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VR-Zone Tech News for the Geeks Nov 2011 Issue

A monthly roundup of VR-Zone.com Technology News covering facebook, google, apple, baidu, social media, PC, gadget, geek, technology, intel, microsoft, AMD, NVIDIA, ARM, iphone, android, internet

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VR-Zone Tech News for the Geeks Nov 2011 Issue

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  1. October31st,2011 Publishedby:VR-Zone VR-Zone.com|StufffortheGeeks! VR-Zone|StufffortheGeeksisabi-weeklypublication coveringthelatestgadgetsandstuffforthegeeks. Exclusive:Gigabytetoinclude Wi-FiandBluetooth4.0with X79motherboards Source:http://vr-zone.com/articles/exclusive-gigabyte-to-include-wi-fi- and-bluetooth-4.0-with-x79-motherboards/13844.html October31st,2011 Gigabytedecidedtogowithaslightlymoresensiblesolution Gigabytehasalreadyhadleakswithregardstosomeofthe featuresofitsupcomingX79motherboardsandtodaywe haveanexclusiveleakofourown,Gigabyteisgoingto addBluetooth4.0and802.11nWi-FisupporttoitsX79 motherboards.However,thecompanyistakingadifferentand inouropinionbetterapproachthanitscompetitorswhenit comestoaddingsupportforwirelessconnectivity. Gigabytehasalreadyhadleakswithregardstosomeofthe featuresofitsupcomingX79motherboardsandtodaywe haveanexclusiveleakofourown,Gigabyteisgoingto addBluetooth4.0and802.11nWi-FisupporttoitsX79 motherboards.However,thecompanyistakingadifferentand inouropinionbetterapproachthanitscompetitorswhenit comestoaddingsupportforwirelessconnectivity. Aswe'vealreadyseen,ECS went for a pair of USB type dongles attherearofitsX79motherboard,althoughseeminglytheWi- FipartreliesonaPCBantennaconnectedbyhardwiredand rathermessywiretotherearI/Oofthemotherboard.Asus andonethathasabitoffutureproofingthrowninforgood measure.Whatyou'relookingatisaPCIExpresstominiPCI Expressadapterwhichtakesastandardhalf-sizeminiPCI Expresscard,inthiscaseacardbasedonAtheroschips.The unusualthingwiththisadapteristhatithasaUSBpin-header thatattachestotheUSBpin-headeronthemotherboard.This isfortheBluetooth4.0partofthecard,whiletheWi-Fipart connectsoverPCIExpress.There'salsoaUSBportonthe card–afeaturewe'veneverseenbefore–towhichyoucan attachanyUSBdevicewithastandardUSBconnector,aneat additionthatwe'resureplentyofpeoplewillfinduseful. TheBluetoothpartofthecardiscompatiblewithBluetooth 3.0+HSaswellasthelowpowerBluetooth4.0standard.For nowveryfewdevicesareavailablethatsupportsBluetooth4.0, althoughtheiPhone4Sisoneofthefirstdevicesoutthere thatofficiallysupportsthestandard.Thatsaid,it'snotmeant toastandardforsyncingfilesorusingBluetoothheadsets, insteadit'smeanttoconnecttolowpowersensorsorhome automationsolutions,butwe'llseehowthingsdevelop. hasaddedaproprietaryraisercardforitsP9X79Deluxewhich isacustomdesignedUSBsetupasfaraswecantell.Both companiesarealsoonlyofferingBluetooth3.0,althoughthis isatleastlessofanissueatthemoment. 1

  2. Publishedby:VR-Zone October31st,2011 Wehaveoneminorgripewiththecard,asalthoughyoucan swapouttheminiPCIExpresscardforsomethingfasterinthe future,thewayGigabytedesignedthePCIExpresscardmeans thatyou'restuckusing150MbpsWi-Fi,asthereareonlytwo antennas.ThistranslatestonoMIMOsupportwhichisneeded tohitWi-Fispeedsof300Mbpsormore,buthopefullythisis somethingwe'llseeinfuturerevisions.Thecardwillshipwith 4DirectContactHeatPipes theX79-UD5,X79-UD7andG1.Assassin2,butwe'rehoping thatGigabytewillbesellingitonitsownaswell,asit'saneasy waytoaddWi-FiandBluetoothsupporttoanydesktopPC. FirstLooks:CoolerMaster Hyper412PWMCPUCooler (withLGA2011support) Source:http://vr-zone.com/articles/first-looks-cooler-master-hyper-412- pwm-cpu-cooler-with-lga-2011-support-/13843.html October31st,2011 Viewfromthetop TheCoolerMasterHyper412PWMisoneofthefirstair coolerswithnativeSocketLGA2011screw-typesupportto arriveatourtestlabs.Wegiveourreadersaglimpseofthenew memberofourextensiveheatsinkcollection... TheCoolerMasterHyper412PWMCPUCooler,weighs538g. Widerfingapshelptomaximizecoolingperformanceatlow fanspeeds 2

  3. October31st,2011 Publishedby:VR-Zone 120mmSleeveBearingPWMFanratedat0.37A,2000RPM and82.9CFM AdditionalBracketsforanother120mmfanandprovided thermalpaste Bolts,Nuts,ScrewsandUniversalBracket Universal4-cornersscrew-typemountingsystem(betterfor evenmountingpressure)forallmodernIntelandAMD sockets Shenzhen-Thenewhardware andelectronicsshopping Mecca? Source:http://vr-zone.com/articles/shenzhen--the-new-hardware-and- electronics-shopping-mecca-/13842.html 3

  4. October31st,2011 October31st,2011 Publishedby:VR-Zone electronics,mobilephoneaccessories,orsecurityproducts,or batteries,orLEDdisplays,andsoon. GoingtoTokyoorTaipeitofindfancyelectronics?Ifyourlocal electronicsmalldoesn'thavewhatyouwant,ornotattheprice youwant,tryShenzhen'sHuaqiangRoadfirst-it'slikelymuch cheaperwithwidechoices,andjustabudgetflightaway... HuaqiangRoadinsteadofAkihabara Forquitealongtimenow,itisFarEasterncitiesthathave thelargest,glitziestandchoicestcomputerandelectronics shoppingmallsaround.WhilethetraditionstartedinUSand Europelongbefore,it'sherenowthateverymajorcityhas afullfledge'electronicsdistrict'withmultiplelargecentres coveringeverythingfromconsumerelectronicstocomputers andcomponents.Singapore'scombinedSimLimSquare+ TowermaylooksmallcomparedtoShanghai'sXujiahuiorone ofSeoul'smultiple'digitalcomplexes',nottomentiontheold champion,TokyoAkihabara. However,oneparticularplaceisseeminglyboundtoovertake themall.Shenzhen,the15-millionpopulatedcentreofChina's electronicsindustryandofthenew50+millionsupercity startingfromFoshanandGuangzhouthencontinuingall thewaytoHongKong,housesthousandsofcompanies manufacturingandincreasinglydesigningeverythingfrom ICs,displaypanels,flashstoragetomainboards,enclosures andofcoursewholesystems.Beingrightatthesourcemeans thatanyshoppingforthestuffwewantwouldbequitedirect withouttoomanyhops,andalsogreaterlikelihoodoffinding someunusualstuff. WhileShenzhenandneighbouringDongguancityhavethe electronicsfactoriesanddesigncentresspreadacrosstheir wholemunicipalities,thefocalareaofelectronicsshopping, bothenduserandchannelwise,isHuaqiangNorthRoad (Huaqiangbeilu),alongstreetlocatedinthecentreofthecity betweentheLuohu(Lowu)andFutianCBDs.Themainstreet, aswellasitsnumerousbackalleysfullofevenmoreelectronics relatedbazaars,isservedwellbytwometrolines,oneofwhich connectstoboththemainLowuHKbordercrossingandthe Shenzhenairport,whiletheotherone,withastationinthe northernpartofthestreet,linkstotheShekouinternational ferryportwithitsdirectservicetoHKAirportdeparturehalls, bypassingHKimmigrationandthesecurity.So,noproblems gettingthere. TheroughlyhalfamileoflengthofHuaqiangNorthroadstreet levelbetweenthesetwometrostationscontainsaboutadozen electronicsmallsofdifferentsizes,withthetwolargestones- SEGPlazaandtheHuaqiangElectronicWorld-beingmillion square-ftsizedgiganticestablishments.SEGPlaza,toppedup bya72storey354mtower.Therestofthemalls,alongthe mainstreet,aswellasanotherdozenorsomallsintheback alleys,focusmoreonspecificareas,likeonlycommunication 4

  5. October31st,2011 Publishedby:VR-Zone WefocusedmostlyonSEGPlazaandtheHuaqiangElectronic World,asyourexplorationadventureshouldstartfromthere. Thelowerfloorsareagoodpointtolookatfirst,asitisa heavenforcomponentseekers.AnykindofPCIeconnector, ormemoryorFPGAorflashchip,orfunniestwires,batteries, diskdrives,evenscrews,youcouldeverthinkof-havealook! Thehigherfloorswillnormallyhousethesamestuffyou'll findonfloors4,5and6ofSimLimSquareinSingapore, orLowYatPlazainKL.Thereareallthemainboards,cases, monitors,enclosureswithPSUsandsuch.You'llfindthesame highendofferingstoo,justlikehere.Thedifference?Many thingsarecheaper,especiallythingslikeenclosuresand,yes, monitors.AminiITXcasingwithPSUherewillcostyousome 30singaporedollarscashandcarry,whilea24-inch16:10 format(!)SamsungLED-backlitsuperslimLCDmonitorwill goforaroundS$250orso.Forthepartssuchasmemories 5

