VR-Zone Tech News for the Geeks Sep 2011 Issue by VR Media Pte. Ltd.

September 1st, 2011

Published by: VR-Zone

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

Apple's considering USB 3.0 as an addition to Thunderbolt Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/apple-s-considering-usb-3.0-as-anaddition-to-thunderbolt/13467.html September 1st, 2011

bonus that USB 3.0 offers and in reality there's no reason for a device with USB 2.0 ports today. In related news, we're also hearing that Apple is working with some of its partners to create more affordable Thunderbolt storage solutions suitable for demanding consumers or small businesses that don't need the throughput offered by highend RAID enclosures. Further on the subject of Thunderbolt, Intel might allow third party companies to create device side Thunderbolt chipsets, although the company is not considering allowing the competition in on the host side.

Exclusive preview of Lenovo IdeaPad U400 A lot of people have been disappointed over Apple's lack of interest in the USB 3.0 standard, but thanks to a little bird, VRZone has heard that the company is still looking at USB 3.0 as a potential feature to add on future products. As to when and how this might happen is not something we know, but from our understanding it'll happen before Intel integrates USB 3.0 support into its chipsets.

Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/exclusive-preview-of-lenovo-ideapad-

A lot of people have been disappointed over Apple's lack of interest in the USB 3.0 standard, but thanks to a little bird, VRZone has heard that the company is still looking at USB 3.0 as a potential feature to add on future products. As to when and how this might happen is not something we know, but from our understanding it'll happen before Intel integrates USB 3.0 support into its chipsets.

VR-Zone was one of the media to get an exclusive preview of the new Lenovo IdeaPad U400 notebook PC in Singapore. Although it is not the U300 UltraBook, the U400 is designed as an affordable laptop with style and good functionality. Details inside.

u400/13466.html September 1st, 2011

Sadly we can't reveal all the information at hand, as not only would we cause problems for our source, but also the entire company in question, but suffice to say, Apple has been looking into USB 3.0 host controllers, especially as the price has finally reached an affordable level. A USB 3.0 host controller is priced at somewhere between US$2-3 in large quantities today which should be compared to US$10-15 for Intel's Thunderbolt chip. It's also important to remember that Thunderbolt not only requires a host chip, but also a device chip and additional chips on the device end depending on the type of device. This makes Thunderbolt a very expensive solution for simple storage device etc. For this simple reason it makes sense that Apple is considering implementing USB 3.0 support into its products, especially as the device end is very simple and equally affordable, if not even cheaper than the host end. USB 3.0 can of course not match the performance of a device connected over Thunderbolt, but that level of performance is often not required by the consumer market and Apple is seemingly catering more and more towards consumer. Backwards compatibility is another

September 1st, 2011

Published by: VR-Zone

The 14-inch Lenovo IdeaPad U400 looks extremely stylish with round edges and from its exterior design, it is inevitable to draw comparisons with the renowned Apple MacBook Pro. According to the company, the U400 we see here is a prototype unit. Its chassis is made of aluminium which makes it fairly durable and comes in graphite grey at this press time. The laptop has spacious palm rest, a huge multitouch touchpad with left/right clickable buttons and uses a chiclet-styled keyboard for comfortable typing.

The power button is on the top left corner of the keyboard, and we did not find any notification LEDs as the body is one piece aluminium. Needless to say, it is impossible to replace the battery or even upgrade the memory modules without having to void the unit's warranty. Looking at the dxdiag.exe information, the U400 is equipped with 2.2GHz Intel Core i3-2330M, 2GB DDR3 memory and ATI Radeon graphics. The Lenovo IdeaPad U400 is currently available as an exclusive bundle with StarHub MaxInfinity Ultimate 100Mbps fibre home broadband plan (S$99.30 per month). The U400 offered with StarHub is valued at S$1,899 and comes with 2.7GHz Intel Core i7-2620M, 4GB DDR3 memory, 500GB hard disk, ATI Radeon HD 6470M graphics (1GB VRAM), DVD SuperMulti drive and preinstalled with Windows 7 Home Premium. According to Lenovo, the IdeaPad 400 would be retailing soon at their authorized resellers and retail stores with similar hardware specifications and price point. On the right, we find the system recovery button, air vent, LAN and USB3.0 port, while on the left holds the headphone jack, two USB 2.0, HDMI out connectors and a slot-in DVD drive.

Sony Ericsson Xperia Ray preorders began; retails on 9 September in Singapore Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/sony-ericsson-xperia-ray-pre-ordersbegan-retails-on-9-september-in-singapore/13464.html

September 1st, 2011

Published by: VR-Zone

September 1st, 2011

Sony Ericsson has a booth at the COMEX Show 2011, located on level 6, hall 602, booth number 6341, to showcase their current offerings which include the Xperia Arc, Xperia Mini, Xperia Mini Pro and Xperia Play. But if you were at their booth, you would notice a banner that says taking pre-orders of the Xperia Ray. Yes, pre-orders have started, which means the new Xperia Ray Android smartphone is arriving here in Singapore.

HP Singapore announced the promotion prices for their WebOS-based TouchPad tablets just a day before the COMEX Show. Needless to say, there are a lot of enthusiastic buyers who want to grab the special offer. But in the end, many were angry and disappointed when they found out the tablets have been fully redeemed even before the show started. UPDATE: HP has issued a statement that due to safety and security concerns, the sale of the standalone HP TouchPads at COMEX will be discontinued. However, HP PCs purchase with purchase offers for the HP TouchPad will still be available at the COMEX show.

The much anticipated Sony Ericsson Xperia ray is coming to Singapore with pre-orders commencing today. Measuring just 9.9mm thin, the Xperia Ray sports a 3.3-inch screen and runs the latest Android platform for smartphones (Gingerbread 2.3). The phone packs a powerful 1GHz processor, Reality Display with Mobile BRAVIA Engine, a 8.1-megapixel camera with Exmor R for mobile and high definition video functionality. The Sony Ericsson Xperia Ray will be available for sale on 9 September at a recommended retail price of S$598. If you preorder the Xperia Ray smartphone from today until 9 Sept, you will receive an exquisite gift from Mont Blanc. Pre-order of the Xperia Ray is available at M1, Singtel and Starhub, Sony Ericsson Concept Stores (Parkway Parade and Ang Mo Kio Hub) and selected Sony Stores and Sony Centres. Also available at COMEX 2011, Hall 602 at the Sony Ericsson Booth 6341. Redemption of gift at Mont Blanc boutique at Mandarin Gallery from 10 Sept to 30 Nov, while stocks last.

HP TouchPad at COMEX 2011 draws huge (angry) crowd Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/hp-touchpad-at-comex-2011-drawshuge-angry-crowd/13460.html

UPDATE: HP has issued a statement that due to safety and security concerns, the sale of the standalone HP TouchPads at COMEX will be discontinued. However, HP PCs purchase with purchase offers for the HP TouchPad will still be available at the COMEX show. At the COMEX Show 2011, the 16GB HP TouchPad is going for S$126 (w/GST) while the 32GB version is selling at S$201 (w/GST). However, only 100 units of each model will be sold with only one tablet per person, and on the first two days of the show. On top of that, the company will only accept cash payment; no credit cards or NETS, and there will also be nonreturnable and non-refundable policies. With such attractive price tags, ever since HP USA announced the US$99 TouchPad tablets just about ten days ago, it makes sense why people are going "ga-ga" over them. Unfortunately, the arrangement for the COMEX promotion was badly planned. There was no mention as to where one can queue to get the TouchPad tablets. Not even on the HP Singapore Facebook Page. Not to mention, the comments on the popular social networking website are not very encouraging either, with some citing the obvious fact that why the company is only selling 200 units each day when there are so many people who would kill to buy the tablet. HP Singapore 3

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only said that if you missed the special promotion, you can still purchase it with their purchase-on-purchase program which include buying either a HP TouchSmart610 -1138d, 1178d, 1188d; HP Pavilion dv4-3020TX, or HP Pavilion dv6-6144TX, dv6-6105TX and dv6-6106TX. You can then get the chance to buy the HP TouchPad 16GB and HP TouchPad 32GB for S$49 (with GST) and S$119 (with GST) respectively.

Published by: VR-Zone

Notebook PCs promotion @ COMEX Show 2011 Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/notebook-pcs-promotion--comexshow-2011/13462.html September 1st, 2011

The COMEX Show 2011 is here. For those who are hunting for a new notebook PC, well, there are some good offers from the various manufacturers including ASUS, Sony, Samsung and Toshiba. Who knows you might find something that would suit your computing needs. ASUS

VR-Zone was at the COMEX Show 2011 around 10am, and learnt that all the TouchPad tablets have already been redeemed even before the 12pm official opening time! Apparently, the company had handed out queue numbers to those "in queue" when there was no mention anywhere (not even on their Facebook page) as to where the queue would take place. One of the lucky buyers (above pic) was 83 in the queue and said that he was there since 6.45am in the morning. This means that by 8am, all 200 queue tickets would have been sold out. The best part was that, there was a huge crowd waiting outside the halls and they were unaware of this. The halls were opened 30min earlier at 11.30am and the mad horde all ran to the HP booth at the rear, only to be left angry and disappointed when they learnt that all the TouchPad tablets have been redeemed. Check out the crowd pic and video below:-

The K series laptop is one of ASUS star products which features highly durable premium aluminum textures and comes in variopis stylish colors - red, green, blue, pink and black. The 14-inch ASUS K43SJ29i5 which is equipped with 2.9GHz Intel Core i5-2410M processor, 4GB DDR3 memory (after free upgrade), 500GB SATA hard disk, Nvidia FeForce GT520M with 1GB VRAM, DVD Super-Multi double layer drive, and preinstalled with Windows 7 Home Premium, is selling at S$799 (U.P. S$999). The slightly more power variant, K43Sv29i7, which comes with 2GHz Intel Core i7-2690QM processor, 6GB DDR3 memory (after free upgrade), 640GB SATA hard disk, Nvidia GeForce GT540 with 1GB VRAM, DVD Super-Multi double layer drive, and preinstalled with Windows 7 Home Premium, is retailing at S$1,099 (U.P. S$1,398). Dell

September 1st, 2011

Gamer enthusiasts who are looking for a powerful yet portable gaming laptop would have to check out the latest Dell Alienware M14x. In terms of hardware specifications, the Alienware M14x is equipped with Intel Core i7-2630M processor, 4GB dual-channel DDR3 SDRAM, 500GB 7200rpm SATA hard disk and Nvidia GT555M graphics with 1.5GB DDR3 memory. The 14-inch gaming monster, which is one of Dell's star products, is selling at S$2,299. But if you want a slightly lower Intel Core i5 2410M processor variant with Nvidia GeForce GT555M (1.5GB VRAM), 4GB DDR3 SDRAM, and 500GB SATA hard disk, you can get it at S$1,999 with free Razer Gaming Mouse and Headset.

Published by: VR-Zone

Incorporating a 14-inch display with LED backlight, the VAIO C features 2.3GHz Intel Core i5-2410M processor, 4GB DDR3 memory, 500GB hard disk, AMD Radeon HD6630M (1GB VRAM) graphics and preloaded with Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit operating system. Available in four stylish colors of black, orange, green and pink, the VAIO C (model: VCPCCA15FGD) is selling at a decentS$1,399. Acer

Samsung

Powered by 2.3GHz Intel Core i5-2410M processor and comes with 4GB DDR3 memory, 640GB hard disk, Nvidia GeForce GT520M graphics with Nvidia Optimus technology and Bluray combo drive, the Samsung RC420E is designed for work and play. If the attractive price tag of S$1,099 (U.P. S$1,299) isn't enough to swing you over, the manufacturer also throws in free Trend Micro Titanium Internet Security software, carrying case and second year extended local warranty.

The Acer Aspire 4750G-2634G50MN is one of the few very attractive purchases at the COMEX Show. Inside the 14inch notebook PC are 2GHz Intel Core i7-2630QM processor, 8GB DDR3 memory (after free upgrade), 500GB hard disk, Nvidia GeForce GT540 graphics with 2GB VRAM, DVD+RW combo drive and preinstalled with Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium operating system. For such high-specification machine, it is selling at S$1,098. Toshiba

Sony

September 1st, 2011

Published by: VR-Zone

8th Prize: S$ 600 cash 9th Prize: S$ 500 cash 10th Prize: S$ 400 cash 11th Prize: S$ 300 cash 12th Prize: S$ 200 cash The COMEX 2011 Show Lucky Draw Results will be published in the New Paper on 12th September 2011.

At the Toshiba booth, the Satellite P745 stands out among its peer with its sleek and stylish looks. In the hardware department, it comes with 2.3GHz Intel Core i5-2410 processor, 8GB DDR3 memory, 750GB SATA hard disk, Nvidia GeForce GT525M with 2GB VRAM and Optimus technology, DVD SuperMulti drive and preloaded with Windows 7 Home Premium. All these at an attractive price of S$1,399 (U.P. S$2,199).

COMEX 2011 Lucky Draw Redemption Counter on Level 6 Suntec Exhibition Centre Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/comex-2011-lucky-draw-redemptioncounter-on-level-6-suntec-exhibition-centre/13461.html September 1st, 2011

Making a purchase at COMEX 2011? Remember to redeem and fill up your Lucky Draw Coupons on Level 6. For every $100 spent at the show, you will get a chance to win up to $20000 cash. Lucky Draw Redemption Counter / Organiser's Office

Coupon Filling Up Area

3rd Prize: S$ 2,000 Cash 4th Prize: S$ 1,000 cash 5th Prize: S$ 900 cash 6th Prize: S$ 800 cash 7th Prize: S$ 700 cash 6

September 1st, 2011

Published by: VR-Zone

Considering that this is a weekday and just the start of the show, we don't expect the situation to change anytime soon.

AMD FX-Series Lineup Revealed Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/amd-fx-series-lineuprevealed/13458.html September 1st, 2011

Driving to COMEX 2011? Carparks Full Already Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/driving-to-comex-2011--carparks-fullalready/13459.html September 1st, 2011

Our correspondent on the ground managed to snap this picture just now - looks like visitors to COMEX 2011 @ Suntec City will have to take public transport or park their cars somewhere else as all the parking lots near the exhibition arena is unavailable.

As we move ever closer to the release of AMD's FX-Series, Gigabyte has revealed a CPU compatibility list for its 990FX motherboards, which all but confirms the final FX-Series SKUs. As expected, there will be 8-core, 6-core and 4-core CPUs, with the flagship clocked at 3.6 GHz.

The final shipping stepping is B2. The top part, FX-8150, is clocked at 3.6 GHz, with a TDP of 125W. Next in line is the FX-8120, clocked at 3.1 GHz. There are two versions - 125W and 95W. This suggests that the FX-8120 was initially targeted for 95W but may ship with a 125W TDP to begin with. The final 8-core CPU is the FX-8100, clocked at 2.8 GHz. The sole 6-core CPU will be FX-6100 at 3.3 GHz while the 4core CPU will be FX-4100 clocked at 3.6 GHz. Both feature 95W TDP, and will likely compete up against the Core i5 series. All CPUs feature 8MB L3 cache. This suggests that FX-6100 and FX-4100 are likely to be Zambezi with 1 module and 2 modules disabled, respectively, rather than native 3-module / 2-module dies. The clock speeds mentioned in the table only refer to the base frequencies, with no mention of Turbo Core. The latest rumours still suggest a launch in September, while other rumours suggest mass availability may happen only in October.

COMEX 2011 Pricelists now available @ http://vr-zone.com/ comex/pricelists Our correspondent on the ground snapped this picture just now - looks like visitors to COMEX 2011 @ Suntec City will have to take public transport or park their cars somewhere else as all the parking lots near the exhibition arena is unavailable.

Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/comex-2011-pricelists-now-available-http-vr-zone.comcomexpricelists/13457.html

September 1st, 2011 September 1st, 2011

Published by: VR-Zone

One slight issue with the announcement is that various Samsung websites contain slightly different details with regards to the exact specifications and features, so we'll suggest a smidgen of caution here. The Series 7 carries the sub brand Chronos borrowed from the Greek god of time, as Samsung claims to have added several new features that helps to reduce the boot time of the system and in general speed things up.

Samsung Series 7 notebooks have big screens in small footprints Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/samsung-series-7-notebooks-have-bigscreens-in-small-footprints/13456.html September 1st, 2011

Even if the rumours about Samsung's interest in HP's PC business were refuted by the company, if Samsung's Series 7 notebook announcement is anything to go by, the company has a bright future in the notebook market. The Series 7 is Samsung's new performance line of notebooks, but possibly the most impressive feature is the fact that Samsung claims that they've managed to stuff a larger screen size inside a smaller chassis size, but is this even possible?

Most of the speed increase comes from what Samsung calls ExpressCache, which sounds a lot like Intel's Smart Response technology, but apparently it's not, as Samsung is using a much smaller 8GB SSD, whereas Intel's Smart Response requires at least 20GB of SSD storage. It works more closely to that of a Seagate Momentus XT hybrid drive; albeit with the SSD part being fitted to the notebooks PCB rather than inside the hard drive. Combine this with something that Samsung calls FastStart and you end up with a claimed POST time of two seconds and a cold boot time of 19 seconds.

In terms of battery life, Samsung claims an impressive 9h on a single charge and the company goes on to say that its "Life Plus" battery technology keeps 80 percent of the cells original capacity for up to 1,500 re-charge cycles. As such Samsung claims that its batteries can last up to five times as long as some of its competitors. This is all great stuff, but the real selling point of the Series 7 in our opinion is that Samsung has managed to squeeze a larger screen size into a smaller notebook size. As such, the model with a 14-inch screen is the size of a 13.3-inch notebook, the model with the 15-inch screen the size of a 14inch notebook and the model with the 15.6-inch screen the size of a 15-inch notebook. If that wasn't good enough, Samsung is offering 1600x900 resolution panels across the board, all sporting 300nits brightness. It gets even better though, as all four models have matt screens, which is a really welcomed 8

September 1st, 2011

addition and hopefully something that Samsung's competitors will pick up on.

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$1,299 (S$1,565) and Samsung is expecting to start selling the Series 7 on the 2nd of October in the US. Check out the video below for some additional details.

OCZ's SSD caching solution launches Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/ocz-s-ssd-caching-solutionlaunches/13455.html September 1st, 2011

As for the actual hardware specs, well, Samsung will be launching with Intel's updated Core i7 and Core i5 processors and all but the 14-inch model (or is that 13-inch?) will come with a quad core CPU, while the smaller model will have to make do with a dual core CPU. All models also have discrete AMD graphics, 6GB of DDR3 memory and a 750GB hard drive as standard. Do keep in mind that this is the US spec and this might be different in other markets. The rest of the specs can be found in the somewhat messy table below.

It's hard not to call OCZ an innovative company as they keep coming up with new ways of either connecting your SSD or take advantage of SSD technology somehow in your PC. The latest addition to the RevoDrive series of PCI Express based SSDs is the RevoDrive Hybrid and if you've been around for a while, you might remember that once upon a time ISA cards with a hard drive strapped to them weren't so uncommon and the RevoDrive Hybrid somewhat harkens back to those days. It's hard not to call OCZ an innovative company as they keep coming up with new ways of either connecting your SSD or take advantage of SSD technology somehow in your PC. The latest addition to the RevoDrive series of PCI Express based SSDs is the RevoDrive Hybrid and if you've been around for a while, you might remember that once upon a time ISA cards with a hard drive strapped to them weren't so uncommon and the RevoDrive Hybrid somewhat harkens back to those days. Although the Hardcards as they were known as, are long since history it looks like we'll once again shove hard drives into our expansion slots, at least if OCZ has anything to do with it. Early details from the Flash Memory Summit last year suggested that OCZ was working on a hard drive caching solution using a RevoDrive with a pair of SATA connectors on it, but apparently this idea was scrapped in favour of the RevoDrive Hybrid.

We almost forgot to mention that the keyboards features blue backlight and that Samsung has of course implemented a pair of USB 3.0 ports and a slot-loaded optical drive in all models. The trackpad is also massive and very similar to the one found on Apple's MacBook's. Price wise we're looking at a starting price of US$999.99 (S$1,205) stretching all the way to US

OCZ demoed an early version of the RevoDrive Hybrid back at Computex, but quite a few things have changed since then. Ok, so OCZ is a couple of months later than it planned, but these 9

September 1st, 2011

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things happen and there are some upsides and downsides to this. For starters larger 2.5-inch hard drives have become widely available and the RevoDrive Hybrid will now ship with a 1TB drive rather than a 500GB drive. The SSD part has also been boosted from 60 to 100GB which should hopefully mean improved performance and OCZ is claiming speeds of up to 910MB/s in the press release alongside 120,000 IOPS at 4K random writes, all very impressive numbers indeed. The not so good news is that the price also went up, from an estimated US$350 to US$499.99 making the RevoDrive Hybrid a very costly SSD caching solution. This clearly puts it outside of your average consumers reach as well, but hopefully OCZ will consider launching more affordable options in the future.

Thermaltake Toughpower Grand 1050W PSU Review Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/thermaltake-toughpowergrand-1050w-psu-review/13454.html September 1st, 2011

performance and reliability under the harshest operating environment. • Double-forward switching circuitry: offers low power loss and high reliability. • Unparalleled DC to DC converter provides highest efficiency, most stable performance, and perfect regulation. • 3oz PCB design reduces heat generation and allows greater efficiency. • Robust & dedicated +12V output: comes with dual +12V rails design providing up to 40A for 12V1 and 80A for 12V2. • FanDelayCool Technology allows 14cm fan to continue to operate 15-30 sec after system shuts-down to ensure all components are properly cooled. • Multi-GPU ready: comes with 8 x PCI-E 6+2pin for cutting-edge gaming machine. • Auto switching circuitry for universal AC input from 90-264V. • Active Power Factor Correction (PFC) with PF value of 0.95 at full load. • High reliability: MTBF>120,000 hours.

Thermaltake is a well known company and carries a good reputation as a high quality PSU manufacturer. Not too long ago we had a look at one of Thermaltake’s mainstream power supplies, the TR-2 800W unit. Today we are going to examine and review one of the company’s best products, the Toughpower Grand 1050W unit, a power supply aiming to satisfy the craving needs of hardcore enthusiasts. Let us have a closer look at it. Thermaltake is a well known company and carries a good reputation as a high quality PSU manufacturer. Not too long ago we had a look at one of Thermaltake’s mainstream power supplies, the TR-2 800W unit. Today we are going to examine and review one of the company’s best products, the Toughpower Grand 1050W unit, a power supply aiming to satisfy the craving needs of hardcore enthusiasts. Let us have a closer look at it.

• DIMENSION: 5.9”(W) x 3.4”(H) x ?7.1” (L);150mm(W) x 86mm(H) x 180mm(L) • Built-in industry grade protections: Over Current, Over Power, Over Voltage, Under Voltage, Over Temperature and Short-Circuit protection. • Safety / EMI Approvals: CE, TUV, FCC, UL, CUL, GOST and BSMI certified.

Acer finally launches the Iconia Smart Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/acer-finally-launches-the-iconiasmart/13453.html September 1st, 2011

• Compliance with Intel ATX 12V 2.3 & SSI EPS 12V 2.92 standards. • 80 PLUS Gold certified – with 87-93% extreme high efficiency @ 20-100% load to cut down electric cost. • 24/7 @ 50oC: Guaranteed to deliver 1050W continuous power. • Pure aesthetic performance.

design

with

uncompromising

• Proprietary dual ball bearing 14cm flower-shape fan enables longer lifespan and lowers overall noise output by dramatically reducing bearing frictions. • 100% 105oC (221oF) Japanese made electrolytic & solid state capacitors: provide uncompromised

Sometimes waiting for something good can take too long and in the case of the Iconia Smart from Acer, which was first announced back at the Mobile World Congress in February has finally launched, well, at least in Taiwan. That said, the company did deliver on its September launch date, although judging by the fact that no hardware changes were implemented, it feels like the phone is about six months late. Sometimes waiting for something good can take too long and in the case of the Iconia Smart from Acer, which was first announced back at the Mobile World Congress in February has finally launched, well, at least in Taiwan. That said, 10

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the company did deliver on its September launch date, although judging by the fact that no hardware changes were implemented, it feels like the phone is about six months late. We got some hands on time with the Iconia Smart at Acer’s low key launch event in Taipei and not much has changed since February. The only really good news is that Acer has put Android 2.3 on the Iconia Smart which does at least put it at level playing ground with the competition. To be fair, the Iconia Smart doesn’t have a ton of direct competitors thanks to its 4.8-inch screen with a 21:9 aspect ratio and 1024x480 resolution and this is the saving grace of what can only be described as something of a hybrid tablet.

Despite its fairly large size at 141.7x64.5x13.6mm, it’s surprisingly slimmer than the Samsung Galaxy S II with its 4.27-inch screen as it’s 66.1mm wide. That said, at 185g the Iconia Smart is bordering on obese when you’re talking phones, but if you consider it a competitor to say the Dell Streak for example, then it’s actually quite light and pocket friendly.

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Sadly the tech specs are a bit long in the tooth now with a single core 1GHz Qualcomm MSM8255 SoC, 512MB of RAM and 8GB of internal storage the Iconia Smart is pretty average in terms of spec today, no matter if you compare it to other smartphones or to tablets. Other features include 802.11b/g/ n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 2.1, A-GPS, an 8 Megapixel camera that can shoot 720p video, a micro HDMI and USB port and finally HSDPA speeds of up to 14.4Mbps and HSUPA speeds of up to 5.76Mbps.

Overall Acer has come up with a unique form factor, but we don’t think this on its own is going to be enough considering all of its competitors are now offering dual core devices on their high-end devices. Luckily, Acer has priced the Iconia Smart at a reasonable NT$14,800 (S$615/US$510) which does at least make it competitive price wise and we’d expect actual retail pricing to drop lower than this quite quickly. We’ve added a few more pictures from the event on the next page.

HP Singapore unveils TouchPad pricing at COMEX Show 2011 Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/hp-singapore-unveils-touchpadpricing-at-comex-show-2011/13452.html September 1st, 2011

Kudos to Acer for hosting the entire presentation from an Iconia Smart thanks to its micro HDMI port, this is a first to us, as we haven’t seen any other company brave enough to host an entire presentation including demos from the device being launched.

While HP has officially dropped their WebOS-based TouchPad tablet pricing to US$99, there was no news whether the pricing would be applied at this part of the world. Well, apparently the company has unveiled the latest pricing of the TouchPad, though there are some terms and conditions. Details inside.

September 1st, 2011

Published by: VR-Zone

having large computer systems, even up to the supercomputer grade, for a long time. A*CRC is a unique combination of diverse high-end hardware resources led by a team of experts to support the growing user base. A Choice of Systems for Every User In the Asia-Pacific region, Singapore may be smaller in scale compared to the resources of China, Japan or Korea when it comes to the scientific, research and engineering base, but it has had accumulated expertise and user base to justify having large computer systems, even up to the supercomputer grade, for a long time.

According to HP, the 16GB and 32GB HP TouchPads will be available at S$126 (with GST) and S$201 (with GST) respectively, for the first two days of COMEX Show. However, only 100 unit of each of the versions will be available each day and that the purchase is limited to only one unit per person regardless of whether it is 16GB or 32GB. Best of all, the mode of purchase is cash and carry only; no credit cards or NETS, and it will be a non-refundable and non-returnable. So, if you want to grab one, you will have to be quick. The units will be available at HP booth 8428 (specifically the HP Direct counter), Hall 402/403. For those of you who are purchasing the HP TouchSmart610 -1138d, 1178d, 1188d; and HP Pavilion dv4-3020TX, HP Pavilion dv6-6144TX, dv6-6105TX and dv6-6106TX, you will also get to buy the HP TouchPad 16GB and HP TouchPad 32GB for S$49 (with GST) and S$119 (with GST) respectively. The purchase-with-purchase HP TouchPad will be available at RewardsLINK in a first come first serve basis, while stocks last. RewardsLINK can be located at 3 Temasek Boulevard #02-163 Suntec City Mall, Singapore 038983. Opening hours: Monday – Sunday, 11.00am – 7.00pmEve of X’mas /New Year/CNY: 11.00am – 3.00pm. Closed on X’mas, New Year and CNY

Top Singapore universities, NUS and NTU, as well as various institutes and even companies involved in rendering farms or oil exploration simulations have been using large computer here, either vector or parallel single image supercomputers, or clusters of standardised servers. As the usage increased, leading to many disparate systems in various locations, the Government agency A*STAR created A*STAR Computational Resource Centre (A*CRC) where, at least for the numerous institutes under the A*STAR umbrella as well as other research bodies in Singapore, there was now a centralised high end supercomputing resource base. Located on the 17th floor of the humongous Fusionopolis behemoth of a building on top of the soon to open OneNorth Circle Line MRT station in Ayer Rajah area, A*CRC has one of world's rare heavy-duty supercomputer data centres located on a high floor of a tall building. It is divided into five functional areas: Computational Systems, Storage, Networking, Operations, and HPC Software.The two dozen staff, headed by Dr Marek Michalewicz, Director, and Stephen Wong, Deputy Director in charge of systems, among others, provide support for over seven hundred of local, and some international, users on a variety of systems. A*CRC operates another data center with large storage, located at the Biopolis, aimed mainly at bioinformatics users.

A*Star's ACRC: Singapore aims for Supercomputing Heights Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/a-star-s-acrc-singapore-aims-forsupercomputing-heights/13450.html September 1st, 2011

In the Asia-Pacific region, Singapore may be smaller in scale compared to the resources of China, Japan or Korea when it comes to the scientific, research and engineering base, but it has had accumulated expertise and user base to justify 12

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Now, A*CRC can't yet fight in size with multi-petaflop systems that can now be found in Japan or China, but the centre has diversity of hardware platforms that makes it interesting: from their 2048-core Westmere-EX single-image shared memory machine with 12 TB RAM, the largest of its type in the region, to a 3,800+ core Xeon DP Fujitsu general purpose cluster, AMD Opteron SMP cluster combination as well as one of the largest IBM Power7-based RISC clusters in the region. The first one would obviously make hackers salivate - how about seeing a Linux (or Windows, as the machine could run it too) task prompt showing 2048 cores available with 12,000 GB system memory - and there's a good reason for it. Too long there was an overemphasis just on the TOP 500 supercomputer ranking in terms of peak and tested GFLOPs or TFLOPs according to the (in)famous Linpack linear algebra benchmark routine, however the underlying system architecture can influence the real application execution potential even more. Dr Marek's team has, over the past few years, consciously diversified the available resources for varied usage types so, whether your application can scale to 1,000 cores in a single task, or you just dump 1,000 simple unconnected threads at the same time, there is the right kind of system to run either kind of jobs - plus many other types in the centre.

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main systems here, one being a brand new IBM p755 Power7 cluster of 30 nodes, each with 32 cores running at 3.3 GHz and 128 GB RAM per node; the other one is an older 32-node cluster of 8-socket quad-core Opterons, made by HP, but its excellent PCIe I/O bandwidth as well as 128 GB RAM per node make it good for hosting multiple GPGPUs, for instance. • SMP machine, aimed at very large tera-scale tasks in terms of both processor and memory load, like the above mentioned SGI Altix UV with its 256 eight-core Intel Xeons put together sharing 12 TB RAM, all under one Linux OS boot. Each of the cores runs at 2.66 GHz with peak 4 flops/cycle, offering theoretical peak performance of over 21 TFLOPs in a single machine. What would seem to be good to add here to the resource, I feel, would be a nice visualisation cluster, driving a ~ 100 Mpixel 3-D CAVE-style VR facility. Such combination is normally driven by dozens of tightly interconnected dualCPU workstations, each with a powerful Open GL GPU or two, which use Chromium or similar parallel OpenGL software layer to parallelise real-time 3-D across dozens of GPUs at the same time. Cave Automatic Virtual Environment, which really gives the user an immersion of being in a virtual world 'cave' recursively acronyms as CAVE anyway. A*CRC sister institute IHPC has a small setup of this type already for awhile. Machines alone, even with petabytes of associates storage, huge ventilation, power and backup facilities, and hardware support staff monitoring the usage constantly, are not enough. A*CRC expert team helps the users acquire the right applications - commercial or open source - or, where needed, additional hardware that can be housed at the premises - as well as user code tuning and optimisation. And, as more users from within and outside A*STAR, including NUS, NTU, associated schools and commercial, as well as selected international collaborations, are added to the roster, the pressure to increase resources is constant. It may sound unbelievable to an outside user, but most of the A*CRC system resources are constantly used, every moment, at 90% to 100% usage. Imagine your computer's CPU loaded at that level for, say, 5 years of its life, non stop!

. There are three types of computer systems right now at A*CRC: • Cluster of large number of small, dual processor nodes for heavy loads of many serial jobs as well as highly parallel codes that run well with message passing (MPI); The Fujitsu BX900 450-node cluster of dual-XeonDP 'small' nodes, each with two CPU sockets and 24 GB or more RAM per node, all connected via generic Infiniband QDR, is the main resource here. Its 45 TFLOPs performance capability puts it close to the ~ 50 TFLOPs class where the world's Top 200 systems start right now. • Cluster of smaller number of larger nodes, more suitable for large memory-footprint applications with higher degree of CPU and thread communication. There are 2 13

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Therefore, to keep up with the user requirements and also competing centres in the region, A*CRC has to increase its capacity rapidly, as soon as possible. After all, Japan and China both have multiple petaflop-class systems right now, including the world's largest one in Kobe reaching close to 10 PFLOPs at RIKEN right now. While we can't have a petaflop machine in Singapore yet as of today, a slightly smaller one, say half-petaflop cluster of large core-count noder, would make very good sense right now, to attract more users to our shores and provide a good base for an even larger national level supercomputing core. This takes an investment in systems, infrastructure and of course people, but would cement Singapore's role as the high performance computing centre of the region.

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Samsung D7000 LED TV The LED D7000 incorporates improved backlight scanning technology with Samsungâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s new 3D proprietary frame interpolation algorithm, which improves 3D picture quality and creates sharp 2D and 3D pictures and smooth frame transitions without blurring. With access to Smart Hub, the LED D7000 Series is an ideal media center, complementing consumersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; ever connected and mobile lifestyles. Usual Price: 46-inch - S$4,499; 55-inch - S$5,999 COMEX Promotion:TBA

In the Part 2 of the story, we will look at some good application and code examples how A*CRC users actually make full utilisation of thousands of cores and terabytes or memory, at one go, as well as challenges in configuring, benchmarking and maintaining huge supercomputer systems of this sort, especially in our hot, humid climate here.

COMEX Show 2011 Promotions: Samsung Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/comex-show-2011-promotionssamsung/13449.html September 1st, 2011

Samsung will be showcasing their range of products from laptops, smartphones, LCD TVs, Blu-ray players, home entertainment systems to tablet devices, video camcorders and digital cameras at this week's COMEX Show 2011. The Samsung booth can be located on level 4, booth 8321, 8328.

Samsung NX11 Camera Equipped with a built-in flash and electronic VGA (640x480) viewfinder, the NX11 sports a 3-inch AMOLED LCD screen which reduces glare from sunlight so that images can be seen under any lighting conditions. The NX11 also provides high quality video with 720p HD recording, and its large APS-C sensor allows the videos to be recorded with shallow depth of field, providing effects similar to in-motion picture movies. The NX11 will come complete with an 18-55mm i-Function lens, as well as two new i-Function lenses, a 20mm pancake and a 20-50mm zoom silver color lens. COMEX Promotion: S$999 with 20-50 mm i-Function standard kit lens

September 1st, 2011

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Samsung Series 9, 900X3A, 13.3-inch Notebook With a maximum thickness of 16.3mm and an ultralight weight of 1.31 kg, the 9 Series Notebook 900X3A sports a high quality screen boasting market-leading 400nit brightness and 16 million colors. It also comes equipped with an Intel CoreTM i7/i5 Processor, solid state drive and genuine Windows 7 Home Premium. Using Samsung’s innovative PowerPlus charging technology and a power-efficient and advanced Lithium-Polymer battery, it has a battery lifespan that lasts up to 6.5 hours. COMEX Promotion:S$2,488

Samsung GALAXY Tab 10.1 The GALAXY Tab 10.1 features Samsung’s own TouchWiz user interface implemented on the Android Honeycomb platform, offering superior multi-tasking and enhanced user interaction and navigation. It is the world’s thinnest mobile tablet available, at 8.6 mm and weighs approximately 560g. The GALAXY Tab 10.1, with its WXGA TFT LCD display (1280 x 800) is powered by 1GHz dual core AP. It is the perfect device for sharing and enjoying media content with family and friends. COMEX Promotion:16GB 3G version - S$848

M1 announces new mData mobile broadband plans Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/m1-announces-new-mdata-mobilebroadband-plans/13448.html September 1st, 2011

Samsung GALAXY S II The Samsung GALAXY S II features a 1.2GHz dual-core processor, HSPA+ connectivity providing data transfer of up to 21Mbps, a Super AMOLED Plus touchscreen display. At just 8.49mm in thickness, the new smartphone is a powerful evolution of its predecessor in speed, screen and slim design. Weighing 116g, the GALAXY II has a 4.27-inch Super AMOLED Plus screen, making improvements in screen size, colour gamut and power consumption. COMEX Promotion:16GB - S$998

M1 Limited (M1) has announced that it will launch four new competitively priced mobile broadband plans for customers on September 1 this year. The new plans, which are claimed to be aimed at providing a better mobile surfing experience to consumers, will reportedly start from the low price of S$12 a month and will be differentiated by data bundle sizes. M1 has announced the availability of four new mData mobile broadband plans for customers starting from September 1 this year. According to M1, the new plans, which start from the low price of S$12 per month, will help the company to provide a better mobile surfing experience to customers The new plans will be provisioned at the speeds of 7.2 Mbps or 21 Mbps theoretical download speeds, although M1 has claimed that users can expect to experience typical download speeds ranging between 0.6 to 6.7 Mbps under most circumstances. M1 has also confirmed that customers who opt to go for the 7.2 Mbps package will be given the chance to 15

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choose from a range of plans valued from $12 for 5GB to $40 for 50GB. Last but definitely not least, the company has also confirmed that mData’s monthly mobile broadband data usage bundle will be capped at a maximum of $69.30 to help eliminate the likelihood of consumers suffering from a heart attack caused by astronomically high data charges due to freak incidents. The full list of mData mobile broadband plans from M1 are as follow:

COMEX Show 2011 Promotions: Microsoft Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/comex-show-2011-promotionsmicrosoft/13446.html September 1st, 2011

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The newly launched Microsoft Touch Mouse is optimally designed for Windows 7 PCs. The new multitouch mouse lets you click, flick, scroll and swipe, so it is easy, fun and interact more intuitively on your PC. The top of the Touch Mouse is composed of a matrix of capacitive touch-sensing electrodes to track the position of the user’s fingertips along its surface. COMEX Promotion: S$99 (Free S$10 shopping voucher)

Microsoft Comfort Curve Keyboard 3000 The Comfort Curve Keyboard 3000 features an ergonomistapproved contour layout that creates an organic arc to encourage natural wrist posture. It has a slim and glossy design makes a modern statement while minimizing clutter on your desktop, and media keys that provide one-touch access to popular media functions, such as play, pause and volume. COMEX Promotion: S$27

Microsoft is making a great presence at this year's COMEX Show with great promotions on their keyboards, mice and web cameras, as well as XBox 360 and Kinect games. You can also trade in your old console and receive up to $150 off a new Xbox 360, as well as pre-order for the higly-anticipated GEARS OF WAR 3. Their booth can be located on level 6, booth 6126.

Microsoft LifeCam Studio Enjoy great video chat with friends and family with the new Microsoft LifeCam Studio webcam. It incorporates a full high definition 1080p sensor that can deliver widescreen video at 16:9 at up to 30 frames per second. With ClearFrame Technology, it can offer smooth, detailed video with an improved de-noiser, which reduces image graininess — especially in low light. Microsoft Touch Mouse

Usual Price: S$149 COMEX Promotion: S$129

September 1st, 2011

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Gears of War 3 Limited Edition Xbox 360 console Custom designed with artwork inspired by Gears of War 3, Xbox 360 is offering this exclusive console with Wi-Fi built-in for easier connection to the world of games and entertainment on Xbox LIVE. This limited offer also includes a copy of the game Gears of War 3, two custom-designed Xbox 360 wireless controllers, and a 320GB hard drive. Available only for a limited time. COMEX Promotion: S$649

HP Officejet 6500A Plus e-All-in-One The HP Officejet 6500A Plus e-All-in-One allows small businesses to get professional colour and laser performance at a low cost per page. Featuring HP ePrint, users can print anytime, anywhere using any mobile device1. The printer also features a 2.36-inch (5.99cm) color touchscreen display to easily copy, fax, print, scan and more. COMEX Promotion Price: TBA

COMEX Show 2011 Promotions: HP Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/comex-show-2011-promotionshp/13445.html September 1st, 2011

Even though HP has announced the price drop of US$99 for thier TouchPad tablet devices, there is still no news as to whether the company will be offering that price tag to consumers. (Probably the reason why we have yet to receive all the promotions). Well, here are some of the great deals on their printers and all-in-one devices. You can check out their booth on level 4, hall 401, booth 8150. HP Officejet 100 Mobile Printer The HP Officejet 100 Mobile Printer is designed to be easy to use and requires minimal maintenance. Whether you are in the office, in a car, or at an airport, you can print wherever you want, knowing that you will get the same quality you expect from desk-top printers. COMEX Promotion Price: TBA

September 1st, 2011

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HP ePrint technology, users can print anytime, anywhere and from any mobile device. COMEX Promotion Price: TBA

COMEX Show 2011 Promotions: Olympus Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/comex-show-2011-promotionsolympus/13444.html September 1st, 2011

Photographer enthusiasts would be delighted with some of the good promotions on Olympus digital cameras including the Olympus E-PL1, E-P3 and E-PL3 which use micro four-thirds system, and XZ-1. The Olympus booth can be located on level 4, hall 404, booth 8205.

HP Laserjet Pro CM1415FNW The HP LaserJet Pro CM 1415FNW is the first LaserJet printer that allows users to print from the Web and mobile devices. Users can minimize environmental impact with the Instanton Technology and Instant-on Copy. It features wireless and Ethernet connectivity which lets you print from anywhere in the office via a shared network. COMEX Promotion Price: TBA

Olympus E-P3 The Olympus E-P3 claims to be the flagship of the PEN series of new generation Micro Four Thirds system cameras with the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s fastest autofocusing (AF) achieved through the FAST (Frequency Acceleration Sensor) AF system and a lens incorporating the MSC (movie and still compatible) mechanism. It also boasts superb image quality and high ISO12800 sensitivity, thanks to the new 12.3-megapixel High Speed Live MOS Sensor with full HD movie compatibility and new TruePic VI image processing engine. Usual Price:

HP Photosmart Premium Fax e-All-in-One C410a The HP Photosmart Premium Fax e-All-in-One C410a is an allin-one that allows you to do more. You can boost your home printer capabilities by easily faxing, scanning and copying with this 50-page automatic document feeder (ADF), and print photos and web content without a PC. With the revolutionary

Option 1: E-P3 14-42mm Lens Kit - S$1,298 (w/ GST) Body (Available colours: Black, White and Silver) M.ZUIKO DIGITAL 14-42mm II R f3.5-5.6 Bundled with 8GB SD Card Option 2: E-P3 Twin Lens Kit - S$1,548 (with GST) Body (Available colours: Black, White and Silver) 18

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M.ZUIKO DIGITAL 14-42mm II R f3.5-5.6 M.ZUIKO DIGITAL 40-150mm R f4.0-5.6 lens Bundled with 8GB SD Card COMEX Promotion Price: TBA

Olympus E-PL1

Olympus E-PL3 Launched on 29 June, the Olympus E-PL3 is designed as the centrepiece of Olympusâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s popular PEN series of versatile, highperformance interchangeable-lens digital cameras. It is the first PEN series camera with a swivel type 3.0-inch display that can tits 80-degree up and 45-degree down for improved functionality and compatibility with size reduction.

Availabile in white, champagne gold, and black, the Olympus E-PL1 is an entry-level micro four-thirds camera that is equipped with a new Live Guide interface which makes it easy for photographer enthusiasts and beginners. With the dedicated Movie mode button, you can quick access to movie shooting at any time. The E-PL1 also comes with six Art Filters, including new Gentle Sepia, for enhanced photographic creativity. E-PL1 14-42mm Lens Kit - S$698 (with GST) Body (Available colours: White, Champagne Gold, and Black) M.ZUIKO DIGITAL ED 14â&#x20AC;&#x201C;42mm

Option 1: E-PL3 14-42mm Lens Kit - S$998 (w/ GST) Body (Available colours: Black, White, Silver and Red) M.ZUIKO DIGITAL 14-42mm II R f3.5-5.6 Bundled with 8GB SD Card Option 2: E-PL3 Twin Lens Kit - S$1,248 (w/ GST) Body (Available colours: Black, White, Silver and Red) M.ZUIKO DIGITAL 14-42mm II R f3.5-5.6 M.ZUIKO DIGITAL 40-150mm R COMEX Promotion Price: TBA Olympus XZ-1 The Olympus XZ-1 uses the brightest i.ZUIKO DIGITAL f1.8 lens which is the first to be designed for a point and shoot digital camera. It has a large f1.8-2.5 aperture that assures maximum brightness from wide-angle to telescopic and combines with the large 1/1.63-inch high-sensitivity CCD sensor to achieve amazing picture quality close to that of digital SLR cameras. Usual Price: S$698 COMEX Promotion Price: TBA

September 1st, 2011

Razer announces Stealth versions of BlackWidow and BlackWidow Ultimate keyboards

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control and the option to disable the Windows key while gaming.

Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/razer-announces-stealth-versions-ofblackwidow-and-blackwidow-ultimate-keyboards/13443.html September 1st, 2011

Razer has announced the availability of the new Stealth versions of its BlackWidow and BlackWidow Ultimate series of mechanical gaming keyboards. According to the company, the new Stealth Edition keyboards have been designed to offer the tactility of a typical mechanical keyboard, but with the added benefit of having a much quieter feedback that is reportedly ideal for the â&#x20AC;&#x153;true silent assassins of gamingâ&#x20AC;?.

