netgear first with USB 802.11ac Wi-Fi adapter, also announces second router Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/netgear-first-with-usb-802.11ac-wifi-adapter-also-announces-second-router/15879.html May 16th, 2012

The biggest change is the actual design of the device itself which is now made out of white plastic. At the rear the microSD card slot has been joined by a micro USB port which should make it easier to add thinks like a wired keyboard 6

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Buffalo beat Netgear to retail by two days with its 802.11ac router, as by the time you're reading this, Netgear's R6300 802.11ac router should be available in retail, well, at least as long as you live in the US. Not content having one 802.11ac router, Netgear has also announced a second router, as well as – and much more importantly – a USB 802.11ac Wi-Fi adapter.

Buffalo beat Netgear to retail by two days with its 802.11ac router, as by the time you're reading this, Netgear's R6300 802.11ac router should be available in retail, well, at least as long as you live in the US. Not content having one 802.11ac router, Netgear has also announced a second router, as well as – and much more importantly – a USB 802.11ac Wi-Fi adapter.

The new router, dubbed the R6200 is as you might've gathered from the model name, the R6300's little brother.

Netgear has castrated it on both the 2.4GHz and 5GHz as this is a 2x2 MIMO router, rather than a 3x3 MIMO router and as such it's limited to 300Mbps and 867Mbps respectively. You do at least still get Gigabit Ethernet, but this time around you only get a single USB 2.0 port. These are the only differences we can see based on the very limited specifications provided

by Netgear and as such you do at least still get 128MB of RAM and flash memory.

As for pricing and availability, well, as we mentioned, the R6300 is available as of right now for the previously announced price of US$199.99 (S$250), with the R6200 and A6200 arriving later this month for US$179.99 (S$230) and US$69.99 (S$90) respectively.

App devs notice iOS 6 hits in analytics software Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/app-devs-notice-ios-6-hits-inanalytics-software/15878.html May 16th, 2012

iOS application developers are spotting devices running iOS 6 in application usage logs. iOS 6 is the next incarnation of the iOS software used in Apple’s iPhone, iPad and iPod touch. This update is highly anticipated, due the addition of new software features, including a new Maps application with a 3D option.

9to5mac reports that developers running analytics software are beginning to notice users running versions of iOS 6.

Analytics software let developers keep track of who is using their applications. This information includes the version of iOS that said users were running.

The USB adapter is called the A6200 and if your quick deduction skills have lead you to think that this is also a 300/867Mbps device, then you'd be correct. One major issue here is that the Broadcom chip used is limited to USB 2.0 speeds of 480Mbps, so it'll be interesting to see how the A6200 performs in an 802.11ac Wi-Fi environment, as worst case scenario, the USB 2.0 bus is a bottle neck here. That said, taking network overheads into account, the USB 2.0 bus might not be an actual issue. At least Netgear added a swivel port on the adapter which allows you to position it horizontally and vertically.

Image courtesy of 9to5mac While most hits began appearing sometime in the past week, some developers reported hits as early as late April. Several versions of iOS6 have been going around the Apple campus.

This indicates that the software is likely going to be released soon, presumably during June’s World Wide Developers Conference.

There is always excitement when Apple prepares to update its software, especially that of mobile devices. So many 7

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people actually own Apple devices, which are getting improved on every year. While there will surely be much to rejoice about in iOS6, users should not expect the addition of Android-like widgets and major home screen changes. While hackers will always have their way with the software, the official UI style of iOS has stayed very consistent throughout its history, and isn’t likely to change any time soon.

On the 14th, The Wall Street Journal revealed that Apple will also be revealing updates to the iCloud service at this year’s WWDC. New features will include sharing and commenting features on photos, and video syncing capabilities.

Google Chrome introducing cross-device 'Tab Sync' Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/google-chrome-introducing-crossdevice-tab-sync-/15877.html May 16th, 2012

The Google Chrome browser for PCs, tablets and cell phones is getting an update to save user tabs across multiple devices.

The Google Chrome browser for PCs, tablets and cell phones is getting an update to save user tabs across multiple devices.

It’s a cloud-like feature which saves your opened tabs into your Google account, where they can be accessed and opened in Chrome across multiple platforms. This means you can go from a recipe viewing session on your PC to your cell phone, keeping the exact same website tabs. The feature will also save browsing history, so users can even go back to pages they had previously browsed before.

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to Chrome also syncs your bookmarks, apps, extensions, history, themes, and other settings.” The functionality, while available in today’s stable release of Chrome, will be gradually released over the next few weeks.

It is clear that cloud functionality is the future of computing.

People frequently own more than one computing device.

Desktops, laptops, tablets and cell phones can make work cluttered and decentralized. The kind of functionality that Google is implementing will help bring a user’s digital life together, staying focused, organized and efficient.

Facebook app redesigned imitates Instagram Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/facebook-app-redesigned--imitatesinstagram/15870.html May 16th, 2012

Facebook's mobile applications for Android and iOS have been modified, so that timeline pictures now appear three times larger than before.

Facebook's mobile website, and applications for Android and iOS have been modified, so that timeline pictures now appear three times larger than before.

Facebook recently announced it's decision to acquire Instagram for $1 billion. This transaction has not been made official by the Federal Trade Commission. Nevertheless, it seems that Facebook is already imitating the popular picture sharing application.

Up until now, users scrolling through the Facebook application saw pictures in their newsfeed as thumbnails.

To view these pictures in fullscreen, the thumbnails needed to be tapped, and the image loaded in a new window. This arduous process made the application far less streamlined, and difficult to use.

“If you’ve got Chrome for Android Beta,” says the Google Chrome blog, “you can open the same recipe tab right on your phone when you run out to the store for more ingredients. The back and forward buttons will even work, so you can pick up browsing right where you left off.”

Now that the mobile website and app has been updated on both the Android and iOS platform, there is no need to open a new window to view pictures. Pictures can be seen in the actual newsfeed, 3x bigger than in the previous application.

Browser tabs let people view multiple pages in the same browser. In a normal viewing session, a user might open many different tabs while working on a project. This lets people easily do multiple tasks at once, or research multiple sites on the same topic.

Right now, mobile Chrome is only available for Android users. But Google is currently coding a version for iOS as well. The versatility offered by this functionality will be useful for people working in various situations. Being able to go from a computer to a cell phone grants flexibility to work in multiple environments.

Additionally, Google explains, “Open tabs aren’t the only things that sync when you sign in to Chrome. Signing in 8

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However, Computing News also erroneously implied that Apple had actually reached out to Kaspersky labs for a security analysis of Mac OS. However, Kaspersky later explained that this news was based on information taken out of context.

Instead, the Russian security company independently performed the analysis of Mac OS, revealing that the software has not been taking security much too seriously.

"As Mac OS X market share continues to increase, we expect cyber-criminals to continue to develop new types of malware and attack methods. In order to meet these new threats, Kaspersky Lab has been conducting an in-depth analysis of Mac OS X vulnerabilities and new forms of malware." said Grebennikov in a statement. "This security analysis of Mac OS X was conducted independently of Apple; however, Apple is open to collaborating with us regarding new Mac OS X vulnerabilities and malware that we identify during our analysis."

Newcomers to the Facebook application may not understand what a relief this will be to users. However, good app desginers know that detail is everything. Little things are frequently the difference between a good app, and a bad app.

With mobile devices becoming the key way that American users interact with Facebook, it is important that the company maintain the application and keep it easy to use.

Mac OS X is 'really vulnerable', says Kaspersky Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/mac-os-x-is-really-vulnerable--sayskaspersky/15866.html May 16th, 2012

This news follows the recent outbreak of the now infamous 'Flashback', a Macintosh trojan horse. This trojan was able to infect hundreds of thousands of Mac computers, thanks to a vulnerability in Java. This vulnerability has now been patched, but it began a concern for whether Macintosh computers are truly secure.

In the past, Macs have been the go-to computers for security, due to their lack of viruses, malware and trojans. But many researchers argue that this has been largely due to Macs’ previously lower market share, rather than a particularly difficult-to-breach operating system.

"Market share brings attacker motivation," said Kaspersky in April. "Expect more drive-by downloads, more Mac OS X mass-malware. Expect cross-platform exploit kits with Macspecific exploits."

Zynga buys mobile gaming startup Wild Needle Following an investigation into the security and vulnerability of Mac OS, Kaspersky's CTO Nikolay Grebennikov explained that "Mac OS is really vulnerable."

Following an investigation into the security and vulnerability of Mac OS, Kaspersky's CTO Nikolay Grebennikov explained that "Mac OS is really vulnerable."

Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/zynga-buys-mobile-gaming-startupwild-needle/15876.html May 16th, 2012

Social gaming firm Zynga has bought mobile games company Wild Needle in efforts to boost its game development talent.

The gaming startup launched in 2010 and secured funding of $2.5 million from Thompson and Shasta Ventures. It is not yet clear how much Zynga paid to acquire the team, but it is likely in the lower end of the company's spending range, estimated at between $5 million and $20 million.

Wild Needle developed Shoptown Hero for iOS, a freemium social game that tasks players to save a small town from a tycoon called Fat Ralph using virtual store goods and customer negotiation, a nice little twist that is probably a homage to the new-found haggling power introduced with the global recession.

"Our first investigations show Apple doesn't pay enough attention to security. For example, Oracle closed a vulnerability in Java, which was a target for a major botnet several months ago." Grebennikov told Computing News.

However, the game did not really take off, with less than 100 likes on its Facebook page. It was discontinued at the end of 9

May 16th, 2012

last month, with no explanation for the reasons why, though obviously it was due to the Zynga deal. The website for the game and the studio itself have also been taken offline.

It is not yet clear if Zynga will relaunch Wild Needle's game or if it will simply get the staff to work on its existing projects.

What is clear, however, is that this is unlikely to be the last acquisition Zynga will make this year in its efforts to dominate the social gaming arena.

Android continues to improve market share Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/android-continues-to-improvemarket-share/15875.html May 16th, 2012

Published by: VR-Zone

the lower market share of Symbian, which Nokia abandoned for Microsoft's platform, is taken into account.

The biggest loser in the smartphone battle is Research In Motion, the maker of the once popular BlackBerry. Last year its US market share was a healthy nine percent, but this year it has dropped to a measly three percent.

The continuing success of Android has been partly attributed to a slew of new smartphone models by Samsung and HTC, two of Google's main allies in the battle against Apple and smaller rivals.

Tablet website traffic grew 10 times faster than smartphones Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/tablet-website-traffic-grew-10-timesfaster-than-smartphones/15874.html May 16th, 2012

Google's mobile operating system Android is continuing to dominate the market with significant growth in market share in a number of the world's major markets.

Google's mobile operating system Android is continuing to dominate the market with significant growth in market share in a number of the world's major markets.

A report by Kantar WorldPanel revealed that in the first quarter of the year Android more than doubled its market share in Spain and Italy, with figures now at 72 percent and 49 percent respectively. It also almost doubled its share in Germany to 62 percent.

However, the US and UK were not as favourable, with Apple closing the market share gap thanks to strong demand for its iPhone 4S.

Global website traffic on tablet computers has grown ten times faster than that of smartphones, according to a report

by Adobe, which reveals the continuing strength of both mobile device markets.

Global website traffic on tablet computers has grown ten times faster than that of smartphones, according to a report

by Adobe, which reveals the continuing strength of both mobile device markets.

The report found that in the first two years since the introduction of tablets, the share of website visits grew approximately 10 times faster than the rate for smartphones.

Last year alone tablet traffic grew by more than a whopping 300 percent.

This phenomenal growth is expected to continue over the next few years, with tablets' share of website traffic exceeding that of smartphone traffic by early 2013. By 2014 tablet traffic will account for 10 percent of total website traffic.

Windows Phone has seen some growth too, more than doubling to six percent in Germany and reaching between three and four percent in France, Italy, the UK, and the US. These are not particularly exciting results, especially when 10

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Published by: VR-Zone

The study also gives some hope for those worried about the fate of PCs. While tablets are becoming more and more engaging, PCs are still used three times as frequently for visiting websites.

“As businesses rethink their digital experiences to include mobile strategies, tablets are emerging as the consumer device of choice,” said Brad Rencher, SVP and GM of Digital Marketing Business at Adobe. “Digital CMOs are wise to take a mobile first approach to optimize their digital content and marketing initiatives with a focus on the tablet experience because the consumer demands it.”

A previous study by Adobe released in January also showed that tablet users on average spent more per purchase than any other online consumer, which makes tapping into the tablet market a potentially highly lucrative area for businesses.

Image Credit: Adobe

Diablo III Officially Launches Today

VR-Zone was at Funan DigitaLife Mall around noon, and spotted a long queue that formed from inside to the outside of the complex. Gamers who have pre-ordered the Diablo III game will need to join the queue to collect their Standard Edition box set. Surprisingly, the queue was moving relatively fast and acording to Asiasoft, the gamers in line are being verified at the verification counter and then given a queue number; they will be free to leave the queue after. At 3pm, gamers will collect their box sets based on the range of queue numbers that are flashed on the number displays.

Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/diablo-iii-officially-launchestoday/15873.html May 16th, 2012

Diablo fans have waited 12 years for this day, as Blizzard officially launches the popular third-person dark fantasy action role-playing game. Asiasoft Corporation, the distributor for Blizzard in Southeast Asia, held the launch event at Funan DigitaLife Mall in Singapore at 3pm to coincide with the global launch time.

Seth Chan, a 24-year old clerk, was first in the pre-order queue since 6am yesterday morning and for being a hardcore 11

May 16th, 2012

Published by: VR-Zone

fan, he walks away with the Standard Edition of the game, as well as a Collector's Edition.

Also spotted at the event were ASUS showcasing Nvidia technology with their desktop system that is equipped with Rampage IV Extreme, ASUS GTX680 (reference) and GTX 680 DirectCu II Top, Intel Core i7-3820, CoolerMaster Hyper 412 Slim, Gskill DDR3-1600 CL9 16GB (4GB x4), OCZ Vertex 4 128GB, CoolerMaster Silent Pro M2 1500W PSU, and 3x VG278H 3D monitors; ROG CG8580 and CG8565 gaming desktop PCs; and Jinx gaming T-shirts that are retailing at S$32 at the event.

Needless to say, we expect to see cosplayers at such gaming event, like this female demon hunter with two crossbows - one of the five distinct classes in Diablo III. 3PM isn't just the official Diablo 3 launch time, but is also the official time that gamers can get on the game servers to play.

Unfortunately, up to the time of posting, we have heard from many players that they are experiencing an "Error #37" in terms of connecting to the servers. So if you are experiencing such problems, do try again later.

Oh, and if you have collected your pre-order and still at Funan DigitaLife Mall, you may want to stay for the lucky draw at 6.30pm and the grand lucky draw at 8.45pm where you stand a chance to walk away with exclusive game premiums like SteelSeries Diablo III gaming mice, headsets and mousepads.

AMD Trinity A10-4600M APU Review: Jumping the Shark?

Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/amd-trinity-a10-4600m-apu-reviewjumping-the-shark-/15830.html May 16th, 2012

AMD has gained considerable market share in the budget computing segment since last year's launch of the Llano APU, with "good enough" CPU performance balanced with entry discreet level graphics to boot. After the uncompetitive 12

May 16th, 2012

Published by: VR-Zone

showing of Bulldozer with their FX enthusiast chips and Opterons, followed by harrowing departures of historically key personnel, the remaining team went back to the drawing board and made a few tweaks to their 32nm BD core architecture. Their efforts resulted in Piledriver, which will debut with the 2012 Trinity Mobile APUs today and then feature in server and desktop product refreshes later this year. Is this the light at the end of the tunnel or just another epic facepalm for AMD? Introduction AMD's 2012 Consumer top to bottom VISION product positioning with FX CPUs for the enthusiasts, Trinity APUs for the mainstream and Brazos for the entry level.

The desktop APUs are still rated at 100W TDP like Llano models (not too surprising considering that they are both on the same manufacturing process), with 17W/25W/35W models for mobile variants. Operating frequencies are expected to be between 2.0-3.8GHz on the CPU and 424-800MHz on the GPU. FMA3 instruction set (which is the one adopted by Intel on the upcoming Haswell, instead of FMA4 first seen on Bulldozer) makes its debut here.

Improved scheduling, branch prediction and prefetcher also account for higher IPC than the Husky cores used in Llano.

Summary of Trinity APU improvements - now using "Piledriver" modules (2nd generation of Bulldozer, still the obtuse 2 integer/1 FP unit per module design), featuring DDR3-1866 memory support (1600 for notebook) and depending on SKU, up to 384 Radeon "Cores".

Technical Specifications and block diagram of the partitioning inside the die Integrated northbridge and memory controller

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Published by: VR-Zone

A10-4655M HD 4/2 7620G A6-4455M HD 2/1 7500G

3.2 / 2.3 GHz 2.8 / 1.9 GHz

25W

4MB

384

497 / 360 MHz

17W

2MB

256

424 / 327 MHz

Expect to see desktop Trinity APUs surfacing in the next quarter, with the chips using the new FM2 socket and motherboards.

The new Turbo Core 3.0 now balances power envelope of the CPU/GPU to fit within the TDP, dynamically throttling the clocks to fit the workload profile of the active running application. There is no indication on whether this is handled by hardware or software driver (ahem quack3.exe).

ASRock's Z77 Extreme9 gets official, priced Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/asrock-s-z77-extreme9-gets-officialpriced/15872.html May 16th, 2012

The first of the super-premium Z77 motherboards has arrived, ASRock's Z77 Extreme9 and it comes with a price to match. As loaded with features as this motherboard is, it looks like ASRock missed out on one must have feature for this segment – or at least so it appears – namely Thunderbolt.

These are the 32nm Trinity mobile SKUs that are officially announced today: AMD A-Series Mobile APUs (FS1r2 package, 35W TDP, DDR3-1600 support) Model GPU

CPU CPU L2 Cores / Clock Cache Modules (Max/ Base) A10-4600M HD 4/2 3.2 / 4MB 7660G 2.3 GHz A8-4500M HD 4/2 2.8 / 4MB 7640G 1.9 GHz A6-4400M HD 2/1 7520G

3.2 / 1MB 2.7 GHz

RadeonGPU Cores Clock (Max/ Base) 384 686 / 497 MHz 256 655 / 497 MHz 192 686 / 497 MHz

The first of the super-premium Z77 motherboards has arrived, ASRock's Z77 Extreme9 and it comes with a price to match. As loaded with features as this motherboard is, it looks like ASRock missed out on one must have feature for this segment – or at least so it appears – namely Thunderbolt.

Despite this little miss on ASRock's behalf, the Z77 Extreme9 is loaded to the brim with features and it defiantly one ups MSI's recently announced Z77A-GD80 and Intel's DZ77RE-75K, at least as long as you don't need/want Thunderbolt connectivity. That said, we're still waiting for Asus' P8Z77-V Premium and whatever Gigabyte is working on that'll slot in above the Z77X-UD5H.

AMD A-Series Mobile LV / ULV APUs (FP2 package, DDR3-1333 support) ModelGPU CPU CPU TDP Cores /Clock Modules (Max/ Base)

L2 Radeon GPU Cache Cores Clock (Max/ Base)

However, we're not here to talk about the competition right now, as it's time to take a closer look at the Z77 Extreme9. For 14

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starters, the board has no less than five x16 PCI Express 3.0 slots with the second slot being the main slot when a single card is being used. Thanks to a PCI Express bridge chip of some kind, the Z77 Extreme9 will also work in dual x6 or four x8 modes using slot one, three, five and seven, where one and three are used for dual x16 mode. The sixth x16 slot operates at PCI Express 2.0 speeds and offer four lanes of bandwidth.

There's also a single x1 PCI Express 2.0 slot and a mini PCI Express slot that houses a dual-band combo 802.11a/b/g/n Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.0 card.

The board also has the standard four SATA 3Gbps and two SATA 6Gbps ports via the chipset, but ASRock has added another four SATA 6Gbps ports via a pair of ASMedia ASM1061 controllers. The board also has headers for four front USB 3.0 ports via an Etron EJ188 host controller, six USB 2.0 ports, a FireWire port and a serial port of all things.

You also get features like a POST80 debug LED and a power and rest button.

Around the back of the board we have a PS/2 port, no less than eight USB 3.0 ports of which four are via a second Etron EJ188 host controller, two USB 2.0 ports, an eSATA port, a FireWire port, a pair if Gigabit Ethernet ports courtesy of a couple of Broadcom controllers, 7.1-channel audio with optical S/PDIF out, an HDMI port and a clear CMOS button.

Published by: VR-Zone May 16th, 2012

Well, that didn't take long; the first 802.11ac Wi-Fi products have hit retail courtesy of Japanese Buffalo Technology, so if you fancy getting some Gigabit plus speeds over the airwaves, you now can. That said, the company has only announced a router and a Wi-Fi bridge so far, so if you were hoping to get a USB dongle for your notebook, then you'll have to wait a bit longer still.

Well, that didn't take long; the first 802.11ac Wi-Fi products have hit retail courtesy of Japanese Buffalo Technology, so if you fancy getting some Gigabit plus speeds over the airwaves, you now can. That said, the company has only announced a router and a Wi-Fi bridge so far, so if you were hoping to get a USB dongle for your notebook, then you'll have to wait a bit longer still.

The two products are the AirStation WZR-D1800H router and the WLI-H4-D1300 wireless media bridge. Both products sport dual band 2.4GHz and 5GHz backwards compatibility, as well as 5GHz 802.11ac speeds of up to 1,300Mbps. Neither product looks anything like what Buffalo was showing at CES and CeBIT earlier this year and both products are in fact quite plain.

An interesting addition is the bundled front USB 3.0 port drive bay module or Wi-SB Box as ASRock calls it. Not only is it home to two USB 3.0 ports, but it also houses the Wi-Fi and Bluetooth antennas and a pair of LEDs to indicate that it's transmitting data. There's also space for a 2.5-inch drive to be mounted in the module.

On a whole, not a bad board, but the pricing is a bit offputting, albeit not much more than other super-premium motherboards. In Europe the board is retailing for around €320 (US$410/S$520), or about €20 more than a Core i7-3770K. That said, Asus' P8Z77-V Premium has also found its way online and should retail for around €400 (US$515/S $650), or about as much as a cheap computer these days.

Buffalo first with 802.11ac Wi-Fi products in retail Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/buffalo-first-with-802.11ac-wi-fiproducts-in-retail/15869.html

That said, when it comes to network equipment, it's not the looks that count, but rather the features and functionality and there are plenty of features on offer. The AirStation WZR-D1800H offers simultaneous dual band Wi-Fi with speeds of up to 450MBps in the 2.4GHz band and up to 1.3Gbps in the 5GHz band. It also has five Gigabit Ethernet ports of which one is for the WAN connection.

There's also a USB port that accepts storage devices and printers. The AirStation WZR-D1800H also sports WPS and Buffalo's AOSS push button setup and it's said to come with

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Published by: VR-Zone

an easy to use step by step setup wizard which would be new

by Buffalo standards.

The WLI-H4-D1300 is fairly similar in terms of overall looks, but it only has four Gigabit Ethernet ports to which your devices would be connected. Basic functionality is the same as for the router, but the WLI-H4-D1300 has a simple push button for locking it to the 5GHz band. Both products appear to have a user adjustable stand which offers horizontal and vertical mode.

Sadly neither product has support for external antennas, but judging by the supported speeds, we're looking at 3x3 MIMO products here for both bands. Buffalo is asking for US$179.99 (S$229) for either product, which makes the wireless bridge a bit on the expensive side considering it offers far less functionality compared to the router. Both products are available in the US as of right now and we'd expect Buffalo to roll them out in other markets in the next few months.

Toshiba launches 13.3-inch Regza tablet with Android 4.0 Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/toshiba-launches-13.3-inch-regzatablet-with-android-4.0/15868.html May 16th, 2012

There's no doubt tablets are evolving, but the question is in which direction and Toshiba's new 13.3-inch Regza AT830 tablet is a product we don't really get. Admittedly, Toshiba has kitted it out with a 1600x900 display which is better than your average 10-inch tablet, but with 1080p models on the horizon, this feels like a product that has failed before it even hit retail.

There's no doubt tablets are evolving, but the question is in which direction and Toshiba's new 13.3-inch Regza AT830 tablet is a product we don't really get. Admittedly, Toshiba has kitted it out with a 1600x900 display which is better than your average 10-inch tablet, but with 1080p models on the

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Published by: VR-Zone

horizon, this feels like a product that has failed before it even hit retail.

The AT830 comes with a 1.4GHz Tegra 3 SoC, 1GB of RAM, 64GB of eMMC memory for storage and Android 4.0. You also get that 1600x900 13.3-inch IPS panel, 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 3.0, support for the Japanese One-Seg TV standard, an 5Megapixel rear camera, a 2Megapixel front camera, a micro HDMI port, an SD card slot, a headset jack and a micro USB port.

The tablet weighs in at 1kg and measures 344x211x9.9mm (WxDxH), so it's not the most portable device around and most definitely not something you're going to want to hold at some distance for extended periods of time, unless you're planning on using it as an arm strengthening exercise tool.

We managed to dig up some performance numbers courtesy of +D PC User Japan and with an overall score of 2,916 the AT830 doesn't really impress. That said, it's running a much higher resolution display than your average smartphone or tablet, so we'll cut it some slack, but even so, the memory and I/O scores don't really impress.

The battery is said to be good for up to 13h of continuous video playback, or 5h of TV viewing which has to be considered acceptable considering the large screen.

However, the biggest fly in the ointment is Toshiba's price tag of 80,000 Yen (US$1000/S$1260) which is just an insane amount of money to pay for an overgrown Android tablet. We'd wait for some more interesting devices to arrive later this year, or failing all else, even get a 64GB iPad, as it has a higher resolution screen, weighs less and costs less, as crazy as it sounds.

The Desire C leaks, is HTC's new budget handset Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/the-desire-c-leaks-is-htc-s-newbudget-handset/15867.html May 16th, 2012

What was expected to be known as the Wildfire C appears to have been given a last minute name change and should instead appear as the Desire C when it launches, potentially later this month. Pictures of the handset first appeared last week, but now more detailed information has appeared courtesy of Vodafone Portugal. Updated: Now with video What was expected to be known as the Wildfire C appears to have been given a last minute name change and should instead appear as the Desire C when it launches, potentially 17

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Published by: VR-Zone

later this month. Pictures of the handset first appeared last week, but now more detailed information has appeared courtesy of Vodafone Portugal.

The Desire C isn't one of HTC's most exciting devices to date, as it sports a fairly small 3.5-inch display with 480x320 pixel resolution. It's also said to have what we can only call a sub-par 600MHz SoC by 2012 standards, especially as most of HTC's competitors manage to ship 1GHz chips in their competing models.

The main selling point of the laptop will be, like the new iPhone and iPad, the “Retina” display, which is being described as “jaw-dropping.” This will be the largest size Apple has released a Retina display for and users will be able to choose from multiple resolution modes to adjust sharpness and brightness. The exact resolutions are not yet known, as Apple has decided to insult the intelligence of its users by labelling them by size, such as “big” and “small.”

Another major feature is the addition of a USB 3.0 port, the first Mac to feature the super-fast next-generation connection. It is also expected to have two Thunderbolt ports, giving users a choice for faster file transfers.

A release date and pricing have yet to be revealed.

Other features include 4GB of storage, a 5Megapixel camera, Wi-Fi, A-GPS and HSDPA connectivity. Nothing that really makes it stand out from the competition as such, but it will at least be running Android 4.0.x when it arrives. It's also said to have a 1,230mAh battery and it should retail for less than €200 (US$260/S$325). Price wise it might be able to offer some competition, but we're not sure how much of a market there is for a half arsed budget handset like this, especially as the competition will get you more processing power for around the same cost.

Source and Image Credit: 9to5Mac

Apple preparing 15-inch Retina display MacBook Pro

Valve comes off better in the deal, managing to keep the name for its DOTA 2 upcoming title.

Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/apple-preparing-15-inch-retinadisplay-macbook-pro/15865.html May 16th, 2012

Apple is working on a 15-inch MacBook Pro with a Retina display and USB 3.0, according to a report by 9to5Mac. Apple is working on a 15-inch MacBook Pro with a Retina display and USB 3.0, according to a report by 9to5Mac.

Blizzard and Valve ink deal on DOTA trademark Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/blizzard-and-valve-ink-deal-on-dotatrademark/15864.html May 16th, 2012

Blizzard and Valve have reached an agreement on the use of the DOTA (Defence of the Ancients) trademark.

Blizzard will change the name of Blizzard DOTA to Blizzard All-Stars, which it said “ultimately better reflects the design of our game.”

Blizzard's EVP of game design, Rob Pardo, said that both studios recognise that “players just want to be able to play the games they're looking forward to,” suggesting it acknowledged that fighting against Valve's use of the name would look bad to its playerbase.

The new model is expected to be an ultra-thin version of the existing MacBook Pro, ditching the optical drive in order to achieve this, which will force users to rely on the Mac App Store or USB Superdrive for software installations.

The mockup image designed by 9to5Mac below shows the predicted thinness of the new MacBook Pro on the left compared to the older model on the right.

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"We're pleased that we could come to an agreement with Blizzard without drawing things out in a way that would benefit no one," said Gabe Newell, president of Valve.

There are no details about financial terms or other aspects of the agreement.

DOTA 2 is scheduled for release some time this year.

Published by: VR-Zone

wait. The game is looking amazing and we can't wait to show it to everyone at E3 in a few weeks.”

A number of highly-anticipated games have been delayed recently, including BioShock Infinite. Unlike that game, however, the fact that Tomb Raider will still be shown off at E3 suggests the version the studio currently has won't be too far off from the end product, which might give players hope for an early release next year.

New Tomb Raider game delayed until 2013 Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/new-tomb-raider-game-delayeduntil-2013/15863.html May 16th, 2012

Square Enix and developer Crystal Dynamics have announced that the latest Tomb Raider game, intended to once again reboot the series, has been delayed until 2013.

Square Enix and developer Crystal Dynamics have announced that the latest Tomb Raider game, intended to once again reboot the series, has been delayed until 2013.

Darrell Gallagher, head of Crystal Dynamics, said that the studio had two aims when it set out to make the new Lara Croft title, to craft a “modern” Tomb Raider game and to make the “best game of our careers.”

It is this latter goal that has led to the game being pushed back from its original release schedule in Autumn of this year to some time in the first quarter of 2013, a delay of a number of months that will also mean the game will miss out on the lucrative Christmas shopping season.

Rovio's Angry Birds hits yet another milestone, over 1 billion downloads Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/rovio-s-angry-birds-hits-yetanother-milestone-over-1-billion-downloads/15861.html May 16th, 2012

“We're doing things that are completely new to Tomb Raider in this game and the additional development time will allow us to put the finishing touches into the game and polish it to a level that you deserve,” Gallagher said. “We believe that this is the right choice and I guarantee it will be worth the

Milestone after milestone, Rovio has never slowed down from the get go since the coming of Angry Birds, what with having even gone to the unforeseeable extent of becoming a cultural icon and paraphernalia in the form of shirts, packpacks, soft toys and much more seen almost everywhere these days.

Milestone after milestone, Rovio has never slowed down from the get go since the coming of Angry Birds, what with having even gone to the unforeseeable extent of becoming a cultural icon and paraphernalia in the form of shirts,

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packpacks, soft toys and much more seen almost everywhere these days.

In what was going to be an inevitable crossing point, the Angry Birds series has now been downloaded over a billion times. As such, Rovio thought it worthy of a little animated video in celebration which you can watch below.

At this rate, with the sky the limit and Rovio using such a large portion of it, perhaps a feature film will indeed be outed, and sooner than we think.

Published by: VR-Zone

sporting a flexible OLED-equipped device; that is if you haven't already sprung for one of Samsung's tasty morcels.

2K announces Spec Ops: The Line demo on Xbox 360 and PS3 Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/2k-announces-spec-ops-the-linedemo-on-xbox-360-and-ps3/15862.html May 16th, 2012

LG is currently gearing up for flexible OLED display production Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/lg-is-currently-gearing-up-forflexible-oled-display-production/15858.html May 16th, 2012

2K has announced that the demo of third-person military shooter, Spec Ops: The Line is going to be available for Xbox 360 from tomorrow, and for the PlayStation 3 on 17 May. Xbox Gold members have access to the game since last week.

It has been rumoured that LG is now building a production line for flexible OLED screens which is setting them back around US $176 million. Supposedly their first wave of flexible (unbreakable?) OLED displays will be 730 x 460mm, but it is yet to be established when LG plans to have its preparations finalized and production underway.

It has been rumoured that LG is now building a production line for flexible OLED screens which is setting them back around US $176 million. Supposedly their first wave of flexible (unbreakable?) OLED displays will be 730 x 460mm, but it is yet to be established when LG plans to have its preparations finalized and production underway.

In the single-player demo, you play as Captain Martin Walker in search for Colonel John Konrad and his missing battalion, The Damned 33rd. Needless to say, you get to engage in action-packed fire fighting in Dubai, which has been cut off from the rest of the world after a series of sandstorms. In the two early chapters of the game, you will get to use a variety of weapons and explosives, even using sand as a weapon to strategically bury enemies in their path. The Spec Ops: The Line also features an expansive, class-based multiplayer experience with visually stunning environments where players are encouraged to use their sand-filled surroundings to thwart their enemies.

Pre-orders is available in Singapore at all leading gaming outlets and for those of you who pre-order Spec Ops: The Line will receive a free upgrade to the Fubar Pack which include additional multiplayer gameplay perks such as:

Some sources are anticipating production to commence as early as the end of this year, but there are other more conservative and believable estimates floating about that point to sometime in 2013 or possibly even 2014 before manufacturing begins.

Flexible OLED displays show strong potential in being a much welcomed attribute to the world of smartphones and tablets, not to mention wearable gadgets and newer generations of TVs. Certainly, as is the case with any new form of technology making its way to consumers, expect to dig deep down into those pockets to be one of the first kids on the block

Officer Class Unlocks at Rank 1 Officer Class Gameplay Bonuses Increases effectiveness of other classes Increases teammate's firepower against enemies Decreases teammate's damage taken against enemies Trigger ammo drop and grenade drops for teammates Unique Officer class kit Clan Accessory Pack 20

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Exclusive skins/accessories for all classes Unique and visually distinctive items 2X XP for 1 Week

Published by: VR-Zone

The ASUS O!Play Media Pro Smart TV set-top box is scheduled to be available in August. Pricing information to be announced closer to retail date.

Specifications

AK47 Unlocks at Rank 1

Supported video formats

The Spec Ops: The Line will be available in Singapore for the Xbox 360 (S$69.90) and PlayStation3 (S$79.90) game consoles and Windows PC (S$59.90) on 29 June 2012.

Supported video file extensions

ASUS Singapore announces O!Play MediaPro Smart TV Set-Top Box

Supported audio formats

Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/asus-singapore-announces-o-playmediapro-smart-tv-set-top-box/15860.html May 16th, 2012

Supported image formats Supported subtitle formats ASUS Singapore has launched the O!Play MediaPro Smart TV set-top box that claims to support over 50 media formats, and an integrated digital TV tuner that adds digital capabilities to your Smart TV.

Television system Wireless technology I/O ports

Dimensions Weight Power Power consumption

With this new ASUS O!Play Media Pro Smart TV settop box, you can make every TV smart with its multiformat compatibility, fast connectivity, extensive access to live services, and easy content sharing with other devices.

The O!Play Media Pro Smart TV set-top box supports over 50 media formats and comes with an integrated DVBT digital TV tuner that adds instant digital capabilities to any television set. It comes with 802.11n Wi-Fi and Gigabit Ethernet connectivity that offer high speed access for downloading and streaming of high definition content. The ASUS also features exclusive O!Direct and O!MediaShare functions that can connect to other devices from desktops to pads and smartphones, and an intuitive Electronic Program Guide(EPG) that allows scheduling of content up to seven days in advance. You can access popular live services including YouTube XL, Acetrax, Facebook, DailyMotion, Picasa, as well as dozens of Internet TV and radio channels.

MPEG1/2/4, H.264, VC-1, RM/RMVB, XVID mp4, .mov, .avi, .asf, .wmv, .flv, .mkv, .ts, m2ts, .dat, .mpg, .vob,mts, .iso, .trp MP3, WAV, AAC, OGG, FLAC, AIFF, Dolby速 Digital AC3m, DTS速Digital Surround, Dolby速 Digital Plus, PCM/ LPCM, Dolby速 TrueHD,ID3 Tag, MS-ADPCM, LC-AAC, HE-AAC ,COOK ,RA-lossless JPEG, BMP, PNG, GIF, TIFF .srt, .sub, .smi, idx +sub, .ssa, .ass Digital TV: DVB-T 802.11b/g/n 1 x power (DC-in) input, 2 x USB 2.0, 1 x Gigabit LAN, 1 x mini HDMI port, 1 x analog audio/video output, 1 x digital audio output (S/ PDIF), 1 x SD/MMC card slot, 1 x RF-in, 1 x IR 151.85mm x 106.7mm x 29.03mm 175g 12Vdc, 2A 10W

Lenovo caters to workstation users on a budget with ThinkStation E31 tower and SFF Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/lenovo-caters-to-workstation-userson-a-budget-with-thinkstation-e31-tower-and-sff/15856.html May 16th, 2012

Lenovo has just unveiled its new ThinkStation E31 series workstation which comes in two flavours; a more expandable conventional sized tower and a compact SFF based one.

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Lenovo has just unveiled its new ThinkStation E31 series workstation which comes in two flavours; a more expandable conventional sized tower and a compact SFF based one.

Both of these budget workstation offerings can be purchased with up to 32GB of RAM, either an Intel Xeon E3-1200 CPU or one of Intel's Ivy Bridge processors. The machines also pack nine USB ports, four of which are USB 3.0, but that's where the consistencies between the two start to diminish.

Published by: VR-Zone May 16th, 2012

According to a report from China Daily, Foxconn chief Terry Gou spoke concerning the Apple iTV, a device that has been rumored for a long time.

According to a report from China Daily, Foxconn chief Terry Gou spoke concerning the Apple iTV, a device that has been rumored for a long time.

Last year, rumors about the legendary iTV reached a peak when Walter Isaacson released his Steve Jobs biography.

In the book, Steve jobs talked about how he had finally "cracked" an easy to use and integrated television.

Now, according to China Daily, “Gou said Foxconn is making preparations for iTV, Apple Inc’s rumored upcoming high-definition television, although development or manufacturing has yet to begin.”

The full tower version can house up to three HDDs; ie. 9TB, while the SFF has space for only two drives, ie. 6TB. With that said, Lenovo also provides the option to jump over to solid state drives if one is more speed inclined.

Both machines use Intel's HD P4000 graphics solution in base trim, but the options differ in terms of discrete alternatives between the large and small machines with the former offering up to an NVIDIA Quadro Q4000 and the latter a Quadro Q600.

Cult of Mac's mockup of the Apple iTV, based on reports from an anonymous source Readers may become confused by the 'iTV', which has no relation to a real Apple product similarly named “Apple TV”. The Apple TV is a sort of media console for TVs, streaming content from iTunes and computers to an unrelated television set. The iTV on the other hand is a theoretical fully fledged HDTV created by Apple, fully integrated with Apple hardware and software.

The iTV has been compared to the iPhone, which revolutionized the cellular industry. Thus it is suggested that the iTV may similarly revolutionize the television industry, using the underexploited technology of modern television.

Pricing on both ThinkStation E31 workstation PCs starts at $629 US. The full sized model is set to arrive on June 5th and the compact variant on June 13th. You can keep an eye out via the following link for the new models to appear on Lenovo's website anytime within the next week or so.

Foxconn chief talks Apple iTV Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/foxconn-chief-talks-appleitv/15851.html

The idea that Siri will be integrated into this iTV is one that Techland’s Tim Bajarin expounds upon, saying “While Siri’s speech and artificial intelligence technology is focused on mobile today and tied to related databases such as Yelp, mapping services and more, in an Apple TV world, Siri would instead be tied to a database focused just on finding and accessing TV programs and online video content.

Television was the pre-digital technological pastime, and it is clear that conventional technology is transforming dramatically in the wave of the digital revolution. With the

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Published by: VR-Zone

help of Apple, who knows? Couch potatos just might get popular again.

Apple may ditch Google Maps Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/apple-may-ditch-googlemaps/15852.html May 16th, 2012

According to "trusted sources", 9to5mac reports that Apple iOS 6 will feature a new Map application with 3D features from C3 Technologies.

According to "trusted sources", 9to5mac reports that Apple iOS 6 will feature a new Map application with 3D features from C3 Technologies.

Imagery created by C3 technologies; image courtesy of 9to5mac 9to5mac reports an application featuring this 3D tech from C3 Technologies will be included on iOS 6, in place of the current Google Maps application.

As far as mapping is concerned, Apple is behind its Google owned Android competition. A big feature of Android phones is their turn-by-turn voice navigation, which the iPhone does not have. Using their own maps application may give Apple the chance to majorly expand user features, giving a much more useful and integrated end product. But, then again, it could end up being an underdeveloped scheme to gain more territory from its competitor. Only time will tell.

U.S. Postal Service bans overseas mailing of Lithiumion devices, effective May 16th Apple's current map application is from Google, using Google maps and features. Apple has been quite conspicuous about their resentment towards Google's app, and they are clearly seeking to dethrone it.

The Google maps application allows users to view the entire earth in map and satellite modes. The app also features Google Street View, allowing users to view certain areas on the maps from a pedestrian perspective. The application is useful for navigation, giving users a GPS-like system for navigating to and from locations.

C3 Technologies' mapping system, which has been described as Google Earth on steroids, is a big step up from anything that even Google has to offer. Utilizing declassified missile targeting methods, the company can create brilliant 3D maps of world locations. Unlike Google Earth - which features user generated 3D models overlaid on flat satellite pictures - this mapping system goes beyond terrain and cities, including 3D cars, vegetation, and more. The extreme level of detail and realism of this tech can be seen in this C3 demo.

Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/u.s.-postal-service-bans-overseasmailing-of-lithium-ion-devices-effective-may-16th/15855.html May 16th, 2012

Inevitably creating a wave of headaches for some, but with a basis pertaining to safety, the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) has stated that from the 16th of May it will no longer be allowing devices containing lithium-ion batteries to be shipped overseas.

Inevitably creating a wave of headaches for some, but with a basis pertaining to safety, the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) has stated that from the 16th of May it will no longer be allowing devices containing lithium-ion batteries to be shipped overseas.

This means cell phones, laptops, e-readers, cameras, MP3 players etc. etc. which will require you to pony up for shipping through FedEx, UPS or DHL if you need such devices shipped abroad.

USPS is prohibiting the international mailing of anything with a lithium-ion battery due to the possibility of it catching fire or exploding under certain circumstances and with improperly stored or fully charged batteries posing a risk during flights.

The USPS has also banned these devices from being shipped to APO, FPO and DPO locations. On the upside, the 23

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Published by: VR-Zone

restrictions won't last forever and it's been said that come January 2013 it anticipates that customers will be able to mail limited quantities of lithium batteries internationally providing they've been properly installed in the electronic device.

"International standards have recently been the subject of discussion by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and the Universal Postal Union (UPU), and the Postal Service anticipates that on January 1, 2013, customers will be able to mail specific quantities of lithium batteries internationally (including to and from an APO, FPO, or DPO location) when the batteries are properly installed in the personal electronic devices they are intended to operate."

