No guy-in-a-bar iPhone story in Vietnam

(AP) -- This time it's not a crazy story about a guy who left a phone in a Silicon Valley bar. The latest clamor over a possible next-generation iPhone prototype has erupted in an unlikely place - Vietnam.

Mobile phone accessory salesman Tran Manh Hiep rushed to a cafe in southern Ho Chi Minh City on Wednesday when word on the street spread that someone was there flashing the newest

The video could still be accessed on his Vietnamese website, creating much chatter. The iPhone looks similar to one found in a

Some Vietnamese messages posted on Hiep's forum questioned the authenticity of the phone, suggesting that it may be a fake Chinese model. Many counterfeit phones make their way into Vietnam, but Hiep said he's convinced this is the real deal.

He said he does not know how the man got the iPhone, but that the owner is also a Vietnamese mobile phone dealer.

Apple Inc. is notoriously secretive about unfinished products. It confirmed it owned the Gizmodo phone, but did not say it was the next iPhone. Analysts expect a new model in June.

After Gizmodo returned the phone, law enforcement searched the blogger's home and seized computers. A dispute over the legality of a search warrant is ongoing in California.

New Motorola Android phone on Verizon the Devour

Enlarge

(AP) -- Verizon Wireless has a second handset from Motorola Inc. that uses Google Inc.'s Android software: The Devour.

Much like the Motorola Droid, which debuted to much fanfare in November, the Devour has a touch screen that slides away to reveal a keyboard. The screen is slightly smaller, however. Verizon said Wednesday the phone would be on sale in March, but did not say what it would cost.

The Devour also features Motoblur, a software package from Motorola that displays e-mails and content from such sites as Twitter and Verizon also sells a smaller, keyboard-less Android phone made by HTC Corp., the Droid Eris.

Men want gadgets for Valentine's Day

Most men would prefer to receive a gadget rather than candy or flowers from their partners on Valentine's Day, a poll reports.

The poll was conducted by IOGEAR, a connectivity manufacturer.

Of the 607 male and female respondents, 61 percent of men said that tech gear would be their gift of choice, yet only 19 percent have ever received an IT gizmo on Valentine's Day. Surprisingly, the poll found that an increasing number of women, 23 percent, would rather receive a tech toy than bouquets or sweets on Valentine's Day.

The online survey also revealed consumers' dream tech presents this Feb. 14, including GPS systems, Bluetooth cell-phone headsets, portable music players and flat-screen TVs.

"Our poll shows that gadgets are now the way to a man's heart," said Miranda Su, vice president of sales and marketing at IOGEAR Inc. "With affordable, convenient tech tools now available and in demand, gift giving becomes a lot easier. Males and females alike are hoping to get an mp3 player over a dozen roses or heart-shaped chocolate."

Copyright 2006 by United Press International

Module eases wireless laptop service

A Belgian company has developed a wireless laptop module that connects to standard cell towers and is not limited to the proximity of WiFi hot spots.

Option NV said this week that its GTM351E includes a PCI card that should make wireless Internet activity an easier proposition for users who currently have to hunt around for a hot spot before they can log on.

The card is installed on the unit's motherboard and can handle third-generation HSDPA (High Speed Downlink Packet Access) technology and as well as the UMTS (Universal Mobile Telecommunications Service) that is widely used in Asia.

The first GTM351E modules will ship early next year and begin making it to consumers some time afterward.

"The business model between operators and IT manufacturers for commercializing embedded wireless modules is still in its early stages," Option CEO Jan Callewaert said in a statement. "We'll see a further maturing of this market in 2006."

Copyright 2005 by United Press International

Le Seigneur des Anneaux Online devient free-to-play

Après un peu plus de trois années d'existence en tant que MMORPG à abonnement payant classique, Le Seigneur des Anneaux Online se prépare à devenir totalement free-to-play cet automne.

Sans invoquer de difficultés particulières justifiant ce changement de modèle économique, Warner (qui possède les droits sur les jeux prenant place dans l'univers de Tolkien) et Codemasters (exploitant de LSDAO en Europe) assurent vouloir élargir le public du jeu en proposant un accès "à la carte" au titre de Turbine.

Plusieurs formules devraient être proposées, sans être tout à fait bien définies pour l'instant. Le jeu sera accessible à tous gratuitement jusqu'au niveau maximal de 50 mais il faudra ensuite payer pour acquérir "des milliers d'objets et de packs d'extension, de contenu Premium, d'emplacements de personnages supplémentaires, de potions, d'éléments de personnalisation de personnage et bien plus encore". Ce dernier sera intégré et les achats se feront en "points Turbine" à acheter ou à gagner dans le jeu.

Un abonnement "VIP" sera également proposé, lequel proposera un accès prioritaire au jeu, 5 slots de personnages et une somme mensuelle de points Turbine à dépenser à loisir dans la boutique Premium. Les caractéristiques des différents type comptes qui seront proposés lors du passage en free-to-play sont détaillés sur cette page dédiée du site officiel.

La grande interrogation reste les compensations qui seront offertes aux joueurs ayant acheté le jeu et ses extensions jusqu'à aujourd'hui. Nul doute que tout cela devrait se préciser dans les mois à venir.

· Site officiel du Seigneur des Anneaux Online free-to-play

DFI Changed X48-T3R PCB Layout

DFI has changed the PCB layout of LANParty UT X48-T3R board as the 2nd and3rd PCIe slots are too near to each other. You can do a comparison between theold layout and this new one. DFI wll show the MP version with the new layoutand ThermalRight heatpipe cooler at CeBIT.

EPoX EP-5NVA+ SLi Board Specs

EPoX is going to unveil their Intel SLI solution based on thenForce 4 SLI Intel Edition chipset (C19 + MCP04) next week on April 6th. Hereare some pics and specs of their 5NVA+ SLI board.