The Razer BlackWidow Stealth Edition and BlackWidow Ultimate Stealth Edition gaming mechanical keyboards are now available for purchase from Razerzone.com at the price of US$79.99 and US$139.99 respectively.

If you love Razer's line of mechanical gaming keyboards but cannot stand having to deal with the annoying clicky sounds produced by the keyboards' mechanical switches any longer, you are in luck. This is because Razer has just announced the availability of the new Stealth editions of the BlackWidow and BlackWidow Ultimate mechanical keyboards, which the company claims have been designed to deliver the same performance as the non-Stealth versions, but with the added benefit of more quiet feedback.

Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/comex-show-2011-promotionsnorton/13442.html September 1st, 2011

As they are essentially the same keyboards with quieter switches, the BlackWidow Ultimate Stealth Edition and the BlackWidow Stealth Edition have access to all of the features that are present on their non-stealth counters. In the BlackWidow Ultimate Stealth Edition's case, this includes support for anti-ghosting across the entire keyset to allow for up to six simultaneous key presses, programmable keys with on-the-fly macro recording, keys for media control and audio jacks.

The BlackWidow Stealth Edition, on the other hand, drops the anti-ghosting support that is present on the Ultimate edition, but otherwise sports the same features present on the BlackWidow Ultimate Stealth Edition, such as programmable keys with on-the-fly macro recording, buttons for multimedia

COMEX Show 2011 Promotions: Norton

While consumer products like digital cameras, smartphones and laptops are hugely popular at PC Fairs, security solutions are also well sought after. Norton will debut their new Internet Security 2012, Antivirus 2012 and Norton 360 V5.0 at tomorrow's COMEX Show 2011. Symantech's main booth is located on level 6, booth 6251.

Norton Internet Security 2012 The new Norton Internet Security 2012 offers various security features such as the Norton Identity Safe that provides a 20

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streamlined interface with improved login and form detection technology; Norton Management which makes it easy for users to download, transfer, update, or renew your Norton products from anywhere right over the Internet; and Norton Online Family that helps to keep your kids safe online as it tracks where your kids go and what they do online. COMEX Promotion Price: S$29 (1 user license); S$49 (3 user license); S$79 (5 user license)

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Samsung announces availability of new mobile phones with Bada 2.0 Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/samsung-announces-availability-ofnew-mobile-phones-with-bada-2.0/13441.html September 1st, 2011

Norton Antivirus 2012 If you only need the anti-virus protection, the new Norton Antivirus 2012 has all the features that are adequate for your use. It comes with Norton Management which is also found on the Internet Security 2012 for users to download, transfer, update, or renew your Norton products; Norton Insight, the latest version of Nortonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s exclusive reputationbased security technology, checking where files came from and how long they have been around to automatically identify and stop new online threats before trouble arises. It also does Insight checks on every downloaded file for safety and protects users against dangerous applications by prompting if they may harm the health and stability of your computer before you install them. COMEX Promotion Price: S$39 (1 user license); S$69 (3 user license); S$119 (5 user license) Norton 360 V5.0 The Norton 360 V5.0 features groundbreaking new reputation service technology that provides unmatched real-time threat detection to guard against viruses, worms, spyware, bots, Trojans, rootkits, identity thieves, and other digital dangers such that users can browse, purchase, and bank online without worry. It has an automated set-it-and-forget-it backup with web access that lets you quickly and easily retrieve and restore digital photos, music, financial documents, and other important files in case of loss or damage. The Norton 360 can also automatically tunes up usersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; PC to help keep it running well. Usual Price: S$64.99 (1 user license); S$158.99 (3 user license); S$199.99 (5 user license) COMEX Promotion Price: S$59 (1 user license); S$99 (3 user Premier Edition license with 25GB online backup storage); S $159 (5 user license) Additional special offers: Any 1-user purchase will entitle customer to 1 chance at the lucky draw Any 3-user or 5-user purchase will entitle customer to have 3 tries at the lucky draw

So you want a new smartphone to play around with, but do not wish to get involved with the fan war that is currently raging between Android, Symbian, BlackBerry OS, Windows Phone 7 and iOS users, don't you? If so, don't sweat it; Samsung has just announced the availability of a new batch of smartphones that will be preloaded with the latest version of its Bada operating system, Bada 2.0 Getting a new smartphone is always something that is worth looking forward to, but the possibility of getting into flame wars with users or various mobile operating systems is a very real problem with some would like to avoid as much as possible. If this sounds like what you are consciously looking out for in your choice of smartphone platforms, the good news is Samsung has just announced the availability of a new batch of smartphones that are powered by its latest Bada 2.0 operating system. According to the machine translation of Samsung's recent press announcement, it seems that the Korean electronics giant intends to release at least three new smartphones based off the Bada operating system for sale on the market some time soon. Known as the Samsung Wave 3, Wave M and Wave Y, Samsung claims that the new smartphones are designed to be premium products that will cater to users who reportedly desire smartphones that feature a robust platform. Not much information about the new smartphones have be released by Samsung, although the company has claimed that the new Samsung Wave 3, which is touted as the flagship model for the new Bada-powered smartphones, will feature a four-inch Super AMOLED display of an unknown resolution, as well as support for wireless connectivity via Bluetooth 3.0 and WiFi under the b, g and n bands. In addition, the company has also confirmed that the Wave 3 will sport a processor clocked at 1.4GHz and what is reportedly a five-megapixel camera.

Top prize each day will be the latest Lenovo IdeaPad Tablet K1 32GB bundled with Norton Mobile Security Other prizes include Xbox Kinect 4GB, TomTom GPS XXL 550 and Sandisk 4GB Cruzer Edge USB drive

September 1st, 2011

On the other hand, the Samsung Wave M will sport a 3.65inch display that is capable of displaying content at HVGA resolutions, along with a five-megapixel camera, and a sleek design which is reportedly aimed at making it easy for users with smaller hands, such as women, to have a comfortable grip on the phone.

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No details about pricing and global availability of the new smartphones have been released by Samsung at this point of time.

COMEX Show 2011 Promotions: Dell Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/comex-show-2011-promotionsdell/13439.html September 1st, 2011

Check out the exclusive offers from Dell at tomorrow's COMEX Show which include the Alienware M14x, Inspiron 13z, Inspiron 14 and Inspiron 15R laptops, and Inspiron 620MT desktop PC. The Dell's booth is located on level 4, booth 8251, 8230, 8139, 8418. On top of that, the company will be providing free shuttle bus services from various locations around Singapore to ferry visitors to COMEX 2011, as well as various activities including the chance to win attractive prizes.

Last but not least, Samsung has also announced the availability of the new Samsung Wave Y smartphone, which will make use of a 3.2-inch TFT LCD display capable of displaying content at HVGA resolutions, along with a twomegapixel camera and a slew of features designed to make it easy for the first-time smartphone user to get the most out of the Bada operating system.

September 1st, 2011

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Dell Inspiron 13z Notebook

Dell Inspiron 14 (N4050) Laptop

Powered by Intel Core i3 2330M processor, the Dell Inspiron 13z sports a 13.3-inch HD WLED True-Life display (1366x768) for your mutlimedia enjoyment. It comes with 2GB DDR3 SDRAM (1333Mhz), Intel HD graphics 3000 video card, 320GB 7200RPM SATA hard disk, and is preloaded with Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium operating system.

The compact and responsive Inspiron 14 (N4050) is all you need to get your work done wherever you go. It offers a 14inch HD WLED True-Life display (1366x768), and is equipped with 2.3GHz Intel Core i5 2410M processor with Turbo Boost 2.0, 4GB DDR3 SDRAM (1333Mhz), 1GB AMD Radeon HD 6470M video card, 500GB SATA hard disk and preloaded with Windows 7 Home Premium operating system.

Usual Price: S$899 Comex Promotion Price: S$799 + free DVD-RW drive worth S$99

Usual Price: S$999 Comex Promotion Price: S$899 + additional Belkin backpack worth S$39 for Amex customers + free 2nd year warranty upgrade worth S$99

Dell Inspiron 15R Laptop Dell Inspiron 620MT Desktop The slim and high-performance Inspiron 620MT lets you do more and share more. It comes with Intel Core i5 2310 processor, 4GB memory, 1GB AMD Radeon 6450 video card, 1TB SATA hard disk and preinstalled with Windows 7 Home Premium OS. The Inspiron 620MT is also bundled with 20-inch LED monitor with 1-year warranty with in-home service. Usual Price: S$1,099 Comex Promotion Price: S$949 + additional S$50 off for Amex customers

The Dell Inspiron 15R comes with stylish designs that claim to fit every personality and full features that let you stay connected and entertained anywhere, anytime. Specificationswise, it comes with 15.6-inch HD WLED True-Life display (1366x768), Intel Core i7 2630QM processor, 6GB DDR3 memory, 1GB Nvidia GT 525M video card and 640GB SATA hard disk. Usual Price: S$1,349 Comex Promotion Price: S$1,099 + free exchangeable lid and second year extended warrantyworth over S$168

September 1st, 2011

Dell Alienware M14x Laptop If you are looking for a high performance gaming laptop, you must check out the Alienware M14x at Dell's booth. Incorporating high-end hardware components including Intel Core i5 2410M processor, 1.5GB Nvidia GeForce GT555M with Nvidia Optimus switchable graphics technology, 4GB DDR3 SDRAM and 500GB SATA hard disk, the Alienware M14x claims to be the most powerful 14-inch high definition gaming laptop in the universe. Usual Price: S$2,099 Comex Promotion Price: S$1,999 + free Razer Gaming Mouse and Headset worth over S$168

Sony launches new digital 3D surround sound headphones system in Japan

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According to a machine translation of the Japanese electronics giant's recent press release, the new MDR-DS7500 headphones has been touted to be the industry's first such headphones to be optimized for 3D surround sound used in the playback of 3D video content. Sony claims that the headphones feature the Dolby Pro Logic II z decoder which is reportedly capable of delivering 7.1 channel surround sound for greater depth and realism. In addition, the company has also added that the MDR-DS7500 has been furnished with 3D VPT technology to further enhance the realism of the headphones' surround sound system. Additional features available on the MDR-DS7500 include what appears to be the capability to accept audio input directly via HDMI, various pre-set audio modes such as New Cinema Mode, Game Mode and Voice Mode for optimal audio playback quality under specific conditions, as well as the ability to be remotely controlled. Last but not least, Sony has also confirmed that the NDR-DS7500 will feature built-in support for BRAVIA Sync, where users can remotely control a compatible BRAVIA television set via the headphones. Full specifications for headphones are as follow:

the

MDR-DS7500

surround

Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/sony-launches-new-digital-3dsurround-sound-headphones-system-in-japan/13440.html September 1st, 2011

Sony has announced the availability of its new digital 3D surround sound headphones system, the MDR-DS7500, in Japan, According to the company, the new headphones is designed to faithfully reproduce the same quality of sound which artists and film-makers have originally intended for consumers to hear. Sony has announced the availability of its new digital 3D surround sound headphones system, the MDR-DS7500, in Japan. According to the company, the new headphones have been specially designed to ensure that it is capable of delivering to consumers a faithful reproduction of the kind of sound which artists and film-makers have originally intended for consumers to hear.

The MDR-DS7500 surround headphones are expected to make their way onto retail shelves in Japan for sale come October 10 this year at the suggested retail price of 49,350 yen (approx US$643) after taxes.

Samsung announces availability of new portable media players in Korea Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/samsung-announces-availability-ofnew-portable-media-players-in-korea/13438.html

September 1st, 2011 September 1st, 2011

Published by: VR-Zone

back most common audio formats, such as MP3, WMA, Acc, Ogg and more importantly. Flac.

For most people, the fact that their smartphones boast the capability to provide basic audio and video playback means that there is little need to invest in a dedicated portable media player when their smartphones can satisfy that need. However, it seems that there are enough people who believe in the value of having such a dedicated media player for Samsung to justify the release of yet another such device, and it comes in the form of its new YP-R2 and YP-Z3 players. Who needs to invest in a portable media player when the humble mobile phone, which boasts the ability to deliver basic media playback support, is fast becoming the device of choice for portable media playback while on the move? Well, tell that to Samsung; the Korean electronics giant has just announced the availability of two new portable media players, the YP-R2 and YP-Z3, in Korea. According to the machine translation of Samsung's press release, the new YP-R2 and YP-Z3 portable media players feature the Korean electronics giant's SoundAlive technology which allows for increased audio playback quality such as bass enhancement as well as three-dimensional sound. In addition, the YP-R2 will sport a three-inch WQVGA touchscreen and come bundled with the DivX codec for better video playback support.

The YP-R2 will be available in black silver color at the price of 149,000 won or approximately US$139 (4GB) and 169,000 won (approx US$158) for the 8GB variant , while the YP-Z3 will come in Mercy Mellow White, Cherry Pink and Mint Blue, and will be sold at the price 119,000 won (aprox US$111)for a total of 8GB storage space.

ASUS announces availability of new O!Play Mini Plus settop box in Singapore Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/asus-announces-availability-of-new-oplay-mini-plus-set-top-box-in-singapore/13437.html September 1st, 2011

Want to hook up a home theatre PC (HTPC) of sorts to your TV set but don't wish to deal with all the hassle involved in configuring it? Don't worry, there is a set-top box for that, and it comes in the form of ASUS's new set-top media player box, the O!PlayMini Plus, in Singapore. According to ASUS, the new device is designed to offer access to a multitude of online services for endless entertainment from both video and social media websites, among many others.

On the other hand, the YP-Z3 will come with a 1.8-inch display (non-touchscreen) and make use of physical buttons for navigation. Last but definitely not least, Samsung has confirmed that the media players will be capable of playing

ASUS has announced the availability of its new set-top box for home theatre systems, the ASUS O!Play Mini Plus, in Singapore. According to ASUS, the new O!Play Mini Plus is designed to designed to offer access to a multitude of online services for endless entertainment from both video and social media websites, along with many other media-related features.

September 1st, 2011

In an official announcement made by the company yesterday, ASUS claimed that the new O!Play Mini Plus set-top box will feature built-in support for various online media streaming and social networking services, such as “Mediafly, Dailymotion, Facebook, YouTube, Picasa, Flickr (and) thousands of internet TV and radio stations. ASUS has also touted the new O!Play Mini Plus set-top box as being the world's first device to support Acetrax, the most popular online video on demand service in Europe. On the specifications side, it would appear that the new O! Play Mini Plus set-top box has got just about everything an average user will need to get the system working right outof-the-box. According to ASUS, the device will feature builtin support for gigabit Ethernet and WiFi N connectivity, while utility tools such as O!Direct and O!MediaShare enable users to stream media files from a variety of devices straight to an HDTV without complicated setups, as well as stream content from a desktop PC or notebook to the TV.

Full specifications for the new O!Play Mini Plus set-top box are as follow:

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No details about the O!Play Mini Plus set-top box's pricing has been announced by ASUS at this point.

Zotac launches tiny AMD Eseries powered ZBOX nano Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/zotac-launches-tiny-amd-e-seriespowered-zbox-nano/13436.html September 1st, 2011

If you're on the hunt for a tiny PC – and we're not talking Mac mini small here, we mean really tiny – then Zotac might just have what you're after in the shape of its ZBOX nano, a 127x127mm AMD E-series APU powered computer. It might not have the most powerful hardware, but you'll have a hard time finding anything smaller with as many features crammed into it. If you're on the hunt for a tiny PC – and we're not talking Mac mini small here, we mean really tiny – then Zotac might just have what you're after in the shape of its ZBOX nano, a 127x127mm AMD E-series APU powered computer. It might not have the most powerful hardware, but you'll have a hard time finding anything smaller with as many features crammed into it. We first saw this tiny box on display at Computex, but back then it was featuring a VIA Nano CPU, but it seems like either Zotac changed their mind, or they just made another SKU with AMD's E-series APU. Zotac will apparently be offering the ZBOX nano with either an AMD E-350 or an E-450, although the initial version appears to be sporting the E-350. Despite its small size, the ZBOX nano is missing very little in terms of features.

September 1st, 2011

Published by: VR-Zone

the time of writing there were no details to be found on the Zotac website relating to the ZBOX nano.

AMD Trinity to feature Radeon HD 7000 Graphics Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/amd-trinity-to-feature-radeonhd-7000-graphics/13434.html September 1st, 2011

For starters, looking around the back we find two USB 2.0 ports, two USB 3.0 ports, a Gigabit Ethernet port, an eSATA port, a DisplayPort, an HDMI port and an antenna for 150Mbps 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 3.0. Around the front is a pair of audio jacks, a memory card reader that takes most of the regular formats apart from CF cards and an IR receiver. Internally there's only room for a single SO-DIMM and a 2.5-inch drive. A remote control is also bundled that works with Windows MCE and for some reason Zotac is also supplying an additional IR receiver that connects via USB.

Although at 127x127mm the ZBOX nano is tiny, it's quite chubby at 45mm tall. It does of course have an external power brick as its power source and Zotac supplies a VESA compliant mounting plate that allows the entire system to be mounted on the back of an LCD screen. Overall it's a pretty neat little package, but if the Japanese price is anything to by, it's horrendously expensive, as in Japan it retails for 27,500 Yen (S$433) and the Plus model which comes with 2GB of DDR3 RAM and a 320GB hard drive is even pricier at 35,000 Yen (S$550) which makes it questionable if this is the route to go down. That said, prices in Japan are usually higher for electronics, but even so, it doesn't seem worth the money. At

AMD first demonstrated next-gen Trinity APUs at Fusion Developer Summit in June this year, also revealing Trinity will feature a GPU part based on the VLIW-4 architecture currently only used in Radeon HD 6900 series. Fudzilla have now leaked a Globalfoundries slide which mentions the GPU part of Trinity will be branded as part of the Radeon HD 7000 family. AMD first demonstrated next-gen Trinity APUs at Fusion Developer Summit in June this year, also revealing Trinity will feature a GPU part based on the VLIW-4 architecture currently only used in Radeon HD 6900 series. Fudzilla have now leaked a Globalfoundries slide which mentions the GPU part of Trinity will be branded as part of the Radeon HD 7000 family.

The slide mentions upcoming Orochi die, set to release as Zambezi or FX-Series on the desktop and Valencia (Opteron 4200) and Interlagos (Opteron 6200) on servers. AMD's next-gen Fusion APU, Trinity, is set to feature next-gen Piledriver architecture cores, as revealed in recent roadmaps. As mentioned before, the GPU part will be part of the Radeon HD 7000 family, and is rumoured to feature the VLIW-4 architecture. The overall improvement in theoretical GFlops will be 50% over Llano. Of course, while this may not indicate a 50% increase in real-world performance, Trinity is set to be a 27

September 1st, 2011

Published by: VR-Zone

major step forward for the Fusion initiative. Trinity is expected to release in the first half of 2012. In addition, Fudzilla also reports that the next-gen 28nm parts will now also be branded under the Radeon HD 7000 moniker, as expected.

Corsair adds roomier SKUs to the Force GT SSD series Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/corsair-adds-roomier-skus-to-theforce-gt-ssd-series/13433.html September 1st, 2011

So far Corsair has only offered fairly small sized SSDs in its high-performance Force GT series of SSDs, but now the company has added a pair of new, roomier models to the series. The new capacities are 180 and 240GB, a doubling of the two previously largest models. So far Corsair has only offered fairly small sized SSDs in its high-performance Force GT series of SSDs, but now the company has added a pair of new, roomier models to the series. The new capacities are 180 and 240GB, a doubling of the two previously largest models.

We're expecting one of the new models for testing and although neither comes in cheap, we'd expect Corsair to be competing for a top spot in terms of raw SSD performance with these models. As for pricing, the 180GB model has an MSRP of US$379 (S$459) while the 240GB model comes in at US$489 (S$590), which is pretty much in line with other SSDs based on the latest generation of SandForce controllers.

COMEX Show 2011 Promotions: Sony Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/comex-show-2011-promotionssony/13432.html September 1st, 2011

At the COMEX 2011, Sony will have some great promotions on their products including the Cyber-shot DSC-WX30, VAIO Z notebook PC and the recently launched NEX-5N mirrorless interchangeable lens camera. The company will occupy the usual area on the Concourse on level 3, and their booth can also be seen on level 4, booth 8210.

These SandForce SF-2280 driven SSDs have also gained a small performance increase on the write side, with both models offering write speeds of up to 525MB/s, up from 515MB/s for the 120GB drive. A small increase perhaps and the sequential write speed is still stuck at 555MB/s. As with the previous models, Corsair is bundling both drives with a 3.5inch adapter. Sony VAIO Z Series Notebook PC 28

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The Sony VAIO Z series is designed as a high performance yet thin and light PC. It is equipped with second generation Intel Core i7 processor, SSD in RAID ) configuration and full high definition LCD display for your multimedia enjoyment. The VAIO Z comes with an optional Power Media Dock with AMD Radeon HD 6650M (1GB VRAM) and Blu-ray disc player.

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COMEX Show 2011 Promotions: PROLiNK Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/comex-show-2011-promotionsprolink/13430.html September 1st, 2011

COMEX Show Price: TBA

PROLiNK will showcase several new products at the COMEX Show 2011, which include the new wireless pan/tilt network camera, Bluetooth keyboard, wireless presenter, and three device servers. The PROLiNK booth can be located on level 6, hall 602, booth 6231.

Sony NEX-5N Interchangeable Lens Camera This new compact NEX-5N from Sony is built on the popularity of the NEX-5 and claims to offer superb responsiveness, image quality and creativity of a DSLR camera. It features 16.1-Megapixel Exmor APS HD CMOS sensor and new BIONZ processor enabling ISO 25600 high sensitivity, full high definition movie with 50p/25p, manual focus, full P/A/S/M exposure control and improved audio. The NEX-5N also comes with a tilt-angled 3-inch Xtra Fine LCD touchscreen display for viewfinder. COMEX Show Price: TBA

PROLiNK PPS2101, PPS2101N and PPS2104N Device Server The new device servers with Sharehub technology are available in three models, in 1-port (wireless and wired) as well as 4-port wireless versions. Unlike regular print servers which only allow the user to share the use of standard printers, the new Sharehub device servers can be used for sharing even multifunction printers. You can also share data in USB devices within the network (acts as a network-attached storage device) and even playback music to USB speakers. COMEX Show Price: S$69 (PPS2101), S$79 (PPS2101N) and S$85 (PPS2104N)

Sony Cyber-shot WX30 Launching at COMEX, the super-compact and stylish Cybershot WX30 offers a wide range of imaging options for stills, full HD video and 3D shooting. It is also the first-ever Cyber-shot WX series model to feature a spacious 3-inch Xtra Fine LCD wide touch screen for beautifully simple fingertip operation. COMEX Show Price: TBA

September 1st, 2011

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PROLiNK PIC1003WP IP Camera

PROLiNK PWP102G Wireless Presenter

This new PROLiNK PIC1003WP IP camera claims to be one of the easiest IP cameras to set up in the market, and comes with wide range pan/ tilt capabilities as well as built-in micro-SD card interface for video storage.

The wireless presenter, on the other hand, is both ergonomically designed and easy to use and setup. The additional function of the Optical Finger Navigation (OFN) technology allows the user to even use this device as an “air mouse” to remotely control your computer.

COMEX Show Price: S$299

COMEX Show Price: S$59

Renesas announces its first SATA 6Gbps to USB 3.0 bridge controller Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/renesas-announces-its-firstsata-6gbps-to-usb-3.0-bridge-controller/13429.html September 1st, 2011

PROLiNK PKM-3810B Bluetooth Keyboard Aesthetically designed and very user-friendly, the PROLiNK Bluetooth keyboard is a must for users who value functionality as much as beauty. It is sleek and slim, comes with 12 hotkeys, and has a transmission range of up to 10m.

Judging by today's announcement, Renesas has realised that it only has so much time left in the so far for the company, very profitable USB 3.0 host controller market and it's now branching into other USB 3.0 markets. As such the company has announced its first USB 3.0 peripheral chip, the µPD720230 which is a SATA 6Gbps to USB 3.0 bridge controller.

COMEX Show Price: S$59 Judging by today's announcement, Renesas has realised that it only has so much time left in the so far for the company, very profitable USB 3.0 host controller market and it's now branching into other USB 3.0 markets. As such the company has announced its first USB 3.0 peripheral chip, the µPD720230 which is a SATA 6Gbps to USB 3.0 bridge controller. The only other company we're currently aware of that has a SATA 6Gbps to USB 3.0 bridge solution is ASMedia, so if Renesas can deliver the µPD720230 on time in October as per the press release, then the company might just manage 30

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to hit the market at the right point in time. Renesas has one advantage over its competitors, as it's only one of two companies that we're aware of that can offer UASP licenses and as such the company has of course added UASP support to the µPD72023. This means that there should be a performance improvement when used with UASP compatible host controllers. As such, Renesas own host controllers as well as those found in AMD's A75 and A70M chipsets should see not only a performance advantage when used with the µPD720230, but UASP also adds support for command queuing, something that the standard bulk-only transfer protocol lacks. With over 40 million Renesas controllers already in the market, that's a pretty decent install base to start making accessory chipsets for and unless its competitors licenses UASP support, we're going to have to wait until Windows 8 until we get universal UASP support.

The press release doesn't talk too much about performance, but mentions speeds of up to 370MB/s using ATTO. This is a very impressive figure, but ATTO tends to produce numbers that are in general higher than that seen in other benchmarks and as such we'd take this number with a grain of salt. On the other hand, we'll try to get hold of a bridge for testing to see if Renesas can deliver on their claims. Renesas has also implemented support for the U1 and U2 power states which are part of the latest USB 3.0 specification for bridge devices, something VLI is already supporting in its VL701. Renesas claims that this can help reduce the power consumption at idle by up to 40 percent, although we presume this is when hard drives are used rather than SSDs. Renesas expects to kick off production volumes of around 500,000 chips a month and samples are already available. There seems to be some confusion about the pricing though, as the Japanese press release mentions US$3 per chip in sample volumes, while the English press release puts the price at US $3.50. We wouldn't expect to see products in the market based on the µPD720230 until early 2012.

Sony VAIO Z review: Portability, meet Power Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/sony-vaio-z-review-portability-meetpower/13345.html

Published by: VR-Zone September 1st, 2011

Where Apple innovates, others follow, right? Well, apparently not for Sony, especially if the company's recent update to its VAIO Z line of ultra-thin and highly portable notebooks are of any indication. With frills such as an extremely thin body, high-performance hardware for its assembly and the inclusion of an external graphics solution for added firepower, it would seem that Sony has had Apple finally beaten at its own game. Or has it? VR-Zone investigates.

As far as most people are concerned, Apple appears to be the only computer OEM that is capable of churning out notebooks that not only boast cutting edge and futuristic designs, but are also thin enough to be capable of being transported around in a typical manilla envelope. However, it would seem that the design crown is no longer Apple's to dominate, especially if the introduction of Sony's new VAIO Z ultra-thin notebook is of any indication. With access to Intel's i7 range of mobile processors, a 13-inch LED backlit display that is capable of 1080p resolutions, a docking station that doubles up as an external graphics solution, and copious amounts of RAM, Sony's intent is clear. The company is aiming to go head-tohead against Apple in the market for premium, ultra-portable notebooks, a segment which Apple has enjoyed undisputed success in for the longest time, with other OEMs mostly playing catch up to the Cuptertino giant. That being said, good design and performance, while vital, cannot make up for a sloppy user experience, and suffice to say Sony will have its work cut out for it in order to ensure that its new VAIO Z is capable of delivering a decent experience that is worthy of its futuristic design. And that is what we are here to find out in today's review of the Japanese electronics giant's new (and oh-so-droolworthy) VAIO Z ultra-portable notebook.

September 1st, 2011

Published by: VR-Zone

New SONY VAIO Z VPCZ217GG/N/ X notebook PC specifications Processor

Intel Core i7-2620M clocked at 2.7GHz (up to 3.4GHz under TurboBoost), 4MB L3 cache Chipset Intel HM67 Chipset Graphics Card Onboard Intel HD Graphics 3000 Display LED backlit 13.3-inch full high-definition display (1920 x 1080) TFT VAIO Display Premium screen Operating System Windows 7 Professional SP1 (x64 version) Memory 8GB DDR3 SDRAM (2 x 4GB custom DIMM) Storage capacity 256GB intenal flash memory (128GB SSD x 2 under RAID 0) Wireless Connectivity Bluetooth v2.1 + EDR, WiFi (802.11a/b/g/n) Weight 1.165kg including bundled battery pack Considering how the docking station for the new Sony VAIO Z notebook is in itself both an attraction and a unique system of sorts, we decided that it deserves its own little list of specifications as well: VGP-PRZ20A external Power Media Dock specifications Graphics Card Optical disc drive Dimensions Weight

1GB AMD Mobility Radeon HD 6650M BD-ROM with DVD SuperMulti 148.0 x 16.65 x 220.0 mm 685g

September 6th, 2011

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

Single chip DIMM is close to becoming reality Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/single-chip-dimm-is-close-tobecoming-reality/13500.html September 6th, 2011

Things just got really interesting in the memory market space, as Invensas Corporation, a subsidiary of Tessera Technologies have come up with a way to shove as much memory as that fitted to a SO-DIMM into a single chip. The technology is known as xFD or multi-die face-down packaging and it'll be demonstrated at IDF San Francisco next week. Things just got really interesting in the memory market space, as Invensas Corporation, a subsidiary of Tessera Technologies have come up with a way to shove as much memory as that fitted to a SO-DIMM into a single chip. The technology is known as xFD or multi-die face-down packaging and it'll be demonstrated at IDF San Francisco next week. The xFD packaging is interesting in more ways than one, as although it's currently used to stack several DRAM wirebond dies into a single BGA package, it's possible that we could see other types of memory put into xFD packaging as well. Invensas claims that its xFD packaging can not only save 25 to 35 percent space in vertical height, but it can also improve electrical performance by 50 to 70 percent in speed-bin yield and provide a 20 to 30 percent heat transfer advantage of standard dual-die packages.

Now as you might've gathered by now, xFD isn't necessarily going to bring cheaper memory, even though Invensas claims that it's cheaper to manufacture if you consider the memory density improvement. xFD will be available in either DFD (Dual Face Down) or QFD (Quad Face Down) which as the name suggests puts two or four DRAM dies inside a single chip. The xFD packaging supports x4, x8 and x16 data bus width, although the chip size will of course get bigger with larger chip sizes. The DFD packages will measures 11.5x11.5mm or alternatively 11.5x14mm while the QFD packages will measures 16.2x16.2mm. Invensas claim to have tested and validated its xFD packaging at speeds of up to 2133MHz and although the company is currently targeting the server and datacentre market space, we can see this technology trickle down in consumer related products in the not too distant future and the company is mentioning mobile computing as one of its target markets beyond servers. If it proves to be cheaper to manufacture than traditional memory packaging technology while delivering on the performance claims, we might soon be back to the days of single rank DIMMs (memory chips on only one side). The DRAM business isn't exactly making a lot of money these days and a solution like this might very well be able to reduce the cost of a single DIMM by a significant amount, simply by allowing for a component cut.

That said, for now the technology will most likely be used to double or quadruple the memory size on server level DIMMs, which should not only help boost the amount of memory you can put in a server, but hopefully also allow to reduce the overall total memory cost by reducing the total DIMM count in many a server. So good news all around then? Well, we'll have to wait and see how popular Invensas xFD packaging technology turns out, but in theory we could see products in the future where only a chip or two make up an entire DIMM, quite a change from how things are today. Source: Invensas

Lenovo announces IdeaPad U300s Ultrabook, and U300 and U400 laptops Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/lenovo-announces-ideapad-u300sultrabook-and-u300-and-u400-laptops/13498.html

September 6th, 2011

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September 6th, 2011

It was only last week when VR-Zone had an exclusive preview of the IdeaPad U400. Today, Lenovo has announced its new range of luxury laptops, which come in the form of IdeaPad U300s Ultrabook, as well as the U300 and U400 laptops. The new IdeaPad U series laptops are designed for fashionistas and provide everything they need in a slender, mobile and super chic package. Lenovo IdeaPad U300s Ultrabook Equipped with second generation Intel Core processors, the Lenovo IdeaPad U300 and U400 boast boot up times of under 17 seconds thanks to the optional RapidDrive SSD technology. The U300 sports a 13.3-inch display while the U400 has a 14-inch high definition display and AMD Radeon HD5470M 1GB graphics. Both models have specifications that support up to 8GB DDR3 memory, up to 1TB HDD storage and up to 256GB SSD storage. The U400 also has an integrated slotloading DVD-RW drive. The Long Life Battery on the U300 lasts for up to six hours of productivity and up to seven hours on the U400. Both laptops also feature the same Breathable Keyboard technology as the U300s.

The super slim U300s Ultrabook features second generation Intel Core i7 processor with Intel Turbo Boost Technology 2.0, and boots quickly in about10 seconds with Enhanced Experience 2.0 RapidDrive SSD technology. It has a 13.3-inch 16:9 widescreen high definition display, 4GB DDR3 memory and up to 256GB solid state drive. The U300s is built from a single-piece aluminum shell to create a sleek and lightweight product weighing in at less than 1.4kg and measuring just 14.9mm thin. Available in Graphite Grey or limited-edition Clementine Orange with scratch-resistant coating, the U300s comes with other smart technologies including Breathable Keyboard, an Intel Advanced Cooling Technology that allows air to flow in through the keyboard and out of the sides and rear hinge. With Lenovo Long Life Battery, the U300s provides up to eight hours of productive use or an incredible 30 days on standby. And with Lenovo RapidCharge its battery can be charged to 50% capacity in just 30 minutes. Other features include Bluetooth, 802.11n Wi-Fi, USB 2.0 and USB 3.0 connectors, as well as an integrated 1.3-megapixel webcam. Lenovo IdeaPad U300 and U400 Ultraportable Laptops

Pricing and Availability The Lenovo IdeaPad U300, U300s and U400 will be available in Singapore from October 2011 onwards. All three laptops are available in a cool Graphite Gray color, and the U300s also comes in limited-edition Clementine Orange. Prices for these laptop models will be announced closer to the availability date.

Genius Intros SP-U150X USB Speakers Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/genius-intros-sp-u150x-usbspeakers/13499.html

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Published by: VR-Zone

cm high, Genius notes that its rounded-triangle shape is "eyecatching". The set weighs about 400 grams.

Peripherals major Genuis rolled a new line of cute-looking USB stereo speakers for PCs and Macs, particularly notebooks. The SP-U150X as it's called, comes in three variants based on the color of a ring around its dome - black, yellow, and green. The speakers feature 2-inch drivers, which can deliver 2W (RMS) output per speaker. Its shell is made of pianoblack (glossy) ABS, with a matte front finish, and a glossy ring around its dome. It takes input in two ways. It can act as a USB audio device and run entirely off a USB connection, or it can take a 3.5 mm line input while drawing power from USB.

The Genius SP-U150X speakers are now available in North America for US $20. Images Courtesy: Genius

Shenzhen Files 1: New Mobile Phone Formats appear UMEOX V3 credit card size phone, and more Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/shenzhen-files-1-new-mobile-phoneformats-appear--umeox-v3-credit-card-size-phone-and-more/13497.html September 6th, 2011

Our experienced well weathered strategic adviser, Nebojsa Novakovic, covers here his discoveries and experiences from visits to various electronics hubs around the world. This time, his first thoughts on interesting hardware coming from Shenzhen - we start with UMEOX and its unique mobile phones.

The SP-U150X set takes input in two ways. It can act as a USB audio device and run entirely off a USB connection, or it can take a 3.5 mm line input while drawing power from USB. Either ways, it needs the USB cable plugged in. Apart from its 4W total maximum output, the speakers offer full frequency response range from 100 Hz to 22 KHz. Measuring about 10

When you get to Shenzhen, you'll get overwhelmed by the sprawling green city of over 14 million, and thousands of gleaming skyscrapers, with a huge metro system that seems even cleaner - and less crowded yet more modern - than the one we have in Singapore. If you're an electronics or computers buff, this is probably heaven on earth for you, more so than Taipei. There are dozens of electronics malls, many of them around Huaqiang Lu's SEG Plaza, having everything under the sun from the weirdest resistors or oddball CPUs to LCD or LED panels, power supplies, drives... anything, you name it.

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However, the design capability of Shenzhen's own companies has also improved dramatically, leading to many new brands appearing in the market, including the currently hot smartphone and tablet arena. Some of them even try to open up new market niches with unique models. A case in point was UMEOX, a local Shenzhen mobile phone design firm, which uses large contractors as FOXCONN and CHANGHONG for manufacturing, besides its own assembly facility - some 6 million units last year. I saw their ultra compact phone model, V3, which may not have too many features, but is slim and basically close to credit card size.

Published by: VR-Zone

exported to Singapore, besides other usual global markets. Other stuff they design includes oversize button senior citizen phones with SOS buttons, as well as tracker devices. They don't seem to have a very high end 'flagship' mobile phone model, though, which is a pity as having a good flagship often benefits the sales of same vendor's lower end units, as the users have more confidence in the technological capability of the vendor itself. More on these, as well as other interesting gadgetry coming out of Shenzhen labs, on these pages soon.

Hitachi GST first with single platter 1TB hard drives Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/hitachi-gst-first-with-singleplatter-1tb-hard-drives/13496.html September 6th, 2011

One Terabyte per platter hard drives isn't breaking news these days, but Hitachi GST has put a twist on things by launching several new models with a single 1TB platter in them. The new drives are also available in smaller sizes, but this is where things get strange, as despite being a single 1TB platter drive, some of the models will only offer 250 or 320GB of usable storage space. With roughly 9 x 5 cm dimensions, and just 5.8 mm thickness, this Infineon ULC2-based unit, sold to Alcatel in France and Pearl in Germany, among others, is the first phone that I know of, that can be carried INSIDE THE WALLET. The simple low cost quad-band 2G phone, as you can see here, isn't intended for mobile Net or other fancy activities, but for what the phones were originally used for: calls and messages. I guess a touchscreen 3G version could add even those mobile surfing capabilities.

One Terabyte per platter hard drives isn't breaking news these days, but Hitachi GST has put a twist on things by launching several new models with a single 1TB platter in them. The new drives are also available in smaller sizes, but this is where things get strange, as despite being a single 1TB platter drive, some of the models will only offer 250 or 320GB of usable storage space. It's pretty clear that the hard drive market has reached a stage where the drive makers are wasting a lot of potential storage space on hard drive and we end up with a pricing scheme that doesn't reflect the actual value of the storage space. Today a 160, 250, 320 and 500GB hard drive can be had for the same price and in one case we're looking at twice the capacity for the same model from the same manufacturer. No wonder there's so much consolidation going on in the industry, as there's really not much money to be made from hard drives these days.

UMEOX also offers SOLO, a rugged, water/shock/dust proof design with huge back solar panel for total outdoor independence, but again it is a 2G phone, aimed at key communication functionality important when away from urban areas, rather than sophisticated Net surfing or such. It is also fine when the sun goes down, as, once the battery is charged, there is still 250 minute talk time. According to Ms Sandy Zhang in UMEOX marketing, this phone was also 4

September 6th, 2011

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Motherboard major ASUS unveiled a new micro-ATX motherboard based on the AMD E-450 accelerated processing unit (APU), the E45M1-M PRO. This board is nearly identical to the E35M1-M PRO, except of course its faster APU. The AMD E-450 is clocked at 1.65 GHz, a mere 50 MHz jump over the E-350, but the real improvement here is that the GPU core speed that jumps to 600 MHz thanks to TurboCore technology. Motherboard major ASUS unveiled a new micro-ATX motherboard based on the AMD E-450 accelerated processing unit (APU), the E45M1-M PRO. This board is nearly identical to the E35M1-M PRO, except of course its faster APU. The AMD E-450 is clocked at 1.65 GHz, a mere 50 MHz jump over the E-350, but the real improvement here is that the GPU core speed that jumps to 600 MHz thanks to TurboCore technology.

Hitachi GST's new models include the 1TB Deskstar 5K1000.B which is a 5,400rpm drive with 32MB cache and a claimed power saving of 23 percent compared to the new Desktar 7K1000.D. The 7K1000.D on the other hand is available in 250, 320, 500, 750GB and 1TB sizes and as the name suggests we're looking at a 7,200rpm drive here, again with 32MB of cache. Both models do of course sport the SATA 6Gbps interface and they also comes with what Hitachi GST calls HiVERT which the company claims reduces idle power by up to 15 percent. Alongside the two new consumer models, Hitachi GST also launched a pair of new CinemaStar DVR drives, namely the 5K1000.B and 7K1000.D. The biggest difference here compared to the Deskstar drives is that they've been optimised for video recording and playback. Both models comes in capacities from 250GB to 1TB and features' what Hitachi GST calls CoolSpin technology, as well as HiVERT, 32MB cache and a MTBF of 1.2 million hours and a slightly lower noise level than the desktop equivalent models.

New ASUS Fusion Zacate Micro-ATX Board Is A Notch Faster Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/new-asus-fusion-zacate-micro-atxboard-is-a-notch-faster/13494.html September 6th, 2011

The E35M1-M PRO is a micro-ATX motherboard measuring 244 x 183 mm. It is powered by AMD E-450 Fusion "Zacate" processor platform, aided by AMD Hudson M1 chipset. The platform offers a wealth of connectivity and performance per Watt for its price. The E-450 APU and Hudson M1 chipset are cooled by a common low-profile heatsink, an optional fan can be attached to it for better cooling. A 3-phase VRM powers the APU, which is goverened by an ASUS EPU chip that works to improve energy efficiency. The APU is wired to two DDR3 DIMM slots that support single-channel DDR3 memory with speeds of up to 1333 MHz. Expansion slots include a PCI-Express 2.0 x16, a PCI-Express x1, and two legacy PCI slots. The PCI-Express slots are wired to the APU. Compared to Intel Atom "Pineview" based desktop boards, this platform provides a wealth of connectivity. The E-450 APU embeds a Radeon HD 6320D graphics processor that's DirectX 11-compliant, and is driven by 80 stream processors. Display outputs include one each of HDMI, DVI, and D-Sub (VGA). In terms of storage, there are no less than five SATA 6 Gbps ports, and one eSATA port with 6 Gbps datarate.

September 6th, 2011

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MeeGo products will be diminished, especially when the majority of companies are going for Android and Windows platform instead. Intel has denied giving up on MeeGo, and the company expressed that it will continue to MeeGo development. However, it is questionable as to what future plans the chip maker would have for the platform. And even if the chip maker is still actively involved in MeeGo, the development looks to be stalled. If Samsung should buy over the MeeGo system, it was speculated that it may not use the plaform directly, since the company already has its own Bada platform, alongside with Android and Windows Phone. It is likely that the company could integrate MeeGo with Bada, or we may see MeeGo-based devices in the near future. The Realtek ALC-887 chip used on this board is an 8channel HD audio CODEC, but it's wired to a 6-channel audio jack cluster. Those seeking 8-channel output can still use the TOSLINK connector, which gives out 7.1 channel optical SPDIF output. Other connectivity includes one gigabit Ethernet connection, two USB 3.0 ports, and a Firewire port apart from a number of USB 2.0 ports on the rear panel, and via internal headers. We don't expect the ASUS E45M1-M PRO to be priced significanly higher than the E35M1-M PRO.

Reallusion unveils Visualize image editing tool for iPad Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/reallusion-unveils-visualize-imageediting-tool-for-ipad/13493.html September 6th, 2011

Images Credit ASUS

Intel gives up MeeGo development; Samsung eyes to take over Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/intel-gives-up-meego-development-

Reallusion has unveiled their new Visualize application which is designed for Apple iPad users who want to do some image editing on their tablet device. Visualize is an image editing tool that allows users to make cutouts and stylized image composition. You can give this software a try; Visualize is now available in iTunes store.

samsung-eyes-to-take-over/13495.html September 6th, 2011

According to news reports, chip manufacturing giant Intel may be shifting its focus from MeeGo platform to smartphone and tablet development, and it was said that Korean company Samsung may be intending to take over the platform.

The MeeGo platform has suffered a huge blow, especially when Nokia has announced their Windows Phone in February this year. This means that the production quantity of

Reallusion have launched a brand-new visual application for the iPad market, which combines the power of freehand cutouts, visual templates and layered compositiion. It is a image editing application that can create instant PNG cutouts by importing and editing images directly from the iPad camera or the Internet. Cutouts can be saved in the onboard gallery folders, to expand the current collection, or be retouched for further layering and compositing. Customizing and compositing images are made easy, thanks to a wide range of stationeries, symbols, icons and arrows, found in over seven item categories. You can rotate, scale and transform images or use the embedded slider controls for pixel-accurate positioning. The same can be done for changing

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color settings, and adjusting edge properties with special effects such as feathering, shadowing, or white edging. Users can now import snapshots and clippings directly from online websites with the use of a rectangular cropping tool. Images can also be manually cut out with just a flick of the finger, using the intuitive lasso tool. You can also add text by simply typing and later adjusting the background and font settings. Last but not least, you can also further customize your projects by dropping in background images with added spotlight, and color effects to enhance the look. When ready, simply export the projects to Facebook, Picasa, Dropbox or send them as a email attachment to colleagues.

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are also eight hidden pieces of mooncakes in the stages. Find all eight mooncakes and you will be rewarded with another bonus level. The Angry Birds Seasons - Mooncake Festival is available for download on the iPhone, iPad, Android and Symbian devices. In addition, the Angry Birds Seasons also gets another the Mighty Eagle like the regular version. The Mighty Eagle is a one-time in-app purchase and costs US$0.99 / ÂŁ.59 / â&#x201A;Ź.79. Basically, you can use the Mighty Eagle to skip a level, unlock the next level so as to advance in the game. However, you are only entitled to skip one level every hour. The Mighty Eagle also lets you attain new highscores and achievements.

You can download the latest trial in your iTunes Stores - http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/visualize-free/ id456857776?ls=1&mt=8 , or visit Reallusion to get more information: http://iphone.reallusion.com/ Here's a demo introduction video of Visualize

New update for Angry Birds Seasons - Mooncake Festival Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/new-update-for-angry-birds-seasons-mooncake-festival/13492.html September 6th, 2011

VMware to bring Business Capabilities onto Samsung Smartphones, Tablets The Angry Birds Seasons has been rather quiet with no new update until few days ago. Well, there are only so many festivities in a year and we would assume that there won't be any more to add to the game. The good folks at Rovio has announced the new "Mooncake Festival" stages for Angry Birds fans. If you have not updated the game, it is time to do so now.

Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/vmware-to-bring-business-capabilitiesonto-samsung-smartphones-tablets/13482.html September 6th, 2011

Virtualization giant VMware has announced a strategic partnership with Samsung that could well be a strong shot-in-the-arm for the adoption of the Android platform in businesses. In a nutshell, the collaboration means that Samsung will integrate the just-announced VMware View 5 and VMware Horizon Mobile with its mobile smartphones and tablet devices. VMware View 5 is an update to VMware's desktop virtualization solution with improved bandwidth utilization and graphics, while (the more interesting) VMware Horizon Mobile will essentially see VMware's mobile hypervisor technology installed onto compatible hardware. The Mooncake Festival is popular among Chinese, in China as well as the Asia region. And it is interesting to see Rovio, the company behind the popular Angry Birds game, coming up with new update for the Angry Birds Season using the Chinese holiday (in some countries) as theme. According to Rovio, there are 30 brand new levels with lanterns, pagodas and harvest moon. Besides the bonus stage which is unlockable when you get three-star achievement for every stage, there 7

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Announced at VMware conference last week, VMware Horizon Mobile is a way for businesses to securely manage an employee's mobile work environment separately from their personal space. This means that workers can continue to use and customize their Android-based phones without having to worry about messing up their company's settings and configurations. Moreover, personal emails and apps will not be interspaced with work-related ones, allowing employees the freedom and flexibility to use a single Android device for both work and play. Within the mobile work environment, IT admins retain the full ability to remotely manage installed applications and configurations. Everything here is saved within an encrypted virtual container that can only be accessed after keying in a password - including new notifications. It is clear that this technology offers enhanced protection against misplaced or stolen devices, even as its sandboxed nature eliminates traditional fears of invasion of privacy when allowing the IT department full access to personal devices. One criticism about VMware Horizon Mobile however, is the potential performance reduction that running Android on top of Android. On its part, VMware has asserted that the performance reduction is only 10 percent, and that the company hasn't heard any complaints pertaining on that front. No specifics have been offered about which Samsung phones might incorporate the technology, though it is understood that LG also plans to make phones available with the technology. In the meantime, VMware has put together a short video clip where you can see VMware Horizon Mobile in action on an Android smartphone here.

Intel's new Sandy Bridge CPU lands, others receives price cut Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/intel-s-new-sandy-bridge-cpu-landsothers-receives-price-cut/13490.html September 6th, 2011

Remember all those new Intel Sandy Bridge CPUs we've been writing about over the past couple of months that were supposed to launch in September, well they've arrived. Now please don't panic, as none of the models are likely to cause much of a stir as we're looking at minor updates at the most, although one or two of them as we've already mentioned, might be worth a closer look. Remember all those new Intel Sandy Bridge CPUs we've been writing about over the past couple of months that were supposed to launch in September, well they've arrived. Now please don't panic, as none of the models are likely to cause

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much of a stir as we're looking at minor updates at the most, although one or two of them as we've already mentioned, might be worth a closer look. Let's start with the desktop models where we have a new, slightly faster mid-range Core i5 model, a new top of the range Core i3 model, a new Core i3 model with HD3000 graphics and a new slightly faster power efficient Core i3 model, all as per the table below. We also have two new, faster Pentium models alongside a new slightly faster low power Pentium model. Possibly the most important new chips though are the first Sandy Bridge Celerons which means you can get dual core Sandy Bridge action for sub US$50, although with quite a few features snipped off. Desktop CPUs Core i5-2320 6M cache, 4 Cores, 4 Threads, 3.00GHz, 95W TDP Core i3-2130 3M cache, 2 Cores, 4 Threads, 3.40GHz, 65W TDP Core i3-2125 3M cache, 2 Cores, 4 Threads, 3.30GHz, 65W TDP Core i3-2120T 3M cache, 2 Cores, 4 Threads, 2.60GHz, 35W TDP Pentium G860 3M cache, 2 Cores, 2 Threads, 3.00GHz, 65W TDP Pentium G630 3M cache, 2 Cores, 2 Threads, 2.70GHz, 65W TDP Pentium G630T 3M cache, 2 Cores, 2 Threads, 2.30GHz, 35W TDP Celeron G540 2M cache, 2 Cores, 2 Threads, 2.50GHz, 65W TDP Celeron G530 2M cache, 2 Cores, 2 Threads, 2.40GHz, 65W TDP Celeron G440 1M cache, 1 Cores, 1 Thread, 1.60GHz, 35W TDP Celeron G530T 2M cache, 2 Cores, 2 Threads, 2.0GHz, 35W TDP

Price US$ $177

$138

$134

$127

$86

$75

$70

$52

$42

$37

$47

On the mobile side we have three new quad cores, of which one is an Extreme Edition part which is 200MHz faster than its predecessor with a 200MHz higher Turbo clock. The other two quad cores also receive a 200MHz speed increase over their predecessors, with the rest of the features seemingly remaining the same. There's also a new dual core Core i7 model, but here we're looking at a more modest 100MHz speed increase. Finally we have a 300MHz faster Celeron model. Mobile CPUs

Price US$ 8

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Core i7-2960XM (8M cache, 4 Cores, 8 Threads, 2.70 GHz 32nm Core i7-2860QM (8M cache, 4 Cores, 8 Threads, 2.50 GHz 32nm Core i7-2760QM (6M cache, 4 Cores, 8 Threads, 2.40 GHz 32nm Core i7-2640M (4M cache, 2 Cores, 4 Threads, 2.80 GHz 32nm Celeron B840 (2M cache, 2 Cores, 2 Threads, 1.90 GHz 32nm

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$1,096

$568

$378

$346

$86

As for price drops, well they only apply to Intel's Core i5 and Core i7 65W TDP S models and 45/35W TDP T models on the desktop side and the price drops are very minor at between two to six percent. Considering that these CPUs are still not that widely available to consumers, this is not likely to affect consumers that buy their own CPUs to any larger degree.

TYAN Intros S5515 SingleSocket LGA1155 Server Board Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/tyan-intros-s5515-single-socketlga1155-server-board/13489.html September 6th, 2011

As more businesses move online, the hosting industry is only set for growth. With dedicated hosting, leasing a single multicore processor-powered server is an ideal option for small businesses. Often it's boards such as the TYAN S5515 released today, that make up such servers. The S5515 is a micro-ATX motherboard based on the Intel Q67 Express chipset, which takes in second generation Core i3/i5/i7 "Sandy Bridge", and Xeon E3-1200 series processors in the LGA1155 package. TYAN is known most for its vast portfolio of enterprise motherboards of all shapes and sizes, all architectures and sockets. At the outset the S5515 could look like a sub-par desktop board, but closer inspection reveals that everything is located in the right place for server setups. Intel Q67 Express "Cougar Point" is a viable choice of chipset as it gives nearly all management features one would expect from Intel's server chipsets. These include Intel Trusted Execution Technology (TXT) with supported processors, Intel Active Management Technolgy (AMT), and the nearly-universal Intel Rapid Storage Technology (RST).

Active Management Technolgy gives network administrators a wealth of remote management tools, including hardware KVM over network helping with remote repairs and host based setup. Trusted Execution Technology ensures a high degree of trust and control over the machine and adds a line of defence against software-based attacks aimed at stealing data. Rapid Storage Technology allows administrators to build and service storage volumes connected to the chipset AHCI/RAIDcompatible SATA controller. Measuring 243.8x243.8 mm, the TYAN S5515 complies with the micro-ATX form-factor. There are four expansion slots, including a PCI-Express 2.0 x16 wired to the processor, a close-ended PCI-Express x8 that's electrically x4 and wired to the chipset, a PCI-Express 2.0 x1, and a legacy PCI. In terms of storage connectivity, there are six SATA ports, the two ports colored blue run at a max speed of 6 Gb/s, while the rest run at 3 Gb/s. RAID modes 0, 1, 10, and 5 are supported, and can be managed over RST. The LGA1155 processor is powered by a 3+1 phase voltage regulation circuitry, there isn't any exotic digital PWM stuff here, but one can count on the board to be making use of highgrade chokes and MOSFETs. The four DDR3 DIMM slots are wired to the processor, and support up to 32 GB of unbuffered non-ECC DDR3-1333/1066 MHz memory. There are two gigabit Ethernet connections, handled by Intel 82583 controller that comes with a suite of network management tools and a driver that spreads processing loads over multiple CPUs. Realtek ALC888 7.1 channel HD audio CODEC handles audio, it is wired to 6-channel jacks, which isn't a big concern in an enterprise environment. Display 9

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connections include DVI, D-Sub (VGA) and DisplayPort. Miscellaneous connectivity includes two USB 3.0 SuperSpeed ports, serial (COM) over header, and a number USB 2.0 ports. The TYAN S5515 is available now. Image Courtesy TYAN

Sony Singapore unveils new NWZ-A860 Walkman MP3 player Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/sony-singapore-unveils-new-nwza860-walkman-mp3-player/13486.html September 6th, 2011

Even though many users do use their smartphones to listen to their favorite songs, there still exist a group who prefer to rely on the dedicated portable MP3 player. Sony Electronics Asia Pacific has recently unveiled their new NWZ-A860 Walkman MP3 player that features a stylish exterior design, Bluetooth wireless connectivity, and claims to deliver premium sound quality for audiophiles on the move.

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and video viewing. Transferring music from Windows Media Player or iTunes is an easy task, thanks to the Sony Media Go application. And with SensMe Channel, it automatically categorises music tracks into different channels and plays music to match the time of day and even the user’s mood, Other features include Karaoke Mode that can reduce the volume of vocals for party time sing-alongs, and Synchronised Lyric Features let users follow along as they learn the words to their favorite songs.

Intel SSD 710 Lyndonville for Enterprise Detailed Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/intel-ssd-710-lyndonville-forenterprise-detailed/13485.html September 6th, 2011

Intel's latest generation of solid state drives has come full circle with new enterprise-grade SSDs in the 2.5-inch SATA form-factor. Called the Intel SSD 710 series, and codenamed "Lyndonville", the new series succeeds previous-generation X25-E series in a similar way SSD 320 series does to the last X25-M drives. It makes use of NAND flash memory built on the 25 nanometer fabrication process, steps up capacities, lowers price per gigabyte, and adds new features that improve throughput and endurance, which are key in datacenters. We scored some information that gives you a fair idea of what to expect from the new drives, and especially why you shouldn't be neophobic with the new Intel SSD 710. Intel's SSD 710 takes a new approach to addressing the 'problem' of not being able to achieve good price per gigabyte ratios with single-level cell (SLC) NAND flash memory. SLC NAND flash has been preferred in the enterprise computing industry, due to its high cell endurance to rewrites, and throughput. With the new SSD 710 series, Intel will introduce the new High Endurance Technology Multi-Level Cell (HETMLC) NAND flash. These new chips are claimed by its makers to offer endurance comparable to SLC, while giving users the capacity advantage that MLC offers.

Featuring superb audio technologies, Bluetooth wireless connectivity, and sophisticated designs, the Sony NWZ-A860 Walkman MP3 player is designed to deliver great quality for audiophiles on the go. It claims to deliver premium sound quality, thanks to the company’s unique Clear Audio Technologies. The Advanced Digital Amplifier ‘S-Master MX’ technology also helps to improve bass reproduction and lowers noise levels, and Digital Sound Enhancement Engine (DSEE) ensures crystal clear reproduction of high frequency sounds. The Bluetooth connectivity allows users to share their favorite photos with friends who have Bluetooth-enabled mobile devices. The Sony NWZ-A860 also sports a responsive 2.8inch touch panel display for ease of navigation and image 10

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Intel's SSD 710 drives come in three capacities - 100 GB, 200 GB and 300 GB - and the endurance rating varies between the three. With 4 KB write endurance, while the 100 GB model is rated to offer 500 TB (900 TB with 20 GB overprovisioned, leaving 80 GB unformatted capacity), and the 200 GB model offers 1 PB or 1000 TB (1.5 PB with 40 GB overprovisioned, leaving 160 GB), the 300 GB model tops the charts with 1.1 PB endurance (3.0 PB with 60 GB overprovisioned, leaving 240 GB). The SSD 710 300 GB gets very close to X25-E 64 GB with 4K write endurance and 4K random write performance in IOPS. The figures paint SSD 710 to have most durable MLC NAND flash ever made, and should build confidence in server builders.

Apple iPhone 5 cases spotted in China hints a "Tear drop" design, similar to Macbook Air Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/apple-iphone-5-cases-spotted-in-chinahints-a-tear-drop-design-similar-to-macbook-air/13484.html September 6th, 2011

With the launch of the highly anticipated Apple iPhone 5 drawing closer each day, it looks like there a new batch of iPhone cases have been spotted even before the phone is available. From the looks of the cases, it hints at the iPhone 5 may be adopting a Macbook Air-like "Tear drop" design.

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Yes, it looks like another new batches of Apple cases have been spotted in China. Unlike the ones that were reported from a company in Shenzhen, China, which have thinner form factor and larger display, the latest cases showed that the iPhone 5 may have a "Tear Drop" design, which is similar to the Macbook Air. The cases have a thinner point closer to the home button end of the iPhone and it looks to become thicker as you go up the body to the camera and power button. This may mean that the phone could be adopting a Macbook Airinspired design. From the reports, the cases are currently in mass production, though it is still unknown whether they are designed for the new iPhone 5, iPod Touch or even a new device from Apple. Let's wait and see.

Logitech introduces Bedside Dock for iPad and New Tablet Speaker Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/logitech-introduces-bedside-dock-foripad-and-new-tablet-speaker/13483.html September 6th, 2011

Logitech Singapore has introduced their new Apple accessories which include the Bedside Dock for iPad and Tablet speaker. The Bedside Dock comes with a speaker that produces full stereo sound and includes a bass enhancer, and lets you wake up to your own music or FM radio, The Logitech Tablet Speaker is easy to set up, boasts up to eight hours of battery life, and you can watch a full-length movie or two with good quality audio.

September 6th, 2011

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The Desktop Experience 'just another App' in Windows 8 Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/the-desktop-experience-just-anotherapp-in-windows-8/13481.html September 6th, 2011

The Logitech Bedside Dock features an alarm that lets you wake up to your own music, tone or FM radio. The internal clock syncs with the clock on your iPad, so it is always accurate. The speaker offers full stereo sound and includes a bass enhancer and you can even dock your iPad and charge it when the speaker is turned off.

In case you missed it, Steven Sinofsky, who is the president of Windows and Windows Live division has started blogging about Windows 8 since the middle of August. Among other nuggets of information, he has revealed to date the next iteration of the Windows operating system that will incorporate robust USB 3.0 support as well as native support for ISO and VHD files. In addition, Sinofsky touched on a topic of immense interest when he wrote about the GUI (Graphic User Interface) this week that we can expect to see in Windows 8.

Pricing and Availability The Logitech Bedside Dock is expected to be available in Singapore by mid October for a suggested retail price of S$99.

In the blog titled "Designing for Metro style and the desktop," Sinofsky confirmed that Microsoft will incorporate both the touch-friendly Metro experience (Think Windows Phone 7) while also retaining the traditional desktop. A few reasons were given against starting from a clean slate with a Metroonly touch interface, one of which would be the "hundreds of thousands of existing apps" designed with the desktop in mind. Sinofsky elaborated:

The Logitech Tablet Speaker is a compact, clip-on, rechargeable speaker that offers maximum convenience and portability.Attach your iPad or other tablet devices securely with the rubberized clip and plug the 3.5mm audio cable into the headphone jack. It features with up to eight hours of battery life depending on usage, which is good enough to watch a full-length movie or two. The speaker also charges over USB, which means you never need to worry about replacing batteries. Pricing and Availability The Logitech Tablet Speaker is expected to be available in Singapore by mid September, for a suggested retail price of S $59.

"The mechanisms that people rely on today (mice, physical keyboards, trackpads) don't suddenly become less useful or "bad" just because touch is also provided as a first-class option. These tools are quite often the most ergonomic, fast, and powerful ways of getting many things done." Moreover, he cited the popularity of remote desktop programs for tablets and phones as evidence of the desktop's versatility. With these considerations in mind, Microsoft has opted for a more nuanced approach in the form of a Metro style interface that will work well with touch (and which includes the mouse and keyboard), in addition to support for a desktop interface. What I found interesting though, was the revelation that it will be possible to stay "permanently immersed in the Metro world" as Sinofsky puts it. Users who opt for such an experience will work exclusively in Metro, without ever needing to see the desktop. The desktop code will not even be loaded for such users, assured Sinofsky, which means zero penalties in terms of memory, battery life and performance. On the other hand, users who require the desktop experience

September 6th, 2011

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can seamlessly switch to it. Indeed, Sinofsky encouraged seeing the Windows desktop "as just another app." On a more serious note, this update appears to dovetail well with earlier news that the ASUS Eee Pad Transformer will be shipping with Windows 8 in a 2012 refresh. Assuming that Microsoft can deliver a truly seamless Metro/Desktop interface, there could well be a surge of demand for Windows 8 tablets that convert into a laptop by snapping on a keyboard. Rather than the prospect of a bleak post-PC world, a Windows 8 "convertible" would conceivably serve the needs of users for both work and play.

Toshiba Smartens STOR.E TV For Living Room Goodness Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/toshiba-smartens-stor.e-tv-for-livingroom-goodness/13474.html September 6th, 2011

Content consumption media is in a state of flux. From disc players to media players that take USB mass storage devices, the evolution is on at breakneck pace. Hard disk drive vendors such as Toshiba and WD have taken the initiative to combine their external hard drive expertise with media center hardware to eat into the markets of both HTPCs and media players in one go. At this year's IFA event, Toshiba unveiled its second generation of hard drives tailor-made for the living room. The STOR.E TV series of hard drives pack media player hardware making the drive a single-device solution for media consumption. The consumer electronics giant unveiled two models: STOR.E TV 2 and STOR.E TV Pro. Check them out on the next page. Content consumption media is in a state of flux. From disc players to media players that take USB mass storage devices, the evolution is on at breakneck pace. Hard disk drive vendors such as Toshiba and WD have taken the initiative to combine their external hard drive expertise with media center hardware to eat into the markets of both HTPCs and media players in one go. At this year's IFA event, Toshiba unveiled its second generation of hard drives tailor-made for the living room. The STOR.E TV series of hard drives pack media player hardware making the drive a single-device solution for media consumption. The consumer electronics giant unveiled two models: STOR.E TV 2 and STOR.E TV Pro.

Both models measure 235 x 195 x 50 mm. While the STOR.E TV 2 is strictly a hard drive media player, the STOR.E TV Pro has wired networking capabilities that connects your HDTV to the web, and allows web-browsing. Both come in variants based on the capacity of the hard drives they pack: 500 GB, 1 TB, 1.5 TB and 2 TB. Both drives connect to your TV using HDMI and composite. Apart from the in-built hard drive, the devices provide one USB 2.0 port, with which you can plug in any USB mass storage device (a flash drive or another portable hard drive), and transfer data from it, without taking the drive back to your PC. Add to this, a 3-in-1 media card reader. The drive itself connects to a host PC over USB 2.0. The new STOR.E hard drives allow you to play a wide range of popular video formats, including H263/H264, MPEG4, DivX/XviD, VC1/WMV, VP8; and audio formats including MPEG,OGG, MP3/MP2, WMA, WAV, APE, FLAC, AAC, and PCM.Video is streamed out at 1080p, and the digital audio passed through supports Dolby Digital, DTS 2.0+ formats. Things take a turn for the awesome with STOR.E TV Pro. This device provides all features of the STOR.E TV 2, but adds an ethernet port with which it can connect to the web, or a network. Toshiba bundles a compact bluetooth remote that features a QWERTY keyboard and a trackpad. The hard drive allows web-browsing at 1080p resolution. Toshiba however didn't mention in its press release if it supports Adobe Flash, giving it access to a wealth of online videos. "The vast majority of TVs in the home do not provide web access," said Marco Perino, General Manager, Digital Products Division, Toshiba Europe GmbH. "We've been looking for a plug-and-play approach to connect these 'stand-alone' TVs to the web and designed the multimedia console STOR.E TV PRO," he added. Toshiba expects a market release of these two in the fourth quarter of 2011.

Show Babes @ Comex 2011 Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/show-babes--comex-2011/13480.html September 6th, 2011

We take a look at the show babes that are in Comex 2011. Sadly, our favourite from ACRyan isn't here this time. Enjoy!

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A new legend is born however, A.C Ryan gets a new show babe in Comex. Yes, she is rather tall and slim

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Toshiba babe in red

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Babe in 3D holds a LG Optimus 3D

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Urbanears

September 6th, 2011

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The SE-208BW looks just like a regular external slim-line optical drive with the exception of the small Wi-Fi logo on it. Interestingly, the SE-208BW has an Ethernet port and USB connectivity and it will also work as either a Wi-Fi access point or a Wi-Fi repeater, although as to how useful the repeater mode will be depends on where your Wi-Fi router is located. Delving deeper into the networking features of the SE-208BW we find a Dynamic DNS server and thanks to a spare USB port, it can thus share data on a USB storage device over the network.

Canon, delighting you always

Samsung announces Wi-Fi optical drive and then some Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/samsung-announces-wi-fi-opticaldrive-and-then-some/13479.html September 6th, 2011

Over the years we've seen a lot of peculiar bits of hardware launch, but Samsung's new SE-208BW optical drive with WiFi interface is among the strangest we've ever seen. Samsung calls it the Smart Media Hub rather than an optical drive, as beyond being able to connect to a PC over Wi-Fi, it also works with tablets and smartphones. Over the years we've seen a lot of peculiar bits of hardware launch, but Samsung's new SE-208BW optical drive with WiFi interface is among the strangest we've ever seen. Samsung calls it the Smart Media Hub rather than an optical drive, as beyond being able to connect to a PC over Wi-Fi, it also works with tablets and smartphones.

The optical drive can be used for backing up data straight from your Wi-Fi devices, although we're not quite sure as to exactly how this process would work. If you happen to own a DLNA compatible TV or media player, then the SE-208BW can stream media to it thanks to Samsung's Allshare software. The optical drive will read and write CDs and DVDs, with CD speeds of up to 24x for both read and write, while DVDs will be read at 8x with single layer write once discs written at 8x, dual layer discs at 6x, DVD-RAM discs at 5x, +RW discs at 8x and finally â&#x20AC;&#x201C;RW discs at 6x speed. Samsung didn't mention a price in the press release and you'll have to wait until early next year to get your hands on the SE-208BW. Despite the slightly bizarre nature of the SE-208BW, we have to applaud Samsung for creating a truely unique convergence device, the question is, is there a market for it?

Powered by USB to a green future Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/powered-by-usb-to-a-greenfuture/13478.html September 6th, 2011

Today we're kicking off something new here at VR-Zone with the introduction of the first feature written by a guest writer. If this proves to be popular we'll be doing more of these kinds of stories about various topics written by industry insiders from a wide range of technology companies. So please click on through and let us know if this is the kind of thing we should do more of in the future.

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Our first guest writer is René F. Koch, the CTO of Leader Electronics Inc. which is one of the largest OEM/ODM designers and manufacturers of power adapters and various types of power supplies. Leader Electronics Inc. has over 40 years of experience in the industry making product ranging from phone chargers, to notebook chargers all the way to various industrial solutions. René has been working for Leader Electronics Inc. for over a decade in various positions at the company and his guest feature is about where things seem to be heading as far as device charging is concerned and why we’re heading in that direction.

The Universal Serial Bus, or simply USB, has from its launch always been able to provide power to the connected device and it’s now transforming into the new Universal Power delivery system, according to a recent publication from the USB implementers forum. The strength of USB has always been its ability to provide power, next to a means of being an interface, as this allowed for a single cable connection to be used with a wide variety of devices like Human Interface Devices (mice, keyboards, etc.), microphones, speakers, storage devices and so on. Until recently, the current limit was 500mA for configured high-power devices and 100mA for un-configured or lowpower devices; with a standardized bus voltage of 5V this results in a maximum power of 2.5W, similar to the power needed for a normal mobile phone charger. The European Union was interested in making this the mandatory mobile phone charger standard, as that could result in major "Green" benefits. Most people have had multiple mobile phones over the past decade; as functionality increased, people would buy new models, leaving their old phone with a still functional charger as waste, while buying multiple chargers, for home, work and in the car for example. Waste is a growing concern, especially in electronic goods; the EU therefore, figured this a good opportunity to reduce the amount of waste, as the chargers do not offer any additional functionality with newly released phone models. Although most major mobile phone brands agreed to the proposed standard and signed the MOU that was initiated by the EU, most of them are not yet willing to ship their

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products without a charger; this is especially true for highervalue products. The rationale is that a lower quality charger, which does not completely comply with the requirements, could render mobile phones useless or even worse, making the battery explode as seen in the past. Nevertheless, the future trend is set for a universal charger and is destined to become reality. Other types of products take advantage from this initiative, especially those that are battery operated and are charged by USB; look at Digital Cameras, tablets and smartphones. Even products that do not even need to communicate over USB, like wireless DECT phones or LED flash lights use USB ports to connect to their charger. If you wanted to use more power from a USB port than 2.5W you could choose to use two USB plugs, as often is the case with external 2.5-inch hard drives, alternatively, an external power supply could provide the additional power. Now, with the introduction of USB 3.0, the current capability was raised up to 900mA for super-speed ports, almost doubling the power delivery capability. Meanwhile, an additional feature was added to the USB standard in order to provide more power to connected devices, in particular to be able to charge battery operated handheld devices. The new standard is known as the “Battery Charger Standard” and in late December last year, V1.2 was released, which allows currents beyond 1.5A, up to a maximum of 5A, resulting in a power delivery capability up to 25W. The key feature of this charging standard is a dedicated USB mode which is initiated by a resistive pull-up / down configuration of the data pins. With a maximum current handling capability of 1.8A for the connector-pins in a micro USB plug, the cables and connectors of the USB standard are now the limiting factor to deliver more current and, as the voltage is standardized to 5V, also to power. This is where the new power delivery standard will come in, as the Voltage will be negotiable in the future, by digital communication between the host and connected device, and could go as high as 60V DC; limited for safety reasons to the maximum Voltage of a Safe Electrical Low Voltage (SELV); a Voltage that does not result in a shock hazard when touched. In theory this could mean up to 100W, with the 1.8A of current handling capability as maximum limit (1.8A * 60V = 108W). Handling higher currents, like the absolute limit of 5A, as defined in all USB specifications, even if connectors and cables could handle this current, is however not a good solution for energy efficient transport of power. Current creates losses in cables and connections; the lower the current, the lower the power loss. (Ploss = I2 * R). As such 100W would be the maximum power that could be delivered over a single USB port, which means that when using a 4-port USB hub, up to 400W could be delivered. This power level goes way beyond the practical needs of most computing equipment; dedicated gaming or CAD computers, or their imaging peripherals might need more power, but then again, this power delivery system is not meant to power computer systems but rather peripherals, with a possible extension to charge notebook computers or other handheld battery operated devices. Thinking about the opportunities and possibilities this power delivery standard could offer, it could very well change the world of power electronics, and power delivery as we know it. 17

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Energy Performance standards, which are mandatory in most western parts of the world, focus on active mode energy efficiency and off-mode, stand-by and no-load power consumption.

release makes bold claims of 1.5 second resume times (from sleep) and up to 50-days battery life (this time in deep sleep mode), something that will be interesting to see if Acer can really deliver on.

Active mode energy efficiency is quite clearly the capability of the system to perform a certain action while limiting the energy required doing so. Although actions are not always easily translated into power, the EU tries to generalize actions and reflect a certain calculation on them in order to establish the system performance of that action in relation to the used power consumption to perform said action. (The U.S.D.O.E. is starting similar activities)

It turns out the leaked pictures of Acer's Ultrabook turned out to be the real deal after all, as the company has unveiled its Aspire S3 series of Ultrabooks at IFA in Berlin today. The press release makes bold claims of 1.5 second resume times (from sleep) and up to 50-days battery life (this time in deep sleep mode), something that will be interesting to see if Acer can really deliver on.

There are three modes of operation while the system is not actually performing its primary task: · Off-mode, in which the device / system is still powered, but not performing any action; · Standby-mode, in which the system is idle, waiting for an instruction to perform its primary action, and · No-Load, in which the power supply is connected, but the device is not connected to the power supply. Basically, any energy draw during these three modes of operation is waste, as there is no action being performed. An additional state of non-active mode is now added to the scope, which is referred to as “networked stand?by”. This mode comes into scope when thinking about all the USB powered devices that do not have their own power supply. At this time, each connected device needs to draw less than 500mW of power while in a non-active mode according to mandatory energy efficiency regulations. The USB standard actually defines a “suspend” mode in which no more than 2.5mA (12.5mW) can be drawn from the bus, but does not mandate a suspend mode. Connecting 4 devices to one USB hub, would result in a stand-by consumption of 2A (4 * 500mA), while the USB hub itself should also draw less than 500mA. As the system can be considered to be idle during night time, the total power consumption of this configuration could add up to 2.5A * 5V = 12.5W. This is a lot of wasted energy, but still in-line with the current regulations. In order to reduce this waste, there is an obvious need for smarter power distribution. Using USB can provide all the hardware needed to grow into an eco-system that incorporates smart power distribution, without the need for new standards, connectors or interfaces.

Acer unveils its first Ultrabook, the Aspire S3 Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/acer-unveils-its-first-ultrabook-theaspire-s3/13477.html September 6th, 2011

Ace is still being coy with regards to some aspects of the specifications of the Aspire S3 and there are a few blanks in the press release. However, what we do know is that as with all the other Ultrabooks, Acer will be using Intel's ULV Core i3, i5 and i7 processors. In the storage department we're looking at a 320 or 500GB hard drive, or a 240GB SSD options. It's worth noting that Acer has implemented what it calls Green Instant On which is some kind of SSD caching technology but we're not sure if this is Intel's Smart Response technology or a different solution like the one used by Samsung in its Series 7 notebooks.

Other features will include a 13.3-inch 1366x768 display, an HDMI port, an SD card reader, a single headset jack and sadly what appears to be a pair of USB 2.0 ports. Less noticeable features include a 1.3 Megapixel webcam, 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.0+HSR. The notebook itself is a mere 13mm thick and weighs in at 1.4kg. It has a similar chiclet keyboard to that found on the current TimeLineX series of notebooks from Acer, but it has a much larger touchpad.

It turns out the leaked pictures of Acer's Ultrabook turned out to be the real deal after all, as the company has unveiled its Aspire S3 series of Ultrabooks at IFA in Berlin today. The press 18

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Acer claims up to 7h battery life, but this is for the SSD equipped model, so expect that to be less on the hard drive models. It's a shame that Acer couldn't have made a thinner screen bezel, similar to that seen on Samsung's Series 7, as in as much as the Aspire S3 being a thin and light notebook, the thick screen bezel kind of ruin things a bit. The Aspire S3 will start shipping in selected regions this month, with broader availability in October. It seems like Acer didn't manage to hit Intel's sub US$1,000 price point with the Aspire S3 as the most basic model which we expect to have a Core i3 CPU and a 320GB hard drive will retail at €799 (S $1,375/US$1,140) while the top of the range SSD equipped Core i7 model is expected to retail at €1,199 (S$2,060/US $1,710). You can find some additional pictures on the next page.

Nikon COOLPIX S100 @ S$449 Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/nikon-coolpix-s100--s-449/13475.html

Nikon Singapore is pleased to announce that the sales date for COOLPIX S100 officially starts on, 1st Sept, 2011, Thursday and the recommended retail price for the COOLPIX S100 is S $449.

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Nikon Singapore is pleased to announce that the sales date for COOLPIX S100 officially starts on, 1st Sept, 2011, Thursday and the recommended retail price for the COOLPIX S100 is S$449. Price and Sales Date for the remaining models (COOLPIX AW100, P7100, P1200pj, S4150, S6150, S6200 and S8200) will be announced at a later date.

Product Name

Colors Available

COOLPIX S100

• Silver • Black • Gold • Red • Pink • Purple

SpecificationsRecommended & Major Retail Price Features • 18.1mm slim S$449 and stylish Note: This design model was • 16.0 megapixels with 3.5” OLED touch panel

launched exclusively during COMEX Show 2011.

• 5x optical zoom with 28mm wideangle

W.e.f 1st Sep 2011 onwards, it will be • Backside available in illumination the market for CMOS sensor sale. • Full HD movie recording 19

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• 3D photography scene mode • Filter Effect mode

COOLPIX S100

• Silver • Black • Gold

Price and Sales Date for the remaining models (COOLPIX AW100, P7100, P1200pj, S4150, S6150, S6200 and S8200) will be announced at a later date. Product Name

Colors Available

COOLPIX AW100

• Black • Blue • Orange

• Red • Pink • Purple

• Backside illumination CMOS sensor • Full HD movie recording

• 16.0 megapixels with 3” LCD

• 3D photography scene mode

• 5x optical zoom with 28mm wideangle

• Filter Effect mode • 14.1 megapixels with 3” LCD

COOLPIX S1200pj

• Backside illumination CMOS sensor

• Black • Pink

• 5x optical zoom with 28mm wideangle

• Full HD movie recording

• Black

• 16.0 megapixels with 3.5” OLED touch panel • 5x optical zoom with 28mm wideangle

Specifications & Major Features • Nikon 1st AW Series compact camera

• Camouflage • Waterproof, shockproof, cold-resistant

COOLPIX P7100

• Full HD movie recording with stereo sound • 18.1mm slim and stylish design

• Brighter projection up to 60” display

• Built-in GPS and electronic compass • 10.1 megapixels with 3” LCD

• Project images via iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch*

• 7.1 optical zoom • 28mm wide-angle to 200mm telephoto lens • Faster response and lesser noise • Special Effect mode • Tone level information display

• Special Effect mode

COOLPIX S4150

• Silver • Black • Bronze • Red • Purple

*via dedicated cable • 14.0 megapixels with 3" LCD • 5x optical zoom with 26mm wideangle • Pet Portrait Mode 20

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• Filter Effect Mode

COOLPIX S6150

• Silver • Black • Red • Pink • Violet

• Backside illumination CMOS sensor

• Built-in original animated characters • 16.0 megapixels with 3” LCD

• High-speed response • Target finding AF function • Continuous shooting function

• 7x optical zoom with 28mm wideangle

• Smile timer continuous mode

• Touch Shutter, Subject Tracking

• Night Scene mode • Special and Filter effect mode

• Pet Portrait Mode • Filter Effect Mode

COOLPIX S6200

• Silver • Black • White • Blue • Red • Pink

• Easy Panorama

• HD movie recording • 16.0 megapixels with 2.7” LCD

• HD movie recording • Still image during movie recording

• 10x optical zoom with 25mm wideangle • High-speed response • Special and Filter Effects mode • Hand-held/ tripod night landscape detection

Tablets promotion @ COMEX Show 2011 Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/tablets-promotion--comexshow-2011/13473.html September 6th, 2011

If you are looking to get that Tablet device, well, you really need to drop by the COMEX Show. Now. There are some good promotions from the various vendors including the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1, ASUS Eee Pad Slider and Motorola Xoom and we have noted them down in the next page. COOLPIX S8200

• Silver • Black • Red

• 16.1 megapixels with

ASUS

• 14x optical zoom with 25mm wideangle

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leather pouch (worth S$68) for the first 100 customers and free stylus pen (worth S$28) for the first 10 customers per day. If you sign up with the telco operators such as M1's Fibre Broadband 100Mbps plus Mobile Broadband (mData Lite) at S$75/month, you can get the Samsung GALAXY Tab 10.1 for free. Acer

The ASUS Eee Pad Slider was announced in August, but it was only retailing officially at the COMEX Show. The Eee Pad Slider sports a 10.1-inch WXGA (1280x800) capacitive touch IPS display, and is powered Nvidia Tegra 2 dual core processor, 1GB DDR2 memory with 15GB eMMC flash memory, It also has a slide keyboard for ease of typing. Other features include integrated 802.11b/g/n, Bluetooth +EDR, high definition audio CODEC, stereo speaker, 1.2megapixel front and 5-megapixel rear cameras, and up to 8hr battery life. According to ASUS, the Eee Pad Slider is preloaded with Android 3.1 though it will be upgradeable to Android 3.2 in the near future. The ASUS Eee Pad Slider is retailing at a S$759 (U.P. S$899) for this show. Samsung

Acer is known for their range of desktop and notebook PCs, though recently the company also came out with their tablet devices. The 10.1-inch Acer Iconia Tab A500 tablet incorporates Nvidia Tegra 250 dual-core processor, and comes with 1GB DDR2 memory (and 32GB eMMC memory), ultra low power GeForce GPU, Acer Nplify 802.11b/g wireless, 5megapixel rear camera with auto focus and 2-megapixel front camera, and runs Android 3.0 Honeycomb. The Acer Iconia Tab A500 is selling at a competitive S$599 (U.P. S$799). Huawei

Despite the lawsuit between Apple and Samsung, and with court orders that the GALAXY Tab 10.1 is forbidden to be sold in some countries (yet), the highly-anticipated tablet device is fortunately selling here in Singapore, and also at the COMEX Show 2011. Weighing just 565g and measuring 8.6mm, the Samsung GALAXY Tab 10.1 is equipped with 1GHz dual core processor, support for Flash Player 10.3, 3megapixel rear camera with LED flash and 2-megapixel front camera, and preinstalled with Android 3.1. The GALAXY Tab 10.1 is selling at S$848 without contract and comes with free

The new Huawei MediaPad claims to be the world's first tablet to be preinstalled with Android 3.2 Honeycomb operating system. It has an aluminium uni-body chassis, 1.2GHz dual core processor, 7-inch 217ppi ultra clear screen and supports 1080p full high definition video playback (up to six hours). The MediaPad is not available for sale yet, but at this COMEX Show 2011, you can preorder it at S$598 (U.P. S 22

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$628). For those who preorders will also get the mini-HDMI cable, carrying case and 16GB SD card for free (worth S$168).

Parallels unveils Desktop 7 for Mac and new Mobile app for iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/parallels-unveils-desktop-7-for-macand-new-mobile-app-for-ipad-iphone-and-ipod-touch/13472.html September 6th, 2011

This morning, Parallels announced their new Desktop 7 for Mac which claim to provide Mac OS X Lion user experience even on Windows platform which is running on Mac machines. The upgrade is available today for current Parallels Desktop users (you can purchase at Nubox booth at the COMEX Show 2011), while the retail package and downloadable version are going to be available next week.

According to Parallels, there is a growing number of Mac users, both home and business, who want to run Windows applications on their machines. And if you are looking to get a software that can run both Mac and Windows applications side-by-side without rebooting, check out the latest Parallels Desktop 7 for Mac. It offers Mac OS X Lion functionality including full screen, launch pad and mission control for your Windows prograns; run multiple copies of OS X Lion or Windows and applications on the Mac machine; use iPad, iPhone or iPod Touch to watch and listen to Flash videos in Windows on the Mac; access and even run various operating systems like Windows, Chrome OS, Ubuntu etc anytime, anywhere.

The Parallels Mobile app is compatible with the iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch devices and allows users to have complete remote access of their Mac anytime, anywhere. The Parallels Mobile also works with Parallels Desktop 7, which means you can run Flash videos and audio from Windows on your Mac, via your iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch devices. The Parallels Desktop 7 for Mac is available today as an upgrade for current Parallels Desktop users (and at the Nubox booth at the COMEX Show 2011). The packaged retail software as well as downloadable version will be available on 7 September, next week. You can purchase the packaged software at all Nubox retail outlets, Apple retailers including epiCentre, Mutlmedia Integrated, iStudio, Juzz1, Infinite, Challenger, Mac Shop and Sapura, as well as from Apple Online Store. The Parallels Desktop 7 for Mac will retail at S $129; the student edition at S$69; Paralles Desktop 7 Switch to Mac Edition at S$159 and upgrades available for customers at S$69. A special pricing of US$49.99 is available online for users who are currently using WMware Fusion who want to have a solution that is fully compatible with Lion. If you have purchased Parallels Desktop 6 for Mac from an authorized reseller on or after 1 August, you will be eligible for free upgrade to Parallels Desktop 7 for Mac. The Parallels Mobile app is available in the Apple iTunes App Store with an introductory price of US$4.99; the standard retail price is US$19.99. Current users of free Parallels Mobile app will get a free upgrade to the new functionality via an update on their devices.

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John Eng, vice president, marketing and alliances for Parallels, said that the company has 75% market share in desktop virtualization - running Windows and Mac operating system side-by-side without the need of rebooting. Eng said that 50% of the customers who go to Nubox, who is also a partner of the company, are new to Mac, and want to get a Mac but still want to run the Windows applications. "You may ask what kind of applications do people run on the Mac? We did a poll of about half a million of our users and found that there are more than 10,000 discrete (Windows) applications that they use," says the vice president.

HTC announces HTC Radar Windows Phone 7 with Mango update Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/htc-announces-htc-radar-windowsphone-7-with-mango-update/13471.html September 6th, 2011

Even though Nokia has said that their Windows Phone 7 would be out in Q4 this year, it looks like some phone makers may have theirs out earlier than the Finnish company. Today, HTC has announced their first Windows Phone 7 with the highlyanticipated Mango update, which comes in the form of HTC Radar. The HTC Radar is scheduled to go on retail in Singapore in October.

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Taiwanese phone manufacturer HTC has unveiled their Windows Phone HTC Radar which is designed to keep you close to friends, family, news and entertainment that matter to you. The HTC Radar is the company's first Windows Phone 7 with Mango update. It features a compact aluminium unibody, a built-in 5-megapixel rear-facing camera with f/2.2 aperture, 28mm wide-angle lens and back-illuminated sensor for improved low-light performance. The HTC Radar can also capture 720p high definition videos. The smartphone also incorporates Virtual 5.1 surround sound for a rich audio experience, and web browsing is fast and smooth with HTML5 support. You can also get an amazing mobile gaming with Xbox LIVE that lets you access to a great selection of games for Windows Phones.

Creative announces quad core sound cards Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/creative-announces-quad-core-soundcards/13470.html September 6th, 2011

Once upon a time there were as many sound card makers as there were graphics card makers, but today only one of the old companies are still alive, good old Creative (what happened to the Labs bit on the end?) and today the company has announced its first quad core sound cards based on its recently announced Sound Core3D audio processor. This might sound like total overkill for a sound card, but it's not four identical cores, instead we're looking at very specific audio DSPs that have their own tasks to perform. Once upon a time there were as many sound card makers as there were graphics card makers, but today only one of the old companies are still alive, good old Creative (what happened to the Labs bit on the end?) and today the company has announced its first quad core sound cards based on its recently 24

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announced Sound Core3D audio processor. This might sound like total overkill for a sound card, but it's not four identical cores, instead we're looking at very specific audio DSPs that have their own tasks to perform. The Sound Core3D handles the processing for Creative's new CrystalVoice feature, THX TruStudio Pro and all other kinds of audio processing beyond that. The glaring omission in the press release is that there's no single mention of X-Fi technology which suggests that Creative has moved on and decided to drop the X-Fi moniker for its new soundcards. EAX Advanced HD 5.0 is still part of the package though, so gamers need not to worry. As for the new features, CrystalVoice adds acoustic echo cancellation, support for beam-forming which in this case is a kind of noise cancellation technology which requires additional microphones, general noise reduction, automatic loudness adjustment for the microphone and various voice effects and equalizer features. THX TruStudio Pro gets the Crystalizer treatment, a throwback to the X-Fi days, surround sound support, a smart volume feature, something called dialog plus which enhances the voices in games and movies and finally a bass enhancer.

As for the new sound cards, first up we have the Core3D PCI Express which is seemingly sharing its basic design with Creative's first PCI Express card, although the PCB looks extremely void of components for a sound card. We're not sure if the chunk of metal in the centre of the card has any kind of function, as there's a small Creative branded chip further down on the PCB which we suspect is the Sound Core3D rather than something hidder under the purported heatsink. As to the pinheaders, your guess is as good as ours as to what they're for. Next up we have the shrouded Recon3D Fatal1ty Professional which comes with the beam-forming microphone and a nice piece of metal wrapped around the PCB with a small window in it. This brings us to the Recon3D Fatal1ty Champion of which we have as yet to see a picture. This should be the same card as the Recon3D Fatal1ty Professional, but with an I/O drive that sports headset jacks, volume control and various other audio jacks.

The fourth and final product, the Recon3D USB which is quite different from the PCI Express cards, as although this is a USB audio device it packs connectivity for a headset, line in/out and an S/PDIF input. The S/PDIF input allows for Dolby Digital decoding for use with headphones for surround sound. On the right hand side you'll find a three step microphone booster and on the right hand side is a feature that might make the Recon3D USB popular, a switch that lets you select between PC, Xbox 360 and PS3.

However, the features don't stop here, as the Recon3D USB can be upgraded with wireless connectivity and it can be connected to Creative's Tactic3D Omega headset and Creative will offer a bundle of the two later this year. The Recon3D USB is expected to hit retail in October for a price of US$129.99 (S $157). As for the PCI Express cards, Creative didn't mention any actual launch date, although the press release stated that the Recon3D Fatal1ty Champion won't be available until Q1 next year. As a side note, apparently both Gigabyte and MSI has singed up as OEM partners for the Sound Core3D, so it'll be interesting to see what kind of onboard audio solutions the two companies can come up with in the future.

September 6th, 2011

Published by: VR-Zone

Creative launches tiny ZEN XFi3 media player Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/creative-launches-tiny-zen-x-fi3media-player/13469.html September 6th, 2011

We can't say that we've been blown away by Creative's recent additions when it comes to media player, but the just announced Zen X-Fi3 is an interesting device that might not appeal to everyone with its tiny 2-inch screen and touch sensitive controls, but it seems like a step in the right direction compared to some of its past products. In fact, the Zen X-Fi3 seems to be the bigger brother of the Zen Style which launched back in May. We can't say that we've been blown away by Creative's recent additions when it comes to media player, but the just announced Zen X-Fi3 is an interesting device that might not appeal to everyone with its tiny 2-inch screen and touch sensitive controls, but it seems like a step in the right direction compared to some of its past products. In fact, the Zen X-Fi3 seems to be the bigger brother of the Zen Style which launched back in May. What we're looking at is a tiny 65x45.5x12.5mm portable media player that weighs in at a mere 45g, although Creative has somehow managed to pack in a 262k colour screen albeit at a mere 2-inches large with an unspecified resolution, but this is just the start. Around the screen you'll find a set of capacitive touch buttons that gives you access to the menu and handles navigation and playback. There are a pair of volume controls on the right hand side, with a micro SD card on the left side, a headphone jack and a microphone at the top and finally an A/V jack, a mono speaker and somewhat strangely enough a mini USB connector at the bottom, were we really would've expected a micro USB connector by now.