J&W readies up nano-ITX sized M001 Cedar Trail nettop Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/j-w-readies-up-nano-itx-sized-m001cedar-trail-nettop/15854.html May 16th, 2012

J&W has let loose details on its new Intel Cedar Trail based fanless nettop, the M001 which confines itself to the nanoITX form factor and runs super trimmed dimensions of just 135 x 128 x 45 mm minus the WiFi antenna and stand.

J&W has let loose details on its new Intel Cedar Trail based fanless nettop, the M001 which confines itself to the nanoITX form factor and runs super trimmed dimensions of just 135 x 128 x 45 mm minus the WiFi antenna and stand.

This little nettop is driven by an Atom D2550, N2800 or N2600 processor and has a single DDR3 SO-DIMM socket supporting a module of up to 4GB along with a single 2.5inch bay for storage via SATA 3Gb/s.

Connectivity comprises three USB 2.0 ports (two at the front, one at the rear), Gigabit LAN, HDMI, VGA, 802.11n WiFi and RS232 serial (COM). The unit also houses a SD/ SDHC/MS/MS Pro/MMC card reader and sports an allmetal body doubling up as a heatsink to keep this allpassive little nettop a happy chappy tucked away in a crevice somewhere.

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7. Storm tactics key for deactivation of Windows key 8. 1000Hz driverless polling / 1ms response time 9. Two port enhanced USB 2.0 hub 10. Detachable wrist rest 11. Braided cable for durability 12. Non-slip rubber coating

Model

SGK-6000-GKCM1 (Brown Switch)* SGK-6000-GKCL1 (Blue Switch)*

Pricing and availability info on J&W's M001 nettop is yet to be disclosed.

SGK-6000-GKCC1 (Black Switch)*

Coolermaster Trigger Mechanical Gaming Keyboard Review

SGK-6000-GKCR1(Red Switch)* * CHERRY Black / Blue / Brown / Red 6 5 1000Hz / 1ms All keys 2 x USB hub Yes 64KB Yes Detachable 475(L) x 162(W) x 25(H) mm 18.7(L) x 6.5 (W) x 0.98(H) inch 1260 g / 2.78 lb 2 years 884102013515: SGK-6000GKCM1 (Brown Switch)* 884102013553: SGK-6000GKCL1 (Blue Switch)*

Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/coolermaster-trigger-mechanicalgaming-keyboard-review/15853.html May 16th, 2012

CoolerMaster is a highly popular company among enthusiasts, with their reputation coming from their extensive line-up of computer chassis, power supplies and cooling solutions. However, lately CoolerMaster has been adding a lot of new products to their Storm series, their gaming peripherals line-up. Today we will have a close look on the latest mechanical keyboard from CoolerMaster, which the company baptized the “Trigger”, which is clearly aiming towards hardcore gamers and mainly of the FPS kind.

CoolerMaster is a highly popular company among enthusiasts, with their reputation coming from their extensive line-up of computer chassis, power supplies and cooling solutions. However, lately CoolerMaster has been adding a lot of new products to their Storm series, their gaming peripherals line-up. Today we will have a close look on the latest mechanical keyboard from CoolerMaster, which the company baptized the “Trigger”, which is clearly aiming towards hardcore gamers and mainly of the FPS kind.

Key Switch N key Rollover Macro Key Polling Rate Backlighting USB Windows Key Disable Onboard Memory Media Keys Wrist Rest Dimension

Weight Warranty UPC Code

884102013584: SGK-6000GKCC1 (Black Switch)*

Notice

884102013560: SGK-6000GKCR1(Red Switch)* * The availability of CHERRY MX switch types will vary based on region.

Manufacturer’s features and specifications 1. High durability gold-plated Cherry switches rated for over 50 million key strokes 2. Multi-media control keys for convenient sound control 3. 5 macro keys with profile management 4. 18K gold plated ultra low latency USB plugs 5. Anti-ghosting 6 key rollover 6. 64KB on-board memory for profile storage 25

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VR-Zone.com | Tech News for the Geeks!

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

Prolimatech Samuel 17 CPU Cooler Review Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/prolimatech-samuel-17-cpu-coolerreview/15917.html May 18th, 2012

CPU coolers come in all shapes and sizes. For the obvious reasons, here in VR-Zone we usually review cooler capable of delivering very high thermal performance and/or excellent acoustics. Today however we will have a look at the Samuel 17, a product from Prolimatech designed with a different purpose in mind; to be capable of delivering the highest possible overall performance while being only 45mm tall. How does Prolimatech’s David compare against the numerous Goliaths currently available? We will find out in this review.

CPU coolers come in all shapes and sizes. For the obvious reasons, here in VR-Zone we usually review cooler capable of delivering very high thermal performance and/or excellent acoustics. Today however we will have a look at the Samuel 17, a product from Prolimatech designed with a different purpose in mind; to be capable of delivering the highest possible overall performance while being only 45mm tall. How does Prolimatech’s David compare against the numerous Goliaths currently available? We will find out in this review.

Manufacturer features and specifications • Unique 6-high quality-heatpipe-down-draft style CPU heatsink.

• Super compact heatpiped CPU cooler at 45mm tall, perfect for HTPC system.

• No installation interference issue.

• Supports low RPM 120mm fans on a relatively smaller heatsink body.

• Decreases temperature components.

on

surrounding

PC

Suggest Fan Suggest Fan Speed Suggest Noise Level (dBA) CPU Platform

Heatsink Dimension Heatsink Weight Heatpipe

120mm X 25mm ,120mm X 12mm 1000~2000rpm Below 26dBA Intel Socket LGA 775/1366/1156/1155 and AMD AM2/AM2+/ AM3/AM3+.

(L)121.2mm X (W)120mmX (H)45mm 410 g Ø 6mm X 6pcs

CM Storm announces the Sonuz headset Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/cm-storm-announces-the-sonuzheadset/15916.html May 18th, 2012

Cooler Master's gaming brand – CM Storm – keeps on expanding its range of products and its latest addition is the Sonuz gaming headset which is a simpler, more affordable option than the Sirus. For starters, the Sonuz is a stereo headset rather than a surround sound model like the Sirus, although it does have a few selling points of its own.

Cooler Master's gaming brand – CM Storm – keeps on expanding its range of products and its latest addition is the Sonuz gaming headset which is a simpler, more affordable option than the Sirus. For starters, the Sonuz is a stereo headset rather than a surround sound model like the Sirus, although it does have a few selling points of its own.

Due to the fact that there's only a single speaker in each of the ear cups of the Sonuz, CM Storm has been able to increase the size of the drivers to 53mm, although in comparison the Sirus has a single 40mm and three 30mm drivers per ear. The impedance has also been increased from 16/32 Ohm to 45 Ohm, although this should have little effect when connected to your average PC, but sadly the sensitive is down from 105dB to 98dB (+/-3dB), but at least the frequency range remains the same at 10-20,000Hz.

• Supports ATX, microATX and mini-ITX form factors.

• Supports Intel LGA775/1156/1366 and AMD AM2/ AM2+/AM3/AM3+.

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As this is a stereo headset, there's only a simple in-line remote with a volume control and a mic mute button, but that's really all you need, so no complaints here. The cable is of the increasingly popular braided type and it terminates in the left ear cup at one end and to a pair of 3.5mm jacks at the other. This is also where the detachable microphone is located. The ear cups have a diameter of 97mm, but the heatset itself is slightly unwieldy, at least judging by the early production headset we had a brief try with back at CeBIT. The headset can be adjusted easily and it features a soft pad at the top as well as on the ear pads, but due to the large bits of plastic it's made up of, if feels quite big and heavy when on your head, despite the fact that it should be lighter than the Sirus.

Published by: VR-Zone

The only problem beyond the somewhat odd fit of the Sonuz that we can see is pricing, as the Sirus can be had for around US$100 now and the only pricing we managed to find for the Sonuz places it at around US$115, although admittedly this was through a South African online retailer, so it's not an entirely fair comparison.

PlayStation Network to get game pre-loading feature Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/playstation-network-to-get-gamepre-loading-feature/15915.html May 18th, 2012

Sony is rolling out a new feature for the PlayStation Network that will allow users who pre-purchase a game to download it before release.

Sony is rolling out a new feature for the PlayStation Network that will allow users who pre-purchase a game to download it before release.

The pre-loading ability will begin next week with Sorcery, a game that lets players use the PlayStation Move motion controllers to fire magical bolts at a host of mystical creatures inspired by Irish legend.

Valve's Steam software already comes with a similar preloading feature, which is one of its many appeals, and the rising popularity of downloaded games has given many gaming firms pause for thought about the future direction of the industry.

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Sony is clearly beginning to recognise what makes digital downloading work, which is not having to spend several hours, or in some cases, when users have poor internet connections or the download servers are being throttled, days downloading a game, especially on launch day.

Pre-loading a game will give players more time to download a title before it even releases, which will remove a lot of the anguish and frustration players feel when a game releases.

Since gamers need to pre-purchase to avail of this service it will also help drum up some early sales.

Of course, since the game will be downloaded and will only need to be unlocked on launch day, it begs the question whether or not any resourceful gamers might find a way to play it before its intended release.

HP to axe 30,000 jobs Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/hp-to-axe-30-000-jobs/15914.html May 18th, 2012

Published by: VR-Zone

Axing 18,000 jobs would save the company a whopping $1 billion a year, according to Brian Marshall, an analyst for ISI Group, but with the company expected to lose $5 billion of its annual revenue this year, down from $127 billion to $122 billion, job cuts alone won't save it.

The company's latest CEO, Meg Whitman, indicated that she wants to spend more on research and development in order to encourage more innovation. She plans to reduce expenses in other areas of HP in order to afford this research, so we can likely expect further cutbacks and lay-offs throughout the company.

ZTE admits major security hole in US smartphone Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/zte-admits-major-security-hole-inus-smartphone/15913.html May 18th, 2012

ZTE has admitted that its Score smartphone has a security vulnerability that could allow hackers to hijack the device.

Hewlett-Packard (HP) is to axe up to 30,000 jobs in efforts to make the company more competitive in the face of the rising might of the smartphone and tablet markets.

Hewlett-Packard (HP) is to axe up to 30,000 jobs in efforts to make the company more competitive in the face of the rising might of the smartphone and tablet markets.

The company has nearly 350,000 staff, making the cuts close to 10 percent of its entire workforce. Anonymous sources close to the company cite figures between 25,000 and 30,000 as the estimated job losses on the table.

It is believed that HP may announce the cuts next Wednesday at its quarterly earnings call, which is widely expected to show the continuing failure of the company to adapt to competition to the once-dominant PC market.

Security researchers discovered that anyone who has the hardwired password for the device could access it easily, bypassing all security in place.

The vulnerability was described as “highly unusual,” because it was found to be deliberately put in place for future updates to the software by ZTE. Whether this was intended for malicious purposes or was just “sloppy programming” has not yet been determined, according to security firm CrowdStrike.

The security hole will exacerbate fears that ZTE and similar Chinese companies like Huawei are in league with the Chinese government and deliberately providing backdoors in their technology for exploitation. The companies have denied these allegations, but the denials have done little to calm suspicious minds.

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Published by: VR-Zone

an ultra-bright and power efficient viewing experience.

It is equipped with 1GHz dual-core processor with 16GB flash storage, 8-megapixel camera with fast capture, HD recording and Sony technology that can capture 2D and 3D panoramic images. Other features include HDMI and DLNA connectivity; xLoud, Clear Bass and 3D surround audio technology, near field communication and Xperia SmartTags. Available in silver and black, the Sony Xperia P has a recommended retail price of S$688 before telco subsidies and comes with an embedded battery, fast charger, USB cable, standard headset, two Xperia SmartTags and HDMI cable.

ZTE said it is “actively working on a security patch� for the Score vulnerability, which it will send over-the-air in the near future. It did not give a timeframe for when the patch would be released, but urged users to install it as soon as it is rolled out.

There have been reports that other ZTE models, such as the Skate, also feature the vulnerability, with passwords available online. ZTE has denied this, however, claiming it only affects the Score.

Researchers will likely be studying the company's smartphone range in the coming days and weeks, which could spell the beginning of a nightmare period of negative publicity for ZTE.

Sony Xperia P, U and sola land in Singapore Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/sony-xperia-p-u-and-sola-land-insingapore/15912.html May 18th, 2012

Sony Mobile Communications has announced that the Xperia P, U and sola are officially available in Singapore.

The Android smartphones retail today, and claim to offer convenient sharing of content with easy connectivity across multiple screens.

Powered by 1GHz dual-core processor, the Xperia U features a 3.5-inch Reality Display powered by Mobile BRAVIA Engine for superb quality viewing. It has a 5-megapixel camera with unique fast capture, HD recording capabilities and can capture 2D and 3D panoramic images. The phone also features xLoud and 3D surround sound audio technology for crisp and loud music enjoyment. Priced at S $488 before contract, the Xperia U is available in white or black, with additional yellow and white exchangeable caps respectively in the box. It comes bundled with a standard battery, power charger, USB cable, screen protector and SmartHeadset.

The Xperia sola is NFC enabled and is bundled with Xperia SmartTags to enable quick app loading and easy content sharing. It claims to offer a unique Floating touch navigation for an easy web browsing experience on its 3.7-inch Reality Display with Mobile BRAVIA Engine. It is equipped with a 1GHz dual core processor, xLOUD and 3D surround sound audio technology for superb music enjoyment. The Xperia sola comes in white or black with embedded battery, standard charger, USB Cable, standard headset and four Xperia SmartTags, and retailing at S$588 without contract.

On top of that, Xperia users get free 50GB storage for life before the end of December 2012. Simply download the Box app from the Google Play store on the Xperia smartphone to enjoy the free 50GB storage.

VIA announces 1080p capable, fanless Pico-ITX based AMOS-3002 PC Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/via-announces-1080p-capablefanless-pico-itx-based-amos-3002-pc/15911.html May 18th, 2012

The ultra compact fanless PC market has just seen the addition of a new entry from VIA sporting the company's tiny EPIA-P900 Pico-ITX board.

The ultra compact fanless PC market has just seen the addition of a new entry from VIA sporting the company's tiny EPIA-P900 Pico-ITX board.

The Sony Xperia P sports a 4-inch Reality Display with Mobile BRAVIA Engine WhiteMagic display technology for 4

May 18th, 2012

Published by: VR-Zone

make the AMOS-3002 a flexible solution for a wide range of embedded applications. Front I/O includes, two COM ports, one Cfast slot, four USB 2.0 ports, including two lockable ports for increased ruggedization, line-in/out, and one DIO port, while rear I/O includes, one VGA and one HDMI port, two GLAN ports for dual Gigabit networking and a further 2 USB 2.0 ports. Optional Wi-Fi and 3G networking are available through a MiniPCIe expansion slot.

Note*: The AMOS-3002 is also available with the use of a EPIA-P830 Pico-ITX board featuring a 1.0GHz Nano™ ESeries processor for an increased operating temperature range up to 70°C." The new VIA AMOS-3002 combines VIA's 1.0GHz Eden X2 dual core processor with its HD media capable VX900H media system processor (MSP) on the aforementioned board, making it an attractive option for situations like incar infotainment.

Apple invents process of manufacturing a unified, seamless device housing Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/apple-invents-process-ofmanufacturing-a-unified-seamless-device-housing/15907.html May 18th, 2012

Its completely fanless, all-passive operation combined with a super small footprint and the ability to smoothly run 1080p content will be the major selling point of the AMOS-3002.

Running dimensions of just 19.7 cm x 10.4 cm x 4.9 cm (WxDxH) with its robust chassis that can withstand tons of abuse in terms of temperature and shock, the unit is packed with a solid array of connectivity including dual Gigabit ethernet, optional 3G & WiFi via a MiniPCIe expansion slot, Cfast slot and room to house a 2.5-inch HDD. Adding to that are a couple COM ports, six USB 2.0 ports, line-in and outputs, a DIO port, VGA and HDMI.

"Able to operate completely fanlessly within a robust chassis, the VIA AMOS-3002 leverages the digital excellence of the VIA EPIA-P900 Pico-ITX board, combining a 1.0GHz Eden X2 processor and the VX900H media system processor, to provide customers with an embedded system that delivers all the latest features and digital media standards required for a diversified range of embedded applications including telematics, in-vehicle control, machine to machine controller (M2M), digital signage and kiosks.

Storage is provided through a Cfast slot for a flash drive while an optional storage sub-system expansion chassis offers support for a standard 2.5" SATA drive.

Comprehensive I/O functions on front and rear panels

A post on Patently Apple enumerates the manufacturing process of a new seamless, unitary design for electronics housings. Apple may use this future process to create devices that appear as a single, undivided piece.

A post on Patently Apple enumerates the manufacturing process of a new seamless, unitary design for electronics housings. Apple may use this future process to create devices that appear as a single, undivided piece.

Today, March 17th, the US Patent & Trademark Office published a patent application from Apple, concerning the manufacturing a seamless product housing.

Every electronic has openings, indicators that the device is not the comparatively sleek iPhone the upper and lower case. This surrounding the device screen.

seams, cracks, and other a single component. Even is divided into two parts, can be seen on the seam

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But Apple wants to change that. Using ultrasonic welding - a process already used by Apple to attach internal components - in conjunction with metal foil, Apple has designed a process to create a completely seamless electronic case.

The process involves the ultrasonic welding of housing components with internal components, finished with a layer of ultrasonically bonded metal foil layers which cover the outside. This creates a unified and singular piece, with no visible seams, cracks, or anything to indicate that it was ever in multiple pieces.

The result is a smooth, rounded product that will probably look like something out of science fiction, once a good artist gets his hands on it. The design is in stark contrast with the boxy, angular iPhone 4. If Apple wants a good way to rejuvenate its mobile product line, this is probably the way to go. Nobody on the market has anything like this. Even the smoothest smartphones and electronic devices are not as aesthetically flawless as a device with no seams whatsoever.

While this should delight the lay consumer, others are likely to be highly disappointed if such a product is released. Apple is notorious for their difficult-to-open electronic devices, making it hard to perform self-repairs. A seamless design would make such repairs virtually impossible, and if they could be done, they would certainly destroy the look.

But hackers and do-it-your-selfers do not constitute the mobile market. The iPhone is a part of culture. Practically everyone can recognize one, and plenty of smartphone buyers will go for it, probably even more so in the case of such a radical design overhaul.

In any case, the kind of product that Apple could produce using this new process would look, in the simple words of its late founder and CEO Steve Jobs, "truly magical".

Apple censors and uncensors the word 'jailbreak' Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/apple-censors-and-un-censors-theword-jailbreak-/15905.html

Published by: VR-Zone May 18th, 2012

In Apple's digital store, the word 'jailbreak' was being replaced with a censored 'j*******k'. After much ridicule on Twitter and the blogosphere, Apple quickly removed the censorship.

In Apple's digital store, the word 'jailbreak' was being replaced with a censored 'j*******k'. After much ridicule on Twitter and the blogosphere, Apple quickly removed the censorship.

It made for a confusing day in the blogosphere. Almost as quickly as the bizarre act was noticed, it vanished. Users realized earlier, however, that switching the ratings system to a different country in iTunes store removed the censor anyways. It turns out that this practice has actually been occurring for months. The blogging community chose today to take notice of it, however.

Jailbreaking, in the Apple sense, is an act of the user community to remove the locked prohibitions of Apple mobile devices, namely the iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch.

This allows a user to gain root access to the operating system, and perform major modifications. Apple has been historically opposed to this practice. Cult of Mac writer Killian Bell remarked "I can imagine that the reaction you get from mentioning the word 'jailbreak' within the Apple camp in Cupertino is almost identical to that you get when mentioning the word 'bomb' on an airplane" The word started appearing censored with asterisks in iTunes store listings containing it. For example, an episode from the classic cowboy TV series 'Roy Rogers' appeared as 'J*******k' instead of 'Jailbreak'. Many bloggers assumed that this was a petty act of retaliation against the jailbreak community. Others thought perhaps that it was flunked attempt to censor the word from App listings.

In any case, Apple apparently took notice of the community ridicule, and the censoring is now being removed.

Interestingly enough, the un-censoring is taking place a tad slowly, and some items still appear censored even now.

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Conspiracy theories aside, this humble writer finds the situation amusing, and thinks that Apple was simply displaying an uncommon sense of humor - but perhaps we'll never know.

From GTC 2012: AMD R7970 Preferred over NVIDIA Kepler in Real GPGPU Deployments?

Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/from-gtc-2012-amd-r7970preferred-over-nvidia-kepler-in-real-gpgpu-deployments-/15903.html May 18th, 2012

Published by: VR-Zone

OpenCL is being pushed as the API of choice, which is a testament to the Khronos Group. For the future of the GPGPU computing, we’ve been told that there is a lot of interest in moving away from the conventional x86 CPUs and replacing them with ARM cores. However, ARM needs to resolve the bandwidth issue, since GPU requires much more data than ARM is able to provide. You can put this in “good and bad news for Intel” category.

To us, all of this sounds ideal for AMD, and our sources went on to say that the real limitation is in the way how AMD positions its products. “AMD went for cheap and affordable”, said our source. "They don’t have anything for the servers and that’s what guts them. Our clients go AMD 7970, but then we have to go with a 5U chassis and put up to eight Radeon HD 7970 cards, but we cannot compete on space optimized 1U and 2U, since AMD has no purpose-built (GPGPU) products for that."

During the Emerging Companies Summit at the NVIDIA GPU Technology Conference, we spoke with several startups and experienced companies, seeing an interesting emerging pattern.

Apparently, if a company requires a quick, raw compute speed where there isn’t a lot of need for complex coding, such as the image or file compression and decompression, that company will be advised for a following cadence - GTX 280 - GTX 480 - GTX 580 - HD 7970.

That’s right, while the Kepler GPU architecture offers a lot more capabilities, there are a lot of applications with simple code that requires a lot of raw horsepower. In such case scenario, 2048 cores inside a Radeon HD 7970 will mean more than 1536 cores on a GTX 690. This lead to clients ordering Radeon HD 7970 boards rather than going GeForce GTX 680 or a product which NVIDIA would prefer to be used in GPGPU – the Tesla C2075, or the new K10.

And here lies the sad truth. GPGPU is turning to be a big business for NVIDIA, earning more money than AMD is able to pull from their consumer endeavours. BUT, since there are no contemporary server-grade parts from AMD and “if the company requires a 2U or 1U, AMD solution is SOL and we go NVIDIA”.

The quotes above come from several C-level executives, and you can see how similar they are.

Here’s an advice for AMD - if you guys want to make money using your existing technology, how about qualifying a HD 7970 with 6GB of ECC memory and call it FireStream 7970?

Just that there aren’t any surprises when next round of financial results come in and NVIDIA once more demolishes AMD by effectively making a technology which is inferior in simple GPGPU apps.

Acer gears up business oriented TravelMate P243 notebook with Ivy Bridge Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/acer-gears-up-business-orientedtravelmate-p243-notebook-with-ivy-bridge/15910.html May 18th, 2012

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Acer has just unveiled a new business focused 14-inch laptop in the UK under its TravelMate lineup, suited up with a thirdgen Ivy Bridge processor.

Acer has just outed a new business oriented 14-inch laptop in the UK under its TravelMate lineup, suited up with a thirdgen Ivy Bridge processor.

Published by: VR-Zone May 18th, 2012

We have to say that Intel's first Thunderbolt equipped motherboard is something of an anti-climax, as the DZ77RE-75K is nigh on identical to the DZ77GA-70K, although we spotted at least one change beyond the Thunderbolt port. On top of that, it's also quite an expensive motherboard, more so than MSI's Z77A-GD80.

We have to say that Intel's first Thunderbolt equipped motherboard is something of an anti-climax, as the DZ77RE-75K is nigh on identical to the DZ77GA-70K, although we spotted at least one change beyond the Thunderbolt port. On top of that, it's also quite an expensive motherboard, more so than MSI's Z77A-GD80.

The TravelMate P243 packs an Intel Core i5 based Ivy Bridge CPU, whilst the remaining specs are fairly standard fare with its 14-inch (1366 x 768) display, 750GB HDD, HD webcam and a USB 3.0 port.

So the major difference between the DZ77RE-75K and it's more affordable sibling, the DZ77GA-70K is the inclusion of a mini DisplayPort connector which is also the standard interface for Thunderbolt and of course the Cactus Ridge Thunderbolt chip. Sadly Intel cheaped out on it first Thunderbolt motherboard and used the DSL3310 – or L3310L as it's referred to in the manual – which only offers the equivalent bandwidth of two PCI Express lanes. In other words, don't expect full Thunderbolt performance from this board, as it won't deliver it.

In top trim, up to 8GB of RAM can be optioned for along with an NVIDIA GeForce GT 630M GPU. Base pricing starts at £339 (about $536) in the UK, but we're not yet sure when exactly the P243 will hit shelves.

Intel's first Thunderbolt equipped motherboard nearly here

The second change is that due to the addition of the Thunderbolt interface, the bottom PCI Express x4 slot on the DZ77GA-70K is now a PCI Express x1 slot on the DZ77RE-75K. We should also point out that it's now being routed via the PLX PCI Express bridge, rather than being directly connected to the chipset, despite the fact that the Thunderbolt chip is only really using two PCI Express lanes.

It's possible that this is due to at least in part the lack of a PCI Express x2 interface, but it's highly unlikely, as there's no reason as to why Intel would have to use all four lanes to connect the DSL3310 if it only requires two, so either the Thunderbolt chipset actually uses up four lanes for its physical board interface, or Intel has just taken the easy route out.

Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/intel-s-first-thunderbolt-equippedmotherboard-nearly-here/15909.html

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Price wise we found the DZ77RE-75K listed for CA$312 (S $399) in Canada and around €260 (S$420) in Europe, or some €15 more than MSI's Z77A-GD80. Admittedly we don't know what MSI will bundle with its board and Intel does offer a good bundle with a 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi/Bluetooth 2.1 module and it also sports more USB 3.0 ports, a pair of Gigabit Ethernet ports, FireWire and eSATA, but we'll wait and see which Thunderbolt chip MSI has used to make any comparisons between the two boards. We're also expecting Thunderbolt products from both Asus and Gigabyte at Computex in a couple of weeks' time and admittedly Intel is still cheaper than Asus with its P8Z77-V Premium which is currently listed at a wallet cringing €400 (S$650).

Published by: VR-Zone

The O!Play Media Pro supports all standard video formats such as MPEG1/2/4, H.264, VC-1 and RM/RMVB. It handles all standard video containers such as MP4, MOV, WMV, FLV, MKV, TS, MTS, MT2S, MPG, VOB and even ISO files. Throw in audio support for AC3, DTS, Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby TrueHD, AAC, HE-AAC, PCM, FLAC, MP3, OGG, WAV, RA and a few others and you've got most common formats and then some supported. It also displays all standard image formats and handles most common subtitles formats.

Asus launches the O!Play Media Pro set-top box Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/asus-launches-the-o-play-mediapro-set-top-box/15908.html May 18th, 2012

If you live in a country with DVB-T terrestrial digital TV, then Asus' new O!Play Media Pro set-top box might be of interest to you, as beyond being a DVB-T tuner with EPG support, it's also a media player that supports just about every format you can throw at it. On top of that, it will also stream video from a wide range of online services.

If you live in a country with DVB-T terrestrial digital TV, then Asus' new O!Play Media Pro set-top box might be of interest to you, as beyond being a DVB-T tuner with EPG support, it's also a media player that supports just about every format you can throw at it. On top of that, it will also stream video from a wide range of online services.

When it comes to internet streaming, the O!Play Media Pro supports YouTube Leanback/XL, Muzee, Acetrax and Dailymotion, but you can also access Facebook and Picasa as well as listen to internet radio. Apparently other services are also supported, but Asus didn't specify which ones. Sadly we don't know when the O!Play Media Pro will be available or how much it'll retail for. One other downside is that many countries are already moving to DVB-T2 which the O!Play Media Pro doesn't seem to support and as such this product might already be out-dated by the time it launches, but hopefully it supports both MPEG-2 and MPEG-4 DVB-T broadcasts. Also keep in mind that it only supports so called free-to-air channels, so if you live in a country with no free channels, this product is sadly not for you.

Akitio launches the Cloud Hybrid NAS/DAS Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/akitio-launches-the-cloud-hybridnasdas/15906.html May 18th, 2012

We're not sure what chipset Asus is using in the O!Play Media Pro, but previous models have relied on Realtek chipsets as far as we're aware. That said, it sports a Gigabit Ethernet port, 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi – sadly no 5GHz support – a pair of USB 2.0 ports, an SD/MMC card slot, a mini HDMI port – this seems to be a space limitation – an optical S/ PDIF out, a 3.5mm jack for analogue video out and a mini RF antenna connector with a supplied adapter. You also get a rather good looking remote which for once isn't one of those terribly fiddly things to use if the picture is anything to go by.

In as much as NAS devices are handy when it comes to backing up data, streaming audio and video over a home network and many other things, one of the downsides is that the performance when it comes to actually putting the data on them isn't always there. Akitio has come up with a home storage solution that attempts to solve this issue by being a combination NAS/DAS with USB 3.0 connectivity.

In as much as NAS devices are handy when it comes to backing up data, streaming audio and video over a home network and many other things, one of the downsides is that the performance when it comes to actually putting the data on them isn't always there. Akitio has come up with a home 9

May 18th, 2012

Published by: VR-Zone

storage solution that attempts to solve this issue by being a combination NAS/DAS with USB 3.0 connectivity.

Admittedly we're growing somewhat tired of the whole "cloud" hype and the Cloud Hybrid as Akitio calls its latest device is clearly trying to build in the cloud storage hype.

The base specifications consist of an unspecified 300MHz processor, 32MB of DDR memory and 2MB of flash memory, i.e. not the most impressive specifications out there, but with only room for a single hard drive, the Cloud Hybrid isn't intended to be a high-end storage device, but rather something you'd use for streaming media around your home.

Interestingly, Akitio is using Microsoft's exFAT file system which so far isn't widely used on anything outside of highcapacity flash memory cards. Connectivity consists of a single Gigabit Ethernet port as well as the aforementioned USB 3.0 port. The idea, even judging by Akitio's ideas behind the product is that you load data onto the Cloud Hybrid via USB 3.0 and then connect it up to your home network to access the data.

The good news is that Akitio has added support for a wide range of standard technologies such as UPnP-AV, DLNA, iTunes music server, FTP, Samba and much more.

The device is configured via a standard web GUI and it's compatible with UPnP clients like the Xbox 360, PS3, iTunes and Windows 7 MCE, but Akitio also offers a mobile app so you can access the data via iOS or Android devices and it can even be used to record directly to from some Toshiba Regza TV's. There's also support for remote access over the internet via a web portal.

As far as performance is concerned, Akitio claims 60MB/ s sustained transfer rates using Samba which isn't exceptional, but pretty decent for an entry level device such as this. Keep in mind that you'd get better performance over USB 3.0, but the enclosure is limited to SATA 3Gbps drives, although this shouldn't be an issue for your average hard drive. At US$99 (S$125) the Akitio Cloud Hybrid isn't terribly expensive for what you get, but keep in mind that this isn't the type of device you want if data security matters to you.

Samsung shrinks its LPDDR2 products to 2Xnm, doubles the capacity Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/samsung-shrinks-its-lpddr2products-to-2xnm-doubles-the-capacity/15904.html May 18th, 2012

DDR4 will potentially arrive in the server space come next year, yet most mobile devices are still using DDR or DDR2 memory, with only a handful shipping with DDR3 memory.

Samsung has announced that it has managed to improve things in several ways by shrinking its LPDDR2 memory to 2Xnm.

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Published by: VR-Zone

DDR4 will potentially arrive in the server space come next year, yet most mobile devices are still using DDR or DDR2 memory, with only a handful shipping with DDR3 memory.

Samsung has announced that it has managed to improve things in several ways by shrinking its LPDDR2 memory to 2Xnm. For starters, the die shrink allows Samsung to produce more affordable 4Gbit memory dies than what the company could using its 3Xnm technology, something that in the long run should make for more affordable devices. However, the initial benefit is that Samsung can now package four dies in a single memory package for 2GB chips, twice that of what was commonly available using 3Xnm manufacturing technology.

Add to this the fact that Samsung has managed to shave off 20 percent of the height of the actual memory chips – down to a mere 0.8mm – and you have an ideal candidate for PoP or Package on Package type usage where the DRAM sits on top of the ARM SoC, a common thing in many smartphones for example. Considering that the market is already moving towards 2GB of RAM in smartphones, this clearly the way forward for any DRAM manufacturer that wants to stay on top of the competition.

Samsung's new LPDDR2 memory will be available in speeds of up to 1,066MHz, but it said to be more power efficient than its 30nm siblings at the same speed. The new DRAM chips went into mass production last month and should be available to Samsung's partners shortly. The press release also quoted expected market share numbers of LPDDR2 by IHS iSupply who claims that about 13 percent of the market of mobile devices will use LPDDR2 this year, with 49 percent next year and 63 percent by 2014.

Iran threatens to sue Google over Persian Gulf map omission Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/iran-threatens-to-sue-google-overpersian-gulf-map-omission/15902.html May 18th, 2012

Google's solution of leaving the location nameless has not gone over well with Iran, however. Ramin Mehmanparast, spokesperson for the Foreign Ministry, said that Google must restore the name or face “serious damages.”

He said that Google had already been warned about legal action, but clearly it has ignored it. It is not yet clear if Iran will pursue its threat and if it will be successful in restoring the Persian Gulf's name on Google Maps.

The location can still be found easily with a search for "Persian Gulf," but the dispute just goes to show how much power there is in a name.

Real Cost of 20nm Chips: Only for the Big Boys, 100 Milion to Break Even Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/real-cost-of-20nm-chips-only-forthe-big-boys-100-milion-to-break-even/15885.html May 18th, 2012

Iran has threatened to sue Google over its omission of the disputed name of the Persian Gulf on Google Maps.

Iran has threatened to sue Google over its omission of the disputed name of the Persian Gulf on Google Maps.

The historic location between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula was left without a name on Google's popular map service due to a conflict between Iran and some Arab states over what it should be called.

Traditionally the name was known as the Persian Gulf, a throwback to the old region of Persia, which is now Iran and Afghanistan. However, some claim that it should more properly be known as the Arabian Gulf, highlighting tensions between Iranians and Arabs.

During the NVIDIA GTC 2012 conference, we spoke with several sources from the world of semiconductor manufacturing and the figures given were not… encouraging.

During the NVIDIA GTC 2012 conference, we spoke with several sources from the world of semiconductor manufacturing and the figures given were not… encouraging. Furthermore, parallel to GPU Tech Conference, there was a Semico Impact Forum being held at the Double Tree Hotel in San Jose, CA. While NVIDIA was publicly discussing the 28nm availability issues (yields are very high, wafer availability is low) and TSMC was the only semiconductor maker at the conference,

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Semico Impact Forum faired a grim message to the fabless chip designers.

Published by: VR-Zone

"In order to make sure everything is continuing to run as it should, we've decided to move out our target launch for the real-money auction house beyond our original estimated date of May 22," the company said in a statement posted by community manager Bashiok, infamous for telling players to lower their expectations of the game.

Blizzard has not revealed a new date for the auction house, but that is not surprising, as it has a lot on its plate with game errors and disgruntled players.

According to sources with an extensive knowledge of the industry, the shift from 28nm to 20nm will take place over the course of next year, starting in the second half of 2013. It is expected that 20nm process node will only expand during 2014, with the shift to 14nm being “the big one”. But going from 28nm to 20nm is not going to be a walk in the park either. In order to amortize for the 20nm shrink, you will need to amortize costs over at least 100 million devices.

This is also the primary reason why the shift to 20nm will only be bulk (no SOI) with less options than 32/28nm.

NVIDIA, Qualcomm, TI, AMD ship products in sufficient volumes to be able to afford the switch, but that will not be the case with smaller manufacturers.

On the other hand, the cost of 40/32/28nm production is going to drop significantly after the big players migrate to a new process node and leave ample capacity at older nodes.

Blizzard delays Diablo III realmoney auction house Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/blizzard-delays-diablo-iii-realmoney-auction-house/15901.html May 18th, 2012

“As many of you are aware, technical issues occurring within hours after the game's launch led to players experiencing error messages and difficulty logging in,” the company said.

“These issues cropped up again last night for the Americas and Europe servers. Despite very aggressive projections, our preparations for the launch of the game did not go far enough.”

Blizzard expressed “regret” over the situation, apologised for the difficulties faced, and thanked players for their patience – as if they had any choice when faced with the dreaded Error #37.

The company said it is constantly monitoring performance of servers and has applied a number of optimisations to deal with the “Zerg rush” (sorry, wrong game). It has also identified an issue with achievements not being earned or saved, which it said it is investigating further and will provide an update on soon.

All of this will do little to appease upset fans, but at least the game was not delayed until next year.

Blizzard has delayed the launch of the real-money auction house in Diablo III and has apologised for its lack of preparations which led to error messages and many gamers being unable to play.

Blizzard has delayed the launch of the real-money auction house in Diablo III and has apologised for its lack of preparations which led to error messages and many gamers being unable to play.

Apple in iPhone talks with China Mobile Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/apple-in-iphone-talks-with-chinamobile/15900.html

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Apple is in talks with China Mobile, the world's largest mobile phone network, to offer the iPhone to millions of Chinese consumers.

Apple is in talks with China Mobile, the world's largest mobile phone network, to offer the iPhone to millions of Chinese consumers.

Xi Guohua, chairman of China Mobile, confirmed that the two companies had entered discussions, indicating that both sides are keen to ink a deal.

China Mobile rules a whopping 67 percent of the Chinese telecommunications market, with over 660 million customers, but lack of support for the iPhone is seen as a contributing factor to a steady drop in customers, who are going to China Unicom and China Telecom, both of which offer Apple's flagship device. This deal is therefore extremely significant for the long-term success of the company.

However, there are problems with compatibility between the iPhone and China Mobile's 3G network,which employs the unique TD-SCDMA standard. This means Apple will be forced to offer only 2G on its devices.

This problem is expected to be resolved with the introduction of the next iPhone and LTE in China, but the latter is unlikely to happen until 2014 or later, according to analysts.

PopCap launches Bejeweled HD for iPad Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/popcap-launches-bejeweled-hd-foripad/15899.html May 18th, 2012

Published by: VR-Zone

PopCap Games has launched a high-definition version of its classic gem-busting game Bejeweled for Apple's iPad, complete with support for the retina display on the new model.

PopCap Games has launched a high-definition version of its classic gem-busting game Bejeweled for Apple's iPad, complete with support for the retina display on the new model.

The game features all four modes from the original (Classic, Butterflies, Diamond Mine and Zen), but delivers the gameplay in full high-definition graphics, optimised to run on the new iPad with its high resolution display.

Gamers will be able to make a myriad of special gems, such as Flame gems, Star gems, Supernova gems and Hypercubes, in addition to earning badges and achievements in the Game Centre, where they can go up against friends and earn a place on the leaderboard.

“The iPad has become a de facto standard for tablet gaming and is an ideal platform for the Bejeweled franchise,” said Giordano Bruno Contestabile, business director of the Bejeweled franchise at PopCap Games. “This native adaptation is one of our best yet, and will enthrall players with fantastic HD graphics and optimized gameplay. As Bejeweled further evolves, we’ll continue to bring exciting new iterations, updates and content to millions of new and existing players.”

The game is available immediately, or within 24 hours across the globe, from the Apple App Store and iTunes for $3.99, €2.99 or £2.49.

SOUL by Ludacris SL100GW headphone, now available in Singapore Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/soul-by-ludacris-sl100gwheadphone-now-available-in-singapore/15897.html

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Published by: VR-Zone

Not a great deal is known based on what the sources have provided, but it appears this supposed new top dog mobile graphics offering from NVIDIA will be a scaled down version of its desktop Kepler based brother, the GTX 680.

SOUL by Ludacris has announced the gold and white SL100GW headphone in Singapore. The lightweight and durable headphone sports a vibrant and vivid colour and features superb bass, clear mids and highs with highprecision audio.

Hiphop artiste Ludacris has recently launched the gleaming Gold and White version of the popular SL100 headphone, the SOUL by Ludacris SL100GW, in Singapore. The latest addition to the line of "SOUL by Ludacris" headphones is designed by the award-winning team, and features an advanced headband pad with ear cups for comfortable listening. Compatible with Apple products and other smartphones, it claims to offer high-precision audio balance, and superb bass with the built-in advanced driver. The headphones comes with a tangle-resistant cable and a protective road case for convenience storage on the go. The SOUL by Ludacris SL100GW is available at all authorized retailers and is priced at S$349.

NVIDIA preparing GTX-680M for presentation at Computex

The GTX 680M is expected to have approx. half as many CUDA cores, either 744 or 768 according to sources, with its 256-bit memory interface and SLI configuration support retained. The flagship mobile GPU will boast up to 4GB of GDDR5 memory and is said to suck up as much as 100W of power.

When paired with Intel's Core i7 3720QM processor the GPU managed a 3DMark 11 score of 4,905 points under the Performance preset. It is anticipated that the 680M will be as much as 37% quicker than the GTX 670M in certain scenarios.

Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/nvidia-preparing-gtx-680m-forpresentation-at-computex/15898.html May 18th, 2012

Unconfirmed details have come about pertaining to a supposed GTX-680M mobile graphics solution from NVIDIA launching at next month's Computex 2012 event in Taipei.

Unconfirmed details have come about pertaining to a supposed GTX-680M mobile graphics solution from NVIDIA launching at next month's Computex 2012 event in Taipei.

Little else has been revealed about the GTX-680M at this time such as clock rates etc. but if rumour holds true we're only a little over couple weeks away from the full rundown.

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Promo video for LG's Optimus 4X HD quad-core smartphone surfaces Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/promo-video-for-lg-s-optimus-4xhd-quad-core-smartphone-surfaces/15896.html May 18th, 2012

LG's first quad-core powered smartphone, the Optimus 4X HD is almost upon us with its arrival set for sometime next month into several European countries including the UK, Germany, Sweden, Italy and Poland. Pricing, global availability and exact launch dates between countries is yet to be made clear however.

LG's first quad-core powered smartphone, the Optimus 4X HD is almost upon us with its arrival set for sometime next month into several European countries including the UK, Germany, Sweden, Italy and Poland. Pricing, global availability and exact launch dates between countries is yet to be made clear however.

A promo video has now emerged from LG confirming several attributes of the phone including what the "4X" means. LG touts the deliverance of "eXcellent Performance”, “eXceptional Display” and “eXquisite Design", resulting in a smartphone that is "Beyond eXpectation".

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Certainly, specs are looking super impressive in line of the premium end of today's smartphone world and it should prove to be quite the popular choice for shoppers looking out for a high end Android handset this summer.

PayPal offers mobileoptimized websites and checkout for business in Singapore

PayPal has announced the "PayPal Mobile Payments Standard" solutions which provide all merchants with a mobile payment checkout experience that is optimized for iPhone, iPad and Android devices. It detects whether customers are using their mobile device for payment and redirects them to a mobile-optimized payment page even if the merchant's website is not optimized yet. On top of that, the online payment processing company has also unveiled the "Mobile Commerce in a Box" solution in Singapore that helps businesses build mobile-optimized websites with mobile friendly user-interface, from conversion of their online stores in less than an hour and at no additional cost. This way, businesses stand to benefit from increased browsing time, lower bounce rates and higher conversion rates, leading to increased sales.

Renowned coffee shop group, Pacific Coffee Company, was at the event to showcase the use of My Perfect Cup loyalty card that lets users top up the stored-value using their PayPal account, and purchase the food and beverages with the use of Quick Response (QR) code from their mobile device.