CPU Socket:
Socket LGA775 for Intel® Celeron D® 3xx series, Intel® Pentium 4® 5xx/6xxseries, P4EE up to 3.8+GHz
Support 533/800/1066 MHz front-side bus
Support Intel® EM64T 64-bit Computing platform
Support Intel 05B or 05A Platform Compatibility Guide

Chipset:
NVIDIA nForce4 SLi Intel Edition (C19) + MCP04

System Memory:
Four 240-pin DDR2 SDRAM DIMM sockets for maximum 8GB system memory
Support 1.8v DDR2-400/533/667 DIMMs with dual channel architecture
Support single-sided or double-sided, non-ECC DIMMs with 256Mb/512Mb/1Gb devices

Expansion Slots:
Two PCI connectors compliant with PCI v2.3
Two PCI-Express (x1) connectors compliant with PCI Express 1.0a
Two PCI Express (x16) connectors compliant with PCI Express 1.0a to support SLitechnology
One Express Card connector compliant with PCI Express 1.0a

IDE:
Two IDE interface (up to 2 IDE devices) with UDMA-33, ATA-66/100 support fromembedded IDE controller

USB:
Ten USB connectors compliant with USB2.0 from embedded USB controller (4connectors at rear panel)

S-ATA RAID:
Four S-ATA –2 ports with up to 300MB/s bandwidth from MCP04 with RAID 0,1support with Hot-Plug support

1394a:
Two 1394a ports with up to 400Mbps bandwidth from onboard VT6307 1394acontroller

LAN:
1Gb Ethernet from onboard Vitesse VSC8201RX Gigabit Ethernet PHY.

Audio:
Selectable 2, 6 or 8-CH audio from ALC880 Azalia compliant CODEC with 20-bit ADCand 24-bit DAC
Support Aux-In, CD-In, S/PDIF-in and S/PDIF-out
Optical & Coaxial S/PDIF-out available on rear panel
Support Jack detection for fool-proof audio device installation

I/O:
Onboard Winbond W83627THF(E) LPC bus I/O controller
Legacy peripheral interface for PS/2 keyboard & mouse, FDD, Parallel, TwoSerial, Game and IrDA (v1.0 compliant)
Hardware Monitoring for fan speed monitoring, CPU/System temperature andThermoStick temperature.
Intelligent fan speed control for CPU-fan (PWM) and Chassis-fan (DC) for quietoperation

BIOS:
4Mb Flash EEPROM with Award Plug&Play BIOS
Support ACPI S3 (Suspend To RAM) mode in ACPI compliant O/S
Support EZ Boot for fast bootable device selection
Support Magic Health for system hardware status report during system boot-up

Special Features:
Support KBPO (Keyboard Power ON) function
Support Wake-On-LAN by PME
Support USB resume in S3
Onboard Post-Port LED display
Support Asynchronous clocking mode between FSB and PCI/PCI-E

PowerBIOS for excellent overclocking features:
Programmable FSB and PCI Clock output frequency with 1MHz fine tuning
Support BIOS adjustable CPU multiplier, FSB clock, PCI-E x16 clock, DIMMfrequency
Support BIOS adjustable CPU Core voltage, Chipset voltage, DIMM voltage settings

Powerful utilities for Windows:
USDM (Unified System Diagnostic Manager) for system hardware monitoring
Magic Flash for BIOS update without requiring DOS flash utility and bootablediskette
Magic Screen for personal bootup screen design

Form Factor:
305mm x 245mm x 40mm, ATX Size

Accessories
User’s manual
1 IDE cable & 1 FDD cables;
2 S-ATA data and power cables;
CD for drivers, utilities and bundle software

Audio connection:
For 2-channel mode; stereo Line-out (Lime), stereo Line-In (Light blue) and Mic-In(Pink)
For 6-channel mode; Front stereo-out (Lime), Rear stereo-out (Light blue),Center and Sub-woofer (Pink)
For 8-channel mode; stereo Line-In (Light blue), Mic-In (Pink), Front stereo-out(Lime), Rear stereo-out (Black), Center and Sub-woofer (Orange) and Sidestereo-out (Gray)

ECS Makes A75 Motherboards Official; ATX amp; micro-ATX models detailed

With just days to go before desktop Llanos official release, ECS has announced its A75 motherboard lineup. Currently, there are two micro-ATX boards and a single ATX model.

We previously previewed the A75F-A, which belongs to the enthusiast-oriented Black Deluxe series. The A75F-M has similar features but only has one PCIe x16 slot. The A75F-M2 will be the cheapest model, possessing only two DIMM slots and 6-channel audio.

ModelChipsetSupported CPUSpecificationForm FactorA75F-A (Black Deluxe)AMD Hudson D3AMD A-series APU4xDDR3, 4xUSB 3.0, 5xSATA 6.0Gb/s, 1xeSATA 6.0Gb/s, 1xPCIex16, HDMI/DVI/D-Sub 8-Ch HD Audio with S/PDIFATXA75F-M4xDDR3, 4xUSB 3.0, 6xSATA 6.0Gb/s, 1xPCIex16, HDMI/DVI/D-Sub, 8-Ch HD Audio with S/PDIFMicro-ATXA75F-M22xDDR3, 4xUSB 3.0, 6xSATA 6.0 Gb/s, 1PCIex16, HDMI/DVI(Optional)/D-Sub, 6-Ch HD Audio

In addition to the standard A75 repertoire of SATA 6Gbps and USB 3.0, ECS is also advertising their unique applications which include EZ Charger, eDLU, eBLU and MIB III.

See the full press release below:

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ECS Presents A75 Series, the Latest AMD FusionTM APU Platform to Color Your Vision.

Taipei, Taiwan, June, 2011 – Elitegroup Computer Systems (ECS) introduces the latest AMD based motherboard series – ECS Black Deluxe A75F-A, and ECS mainstream series A75F-M and A75F-M2 motherboards. ECS A75 series motherboards powered by AMD Hudson D3 chipset support the latest AMD A series APU.