  6. Publishedby:VR-Zone October31st,2011 Thoughtyou'veseenitallaboutASRock'sX79lineupwith theX79Extreme7?Thinkagain,itseemsASRockhas another,morefeature-richsocketLGA2011motherboardin theworks,whichwilltopoffthefirstwaveofASRock's motherboardscompatiblewithCorei7"SandyBridge-E" LGA2011processors,theASrockX79Extreme9.Thisboardis packedtothebrimwithconnectivityoptions,ameatierVRM, andbettermemoryexpansioncomparedtotheExtreme7. Thoughtyou'veseenitallaboutASRock'sX79lineupwith theX79Extreme7?Thinkagain,itseemsASRockhas another,morefeature-richsocketLGA2011motherboardin theworks,whichwilltopoffthefirstwaveofASRock's motherboardscompatiblewithCorei7"SandyBridge-E" LGA2011processors,theASrockX79Extreme9.Thisboardis packedtothebrimwithconnectivityoptions,ameatierVRM, andbettermemoryexpansioncomparedtotheExtreme7. TheASRockX79Extreme9usesstrongdigitalPWMpower circuitrythatdrawspowerfromtwo8-pinEPSconnectors. TheCPUiswiredtoeightDDR3DIMMslots,unlikesixonthe Extreme7.ThisensuresthateachofthefourDDR3memory channelscanseatuptotwoDIMMs.PCI-Expressexpansion includesfivePCI-Express3.0x16slots,andanx1slot.On oneoftheseslotsthebundledASRock"GameBlaster"(if we'rereadingitright)daughterboardistobeinstalled.The "GameBlaster"daughterboardholdshigh-gradeSoundCore 7.1channelaudio,andagaming-gradenetworkcontroller. We'renotentirelysureiftheNICandaudiocontrollersare madebyKillerandCreative,respectively,likeontheASUS ROGThunderbolt. October31st,2011 anddisks,usuallythepricewillbeslightlylowerthanhere, buttherewerecaseswhere,onthefirstinquiry,somevendors willtrytoplaytoosmartwithhighprices.Notethatalittle bitofhagglingisexpectedanyway,butonlythatmuchliterally -littlebitasinabletosqueezepricesbymaybe10%on average.Electronicsisquiteachallengingbusinesstomake highmarginsanyway... Eitherway,SEGPlazaandtheHuaqiangElectronicWorldwill prettymuchtakeyoumostofoneday-theotherdayshould betheretocheckthesmallermallsandtheiroddityofthings onoffer.Theplacesaresohuge,thereissomuchonoffer,and withveryspecialoffersforthingsyou'dneverthinkyoucould find-whetherit'sasupercustomcellphoneenhancement,or anoddchipfromdaysgoneby,orpartsforyourownhome radar-thisisthenextmeccaforelectronicsafficionados. ASRockX79Extreme9Tops OffLineup Source:http://vr-zone.com/articles/asrock-x79-extreme9-tops-off- lineup/13841.html 6

  7. October31st,2011 ThereisplentyofSATAconnectivitythankstotheuseofas manyasthreeMarvell-made2-portSATA6Gb/scontrollers tosupplementtheX79PCH.TheX79itselfgivesouttwoSATA 6Gb/sandfourSATA3Gb/sports.Thereareasmanyasfour USB3.0controllers,givingouteightports(fourontherear panel,fourbyheaders).Apartfromthenetworkconnectionon theGameBlastercard,thereisonenetworkconnectionlocalto thisboard,apartfromFirewire,USB2.0,andeSATA6Gbps. ExpecttheASRockX79Extreme9tobecountedamongthe costliestsocketLGA2011motherboards. MicrosoftWindows7Ultimate DSPLimitedPackNanami Editionretails4Novemberin Japan Source:http://vr-zone.com/articles/microsoft-windows-7-ultimate-dsp- limited-pack-nanami-edition-retails-4-november-in-japan/13840.html October31st,2011 Publishedby:VR-Zone MicrosoftinJapanwillberetailingtheWindows7Ultimate DSPLimitedPackNanamiEditionthatcomesbundledwith aMicrosoftTouchMouse.ThelimitededitionTouchMouse featuresamoderndesignwithsubtletonesandwhiteand isdesignedbyrenownedillustrator,designer,artdirector andartist,DeanneCheuk.Ontopofthat,thiseditionalso comeswithMadobeNanami,thespecialcharactercreatedto promoteWindows7,whowillprovidevideoguides,aswellas Windows7themes,threedesktopwallpapersand24original sounds.TheWindows7UltimateDSPLimitedPackNanami Editionisscheduledtoretailon4November.Pricinghasnot beenestablishedatpresstime. HPannouncesTouchSmart620 3DEditionPCand2311gt3D LCDmonitor Source:http://vr-zone.com/articles/hp-announces-touchsmart620-3d- edition-pc-and-2311gt-3d-lcd-monitor/13839.html October31st,2011 MicrosoftinJapanwillbelaunchingaspeciallimitedpack NanamieditionoftheWindows7UltimateDSP.Asidefrom theoperatingsystem,thebundlewillincludetheMicrosoft TouchMouseforusewithWindows7,andsomeadditional content.Readon. Seeingthepopularityof3Dtechnology,PCgiantHPhas recentlyunveiledtheirlatestconsumerportfoliowhichclaim toofferimmersive3Dexperiencetoconsumers.TheHP TouchSmart6203DEditionPCfeaturesanintuitiveand ergonomicdesignwithactiveshutter3Dglasses,whiletheHP 2311gt3DLCDmonitorprovidesimprovedbrightnessanda flicker-free3Dpicture. HP TouchSmart620 3D Edition PC 7

  8. October31st,2011 Publishedby:VR-Zone Cyberlink’sPowerDVD,userscanconverttheirexisting2D contentsuchasphotosandvideosinto3Dcontentwhilethe TriDefIgnitionGamePlayerdisplays2Dgamesin3D. TheHP2311gt3DLCDmonitorisavailablenowinAPJfrom astartingpriceofaroundUS$299. SandyBridge-EandX79 availablefor(pre-)order Source:http://vr-zone.com/articles/sandy-bridge-e-and-x79-available-for- pre-order/13837.html October31st,2011 ThenewHPTouchSmart6203DEditionPCoffersanall-in- onehuboffunandentertainment.Userscancreatetheirown 3DvideosandpictureswiththeTouchSmart’sbuilt-inwebcam andsharethemwithfamilyandfriendsonlineorviathe23- inchdiagonalhighdefinitiondisplay.WiththeTriDefIgnition GamePlayer,itallowsuserstoenjoyplayingtheirfavorite gamesin3D.TheTouchSmart6203DEditionfeaturesan intuitiveandergonomicdesign,canswivelupto180-degrees andreclinesupto60-degrees,andallowsuserstoadjust thedisplay’spositionforcomfortableviewingof3Dcontent withtheActiveShutter3DGlasses.Inadditiontoexclusive HPfeatureslikeLinkUpTechnologyandBeatsAudio,the HPTouchSmart6203DEditionalsooffersthelatestversion ofthecompany'sproprietaryTouchSmartsoftware,premium graphicsandprocessors. TheHPTouchSmart6203DEditionPCisexpectedtobe availablefrommidNovemberinAPJfromastartingpriceof aroundUS$1,399. HP 2311gt 3D LCD monitor TheHP2311gt3DLCDmonitorcandeliverenhanced3D experienceinanultra-slim23-inchdiagonalLEDbacklit display.ItfeaturesFilmPatternedRetarder(FPR)technology, whichoffersadisplaywithimprovedbrightnessandaflicker- free3Dpicture.Bundledwithtwopairsofpassive3Dglasses, userswillalsoenjoysoftwarefromCyberlinkandTriDefas wellasa3Dmovietrailerfortheupcominganimatedfilm? PussinBootsfromDreamWorksAnimationSKGInc.With Withjustovertwoweekstothelaunch,Intel'sSandyBridge- Eprocessorsarestartingtoappearinlistingswithonline retailersaroundtheglobe.What'sevenmoreinterestingis thatyoucanpickupX79boards–atleastinsomecountries –today,withseveralmodelsbeingavailableforpre-order, includingIntel'sowntwomodels. Withjustovertwoweekstothelaunch,Intel'sSandyBridge- Eprocessorsarestartingtoappearinlistingswithonline retailersaroundtheglobe.What'sevenmoreinterestingis thatyoucanpickupX79boards–atleastinsomecountries –today,withseveralmodelsbeingavailableforpre-order, includingIntel'sowntwomodels. Let'sstartwiththeCPU's,althoughwehaveafeelingthatthe pricesarealittlebitoff,astheCorei7-3930Kislistedfor asteep5,800RMB(US$912/S$1,135)inChina,£481.19(US $776/S$695)intheUKandforbetween5,000and6,000SEK (US$784-940/S$975-1,169)inSweden,aCPUthatshouldin factretailforaroundUS$583unlessIntel'srumouredlistprice isgoingtobealothigherthananticipated.It'sworthtaking intoaccountthingslikeVAThere,butthatonlymakesthe 8