The Zen X-Fi3 also packs Bluetooth 2.1 with AVRCP and A2DP support, but maybe more importantly the apt-X audio codec which is meant to vastly improve audio quality when combined with an apt-X compatible Bluetooth headset. As the name suggests Creative has of course added support for its X-Fi technology and the Zen X-Fi3 packs X-Fi Crystalizer and X-Fi Expand. An 8GB and a 16GB model will be on offer, although if that's not enough, up to 32GB micro SD cards are supported. Let's not forget the built in FM radio as well as the ability to output video to a TV via the A/V jack in the bottom, although you'll have to splash out extra on the composite video cable. As for media support, the Zen X-Fi3 will play back most digital audio formats such as FLAC, DRM free AAC, MP3, WMA, WAV and Audible files, although we're missing support for OGG. If you want to go blind, you can also watch movies on the tiny 2-inch screen, as the Zen X-Fi3 will play WMV9, MPEG4 Simple Profile and AVI files in either DivX4/5 or XviD format, although the top resolution for video is 640x480. Creative claims a battery life of up to 20h for audio and 5h for video. Price wise you're looking at S$149 for the 8GB version and S $189 for the 16GB version, both of which will be available from the end of October.

Something Went Wrong An error occurred creating the PDF version of this zine. Most likely this was caused by some invalid HTML in one of the stories in the zine. The error has been recorded and we will look into fixing it as soon as possible. It will then be possible to re-create this zine in future.

September 14th, 2011

Published by: VR-Zone

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

Gelid GX-7 CPU Cooler review Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/gelid-gx-7-cpu-coolerreview/13564.html September 14th, 2011

Life time MTTF at 40C (h): Noise Level (dBA): Number of LED: Static Pressure (mmAq): Warranty (years): Weight (g):

100'000 10 - 26.8 4 2.66 3 720 (heatsink and fan)

Applications: Intel Socket 775, 1366, 1155 and 1156:

Gelid is one of the few companies which focus entirely on designing and supplying cooling solutions for PC systems; at least at the time of this review. It is a relatively new company, founded only back in 2008, which is based in Hong Kong and has Swiss management. Today we are going to have a close look at their latest CPU cooler, the GX-7. Gelid is one of the few companies which focus entirely on designing and supplying cooling solutions for PC systems; at least at the time of this review. It is a relatively new company, founded only back in 2008, which is based in Hong Kong and has Swiss management. Today we are going to have a close look at their latest CPU cooler, the GX-7. Manufacturer features and specifications

All Pentium D/ Pentium 4/ All Celeron D All Pentium Dual-Core/ Extreme/

AMD Socket AM2/ AM2+/ AM3/ AM3+/ FM1:

All Core 2 Extreme/ Core 2 Quad/ Core 2 Duo, Core i5, Core i7 All Athlon 64 X2, Athlon 64 All Athlon II, All Sempron, Phenom, Phenom II All A Series AMD APU Llano

Photos of Gigabyte's X79 motherboards from IDF Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/photos-of-gigabyte-s-x79motherboards-from-idf/13563.html September 14th, 2011

• 7 Power Heatpipes • Unique Heatpipes Arrangement • Optimized Heatsink with Multi Air Channels • Wing 12 PL Blue Fan • PWM Fan Control • 3 Years Warranty Air Flow (CFM/CMH): Bearing: Cable Length (mm): Current (A): DC Voltage (V): Fan Dimensions (mm) Fan Speed (RPM): Heat Sink Dimensions (mm): LED Color:

75.6 / 128.6 Nanoflux Bearing 500 0.45 12 120 (l) x 120 (w) x 25 (h) 600 - 1800 130(l) x 65 (w) x 159 (h) Blue

By asking nicely, we were sent some pictures from IDF of Gigabyte's upcoming X79 motherboards, well, at least four out of the five models we understand the company is going to launch come November. That said, these aren't the final boards, thanks to Intel's last minute SCU errata, so Gigabyte will have to implement a few changes before these boards hit retail. By asking nicely, we were sent some pictures from IDF of Gigabyte's upcoming X79 motherboards, well, at least four out of the five models we understand the company is going to launch come November. That said, these aren't the final boards, thanks to Intel's last minute SCU errata, so Gigabyte

September 14th, 2011

will have to implement a few changes before these boards hit retail.

Published by: VR-Zone

board and we're also looking at tantalum capacitors. The board has four x16 PCI Express slots and if you have a chassis with eight or more rear expansion slots, you can fit four graphics cards to this board thanks to a sensible slot layout. Gigabyte didn't add any eSATA ports to the UD7, but once again we noticed a couple of Fresco Logic USB 3.0 host controller.

Starting at the top we have the G1.Assassin 2 X79 and the biggest surprise here really is the re-designed heatsinks which are much less in your face than the current models. That said, Gigabyte might very well change this before the board is launching, but we'll just have to wait and see if we'll get a gun themed heatsink or not on the final boards. Expected features include a Killer NIC, Creative X-Fi audio and 3-way SLI and CrossFireX support. We also spotted a Marvell controller for a pair of eSATAp (eSATA/USB combo) ports and a Fresco Logic USB 3.0 host controller on the board. One feature we couldn't figure out what it's for is the blue and green button on the rear below the 4GHz overclock button, although it could be some kind of BIOS switch to select between the primary and secondary BIOS.

For those wanting to use more than four DIMMs the GA-X79UD5 is the way to go, as this board sports a total of eight DIMM slots. This is a more well-rounded motherboard in terms of features, although it still has space for up to three graphics cards. Around the back we're looking at one eSATAp and one eSATA port as well as a pair of USB 3.0 ports and even a FireWire port for those that still utilize this interface. If the UD5 is priced right, we'd expect this to be the most popular model among Gigabyte's X79 boards.

Next up we have the GA-X79-UD7 and as you might've noticed from the colour scheme and the Gigabyte OC logo on the chipset heatsink, this is the next generation overclocking board from Gigabyte, despite the model name. It's pretty clear that Gigabyte has crammed in a few extra power phases on this 2

September 14th, 2011

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You might've noticed that we haven't mentioned the SATA ports on any of the boards and the reason for this is simple, Intel's last minute chipset errata. All boards will as such have two SATA 6Gbps ports and four SATA 3Gbps ports, but beyond this we don't really know what Gigabyte will offer. We spotted additional Marvell chips for a pair of extra SATA ports on some of the boards and it's very likely that Gigabyte will add more than just a pair of additional SATA 6Gbps ports to all of its X79 boards. We'll make sure we get a closer look at the new boards come November, as by then Gigabyte should have close to final boards to show us. The missing model that wasn't on display at IDF should be the GA-X79-D3, but we don't have any details about this model as yet. We've added a few additional pictures on the next page as well.

Sony PS3 in "Splash Blue" and "Scarlet Red", to launch on 17 November Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/sony-ps3-in-splash-blue-and-scarletred--to-launch-on-17-november/13562.html September 14th, 2011

Last, but by no means leas we have the GA-X79-UD3 which is a slightly more basic board, although strange enough beyond the UD7 this is the only board with seven slots and it appears to be able to be kitted out with four x16 cards, although we're not quite sure how the slots are wired. No eSATAp on this model, but at least it has a pair of eSATA ports and support for two rear and two front USB 3.0 ports, all via Fresco Logic chips like the previous models.

At the Tokyo Game Show 2011 press conference today, Sony Computer Entertainment has announced the limited edition "Splash Blue" and "Scarlet Red" of their popular PlayStation 3 game console. Both new editions will be available from 17 November 2011.

Sony Computer Entertainment Hong Kong (SCEH) has announced the 320GB PlayStation3 (PS3) (CECH-3000B series) in new "Splash Blue" and "Scarlet Red" colors. The colors will be available in limited quantity at a suggested retail price of S$429 from 17 November. The “Splash Blue” game console is a refreshing metallic blue color which is reminiscent of “the water splash and the ocean”, while the “Scarlet Red” system with its vivid metallic red color suggests "the glaring sun and the flame". The DUALSHOCK 3 wireless controller included in the bundle will also come in the same special colors.

September 14th, 2011

Intel, McAfee unveil DeepSafe hardware-assisted security technology Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/intel-mcafee-unveil-deepsafehardware-assisted-security-technology/13561.html September 14th, 2011

At the Intel Developer Forum (IDF) held this week, chip maker Intel finally gave the world its first glimpse of the fruit of its US $7.68 billion acquisition of security vendor McAfee, which was completed in February this year. Demonstrated during Intel President and CEO Paul Otellini's keynote, the technology dubbed DeepSafe is a revolutionary blend of software and hardware designed to deliver a level of security protection that is simply not possible with a software-only approach. The idea revolves around building a "deeper" security footprint with the development of hardware-assisted security, fundamentally changing the cat and mouse nature of signature-based security software by operating beyond the confines of the operating system.

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IDF Day 1: Many bridges abound... Sandy, Ivy, and more Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/idf-day-1-many-bridges-abound...sandy-ivy-and-more/13560.html September 14th, 2011

Not only did Intel show the new varieties of Sandy Bridge, but also briefed the audience about Ivy Bridge in more detail than before. Today's Intel CEO keynote at IDF referred many times to the new Socket 2011 Xeons and their desktop brethren, for cases such as reconstructing the St Peter Rome Church interior in full 3-D from millions of photographs - where Intel claims the new Xeons do the job 50% faster than the old Westmerebased 6-core ones, to Dreamworks' Jeff Katzenberg testimony about the new generation processors for their 3-D animation renderings.

McAfee says the DeepSafe has a much greater ability to detect and stop advanced persistent threats (APTs) and increasingly sophisticated malware. It is no secret that current antimalware technology is reeling under increasingly sophisticated attacks, with more than two million unique rootkits currently in existence and 1,200 new rootkits detected daily. On its part, DeepSafe affords a trusted view of system event immune from even the most advanced rootkit. A rootkit is malware that employs stealth techniques of corrupting the OS to evade existing security solutions. RenĂŠe James, senior vice president and general manager of the Software and Services Group at Intel and the Chairman of McAfee summed up the synergy between Intel and McAfee: "By combining the features of existing Intel hardware and innovations in security software, Intel and McAfee are driving innovation in the security industry by providing a new way to protect computing devices." Intel says it has no plans to embed McAfee software directly into its processors, but will focus instead on creating software products and services that take advantage of the embedded security capabilities. As the requisite hardware components are available for use by any developers, James told the Wall Street Journal in an interview that Intel expects competitors to introduce similar technology for Intel processors. Technical information and product details were sparse at this point, though Intel says products utilizing DeepSafe will be available for sale later in the year. Don't expect to see it in your home PC anytime soon however, as the technology will first roll out in enterprise products.

There were both single and dual socket 2011 platforms on the show floor, the single-processors ones open for everyone to see. And, both Intel and MSI had desktop boards with whopping 8 (eight) memory sockets on X79 chipsets for 64 GB RAM desktops! Now, the question is why would most users need such high capacity, but then, there are users who don't need too many CPU cores, just need a lot of memory. This is the answer to them. Otherwise, the usual X79 Socket 2011 boards with 4 DIMMs, means one per channel, can fine tune their tracing easier for slightly better memory performance. Let's cut to the chase: the Ivy Bridge technical presentation was the most interesting one. Have a look at the key points here, in summary, after the discussions post presentation.

September 14th, 2011

Published by: VR-Zone

1 - Process advantage: the tri-gate 22 nm CMOS process will give Ivy Bridge both power and performance advantage, where it would either nearly match current Sandy Bridge clock speed but at half power, or gain more than 20% extra speed at the same power. 2 - Much faster (at least 2x) integrated GPU with full DX11 support and enhancements including DirectCompute, and matching speedups in the video multimedia department, and triple display support 3 - Speedups in the core and the caches, as well as better overclocking for cores and memory 4 - New instructions 5 - Digital Random number generator 6 - Improved protection from some hacking attacks You can see the content of key slides here on the photos, but the key point overall is that the thing is ready, seems to benefit both desktop and mobile market right at start, and should be expected by March 2012 as of now... Have a look at the slides!

September 14th, 2011

Published by: VR-Zone

September 14th, 2011

Published by: VR-Zone

Norton launches Internet Security and AntiVirus 2012 Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/norton-launches-internet-security-andantivirus-2012/13559.html September 14th, 2011

With the rising number of devices and applications for users to enjoy, there is a huge need for digital protection from viruses, malware and cybercrimes. Today, Symantec, the company behind the popular Norton security products, has launched their latest Norton Internet Security 2012 and AntiVirus 2012.

Norton by Symantec today unleashed the new Norton Internet Security (NIS) and Norton AntiVirus (NAV) 2012 with new features designed to enhance the overall user experience while providing the protection and performance the user requires. The company is also delivering on their initiative with mobile and cloud-based technology, which include new beta products and services which will be launched in the coming months with plans to support mobile and tablet devices for both Android and iOS platforms. 7

September 14th, 2011

Published by: VR-Zone

The Norton 2012 incorporates new features to address the latest threats and provides powerful protection against users' online personal information. The key security technologies and usability improvements include: Norton Identity Safe in the Cloud which protects personal and financial information from cybercriminals and keeps users safe from fraudulent websites; new streamlined interface with simplified login experience, and ability to store passwords in the cloud and accessible from any computer with NIS2012 installed; and improved SONAR technology monitors running applications for suspicious behavior to quickly detect and disable previously unknown threats. The Norton Internet Security 2012 and Norton AntiVirus 2012 are now available for purchase in Singapore through various retailers and the Norton online store at www.nortonstore.com.sg. The MSRP for Norton Internet Security 2012 is S$89, which provides one year of protection for up to three PCs, and the MSRP for Norton AntiVirus 2012 is S$39, which provides one year of protection for one PC. The Norton 2012 products support Microsoft Windows XP (32-bit) Home/Professional/Tablet PC/Media Center with Service Pack 2 or later, Microsoft Windows Vista (32-bit and 64-bit) and Microsoft Windows 7 (32-bit and 64-bit) both for Starter/Home Basic/Home Premium/Business/Ultimate editions. Norton Internet Security and Norton AntiVirus 2007 or later users with a valid product subscription are eligible to receive the latest product updates via the subscription service model. For more information, visit the Norton Update center at http://updatecenter.norton.com.

Jabra HALO2 brings virtual surround sound and powerful bass for users on the move Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/jabra-halo2-brings-virtual-surroundsound-and-powerful-bass-for-users-on-the-move/13557.html September 14th, 2011

With the Jabra HALO2 Bluetooth stereo headset, you can enjoy good quality audio as well as make and receive phone calls wirelessly. It features AM3D Virtual Surround Sound and Power Bass, and is available in Challenger stores and Apple premium resellers this Friday.

Launching from the Jabra music series, the Jabra HALO2 is the new Bluetooth stereo headset which claims to be the ultimate smart phone companion. The sleek metallic finish HALO2 includes new features like AM3D Virtual Surround Sound and Power Bass for an enhanced listening experience. It supports Bluetooth 3.0 + EDR technology and users can make and answer phone calls wirelessly as well as play the favorite songs from their smartphones. The HALO2 also incorporates AM3D Virtual Surround Sound and Power Bass for enhanced audio experience. Jabra HALO2 boasts advanced Multipoint technology which lets users connect up to two Bluetooth-enabled devices at any one time (out of maximum pairing with right devices). It has a touch sensor on the side of the headset that lets you adjust the overall volume with just a swipe of a finger, while the wireless stereo sound AVRCP technology lets you control music all by touch - skip tracks, play, and pause songs. Weighing 80g, the HALO2 gives a talk-time of up to eight hours (and separate music time, up to 8 hours). It features Noise Blackout technology with dual microphones, so that your voice transmission comes through crystal-clear. When there's an incoming call, the music playing will automatically fade so that you can decide whether to talk to the caller. The Jabra HALO2 Bluetooth stereo headset will be available from this Friday, 16 September 2011, and retailing for S$148 (RRP) from Challenger stores and Apple premium resellers: Epicentre, Nubox, Digi Lifestyle, Apple Shops at Best Denki and other authorized Jabra resellers. Key specifications of Jabra Halo2: - Bluetooth 3.0 EDR+eSCO wireless technology, up to 10m - A2DP for music streaming - AM3D Virtual Surround Sound 2.0 and PowerBass - AVRCP for remote controls (skip track, pause, etc.) - Noise Blackout technology with dual microphones - Foldable headband and carrying pouch

September 14th, 2011

Published by: VR-Zone

- Talk time – 8 hours - Wireless Music time – 8 hours - Standby time – 13 days - Micro USB charger - Dimensions: 45mm (D) x 165-190mm (H) x 136mm (W) - Weight – 80 g

Creative ZiiLabs unveils 3rdGen reference designs for Android tablets Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/creative-ziilabs-unveils-3rd-genreference-designs-for-android-tablets/13558.html September 14th, 2011

Media processor and platforms company ZiiLabs has unveiled the Jaguar3, its 3rd generation of reference designs for Android 3.2 tablets that incorporate over a decade of designing experience in portable mobile devices from Creative Technology. Based on a motherboard concept, the designs were first demonstrated at Computex 2011 in May this year, and were made possible for an OEM or ODM to bring Android 3.x tablets to market in the shortest possible time. The Jaguar3 features the ZMS-20 StemCell processor, a system-on-chip (SoC) based on the dual-core 1.5GHz ARM Cortex-A9. With the presence of an additional 48 StemCell processing cores, the ZMS-20 is effectively a 50core processor. In addition, OEM customers building Jaguar3 tablets will have the option of upgrading to the 4th generation ZMS-40 SoC chip, which will feature a quad-core ARM CortexA9 and 96 StemCell processing cores for a 100-core processor when available in the next quarter. According to ZiiLabs, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Creative Technology, the Jaguar3 design features massive integration of I/O devices and processors within a "granddaughter-board" in order bring its dimensions down to a mere 2.44" (62 mm) x 4.64" (118 mm). Designed with 10-inch tablets in mind, the Jaguar3 consumes just 1W of power, making it possible to achieve extremely slim designs of 7.4mm or weighing just 480 grams.

Sim Wong Hoo, chairman and CEO of Creative Technology said in a prepared statement: "The explosive tablet market is pure ruthless in every sense. Even a slight delay in a fast-track 6-month design cycle can be lethal. This is a whole new ballgame where only the fastest can survive". Sim observed how Jaguar3 will help OEM to effectively enter the tablet market instantly and economically, while at the same time reducing their risks significantly. A high-end Jaguar3 configuration will support advanced capabilities such as: • Dual camera system of up to 12 megapixel for rear facing image capture and high definition (HD) front facing • Easy-to-use 40 Megapixel panoramic photography • Advanced video playback with trick modes such as rewind play, frame-by-frame advance and reverse • Dual microphone array for noise-free recording and video conferencing • Creative Sound Blaster's famed X-Fi audio effects ZiiLabs said that the Jaguar3 breaks new ground by offering different "flavors" to snag various crowns such as the most powerful, the lightest, the slimmest, the most complete and the lowest cost Android 3.2 tablet reference designs currently on the market. The Jaguar3 reference design kits are expected to sample to select customers in October 2011.

Lenovo ThinkPad X121e offers advanced video conferencing tools and robust performance Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/lenovo-thinkpad-x121e-offersadvanced-video-conferencing-tools-and-robust-performance/13556.html

September 14th, 2011 September 14th, 2011

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AMD demonstrates 28nm GPU Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/amd-demonstrates-28nmgpu/13555.html September 14th, 2011

The Lenovo ThinkPad X121e was announced in July, and today, the company has announced that the stylish full-feature ultraportable for mobile professionals will be available in Singapore on 27 September. The ThinkPad X121e features easy-to-use voice and video tools, spill-resistant keyboard and optional fingerprint reader for secure log in.

Lenovo Singapore has announced the ThinkPad X121e ultraportable laptop designed for mobile professionals. It claims to offers business-class performance with choices of the latest Intel and AMD processors, easy-to-use, sophisticated voice and video tools, and looks stylish with soft matte finish in heatwave red or midnight black as well as antiglare displays.

Proving IDF is not all about Intel, AMD has demonstrated the first working 28nm GPUs to the public. The development platform was notebook based, thus the working product was a "28nm next gen notebook discrete GPU".

Measuring less than an inch thin and weighing 1.36 kg, the 11.1-inch ThinkPad X121e has spill-resistant, island-style keyboard for long hours of comfortable typing. It also comes with various security features such as self-encrypting USB and solid state drives, hardware password manager, rescue and recovery, and optional fingerprint reader for more secure login. The Lenovo ThinkPad X121e offers a wide range of connectivity options including USB, mobile broadband, WiFi, Bluetooth and Gigabit Ethernet. You can view your high definition content on the big screen via the HDMI output. In terms of battery life, the ultraportable notebook PC also boasts over nine hours on a single charge. It is also equipped with advanced tools including a low-light sensitive web camera, noise suppressing keyboard, microphone mute key and the ThinkVantage Communications Utility 2.0; users can make seamless conference calls even under low light.

The next-gen GPU ran Dirt 3, and was demonstrated by AMD's Director of Technology Management for GPU Division, David Cummings. Not much else is known about the 28nm GPU itself, but unsurprisingly, we know it is up and running. Now it is up to TSMC to ramp up 28nm production.

The Lenovo ThinkPad X121e laptops will be available through business partners from 27 September 2011. Pricing details not available at press time.

September 14th, 2011

MSI introduces stylish Wind Box DC100 with dual-core performance Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/msi-introduces-stylish-wind-boxdc100-with-dual-core-performance/13554.html September 14th, 2011

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Operating Systems Processor Chipset System Memory

Graphics Wireless Hard Drive MSI has unveiled the updated Wind Box DC100, which made its first appearance in CeBit 2009. The small form factor PC is now equipped with the latest AMD Brazos platform E-450 dual-core processor and A50M chipset for superior performance, compared to the Intel Atom processor incorporated two years ago.

Audio Audio Chipset I/O

Card Reader Adapter Power Dimension Weight

Windows 7 Home Premium 64 bit AMD Brazos Dual Core E-450 (1.65GHz) AMD A50M (Hudson M1) DDR3 2GB , 1333 MHz (2GB x1) ; DDR3 SO-DIMM x 1 slot Max to 4GB AMD Radeon HD 6320 Discrete Networking 802.11 b/g/n 320G 2.5-inch SATA II 5400 rpm 5.1-channel Audio(SPDI/F adapter) Realtek ALC662 HDMI out x1; VGA outx 1; USB x6 (front x4, rear x2); Front mic-in/Headphone out x1 /1; Line-out x1; SPDIF-out x1; LAN x1 6-in-1 (XD, SD ,mini SD ,Micro SD, MMC, MS) HD (30fps@720p) 40W 191.8 X 150.93 X 34.94mm 830g

Sony announces NW-Z1000 Android Walkman media player The MSI Wind Box series is designed with superb performance and energy saving capabilities in a small footprint. The newly launched Wind Box DC100 is equipped with the latest AMD Brazos platform E-450 dual-core processor and A50M chipset to offer great computing performance. The average power consumption is only 40W, compared to 60W for previous generation products, providing power savings for users. The small form factor PC features AMD Radeon HD 6320 discrete class graphics that support output resolutions of up to 1080p, and supports DirectX 11 image processing technology for high-definition video playback. The Wind Box DC100 features VGA and HDMI output Incorporating MSI's proprietary software, Smart Media Link and Smart Sync, you can synchronize your files with an easy-to-use user interface, as well as play multimedia files you have selected simultaneously on different devices such as tablets, smartphones and HDTV in the same LAN or Wi-Fi network. The Wind Box DC100 is also a quiet performer with under 22dB noise when in standby mode.

Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/sony-announces-nw-z1000-androidwalkman-media-player/13553.html September 14th, 2011

Sony Singapore had recently announced their NWZ-A860 Walkman. And at the recent IFA 2011 trade fair for consumer electronics and household appliances in Berlin, Germany, the company showcased the new NW-Z1000 Android Walkman which claims to run Google Android 2.3 Gingerbread operating system.

MSI Wind Box DC100 Specifications

September 14th, 2011

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We're not sure what the exact problem is, but combine this with rumours of a delay of Intel's Sandy Bridge-EP server parts and it seems like the SCU issue might be affecting the server and workstation parts as well. That said, we've also spoken to motherboard manufacturers that told us that they haven't been able to replicate Intel's errata, so it remains to see what happens, as we're still about two months away from the official launch.

At the IFA 2011 trade show in Berlin, Sony has unveiled their new Walkman portable media player (PMP), the NWZ1000. It claims to be the company's first PMP to incorporate Google's popular Android mobile operating system that is usually found on smartphones and tablet devices. The NWZ1000 runs Android 2.3 Gingerbread and is equipped with Nvidia dual-core Tegra 2 processor and 512MB RAM. It sports a 4.3-inch display (480x800 pixel resolution) and features a digital amplifier “S-Master MX” to provide improved audio quality. Sony claims that the NW-Z1000 has a battery life of 20 hours for non-stop music enjoyment, or five hours of video playing. Other features include Wi-Fi connectivity, Bluetooth with A2DP, HDMI output, DLNA compatibility and built-in GPS.

What Intel won't tell you about Sandy Bridge-E at IDF Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/what-intel-won-t-tell-you-about-sandybridge-e-at-idf/13552.html September 14th, 2011

It has to be said that Intel's X79 chipset has gone from being a chipset packed with features to the brim, to a chipset that is starting to look very much like the current P67 chipset, something that surely must be disappointing not only for Intel's partners, but even more so for those who were/are planning to buying into the new platform. By now we've gone from eight, to four to no SAS ports and what we're left with is two SATA 6Gbps ports and four SATA 3Gbps ports. We're afraid that the bad news doesn't end there though, as Intel won't even guarantee PCI Express 3.0 compliance for the Waimea Bay platform with the company claiming that the first generation of Sandy Bridge-E processor might not be able to cope with the high speed of the PCI Express 3.0 interface. In other words, it'll be a bit of a hit and miss as to which PCI Express 3.0 add-in cards will actually work with the first Sandy Bridge-E processors. And if you were hoping for Ivy Bridge-E to sort this out next year, well, then we have really bad news, as Ivy Bridge-E isn't schedule to arrive until 2013 now. On the upside, Intel expects Ivy Bridge-E to be fully compatible with PCI Express 3.0. While on the subject, we've also managed to confirm that the delay of the quad core Core i7 3820 means that it's unlikely to arrive this year, as it'll only go into production at the very end of 2011. Can it possibly get any worse for Intel?

SanDisk is pushing for new, low power SATA interface Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/sandisk-is-pushing-for-new-lowpower-sata-interface/13551.html September 14th, 2011

Intel isn't having a good year when it comes to its integrated controllers this year, first with the SATA 3Gbps issue in the 6-series chipset and now news has reached us that in the end we won't be seeing any additional SAS/SATA ports in the X79 chipset. Apparently this is because of a “quality issue” in the SCU which would've been home to the four additional SAS/ SATA ports. Intel isn't having a good year when it comes to its integrated controllers this year, first with the SATA 3Gbps issue in the 6-series chipset and now news has reached us that in the end we won't be seeing any additional SAS/SATA ports in the X79 chipset. Apparently this is because of a “quality issue” in the SCU which would've been home to the four additional SAS/ SATA ports.

According to SanDisk, the SATA standard just isn't power efficient enough for mobile devices and the company is now proposing that a new low power SATA standard should be developed. The company wants to cut the power consumption of mobile SSDs by 10 times, which is no mean feat, but SanDisk expects this to be perfectly doable. According to SanDisk, the SATA standard just isn't power efficient enough for mobile devices and the company is now proposing that a new low power SATA standard should be developed. The company wants to cut the power consumption of mobile SSDs by 10 times, which is no mean feat, but SanDisk expects this to be perfectly doable. SanDisk claims that today's best-in-class low power SSDs consume 50mW and apparently part of the reason for this “high” power usage is because the SATA interface doesn't 12

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allow SSDs to draw less power, even when they're not in use. As such, SanDisk is hoping that its SATA DEVSLP initiative will allow for lower power usage in the future with a proposed standard target of a mere 5mW. What we're not following is the part where SanDisk starts talking about Ultrabooks, as we'd thought there is far more need for lower power SSDs in devices like tablets than in thin and light notebooks, although we're of course not going to complain if we get lower power SSDs in notebooks as well. So far SanDisk has gotten a couple of small industry players – Intel, Samsung and Microsoft – to join them in their effort to push the SATA-IO to further develop the SATA DEVSLP into a fully-fledged part of the SATA standard. It's of course going to take some time before this happens, but it's good to see that the industry is moving towards more and more power efficient hardware.

AMD scores Guinness Book of World Record for fastest CPU Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/amd-scores-guinness-book-of-worldrecord-for-fastest-cpu/13550.html September 14th, 2011

We don't want to spoil AMD's moment here, but the press release is talking 8-core CPU and several publications are already reporting this as a feat performed with an 8-core CPU, when in fact six of the eight cores were disabled during the test. This doesn't make the 8.429GHz record any less impressive, but it should be made clear that only two cores were active which most likely helped to improve the overclockability of the CPU. We should also mentioned the small fact that the CPU was running at an icy cold -235 degrees C to achieve the record, something that's way beyond what even semiprofessional overclockers can cool their CPUs down to.

The World's fastest/smallest/largest capacity and so forth are getting a little bit boring now, but AMD has managed to score another World's fastest and an entry into the Guinness Book of World Records thanks to some crazy liquid Helium overclocking of one of its upcoming AMD FX CPU's to a crazy 8.429GHz. This seems to be the latest way of scoring consumer attention, although in this case AMD has performed quite a feat as we're talking an 8-core CPU here, well, of sorts at least. The World's fastest/smallest/largest capacity and so forth are getting a little bit boring now, but AMD has managed to score another World's fastest and an entry into the Guinness Book of World Records thanks to some crazy liquid Helium overclocking of one of its upcoming AMD FX CPU's to a crazy 8.429GHz. This seems to be the latest way of scoring consumer attention, although in this case AMD has performed quite a feat as we're talking an 8-core CPU here, well, of sorts at least.

AMD didn't announce which CPU was used, but at the end of the video (embedded below) there's an AMD FX logo and underneath it there's an 8-core Black Edition AMD FX-8150 Processor logo which suggests that this was mostly likely the CPU used. The record was actually achieved on the 31st of August, but kept secret until today, possibly as a bit of a spoiler ahead of Intel's IDF conference which kicks off today. For those interested in a few additional details from the event, Nordic Hardware has a short interview with Sami Mäkinen aka macci who scored the Guinness Book or Record on behalf of AMD.

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Published by: VR-Zone

IDF 2011 starts in a few hours... Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/idf-2011-starts-in-a-fewhours.../13549.html September 14th, 2011

A few hours before Intel CEO Paul Ottelini's keynote officially kickstarts this year's IDF here in San Francisco, there are a lot of signs that Intel's focus this year may be a little different in fact, it will be wider than before. The high end, unlike some rumours, is not ignored - there should be plenty of sightings of the new Sandy Bridge-E Core i7 3960X and its dual-socket Xeon twin from the E5 series, the latter having all eight cores enabled unline only 6 on the desktop Socket 2011 variant. And of course, there is the 22 nm Ivy Bridge, the next mainstream CPU, now almost ready to roll. However, this year, the scope widens to tablets and smartphones - Intel's next target area, where ARM rules solidly right now. We expect to see plenty of Clover Trail-based solutions for tablet and smartphone designs using this 32 nm SoC dual core Atom flavour with PowerVR graphics, however, either the CEO talk or the follow-on Steve Smith session post lunch should demo, and likely focus on, the follow on 22 nm Bay Trail. The difference? While the Clover Trail may be good enough even for a Full HD resolution tablet - hopefully NOT a 16:9 panel one, the Bay Trail's better process and power savings should make it a true smartphone candidate. The issue here is not the processing power - Clover Trail has more than sufficient capabilities there - but the total idle and real load power consumption. Clover Trail is supposed to be close to the 10 hour target battery life on a tablet, but Bay Trail should bring power down sufficiently to have 2 day battery life on an Iphone++ class cellphone. More on all this as the day goes on...

HTC to hold media event on 20 September Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/htc-to-hold-media-event-on-20september/13548.html September 14th, 2011

Taiwanese phone and tablet manufacturer HTC has sent out media invite for an event that will take place in New York, USA, on 20 September. Only the tagline "Come celebrate in style with HTC" is stated, so it is everyone's guess on what the company could be announcing.

HTC's autumn product launch has been confirmed, on 20 September in New York, and the event could be focusing on the latest version of HTC Sense UI, products incorporating Beats by Dr. Dre audio, and female-focused mobile phones. The new HTC Sense UI will be greatly optimized and will be less "harsh" in terms of hardware requirements; the minimum supported configuration is MSM7227 processor, 384MB RAM, which means that even the older devices like HTC Legend can also support. Last month, HTC used US$300 million to acquire 51% stake in Beats by Dr. Dre. And it is possible that the company will showcase new products incorporating the Beats audio technology. However, it is still not known if the new products would be compatible with Beats headphones. Most of their products are catered to the male users, though this quarter, the HTC Bliss, which was leaked online, is designed for ladies. The HTC Bliss does not only feature mobile phone themes, wallpapers, ring tones and custom software for the female users, but also in the hardware aspect like notification lights. The company could also be announcing the HTC Vigor, HTC Ruby and HTC Holiday. Well, we would only know next week.

Trend Micro Singapore launches Titanium Cloud Edition Maximum Security 2012 Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/trend-micro-singapore-launchestitanium-cloud-edition-maximum-security-2012/13546.html September 14th, 2011

Today, Trend Micro Singapore announced the launch of their latest Titanium Cloud Edition Maximum Security 2012 which claims to protect users online experience, be it online banking, social media, gaming or online shopping. Other features include the Trend Micro Mobile Security for Android Personal Edition for security on Android smartphones and tablets, and Trend Micro SafeSync online service for file and folder synchronization.

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Trend Micro Titanium Cloud Edition Maximum Security 2012 is based in the cloud and claims to offer robust protection against malicious threats, regardless of how they are delivered, where they hide, or what connected device is in use. The security suite features a "set-and-forget" user interface, and provides real-time protection and proactively stops threats. One new feature in Trend Micro Titanium Cloud Edition Maximum Security 2012 is a tool that can visually identify safe and malicious links on social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter. The software also offers Trend Micro Mobile Security for Android Personal Edition for mobile security on smartphones and tablets, as well as Trend Micro SafeSync online service for file and folder synchronization and backup.

Published by: VR-Zone

Terrence Tang, head of digital (Asia Pacific region) and head of consumer business (Southeast Asia region) for Trend Micro Singapore, addressed the media and talked about the various feature of the company's new Trend Micro Titanium Cloud Edition Maximum Security 2012. "In the last 10 to 15 years, Internet has changed the way users exchange and consume information. New devices have been created to support the new consumer behaviour. And more social networking sites have been established for friends to engage and connect with one another to share information. We have our consumer solutions vision to protect our consumer digital lifestyle," Tang said.

Other security enhancements include a tool that can eliminate programs posing as antivirus software (Fake AV); proactive botnet and PE Virus protection; and protection against malware packer technology. Trend Micro Titanium Cloud Edition Maximum Security 2012 also includes enhancements to Parental Controls, Behavioral Monitoring, and Rootkit detection and removal. The Trend Micro Titanium Cloud Edition Maximum Security 2012 is available now for purchase through selected retail partners at the following prices: - 1 Year / 1 User: S$39 - 1 Year / 3 Users: S$109 The Trend Micro Mobile Security for Android Personal Edition is also available separately for purchase through the Android Marketplace. The basic edition is free for download, while the premium edition is available for purchase through selected retail partners at the following prices: - 1 Year: S$35.90 - 2 Years: S$59.90

Myla Pilao, director of TrendLabs, core technology marketing, was also at the event to talk about current and latest evolving threats that users faced today, the technological landscape in Asia which influence the types of threats, and the importance of security.

Nikon COOLPIX AW100, S4150 and S6150 on sale now Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/nikon-coolpix-aw100-s4150-ands6150-on-sale-now/13545.html

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Published by: VR-Zone

September 14th, 2011

The sales for NIKON COOLPIX AW100, S4150 and S6150 officially start now. COOLPIX AW100 is available at all authorized dealers for S$529 while the COOLPIX S4150 is avaibale at Courts for S$229 and S6150 is available at Harvey Norman for S$299. Price and Sales Date for the remaining models (COOLPIX P7100, P1200pj, S6200 and S8200) will be announced at a later date. The sales for NIKON COOLPIX AW100, S4150 and S6150 officially start now. COOLPIX AW100 is available at all authorized dealers for S$529 while the COOLPIX S4150 is avaibale at Courts for S$229 and S6150 is available at Harvey Norman for S$299. Price and Sales Date for the remaining models (COOLPIX P7100, P1200pj, S6200 and S8200) will be announced at a later date. Product Name

Colors Available

COOLPIX AW100

• Black • Blue • Orange

SpecificationsRecommended & Major Retail Price Features • Nikon 1st $529 AW Series compact camera

• Camouflage • Waterproof, shockproof, cold-resistant • 16.0 megapixels with 3” LCD • 5x optical zoom with 28mm wideangle • Backside illumination CMOS sensor • Full HD movie recording

COOLPIX S4150

• Silver • Black • Bronze • Red • Purple

• Built-in GPS and electronic compass • 14.0 $229 megapixels with 3" LCD • 5x optical zoom with 26mm wideangle • Pet Portrait Mode • Filter Effect Mode

COOLPIX S6150

• Silver • Black • Red • Pink • Violet

• Built-in original animated characters • 16.0 megapixels with 3” LCD

$299

• 7x optical zoom with 28mm wideangle • Touch Shutter, Subject Tracking • Pet Portrait Mode • Filter Effect Mode • HD movie recording

Foxconn Quantum Force X79 New Version Pictured Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/foxconn-quantum-force-x79-newversion-pictured/13543.html September 14th, 2011

Having first made waves at this year's Computex, it's time for Foxconn's premium socket LGA2011 motherboard, the Quantum Force X79, to get down to business. The channel brand of the OEM giant is gearing up for a Q4 2011 launch, and seems to have made some notable changes to the design we saw in June, on its latest engineering sample. These changes include rearrangement of expansion slots, a finalized design for the heatsink over the X79 chipset, and a slight rearrangement of the front-panel header area. While this is still an engineering sample, there is some progress - for better or worse - as the final release revision takes shape. Having first made waves at this year's Computex, it's time for Foxconn's premium socket LGA2011 motherboard, the Quantum Force X79, to get down to business. The channel brand of the OEM giant is gearing up for a Q4 2011 launch, and seems to have made some notable changes to the design we saw in June, on its latest engineering sample. These changes include rearrangement of expansion slots, a finalized design for the heatsink over the X79 chipset, and a slight rearrangement of the front-panel header area. While this is still an engineering sample, there is some progress - for better or worse - as the final release revision takes shape.

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features include redundant firmware (BIOS), consolidated voltage measurement points, and OC hard-tuning buttons apart from power and reset buttons.

Google urges Gmail users in Iran to change their passwords Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/google-urges-gmail-users-in-iran-tochange-their-passwords/13544.html September 14th, 2011

To begin with, Foxconn did some rearrangement in the bottom-half of the PCB. On the sample we saw at Computex, expansion slots were arranged (from top to bottom) as PCIe x4, PCIe x16 (electrical x16/x8), PCIe x16 (electrical x8), legacy PCI, PCIe x16 (electrical x16/x8), and PCIe x16 (electrical x8). With the new version, they're arranged as PCIe x16 (electrical x16/x8), PCIe x4, PCIe x16 (electrical x8), PCIe x16 (electical x16/x8), legacy PCI, and PCIe x16 (electrical x8). The new expansion slot layout is a notch better, as it makes room for three graphics cards that are two slots thick, to be installed.

Moving on, Foxconn didn't have the PCH (X79 chipset) heatsink design in mind when designing the older iteration. The new one makes room for the heatsink, pushing aside most tall components. For example, the three EEPROM chips that were arranged in a file are now pushed to the bottom-right corner, along with the two tall capacitors. This change doesn't take away anything from the older iteration, just relocates it. There's now a small speaker for beep diagnostics that wasn't found on the older board, the numerical diagnosticLED display is still there. The rest are cosmetic changes, such as certain chips being moved around. With the final revision, it is expected that the SAS (serial-attached SCSI) ports will be removed, leaving behind around 8 SATA ports. The Quantum Force X79 is positioned to be a high-end socket LGA2011 motherboard. The processor is powered by a 14-phase VRM that makes use of DirectFET MOSFETs, which when backed by a good I2C-capable VRM controller have known to provide smooth voltage control. Such FETs have been used on older Quantum Force motherboards and BIOSTAR's TPower series models. Other overclocker-friendly

You may have read about the digital break-in at Dutch certificate authority DigiNotar, and the subsequent revelation that an Iranian hacker who goes by the name of "Comodohacker" having made away with fraudulent digital certificates for hundreds of popular Internet destinations. This ranges from websites such as Google, Yahoo, Mozilla and Skype; social networks such as Facebook, Twitter; and even domains belonging to the CIA and Mossad, the Israeli Secret Service.

It is still unclear if Comodohacker is doing it for glory or personal profit - such as by reselling the illicitly obtained email communications to the Iranian government, for example. According to Google, the perpetrator behind the attack on DigiNotar appeared to be interested in intercepting the communications of Gmail users and customers residing in Iran. With this in mind, Google has taken the offensive and is now advising its Iranian users to change their email passwords to protect themselves from online attacks. In a blog post last week, Eric Grosse, the VP Security Engineer at Google, wrote: "We learned last week that the compromise of a Dutch company involved with verifying the authenticity of websites could have put the Internet communications of many Iranians at risk, including their Gmail." Emphasizing that the internal systems of the search giant itself have not been compromised, Grosse urged all users in Iran to take "concrete steps" to secure their accounts. As expected, this includes the changing of their passwords, which will prevent harvested passwords from being used for further unauthorized access. Moreover, Grosse also encourage users to preempt future problems by verifying and updating their account recovery options. As in the case of any hacked email account, the changing of a password does nothing to protect old email messages that may already have been pilfered by a malicious party. In the event of a suspected breakin, however, changing one's password would at least be useful to foil ongoing snooping. 17

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Intel SSD 520 Cherryville The Faster, Tougher Successor of SSD 510 Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/intel-ssd-520-cherryville-the-fastertougher-successor-of-ssd-510/13542.html September 14th, 2011

As an established player in the solid state drive (SSD) industry, Intel has at its disposal a market which it can address with the same breakneck product-cycle as its much larger x86 processor product lines. The most recent roadmap slide and accompanying information we scored suggests that a successor is already around the corner for Intel's well-received SSD 510 series high-performance client SSDs that use the SATA 6 Gbps interface. As an established player in the solid state drive (SSD) industry, Intel has at its disposal a market which it can address with the same breakneck product-cycle as its much larger x86 processor product lines. The most recent roadmap slide and accompanying information we scored suggests that a successor is already around the corner for Intel's well-received SSD 510 series high-performance client SSDs that use the SATA 6 Gbps interface.

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reads and 490 MB/s writes; and just one set of random access throughput, up to 40,000 IOPS read and 45,000 IOPS write. These figures are known to vary between the different variants, and so we'll have to wait for the final specifications that are specific to variants. Available in the 2.5-inch SATA form-factor, the drives will make use of 25 nm multi-level cell (MLC) NAND flash memory made by Intel. Its controller will be compliant will the latest in client SSD technologies. To begin with, there are bare essentials such as SMART, that reports if the drive is failing, TRIM, that works to minimize write performance degradation, and NCQ, which queues commands on the drive's cache. The drive supports native 256-bit AES data encryption, and endto-end data protection. Its physical durability is characterized by 1.2 million hours MTBF (mean time before failure) rating, an operating temperature range of 0 to 70 oC, and 2.7 G (rms) vibration tolerance. Intel is expected to begin production of the SSD 520 series in the fourth quarter of 2011.

ASUS ROG Maximus IV GENEZ Review Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/asus-rog-maximus-iv-gene-zreview/13491.html September 14th, 2011

Probably one of the most anticipated ROG boards ever, the ASUS Maximus IV GENE-Z has hit the market right in time to bring users all the benefits the Z68 chipset has to offer, as well as a plethora of overclocking features and connectivity in a micro-ATX form factor. Today we take a look at one of the best priced Sandy Bridge boards to date, the ASUS ROG Maximus IV Gene-Z, a powerful overclocking board in a tiny package. To begin we would like to show you a block diagram provided by Intel, of how the Z68 PCH(platform controller hub) connects to the rest of the system.

Codenamed "Cherryville", Intel's new high-end client SSD series is called SSD 520. Its main design goals look to be to spread the series in capacities both higher and lower than what the SSD 510 series could address. While SSD 510 is available only in 120 GB and 250 GB variants, the new SSD 520 will add a higher capacity variant, 480 GB, and a lower capacity one, 60 GB. A new 160 GB variant is added in the middle, and 250 GB is replaced by 240 GB. With client SSDs and client environment in general, sequential transfer speeds are the king, Intel gave out just one set of sequential transfer rates for the SSD 520 series, 530 MB/s 18

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Dual Channel Memory Architecture Supports Intel® Extreme Memory Profile (XMP) * Hyper DIMM support is subject to the physical characteristics of individual CPUs.