One More Black Deluxe Member, A75F-A

As one of the ECS Black Deluxe series, ECS A75F-A has passed 50? burn test, presenting high quality and unbelievable durability. ECS Black Deluxe A75F-A also equips with complete expansion slots from PCI Express 2nd generation x16, x4 to PCI 1st generation for users to enlarge the power of yours computers with every possibility. To match the amazing graphics power of APU, ECS A75F-A has full video output options: HDMI/DVI/D-Sub with optical audio output for you to enjoy the ultimate entertainment moment.

The High Speed Transportation Era

ECS Black Deluxe A75F-A, A75F-M and A75F-M2 all support the latest AMD A series APU with AMD Hudson D3 chipset and AMD FM-1 socket. With native USB 3.0 and SATA 6.0Gb/s powered by AMD Hudson D3 chipset, ECS A75 series represents the official arrival of new age of high transportation speed, and that USB 3.0 and SATA 6.0Gb/s have also officially become the basic equipment for every computer.

The Latest AMD FusionTM A Series APU Platform

Supporting the latest AMD FusionTM A series APU means that ECS A75 series has great graphics ability to support DirectX 11, UVD 3 and all provide at least two outputs of HDMI and D-Sub(VGA). ECS A75 series motherboards all supply ECS unique applications: EZ Charger/eDLU/eBLU/MIB III for users to experience the convenient using environment. Last but not least, all A75 series motherboards have anti-static (ESD) protect, ensure the durability of your computer to keep your motherboard safe from electrostatic damage.

About ECS

The Elitegroup Computer Systems (ECS) has been a pioneer in designing and manufacturing computer motherboards since 1987. Today, the motherboard maker also designs and manufactures desktop PCs, notebooks, servers, motherboards, video cards, wireless solutions and handheld devices for distributors worldwide. Headquartered in Taiwan with operations in North America, Europe and China, Korea and Japan, ECS also has ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 certified manufacturing facilities in China.

For more information, please visit ECS at www.ecs.com.tw.

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Dell takes an 8 revenue loss in second quarter

Dell’s second quarter revenues are down 8 percent, thus, reflecting the tough economic conditions that many other OEMs are facing. Tablets and smartphones have seemingly taken over many of the duties that were once taken care of by PCs, and the trend probably won’t reverse any time soon.

In the same quarter last year, Dell took in $15.7 billion in revenue, but that number dipped to $14.5 billion. Although the PC segments didn’t fare so well last quarter, Dell reported that its enterprise solutions and services revenue actually increased by 6%.

Dell execs are unhappy with what they call “revenue deterioration” in the desktop and mobile sectors, and the third quarter outlook won’t make it any better. Analysts are expecting Dell revenues to decrease an additional 2 to 5 percent in the third quarter.

Despite the revenue losses, Dell is still confident enough in its current business model to pursue the Quest acquisition that may finalize by the end of the third quarter.

Source: Tech Crunch

ASUS Unveiled P5Q Series w EPU-Six Engine

Catering to users who require a motherboard that provides exceptionalperformance and ultimate power savings, ASUS, worldwide leader in motherboardproduction, has announced the new ASUS P5Q series of motherboards; which featurethe new ASUS EPU-Six Engine. This new version of the EPU is able to detectcurrent PC loadings in real time and automatically moderate the power supply forcomplete system level power savings. With automatic power management forcomponents, the EPU-Six Engine provides the most appropriate power usage viaintelligent acceleration and overclocking – helping users achieve the ultimatein energy savings.

Save More with New EPU-Six Engine
75% of the time, the PC is utilized in everyday computing tasks that don’trequire the maximum amount of power. However, the components will continueconsuming power unconsciously – resulting in power loss. This power loss willoccur in day to day operations and is invisible – adding up quickly in the longrun. It is thus vital for users to be aware of this “hidden” power loss. TheASUS EPU-Six Engine guards against this power loss through intelligent andautomatic monitoring and moderation of the power supply – lowering heat andproviding a exceptional 96% power efficiency (the higher the power efficiency,the more energy that is saved)! With the EPU-Six Engine, savings of up to almosta household’s monthly electrical bill can be attained! It is able to achievethis by focusing on six major components: namely the CPU, VGA card, memory,chipset, Hard drives and CPU cooler/system fan.

CPU, Memory and Chipset Power Savings
Equipped with a database containing all of the Intel CPU profiles, the EPU-SixEngine intelligently identifies and selects the correct CPU profile, andcalibrates the best possible settings – ensuring the best possible powermanagement. In terms of the Chipset and Memory, the EPU-Six Engine provides upto 96% enhanced power efficiency – thereby improving thermal capabilities, whichleads to better component quality and lifespans. This in turn provides userswith a more stable system and higher O.C capabilities.

Reduced VGA, Hard disk and Fan Power Consumption
VGA graphics cards normally utilize more power than they should. A good examplewould be when the user is surfing on the Internet. The VGA card would beutilizing its full power unconsciously without the EPU-Six Engine. Supportingthe most popular and latest graphics cards*, the EPU-Six Engine is able toautomatically detect system loading, and adjust the VGA card’s voltage andfrequency – saving up to 37% VGA power during everyday computing. The EPU-SixEngine also cleverly monitors the Harddisk and Fans – reducing power wastagespent when there is no data access during idle modes. This helps to reduce thehard drive and fan noises for quieter acoustics too!

*Energy Saving performance might vary with different graphics solutions.

With power savings from all six major components while the PC during everydaycomputing, the ASUS EPU-Six Engine is the ultimate method in providing totalsystem level power savings.

The P5Q energy conserving series of motherboards consists of the P5Q Deluxe,P5Q-E, P5QC, P5Q PRO and the P5Q, and will be available in the second quarter ofthis year. Watch out for even more energy saving motherboard solutions from ASUSin time to come.