  9. October31st,2011 cheapestpricesendupsomewhereclosetoIntel'sexpectedlist price. TheCorei7-3960Xislistedat7,800RMB(US$1,226/S $1,525)inChina,£854.39(US$1,379/S$1,715)intheUK andbetween8,800and11,000SEK(US$1,380-1,725/S $1,715-2,145)inSwedenwhichmeansthattheCorei7-3960X isatleastinmostcasesalotclosertotherumouredlistprice whichwe'restillexpectingtobeoverUS$999whichhasbeen Intel'sstandardpricepointforitsExtremeEditionmodelsin thepast. WeonlyfoundthequadcoreCorei7-3820listedinChina for3,500RMB(US$550/S$685),aCPUwhichshouldbe retailingclosertoUS$300.We'rehearingrumoursthatthe Corei7-3820hasbeendelayedfurtheranditshouldn'tarrive untilthemiddleofQ1nextyearnow.AsfortheCorei7-3930K and3960X,we'rehearingthatIntelwillofferaverylimited amountofCPU'sinthetensofthousands,althoughwecan't disclosetheexactfigurewe'vebeentold.Thereasonforthis isthatthecurrentconsumerSKU'sareC2steppingchipsand IntelisalreadyworkingonaC3stepping,butwe'rehearing Publishedby:VR-Zone thattheonesworthhavingwillbetheDsteppingmodelswhich shouldhaveallthekinksworkedout,butthey'renotlikelyto arriveuntilmuchlaternextyear. CorsairTX550MPowerSupply Review Source:http://vr-zone.com/articles/corsair-tx550m-power-supply- review/13836.html October31st,2011 ItappearsthatthelatestTX-MserieswhichCorsairreleased afewweeksagowillbeagreatsuccessforthecompany,asthe marketdemandofthenewunitsisveryhighandenthusiasts seemtoembracetheideaofhighperformance,partlymodular powersupplies.Itwasonlyafewweeksagothatwehada lookattheTX750M750Wunit,whichofferedgreatoverall performanceandqualityfortheprice.Todaywearegoing toexamineandreviewtheperformanceoftheTX550M,the weakestandmostaffordablepowersupplyoftheseries,which alsocomesonlyintheM(modular)variant. ItappearsthatthelatestTX-MserieswhichCorsairreleaseda fewweeksagowillbeagreatsuccessforthecompany,asthe marketdemandofthenewunitsisveryhighandenthusiasts seemtoembracetheideaofhighperformance,partlymodular powersupplies.Itwasonlyafewweeksagothatwehada lookattheTX750M 750Wunit,whichofferedgreatoverall performanceandqualityfortheprice.Todaywearegoing toexamineandreviewtheperformanceoftheTX550M,the weakestandmostaffordablepowersupplyoftheseries,which alsocomesonlyintheM(modular)variant. Manufacturer’sfeaturesandspecifications ·ConformstothelatestATX12Vv2.31andEPS2.92 standards,andisbackwardcompatiblewiththeATX12V2.2 andATX12V2.01standards ·Adedicatedsingle+12Vrailofferssimpleconfiguration andmaximumcompatibilitywiththelatestgraphicscardsand othercomponents ·Anultra-quiet,140mmdoubleball-bearingfandelivers excellentairflowwithexceptionallylownoiselevelsbyvarying fanspeedinresponsetotemperature ·ComplieswiththeEuropeanUnionErPDirective (2009/125/EC)sothepowerconsumptionofthewhole system,ineitherstandbyoroffmode,canbelessthan 1Wwhenusedwithaproperlyconfigured,ErP-compliant motherboard ·80PLUS®Bronzecertified,deliveringupto85%energy efficiencyunderreal-worldloadconditions 9

  10. October31st,2011 ·ActivePowerFactorCorrection(PFC)withPFvalueof 0.99 Publishedby:VR-Zone WhileMasterCard'scontactlesspaymentsystemwasrolled outyearsago,itwasonlyearlierthisyearthatthecompany announcedtheinclusionofSIM-basedsystems. · UniversalACinputfrom90~264V Inapreparedstatement,AndrewBocking,VicePresident, HandheldSoftwareProductManagementatRIMsaid, "NFCtechnologyismakingsmartphonesevensmarterand theMasterCardcertificationisasignificantstepforward inhelpingtransformthewayweusemobiledevicesfor payments.Weareworkingproactivelywithourcarrier partners,banks,retailersandotherindustryplayersandwe areexcitedtopushtheboundariesofhowNFCcanenablenew mobileexperiencesforBlackBerrysmartphoneusersaround theworld." TheBold9900andCurve9360aretwoofthelatest smartphonesfromRIMthatrunsontheBlackBerry7OS, incorporatingbuilt-inNFChardware.Thismeansthata ·Over-voltage,under-voltage,over-current,andshort circuitprotectionprovidemaximumsafetyforyourcritical systemcomponents ·High-qualitycapacitorsprovideuncompromised performanceandreliability ·AfiveyearwarrantyandlifetimeaccesstoCorsair's legendarytechnicalsupportandcustomerservice ·SafetyApprovals:cTUVus,CE,CB,FCCClassB,TÜV, CCC,C-tick separateradioantennawilltransmittherequisitepayment detailswirelesslytoahigh-speedreaderatcheckout.TheNFC radiocanbeswitchedoffifdesired. ThecertificationfromMastercardwillbeashotinthearmfor NFCprojectsaroundtheworld.InterestinNFCisincreasing, andmobiledeviceshavebeentippedtospuradoptiongiven theubiquityofphonesinbothdevelopinganddeveloped countries. InSingapore,IDAandsevencompanieswillinvestS$40 millionintoNFCtoeventuallyallowbanksandcardissuersto connectviaacommoninfrastructure,asreportedbyChannel NewsAsiajustlastweek.Thereportmentionedselected modelsfromNokia,SamsungandRIM.Thispresumably includestheBold9900andCurve9360. Corsair T550M AC1000-240V INPUT~12A 50/60Hz DC+5V+3.3V OUTPUT MAX25A25A CURRENT MAX140W540W COMBINED WATTAGE TOTAL POWER: +12V 45A 9.6W -12V 0.8A 15W +5Vsb 3A 550W @50°C ambient temperature BlackBerryBold9900and Curve9360NFCsmartphones gainMasterCardPayPasscert Lexmarkextendsworkgroup productlinewithnewcolour laserMFPs Source:http://vr-zone.com/articles/lexmark-extends-workgroup-product- line-with-new-colour-laser-mfps/13834.html October31st,2011 Source:http://vr-zone.com/articles/blackberry-bold-9900-and- curve-9360-nfc-smartphones-gain-mastercard-paypass-cert/13835.html October31st,2011 Lexmarkhasintroducedtwonewcolourlasermultifunction printers(MFPs)targetedattherapidlygrowingSMEsand mid-sizedworkgroupsegment.Thecompanysaysthe LexmarkX548deandX548dtecolourlaserMFPsdelivers varioushighperformancecapabilitiesandadvancedsecurity featuresrepresentativeofmorecostlydevicesinthemarket, butwithasmallerfootprintandatanaffordablepricepoint. TheBlackBerryBold9900andBlackBerryCurve9360 havebecomethefirstSIM-basedsmartphonestoearn theMasterCardPayPasscertification.Thismeansthat MasterCardisconfidentthatthetwomobiledevicesmeet itsfunctionality,interoperabilityandsecurityrequirementsto becertifiedasPayPass-approveddevices.Issuingbanksare henceallowedtoassignaPayPassaccounttotheSIMcards usedinthetwosmartphonestoworkwiththeNFC-based,or nearfieldcommunication,paymentsystem. 10

  11. Publishedby:VR-Zone October31st,2011 ECS(ElitegroupComputerSystems)isaTaiwanese electronicsfirmsynonymouswithentrylevelofferingsor beingthemotherboardOEMforbrandslikeHPandIBM.In ourlabstodayistheirlatestoffering–theX79R-AXBlack Extreme.Boastingawhopping12SATAports,dualLAN/ eSATA,Bluetooth/WirelessLANconnectivityandfourPCIe x16slotsformulti-GPUextravagance,weseeifithaswhatit takestobetheX79motherboardofchoice. BoxFrontView-withaclothstringcarryinghandletotakeit fromtheshops BoxBehind-thisisoneofthemostcolourfulandvibrantboxes wehaveinourlab October31st,2011 Lexmarkhasintroducedtwonewcolourlasermultifunction printers(MFPs)targetedattherapidlygrowingSMEsand mid-sizedworkgroupsegment.Thecompanysaysthe Lexmark X548de and X548dte colour laser MFPsdelivers varioushighperformancecapabilitiesandadvancedsecurity featuresrepresentativeofmorecostlydevicesinthemarket, butwithasmallerfootprintandatanaffordablepricepoint. "TheintroductionoftheX548smartMFPsstrengthens Lexmark'spositioninastrategicgrowthareaforour company-workgroupcolourlaserdevices,"saidMarty Canning,Lexmarkexecutivevicepresidentandpresidentof ImagingSolutionsandServices"Wearecommittedtodriving innovative,disruptiveA4technologywithsmartdevices, customisablewithindustry-leadingsoftwareandtailored solutions,tomakeourbusinesscustomersmoreproductive." Bothcolourlaserprinterscomewithalarge7-inchcolour touchscreenthatallowsforintuitivenavigationtoaccess work?owsolutionsandshortcuts.Moreover,pre-loaded applicationscanbecustomisedwithtailoredworkflowsbased onuniquebusinessneeds. Advancedscanningcapabilitiesincludestheabilitytoscanto e-mail,scantoFTP,scantofax,scantonetworkaswellas scanningtoaflashdrivepluggedintoafrontUSBport.The duplexautomaticdocumentfeederallowsforduplexcolour- scanningwitha50-sheetinputcapacity. Onthesecurityfront,bothlaserprinterssupportavarietyof userauthenticationandauthorizationcontrols,whilesecurity- auditlogginghelpstracksandidenti?essecurityrisks. AstepupfromtheLexmarkX548debasemodel,theLexmark X548dteaddsaninternalharddiskdrivewhichenablesextra features,aswellasa650-sheetDuoDrawerforadditional mediahandlingcapabilities.Sensitivedataontheharddisk driveoftheX548dteisprotectedbymeansofadvancedhard diskencryption. TheLexmarkX548de(SG$2,449)andLexmarkX548dte (SG$3,059)areavailableforsalefromauthorisedLexmark businesspartners.AllpricesaboveexcludeGSTandother prevailingtaxes. FirstLooks:ECSX79R-AX BlackExtreme-TheFeature FilledX79DarkHorse Source:http://vr-zone.com/articles/first-looks-ecs-x79r-ax-black-extreme-- the-feature-filled-x79-dark-horse/13832.html 11