This makes the entire cashless transaction extremely easy and convenient. We also saw the supposed two-step PayPal purchases from online sites including movie tickets, travel package as well as gadgets.

Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/paypal-offers-mobile-optimizedwebsites-and-checkout-for-business-in-singapore/15895.html May 18th, 2012

This morning, PayPal announced two mobile commerce solutions for businesses in Singapore - mobile-optimized shopping websites and checkout - that would help increase mobile sales.

According to Elias Ghanem, managing director of PayPal Southeast Asia and India, we are seeing a lot of devices becoming more social and connected, and mobile.

"Three years ago, we were talking about the online and the offline whereby online (and mobile) constitute 4% of the 15

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entire $400 billion retail business around the world. Today, that number has gone to 6% for online and mobile. But most importantly, almost 40% of the offline transactions are influenced by an online device. What if in terms of being an influencer becomes a transactor? In 2013, we are removing the letter "e" from ecommerce; we believed that the online and offline have completely blurred and the change for all our merchants is now the entire retail. There is $10 trillion opportunity around the world for both local consumers and foreigners. In 2010, Singaporeans had spent $1.1 billion online and through their mobile and in 2015, it was projected to be $4.4 billion. This shows that more Singaporeans are using their mobile to shop online" Ghanem said.

May 18th, 2012

Naughty Dog release new trailer for first non-Uncharted PS3 title, "The Last of Us"

According to a source, the screen will measure four inches from one corner of the screen to the next. This size is 30% larger than current 3.5 inch screen which Apple has used for the iPhone since its introduction in 2007.

According to “people familiar with the situation”, Apple’s next iPhone will sport a bigger 4-inch screen, and is already ordering them from suppliers in South Korea and Japan.

According to “people familiar with the situation”, Apple’s next iPhone will sport a bigger 4-inch screen, and is already ordering them from suppliers in South Korea and Japan.

Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/naughty-dog-release-new-trailer-forfirst-non-uncharted-ps3-title--the-last-of-us-/15894.html May 18th, 2012

Those talented game developers over at Naughty Dog who graced us with the Uncharted series for Sony's PlayStation 3 console have just outed a new cutscene trailer for one of their upcoming games scheduled for release on 12/31/2012.

Those talented game developers over at Naughty Dog who graced us with the Uncharted series for Sony's PlayStation 3 console have just outed a new cutscene trailer for one of their upcoming games scheduled for release on 12/31/2012.

The upcoming game is titled "The Last Of Us", the first PS3 game from Naughty Dog that's not a part of the much loved Uncharted series.

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"Survive an apocalypse on Earth in The Last of Us, a PlayStation 3-exclusive title by Naughty Dog. Here, you will find abandoned cities reclaimed by nature. Here is a population decimated by a modern plague. Here, there are only survivors killing each other for food, weapons, or whatever they can get their hands on. Here, you find no hope.

Joel, a brutal survivor, and Ellie, a brave young teenage girl who is wise beyond her years, must work together if they hope to survive their journey across the US." The folks over at IGN have also been able to tee up a Q&A with Creative Director, Neil Druckmann and Game Director, Bruce Straley about the upcoming game via this link. It certainly holds a good amount of promise and hopefully we'll get a taste of some in-game footage during next month's E3 event.

Next iPhone might have a 4inch screen

This increase in screen size is likely a competitive move on Apple’s part. Other smartphone manufacturers have been using bigger sized screens for a long time, including Samsung, which recently introduced a Galaxy smartphone sporting a large 4.8 inch screen.

With smartphones taking on more and more roles previously dominated by computers, consumers want larger screens to work on, allowing for bigger virtual keyboards and a better media viewing experience. Thus smartphone manufacturers are moving to larger screens.

A larger screen size might convince the undecided to go for an iPhone. The hardware specs of Apple’s smartphone are not unimpressive, and its aesthetics are universally admired.

Perhaps one if its few drawbacks in the average consumer’s eye is a now comparatively smaller screen.

“A likely shakeup in the design of a larger-screen iPhone could go a long way in boosting its "wow" factor, convincing fans to trade in their old iPhones for new ones,” said Shawn Wu, an analyst at Sterne Agee. He went on to say, “"People love the current design — but it's 18 months old."

Apple isn’t a company that generally follows the standard, because it is often in the unique position of setting the standard. This new flexibility on Apple’s part might indicate bigger changes yet to come.

Google rolls out "Knowledge Graph" feature Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/google-rolls-out-knowledge-graphfeature/15890.html

Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/next-iphone-might-have-a-4-inchscreen/15891.html

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May 18th, 2012 May 18th, 2012

Google is rolling out an encyclopedia-like feature helping to eliminate the amount of time users need to spend finding information, and making Google searches less ambiguous.

Google is rolling out an encyclopedia-like feature helping to eliminate the amount of time users need to spend finding information, and making Google searches less ambiguous.

Published by: VR-Zone

The ability to see relevant information to a topic without even clicking on websites will certainly be a big convenience to users. The jury is still out, however, on exactly how they will react to the new feature. Compared to other Google modifications such as instant search, Knowledge Graph is actually very unobtrusive. It does its job without interfering with regular user search functionality.

Websites are the ones who are likely to dislike this feature.

If users can get the information they need without visiting specific websites, then sites that used to get a lot of traffic for certain queries may receive significantly less exposure than before. The feature may also attract antitrust regulators, some of whom are already wary of Google's practices.

The feature has been compared to an encyclopedia. Google calls it "knowledge graph". The idea is to display immediate information relevant to a user’s searches in a box at the side of Google's standard search results. For example, somebody googling C.S Lewis will immediately see a biographical blurb at the side, displaying information and facts about the 20th century author and Christian apologist.

In any case, searching with Google is becoming a more and more seamless process. Starting with Instant Search, googling is becoming an almost "clickless" procedure. This will not only make searching with Google more easy, but will improve the voice search feature of Android phones, and the possible Google Glasses of the future.

More ambiguous queries, such as "Beethoven" will induce a list of possible meanings. The query could refer to Ludwig van Beethoven, the 19th century composer. It could also refer, however, to 'Beethoven', an American film series.

Knowledge Graph will give users the option to see search results about only one, moving him from a nebulous string of unrelated information, to a more specific and useful list of results.

LG readies up Optimus UI 3.0 update for ICS running handsets Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/lg-readies-up-optimus-ui-3.0update-for-ics-running-handsets/15893.html May 18th, 2012

LG has just finished polishing off an update for the user interface on its Android 4.0-running smartphones which while not bringing anything all that remarkable to the table, does carry with it a number of convenient additions which LG says will help make users' lives easier in getting tasks done with a faster and simpler interface overall.

Knowledge Graph, example visualization This new feature is fed with the knowledge that Google has accumulated from dozens of online sources, including Wikipedia, CIA World Factbook, and Google books. Google notes that, with access to billions of facts, this new feature will be able to provide a broad and coherent perspective on user queries. Google will customize the facts displayed on a certain search based on previous searches, providing more relevant results for individual users.

LG has just finished polishing off an update for the user interface on its Android 4.0-running smartphones which while not bringing anything all that remarkable to the table, does carry with it a number of convenient additions which LG says will help make users' lives easier in getting tasks done with a faster and simpler interface overall.

Dubbed Optimus UI 3.0, one of the key components of the new UI is an enhanced Quick Memo feature, allowing the user to produce quick notes using their fingers. These notes can then be shared via social networks, email, or sent as a txt message.

Google views this as the biggest feature they have launched in years. Ben Gomes, Google Fellow and vice president of the company's search group says, "To put this into perspective, one of the biggest launches in the past was Universal Search.

The Knowledge Graph features affect a larger fraction of queries than Universal Search. Users will see these features more often than they see Google Maps in Google Search."

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May 18th, 2012

Published by: VR-Zone

Provided with one of these SSDs is a cable with a couple buttons on the end; red and green in color. Both are designed to ensure any existing data on the drive is wiped, with one ensuring the drive itself can never be used again.

Other additions comprise an icon customiser for adjusting the look of certain app's icons, an extra Download category for less limiting and easier organisation methods as well as a new Voice Shutter feature which allows the user to take a photo simply by yelling a command at the device.

In polishing off the update, some other minor additions were thrown in including the ability to unlock the phone by dragging anywhere on the screen and a new camera feature that helps you pick the best photo among multiples.

The Optus UI 3.0 update from LG will be a part of the Optimus LTE II smartphone, scheduled for launch next week in Korea. Following that, the update will be made available for the quad core LG Optimus 4X HD launching next month.

RunCore intros InVincible SSD with physical "self destruct" feature Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/runcore-intros-invincible-ssd-withphysical-self-destruct-feature/15892.html May 18th, 2012

When it comes to ensuring your sensitive data doesn't end up in the wrong hands, SSD maker RunCore has come up with the most extreme solution one could think of; a quick, easy and definitive way to eradicate any possibility of your data being retrieved for access by others.

When it comes to ensuring your sensitive data doesn't end up in the wrong hands, SSD maker RunCore has come up with the most extreme solution one could think of; a quick, easy and definitive way to eradicate any possibility of your data being retrieved for access by others.

The company has just launched a new series of SSD dubbed InVincible (you'll soon see that there's a bit of irony in this name), which while providing nothing extraordinary in terms of the usual specs in line with what else is available on the SSD market these days, it has one feature in particular that stands right out; the ultimate in data security.

Pressing the green button instantly wipes all data on the drive and re-initializes it with random code right the way through to prevent data recovery procedures from being successful.

The red one takes things several notches higher; it self destructs the drive on a physical level. Pressing this button sends a surge of additional voltage to the NAND chips and thus they are physically destroyed so as to eradicate all possibility of any data being retrieved off them thereafter.

Of course, the drive is for the rubbish bin following a press of this button, but RunCore believes there are certain situations where the red button will provide the ultimate in peace of mind.

"A less subtle method is the physical destruction of your SSD by applying an over-current to the NAND flash memory and thereby physically destroying these. The RunCore InVincible product series is catering to embedded computer systems requiring high-speed serial switched fabric interconnects for rugged design implementation and more flexible power ranges. Delivering optimized storage options particularly in mission-critical fields such aerospace, military and general industrial applications.

With these devices your private data protection is entering an entirely new stage of security. This is especially important in an ever more mobile environment were sensitive data and information are frequently being carried along, making it a potential risk to being used by unauthorized 3rd parties. With the RunCore InVincible you now have a highly advanced data protection solution for most demanding professional usage which is also suited for the private sector where data security is becoming an ever more important concern."

You can view a video from RunCore below which explains and demonstrates the self-destruct function (inclusive of smoke) further.

Unprintable Content (Video, Flash, etc.)

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May 22nd, 2012

Published by: VR-Zone

VR-Zone.com | Tech News for the Geeks!

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

Get your hands on a Samsung Galaxy S III today, but only in Dubai Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/get-your-hands-on-a-samsunggalaxy-s-iii-today-but-only-in-dubai/15958.html May 22nd, 2012

Dubai, the city of luxurious living and extremely expensive cars, has received yet another luxury item that many around the world have yet to even touch. Samsung’s new flagship device, the Galaxy S III, has already been spotted on shelf of a local mall.

Dubai, the city of luxurious living and extremely expensive cars, has received yet another luxury item that many around the world have yet to even touch. Samsung’s new flagship device, the Galaxy S III, has already been spotted on shelf of a local mall.

Expect the S III to hit Europe’s shelf on May 29th, but for residents of North America no exact date has been set.

Thunderbolt comes to the Windows PC - ASUS P8Z77-V Premium and MSI Z77A-GD80 Review Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/thunderbolt-comes-to-the-windowspc--asus-p8z77-v-premium-and-msi-z77a-gd80-review/15929.html May 22nd, 2012

We evaluate two new flagship Z77 motherboards targeting different price points - ASUS's P8Z77-V Premium billed as a feature packed, four-way GPU capable workhorse while MSI opted for a more understated approach with their Z77A-GD80. Both of them feature a debuting Intel 'Cactus Ridge' Thunderbolt controller, which we will cover quite extensively in this piece.

Introduction If you envy the rich and famous of Dubai for their lavish living styles and sonic fast cars, then you should probably know that owners of the Galaxy S III in Dubai are checking out how jealous the rest of the world is right now—on their phone!

The price of the phone in Dubai was AED2, 499 (~$680).

Since its introduction early last year, Thunderbolt, codeveloped by Apple and Intel, has experienced a relatively slow adoption rate, with the technology formerly known as "Light Peak" featuring exclusively in Apple's Mac products and prosumer-grade storage/display offerings. The reasons for the snafu were high implementation costs (i.e $59 for 0.5m cables made by Apple) and a very stringent certification process. Intel looks like it wants to cherry pick vendors and products, turning away small time device makers and forbidding self-validation efforts, rendering the Thunderbolt ecosystem into a snob club as opposed to commonplace standards like USB.

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May 22nd, 2012

With a choice of copper or optical fiber cabling now supplied by more vendors, and the new 'Cactus Ridge' host router bringing down costs and idle power usage, Intel is claiming more widespread availability of the technology in this year's Ultrabooks, and PC motherboard designs from the likes of ASUS, Gigabyte and MSI. We should also see more Thunderbolt enabled devices at the upcoming Computex Taipei.

Published by: VR-Zone

The devices on the Thunderbolt tunnel can be daisy chained (up to six) and will be seen as a native PCIe device or DisplayPort monitor by the Operating System. A master clock on the host controller also keeps synchronization issues in check, which is useful for realtime applications like video editing.

OEM/ODMs have the option of implementing the full speed DSL3510 (two DP connectors, four lane PCIe) or the more economical DSL3310 (one DP connector, two lane PCIe) controller.

Thunderbolt offers data transfer speeds of up to 10 Gb/s full duplex per channel (much faster than USB 3.0's 5Gb/s) and uses a low profile connector that is almost identical to miniDP (DisplayPort).

Google' Prius making yesterday's sci-fi a reality Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/google-prius-making-yesterday-ssci-fi-a-reality/15954.html May 22nd, 2012

The idea of a self-driven vehicle is nothing new, but the only problem is that companies producing such technology have to go through various legislations to make it legal. Google has managed to convince legislators in California to pass a bill that will allow Google’s recently developed Autonomous Prius to cruise on public roads.

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May 22nd, 2012

Published by: VR-Zone

Warning: if you like driving your car and being in control of it, then this particular article might just make you a little mad.

The idea of a self-driven vehicle is nothing new, but the only problem is that companies producing such technology have to go through various legislations to make it legal. Google has managed to convince legislators in California to pass a bill that will allow Google’s recently developed Autonomous Prius to cruise on public roads.

Senate Bill 1298, authored by Senator Alex Padilla, passed with a unanimous vote of 37-0. The bill will go on the assembly floor for the State Assembly to vote on, and is expected to pass within the next few months.

The world of computers running all aspects people’s lives is just around the corner. I just hope that Google’s autonomous car doesn’t turn into one of those sci-fi flick that depicts robots and computers destroying mankind because humans lost control over them. Got thoughts on how Google’s autonomous car will turn out? Post a question or comment below!

In-cell touch panels and Taiwan's manufacturing woes Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/in-cell-touch-panels-and-taiwan-smanufacturing-woes/15945.html May 22nd, 2012

(Sen. Padilla in Google's Autonomous Prius, courtesy of the Associated Press) Padilla endorsed the bill by saying, “Thousands of Californians tragically die in auto accidents each year. The vast majority of these collisions are due to human error.

Through the use of computers, sensors and other systems, an autonomous vehicle can analyze the driving environment more quickly and accurately, and can operate the vehicle more safely.”

It seems as if Google has struck yet another gold mine, but Google won’t be able to monetize on the Autonomous Prius just yet. For the vehicle to be considered safe on California’s public streets it would have to follow strict guidelines and standards set by the California High Patrol (CHP).

If you’re looking forward to Apple’s next generation iPhone 5, then you should know a little bit more about the business end, as well as the display technology will influence the new iPhone’s look and feel.

If you’re looking forward to Apple’s next generation iPhone 5, then you should know a little bit more about the business end, as well as the display technology will influence the new iPhone’s look and feel.

Mass production of in-cell touch panels by Sony was launched in February. The new type of touch panel is thinner than current panels that are equipped in today’s high end phones. iPhone fans can expect the next generation iPhone to be no less than 1.0mm slimmer than the current iPhone 4.

Although Google’s new car can drive itself, the general consensus is that a licensed driver must be at the helm regardless. So don’t be too quick to assume that if you don’t have a license you can just purchase an autonomous car.

If you’re a car enthusiast and you’ve managed to read this far into the article you might be thinking what’s the point of having a car if you can’t even enjoy controlling it? Safety is one thing but the thrill of knowing when you are the master of your domain is another. Perhaps I dwell too much on the thrill to realize the significance of the safety end of an autonomous car.

Even if I don’t personally want to be driven everywhere by a computer, Arizona, Hawaii, Florida and Oklahoma are other states that have a similar bill in the making that will support Google’s autonomous car.

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As you can see from the diagram above, Sony’s in-cell touch panel essentially eliminates the need for a touch sensor between the cover glass and LCD screen. The LCD screen in the iPhone 5 will have the touch control built in, thus, shaving off approximately .50mm.

Reports from KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo suggests that Apple will also do away with the glass backing and adopting the metal backing which will slim down the iPhone even further. In addition to the backing change, Kuo also predicts that Apple will try to integrate a slimmer battery that, along with other major changes, will ultimately shave 0.96mm off the current iPhone 4.

Published by: VR-Zone

attacks either, with some claims that hackers are bypassing the authentication server.

Blizzard will roll back affected characters to restore them, their items and gold, but some progress may be lost in the process.

Several other companies beside Sony from around the globe are vying for Apple’s business. Sharp Corp, and Toshiba from Japan are already scheduled to start production of incell panels for Apple. Tech giant LG from South Korea is also in the discussion. Many would also question why there aren’t any Taiwanese companies in that category.

According to tapeitimes.com, one of the leading Taiwanese display manufacturers, AU Optronics Corp, is lagging behind its Japanese and South Korean competitors. AUO is not expected to begin mass product of similar in-cell touch technology until the third or fourth quarter.

For the panel display manufacturers in Taiwan, this is definitely a big blow since they simply can’t compete with companies from other countries for Apple’s business.

Nevertheless, the advent of the in-cell touch panels is exciting news enough for many iPhone fanatics to forget that the “made in Taiwan” text won’t be appearing on the inside on the upcoming iPhone 5.

Blizzard nightmare grows as Diablo III accounts hacked Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/blizzard-nightmare-grows-as-diabloiii-accounts-hacked/15957.html May 22nd, 2012

Blizzard is in further hot water over its recently released hack-and-slash role-playing game Diablo III, after numerous reports of hacked accounts and stolen in-game money.

Blizzard is in further hot water over its recently released hack-and-slash role-playing game Diablo III, after numerous reports of hacked accounts and stolen in-game money.

Eurogamer states that one of its writers, Christian Donlan, was the victim of a hacked account over the weekend, but reports are rolling in that this is not an isolated problem.

This situation only exacerbates a series of problems that players have encountered with the game, particularly the dreaded Error #33, which prevents gamers from playing.

This problem arose again on Sunday on European servers, but rumours are circulating that the servers were taken offline to deal with an SQL injection attack.

This slate of issues raises significant questions about whether or not Blizzard did the right thing to force users onto servers to play the game, which opens a whole host of security issues, not to mention the simple problems of server uptime and internet connectivity, which does little to entice those who only want to enjoy the single-player experience.

Blizzard recently apologised for its insufficient preparations for the launch day rush. It also decided to delay the introduction of the real-money auction house, which was probably a wise decision now that hacked accounts are a concern. The cynical among us might even wonder if this was the reason Blizzard delayed its release in the first place.

Steve Ballmer calls Windows 8 "rebirth" of Microsoft's OS Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/steve-ballmer-calls-windows-8rebirth-of-microsoft-s-os/15952.html May 22nd, 2012

A growing number of players are finding their accounts have been hijacked, their inventories cleaned out, and their gold stolen. Having an authenticator may not protect from these

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May 22nd, 2012

Steve Ballmer, CEO of Microsoft, has called Windows 8 the “rebirth” of its operating systems, making it one of the most pivotal products in the company's history.

Steve Ballmer, CEO of Microsoft, has called Windows 8 the “rebirth” of its operating systems, making it one of the most pivotal products in the company's history.

Speaking at the Seoul Digital Forum, Ballmer said the new operating system was “a dawning of the rebirth of MS Windows” and called it “the most important piece of work we've done.”

The latest version of Windows is similar to Windows 7 for traditional desktop users, albeit with some improved features, such as a revamped task manager, faster boot times, and integration with the cloud. It is the Metro interface that is getting most of the attention, however, as it is here that tablet users will see Windows 8 and its tiled screen in action.

Published by: VR-Zone May 22nd, 2012

After meeting approval by regulators throughout the world, Google has announced that it has closed its deal to acquire Motorola Mobility, giving it access to a huge portfolio of important mobile phone patents.

After meeting approval by regulators throughout the world, Google has announced that it has closed its deal to acquire Motorola Mobility, giving it access to a huge portfolio of important mobile phone patents.

Larry Page, CEO of Google, announced the finalisation of the deal today, which had been held up by months of investigation by various regulators. The European Commission and US Department of Justice approved the buyout in February and Google was given the final green light by Chinese regulators yesterday, on the condition that Android remains free.

The $12.5 billion deal gives Google access to 17,000 patents and over 7,500 pending patents. It is widely believed that it was this collection that Google is interested in, as it gives the company huge legal powers, in both protection and prosecution, which could turn the tides in the Apple versus Android war.

Ballmer said that the market had changed dramatically, with just a few platforms now available, most notably Windows, Apple and a variety of forms of Linux. He predicted that this number will get smaller in the next few years, with the cloud being a major deciding factor.

He estimated that up to half a billion users will be using Windows 8 next year, suggesting the platform provides the “best economic opportunity” to develop for. Ballmer also revealed that Skype for Windows 8 is on the horizon.

Summing up how the company feels about Windows 8, he said it was the “deepest, broadest and most impactful” operating system it has created to date. The first two terms are likely accurate, but to see how much impact it will have we will have to wait until its release later this year.

Google closes Motorola Mobility deal

Sanjay Jha has stepped down as CEO of Motorola Mobility and will be replaced by Dennis Woodside, formerly President of the Americas region at Google. Page credited Woodside as a major player in increasing Google's US revenue from $10.8 billion to $17.5 billion in less than three years, which is a good sign for the now Google-owned Motorola Mobility.

Page said that many users going online today “may never use a desktop machine,” highlighting the rise of smartphones and tablet computers as viable alternatives to a PC or laptop for many internet users. Tapping and paying with a mobile phone is another innovation that he considers huge, and clearly Motorola Mobility will play a big factor in that growth for Google.

Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/google-closes-motorola-mobilitydeal/15951.html

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May 22nd, 2012

Published by: VR-Zone

VIA announces ultraaffordable $49 Android PC, we go hands on Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/via-announces-ultra-affordable-49android-pc-we-go-hands-on/15949.html May 22nd, 2012

Google's Android OS has so far ended up in just about every device imaginable, but apparently one market has so far been ignored, the humble desktop. Taiwanese VIA Technologies spotted this omission though and has developed the APC – or Android PC – which actually is more of a motherboard than a complete solution.

Google's Android OS has so far ended up in just about every device imaginable, but apparently one market has so far been ignored, the humble desktop. Taiwanese VIA Technologies spotted this omission though and has developed the APC – or Android PC – which actually is more of a motherboard than a complete solution.

Around the back the board has a 12V power connector, a Dsub and HDMI connector, four USB 2.0 ports, an Ethernet port, a pair of audio jacks and a microSD card slot. Storage would have to be added via USB or the microSD card slot, which should be enough for the target market, but it might not be to everyone's taste.

One hardware limitation of the WM8750 SoC is that it doesn't support resolutions above 720p and although the APC was mostly working flawlessly during our short demo, this is a little bit disappointing in a world of 1080p displays, no matter if it's your computer screen or your TV. Admittedly this is a low cost solution and it didn't have any problems playing back video from locally stored files nor streaming from YouTube.

Rather than coming up with a really compact solution like FXI's Cotton Candy, VIA simply sliced a mini ITX motherboard in half and ended up with a 170x85mm motherboard which more or less fits in a standard mini-ITX chassis, although you'd need a couple of supports for one side of the motherboard.

The power draw of the APC peaks at 13.5W; although idle power is a mere 4W and VIA claims that this is ten times less than your average PC and we have no reason to doubt them here, as although desktop PCs have become more power efficient, 135W is still not all that much power.

The hardware is fairly basic as VIA has tried to keep the price as low as possible and as such the company went with an ARM11 SoC from its Wondermedia subsidiary in the shape of the WM8750. This is an 800MHz chip and it won't be breaking any speed records as such, but it does at least feature hardware assisted 1080p video decoding. A fair few features of the WM8750 weren't implemented in this specific solution, but VIA did at least kit out the APC with 512MB of DDR3 memory as well as 2GB of flash memory for the OS. As this is a "PC" it also has a BIOS chip, an audio controller and an Ethernet controller which we were told was offering Gigabit speeds, but the press release talks about 10/100Mbps, so we're entirely sure what is supported here.

The APC can either be powered by an external 12V adapter, or via an internal 4-pin 12V connector. The board also has a standard USB 2.0 header and chassis connector pin header.

Although not a lot in terms of software was installed on the demo unit we were shown, VIA has tweaked Android – and we think the APC was running Android 2.3, but we actually forgot to ask – to make it work better with keyboards and mice. The company is still doing a lot of hardware compatibility testing with devices such as USB Wi-Fi dongles and so forth and should be providing more details closer to launch.

Speaking of which, the APC will officially launch in July for the very affordable price of US$49 (S$65) and it will come with a 15W power adapter as well as Android pre-installed on the flash memory. You might have noticed that below the product name on the PCB it reads "A bicycle for your mind" and VIA is sort of trying to say that the APC is so cheap and there are so many things you could potentially do with it, that it's just your mind holding you back.

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As for more advanced hardware in the future, well, we'll sadly have to wait and see, as VIA wants to feel the waters with the APC first to see if there's enough market for a product like this. If the company decided to make a higherend product at some point down the road we'd like to see a more powerful SoC and the inclusion of a SATA port, but we have a feeling that this would bring up the cost of the product quite significantly.

Leica Camera Asia Pacific announces seven new products in celebration of "Das Wesentliche" in Singapore Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/leica-camera-asia-pacificannounces-seven-new-products-in-celebration-of-das-wesentliche-insingapore/15947.html May 22nd, 2012

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Leica M9-P Hermes The Leica M Monochrome claims to be the world’s first in black and white digital rangefinder camera with the iconic M System that is truly special for photographers who appreciate the magic of authentic black and white photography. The camera maker also introduced two new limited edition; LEICA M9-P Edition Hermès and LEICA M9-P Edition Hermès – Série Limitée Jean-Louis Dumas, which are the third in the premium special editions created in collaboration with Hermès. The new Leica X2 cameras which now comes with faster autofocus in low light and with an optional electronic viewfinder, which is ideal for semiprofessional photographers and photography enthusiasts who want experience similar to the M-System. The latest V-LUX 40 model has a compact body and offers numerous new features in comparison to its predecessor, the Leica VLux 30. Leica also announced the Leica APO-Summicron-M 50mm f/2 ASPH lens, as well as S-Adapter H that allows all the Hasselblad H-system lenses to be mounted on a Leica S2 camera body.

Leica Camera Asia Pacific has unveiled seven new products in celebration of "Das Wesentliche" (the essential element in the art of photography) in Singapore, which include Leica M Monochrome, LEICA M9-P Edition Hermès and LEICA M9P Edition Hermès – Série Limitée Jean-Louis Dumas.

Leica V-LUX 40

Kodak's patent claims against Apple Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/kodak-s-patent-claims-againstapple/15940.html

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May 22nd, 2012 May 22nd, 2012

It seems like Apple is constantly trying to fight off intellectual property theft, but in the case of U.S. Patent No. 6,292,218 Kodak actually won the judge over.

It seems like Apple is constantly trying to fight off intellectual property theft, but in the case of U.S. Patent No. 6,292,218 Kodak actually won the judge over.

In this particular case, Kodak claimed Apple that infringed patents related to the image previewing technology in U.S. Patent No. 6,292,218. Last January, a judge ruled in Apple’s favor that there were no infringements on the patent.

However, the ITC had a different opinion and decided to review the judge’s decision.

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Facebook shares decline two days after IPO - Zuckerberg loses $2.2 billion Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/facebook-shares-decline-two-daysafter-ipo--zuckerberg-loses-2.2-billion/15939.html May 22nd, 2012

On their second day of trading, Facebook's stocks dropped below their offer price, losing Mark Zuckerberg's personal fortune $2.2 billion.

On their second day of trading, Facebook's stocks dropped below their offer price, losing Mark Zuckerberg's personal fortune $2.2 billion.

The case was transferred to Judge Thomas Pender, as the previous working the case retired. Judge Pender released his initial statement today: “I hereby reaffirm on remand that no violation of Section 337 of the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended, has been found in the importation into the United States, the sale for importation, or the sale within the United States after importation of certain mobile telephones and wireless communication devices featuring digital cameras, and components thereof, in connection with claim 15 of U.S. Patent No. 6,292,218.”

It would seem as if Apple was ready for clear sailing, but in judge Pender’s Conclusions of Law section, he states that: “The accused Apple iPhone 3G infringes claim 15 of the ‘218 patent.”

However, the infringement of the iPhone 3G is invalid due to the obviousness, and that the Kodak’s specific patent claims were ‘invalid’.

Thus, Apple didn’t quite get the okay just yet. Based on Judge Pender’s statement regarding the iPhone 3G infringement, it is almost a guarantee that Kodak will continue to put its claim on U.S. Patent No. 6,292,218.

Kodak’s Chief of intellectual property, Timothy Lynch, released a statement saying that Kodak is “pleased that the ALJ has concluded that Kodak's patent is infringed by Apple and RIM. We expect to appeal to the full Commission his recommendation on validity. The ALJ's recommendation represents a preliminary step in a process that we are confident will conclude in Kodak's favor.”

Kodak isn’t exactly the envy of the technology world at the moment since it filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection four months ago. The once upon a time tech company is barely staying afloat and is fighting hard to keep its value until another tech giant buys it out—perhaps Apple.

Mark Zuckerberg - image from TechnoBuffalo On May 17th, Facebook sold 421.2 million shares at a price of $38 each, earning the company $16 billion in the biggest technology IPO in history, following a good deal of hype and hoopla. On today, the 21st, the shares sank 11.3 percent to $33.90 at 12:37 P.M in New York. Before this, the shares had gone down as low as $33, 13.7 percent.

As a consequence, Facebook's chariman and chief executive Mark Zuckerberg lost $2.2 billion. Ranking 26th on the Bloomberg Billionaires Index on May 18, Zuckerberg’s stake is valued at $17.1 billion. Zuckerberg wed 27-year old Pricsilla Chan on Saturday, the day after the IPO. Analyst Martin Pyykkonen with Wedge partners said in a phone interview, "If you went out and spent on Friday, you’re not canceling the order for the Lamborghini just yet. For the most part, those with a substantial stake still have plenty of value."

On its first day, the IPO suffered from trading glitches.

Robert Greifeld, Chief Executive Officer of Nasdaq credited these glitches to a “poor design" with software driving auctions for IPOs.

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One trader, mistakenly pressing the wrong buttons, accidently cancelled his order in a "happy accident" on Friday. Those who did not join the hordes on Friday to nab stock in the IPO should be glad that they did not.

Apple releases brochures to neighbors, discussing new campus Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/apple-releases-brochures-toneighbors-discussing-new-campus/15937.html May 22nd, 2012

Published by: VR-Zone

means that Cupertino will continue to have no Apple stores, until one is put somewhere else.

Apple will be including a "world-class" auditorium in their new building. It is possible that they will conduct future product releases at their campus, rather than events like the Worldwide Developers Conference, where they have customarily launched many new products.

Apple's rotund new building would do much to increase their presence in the surrounding area. However, before Apple can start construction on the new project, they will have to receive the city's permission. Why the city wouldn't approve is anyone's guess, but until they do, there can be no official ETAs issued, or any plans set in motion.

The Leap: Gesture Control Revolution?

Apple sent out a brochure to its neighbors in Cupertino, looking for feedback on its planned "Campus 2", for which the company hopes to break ground this year.

Apple has been seeking to build a new campus for nearly a year now. On June 7th of 2011, Apple's late founder and CEO Steve Jobs presented the idea to the Cupertino City Council, bluntly stating "Apple's growing like a weed....it's clear we need to build a new campus."

The technology giant plans to break ground on the project later this year, and hopes to occupy it by 2015. The slick and futuristic design, as shown by conceptual renderings of the building, have made it a hot topic of conversation on blogs since Jobs announced it. Jobs himself described the building to the council, saying "It's a bit like a spaceship landed."

The brochure sent out to Apple's Cupertino neighbors released new details regarding the campus. 9to5mac obtained one such brochure, and released the details on its blog. Of many details it mentioned, the brochure clarified that the new campus is not going to replace 1 Infinite Loop as Apple's primary center.

Apple also explained that it plans to receive an LEED certification to measure the sustainability of the new campus. This is likely at least partly due to the massive solar panel array that will be on its roof.

One bit of information in the brochure will not please Apple enthusiasts - the building will not be open to the public, and will not have any Apple store inside of it. Ironically, this

Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/the-leap-gesture-controlrevolution-/15936.html May 22nd, 2012

If you watched Minority Report and thought that the computer interface Tom Cruise’s character used was something you would like to use, you might be getting your shot sooner rather than later. A new USB device called The Leap purports to make just such an interface possible. It works by creating a three-dimensional bubble about eight cubic feet in volume of what the creators are calling “interaction space.” The device is supposedly capable of detecting your gestures down to an accuracy of .01 millimeters, making it roughly 200 times more accurate than the other well-known gesture technology, Microsoft’s Kinect.

The video posted below was provided by Leap Motion, the company behind this new product, and apparently shows footage from a real unit, rather than a computer rendering and fancy post-processing effects. Before you ask any questions, let me answer a few that I know you’re going to ask. First off, no, we have no idea what hardware is hidden inside The Leap. Leap Motion has said nothing about the tech, other than claiming it’s “unlike anything currently on the market.” While that’s obviously press-release phrasing for “we don’t want to tell you how it works,” what it probably uses is either some form of LIDAR (a light-based form of radar) or a higher definition version of the Kinect sensor, which only uses a 640x480 camera. On the software side, we also have no idea what kind of magic is at work other than Leap Motion’s vague “patented mathematical approach.”

The Leap is available for pre-order for $70, and Leap Motion expects to ship the device early next year. Developers can get a free unit and an SDK, though there is more than likely a limit to the number of devices that will be given away.

More information should be available as soon as the device is released to developers.

I have doubts about the practicality of the device, as personally I know that holding my arm out for hours every day in order to use my computer would be extremely tiring.

I also have my doubts about the interaction being somehow faster or more efficient than a mouse and keyboard. I could see it heralding a new age in mobile interactions, however, and I think this kind of technology will see great promise in that field. We will keep our eyes on Leap Motion; we could be

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witnessing a revolution in interaction, or another flash-inthe-pan company with a promising idea that fails to deliver.

Comcast Suspends Data Cap, Prepares for Tiered Pricing Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/comcast-suspends-data-capprepares-for-tiered-pricing/15934.html May 22nd, 2012

Comcast users outside two as-yet-unnamed markets will have unlimited data usage during the testing of Comcast's new data pricing model.

Comcast customers finally have something to be thankful for. The largest cable ISP in the United States is switching its 250GB monthly data cap for a tiered model with a higher cap and a method to purchase extra data.

Comcast has long been accused of trying to force the internet into being a secondary service to its cable television business.

Netflix CEO Reed Hastings is among the critics who accuse Comcast of using the data caps to protect its cable television business from the threat of free or cheaper alternatives online, such as Netflix, Amazon, and YouTube.

Comcast executive VP David L. Cohen said in a conference call with reporters that a cap which causes users to be denied service if they exceed it sends the wrong message, especially since it only affects a “small percentage” of their customers, though the company declined to elaborate on what that percentage is. He continued, saying that they “want to send a signal to customers that our network is robust and has tremendous capacity. We don’t want customers to have a sense that [they] can’t use this app on the internet.”

Comcast is preparing two trials in different markets. Both trials will impose a 300GB cap with a $10 charge per 50GB beyond that, but one trial will increase the cap with faster tiers of internet service. “This will effectively offer unlimited use of service,” bragged Cohen. “Customers can buy and use as much data as they like.”

Cohen then admitted that Comcast doesn’t want its users to think the network has unlimited capacity. The cap is being raised a mere 50GB and the company is committing considerable time and effort into monitoring customer usage for an early warning and automated billing system. This comes at a time when more and more people are ditching cable television in favor of online video. This trend will cause data usage to continue to grow over time, as video streams consume a lot of bandwidth. A feature-length HD movie can use more than 3.5GB of bandwidth, for instance.

Published by: VR-Zone

PR nightmare) system that cuts users off of the network, or they are laying the foundation of a future where they stand to rake in exorbitant profits from a large percentage of users regularly passing their data cap and having to pay for extra data.

Comcast may also be attempting to draw attention away from their new XBox service, which allows their customers to stream the company’s cable offerings through their Xbox using the IP protocol. Critics complain that this violates the FCC net neutrality rules, since the data cap doesn’t apply to this service, but Comcast claims that they’re in the clear because it isn’t “technically” competing with online video services because they’ve allocated a new slice of their cable pipeline to the product.

Until the trials finish, Comcast customers will have no data caps, though local traffic congestion measures, where speeds are throttled for heavy data users when local networks become congested, will remain in effect, so customers should download to their hearts’ content.

Early MSI socket FM2 motherboard tips up Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/early-msi-socket-fm2-motherboardtips-up/15944.html May 22nd, 2012

Thanks to one of our forum members we can show you an early picture of an AMD socket FM2 motherboard from MSI. Admittedly the forum post doesn't mention the fact that it's from MSI, but the product model number gives it away.

Thanks to one of our forum members we can show you an early picture of an AMD socket FM2 motherboard from MSI. Admittedly the forum post doesn't mention the fact that it's from MSI, but the product model number gives it away.

The board is simply called the MS-7778 and it actually looks like an OEM product from MSI and we'd guess the target customer is one of the big brand name PC makers like HP or Dell. The blurrycam picture doesn't really help when it comes to spotting a lot of details on the board, but we can clearly see the single x16 PCI Express slot, three x1 PCI Express slots and a half size mini PCI Express slot for something like a Wi-Fi module.

The dirty little secret is that this trend is actually a good thing for Comcast. The price of moving data across networks continues to fall, and Comcast is paying a smaller and smaller percentage to move data into and out of its networks.

This begs the question of why Comcast is even bothering to keep a cap, which they declined to explain in a clear manner.

This leaves two possibilities: either Comcast is truly having an issue with a small percentage of its userbase using too much bandwidth and are looking for a less draconian (read: 10

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Published by: VR-Zone

motherboard for business users and as such it comes with Intel's Small Business Advantage in the box.

Intel's SBA is a software package that makes it easy for small businesses to manage their PCs without a dedicated IT support team, or at least that's the idea behind the software.

It features a software monitor that keeps software up to date and working, a backup and restore application, a USB port blocker that prevents unauthorized USB devices to be used with the computer, a power saving feature and a "PC Health Center" which performs maintenance tasks on the system during non-working hours.

The board also seems to have six SATA ports of which two are fitted to the edge of the board at 90 degree angle, a single USB 3.0 pin header and two USB 2.0 pin headers.

What we can see of the rear ports it looks like four USB 3.0 ports, an Ethernet port, a DVI and D-sub connector and 7.1channel audio with optical S/PDIF out. We would guess this motherboard is using the upcoming A85 chipset from AMD, although the current chipsets are meant to be compatible with the new CPU's, albeit with a socket change.

AMD has already announced that the company will be unveiling its new CPUs at Computex in two weeks' time, so unless there are some more leaks, we're going to have to wait until the 6th of June to find out the full details of the new platform.

ASRock first with Q77 motherboard, a little bit too early in fact Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/asrock-first-with-q77-motherboarda-little-bit-too-early-in-fact/15943.html May 22nd, 2012

So what about the motherboard? Well, the Q77M vPro doesn't look all that special, it's a fairly typical mATX motherboard with one x16 PCI Express 3.0 slot, one x16 PCI Express 2.0 slot with four lanes of bandwidth and two PCI slots. It also has the standard set of four SATA 3Gbps and two SATA 6Gbps ports, a front USB 3.0 header, as well as headers for four USB 2.0 ports, a serial port, a parallel port and a TPM module.

The rear port layout is fairly basic with a PS/2 port, six USB 2.0 ports, two USB 3.0 ports, Intel Gigabit LAN – this is a requirement for the SBA software to work – 5.1channel audio and a DisplayPort, DVI and D-sub connector.

The choice of DisplayPort over HDMI clearly makes this a motherboard targeted for more professional use, but it's really the only thing that makes this board stand out a bit from the crowd.

Intel's Q77 chipset isn't expected to launch for another week and a half or so, but that hasn't stopped ASRock from launching its first product based on the chipset, the Q77M vPro motherboard. As the name inclines, this is a motherboard for business users and as such it comes with Intel's Small Business Advantage in the box.

Intel's Q77 chipset isn't expected to launch for another week and a half or so, but that hasn't stopped ASRock from launching its first product based on the chipset, the Q77M vPro motherboard. As the name inclines, this is a 11

May 22nd, 2012

Published by: VR-Zone

The Q77M vPro is already on sale for around US$125 (S $160) which is a pretty steep price premium over something like ASRock's own H77 Pro4-M which offers a better feature set for a mere US$90 (S$115), so unless you really need the Intel SBA software and the DisplayPort connector, there are plenty of more affordable options out there.

May 22nd, 2012

Intel is going after the Gigabit cable modem market

It's easy to forget that the LGA-1155 platform is also home to Intel's E3-series of Xeon processors and Intel recently updated its entire E3-series of Xeon's to Ivy Bridge. To go along with the new CPUs Intel also released a new chipset, the C216 and Asus has produced a new motherboard based on this chipset called the P8C WS where WS stands for Workstation.

Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/intel-is-going-after-the-gigabitcable-modem-market/15942.html May 22nd, 2012

A little known fact is that Intel is competing in the cable modem market and the company is showing off its latest DOCSIS 3.0 gateway at the Cable Show. The bad news is that it doesn't appear that we'll see any commercial implementations until next year, which at least isn't too far away.

A little known fact is that Intel is competing in the cable modem market and the company is showing off its latest DOCSIS 3.0 gateway at the Cable Show. The bad news is that it doesn't appear that we'll see any commercial implementations until next year, which at least isn't too far away.

Unlike most of its technologies, Intel has gone with a pet name for its cable modem technology and its DOCSIS 3.0 products are simply known as Puma 6. The first test program using this technology will kick off next year in Korea, so if you're a SKbroadband customer this might very well be good news for you.

It's easy to forget that the LGA-1155 platform is also home to Intel's E3-series of Xeon processors and Intel recently updated its entire E3-series of Xeon's to Ivy Bridge. To go along with the new CPUs Intel also released a new chipset, the C216 and Asus has produced a new motherboard based on this chipset called the P8C WS where WS stands for Workstation.