Apple Aperture 3 Now Available In Singapore

February 9, 2010— Apple today introduced Aperture 3, the next release of its photo editing and management software, with over 200 new features including Faces, Places and Brushes. Building on the innovative Faces and Places features introduced in iPhoto ’09, Aperture 3 makes it even easier and faster to organize large photo libraries. Aperture 3 introduces new tools to refine your photos including Brushes for painting image adjustments onto parts of your photo, and Adjustment Presets for applying professional photo effects with just one click. Stunning new slideshows let you share your work by weaving together photos, audio, text and HD video.

Faces uses face detection and recognition to find and organize your photos by the people in them. You can view faces across your entire photo library or view just the faces that appear in selected projects. In a new view that speeds up the organization process, Aperture 3 displays faces that have been detected but haven’t yet been named. Places lets you explore your photos based on where they were taken, and like in iPhoto, Places automatically reverse geocodes GPS data into user-friendly locations. In Aperture 3, you can assign locations by dragging-and-dropping photos onto a map or by using location information from GPS enabled cameras, tracking devices or your iPhone photos.

The new Brushes feature allows you to add professional touches to your photos by simply painting effects onto the image. Aperture 3 includes 15 Quick Brushes that perform the most popular tasks like Dodge, Burn, Polarize and Blur, without the complexity of layers or masks. Brushes can automatically detect edges in your images to let you apply or remove effects exactly where you want them. Aperture 3 includes dozens of Adjustment Presets that apply a specific style or look to the entire image with just a click.

Aperture 3 makes it easy to share your work with stunning slideshows that weave together photos, audio, text and HD video. You can select one of six Apple designed themes or choose your own transitions, background, borders and titles, and even add your own soundtrack. You can export your slideshows directly to iTunes to take with you on your iPhone or iPod touch.

Pricing & Availability
Aperture 3 is available through the Apple Store (http://www.apple.com/), Apple’s retail stores and Apple Authorized Resellers for a suggested retail price of S$298and existing Aperture users can upgrade for a suggested retail price of S$148. A downloadable 30-day trial version is available at www.apple.com/aperture/trial. Aperture 3 runs as a 64-bit application on Mac OS X Snow Leopard on Macs with Intel Core 2 Duo processors. Full system requirements, online tutorials and more information on Aperture 3 can be found at www.apple.com/aperture.

Arctic Cooling released two new VGA coolers

Arctic Cooling, the well known manufacturer from Switzerland, today released two new VGA coolers aiming at different segments of the market. The first cooler, baptized "Accelero Twin Turbo 6990", is a very powerful dual fan cooler designed especially for the AMD Radeon HD 6990. The second product, the "Accelero S1 PLUS" is a universal, passive cooler.

The company claims that their new Accelero Twin Turbo 6990 is the most powerful VGA cooler ever. With two 120mm PWM controlled quiet fans and a cooling capacity of 400W it certainly seems to be a very impressive product.

This cooler has been designed as a unique solution for the newest AMD Radeon HD 6990 VGA card, obviously aiming towards both hardcore overclockers and users who found the stock cooling solution too loud. Finally, Arctic Cooling also designed the most expensive VGA cooler in history, with the Accelero Twin Turbo 6990 retailing for 149.95$ USD.

On the other hand, the Accelero S1 PLUS is an entirely passive VGA cooler designed for maximum compatibility and absolute silence. Of course the latter is obvious, since there are no fans or any moving parts at all, while Arctic Cooling claims that this cooler can be mounted on over 80 different models of midrange to high-end cards. The cooler appears to be a good value at 49.95$ USD.

Source : AC

Dishonored dévoile son premier trailer

Ubisoft n'est pas le seul développeur français à faire notre fierté. Moins connu mais tout aussi méritant, Arkane Studios nous a gratifié il y a de cela quelques années d'excellents jeux tels que Arx Fatalis ou encore Dark Messiah of Might and Magic. Si vous vous tenez informé de l'actualité de la scène vidéoludique, vous n'êtes pas sans vous impatienter d'en apprendre plus sur Dishonored, actuellement en gestation dans les studios de développement français. Après une attente longue de plusieurs mois, Arkane Studios et Bethesda sont fiers de nous présenter la première bande-annonce de Dishonored.



Cette cinématique de toute beauté est également l'occasion d'en apprendre un peu plus sur le scénario du jeu. On y incarne l'ancien garde du corps de la grande Impératrice. A la mort de cette dernière, notre héros est montré du doigt comme un assassin et condamné à mort. Un destin bien triste qui se verra modifié par un étrange personnage venu nous libérer et nous offrir des pouvoirs très spéciaux (comme arrêter le temps si l'on en croit le trailer). Le FPS devrait alors nous permettre de mener une vendetta silencieuse dans laquelle il faudra jouer de nos talents d'assassin tout en mettant la main sur différentes armes mortelles. Il devrait également être possible de mener le combat de front pour les amateurs de castagne pure et dure. Dishonored est prévu pour la rentrée prochaine sur PC, Xbox 360 et PS3.

· Voir et télécharger la vidéo de Dishonored (61 Mo)
· Forum Dishonored

ASUS Launched EAH3650 OC Editions

ASUS, producer of top quality graphic solutions has today introduced theworld’s first overclocking version of the latest generation of AMD GPUs – theATI Radeon™ HD 3650 chipset, with the ASUS EAH3650 TOP. This powerful graphicscard lets users enjoy an outstanding 10% improvement in gaming experiences;while both the ASUS EAH3650 TOP/HTDI/256M and the EAH3650/HTDI/256M are designedto provide feature-rich DirectX 10.1 gaming and the best multimedia playbackwhile consuming less power with the new power efficient 55nm processors.Furthermore, the equipped Glaciator Fansink will keep the GPU 12ºC cooler thanreference designed fansinks.