  12. Publishedby:VR-Zone October31st,2011 ECSX79R-AXBlackExtremeMotherboardFrontView- passivecoolingandnoflamboyantheatpipes. Findoutmoreonthenextpage... MSIGT780RGamingNotebook Review-Takingthebattlefield ontheroad Source:http://vr-zone.com/articles/msi-gt780r-gaming-notebook-review-- taking-the-battlefield-on-the-road/13794.html October31st,2011 TheMSIGT780RwasfirstseenatComputex2011,andisa17- inchfullHDgamingpowerhouse,equippedwithIntelSandy BridgeQuadCore,NvidiaGTX560Mforgraphics,impressive 1.5terabytesofspeedyRAID-0storageandmulti-colourLED backlightedSteelSerieskeyboard.Wecheckoutthefirepower ofthismobiletankandtakeitforaspininBattlefield3! FrontofBox MotherboardBackView I/OPanel(AniftyclearCMOSbutton,2eSATA6gbpsfrom aASMediaASM1061,BluetoothV2.1+EDR/150MbpsWifi fromAtherosAR9271L,4SuperSpeedUSB3.0fromaTi TUSB7340,2GigabitLANPortsfromRealtekRTL8111E controllersand7.1+2channelaudiofromaRealtekALC892) LaptopSpecifications 12

  13. Publishedby:VR-Zone October31st,2011 Manuals,WarrantyandDriverCD 7600mAh,87WhLithumIonBattery ExterioroftheMSIGT780R 17-inch1920x1080(16:9)LEDDisplay BrushedMetalCover 150WPowerAdapterbyDeltaElectronics LEDindicatorsforcharging,harddiskactivityandothers 13

  14. October31st,2011 Publishedby:VR-Zone ExcellentDynaudioSpeakersonbothsides,Hotkeysanda LargePowerButton 2USB2.0ontheRightSide.OurreviewunitcamewithaDVD SuperMultidrive Fromlefttoright:Kensingtonlock,ChargerHole,Gigabit EthernetPort,AnalogVGA,eSATAandHDMIport ObligatoryStickers Fromlefttoright:alargeventforcooling,2USB3.0ports, CardReader,1USB2.0portand7.1channelaudioports 30fps@720pCamerawithaArrayMic ShortenedRight-ShiftKeymashedtogetherwiththearrow keys-don'tlikethis.We'drathertheydoawaywiththe numpadandhavelargerkeys 14

  15. October31st,2011 Publishedby:VR-Zone WiththeUsualWASD/Space/Ctrl/Shiftkeyboardgame assignment,thetouchpadcangetaccidentallyactuatedbythe user'shand.Fortunately,MSIhasincludedaniftytouchpad disablebutton PicturesofLGPradaK2 leaked Source:http://vr-zone.com/articles/pictures-of-lg-prada-k2- leaked/13830.html October31st,2011 ThecollaborationbetweenLGandPradastartedin2006with thefirstLGPrada(KE850)launchedin2007.Andin2009in Singapore,wesawtheLGPradaII(KF900).Anditlookslike thetimehascomeoncemoreaspicturesofthenewLGPrada K2havebeenleakedonline. ProvidedSoftwaretochangekeyboardlightingcolorsand intensity. 15

  16. October31st,2011 TheLGPradaK2sportsaslimbodywithacandybarform factordesign.Ithasa4.3-inchTFTtouchscreendisplayand incorporatesNOVAdisplaytechnologythatoffersover1000 nitsofbrightness.The1.3-megapixelcameraislocatedabove thedisplay,whilebelowitaretouchsensitivekeys.LGPrada seriesofphonesareknowntoonlyincorporatetheirown proprietaryOS,sodon'texpectittoberunningAndroid4.0Ice CreamSandwichthough.Thebacklitpowerbutton,USBport, aheadphonejackareonthetop,whilethevolumecontrols areontheleftofthephone.Therearholdsthe8-megapixel camerawithLEDflash,andisprobablycapableof1080p fullhighdefinitionvideorecordingandaloudspeakeronthe bottom.TheLGPradaK2claimstobepoweredbydual-core processorandsupportsHSPA+connectivity. AMD'snext-genGPUstoship in2011 Source:http://vr-zone.com/articles/amd-s-next-gen-gpus-to-ship- in-2011/13829.html October31st,2011 AttheirlastconferencecallforQ22011,AMDrevealedthat 28nmGPUswereontrackfor2011.MovingforwardtotheQ3 2011financialreport,AMDstillplansplanstoshipforrevenue thefirstnext-genGPUsbytheendoftheyear. AttheirlastconferencecallforQ22011,AMDrevealedthat 28nmGPUswereontrackfor2011.MovingforwardtotheQ3 2011financialreport,AMDstillplansplanstoshipforrevenue thefirstnext-genGPUsbytheendoftheyear. Ofcourse,whileshippingforrevenuedoesnotnecessarily translatetoretailavailability,itdoesmeanAMDwillbe shippingnext-genchipstotheirAIBpartnerssometimeinQ4 2011.Ifallgoeswell,wewillseeAMD'sfirstRadeonHD7000 productsineitherlate2011ormorelikelyearly2012. Publishedby:VR-Zone AMD'sGraphicssegmentrevenuesincreasedby10%overQ2 2011,and4%overQ22010to$403million.AMD'soverall resultswerebetterthantheforecastrevisionssuggested. Belkinannouncesnew wirelessrouters Source:http://vr-zone.com/articles/belkin-announces-new-wireless- routers/13828.html October31st,2011 Belkinhasannouncedtheirnewwirelessrouterswhichcome intheformofN150,N300,N600Dual-BandandN750Dual- Band.TheroutersclaimtoincoporateMultiBeamtechnology thatcandeliverfastspeedsandfullercoverageforPCs,tablets, smartphones,TVs,andgamingconsoles. EngineeredwithMultiBeamtechnologyformaximumspeed andcoverage,thenewBelkinroutersN150,N300,N600Dual- Band(DB)andN750Dual-bandsupporttheproliferationof wirelessdevices,fromsmartphonesandtabletstoInternet TVsandgamingconsoles.Theexclusivetechnologyalso claimstoofferhigherthroughputatlongerdistances, enablinguserstoconnectmultipledeviceseasily.TheBelkin N600DBandN750DBroutersalsofeaturedual-band channelstoeliminateinterferenceandoptimizeperformance forbandwidth-intensiveapplicationssuchashigh-definition videostreaming. Therouterchassiswasspecificallydesignedtosupportthe latestMultiBeamantennasandmaximizetheMIMOsphere andabsolutecoveragedistance.Whiletraditionalrouterstend toprovideadonut-shapedcoveragepattern–flatandwide– thenewBelkinrouterscomeinanapple-likeshapetoprovide morecoverage,powerandspeedforallonlineactivities. EachrouterfeaturesBelkin’sEasySetup,asimpleprocessfor gettingtherouteroutoftheboxandonlineinthreeeasysteps, andpre-configuredencryptionsettingsforbuilt-inwireless security. PricingandAvailability TheBelkinN750DB,N600DB,N300andN150routersare commerciallyavailablenowinSingaporeatmajorretailerslike BestDenki,Courts,HarveyNorma,Challenger,Mustafa,IT MallsandGainCity. 16

  17. October31st,2011 BelkinN750DBWirelessDualBandN+Router-S$229 -Wirelessspeedsofupto300Mbps(2.4GHz)+450Mbps (5GHz) -Simultaneousdual-bandoperatingon2.4GHzand5GHz bands -TwoUSBportsformoremediasharingorwirelessprinting -Self-HealingAppautomaticallyresolvespotentialnetwork problems -VideomoverAppforwirelessstreamingofvideocontent throughoutthehouse -PrintZoneAppallowsyoutoprintfromanywhereinthe home -MemorySafeAppautomaticallybacksupfilestoyour externalharddrive -EasySetupandpresetsecurity N600DBWirelessDualBandN+Router-S$149 -Wirelessspeedsofupto300Mbps(2.4GHz)+300Mbps (5GHz) -Simultaneousdual-bandoperatingon2.4GHzand5GHz bands -OneUSBportforwirelessprintingorstorage -Self-HealingApptoautomaticallyresolvepotentialnetwork problems -VideoMoverAppforwirelessstreamingofvideocontent throughoutthehouse -PrintZoneAppallowsyoutoprintfromanywhereinthe home -MemorySafeAppautomaticallybacksupfilestoyour externalharddrive -EasySetupandpresetsecurity BelkinN600DBWirelessDual-BandN+ModemRouter-S $169 -Built-inADSL2+modem -SamefeaturesasWirelessRouter BelkinN300WirelessNRouter-S$59 -Wirelessspeedsofupto300Mbps -EasySetupandpresetsecurity -Self-HealingApptodetectnetworkproblems BelkinN150WirelessRouter-S$45 -Wirelessspeedsofupto150Mbps -WirelesscoverageattwicethespeedofGtechnology Publishedby:VR-Zone -EasySetupandpresetsecurity BelkinN150WirelessUSBAdapter-S$27 -Wirelessspeedsofupto150Mbps -Backward-compatiblewith802.11a/gdevicesat54Mbpsand 802.11bproductsat11Mbps BelkinN300WirelessUSBAdapter-S$36 -Wirelessspeedsofupto300Mbps -Backward-compatiblewith802.11a/gdevicesat54Mbpsand 802.11bproductsat11Mbps BelkinN600WirelessUSBAdapter-S$54 -Thefastestdual-bandspeedsforvideostreamingandonline gamingofupto300Mbps -Backward-compatiblewith802.11a/gdevicesat54Mbpsand 802.11bproductsat11Mbps ARMgivesusaglimpseof whattocome Source:http://vr-zone.com/articles/arm-gives-us-a-glimpse-of-what-to- come/13826.html October31st,2011 AlthoughARMhasalreadyannounceditsnextgenCortex- A15corebasedontheARMv7architecturesometimeago, thecompanyhasnowunveiledsomedetailsofitsupcoming ARMv8architecture.Thebiggestandpossiblymostimportant change,dependingonhowthingsmoveforwardinthe universeofARMpowereddevices,is64-bitsupportinARMv8. AlthoughARMhasalreadyannounceditsnextgenCortex- A15corebasedontheARMv7architecturesometimeago, thecompanyhasnowunveiledsomedetailsofitsupcoming ARMv8architecture.Thebiggestandpossiblymostimportant change,dependingonhowthingsmoveforwardinthe universeofARMpowereddevices,is64-bitsupportinARMv8. TheARMv8architectureisamajorstepforwardforARM, atleastwhenitcomestomakingprocessorsthataren't necessarilythemostpowerfrugalchipsoutthere.Witha clearmovetowardsmoreARMpowereddevicesoutsideofthe phonespace,ARMneedstoupitsgameandoffercompetitive processorcoresonmorethanonelevel.WithWindows8 addingARMsupportandmaybeevenmoreimportantly,the servermarketstartingtoshowinterestinARMpowered servers,beingabletoaddressmorethan4GBofRAM. However,ARMalreadysupportsvirtualmemoryaddressesof 40-bitorlargerandthatgivestheARMv7architecturethe optiontosupportupto1TBofRAM. Evenso,amovetowards64-bitisgoingtobeamustas operatingsystems,especiallytheonesfromMicrosoft,looks 17