Unlike the previously launched P8Z77 WS, the P8C WS is actually a fairly basic model that lacks features like a PLX bridge chip, extra SATA/eSATA controllers and so forth and it's actually a fairly basic motherboard. The choice of chipset makes this more of a workstation board though, mostly due to certification which will make this an approved motherboard for a lot of businesses.

Unlike its consumer siblings, the Xeon E3 processors have 20 lanes of PCI Express bandwidth, but it doesn't looks like Asus has taken this to heart with the P8C WS as it sports two PCI Express 3.0 x16 slots that operate in dual x8 mode, two PCI Express x4 slots – one via the CPU and one via the chipset, as well as a single x1 PCI Express slot and a single PCI slot.

Beyond offering download speeds of up to 1Gbps, DOCSIS 3.0 is also promising upstream bandwidth of up to 240Mbps depending on how the cable service provider configures its channel bonding, as 24 channels are required for the top download speed and another eight channels for the top upload speed. Intel will be offering complete solutions to potential partners, albeit not the actual cable modems, but the company has a chipset for the modems.

With an increase in HD video content and larger application downloads as many companies are shying away from offering physical media for its software, we're all going to need faster internet connections unless we're going to end up spending even more time sitting around waiting for our downloads to finish and this is a step in the right direction.

That said, cable internet providers tend to be fairly slow at upgrading their infrastructure, so expect it to take a bit longer before 1Gbps is standard on your average cable network.

Asus' P8C WS motherboard target Xeon's with the C216 chipset Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/asus-p8c-ws-motherboard-targetxeon-s-with-the-c216-chipset/15941.html

As mentioned, Asus didn't add any additional SATA controllers and as such the board only has four SATA 3Gbps and two SATA 6Gbps ports via the chipset. Other on board connectors consists of a single USB 3.0 pin header, two internal USB 2.0 ports, one USB 2.0 pin header, one FireWire pin header and a serial port, a parallel port and TPM module pin header.

The rear I/O could've been a lot better considering the target market, as Asus has simply gone with the same layout as 12

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for the P8Z77WS and dropped a couple of features. The good news is that the dual Intel Gigabit Ethernet controllers are still in place, but beyond that you only get six USB 2.0 ports, a PS/2 port, two USB 3.0 ports, a FireWire port, 7.1channel audio with optical and coaxial S/PDIF out and a single dual-link DVI port. What we're really missing here is a DisplayPort connector, or two at that considering the target market and the ability of this motherboard to drive up to three displays and we feel Asus missed out here.

Published by: VR-Zone

the game on your TV or display at the same time as you’re recording it. One neat trick is that it’s bus powered and as such doesn’t require an additional power adapter.

The only real tangible benefit of going for the P8C WS over the P8Z77 WS is the support for the extra four PCI Express lanes from the CPU rather than having to rely on a PCI Express bridge to be able to take advantage of all four slots, but you also miss out on extra SATA, eSATA and USB 3.0 ports to mention only a few features that aren't included.

The P8C WS is at least a fair bit cheaper to reflect this as it looks like it'll retail for around US$240 (S$305) compared to about US$340 (S$435) for the P8Z77 WS which might still make it a worthwhile purchase for some.

Elgato announces the Game Capture HD Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/elgato-announces-the-game-capturehd/15938.html May 22nd, 2012

Slowly but surely more and more high definition video capture devices have started to appear, although most of them haven’t exactly been priced at a consumer price point if you wanted something besides a PCI Express card. Elgato’s new Game Capture HD is set to change things at least for those interesting in capturing HD gaming videos from a console.

Slowly but surely more and more high definition video capture devices have started to appear, although most of them haven’t exactly been priced at a consumer price point if you wanted something besides a PCI Express card. Elgato’s new Game Capture HD is set to change things at least for those interesting in capturing HD gaming videos from a console.

The Game Capture HD connects to a PC or Mac over USB 2.0 and features a built in hardware video encoder that records the video in 1080i30, 720p60, 576p60 or 480p/i60 depending on the source/settings. It accepts HDMI - without HDCP copy protection - input as well as composite video plus audio and is as such compatible with both Microsoft’s Xbox 360 and Sony’s Playstation 3. And HDMI throughput connector is also part of the package which allows you to play

Elgato also supplies the Game Capture HD with some basic capture and editing software. This has a rather unusual feature which Elgato calls "Flashback Recording" which offers what most people would refer to as time shift record or pre-recording. However, in this case it’s only up to an hour worth of video, but at least it can come in handy for those times when you forget to hit record. The software also include direct uploading to YouTube, Facebook and Twitter for easy sharing of your videos.

The Game Capture HD will be available next month for US $199.99 (S$255) which might still be a bit too expensive for most of us, but it’s far cheaper than most professional grade video capture hardware and it doesn’t require a high-end computer to do the video encoding in real time. The only limitation is that Elgato only supplies drivers for Windows 7 and Mac OS X 10.7 or later.

Corsair Vengeance K60 Mechanical Keyboard & M60 Gaming Mouse Review Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/corsair-vengeance-k60-mechanicalkeyboard--m60-gaming-mouse-review/15935.html

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Published by: VR-Zone

Gaming palm rest with soft-touch surface for superior gaming comfort • Ø Storage for ten (10) sculpted FPS keys • Ø Key extraction tool included and storable in palm rest

Corsair has always been a company close to gamers and hardcore enthusiasts. Although the company is primarily focused on delivering high speed RAM modules, SSDs and power supplies, today we are going to have a look at two products which literally place the company in direct contact with the gamers; the Vengeance series K60 mechanical keyboard and the M60 gaming mouse. Although they are sold separately, both products are specifically developed for hardcore first person shooter (FPS) gamers. We will closely examine both of Corsair’s latest additions to the Vengeance series in this review.

Corsair has always been a company close to gamers and hardcore enthusiasts. Although the company is primarily focused on delivering high speed RAM modules, SSDs and power supplies, today we are going to have a look at two products which literally place the company in direct contact with the gamers; the Vengeance series K60 mechanical keyboard and the M60 gaming mouse. Although they are sold separately, both products are specifically developed for hardcore first person shooter (FPS) gamers. We will closely examine both of Corsair’s latest additions to the Vengeance series in this review.

• Six multimedia keys — Stop, Previous, Play/Pause, Next, Mute, Volume Up/Down — with Solid metal, weighted volume "drum roller" • Windows Lock key for uninterrupted game play • Metal top plate for increased strength, durability and rigidity • USB pass-through connector giving easy access to a USB port on the back of the keyboard (USB 2.0/1.1/1.0) • USB Connector with gold plated contacts • 2m non-tangle cable

Vengeance M60 Gaming Mouse • 5700 DPI — Avago Technologies ADNS-9500 LaserStream Gaming Sensor • Adjustable DPI in 100 DPI increments • 1000Hz/500Hz/250Hz/125Hz (1ms/2ms/4ms/8ms) selectable response time • Tracking up to 165 inches per second, up to 30g acceleration, and automatic frame rate control • Adjustable lift distance — five selectable levels to fit your play style • Surface quality detection • 8 individually programmable buttons • Side mounted sniper button provides user settable DPI change while pressed for enhanced precision targeting • Comfortable ergonomic design with surfaces and grip improving textures

soft-touch

• Omron left and right click switches rated for eight million operations Manufacturer’s features and specifications Vengeance K60 Performance FPS Mechanical Keyboard

• Aluminum metal frame and base for improved rigidity and mass distribution • Solid metal, weighted scroll wheel with rubberized scroll surface for improved finger traction control and feel

• Light, responsive Cherry MX Red mechanical switches for fast, efficient gaming action

• Ultra Low Friction PTFE pads for smooth performance and accurate gliding

• Ø 45g actuation Force

• USB Connector with gold plated contacts

• Ø 2mm to actuation and 4mm to bottom

• 1.8m lightweight non-tangle cable

• Ø Rated for 50 million operations • Ø Gold contacts • Tuned silicon dome keyswitches: F1 through F12, Esc, PrtScn, Scroll Lock, Pause/Break, Insert, Home, Page Up Page Down, Delete, and End • Ten (10) additional sculpted FPS keys (W, A, S, D and 1 to 6) for superior reaction and control — interchangeable with the standard keyboard keys

Major characters confirmed for Mass Effect 3: Extended Cut Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/major-characters-confirmed-formass-effect-3-extended-cut/15933.html

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Several major characters have been confirmed for a return in the Extended Cut of Mass Effect 3, BioWare's attempt to appease fans who were angry at the game's disappointing ending.

Several major characters have been confirmed for a return in the Extended Cut of Mass Effect 3, BioWare's attempt to appease fans who were angry at the game's disappointing ending.

The confirmations came in a roundabout way from the actors who voice the characters. Admiral Steven Hackett, EDI and Kaidan Alenko will be returning.

Lance Henriksen, who voices Hackett, told G4 that he finished another recording session with BioWare, explaining that it was because of “a problem with the abruptness of the ending.� Tricia Helfer, who voices EDI, and Raphael Sbarge, who voices Alenko, also confirmed recent returns to the studio.

The Extended Cut was announced in April after extensive criticism of the game's ending, which did not take into account the choices or actions made during the course of gameplay. This was particularly an issue given that Mass Effect 3 was advertised as letting players affect the outcome of the game. The problem became so bad that even the Better Business Bureau lambasted BioWare for false advertising.

In fairness to the studio, however, it has taken this feedback on board and will release the new downloadable content for free in the Summer. This update will feature a number of personalised endings that will reflect the choices made in the game, which should go a long way towards making up for the original blunder.

Published by: VR-Zone

Revamped Wii U controller photo leaked Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/revamped-wii-u-controller-photoleaked/15932.html May 22nd, 2012

The tablet controller for the Wii U has been revamped slightly and an image of the new version has been leaked online.

The tablet controller for the Wii U has been revamped slightly and an image of the new version has been leaked online.

A QA tester at gaming firm Traveller's Tales posted the photo on Twitter, but it and the account related to the user have since been removed, probably after receiving a good telling off from their superiors.

The overall form of the device remains the same, but some things have been altered and moved around. For starters, the controller now comes with full analogue sticks, rather than the flattened circle pad employed in the 3DS, which was shown in previous pictures.

The start and select buttons have been moved from the bottom to the right-hand side and what appears like a new unlabelled button has been added beside the power button, and another beneath the D-pad. These may be merely aesthetic, however.

Another major thing about this new version is the inclusion of the Wii U logo on the device, which suggests this will be the confirmed name for the console when it launches, despite some rumours that Nintendo might change the name at the last minute.

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Published by: VR-Zone

until March 2012 when finally Chrome caught up and took over the crown.

By February 2012, Chrome and Firefox were locked in a heated battle for browser supremacy. At the time Chrome owned 36.3%, while Firefox claimed 36.6%. Within just a few months, Chrome stepped in and secured first place and left many wondering which other niches can Google dominate on the internet? With the exception of Google+, Google’s answer for Facebook, Google has practically taken over the internet. Just about anything related to the internet or telephony involves the Google brand.

The Wii U is expected to release late this year and should be featured at E3 next month.

Chrome takes over as browser king Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/chrome-takes-over-as-browserking/15930.html May 22nd, 2012

Personally, I am a user of Chrome, and Firefox. Chrome is more user friendly in the sense that users can launch the browser and have a joyous experience without the hassle of configuring the browser itself. However, when it comes to browser customization, I still believe Firefox has the upper hand. For instance, if I wanted to browse privately through a proxy I would have to set the proxy through Windows and not directly into the Chrome browser. With Firefox, however, all I have to do is install a proxy plugin and I can enter the proxy directly into the browser setting.

In September 2008 Google’s Chrome browser was a measly 3.1% according to w3schools.com, but in a mere three years Chrome has managed to surpass Internet Explorer and Firefox in browser usage. As of April 2012, Chrome’s usage was 38.3%, followed by Firefox with 35.8% and 18.3% from IE.

(w3schools.com) In September 2008 Google’s Chrome browser usage was a measly 3.1% according to w3schools.com, but in a mere three years Chrome has managed to surpass Internet Explorer and Firefox in browser usage. As of April 2012, Chrome’s usage was 38.3%, followed by Firefox with 35.8% and 18.3% from IE.

The customization of the Firefox browser seems to be unlimited, but it is quite understandable why Chrome has overtaken Firefox as the more popular browser. There aren’t that many ‘browser-geeks’ out there, and since most of the world browse the internet it is only safe to assume that people want a browser that works well right off the bat.

In any case, Chrome has definitely won users over with its ease of use as well as speedy loading time. Until Google stumbles and repeat Microsoft’s mistake of creating debacle browsers like IE7 & 8, we probably won’t see the reign of Chrome come to an end anytime soon.

Asus gets official on its first two Thunderbolt motherboards In Chrome’s early days, IE owned the majority of the browser usage, but somehow Microsoft managed to mess things up.

Firefox stepped in and took the reign of browser king up

Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/asus-gets-official-on-its-first-twothunderbolt-motherboards/15931.html

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A little bit earlier than we anticipated, Asus has unveiled not one, but two Thunderbolt equipped motherboards, the previously seen P8Z77-V Premium as well as the P8Z77-V Pro/Thunderbolt. The latter of the two is quite similar to the P8Z77-V Pro, although with some minor differences and of course a price tag that should be a fair bit higher.

Published by: VR-Zone

Now things are official and nothing has really changed in terms of the specifications, although it's at least confirmed that the P8Z77-V Premium will ship with a 32GB mSATA SSD for caching. We still don't know what controller Asus is using on the SSD and as such it's still impossible to make any predictions in terms of performance. Price wise nothing much has changed, as in Europe the board is still listed for around â‚Ź400 (US$510/S$650) just as we reported last week when Intel launched its first Thunderbolt equipped motherboard, but we spotted the P8Z77-V Premium for a slightly more affordable US$459 (S$585) on pre-order in the US, if affordable is a word you can use at this cost level.

A little bit earlier than we anticipated, Asus has unveiled not one, but two Thunderbolt equipped motherboards, the previously seen P8Z77-V Premium as well as the P8Z77-V Pro/Thunderbolt. The latter of the two is quite similar to the P8Z77-V Pro, although with some minor differences and of course a price tag that should be a fair bit higher.

We got an early glimpse of the P8Z77-V Premium courtesy of Anandtech almost a month ago and then a few days later Asus released a few teaser images, although the company did its best to hide the fact that the board actually featured Thunderbolt. This attempt was somewhat in vain though, due to the fact that Asus missed to Photoshop out the word Thunderbolt on one of the images of the board and the fact that you could clearly see the connector on the same image.

As a side note, this should as far as we're aware be the first Z77 chipset motherboard that supports triple-display output via Thunderbolt/miniDP, DisplayPort and HDMI.

So what about the P8Z77-V Pro/Thunderbolt? Well, for one it should be more affordable than the Premium, but we don't know by how much. The fact that you don't get an SSD, more basic Wi-Fi and a x16 PCI Express slot less should help keep costs down. In fact, the P8Z77-V Pro/Thunderbolt is nearly identical to the P8Z77-V Pro, with only a couple of minor changes that we could spot. For one the P8Z77V Pro/Thunderbolt lacks the full-size DisplayPort connector and a pair of USB 2.0 ports. The USB 2.0 ports have clearly been replaced by the Thunderbolt/miniDP connector and apparently Asus figured that the extra DisplayPort connector and as such triple-display output would be reserved for the Premium, as despite the P8Z77-V Pro/Thunderbolt having four display connectors, only two of them can be used at once.

Some minor changes has taken place in terms of component layout at the rear edge of the motherboard as well with the ASMedia PCI Express to PCI bridge having been moved further down the PCB to make space for the Thunderbolt controller. The P8Z77-V Pro had space for what appears to be a PCI FireWire chip that was never implemented and 17

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as such this should have been a fairly minor change to the actual functionality of the board. Missing of course is also the TB_Header connector, as it makes no sense having that and it its place is another USB 2.0 header and it looks like Asus has also added a serial port header and a TPM header to the P8Z77-V Pro/Thunderbolt.

Published by: VR-Zone

Six months ago Apple filed a lawsuit against Samsung for infringing Apple’s tablet design patents. The feud has been ongoing, but maybe the upcoming meeting between Apple’s CEO, Tim Cook and Samsung’s Chief Executive, Choi GeeSung, can put an end to the bickering.

JK Sin, Samsung’s mobile division chief, said “there is still a big gap in the patent war with Apple but we still have several negotiation options including cross-licensing,” before taking off to America to accompany Gee-Sung.

Apple and Samsung have reached out to each other in an attempt to settle previous lawsuits. According to pcworld.com, Steve Jobs contacted Samsung in July 2010 to work out intellectual property issues between the two companies.

At the end of the day the big question is if there will be enough demand for these kinds of products, but it seems like all the top-tier motherboard makers – minus ASRock so far – are being on Thunderbolt as the next big thing.

Admittedly Thunderbolt does offer some tangible benefits over every other external interface currently on the market, but the price premium is still very steep compared to say USB 3.0. For the professional market there's already a wealth of devices that take advantage of the new interface, but much less so for the enthusiast or high-end consumer and we can't but wonder if the professional market would splash out on either of these two motherboards rather than wait for a workstation with Thunderbolt support from someone like HP or Dell and that's only in the case of Apple not adding Thunderbolt support to its potential next gen Mac Pro. Neither product has appeared on Asus website at the time of writing and as such we haven't included any links to the product pages.

Upcoming Apple-Samsung meeting might see an end to feud

If you have been following the Oracle and Google court battle then you can see some similarities between the two scenarios. Google used Oracle’s Java API to develop the Android smartphone OS, and initially Sun Microsystems (pre-Oracle buyout) didn’t have a problem with it. Several years down the road, however, when Google’s Android became the most dominant smartphone platform, Oracle stepped in and filed lawsuits for infringement of copyrights.

Just like how Oracle provides the API for the Android platform’s development, Samsung provides Apple with hardware that are used in iPhones. Samsung can benefit from business of one of the world’s most coveted company, and Apple relies on Samsung for one of its hottest selling product. No one should come out the loser in this situation.

Despite the indifferences between the two companies, it wouldn’t harm either company to settle their intellectual property arguments outside of court. If the Cook and GeeSung doesn’t manage to work out some sort of bargain then we will see another Google-Oracle-esque court proceeding in about two months.

Why is Yahoo selling its stake in Alibaba?

Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/why-is-yahoo-selling-its-stake-inalibaba-/15924.html May 22nd, 2012

Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/upcoming-apple-samsung-meetingmight-see-an-end-to-feud/15927.html May 22nd, 2012

Six months ago Apple filed a lawsuit against Samsung for infringing Apple’s tablet design patents. The feud has been ongoing, but maybe the upcoming meeting between Apple’s CEO, Tim Cook and Samsung’s Chief Executive Choi GeeSung put an end to the bickering.

Samsung and Apple seem to have a love-hate relationship as the two tech giants have been in business together for many years. As of late, however, the trend has shifted towards the ‘hate’ end of the spectrum.

If you stumbled upon this using the Google search engine or any other search engines other than Yahoo, then this article will reflect Yahoo’s trouble’s and decline on the World Wide Web. Yahoo has just announced that it will about half its stake in the Chinese e-commerce group Alibaba for about $7.1 billion. Why is Yahoo so in need of cash?

If you stumbled upon this using the Google search engine or any other search engines other than Yahoo, then this article will reflect Yahoo’s trouble’s and decline on the World Wide Web. Yahoo has just announced that it will about half its stake in the Chinese e-commerce group Alibaba for about $7.1 billion. Why is Yahoo so in need of cash? Let’s delve into it shall we?

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For starter, the stock prices of Yahoo have been steadily declining since 2000. Before the dot com bubble burst, Yahoo stock prices reached an all-time high of $110.38 per share on 12/31/1999. Right after the dot com burst, Yahoo decides to do a 2:1 split on their stocks in hopes of regaining their stock value. However, Yahoo’s stock value continued to decline as two shares was worth less than $40 at around 2003. So if you owned a single share of Yahoo stock at around 2000, and kept that share until 2003 you actually held onto a stock that lost about 2/3 of its value.

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that. But let’s just hope that Yahoo doesn’t squander it and fall to the ranks of MSN or AOL. However, as it still stands —if you didn’t use Yahoo to find this article, then we know there hasn’t been any movement yet from Yahoo.

Pioneer introduces new car audio video receiver AVHP8450BT with Advanced App Mode Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/pioneer-introduces-new-car-audiovideo-receiver-avh-p8450bt-with-advanced-app-mode/15948.html May 22nd, 2012

(yahoo.com) However, Yahoo stock value began to increase and in 2003 another 2:1 split was conducted thereafter. This time around people who held on to their stocks had something to rejoice about as they’ve essentially had their stock value doubled.

Yahoo stock prices remained relatively steadied at around $30-40 per share, but went below $20 at around 2009.

There haven’t been many companies that have been able to maintain high stock values once they went public, and Yahoo was no exception.

With the Pioneer Advanced App Mode, you can now use your iPhone, iPhone 4S or iPod Touch and its apps seamlessly on the car dashboard. This enables the usage of apps in the car with limited driver distraction.

Onto my main point about why Yahoo is selling its stake in Alibaba. Google has always dominated the search engines, but ever since Bing entered the search engine market, Yahoo has seen a steady decline in market share.

(statowl.com) According to statowl.com, at Bing’s inception into the search engine market in June 2009 its market share was 4.21%, and Yahoo’s was 7.92%. However, Yahoo has clearly lost its advantage on Bing as Yahoo and Bing are now almost even in Market shares (Yahoo: 7.48%, Bing:7.26%). How can a company with nearly double the advantage in market share allow its competitor to catch up within a span of only approximately three years? The answer to this question would possibly require another full article to analyze, but in short, Yahoo hasn’t been innovative enough to entice users to continue to use their search engine.

So to answer my initial question of why Yahoo decided to sell its stake in Alibaba—It might as well be Yahoo’s plan to launch long term campaign to regain second place in the search engine market, and $7.1 billion can help it achieve

Pioneer Electronics Asia Centre has introduced the latest car audio video receiver AVH-P8450BT with Advanced App Mode. Advanced App Mode is designed to utilize the processing power, storage capacity, network connectivity and apps of the iPhone 4/iPhone 4S and iPod touch (fourth generation) as the primary source of information and entertainment capabilities. It allow users to control most functions using similar touch and motion gestures like today's smartphones, but on a larger screen to ensure safer in-vehicle operation.

Simply connect to an iPhone 4/iPhone 4S and iPod touch loaded with compatible third-party apps, and the “AppRadio” app will deliver the in-vehicle smartphone experience for iPhone users by helping users stay current with recommended compatible third-party apps. The Pioneer Advanced App mode application “AppRadio” app is available for download free in the App Store. Compatible apps for Internet radio service include AUPEO! Personal Radio, Livio Car Internet Radio and StreamS HiFi Radio.

There are also apps for drive analytics service such as DashCommand and Extra Mile. Additional apps to support Advanced Add Mode will be available in the near future.

Pioneer has also developed exclusive compatible apps for Advanced App Mode: 19

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1) MIXTRAX app - Analyze your iPod touch and iPhone 4/iPhone 4S music library (Internet connectivity required) and generate non-stop mix play by cueing up songs, beat matching, or adding effects. The MIXTRAX app is now available for download on iTunes.

2) Navgate Drive South East Asia app - Provides numerous intelligent features such as traffic information, city guides, short route calculation time, simultaneous calculation of multiple route variants and many others.

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Once logged into So.cl you will see more graphics than texts. If you’re visual person, chances are you will find this approach to social networking very intuitive and fun.

Another very different approach to So.cl is that it constantly streams other So.cl user’s search queries to your So.cl homepage. You might find this interesting because you are seeing what’s the ‘hot’ and what’s ‘not’. However, you might also find it quite annoying if you don’t really care about what other people are searching for.

So what is So.cl? According to the official So.cl FAQ:

Microsoft crashes Mark Zuckerberg's wedding with So.cl Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/microsoft-crashes-mark-zuckerbergs-wedding-with-so.cl/15922.html May 22nd, 2012

“So.cl (pronounced "social") is an experimental research project, developed by Microsoft’s FUSE Labs, focused on exploring the possibilities of social search for the purpose of learning.

So.cl combines social networking and search, to help people find and share interesting web pages in the way students do when they work together.

So.cl helps you create rich posts, by assembling montages of visual web content.

Just a day after Mark Zuckerberg gets married to longtime girlfriend Priscilla Chan, Microsoft silently launches its experimental So.cl (“social”) service. Perhaps Microsoft is trying to take advantage of the Facebook-CEO post wedding jubilations to gain some grounds in the internet social media market. Chances are Priscilla is not allowing Mark to mix work with their honeymoon, so this might be Microsoft’s most brilliant plan yet. In all seriousness, however, can Microsoft really hope to take away some of Facebook’s users?

Just a day after Mark Zuckerberg gets married to longtime girlfriend Priscilla Chan, Microsoft silently launches its experimental So.cl (“social”) service. Perhaps Microsoft is trying to take advantage of the Facebook-CEO post wedding jubilations to gain some grounds in the internet social media market. Chances are Priscilla is not allowing Mark to mix work with their honeymoon, so this might be Microsoft’s most brilliant plan yet. In all seriousness, however, can Microsoft really hope to take away some of Facebook’s users?

To encourage interaction and collaboration, So.cl provides rich media sharing, and real time sharing of videos via "video parties."

We expect students to continue using products such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and other existing social networks, as well as Bing, Google and other search tools. We hope to encourage students to reimagine how our everyday communication and learning tools can be improved, by researching, learning and sharing in their everyday lives.”

Just by reading this small section of the So.cl FAQ’s, you can guess that Microsoft is attempting to enter the social networking market by an indirect route. If you remember Google’s Buzz, a previous fail attempt at social networking, then chances are you will see a similar path for Google+.

The answer is, no. There is just no way Microsoft can overtake the $100 billion social networking giant. That’s not to say that Microsoft can’t pull something out of its magic hat in the future, but for the time being—expect very little activity from So.cl. Signing up for So.cl is a rather easy process. All you need is a Facebook or Windows Live ID.

So.cl encourages its users to ‘continue using products such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and other existing social networks.” This indirect approach to social networking might work in Microsoft’s favor since they are not attacking Facebook head on, but instead they want to integrate the So.cl networking into the already existing frameworks of other social networks. Brilliant, yes, but will it work? Who really knows if Microsoft has really hit the jackpot on this

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idea, but what we know is that attacking Facebook head one is not working. Certainly, it did not work for Google.

Logitec prepares super small LAN-W300N/RS 802.11n router Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/logitec-prepares-super-small-lanw300nrs-802.11n-router/15920.html May 22nd, 2012

. Logitec Japan has let leak images and details on its latest compact Wi-Fi router, the LAN-W300N/RS which is ready for an imminent launch.

This compact mobile router is expected to become available toward the end of the month at 3,570 JPY (about US $44).

Logitec Japan has let leak images and details on its latest compact Wi-Fi router, the LAN-W300N/RS which is ready for an imminent launch.

Apple's iCloud hit with classaction lawsuit by disgrunted ex-MobileMe subscribers Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/apple-s-icloud-hit-with-class-actionlawsuit-by-disgrunted-ex-mobileme-subscribers/15919.html May 22nd, 2012

A lawsuit is being filed against Apple, accusing the company of misleading consumers in the advertisement of its iCloud service.

A lawsuit is being placed against Apple, accusing the company of misleading consumers in the advertisement of its iCloud service.

Running dimensions of just 56 x 42 x 13.5 with a weight of 23g (excluding its equally compact AC adapter), this travelfriendly router is available in black or white color options and offers up to 300Mbps (802.11n) wireless speeds with security via WPA2-PSK (AES), WPA-PSK (TKIP) or WEP (128/64bit).

In terms of wired interfaces, the LAN-W300N/RS comprises a 10/100 Mbps downstream Ethernet connection along with a WAN uplink.

AppleInsider discovered the lawsuit, filed by plaintiff Danyelle Comer in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California. The lawsuit complains of inefficient transition from the subscription based MobileMe service to the free iCloud replacement.

MobileMe is a subscription based suite of internet tools by Apple, including an email service, webhost, online storage feature and other utilities. In June of 2011, Apple announced the new iCloud service which is to take the place of MobileMe. MobileMe is now closed to new subscribers, but former customers can access the service up until June 30th of this year.

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The whole world isn't completely accepting of Windows Phone yet. Microsoft is hoping to remedy that with the upcoming Windows Phone 8. In the meantime, it might actually be getting a bit of love in China - well, a bit.

According to Michel van der Bel, COO of Greater China Region at Microsoft, Windows Phone has nabbed 7 percent of the Chinese market share, as opposed to the iPhones 6 percent.

This lawsuit makes a point out of the fact that MobileMe was not free, and customers migrating from the service experienced many troubles as a result of essentially mandatory transition to iCloud.

"Throughout the migration, Apple failed to adequately ensure that features MobileMe users were paying for would be accessible, including access to their e-mail accounts for which customers pay additional fees," goes the complaint.

"As a result, numerous MobileMe users suffered damage from the inability to access their individual accounts."

The filing accuses Apple of misrepresenting the iCloud services, and argues that paying MobileMe subscribers suffered "devastating consequences”. The suit says that Apple should have been more prepared to make the transition from MobileMe to iCloud.

The class-action lawsuit accuses Apple of several things, including unjust enrichment and violation of the MagnusMoss Warranty Act. According to the suit, "Unfortunately for many users it doesn't 'just work' and has resulted in a series of headaches due to lack of syncing ability, lack of email functionality and other complications and losses and corruption of data.

In fact a number of users have been forced to hire outside technical assistance at significant cost, just to migrate to the iCloud platform or get around it to obtain minimal functionality of emails and other systems."

Anytime that users complain of services such as Facebook or email providers, there are always those who respond with something along the lines of “You can’t complain if it’s free.”

But MobileMe was not free, and perhaps, for once, this is a legitimate lawsuit filed in honesty, rather than a get-richquick jab at juicing Apple.

Microsoft claims more Windows Phone than iPhone users in China

If these numbers are correct, then the iPhone is experiencing troubles in China - in July to September of 2011, the iPhone occupied 10.4 percent of the Chinese market share. It slipped to 7.5 percent between October and December. Now, it’s slipped again if it is indeed at 6 percent.

Van der Bel tells online Dutch magazine Emerce that he expects the Windows Phone market share to keep growing in China, and states that, "Our smartphone and PC-tablet hybrid, which is suitable for the consumer, but also easy to insert in an existing business infrastructure.

This allows us better than most competitors respond to the consumerization of IT" Since the publication is Dutch, this quotation has been automatically translated with Google. It is possible then that the reference to a "smartphone and PC-tablet hybrid" is some sort of mistake, as Microsoft doesn't have any such product yet. It is also possible that he refers to the Windows 8 smartphone-tablet hybrid that Nokia is thought to be working on.

Meanwhile, while Microsoft may have gained one percent of ground from Apple, this obviously doesn't mean that they will or even can keep this lead, which could just be a sort of hiccup. But in any case, both of them have a lot of work to do in defeating the common enemy - Android, which dominates the Chinese smartphone market at 69 percent market share.

Apple has an obvious upper hand in this battle, with a colossal application store. As far as applications go, Android and iPhone are the leaders. Windows has some major catching up to do if it wants to compete in this respect.

But does China even care about applications? Time will tell.

Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/microsoft-claims-more-windowsphone-than-iphone-users-in-china/15918.html May 22nd, 2012

According to a Microsoft official, Windows Phone 7 is overtaking the iPhone in China.

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VR-Zone.com | Tech News for the Geeks!

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

NEC's Medias 101T Android smartphone comes to Mexico in June

Medias NEC-101S - GSM 900/1800/1900MHz, UMTS 850/1500/1900/2100MHz Although currently there is no word yet on which version of Android the 101T will run, it will most likely be on 2.3.5 since that's what Thailand's 101S is on.

Apart from Mexico, the Medias 101T is expected to make its debut in North America as well sometime this year.

Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/nec-s-medias-101t-androidsmartphone-comes-to-mexico-in-june/15994.html May 24th, 2012

NEC Casio Mobile Communications announced today plans to begin selling the Medias 101T Android smartphone in Mexico from June, exclusively through Telcel, the country's biggest mobile service provider.

Microsoft Integrating Flash into IE 10 Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/microsoft-integrating-flash-intoie-10/16003.html May 24th, 2012

Weighing in at 117g, with dimensions measuring 128x65x8.2mm, the Medias NEC-101T is a waterproof (IPX5/IPX7 standards) and dust-resistant (IP5X standard) Android smartphone imbued with a 4" FWVGA (854Ă—480) capacitive touchscreen.

In a surprising change of pace, Microsoft revealed that it is integrateing flash support into the Metro version of IE 10, the latest version of its omnipresent browser.

According to NEC, as of 2011 the mobile penetration in Mexico is estimated to be around 87%, with 20% of the market belonging to smartphones. By the end of this year, NEC expects smartphones' share to rise to at least 30% The Latin-American country is the second stop on the Japanese mobile maker's campaign to bring the Medias brand outside of Japan and into the global mobile market.

Thailand was NEC's first stop; back in April the Medias 101S was launched there..

Looks and specs-wise, the 101T is practically the same phone as the 101S; except with minute differences in terms of cellular network standards supported.

Medias NEC-101T - GSM 850/900/1800/1900MHz, UMTS 850/1900/2100MHz

Two years ago, with the advent of HTML5, Microsoft proudly declared the Age of Flash to be over, claiming that the future of video on the Internet would be HTML5 integrated video.

That prediction seems to have been a bit premature, as a majority of video content on the web today is still delivered

by Adobe’s Flash technology. Despite this, the general assumption has been that Microsoft would be pursuing web-standard technologies alone with Internet Explorer 1

May 24th, 2012

10. Metro, the new UI standard adopted by Microsoft for Windows 8, doesn’t allow IE 10 users to expand its capabilities with add-ons, unlike any other browser on the market. In restricting IE like this, Microsoft is planning to provide a unified, seamless UI to the end-user.

In a surprising move, however, Microsoft has revealed that they will be integrating Flash directly into IE 10. They are reportedly doing this in a way that will not undermine the safety or reliability of the Metro UI environment (although history has shown again and again that there is no such thing as a perfectly secure environment).

Unsurprisingly, Microsoft realized that not including flash with IE 10 would be far too restrictive to its users, with a massive amount of online content being delivered by Flash.

Interestingly, however, Microsoft was able to add Flash capabilities without contradicting any earlier statements made by the company about standards and Flash with regards to IE. This was made possible by a very close working relationship with Adobe, as noted over two years ago by Microsoft Corporate VP Dean Hachamovitch. “We work closely with engineers at Adobe, sharing information about the issues we know of in ongoing technical discussions,” he said.

Because of their close working relationship, Adobe was able to provide Microsoft with access to the source code of Flash, allowing the software giant to seamless integrate the technology into IE 10. This allowed Microsoft to add Flash capability without compromising their standards for reliability, compatibility, performance, and security, as well as not requiring an exception to the “no add-on” policy for IE Metro.

Microsoft, despite offering Flash capabilities in their newest browser, is still gearing for the end of Flash as it exists today.

They realized that removing Flash would cut users off from a vast majority of content on today’s web, but they are clearly positioned to determine what shape the web standards of the future will take.

Development of male youth in jeopardy due to video games and pornogprahy Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/development-of-male-youth-injeopardy-due-to-video-games-and-pornogprahy/16002.html May 24th, 2012

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Zimbardo and his assistant Nikita Duncan claims that video games and pornography is the one of the main catalyst in the destruction of American youths—males in particular.

The discussion of how video games and pornography are influencing the way American males develop as human beings is as touchy of a topic as it can get. A recent article by gamesindustry.biz clarifies that Zimbardo claims video games and pornography create an “arousal” and “addiction” that make males “risk-averse [and causes them] to shy away from dealing with relationships, school, or work.”

Zimbardo uses examples from recent tragedies that were correlated with gaming to make his argument. One example was the death of Seungseob Lee due to 50 hours of playing Starcraft continuously. Another example is the killing massacre that was carried out by a Norwegian male named Anders Behring Breivik—who played a lot of Call of Duty and World of Warcraft.

The doctor and his assistant don’t directly blame technology for the problems in male youths, but rather the “misuse” of it.

“Technology is not the issue. Rather, it’s the misuse of technology. There’s a general overuse of video games and porn – especially in social isolation – which is not balanced out by other activities like exercise, face-to-face socialization with peers, or individual time with any kind of male mentor,” Zimbardo was quoted in an interview TED.com.

There’s no doubt that the correlation between video games and porn is present when it comes to troubled youth, but does that mean causation?

Zimbardo continued on in his interview with TED.com to say that “prescription drugs, illegal drugs, and overstimulation from enticing images and games” changes the brains of male youths, and the consequence is that they get “left behind socially, sexually, and financially.”

The discussion of how video games and pornography are influencing the way American males develop as human beings is as touchy of a topic as it can get. A recent article by gamesindustry.biz clarifies that Zimbardo’s claim that video games and pornography create an “arousal” and “addiction” that make males “risk-averse [and causes them] to shy away from dealing with relationships, school, or work.”

Despite being one of the wealthiest nations in the world, the American school system is also one of the lowest ranking of any in the developed world, but is the government to blame or are there other factors that influence how the youth of America develops. That said, a doctor by the name of Phillip

It seems that Zimbardo and his assistant has a particular section of men – the video game loving and pornography watching ones – all figured out. What about you? Where do

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you place the significance of video games and pornography in how it shapes young men?

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"Neither Android nor iOS were the first to market with some of these features, but the way they made the smartphone experience intuitive and seamless has quickly earned a massive following."

Android and iOS account for 8 of 10 smartphones in Q1 ASUS and StarHub announce Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/android-and-ios-account-for-8PadFone and PadFone Station of-10-smartphones-in-q1/16001.html May 24th, 2012 in Singapore Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/asus-and-starhub-announcepadfone-and-padfone-station-in-singapore/16000.html May 24th, 2012

Eight out of 10 smartphones shipped in the first quarter of this year were powered by Google's Android or Apple's iOS platforms, highlighting the continued dominance of the two companies in the mobile industry.

Eight out of 10 smartphones shipped in the first quarter of this year were powered by Google's Android or Apple's iOS platforms, highlighting the continued dominance of the two companies in the mobile industry.

ASUS unveiled the PadFone and PadFone Station at Mobile World Congress in February this year. Today, the Taiwanese company has announced that the PadFone and PadFone Station will go on retail from 2 June next month, and exclusive to local teleco StarHub.

A report by the International Data Corporation (IDC) revealed that Android's market share grew to 59 percent in the first quarter, while the iOS market share grew to 23 percent. This is a combined market share of 82 percent, a huge increase from the combined share of 54.4 percent in the first quarter of 2011.

Rival mobile operating systems, including the defunct Symbian and struggling BlackBerry OS, have continued to lose market share. Symbian posted its largest decline to date of 60.6 percent, resulting in a market share of just 10.4 percent. BlackBerry OS was down 29.7 percent, with a market share of 9.7 percent. Windows Phone 7, however, saw growth of 26.9 percent, but its market share increased from a meagre 2.6 percent to a not much better 3.3 percent.

Android's growth continues at a phenomenal pace, with an increase of 145 percent, while iOS is doing extremely well too, with a jump of 88.7 percent. If they and Windows Phone 7 continue to grow we will see further erosion of market share from Symbian and BlackBerry OS. "The popularity of Android and iOS stems from a combination of factors that the competition has struggled to keep up with," said Ramon Llamas, senior research analyst with IDC's Mobile Phone Technology and Trends program.

The ASUS PadFone is powered by 1.5GHz Qualcomm 8260A Snapdragon S4 dual-core processor and Adreno 225 GPU, and runs Google Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich.

It features a 4.3-inch Super AMOLED qHD display, 8megapixel camera with Fuji image processor and F2.2 aperture, and ASUS SonicMaster audio technology for superior audio experience. On the left are the micro-USB and micro-HDMI connectors which can dock neatly to the PadFone Station tablet device. The PadFone is also equipped

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with 1520mAh lithium-ion battery and boasts up to 15.6 hours of talktime, and up to 360 hours of standby time.

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Samsung Asia launches new Series 9 and Series 5 500p notebooks Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/samsung-asia-launches-newseries-9-and-series-5-500p-notebooks/15996.html May 24th, 2012

This morning, Samsung Asia announced their second generation Series 9 laptops which boast to incorporate the world's thinnest and most compact chassis. The Korean company also unveiled their Series 5 500p multimedia notebook for consumers who want power features and high quality multimedia experience.

Simply dock the phone to the back of the PadFone Station and it becomes a fully-functional 10.1-inch Android tablet.

The PadFone Station works as a portable and larger touchscreen display to the PadFone, and it also recharges the phone for up to 64 hours of extended usage. Place the PadFone Station onto the PadFone Station keyboard dock, and you have a working "notebook PC"-like device. There is also an optional Bluetooth stylus headset that lets you draw effortlessly and picks up calls at the same time. Say, if you have already docked the PadFone into the PadFone Station, and a call comes in, you can either answer the call with a cabled headset, a wireless Bluetooth headset, or the Bluetooth Stylus headset. The PadFone Station Dock also has its own battery that charges the PadFone for up to 102 hours of use, and comes with additional USB ports and card reader.

The ASUS PadFone will retail at S$800 before telco subsidies from 2 June, and customers who want the PadFone Station can get it with a S$328 top up. The PadFone Station Dock and Bluetooth Stylus headset are priced at S $228 and S$128 respectively. StarHub customers who preorder the PadFone and PadFone Station between 25 to 31 May will receive the PadFone Station Dock and Bluetooth Stylus headset for free. For more details, visit http:// www.starhub.com/padfone.

The new Samsung Series 9 claim to have gone through 9,000 hours of design sketches and mockups and 24,000 hours of research and development, to achieve premium design, superior performance and features for users. The Series 9 features 15-inch display fitted into a stylish 14inch chassis, weighs 1.59kg and measures 14.9mm thin; the 13-inch Series 9 measures 12.9mm and weighs 1.16kg.

The Samsung laptops are powered by third generation Intel Core processor, 4GB/8GB memory and 128GB/256GB SSD configurations. Due to its slim form factor, the Series 9 4

May 24th, 2012

Published by: VR-Zone

features VGA output (via dongle) and micro HDMI output; the 15-inch features two USB 3.0 and one USB 2.0 while the 13.3-inch has one USB 3.0 and one USB 2.0.

According to the manufacturer, the Series 9 boots in 9.8 seconds with Samsung Fast Solutions, while Fast Start offers a 1.4-second wake-up, and Fast Browsing provides two-times faster web browsing. Scheduled to launch on 3 June, the 15-inch Series 9 will be available in Magnesium (from S$1,788) and Aluminium chassis (S$2,488) while the 13.3-inch Series 9 will be available only in Aluminium Chasis (from S$2,188). Optional accessories include an external optical drive with stylish finish and would be available soon.

The Samsung Series 5 500p is equipped with third generation Intel Core i7 Quad-core processor, Nvidia GeForce GT630M graphics with 2GB VRAM, and up to 1TB storage. It sports a high-resolution anti-reflective display with 300 nit brightness and features integrated JBL speakers. The 14-inch model weighs 2.27kg and will be available in Titan Silver and Pink flavours. The Samsung Series 5 500p will be retailing in Singapore from 3 June from S$1,288.

More pictures of the models:

Russian cybercrime overlord jailed for spam botnet Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/russian-cybercrime-overlord-jailedfor-spam-botnet/15999.html May 24th, 2012

A Russian cybercrime overlord has been jailed for four years for creating a spam botnet made up of over 30 million compromised computers.