Amazing 10% Performance Upgrade

With the EAH3650 TOP, gamers can expect core and memory clock performance boostsfrom 725MHz up to 800MHz, and from 800MHz up to 900MHz respectively. Suchcutting-edge performance upgrades help raise the EAH3650 TOP’s 3DMark06 scorefrom 4889 to 5382 – an amazing 10% improvement in speed when compared to anyother reference designed board*. Gamers can now feel the rush of superb gamingperformance only with the ASUS EAH3650 TOP/HTDI/256M.

12ºC Cooler with Exclusive Glaciator Fansink

The ASUS EAH3650 Series utilizes the new specially designed Glaciator Fansinkthat effectively dissipates heat away from the graphics card. Much like aglacial storm, the Glaciator Fansink can quickly transfer heat away from the GPUand lower the temperature by a whopping 12ºC in comparison to reference designfansinks**. On top of this unprecedented cooling capacity, the Glaciator Fansinkis also very quiet with operating levels of only 25dB – almost unperceivable ina quiet room; and catering to users who require maximum cooling withoutexcessive fan rotation noise.

Unprecedented Rock Solid Quality from ASUS

Keeping in line with ASUS’ Rock Solid promise for quality, the EAH3650 Serieswill come with several solutions to provide top quality graphic performances.With the EMI shield, 3~10dB EMI Interference can be reduced for more stablesignals. The DIP Spring Chokes can also lower temperatures by 5~10oC incomparison with traditional Toroidal Coil Chokes. Additionally, the Japan madepolymer capacitors can lower power loss for more stable operations. Therefore,users will be able to enjoy extreme performance and have peace of mind only withASUS EAH3650 Series.

True HD Enjoyment with Break-through Efficiency

The ASUS EAH3650 Series is equipped with the new 55nm design that allows systemsto deliver high-end graphical performances while running more efficiently andquietly than ever before. Support for realistic and life-like graphics from thelatest Microsoft DirectX 10.1 games will produce eye-popping and stunning 3Dgraphics and shading effects; while PCI Express and PCI Express 2.0 supportwill allow up to twice the throughput of current AMD PCI Express cards –providing users with the most enjoyable gaming experience.

Exclusive ASUS GamerOSD for Versatile Graphics Usage

The ASUS EAH3650 Series also comes with the exclusive ASUS GamerOSD thatunleashes the true power of ASUS’ VGA cards. This feature is able to deliver GPUoverclocking from onscreen displays during gameplay – allowing users real-timeperformance upgrades when they require it. Additionally, it also provides userswith the option to record live gaming action or live broadcasting over theInternet with ease.

Specifications

ASRock launches Atom D2700 and D2500 mini-ITX motherboards

The ASRock related news arent over quite yet, as alongside its high-end boards, the company has also unveiled three new entry level Atom mini-ITX motherboards, all with Intels new D2x00-series of Atom processors. One of the new models sports the 1.86GHz Atom D2500, while the other two comes with the 2.13GHz Atom D2700.

Starting at the bottom we have the AD2500B-ITX which is a rather plain, almost dull looking board with a large passive heatsink covering the CPU and a really tiny one covering the NM10 chipset. The board has, rather unusually a pair of SO-DIMM slots, although as the new Atoms can accept up to 4GB of RAM, albeit in single channel mode, the two slots are at least somewhat useful.

Theres also a pair of SATA 3Gbps ports, a single PCI slot and a pair of headers for four USB 2.0 ports. The rear I/O consists of a range or ports that feel more like 1991 than 2011 with two PS/2 ports, a serial port, a parallel port, a D-sub connector, four USB 2.0 ports, a 10/100Mbit Ethernet port and 5.1-channel audio via three jacks. Overall not the most impressive board weve seen recently.

Moving up we have the AD2700B-ITX which swaps in the Atom D2700 over the D2500, but its not the only change. Although the board layout remains identical to the AD2500B-ITX, the AD2700B-ITX was upgraded with both Gigabit Ethernet and a pair of USB 3.0 ports making it an interesting board for a home server.

The third and final board is the most interesting of the three and its called the AD2700-ITX, a confusing similar name, but an entirely different board in many ways. Although youd be forgiven for thinking its yet more of the same if you take a quick glance at the top down view of the board, ASRock has overhauled the rear I/O entirely.

Here were looking at a single PS/2 port, four USB 2.0 ports, two USB 3.0 ports, Gigabit Ethernet, 7.1-channel audio with optical S/PDIF out and a D-sub, DVI and HDMI port. The general board layout is otherwise mostly the same, although theres a pin-header for a parallel port and a serial port not present on the first two models, but thats the only difference we can spot. We checked the manual quickly as we wanted to find out about the display connectivity and the good news is that both the DVI and HDMI port can be used simultaneously. The manual also suggested that there might be a version with the Atom D2500 of this board, although without USB 3.0 and with slower 10/100Mbit Ethernet.

One funny thing in ASRocks specifications is with regards to the GPU which ASRock lists as “Built-in IntelPowerVR SGX545” which isnt entirely true as the GPU is by Imagination Technologies and Intel calls it the GMA 3650 or GMA 3600 depending on which processors were talking about. If nothing else, ASRock has at least triple confirmed things for us. Once again we dont have any word on availability and pricing, but wed expect these boards to be out shortly.

Source: ASRock

ASUS EAX1950PRO Series

Asus Technology Pte Ltd. (ASUS), the leading provider of graphics solutionsis proud to introduce the ASUS EAX1950PRO graphics card series, which feature anadvanced fan sink that lowers temperature by 10°C as compared to referencedesigns. The all-new series balances high performance and stability, and packsthe latest specifications to support the next-generation Vista operating system.The EAX1950PRO series includes two excellent solutions: EAX1950PRO CrossFire/HTDP/256Mand EAX1950PRO/HTDP/256M.

Stylish cooling

The EAX1950PRO series, based on ATI’s Radeon X1950PRO GPU, incorporated a newfan sink design that provides effective heat dissipation while servingaesthetics purposes as well. With unique embedded heat pipes not found incomputing solutions, and blower fan that guides cool air towards the fins, theEAX1950PRO Series lowers temperature by 10°C compared to competing graphicscards that made no improvements from reference designs.