  18. October31st,2011 settomoveto64-bitonlyinthefuture,astheresimplyisno needtohaveseparate32-bitand64-bitversionsofWindows thesedays.Native64-bitsupportshouldalsoofferbetter performancethanvirtualmemoryaddressing,asthelatter addsaperformancehit.Anotherreasonfor64-bitsupport isasmentioned,serversandwithtoday'svirtualizedserver environments,having64-bitmemorysupportisgoingtobea mustforARMiftheywanttocompetewiththebigboys. ARMwillofcoursecontinuetouseitscurrenttechnologyand furtherenhancethemintheARMv8andwe'llseeimproved versionsofTrustZone,virtualizationandNEONadvanced SIMD.Whatisn'tmentionedareanyadditionalfeatures beyondthe64-bitadditiontotheARMv8architecture,but dependingonwhereARManditspartnerswanttotakethings, we'llmostlikelyseeabigchangewhenitcomestopower efficiencyandthermals,atleastforhigh-endcoresthatwill endupbothconsumerdevicesandservers.Inasmuchaswe're expectingnewlow-powersolutionsforphonesandtablets, ARManditspartnersareclearlytakingthegametoInteland somethingisgoingtohavetochangeiftheywanttocompete onequalterms. Thatsaid,wedoubtthatwe'llseepowerhungryprocessors basedonARM'stechnology,atleastnotcomparedtox86 basedprocessors.Thereisafinelinebetweenenough performanceandpowerefficiencyandARMislikelytohave tocrossthatlinetostaycompetitiveinthelongterm.The easywaytogetmoreperformance,atleastinsomescenarios istoaddmorecoresandthisisreasonablyeasytodowith ARMbasedtechnology,especiallyifyouusemultiplechips whicharesmallerandruncoolerthanx86processors.More coresaregreat,exceptasAMDshowedwithitsBulldozer basedFXseriesofconsumerCPU's,havingmorecoresdoesn't alwaystranslatetorealworldperformancegains.Ontheother hand,we'renotexpectingtoseeahugeinfluxincoreswhenit comestoconsumerprocessordesignsfromARM,insteadthe companyisgoingtohavetocomeupwithsomenew,clever waysofdoingthings. Ofcourse,movingtonewmanufacturingtechnologieswill helpARManditspartnerstokeepthepowerenvelopedown, fornowatleast,butthenextstepbeyond28nmisgoingtotake awhile,atleastifthemovefrom40nmto28nmisanythingto goby.Yes,thefoundrieshaveroadmaps,butit'sworthtaking intoconsiderationthatTSMChasdecidedtocutitscapexfor thenextyearorsowithyetanotherglobaldownturnbeing expected.Thisimpliesthatwemighthavetolivewith28nm chipsforabitlongerthanoriginallythough.Thenagain,ARM isonlyexpectingtodiscloseitsfirstprocessorsbasedonthe ARMv8architecturesometimenextyearanddoesn'texpect itspartnerstohaveanyprototypesreadyuntil2014which rightnowisanawfullylongtimeawayforanewprocessor technology. Publishedby:VR-Zone SonyandEricssonpartways, remainfriends Source:http://vr-zone.com/articles/sony-and-ericsson-part-ways-remain- friends/13825.html October31st,2011 Inanotentirelyunexpectedmove,Sonyissetto buyoutEricssonfromthejointSonyEricssonMobile CommunicationsABjointventureforanotinsignificant €1.05billionandwillturnSonyEricssonintoawholly- ownedsubsidiarythatwillfallunderitsnetwork-connected consumerelectronicsdivision.Thetwocompaniesremain friendlythough,thedealalsoincludesanIPcross-licensing agreementandthey'llalsocreateajointwirelessconnectivity initiative. Inanotentirelyunexpectedmove,Sonyissetto buyoutEricssonfromthejointSonyEricssonMobile CommunicationsABjointventureforanotinsignificant €1.05billionandwillturnSonyEricssonintoawholly- ownedsubsidiarythatwillfallunderitsnetwork-connected consumerelectronicsdivision.Thetwocompaniesremain friendlythough,thedealalsoincludesanIPcross-licensing agreementandthey'llalsocreateajointwirelessconnectivity initiative. It'sbeen10yearssinceSonyandEricssondecidedtoteam upandcreateSonyEricssonandbetweenthenandnow,the mobiledevicemarkethaschangedandisstillchangingata rapidpace.SonyEricssonhassadlygonefromthirdposition toa10thpositionwhenitcomestomobilehandsetmarket shareorfrom8.5percentto1.7percentoftheglobalmarket share.Backin2008SonyEricssonsaidthattheirgoalwas tobecomethethirdbiggestmobilehandsetmakerwithinthe nextfiveyear,butinsteadthecompanydroppedfromfifthto 10thpositionsincethen. Lastyearthecompanywentoutandsaidthattheywanted tobenumberoneinAndroidhandsetsandalthoughaswith Motorola,itseemslikeAndroidhasbeenasaviourtoadegree forSonyEricsson,it'sclearthatthecompanyisfarfromthe marketleader.It'seasytopointfingersastowhatwentwrong, butsomeofithasbeenSony'sunwillingnesstousesomeof itsbrandnames,mostsignificantlythePlaystationbrandfor SonyEricssonproducts,atleastuntilit'sgenerallybeentoo littletoolate.ThePlaystationphonedidn'texactlytakethe worldwithastorm,butinallfairnesssomeofSonyEricsson's otherXperiahandsetsaren'thalfbad. ThenewSonymobilehandsetdivisionwhichhasyettogetan officialname–althoughallfuturehandsetswillonlycarrythe Sonybrand–hasatoughjobaheadofit.Currentlyalotof itsR&DislocatedinSweden,althoughit'sexpectedthatthis divisionwillbecloseddownovertimewithmost,ifnotallof itbeingmovedtoJapan.Withtoughcompetitionfromboth thebigKoreanhandsetmanufacturers,especiallySamsung, 18

  19. October31st,2011 aswellasHTCandlet'snotforgetApple,it'sclearthatSony isgoingtohavetocomeupwithsomeprettyimpressive hardwareandgetitoutinthemarketinatimelyfashion. WithwhathappenedinJapanearlierthisyear,mostofSony Ericsson'shandsetsweredelayed,somebyasmuchassix monthsandinanindustrythat'smovinginleapsandbounds onalmostamonthlybasiswhenitcomestonewhandsets,this isthekindofthingthatjustisn'tallowedtohappen. AsforEricsson,well,they'llgoontheirmerrywayand continuetobuildthenetworkinfrastructurewhichisits corecompetencethesedaysandthecompanyisalsobusy doingvariousprojectsinvolvingdigitalcontentdeliverywhich tiesinnicelywithitsnetworkinfrastructurebusiness.As forSTEricsson,Ericsson'sjointventuretodevelopvarious deviceendsolutionswithSTMicroelectronicsforhandsets andwirelessmodems,well,it'slikelytotakeapotentialhit fromthesplitfromSony,althoughitshouldbesaidthat noneofSonyEricsson'shandsetsusedtheSTEricssonARM processors,atleastnottoourknowledge.Thatsaid,we'd expectthisbusinessventuretocontinuetodevelopmodem technologyforhandsets,especiallyasweslowlycontinueto movetowardsmoreLTEenableddeviceswhereSTEricsson hassomepotentiallystrongsolutions. Thepressreleasedoesn'tgointoanydetailsabouttheIPcross- licensingdeal,excepttomentionthatitinvolvesfiveessential patentfamilies.Thisshouldinvolvebasebandtechnologyfor 2G,3Gand4Gnetworks,aswellasotherhandsetrelated technologythatEricssonholdspatentsfor.Withregardsto thewirelessconnectivityinitiativethepressreleasesimply reads"EricssonandSonywillworktodriveanddevelopthe market'sadoptionofconnectivityacrossmultipleplatforms" whichreallydoesn'texplainwhatthetwocompanieswillbe doingtogether.ThedealisexpectedtocloseinJanuary2012 pendingtheusualregulatoryandshareholderapproval. AMDreportsQ32011results Source:http://vr-zone.com/articles/amd-reports-q3-2011- results/13824.html October31st,2011 LastmonthAMDreviseditsQ3forecasts,muchtothedisdain ofitsshareholders,withAMD'sstockstakinganosedive.Asit turnsout,theforecastrevisions,whichsuggestedrevenuesof $1.65Bwereoffthemark.AMDhasinsteadreportedrevenues of$1.69billionandnetincomeof$110million. LastmonthAMD revised its Q3 forecasts,muchtothedisdain ofitsshareholders,withAMD'sstockstakinganosedive.Asit turnsout,theforecastrevisions,whichsuggestedrevenuesof $1.65Bandearningsof$80millionwereoffthemark.AMD hasinsteadreportedrevenuesof$1.69billionandnetincome of$110million. AMD'snewCEORoryReadannouncedastrong35%increase inmobilebusiness,withdoubledigitgrowthinemerging Publishedby:VR-Zone LookingforwardtoQ4,AMDexpectsa3%±2%increasein revenue.AMD'ssharesroseby5.05%inafterhoursshortly aftertheresultswereannounced,andanimmense14%inthe last24hours. Morenext-genGPU codenamesrevealed Source:http://vr-zone.com/articles/more-next-gen-gpu-codenames- revealed/13823.html October31st,2011 Therehavebeennoshortageofcodename/brandingleaks fornext-genGPUsinthelastfewweeks.Toaddtothelist,not surprisingly,GK104isintheworks.Thischipwillformthe basisforN14EmobileQuadroGPUs.OntheAMDside,the alreadyreportedTahitidesktopGPUwillalsoarriveinWoody andBuzzworkstationvariants. Therehavebeennoshortageofcodename/brandingleaks fornext-genGPUsinthelastfewweeks.Toaddtothelist,not surprisingly,GK104isintheworks.Thischipwillformthe basisforN14EmobileQuadroGPUs.OntheAMDside,the alreadyreportedTahitidesktopGPUwillalsoarriveinWoody andBuzzworkstationvariants. Asarecap,leakeddrivershavealreadymentionedGeForce 600andAMD Radeon HD 7000families.Weknowabunch ofAMD codenames,rangingfromislands(desktopGPUs), localesinLondon(mobileGPUs)andChinesemonuments. WearealsoawareofGK107, which is already sampling,and willfeatureinN13P-LP,N13P-GS,N13P-GTandN13E-GE GeForcemobileSKUsandN14P-Q1andN14P-Q3mobile Quadros. GK104isexpectedtobethesuccessortoGF114,servingas performanceGPUsondesktopsandflagshipGPUsonmobile SKUs.Onthemobileside,GK104couldpowerthesuccessors toGTX570M/580M,mostlikelycodenamedundertheN13E series.Onthemobileworkstationfront,GK104willfeaturein N14E-Q1,N14E-Q3andN14E-Q5mobileQuadroSKUs.These QuadroGPUswillplayonesegmenthigherthantheGK107 basedN14PQuadro. OntheAMDfront,there'sno scarcity of codenames,withthe mostoftenmentionedbeingTahiti.Tahitiwillreleaseonthe desktopasTahitiXTandTahitiPro,andalsoasTahitiWoody andTahitiBuzzonworkstationsundertheAMDFirePro brand. Whileleakedcodenamesandbrandingshaveprovidedmuch fodderfortherumourmillinthelastfewweeks,littleisknown abouttheGPUsthemselves. marketslikeChinaandIndia.However,AMD'sQ3wasmarred byyieldissuesforLlano,beingunabletomeetthestrong demand. 19