Compared to the earlier P67, the Z68 chipset adds Intel HD Graphics support, as well as Intel Smart Responce Technology(SSD Caching). Intel probably should have skipped P67 and just come out with the Z68 PCH. We see that ASUS has taken the better route and used the more expensive Intel PHY for LAN connectivity, and avoided the cheaper Realtek chipsets we see on other boards. This motherboard also has Lucid Virtu technology which allows for switchable graphics, but only a HDMI port is used, so maximum resolution will be 1920x1080 for those of you who want to use i-Mode Virtu to save power. ASUS ROG Maximus IV GENE-Z CPU Support

Multi-GPU Support

Expansion Slots

Storage

* Refer to www.asus.com or user manual for the Memory QVL (Qualified Vendors Lists). * Due to CPU behavior, DDR3 2200/2000/1800 MHz memory module will run at DDR3 2133/1866/1600 MHz frequency as default. Supports NVIDIA® SLI™ Technology Supports AMD CrossFireX™ Technology Supports LucidLogix® Virtu™ Technology 2 x PCIe 2.0 x16 (x16 or dual x8) 1 x PCIe 2.0 x4 Intel® Z68 chipset : 2 x SATA 6Gb/s port(s), red 4 x SATA 3Gb/s port(s), gray

Intel® Socket 1155 for 2nd Generation Core™ i7/Core™ i5/Core™ i3 Processors Supports Intel® 32 nm CPU

Support Raid 0, 1, 5, 10 Support Intel® Smart Response Technology on 2nd generation Intel® Core™ processor family JMicron® JMB362

Supports Intel® Turbo Boost Technology 2.0

Chipset Graphics

* The Intel® Turbo Boost Technology 2.0 support depends on the CPU types. Intel Z68 Integrated Graphics Processor VGA output support : HDMI port

Memory

- Supports HDMI with max. resolution 1920 x 1200 @ 60 Hz 4 x DIMM, Max. 32GB, DDR3 2200(O.C.)/2133(O.C.)/1866(O.C.)/1600/1333 Hz Non-ECC, Un-buffered Memory

LAN Audio

controller : *1 2 x eSATA 3Gb/s port(s), red Intel®, 1 x Gigabit LAN Controller SupremeFX X-Fi 2 built-in 8-Channel High Definition Audio CODEC - Supports : Jack-detection, Multi-streaming, Front Panel Jack-retasking Audio Feature : - X-Fi® Xtreme Fidelity™ - EAX® Advanced™ HD 5.0 - THX® TruStudio PRO™ 19

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Published by: VR-Zone

Mem TweakIt ROG Extreme OC kit : - Debug LED

- Creative ALchemy - Blu-ray audio layer Content Protection

USB

ProbeIt UEFI BIOS features : - ROG BIOS Print

- Optical S/PDIF out port(s) at back panel ASMedia速 USB 3.0 controller : 4 x USB 3.0 port(s) (2 at back panel, blue, 2 at mid-board)

- GPU.DIMM Post GameFirst iROG Extreme Tweaker Loadline Calibration Overclocking Protection : - COP EX (Component Overheat Protection - EX)

Intel速 Z68 chipset : 12 x USB 2.0 port(s) (8 at back panel, black, 4 at midboard) FireWire ASUS Unique Features

ASUS TurboV EVO : - CPU Level Up

Back Panel I/O Ports

ASUS Exclusive Features : - MemOK!

2 x eSATA 3Gb/s

- Onboard Button : Power/ Reset/Clr CMOS (at back IO)

1 x LAN (RJ45) port(s)

ASUS Quiet Thermal Solution : - ASUS Fan Xpert

2 x USB 3.0 8 x USB 2.0 (white port can be switched to ROG Connect)

ASUS EZ DIY : - ASUS Q-Shield

1 x Optical S/PDIF out

- ASUS O.C. Profile

6 x Audio jack(s)

- ASUS CrashFree BIOS 3 - ASUS EZ Flash 2 - ASUS MyLogo 2 ASUS Q-Design : - ASUS Q-LED (CPU, DRAM, VGA, Boot Device LED) - ASUS Q-Slot - ASUS Q-DIMM

Overclocking Features

- ASUS Q-Connector) ROG Connect Extreme Engine Digi+ : - 8 -phase CPU power design + 4 -phase iGPU power design - 2 -phase Memory power design

- ASUS C.P.R.(CPU Parameter Recall) 1 x PS/2 keyboard/mouse combo port(s) 1 x HDMI

Internal I/O Connectors

1 x Clear CMOS button(s) 1 x USB 3.0 connector(s) support(s) additional 2 USB 3.0 port(s) 2 x USB 2.0 connector(s) support(s) additional 4 USB 2.0 port(s) 2 x SATA 6Gb/s connector(s) 4 x SATA 3Gb/s connector(s) 2 x CPU Fan connector(s) 3 x Chassis Fan connector(s) 1 x S/PDIF out header(s) 1 x 24-pin EATX Power connector(s) 1 x 8-pin ATX 12V Power connector(s) 20

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1 x Front panel audio connector(s) (AAFP) 1 x System panel(s) 6 x ProbeIt Measurement Points 1 x Power-on button(s) 1 x Reset button(s) 1 x ROG Connect switch(es) 1 x Go Button(s)

Accessories

1 x Clear CMOS jumper(s) User's manual I/O Shield 2 x SATA 3Gb/s cable(s)

* Kaspersky速 Anti-Virus 1year license Form Factor uATX Form Factor 9.6 inch x 9.6 inch ( 24.4 cm x 24.4 cm ) As you can obviously see the laundry list of features is longer than that of most full sized ATX boards. For a sub $200 motheboard, this has to be one of the most feature packed and value for money product in the market. Of course this only applies if you are on the Intel side of things, as AMD motherboards generally run cheaper.

Sony introduces new VAIO S series notebook with larger display Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/sony-introduces-new-vaio-s-seriesnotebook-with-larger-display/13541.html September 14th, 2011

1 x SATA 6Gb/s cable(s) 1 x SLI bridge(s) 1 x Q-connector(s) (2 in 1) 1 x ROG Connect cable(s) 1 x Cable ties pack(s)

With the success of their VAIO S series laptops, Sony Electronics Asia Pacific has announed their new line-up for the series with slimmer form factor, higher performance and a larger display. According to the manufacturer, the new VAIO S will be available this month.

1 x ROG theme label(s)

BIOS

Manageability Support Disc

1 x 12 in 1 ROG Cable Label(s) 64Mb Flash ROM, EFI AMI BIOS, PnP, DMI2.0, WfM2.0, SM BIOS 2.5, ACPI2.0a Multi-Language BIOS WfM2.0, DMI2.0, WOL by PME, WOR by PME, PXE Support DVD: - Drivers and applications * ASUS AI Suite II * ROG CPU-Z * ROG GameFirst Utility * Sound Blaster X-Fi MB2 Utility * ROG Mem TweakIt Utility * ASUS AI Charger+ * DAEMON Tools Pro Standard

Sony has announced a new slim, power-packed 15.5-inch notebook to their VAIO S Series. The new model incorporate Intel Core i7 processor and AMD Radeon HD 6630M GPU with 1GB VRAM and claims to offer superb performance for both work and play. It features a Performance Switch that supports Dynamic Hybrid Graphic System which allows users to choose between "Speed" and "Stamina" mode for fastest performance or longer battery life respectively. The VAIO S Series 15.5-inch offers approximately five hours of battery life and with an optional Sheet Battery, that can double to 10 hours. The VAIO S has a 15.5-inch wide screen of 1920x1080 full high definition VAIO Display Plus with anti-reflective glossy finish, weighs 1.96kg, and comes with aluminium palm rest 21

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Published by: VR-Zone

and magnesium body. It also has backlit keyboard, which makes it easier to type in dim lit rooms. The new line-up of VAIO S Series notebooks will be available in Singapore from September 2011. Pricing details to be announced closer to launch date.

AMD FX-Series prices revealed - listed for pre-order Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/amd-fx-series-prices-revealed--listedfor-pre-order/13540.html September 14th, 2011

The first AMD FX CPUs have shown up for pre-order at Shopblt.com. The three SKUs listed are FX-8150, FX-8120 and FX-6100 priced at $266, $222 and $189 respectively. The good news is that the pricing is lower than expected - previously rumoured to be in the $300 to $320 range for the top CPU. The bad news is that such pricing suggests the FX-8150 is unlikely to beat Core i7 2600 in many situations. The first AMD FX CPUs have shown up for pre-order at Shopblt.com. The three SKUs listed are FX-8150, FX-8120 and FX-6100 priced at $266, $222 and $189 respectively. The good news is that the pricing is lower than expected - previously rumoured to be in the $300 to $320 range for the top CPU. The bad news is that such pricing suggests the FX-8150 is unlikely to beat Core i7 2600 in many situations.

If you are the owner of the stylish Apple iPod Nano, you would probably want this cool watch kit to make the portable media player into a watch. Launched at the recent COMEX Show in Singapore, and carried by Tat Chuan Acoustic Pte Ltd in Singapore, the LunaTik is a premium conversion kit designed for those want to convert their iPod Nano as a wristwatch. The product comes with a tool kit that lets you screw in the nano into the wristband. The LunaTik case is forged from aircraftgrade aluminium with great durability and the straps are made from compression moulded high-grade silicone rubber with anti-dust coating while the hardware is made from stainless steel. Available in silver, black and red, the LunaTik is retailing at S$129 (with GST).

As always, pre-order prices are normally higher than launch prices. Hence, we can expect the FX CPUs to sell for even lesser. The three CPUs are much the same as revealed by Gigabyte earlier. FX-6100 and FX-8150 have a TDP of 95W and 125W respectively. However, FX-8120 has a TDP of 125W at launch, while a future revision will drop the TDP of FX-8120 down to 95W. There's no indication of shipping dates as of now.

LunaTik lets you wear your iPod Nano on your wrist Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/lunatik-lets-you-wear-your-ipod-nanoon-your-wrist/13539.html September 14th, 2011

With LunaTik's creative watch-kit, you can transform your Apple iPod Nano into the world's coolest multi-touch wrist watch. Distributed by Tat Chuan Acoustic in Singapore, two models of LunaTik are available now - TikTok and LunaTik.

The other model, which is called TikTok, has a simple snap-in design that allows the user to quickly and securely snap the iPod Nano in and out of the wrist dock. It integrates the media player and transforms it into a modern multi-function timepiece. TikTok is designed for those who want to easily transition from clip mode to watch mode. Moulded from reinforced PC/ABS, the straps are made from compression moulded high-grade silicone rubber with antidust coating and the hardware is stainless steel. The TikTok is available in black or white at S$69 (with GST).

September 14th, 2011

Published by: VR-Zone

Microsoft Comfort Mouse 6000 Review: Affordable mouse that can track on almost all surfaces Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/microsoft-comfort-mouse-6000review-affordable-mouse-that-can-track-on-almost-all-surfaces/13054.html September 14th, 2011

Microsoft has recently released a new mouse, the Comfort Mouse 6000, which features the software giant's Bluetrack sensor that can track on almost any surface. So how good is the Comfort Mouse 6000? Find out in the next pages.

Specification: - Right-handed control - BlueTrack Technology - Five customizable buttons - Detent scroll wheel First look: Out of the box, the Microsoft Comfort Mouse 6000 looks like the Razer DeathAdder (except without the Razer logo) but in fact iti s actually designed after its Intellimouse Explorer 3.0 older sibling. The mouse features a smooth black plastic body with rubberized side grips and comes with five customizable buttons - left, right, two on the side and the scroll wheel. It feels very lightweight as though it is hollow. 23

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The Comfort Mouse 6000 has two well-positioned side buttons which you can use to go back and forward through webpages and document with ease.

Sharp launches AQUOS SH8298U glasses-free 3D smartphone Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/sharp-launches-aquos-sh8298uglasses-free-3d-smartphone/13538.html September 14th, 2011

Inside the box, we also find a start guide, a product guide and technical specifications.

Sharp has announced their new AQUOS SH8298U glassesfree 3D smartphone which looks to compete with the LG Optimus 3D and the HTC Evo 3D. The AQUOS SH8298U will soon retail in Japan though there is no word as to whether it will be available in other parts of the world.

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Sharp has recently launched a press conference to announce their new Android smartphones, and all eyes were on the AQUOS SH8298U which not only features glasses-free 3D technology, but it also has two rear built-in 8-megapixle cameras to capture images and videos in 3D. The AQUOS SH8298U sports a 4.2-inch qHD touchscreen display and incorporates 1.4GHz Qualcomm MSM8255 processor, 512MB RAM, 2GB storage and runs Android 2.3 Gingerbread. According to sources, the Sharp AQUOS SH8298U would be available in red or white and retail at approximately US$705. It should be arriving in Japan soon, though there's no word as to whether it will be available in other countries.

Could the next version after Android Ice Cream Sandwich be Jellybean? Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/could-the-next-version-after-androidice-cream-sandwich-be-jellybean-/13537.html September 14th, 2011

Google is known for using sweet treats as codenames for the various versions of theiir popular Android mobile operating system. And while many of us are anticipating the upcoming "Ice Cream Sandwich" which claims to offer the best of Honeycomb, the Android tablet OS, and make them useable on smartphones, it seems that the search engine giant has already started work on their new version which could be called "Jellybean".

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It started from Cupcake (1.5) and then Donut (1.6), Eclair (2.0/2.1), Froyo (2.2), Gingerbread (2.3), Honeycomb (3.0) to the upcoming Ice Cream Sandwich. And yes, these are the codenames of the popular Google Android operating system and it looks like the next version could well be called "Jelly Bean". According to a reliable source from ThisIsMyNext, that would be the name of the next version and that it could be available to both smartphone and tablet. However, Google has yet to finalize the naming convention, although the choice with the letter "J" is limited and that Jellybean is most likely to be selected. Meantime, the upcoming Ice Cream Sandwich claims to offer some "game-changing" features, though we would have to wait till it is available to know, which could be fairly soon. And by them, Microsoft may have also launched their Windows Phone "Mango" and Apple, their iOS 5.

Thermaltake Challenger Pro Gaming Keyboard & Black Gaming Mouse review Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/thermaltake-challenger-pro-gamingkeyboard--black-gaming-mouse-review/13536.html September 14th, 2011

Tt eSPORTS is a relatively newly found subsidiary company of Thermaltake, aiming to develop, manufacture and ultimately provide gamers with high quality gaming peripherals. The company currently has a long list of high performance keyboards, mice, headsets and other parts. Today we are having a close look on two of their more popular products, the Challenger Pro Gaming Keyboard and the Black Gaming Mouse. Tt eSPORTS is a relatively newly found subsidiary company of Thermaltake, aiming to develop, manufacture and ultimately provide gamers with high quality gaming peripherals. The company currently has a long list of high performance 25

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Published by: VR-Zone

keyboards, mice, headsets and other parts. Today we are having a close look on two of their more popular products, the Challenger Pro Gaming Keyboard and the Black Gaming Mouse.

• Body Dimension: 120mm (length) x 70mm (width) x 40mm (height).

Manufacturer features and specifications Challenger Pro Gaming keyboard • Red illumination back light • 2 x USB 2.0 ports • User Interface • Macro Keys • Multimedia Keys • 64KB On Board Memory • On Board Profile Switch • Backlight switch • Fan Device • Windows Dummy Keycaps • 8 additional removable keycaps • Tt. Breakaway Gold-Plated USB Connection Cable(2 Meters in Length) • Tt eSPORTS Dragon-Red key backlighting • 6 Easy Access Multimedia Keys • 10 Customizable Macro Keys • 10 Million Keystroke Lifespan • Body dimensions (LxWxH): 505x 195x 27mm • 6,000 RPM Tt. Breeze Hand Cooling Fan (Life Expectancy of 50,000 hours) Black Gaming mouse • Model: BLACK Gaming Mouse (MO-BLK002DT) • Dominating Gaming Laser Sensor 4000 DPI Engine (400/800/2000/4000 DPI Adjustable), with Visual Indicator. • Ideal for FPS or MMORPG Game Genres, equipped with Philips 4000 Laser Engine for Optimal Precision & Accuracy. • 1.8 meters Braided USB Cable with Gold-Plated Connector. • Teflon Material Feet as Extra Layer of Durability and High Degree of Mouse Handling. • Superb Customizable Graphical UI for Macro Keys, Advanced Performance, and Lighting-Effect Options. • Industrial Grade Rubber-Coating Finish for better Hand Grip. • On-Board 64kb Memory Storage for 18 Macro Keys in 3 Game Profiles. • Weight-In Design for Perfect Handling Movement: (5 x 4.5g, up to 22.5g max)

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Published by: VR-Zone

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

Nikon to launch a new mirrorless standard this week? Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/nikon-to-launch-a-new-mirrorlessstandard-this-week-/13591.html September 19th, 2011

Several rumours are suggesting that Nikon is about to unveil its first mirrorless cameras on Wednesday, although so far we don’t have a complete picture of what to expect. What is clear is that the expected two new camera bodies not will feature an APS-C size sensor, instead we can expect something that ends up somewhere between compact digital cameras and the 4/3 format. Several rumours are suggesting that Nikon is about to unveil its first mirrorless cameras on Wednesday, although so far we don’t have a complete picture of what to expect. What is clear is that the expected two new camera bodies not will feature an APS-C size sensor, instead we can expect something that ends up somewhere between compact digital cameras and the 4/3 format. The first two cameras in what is likely to be called the Nikon CX line of cameras should simply be called the V1 and J1. The new cameras are rumoured to have a crop factor of 2.6x compared to the 4/3 formats 2x crop factor. Nikon hasn’t gone crazy with the Megapixel count either, as the new cameras get to make do with 10.1 Megapixels, which is probably a good thing considering the relatively small sensor. What isn’t clear is if we’ll see a CCD or CMOS sensor, so that’s something we’re going to have to wait and find out about.

Internally we should expect to see Nikon’s Expeed 3 processor capable of processing 600 Megapixels per second. Both models are said to shoot video at 1080i60, 1080p30, 720p60, as well as 640x240 at 400fps and 320x120 at a crazy 1200fps. Around the back we have a 3in LCD screen with unknown resolution and the V1 will also sport an EVF (Electronic View Finder). Neither model will support Nikon’s standard Flash hotshoe, but the V1 is said to have some kind of accessory port, whereas the J1 will feature a built in flash. Four new lenses are said to launch alongside the new cameras system, a 10mm f/2.8 pancake lens, a 10-30mm f/3.5-5.6 VR lens, a 10-110mm f/4.5-5.6 VR lens and a 30-110mm VR lens. There will also be an adapter for Nikon’s F-mount lenses. Both models are said to come in several colour options, with the V1 being available in black or white and the J1 in red, pink, silver, black and white. We shouldn’t have to wait long to see how this plays out, but it’s getting a little bit annoying with all these new lens mount systems, as they’re anything but interchangeable. In as much as the m4/3 standard has its flaws, it’s at least a standard supported by more than one company and we’d really like to see the camera manufacturers work towards more common standards, especially considering the cost of lenses which is the only investment that’ll last you through several camera bodies.

Gears of War 3 Singapore Launch Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/gears-of-war-3-singaporelaunch/13590.html September 19th, 2011

September 19th, 2011

Good news for fans of the Xbox 360 Gears of War series. This evening, at Funan DigitaLife Mall in Singapore, marked the launch of the highly anticipated third-person shooter game, which is also the last of the trilogy. So, have you ordered your copy?

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The fans turned up in full-swing, and it was even more amazing to see the number of people who didn’t pre-order the game lining up to get it” said Ben Tan, general manager of Microsoft’s retail sales and marketing division, Asia Pacific, presenting the Epic Edition box to Ten. A look at the Gears of War 3 babes:-

At the Funan DigitaLife Mall in Singapore, over 1,000 fans stood in line at the main atrium for the highly anticipated Xbox 360 game, Gears of War 3. Apparently, the queue began to form on 3pm Sunday, 18 September with hardcore fans waiting to be the first to get their hands on the game, which officially launched at 8pm today. On top of that, fans also get a first-look at the game, hands-on gameplay and on-stage activities including a special appearance by Marcus Fenix.

Canon PowerShot SX150 IS selling for $369 Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/canon-powershot-sx150-is-sellingfor-369/13589.html September 19th, 2011

Here's a video of the countdown of the Gears of War 3 launch:-

Canon PowerShot SX150 IS, Canon's latest addition to the family of long-zoom PowerShot cameras. The 14.1 megapixel PowerShot SX150 IS is an affordable all-rounder camera that delivers high zoom shooting with 12x optical zoom capabilities, HD movie recording and offers you creative freedom with Full Manual controls. The SX150 IS is priced at $369, and is currently available for retail.

22-year old William Ten was the first person in Singapore to receive the Gears of War 3 Epic Edition from Marcus Fenix and Microsoft representatives. Ten also get the survivor kit, an autographed poster and a “Gears of War 3” hoodie, worth close to S$200. An additional 50 fans who were amongst the first in queue also walked away with an autographed poster and a “Gears of War 3” hoodie. "While Gears of War 3 was one of the most anticipated games of the year, the turnout today far surpassed all expectations. 2

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Published by: VR-Zone September 19th, 2011

Another Optimus smartphone has emerged from Korean manufacturer LG, and this time it is the Optimus Q2. The Optimus Q2 is based on Google's Android operating system and features Nvidia Tegra 2 dual-core processor and has a slide-out QWERTY keyboard.

Canon PowerShot SX150 IS, Canon's latest addition to the family of long-zoom PowerShot cameras. The 14.1 megapixel PowerShot SX150 IS is an affordable all-rounder camera that delivers high zoom shooting with 12x optical zoom capabilities, HD movie recording and offers you creative freedom with Full Manual controls. • 12x optical zoom • 14.1 megapixels • Intelligent IS The SX150 IS is priced at $369, and is currently available for retail. More information here.

LG unveils Optimus Q2 Android phone with QWERTY keyboard

Today, LG has unveiled their latest Optimus Q2 high-end Android smartphone with a slide-out keyboard. The new member in their LG Optimus line of smartphones features 1.2GHz Nvidia Tegra 2 dual-core processor and 4-inch IPS touchscreen display. The 4-inch IPS screen boasts 700 nits brightness which offers a clear view even under sunlight. The smartphone also incorporates a 5-megapixel rear and VGA front cameras, Wi-Fi Direct capabilities that allow Wi-Fi devices to talk to each other without the need for access points. The LG Optimus Q2 is reported to launch soon in USA and carried by Sprint.

Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/lg-unveils-optimus-q2-android-phonewith-qwerty-keyboard/13588.html

September 19th, 2011

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on sale in the US on the AT&T network last week on 14th September, and the company said that the Xperia PLAY will launch in Japan with NTT DOCOMO in Autumn 2011.

Canon Singapore launches PowerShot SX150 IS compact camera Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/canon-singapore-launches-powershotsx150-is-compact-camera/13586.html September 19th, 2011

Lode Runner X to be exclusive on Sony Ericsson Xperia PLAY, and other Xperia devices Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/lode-runner-x-to-be-exclusive-on-sonyericsson-xperia-play-and-other-xperia-devices/13587.html September 19th, 2011

Canon Singapore has announced the new PowerShot SX150 IS compact digital camera that features one-touch high definition (HD) movie button and long-zoom capabilities at an affordable price. The PowerShot SX150 IS is available now at all Canon authorized dealers.

Owners of Sony Ericsson Xperia range of Android phones would be pleased to know that the Lode Runner X game from Tozai Games will be exclusive on the smartphones. The Lode Runner X game is scheduled to be available from November this year.

Lode Runner is a popular 1983 platform game which was first published by Brøderbund. It is one of the first early games to be released with a level editor which supports keyboard and joystick controls. (Tozai Games and Lode Runner are trademarks of Tozai, Inc. registered or protected in the US and other countries). Sony Ericsson has announced their collaboration with Tozai Games to bring the critically acclaimed console hit and gaming franchise “Lode Runner” to Android devices, for the first time, and helps to build the Xperia PLAY's list of over 150 optimized titles. The Lode Runner X will be available from November 2011 and exclusive on the Xperia PLAY and other Xperia devices. The Sony Ericsson Xperia PLAY has recently gone

Canon Singapore has unveiled the PowerShot SX150 IS compact camera which claims to offer 14.1-megapixel sensor, 12x optical zoom (28-336mm), and has a dedicated Movie Button to record 720p high definition (HD) movies. With a powerful 12x zoom, 28mm wide-angle lens, it lets users shoot landscapes, building and people easily. The digital camera also incorporates electronic wind filter that can suppress wind noise that muffles or distorts sound, and built-in Intelligent IS (Image Stabilizer) for minimized camera shake. The Powershot SX150 IS comes with 32-Smart Auto Scene detection options including sunset, clear skies, and backlit that provide optimized camera settings for best results. Photographers can also enhance their images using the eight in-camera Creative Filters to add effect to the original images Toy Camera, Monochrome, Miniature, Fish-eye, Super Vivid, Poster, Color Swap and Color Accent. There is also the new Photo Book function that allows users to pre-select their favorite shots in-camera to facilitate the easy creation of photo books. The new Canon PowerShot SX150 IS also operates 4

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on AA batteries for added convenience and comes with the optional high power flash HF-DC2 slim and portable slave flash with enhanced sync performance and a wider flash coverage of up to 24mm (with attached wide panel). The Canon PowerShot SX150 IS is now available at all authorized Canon retail stores at the recommended retail selling price of S$369. Pricing and availability of the optional high power flash HF-DC2 will be confirmed at a later date.

LG to introduce Street Fighter IV on upcoming high definition smartphones

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updated graphics and multimedia processing hardware in the upcoming Ivy Bridge series of processors, expected to hit the shelves about half a year from now. It wasn't the fact that the new chip will have graphics far faster - some expect at least double, and much more in some operations - than the Sandy Bridge, or the full DirectX 11 and DirectCompute capability, with an OpenCL port to follow. Neither was it the much tighter connection to the L3 cache for more usability in graphics tasks.

Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/lg-to-introduce-street-fighter-iv-onupcoming-high-definition-smartphones/13585.html September 19th, 2011

LG Korea has announced that it has entered into an exclusive deal with Japanese game developer Capcom to introduce their popular Street Fighter IV game on their high definition Android smartphone. Details inside.

It's the vastly improved display capability, and associated ultra high resolution video processing, of the new chip - in fact, so high it stands on an equal footing with the fastest high end discrete GPUs in this particular measurement: the 4K display resolution. Take a look at their Multi Format Codec or MFX engine, capable of playing multiple 4K videos at the same time, even a wall of them, as Intel says.

Today, LG Korea announced that it has entered into an exclusive deal with Japanese game developer Capcom that gives LG the exclusive rights to their popular Street Fighter IV game on their first high definition (HD) Android smartphone for three months after its launch. Debuted in 1987, the Street Fighter series is found on millions of game consoles and in arcades all over the word, though it has not been offered on the Android platform yet. Street Fighter IV will make its Android smartphone debut on LGâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s global apps site (www.lgworld.com) in the fourth quarter this year.

Post-IDF bites: Ivy Bridge GPU to support 4Kx4K displays! Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/post-idf-bites-ivy-bridge-gpu-tosupport-4kx4k-displays-/13584.html September 19th, 2011

With all the hustle and bustle of IDF, one piece of news, gently unveiled in one of side technical sessions at the conference, mostly passed unnoticed. It was a particular detail about the

Not only can the MFX engine display up to 4096 x 4096 pixels on a single monitor, but it can also handle video processing for 4K QuadHD video as well. Remember when, two years ago, Jen Hsun Huang at Nvidia for the first time encouraged 4K resolution - at that time 3840x2400 or as he called it XHD2, for ultra realistic gaming too, to use the extra pixels to justify 5

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the high end card need? Now, what a fate, Intel is making it real on the - integrated graphics platform, of all. Now, can we have back those 16:10 3840x2400 or, better, 4096x2560 monitors?

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• Dual 12cm viper yellow fans Socket type

Cooler dimensions Heatsink material Weight Installation Fan dimension Fan speed

Akasa Venom Voodoo CPU Cooler Review Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/akasa-venom-voodoo-cpu-cooler-

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 131 (W) x 129.5 (D) x 163.5 (H) mm High grade aluminium fins, copper heatpipes 1065g Screws and backplate (Intel & AMD) 120 x 120 x 25mm 600-1900 RPM (PWM controlled) 83.63 CFM 2.98 mm H2O 6.9 - 28.9 dB(A) 12V DC HDB (Hydro Dynamic) 50,000 hours 4pin PWM AK-CC4008HP01

review/13583.html September 19th, 2011

Adept PC users are rarely satisfied with the factory bundled CPU cooler, being it because of the performance, noise and/or aesthetics, creating a great demand for good aftermarket cooling solutions. Out of the many products currently available, today we are having a close look at the latest offering from Akasa, the Venom Voodoo CPU cooler, which is boasting exceptional performance and socket LGA 2011 support. Adept PC users are rarely satisfied with the factory bundled CPU cooler, being it because of the performance, noise and/ or aesthetics, creating a great demand for good aftermarket cooling solutions. Out of the many products currently available, today we are having a close look at the latest offering from Akasa, the Venom Voodoo CPU cooler, which is boasting exceptional performance and socket LGA 2011 support. Manufacturer features and specifications • Performance 12cm PWM fan in killer Viper yellow • 6 high capacity heatpipes with direct CPU contact • Award winning S-FLOW fan blades provide 30% more airflow

Logitech G9x Gaming Mouse Review: With interchangeable grips and weight-tuning options Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/logitech-g9x-gaming-mouse-reviewwith-interchangeable-grips-and-weight-tuning-options/13233.html September 19th, 2011

Logitech, one of world's largest manufacturers of computer peripherals from mice to multimedia speakers, is known for their line of "G-series" gaming peripherals. What we have today is the not-so-new Logitech G9x which features interchangeable grips, weight-tuning options and more. Let's go into the details. Introduction: The gaming market is booming, and it is no wonder peripherals makers like Logitech is coming up with more gaming products for the hardcore gamers. Their G series mice are widely received and this year, the company has given their G9 an upgraded sensor and called it the G9x. The G9x claims to have sensitity of up to 5700 dots per inch (DPI). The Logitech G9x comes packed in fancy green and orange box with a large transparent area that displays the mouse and 6

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Published by: VR-Zone

for users to get a feel of how the mouse feels like. Opening the flap revealed an additional grip and an explanation of the difference and main features of the mouse.

Features and Specification : Interchangeable grip Next-generation gaming laser Onboard memory Weight-tuning system Custom-colour LEDs On-the-fly adjustable DPI Resolution Image processing Maximum acceleration Maximum speed

200-5700 DPI 12 Megapixels/second 30G Up to 165 inches (4.19m)/ second 1000 Hz 0.09

Polling rate Dynamic coefficient of friction Static coefficient of friction 0.14 Tuning weight Up to 28 grams Button durability (Left/Right) 8 Million clicks Mousefeet durability 250 Kilometres Inside the packaging, there is a small tin box and an envelope containing a user's guide, a Logitech Setpoint disc, a quick guide, a USB usage and Logitech contact leaflets.

September 19th, 2011

Published by: VR-Zone

ASUS ENGTS450 DirectCU Silent Review Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/asus-engts450-directcu-silentreview/13157.html September 19th, 2011

Nearly all modern GPUs are designed for use with active cooling systems, in order to allow for desirable levels of performance within a reasonable form factor. To take a GPU intended for active cooling and cool it passively would entail a compromise in performance, size, or both. The passive graphics card we're looking at today is ASUS' ENGTS450 DirectCU Silent. While the GeForce GTS 450 is by no means the fastest GPU around, its relatively low TDP of 106W (for NVIDIA's reference design) makes it a good candidate for passive cooling.

Memory DDR3 GDDR5 Type Memory 1GB Size The full specifications of the ASUS ENGTS450 DirectCU Silent are as follows: Graphics Engine Bus Standard Video Memory Engine Clock Shader Clock Memory Clock Memory Interface Interface

Software ASUS Features Dimensions Note

NVIDIA GeForce GTS 450 PCI Express 2.0 GDDR3 1GB 594 MHz 1189 MHz 1.6 GHz ( 800 MHz GDDR3 ) 128-bit D-Sub Output : Yes x 1 DVI Output : Yes x 1 (DVI-I) HDMI Output : Yes x 1 ASUS Utilities & Driver / AIWI software DirectCU Silent Series 5.936 " x 4.375 " Inch This card doesn't need extra power supply, it's the best choice for user to upgrade

Qualcomm reveals future plans, we give you the details Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/qualcomm-reveals-future-plans-wegive-you-the-details/13581.html September 19th, 2011

In the case of the ENGTS450 DirectCU Silent, ASUS has decided to sacrifice performance instead of size. The core clock on this card is ~25% slower than NVIDIA's reference speed. ASUS has also opted to use DDR3 memory, which has lower power consumption but also much lower bandwidth than GDDR5 memory. In terms of performance, the reference GTS 450 sits roughly in between AMD's HD 5770 and HD 5750 (now renamed the HD 6770 and HD 6750 respectively). ASUS NVIDIA ENGTS 450 GeForce DirectCU GTS 450 Silent 594MHz 783MHz 1188MHz 1566MHz

Core Clock Shader Clock Memory 800MHz Clock (1600MHz) (effective) Memory Bus 128-bit

902MHz (3608MHz)

Gainward GeForce GTS 450 GS GLH 930MHz 1860MHz 1000MHz (2000MHz)

Earlier this week Qualcomm hosted its Innovation Qualcomm event in Istanbul where the company unveiled details of some of its upcoming products, including a 2.5GHz next generation Snapdragon SoC. However, a lot of details were left out, but VR-Zone is here to help fill in the blanks as to what to expect from Qualcomm over the next couple of years. From the event we know that Qualcomm is getting ready to launch a 28nm SoC with clock speeds of up to 2.5GHz in single, dual and quad core versions, all with next gen Adreno dual or quad core graphics. However, the company didn't say much more and some publications made the assumption that Qualcomm would have a quad core solution for phones out by early next year. Well, sadly this isn't the case for those of you that are longing to get your hands on a quad core phone, but let's not get ahead of ourselves, instead, let's start from the top. The current series of Snapdragon SoC's from Qualcomm are known as the S3 class, also known as Scorpion and here we're talking about chips like the current MSM8660 and MSM8260 as well as the APQ8060 which lacks baseband support. These 8

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SoC's can be found in a wide range of devices from HP's now defunct TouchPad to HTC's Sensation and EVO 3D. They're all 45nm dual core parts with Adreno 220 graphics and a core clock speed of between 1.2 and 1.5GHz.

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where there's room for additional chips that will handle the connectivity. The APQ8064 is similar to the MSM8960, as it's a 1.5 to 1.7GHz SoC, although with a pair of additional cores and 2MB L2 cache. It features Adreno 320 graphics, but it also offers SATA and PCI Express connectivity, something the MSM chips lack. Things brings us to the 2.5GHz monster, well, it might in fact be even faster as it's not expected to arrive until the second half of 2013. The model in question is the APQ8094 and it'll support either 800MHz dual channel LPDDR3 memory, or dual channel 1333MHz PCDDR4 memory, or in other words, standard desktop DDR4 memory. Apparently by then, desktop memory will be so low power that it will be just as good to use in a tablet as low power mobile memory. Here we're looking at an Adreno 420 GPU which is said to be capable of 400 million triangles per second. Beyond that we don't' have too many details about this upcoming chip, but it'll offer SATA connectivity just like its predecessor and apparently it'll do 3D video at 60fps in 1080p.

The next generation of Snapdragon chips will be the S4 class, as Qualcomm are keeping things simple when it comes to its naming schemes, although these chips are more commonly known as Krait. The first new Krait SoC's to arrive is the MSM8260A, MSM8660A and the MSM8960, all of which are 28nm dual core parts with a clock speed of 1.5 or 1.7GHz and 1MB of L2 cache. All three models sports support for dual channel 500MHz LPDDR2, faster Adreno 225 graphics said to be good for 125 million triangles per second. The MSM8960 should also come in a version with a faster Adreno 330 GPU capable of some 200 million triangles. The main difference between the MSM8260A and MSM8660A is that the 8260A supports dual-cell HSPA+ and TD-SCDMA, whereas the 8660A supports HSPA+ and various EV-DO standards mostly used in the US. The MSM8690 sports LET in addition to the connectivity options on the other two models and will be available with either CDMA or UMTS in addition to LTE. All three models should enter mass production next quarter, although devices based on these dual core SoC's aren't expected until the second quarter of next year. As far as phones are concerned, this is as much as we get for all of 2012, but in early 2013 Qualcomm is expecting to launch its first quad core phone SoC, the MSM8974. This isn't the 2.5GHz chip the company has been talking about, but instead a slightly slower 2GHz part with 2MB L2 cache. It will support dual channel 800MHz LPDDR3 memory and comes with a faster Adreno 330 GPU core which is capable of 200 million triangles per second. It will support the latest LTE and CDHSPA+ MIMO standards and it'll be Qualcomm's first phone SoC to sport USB 3.0 connectivity. Some of the more crazy features Qualcomm is planning to add is 4K x 2K video at 24fps, 1080p video at 120fps or 1080p 3D video at 60fps.

We'll be following up this article with a closer look at Qualcomm's more affordable options next week, although as always when we're diving into roadmaps, things are likely going to change before most of these products arrive and we've already seen that some of the models covered here have had their specs changed from earlier roadmaps. That said, it looks like Qualcomm has some interesting products coming over the next couple of years, but the real question is, is it going to be good enough, as the company is getting more and more competitors and none of them are resting on their laurels. Image courtesy of Pocket-Lint

IDF Day 3: Multi Core, Many Core and Many More Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/idf-day-3-multi-core-many-core-andmany-more/13580.html September 19th, 2011

More apps coming, according to Intel's Justin Rattner. Look at China Mobile LTE 4G base station in a multi-core PC, and Pentium-class mini PC running off a small solar cell The last day of every IDF is usually reserved for a more relaxed 'future looking' keynote, delivered as usual by Intel's CTO Justin Rattner - a happy research bloke whose cheerful disposition, enormous breadth of knowledge, and oh so slight facial similarity to the actor doing the Senator Palpatine role in early Star Wars movies, gives him regular following at IDF.

If you're still waiting for the 2.5GHz part, then please bear with us a little bit longer, as we'll get there in just a second. Qualcomm's first quad core SoC will be the APQ8064 and as you may or may not know, the APQ models don't feature any built in baseband technology. As such, the APQ chips tend to be used in many devices that don't require internet connectivity, or more commonly as of lately, in tablets 9

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Finally, they are pushing the generic multi-core PC CPU infrastructure into almost any app - here you see the joint effort with China Mobile to program the complete LTE 4G mobile base station software stack into a standard 4-core Sandy Bridge PC, using the SSE and AVX extensions as a kind of DSP feature, and reducing the cost of LTE deployment substantially.

He covered quite a lot on the multi-core evolution at Intel ever since the 2005 Core 2 Duo CPU. Interestingly, he omitted those infamous Netburst generation dual die Pentium 4generation Presler processors in 2004, which at least had some lovely clock frequency records for a while and yes, were seen as dual core CPUs from the system point of view. The multicore general purpose desktop, mobile and server CPUs were covered, as well as the many-core MIC add-on card approach for supercomputing, where the stated goal is to bring the MIC many core approach from the HPC niche to the mainstream. Note that AMD and Nvidia already do that in the mainstream - partially only, due to incompatible underlying instruction set and need for programming in OpenCL or CUDA, rather than in-line X86 - with their GPUs for a while already.

On the other side of the story, Intel was also rapidly updating their Sandy Bridge GPU drivers to extract maximum performance, and they recommend the users downloading the freshest version with 'substantial performance' increases. Same applies to the OpenGL professional application 3D for apps like Pro/E or CATIA being certified for the Xeon version of Sandy Bridge, the E3-1275, providing inexpensive competition to Nvidia and ATI cards in the OpenGL workstation space, where often just lots of polygons and simple texturing, but with guaranteed error free display, wins over fancy effects of the 3-D gaming world. Overall, a good event with lots of new things, but the next major launches - the Sandy Bridge E & EP high-end processors, followed by Ivy Bridge, will be the focus over the next two quarters. Intel seems happy with their clear long term performance advantage in the mainstream and high end, and seems to devote quite a bit of their focus now to the emerging phone and tablet markets, and attempting an aggressive X86based entry there.

Canon unveils PowerShot S100 and PowerShot SX40 HS with new DIGIC 5 image processor On the other end of the spectrum, their Extreme Computing team, going beyond all this, showed experiments like very low voltage threshold transistor usage to create a Pentium-class (yes, the old P55 MMX Pentium from year 1998 or so, with matching 13 year old mainboard) processor that takes only 10 mW (miliwatts!) and runs of a single credit card sized solar cell. The thing ran Windows XP with moving dancing kitten JPG, but could go up in clock by 10X too, if allowed for the voltage to reach the normal level. This all, however, would need new system infra running at such low voltages too.

Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/canon-unveils-powershot-s100-andpowershot-sx40-hs-with-new-digic-5-image-processor/13579.html September 19th, 2011

Canon has recently announced two new members in their popular PowerShot series of digital cameras - the PowerShot S100 and SX40. Both cameras incorporate the latest DIGIC 5 image processor that provides enhanced resolution and fast shooting speeds to photographer enthusiasts.

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Canon has announced the feature-packed PowerShot S100 and PowerShot SX40 HS, which comes equipped with the new DIGIC 5 image processor for superb performance and shooting speed. Both cameras also feature HS SYSTEM, Full HD video capture, High-speed Burst HQ and Intelligent IS for clearer smoother images. The Canon PowerShot S100, successor to the hugely received PowerShot S95, has improved features such as 4-120mm wide angle lens with 5x optical zoom, GPS functionality and is capable of achieving improved low-light performance of up to ISO 6400, and comes with a 12.1-megapixel CMOS image sensor. Available in either black or silver, the estimated selling price of the Canon PowerShot S100 is US$429.99 and is scheduled to be available in early November. Some features of this camera:- 3-inch wide LCD screen for easy viewing of images and menu options. - GPS capabilities where satellites collect data of the latitude, longitude and altitude of an image's location, which is then stored to the image's EXIF data. Map utility software is included with the camera to view the locations where images were captured. - A full range of shooting and recording modes including RAW + JPEG and a control ring on the front of the camera for quick, manual adjustment of key functions such as ISO, zoom and focus.

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The Canon PowerShot SX40 HS is the camera you need to ensure high quality images, be it shooting at a football game or at the local zoo. Some features of the include: - 35x optical zoom range (24mm-840mm) with image stabilizer and a 12.1-megapixel CMOS image sensor; the camera can capture low-light images of enhanced image quality up to ISO 3200. - 2.7-inch wide vari-angle LCD for easy viewing of images and menus from almost any angle. - Improved Smart AUTO settings to ensure the settings are intelligently selected based upon the cameras 32 predefined shooting situations. - Zoom Framing Assist button helps the user steady the camera when tracking a moving subject at extreme telephoto settings keeping it in focus. The estimated selling price of the PowerShot SX40 HS Digital camera is US$429.99 and is scheduled to be available in late September.

Thermalright Silver Arrow CPU Cooler Review - Dual 140mm of Air Cooling Greatness Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/thermalright-silver-arrow-cpu-cooler-

- compatibility with the HF-DC2 High-Power Flash, which is an optional flash accessory that operates wirelessly and increases the effective flash range up to approximately 9 metres.

review--dual-140mm-of-air-cooling-greatness/10000.html September 19th, 2011

We at VR-Zone test many combinations of motherboards and CPU platforms throughout the year, often demanding quick assembly/disassembly of heatsinks and decent air cooling performance in order to maximize overclocks in the shortest possible time. One CPU cooler (among many on our shelves) that we prefer to use in particular, is the Thermalright Silver Arrow. 11

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Introduction Quick run through of the greatest hits from Thermalright - SK-6, SLK-900, SP-94/97, Ultra-90, Ultra-120 Extreme, Venomous X, AXP-140, HR02, Archon (review coming soon).

Measuring 147mm x 122.6mm x 162mm (L x B x H), the Silver Arrow takes up a huge amount of real estate.

Google Nexus Prime with dualcore processor to launch end October? Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/google-nexus-prime-with-dual-coreprocessor-to-launch-end-october-/13578.html September 19th, 2011

Unpacking the contents of the box, we have:

It was Nexus One, followed by the Nexus S, and it looks like the next official Google phone could come in the form of Google Nexus Prime. If online sources are right, we may see the new Google Nexus Prime smartphone to launch end October or early November.

• the Silver Arrow heatsink, • two TY-140 fans, • a few installation leaflets, and • a sealed accessories pack which includes the mounting kit and fan clips.

According to TheDroidGuy, the upcoming Google Nexus Prime smartphone which is manufactured by Samsung, would be first carried by U.S telco operator Verizon in late October or early November, and then to other carriers. At a recent Verizon Developer’s conference in Las Vegas, a Samsung executive showcased the Nexus Prime, though he forbid attendees to have a closer look at the Android smartphone, nor allow others to take picture of it. According to sources, the Nexus Prime is

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broader and longer than the Nexus S which is likely due to the support for 4G LTE. The Google Nexus Prime will come with 4.6-inch Super AMOLED touchscreen display, 5-megapixel rear and 2megapixel front cameras, dual-core Ti OMAP processor. As Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich has yet to be out, it is possible that the Nexus Prime will run Android 2.3.4 Gingerbread mobile operating system and upgradeable to the newer Android version in the near future.

Digital Style multi-brand electronics concept store launched in Funan DigitaLife Mall

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Located at #03-32 in Funan DigitaLife Mall, Digital Style electronics concept store carries the complete range of consumer electronics products under six categories of Entertainment & Media, Gaming, Home Computing, Mobile Communications, Office & Professional and Ultra Mobile & Business. Experiential retail is one key component to the concept behind Digital Style. The store is specially designed to allow shoppers to easily try out products at the kiosk. Be it the latest speakers for music entertainment or new keyboards for gaming, shoppers are able to mix-and-match and plug-andplay the gadgets in-store. The Gaming zone features latest notebooks and desktops with powerful processors and superb graphics along with game controllers. The Office & Professional zone showcases various office productivity solutions while the Mobile Communications zone is packed with smart phones and cutting-edge tablets coupled with latest accessories to complete the entire experience. Across its five lifestyle categories, Digital Style carries products from all major brands including Acer, Asus, Blackberry, Dell, Fujitsu, HP, HTC, Lenovo, Logitech, Microsoft, Motorola, Panasonic, Samsung, Toshiba etc. Newstead Technologies plans to open another five Digital Style outlets islandwide in the next three years.

Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/digital-style-multi-brand-electronicsconcept-store-launched-in-funan-digitalife-mall/13576.html September 19th, 2011

This afternoon, @notebook.com, which is part of Newstead Technologies, has announced the launch of their first multibrand electronics concept store, Digital Style, to provide users with comprehensive consumer-centric experience.

Sony unveils new range of Balanced Armature In-ear Headphones Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/sony-unveils-new-range-of-balancedarmature-in-ear-headphones/13575.html September 19th, 2011

Sony has introduced a new range of Balanced Armature (BA) in-ear headphones, which includes 11 models featuring its new BA technology for high performance music enjoyment. The technological breakthrough revolves around the BA drivers, which are micro-sized construction that are Âź the size of conventional dynamic drivers, yet retaining the ability to achieve high resolution sound.

September 19th, 2011

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Sony says its BA drivers are optimised for music enjoyment, and located within a sealed housing to reduce the amount of ambient noise, as well as significantly reducing the levels of sound leakage - both in and out of the ear. The result is a deeper and richer sound, allowing for high-quality playback over a broader sound range across all models of the new Sony Balanced Armature headphones.

The new Sony Balanced Armature in-ear headphones will be available from all authorised Sony dealers from November 2011.

"With audiophiles and music lovers in general continually in pursuit of greater sound quality, the Sony Balanced Armature headphones offers a new holistic auditory experience," said Mr. Yosuke Aoki, General Manager, Personal Imaging & Sound Asia Pacific, Sony Electronics Asia Pacific. "These new models will forever change the way one appreciates music by catering to their individual specific needs."

Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/ecs-x79r-ax-black-series-motherboardpictured/13574.html September 19th, 2011

ECS X79R-AX Black Series Motherboard Pictured

The 11 models of in-ear headphones are as follows: • XBA-1, XBA-2, XBA-3 and XBA-4: For high sound quality for common listening • XBA-1iP, XBA-2 iP, XBA-3 iP and XBA-4 iP: Same as the XBA but with a remote control for use with music players and hands-free talk for smartphones • XBA-S65: Waterproof and washable for the sporting consumer • XBA-BT75: Bluetooth wireless headset model • XBA-NC85D: The smallest and lightest headphone with digital noise cancelling

in-ear

XBA-1, XBA-2, XBA-3 and XBA-4 headphones encompass one (full range), two (full range + woofer), three (full range + woofer + tweeter), and four (full range + woofer + tweeter + super woofer) respectively. This allows music lovers to purchase the appropriate earphone with a frequency response that best suits their listening preference. The versions with the iP designation simply come with additional support for music players and hands-free talk for smartphones.

Note that the XBA-S65 (Waterproof), XBA-BT75 (Bluetooth) and XBA-NC85D (Digital noise cancelling) features only a single full range BA driver for each ear. In the case of the XBA-BT75 and XBA-NC85D, the micro-size of the new BA drivers does mean that the Bluetooth transmitter and noise cancellation circuitry respectively are built right into the headphone housing; including their rechargeable batteries.

Here are the first pictures of ECS' top-of-the-line socket LGA2011 motherboard, the X79R-AX Black Series. This standard ATX form-factor motherboard crams in a ton of connectivity and features to tick all the boxes as far as Intel's next-generation HEDT (high-end desktop) platform goes. It's got room for 4-way SLI or CrossfireX, a strong-looking VRM, and connectivity galore. Here are the first pictures of ECS' top-of-the-line socket LGA2011 motherboard, the X79R-AX Black Series. This standard ATX form-factor motherboard crams in a ton of connectivity and features to tick all the boxes as far as Intel's next-generation HEDT (high-end desktop) platform goes. It's got room for 4-way SLI or CrossfireX, a strong-looking VRM, and connectivity galore.

Styled in ECS' signature black, white, and gray color-sheme, the X79R-AX belongs to the "Black Series" line of premium motherboards by the company, which helped build the its image as a premium board vendor. The LGA2011 socket takes in upcoming Core i7 "Sandy Bridge-E" processors, the socket itself is LOTES-made. The socket is powered by a 14-phase VRM, seven sets of Driver-MOSFETs and chokes on either sides of the PCB. We can imagine this to be a heavily layered PCB to keep signaling proper, when you have high-current electrical components on even the reverse-side of the PCB. 14

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VIA powered Zotac ZBOX nano appear in Japan Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/via-powered-zotac-zbox-nano-appearin-japan/13573.html September 19th, 2011

The CPU socket is wired to four DDR3 DIMM slots, two on its either sides. Each slot has its own 64-bit wide data path to the memory controller, since Sandy Bridge-E packs a hefty quadchannel (256-bit) DDR3 integrated memory controller. Up to 32 GB of DDR3-2400 MHz (via OC) memory can be installed. The memory slots are powered by a 4-phase VRM.

After having seen Zotac's dual core VIA Nano X2 powered ZBOX nano at Computex back in June, we were surprised when the company launched an AMD E-350 powered model instead of the VIA mode, but lo and behold, the VIA version has arrived, well, at least in Japan. We have as yet to see an official announcement from Zotac, but we're sure this will come in due time. After having seen Zotac's dual core VIA Nano X2 powered ZBOX nano at Computex back in June, we were surprised when the company launched an AMD E-350 powered model instead of the VIA mode, but lo and behold, the VIA version has arrived, well, at least in Japan. We have as yet to see an official announcement from Zotac, but we're sure this will come in due time. The size hasn't changed, so we're still looking at a 127x127x45mm cube, although the internals have of course changed quite a bit. A minor cosmetic change includes a yellow circle, instead of a green one on the AMD powered model. Around the front, we're looking at an identical setup as well with a memory card reader, a pair of audio jacks and an IR receiver.

Expansion slots include four well spaced-out PCI-Express 3.0 x16 slots, which depending on the way they're populated, are electrically configured (top to bottom) as x16/NC/x16/NC, or x8/x8/x8/x8, or x16/NC/x8/x8. Switching is handled by new ASMedia ASM1480 lane switches, that are PCI-Express 3.0 compliant.

Other expansion slots include two PCI-Express 2.0 x1.

There doesn't appear to have been any changes made to the rear either, as here we find a DisplayPort, and HDMI port, two USB 3.0 ports, two USB 2.0 ports, an Ethernet jack, an eSATA port and the Wi-Fi antenna. Internally things are quite different though, as here we find VIA's Nano X2 U4025 dual core CPU which is clocked at 1.2GHz with an 18W TDP. It's been paired up with the VIA VX900H chipset, although we couldn't find any reference to this specific model, nor the CPU model on VIA's website.

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A single SO-DIMM will accept up to 4GB of DDR3 memory and there's of course space for a 2.5-inch drive. It also sports 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 3.0 and just like with the AMD model, you get an external IR receiver, a remote control and a VESA mounting plate in the box. The VIA powered model goes under the name of ZBOX nano-VD01 and it's expected to hit retail in Japan later this month for somewhere around 10,000 Yen (S$162/US$130), although exact pricing has as yet not been confirmed.

Global Foundries GTC Taiwan 2011 Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/global-foundries-gtctaiwan-2011/13572.html September 19th, 2011

Yesterday we attended Global Foundries Global Technology Conference 2011 in Hsinchu, Taiwan and although the company didn't reveal anything new in addition to what was announced at its conference in in Santa Clara a couple of weeks ago, as we didn't attend that conference, we thought we'd sum up some of the things the company is working on. As always with these kind of events, only so many details are revealed, as much of what Global Foundries does are company secrets, or it's related to its partners products and as such Global Foundries can't talk about a lot of the specifics. Yesterday we attended Global Foundries Global Technology Conference 2011 in Hsinchu, Taiwan and although the company didn't reveal anything new in addition to what was announced at its conference in in Santa Clara a couple of weeks ago, as we didn't attend that conference, we thought we'd sum up some of the things the company is working on. As always with these kind of events, only so many details are revealed, as much of what Global Foundries does are company secrets, or it's related to its partners products and as such Global Foundries can't talk about a lot of the specifics.

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It's clear that being in the foundry business is a risky thing, least not looking at the big ups and downs in the market which affects a foundry directly when customers end up with too much stock of a certain product. That said, since the early 1980's the year or year growth for the semiconductor industry has grown from US$15 billion to US$314 billion and it's expected to grow further as we're moving towards more connected devices. Jim Kupec, the SVP of sales and market at Global Foundries mentioned that today's biggest driving force for new devices are teenagers and although this might not be entirely true, a lot of the devices out there are targeting the younger end of the market.

That said, Global Foundries aren't exactly slowing down their investments as the company is busy investing in all of its facilities. It's facility in New York reached its â&#x20AC;&#x153;ready for equipmentâ&#x20AC;? date two months early and Global Foundries should be kicking off test production here this year, although this facility isn't expected to go into full production until early next year. Fab 1 in Germany has started volume production of 32nm parts for AMD earlier this year and it's also doing some 28nm production tests and it will transition entirely to 28nm in the near future. Fab 7 in Singapore has been upgraded to produce anything between 40 and 65nm and is currently under evaluation to move to 300mm wafers in the future. It's also worth noting that Global Foundries have several additional facilities in Singapore which are all production various kinds of solutions such as MEMS and special components for the auto industry etc.

September 19th, 2011

Published by: VR-Zone September 19th, 2011

Right alongside the Trinity demonstration, AMD also showed off its FX CPUs - with competing Intel CPUs by the side. Two AMD FX CPUs were shown benchmarked against two Intel Core CPUs, both times the FX CPUs coming out on top. However, neither victory was comprehensive.

By next year Global Foundries expects to be ramping its 28nm products and even start some initial 20nm production at Fab 8 in the US. Furthermore the company is expecting to ramp capacity in Fab 1, 7 and 8 as the company is expecting demand for what it calls leading edge technology (65nm and below) to increase and this is also where the company is seeing close to 70 percent of its revenues from.

The first benchmark pegged a AMD FX 8-core CPU against a similarly priced Intel Core i5 in Handbrake. While the exact models weren't revealed, it is likely a Core i5 2400/2500 and FX-8100/8120 were benchmarked. A 5 minute standard definition was converted at 223 fps on the FX system against 188fps for the Core i5. The conclusion is simple - AMD has a 19% performance/price lead in Handbrake. While Handbrake isn't as aggressively multi-threaded as Cinebench or X264, it does respond to multiple threads, giving AMD's 8-cores an advantage (albeint disproportionate) over Intel's 4-core, 4thread Core i5. The second benchmark involved Dirt 3 running at 2560x1600 with two Radeon HD 6970 cards in Crossfire. An unnamed FX CPU scored 82.8fps versus 80.9fps for the Intel Core i7 980X. At such resolutions, games are extremely CPU limited, and slight performance difference does not reveal much. The benchmarks don't reveal as much as we would have liked, but there are signs of status quo - Intel leading on performance and IPC while AMD winning on performance/$ and especially multithreaded performance.

Global Foundries also addressed the concerns that some outside observers have had with regards to its High-k Metal Gate manufacturing process and the company has produced 2GHz ARM Cortex-A9 test chip with its 28nm-SLP technology and hit 3GHz with its 28nm-HPP process. That said, AMD's Fusion processors in the A-series are also built using Global Foundries HKMG manufacturing process and despite being late, the volumes are ramping, although the company wouldn't go into any specifics here either due to non-disclosure agreements with AMD. All future processors from AMD for at least the next 12 months should be based on Global Foundries 32nm HKMG process, including the upcoming FX-series and AMD's next generation A-series APUs.

AMD benchmarks FX against Intel CPUs Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/amd-benchmarks-fx-against-intelcpus/13571.html

RIM launches BlackBerry Torch 9860 and BlackBerry Torch 9810 Smartphones in Singapore Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/rim-launches-blackberry-torch-9860and-blackberry-torch-9810-smartphones-in-singapore/13570.html September 19th, 2011

RIM today announced the launch of two new BlackBerry 7 OS smartphones in Singapore, the BlackBerry Torch 9860 and BlackBerry Torch 9810. Pre-order for both smartphone 17

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Published by: VR-Zone

models start today, with expected availability in Singapore on September 22nd.

For more information, visit http://sg.blackberry.com/

The new BlackBerry 7 operating system has been touted to offer a significantly faster, and more fluid browsing experience. Built on the WebKit browser engine, RIM says its BlackBerry 7 smartphones deliver 40% faster browsing results than BlackBerry 6 smartphones, as well as optimized zooming and panning for smoother web navigation

IDF Day 2: Mobile Ivy Bridge, Haswell shows up too Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/idf-day-2-mobile-ivy-bridge-haswellshows-up-too/13569.html September 19th, 2011

The ever-popular Mooly Eden keynote show focused on Sandy / Ivy Bridge ultrabooks and the first showing of working Haswell system.

The BlackBerry Torch 9810 is an evolution of the BlackBerry Torch 9800, which was RIM's first smartphone with a capacitance touch screen and a slide-out keyboard. Equipped with a significantly faster 1.2 GHz processor under its hood for a zippy user experience, the Torch 9810 incorporates the same form factor as older Torch. In addition, the Torch 9810 has a 3.2" display that sports a VGA resolution of 640 x 480, as well as a vastly expanded 768MB of RAM and 8GB of onboard memory.

The BlackBerry Torch 9860, on the other hand, is a touchonly BlackBerry. With a depth of just 11.5mm, the Torch 9860 comes with an even larger 3.7" display with a WVGA resolution of 800 x 480. The Torch 9860 shares the same 1.2GHz processor and has the same amount of RAM and onboard memory as the Torch 9810. Gregory Wade, Regional Managing Director, East Asia at RIM, said: "This is an exciting period for RIM and we are thrilled to introduce two new BlackBerry 7 powered smartphones in Singapore. Both of these new BlackBerry Torch smartphones offer a full touch display and feature RIM's next generation of hardware and software to deliver the ultimate in communications, multimedia and productivity."

The IDF second day is usually as exciting and news-packed as the first one, especially since other speakers' keynotes may be more 'liberal' and peppered with more juicy revelations than what the CEO shows earlier. Mooly Eden, the VP in charge of the PC Client world - meaning desktops, notebooks and such, and the man who helped create Centrino, Core and all the way up to Sandy Bridge processors, was there on stage to promote Intel's next big mobile thing, the Ultrabook.

Now, Mooly has for some time preached a mantra that really reasonates beyond this whole processor thing: basically, with the likes of iPod and iPad, and such, the users are becoming more and more content consumers, not content creators. Then he dabbled into the left brain - right brain balance dilemma, with obvious focus on the right brain, which I have to welcome, myself being a pure 'right brain' left hander. That's where the Ultrabook comes as the ideal device - satisfying the practical requirements of the left brain, while providing a tool to materialise the inspiration from the right brain. You may think this doesn't make any sense, but actually it does - think carefully, ARM right now has an advantage only in the 'content viewing' devices like smartphones and tablets, while Intel rules the roost in 'content creation' devices like laptops, desktops and workstations. ARM wants to somehow go up, while Intel wants to expand downwards as well. The promise 18

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Published by: VR-Zone

of added creation capability on Ultrabook - a notebook that is barely larger than a tablet, but with full PC capability and no less sexy looking - appeals to that 'freedom' and 'creativity' of the right brain. After all, you don't need an 'app store' to be controlled what you install on an Ultrabook, unlike with a tablet.

working fine. Now, we just need more competition to spice up the race...

The technical merits of barely 1 cm thick Ultrabooks still include a decent dual core X86 CPU, preferably Ivy Bridge I guess, 13.3 inch or large screen - too bad most are in the infamous moviescreen 16:9 proportion at 1366x768, unproductive for serious work - and comfortable keyboard with touchpad for full creative operability. The prizmatic batteries are now there, instead of curvy ones, and brand new super thin displays, including the new e-DP kind that self refreshes the image for lower power use, and thin SSD drive - the HDD makes little sense here. Knowing that most of these machines will cost above S$ 1,000 in retail, SSD is to be expected. You can see the various vendors' early models here.

Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/canon-announces-new-lv-8320-lcdmultimedia-projector/13568.html September 19th, 2011

Canon announces new LV-8320 LCD multimedia projector

Canon Singapore had announced their latest multimedia projector, LV-8320, designed for professionals who want to do presentations on the go. Weighing 3.4kg, the LV-8320 claims to offer accurate images even under bright conditions, and features 1280x800 WXGA resolution, 3,000 lumens brightness and 2,000:1 contrast ratio.

Canon has unveiled the new LV-8320 LCD multimedia projector that features 1280x800 WXGA resolution, 3,000 lumens brightness and 2000:1 contrast ratio. Weighing only 3.4kg, it is ideal for professionals who need to do presentations on the go. The projector can project up to 1280 x 800 (WXGA) resolution and is compatible with modern widescreen laptops without the need to adjust. At 3000 lumens, projected images are vivid even under bright environments. Frankly, with the 17 W CPU TDP budget in Ultrabooks, yet the need for performance, I feel the real systems matching all the requirements will really wait for Ivy Bridge update six months from now, not to mention better displays at 1600x900 or even FullHD resolution.

It also incorporates Intelligent Lamp Dimming System that adjusts the lamp’s power output to suit the brightness of the image, hence reducing power consumption by a significant 69%. The projector can also adjust the color to maintain color balance at various brightness levels. The lamp has a long lifespan of up to 5,000 hours in Eco mode, and an air filter that can last 5,500 hours.

Mooly also ran the first fully working Haswell system here, no particular surprises, and the case was closed from the outside. The point was that Intel is basically ready, with Ivy Bridge ramp up not far away, and even Haswell prototypes seemingly

Users will be able to combine two projections within a single screen, increasing convenience for presenters and adding interest to presentations. Users can either choose ‘picture in picture’ or ‘picture by picture’. The function also allows 19

September 19th, 2011

users to refer to, for example, a video or document, without switching out from their presentation. The projector is also packed with convenient input capabilities including HDMI, DVI, VGA and S-video. With the Auto Input Search, the LV-8320 can automatically identify input signals without the need to manually switch source input. A builtin 10W speaker provides amplified audio where needed. The projector comes with Auto Keystone Correction that can detect the projectorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s tilt and correct distorted images. The LV-8320 will be available from 16 September at authorized Canon dealers at the recommended retail price of S$1,599.

AMD demonstrates Trinity Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/amd-demonstrates-trinity/13567.html September 19th, 2011

Published by: VR-Zone

releasing early in 2012, perhaps announced even as early as CES 2012 in January. At this point, a fair bit is known about Trinity. Trinity is the successor to Llano, and is likely to be the branded as the next A Series (likely Ax-4xxx). The CPU part of Trinity gets a major upgrade, moving from the aging Stars cores to AMD's next-gen Piledriver architecture, an enhanced version of Bulldozer. Trinity consists to 2-4 Piledriver cores or 1-2 Piledriver modules. The GPU part gets an upgrade to a Radeon HD 7000 branded GPU, rumoured to be based on the VLIW-4 architecture currently only available in Radeon HD 6900 series on the desktop. Unlike mobile Llano, which spans TDPs from 35W to 45W, mobile Trinity is rumoured to scale from 17W ULV systems all the way to 60W high-performance notebooks. While 60W may sound like a lot, it is reasonable for a quad-core with a full fledged GPU on die. You can view a video of the demo here, courtesy of Anandtech. While it doesn't give away much, it does show Trinity running Deus Ex: HR smoothly with good IQ.

Not far away from IDF, AMD has demonstrated a notebook running the next-gen Trinity APU, running Deus Ex: Human Revolution. This is not the first time AMD has showed off Trinity on a notebook, the first being at the AMD Fusion Developer Summit back in June. While that was just a video playback, running a modern DX11 game shows that Trinity is up and running in force. If all goes well, we could see Trinity releasing early in 2012, perhaps announced even as early as CES 2012 in January.

Sony Ericsson Xperia Ray Review: A sleek and elegant Android phone Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/sony-ericsson-xperia-ray-review-asleek-and-elegant-android-phone/13523.html September 19th, 2011

Last month, VR-Zone was in Tokyo, Japan to learn more about the design concept and engineering of the new Sony Ericsson Xperia ray. We also managed to get a a unit for review. So how good is the Xperia ray with its fairly small 3.3-inch screen and how does it compare to its larger screen competitors? Read on to find out.

September 19th, 2011

Published by: VR-Zone

"Phone Story" app gets ban in Apple iTunes Store Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/-phone-story-app-gets-ban-in-appleitunes-store/13566.html September 19th, 2011

Developing an iPhone app that criticized how Apple does business, it is no wonder such app would get the ban. Phone Story, is the latest victim to be on Apple's ban list as it criticizes the company in the form of four games with regards to human rights violation, gadget consumerism and creating e-waste. Android is growing steadily with recent statistics showing that the Google mobile operating system has taken 40 percent of the US smartphone market compared to 28 percent for Apple's iOS. This year, while we see a lot of new tablet devices, the phone makers are still churning out new smartphones which are slimmer and have large displays, and are incorporating features such as scratch-resistant glass, 3D technologies as well as high-tech LCD touchscreens for superb clarity and colors, while maintaining a low power consumption. Sony Ericsson launched their flagship Xperia arc earlier this year which measures just 8.7mm thick, has a 4.2-inch display and weighs 117g. In June, the company unveiled their new range of phones consisting of the Xperia ray, Xperia active and the txt. In this review, we're taking a closer look at the Sony Ericsson Xperia ray, but before we proceed, here's a quick breakdown of the specifications:CPU Memory Screen Graphics Display Resolution Connectivity

Expansion Slot Battery life Talk time Platform Dimensions Weight

Sony Ericsson Xperia Ray 1GHz Scorpion processor Internal: Up to 300MB free; RAM: 512MB 3.3-inches (WVGA) 854 x 480 8-megapixel camera w/ auto focus, LED flash 3.5mm audio, microUSB, 802.11b/g/n Bluetooth 2.1 w/A2DP, aGPS microSD up to 32GB 1500mAh rechargeable Lithium-ion Up to 440 hour standby time; Up to 420 min talk time Android 2.3 Gingerbread 111 x 53 x 9.4 mm 100g

Produced by Molleindustria, Phone Story is a smartphone game that "attempts to provoke a critical reflection on its own technological platform". From the game description, it consists of four educational games whereby player symbolically complicit in coltan extraction in Congo, outsourced labor in China, e-waste in Pakistan and gadget consumerism in the West. The developer claims that Phone Story is intended to serve as a reminder for users of the impact, though indirectly accusing Apple of human rights violation via dangerous extraction of coltan, a mineral used in manufacturing of consumer electronics products, worker abuse under questionable conditions at companies such as Foxconn, and launching new products every year thus creating more ewaste. Apple has thus ban the app citing reasons including the depiction of violence or abuse against children and excessively objectionable or crude content.

Razer to design the ultimate Xbox 360 arcade stick with community effort Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/razer-to-design-the-ultimatexbox-360-arcade-stick-with-community-effort/13565.html September 19th, 2011

September 19th, 2011

Published by: VR-Zone

At this year Tokyo Game Show, peripheral maker Razer has announced co-development program with the arcade stick community to come up with the ultimate arcade stick for the Microsoft Xbox 360 game console. Beta testing of the prototype will commence soon.

Razer has announced a program to co-develop the ultimate arcade stick for the Microsoft Xbox 360 game console together with the arcade stick community. The arcade stick, developed with pro-gamer feedback, is currently at the prototype stage. Up to 200+ specially selected top-seed Street Fighter IV pro-gamers, influential modders, and members of the arcade enthusiast community will each be given a Razer arcade stick to test and provide feedback to further improve it to perfection, whereupon the final design will then proceed to production. Members of the arcade community worldwide interested in participating in this beta program are encouraged to contribute ideas at www.razerzone.com/bredtofight, along with a short description as to why they should be selected for prototype testing. Registrants can also nominate other people to the program. Up to 200+ successful applicants worldwide will receive an arcade stick prototype delivered directly to their homes. Razer will be launching this non-retail arcade stick closed beta community program at Tokyo Game Show. Select pro-gamers and key modders will also be approached to begin beta testing the prototype. For more information on the arcade stick or the community program, please visit www.razerzone.com/bredtofight

September 23rd, 2011

Published by: VR-Zone

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

Intel Remains Committed to the Atom Brand Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/intel-remains-committed-to-the-atombrand/13624.html September 23rd, 2011

The recent public demonstrations of their Atom solutions over at Intel Developer Forum and Microsoft BUILD conference also clearly showed Intel is fully behind their Atom chips. At IDF, Intel has showed a Medfield powered smartphone and at BUILD, Microsoft has showed a tablet powered by a 32nm Atom chip which we believe is a Medfield. According to our sources, Medfield is a single-core chip supporting HyperThreading and Clover Trail is essentially a SoC version of Cedar Trail which is dual-core chip supporting HyperThreading.

AU by KDDI to carry Apple iPhone 5 in Japan early 2012 Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/au-by-kddi-to-carry-apple-iphone-5-in-

DigiTimes today ran a story about Intel's plans to rename the Atom brand under the upcoming Cedar Trail platform in 2012, due to poor brand image of Atom CPUs. We contacted an Intel spokesperson who responded by saying that there are no plans to change the Atom brand and that they are on track to launch new Atom processors in Q4 and more next year. VR-Zone also had an opportunity to talk to Brian Fravel, Intelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Director of Marketing for Brand Strategy and Management who oversees the Atom brand. Read more for the interview... DigiTimes today ran a story about Intel's plans to rename the Atom brand under the upcoming Cedar Trail platform in 2012, due to poor brand image of Atom CPUs. We contacted an Intel spokesperson who responded by saying that there are no plans to change the Atom brand and that they are on track to launch new Atom processors in Q4 and more next year.

japan-early-2012/13623.html September 23rd, 2011

Japanese mobile phone carrier, AU by KDDi, has recently spilled the beans about the upcoming Apple iPhone 5, as reported by Nikkei Business. However, as opposed to its earlier report that AU by KDDI would be selling the phone in early November, Nikkei said that the telco operator would be selling in early 2012 instead,

Currently under the Atom brand, there are currently 5 processors series; D, N, Z, E and CE where D is for performance segment, N and E is for mainstream, Z is for Battery Optimized and CE is for Consumer Electronics. VR-Zone had an opportunity to talk to Brian Fravel, Intelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Director of Marketing for Brand Strategy and Management who oversees the Atom brand. He confirmed that Intel remains extremely committed to the Atom brand and will continue to do so for 2012 and beyond. According to Fravel, Atom is doing well in segments such as Smart TVs where Intel Atom CE 4100 (Sodaville) chips are powering Google TV and Sony Internet TV. In the mobility space, Atom will continue to make in-roads into the netbook/ entry level desktop space with 32nm Cedar Trail which is expected to launch in Q4 this year. Tablet/smartphones with 32nm Medfield SoC are slated for a H1 2012 release, and a tablet/hybrid 32nm Clover Trail succeeding Oak Trail sometime next year.

Nikkei Business has earlier reported that AU by KDDI will be selling the new iPhone 5 in early November. But it seems that Nikkei, the sibling entity of Nikkei Business, said that the operator would only be selling the highly anticipated Apple iPhone 5 in early 2012 instead. Softbank has been the exclusive 1

September 23rd, 2011

telco operator for the iPhone in the past three years, but it seems that AU by KDDI, who is the second largest mobile phone carrier to NTT DoCoMo, has managed to seal the contract to sell the iPhone 5 in Japan. This could be good news to AU users, especially those who have switched to Softbank because of the iPhone.

Published by: VR-Zone

means that we could see the Samsung Galaxy Skin in stores before end 2012. Source: androidpit, gadgets and gizmos

Samsung to launch Galaxy Skin with flexible AMOLED screen next year? Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/samsung-to-launch-galaxy-skin-withflexible-amoled-screen-next-year-/13622.html September 23rd, 2011

The Samsung Galaxy Skin was unveiled at CES 2011 and features a bendable and foldable display that is able to withstand hard blows. However, the phone was still in conceptual stage, though if reports are true, the Samsung Galaxy Skin could become commercial next year.

Featuring a bendable, foldable AMOLED display, the Samsung Galaxy Skin is probably the most flexible mobile phone to date. Well, if it goes to retail that is. This new conceptualized phone was showcased at Hongik University in South Korea last June, and at CES 2011. According to Samsung, the Galaxy Skin incorporates flexible AMOLED displays, instead of glass, and is said to use a plastic polyimide substrate. The tests showed that the displays are able to bend around a cylinder, measuring just an inch in diameter. In terms of specifications, the Samsung Galaxy Skin will sport a 4-inch bendable AMOLED display (800x400), 8megapixel rear and VGA front cameras, 1.2GHz processor, 1GB memory, and supports Bluetooth 3.0 and Wi-Fi 802.11b/ g/n connectivity. The phone may not run the new Android Ice Cream Sandwich, but a new mobile operating system called Android Flexy. According to news sources, Samsung has already confirmed that the production of these flexible AMOLED displays will begin in the Q2 2012 next year, which

Samsung open doors to new memory fab, starts churning out 2Xnm DDR3 Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/samsung-open-doors-to-new-memoryfab-starts-churning-out-2xnm-ddr3/13621.html September 23rd, 2011

Back in May last year Samsung started building its Line-16 memory fab and trial production kicked off back in June this year, followed by mass production in August and the company has now announced that the Fab has gone into full production. According to Samsung this is the world's largest memory Fab and that in itself might be impressive, but what we're more interested in is Samsung new 20nm "class" DDR3 memory and NAND flash which is being made in the Fab. 2

September 23rd, 2011

Published by: VR-Zone

appears to be pretty much it. We'd expect the chipset heatsink to change before the board goes on sale.

As you'd expect, the new Fab is located in Korea and is a part of Samsung's Nano City complex in Hwaseong. It has 198,000 square meters of workspace and is a 12 story building. In the Fab Samsung can manufacture over 10,000 12-inch wafers of 2Xnm NAND flash plus an unknown amount of DDR3 wafers. That's a serious amount of memory and it's easy to see why Samsung is one of the leading memory manufacturers in the world. Samsung is also expecting to move to 10nm class NAND flash production at the Fab come next year. Additionally the company will move from 2Gbit DDR3 DRAM chips to 4Gbit chips later this year, which will be used in 4, 8, 16 and 32GB DDR3 DIMMs, although apparently we'll have to wait until next year before these hit retail. Samsung is expecting to output 50 percent more memory chips by moving from 3Xnm to 2Xnm and claims that the 2Xnm chips will use up to 40 percent less power than its 3Xnm chips. Hopefully from a consumer perspective this means that we can look forward to more affordable SSDs and sustained memory prices over at least the next 12 months.

Around the back the board has four USB 3.0 ports, two USB 2.0 ports, a Gigabit Ethernet port, an eSATA port, three analogue audio jacks, optical S/PDIF out and a DVI and HDMI port. It's good to see that Gigabyte has finally given up on the D-sub connector, although we'd presume that the DVI port allows for a D-sub display to be used via an adaptor.

Gigabyte's GA-A75N-USB3 mini-ITX motherboard pictured ahead of launch Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/gigabyte-s-ga-a75n-usb3-mini-itxmotherboard-pictured-ahead-of-launch/13618.html September 23rd, 2011

The GA-A75N-USB3 was announced quite some time ago, although nothing much have been heard about the product since. Now picture of an early revision of the mini-ITX motherboard has appeared over on a Japanese website and although we expect some minor cosmetic changes before launch, we can't be too far from an official unveiling.

We did find a price as well, as the board is listed for preorder with some online retailers. In Europe the board should retail for around â&#x201A;Ź100 (S$176) which about on par with the competition, although it doesn't make it a bargain, especially considering its fairly basic feature set. We'll have to wait and see what the official pricing will be once Gigabyte officially launches the board.

Intel's upcoming Core i7-2700K expected to cost more than the 2600K

The A75N-USB3 is a fairly basic motherboard, but as such it should also be quite affordable. Standard features include two DIMM slots, four SATA 6Gbps ports and a x16 PCI Express slot. We can also spot a front USB 2.0 pin header, but that

Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/intel-s-upcoming-core-i7-2700kexpected-to-cost-more-than-the-2600k/13616.html

September 23rd, 2011 September 23rd, 2011

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This year is The Body Shop's 35th anniversary and the cosmetic company will be launching their iButterfly Asia iPhone application in Singapore tomorrow. The iButterfly Asia iPhone app is designed to engage and reach out to potential customers with electronic discount coupons, product giveaways and useful content.

For the longest of times Intel has follow a very linear pricing model with new faster models entering its price lists at the same price point as its previously fastest model. However, it seems like this is all about to change with the introduction of the Core i7-2700K which is set to launch in about a months' time, as according to information VR-Zone has been privy to, the 2700K will be pricier than the 2600K. For the longest of times Intel has follow a very linear pricing model with new faster models entering its price lists at the same price point as its previously fastest model. However, it seems like this is all about to change with the introduction of the Core i7-2700K which is set to launch in about a months' time, as according to information VR-Zone has been privy to, the 2700K will be pricier than the 2600K. Sadly we can't reveal the exact price point of the 2700K as it would get our source in a lot of trouble, but suffice to say, it'll not end up at the US$317 list price of the 2600K. We'd expect the actual retail price of the 2700K to end up somewhere close to US$340-350 at launch, not massive increase in price, but still an unusual move by Intel. It's possible that the company isn't ready to replace the 2600K, although if this is the case, then this will be the first time we see two K SKU CPUs in the same sub family of CPUs from Intel. The Core i7-2700K will have a base clock of 3.5GHz, up 100MHz from the 2600K, although it's otherwise identical to the 2600K. This also means that the highest multiplier is still stuck at 57x, but we've also heard via the grapevine that the 2700K is proving to be a better overclocker than the 2600K. Intel is apparently cherry picking the best of the best of its Sandy Bridge cores for the 2700K, which helps when it comes to the overclocking potential. We shouldn't have to wait too long to find out, as Intel is expect to launch the CPU on the 24th of October. Update:Fudzilla seems to have found out a more accurate price point and claim that the Core i7-2700K should retail for US $331.

The Body Shop to launch the iButterfly Asia iPhone application tomorrow Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/the-body-shop-to-launch-theibutterfly-asia-iphone-application-tomorrow/13613.html September 23rd, 2011

Cosmetic company The Body Shop will be launching the iButterfly Asia iPhone app tomorrow, 23 September, in Singapore. This is the first time the app is coming here, following recent successes in Tokyo and Hong Kong. The campaign will be running from 23 September to 16 October,coinciding with the ethical beauty brandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 35th birthday celebrations. The iButterfly Asia iPhone app is designed to engage, capture and reach out to potential users via a paper-less "coupon entertainment". The objective is to catch the "butterflies" with each containing a variety of discount coupons, product giveaways and beneficial content. The application can be downloaded for free at the Apple iTunes App Store, and supports iPhone, iPod touch and iPad devices (with iOS4.2 and above). It works withiin 150m radius of the vicinity of any of The Body Shop stores in Singapore whereby you can catch the "butterflies". These butterflies are air tags created using augmented reality and location information elements. The smartphoneâ&#x20AC;&#x2DC;s global positioning system (GPS) and their motion sensors are then used to "catch" the butterflies. Once users have captured their butterflies, they will be able to redeem for free prizes and great discounts off products at any The Body Shop outlet. Each butterfly is unique to The Body Shop brand. Throughout the campaign period, consumers can catch these butterflies using their iPhones and take advantage of iButterfly Asia-exclusive offers, including 10 grand prizes of S$500 worth of The Body Shop products. These special edition butterflies will make appearances throughout the campaign. The public can follow The BodyShop Singapore on Facebook at www.facebook.com/thebodyshopsingapore starting 23rd September to get instant updates and how-to information on The Body Shop iButterfly Asia campaign.

September 23rd, 2011

OCZ announces second SSD caching solution with the Synapse series Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/ocz-announces-second-ssd-cachingsolution-with-the-synapse-series/13614.html September 23rd, 2011

If OCZ's RevoDrive Hybrid is outside of your budget, then its new Synapse series of SSDs might appeal to you as the new range of drives have been designed specifically for SSD caching. The good news is that you don't need chipset level support to take advantage of the SSD caching feature either, as OCZ has integrated software from Dataplex that handles the caching part. If OCZ's RevoDrive Hybrid is outside of your budget, then its new Synapse series of SSDs might appeal to you as the new range of drives have been designed specifically for SSD caching. The good news is that you don't need chipset level support to take advantage of the SSD caching feature either, as OCZ has integrated software from Dataplex that handles the caching part. So what makes the Synapse series of SSD's different from any other SSD? Well, OCZ are selling them as 64 and 128GB models, but you only get half of that space thanks to 50 percent overprovisioning. This means that the drive is likely to last longer than the hard drive it'll work in tandem with and OCZ claims a MTBF time of 2 million hours, which oddly enough isn't higher than OCZ's other SSD's, despite the high overprovisioning.

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the 64GB model has a max write speed of up to 490MB/s while the 128GB should be slightly faster at up to 510MB/s. The max IOPS are slightly lower than for OCZ's other SSD's based on the SandForce SF-2281 controller which is surprising, although the difference isn't that big. OCZ doesn't supply much information with regards to how the Dataplex caching software works, only that it takes some time for it to build up the cache, as per any other caching system. One slightly different feature is that the Dataplex software can dynamically handle which is stored on the SSD and the hard drive, which seems to suggest that frequently used software might be stored on the SSD rather than the hard drive. OCZ claims that the drives are available as of now, but we haven't found anyone listing them for sale and OCZ didn't reveal pricing. We're going to try to get a unit in for review and do a comparison with other SSD caching solutions.

Nikon COOLPIX P7100, P1200pj, S6200, S8200 on sale now Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/nikon-coolpix-p7100-p1200pj-s6200s8200-on-sale-now/13612.html September 23rd, 2011

Nikon Singapore is pleased to announce that the sales date for COOLPIX P7100, P1200pj, S6200 and S8200 officially start today, 22nd September 2011, Thursday. They are going for S $799, S$629, S$349 and S$519 respectively. Nikon Singapore is pleased to announce that the sales date for COOLPIX P7100, P1200pj, S6200 and S8200 officially start today, 22nd September 2011, Thursday. Product Name

Colors Specifications Recommended Available & Major Retail Features Price COOLPIX • Black • 10.1 $799 P7100 megapixels with 3” LCD • 7.1 optical zoom • 28mm wide-angle to 200mm telephoto lens

The Synapse series features SATA 6Gbps interface and both models have a rated max read speed of up to 550MB/s whereas

• Faster response and lesser noise

September 23rd, 2011

Published by: VR-Zone

• Special Effect mode • Tone level information display

COOLPIX • Black P1200pj • Pink

• Full HD movie recording with stereo sound • 14.1 $629 megapixels with 3” LCD • 5x optical zoom with 28mm wide-angle • Brighter projection up to 60” display • Project images via iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch* • Special Effect mode

COOLPIX • Silver S6200 • Black • White • Blue • Red • Pink

*via dedicated cable • 16.0 $349 megapixels with 2.7” LCD • 10x optical zoom with 25mm wide-angle • Highspeed response • Special and Filter Effects mode

COOLPIX • Silver S8200 • Black • Red

• 16.1 $519 megapixels with • 14x optical zoom with 25mm wide-angle • Backside illumination CMOS sensor • Highspeed response • Target finding AF function • Continuous shooting function • Smile timer continuous mode • Night Scene mode • Special and Filter effect mode • Easy Panorama • HD movie recording • Still image during movie recording

Sony ICF-DS15iP clock radio offers great audio experience and alarm to wake you up Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/sony-icf-ds15ip-clock-radio-offersgreat-audio-experience-and-alarm-to-wake-you-up/13610.html September 23rd, 2011

• Handheld/tripod night landscape detection 6

September 23rd, 2011

Published by: VR-Zone

Sony Electronics Asia Pacific has launched their ‘all-in-one’ clock radio, the ICF-DS15iP, which is sleek, has large volume output and is compatible with Apple iPod and iPhone devices. It features Mega Bass and Mega Xpand Sound system, and comes with a remote control to access the playback and alarm options easily.

Sony Electronics Asia Pacific has announced their latest clock radio - the ICF-DS15iP - that features a docking station for Apple iPod and iPhone devices. With a sleek finish, the new clock radio dock may seem small but it is capable of providing more sound options with its Mega Bass and Mega Xpand Sound system and large volume output. Additionally, users are now able to control the music from anywhere in the room using the supplied remote control, giving them the freedom to change the music or turn off an alarm without having to be in close proximity to the clock radio. The new ICF-DS15iP is available in both black and silver and will be available in Asia Pacific from October 2011 onwards.

Samsung introduces MultiView MV800 compact camera with flip-out touch display Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/samsung-introduces-multiviewmv800-compact-camera-with-flip-out-touch-display/13609.html September 23rd, 2011

Flip-out display on a digital camera for user to capture pictures even in an awkward angle, isn't a new feature, However, Samsung has implemented the flip-out touch display (including some of the buttons) on the their new MultiView MV800 compact camera.

Samsung has unveiled their new ultra slim and stylish MultiView MV800 camera that features enhanced picture quality and touch screen technology. The MultiView MV800 builds on the success of Samsung’s dual screen technology and is the first premium compact model to feature a 3-inch wide flip-out touch display for flexibility, enjoyment and creativity. You can snap a high-angle shot over the crowd or low-angle shot on the ground to effortlessly frame and capture pictures. For self-portraits, simply spin the display around. In terms of specifications, the MV800 features an 16.1-megapixels sensor and 5x optical and 26mm wide-angle zoom lens that can shoot superior quality images. With the Live Panorama function, you can take photos of large groups or panoramic view by holding the camera shutter button, and then preview the entire scene on the LCD touch display. Other features include the Smart Touch 3.0 with Wallpaper user interface that allows user to drag and scroll through menu options to launch the required feature intuitively with just a touch; Magic Frame feature with 12 fun background templates; and Funny Face feature that lets you bend, stretch and manipulate portraits by tapping and dragging to radically distort facial characteristics.

Renesas passes USB-IF certification, again Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/renesas-passes-usb-if-certificationagain/13608.html September 23rd, 2011

September 23rd, 2011

Although we're not entirely surprised, Renesas has passed the USB-IF certification for its most recent USB 3.0 host controllers, the µPD720201 and the µPD720202. We're most likely looking at the last host controllers to get certification this year, although we know that both Etron and ASMedia are looking at the four port market. Back in March Renesas said it would kick off mass production of the µPD720201 and the µPD720202 come September and having passed USB-IF certification it looks like the company is ready to go. Considering that the company (then under the banner of NEC Electronics) was the first to launch a USB 3.0 host controller, the speedy certification might not be so surprising, although we have a feeling that the company got VIP treatment by the USB-IF as well because of its special standing with the USB-IF.

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Zotac set to launch AMD A75 ZBOX, motherboard too Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/zotac-set-to-launch-amd-a75-zboxmotherboard-too/13607.html September 23rd, 2011

Showing off sneak peeks of upcoming products have become quite the trend these days, either on Facebook or Twitter and according to Zotac's Facebook page, the company is going to introduce at least one new product tomorrow. So far there are only a couple of pictures that don't give away too much detail, just enough to tell us that it's an AMD A75 based product. This piqued our interest and we managed to dig up quite a lot of details on what Zotac is getting ready to announce. Showing off sneak peeks of upcoming products have become quite the trend these days, either on Facebook or Twitter and according to Zotac's Facebook page, the company is going to introduce at least one new product tomorrow. So far there are only a couple of pictures that don't give away too much detail, just enough to tell us that it's an AMD A75 based product. This piqued our interest and we managed to dig up quite a lot of details on what Zotac is getting ready to announce.

The two new host controllers will offer two or four ports depending on model and Renesas claim that it offers the world's lowest power consumption when it comes to USB 3.0 host controllers. This should hopefully mean more interest from notebook manufacturers, as USB 3.0 is still far from a standard feature even on high-end notebooks. The new chips are also smaller, at 7x7 or 8x8mm compared to 10x10mm for the previous generations and Renesas has moved away from expensive BGA packaging to more affordable QFN packaging. Add to that a claimed performance increase of 20 percent for reads and 40 percent for writes and it looks like Renesas has an appealing product on hand. Sadly we didn't see these kinds of performance boosts in our USB 3.0 host controller roundup in which Renesas kindly lent us a µPD720201 host controller. That said, our SATA 6Gbps bridge combined with early drivers are likely part of the issue here, although that is just speculation from our side for now. We haven't heard anything with regards to motherboard manufacturers picking up the new host controllers from Renesas, but we have a feeling MSI is in line to move on to something newer and faster, as the company is still using the older models from Renesas on its motherboards. We'll simply have to wait and see what host controllers the final X79 boards will feature, as that should give us a good idea as to who Renesas new partners are. No official press release have been issued as yet, but both models are listed over at the USB-IF as certified.

We're not quite sure if we'll see more than one announcement tomorrow, but from what we've managed to dig out, Zotac will be offering a new ZBOX in the shape of the A75ITX-A as well as a new mini-ITX motherboard called the A75ITX. The motherboard in question will of course be the one fitted inside the new ZBOX. Zotac's Facebook page managed to give away the fact that we're looking at a pair of Gigabit Ethernet ports as well as eight USB 3.0 ports, but nothing much else was revealed.

As we're looking at yet another mini-ITX board from Zotac, but as always the company has packed in as many features as it possibly can. The board has four SATA 6Gbps ports, two DIMM slots and a single x16 PCI Express slot and this is pretty much the norm for a mini-ITX board. However, in typical Zotac manner, we find a mini PCI Express slot that houses an 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi card with Bluetooth 3.0, a pin-header for two front USB 3.0 ports as well as for two front USB 2.0 ports. Around the back is a single PS/2 port, an additional six USB 3.0 ports, two Gigabit Ethernet ports, the Wi-Fi antennas, a clear CMOS button, 7.1-channel analogue audio jacks with an optical S/PDIF out and a DVI and HDMI port. Oddly enough there's a jumper on the board that allows the user to select between DVI or D-sub output for the DVI port, a feature we've never seen before and that of course still requires a converter. 8

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definitely worthwhile for customers to purchase V4 now. ESET NOD32 Antivirus 4 (1-User, 1-Year) is going for S$26 while ESET Smart Security 4 (1-User, 1-Year) is going for S$36 on version 2 estore.