The smooth contour and elegant curves of the fan sink further make the graphicscard series perfect for gamers that demand their system to perform well and lookgood at the same time.

CrossFire Ready

The new EAX1950PRO series supports ATI’s CrossFire Technology, which allowsmultiple GPU to operate simultaneously for enhanced video performance. Superiorgraphics quality is easily achievable with the EAX1950PRO CrossFire/HTDP/256Mand EAX1950PRO/HTDP/256M installed in the same system under CrossFire mode.

HDCP and Windows Vista™ ready

To stay in step with Windows Vista requirements, the EAX1950PRO series featuresHDCP technology to give users peace of mind when upgrading their systems tosupport high-definition digital contents and a wide range of premium graphicsapplications.

Splendid Video Intelligence Technology

The new EAX1950PRO series supports Splendid Video Intelligence Technology, anexclusive feature found only on ASUS solutions. With Splendid, images enabled byASUS graphics cards are fine tuned to deliver vibrant visual representations inconditions most favorable to the human eye.

Splendid detects activation and usage of video applications and automaticallyoptimizes image quality for the best visual results, and provides five modes(Standard, Game, Theater, Scenery and Night) and three skin tone options forvarious video applications. Splendid works on top of ATI's Avivo tm technologyto offer sharp decoded video.

The ASUS EAX1950PRO series is now available worldwide. For more information,please visit sg.asus.com. SRP: EAX1950PR/HTDP/256M - S$ 349 (GST Incl.)

Hardware Specification

ModelEAX1950PROCrossFire/HTDP/256MEAX1950PRO/HTDP/256M

Graphics Engine

RADEON X1950PRO

RADEON X1950PRO

Video Memory

256MBDDR3

256MBDDR3

Engine Clock

581MHz

581MHz

Memory Clock

1.4GHz (702MHz DDR3)

1.4GHz (702MHz DDR3)

Memory Interface

256-bit

256-bit

Max. Resolution

2048X 1536

2048X 1536

Bus Standard

PCIExpress X16

PCIExpress X16

VGA Output

YES,via DVI to VGA Adapter

YES,via DVI to VGA Adapter

HDTV Output

YES,S-Video to HDTV Out

YES,S-Video to HDTV Out

TV Output

YES,S-Video to Composite

YES,S-Video to Composite

DVI Output

DVI-I

DVI-I

Dual DVI Output

YES

YES

HDCP Compliant

YES

YES

Adaptor/Cable Bundled

DVIto VGA adapter
HDTV-out cable
Power Cable
CrossFire Interconnector * 2

DVIto VGA adapter
Power Cable
HDTV-Out Cable

Software Bundled

ASUSUtilities & Driver

ASUSUtilities & Driver

Antec Phantom 500 PSU

Antec, Inc., the leading manufacturer of computer hardware and accessoriesfor the upgrade and build your own (BYO) markets, has launched Phantom 500, thelatest addition to its popular Phantom power supply line specially designed forsilent computing.

Building upon the original Phantom fanless PSU, Phantom 500 uses hybrid fantechnology that allows PC users to balance high-power performance with quietcomputing. The 500 Watt power supply operates completely silently and fanlesslyuntil its internal temperature reaches a pre-determined user-selected value. Atthat point, the fan turns on to maintain adequate cooling for higher loads.Users are able to select the temperature at which the fan turns on to fitindividual computing needs. Phantom 500 is also equipped with specially designedinternal heatsinks and a chassis heatsink for maximum heat dissipation.

Phantom 500 features ultra-high efficiency circuitry (85% efficient) thatreduces power consumption and excess heat, and is ATX12V v2.01 compliant,ensuring compatibility with the newest motherboards from all leading vendors.The power supply also includes a 24-and-20-pin adapter connector with adetachable 4 pin section for 20 pin backwards compatibility with oldermotherboards.

For greater system stability, dedicated circuit design delivers the maximumspecified wattage for each output – 12V x2, 3V and 5V, with no combined powerlimitations. Phantom 500 also comes equipped with four serial ATA powerconnectors and a PCI Express graphics card connector for high-end graphicscards.

“Antec pioneered fanless power supply technology and continues to innovate inthe field of silent computing with the launch of Phantom 500,” said ScottRichards, Antec worldwide vice president of sales and marketing. “Phantom 500provides the silence of a fanless power supply with the added power necessaryfor today’s PC user. Whether it be for a gamer, home theater PC enthusiast orregular user, Phantom 500’s customized design will fit each individual’s uniquecomputing needs.”

Phantom is currently available for an estimated street price of $ 199 throughmajor retailers, e-tailers and distributors. It is backed by Antec’s Quality3-Year Warranty. For additional product information and full technicalspecifications, please visit www.antec.com

ASUS Radeon HD 6990 up for pre-order

AMDs latest monster graphics card, the dual-GPU Radeon HD 6990 has not been launched yet. However, EXPreview has reported that a Dutch website, SALLANDhas already started a pre-order for ASUS version of the HD 6990.

More specifically, the model of the ASUS card is EAH6990/3DI4S/4GD5. The card is based on the reference design and itsspecifications are in line with those that have been leaked on the Web so far - two Cayman XT GPUs,830MHz core clock and 1250MHz memory clock.

There is a single DVI output connector and four mini DisplayPort connectors.

The card is priced at 715 Euros, which works out to US$999.