  20. October31st,2011 LogitechunveilsG105Call ofDuty:ModernWarfare3 officialgamingkeyboard Source:http://vr-zone.com/articles/logitech-unveils-g105-call-of-duty- modern-warfare-3-official-gaming-keyboard/13822.html October31st,2011 Publishedby:VR-Zone -Multi-keyinputsoyoucanuseuptofivekeysatonceto performmultiple–andmorecomplex–actionswithoutthe interferenceorghostingthatcanoccurwithotherkeyboards. BeatsByDr.DreandMonster launchnewHeartbeatsby LadyGaga Source:http://vr-zone.com/articles/beats-by-dr.dre-and-monster-launch- new-heartbeats-by-lady-gaga/13821.html October31st,2011 LogitechhasintroducedtheG105whichclaimstobethe officialgamingkeyboardfortheupcomingCallofDuty: ModernWarfare3firstpersonshooter.Itfeaturesmilitary- style,night-visionblueLEDbacklighting,sixprogrammable G-keyswiththreemodestates;witheachprovidingupto18 possiblemacrocombinationspergame. Itwastwoyearsagowhenwefirstsawthe Monster"HeartbeatsbyLadyGaga"becameavailablein Singapore.Well,itlookslikeBeatsbyDr.DreandMonster havejointlyunveiledthenewHeartbeatsin-earheadphones, designedbythepopsinger-songwriterherself. TheLogitechGamingKeyboardG105,whichclaimstobe theofficialkeyboardofCallofDuty:ModernWarfare3, featuresnight-visionblueLEDbacklighting.Italsohassix programmableG-keyswiththreemodestateseachprovide upto18possiblemacrocombinationspergame.Youcanalso choosetorecordnewmacrosonthefly,performmultipleand morecomplexactionswithoutinterferenceorghosting. TheLogitechGamingKeyboardG105isavailablenowatall authorisedLogitechresellersatasuggestedretailpriceof S$69.TheG105modelthatisavailableinSingaporewill onlycomewithblueLEDbacklighting.Thecompanyhas notconfirmedifthekeyboardwithgreenLEDbacklighting and‘CallofDuty’brandingwillbemadeavailablelocally. -Long-life,night-visionblueLEDbacklightingsoyoucan easilylocatethekeysyouneed–eveninthedark.Themilitary style,night-visiongreenbacklightcanbesettotwodifferent brightnesslevels–orturnedoffcompletely. -SixProgrammableG-keyseachwiththreemodestates,let youconfigureupto18uniquefunctionspergame,including singlekeypressesorcomplexmacros.UsetheMRkeyto recordnewmacrosonthefly. BeatsbyDr.DreandMonsterhaveannouncedthelatest additiontothelineofBeatsbyDr.Dreheadphones, HeartbeatsbyLadyGaga,anupdatedversionofthepopular in-earheadphones.DesignedbyLadyGaga,theuniquely styledin-earheadphoneswereinspiredbyleatherandstuds andfeatureultra-crispsonictechnologyfromtheBeatsby Dr.Dreproducts.ThenewHeartbeatsbyLadyGagaare areflectionofthepopqueenhigh-endsenseofstyleand commitmenttoprovidefanswiththebestmusiclistening experience. TheHeartbeatsbyLadyGagafeatureall-new,lightweight design,sixsetsofeattips,tangle-freecable,hard-carrying caseandControlTalk,whichenablesiPhoneandiPodmusic playbackcontrolaswellashands-freecallswithiPhoneand manysmartphones.TheMonsterBeatsbyDr.DreHeartbeats HeadphonesretailsforS$259andisavailableatAudio House,AlphaAudio,BestDenki,Courts,DGLifestyleStore, Epicentre,FarleInnovation,GadgetWorld,HarveyNorman, 20

  21. October31st,2011 HMV,iStudio,iPCase,Macshop,Nubox,OrangeComm, StereoandallTwoBrosoutlets. KeyFeatures: Gaga’sSignatureTouch -Soundthattranscendsordinaryheadphoneandafashion- forwardstyledesignbyGagaherself. UpdatedDesignandStyle -Newlyimproveddesignofferssmallerandlightershapefora betterin-earfitandthinnertangle-freecord. HighPerformanceSound -Accuratespeakerdesigndeliversthedetailsoftoday’shottest musicwithextremeclarityanddeepbass. AFitforEveryWearer -Multipleear-tipsizes,soyoucanfindaperfectfitforyour ears.Thiscustom-fitsealsinyourmusicandhelpcutout unwantednoise. Built-inMicforHands-FreeCallsandOnlineChats -ControlTalkenablesiPhoneandiPodmusicplaybackcontrol aswellashands-freecallswithiPhoneandmanysmartphones. Itevenworkswithonlinevoiceorvideochats. Microsoftlauncheslimited editionArcTouchMouseand TouchMouse Source:http://vr-zone.com/articles/microsoft-launches-limited-edition- arc-touch-mouse-and-touch-mouse/13820.html October31st,2011 Publishedby:VR-Zone Thisholidayseason,twolimitededitionsoftheArcTouch Mousewillbemadeavailableinwhiteandred.Thenew designswillalsocomewithuniquepatternsonthesilicone "tail"portionofthemouse:Therededitionwillsporta diamondpattern,whilethewhiteeditionwillcomewitha maze-likepattern.ArcTouchMouseinthenewdesignswill beavailableatanestimatedretailpriceofS$89atallmajorIT retailersfromendOctober2011. TouchMouse TheTouchMouseisamultitouchdevicedesignedexclusively forWindows7tosupportclicking,flicking,scrollingand swipinggetures.Originallyavailableinblack,awhiteArtist Editionwithacalligraphy-likemotifdesignedbyNewYork- basedartdirector,illustratorandartistDeanneCheukwillbe exclusivetoChallengerstores.Itisavailableasoftodayatan estimatedretailpriceofS$99,whilestockslasts.Theoriginal blackeditionisalsoavailableatallmajorITretailersatS$99. Rackingyourbrainsontheperfectgiftstobuyforyourloved onesthisupcomingChristmasseason?Microsofthaslaunched limitededitionsofitsMicrosoftArcTouchMouseandthe MicrosoftTouchMousethatmayjustbetheperfectgift.In addition,MicrosoftsaysthateverypurchaseoftheArcTouch Mouse,ExplorerTouchMouseandTouchMousefromtoday till31stDecember2011willcomewithafreeexclusivePC accessorypouch. ArcTouchMouse Thecompany'sfastest-sellingpremiumperipheralinlocal history,theslimArcTouchMousesnapsintoanarcshapefor use,andflattenfortheultimateinportability-nomorehaving todealwiththeadded"bump"ofamouseinyourlaptopbag.A touchcontrolstripallowsforcontrolledscrollingorhyperfast scrollingbyflickingonit. AswiththeoriginalArcTouchMouseandTouchMouse,both limitededitionmicealsocomeswithBlueTracktechnology thatallowsittotrackonmoresurfacesthanconventionallaser andopticalmice. FirstLooks:ASUSP9X79 Pro&Deluxe-Mainstream Boards,HighEndFeatures Source:http://vr-zone.com/articles/first-looks-asus-p9x79-pro--deluxe-- mainstream-boards-high-end-features/13814.html October31st,2011 CompletingourthreepartAsusX79Motherboardseries roundupisthemainstreamP9X79ProandP9X79Deluxe. LiketheSabertoothX79andtheROGRampageIVExtreme, 21