A Russian cybercrime overlord has been jailed for four years for creating a spam botnet made up of over 30 million compromised computers.

27-year-old Georgiy Avanesov was arrested in 2010 at the Yerevan airport in Armenia. He was put on trial in the country and has been found guilty of computer sabotage.

This is the first time the country has convicted a criminal of a computer-related offence.

Avanesov was responsible for the infamous Bredolab botnet, which began in 2009 and sent a whopping three billion spam 5

May 24th, 2012

messages every day, clogging the email accounts of millions and filling the web with malware.

Published by: VR-Zone

The research will begin at the Intel Collaborative Research Institute for Computational Intelligence in Israel, with additional aid from specialists of Technion and the Hebrew University.

"Machine learning is such a huge opportunity," said Justin Rattner, CTO of Intel, according to Reuters. "Despite their name, smartphones are rather dumb devices. My smartphone doesn't know anything more about me than when I got it. All of these devices will come to know us as individuals, will very much tailor themselves to us."

The man earned a lucrative â‚Ź100,000 a month, or â‚Ź1.2 million a year, from the operation, which involved both sending spam and hiring out the botnet to other cybercriminals, who employed it to spread viruses or spam of their own.

The plan is to develop small, wearable computers that improve certain aspects of everyday life. An example given was a user leaving his or her car keys at home. The first week the device will remember where he or she left the keys, while in the second week it will remind him or her not to forget the keys. This ability to adapt to a user's experience could revolutionise the industry and produce huge demand for new home equipment.

The botnet was shut down in October 2010 by Dutch police, who managed to gain control of it. Despite Avanesov's attempts to recapture the network and hide his identity, police managed to track him down.

With four years in prison, Avanesov will have plenty of time to think about his future and whether or not the millions he amassed through other's misfortune was worth it. It also serves as a stark warning to other botnet operators around the world.

Image Credit: Tom-b

Intel researching computers that mimic human brain Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/intel-researching-computers-thatmimic-human-brain/15998.html May 24th, 2012

"Within five years all of the human senses will be in computers and in 10 years we will have more transistors in one chip than neurons in the human brain," said Moody Eden, president of Intel Israel.

The question, of course, is whether or not this will lead to technology outsmarting us and the scenarios put forward by science-fiction writers of robots revolting against our rule. It might all sound far-fetched, but so did the idea of computers that learn a few years ago.

Intel expects the first of these devices to be ready by 2014 or 2015.

Intel is researching computer technology that mimics the human brain so that it learns about the user over time, marking a major milestone in artificial intelligence and nextgeneration computing.

Image Credit: Intel

Intel is researching computer technology that mimics the human brain so that it learns about the user over time, marking a major milestone in artificial intelligence and nextgeneration computing.

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Ubisoft's next title may be an Assassin's Creed MMO, and they're hiring!

Published by: VR-Zone

Despite the Facebook IPO disappointment, the social network giant is determined to expand its reaches across the globe—next destination, Dubai.

Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/ubisoft-s-next-title-may-be-anassassin-s-creed-mmo-and-they-re-hiring-/15995.html May 24th, 2012

Passionate game developers listen up, Ubisoft is hiring!

Ubisoft’s recent hit Assassin’s Creed suggests that the company is looking into producing an MMO. Even Gamespy.com speculates that Ubisoft is making an attempt at producing an Assassin’s Creed-type MMO game.

Despite the Facebook IPO disappointment, the social network giant is determined to expand its reaches across the globe—next destination, Dubai.

Facebook will set up an official office in Dubai next week.

The location isn’t exactly the slums of the Middle East; actually, it’s the gem of the Middle East.

Setting up an office in Dubai will help expand Facebook’s global presence, but will it entice investors to hang onto the Facebook boat? Or will investors continue to jump ship and let Facebook’s stocks continue to sink?

Passionate game developers listen up, Ubisoft is hiring!

Ubisoft’s recent hit Assassin’s Creed suggests that the company is looking into producing an MMO, and they need your help. Gamespy.com speculates that Ubisoft is making an attempt at producing an Assassin’s Creed-type MMO game.

Google updates search application with new interface Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/google-updates-search-applicationwith-new-interface/15987.html May 24th, 2012

If hired, you’ll be working with other “passionate” game developers that are experienced in developing “Online RPGs [and] third-person action games.” If that doesn’t sound like the Assassin’s franchise then how about working with people who have experience in “playing PvP at a high level.”

Convinced that you can have a shot at helping to create the next Assassin’s title yet? Assassin’s Creed has a multiplayer that pretty much describes the online RPG, third-person action, and PvP portion of the job requirements. What’s missing is the MMO. Sony just released Bullet Run, a Twisted Metal type of online first person shooter, that’s free to play. So is there any chance that Ubisoft will release a free Assassin’s type MMO falso? If by chance you get hired through the link in this article—please report back and tell us if the speculations are true!

The iPhone's Google search app has been redesigned with a new interface for faster search results, full-screen image search and other features.

The iPhone's Google search app has been redesigned with a new interface for faster search results, full-screen image search and other features.

Google has updated their search app for iOS, including new features and a redesigned interface. Users opening it up today will find the updates built in, without having to redownload anything from the iOS App store.

Next stop for Facebook?

Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/next-stop-for-facebook-/15993.html May 24th, 2012

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The update includes a search modification for quicker search suggestions. Google's blog explains, "Autocompletion of search suggestions is significantly faster in this latest version of the app, bringing you search predictions instantly with each letter you type." Users can alternate between several pages with a slide-in panel at the top.

Published by: VR-Zone

The image browsing ability has been updated to a full screen mode. Users searching for images will view results in a full panel display, with high definition images loading onto a grid. From there they can be individually viewed.

In addition, users will now be able to easily vacillate between Google's various search modes, such as images, places, etc., using a swipeable bar on the bottom on the application.

Google has also added a panel of Google services, such as Google+, Gmail and YouTube. Since all of these services are owned by Google, they can all be accessed with a single Google ID. This makes the application a potential one-stopshop for various needs, including email, video, socializing, calendar, and other common smartphone services.

While many Google services might be underdeveloped, or unpopular, they are maturing all the time. Google IDs are becoming almost magical passports for many varied services. This makes the application a valuable addition to a smartphone, even if it isn't fully ready yet.

The Google search app can be downloaded directly from iOS devices via the App store, or downloaded from iTunes.

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Georgia Telecom First to File Net Neutrality Complaint Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/georgia-telecom-first-to-file-netneutrality-complaint/15983.html May 24th, 2012

A small, controversial telecommunications company has fired off the first network neutrality complaint to the FCC under its new rules.

A small telecommunications company in Georgia has become the first company to file a formal complaint under the new network neutrality rules set forth by the Federal Communications Commission. L2Networks, the filing company, is charging the Albany Water, Gas, and Light Commission, known as WG&L, with violating these rules and principles by interfering with L2Networks’ effort to provide its customers with VoIP service over WG&L’s fiber optic network.

We do not have the official filing available, but the telecom stated in a press release (available here) that Albany WG&L filed a criminal complaint against L2Networks for theft of service, reportedly believing that L2Networks “should have compensated the utility for the use of their fiber-optic Internet infrastructure whilst delivering Voice over IP (VoIP) services over the utilities’ ‘Internet backbone’ to existing internet customers of the utility.”

According to L2Networks, the customer whose VoIP service sparked the criminal complaint “currently compensates The City of Albany Water, Gas, and Light Commission’s telecommunications department for use of their fiber-optic based Internet access.” L2Networks is claiming that, because WG&L is being compensated by the customer for use of the network, they should not have to make additional payments to the commission in order to provide their service.

This isn’t the first incident of trouble between L2Networks and WG&L. In March, Kraig Beahn, president of L2Networks, filed a complaint with the Georgia Public Service Commission accusing Albany WG&L with anticompetitive practices, such as requests for “circuit relocations, disconnects, and new quotations” being ignored, corporate espionage by Albany WG&L personnel, and the restricting of access to facilities leased from WG&L to “normal business hours of 7:30 AM to 4:00 PM Monday through Friday, in direct contradiction of [their] agreement, invoice, and industry standard policies and procedures,” leading to a hardware failure that led to a 4-hour outage of L2Networks services.

Published by: VR-Zone

they discovered a Mediacom modem connected to two car batteries that was wired into our cable plant and being used to serve a nearby business. Our team contacted the local authorities,” said a Mediacom spokesperson. “Upon interviewing the business owner, it was discovered that they had contracted with L2Networks for service.”

Beahn claims the charges were “frivolous,” but was unable to give his side of the story, due, he claimed, to a courtimposed gag order. It’s not clear if the charges from January are related to the criminal complaint filed in March.

Cloud Computing? 10-60TB Hard Drives Coming to Tablets, Notebooks, Desktops by 2016 Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/cloud-computing-10-60tb-harddrives-coming-to-tablets-notebooks-desktops-by-2016/15981.html May 24th, 2012

Several days ago, IHS iSuppli released a report on storage market and technologies called “HDD Industry Enjoys Best Performance despite Volume Fluctuation”.

In this report, the analyst firm IHS iSuppli confirms what Seagate and Western Digital already stated - doubling of drive density and increase in operating speeds. The way to achieve such density is - heat. Even though heat is an unwanted side-effect with semiconductor products such as CPUs, GPUs, APUs, SoCs and the like, technology called HAMR (Heat-Assisted Magnetic Recording) is finally coming to production.

When the Georgia Public Service Commission did not address his concerns, Beahn filed a complaint with the FCC. The complaint would be the first handled under the new rules, which the FCC adopted in 2010 and came into effect last year. Verizon has challenged the rules, however, claiming they exceed the FCC’s authority. That challenge is still processing through the court system.

There is reason to be doubtful of L2Networks’ claims, however. In January, Beahn was arrested for felony theft of service when a local cable company and direct L2Networks competitor, Mediacom, found what they characterized as an “illegal connection” to their network that was set up

by L2Networks. “When our local team went to investigate, 9

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Published by: VR-Zone

Apple's Tim Cook - Photo: Robert Galbraith In a court ordered and presumably awkward meeting, Apple CEO Tim Cook and Samsung CEO Choi Gee-sung met to try and resolve their patent disputes out of court for two days. It has not been publicly revealed what solutions were presented by either party at this meeting, although Samsung president J.K. Shin has recently suggested cross-licensing patents.

Apple has a big beef with Samsung, due to claimed patent infringement. Apple has constantly blamed Samsung for producing products with uncanny similarities to Apple's iPhone and iPad. In its court war, Apple has successfully banned specific Samsung products around the world. They will be trying to ban the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 in the U.S next.

We heard about HAMR as a research paper back in 2002-2003 timeframe, with Seagate Technologies patenting the technology six years ago, in 2006. Personally, I remember a scientist that was discussing how laser-guided magnetic heads will enable densities of 1-5TB, which the hard drive industry achieved all on its own. For that key step forward, and going from current 1-4TB capacity to 10x more, we will need HAMR. According to the report, areal densities will double by 2016.

Currently, we have up to 744 Gbps per square inch (notebook drives), while HAMR should drive that all the way to 1,800 Gpbs per square inch. The mid-step between 744 and 1,800 will be the 900Gbps – which is expected to become a reality during 2013. This is also the final step before heat-assisted, i.e. laser-guided technology becomes available.

In 2016, notebook and tablet form factor should offer 10-20tB, while the large-scale 3.5” desktop drives should reach 60tB. The question remains - is it really feasible to expect a 15x capacity increase in only four years from now?

The bad news is speeds will not increase significantly, thus it will take ages to fill them. Large SSD backed cache should help with reads though.

Apple and Samsung reach no settlement in court ordered talk Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/apple-and-samsung-reach-nosettlement-in-court-ordered-talk/15989.html May 24th, 2012

Apple and Samsung have failed to settle patent disputes after two days of court-ordered talks.

Samsung's Choi Gee-sung - (AP Photo/CTK, Samuel Kubani) The Korea Times reveals that the two-day negotiations failed to produce any settlement. Apple holds its position that Samsung copied the appearance of the iPhone and iPad, while Samsung insists that Apple pay royalties for using its wireless transmission technology. Since there has been no settlement, Apple and Samsung will be going back to court starting on June 30th. After that, no further settlement talks can be held unless prompted by the companies themselves.

Apple and Samsung have been going at each other’s throats for a long time, but Apple has been the one to generally come out on top. This might not be surprising if Samsung were a comparative nobody, like Proview, but Samsung is the world's-largest IT producer, so maybe it is a little bit surprising that the Korean company has failed to win any of its infringement claims against Apple.

But then again, maybe that's because Samsung actually is a copycat. It isn't simply black rectangular phones which give many Samsung devices an uncanny resemblance to the iPhone, but incredibly similar interfaces as well. Apple 10

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has specifically attacked Samsung's Galaxy smartphone, contrasting it with the iPhone in a filing.

But, on that point, the Samsung Galaxy is doing very well, and isn't going anywhere. It isn't any wonder that Apple stubbornly persists in their court battles.

Lockheed's HULC hot on Iron Man's tail

Published by: VR-Zone

The Lockheed company has managed to impress the US Army in its development of the Human Universal Load Carrier exoskeleton. According to wired.com, the “HULC adds an artificial, external spine, hips, legs, and the aforementioned pivoting arm to a soldier’s flesh and bones.”

The exoskeleton will allow soldiers to carry more, and for longer durations of time.

Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/lockheed-s-hulc-hot-on-iron-man-stail/15992.html May 24th, 2012

The Lockheed company has managed to impress the US Army in its development of the Human Universal Load Carrier exoskeleton. According to wired.com, the “HULC adds an artificial, external spine, hips, legs, and the aforementioned pivoting arm to a soldier’s flesh and bones.”

The exoskeleton will allow soldiers to carry more, and for longer durations of time.

The world of soldiers in some sort of Iron Man-like suit might be closer than you think. Marvel’s most recent movie The Avengers shows off Iron Man exterminating aliens with ease. Tony Stark, the man behind Iron Man, was able to multiply his strength by an unfathomable amount while piloting his suit.

HULC is nothing compared to the cinematic awesomeness of Iron Man, but it definitely provides for greater possibilities for soldiers on the front line. If a current soldier can reduce his stamina usage and cover more grounds than prior generations of soldiers then the HULC is as significant of an invention as the wheel (okay, not really—but, you get my jist).

Test deployment of the HULC is expected to happen as early as September, and if everything goes well the HULC may be deployed to war zones such as Afghanistan.

Google's Eric Schmidt says internet helps shape government Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/google-s-eric-schmidt-says-internethelps-shape-government/15990.html May 24th, 2012

The internet is many things, and politics is just another sector the internet encompasses.

Google’s executive chairman, Eric Schmidt feels even more strongly about how the internet has not only influenced the delivery of news in politics but also how it has helped shaped the governments of its users.

The internet is many things, and politics is just another sector the internet encompasses.

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chairman, Eric Schmidt feels even more strongly about how the internet has not only influenced the delivery of news in politics but also how it has helped shaped the governments of its users.

In a recent speech, at the Google Big Tent Conference in Europe, Schmidt proclaimed that the internet has made it harder for oppressive governments to censor people’s beliefs and opinions.

Schmidt made his case by pointing out the revolutions that occurred in Tunisia had the internet written all over it, because the government wasn’t able to censor people’s views on the rough dictator policies.

“You can understand Tunisia’s revolution as a failure of the dictator to censor the internet. It’s very difficult for governments that are autocratic to operate when populations are against them,” Schmidt pointed out the type of tyranny that the internet has helped oppose.

Published by: VR-Zone

than your average PC monitor, although it's not exactly what we'd call cheap.

The display sports a WQHD (2560x1440) resolution Super PLS (Plane to Line Switching) panel which is said to feature integrated hardware colour calibration. The panel has a brightness of 300cd/m2 and a static contrast ratio of 1,000:1. Sadly both the screen and bezel is said to be glossy, not something you really want from a computer monitor and part of this reason is said to be due to a tempered sheet of glass sitting in front of the actual display. At least the panel features some height adjustment, albeit a mere 10cm which isn't a lot and there's apparently no swivel which is very strange on a large screen like this.

He went further to add, “The solution is openness and transparency in government and connectivity for the individual.” Which he believes the internet can provide for if people want a democracy.

In the broad scope of things, the topic of the internet molding any government system can be broken down into many levels. Google does not represent the internet, although its brand has a big part to do with it.

You and I, alike, are just bits of electronic data that are transferred from wire to wire and servers to servers. We do not hold any significance in terms of individual priority while we are on the internet. What we are, as collective, is the present preferred method for the sharing of ideas—which in turn reflects what the internet is.

Connectivity consists of a DisplayPort, an HDMI port and a dual-link DVI port, as well as a USB port which in turn is connected to a two port USB hub which is located on the right hand side of the display. The HDMI port is also MHL compatible, which in theory should allow for easy connectivity of various smartphones and tablets as soon as the correct cables become available. The display also sports a pair of 3.5W stereo speakers (7W in total), but we doubt these will offer much in terms of quality audio.

Schmidt makes a good point in proclaiming that the internet has the power to help people of oppressed governments overcome its tyranny through information. Sadly, the reality is that tyranny exists even in the presence of the great internet revolution.

Samsung goes stylish with its new Premium Smart Monitor 970 Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/samsung-goes-stylish-with-its-newpremium-smart-monitor-970/15991.html May 24th, 2012

At an expected retail price of US$1,199 (S$1,535) the S27B970 is anything but cheap, although the word premium in the alternative model name kind of gave this away. The display is expected to hit retail next month.

If you've been looking for a stylish, yet high-end display, then maybe Samsung has what you've been waiting for in its new Premium Smart Monitor 970, also known as the S27B970 LED monitor. This 27-inch display sports a lot more style than your average PC monitor, although it's not exactly what we'd call cheap.

If you've been looking for a stylish, yet high-end display, then maybe Samsung has what you've been waiting for in its new Premium Smart Monitor 970, also known as the S27B970 LED monitor. This 27-inch display sports a lot more style

Seagate offers US$186 million for LaCie, wants more Mac users Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/seagate-offers-us-186-million-forlacie-wants-more-mac-users/15988.html

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Published by: VR-Zone

May 24th, 2012

If the current trend in hard drive storage continues we'll soon be left with only three players in the market, as Seagate has decided that it wants to snap up LaCie. The deal is somewhat complex, as the CEO of LaCie owns 64.5 percent of the shares in the company, with the rest being held by other shareholders, so Seagate is going to have to do some chasing to get all the shares.

If the current trend in hard drive storage continues we'll soon be left with only three players in the market, as Seagate has decided that it wants to snap up LaCie. The deal is somewhat complex, as the CEO of LaCie owns 64.5 percent of the shares in the company, with the rest being held by other shareholders, so Seagate is going to have to do some chasing to get all the shares.

The deal involves the current chairman and CEO of LaCie, Philippe Spruch which will be giving up his share of the company to Seagate for €4.05 per share in cash, although is Seagate gets hold of 95 percent or more of LaCie's shares within six months' time, Mr Spruch will gain an extra three percent.

What would you say if the American-born Xbox consoles were to taken off the shelves permanently in the United States? For people outside of the United States it might not be too big of a deal, but for Halo fan boys in the States it might just be the end of the world.

Historical evidence suggests that if Americans love something enough they would be willing to break the law to obtain it. If you know a little about United States’ history then you might know about the alcohol prohibition that went on the 1920’s. For over a decade alcoholic beverages in the United were banned, but that didn’t mean people stopped trying to get their hands on it.

Without the additional three percent, LaCie is valued at US $186 million, of which about US$65 million is cash in the bank so to speak. Seagate is apparently offering a 29 percent price premium over the current average share price for LaCie looking back over the past 30 days' worth of trading. This is likely to entice LaCie's shareholders to sell their stake in the company to Seagate. According to the press release, Seagate is expecting the deal to have a negligible impact on its earnings per share for the fiscal year of 2013.

LaCie has a wide range of products of which at least some – like its range of LCD displays, optical drives and USB flash drives – are quite remote from Seagate's business today. It will be interesting to see if LaCie will be more integrated into Seagate's current line of products, or if the company will continue to be operated as a premium brand that mostly targets Mac users. The only thing we know is that Mr Spruch will remain at Seagate as the head of consumer products.

Xbox may be banned in the United States Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/xbox-may-be-banned-in-the-unitedstates/15985.html May 24th, 2012

What would you say if the American-born Xbox consoles were to taken off the shelves permanently in the United States? For people outside of the United States it might not be too big of a deal, but for Halo fan boys in the States it might just be the end of the world.

Cartels and basement brewers managed to slip by the law and created an “underground” network of illegal manufacturing, transportation, and selling of alcohol. Now you might say this comparison between prohibition and the ban of Xboxes in the United States might be a bit over the top, but when it comes to American patriotism and desire —we definitely don’t want an American product to be taken away from Americans.

The previous statements aren’t meant to be a generalization for how every American might feel about the possibility of a ban on the Xbox here in the States. It’s merely a little soliloquy to help readers engage in this particular piece.

Apparently, an ITC judge recommended that the Xbox should be banned in the United States because it violated four of Motorola’s patents regarding the H.264 video compression codec. Now that Google owns Motorola Mobility, they should know that chances are Xbox users are using Google’s search engine everyday on to search for topics relating to their system or games. So why ban a piece of hardware that promotes the Googlerola brand?

It is quite ironic that just a few days ago Microsoft managed to get the ITC to approve important sales and ban of Motorola smartphones and tablets in the U.S. So I suppose 13

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it is fit to say “what goes around comes around” in this particular situation.

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BIOS chip, not something we'd expect on a motherboard for the corporate market where reliability is everything.

Although both of the rulings made by the ITC regarding the two companies may seem devastating—it does not mean that it’s a reality just yet. The Motorola smartphones and tablets ban won’t go into effect unless the Obama administration approves it. Same goes for the Xbox, so my fellow Halo fans don’t start your “illegal” underground Xbox communities just yet.

The patent wars just seem to be the “headlines” now-a-day in the world of tech. Samsung vs Apple, Microsoft vs Motorola, Google vs Oracle—the list goes on and on. So when it comes to which company won a patent battle--there’s plenty to read about, but when it comes to searching for great new tech development news—it’s like a broken down jalopy transporting bootleg liquor to the few that are brave enough to break the law for it.

Gigabyte launches its first Q77 motherboard

In terms of expansion slots, Gigabyte has gone for a single x16 PCI Express 3.0 slot, a second x16 PCI Express slot with four lanes of bandwidth, a single x1 PCI Express slot and a PCI slot. The board only sports the standard six Intel SATA ports, i.e. two SATA 6Gbps and four SATA 3Gbps, so no big surprises here. Just as with the ASRock board, there are plenty of pin headers on the Q77M-D2H, as we have one for a pair of USB 3.0 ports, two for four USB 2.0 ports, two for a pair of serial ports, one for a parallel port and oddly enough one for a debug port which is apparently meant for some kind of debug card.

Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/gigabyte-launches-its-first-q77motherboard/15986.html May 24th, 2012

Following ASRock's early revelation of its Q77 motherboard, Gigabyte has decided to reveal its own Q77 motherboard in the shape of the GA-Q77M-D2H. For those not familiar with Gigabyte model names this is a micro ATX board with Ultra Durable 4 Classic and a wide range of display interfaces.

Following ASRock's early revelation of its Q77 motherboard, Gigabyte has decided to reveal its own Q77 motherboard in the shape of the GA-Q77M-D2H. For those not familiar with Gigabyte model names this is a micro ATX board with Ultra Durable 4 Classic and a wide range of display interfaces.

Just as the ASRock board we saw a few days ago, Gigabyte supplies Intel's Small Business Advantage software with the Q77M-D2H and you get exactly the same functionality in this case. The board itself is slightly different though, but not majorly so. What did strike us as highly unusual, this being a Gigabyte motherboard after all, is that it only has a single

The rear ports consist of a pair of PS/2 ports, four USB 2.0 ports, two USB 3.0 ports, a Gigabit Ethernet port connected to an Intel Gigabit Ethernet controller, 7.1-channel audio with optical S/PDIF out, a DisplayPort, HDMI port, DVI port and a D-sub connector. Gigabyte has also built in a TPM solution onto the motherboard itself rather than just proving a header for a TPM module. We're not sure if the mix of features is what a medium size business would be looking for, but if nothing else this could be an interesting alternative for someone that needs TPM support on their home PC but still wants something that's a decent all-around machine.

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Sadly we don't have any details in terms of pricing for the Q77M-D2H, but we'd expect it to be available shortly.

Published by: VR-Zone May 24th, 2012

Creative teases the Sound Blaster AXX-Traterrestrial Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/creative-teases-the-sound-blasteraxx-traterrestrial/15984.html May 24th, 2012

In six days' time, Creative is getting ready to unleash a new Sound Blaster product which apparently will be called the AXX-Traterrestrial. The company is currently hyping whatever it is the company is launching on its website as well as Facebook and giving two lucky people a chance to win one.

In six days' time, Creative is getting ready to unleash a new Sound Blaster product which apparently will be called the AXX-Traterrestrial. The company is currently hyping whatever it is the company is launching on its website as well as Facebook and giving two lucky people a chance to win one.

If we've ever seen a cryptic product teaser from Creative, this is the one. As you can see from the picture below, Creative isn't really giving away much and we can't really figure out what the hexagon is representing. Being a Sound Blaster branded product it's clear that it has something to do with audio, but the company isn't giving away any clues as to what kind of product to expect.

Today, the jury in the case between Oracle and Google handed down a big victory for the Mountain View search giant, ruling that Google did not infringe on any of Oracle’s patents with the development of the Android mobile operating system. Google released a statement saying that the victory was “not just for Google, but the entire Android ecosystem.”

Oracle originally filed suit against Google, claiming that Google had infringed on their patents while developing the wildly popular Android mobile operating system. Oracle was seeking damages from the search giant in the neighborhood of $6 billion. Over the course of the case, it was revealed that, among the millions of lines of code in the Android system, only 9 lines violated Oracle’s copyrights. Google admitted to copying those lines early in development, and had long since removed them from the code. Oracle was then forced to admit that those 9 lines of code had no monetary value whatsoever, meaning that Oracle couldn’t collect anything from Google as far as damages.

Diablo III Breaks Multiple Sales Records Instead they want to you to go to their website and guess as to what it could be. Creative has a live Twitter feed at the bottom of a microsite which displays people's guesses on Twitter and the guesses range from tablets to sound cards, speakers, headsets and even good old fashioned MP3 players. We're just going to have to wait until next week to see what Creative has come up with, let's just hope it's not something really anti-climactic, something that often happens when a product is over hyped.

Google vs Oracle: The Verdict is In!

Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/diablo-iii-breaks-multiple-salesrecords/15980.html May 24th, 2012

Diablo III has broken multiple records for PC sales, including shattering the records for most copies sold within 24 hours of release.

Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/google-vs-oracle-the-verdict-isin-/15982.html

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Published by: VR-Zone

down four percent, consumer revenue down 12 percent, and sales of laptop computers and mobile devices down 10 percent. Shares fell by 13 percent in response to the release of the figures.

Despite the bad news, the future may not be so grim, according to Michael Dell, founder and CEO of the company.

He told analysts that he expects there to be an increase in demand for Dell products once Windows 8 launches later this year.

It may have taken them twelve years to make, but it appears that Activision Blizzard have hit the jackpot with Diablo III. According to the company, the long-anticipated game shattered release day records for PC sales, with more than 3.5 million copies sold within the first 24 hours. That totals to roughly $210 million in revenue, but that’s not the end of the story.

Including players that got the game as a tie-in for purchasing a World of Warcraft annual pass, the number of players jumps to 4.7 million worldwide on the first day. Continuing on, Diablo III has sold more than 6.3 million copies in its first week, bringing revenues to an absolutely staggering $378 million.

With numbers like these hammering their servers, it’s no wonder that Blizzard has been struggling with connection issues. Mike Morhaime, Blizzard’s founder and CEO, had this to say about the game’s first week: “Regarding today’s announcement, we recognize that setting a new launch record is a big achievement. However, we’re especially proud of the gameplay feedback we’ve received from players worldwide. We’re pleased that Diablo III has lived up to players’ high expectations, and we’re looking forward to welcoming more players into Sanctuary in the days ahead.”

The full press release can be read here: http:// us.blizzard.com/en-us/company/press/ pressreleases.html?id=5967868

Dell expecting Windows 8 tablets to boost profits Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/dell-expecting-windows-8-tablets-toboost-profits/15979.html May 24th, 2012

Dell is hoping to boost profits with a slew of new tablet computers powered by Microsoft's next operating system, Windows 8.

Dell is hoping to boost profits with a slew of new tablet computers powered by Microsoft's next operating system, Windows 8.

“Unlike other Windows transitions, this is a transition where you generally are going to need a new PC, whether it's a tablet or ultrabook with touch or a notebook with touch or a PC with touch or some derivative hybrid on all the above type of products,” said Mr. Dell. "The product refresh cycle associated with this release of Windows is likely to be very different from other releases, but it's hard to know exactly what that looks like. We're preparing a full complement of products, and we'll be ready with those."

His comments may be a little misleading, however, as Windows 8 will not require users to have a new computer, nor indeed anything with a touchscreen. It is true that the Metro interface will be the major new feature, which will drive tablet sales, but those who enjoy a more traditional desktop screen on an old PC can still do so, with some added functionality.

Mr. Dell said that touchscreen products will, by their very nature, be more expensive than the alternative and that businesses will be slow to adopt Windows 8, since they are still adopting Windows 7 now. If Windows 8 really rocks the industry, however, then Dell could see a major recovery on its hands.

Google disagrees with pornography blocking measures Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/google-disagrees-with-pornographyblocking-measures/15976.html May 24th, 2012

The company has been struggling in recent months, with net income for the first quarter down 33 percent, overall revenue 16

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Google disagrees with UK proposals that will force users to tell their ISP that they want to look at pornography online, labelling the move as a “mistake.”

Published by: VR-Zone May 24th, 2012

Google disagrees with UK proposals that will force users to tell their ISP that they want to look at pornography online, labelling the move as a “mistake.”

The idea is designed to protect children from adult content, but Google's head of Public Policy, Sarah Hunter, said that Google prefers educating adults on how to protect their children, rather than employing technical measures that block content. She said the latter would be a “simple solution” that would deskill parents, which could lead to “very difficult territory.”

One UK ISP, TalkTalk, has already introduced an option that allows parents to filter out adult content on a network level, but the UK government is considering whether or not to make such a blocking mechanism the default for all internet users in the country.

TalkTalk's executive director of strategy, Andrew Heaney, said the company's approach was not about censorship, as it gave users the choice to turn the filter on or off. He criticised the idea of having the filter on by default, however, labelling it a “slippery slope” that would lead to a “dangerous world.”

Security firm McAfee has warned of a significant increase in malware across all platforms in the first quarter of this year, with mobile devices and Macs being increasingly targeted.

Security firm McAfee has warned of a significant increase in malware across all platforms in the first quarter of this year, with mobile devices and Macs being increasingly targeted.

The company's Threats Report for the first three months of 2012 shows a worrying trend, with eight million new malware samples detected. The pace appears to be quickening too, which could result in 100 million different malware samples some time this year.

“In the first quarter of 2012, we have already detected 8 million new malware samples, showing that malware authors are continuing their unrelenting development of new malware,” said Vincent Weafer, SVP of McAfee Labs.

“The same skills and techniques that were sharpened on the PC platform are increasingly being extended to other platforms, such as mobile and Mac; and as more homes and businesses use these platforms the attacks will spread, which is why all users, no matter their platforms, should take security and online safety precautions.”

PC malware has hit its highest point in four years, with 83 million malware samples collected in the first quarter, but it is the non-PC platforms that were the focus of many hackers in recent months.

Kirsty Hughes from the Index on Censorship criticised the entire idea, asking why legal content was being blocked and who decides what goes on the blacklists. “This is a form of censorship,” she said.

The Open Rights Group found that a large number of websites were being wrongly blocked by similar adult content filters on mobile networks, including blogs, community websites and political commentary, which raises big questions over the neutrality and reliability of any blocking mechanism.

Of course, a far more logical solution is for parents to look after their own children and what content they are exposed to, rather than relying on ISPs or internet firms to do it for them.

McAfee warns of increase in malware on all platforms Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/mcafee-warns-of-increase-inmalware-on-all-platforms/15975.html

McAfee collected 8,000 malware samples for mobile devices, nearly 7,000 of which were for the Android platform, up from just 600 in the last three months of 2011, which is an astronomical increase of over 1,200 percent.

However, most of these threats come from third-party app

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markets, not the official Android Market, which makes those who use Google's app store a lot safer.

Apple users can no longer rest on their laurels either, as hackers are increasingly attacking Mac computers. The Flashback Trojan was a particular menace, but McAfee detected around 250 new malware samples for the Mac, in addition to 150 fake anti-virus malware samples.

The report also found that spam levels dropped by more than one trillion messages per month, but botnets grew to nearly five million infected computers. These botnets can cost as little as $450 to set up, with the more damaging financial botnets costing just $2,399, so it's no wonder there is a rise in their use.

Published by: VR-Zone

A multiplayer shooter that's set up like a reality TV show, in Bullet Run up to 20 players compete with one another for fame by attempting to take enemies down in Team Deathmatch or Dominion (regular Deathmatch, we presume) with style and attitude - simply shooting to kill will apparently not earn you fame (which is what they're calling experience points here).

As you gain fame and level up, you're able to equip your ingame avatar with Kill Skills - like damage heals, berserker mode, and enemy-trapping robots - and acquire a variety of weapons and mods for thousands of potential weapon combinations.

McAfee also found that the United States was the primary source and destination for many cyberattacks, including SQL injection and cross-site scripting attacks. Compromised computers in the US acted as the perpetrators of these crimes, though they may have originated elsewhere, but many of the victims are also US users.

Sony Online Entertainment announces Bullet Run, a freeto-play FPS Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/sony-online-entertainmentannounces-bullet-run-a-free-to-play-fps/15971.html May 24th, 2012

Sony Online Entertainment has got a pretty good handle on the free-to-play gaming market thus far - at least in the West - what with titles like DC Universe Online and EverQuest II under their belt. That said, most of SOE's titles are MMORPGs. In a bid to expand their games portfolio, SOE has announced that they will publish Bullet Run, a freeto-play first-person shooter.

And if that isn't enough, Acony Games is also offering all players the perk of knowing how your in-game avatars are able to respawn and come back to life every single time you die. According to the press release: "through a revolutionary 'Synth' technology, these reality stars will die, re-incarnate into a new body, and jump right back into the action until the match is complete. Death becomes a mere setback as players compete for fame and glory." That's... reassuring, I suppose.

I never really think about why I'm able to respawn over and over when I play Call of Duty, but sure, knowledge is power, right?

"We believe the sexier, media-driven storyline sets it apart from other FPS games and will continue to attract new players who might be tired of the same military shooters," Frank Trigub, a founding partner at Acony, explains. Okay, fair enough.

Andre Herbst, another founding partner and Marketing Director at Acony, added that Bullet Run was designed with "the same quality and attention to detail as a AAA retail product but focused on making it a great game experience for a full range of players regardless of their skill level."

Unlike Planetside 2, the other FPS that SOE will be publishing, Bullet Run will not be developed in-house.

Instead, the game is being made in Germany by Acony Games, which was founded by a former member of the team responsible for the Desert Combat mod for Battlefield 1942.

"We are excited to bring players what we think will be the best FPS experience in the PC free-to-play market," Herbst said.

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Published by: VR-Zone

“They knew this thing was f***ked up and they just went in and did it. This isn't a computer f***k-up. The computers told them it wasn't working,” the manager was quoted in his interview transcript.

Bullet Run will make its official, playable debut at E3 next month, with a beta test to open soon. In the meantime, if you're looking for a new free-to-play shooter to try - or if you're just really enthralled by the game's "Synth" die-and-respawn system - then head over to www.bulletrunthegame.com where you can pre-sign-up for the beta.

Hedge fund manager speaks out about Facebook's IPO fiasco Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/hedge-fund-manager-speaks-outabout-facebook-s-ipo-fiasco/15974.html May 24th, 2012

What happens when an IPO that is expected to sell for as high as $70 per share ends up selling for only about half of that a few days after the initial offering?

The manager also shed some additional insight into the technical machineries that runs NASDAQ by saying that “rule 4626...limits their (NASDAQ's) liability on the system crashes.” “They'll say to the member firms: you've agreed to this limitation.”

NASDAQ's rule 4626, according to the manager, essentially eliminates some of the responsibilities that NASDAQ has on their own computer system, and so it sounds as if NASDAQ just doesn't care about the investors who just lost millions. Forget the average Joe's $5,000 investment into the Facebook IPO, because he probably lost a little less than half of his investment. However, firms that poured millions into the IPO must be going crazy.

The loss of millions by investors will no doubt lead to class action lawsuits, but that remains to be seen if NASDAQ will take full responsibilities for the debacle or not.

"This should have been a blockbuster. This should have traded to $60 or $70. This should have launched a wave of tech IPOs,” the bitter hedge fund manager concluded in his interview.

Sony Singapore unleashes latest Blu-ray 3D player BDVS790 Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/sony-singapore-unleashes-latest-bluray-3d-player-bdv-s790/15972.html May 24th, 2012

What happens when an IPO that is expected to sell for as high as $70 per share ends up selling for only about half of that a few days after the initial offering? The Facebook IPO was one of the most anticipated IPO's in recent history, yet it also turned out to be one of the most disappointing for many investors.

Many people on Wall Street even speculated that the IPO would lead to perhaps another mini .com-tech IPO explosion.

With this Sony BDV-S790 Blu-ray 3D player, you can now have a superb home entertainment centre with amazing visuals on screen. The Blu-ray player also claims to offer images quality that is four times higher than full HD movies 1920x1080).

Businessinsider.com has managed to reach out to a hedge fund manager that experienced first hand the immense loss that coincided with the NASDAQ-Facebook IPO fiasco.

In the hedge fund manager's interview with businessinsider.com, he states that NASDAQ knew about the computer issues, yet they refused to pull the plug on the Facebook IPO. 19

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Published by: VR-Zone

See for yourself in this still frame isolated by wpcentral.com.

The new Sony BDV-S790 Blu-ray 3D player features future generation 4K2K output, which claims to provide picture quality four times higher than full high definition movies. With the BDV-S790, you can make big-screen video calls via Skype, thanks to the unit’s built-in Wi-Fi and easy-to-setup video camera. The player also incorporates Sony’s proprietary DLNA technology, which allows users to "throw" the content wirelessly from Sony DLNA-enabled products to the BDV-S790 for enjoyment on a bigger screen.

It features IP Content Noise Reduction, Sony’s original quality-enhancing circuit that creates crisp and clear images of Internet content, from low-quality videos on YouTube to streaming movies from commercial services. It also gives an instant makeover to images when playing content in Blu-ray and DVD discs. The 2D-to-3D conversion can also reproduce natural 3D effects from 2D content, pulling users into a new world of home entertainment with Blu-ray 3D movies being played in full HD 1080p.

Ad suggests Nokia Lumia 900 will run Windows Phone 8 Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/ad-suggests-nokia-lumia-900-willrun-windows-phone-8/15969.html May 24th, 2012

If Microsoft has learned anything about the world of mobile phones, it’s that people love to gossip and rumor about a hot topic. Not only do the leaks and rumors keep people interested, but it also provides for some great free PR. The leaks and rumors definitely work if you have been following the Samsung Galaxy S III frenzy prior to its revealing date.

Call of Duty: Black Ops II screenshots Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/call-of-duty-black-ops-iiscreenshots/15968.html May 24th, 2012

Is it just me or the trend of recent first person shooters (FPS) tends to have Los Angeles leveled during mankind’s struggle against each other or against aliens. The upcoming title Call of Duty: Black Ops II imbues the sentiment that L.A.-mustbe-leveled or else it’s not an epic FPS. Is it just me or the trend of recent first person shooters (FPS) tends to have Los Angeles leveled during mankind’s struggle against each other or against aliens. The upcoming title Call of Duty: Black Ops II imbues the sentiment that L.A. mustbe-leveled or else it’s not an epic FPS.

News out of China according to Microsoft is that Windows Phones are selling better than Apple’s iPhones, but perhaps Microsoft is setting their sight even further by having a supposed feature “leak” in one of their recent ad.

News out of China according to Microsoft is that Windows Phones are selling better than Apple’s iPhones, but perhaps Microsoft is setting their sight even further by having a supposed feature “leak” in one of their recent ad.

In a YouTube video posted by wmpoweruser.com, features in Nokia Lumia 900 suggests that the Nokia Lumia 900 will run Windows Phone 8.

The leaked feature revealed that the Photo Hub tile splits in two—with one being the latest photo tile, and the other being the count. A second feature is the “meet up with Sarah,” in the Contact tile; none of which are features in current Windows Phone.

In one of the screenshot Activision released to complex.com, we had two drones wreaking havoc as it hovers over downtown L.A. The depiction of the L.A. massacre was even more realistic because the major landmark that the drones hovered across appears to be the premier sports arena—the Staples Center.

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Many residents of L.A. might be quite tired of seeing their city in ruins in video games and other Hollywood flicks, but for those of U.S. who aren’t from the Southern California region, we seem to thoroughly enjoy nuking and bombing anything that looks like its L.A.

Unlocked Samsung Galaxy S III available for pre-order online Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/unlocked-samsung-galaxy-s-iiiavailable-for-pre-order-online/15964.html May 24th, 2012

Unlocked versions of the Samsung Galaxy S III are available for preorder from an Amazon reseller and other stores around the internet.

Unlocked versions of the Samsung Galaxy S III are available for preorder from an Amazon reseller and other stores around the internet.

The Galaxy S III smartphone, successor of the Galaxy S II, was unveiled earlier this month at a London press event.

One of the higher end and more successful Android phones, the Galaxy S line has enjoyed a good deal of popularity. The Galaxy S III isn't scheduled to hit the European market until May 29th. Until then, however, buyers have the chance of preordering the smartphone online.

Published by: VR-Zone

Amazon's BlutekUSA seller is accepting preorders for an unlocked version of the device. The seller explains that the device isn't set to be released until the first of June, and won't be shipped until at least the fourth, a date that is subject to change.

But those looking to get a smartphone might want to wait before pulling out their credit cards. The unlocked phone is not cheap, selling on Amazon for $799.99. The phone is also available for more and less elsewhere online, selling on eBay for as much as $948, and as low as $692.50 on negrielectronics.com.

If the price isn't too much of a deterrent to those thinking of preordering, the GT-i9300 of the Galaxy S III is not 4G LTE capable, and can therefore only connect via AT&T's HPSA + network. It could make phone calls too, on T-Mobile's network, but could not use their high speed data, since the carrier uses a 1700 MHz band that the device would not connect to.

It's probably a generally better idea just to wait, considering the release date is not too far away. For those who want a 4G LTE version, they will have to wait until sometime in the summer for an optimized version of the Galaxy S III to be released.

Of course, it all boils down to individual choice, preference, and need. However, quite a few people have reportedly taken the plunge - nine million, according to PCMag. However, Samsung has only officially said that "thousands" have placed preorders on the device.

In any case, among all the excitement for the next iPhone, it’s interesting to see interest in the Samsung competitor as well. It is clear that the iPhone is no longer the only “cool” smartphone option in the public eye.

iOS part leaks, include 4.1" iPod touch front panel Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/ios-part-leaks-include-4.1-ipodtouch-front-panel/15962.html

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Published by: VR-Zone

May 24th, 2012

All of these recent claims of larger iPhone screens add up to create a fairly consistent rumor, with slight discrepancies in the actual measurements.