Bose launches Companion 20 multimedia speaker system in Singapore Sadly we don't have any details as to what the new ZBOX will look like, as presumably it'll be bigger than Zotac's current models due to the more powerful and hotter running CPU. We can't think of a current ZBOX that would be able to house a suitable cooler, as not even the 65W APU's would work. As such we're simply going to have to wait and see what Zotac launches tomorrow.

Free upgrade to ESET NOD32 Antivirus 5 & Smart Security 5 Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/free-upgrade-to-eset-nod32antivirus-5--smart-security-5/13606.html September 23rd, 2011

ESET is set to launch NOD32 Antivirus 5 and Smart Security 5 in Singapore on 1st October. Meanwhile, customers who purchase V4 will get FREE upgrade to V5. No pricing information is being released at this point of time but it is expected to cost higher than the current V4. Therefore, it is definitely worthwhile for customers to purchase V4 now. ESET NOD32 Antivirus 4 (1-User, 1-Year) is going for S$26 while ESET Smart Security 4 (1-User, 1-Year) is going for S$36 on version 2 estore.

Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/bose-launches-companion-20multimedia-speaker-system-in-singapore/13605.html September 23rd, 2011

Fancy looking for a high-quality audio speakers for your PC? Well, Bose has launched their new Companion 20 multimedia speaker systems in Singapore that boast superb performance without the need of a subwoofer. The Bose Companion 20 is now available at authorized retailers.

Atlas Sound & Vision, one of Singapore’s premium audio visual retailer and distributor, has introduced the latest Bose Companion 20 multimedia speaker system, which claims to deliver a new level of performance for two-piece computer speakers. You can enjoy natural sound without the need for a separate subwoofer. The Companion 20 system features a new driver and advanced port to reproduce music across the full frequency range. Each speaker fits neatly to the right and left of a laptop or monitor, with the acoustic image being expanded by a sophisticated implementation of Bose TrueSpace stereo digital signal processing. The perceived soundstage is wide and spacious, even with the speakers’ narrow placement. Additional proprietary digital signal processing and active electronic equalisation ensures accurate sound reproduction. At the highest listening levels, there is no distortion – and when played quietly, music still can be enjoyed with detail and realism. The new Companion 20 operation is made easy with a small, circular control pod that lets users adjust volume and access one-touch muting. It also offers a headphone jack and input for an additional audio source; for example an iPhone, iPod or other portable devices. 9

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Pricing and Availability The Bose Companion 20 multimedia speaker system is available in silver and retail at S$539 from selected partners and the Atlas Experience AudioVisual Boutique @ TripleOne Somerset, and Bose @ Millenia Walk.

Nikon announces new Nikon 1 advanced mirrorless cameras with interchangeable lens Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/nikon-announces-new-nikon-1advanced-mirrorless-cameras-with-interchangeable-lens/13603.html September 23rd, 2011

If you have been following the news recently, rumors have suggested that Nikon could be announcing new mirrorless cameras. And today, in Singapore, the word is finally out. The camera maker has officially unveiled their new Nikon 1 advanced mirrorless cameras with interchangeable lens, J1 and V1.

With other camera manufacturers coming up with their mirrorless cameras, it was just a matter of time Nikon would launch theirs, and launch they did. The Nikon 1 brand is an advanced camera with interchangeable lens that claims to "propose new forms of imaging expression and enjoyment". The new brand joins the existing Nikon D-series digital SLR cameras and COOLPIX line of compact digital cameras in Nikon's portfolio. At launch, the company showcased the J1 with a minimalistic design and five colors (black, white, silver, red and pink) that would appeal to casual users; and the V1 (in black or white) is designed for photographers enthusiasts and comes with an electronics viewfinder. With this announcement, one can't help but wonder if Canon would also be going the mirrorless camera way.

The Nikon J1 and V1 both feature the new Nikon 1 mount lens system, 13.2 x 8.8mm CMOS sensor that supports 10.1megapixel resolution and high speed EXPEED 3 imagingprocessing engine. The J1 is about the size of most mainstream compact digital cameras, weighing about 277g (with battery and memory card but without body cap), and features dust shield glass, electronic shutter and pop-up flash.

The rear holds the 3-inch LCD display, mode dial (still image, Smart Photo Selector, movie and Motion Snapshot) and standard buttons including Display, Playback, Menu, zoom etc.

*Above pic - the Nikon V1 with the Olympus E-P3 and the Olympus XZ-1 10

September 23rd, 2011

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We noticed that the shooting modes like Programmable, Manual, Aperture and Shutter Priority are not found on the mode dial of both the J1 and V1. Apparently, these modes are located within the onscreen menu options, which can be a slight hassle for photographers who want to access them.

Report: AMD FX release date and prices Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/report-amd-fx-release-date-andprices/13604.html September 23rd, 2011

The Nikon V1 is a little bigger than the J1 sibling and has a protrusion at the top that houses the electronic viewfinder. It also does not have the pop-up flash, although in its place is a Nikon 1 proprietary hot shoe for other camera accessories such as an external flash unit. It would be interesting to see how well the Nikon V1 would sell as compared to the J1, especially when it does not have a built-in flash for users who may want to shoot pictures at dim lighting environment. At press time, the company did not announce the local retail price, and as for availability, both the J1 and V1 are scheduled to be available in end October (or later).

Earlier this month, shopblt.com jumped the gun and listed AMD FX CPUs for pre-orders (the listing has since been pulled) giving us an idea of prices for the first FX CPUs. DonanimHaber now reports prices for the same three SKUs. The top FX-8150 will purportedly retail for $245, FX-8120 at $205 and FX-6100 at $175. These three CPUs are set to release on October 12th. Earlier this month, shopblt.com jumped the gun and listed AMD FX CPUs for pre-orders (the listing has since been pulled) giving us an idea of prices for the first FX CPUs. DonanimHaber now reports prices for the same three SKUs. The top FX-8150 will purportedly retail for $245, FX-8120 at $205 and FX-6100 at $175. These three CPUs are set to release on October 12th. This pegs the FX-8150 somewhere between Core i5 2500K and Core i7 2600K. However, with the Core i7 2700K incoming, the Core i7 2600K might just drop in price to compete with FX-8150. The FX-8120 will directly compete with Core i5 2500(K), while the FX-6100 will directly replace the Phenom II X6 1100T - which features the same number of cores at an identical clock speed - and take on the recently released Core i5 2320.

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Quad-core FX-4100 series CPUs are expected to release later in the year, with a family-wide refresh (rumoured to be with a new stepping) expected in Q1 2012. Featuring high clocks and reasonable prices, FX-4100 series could be an interesting choice for gamers on a budget.

Samsung to open source Bada, rely less on Google Android Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/samsung-to-open-source-bada-relyless-on-google-android/13602.html September 23rd, 2011

With Google acquiring Motorola, it looks like Korean company Samsung plans to open source its Bada platform next year. The move is to get more manufacturers and developers to help grow the Bada ecosystem, and also to be less reliant on the Android mobile operating system.

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the mobile phone market. Prior to the news of acquisition, Samsung increased its support for other operating systems the company will be launching three new Bada smartphones in October.

Diablo 3 Closed Public Beta Commences Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/diablo-3-closed-public-betacommences/13600.html September 23rd, 2011

If you have signed up for Blizzard's Diablo 3 closed public beta, you may want to check your email now; you could be selected to participate in this game test. As a beta participant, you will get to play as one of the five heroes classes and part of Act I of the game.

It was a long wait, but the highly anticipated Diablo III roleplaying game from Blizzard may be launched soon. Today, the company has launched their closed public beta for the game, and if you have signed up for it, check your email or log in to your Battle.net account now. You could be the lucky selected participant for the game test. Google's acquisition of Motorola has created a huge impact, especially to mobile phone makers. And Korean company Samsung is planning to open source its Bada platform next year to garner support from other manufacturers and developers, and to be less reliant on the Android operating system. Although no concrete details is available at press time, Samsung currently has no intention to acquire software company; not even HP's webOS. Once the Bada platform has been made open-source, mobile phone and set-top box manufacturers are free to use and modify the system, and hopefully attract more developers to create applications and grow the Bada ecosystem. In August, Google acquired Motorola for US$12.5 billion and critics are worried that Motorola would be the search engine giant's "direct descendant" with priority to the latest version of Android. If Samsung continues to rely too heavily on Android, it could put the company at a disadvantage in

According to the email from Blizzard, the selected beta tester will get to check out all the five hero classes -- barbarian, witch doctor, wizard, monk, and demon hunter - and fight his or her way through part of Act I and go head-to-skull against the Skeleton King either alone or in cooperative mode with other adventurers. On top of that, the tester will also get to meet up with some of the artisans, followers, and other key characters from Sanctuary, and try out the game's skill and crafting systems. For those who have signed up for the Diablo 3 closed public beta, simply log in to Battle.net and click the "Account" button. If you have been selected, the Diablo III Beta game account should be listed under "Your Game Accounts". And for this group of users, simply verify their age and select the operating system to download the beta client (Windows or Mac). (Sorry for those who didn't get selected).

September 23rd, 2011

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Nvidia unveils fifth core in KalEl Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/nvidia-unveils-fifth-core-in-kalel/13599.html September 23rd, 2011

In a blog post, Nvidia unveiled that its upcoming Tegra SoC currently codenamed Kal-El is not a quad core CPU but rather a quintuple core CPU. That said, the fifth core is quite different to the first four and it's apparently also patented. In a blog post, Nvidia unveiled that its upcoming Tegra SoC currently codenamed Kal-El is not a quad core CPU but rather a quintuple core CPU. That said, the fifth core is quite different to the first four and it's apparently also patented. Nvidia has put a really interesting twist on things by adding what it calls a "companion core". You might think that this means it's meant to handle various things that the main cores shouldn't have to be bothered with, but this isn't quite the case. Instead, the companion core will take over the entire device when simple tasks such as audio and video playback, web browsing (basic web pages) or other similar things that doesn't require the power of the four main cores.

As such, the companion core has a maximum clock speed of 500MHz according to a whitepaper that Nvidia also published today. It's still a Cortex-A9 core, but it's meant to be a power sipping alternative to the other four cores which will run at XGHz. Nvidia calls this Variable Symmetric Multiprocessing, or vSMP for short. The entire core is also built in low power process technology instead of more performance focused process technology for the other four cores, although we're not entirely sure how Nvidia has managed to pull this one off, as it's generally not possible to mix and match process technology inside a chip. The companion core also means lower power consumption in standby mode, as the four main cores are all switched off and only the companion core is active. The only thing that isn't very clear is how Nvidia handles the switching between the companion core and the other four cores, as the companion core can't be enabled at the same time as any of the four main cores. The whitepaper mentions that the L2 cache is shared between the companion core and the main cores and as such there should be little to no noticeable lag for the user when core switching takes place.

Nvidia is also making some bold claims with regards to power savings compared to its current dual core Tegra 2 SoC. Even at 40nm, Nvidia claims that Kal-El is some 14 to 61 percent more 13

September 23rd, 2011

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power efficient thanks to vSMP. The biggest power saving numbers comes from HD video playback, with the smallest gain being during music playback. The company goes on to make claims of being two to three times more power efficient that its competitors, although that is of course current models, in this case from TI and Qualcomm. If you're interesting in reading up on the power saving benefits of Kal-El we suggest you head over to the blog post linked below and check out the whitepapers for yourself. It'll be interesting to see how Nvidia's competitors respond to this, but it seems like a very logical way forward, especially in mobile devices that spend a lot of their time in idle mode, or at least most of their time running at far lower speeds than what today's and tomorrow's SoC's are capable of.

HTC Rhyme first impression Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/htc-rhyme-first-impression/13597.html September 23rd, 2011

The HTC Rhyme is something of a delicate matter, as it's HTCs first phone that is said to have been designed with a female audience in mind, yet it comes in dull colours and look quite a lot like every other HTC handset we've seen so far. Sure, it's not black, but it's unlikely to set anyone's world on fire in terms of look and feel. So what makes this handset so special then? Well, we're not quite sure to be honest, but click on through for our first impression of HTC's latest handset.

The phone itself feels solid, but also quite heavy for its size at 130g, especially as it only has a 3.7-inch Super LCD screen, albeit with WVGA (800x480) resolution. We're not quite sure what HTC tried to do when they designed the Rhyme, but it only has a power button and a volume rocker and a dedicated camera button would've been a useful addition. The micro USB port is hidden behind a flap, although this flap is part of the rear cover and it's fiddly to open and close. Behind the rear cover you'll find the easily accessible SIM card and microSD card slots, but oddly enough, the battery is not removable. A quick breakdown of the specs include a 1GHz single core Qualcomm processor, 768MB of RAM and 4GB of built in storage, although only about 1GB is available for the user. You do of course get features like 8021.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 3.0 and GPS as well. The rear 5 Megapixel camera is meant to have a back side illuminated sensor and a 28mm F2.2 lens and although it's better than most phone cameras, it can't compete with higher-end phones in terms of quality. There's also a front mounted camera for video calls and the rear camera has an LED flash.

The HTC Rhyme has a pair of unusual features, the first one is the charm indicator which is short is an LED at the end of a wire and the other being a â&#x20AC;&#x153;wirelessâ&#x20AC;? charger dock. Ok, so maybe we're being a bit blunt about it, but the charm indicator really is just that, a small LED in some plastic attached to a wire that connects to the headphone socket. The LED will then pulsate to let you know find your phone when lost in your handbag or flash when you have an incoming call. We should also point out that the charm indicator can't be plugged in at the same time as the headset. The wireless charger doesn't rely on some fancy induction charger technology; instead it has a small row of connectors at the back of the phone which interface with the dock and thus charges the battery. HTC is also bundling a Bluetooth headset as well as a wired headset with flat cables (not by Beats Audio), a Bluetooth car speaker (quite an unusual accessory) and an arm pouch for the phone for when you take it with you on a jog. Sadly we didn't get a chance to play with the accessories and it's possible that the bundle will differ between markets.

In use the HTC Rhyme feels snappy enough, although the HTC Sense 3.5 UI means that a lot of things have been moved around, so users of other HTC Android phones will have to refamiliarize themselves a bit. The most obvious change is that the little bar on the bottom is now gone in lieu of a pair of circles, one which access the apps and one for the phone menu. The personalize settings can be found inside the options menu. HTC has also come up with a new widget called Shortcuts and Clock and it adds five shortcuts on the left hand side of the 14

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screen, all of which can be customized, alongside a clock and current weather conditions. HTC has also thrown in FriendStream, its Locations app, HTC Deals, HTC Listen, Facebook, Twitter and a few other more or less useful apps as standard. The supplied desktop wallpapers are also quite nice, but some logic is missing in terms of how some of the HTC specific apps and settings work. We also didn't notice any female specific apps, although we're not quite sure what these would be in the first place.

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Jabra showcases new range of Bluetooth headsets Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/jabra-showcases-new-range-ofbluetooth-headsets/13595.html September 23rd, 2011

This afternoon, Jabra showcased their latest range of Bluetooth music products including Jabra Street2, Jabra Halo2 and Jabra Sport, as well as high-end Bluetooth headset, Jabra Supreme, in Singapore. The Jabra Halo2 and Street2 are already available, while the Jabra Sport and Jabra Supreme will be available in October.

The time we spent using the Rhyme didn't convince us that there was anything specific about the handset that would make it appeal to a female audience, instead it's just another Smartphone from HTC that doesn't really stand out from the crowd. The Rhyme is by no means a bad phone, but if you get it on a two year contract today, by the time that contract is up, it's going to have close to a budget category handset. Price wise the Rhyme will retail in the US for $199 (S$250) on contract, although we've also seen mentions of European pricing without a contract at â&#x201A;Ź479 (S$827) which is simply just too much for this handset, despite the accessory bundle. As such we can only conclude that the Rhyme feels like it offers too little, is too unfocused and is arriving too late to make any kind of impact.

This afternoon, the media is treated to a showcase of the latest range of Bluetooth products by Jabra Singapore which include (from left) the Jabra Halo2, Jabra Street2, Jabra Sport and Jabra Supreme. The Jabra Halo2 has a foldable design and feature AM3D Virtual Surround Sound and Power Bass for an enhanced listening experience, while the Jabra Street2 lets users enjoy their favourite audio tracks wirelessly, without having to worry about missing a single voice call. The Jabra Sport is rain-resistant, shock-resistant and dust-resistant, which is ideal for active music lovers who are into sports and outdoor activities. Last but not least, the Jabra Supreme is the high-end Bluetooth headset with Active Noise Cancellation, Noise Blackout and Wind-Noise reduction technologies that provide great clarity during conversation.

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The Jabra Sport comes in both wired and wireless versions, and you can get it in any color as long as it is yellow. The company did mention that it may release other colors for the Jabra Sport in future. The Jabra Sport will be retailing in stores in early October - S$148 for the Jabra Sport wireless version; S$168 for the Jabra Sport wireless version (Made for iPhone, iPad and iPod); S$98 for Jabra Sport wired version and also the wired version (Made for iPhone, iPad and iPod).

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Theis MĂ¸rk, senior product manager of the mobile division in Jabra (based in Denmark) was also present to introduce the features of the company's new offerings.

Kensington Delivers Physical Security for iPad 2 Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/kensington-delivers-physical-securityfor-ipad-2/13596.html September 23rd, 2011

Jonathan Tang, managing director, APAC Mobile for Jabra, gave a brief overview of the company and talked about how Jabra is doing. "2011 is a good year for us as we see explosive growth pretty much everywhere in the region including Australia and India. Mobile devices and technology platforms are changing, becoming more stylish, pervasive and easy to use. At the same time, you have abundant content available including cloud, social music and all kinds of entertainment and educational that is becoming more needed and accessible by the consumers. With more devices and content, users may own more than two mobile devices. And these devices need handsfree communication," Tang said.

Kensington, the company that invented the Kensington Slot that has long become synonymous with cabled security for laptops, has just announced its new family of SecureBack Security Cases for the iPad 2. Designed to secure Apple's 2ndgeneration tablet in public places, the Kensington SecureBack Security Case features a unique three-piece design with a patent-pending rail system that snaps into place to quickly and easily protect the iPad against theft. According to Kensington, the SecureBack Case was designed as a first line of defense for an iPad-toting workforce, with a unique design that preserves its slim form factor. Moreover, the case provides full access to the iPad 2's ports, speaker, and cameras. There are two main models of the SecureBack Security Case: Kensington SecureBack Security Case (with ClickSafe Lock)

September 23rd, 2011

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Apple to launch two new iPhone models? Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/apple-to-launch-two-new-iphonemodels-/13594.html September 23rd, 2011

The Kensington SecureBack Security Case features a oneclick security packaged in a sleek form factor suitable for handheld use. An adjustable slider bar allows quick access to the ClickSafe Security Anchor for easy security. This model is "ClickSafe ready" and can be purchased with or without the ClickSafe Lock. The Kensington SecureBack Security Case with 2-way Stand (& ClickSafe Lock)

Similar to the SecureBack Security Case, the Kensington SecureBack Security Case with 2-way Stand incorporates an additional 2-way extendable stand with the flexibility for either landscape or portrait mode. This model is "ClickSafe ready" and can be purchased with or without the ClickSafe Lock. The ClickSafe Lock is another Kensington invention that allows the lock to be clipped into place without any cumbersome aligning or twisting common to the original Kensington Slot design. Brian Baltezore, Senior Global Product Manager at Kensington observed in a statement: "Tablet users need security that will complement, not hinder, their use of the iPad. SecureBack is a design that truly pays respect to the tablet's style and functionality, so that when an iPad user inevitably does have to walk away from their device, they can do so with confidence." The Kensington SecureBack Security Case line of products is currently available for pre-order direct from Kensington.com and major retailers.

With the iPhone 5 launch date drawing closer, it is inevitable to see more news (and rumors) about the upcoming fifth generation iPhone. Mark Moskowitz, an analyst from JP Morgan, said that Apple will be launching two new iPhones, with one of them being a higher-end version that will support GSM and CDMA.

Moskowitz said that the upcoming iPhone will support GSM and CDMA, but not 4G Long Term Evolution (LTE), and that the iPhone 5 will be slimmer and lighter. Apple will also unveil the upgrade model of the iPhone 4 with a lower price tag and could be named iPhone 4+ or iPhone 4s. On top of that, the iPhone shipment will also rise in this quarter. Ending the third quarter in June, iPhone has reached 228 carriers which is an increase of 42 from last quarter, and shipments exceeding 20 million. With the joining of Sprint-Nextel, as well as the upgraded model of the iPhone 4 that would be sold in China, Apple is expected to increase their shipment in Q4 this year.

QNAP unveils two new models for its Business Series Turbo NAS Line Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/qnap-unveils-two-new-models-for-itsbusiness-series-turbo-nas-line/13593.html September 23rd, 2011

September 23rd, 2011

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Storage company QNAP Systems has enhanced its Business Series of Turbo NAS line with two new models for up to 24TB of storage capacity in a single unit. The more powerful TSEC879U-RP is powered by a quad-core Intel Xeon Processor with 4GB DDR3 ECC RAM and 4x Gigabit LAN ports, while the TS-879U-RP has a dual-core Intel Core i3 processor with 2GB DDR3 RAM and 2x Gigabit LAN ports. Both models are 2U rackmount units with hot-swappable slots for eight disk drives, which can be 6Gbps 3.5-inch SATA hard disk drives or 2.5-inch solid-state drives. With an eye towards enterprise-grade reliability, both the TS-EC879U-RP and TS-879U-RP NAS come with redundant power supply and two expansion slots for storage and network expansion. Both models are backed with a 3 year warranty and optional 10GbE networking for up to 1,000MB/sec and 100,000 IOPS of data throughput. A large number RAID configurations are supported under the hood, such as RAID 0, 1, 10, 5, 6, 5+ hot spare, 6+ hot spare, 10+ hot spare, single disk and JBOD. With Global Hot Spare, a spare drive can be assigned to automatically replace a failed drive on any RAID volume for data rebuilding. Supported environments include file sharing in mixed Windows, Mac, Linux and UNIX, as well as private cloud storage and for highperformance computing applications. In addition, QNAP says the two NAS models are ideal for virtual server environments using iSCSI, and has been certified to be VMware Ready, Citrix XenServer Ready and Windows Hyper-V compliant. "QNAP's new lineup designed for high-end SMB delivers stunning performance with optional 10 GbE card and comprehensive business features at competitive prices to fulfill the growing needs of efficient storage solutions for highend SMBs," said David Tsao, product manager of QNAP in a statement.

Developed by Sony Online Entertainment, DC Universe Online is a massive multiplayer (MMO) game whereby players get to choose to be virtual heroes or villains, as well as a mentor for their character - from Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman for heroes, and Lex Luthor and The Joker for villains. DC Universe Online was released in January as a monthly subscription-based game (US$15 a month), but it looks like the company has decided to make it free-to-play, starting October next month. The market for MMO games is extremely competitive and it is tough for traditional MMO to compete with free-to-play social games including Mafia Wars and Maple Story that profit from selling virtual items and power-ups. Sony said it will offer three tiers of service for DC Universe Online â&#x20AC;&#x201D; free, premium and legendary. The free tier comes with limits on how many characters and items players can hold in their inventory; premium access gives players slightly more capacity. And those who continue to pay US$15 a month will get maximum features.

"Redundant power supplies are provided on all new models to ensure continuous system up-time," Tsao added. "The TS-EC879U-RP with ECC RAM further enhances system reliability." Both the TS-EC879U-RP and TS-879U-RP are now shipping.

DC Universe Online will be free to play from October Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/dc-universe-online-will-be-free-toplay-from-october/13592.html September 23rd, 2011

Gamers who are also fans of DC comic superheroes would know the Massive Multiplayer Online (MMO) game , DC Universe Online. Released early this year with a monthly subscription fee, online sources reported that the popular DC Universe Online will be free to play from October. (Hooray!) 18

September 28th, 2011

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

Kindle Fire Tablet unveiled : Amazon tries to take the tablet market by storm. Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/kindle-fire-tablet-unveiled--amazontries-to-take-the-tablet-market-by-storm./13663.html September 28th, 2011

Amazon unveiled today in New York their new Kindle Fire 7inch display tablet which runs a customized version of Android and has a dual core processor. The new tablet is available for pre-order for an amazingly low price of 199$ USD and will start shipping on the 15th of November. Amazon's CEO, Jeff Bezos, stated "We're making millions of these", clearly expressing the company's aim to dominate in the low-end (value) segment of the market. Amazon also released... Amazon unveiled today in New York their new Kindle Fire 7inch display tablet which runs a customized version of Android and has a dual core processor. The new tablet is available for pre-order for an amazingly low price of 199$ USD and will start shipping on the 15th of November. Amazon also released three more Kindle models, the Kindle Touch (99$ USD sponsored version, 139$ USD without ads), Kindle Touch 3G (149$ USD sponsored version, 189$ USD without ads) and the Kindle (79$ USD sponsored version, 109$ USD without ads).

Amazon Kindle Touch Amazon Kindle The price and value are unbelievably low but will the Kindle Fire manage to take the market by storm? We honestly doubt it. Yes, it grants access to a ludicrous database of books, movies, audio files and God-knows-what-else but the tablet runs a customized version of Android highly dissimilar to the one users are accustomed to lacks a huge number of features available on other, albeit far more expensive models. For example, there is no camera, no microphone and there is no 3G model. It may offer access to a large database of video content but most users would rather watch their movies on a much larger screen, or at least on a 10 inch tablet which is no less than 45% larger. Is it a great value? It definitely is. But we doubt that it is going to halt the sales of premium models, such as the iPad, the Samsung Galaxy Tab and the Motorola Xoom; many more sub 249$ USD 7" tablets (such as the Nook Color, Huawei S7 and the Archos Arnova) were already available ever since a year ago, none of them had any impact on the ever-growing sales of the premium tablets.

NVIDIA sampling Kepler GK107 Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/nvidia-sampling-kepler-gk107/13662.html September 28th, 2011

Amazon Kindle Fire

September 28th, 2011

NVIDIA has engineering samples out for its first chip based on the next-gen Kepler architecture. The chip is the same as revealed by SemiAccurate last week - GK107. As suggested by the nomenclature, this isn't the flagship GK100 we are all waiting for. Instead, NVIDIA is executing a bottom-to-top release, first releasing a smaller chip, GK107, which will find its way into notebooks. GK107 is set to feature in four mobile GeForce SKUs - N13PLP, N13P-GS, N13P-GT and N13E-GE. If these codenames sound familiar, it is because they have previously appeared in a leaked 28nm mobile GPU line-up. GK107 features a 128-bit memory interface, and supports DDR3 and GDDR5 memory. The first three GK107 based SKUs (with a "P" suffix) will likely succeed the GeForce GT 500M series, and will presumably be branded GeForce GT 600M series. The top GK107 part, N13EGE, may succeed GTX 560M and be part of the GTX 600M series, as denoted by the "E" suffix (Enthusiast). In addition, GK107 will also be part of mobile Quadro SKUs - N14P-Q1 and N14P-Q3.

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It's easy to forget that Sapphire makes motherboards, as the company isn't exactly making a lot of noise about its motherboard products. The company has sneaked out yet another new model and this time we're looking at its second AMD A75 motherboard, the Pure Platinum A75P. This is a lower-end version to the Pure Platinum A75, although it does seem to have a couple of advantages over its higher-end sibling. It's all a bit of a head scratcher, as the Pure Platinum A75P appears to have more power phases, but it might just be using a different PWM layout, it has more PCI Express x1 slots, it has a second x16 PCI Express slot and it's got six SATA ports So ok, the x16 slot still only gets four lanes from the chipset and the additional x1 PCI Express slot is most likely going to be blocked by the graphics card if one is installed, but these are still features we'd expected to see on the high-end model, rather than the mid-range one.

GK107 marks the first time NVIDIA has moved to a new process and a new architecture simultaneously in a long time - mostly due to the cancelation of TSMC's 32nm process. NVIDIA's transition to TSMC's 40nm process featured a bottom-to-top strategy as well, with smaller GT21x shrinks leading up to the big Fermi dies. However, this is the first time that NVIDIA is releasing a new generation of GPUs with a mainstream part. Between reports of AMD's next-gen GPUs being pushed back to 2012 to now NVIDIA starting off with a small die, all evidence points towards the same conclusion TSMC's 28nm process is promising to be just as troublesome as the infamous 40nm (if not more so). GK107 engineering samples are out now, with production samples due in January 2012 if all goes well. Unfortunately, there is no news about the more exciting Kepler chips, and there are no signs of them appearing in GeForce GPUs any time soon.

Sapphire launches its second AMD A75 motherboard Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/sapphire-launches-its-second-amda75-motherboard/13661.html September 28th, 2011

Plenty of things are missing though, as the Pure Platinum A75P only has two DIMM slots, but this is hardly a major issue with the price of 4GB DIMM's these days. The mini PCI Express slot is also missing, but considering that this is a mostly useless feature on a desktop motherboard, we don't see this as a big deal either. The Marvell network controller has been swapped for a cheaper model from Realtek, although on the upside, Sapphire has moved the various buttons on the motherboard to the front of the PCB rather than putting them below the bottom PCI slot. Having a look at the rear ports it's clear that a feature thinning has taken place, although there are still four USB 2.0 ports, 2

September 28th, 2011

Published by: VR-Zone

two USB 3.0 ports (with an additional two via an internal pinheader), a PS/2 port, Gigabit Ethernet, 7.1-channel audio and a D-sub, DVI (single link only) and HDMI port. It's a shame that the DisplayPort had to make room for a D-sub connector and the Bluetooth dongle of the Pure Platinum A75 was a neat addition, although we'd rather have the extra internal SATA port over the eSATA port.

A new feature has also been added which Sapphire calls the "Memory Free button" but we have to be honest and say that we have no idea what this does and there are no details about what it does on Sapphire's website either. Overall this looks like a decent enough product if the price is right, but once again Sapphire hasn't really managed to create something that makes it stand out from the competition. No word on pricing or availability as yet, so it's really quite hard to say how well the Pure Platinum A75P will do. Sapphire is also working on a pair of AMD A55 models and at least one AM3+ board, but we have no word on as to when these will be announced.

Lenovo Thinkpad X1 notebook review: Thin and flat is where it is at Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/lenovo-thinkpad-x1-notebook-reviewthin-and-flat-is-where-it-is-at/13346.html September 28th, 2011

The distinction between consumer-grade and business-grade notebooks have blurred over the years, and for good reason. Thanks to technological advancements in computer design and hardware, most OEMs are now able to tout their consumer-grade offerings boasting nigh-equal levels of stability and robustness, while business notebooks have been given design overhauls to make them appear more sleek and sophisticated to potential business users. However, this also has an unintended result of leaving OEMs in a quandary of sorts. If consumer notebooks, which typically offer more computing and graphical horsepower for their buck, now boast stability similar to business notebooks, logic should dictate that cost-conscious business users will attempt to maximize their dollars by opting for the former. And from the looks of it, Lenovo appears to be trying to avoid such a situation by making the business notebook relevant again, especially if the release of its new ThinkPad X1 laptop is of any indication. Lenovo ThinkPad X1 laptop PC hardware specifications Processor

Ultrathin notebooks are the dreams of every style-conscious consumer, and for good reason. Boasting extremely portable packages and designs that would make just about anybody swoon over, it would seem that there is nothing which the ultraportable notebook cannot achieve (safe for topnotch performance levels). And leave it to Lenovo to take ultraportable mobile business computing to the next level with the introduction of the ThinkPad X1 notebook, which we have put to the test in this review to see how it holds up for business users.

Chipset Graphics Card Display

Operating System Memory Hard Disk capacity

Battery

Intel Core i5-2220M clocked at 2.5GHz (3.2GHz under TurboBoost) Intel QM67 Chipset Integrated Intel HD Graphics 2000 13.3-inch HD Super Bright LCD screen (1366 x 768) with integrated camera Windows 7 Professional (x64 version) 4GB DDR3 SDRAM (1 x 4GB DIMM) 256GB Intel SSDSA2M160G2LE solid state drive 4-cell built-in lithium-ion battery pack

September 28th, 2011

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Logitech announces new lineup of wireless headsets in Singapore Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/logitech-announces-new-lineup-ofwireless-headsets-in-singapore/13660.html September 28th, 2011

Logitech has unveiled their new wireless headsets H800, H600, and wireless headset for Apple iPad users in Singapore. The new range of wireless headsets are designed to offer comfort, flexibility and enhanced experience. With batteries that can last up to six hours, the headsets feature laser-tuned equalizers and tiny nano receivers for users are enabled to enjoy their music in comfort and ease.

Logitech has introduced three new wireless headsets that boast crisp audio that can be enjoyed comfortably for hours. The Logitech Wireless Headset is compatible with the Apple iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch and other Bluetooth devices, with up to 10 metres from your device. The headset features lasertuned drivers that provide rich stereo audio while minimizing distortion, which is great for music, videos, games and calls. The rechargeable battery lets you listen and chat for up to six hours. The headset has adjustable headband and foam ear cups, and can be fold ed easily like a pair of sunglasses for convenience of storage.

The Logitech Wireless Headset H600 allows users to make wireless audio for calls and listen to their favorite music from the PC. It comes with laser-tuned drivers that minimize distortion so that you can enjoy clear calls and stereo sound, while the noise-canceling microphone reduces background noise. The H600 also has a rechargeable battery lets you listen and chat for up to six hours, lets you move up to 10 metres away from your computer, and it also folds like sunglasses for easy storage.

The Logitech Wireless Headset H800 with laser-tuned drivers and built-in equalizer give you rich digital stereo, and a noisecanceling microphone that can reduce background noise. It is easy to connect to your computer, tablets and smartphones and has a rechargeable battery that lasts up to six hours. The H800 also offers padded headband and ear cups to keep you comfortable. The Logitech Wireless Headset is expected to be available in Singapore in mid October at a suggested retail price of S $99. The Logitech Wireless Headset H600 is expected to be available in mid October at S$79, while the Logitech Wireless Headset H800 is available now at S$149.

September 28th, 2011

Intel, Samsung and Linux groups collaborate to develop Tizen platform for phones

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If you are looking to purchase a new Blu-ray player, check out Philips latest offerings - BDP9600, BDP5200 and BDP3200. Available in retail stores now, all three players claim to offer full high definition entertainment experience you need in your living room.

Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/intel-samsung-and-linux-groupscollaborate-to-develop-tizen-platform-for-phones/13659.html September 28th, 2011

It looks like Samsung may have another trick up its sleeves. It was just last week that the Korean manufacturer said that it plans to open source their Bada platform to rely less on Android operating system. And it looks like the company is collaborating with Intel and Linux groups to develop a new Linux software for the phones.

According to Reuters, two Linux software groups have come together to develop a new platform for phones and other devices in collaboration with Intel and Samsung. Known as Tizen, the new platform is developed to attract developers and manufacturer support to compete with Apple iOS and Google Android mobile operating system. The Tizen platform is open-source software platform that supports multiple devices including smartphones, tablets, smart TVs, netbooks and in-vehicle "infotainment" systems. The initial release is planned for the Q1 of 2012 next year, while the first devices incorporating the Tizen platform are expected to come to market in mid 2012. For Samsung, this would be a new platform in addition to their offerings of Windows Phone 7, Android and Bada mobile operating system.

The Philipsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; new range of Blu-ray players - BDP9600, BDP5200 and BDP3200 - promises convenience for users to watch their favorite movies in virtually any popular format available in the market today at the comfort of their home. The players support all commonly-used formats including BD Video, BD-ROM and High Definition video formats such as DivXPlus HD and AVCHD. These media files can be conveniently accessed using the High Speed USB 2.0 port located at the front of these players. With the BD-Live function in the top-end models,you can enjoy up-to-date versions of exciting content provided by Philips, just by connecting to the Internet. Your Philips Bluray player can also be updated automatically when connected, and the built-in Wi-Fi on these players will give you access to a world of entertainment. Additionally, the Philips BDP9600 and BDP5200 are DLNA certified, which means you can connect them to your home network to stream videos, music and photos from your computers wirelessly. Philips BDP3200 The Philips BDP3200 offers a full high definition (HD) viewing experience with sharp images in full HD 1080p to give you cinema-quality images. It also presents near-HD images for DVD videos withup-scaling to 1080p via HDMI. The BDP3200 is Wi-Fi ready, and users can also view their favorite videos on YouTube by connecting their Philips Blu-ray player to the Internet.

Philips launches BDP9600, BDP5200 and BDP3200 Blu-ray players Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/philips-launches-bdp9600-bdp5200and-bdp3200-blu-ray-players/13658.html September 28th, 2011

September 28th, 2011

Philips BDP5200 The Philips BDP5200 supports Blu-ray 3D Disc playback to offer viewers a full HD 3D experience at home. For viewers who like their pictures blown up big, the BDP5200 offers a widescreen experience without any missing subtitles. It is also DivX Plus HD Certified which offers the latest in DivX technology to let you enjoy HD videos and movies from the Internet direct to your Philips HD TV or PC. The BDP5200 also comes with build-in Wireless-N for faster wireless performance and offers DTS-HD Master Audio and DolbyTrueHD to deliver 7.1-channel audio.

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launch of their long-awaited Windows Phone 7.5 (formerly codenamed "Mango"). The update for existing Windows Phone 7 will begin today and available to most customers by end of October. HTC and Samsung were also at the event to unveil their new phones based on Windows Phone 7.5 - HTC Radar and Samsung Omnia W.

Philips BDP9600 This top-of-the-line Philips BDP9600 Blu-ray Disc player is not only sleek and stylish, but it also comes with 3D functionality and offers spectacular audio-visual entertainment for a full HD 3D experience at home. The BDP9600 also features TI Burr-Brown Digital-toAnalog Converters (DACs) which offers high-quality audio reproduction by capturing more information from the original analog sound wave form to offer a much richer sound performance. Viewers can enjoy video on-demand with Net TV that allows them to enjoy movies,pictures, infotainment and other online content directly on to their TV viatheir Philips Blu-ray Disc player. The Philips BDP3200, BDP5200 and BDP9600 Blu-ray players are available now at all leading electronics retailers at S$249, S$299 and S$699 respectively.

Windows Phone 7.5 officially launched in Singapore; Samsung Omnia W to retail in Q4 Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/windows-phone-7.5-officiallylaunched-in-singapore-samsung-omnia-w-to-retail-in-q4/13657.html September 28th, 2011

Samsung and HTC are the only partners at the Microsoft Windows Phone 7.5 launch event this morning. The Taiwanese manufacturer unveiled the HTC Radar which has an aluminium unibody, features 3.8-inch touchscreen display and 5-megapixel rear camera. The HTC Radar also comes with the proprietary HTC Hub, which offers applications and utilities such as weather and stocks application, and HTC Watch that allows users to discover the latest video content. The HTC Radar is scheduled to retail in October at a suggested retail price of S$569.

Good news to users who are using Windows Phone 7. This morning, Microsoft Singapore has officially announced the 6

September 28th, 2011

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John Fernandes, marketing and operations director of Microsoft Singapore, introduced the new Windows Phone 7.5 and talked about the features the new version brings. "About a year ago, we launched Windows Phone 7 which we started afresh. It gave a new set of experiences and our approach towards the mobile platform. Over that year, we listened to our customers, users and partners, and we got some good feedback. Microsoft thinks in terms of the Windows ecosystem - PC, phone and web coming together. And so, Windows Phone 7.5 is a key point in our overall strategy here and globally. With the launch of Windows Phone 7.5, we also opened up the Marketplace. And today we have over 30,000 applications in the Marketplace" said Fernandes. The Samsung Omnia W has a smaller 3.7-inch Super AMOLED touchscreen, compared to the HTC Radar. The Omnia W has a metallic finish and is equipped with a 1.4GHz processor. Samsung has also included their exclusive apps such as Samsung AllShare which offers seamless content transfer between smartphone and other DLNA-enabled devices, and upgraded Samsung eBook client for your ebook reading pleasure. With Windows Phone 7.5, you can access the multitask screen, though it only shows up to five applications. There's also no option to close the application. The Samsung Omnia W will retail next month at S$498 (inclusive of GST) without line contract. The Windows Phone 7.5 update for existing Windows Phone 7 will begin today and available to most customers by end of October

Acer launches the Aspire S3 in Taiwan Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/acer-launches-the-aspire-s3-intaiwan/13656.html September 28th, 2011

Acer isn't resting on its laurels and the company might very well be the first of Intel's Ultrabook partners to get a product into the market with the Aspire S3 which officially launched in Taiwan today. It looks like Acer decided to keep things simple with only two SKU's, at least in the Taiwanese market. VRZone was of course on location at the launch event to get an early hands-on with the new Ultrabook from Acer. Acer isn't resting on its laurels and the company might very well be the first of Intel's Ultrabook partners to get a product into the market with the Aspire S3 which officially launched in Taiwan today. It looks like Acer decided to keep things simple with only two SKU's, at least in the Taiwanese market. VRZone was of course on location at the launch event to get an early hands-on with the new Ultrabook from Acer.

September 28th, 2011

Published by: VR-Zone

disappointed, as one of the selling points of Ultrabooks was better battery life, something the Aspire S3 doesn't have.

Price wise the Aspire S3 will launch at NT$34,900 (S$1,479/ US$1,149) with the 320GB hard drive, a fair bit more than Intel's US$999 sweet spot. The 240GB SSD model is of course even pricier at NT$44,900 (S$1,900/US$1,475). The question is how well this will compare with competing products, especially Asus' UX31 which features a higher resolution 1600x900 display. Overall we can't say that we're blown away by Acer's first stab at an Ultrabook as there's really very little go get excited about.

The Aspire S3 didn't strike us as a revolutionary product, instead it came across more as a next generation TimeLineX notebook that shed some of its bulk, but with the tradeoff being overall lower performance. The keyboard is nearly identical to the current TimeLineX notebooks which means that we're looking at a chiclet type keyboard. One huge improvement (pun intended) is the massive trackpad, as the TimeLineX series has suffered from tiny and almost unusable trackpads. In as much as the Aspire S3 is a very slim and lightweight notebook at 13mm thin and 1.35kg, we can't understand why it still has the same fat screen bezel as the first generation TimeLineX notebooks, it really ruins the overall looks of the notebook.

Feature wise we're looking at a Core i5-2467M ULV processor which is clocked at 1.6GHz , but which will turbo up to 2.3GHz. It comes paired up with a single 4GB stick of memory and it doesn't seem to be any simple way of upgrading this, as well as either a 7mm 320GB hard drive or a 240GB SSD. The 13.3inch screen is a standard, glossy, 1366x768 affair, so nothing to get excited about here. The connectivity options are also fairly meager with two USB 2.0 ports and an HDMI port as well as 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.0+HS. The only other features are a 1.3Megapixel webcam, a memory card reader and a single combined headphone/mic jack. The 3-cell battery will keep the weight down, but with a rated 6h battery life for the hard drive model and 7h for the SSD model, we're

September 28th, 2011

Intel launches new Z68 motherboards, more to come Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/intel-launches-new-z68-motherboardsmore-to-come/13655.html September 28th, 2011

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The DZ68ZV is in actual fact using the same PCB as the DP67BG motherboard, something that keeps R&D costs at a minimum and you can get a product out in the market quickly. If you've been following the motherboard market this year, you might know that Gigabyte did something similar when the Z68 chipset launched to get motherboards with the new chipset out in the market quickly. However, in the case of the DZ68ZV we're close to five months on from the launch and it feels like Intel had decided to just throw together a product that's slightly more appealing than its P67 equivalent.

When it comes to its own brand motherboards Intel have been very quiet since the Sandy Bridge launch and the company has quietly slipped out two new Z68 models with another two coming in about a months' time. The two currently available models are the DZ68BC and the DZ68ZV, with the two upcoming models being the DZ68PL and the DZ68AF. In an interesting turn of events, it looks like Intel is also getting ready to add support for its Smart Response SSD caching technology to some of its P67 models. When it comes to its own brand motherboards Intel have been very quiet since the Sandy Bridge launch and the company has quietly slipped out two new Z68 models with another two coming in about a months' time. The two currently available models are the DZ68BC and the DZ68ZV, with the two upcoming models being the DZ68PL and the DZ68AF. In an interesting turn of events, it looks like Intel is also getting ready to add support for its Smart Response SSD caching technology to some of its P67 models. Let's start with the DZ68ZV, a peculiar board to say the least, especially as Intel has been busy pushing the merits of graphics support combined with overclocking as one of the major features of the Z68 chipset. Well, the DZ68ZV doesn't have any display connectivity, nor does it seem to have the extra power phases in place that are needed to take advantage of its Quick Sync technology, something we've seen on a few other Z68 boards that lacked display connectivity. This seems like a very strange move by Intel, but there's an easy explanation for it all, Intel did a Gigabyte. Let us explain what we mean by that.

The DZ68BC is what we'd call Intel's first high-end Z68 and in fact, it is Intel's second Z68 board. It carries the skull logo that signifies that it's part of Intel's Extreme series of motherboards, although we're not sure it's all that extreme. Sadly we didn't manage to find a good quality picture of the board, so you'll have to make do with what we managed to dig up. Even though this board didn't blow our minds, it's a much more impressive board than the DZ68DB which was Intel's first and for a very long time, only, Z68 motherboards. What we have is a pretty standard looking motherboard with a pair of x16 slots, where the secondary slot runs in x8 mode when enabled, two x1 PCI Express slots and three PCI slots. The board appears completely littered with components and it looks quite messy. In addition to the two SATA 6Gbps ports and four SATA 3Gbps ports, Intel has added a second pair of SATA 6Gbps ports via what we presume is a Marvell controller. There are several pin-headers that add eight USB 2.0 ports, 9

September 28th, 2011

two USB 3.0 ports and a single FireWire port. The board also features power and reset buttons as well as a POST80 debug LED.

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seem to be the next common standard, the current limit of the Wi-Fi standard. TP-Link is now finally joining the part with its TL-WR2543ND, rather than the TL-WR2843ND which we spotted back at Computex in early June. It's the company's first dual-band router, but it has a slight drawback compared to the TL-WR2843ND. Wireless routers are a dime a dozen these days, but we're quickly moving towards faster devices and 450Mbps routers seem to be the next common standard, the current limit of the Wi-Fi standard. TP-Link is now finally joining the part with its TL-WR2543ND, rather than the TL-WR2843ND which we spotted back at Computex in early June. It's the company's first dual-band router, but it has a slight drawback compared to the TL-WR2843ND.