  22. October31st,2011 Publishedby:VR-Zone bothboardsdidnotcompromiseonimplementingfull8slots ofDDR3memoryexpansion,andeveryinchoftheirPCB ispackedwithqualitycomponentsforlastingreliabilityand unhingedperformance. P9X79Profrontview(8DIMMsforamaximumof64GB,PCIe 3.0x16slots) TwoSATA6Gbpsports(white)and4SATA6Gbpss ports(blue)fromtheX79chipset. LiketheSabertoothX79,AMarvell9128providestwo additional6Gbpsports(grey)andsupportspairinga mechanicalharddrivewithasolidstatedriveforSSDcaching, ausefulfeaturesastheX79chipsetdoesn'tsupportIntelSRT asseenonZ68motherboards. P9X79Deluxe-noyouarenotseeingdouble.TheDeluxehas analmostidenticalboardlayoutbuthasanadditionalRealtek GigabitcontrollerandBTGO!3.0withWi-Ficonnectivity. ThePORT80debugdisplayandpower/resetbuttons-these life-savingfeaturesshouldbeamust-haveonanyDIYretail motherboard.AllASUSX79boardsalsohave64MbitofUEFI FlashROM,whichisarequirementforthenextgeneration IntelIvyBridge-Eplatform. SomeminorPCIeswitchingandmultiplexinggoingonhere I/OPaneloftheP9X79Pro(Intel82579VGigabitLAN, twopoweredeSATA(eSATAp)fromanASMediaASM1061 controller,fourUSB3.0portsfromapairofASMedia ASM1042controllers,althoughtwooftherearportsshare bandwidthwiththetwofrontportscourtesyofaVLIVL810 USB3.0hubandfinallyaudiofromaRealtekALC898audio codec. TheBIOSresetbuttoncanalsobeusedtoupdatetheBIOS usingaUSBthumbdrivewithoutbootingthePC. 22

  23. October31st,2011 Publishedby:VR-Zone Digi+EPU(VRM)forthememoryandanotherfortheCPU. Bothboardshave8+2+2+2powerphasedesign CPUsocketarea.WenoticedthatthewholefamilyofASUS X79boardssharealmostthesamelayoutoverhere,which couldexplainwhytheycouldimplementthefull8slotsof DIMMsevenontheirlowerendSKUs. AccessoriesoftheP9X79Pro RIMdelaysPlayBookOS updateto2012 Source:http://vr-zone.com/articles/rim-delays-playbook-os-update- to-2012/13819.html MemOK!boot-timewatchdogtriggerbuttonandplentyof PWM4-pinfanheaders(6intotal)aroundthemotherboard 23

  24. October31st,2011 October31st,2011 ResearchinMotiowon'tbeupgradingthesoftwareonits PlayBooktabletuntilFebruary2012.Theannouncementwas thelatestinastringofdelaysfollowingapromisebyco-CEO JimBalsilliethatthecompanywilladdnativeemailandother featureswithin60daysofitslaunchearlierthisyear.The updatewassubsequentlypushedbacktoAugust,andthento October. "Asmuchaswe'dlovetohaveitinyourhandstoday,we've madethedifficultdecisiontowaittolaunchBlackBerry PlayBookOS2.0untilweareconfidentwehavefullymetthe expectationsofourdevelopers,enterprisecustomersandend- users,"wroteDavidJ.Smith,SVPforBlackBerryPlayBookin ablogentry. SmithwasquicktopointoutthatabetaoftheBlackBerry PlayBookOS2.0hasbeenlaunched,andiscurrentlyinclosed testingwithsomeofthecompany'senterprisecustomers. Feedbackandimprovementsfromthesebetaswillultimately benefittheBlackBerryPlayBookexperience,saysSmith. Thenewswasmetwithstrongreactionswithascatteringof commentsvoicingsupportforRIM'sdecisionto"getitright." Onthemostparthowever,manyreaderswhoproclaimed themselvesasBlackBerryusershavevoicedfrustrationand evenangerattheshiftinggoalpostswheretheavailabilityof promisedfeaturesareconcerned. Publishedby:VR-Zone notappeartohaveproductionplansbeyond2011,atellingsign thatthecompanyiseitherinaninternalstateofchaosorhas waytoomuchunsoldstock. Ontheotherhand,giventhatitstopcompetitorsareusing thesameplatformforboththeirsmartphonesandtablets offerings-thinkAppleiOSandtherecentlyunveiledAndroid 4.0IceCreamSandwich,quittingthetabletspacecertainly isn'taviableoptionforRIM. AdatalaunchesitsXM13 seriesofmSATASSDs Source:http://vr-zone.com/articles/adata-launches-its-xm13-series-of- msata-ssds/13818.html October31st,2011 SSDcachinghasasyetnottakeoff,atleastnotthatwe're aware,althoughsomeofthefirstUltrabooksseemstobe takingadvantageofIntel'sSRTtechnology.NowAdatahas announceditsfirstmSATASSDswhichareasfarasthepress releaseismakingitsoundlike,intendedforuseasharddrive cachingSSDs. SSDcachinghasasyetnottakeoff,atleastnotthatwe're aware,althoughsomeofthefirstUltrabooksseemstobe takingadvantageofIntel'sSRTtechnology.NowAdatahas announceditsfirstmSATASSDswhichareasfarasthepress releaseismakingitsoundlike,intendedforuseasharddrive cachingSSDs. TheXM13seriesofmSATASSDswon'tbebreakinganyspeed recordsasfarasSSDsareconcerned,butthey'reoneupping OCZ's NoctiseriesofmSATASSDsintermsofperformance. TheXM13willbeavailablein30and60GBsizesandAdatais ratingthemaxsequentialreadperformanceat280MB/s,with thereadperformancehitting260MB/s.Therandomreadand writeperformanceshouldhit12,500IOPSaccordingtoAdata. "We'veallbefedapackofliessincelaunchofthedevice,I wasted£300onthepromiseofNativeEmail,AndroidPlayer andDLNAbytheendofsummer....now2012....whenwillthe delaysend2013?"wroteafrustratedusernamedMattin responsetotheannouncement. ThedecisiontodelaythePlayBookOSupdateappearsto reflectanewstrategyofslowingeverythingdowninorder toreleaseaproperlypolishedproductoutthedoor.While PlayBook1.0wasreasonablypolished,itpaledinseveralareas againstcompetingtablets.Moreover,therepeateddelaysand misstepsaredoingnothingfortheconfidenceofexistingusers. Movingforward,thereappearstobesomeapprehensionabout whatRIMintendstodointhetabletspace.Areporton TechNewsWorldcitedsupplychaincontactsthatRIMdoes 24

  25. October31st,2011 BothSKUsfeatureanunspecifiedSandforcecontroller, althoughwe'remostlikelylookingatsomethingsimilarto thatofOCZ'sNoctiseries,astheXM13sportsaSATA3Gbps interface.Adataissuggestingthatyoushouldpairupitsnew mSATASSD'swithoneofGigabyte'smSATAsportingZ68 motherboards,althoughitshouldalsobepossibletoupgrade mSATAequippednotebookstoo,atleastaslongasyou're notafraidofabitofnotebookDIY.Nowordonpricingor availability,soit'shardtotellifthesemSATASSDswillbe competitiveornot. NokiapartnerupwithMonster forco-brandedheadsets Source:http://vr-zone.com/articles/nokia-partner-up-with-monster-for-co- branded-headsets/13817.html October31st,2011 ThemostsurprisingannouncementatNokiaWorld2011 wasn'toneofNokia'snewhandsets,insteaditwasthe announcementthatNokiaisteamingupwithMonstertoco- brandheadsetsforitsphones.Whatmakesthissointeresting isthatHTCboughtintotheBeatsbrand,whichwasoriginally Publishedby:VR-Zone Therewillbetwoheadsetstostartwith,thePurityHDstereo headsetandthePuritystereoheadset;ofcoursebothmodels carrya"byMonster"tagattheendoftheproductnames. ThePurityHDisanovereartypeheadsetwithsquare-ish kindofflatearpads.Theheadbandisfoldableandfeaturesa verysimilardesignastheBeatsaudioheadsets.Thewirehas amicrophoneandcontrolbuttonsthatarecompatiblewith Nokia'snewLumiaphones,althoughweexpectthatitshould workwithatleastanyotherWindowsPhone7device.The buttonsallowforadjustmentofvolumeandansweringand endingcalls.ThePurityHDheadsetwillcomeinblack,white, cyanandfuchsiaforwhatislikelytobeasteeppricetag. acollaborationbetweenMonsterandDrDreandwe'recurious aboutwhatHTCwillhavetosayaboutthispartnership ThemostsurprisingannouncementatNokiaWorld2011 wasn'toneofNokia'snewhandsets,insteaditwasthe announcementthatNokiaisteamingupwithMonstertoco- brandheadsetsforitsphones.Whatmakesthissointeresting isthatHTCboughtintotheBeatsbrand,whichwasoriginally acollaborationbetweenMonsterandDrDreandwe'recurious aboutwhatHTCwillhavetosayaboutthispartnership. 25