Sources of the MacRumors tech blog has supplied supposed images of a future iPod touch front panel, and other parts for the next iPod touch and iPhone.

Sources of the MacRumors tech blog has supplied supposed images of a future iPod touch front panel, and other parts for the next iPod touch and iPhone.

Today, claims made the rounds about iPhone prototypes with taller 3.95 inch displays. This isn't the first mention of iPhones with large displays, however. When the Wall Street Journal claimed that the next iPhone incarnation would have a larger screen of "at least four inches", it added a rather more credible list to the ever growing rumor bucket that always accumulates before the release of an Apple product.

It is a fair assumption that Apple will not release an iPhone with a different sized display than the iPod touch. Therefore, from 3.95 to 4.1, there is likely a happy medium that both devices will agree with.

In addition to the iPod touch display, MacRumor's source included pictures of some other part listings for the iPod touch and iPhone. This includes, for the iPhone, a home button flex cable, front and rear camera. Each part is has visible differences from their previous generation counterparts.

Fans of the Apple iPod touch should be glad for a new rumor. Of late, rumors have mostly gone to the iPhone, iTV, and Mac laptops. Some discouraged fans have speculated about the termination of the device from Apple's product line altogether. But if this latest news is true, then the iPod touch isn't dead yet, and it's even getting upgraded.

A bigger screen will do much to put a new face on the iPod touch and iPhone, which have never been upgraded from 3.5 inch screens.

Apple's Photo Stream aid in catching iPhone thief?

Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/apple-s-photo-stream-aid-incatching-iphone-thief-/15961.html May 24th, 2012

If your phone has ever been stolen, you probably realized that the chances of recovering your phone due to theft are slim to none. A recent iPhone theft victim by the name of Katy McCaffrey had a different idea when it came to tracking down the stolen good.

If your phone has ever been stolen, you probably realized that the chances of recovering your phone due to theft are slim to none. A recent iPhone theft victim by the name of Katy McCaffrey had a different idea when it came to tracking down the stolen good.

Front and back panel - Images from MacRumors Today, the MacRumors tech blog also released images of a purported front panel from the next-generation iPod touch.

The supplier of these images claimed the part to be 4.1 inches diagonally, from one corner of the screen to the top opposite.

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Published by: VR-Zone

their stolen phones. But if Nelson isn’t the perpetrator then we might have to start questioning Photo Stream’s security and privacy measures.

Could Facebook Destroy the US Economy?

Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/could-facebook-destroy-the-useconomy-/15960.html May 24th, 2012

The massively popular social network's IPO has shed light on a trend among investors that could foreshadow another economic crash, like the ones experienced in 2000 or 2008.

Yesterday, Facebook released its IPO to the general public.

Trading began at $38 per share. Facebook’s share price has since fallen, and as of this writing is currently trading at $30.96 with no end in sight. Paul B. Farrell, writing for MarketWatch, claims that Facebook could be the harbinger, if not the cause, of the destruction of the US economy, worse than either of the crashes in 2000 or 2008.

McCaffrey was able to track down the supposed iPhone thief with the help of Apple’s Photo Stream, an image cloud storage service. Images of a man, taken with an iPhone, were pushed into McCaffrey’s Photo Stream, and the man was immediately identified by McCaffrey as the culprit.

There are no clear evidences that the phone definitely belongs to McCaffrey, but yet she insists that the man, whom McCaffrey tagged as “Nelson," is the thief. Perhaps the images sent to McCaffrey’s Photo Stream were actually due to a server error or other IT related problems.

With the number of public companies declining over the years, from an average of 311 IPOs annually prior to 2000 to an average of 99 in the past decade, each IPO has a greater effect on the economy as a whole. Facebook is just a symptom of a trend among investors, which behavioral science and psychology has labeled the “psychology of denial.”

What is the psychology of denial? In a nutshell, it’s the inability to see problems or warning signs until well after the bubble bursts. After months of hype surrounding Facebook’s IPO, many investors were convinced that if they didn’t jump on board immediately, they’d miss out and be devastated, as many investors who passed on Google’s IPO were, and no amount of pointing out the risks and warning signs will change their minds.

Farrell says that there are four main reasons for this mindset among the millions of small-time, personal investors.

First, investors cling to the idea that they are rational, rather than irrational, emotional, ill-informed investors.

Second, Americans are optimistic people no matter the odds, but optimism is an investor’s worst nightmare.

Third, Wall Street loves small-time, “Main Street” investors, because irrational, uninformed, optimistic investors are easily manipulated investors. Lastly, Americans are, by nature, trusting people, and want to believe that Wall Street is telling them the truth, though most of the time that isn’t the case.

None of that matters to McCaffrey, however, as Nelson’s pictures were then taken and placed into a Facebook album which McCaffrey dubbed as “Stolen iPhone Adventures,” and a face shot of Nelson was tagged “Nelson stole my iPhone.”

If this Photo Stream incident reveals that Nelson is indeed the iPhone thief then maybe people have a new tool to trace

This causes a mindset among investors eerily similar to the dot-com bubble of 1999, with Facebook being too big to fail, continuing to grow indefinitely at insane rates. One Chicago lawyer noted that, in order for Facebook to reach Google’s level of sustainability, they would have to grow at more than 40% year after year for five years, nearly impossible for any business to do.

The problem with Facebook is that it’s “too big to succeed.”

Its cash value is currently in the pockets of the Facebook insiders that have become overnight millionaires. The only 23

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Published by: VR-Zone

value the company has right now is in the minds of its investors, and one slip-up in the company’s revenue will cause the stock price to plummet. With so many investors sinking money into Facebook, this could spell the beginning of another massive crash as thousands of people lose big on the social network.

Original Source: Market Watch

Geforce 301.42 WHQL boasts 20% increase in FPS for Skyrim Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/geforce-301.42-whql-boasts-20increase-in-fps-for-skyrim/15959.html May 24th, 2012

NVIDIA is known for having very good driver support, and its recent Geforce 301.42 WHQL promises a boost of up to 20% in Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim as well as improvements to other games.

NVIDIA is known for having very good driver support, and its recent Geforce 301.42 WHQL promises a boost of up to 20% in Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim as well as improvements to other games with the addition of FXAA. According to geforce.com, the 301.42 WHQL incorporates what NVIDIA calls 'FXAA', which is a “high speed, shaderbased anti-aliasing technique that can be directly applied to hundreds of games through the NVIDIA Control Panel.”

NVIDIA claims that this technique for AA is 60% faster than the equivalent 4xMSAA.

In addition to FXAA, NVIDIA also conducted benchmarks, with the Geforce 301.42 WHQL applied, that revealed improvements in frames per second (FPS) in several games.

The most significant is Skyrim, which saw an impressive 17-20% increase in FPS when compared to the 296.10 WHQL. A 17-20% increase in FPS due to just a driver update for such a graphically intensive game is quite an achievement.

For additional change log details, click here.

XCOM: Enemy Unknown Gets Release Date Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/xcom-enemy-unknown-gets-releasedate/15956.html May 24th, 2012

Today, 2K Games finally announced the release date for their highly-anticipated game, XCOM: Enemy Unknown.

The game will be available in the United States on October 9th for PC, Xbox 360, and PS3, with an international release Less graphic intensive games such as Dungeon Defenders is shown to have benefitted from the addition of FXAA. A quick review of the available slider reveals that the rendering an image using NVIDIA’s FXAA did in fact reveal visual improvements in a portrait from Dungeon Defenders.

NVIDIA claims that, with FXAA enabled, artifacts from character’s outfit and weapon, treasure chests, as well as planters under archways are eliminated, thus producing a ‘cleaner’ and ‘smother’ image.

on October 12th.

Those who pre-order the game will receive access to the “Elite Soldier Pack,” which includes aesthetic upgrades for your soldiers’ armor in-game, with new armor styles and full color customization, as well as a unique soldier model that pays homage to the original game. If you played the original game, you will remember a particular soldier with a cheesy, ‘90s-era blonde flat-top haircut. The unique soldier is modeled to look like this iconic character from the original game.

PC gamers will also get the Special Edition of the game (sorry console gamers, it’s a PC exclusive). The Special Edition 24

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will include a poster of the XCOM headquarters, an XCOM insignia patch, an art book, a digital copy of the soundtrack, digital copies of the game’s art, and more.

The Special Edition will retail for $59.99, along with the console versions of the game, while the standard copy for the PC will retail at $49.99.

The official release from 2K Games can be found here: http://www.2kgames.com/blog/xcom-enemyunknown-release-date-special-edition-and-more

CyberLink throws in some AMD Trinity APU support for its major programs

Published by: VR-Zone

If you already own any of the above mentioned software, CyberLink will enable support for the Trinity APUs via a software update which is already available from its website.

In the case of PowerDirector, CyberLink has also added support for Intel's recently launched Ivy Bridge processors and video encoding in H.264 which works better with Apple's "new" iPad.

PQI launches the Air Card expandable Wi-Fi SD card Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/pqi-launches-the-air-cardexpandable-wi-fi-sd-card/15966.html May 24th, 2012

Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/cyberlink-throws-in-some-amdtrinity-apu-support-for-its-major-programs/15967.html May 24th, 2012

One of AMD's weakest points when it comes to adding custom features to its hardware compared to Intel has always been to get the software vendors to implement support for its hardware solutions. It looks like AMD has at least managed to make some progress in this regard, as CyberLink has announced support for AMD's upcoming Trinity APUs across the board of its top selling programs.

One of AMD's weakest points when it comes to adding custom features to its hardware compared to Intel has always been to get the software vendors to implement support for its hardware solutions. It looks like AMD has at least managed to make some progress in this regard, as CyberLink has announced support for AMD's upcoming Trinity APUs across the board of its top selling programs.

Most interesting in our opinion is support in PowerDirector 10 and MediaEspresso 6.5, as this should see the time it takes to encode video vastly reduced. In fact, CyberLink is quoting a 3.6 times performance improvement in the time it takes to produce a video in PowerDirector 10 using an AMD A10-4600M APU using hardware acceleration rather than doing it all in software mode.

PowerDirector 10 has had supported added for AMD's Video Codec Engine (VCE) and this goes for MediaEspresso 6.5 as well, which is what helps speed up the encoding and transcoding of video by leveraging the power of the integrated GPU. Judging by the fairly mediocre CPU performance of Trinity, it looks like this is a much needed feature for AMD if the company wants to compete on equal terms with Intel when it comes to consumer perception of how long time it takes to do certain tasks.

One of the biggest gripes most people have had with the EyeFi cards is the limited storage space on offer, as to date the company has only offered 8GB cards at the most, something that has at last put off some people from investing in the standard. Now PQI has come up with a solution of its own that solves the storage problem permanently in the shape of the Air Card which is an expandable Wi-Fi SD card.

One of the biggest gripes most people have had with the EyeFi cards is the limited storage space on offer, as to date the company has only offered 8GB cards at the most, something that has at last put off some people from investing in the standard. Now PQI has come up with a solution of its own that solves the storage problem permanently in the shape of the Air Card which is an expandable Wi-Fi SD card.

The Air Card actually only holds the Wi-Fi part as well as a microSD card slot which allows microSD cards of up to 32GB in size to be used with the Air Card. Admittedly we're going to reach a point where 32GB is going to be considered not enough storage as well, but it's at least four times the amount of space of an Eye-Fi card.

Admittedly PQI lacks some of the features on offer by Eye-Fi and PQI didn't reveal if its cards work with Eye-Fi compatible cameras, nor if it's using the Wireless LAN SD card standard. The press release only states that the card is compatible with most digital cameras that accept SD cards (we presume SDHC cards in this case though). The Air Card supports the 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi protocols and apparently the Wi-Fi is enabled as long as the camera is powered on.

PowerDVD 12 and MediaShow 6 have also been updated to take advantage of VCE for transcoding on the fly when needed, although it's not clear as to which formats are supported. AMD shouldn't really have any issues with any kind of media playback, as this has never really been a weak point for the company, although of course 3D playback is supported for those that care about it.

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May 24th, 2012

Published by: VR-Zone

Back at CES, Samsung was showing off an upcoming product called the Chromebox, a desktop version of the Chromebook, but so far the device hasn't materialized. However, now the final specs and pricing has leaked courtesy of US online retailer TigerDirect.

The Chomebox isn't likely to blow anyone's mind in any regard, as the relatively small system sports a Celeron B840 CPU which is a mobile dual core 1.9GHz part with 2MB of L3 cache and Intel HD graphics. The CPU has been paired up with 4GB of DDR3 memory and a 16GB SSD drive. Keep in mind that the idea behind the Chrome OS is that most of your data is being stored online rather than on your system and as such 16GB should be plenty and it's in line what all the Chromebook's have featured.

PQI is providing a custom app called AirCard+ which should be available from Apple's iOS App Store and Google's Play market. Apparently the Air Card can share the files located on the microSD card with up to three devices simultaneously, although we're not sure as to why you'd want to do this, as it would slow down the Wi-Fi connection to a crawl. The company didn't announce any pricing for the Air Card, but it should be available as of right now from its resellers.

We did spot a video on YouTube showing the software connecting to the Air Card and some pictures being copied onto an iPad, but the demo didn't exactly blow our mind, as the software UI looks clunky and unintuitive. The pictures do appear to be uploaded to the iPad fairly quickly though, which is at least something, but in terms of ease of use, EyeFi is miles ahead of PQI.

The only other features mentioned in the video is six USB ports and W-Fi support, although judging by pictures from CES the Chromebox also features a pair of DisplayPort connectors, a DVI port and an Ethernet port, unless things have changes since then. At US$329.99 (S$420) it's not exactly what we'd call cheap considering the hardware configuration, although the hardware is still better than what you get in the average Atom powered nettop. At the time of writing TigerDirect's website wasn't accessible, but hopefully the link below to TigerDirect's video will be functional soon, but in the meantime you can check out Engadget's copy of it.

Samsung's upcoming Chromebox near launch, priced in video Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/samsung-s-upcoming-chromeboxnear-launch-priced-in-video/15965.html May 24th, 2012

Back at CES, Samsung was showing off an upcoming product called the Chromebox, a desktop version of the Chromebook, but so far the device hasn't materialized. However, now the final specs and pricing has leaked courtesy of US online retailer TigerDirect.

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May 25th, 2012

Published by: VR-Zone

VR-Zone.com | Tech News for the Geeks!

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

Opera to be snapped up by Facebook?

Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/opera-to-be-snapped-up-byfacebook-/16031.html May 25th, 2012

According to fresh rumours, Facebook might be looking at snapping up Norwegian web-browser maker Opera. There have been plenty of talks about a wide range of things from Facebook, mostly smartphones, but a browser has been mentioned in the past and this could be a fast track way for the company to get one.

According to fresh rumours, Facebook might be looking at snapping up Norwegian web-browser maker Opera. There have been plenty of talks about a wide range of things from Facebook, mostly smartphones, but a browser has been mentioned in the past and this could be a fast track way for the company to get one.

According to Pocket-Lint, Facebook is looking at creating a custom browser that would be heavily integrated with Facebook and have support for various plug-ins and other features directly via the browser menus. We're not entirely sure that this concept will take off, especially as this is pretty much what Rockmelt already does.

Opera has always made pretty good browsers with a few quirky features that the competition never implemented, although as of lately the company seems to have gained ground mostly in the mobile and embedded browser space.

It's an interesting rumour, but then there's the question if Opera would be willing to sell to Facebook. However, most companies are willing to sell, for the right price and with Facebooks recent IPO the company should have a fair bit of spare cash to spend on what is a relatively small company.

Google's Project Glass [Update] Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/google-s-project-glassupdate-/16030.html

May 25th, 2012

Many people have been wondering what Google’s Project Glass is all about, and some recent images and a 15 seconds video may provide some insights into Google’s motive.

There’s no doubt that Google is putting its financial backing into the technology that it’s trying to cram into the diminutive eyewear, so I expect the gadget to be something geeks everywhere to drool over.

Many people have been wondering what Google’s Project Glass is all about, and some recent images and a 15 seconds video may provide some insights into Google’s motive.

There’s no doubt that Google is putting its financial backing into the technology that it’s trying to cram into the diminutive eyewear, so I expect the gadget to be something geeks everywhere to drool over.

For the time being, however, Google is working the imagination of bystanders as they watch beta tester strut around teasing people with their Google Glass.

Augmented reality sounds awesome, and apparently Google is trying to deliver that in a tiny (and hopefully, fashionable), package. The thought of waking up and completing all my computer related tasks by slapping on my glasses is just too good to be true.

Perhaps Google will fulfill many geeks’ fantasy. The Glass Project team posted some pictures on their Google+ profile, so head over there and check them out for yourself.

The picture quality is nothing to rave about, and any decent smartphone can easily take higher resolution shots than the Google Glass. But how can you say taking a POV shot as you walk, hands free, isn't cool?

On the subject of POV, here's the latest video of the Google Glass at work recording a video. The 15 second video is nothing special in terms of quality, but--again--how do you resist the POV aspect of it? For those people who love video blogging their lives, this little piece of incomplete tech is gold. Although I was disappointed by the fact that I wasn't able to see any of the UI interface that the initial promo video showed off earlier last month.

This Android 4.0 smartphone looks suspiciously similar to the Samsung Galaxy Note [with video] Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/this-android-4.0-smartphone-lookssuspiciously-similar-to-the-samsung-galaxy-note-with-video-/16016.html

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May 25th, 2012

Published by: VR-Zone

May 25th, 2012

Want a Samsung Galaxy Note knock-off that looks just like the real McCoy, actually has pretty decent specs, and is way cheaper (19,800 yen or US$248.52)? Then head on over to aPad specialist store in Akihabara, where Akiba PC Watch stumbled upon an Ice Cream Sandwich smartphone with a design flourish so similar to the Note's that Samsung would probably sue. Except they won't know who to take to court this device is unbranded.

Dimensions are at 144x79x8.9mm. Although this is just slightly smaller than the Note's 146.9x83x9.7mm, Akiba PC Watch says that most people will not be able to tell the two apart at first glance. Or at first hold, for that matter; like the Note, the N8000 weighs approximately 178g.

Unless, of course, your first glance is from the back - a bold-faced logo that reads "Android" appears where it says "Samsung" on the Note's back cover. Why the makers didn't go all the way with spoofing the Note, we'll never know.

Maybe they were proud of their handiwork and didn't really want to call it a Samsung.

One other key visual difference: the headphone jack here is at the top, instead of at the bottom for the Samsung smartphone.

Called simply the N8000, this knock-off runs Android 4.0.3 on a dual-core MTK6575 processor at 1GHz, a PowerVR SGX531 250M GPU chip, and 512MB of RAM. The 5" capacitive touchscreen here has a resolution of 800x480, compared to the Note's 5.3", 1280x800 display.

Internal storage is rated at 4GB, expandable through an SDHC Micro SD card slot. And the whole shebang comes equipped with - oddly enough - a Russian GPS unit (GLONASS), a TV antenna that works in China (stowed away in the slot originally meant for the Note's S stylus; this doesn't come with a stylus), 8-megapixel back-facing camera, 0.3-megapixel front-facing, a 2500 mAh lithium ion battery, and two SIM slots - one for CDMA, the other GSM.

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May 25th, 2012

Published by: VR-Zone

Public key cryptography is commonly used in software to sign certificates, lines of code added to programs verifying that they came from a particular person, company, etc. The developer signs the code with the private key, and that encrypted signature is decrypted by the public key, which is available to everyone. This way, everyone knows that, for instance, Yahoo created this extension. However, by leaving the private key in the source code for their new browser, Yahoo has basically made it so that anyone can sign anything in their name, and it will appear to be valid.

The flaw was discovered by writer and hacker Nik Cubrilovic, who used the private PGP key to create a forged extension for Chrome and then proceeded to install it with nary a complaint or problem from the browser. He has uploaded the source code to GitHub for both the original Axis extension and his forged version. I will not link to it here, so if you want to cause mischief and mayhem you’re going to have to look for it yourself.

Yahoo Makes Huge Security Error with Axis Browser Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/yahoo-makes-huge-security-errorwith-axis-browser/16027.html May 25th, 2012

Two days ago, Yahoo launched a new browser called Axis.

Yahoo was looking to increase their market share among search engines by integrating it with current browsers in the desktop market by releasing it as a plug-in, and strengthening their mobile search engine market share by releasing a full iOS browser, with an Android version in the works. However, security researchers immediately noticed a major flaw in Axis once they got their hands on it.

Yahoo has said that their developers are working on a new, fixed extension.

SpaceX shuttle makes history with approach to International Space Station Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/spacex-shuttle-makes-history-withapproach-to-international-space-station/16028.html May 25th, 2012

The SpaceX Dragon supply ship is making its final approach to the International Space Station (ISS) after a successful launch that could hint at the future of space exploration and colonisation by private corporations.

The SpaceX Dragon supply ship is making its final approach to the International Space Station (ISS) after a successful launch that could hint at the future of space exploration and colonisation by private corporations.

Yahoo had, hopefully by mistake, included the private signing key in the source file for the browser. This would allow an attacker to create any signed extension for a browser that would then be treated as authentic.

For those that don’t have a grasp on public-key cryptography, I’ll do a quick explanation. Suppose I want to send you a message, but I don’t anyone to know what it says.

Luckily, I have a program that will create an encryption key for me, because the math involved in creating cryptographic keys is very difficult. The program creates two keys, one public and one private, which are mathematically linked.

When the key is used to encrypt something, only its partner can decrypt that message. I keep the private key and use it to encrypt a message, and then give my public key to you and anyone else who I want to communicate with securely. You then take my message and use the public key to decrypt the message I sent you. You can also use that key to encrypt a message to me, and only I will be able to read it, since only I have the private key.

The unmanned capsule, containing food, clothes and other material for astronauts on the $100 billion space station, will approach the ISS before being grabbed by a robotic arm to pull it in from the vacuum of space.

The mission has so far been a remarkable success, with a flawless take-off of the Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral in Florida on Tuesday, which carried the Dragon capsule into space.

SpaceX secured a $1.6 billion contract with NASA to supply the ISS with at least 12 more shuttle launches over the next few years. A competing company called Orbital Sciences has been afforded a $1.9 billion contract for similar supply missions to the ISS, showing that this is already a growing field.

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May 25th, 2012

Published by: VR-Zone

A German court handed down the ruling on Thursday after Microsoft alleged that Motorola infringed its patents for sending long text messages in a batch of several messages, according to Reuters.

It is not yet clear what the effect of this ruling will be, but Microsoft invited Motorola to “join other Android device makers by taking a license to our patents.�

SpaceX is also hoping that in three years time it can start carrying astronauts to and from the space station, since only Russia is currently able to do that on its Soyuz capsules. This will mark another breakthrough that may see all government space agencies hiring private firms to supply rockets and shuttles.

The White House, NASA and SpaceX said this marks a new era in space flight, because this is the first time a commercial company has succeeded in flying a spacecraft into orbit and to the ISS. Since NASA retired its shuttles last year, only Russia, Europe and Japan have been able to send supply ships to the ISS, making private firms an important asset for the future of space exploration.

SpaceX is owned by billionaire Elon Rusk, best known for founding PayPal and selling it to eBay. He also leads electronic car company Tesla Motors and solar panel firm Solar City, showing a strong interest in the technology of tomorrow.

Image Credit: SpaceX

Motorola found to infringe Microsoft text message patent Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/motorola-found-to-infringemicrosoft-text-message-patent/16025.html May 25th, 2012

Motorola Mobility has been found guilty of infringing several of Microsoft's patents relating to mobile phone text messages, exacerbating a growing dispute between the two companies.

However, with Motorola securing a possible sales ban on the Xbox 360 game console in the US, Microsoft may want Motorola to drop its case or face fines and a sales ban on any mobile phones that use the infringing technology. Motorola can, however, alter its phone range to remove the offending feature.

Motorola said it is waiting for a written decision from the court and will then review its options, including the possibility of appealing the ruling.

The same court rejected another complaint by Microsoft against Motorola over program localisation, so Motorola has not come off as bad as it could have. Its new owner Google, however, might be questioning why Motorola is coming under fire when it was hoping its thousands of patents would protect it and the entire Android industry from legal action, like that taken over the past year by Apple against Samsung.

Now it seems that the war is spreading and there is a new tit-for-tat legal battle between Microsoft and Motorola that looks like it is about to get nastier.

Blizzard denies Diablo III security issues, promises patch Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/blizzard-denies-diablo-iii-securityissues-promises-patch/16024.html May 25th, 2012

Motorola Mobility has been found guilty of infringing several of Microsoft's patents relating to mobile phone text messages, exacerbating a growing dispute between the two companies.

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May 25th, 2012

Published by: VR-Zone

Blizzard has denied reports of major security issues concerning Diablo III and has promised a patch next week that will improve server stability and usability for all players.

dreaded Error #37 message, which prevents players from logging in.

Blizzard has denied reports of major security issues concerning Diablo III and has promised a patch next week that will improve server stability and usability for all players.

Chat with Huawei mobile device gurus on their plans and future

Community manager Nethaera made it clear that Battle.net and Diablo III servers have not been compromised, responding to reports of alleged hacking attacks, such as SQL injection, that may have been behind a number of hijacked accounts.

Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/chat-with-huawei-mobile-devicegurus-on-their-plans-and-future/16019.html

Nethaera said that the number of potentially compromised accounts is “extremely small,” and that all of them were hacked in the traditional manner – i.e. through the use of someone's login and password, not by bypassing authentication servers or session spoofing. All of the affected accounts did not employ a Battle.net Authenticator either, so they were inherently less secure.

May 25th, 2012

Shenzhen-based Huawei has grown from a Cisco competitor to a global giant engaging in everything telecoms and IT alike, with mobile devices being one of their major focuses.

Here we talk to their top phone and tablet guys, Frederic Fleurance and David Wei, on the directions forward.

While we eagerly await the upcoming Huawei phones and tablets with their own first ARM CPU, there's a lot of other activity going on with their mobile products division. We had a chat in Shenzhen with their executives focusing on these markets. Frederic Fleurance, the global marketing director for handsets (his previous Vodafone and HTC work experience obviously helps here), and David Wei, director of convergence terminal products (yes, tablets are classified in that category).

This is good news for most players, as it means the servers and game are relatively safe to play. However, Blizzard advises gamers to ensure they are using a unique password for the game, regularly using and updating their antimalware software, and employing an Authenticator.

Blizzard will release a game update next week to address client issues and fix game bugs, which will hopefully put an end to the more game-breaking problems that some players have encountered. It said it already applied a number of hotfixes and tweaked its servers, but that more server maintenance will be needed. Staff are also looking at ways to address achievements lost in the initial hours following the game's release.

The company also said that it will have more information soon about the real-money auction house, but that currently there is no new launch date set. The feature was delayed last week due to the game's ongoing difficulties, such as the

1. What is Huawei's view on the Chinese mobile device vendors' evolution from low value high volume OEM products to high end, top value, branded approach; what's Huawei's experience in this?

It makes sense for ODM vendors to work towards establishing a strong, recognizable brand in order to increase their profit margins. With labor costs expected to increase, this shift is especially important for Chinese companies with products in the low-end of the market who are known for competing on price.

Huawei’s approach to this transition has been to invest significantly in R&D. We are focused on building our brand by providing innovative mid- to high- end products, such as the Ascend P1 and Ascend D quad smartphones. Through our products, we are committed to providing consumers with the latest and most innovative technology.

2. High end smartphone; phone-tablet (such as Samsung Note) and high end tablets; tell us more about Huawei product strategy in each of these 3 markets 5

May 25th, 2012

The high-end smartphone market is, and will continue to be, a priority for Huawei. We have already launched our Ascend series of high-end smartphones, and both the Ascend P1 and Ascend D quad will be on the market later this year. We see tablets as having the potential to change the existing laptop industry in terms of personal computing and mobile internet. Tablets also have an important role to play in making the connected home a reality. For this reason, Huawei has already invested in the development of the MediaPad and MediaPad 10 FHD. In our view, the market for the hybrid size phone tablets is currently very niche, so while we are evaluating the possibilities, we have not made a firm decision on our strategy in this area.

3. Competitive positioning feel vs other big players like Samsung, LG, Apple, Nokia etc. as well as local players as ZTE and Lenovo. Both how it is today, and where does Huawei see itself in the near future?

Huawei aims to be one of the top industry players within the next three years. We are currently focused on building our brand and developing an exciting and innovative portfolio of products. We aim to ship 60 million smartphones this year, while increasing the volume steadily in the years to come. Vertical integration, for example, chipsets, energy saving technology, camera and display improved software management, will set us apart from our competitors, and allow us to reduce operational costs and time to market.

4. Huawei ARM processors in their phones and tablets, the market opinion I heard is 'fast CPU, but not so good GPU compared to Qualcomm or Nvidia'. How's Huawei positioning and plan for their mobile device ARM processors in the near future, and are other CPU architectures like Atom or some local Chinese CPU architecture possible to consider?

Our February benchmark test showed we had the best GPU performance (GL benchmark) on the market, and a CPU capacity (DMIPS) equivalent, if not better, than that of our competitors. The Huawei Ascend D quad is the only device to run the quad-core K3V2 chipset, and this will be available in selected markets later this year.

Published by: VR-Zone

demand among consumers for phones running Windows and so plans are currently in place for Huawei to launch a device running on Windows in the near future.

Mr. Fleurance is Global Product Marketing Director of Handset Product Line, Huawei Device. In this role, Mr. Fleurance is leading product marketing for handsets within Mr. Fleurance is telecom expert with more than 14 years experience in High Tech / Telecoms. He worked in Paris, London, Hongkong and Shenzhen. He has a long experience within European operators : Bouygues Telecom, SFR and Vodafone, Orange. Later, moving to London, he focused his career in manufacturers: head of CPM Europe for HTC, head of accessories product management for htc, head of CPM EMEA for RIM. Mr. Wei is Director of Convergence Terminal Product Management Department of Huawei Device. In this role, Mr. Wei is responsible for the analysis and the planning of the new convergence terminal categories, such as tablet, DPF, ebook, and so on.

HTC announces One XL 4G LTE smartphone in Singapore Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/htc-announces-one-xl-4g-ltesmartphone-in-singapore/16022.html May 25th, 2012

Taiwanese smartphones and tablets maker HTC has announced the availability of the One XL, which claims to be the first 4G LTE smartphone in Singapore.

5. What do you think about beyond HD displays in tablets, such as the 2048x1536 iPad 3? Would it make sense to have larger, like 11 -12 inch, super tablets with such resolutions and aspect ratios, since 4:3 or 16:10 are a far more productive format for a screen than 16:9.

Higher definition provides consumers with an improved visual experience, and developing higher definition displays for our products is area of ongoing focus for our R&D. High definition displays have an impact both on content providers and supply chain partners, specifically LCD, CPU and GPU vendors. In addition, we are cognizant of the impact of this technology on the size, weight and overall portability of the product itself. For these reasons, we need to be satisfied that we are providing technology at the right time to enhance the end-user experience. Our MediaPad 10 FHD comes with a high resolution 1920 x 1200 screen in 16:10 aspect ratio, and we have more high definition products coming up.

6. Android, Windows Phone, or iOS: assuming there were no licensing hurdles, which platform would be the first choice for Huawei to use on their phones and tablets? Or, maybe, an OS platform of its own?

Huawei has a consumer-centric philosophy, and as a result, our portfolio will continue to reflect the needs of the market and consumers within it. That said, we have seen a real

The HTC ONE XL claims to be Singapore’s first 4G LTE smartphone in the company's One series that offers amazing camera and audio experience with fast speeds of next generation 4G LTE networks. It features a polycarbonate gloss 'piano' finish and a matte back unibody with the ruggedness of metal, and is extremely lightweight. The HTC One XL is powered by the 1.5GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 dual-core processor, which allows it to run heavy duty tasks without lag. It comes with a 1,800 mAh embedded battery, alongside software enhancements that claims to provide improved battery performance. The smartphone 6

May 25th, 2012

Published by: VR-Zone

runs Google Android 4.0 (ICS) OS and latest version of HTC Sense 4 that offers superb and simplified user experience.

The One XL is also fully integrated with the innovative HTC Media Link HD wireless accessory, which will enable users to enjoy multimedia content simultaneously on their smartphones and nearby HD-enabled TV screens.

It is integrated with Beats By Dr. Dre Audio to provide a richer, more authentic audio experience, whether you are listening to your favourite music, watching a YouTube video or playing a game. Available in Polar White and Glamour Grey, the HTC One XL handset will retail at mobile operators and authorised resellers that support 4G enabled networks in early June 2012, at a recommended retail price of S$998 (before telco subsidies)

Asus UX32VD will be an upgrade over the current UX31 ultrabook Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/asus-ux32vd-will-be-an-upgradeover-the-current-ux31-ultrabook/16023.html May 25th, 2012

Processor Name: Intel Core i5-2557M Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium Processor Speed: 1.7 GHz RAM: 4 GB Weight: 2.86 lb Screen Size: 13.3 inches Native Resolution: 1600 x 900 Graphics Card: Intel HD Graphics 3000 Storage Capacity: 128 GB SSD Networking: 802.11n And here are the specs of the UX32VD prototype:

Asus will be releasing an updated version of its Zenbook UX31 ultraportable laptop soon. The Zenbook UX31 is currently one of the more popular ultrabook on the market, and Asus intends to stay true to the UX31’s ultra sleek, ultraportable, and ultra low voltage design. Asus introduced the Zenbook Prime UX32VD prototype at its 2012 Investor Meeting, and from the pictures released the UX32VD looks almost exactly like its predecessor.

Asus will be releasing an updated version of its Zenbook UX31 ultraportable laptop soon. The Zenbook UX31 is currently one of the more popular ultrabook on the market, and Asus intends to stay true to the UX31’s ultra sleek, ultraportable, and ultra low voltage design. Asus introduced the Zenbook Prime UX32VD prototype at its 2012 Investor Meeting, and from the pictures released the UX32VD looks almost exactly like its predecessor.

The upcoming UX32VD will come with a full 1080 IPS screen, and a GeForce GT 620M graphics processor. Other specs for the laptop are currently unknown at the moment, but the addition of the 620M is a huge step up from the Intel HD 3000 GPU of the UX31.

Here are some of the major specs of the UX31:

Processor Name: Intel based quad core CPU Operating System: Microsoft Windows Processor Speed: Unknown RAM: Unknown Weight: Unknown Screen Size: 13.3 inches Native Resolution: 1920 x 1080 Graphics Card: GeForce 620M Storage Capacity: Unknown Networking: Unknown Consumers who are looking for an ultraportable that packs a punch might just settle for the upcoming UX32VD. It is important to note that the addition of a higher resolution screen and increased GPU prowess might reduce battery life of the UX32VD compared to the UX31.

Loewe introduces Soundbox, Soundvision and Air Speaker Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/loewe-introduces-soundboxsoundvision-and-air-speaker/16021.html

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Published by: VR-Zone

May 25th, 2012

Atlas Sound and Vision, one of Singapore’s leading premium audio visual retailer and distributor, has introduced the Loewe Soundbox, SoundVision and Air Speaker, which feature state-of-the-art technology with contemporary designs that meet different user needs and preferences.

The LoeweAir Speaker comes with two subwoofers and two mid-range speakers that claim to offer superior audio quality, be it music played wirelessly from an iPhone, iPod, iPad or iTunes via Apple’s AirPlay technology. It features Loewe’s classic minimalist design, and fits seamlessly into any room. Like its SoundVision sibling, it is also available in Aluminium Black or Aluminium Silver and comes with topmounted interchangeable insets for user customisation. The Loewe Air Speaker retails for S$1,340.

The Loewe Soundbox features a stylish design with Radio Data System (RDS) stereo FM radio, high-quality CD player and an elegant iPod/iPhone docking station. It also comes with two integrated full range stereo speakers and two digital stereo amplifiers. Comes in black, silver, green, blue, red and yellow, the Soundbox has an interchangeable top in lay, which makes it the perfect uncomplicated audio solution for any room. The Loewe Soundbox retails for S$1,060.

The Loewe Soundbox, SoundVision and the AirSpeaker are available from selected partners, the Atlas Experience AudioVisual Boutique at TripleOne Somerset and the Loewe Gallery at Palais Renaissance. More informationcan be found at www.atlas-experience.com.

Samsung GALAXY S III will retail in Singapore on 30 May Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/samsung-galaxy-s-iii-will-retail-insingapore-on-30-may/16020.html May 25th, 2012

For those of you who are waiting for the GALAXY S III, the wait is going to be over. Samsung Asia has announced that the highly-anticipated Android smartphone, which comes in Pebble Blue and Marble White, will retail in Singapore on 30 May. The Loewe SoundVision is designed as a complete desktop sound system that offers unparalleled audio quality and superb convenience. It features six built-in speakers, including two integrated subwoofers and a revolutionary multi-touch display and can connect to the Loewe home entertainment system or to a home network via LAN, WLAN or Powerline Networks. Available in either Aluminium Silver or Aluminium Black, the SoundVision’s side insets are interchangeable in a wide variety of colours to suit various interior décor and individual preferences. The Loewe SoundVision retails for S$2,830.

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The Samsung GALAXY S III claims to be inspired by nature, and designed for humans. It features a 4.8-inch high definition HD Super AMOLED display, 8-megapixel rear and 1.9-megapixel front camera that offer a variety of features and face recognition options. It runs Google Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich that offers enhanced usability and practicality. It features ‘Smart stay’ which recognizes how the phone is being used, and ‘S Voice’ advanced natural language user interface that allows information to search and basic device-user communication through voice commands. Users can share photos and videos among friends and family easily and instantly with ‘Buddy photo share’ function and the new ‘S Beam’.

Large supercomputers to speed up: 100 PFLOPs in 2014, 1 Exaflop by 2017?

Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/large-supercomputers-to-speedup-100-pflops-in-2014-1-exaflop-by-2017-/16018.html May 25th, 2012

The most recent expectations from last year's supercomputing events, of 100 petaflops in 2015 and 1 exaflop in 2018, seems to be too pessimistic, after all. What's enabling the sudden push?

The answer: Combination of upcoming massive jump in CPU FP peak performance, and maturing of the add-on accelerators, are what should enable us to see the world's first 100 PFLOP supercomputers some two years from now, and a further 10 times speedup not much more than two years after that.

On the CPU front, from Haswell generation onwards, all Intel CPUs will incorporate fused multiply add (FMA) instructions, allowing for up to 16 double precision on 32 single precision FP ops per core per cycle. On a, say, 10 core Haswell-EP Xeon (or similar Core iXX desktop variant) at 3.2 GHz, that would give you 500 GFLOPs in double precision, or whole round 1 TFLOPs in single precision FP peak performance. Haswell EP processors should be available by early 2014.

Published by: VR-Zone

AMD CPUs already have FMA implemented and, hopefully with the Steamroller core performance improvements in 2013 onwards, there would be similar performing CPUs from them in the 2014 timeframe as well.

Then we add the accelerators: AMD HD 7970 Radeons (Graphics Core Next) already touch 1 TFLOPs DP FP and nearly 4 TFLOPs SP FP performance peak. The upcoming GK110 from Nvidia, as well as Sea Islands from AMD top bins, should exceed 1.5 TFLOPs DP FP well before Christmas comes around. Add to that Intel MIC, whose performance is in the similar ballpark. All these cards will have humongous local memory, anywhere from 6 to 16 GB per card, to keep the processing locally without having to hop onto the slow PCIe bus too often. Each of these architectures may have its own strong point: Nvidia with CUDA, AMD with OpenCL, and Intel with X86 inline programming capability as if it's a simple co-processor to the CPU. And, their future successors are all expected to be close to 3 TFLOPs DP FP per chip peak performance by mid 2014.

So, if we assume we got a simple 1U or blade HPC server node with 2 of these CPUs and 2 accelerators, plus memory and high speed interconnect, we would have 1 TFLOPs of DP FP CPU performance, plus 6 DP FP TFLOPs or accelerator resource, in a single node - a total of 7 TFLOPs theoretical peak. Therefore, for 100 PFLOPs, we'd need some 15,000 nodes. At up to 80 nodes per double-sided normal format 19inch rackmount enclosure, plus some space for admin nodes, switches and such, not to mention power distribution and cooling, 200 racks can keep the compute engines of a 100 PFLOPs system running in mid 2014. That's a manageable size for a data center facility these days, although storage, UPS and other requirements will add to that space, of course.

Beyond this, the combination of further per-CPU and peraccelerator 3 to 4 times FP performance speed up expected within three years after 2014, plus improved system bandwidth and lower-latency system interconnects to feed two accelerators per each CPU socket more efficiently, combined with further power saving improvements, should let us see the world's first 1 Exaflop (yes, a million teraflops 9

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or 10 million current top end Ivy Bridge desktop chips) system sometime in 2017, rather than 2018, as originally expected. What to do with all that power? Well, there's more to the world than just designing new weapons to destroy it, obviously...

Mass Effect 3 multiplayer receives an upgrade with Rebellion Pack DLC Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/mass-effect-3-multiplayer-receivesan-upgrade-with-rebellion-pack-dlc/16017.html May 25th, 2012

Developer Bioware has finally confirmed that you will be able to play Dotaas Vorcha, Male Quarian, and Ex-Cerberus characters in the multiplayer portion of the game, fighting against the Reapers on two new maps (Firebase Jade, Firebase Thessia) and with three new weapons (Cerberus Harrier Assault Rifle, Reegar Carbine Shotgun, Krysae Sniper Rifle).

A new objective - "retrieve a high priority package and securely escort it to a designated extraction zone" - will also be added to the pool of existing ones that are doled out randomly during waves 3, 6, and 10.

To help players cope with the increased challenge, there will also be a new equipment slot for persistent upgrade items ranging from weapon upgrades to character enhances - that do not expire after each match.

Rumours of the Rebellion Pack DLC first surfaced on the Net earlier this month, claiming that the new pack would introduce "Phoenix" Adept and Vanguard, Vorcha Soldier and Sentinel, and Quarian Infiltrator and Engineer into the multiplayer mix. "Phoenix", players had assumed, most

Published by: VR-Zone

likely referred to the race that a certain single-player DLC character belongs to ("Rise from Ashes" DLC pack; free with Mass Effect 3 Collector's Edition).

Not too much attention was paid to those initial claims, since the Quarian Infiltrator and Engineer characters are already in the game, until last week when the very same descriptions for the DLC pack was accidentally posted on Sony's Hong Kong website, giving credence to the rumour.

An in-game message that welcomed players to Operation Silence, the most recent weekend multiplayer event, fuelled the speculation further as Bioware hinted that "the vorcha want in, and as soon as they complete combined-arms training with our technically-skilled personnel, we will let them loose."

So. I suppose the Vorcha are a bunch of serious bad-a**es now, huh? Having completed their combined-arms training and all.

We'll find out next Tuesday, May 29, when the Rebellion Pack DLC drops.

For more details on what the new characters can do, head over to the Bioware blog.

Hon Hai (aka Foxconn) putting Taiwan back in the iPhone in-cell touch panel production race Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/hon-hai-aka-foxconn-puttingtaiwan-back-in-the-iphone-in-cell-touch-panel-productionrace/16015.html May 25th, 2012

Talk about perseverance in Taiwan’s manufacturing industry! Despite AU Optronics Corp’s—one of Taiwan’s largest manufacturers of touch panel displays—inability to keep up with competitors from South Korea and Japan, another one of Taiwan’s tech manufacturing company has managed to step up its game to get Taiwan back into the race.