The rear I/O consists of six USB 2.0 ports, two USB 3.0 ports, an eSATA port, a FireWire port, a Gigabit Ethernet port, 7.1-channel analogue audio with optical S/PDIF out, a DisplayPort, DVI and HDMI port and clear CMOS button. For an Intel board this isn't half bad and Intel also throws in a USB Wi-Fi and Bluetooth module and a copy of LucidLogix Virtu software for good measure. The DZ68BC is available right now for around US$225 which is a very steep price compared to what you can get competing products for from any of the big motherboard makers. We haven't managed to track down a price for the DZ68ZV as yet, although as far as we know, it's not meant to have launched quite as yet, despite being up on Intel's website. As for the DZ68PL and DZ68AF, we sadly only have the model names at hand, but both should launch before the end of next month. Towards the end of next month Intel should also be adding support for its Smart Response technology, i.e. SSD caching to its DP67BA and DP67DE motherboards, two distinctly mid-range products, a very peculiar move as according to Intel itself, the P67 chipset couldn't possibly support Smart Response. We'll be asking Intel about this one and we might be seeing updates for other P67 motherboards in the future as well. If nothing else, it goes to show how many of the chipset related features are simply just added for product differentiation and nothing else.

The TL-WR2543ND looks rather stylish in silver and black rather than the glossy red and black TL-WR2843ND that was on display at Computex. The TL-WR2543ND is a dual-band 2.4 and 5GHz router with four Gigabit LAN ports and one Gigabit WAN port as well as a USB 2.0 port. The downside of the TL-WR2543ND is that it's not a simultaneous dual-band router, so you either end up with it running at 2.4GHz or 5GHz which is a bit of a downside if you have devices that don't work on the 5GHz band.

TP-Link launches its first dualband router Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/tp-link-launches-its-first-dual-bandrouter/13654.html September 28th, 2011

Wireless routers are a dime a dozen these days, but we're quickly moving towards faster devices and 450Mbps routers 10

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Overall, the TL-WR2543ND seems to be very similar to TPLink's older TL-WR1043ND, but with a new chassis and the addition of the 5GHz band option. There's no mention of what hardware is inside the router, but some information we found online seems to point towards it being an Atheros based router. No word on pricing as yet either we're afraid, but judging by TP-Link's usually affordable pricing, we'd imagine the TLWR2543ND will be competitively priced, just make sure you understand what you're buying if you're getting one, or wait for the TL-WR2843ND which offer simultaneous dual-band operation.

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If you are a graphics designer or a hobbyist who enjoys drawing, then you might be familiar with the pen tablet products from Wacom. This afternoon, the company unveiled their third generation of Bamboo pen tablet devices for the social and creative computer users. The new range include the Bamboo Pen (small), Bamboo Pen & Touch (small) and Bamboo Fun (medium). Both the Bamboo Pen & Touch and the Bamboo Fun are wireless capable which allow users to work without the hassle of connecting cable.

Wacom Singapore introduces new Bamboo tablets and Cintiq 24HD interactive pen display Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/wacom-singapore-introduces-newbamboo-tablets-and-cintiq-24hd-interactive-pen-display/13653.html September 28th, 2011

This afternoon, pen tablet manufacturer Wacom has launched their third generation Bamboo series of multi-touch and pen tablet devices. On top of that, the company also unveiled the new Cintiq 24HD interactive pen display designed for creative professionals.

The Bamboo Pen is designed for basic drawing, writing and annotating of documents, while the Bamboo Pen & Touch offers combination of high quality pen input with multi-touch. The Bamboo Fun also comes with multi-touch and wireless capability and is slightly larger than the Pen & Touch, and is ideal for users who like to draw and sketch or do creative work including retouching and editing. All three pen tablets have black and lime green exterior and will be available from today, with the Bamboo Pen having a retail price of S$135; the Bamboo Pen & Touch at S$185 and the Bamboo Fun at S $335. The wireless accessory kit for Bamboo Pen & Touch and Bamboo fun is selling at S$65.

September 28th, 2011

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Battlefield 3 BETA : Performance Preview, Screenshots and HD video walkthrough Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/battlefield-3-beta--performancepreview-screenshots-and-hd-video-walkthrough/13625.html September 28th, 2011

Besides the pen tablets, Wacom also showcased their new Cintiq 24HD interactive pen display. Based on the popularity of the Cintiq 24UX and Cintiq 12WX, the Cintiq 24HF is for designers, illustrators, animators, video editors and creative professionals who want the most advanced pen-on-screen experience. It has a 24-inch full high definition (1920 x 1200) widescreen display, significantly improved color gamut (92% Adobe RGB), supports HDCP protocol and features 2048 levels of pressure sensitivity and 40-degree of tilt control. The Cintiq 24HD also comes with 10 ExpressKeys, two Touch Rings and a USB port.

DICE's latest installment of the Battlefield series of multiplayer shooters has finally arrived. We did a quick performance preview using graphics cards like Nvidia GTX 580 and AMD 6990 in Quadfire at Full HD1080p Ultra preset, captured high resolution screenshots and recorded a HD video walkthrough of the MP Beta's Operation Metro map for your viewing pleasure. BF3 BETA Performance Preview With no formal benchmarking tool and just using FRAPS in an empty server on the Operation Metro beta map, we observed the following:

However, for such a huge interactive pen display, the price doesn't come cheap; the Cintiq 24HD has a price tag of S $4,269 and will be available in October next month.

Noburu Fujisaki, managing director of Wacom Singapore, gave a brief introduction about the company, their product portfolio and also mentioned that the company has market share of over 80%, which makes Wacom the market leader in this segment.

CPU - Any modern quad coreprocessor of at least 3.2GHz will not bottleneck the framerates in the game. The workload is evenly distributed between threads and more surprisingly, we did not see any noticable scaling when we upped the frequency or core count. Neat.

September 28th, 2011

Memory Usage - The bf3.exe process used over 1GB of memory. Having at least 4GB of RAM and running a 64-bit operating system should take care of things. GPU - We ran the tests using the latest beta drivers from both AMD (Catalyst 11.10 Preview) and Nvidia (285.38). This game absolutely scales with multi-core GPU setups and shaders count/clockspeeds. GPU usage during monitoring was hitting the roof at 99% for the duration of the testing - something that we haven't seen in recent (shoddy) console ports.

Published by: VR-Zone

Lowering the resolution and quality preset (low, medium, high ultra and custom) will get you more consistent frame rates, and a mid-range DX11 card like AMD 6850/Nvidia GTX560 should achieve a smooth ~ 80 to 100fps in 720p medium resolution. Entry level DX11 or last generation DX10 GPUs should be able to run this game, albeit not at high definition resolutions. We also noticed Stereo 3D and Eyefinity support, but using these features would definitely require a high-end multi-GPU setup. Expect Nvidia and AMD to come out with more optimized drivers for BF3, especially when the final retail game is out a month from now on 28th October. After that, VR-Zone will explore BF3 performance across the whole spectrum of graphics cards (from GTX260 to 6990 Quadfire/MARS II in SLi) and CPUs (Llanos, Zambezis, SB-Es...) in a mega roundup article. Building / Upgrading your gaming rig today? Read our guide for Battlefield 3 systems. We have also prepared a short feature on BF3 running on dual core laptops which was released earlier.

At 1080p Ultra settings (with everything graphics details set to maximum), we get an average of around 50fps for a single AMD 6970/GTX580, 80fps for a AMD 6990 (2 GPU crossfire) and 140fps for a AMD 6990 in Quadfire, which is actually quite similar to the one-year old Battlefield: Bad Company 2 on maximum settings. It also needed around 1.3GB of GPU framebuffer for the ultra preset textures. A side-byside monitor test showed indistinguishable image quality from both AMD and Nvidia solutions (drivers at default settings), so we know that there is no quack3.exe foul play yet.

September 28th, 2011

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Sandy Bridge-E will launch on the 14th of November, not the 15th Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/sandy-bridge-e-will-launch-onthe-14th-of-november-not-the-15th/13652.html September 28th, 2011

There have been a fair few rumours about when Intel will be launching the Sandy Bridge-E processors and its X79 chipset and admittedly we've been privy to rumours that didn't pan out. However, we can now reveal that the actual launch date will be the 14th of November, not the 15th as suggested earlier. There have been a fair few rumours about when Intel will be launching the Sandy Bridge-E processors and its X79 chipset and admittedly we've been privy to rumours that didn't pan out. However, we can now reveal that the actual launch date th

will be the 14 of November, not the 15 as suggested earlier. According to information that has reached us, the first Sandy Bridge-E processor will be on sale on the 14th of November, oddly enough though, not alongside Intel's own DX79SI and DX79TO motherboards as they won't arrive until December. This is as far as we're aware, the first time Intel hasn't launched motherboard products alongside new processors, especially when it comes to an entirely new platform. We'd expect Intel's motherboard partners to be happy about this move though, even though Intel's own brand motherboards are far from the most popular option out there. It's possible that part of the reason for the delay here is the last minute changes to the X79 chipset, although we know for sure that the DX79SI will have a total of eight internal SATA ports. As for Intel's CPU coolers from the LGA-2011 platform, well the air cooler should retail for somewhere around US$25-30, whereas the sealed unit watercooler should come in just under US$100, if our sources prove to be correct. The new air cooler is lighter than the one currently shipping with Intel's XE desktop parts which is quite surprising, but as we don't know what Intel has changed yet, we'll just have to wait and see what it ends up looking like, as it's possible it's not the same cooler as what was shown at IDF. As far the watercooling solution, we have a good idea of what it'll look like after Intel's demos of it at IDF. The real question which we're still waiting to find out is if there will be enough demand for Intel's new platform. We're already hearing murmurings from the motherboard manufacturers that they're considering cutting down their sales estimations and it's widely believed that X79 motherboards will not be as popular as the current X58 boards. Things might change next year when a revised X79 chipset is expected to appear that will bring a working SCU with SAS support, but we're not sure this is enough to make this a popular enthusiast platform. On the

other hand, we can see a lot of businesses buying into this over Intel's more costly Xeon option.

Intel's new desktop Atom processors are here Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/intel-s-new-desktop-atom-processorsare-here/13647.html September 28th, 2011

It's hard to get excited about new Atom processors, but Intel's latest additions to its Atom family of processors, the D2500 and D2700 is a big step forward for the company, as we're finally getting a platform that's almost competitive. Not only are we looking at a vastly superior graphics core than past offerings, but we're also finally getting features like HDMI output and HD video playback, something the Atom platform has lacked so far. It's hard to get excited about new Atom processors, but Intel's latest additions to its Atom family of processors, the D2500 and D2700 is a big step forward for the company, as we're finally getting a platform that's almost competitive. Not only are we looking at a vastly superior graphics core than past offerings, but we're also finally getting features like HDMI output and HD video playback, something the Atom platform has lacked so far. The netbook Atom's are still nowhere to be seen, but we can't imagine Intel is going to wait too long until it launches them, as we're getting awfully close to the holiday season which is usually a time when companies want to have their new products in the market. So for now we'll have to make do with Intel's new desktop parts, the 1.86GHz D2500 and the 2.13GHz D2700. The D2700 isn't Intel's first Atom over 2GHz, as that honour went to a very expensive Z-series Atom CPU called the Z560 (although the Z550 was close at an even 2GHz), but it is Intel's first D-series Atom processor to break the 2GHz barrier. Despite not offering DX10 drivers at launch, we expect the new Atom processor to offer several benefits over the current models. For starters the TDP is down by 3W compared to the previous dual core D-series Atom processors and both models are fully 64-bit compatible. The new Atom's are still missing support for Virtualization though, which might not be a major issue for most of us, but it's a strange omission. On the upside we're finally seeing support for faster memory, albeit DDR3 1066MHz can hardly be called lightning fast. However, in our mind, the best feature is the price point, the Atom D2500 is priced at US$42 in quantities of 1,000 units, with the D2700 coming in at US$52, which should be compared to US$63 for the Atom D525. Both of the CPUs will 14

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rely on the fairly basic NM10 chipset, but we'd expect the old ICH9 to work as well, which might see the new Atom processor appear in some vertical solution as well as in low-end desktop systems. No word on new motherboards from Intel yet, but we're sure they'll crop up on Intel's website shortly.

series. The new SSD 520 series will be available in capacities as high as 480 GB and as low as 60 GB; provide trasfer rates of 520 MB/s sequential read, 500 MB/s sequential writes (compared to 500/315 MB/s on SSD 510), and 40,000 IOPS read/write 4K random access throughput.

Intel SSD 520 Cherryville Launches This November, Curtains for SSD 510

In related news, we hear the codename of the successor to SSD 520 "Cherryville" is codenamed "King Crest", and is slated for the second quarter of 2012.

Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/intel-ssd-520-cherryville-launchesthis-november-curtains-for-ssd-510/13646.html September 28th, 2011

Battlefield 3 BETA - Can an Intel dual core laptop with AMD discrete GPU run BF3? Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/battlefield-3-beta--can-an-intel-dualcore-laptop-with-amd-discrete-gpu-run-bf3-/13628.html September 28th, 2011

A little earlier this month, we revealed key details of Intel's next enthusiast solid state drive series, the SSD 520, codenamed Cherryville. In the older article talked about its specifications to great lengths. Fresh tips from our sources suggests to important bits of information, its launch date and market positioning. A little earlier this month, we revealed key details of Intel's next enthusiast solid state drive series, the SSD 520, codenamed Cherryville. In the older article talked about its specifications to great lengths. Fresh tips from our sources suggests to important bits of information, its launch date and market positioning.

We answer one of life's greatest mysteries - can an aging Intel i5-450m dual core laptop with AMD Mobility Radeon 5650 graphics run the upcoming Battlefield 3 shooter with playable fps? Read on. Strangely, I get asked this question a lot. So let's put it to the test Machine Specifications: Intel Core i5-450m processor, AMD Mobility Radeon 5650 graphics and 4GB DDR3 memory.

The SSD 520 "Cherryville" family is slated for this November, the 4th of November to be precise. That is when one can expect market-availability. The second important bit of information is that SSD 520 is poised to displace the SSD 510 "Elmcrest" series, that's currently out in the market, available at 120 GB and 250 GB capacities.

CPU-Z - this chip has 3MB cache and can "turbo" up to 2.66GHz

SSD 520 series, according to fresh information, is built around the idea of providing more capacity choices to the consumer, higher throughput, and lower latencies, compared to SSD 510 15

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Published by: VR-Zone

FPS (in an empty server): See the top left number

GPU-Z - this mobile part is equivalent to the desktop Radeon 5570/GT440 and the mobility GT335M

Video of the action: (Obvious) Conclusions: You CAN play Battlefield 3 on a Core i5 dual core system with an entry level AMD GPU. However, if you are going to have any serious multiplayer sessions on this laptop, my only advice is prepare to lose, BADLY. To play BF3 well with high frame rate per second on a notebook PC, it needs to be at least equipped with a high frequency Quad Core processor (2630QM and above) and a Mobility Radeon 5850/GTX560M; the new gaming laptops such as ASUS G73SW and Dell Alienware M14x should have no problem running the game.

Game Settings: For the test, we set the graphics quality preset to custom , fullscreen resolution to 1366x768 (which is the laptop native display resolution) and used the lowest setting for every option.

Next up, we'll be testing on the AMD Llano A8 APU based notebooks, and a supermassive 1500W EVGA W555 SR-2 with 2x X5680 @ 5Ghz and 2x Radeon 6990 in Quadfire.

Olympus prepares Pen mini E-PM1 for 7 October retail in Japan Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/olympus-prepares-pen-mini-e-pm1for-7-october-retail-in-japan/13645.html September 28th, 2011

Are you looking to get a new digital camera? Olympus has announced 7 October as the retail date for their new Pen Mini E-PM1 interchangeables lens mirrorless camera in Japan. The 16

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Published by: VR-Zone

Pen E-PM1 was unveiled together with E-P3 and E-PL3 in June this year, though the launch of the product came later than its siblings.

Olympus has announced the retail date for their Micro Four Thirds system OLYMPUS PEN mini E-PM1, on 7 October in Japan. The estimated retail price is around 70,000 yen (US $916) with kit lens; 90,000 yen (US$1,177) for twin lens kit; and 60,000 yen (US$785) for the camera body alone. The E-PM1 will be available in six colors - white, silver, black, pink, purple and brown. The standard zoom kit lens is M. ZUIKO DIGITAL 14-42mm F3.5-5.6 II R, while the twin lens kit consist of the standard zoom and M. ZUIKO DIGITAL 17mm F2.8. The Olympus Pen E-PM1 incorporates high-speed 12.3megapixel Live MOS sensor with formula sensor shift image stabilizer, ISO sensitivity of ISO 200 to 12800, and supports AVCHD video recording. It does not come with integrated flash, though you can use an external flash unit. The E-PM1 measures 109.5 Ă&#x2014; 63.7 Ă&#x2014; 34mm and weighs 265g with battery and memory card. According to local retailers, the Olympus Pen mini E-PM1 should retail next month. Pricing details not available at press time.

If the recent reports are of any indication, Windows Phone 7.5 (also known as Mango) is arriving earlier than expectation. And Korean company Samsung has recently announced the launch of their new smartphone based on the Windows Phone 7.5 mobile operating system, the Omnia W. Measuring 115.9 x 58.8 x 10.9mm and weighing 115.3g, the Samsung Omnia W sports a 3.7-inch Super AMOLED touchscreen (800x480 pixel resolution). It is equipped with a 1.4GHz processor, 8GB storage, 5-megapixel camera and supports 14.4Mbps HSDPA networks. The Omnia W will retail at around US$420 before taxes and subsidies, and commercially available starting in Italy from end of October and then gradually rolled out to other parts of Europe, CIS, Latin America, Africa, South East and South West Asia.

Western Digital introduces WD 2go and WD 2go Pro mobile apps for My Book Live Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/western-digital-introduces-wd-2goand-wd-2go-pro-mobile-apps-for-my-book-live/13643.html September 28th, 2011

Samsung launches affordable Omnia W Windows Mango smartphone Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/samsung-launches-affordable-omniaw-windows-mango-smartphone/13644.html September 28th, 2011

Western Digital has recently introduced two mobile applications for its My Book Live personal cloud storage solution - WD 2go and 2go Pro. The apps offer users easy access to files stored on the My Book Live drive using an iPad, iPhone, iPod touch or Android devices.

Samsung has unveiled their new Windows 7.5 (Mango) smartphone which comes in the form of Omnia W, and it will have a price tag of approximately US$420. The Omnia W will ship from end October in Italy and slowly to other countries including Asia. 17

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The WD 2go is free for download while the WD 2go Pro is priced at US$2.99. Both apps are currently available for download from the iTunes Store and Android Market. My Book Live personal cloud storage is available at selected retailers and resellers and is distributed by Achieva Technology Pte Ltd and SiS Technology Pte Ltd in Singapore. MSRP is S$209 for 1TB, S$239 for the 2TB, and S$299 for 3TB.

AMD also releases special driver (Catalyst 11.10 Preview) for Battlefield 3 Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/amd-also-releases-special-drivercatalyst-11.10-preview-for-battlefield-3/13642.html September 28th, 2011

Western Digital has introduced its WD 2go and WD 2go Pro mobile apps for its My Book Live personal cloud storage solution. The WD My Book Live drive can connect to the home network and users can share files, stream media, and access content anywhere safely with no monthly fees. Secure remote access to the My Book Live is available on any computer through www.WD2go.com, while the WD 2go apps provide mobile access to files stored on the drive using an iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch or Android devices.

Hot on the heels of their green rivals, AMD also released a special driver just in time for the Battlefield 3 Open Beta today, and claims performance increases in both single card and crossfire scenarios.

The WD 2go apps support a variety of media file formats for streaming movies and music or accessing files such as Microsoft Office documents. In addition to all of the features currently available in the free WD 2go app, the WD 2go Pro app includes several advanced features, including:

• Improves performance in Battlefield 3 Open Beta release for both non-Anti-Aliasing, and application enabled Anti-Aliasing cases on the AMD Radeon™ HD 6000 and AMD Radeon™ HD 5000 Series for single GPU configurations

- Clipping: Users can clip files, photos, songs, videos or folders to download a copy from the My Book Live drive to a mobile device, enabling subsequent access even without an Internet connection. - Automatic sync: New or modified files added to the My Book Live automatically sync to mobile devices.

• Improves performance in Battlefield 3 Open Beta release for both non-Anti-Aliasing, and application enabled Anti-Aliasing cases on CrossFire configurations using the AMD Radeon™ HD 6000 and AMD Radeon™ HD 5000 Series

- Content sharing: The WD 2go Pro app allows users to email files, share files as a link, print and open files with third party apps. - Additional security: Users can leverage an additional layer of security by locking mobile access to the My Book Live drive with a four digit pass code. In addition to remote and mobile access to the personal cloud, WD’s My Book Live features a built-in media server that streams music, photos and movies to any DLNA-certified multimedia device such as a WD TV Live network media player, Blu-ray Disc player, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and connected TV. My Book Live personal cloud storage is available in capacities of 1TB, 2TB and3 TB and is compatible with Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7, Mac OS X Leopard, Snow Leopard, or Lion, as well as DLNA/UPnP enabled devices.

• Enables support for Eyefinity 5x1 display (portrait and landscape) configurations using the AMD Radeon™ HD 6000 and AMD Radeon™ HD 5000 Series • Vision Engine Control Center: User Interface enhancements have been implemented for the CrossfireX, GPU Overdrive, and Information Center pages.

Fujitsu-Toshiba launches 720p screen touting Arrows Z Android handset in Japan Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/fujitsu-toshiba-launches-720p-screentouting-arrows-z-android-handset-in-japan/13641.html

Price and Availability

September 28th, 2011 September 28th, 2011

Once again Japan gets the latest and greatest toys to play with ahead of the rest of the world and if the latest Android handset from Fujitsu-Toshiba's soon to end mobile partnership is anything to go by, the future is, uhm, pink? Ok, so there is a pink option, but the real selling point of the new handset is 4.3inch 1280x720 resolution display and the 1.2GHz dual core TI OMAP4430 SoC at its core, features that should become commonplace on high-end smartphones next year.

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802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi, although somewhat disappointingly it only has Bluetooth 2.1. In typical retro Japanese style it also has support for IrDA. 1GB of RAM and 8GB of storage memory is pretty much par for the course, although the 13 Megapixel CMOS camera with a Sony Exmor R for mobile sensor is quite impressive. There's also a front mounted 1.3 Megapixel camera for video calls, an FM transmitter, an HDMI port, a micro USB port and a micro SDHC card slot.

Another disappointing feature, despite its fairly large size at 128x64x10mm, the 134g heavy Arrows Z only sports a meagre 1,460mAh battery which is a poor show on what is otherwise a very high-end handset. Still, most of the features on offer isn't like to appear on any single competing handset for now, although we do expect to see more devices with 1280x720 screens by the end of this year or early next year. Some of the other features, not so much, especially as many of them are unique to the Japanese market. Source: KDDI au

The new handset is called Arrows Z and launched today on KDDI au in Japan. It's highly unlikely that there will be a version of the handset for sale outside of Japan though, so we're just going to have to kick back and wait for something similar to come out from one of Google's other Android partners. That said, the Arrows Z is already far from the fastest phone out there, but it does have a few features that stand out such as a waterproof body, a built in digital TV-tuner, an e-wallet function and support for DRM protected video streaming. The Arrows Z also supports WiMAX and CDMA 1xEV-DO and 14.4Mbit/s HSDPA connectivity. It does of course sport

More Sandy Bridge-E overclocking details come to light Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/more-sandy-bridge-e-overclockingdetails-come-to-light/13639.html September 28th, 2011

Last week some details on how to overclock Intel's upcoming Sandy Bridge-E CPU were posted over at bit-tech and in as 19

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much as it covered the basics, details from a Taiwanese website that leaked almost simultaneously puts all of the puzzles pieces together. If and that's is a big if, someone can hit Intel's theoretical maximum clock speed for the upcoming Sandy Bridge-E processors, then we can expect to see CPU running at a massive 9.5GHz. Last week some details on how to overclock Intel's upcoming Sandy Bridge-E CPU were posted over at bit-tech and in as much as it covered the basics, details from a Taiwanese website that leaked almost simultaneously puts all of the puzzles pieces together. If and that's is a big if, someone can hit Intel's theoretical maximum clock speed for the upcoming Sandy Bridge-E processors, then we can expect to see CPU running at a massive 9.5GHz. So far only details of the turbo frequency for the Sandy BridgeE processor have leaked, but with the help of all the additional details, we finally have a clearer picture of what to expect. It seems like Intel decided to drop at least one or two of the multipliers we heard were available on early engineering samples of the Sandy Bridge-E CPUs and as such we're stuck with 1.25 and 1.67, although just like with the current Sandy Bridge processors, the BCLK can be adjusted in increments of 1MHz.

One slight snag is that we're stuck with the same 57x multiplier limit that we see on the current Sandy Bridge CPUs, although this does of course only apply to the 3960X and the 3930K, as the quad core 3820 is limited to a 45x multiplier. As things go, the 3820 can be overclocked six bins over its top Turbo multiplier which is 39x, although if Intel's "coarse" BCLK multipliers work as intended, it looks like speeds of a lot more than 4.5GHz can be achieved even here, with Intel hinting at speeds of between 5.9 and 7.5GHz. Not bad for a CPU which is expected to retail for US$294 in quantities of 1,000. According to a slide from IDF posted over at bit-tech, we can expect to see core power limit overrides on Sandy Bridge-E and this explains what we heard earlier about the CPUs drawing some serious power. What we don't know is to what degree the power enveloped can be pushed, or how much it needs to be pushed, but we're sure there are plenty of eager overclockers out there waiting to find out. If some screen shots posted at bit-tech is anything to go by, we're looking at something crazy like 300W, no wonder Intel decided to create a watercooling solution for Sandy Bridge-E

At least the good news is that the PEG and DMI clocks can be locked at lower multipliers, as this will prevent PCI Express devices and the chipset to cause overclocking limitations. For those that want to run multiple graphics cards, it appears that Intel had managed to get Nvidia to agree to give the X79 chipset support for 4-way SLI without the need of any additional chips. On the not so good news front we're hearing rumblings that the 3960X might end up costing more than US $999, although we haven't been able to verify this as yet, and yes, that is without a CPU cooler still. Interestingly it looks like the 3930K might still come with a CPU cooler, but this is again something we haven't managed to verify, but according to information we've been privy to, the two CPUs are shipping in different boxes where the 3930K comes in a much larger box than the 3960X. Source: bit-tech.net and Top PC

Be Quiet! released the all-new Pure Power L8 PSU line Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/be-quiet-released-the-all-new-purepower-l8-psu-line/13638.html September 28th, 2011

Be Quiet!, the well known German manufacturer of PC components and designer of PC power supplies announced today the release of the new L8 Pure Power line. The new L8 series boasts features which were available only on premium models, such as a modular design and a "Silent Wings" fan. At the same time Be Quiet! enriched their older L7 series with more powerful units. The new L8 series consists of... Be Quiet!, the well known German manufacturer of PC components and designer of PC power supplies announced today the release of the new L8 Pure Power line. The new L8 series boasts features which were available only on premium models, such as a modular design and a "Silent Wings" fan. 20

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At the same time Be Quiet! enriched their older L7 series with more powerful units. The new L8 series consists of four new models, ranging from 430W and up to 730W.

All models are 80Plus Bronze certified, modular and are using Be Quiet's premium "Silent Wings" cooling fans. The MSRP is 69.9€ for the 430W model and up to 109.9€ for the 730W model (including taxes). Compared to the older E7 730W power supply which has an MSRP of 89.9€, many enthusiasts might be willing to pay the extra price in order to get a modular unit. Source : Company Press Release

Gigabyte Gives H61 Platform a Touch of 'Legacy' Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/gigabyte-gives-h61-platform-a-touchof-legacy-/13637.html September 28th, 2011

The LGA1155 socket supports 2nd generation Core i3/i5/i7 processors. The CPU is powered by a 5-phase VRM, and is wired to four DDR3 DIMM slots for dual-channel DDR3 memory connectivity. The VRM uses a simpler design than what we'd expect from Gigabyte, it draws power from a 4-pin 12V connector, apart from the usual 24-pin one. Expansion slots include one PCI-Express 2.0 x16, two PCI-Express 2.0 x1, and three legacy PCI slots, wired to an iTE-made bridge chip. Gigabyte made full use of the connectivity options the superIO chip provides, including an LPT (parallel) port, and a COM (serial) port. Then there's the usual PS/2 combo port that Gigabyte is reluctant to let go of, on its boards.

Gigabyte released a new socket LGA1155 motherboard based on the Intel H61 Express chipset, which features legacy connectivity otherwise rare for the platform. Called the GAP61-USB3P, the name could lead some to believe it's based on a "P61" chipset, since Gigabyte traditionally makes the chipset model clear in the product name. In reality, there is no "P61" chipset. Gigabyte released a new socket LGA1155 motherboard based on the Intel H61 Express chipset, which features legacy connectivity otherwise rare for the platform. Called the GAP61-USB3P, its name could lead some to believe it's based on "P61" chipset, since Gigabyte traditionally makes the chipset model clear in the product name. In reality, there is no "P61" chipset.

Interestingly, Gigabyte didn't carry its legacy initiative forward, going on to add floppy and IDE connectors. Granted, an IDE would have required a larger (pin-count) SATA controller that also supports two IDE channels, but FDD is doable, since it's handled by the superIO chip. Moving on to its modern connectivity, we find two SATA 6 Gbps ports handled by a Marvell 88SE9172 chip, which supports RAID 0, 1, 0+1; four SATA 3 Gbps ports wired to the H61 PCH; two USB 3.0 ports on the rear panel driven by an Etron EJ168 controller; 6-channel HD audio surprisingly driven by the high-end Realtek ALC889 CODEC; and one gigabit Ethernet connection handled by Realtek 8111E. The sole display output is an analog D-Sub connector. Gigabyte regular DualBIOS with HybridEFI (capability to boot from volumes bigger than 2.2 21

September 28th, 2011

TB) finds room. While announced, Gigabyte didn't give out its pricing.

NVIDIA GeForce 285.38 Drivers Now Downloadable In Time For Battlefield 3 Open Beta Tomorrow Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/nvidia-geforce-285.38-drivers-nowdownloadable--in-time-for-battlefield-3-open-beta-tomorrow/13636.html September 28th, 2011

Published by: VR-Zone

460 v2, GeForce GTX 460, GeForce GTS 450, GeForce GT 440, GeForce GT 430, GeForce GT 420, GeForce 405 GeForce 300 Series GeForce GT 340, GeForce GT 330, GeForce GT 320, GeForce 315, GeForce 310 GeForce 200 Series GeForce GTX 295, GeForce GTX 285, GeForce GTX 280, GeForce GTX 275, GeForce GTX 260, GeForce GTS 250, GeForce GTS 240, GeForce GT 230, GeForce GT 240, GeForce GT 220, GeForce G210, GeForce 210, GeForce 205 GeForce 100 Series

NVIDIA has just released their 285.38 BETA drivers, claiming up to 38% performance increases and other improvements for the Battlefield 3 Open Beta which will be available to privileged early access users in less than 23 hours' time. • Supports GeForce 6, 7, 8, 9, 100, 200, 300, 400, and 500series desktop GPUs as well as ION desktop GPUs. • Supports OpenGL 4.2 for GeForce 400 series and 500 series GPUs and OpenGL 3.3 for GeForce 8-series and later GPUs. • Supports multiple languages and APIs for GPU computing: CUDA C, CUDA C++, CUDA Fortran, OpenCL, DirectCompute, and Microsoft C++ AMP. • Supports single GPU and NVIDIA SLI technology on DirectX 9, DirectX 10, DirectX 11, and OpenGL, including 3-way SLI, Quad SLI, and SLI support on SLIcertified Intel and AMD motherboards.

GeForce GT 140, GeForce GT 130, GeForce GT 120, GeForce G100 GeForce 9 Series GeForce 9800 GX2, GeForce 9800 GTX/GTX+, GeForce 9800 GT, GeForce 9600 GT, GeForce 9600 GSO, GeForce 9600 GSO 512, GeForce 9600 GS, GeForce 9500 GT, GeForce 9500 GS, GeForce 9400 GT, GeForce 9400, GeForce 9300 GS, GeForce 9300 GE, GeForce 9300 SE, GeForce 9300, GeForce 9200, GeForce 9100 GeForce 8 Series

ION (Desktops) ION

GeForce 8800 Ultra, GeForce 8800 GTX, GeForce 8800 GTS 512, GeForce 8800 GTS, GeForce 8800 GT, GeForce 8800 GS, GeForce 8600 GTS, GeForce 8600 GT, GeForce 8600 GS, GeForce 8500 GT, GeForce 8400 GS, GeForce 8400 SE, GeForce 8400, GeForce 8300 GS, GeForce 8300, GeForce 8200, GeForce 8200 /nForce 730a, GeForce 8100 /nForce 720a

ION LE (Desktops)

GeForce 7 Series

ION LE

GeForce 400 Series

GeForce 7025 / NVIDIA nForce 630a, GeForce 7050 PV / NVIDIA nForce 630a, GeForce 7050 / NVIDIA nForce 610i, GeForce 7050 / NVIDIA nForce 630i, GeForce 7100 / NVIDIA nForce 630i, GeForce 7100 / NVIDIA nForce 620i, GeForce 7100 GS, GeForce 7150 / NVIDIA nForce 630i, GeForce 7300 SE / 7200 GS, GeForce 7300 LE, GeForce 7300 GS, GeForce 7300 GT, GeForce 7350 LE, GeForce 7500 LE, GeForce 7550 LE, GeForce 7600 LE, GeForce 7600 GS, GeForce 7600 GT, GeForce 7650 GS, GeForce 7800 GS, GeForce 7800 GTX, GeForce 7800 SLI, GeForce 7900 GS, GeForce 7900 GT/GTO, GeForce 7900 GTX, GeForce 7950 GT, GeForce 7950 GX2

GeForce GTX 480, GeForce GTX 470, GeForce GTX 465, GeForce GTX 460 SE v2, GeForce GTX 460 SE, GeForce GTX

GeForce 6 Series

GeForce 500 Series GeForce GTX 590, GeForce GTX 580, GeForce GTX 570, GeForce GTX 560, GeForce GTX 560 Ti, GeForce GTX 550 Ti, GeForce GT 545, GeForce GT 530, GeForce GT 520

September 28th, 2011

Published by: VR-Zone

HP announces new displays for creative professionals and SMBs

GeForce 6100, GeForce 6100 nForce 400, GeForce 6100 nForce 405, GeForce 6100 nForce 420, GeForce 6150, GeForce 6150 LE, GeForce 6150LE / Quadro NVS 210S, GeForce 6150SE nForce 430, GeForce 6200, GeForce 6200 A-LE, GeForce 6200 LE, GeForce 6200 TurboCache(TM), GeForce 6200SE TurboCache(TM), GeForce 6250, GeForce 6500, GeForce 6600, GeForce 6600 GT, GeForce 6600 LE, GeForce 6600 VE, GeForce 6610 XL, GeForce 6700 XL, GeForce 6800, GeForce 6800 GS, GeForce 6800 GS/XT, GeForce 6800 GT, GeForce 6800 LE, GeForce 6800 Ultra, GeForce 6800 XE, GeForce 6800 XT

Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/hp-announces-new-displays-forcreative-professionals-and-smbs/13634.html September 28th, 2011

HTC plans to develop proprietary mobile operating system

Despite the recent dismissal of their CEO and appointing a new one, HP has continued to unveil their new range of products. This time, it is their new displays which include the performance series featuring LED backlit IPS panels - ZR2740w, ZR2440w, ZR2240w and ZR2040w; the HP Compaq LE2202x Essential Display and the HP Compaq LA2206xc WLD backlit LCD Monitor.

Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/htc-plans-to-develop-proprietarymobile-operating-system/13635.html September 28th, 2011

It was just last week that Samsung mentioned that it would open-source its Bada platform for other manufacturers and developers. And it seems like Taiwanese manufacturer HTC is planning to develop a mobile operating system of their own too.

HP has announced new additions of affordable and powerful displays to its portfolio, designed for creative professionals and businesses. The displays include the company’s first 27inch performance display with more than 1 billion colors, and the industry’s first sub-US$200 display with in-plane switching (IPS) technology.

According to Jack Tong, president of HTC North Asia, in Seoul, Korea, the company has plans to develop its own mobile operating system though will still continue to strengthen the collaboration with Microsoft and Google. In order to go head on with Apple's iOS and be less reliant on Google Android OS, Samsung was recently reported that it will opensource the Bada platform next year, which will allow other manufacturers and developers to help grow the ecosystem. However, HTC has made little headway in the development of their own proprietary operating system. It is likely that the company could acquire a mobile OS and incorporate it into their products, though experts predict disastrous results if the mobile OS fails.

The four new HP ZR-series Performance Displays - HP ZR2740w, ZR2440w, ZR2240w and ZR2040w - are aimed at professionals in animation, game development, broadcast, computer-aided design, design and graphic arts. They come with light-emitting diode (LED) backlights for a slim industrial design, more robust colors and the elimination of mercury. All of HP’s ZR series displays employ IPS technology for ultrawide viewing angles and offer up to 10 times higher contrast ratios when viewed from an angle as compared to mainstream monitors that use twisted nematic (TN) technology. The HP Compaq LE2202x features LED technology for enhanced color performance and a thinner profile than previous HP Essential Displays. The LE2202x provides full high definition 1920 x 1080 native resolution with 3,000,000:1 DCR, 170°/160° viewing angles, and fast 5ms response times that offer crisp and detailed views. It sports a small footprint and comes with Display Assistant Software 23

September 28th, 2011

that enables intelligent theft deterrence, impactful energy savings, convenient desktop partitioning, and customizable picture quality. The 21.5-inch diagonal panel is BFR/PVC-, mercury- and arsenic-free, and the displayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s flat packaging reduces waste and shipping cost. The HP Compaq LA2206xc WLD backlit LCD monitor is designed for businesses looking to improve the way they collaborate and communicate with team members and customers, while saving time and money. The 21.5inch widescreen monitor comes with a built-in webcam using HP MyRoom for real-time collaboration right from your desk. Pricing and availability for the HP displays in Asia Pacific will be announced in the coming weeks.

Guide To Building A Gaming Rig For Battlefield 3 Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/guide-to-building-a-gaming-rig-forbattlefield-3/13633.html September 28th, 2011

Published by: VR-Zone

wouldn't want to crash out during a personal best high scoring multiplayer session.

Barnes & Noble to launch new Nook Color tablet? Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/barnes--noble-to-launch-new-nookcolor-tablet-/13632.html September 28th, 2011

With the success of their Nook tablets, it could be true that Barnes & Noble could be planning to launch a new one under the same line. And if reports are true, we may see the new tablet in stores in the next quarter, which is timely for end of year Christmas shoppers.

There has been literally too many uninformed gues-timations being thrown around in forums everywhere about this topic. We're less than 24 hours away from the BF3 beta and here are the configurations we came up with for different tiers of gamers. What if I have unlimited money to spend and must play in ultra/4k resolutions/eyefinity/stereo 3d/contribute to global warming: Processor: EVGA W555 SR-2 with 2 x Xeon X5680 @ 4.6Ghz Graphics Card: 2 x AMD Radeon 6990 in Quadfire or 2 x Nvidia GTX 590 sli or 2 x ASUS MARS II I have 0 friends / Not going to play online: (same as the advertised minimum system requirements) Processor: 2 GHz Dual Core (Core 2 Duo 2.4 GHZ or Althon X2 2.7 GHz) Graphics Card (AMD): DirectX 10.1 compatible with 512 MB RAM (ATI RADEON 3000, 4000, 5000 OR 6000 series, with ATI RADEON 3870 or higher performance) Graphics Card (NVIDIA): DirectX 10.0 compatible with 512 MB RAM (NVIDIA GEFORCE 8, 9, 200, 300, 400 OR 500 series with NVIDIA GEFORCE 8800 GT or higher performance) Remember to run Linpack on your CPUs and Furmark on your GPUs to test for stability/cooling efficiency at full load. You

If news from The Digital Reader are believed to be true, Barnes & Noble could be launching three new tablets this year, with one of them being an update to the Nook Color. The Nook Touch and Nook Color would retain their US$139 and US$249 price tags respectively, and the two Nook Color tablets would have higher price points. The Encore and Acclaim tablets will be priced at US$249 and US$349, and note that Acclaim is a new codename for the tablet. It is likely that Encore could be the new update to the Nook Color, seeing the similar pricing. Unfortunately, no specifications were given, though it was mentioned that the new tablets would be out in the next quarter, which could be as early as October.

Antec Kuhler H2O 620 Water Cooler Review Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/antec-kuhler-h2o-620-water-coolerreview/13630.html

September 28th, 2011

Published by: VR-Zone

September 28th, 2011

151 mm (H) x 120 mm (W) x 27 mm (D)

• Fan Dimensions: o

4.7" x 1.0" / 120 mm x 25 mm

• Air Flow: o

In the world of home computing, using water cooling started off when a couple of enthusiasts tried to achieve high overclocking performance on their (at the time) top of the line 486DX processors. Within a few months the trend took off and many enthusiasts and overclockers were designing and building their own parts, when companies offering ready parts and even ready to assemble kits began to emerge. It was not until years later that companies released closed, ready to run water cooling solutions and still only a few are available in the market today. Antec has just released such a water cooler, the very compact Kühler H2O 620, which also comes with a very interesting retail price tag. Will it manage to outperform the humongous air coolers available today? We will find out in this review. In the world of home computing, using water cooling started off when a couple of enthusiasts tried to achieve high overclocking performance on their (at the time) top of the line 486DX processors. Within a few months the trend took off and many enthusiasts and overclockers were designing and building their own parts, when companies offering ready parts and even ready to assemble kits began to emerge. It was not until years later that companies released closed, ready to run water cooling solutions and still only a few are available in the market today. Antec has just released such a water cooler, the very compact Kühler H2O 620, which also comes with a very interesting retail price tag. Will it manage to outperform the humongous air coolers available today? We will find out in this review. Manufacturer features and specifications • CPU Socket Compatibility: o

Intel LGA 775, 1155 / 1156, 1366, AMD AM2, AM3, AM2+, AM3+

• Low profile pump ensures exceptional liquid circulation while preserving internal airflow • Non-corrugated easy-bend tubes flexibility in radiator positioning

for

maximum

• Intelligent noise / speed-control fan for quiet, efficient cooling • Latest generation copper cold plate for optimal conduction • Cooling Liquid - Safe, environmentally-friendly, anticorrosive

81.3 CFM

• Cold Plate + Pump Height: o

1.1" / 27 mm

• Net weight: 1.5 lbs / 0.7 kg • AQ3 - Antec Quality 3 year limited warranty on parts and labor

Leaked AMD roadmaps suggests Llano replacement in Q1'12 Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/leaked-amd-roadmaps-suggests-llanoreplacement-in-q1-12/13631.html September 28th, 2011

If what appears to be a legit leak of a mobile product roadmap from AMD is the real deal, then we can expect Llano's replacement, Trinity, to arrive in Q1 next year. As with Llano, Trinity will have four different main SKUs, although so far no specific models are listed. Trinity will be based on AMD's new Pilderiver core which is derived from Bulldozer, the same core which we'll see in the soon to launch AMD FX series of CPUs. If what appears to be a legit leak of a mobile product roadmap from AMD is the real deal, then we can expect Llano's replacement, Trinity, to arrive in Q1 next year. As with Llano, Trinity will have four different main SKUs, although so far no specific models are listed. Trinity will be based on AMD's new Pilderiver core which is derived from Bulldozer, the same core which we'll see in the soon to launch AMD FX series of CPUs. The platform will be known as Comal and initially it'll co-exist with the Sabine platform which is the current mobile Llano APUs combined with the A70M and A60M chipsets. Comal will continue to use the same chipsets and as far as we can tell, the same socket. We'll also be seeing improved graphics, currently codenamed London. Beyond that, details are very sketchy, but what we do know is that the TDP will remain the same as for the current APUs.

• Fan Speed: 1450 - 2000 RPM • Tubing Length: 13.0" / 330 mm • Radiator Dimensions: o

5.6" (H) x 4.7" (W) x 1.1" (D) / 25

September 28th, 2011

Later next year we'll see the introduction of Wichita and Krishna, both part of the Deccan platform. Both SKUs will feature Bobcat core, i.e. the same CPU cores as AMD current Zacate and Ontario entry level APUs. However, the graphics core will be the same as for Trinity, albeit we'd expect to see far fewer shader units compared to Trinity. Interestingly AMD has developed a new FCH for Wichita and Krishna called Yuba which incorporates two SATA 6Gbps ports, two USB 3.0 ports, 10 USB 2.0 ports, 4 PCI Express x1 lanes, a built in SDHC controller and various other basic chipset features. Yuba will replace the A50M FCH in this product category. The Deccan platform should launch sometime in Q2 next year.

Published by: VR-Zone

The roadmap also contains some details of what AMD is planning for 2013. At the top we have Kaveri which is Trinity's replacement which will feature Steamroller CPU cores and a yet unknown graphics core. Below that we have Kabini which will feature Jaguar cores, a feature it shares with the tablet friendly Samara APU. Kaveri will be teamed up with the Bolton FCH, while Kabini gets the integrated Yangtze FCH and finally Samara will feature the integrated Salton FCH. Let's hope AMD can deliver on this roadmap, as this year has been a bit of a disaster for AMD. That said, at least for next year we should be looking at 32nm parts and by then AMD and Global Foundries should've gotten yield rates up to expected levels. With a Bulldozer core at the heart of Trinity we should also see a decent jump in raw CPU performance over Llano and its aging Husky cores. Source: 3DCenter forums

As for the "ultra low power" segment we're looking at Hondo, a next gen Desna APU which brings the power down from 5.9W to 4.5W. Honda incorporates two Bobcat cores, the same Loveland graphics as the current range of entry level APUs and the same FT1 BGA package. The platform will be known as Brazos T and as AMD is targeting tablets, we'll be seeing a new FCH here too, called A55T. The A55T is a very small and simplified FCH with a single SATA port, SDIO support and eight USB 2.0 ports.