Source: EXPreview

ATi Confirmed Launch Dates For R5xx GPUs

Some interesting info from an investor meeting held with ATI's CEO Dave Ortonon August 17th :

• Late September Launch Date Set for Three R500 Desktop Discrete Chips (R520,RV530, and RV515)
• The shipment dates will likely be staggered for the three chips, based on thedelivery cycles from TSMC, with one likely shipping at launch date and the othertwo within the first half of October
• R520 had been sampling since Dec/04, and although the architecture and 90nmprocess were not a problem, ATI was not able to run the clock fast enough due toa “soft ground” issue that was discovered in late July after debugging withseveral re-spins.
• R520 and RV530 had functional yields, but could not run at high speeds, whilethe RV515 and the C1 (the 90nm Xbox graphics chip) did not have any issues.
• In terms of performance, ATI believes the R520 should exceed the GeForce 7800GTX in benchmark tests if it can get the proper clock speed, but recognizes thatNVIDIA has some headroom to overclock the GeForce 7800 clock speeds.
• ATI unlikely to launch its R580 (speculated to have 32 pixel pipelines) inC2005 and expect a refresh of the R500 family beginning in spring 2006 withRV560, followed by RV540 and RV505.
• R600 targeted for (DirectX 10, targeting Vista and WGF 2.0) in Q4/F06 orQ1/F07

Arctic Cooling Upcoming Products In May

Accelero Xtreme 9800

As many users found out that the excellent performance of Accelero Xtremeseries, now we are going to extend its compatibility to the latest nVIDIAGeForce 9800 GTX by Accelero Xtreme 9800. The same as Accelero Xtreme series, itis equipped with 5 heatpipes, 107 fins and 3 x 80mm PWM fan for transferringheat efficiently at low noise level.

It will be available in the market sooner by mid-May.

Accelero Twin Turbo

A new dual-fan VGA cooler Accelero TWIN TURBO, adding a multi-compatible highperformance merchandise into their reputable VGA cooler product line. It isfeatured with 4 heat pipes, 30 fins and 2 PWM fans, which gives enthusiasts avery promising result – 26°C lower than the nVIDIA GeForce 9600GT stock cooler.It is widely compatible with nVIDIA GeForce 9600, 8800 series (G92) and ATIRadeon HD3870, 3850 and much more.

It will be available in the marketing by late-May

Freezer 7 LP

Most slim cases users find it difficult to buy a suitable cooler replacementthat suits the size of their small chassis. ARCTIC COOLING is going to launchthe Freezer 7 LP, an innovative Intel CPU cooler especially designed for mediacentre users to fulfill their needs. Apart from its lightweight and low profiledesign, the Freezer 7 LP performs excellent cooling execution. 2 heatpipes, 40fins and an 80mm PWM fan dissipate heat from the CPU core efficiently andrapidly.

It will be available in the market by late-May

Arctic RC

High clock speeds and raised voltage lead to increasing temperatures – evenon RAM modules. Since this lowers the overclocking potential as well as reducesthe service life of the modules, ARCTIC RC – the revolutionary thermodynamicdesign lowers the temperature and thus extends your overclocking potential isdesigned. ARCTIC RC is compatible with both DDR2 and DDR3 SDRAM modules, andapplicable to both single and double sided modules. With the pre-applied thermaltape, it can be installed easily for bring an excellent cooling experience.

It will be available in the market by late-May

Apple to unveil iOS 6 at WWDC

Apple is to announce new hardware and software at its Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) this week, with iOS 6 top of the agenda.

“We have a great WWDC planned this year and can’t wait to share the latest news about iOS and OS X Mountain Lion with developers,” said Philip Schiller, SVP of Worldwide Marketing at Apple. “The iOS platform has created an entirely new industry with fantastic opportunities for developers across the country and around the world.”Activities at the event will include technical sessions with Apple engineers, hands-on labs for providing code-level assistance, meet and greet with fellow developers, the Apple Design Awards, and, of course, the various announcements from the top dogs at Apple.Tim Cook, who took over as CEO from the late Steve Jobs last year, will show off some of the new lineup starting at 10:00am PST (6:00pm GMT), and well be sure to fill you in on all the details.Apple is expected to unveil a series of new Mac computers, with faster processing power.The star of the show will undoubtedly be iOS 6, though the features of the updated operating system have yet to be revealed. A new version typically accompanies a new hardware product and it is widely believed that iOS 6 will launch with the iPhone 5 in Autumn. However, it is not expected that Apple will announce the latter at WWDC.The event will also feature showcases of OS X Mountain Lion for the Mac, which will go on sale in Summer. This updated version is intended to beat Microsofts Windows 8 to the punch by implementing tablet and smartphone-inspired features and usability. More details, like a release date and price, are expected today.

Apple's new iMac's uses Intel's Z68 chipset

You got to love iFixit, its barely a day since Apple announced its Sandy Bridge based iMacs and we already have a full teardown of the 21.5-inch iMac. Although much of the bits inside didnt hold any real surprises, we almost choked on our dinner when we read “Intel BD82Z68 Platform Controller Hub”. Yes, the new iMacs sports Intels yet to launch Z68 chipset, something we really didnt expect to find in an iMac.

Of course, specs like chipset and CPU models used is one of those things that Apple doesnt share with the general public, but unless iFixit messed up and wrote down the wrong chipset model, this is interesting in more than one way. For starters, Apple could add support for SSD caching via a future software update and there are iMac models on sale with both an SSD and a hard drive, although in this case were talking a huge 256GB SSD, not a tiny 20GB like Intels upcoming Larsen Creek SSD.

Beyond SSD caching we might also be seeing support for switchable graphics, although so far Apple hasnt hinted at any kind of support for Intels Quick Sync technology, but its possible that this is also one of the reasons why Apple went with the Z68 chipset. From a cost perspective, the Z68 chipset isnt much more expensive than the H67 or P67, but unless Apple is considering taking advantage of the SSD caching functionality, the company could just as well have gone with the H67 chipset.

Also seen in the pictures is Intels Thunderbolt chip and this is a rather large chip, about the size of a CR2032 battery. Were curious though; does the 27-inch iMac feature two of these chips, or only one thats shared between the two ports? Its also surprising to see that Apple is using WD Caviar Blue hard drives in the iMac, as these are budget hard drives and wed at least expect the Caviar Green considering the cost of an iMac. Oh and if you were thinking of doing some DIY upgrading of your iMac, forget about it unless you dont mind voiding your warranty, as you have to pop the display panel off to get to the bits inside.