Talk about perseverance in Taiwan’s manufacturing industry! Despite AU Optronics Corp’s—one of Taiwan’s largest manufacturers of touch panel displays—inability to keep up with competitors from South Korea and Japan,

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another one of Taiwan’s tech manufacturing company has managed to step up its game to get Taiwan back into the race.

Published by: VR-Zone

Not only does this move put Hon Hai in the same front as other panel makers in Taiwan, but it also ensures that the “Made in Taiwan” signature doesn’t disappear from Apple’s future iPhone.

Touche, Hon Hai. Touche.

Future Nokia PureView handset could be slimmer, with different camera sensor Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/future-nokia-pureview-handsetcould-be-slimmer-with-different-camera-sensor/16007.html May 25th, 2012

Many companies are working hard to obtain’s Apple’s business as the iPhone 5’s development continues. The in-cell touch panel display that’s supposed to slim down the iPhone has been a hot topic among iPhone enthusiasts.

Sharp, LG, and Sony—all of which are Japanese or South Korean-based—are all working hard to develop and getting ready to mass produce the new type of touch panel for Apple’s new iPhone.

A Nokia head, discussing the Nokia PureView, mentioned that future models would be thinner, and wouldn't necessarily boast the same 41 MP camera.

A Nokia head, discussing the Nokia PureView, mentioned that future models would be thinner, and wouldn't necessarily boast the same 41 MP camera.

If there was ever a device to enrage and inspire photography enthusiasts, it’s the Nokia 808 PureView. Legitimately impressive for its incredible 41 megapixel camera, the device is bound to provoke the learned to say over and over again, "It's not about megapixels!"

One company in Taiwan, however, refuses to let Japan and South Korea dominate the development and manufacturing of the next iPhone’s touch panel. According to yahoo.com, Taiwan’s Hon Hai Precision Industry Co (does the name “Foxconn” ring a bell?) has worked out an agreement with Sharp Corp, in which Sharp will provide the technological “know-how” for producing Apple’s mobile phone panels.

In the report, yahoo.com states that Sharp is attempting to dig itself out of a hole since it incurred a massive loss of about $4.75 billion last year. Hon Hai agreed to purchase a 46.48% stake in Sharp in March, thus providing for some cushion for Sharp’s sharp drop (pun-intended).

Perhaps the move by Hon Hai to purchase stakes in Sharp Corp was more than just trying to exert its dominance in other markets. The calculative move might have been Hon Hai’s intention in trying to overtake AU Optronics and other leading panel manufacturers in Taiwan.

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However much truth there is in that statement, it didn't stop the PureView from creating quite a commotion, and doesn't change the fact that 41 MP truly makes for one impressive smartphone camera.

Although the PureView hasn't even been released yet, people are already talking about its future, dreaming of all the incredible things to do with such an optically inclined handset. One of the biggest hopes in the eye of fans right now is that the PureView will eventually be coupled with Windows Phone. Right now, the device is running on Symbian.

Whether Symbian is a bad or good thing is certainly a matter of opinion, and both sides have legitimate ideas about it. But whatever Symbian might be, it isn't the most fashionable mobile OS in the world these days.

Published by: VR-Zone

But Yahoo just took a step which might turn their fortune, if only a little bit. Today, Yahoo released a mobile browser application for iOS devices called 'Axis'. An Android version is still in the works, and hasn't been released yet. In addition, Yahoo released a plugin for the popular desktop browsers.

On all versions of the browser, a feature similar to Google instant search suggests queries as the user types, displaying a panel of visual results. Websites can be selected, and the website results can be scrolled through, backwards and forwards.

Another much advertised feature of Axis is that it syncs with devices of the same account, remembering your homepage and search history. This gives the ability of seamless browsing across platforms, similar to what Google recently did with their Chrome browser.

The last news about the suggested coupling of the PureView and Windows Phone suggested that such a device might not exist until 2013. The PureView's Head of Product Marketing, Vesa Jutila, spoke on the device. While he did not address Windows Phone on the PureView, he did mention that the future may hold slimmer PureView handsets. This is certainly not bad news for those hoping for a Windows Phone PureView, since the current bulk of the device may be why it hasn't happened yet.

The browser also allows users to bookmark searches, and integrate their browser with Pinterest.

Whatever this ambiguous statement means is anyone's guess - surely nobody would object to a few megapixels being chopped off of the goliath 41, if that's what he's talking about.

But any case, a little compromise leading to a Windows/ Nokia deal could be beneficial to both companies. Windows would have a profitable phone under their belt, and Nokia a profitable OS.

This means that users can browse in Axis without even leaving their favorite web browser. It also makes installation a snap.

Yahoo releases cross-device 'Axis' browser Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/yahoo-releases-cross-device-axisbrowser/16006.html May 25th, 2012

Yahoo has launched a mobile application and desktop plugin called 'Axis', the company's attempt at a web browser.

Anybody who knows about search engines will have to admit something: the big players are Google and Google. Besides Google, Bing and Yahoo are surely the biggest players - but big, in this case, is an extremely relative term. While Google controls around 64% of the search market, Bing controls about 14%, and Yahoo 16%. Unlike web browsers, which see a fairly close knit match between the bigger players, the search market is sincerely dominated by Google.

It seems that the yahoo higher-ups had some sense in making the desktop browser into a plugin. Individuals get cozy with a browser, and aren't too eager to change, especially if it’s made by the likes of an internet underdog like Yahoo. But the Axis browser for Windows exists in the form of a plugin which, when installed, floats discreetly on the bottom left corner of the screen.

Yahoo has quite a few warm things to say about their new browser, going so far as to say that it "redefines what it means to search and browse the Web". But maybe, for once, a company is actually doing a bit more than superficial jaw.

CNET’s Rafe Needleman remarked of the program, “On the iPad, Axis is simply a great browser. The integrated search feature is intuitive, and being able to move through search results without having to go back to search makes sense.

After only a few minutes using it I thought, Why hasn't Google done this yet? It's that good.”

Axis is available for download at Yahoo's Axis website.

Could We Destroy the Internet?

Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/could-we-destroy-theinternet-/16005.html May 25th, 2012

Groups like Anonymous often make grandios claims about being able to take down the entire Internet, but what would it really take to destroy the greatest creation in the history of mankind?

It’s time for a little thought experiment. What would it take to destroy the internet? Certainly, it is possible; after all, nothing lasts forever and there’s no such thing as a completely secure system, but what would it take?

Obviously, Anonymous’ threat to destroy the internet is purely hubris and adolescent bravado, but with enough effort, physical effort, the Internet could be completely 12

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destroyed. Before continuing, I need to remind all of my readers that this is simply a thought exercise. Attempting this would bring the entire world’s wrath down on your head, and would be the greatest act of terrorism the world has seen.

It would most likely be seen as an attack against every nation on the planet, simultaneously. Do. Not. Do. This.

The Internet has been under attack for most of its existence.

Key pieces of infrastructure have been attacked before, and there’s no reason to suspect that attacks against any and every target available will not continue to happen.

But one thing needs to be clear: the Internet will not be taken down from the inside. It is impossible to destroy a signal while using that same signal. Eventually, your attack would defeat itself, and a small portion of the Internet would survive unscathed. What must be done is that the concept of cyberspace being somehow disconnected from the physical world has to be stopped. Everything that happens on the Internet, from banking to video watching to gaming, is transmitted as electrical pulses through physical wires and is processed by physical servers residing in a facility somewhere on the planet. There is no such thing as a separation of what is “real” and what is “digital.”

The other problem is that the Internet is insanely strong and redundant. There is no big red button sitting somewhere that will shut down everything around the globe, no wire that could be cut to blackout the entire network. Through some chaotic twist of fate and the effort of brilliant planners and engineers, the Internet is practically invincible. It’s almost self-sustaining in its ability to repair and reroute traffic from destination to destination based on congestion, damage, or attack (insert Skynet joke here). Occasionally, damage does happen to the major backbones of the Internet, but few people notice because of the amazing amount of redundancy in this global network.

Despite this, just like I said earlier, there is no such thing as an indestructible object, completely secure system, or invincible defense. Even the Internet, which was built with redundancy and strength in mind, could be destroyed, given enough effort. The issue is where to start cutting wires. Yes, wires.

The Internet exists as it is because of hundreds of thousands of miles of cable have been laid across the globe over the past 30 years, running under the seas and between continents.

These cables are all laid so that the loss of one specific cable does not affect the network as a whole; instead, the traffic is simply routed through another cable. But if every one of those cables was cut simultaneously, the Internet would instantly be fractured into continental networks, each unable to communicate with the others. A list of every cable backbone in the world can be found here.

Published by: VR-Zone

The biggest impact could be had by cutting just three connections, those being the main lines between America’s eastern seaboard and Western Europe. These cables are some of the most important pieces of infrastructure in the world for the Internet, with more than half of all internet traffic travelling along them. The bigger impact, however, is the kind of traffic travelling along these cables, namely financial data. The stock exchanges in New York, London, and across the world rely on these cables for all of their information. Cutting them would instantly result in a worldwide financial collapse the likes of which we have never seen. Some other important links that would cripple the Internet are located in the following locations: Singapore, Egypt on the Mediterranean and Red Seas, Cornwall, Tokyo, Hong Kong, South Florida, Marseilles, Sicily, Mumbai, and Chennai. This would render the Internet as virtual islands, unable to communicate across more than a continental level.

The next step would be to destroy the root DNS servers.

There are thirteen of these servers, each labeled with a single letter and backed up hundreds upon hundreds of times, which are responsible for turning a request such as “www.google.com” into the IP address 74.125.228.37.

Without these servers, either you had better have a steel-trap memory, or a very large notepad and lots of pencils, because human-readable addresses would no longer be translatable by computers connected to the Internet.

Each of these servers’ locations is an open secret. In order for everything to function properly, the Internet has to be completely open and interoperable. The easiest way to ensure this is to simply make all of the details public information. For example, a little digging will reveal that the “K” servers are operated by RIPE NCC, and located at 50 NE 9th Street, Miami, Florida, right on the 6 bus line through the city. Be prepared for Hollywood-esque requirements to destroy the place, however; the server buildings are guarded as tightly as military bases in order to make sure that anyone going anywhere near the servers has a VERY good reason to be there. Most of the security exists simply to keep the general populace from wandering in and pushing the wrong buttons, however, and bringing the building down on top of the servers would be just as simple as bringing down any other building.

Now we have a network fractured into relatively small, isolated pockets (sorry, Japan, you’re completely isolated now) with servers only accessible through arcane IP addresses. However, the finishing blow has yet to be delivered: destroying the servers that house what’s left.

Data centers contain the stuff that makes up the web: the sites we browse, the pictures we see, the emails we read, and the videos we watch. They’re large, windowless monoliths designed not for the system administrators that take care of the servers, but the servers themselves. Dark, cold, and often hermetically sealed, these buildings exist to keep the servers cool and operating at peak efficiency. The bonus for our thought exercise is that some of these centers house servers from ISPs all over the globe, acting as a kind of “super-hub,” with lines from all over the Internet converging on these buildings.

What’s worse is that companies often outsource to these data centers for storage for their websites. There are hundreds of data centers around the globe, but taking out a few dozen would render the Internet practically inoperable, along with the added bonus of the complete removal of some websites, 13

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songs, videos, pictures, and anything else stored on a server “in the cloud.”

At this point, the web is in tatters. Nothing is left that can be called an “inter” network. If you wanted to be thorough, you could annihilate the rest of the data centers, every office building, and every file-sharing network in colleges across the country, but for the most part the Internet is dead.

Congratulations, you have successfully destroyed mankind’s greatest creation. Jerk.

On the upside, you have proven yourself to be an amazing leader, because in order to pull this off, you had to complete the single greatest, most complex, surgical act of destruction in all of recorded human history. Anything less and the Internet would still be alive and capable of being rebuilt.

And that’s what’s so amazing about the Internet, and what makes it so impossibly strong. It would take a team of tens of thousands to strike every location at once with an insane amount of precision, coordination, and communication. At this stage, we have built the internet so well that, barring a global thermonuclear war, we cannot destroy the Internet.

But it’s an interesting scenario to think about.

Berkeley chief of police sends 10 men on an iPhone hunt

Published by: VR-Zone

SFgate.com somehow dug up the story and Meehan was forced to explain why he was wasting precious tax payer’s money to search for a replaceable iPhone. A spokesperson told the SFgate.com that none of the officers on the man hunt filed an incident report was an “oversight.” Sure, an “oversight” that probably costs taxpayers thousands of dollars on a petty iPhone theft that was probably replaceable for a few hundred bucks.

The difference between McCaffrey and her method for tracking down her iPhone thief and Meehan’s method is McCaffrey didn’t do something as ignorant as paying ten men to track down a single phone. As a tax payer here in California, I am quite furious about how my money is being spent.

What’s even worse is that Meehan even paid some of his men overtime for the fruitless iPhone search! Thoughts or comment? Tell us what you think convinced Meehan to waste other people's money on such a pointless task.

Online dating and match making, make strides in China Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/online-dating-and-match-makingmake-strides-in-china/16013.html May 25th, 2012

Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/berkeley-chief-of-police-sends-10men-on-an-iphone-hunt/16014.html May 25th, 2012

If you read the article about Katy McCaffrey’s man hunt of her iPhone thief here on vr-zone.com, then here’s another iPhone man hunt that’s too good to not read about. A chief of police in Berkeley, California sent ten of his officers to track down his son’s stolen iPhone.

If you read the article about Katy McCaffrey’s man hunt of her iPhone thief here on vr-zone.com, then here’s another iPhone man hunt that’s too good to not read about. A chief of police in Berkeley, California sent ten of his officers to track down his son’s stolen iPhone.

Gizmodo.com reported that chief of police Michael Meehan not only sent his regular officers but also the drug task officers to look for the iPhone. Despite having tracking software installed on the phone, Meehan’s goons did not manage to retrieve the phone, and the rest was history. Or is it?

Romeo and Juliet had their issues when it came to love. May it be barriers due to culture, demographics, geographic, or time—love is possible for those who want it. Hooking up with someone through online means is old news, but it doesn’t mean that its relevancy in today’s world has diminished. As a matter of fact, more and more companies around the world are cashing in on the online dating niche.

Romeo and Juliet had their issues when it came to love. May it be barriers due to culture, demographics, geographic, or time—love is possible for those who want it. Hooking up with someone through online means is old news, but it doesn’t mean that its relevancy in today’s world has diminished. As a matter of fact, more and more companies around the world are cashing in on the online dating niche.

Match.com seems to be one of the most popular in North America and Europe, whilst OkCupid.com has potential in 14

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the Asian regions. For countries that are more restrictive on what its populace can view on the internet, such as China, Jiayuan.com and Zhenai.com seems to be dominating.

Published by: VR-Zone

motion control to its high-end Smart TVs. To Samsung's credit, they've at least managed to create a funny enough ad that is likely to get at least a few giggle, oh and it features the Old Spice Guy. The new Samsung Smart TVs features a built in camera that not only responds to gestures, but it also features facial recognition which can be used instead of a password to access Samsung's Smart Hub. Beyond gesture control there's also support for voice control which seems somewhat more useful, at least as long as the TV can understand your accent/ language.

In March of last year, Jiayuan.com made an impressive $1.58 million according to globaltimes.cn, and the online match making industry is projected to go from $72 million to $301 million from 2010 to 2015.

The online dating and match making industry might not be as strong as it is in other markets, and culture seems to be one of the main factors influencing its growth.

Li Ming, a resident of Beijing, admits to globaltimes.cn that she was thrilled by her positive experience with the online match making service in China. However, it’s also noteworthy to mention that Li didn’t give globaltimes.cn her real name because of cultural stigmas that might be directed towards her if people she knows find out she uses online dating sites.

Regardless of the negativity that surrounds online match making in China, Li is happy with her husband--whom she met through an online dating site-- of a little over a year.

"The best part is that I found the most important person in my life," she told globaltimes.cn.

Continued growth of online match making and dating sites in China is a definite, and as the social and cultural dogmas of the region evolves, the industry will no doubt take off even further.

Samsung goes for motion control on its flagship Smart TVs Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/samsung-goes-for-motion-controlon-its-flagship-smart-tvs/16012.html May 25th, 2012

Undoubtedly the next big thing when it comes to controlling our home electronics is motion control, for better or worse and now Samsung has revealed that the company is adding motion control to its high-end Smart TVs. To Samsung's credit, they've at least managed to create a funny enough ad that is likely to get at least a few giggle, oh and it features the Old Spice Guy. Undoubtedly the next big thing when it comes to controlling our home electronics is motion control, for better or worse and now Samsung has revealed that the company is adding

The controls seem to be fairly basic judging by the video and if you're expecting Kinect level control, you'll most likely be disappointed. That said, judging by the UI which appear to potentially be Android based, a motion controlled interface might still be better than using a remote control. As for the promotional video, well, it's a good laugh if nothing else, but it doesn't exactly inspire a lot of confidence for the technology itself as such.

Google said to launch 7-inch tablet in July Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/google-said-to-launch-7-inch-tabletin-july/16011.html May 25th, 2012

There have been a fair bit of rumours about a Google Nexus tablet going around as of lately and now some more detailed rumours have appeared. The 7-inch Nexus tablet is aid to be produced by Asus and it's expected to start shipping next month.

There have been a fair bit of rumours about a Google Nexus tablet going around as of lately and now some more detailed rumours have appeared. The 7-inch Nexus tablet is aid to be produced by Asus and it's expected to start shipping next month.

Digitimes is reporting that Google has partnered up with Asus for the new tablet and some 600,000 units are said to be shipping to Google next month for a July introduction into the market. Not much is known about the new tablet, but it could potentially be the cheap 7-inch model that 15

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Asus Asus showed off back at CES and which the company claimed was going to cost US$249.

If that's the case, then we're looking at a Tegra 3 based piece of kit, but according to Digitimes, whatever product Google and Asus are co-operating on was meant to ship in May, but was delayed due to being too expensive. We'll just have to wait and see, as maybe Asus will let something slip at Computex in early June, but we'll know for certain once Google decides to announce the product, be it in July or at some later point in the year.

Published by: VR-Zone

The Prodigy comes in either black with a mesh front or in white with a solid front. Both SKUs have vents on the left hand side and there's also a mesh cover at the top of the chassis. One slightly odd feature is the placement of the front I/O and buttons, as they're all located on the lower right hand side of the chassis which looks very strange in the pictures. You get a pair of USB 3.0 ports and a headphone and mic jack here, as well as a power and reset button.

BitFenix announces the Prodigy mini-ITX chassis Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/bitfenix-announces-the-prodigymini-itx-chassis/16010.html May 25th, 2012

The mini-ITX form factor seems to be on something of a roll this year with the motherboard makers focusing on some seriously high-end products, but so far most mini-ITX chassis have been a bit lacklustre, even though there have been one or two decent ones, but usually at a fairly high price.

Now it seems like BitFenix has decided it wants a slice of the mini-ITX market as the company has introduced its new Prodigy mini-ITX chassis and it's something quite different from your average mini-ITX box.

The mini-ITX form factor seems to be on something of a roll this year with the motherboard makers focusing on some seriously high-end products, but so far most mini-ITX chassis have been a bit lacklustre, even though there have been one or two decent ones, but usually at a fairly high price.

Now it seems like BitFenix has decided it wants a slice of the mini-ITX market as the company has introduced its new Prodigy mini-ITX chassis and it's something quite different from your average mini-ITX box.

The design of the Prodigy doubtlessly brings one's mind to Apple's G5 aluminium chassis, although here we're looking at a fairly standard steel chassis with plastic trim. That said, the Prodigy does feature BitFenix' "SoftTouch" surface treatment and the handles are made out of "FyberFlex" composite and they're actually flexible, but the company claims they still remain strong, so there should be no problem picking up the chassis by the handles.

Popping the side off we find a spacious chassis with room for a single 5.25-inch drive, up to five 3.5-inch drives, or alternatively up to nine 2.5-inch drives depending on configuration. Each of the 3.5-inch drive bays have caddies and both sections - containing three and two drive bays respectively - can be removed to make room for longer graphics cards. Apparently it's possible to mount up to five 2.5-inch drives even without the drive bays fitted via a separate mounting bracket. Unusually the 5.25-inch drive bay can also be removed so a 240mm radiator can be fitted to the top of the chassis.

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The motherboard mounts on top of the PSU and the good news here is that the Prodigy accepts a standard ATX PSU, so in other words if you want to put a really high-end graphics card into the Prodigy, you can. Although mini-ITX motherboards only have a single expansion slot, BitFenix has made room for dual width cards as there are two rear expansion slots. The chassis ships with a front and rear 120mm fan, although the front fan can be upgraded to a 140, 180, 200 or 230mm fan and the rear fan to a 140mm fan. An additional two 120mm fans can also be mounted in the top of the chassis.

Published by: VR-Zone

Overall this is a pretty impressive little chassis which should appeal to those wanting to build a mobile gaming rig. At US $79 (S$100) it's cheaper than most competitive alternatives, although most of the competition tends to be aluminium cases that are vastly more expensive, with the odd exception like SilverStone's TJ-03 mini, but that's a chassis in a slightly different category and it's not nearly as portable.

Upload multiple photos at once with Facebook's new Camera app Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/upload-multiple-photos-at-oncewith-facebook-s-new-camera-app/16008.html May 25th, 2012

Ready, set, snap. Tired of being able to only take and share a single picture at a time on your iPhone Facebook app?

Facebook has a solution to your problem with its new Camera app for the iOS. You can now upload your images in batches!

Ready, set, snap. Tired of being able to only take and share a single picture at a time on your iPhone Facebook app?

Facebook has a solution to your problem with its new Camera app for the iOS. You can now upload your images in batches!

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Published by: VR-Zone May 25th, 2012

Dual SIM smartphones have had something of a slow start and we have yet to see a decent high-end model for the business traveller that doesn't want to spend a fortune on roaming fees. Samsung's new Galaxy Ace DUOS in unlikely to attract many business users, but the new Android 2.3 handset does at least appear to be a decent budget option.

Dual SIM smartphones have had something of a slow start and we have yet to see a decent high-end model for the business traveller that doesn't want to spend a fortune on roaming fees. Samsung's new Galaxy Ace DUOS in unlikely to attract many business users, but the new Android 2.3 handset does at least appear to be a decent budget option.

Don’t pretend you’re not ecstatic right now by the news— I know that there’s a 95% chance that you’re one of those Facebook nuts that constantly perform “check-in.” Okay, I’m just yanking your Facebook tie, but for some people, their lives revolve around Facebook—and that’s okay, I love keeping up with friends and family, too!

The new Facebook Camera app will come with 14 filters, allowing you to apply different visual effects to your pictures once taken.

Unlike its predecessor with the same name, the new Galaxy Ace DUOS is a dual SIM GSM model, whereas the old model was a CDMA/GSM device, although the two handsets do at least look slightly different. The Galaxy Ace DUOS comes with an unspecified 832MHz processor, potentially a Qualcomm chip just as its CDMA/GSM sibling; 512MB of RAM, 3GB of built in storage and a microSD card slot.

In case you’re wondering what Facebook has planned for their recently acquired Instagram, techcrunch.com reports that Facebook intends to keep the Instagram development separate from the Facebook Camera app.

“As Mark asserted, we’re committed to building and growing Instagram independently, so I anticipate some healthy competition,” a spokesperson told techcrunch.com.

On another note, I didn’t mention anything about the Facebook Camera app for the Android platform or other smartphone platforms. That is because Facebook currently only has the app ready for the iOS, and an Android port— along with other ports—will most likely happen.

When asked to confirm that the Facebook Camera app will be on other platforms, the Facebook spokesperson informed techcrunch.com that Facebook “don’t comment on future products… [but they are] carefully looking at what might make for a good Facebook photos experience across other platforms.”

Sad news for Android Facebook users, but don’t worry, what are the chances that Facebook will leave its Android users behind for good. For the time being, Android users will have to put up with iOS user’s rant about how awesome it is that they can now share those precious moments in batches.

Samsung announces new budget friendly Galaxy Ace DUOS Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/samsung-announces-new-budgetfriendly-galaxy-ace-duos/16009.html

It does of course also come with features like Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, A-GPS, a 5Megapixel camera and what not, but the 3.5-inch 480x320 resolution display isn't likely to impress, even at a budget level. It also sports HSDPA speeds of up to 7.2Mbps, although we're not sure if this is only supported by one SIM or both. It does at least have a fairly 18

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unique feature in as much as it's possible to receive a call on both SIM cards simultaneously or what Samsung calls "Dual SIM always on" which might come in handy for those getting a lot of calls.

The battery is rated at a mere 1,300mAh and with Android 2.3 this is clearly not a cutting edge handset. No word on pricing as yet, but it should at least end up in the affordable section. Samsung will start shipping the Galaxy Ace DUOS in Russia next month and then roll it out into the rest of the world after that.

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VR-Zone.com | Tech News for the Geeks!

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

Google is the "truth" Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/google-is-the-truth-/16066.html May 29th, 2012

Sophie Raworth was discussing the Amnesty International’s criticism of the UN’s presence in the Syria, and it just so happened that there was a full blown image of the Halo’s UNSC logo in the background. Halo fans must have been wondering if the UN is actually the real space age organization behind the video game that they are playing.

Furthermore, we can’t blame the BBC’s producer for making an honest mistake—that is, believe all of Google’s queries before asking for a second opinion. Until the rest of the world recognizes the significance of the UN’s UNSC, Halo’s UNSC logo will continue to represent the salvation of mankind.

Blizzard unveils Diablo III update plans Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/blizzard-unveils-diablo-iii-updateplans/16064.html May 29th, 2012

Blizzard has unveiled its plans for future updates to its popular, if somewhat bugged, hack-and-slash role-playing game, Diablo III, highlighting that service availability and reliability will be the initial primary focus.

Even the BBC makes mistakes. In a recent News at One broadcast, the BBC mistakenly used the United Nations Space Command from instead of the actual United Nations Security Council.

Sophie Raworth was discussing the Amnesty International’s criticism of the UN’s presence in the Syria, and it just so happened that there was a full blown image of the Halo’s UNSC logo in the background. Halo fans must have been wondering if the UN is actually the real space age organization behind the video game that they are playing.

A Google image query of “UNSC” reveals that Halo’s UNSC seems to dominate the UNSC image tags/names.

If Google’search data infer that Halo’s UNSC is more significant than the UN’s UNSC then who are we to argue with a search engine that dominates over 75 percent of the market.

Blizzard has unveiled its plans for future updates to its popular, if somewhat bugged, hack-and-slash role-playing game, Diablo III, highlighting that service availability and reliability will be the initial primary focus.

The next patch, 1.0.2, will launch next week and will primarily address service issues, hopefully fixing the problems that have been preventing some players from getting into the game. Patch 1.0.3 will be the one players are most interested in, however, as that will include the first real game balance changes.

Some of the changes on the horizon for 1.0.3 include alterations to the Inferno difficulty mode, which the developers think involves too much spike damage, blacksmith changes that will reduce the training costs and gem combination costs from three to two, and item levels shown on level 60+ items, to make it clearer where each item stands in comparison to others.

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Kinect to fly an autonomous model helicopter, leading to SSTL's consideration of the technology for space missions.

SSTL has not been afraid to use modern consumer technology in the past. The STRaND-1 satellite, the predecessor to the Kinect-enabled model, employs an Android-powered smartphone to achieve its goals, making use of the device's microphone, camera, and other features, as well as a number of apps, including Postcards from Space.

The company will launch these satellites some time before the end of the year, while the STRaND-2 satellites likely won't leave the planet until next year or later.

The delayed player-versus-player (PvP) feature will also be released in the near future in the eagerly-awaited PvP patch (version 1.1). This update will extend beyond just player-killing, however, and will include changes like buffs to legendary items, although they will not be retroactive.

Blizzard also posted some interesting figures about average gameplay trends, including the fact that players create three characters each, 80 percent of them are between levels 1 and 30, 54 percent of Hardcore players choose a female character, 35 percent of Hardcore deaths occur in Act I Normal, only 1.9 percent of characters have unlocked Inferno difficulty, and the most common level 60 build is only used by 0.7 percent of maxed characters, showing the diversity of class builds available.

Satellites to employ Kinect to dock in space Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/satellites-to-employ-kinect-to-dockin-space/16063.html May 29th, 2012

Microsoft's motion-tracking camera and software is extending further beyond its initial gaming audience, with UK engineers planning to dock a satellite pair by using the Kinect.

Microsoft's motion-tracking camera and software is extending further beyond its initial gaming audience, with UK engineers planning to dock a satellite pair by using the Kinect.

Surrey Satellite Technology Limited (SSTL) is developing the STRaND-2 satellites that will take advantage of the Kinect's ability to provide spatial awareness in order to split and dock the pair while in orbit.

Shaun Kenyon, Project Lead at SSTL, said that the company was impressed by a previous project by MIT that used the

This move is just one of a number of big advances in space technology in recent months, with the most notable being the SpaceX shuttle mission to the International Space Station, which opens the vastness of space to private companies.

SSTL believes its own contribution of low-cost docking satellites could open up further possibilities, such as spacecraft maintenance, space debris cleanup, and “space building blocks,� a potential new way to build stations and other facilities in space.

"It may seem far-fetched, but our low cost nanosatellites could dock to build large and sophisticated modular structures such as space telescopes," said Dr. Chris Bridges, Project Lead of the Surrey Space Centre. "Unlike today's big space missions, these could be reconfigured as mission objectives change, and upgraded in-orbit with the latest available technologies."

Japan's Softbank to sell radiation-detecting smartphones Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/japan-s-softbank-to-sell-radiationdetecting-smartphones/16060.html May 29th, 2012

Japanese mobile phone operator Softbank has revealed a plan to sell smartphones with built-in radiation detectors, following concerns about continuing radioactive fallout from the Fukushima nuclear disaster early last year.

Japanese mobile phone operator Softbank has revealed a plan to sell smartphones with built-in radiation detectors, following concerns about continuing radioactive fallout from the Fukushima nuclear disaster early last year.

The company will release the new phone as part of its Pantone series, with eight bright colours to choose from. The device will come with customised integrated circuit chips made by Sharp that measure radiation levels in the area.

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Masayoshi Son, founder and president of Softbank, said that the threat from the nuclear accident cannot be seen by the human eye, but it remains a big worry for people in Japan, especially those with children. Son has been a strong critic of nuclear facilities since the incident last year, pushing for this useful device to be made quickly available.

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In the latest move towards Internet censorship and the crackdown on free speech, Sina Corp, a major online media provider for China and Chinese expatriate communities, has issued a “code of conduct” for Weibo, its microblogging service similar to Twitter. First announced earlier this month, the code contains many rules, some of which include forbidding users from posting information that is “against the principles of the constitution,” would “harm national unity, disclose state secrets,” or is deemed to be “false information,” which sounds suspiciously like a catch-all for “anything we don’t want the general populace to see.”

Users have called out the restrictions, saying that they’re aimed at silencing the anonymous and often vehement, scathing voicing of complaints against the government in a country where the Internet offers one of a small few places with the opportunity of the open discussion of issues.

Sina also introduced a point-based system, wherein each user starts with 80 points and loses points for every violation, with a zero score causing a cancellation of the account. The only way to gain points is by a user validating their real identity, making the targeting of dissenters even easier.

The device will be more portable and user-friendly than traditional Geiger counters and will store records of previously tested locations and their radiation levels, providing a good indication of any changes in hazardous material left in the atmosphere.

Japan was devastated by a massive earthquake and tsunami in March 2011, which severely damaged the nuclear reactors at Fukushima, causing meltdown and considerable radiation leaks. The radiation is estimated to be 10 percent of that released during the Chernobyl disaster and some areas of Japan are still off-limits due to high radiation levels.

Since the disaster public sentiment against nuclear facilities has been largely, and understandably, negative, with many calling for an end to the country's numerous nuclear facilities.

The phone will go on sale in Summer for an unspecified price. However, Son has promised that it will be affordable.

Image Credit: Digital Globe

China Cracking Down on Free Speech (Again)

This comes as the latest in a series of actions designed to rein in discussion on Weibo as China prepares for its 18th Congress, which will result in a leadership handover, something that happens only once every decade.

A prominent member of the Weibo community commented that it gives them “a firmer basis for expanding a ban on whatever is considered sensitive news,” the definition of which has continuously expanded. “Of course, nowadays, they’re worried because of all the scandal and rumors before the 18th Congress.” Internet users have skirted restrictions in the past on Weibo by using code words to discuss issues, as Sina employs technicians whose sole job is to scrub the site of sensitive posts.

Beijing demanded last December that microblogging operations such as Weibo ensure that users of their services are registered with their real names. Sina has said that this will be hard, given that their service has roughly 300 million users. The company also plans on making money from Weibo this quarter in order to try and recoup the massive investment they’ve made in the service.

Major state-sponsored datastealing malware discovered Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/major-state-sponsored-datastealing-malware-discovered/16058.html May 29th, 2012

Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/china-cracking-down-on-freespeech-again-/16059.html May 29th, 2012

Sina, a prominent Chinese media company that runs a Twitter-like microblogging service (Weibo), has announced new rules for its users that threaten to end the relatively open, anonymous discussion of issues through their service.

A major government-funded malware that logs keystrokes, takes screenshots, records audio, and tries to steal data from nearby Bluetooth devices has been discovered, presenting one of the most potent and complex threats to security and privacy to date.

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A major government-funded malware that logs keystrokes, takes screenshots, records audio, and tries to steal data from nearby Bluetooth devices has been discovered, presenting one of the most potent and complex threats to security and privacy to date.

Security firm Kasperksy Labs identified the malware called Flame, which it said has been operating from at least August 2010, if not earlier, targeting computers primarily in the Middle East.

Kaspersky Labs had been researching a different threat, called Wiper, which has been deleting data on computers in Western Asia, when Flame was discovered. Since then it has carried out research on the new threat with the United Nation's International Telecommunication Union.

Flame is much more sophisticated than most other types of malware, operating more like a toolkit than a single piece of malware. It allows additional “modules” to be added to perform different tasks and effectively monitors and intercepts any kind of communication. It is so advanced that it recognises when email or instant messaging is being used, taking screenshots of what is being typed. It can also record audio of those conversing near the computer and will try to connect to any device in the area via Bluetooth, such as mobile phones, to steal additional data.

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This latest threat follows a flurry of recent state-sponsored malware, such as Stuxnet, which took out key nuclear infrastructure in Iran, and its relative Duqu, which stole network data. Kaspersky's chief malware expert, Vitaly Kamluk, said that the level of sophistication and the countries involved in the attack ensures there is “no doubt” that Flame was orchestrated by a nation state, but it is not certain which country is behind it.

Kaspersky Labs labelled the malware as “one of the most complex threats ever discovered.” The code is 20MB in size, which might not sound like much, but that is 20 times the size of the powerful Stuxnet virus. The researchers said it could take years to analyse, by which time, of course, the malware may have accomplished its intelligence-gathering mission.

PC Show 2012 Promotions: Plantronics Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/pc-show-2012-promotionsplantronics/15928.html May 29th, 2012

If you're planning to look for headsets to use with your mobile phones for hands-free conversation, do check out Plantronics booth at the PC Show 2012. The Plantronics products can be located at EpiLife Room 301, 302, Newstead 0305, 0315, Nubox 0312; AAAs Com Hall 401 A2022; and Million Mobile Hall 601 B2023.

Plantronics BackBeat GO

The malware hit more than 600 specific targets, ranging from individuals to businesses, colleges, and government facilities. Countries included in the attack were Iran, Israel, Sudan, Syria, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia and Egypt, according to the BBC. The security firm said it believed the malware was statesponsored, as it was far too complex for hacktivists, who tend to use relatively simple forms of attack, such as Distributed Denial of Service and SQL injection. Nor was Flame designed to steal money, which most attacks from cybercriminals are aimed at.

The Plantronics BackBeat GO wireless earbuds are small, lightweight and connects wirelessly via Bluetooth. It boasts up to 4.5 hours of listening and talk time and comes with three sizes of cushioned eartips and optional stabilizers make the fit custom, secure, and comfortable. With the Inline controls, you can take calls, skip tracks, and adjust volume conveniently.

Usual Price: S$169 4

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PC Show 2012 price: Free Eset Mobile Security for Smartphones worth S$25.

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Plantronics Backbeat 903+

Plantronics Discovery 975

Incorporating AudioIQ2 and WindSmart technologies, the Plantronics Discovery 975 lets you communicate without background noise. It has dual microphones that can preserve your voice’s natural sound, patented gel ear tips that ensure a secure, comfortable fit, and lets you connect to virtually any Bluetooth device quickly and easily. The Discovery 975 claims to offer up to five hours of talk time and a week of standby from a single charge, and comes with an innovative carrying case that lets you recharge the earpiece while on the go, to triple your talk time.

Usual Price: S$179 PC Show 2012 price: S$159 with free Plantronics Micro USB Car Charger worth S$39 Plantronics Savor M1100

Designed for active lifestyle users, the Plantronics Backbeat 903+ is all you need to enjoy rich stereo music streamed wirelessly from your Bluetooth devices. It features dual-mic AudioIQ2 for clear calls and bass-boost that enriches audio.

The Backbeat 903+ has a three-way earpiece that can be adjusted for secure fit, and you can store it in a protective carry pouch.

Usual Price: S$149 PC Show 2012 price: S$129 with free Eset Mobile Security for Smartphones worth S$25.

The Plantronics products can be located at Level 3 – EpiLife Room 301, 302, Newstead 0305, 0315, Nubox 0312 Level 4 – AAAs Com Hall 401 A2022 Level 6 – Million Mobile Hall 601 B2023

An adventurous venture for Apple: a smart TV Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/an-adventurous-venture-for-apple-asmart-tv/16057.html May 29th, 2012

Weighing a mere 9g, the Plantronics Savor M1100 features three microphones that claim to deliver superior audio quality for convenient hands-free conversation. It has a dedicated voice button for voice commands, and supports A2DP for streaming music, podcasts and more. The M1100 also offers up to four hours talk time or seven days standby time.

Rumor out of China is that Foxconn’s Shenzhen plant will be in charge of mass producing Apple’s smart TV. News of Apple’s smart TV began emerging late last year, but it was unclear when Apple intended to make an official entry into the entertainment display market.

Usual Price: S$169 PC Show 2012 price: S$149 with free Plantronics Micro USB Car Charger worth S$39 5

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Published by: VR-Zone May 29th, 2012

Besides their popular and stylish laptops, ASUS will also be showcasing their range of LCD monitors, wireless routers and desktop PCs at the upcoming PC Show 2012. Check out the great offers at ASUS booth on level 3 (Newstead Booth Concourse), Hall 4 (booth number A2008, A2004) and level 6 (booth number B2007, B2006).

Rumor out of China is that Foxconn’s Shenzhen plant will be in charge of mass producing Apple’s smart TV. News of Apple’s smart TV began emerging late last year, but it was unclear when Apple intended to make an official entry into the entertainment display market.

ASUS EA-N66 Dual-Band Wireless-N900 Gigabit Ethernet Adapter

In the late Steve Job’s autobiography by Walter Isaacson, Jobs told Isaacson that he wanted to “create an integrated television that is completely easy to use, [and that] it would seamlessly synced with all of your devices and with iCloud.”

Perhaps the Apple smart TV will be what Jobs envisioned it to be, but TV’s that can sync with other devices and the internet has been around for a while. Tech giants such as Samsung have a variety of smart TV’s on the market, and tech savvy individuals have concocted TV’s that are hooked up to HTPCs. Apple dominates the “ease of use” department, but until there’s an actual product for consumers to review, we won’t know if it will be any easier than current smart TV’s on the market.

Apple’s smart TV will range from 42’’ to 55’’ and have a price tag ranging from US$1,500-2,000 according to wantchinatimes.com. Gene Muster, an analyst that specializes in tracking Apple stock, predicted that “Apple smart TVs can occupy 10% of the global TV market in one to three years.” Considering how mature the TV market is, Munster’s prediction is a rather bold one.

DisplaySearch’s, a market consultant firm, Xie Qinyi backs up Munster’s prediction by reporting to wantchinatimes.com that Apple has four major advantages in developing its smart TVs. One being a large amount of people uses Apple brand products. Secondly, Apple has a lot of money to back up its product. Thirdly, Apple has a rich connection with the entertainment production sector.

Lastly, Apple knows how to make quality displays for professionals (think about why graphic designers tend to prefer Apple displays for media creations).

The ASUS EA-N66 claims to be the world’s first versatile 3-in-1 dual-band 450Mbps Ethernet adapter with superb performance in a truly exhilarating design. It features a stylish pyramid design and is embedded with orthogonallyarranged antennas to lessen interference and boost signal coverage. With easy mode switching, you can turn the device into an adapter, repeater, and access point via its new user interface. The EA-N66 also comes with a wall-mounting design which allows the router to be mounted on the wall to extend the home networking coverage.

Usual price: S$149 PC Show price: TBA ASUS ROG CG8580 desktop PC

When the first Apple smart TV hits the shelf, it might revolutionize the industry like the iPhone—or it might be a bust. We will just have to wait and see!

PC Show 2012 Promotions: ASUS Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/pc-show-2012-promotionsasus/15973.html

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The ASUS ROG CG8580 is designed as a quality Windows desktop with good value, reliability and quiet operation.

Equipped with Intel third generation processor, the CG8580 features Intel Turbo Boost Technology 2.0 that enables the processor cores to run faster than the base operating frequency. The gaming chassis also comes with five-way vent and liquid cooling system that offers efficient and silent heat dissipation for long hours of intensive gaming.

smoothest HD streaming and supports networking-attached storage (NAS) for convenient file sharing and management among multiple mediums, devices, and standards such as iTunes, SAMBA, FTP and BT.

Usual price: S$2,999 PC Show price: TBA

ASUS ET2411INTI all-in-one PC

Usual price: S$309 PC Show price: TBA

ASUS VG278H LCD monitor

Enjoy an immersive 3D experience on the ASUS VG278H LCD monitor with Nvidia 3D LightBoost Technology. It is perfect for dark-color games including Metro 2033 and Batman: Arkham City, and is bundled with redesigned 3D glasses for comfortable viewing. The VG278H LCD monitor also features 120Hz double-speed refresh rate with 2ms response time to deliver seamless 3D visuals and clear video playback.

Usual price: S$899 PC Show price: TBA ASUS O!Play TV Pro smart TV set top box

The ASUS ET2411INTI all-in-one PC claims to offer an intuitive touch experience with its optical multi-touch screen that not only delivers impressive display quality, but also lets you pinch-zoom or rotate images and scroll through webpages with ease. Itis equipped with ASUS SonicMaster audio technology, developed by the ASUS Golden Ear team, which features improved clarity, louder volume, and audio detail on its built-in high-quality speakers.

Usual price: S$1,649 PC Show price: TBA

17-year-old girl learned why she shouldn't post pictures of her family's money on facebook Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/17-year-old-girl-learned-why-sheshouldn-t-post-pictures-of-her-family-s-money-on-facebook/16055.html May 29th, 2012

The ASUS O!Play TV Pro comes with a built-in DVB-T digital tuner that lets you access free-to-air high quality digital TV programs. Its Electronic Program Guide (EPG) offers location-sensitive scheduling for up to a week in advance, and you can record your programs onto a 3.5-inch hard drive using the included Personal Video Recorder (PVR). It features Wireless N and Gigabit Ethernet for the fastest and

The internet is not a safe place, and social networks have proven to be a useful tool for internet predators such as thieves, hackers, and stalkers. A 17-year-old girl from Australia learned first-hand why you shouldn’t post certain things on the internet.

The internet is not a safe place, and social networks have proven to be a useful tool for internet predators such as thieves, hackers, and stalkers. A 17-year-old girl from Australia learned first-hand why you shouldn’t post certain things on the internet.

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The BBC reported that several robbers saw a picture of a stash of money posted by the teenager, and soon after the robbers, armed with a knife and club, broke into the girl’s mother’s home. The picture was taken from the girl’s grandmother’s house, so it was unclear how the bandits found the girl’s mother.

Luckily for the girl’s mother, the bandits only took a small amount of cash and some personal belongings and did not hurt anyone in the process.

LG Singapore launches Optimus Max, glasses-free 3D Android phone Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/lg-singapore-launches-optimus-maxglasses-free-3d-android-phone/16054.html May 29th, 2012

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- Range Finder which calculates the distance between the camera and the subject as well as the dimensions of an object through triangulation; - Out-focusing Shot which enhances camera quality beyond that of other smartphones through image processing using depth information.

- Icon Customizer which allows the creation of personalized icons. Images can be selected from the gallery and can be used as icons or shortcuts for a personalized look.

The Optimus Max will receive an upgrade to Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich from Android 2.3 Gingerbread after the launch. The phone is available at all StarHub and M1 stores at a recommended retail price of S$698 (before telco subsidies).

Key Specifications: Chipset: 1.2GHz dual-core processor (OMAP4430) Display: 4.3-inch 3D WVGA Display with Gorilla Glass Memory: 8GB internal storage, 1GB internal memory Camera: 5-megapixel Dual lens

LG Singapore has announced their new glasses-free 3D Android phone, the Optimux Max. The LG phone claims to offer powerful performance and innovative entertainment features to provide users with optimized 3D experiences.

OS: Android 2.3 Gingerbread Battery: 1,520 mAh Others: HSPA+ 21Mbps, HDMI connection 2D/3D TV/ monitor up to 1080p via MHL, DLNA for wireless connection with TV/PC (3D video also supported)

Max Payne 3 Xbox 360 Game Review Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/max-payne-3-xbox-360-gamereview/16046.html May 29th, 2012

The LG Optimus Max features a premium design with metallic and rounded edges, measures just 9.6mm slim and weighs 148g. It includes unique 3D-style cubicle icons which users can customize with their own photos through the Icon Customizer. The Optimus Max boasts the latest 3D innovations without compromising its performance as a powerful smartphone, with improved HSPA+ 21Mbps connectivity. It features automatic setting changes, which can create predefined tags that are customized to certain modes such as car-mode, office-mode or sleep-mode.

Depending on the location, the predefined tags will automatically adjust various phone settings including Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS and sound volume.

Much like his name, Max Payne has suffered a lot of pain. It has been nine years since his last title and yet this long suffering ex-cop still keeps the open wounds from the trauma of losing his wife and child. Last we saw in Max Payne 2, he was downing alcohol to drown those wounds while struggling to move on. Thankfully, Rockstar has developed a new direction for him in Max Payne 3.

Additional features include: - HD Converter to offer HD quality on a TV connected through MHL (Mobile High-Dtefinition Link), when transforming Open GL-based 2D games and applications to 3D and viewing Google Earth; 8

May 29th, 2012

Published by: VR-Zone

in the dull-looking past and brings about a brighter, livelier look while retaining the iconic noire-ish narrative style (of him audibly talking to himself, about himself as you play the game) and downright dark plot of betrayal, alcohol and painkillers. For veteran players of the game, you will realize that the rundown tenements and shadowy sidewalks of New York are now replaced by nightclubs and the baking heat of Brazil, or Sao Paulo to be specific. Max has taken up a security job for wealthy businessman Rodrigo Branco and things seem to go well for a while. What could possibly go wrong with working for an extremely rich tycoon in a country like Brazil? Well, Branco's wife gets kidnapped on Max’s shift and this sets off a chain of events like a dominos doomed for failure and takes Max through a sinister plot that he realises is bigger than himself.

You will be hearing a lot of Max talking and narrating from the third person perspective and this is the staple of all Max Payne games. However, Rockstar has gone on ahead to add cinematic effects like scan lines, aberrations and shifting film stock. It might feel annoying at first, but keep playing and you’ll realise it portrays Max’s jaded attitude towards the world around him. What does it take for a man who’s hardened by chasing criminals all day and a deceased family to move on with his life?

PC Show 2012 Promotions: DLink Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/pc-show-2012-promotions-dlink/15970.html May 29th, 2012

Before we get into the game, here's a quick look at the unboxing of Max Payne 3 for the Xbox 360. On the front cover, you'll see our esteemed protagonist Max looking cool with scars on his cheek. Notice the female on the cover art?

Like most Rockstar games, she won't be found in game. This is a good thing because the damsels in this game are nothing short of viciously hot (look out for Fabiana!). Our copy is the Standard Edition and opening the box reveals the game manual, the Rockstar Pass pamphlet and two Max Payne 3 discs. Yes the game packs in quite a lot of data and here's how the phases go. On disc one you'll be playing Max with hair, while in disc two, you'll be playing him without hair. Why? You'll find out once you get into the game.

Max Payne 3 is the latest sequel that takes full flight from the previous two games. If you have not played any of the games before, know that its predecessors took a darker, noire 70's direction, while this present title refuses to live

PC Show 2012, the second major IT and consumer electronics trade fair, is back. Networking company D-Link will be offering their range of products, which include the DIR-605L Cloud Router and DCS-942L mydlink-enabled Enhanced wireless N day/night home network camera.

D-Link DCS-942 Enhanced wireless N day/night home network camera

The D-Link DCS-942 Enhanced wireless N day/night home network camera is mydlink-enabled and offers various 9

May 29th, 2012

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features such as enhanced motion detection with builtin PIR Sensor, 4x digital zoom for close-up viewing, twoway audio with built-in microphone and audio out, and automatic day/night vision with 5M IR LEDs. It has a Wi-Fi Protected button, is wireless 802.11n compliant and is easy to setup.

and in terms of computer games - publisher sponsored, or publisher backed development. The team behind the Carmageddon, ultra-volatile driving game managed to gather the required $400,000 in just couple of days. With 10 days remaining, the team reached its goal and will be funded on June 6th.

Usual Price: S$199 PC Show 2012 price: TBA

Over 11,000 people backed the game, and looking into profile of backers, there was an interesting presence of high backers - two pledged more than $10,000, while the amount of people that pledged with over a $1,000 investment (for a computer game) reached 20 investors in total.

D-Link DIR-605L cloud router

Time will tell did those people made a wise or emotional investment, but if you are a software or even hardware developer (e-Ink watch, for example), taking the traditional route of banks and venture capital backers just might not be the right choice for your project.

Graphene + hBN may replace silicon in eletronic circuits in the future Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/graphene--hbn-may-replace-siliconin-eletronic-circuits-in-the-future/16053.html May 29th, 2012

The D-Link DIR-605L four-port 10/100 Ethernet switch has a 10/100 WAN port for connection to Cable or xDSL modem. It supports Network Address Translation (NAT) that allows multiple users to connect to the Internet by sharing a single IP address, and Wireless N 300 with wireless data transmission up to 300Mbps. It also features security functions such as Stateful Packet Inspection (SPI) firewall on network traffic and URL and domain filtering for web content.

Usual Price: S$129 PC Show 2012 price: TBA The D-Link PC Show 2012 booth is on level 6, booth number is B 2040.

Carmageddon Races into Second Youth Thanks to Kickstarter Crowdsource Funding

The word “silicon” has always been synonymous with electronics, but perhaps there is a material that can replace silicon once it’s at its limit. Researchers from Penn State have been working on developing and mass producing a combination of graphene and hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) that might replace silicon in the future.

The word “silicon” has always been synonymous with electronics, but perhaps there is a material that can replace silicon once it’s at its limit. Researchers from Penn State have been working on developing and mass producing a combination of graphene and hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) that might replace silicon in the future.

Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/carmageddon-races-into-secondyouth-thanks-to-kickstarter-crowdsource-funding/16052.html May 29th, 2012

Several months ago, we received news that Stainless Games received rights back for the Carmageddon franchise. The team went on Kickstarter to find some funding and lo and behold, they beat the goal with 10 days to go.

Without any doubt, crowdfunding might represent the biggest threat to the current concept of venture funding, 10

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Published by: VR-Zone

However, the integration of graphene + hBN into current industrial standards of circuitry may require more research.

The conducive/electronic performance of graphene + hBN is reported to be 2-3 times better than current silicon, and the Penn State researchers hope that they can develop and demonstrate the integration of graphene + hBN into industrial standard circuits in the near future.

NVIDIA GeForce GTX 660 is the Fifth GK104 Board, Comes Out for Computex 2012?

Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/nvidia-geforce-gtx-660-is-the-fifthgk104-board-comes-out-for-computex-2012-/16038.html May 29th, 2012

According to phys.org, the Penn State group has successfully developed a method that takes a thin layer of graphene that’s only one or two atoms thick and slapping it on top of a layer of hBN that’s also one to a few hundred atoms thick.

The graphene and hBN bilayer can then be turned into a transistor that is applicable in high frequency electronic and optoelectronic devices.

(Structural interpretation of graphene) The Penn State group claims that they “have been able to take this material (graphene + hBN) and apply to make transistors at a wafer scale.” Similar projects have been conducted by other researchers in the past, but it is not until recently that the Penn State researchers have been able to produce the graphene + hBN material on a larger scale.

To make the graphene + hBN larger scale, Penn State researchers had to find ways to make graphene and hBN “stick” to each other. The process begins by producing a large-area and uniform layer of epitaxial graphene. Next, researchers had to “smoothen and flatten” the graphene layer by attaching hydrogen atoms to it. The hBN, grown on a transition metal, were then allowed to attach to the graphene.

Over the course of Memorial Day holiday weekend, we noticed an interesting product carrying MSI labeling: fifth product based on the GK104 GPU will go by its original name, the GeForce GTX 660.

There is no doubt that NVIDIA managed to extract the most out of their 28nm chips: with just two chips (GK104 and GK107), the company won the majority of notebook design wins, many of which will be unveiled at the Computex Taipei 2012 trade show.

The higher-end part, the GK104 is already being used for GeForce GTX 670 and GTX 680 as well as dual-GPU options GeForce GTX 690 and the Tesla K10. But, NVIDIA is not yet done with the GK104 chip. According to a leaked image, MSI is one of partners to launch the GeForce GTX 660, which is poised to be the most affordable GK104-based product yet.

While the image of the board is obviously photoshopped (the lower part of the bracket is not present, the heatsink has a six-pin connector slapped on top), we checked with our sources and the product appears to be legit. The highlighted single six-pin connector on the heatsink was positioned there to highlight that the board cannot pull more than 150 Watts, which the author of the leaked image made sure off.

Furthermore, it sees that MSI is keeping the Taiwan-lead AIB (Add-in Board) vendor resistance to NVIDIA, which originally threatened to remove any marketing funds to AIB vendors that put 3DMark 11 on the box (during the GeForce 11

May 29th, 2012

GTX 500 vs. Radeon HD 6000). With Kepler, our sources claim that NVIDIA sales and marketing teams are happy with the performance delta between them and AMD, and no such restriction or threat is voiced out (behind closed doors).

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amazingly there's a push button for resetting the CMOS rather than a jumper. The rear I/O is home to a PS/2 port, four USB 2.0 ports, two USB 3.0 ports, a Gigabit Ethernet port, 5.1-channel audio and a DVI and D-sub connector.

Sapphire's Pure White B75MMA motherboard sneaks out Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/sapphire-s-pure-white-b75m-mamotherboard-sneaks-out/16051.html May 29th, 2012

Intel's B75 chipset appears to be popular with the motherboard makers, least not as a replacement for the H61 chipset for Ivy Bridge. As such, Sapphire has snuck out a new model based on said chipset called the Pure White B75M-MA which should end up being a very affordable board judging by the features.

Intel's B75 chipset appears to be popular with the motherboard makers, least not as a replacement for the H61 chipset for Ivy Bridge. As such, Sapphire has snuck out a new model based on said chipset called the Pure White B75M-MA which should end up being a very affordable board judging by the features.

The B75M-MA is most definitely a no frills board, as it has no extra peripheral chipsets beyond the basics and it even has fewer SATA ports than normally. The expansion slots consist of a single x16 PCI Express 3.0 slot and three x1 PCI Express slots. There's only a single SATA 6Gbps port as this is a chipset limitation, although Sapphire only added three of the five SATA 3Gbps ports which is near enough bordering on mean.

No word on pricing or availability, although currently the B75M-MA appears to be available in the Chinese market.

We can't say we like this direction if that's where Sapphire's motherboard division is heading, as this is just not making the company stand out at all.

TP-Link launches its first N750 dual band router Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/tp-link-launches-its-first-n750-dualband-router/16050.html May 29th, 2012

We got our first sneak peek at the TL-WDR4300 N750 router from TP-Link back at CeBIT in March and now the company has finally unveiled its new mid-range high-end router.

Sorry about the confusion there, but the TL-WDR4300 is the middle model of TP-Links three new models, hence N750 which refers to the combined wireless bandwidth.

We got our first sneak peek at the TL-WDR4300 N750 router from TP-Link back at CeBIT in March and now the company has finally unveiled its new mid-range high-end router.

Sorry about the confusion there, but the TL-WDR4300 is the middle model of TP-Links three new models, hence N750 which refers to the combined wireless bandwidth.

Other internal connectors consist of a USB 3.0 header for two ports, two USB 2.0 headers for four ports and a serial port header. The board only has two DIMM slots, but 12

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Published by: VR-Zone May 29th, 2012

Taiwanese Sunix will be showing off its Thunderbolt docking solution for notebooks at Computex next week and it's set to be one of the first Thunderbolt notebooks dock out there.

The design is rather unusual to say the least; at least if it's the device we think it is in the picture.

Taiwanese Sunix will be showing off its Thunderbolt docking solution for notebooks at Computex next week and it's set to be one of the first Thunderbolt notebooks dock out there.

The design is rather unusual to say the least; at least if it's the device we think it is in the picture.

The case of the TL-WDR4300 we're looking at a router capable of delivering up to 450Mbps in the 5GHz band and 300Mbps in the 2.4GHz band and unlike TP-Link's older TL-WR2543ND, the TL-WDR4300 is a simultaneous dualband router, i.e. both bands can be used in parallel. As you'd expect, there are also four Gigabit Ethernet port for the LAN side and one for the WAN side and TP-Link claims NAT throughput speeds of 800Mbps or more.

The router also sports a pair of USB 2.0 ports to which printers and storage devices can be connected and in the latter case there's support for FTP and media streaming over UPnP. The TL-WDR4300 is expected to rail for around US $90 (S$115) which seems very reasonable for what you get for your money.

Sunix to show off Thunderbolt dock at Computex Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/sunix-to-show-off-thunderbolt-dockat-computex/16049.html

We're guessing the rather large, rectangular object with what appears to be an L shaped metal stand is the Thunderbolt dock, but the invite we received from the company didn't reveal any additional details beyond what you can see. This also means that we have no idea what the connectivity options will be, but it would appear to have a pair of Thunderbolt ports, although in reality we could be looking at just about anything.

The company is also planning new external USB graphics solutions and various new USB 3.0 products of which one appears to be a USB 3.0 to Gigabit Ethernet adapter. At least we won't have to wait long until we find out what the company is working on.

LG goes 1080p with new 5inch smartphone display Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/lg-goes-1080p-with-new-5-inchsmartphone-display/16048.html May 29th, 2012

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There were some doubt from some of our readers with regards to an earlier article where we mentioned 1080p displays coming this year for smartphones, but lo and behold, LG has announced just that. The new display is rather large though at 5-inches and would be more for a "phablet" than a typical smartphone.

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due to the fairly steep launch price of US $249. In the couple of months since the launch, several custom cards have launched with non reference PCB's and coolers. MSI is well known for their high quality custom graphics card designs and have overhauled the Radeon 7850 reference design resulting in the R7850 Power Edition.

There were some doubt from some of our readers with regards to an earlier article where we mentioned 1080p displays coming this year for smartphones, but lo and behold, LG has announced just that. The new display is rather large though at 5-inches and would be more for a "phablet" than a typical smartphone.

Despite being a for the intended market large display, the 1920x1080 resolution means that the PPI stands at an amazing 440 pixels which should be compared to the iPhone 4S at 326ppi. LG is using an AH-IPS – Advanced High Performance In-Plane Switching – panel which should allow for wide viewing angles, something of a must in mobile devices.

We'll start with a quick overview of the AMD 7850 GPU. The 7850 is built around the Pitcairn Pro GPU with 1024 'Graphics Core Next' SIMD based stream processors. The move away from prior VLIW based architectures means the GCN cards represent the biggest architectural overhaul since the R600 based 2900XT. It's built using TSMC's high-K metal gate 28nm process which is allowing some Pitcairn cards to ship with 1100Mhz+ core clocks. It supports PCI Express 3.0, a 256 bit memory interface and comes with just a single 6pin PCIe power input thanks to a moderate 130w TDP. LG will be showing off the new display next week at SID 2012 Display Week in Boston and the company is expecting to start shipping the new display sometime in the second half of this year, which is a fantastically imprecise launch window. It'll be interesting to see what devices will use the new display, but we'd guess LG Electronics will be one of the first, most likely on a device specific for the Korean market.

The R7850 Power Edition comes with a 90Mhz factory overclock resulting in a final core clock of 950Mhz with the memory at the reference spec of 1200Mhz (4800Mhz effective.) This brings a theoretical ~10% boost in performance over a reference card. Add in the promised cooler running and quieter noise levels of the Twin Frozr IV cooler and clearly we have something altogether different from the reference card.

MSI R7850 Power Edition 2GD5/OC Review

MSI typically has three tiers of custom graphics cards. The Lightning series is exclusively reserved for the top end GPU's, the Hawk series is for the upper mid range and the Power Edition series is for the mid range. Like the Lighnings and Hawks, the Power Edition series comes with triple overvoltage control of the GPU, memory and VDDCI thanks to the superb MSI Afterburner application. There should be a heap of overclocking potential on tap.

Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/msi-r7850-power-edition-2gd5ocreview/15921.html May 29th, 2012

Before we get to the card itself, lets have a look at the box, accessories and specifications.

MSI has well earned a reputation for making quality custom graphics cards. Here for review we have their newest release, the R7850 Power Edition. With its use of quality components and the new Twin Frozr IV cooler, the card should be a significant improvement over the reference HD 7850. We look forward to putting this factory overclocked version through its paces.

The card ships in a fairly compact, well protected box. It is securely fitted in an internal foam shell and should easily survive the handling of sometimes careless couriers.

Back when the AMD Radeon 7850 'Pitcairn' card launched, we felt it was a competent but not stunning card, primarily 14

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Specifications

The accessories list is about what you would expect from a mid range offering. We have the usual driver & software CD as well as a manual and quick start guide. The adapters consist of DVI-VGA, mini Display Port to full size Display Port and twin molex to 6pin PCIe adapters.

Graphics Engine Technology Stream Processors Interface Memory Type Memory Size (MB) Memory Interface Core Clock Speed (MHz) Memory Clock Speed (MHz) Memory Bandwidth (GB/s) Texture Fill Rate( GTexel/s) DVI Output (Dual Link) D-SUB Output HDMI-Output Mini DisplayPort DirectX Version Support OpenGL Version Support CrossFire Support Card Dimension (mm)

AMD Radeon HD 7850 28nm 1024 PCI Express x16 3.0 GDDR5 2048 MB 256 Bits 950 4800 153.6 60.8 1 1 (via adapter) 1 2 11 4.2 Yes 210 x 118 x 39

PC Show 2012 Promotions: Dell Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/pc-show-2012-promotionsdell/15923.html May 29th, 2012

Now for the card itself: The R7850 Power Edition uses the latest iteration of MSI's highly regarded Twin Frozr cooler which we'll go over in more detail later. It's a dual slot card yet has a compact length of just 210mm making it a good choice for a small form factor or HTPC case. The card looks good and gives the impression of having very good build quality.

Dell will have a huge presence at the upcoming PC Show 2012 at Suntec City Convention Centre - Level 3 Booth 3001; Level 4 A2017 (Dell Main Booth), A2018, A2031, A2028, A2056, A2040B, A2001; Level 6 B2006 and B2018. Among the products showcased include the Dell Inspiron 14, XPS 13 and Alienware X51.

Dell Inspiron 14

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Designed for budget conscious users who want the performance to run their daily tasks, the Dell Inspiron 14 is equipped with second generation Intel Core i5-2450M processor (2.50 GHz with Turbo Boost up to 3.10 GHz), 4GB DDR3 SDRAM, AMD Radeon HD 7450M with 1GB VRAM and 500GB SATA hard drive. It weighs 2.2kg, sports a 14-inch HD WLED display, and comes preinstalled with Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 64-bit operating system.

Usual Price: S$899 PC Show Price: TBA

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The Dell XPS13 claims to be the first Ultrabook with edge-toedge display and offers superb overall experience. It features third generation Intel Core i7-3770 processor (3.4GHz, 8MB Cache, with Turbo Boost Technology 2.0), 8GB RAM, 1GB GDDR5 NVIDIA GeForce GTX 555 and is bundled with a 23inch LED ST2320L Full HD monitor.

Usual Price: S$1,899 PC Show Price: TBA Dell PC Show 2012 booth - Level 3 Booth 3001; Level 4 A2017 (Dell Main Booth), A2018, A2031, A2028, A2056, A2040B, A2001; Level 6 B2006 and B2018

Dell XPS 13

PC Show 2012 Promotions: HP Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/pc-show-2012-promotionshp/15946.html May 29th, 2012

Check out HP offers at this upcoming PC Show 2012; the PC giant's booth can be located in Hall 401 404, numbered A2002 and A2003. Their star products include the ENVY Sleekbook, Pavilion dv6 and g4 laptops, TouchSmart 520 and Omni 27 all-in-one desktop PCs. The Dell XPS 13 is made of lightweight carbon fiber and stylish elemental silver aluminium that looks to turn head.

Featuring a 13.3-inch HD WLED display with 1.3-megapixel camera, the laptop is powered by second generation Intel Core i7-2637M processor (1.70 GHz with Turbo Boost 2.0 up to 2.80 GHz,TPM), 4GB Dual Channel DDR3 SDRAM, Intel HD 3000 graphics, 256GB solid state drive and runs Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 64-bit operating system. It also weighs a mere 1.36kg which is extremely portable for users who travel frequently.

HP ENVY Sleekbook

Usual Price: S$2,099 PC Show Price: TBA Dell Alienware X51

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HP ENVY sleekboooks features a soft-touch, slip-resistant base, which make them easy to grab and go. It is equipped with the latest Intel Core processors, as well as Beats Audio technology with dual speakers and a subwoofer for superior multimedia enjoyment, and boasts up to eight hours of battery life. It also has a unique HP Imagepad, a precise multi-finger touching gesture navigation touchpad with a spun finish design.

Usual Price: from S$1,099 PC Show Price: TBA HP Pavilion g4

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The HP Pavilion dv6 boasts an infinity waterfall edge with a tapered chassis and slim top design. It also has a soft-touch bottom panel that makes it easy to hold. The dv6 features Beats Audio, Quad Speakers with HP Triple Bass Reflex Subwoofer in an exposed speaker bar that can project audio directly to the user . On top of that, the HP also comes with ProtectSmart hard drive protection with 750GB storage.

Usual Price: from S$1,699 PC Show Price: TBA HP Omni27

The redesigned HP Pavilion g4 features a curved, beveled edges, bowl-shape keyboard deck and textured touchpad that gives a distinctive look to its competitors. It has a chrome strip that borders the speaker which serves as a visual cue for audio. The exposed speaker bar also provides great sound projection if you do not want to use external speakers. It is powered by the latest Intel Core processor and comes in three colors - Sparkling Black, Linen White and Ruby Red.

The HP Omni27 is designed as the ideal multimedia machine for the home users. It claims to be the first non-touch HP PC to feature the company’s Magic Canvas software, which allows the desktop to expand horizontally and accommodate the photos, videos and applications that users need. Equipped with multi-core processors and advanced HD graphics, it offers 1TB of storage for storing and backing up of your data.

Usual Price: from S$899 PC Show Price: TBA

Usual Price: S$2,499 PC Show Price: TBA

HP Pavilion dv6

HP TouchSmart 520

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These hand-crafted keyboards are available in two variants: with key markings engraved onto the leather (25,200 yen or US$317), and unmarked (16,800 yen or approx. US$211).

For the marked version, the engraving process used to be performed by pressing a metallic sheet over the original Honkawa keyboard. With the Honkawa 2, each and every key is instead engraved individually before assembly.

The HP TouchSmart520 is an all-in-one PC with a 23-inch display that offers superb multimedia and touch experience.

Incorporating Beats Audio technology, it ensures you listen to music the way the artistes intended. It has a free-standing, tilt-enabled full high definition display with enough space between the stand and display to hide the keyboard when not in use.

Usual Price: S$1,499 PC Show Price: TBA

Honkawa 2 real-leather keyboard available in June, limited to 10 pieces per month Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/honkawa-2-real-leather-keyboardavailable-in-june-limited-to-10-pieces-per-month/16044.html May 29th, 2012

Like leather? Enough to buy a keyboard with even its keys made out of genuine leather? Then the Honkawa 2 realleather keyboard from Japanese accessories maker Atelier Wagakura ("Wagakura Koubou" in their native tongue) may be just be what you need to complete your life.

Above: the Honkawa 2 (with engraved key makings) Because all the keys here are made out of leather, it's easy to assume that the typing experience on the Honkawa 2 would feel rather "soggy". That shouldn't be the case, however, as underneath all that leather lustre are pantograph-type key switches, which should produce a solid feel that even diehard keyboard enthusiasts should be quite satisfied with.

Don't know what pantograph key switches are? Here's a video demonstrating the differences in sound (since obviously a video can't demonstrate for you the feel of a keyboard) between several common key switch types: Key pitch is rated at 19mm, key stroke 3.3Âą0.2mm, and the whole thing's dimensions are at 380x127x21.5mm with a weight of roughly 600g. Contains 103 keys (based on a Japanese keyboard layout).

The Honkawa 2 plugs in via USB (cable length: 1.5m) but a PS/2 adapter is also supplied, should you need it..

Atelier Wazakura will begin to take preorders for the Honkawa 2 real-leather keyboard from June 1 on its website from June 1 onwards. Limited to 10 pieces a month.

The Honkawa 2 is a huge improvement over the original, which did not feature a numeric keypad. A higher-grade of leather is used here, and the material is now finished in oil instead of the special coating that was used for the first Honkawa. Wazakura (which also makes leather mice) says that this oil finishing gives the Honkawa 2 its trademark amber colour, which will only mature with time.

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Certainly, one of the main concerns for consumers will be the overheating factor due to the close proximity of the phone’s hardware. Aside from the possible overheating issues, consumers who love ultra sleek and ultra slim devices will have another toy to choose from. Preorder for the phone

Oppo Finder, new world's thinnest smart phone Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/oppo-finder-new-world-s-thinnestsmart-phone/16043.html May 29th, 2012

begins June 6th with a price tag of ¥3,999 (~$632).

DIY shop in Akihabara to would-be Ivy Bridge modders: we feel your pain Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/diy-shop-in-akihabara-to-would-beivy-bridge-modders-we-feel-your-pain/16042.html May 29th, 2012

Measuring only 6.65 mm in thickness, the Oppo Finder is now the world’s thinnest phone. The Chinese manufacturer Oppo somehow crammed a 1.5 GHz dual core, a 4.3 inch AMOLED PLUS display, 1 GB RAM, and 16 GB of internal storage into the Finder. Advancements in engineering of memory chips and other electrical components of smart phones have made it possible for manufacturers to slim down phones. However, the heat factor that coincides with CPU/GPU integration is still one of the biggest hurdles for engineers to overcome.

Measuring only 6.65 mm in thickness, the Oppo Finder is now the world’s thinnest phone. The Chinese manufacturer Oppo somehow crammed a 1.5 GHz dual core, a 4.3 inch AMOLED PLUS display, 1 GB RAM, and 16 GB of internal storage into the Finder. Advancements in engineering of memory chips and other electrical components of smart phones have made it possible for manufacturers to slim down phones. However, the heat factor that coincides with CPU/GPU integration is still one of the biggest hurdles for engineers to overcome.

Here's a heartening story: upon hearing that replacing the thermal grease in your spanking new Ivy Bridge processor will make it run cooler, one DIY shop in Akihabara has taken it upon themselves to show patrons how it's done by providing a mock-up made of copper for them to practice with, and offering a 1,000 yen (US$13) discount on brand new i7-3770K chips to folks who've damaged their CPUs when they tried to tear off the integrated heat spreader in a real attempt.

To qualify for the 1,000 yen discount on a new i7-3770K, customers are required to bring down their damaged Ivy Bridge processor and show it to staff. And although the discount is rather paltry, it's a pretty nice gesture of goodwill.

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According to Akiba PC Watch, tearing off the integrated heat spreader (IHS) is really not that difficult to perform. All you have to do is take a penknife, gently stick it into the wedge between the CPU die and the IHS, and carefully cut loose the bonding substance sealing the two together.

But it can be tricky: one misstep and you could end up scratching the CPU with your penknife, turning your investment nto a piece of junk with a voided warranty. Even the shop running this promotion, PC DIY Shop FreeT, has failed to at separating the CPU die from the heat spreader at least once. Said failed attempt is on display at a corner of the shop where you can also find examples of what a successfully separated CPU is supposed to look like.

Halo 4's concept art mesmerizes fans Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/halo-4-s-concept-art-mesmerizesfans/16041.html May 29th, 2012

While the sale of Xbox might be banned in the United States, development of Halo 4 remains undeterred. Some new concept art have made their way onto the internet, and the world of Master Chief just got a lot more mysterious, shinier, and sharper.

While the sale of Xbox might be banned in the United States, development of Halo 4 remains undeterred. Some new concept art has made its way onto the internet, and the world of Master Chief just got a lot more mysterious, shinier, and sharper.

Littleenglishhaloblog.com shared some concept art from the Halo 4 Premium Theme with fans, but I can’t help but wish it was more than just two pieces of concept art.

The first concept had a vessel, perhaps transporting Master Chief, traversing an immense area filled with floating pillars.

What’s in store for Master Chief behind the protective barriers of those mysterious floating pillars?

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In the second picture we see Master Chief inspecting some sort of energy core in a room full of edgy and round structures that emit mesmerizing hues of blue and white.

The concept art from the Xbox Halo 4 Premium Theme suggests that Master Chief is on a mission to explore and discover rather than to combat enemies of another world.

Halo 4 is expected to drop in approximately 163 days.

ViewSonic will shatter your self-esteem with its 22 inch tablet Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/viewsonic-will-shatter-your-selfesteem-with-its-22-inch-tablet/16040.html May 29th, 2012

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ViewSonic will reveal its 22 inch Android ICS tablet this June at the Computex event in Taipei. The marketing department at ViewSonic designed an ad that promotes the 22 inch behemoth as a device that not only “touch” but also “connect.” I’m sure the touch correlates with the touch interface, but what is it that ViewSonic is trying to connect with?

No one is quite sure of the exact hardware configuration of the upcoming giant tablet. However, the sudden birth of a tablet that more than doubles the size of the “normal” tablets will no doubt stir up some juicy gossips and rumors.

Jon Peddie Revises Q1 2012 GPU Sales Results; NVIDIA Share Loss Reduced Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/jon-peddie-revises-q1-2012-gpusales-results-nvidia-share-loss-reduced/16037.html May 29th, 2012

ViewSonic will reveal its 22 inch Android ICS tablet this June at the Computex event in Taipei. The marketing department at ViewSonic designed an ad that promotes the 22 inch behemoth as a device that not only “touch” but also “connect.” I’m sure the touch correlates with the touch interface, but what is it that ViewSonic is trying to connect with?

Imagine you’re the only person with a 10.1 inch Android tablet in the coffee shop, and you’re looking around and everyone is giving you the jealous look. Now imagine if someone walks in with a 22 inch tablet and steals all your 10.1’s thunder.

Perhaps you could just pack up and hit the road before people begin to laughing at you, or you could approach the person with the 22 inch tablet and have some nice tech chit chat. In any case, ViewSonic aims to shatter all of your gadget swag, and demote you the ranks of “has been.”

Several days ago, Jon Peddie Research released its GPU report for the first quarter of 2012. The report originally claimed that NVIDIA lost around 4.3% of the market, while Intel and AMD grew. Revised release corrected that share loss to 1.5%.

Jon Peddie Research recently released market share and shipments of GPUs for the first quarter of 2012, which ended on March 31st. The report only includes PC graphics market, and does not include tablets, smartphones and other predominately ARM-powered devices. The report reveals the shifts of the market in terms of APU (Accelerated Processing Unit), a chip that combines the CPU and GPU. According to John Peddie, "AMD had a gigantic increase in shipments of its Desktop APUs of 84% and a modest 2.6% decline in notebook APU."

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Kyocera Hydro, just in case you swim with your phones Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/kyocera-hydro-just-in-case-youswim-with-your-phones/16039.html May 29th, 2012

Intel also had a good quarter. Jon Peddie Research refuses to call Intel's APU - an APU, but rather "Embedded Processor Graphics" i.e. CPU-EPG. Intel naturally, refused to use AMD's nomenclature and came out with "EPG", just like x86-64 or AMD64 became EM64T. Anyways, shipments of Intel's APUs rose by 18% in Desktop and 2.1% in notebook.

However, even the 18% APU shipment growth did not help Intel; the company ceded market share to AMD. In terms of overall percentages, 93% of Intel non-server processors have integrated graphics, while AMD's non-server CPU share is at 79%.

For many of us, if we go near a pool, a Ziploc bag will be more than enough to protect our phones from water damage. However, for those who are especially paranoid then Kyocera has a water resistant mid-range Android phone as an extra precautionary measure.

The third player in graphics, NVIDIA, dropped by 1.5% since the company exited the IGP chipset business. As of first quarter 2012, NVIDIA has no more IGP chipsets in stock, confirming the shift to Tegra+Discrete GPU, instead of Legacy Integrate+Tegra+Discrete GPU. Biggest winner though, is often discredited player - VIA Technologies. VIA saw their shipments increase 51% over Q1 2011, or massive 148% over the previous quarter (Q4 2011).

Furthermore, we were witness to an increase in Discrete GPU market, growing by 2.7% from Q4 2011, which was one of weakest in discrete market history. However, it was still 11% down over first quarter of last year. Looking at overall market share, Intel leads with 58.8% (54.7% in Q1 2011), AMD is second with 25% (24.7% in Q1 2011), while NVIDIA trails with 15.1% (19.9% in Q1 2011). Biggest winner is VIA - went from mediocre 0.4% to 1.1%, a148.5% increase and a big increase from 0.7% in Q1 2011.

For many of us, if we go near a pool, a Ziploc bag will be more than enough to protect our phones from water damage. However, for those who are especially paranoid then Kyocera has a water resistant mid-range Android phone as an extra precautionary measure.

True to its name, the Kyocera Hydro is a water resistant device that comes with a 1.0 GHz Snapdragon processor, a 3.5 inch display at 480 x 320 resolution, 512 MB RAM, 2 GB internal storage, and a 3.2 MP rear camera. The Hydro can survive under about 1 meter of water for approximately 30 minutes, and after that you might just have to give up on reviving it.

Kyocera recommends that you don’t actually immerse the Hydro on purpose, and if you happen to drop it in a shallow pool of water then you should immediately try to dry it ASAP.

However, the number of shipped units does not mean a lot when we take a look at profitability. After all, AMD APU and GPUs gained share over NVIDIA and the company's GPU division still managed to lose money in vast majority of the past five quarters.

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The hardware that the Kyocera Hydro comes with are basically what’s in most current Android phones on the market, but what will make it stand apart from other mid range Android phones is the Android ICS 4.0—sweet! Sure you might be able to find a similar “waterproof” Android phone, but chances are it won’t be running ICS. If you’re not planning on purchasing the Hydro, but still want to hang around the pool with your phone close by, make sure you have a Ziploc bag handy.

Gigabyte unveils mini-ITX Q77 motherboard, destined for business AIO's Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/gigabyte-unveils-mini-itx-q77motherboard-destined-for-business-aio-s/16036.html May 29th, 2012

Published by: VR-Zone

The rear ports consist of four USB 3.0 ports, a Gigabit Ethernet port, optical S/PDIF out, a speaker jack and an HDMI port, although the specs claim that the board should have a DisplayPort connector instead. Gigabyte will also be offering a near identical board based on the B75 chipset called the MSB75DI, but due to chipset limitations you'll only get a single SATA 6Gbps port and this model is said to come with an HDMI port.

As you might've guessed by the choice of chipsets in both cases, Gigabyte is target the business AIO market with these systems and we can there being a fair bit of interest from the corporate market for these type of systems, as they clear up a lot of desk space which is generally always at a premium.

These motherboards will of course go into a system from a large system integrated, so as to any actual retail products, it's anyone's guess where these boards will end up.

Dell's Windows 8 tablets leak Gigabyte's OEM motherboard division has been busy churning out new products and one of its latest additions is the MSQ77DI, a mini-ITX motherboard based on Intel's Q77 chipset. The board is sadly not intended for end-user sales, as it's made to go into white-box All-in-One or AIO systems, but it's still a pretty interesting little board.

Gigabyte's OEM motherboard division has been busy churning out new products and one of its latest additions is the MSQ77DI, a mini-ITX motherboard based on Intel's Q77 chipset. The board is sadly not intended for end-user sales, as it's made to go into white-box All-in-One or AIO systems, but it's still a pretty interesting little board.

As this is a low-profile motherboard there are no standard PCI Express connectors on it, instead it has one half-size mini PCI Express slot for a Wi-Fi card or similar and one mSATA slot for an SSD. It also sports a pair of SATA 6Gbps ports, two SO-DIMM slots that accepts up to 1600MHz memory, pin headers for a pair of front USB 2.0 ports as well as and old fashioned LVDS connector for the display built into the AIO system.

Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/dell-s-windows-8-tabletsleak/16035.html May 29th, 2012

Details of Dell's upcoming Windows 8 tablets – although admittedly one is a convertible – has turned up online and it looks like Dell is planning on offering some pretty interesting hardware. Both devices are powered by Intel processors, so if you were hoping for ARM products from Dell, well then these aren't the Droids products you've been looking for.

Details of Dell's upcoming Windows 8 tablets – although admittedly one is a convertible – has turned up online and it looks like Dell is planning on offering some pretty interesting hardware. Both devices are powered by Intel processors, so if you were hoping for ARM products from Dell, well then these aren't the Droids products you've been looking for.

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Published by: VR-Zone

First up we have the Latitude 10 tablet which is an Intel Atom N2x00-series powered device with 2GB of LP DDR2 memory and up to 128GB of storage in the shape of an eMMC SSD. Note that eMMC is generally slower than SATA, due to a more restrictive bus, although the advantage has been the single chip packaging, but this is also available for the SATA interface these days.

Other features of the Latitude 10 includes a 1366x768 10.8inch display with capacitive multi-touch and an optional stylus, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, optional 3G/4G connectivity, a headset jack, a micro USB port, a rear 8Megapixel camera and a front 2Megapixel camera. As this is a “business tablet” there's also support for TPM, an optional fingerprint scanner and/or smart card reader and various other data protection options, although some of these features might not be available at launch.

The Latitude 10 weighs in at 710g with its standard 2-cell battery, although an optional 4-cell battery takes this up to 740g. The batteries are rated at 30 and 60Whrs, with the smaller battery said to deliver 6-8h of usage and the larger battery offering 10-12h. . Dell will also offer an optional docking station and an auto/air power adapter. No word on pricing or actual launch dates, but we should find out about that in due time.

More interesting then is the XPS 12 which should launch towards the end of this year, it borrows heavily from the Dell Duo design as it sports a display that can be rotated inside its frame. It's said to sport an aluminium and carbon fibre chassis, weigh in at 1.4kg and be 8-20mm thick. Nothing really mind-blowing so far, but it does have one feature in the slide that made us interested.

The XPS 12 is said to have a 12.5-inch full HD 1920x1080 touch screen display with edge to edge Gorilla glass. For a device with a touch screen, having Gorilla glass makes a lot more sense than on the notebooks we've seen to date which features it on non-touch screens. It's also clear that the XPS 12 sports an Ivy Bridge CPU of some kind due to the inclusion of Intel Rapid Start and Smart Connect technology. Sadly that's all we know so far, but hopefully more details will turn up in the not to distant future.

Foxconn pumping out a massive 70% of iPhone's production Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/foxconn-pumping-out-a-massive-70of-iphone-s-production/16034.html May 29th, 2012

Recently, Foxconn worked out an agreement with Sharp Corp to obtain details for making Apple’s iPhone new touch display, but apparently that wasn’t enough as a report from micgadet.com indicated that Foxconn is determined to take over the iPhone manufacturing industry totally.

Recently, Foxconn worked out an agreement with Sharp Corp to obtain details for making Apple’s iPhone new touch 24

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display, but apparently that wasn’t enough as a report from micgadet.com indicated that Foxconn was determined to take over the iPhone manufacturing industry totally.

According to micgadget.com, 70 percent of the production for the iPhone is allocated to Foxconn’s Zhengzhou plant in China. Previous reports revealed that the plant was producing 200,000 iPhones a day, but according the reps from the plant they intend to up the ante by 100 percent!

That’s an astonishing 400,000 iPhones per day!

Published by: VR-Zone

the moment appears to be related to Ultrabook pricing, as a lot of notebook manufacturers are betting their future on new touch-screen models and with increase software costs, it looks like we can't expect to see any cheaper Ultrabooks any time soon.

Furthermore, how does Foxconn increase the yield of iPhone production without jeopardizing the health of current employees or increase the amount of workers? That remains to be seen, but the cellphone exports of the Henan province —the Zhengzhou plant’s location—accounts for 52.7 percent of the total exports. Thus, Henan seems convinced that iPhones and other cell phones is the cash cow of the region.

With the addition of information regarding the in-cell touch display from Sharp, Foxconn will surely dominate just about every aspect of current as well as future iPhones.

This is great business for Foxconn, but how will Apple respond should anything go wrong at Foxconn’s Zhengzhou plant? For instance, how will Apple meet demands if the Foxconn plant suddenly ignites on fire? This is strictly theoretical, and of course Foxconn undoubtedly has many safety measures to keep their iPhone churning behemoth humming smoothly.

As with any good business practice, Apple shouldn’t put all their eggs in one basket, especially one of Apple’s flagship products.

Microsoft said to charge more for Windows 8 licences to OEMs Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/microsoft-said-to-charge-more-forwindows-8-licences-to-oems/16032.html May 29th, 2012

If the rumour mill is true, then it looks like Windows 8 will cost more than previous versions of Windows, at least to Microsoft's OEM partners. There's no word on by how much Microsoft wanted to raise the price, but apparently it's a significant amount.

If the rumour mill is true, then it looks like Windows 8 will cost more than previous versions of Windows, at least to Microsoft's OEM partners. There's no word on by how much Microsoft wanted to raise the price, but apparently it's a significant amount.

We're not sure what Microsoft is thinking if this proves to be true, as Apple has dropped the price of its Mac OS to very reasonable levels, especially compared to Windows 7.

OEM's have always paid a discounted price compared to the retail pricing due to a wide range of reasons such as bulk purchasing, lesser packaging, generally no documentation and of course more recently, no media.

If Microsoft is now planning on charging the OEM's more, then this will directly affect the end product price which means us consumers are going to have to pay more for our next product featuring Windows 8. The biggest concern at 25