Source: iFixit

ATi R423 Card Pic

ATi GPU & Chipsets Q2Plans
ATi R420 Specifications
ATi Desktop/Mobile GPURoadmap

Apple iPad Wi-Fi Model Goes On Sale April 3

On Friday, Apple announced that the iPadwould go on sale on April 3 in the US. Users who want to pre-order can put in their claim on March 12.

The April 3 date only applies to the Wi-Fi-only models. If you’re holding out for the 3G versions, you’ll have to wait until late April. Customers outside the U.S. —Apple specifically mentions Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Spain, Switzerland, and the U.K.— will have to wait until late April for either model.

Pricing for those countries is still unknown, though Apple said that it would be announced in April. The company also said that the iPad would ship in additional countries later this year, so if you’re not in one of the above locations, keep your fingers crossed.

On March 12, customers will be able to either pre-order either the Wi-Fi or 3G models from the Apple online store, or they can put their dibs down on a Wi-Fi model and pick it up from their local Apple Store. As previously announced, the Wi-Fi models will run US$499 for 16GB, US$599 for 32GB, and US$699 for 64GB, while the respective models including 3G will cost US$629, US$729, and US$829.

Source: Macworld

ATi R600 DX10 Vista Drivers Almost Ready

The DirectX10 Vista driver for R600 is almost done. ATI is still trying to finish up Crossfire support and to polish up the OpenGL performance in Vista driver but the driver will be ready for hardware launch. R600 is 80nm has a 512-bit memory controller, unified Shader marchitecture, supports DirectX 10 and should make G80 run for its money. The launch should take place in February.

2012-12-21-405

Acer introduced 4 smartphones at MWC

Acer has unveiled four new smartphones at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain. The new line of smartphones are equipped with a broad range of features and innovations,forconsumers andeven businessprofessionals.

ACER M900
The M900 is an ideal smart handheld device for users who want access to email and files at all times. It helps you keep track of your activities and access your contacts and files through synchronization with your notebook or desktop PC.Preinstalled with Windows® Mobile 6.1 Professional, Outlook® Mobile email and Office Mobile (Word, Excel and Powerpoint), the M900 features HSDPA connectivity,3.8-inch WVGA touchscreen, GPS, FM Radio, voice recorder, expandable memory, and5-megapixel autofocus camera with flash.

ACER F900
With a 3.8-inch WVGA touchscreen and easy-to-use touch keyboard, the F900 is capable of displaying more information onscreen while offeringexcellent mobile browsing experience. It has a new user-interfacethat canprovide quick links to contacts, email messages, bookmarks, calendars, date and time, world weather and music. The F900 alsocomeswith an integrated 3.2-megapixel auto-focus camera with flash, GPS, Wi-Fi, FM Radio, voice recorder, voice command, and expandable memory.

ACER X960
The X960sports a high-resolution 2.8-inch VGA touchscreen and five-waybutton for easy navigation. It comes with embedded GPS functionality, 3.2-megapixel autofocus camera with flash as well as a front-side camera for video calls, all in a classy black and silver design.

ACER DX900
The DX900 claims to be the world’s first dual-SIM smartphone to support both 3.5G (HSDPA) and 2.75G (EDGE) SIM cards allowing you to keep track of both personal and business communications. It has a brilliant2.8-inch VGA touchscreen display, front-side VGA camera for video calls, voice recorder, voice-command, 3.2-megapixel autofocus camera with flash and expandable memory. The DX900 also features a new interface designed for easy navigation and 3D animated icons and transition effects to display all your most important information on one screen.

Source: Acer

2012-12-21-103

[Rumour] Dual GF100 to release later?

Fudzilla is now reporting that the rumoured dual-GF100 card isn't comingbefore end Q2 2010, at the earliest, contrary to their earlier reports.This comes as absolutely no surprise. In fact, the surprise will be ifthey could even manufacture such a card by Q3 2010!

Given GF100's thermal characteristics (Geforce GTX 480 is rumoured tohave a TDP of between 275 and 295W), a dual-GF100 card is simplyimpossible as a reference design.

However, Nvidia's AIB partners can choose to make non-reference dual-GF100, which exceed PCI-SIG's maximum TDP limit, i.e. 300W. However, clearly, a dual GTX 480 will still be impossible (600W TDP!?!?). A downclocked version of the GTX 470 is a possibility, but it is unlikely to beat the HD 5970, whose TDP is 294W.

A few ATI AIB partners are indeed preparing extreme HD 5870s, with TDPs nearing 400W. Clearly, Nvidia will be unable to offer any competition to these products, without requiring extreme power.

With the GTX 480 mildly surpassing the HD 5870 in most games, Nvidia simply have no competition to the HD 5970, which is retailing for $700 these days in rather limited quantities. What Nvidia has to do to get a dual-GPU and seize the performance crown is a major re-spin, if not a die shrink. This is reminiscent of the GTX 200 series, where the GTX 280 was simply too hot for a dual-GPU variant. And that was "only" 236W! In addition, a new process (55nm) was ready for a die shrink. Today, the near 300W GTX 480 has to wait at least till Q4 2010 till TSMC moves to 32nm, if not later, to go the die shrink route. Rumours of a B1 stepping has been circulating for quite some time, which might make it in Q3 2010. If an official <300W dual-GF100 will be possible then remains to be seen.

Of course, these are assuming ATI does not refresh their line-up.

At this stage, what the consumers can hope for is that the GTX 470 and GTX 480 products retail for a reasonable price - under $500, at most, hopefully in the $350-450 range. Rumours suggest otherwise, but we will wait and see. The official "release" is a bit over two weeks away - though very limited quantities are expected any time around the March 26th release.

Refence: Fudzilla