  26. October31st,2011 ThePurityheadsetontheotherhandastandardin-earaffair, althoughitusesthekindofflatcablesthatonceagainMonster hasusedfortheBeatsaudioproducts.Thisisanoiseinsulation setorheadphonesanditcomeswithfivedifferentsizedear budstoallowforatightseal.Therestofthefeaturesarethe sameasforthePurityHDandwe'llbeseeingthePurityinthe samechoiceofcoloursaswell.Nowordonpricinghereeither, butexpectthemtobeexpensive. NokiaAsha,thehandsetsfor thenextbillion Source:http://vr-zone.com/articles/nokia-asha-the-handsets-for-the-next- billion/13816.html October31st,2011 AsforthenewSymbianS406thEditionhandsetsannounced todayatNokiaWorld2011,it'sclearthatNokiaispushingfora deathofthe"dumbphone"eventhoughit'shardtocallthenew Ashahandsetssmartphones,buttheymostdefinitelyfallin thefeaturephonecategory.ThefournewmodelsaretheAsha 303,Asha300,Asha201andAsha200,ofwhichthreecomes withafullQWERTYkeypad.Apparentlythesehandsetsare intendedforthedevelopingmarkets,orforthe"nextbillion" mobileusers,accordingtoNokia. AsforthenewSymbianS406thEditionhandsetsannounced todayatNokiaWorld2011,it'sclearthatNokiaispushingfora deathofthe"dumbphone"eventhoughit'shardtocallthenew Ashahandsetssmartphones,buttheymostdefinitelyfallin thefeaturephonecategory.ThefournewmodelsaretheAsha 303,Asha300,Asha201andAsha200,ofwhichthreecomes withafullQWERTYkeypad.Apparentlythesehandsetsare intendedforthedevelopingmarkets,orforthe"nextbillion" mobileusers,accordingtoNokia. Publishedby:VR-Zone Startingatthebottom,wehavetheAsha200and201,which aremoreorlessthesamehandset,althoughwithsomeminor differencesintermsoftheinternals.Neithermodeloffers3G connectivitywithbothlimitedtodualbandGSM/EDGE.Both modelssporta2.4inQVGA(320x240)display,upto64MBof internalstoragememory,amicroSDcardslot,a2Megapixel camera,Bluetooth2.1+EDR,FMradio,amicroUSBport anda3.5mmheadsetjack.Themaindifferenceisthatthe Asha200isadualSIMphone,buttheneatthinghereisthat thesecondSIMcanbeswappedwithouthavingtorestartthe phone.TheAsha200'shaveabatteryratedat1,430mAhwhich isgoodforupto35daysstandbyor7htalktime.Bothmodels willbeavailableineightdifferentcoloursdependingonthe market,withtheAsha200expectedtolaunchthisquarterwith theAsha201settofollowinQ1nextyearwithanestimated retailpriceof€60(S$105)excludingtax. 26

  27. October31st,2011 Publishedby:VR-Zone ThefourthandfinalnewhandsetistheAsha303whichgets aslightlybiggercapacitive2.6-inchscreen,butitretainsthe lowQVGA(320x240)resolution.Ittooboostsanunspecified 1GHzprocessor,buttherestofthespecshavebeengivena bump.Ithas170MBofstoragememory,pentaband3G/HSPA support,aQWERTYkeypad,802.11b/g/nWi-Fi,Bluetooth2.1 +EDR,a3.2Megapixelcamera,FMradio,amicroUSBport withUSBOTGsupportanda3.5mmheadphonejack.Nokia claimsthatthe1,300mAhbatteryshouldbegoodforupto30 daysstandbyin2Gmodeor35daysin3Gmodewithupto eightandsevenhoursoftalktimerespectively.TheAsha303 willcomeinsixdifferentcoloursandittooshouldarrivelater thisquarterforabout€115(S$205),againexcludingtax. NextupwehavetheAsha300whichlooksalotmorelikea traditional“dumbphone”butthelooksaredeceivinginthis case.TheAsha300featuresanunspecified1GHzprocessor, a2.4-inchQVGA(320x240)resistivetouchscreenandquad band3G/HSPAconnectivity.Italsohas140MBofinternal storagememory,amicroSDcardslot,a5Megapixelcamera thatwillalsoshootVGAresolutionvideat25fps,Bluetooth2.1 +EDR,FMradiowithRDS,amicroUSBportwithUSBOTG supportanda3.5mmheadsetjack.It'salsothefirstoftwo SymbianS40devicesfromNokiathatwillcomewithAngry BirdsLitepre-loaded.TheAsha300willbeavailableinsix differentcoloursandshouldarrivethisquarterwitharetail priceofaround€85(S$150)excludingtax. 27

  28. Publishedby:VR-Zone November4th,2011 VR-Zone.com|StufffortheGeeks! VR-Zone|StufffortheGeeksisabi-weeklypublication coveringthelatestgadgetsandstuffforthegeeks. Asus'TransformerPrime benchmarked? Source:http://vr-zone.com/articles/asus-transformer-prime- benchmarked-/13877.html November4th,2011 We'vealreadyseenaglimpseoftheinternalsoftheAsusEee PadTransformerPrimeandnowitseemslikebenchmark numbershaveleaked,inaverypeculiarway.AnAndroid benchmarkcalledAnTuTuBenchmarkgotupdatedtoversion 2.4.2andthecompanybehindthebenchmarkhasincluded numbersfortheTransformerPrimeforcomparativepurposes, despitethefactthatthenewtablethasn'tevenlaunchedyet. We'vealreadyseenaglimpseoftheinternalsoftheAsusEee PadTransformerPrimeandnowitseemslikebenchmark numbershaveleaked,inaverypeculiarway.AnAndroid benchmarkcalledAnTuTuBenchmarkgotupdatedtoversion 2.4.2andthecompanybehindthebenchmarkhasincluded numbersfortheTransformerPrimeforcomparativepurposes, despitethefactthatthenewtablethasn'tevenlaunchedyet. AccordingtotheversionhistoryontheAndroidmarket, AnTuTugotsupportforquadcoreprocessorsinversion2.4 andatsomepointafterthatthecompanygotitshandsona TransformerPrime.Accordingtothebenchmarkcomparison graph,theTegra3chipinsidetheTransformerPrimeis clockedat1.4GHz,asmidgenslowerthantheupto1.5GHz speedthatbeenthrownaroundearlier. SohowdoestheTransformerPrimeperform,well,atleast inthisspecificbenchmark,it'sblowingthecompetitionaway. We'realittlebitsuspiciousaboutthenumbersthough,asthe memoryperformanceappearstobewaytoohighconsidering thatTegra3hasasingle32-bitLPDDDR2memoryinterface andevenNvidiahasstatedthatTegra3willonlyhaveclose todoublethememorybandwidth.Interestingly,thegraphics performancedoesn'tseemtobeallthatmindblowing,asboth the2Dand3Dchunksinthegraph,arenobiggerthanthose ofotherhigh-endAndroidsmartphones. Weshouldfindoutsoonenoughifthesenumbersprovetobe therealdealornot,butifit'sproventobetrue,thenNvidia couldhavearealwinneronitshandswithTegra3andforthe sameintentsandpurpose,AsuswithitsTransformerPrime. Thatsaid,we'renotsureifAndroidcantakeadvantageofall thisperformancethat'sonoffer,buthopefullyAndroid4.0will beabletomakebetteruseoftheadditionalcoresthatareon offerhere. 1

  29. November4th,2011 Gigabyte'snew3DBIOS shownoffonvideo Source:http://vr-zone.com/articles/gigabyte-s-new-3d-bios-shown-off-on- video/13875.html November4th,2011 It'sbeenlongcomingandalthoughwedidn'texpectittobe shownoffquitesosoon,detailsofGigabyte'supcoming3D BIOS–whereBIOSreallyisUEFI–haveappearedonline. Backwhenthe6-serieslaunched,Gigabitgotalotofcriticism forstickingwiththegoodoldBIOSforitsboards,butwithits X79motherboards,Gigabytehavebeenmoreorlessforcedto movetoUEFI. It'sbeenlongcomingandalthoughwedidn'texpectittobe shownoffquitesosoon,detailsofGigabyte'supcoming3D BIOS–whereBIOSreallyisUEFI–haveappearedonline. Backwhenthe6-serieslaunched,Gigabitgotalotofcriticism forstickingwiththegoodoldBIOSforitsboards,butwithits X79motherboards,Gigabytehavebeenmoreorlessforcedto Publishedby:VR-Zone Let'stakeanexamplehere,clickontheSATAportsand yougetamenuthatallowsyoutochangethesettingsfor theSATAports.Theoptionsarekeptfairlybasicinmostof theoptions,butsomeofthe3DBIOSsettingshavemore advancedfeaturesandthere'sevenanoverclockingmenu. ThisisaprettyrevolutionarywayofaccessingtheBIOS settingsandsomethingno-oneelsehasdonebefore.We'll reservejudgementuntilweactuallygettohaveaplaywithit though,asit'snoteasytojudgehowwellitworks,evenfrom thevideo. movetoUEFI. Asfortheadvancedoptions,wefeelGigabyteneedtomake BeyondthesimplefactthatGigabytehasmovedtoUEFI,the companyseemstohavesatdownandhadathinkabouthow createaneasytoaccessUI.Forthosethatareworriedthat Gigabytehasdumbedthingsdown,fretnot,alltheadvanced settingsarestillthere,althoughwe'dgooutonalimbhereand saythatGigabytestillneedtotweaktheadvancedsettingsa bit.Butlet'sgobacktothenewsimpleUI;thisisreallywhere the3DBIOSnamecomesintoplay.Gigabytesimplysnapped acoupleofpicturesoftheboardinquestion,puttheminthe thingsabiteasiertoread,asthefontusedisveryskinny whichmakesitabitdifficulttoread.ItalsolookslikeGigabyte didn'tmakethebestpossibleuseofthescreenrealestateon offer,althoughthisseemstobeacommonissueamongallthe graphicalUEFIimplementationstodate.Youcanofcourse stilluseyourkeyboardtonavigatearoundifyou'renotkeen onusingthemouse.We'dsuggestyouhavealookatthevideo togetabetterideaofGigabyte'snew3DBIOSwhichshould bestandardonallnewmotherboardsfromGigabyte. UEFIandmadethevariouscomponentsselectable. 2

  30. November4th,2011 SapphireShowsOffitsX79 PureBlackMotherboard Source:http://vr-zone.com/articles/sapphire-shows-off-its-x79-pure-black- motherboard/13874.html November4th,2011 Publishedby:VR-Zone TheSapphirePureBlackX79isdesignedforoverclocking, backedbyastrongpowerdeliveryandsomeniftyfeatures overclockerscanusetotheiradvantage.Tobeginwith,power deliverytotheCPUishabdledbya7-phasedigitalPWMpower supplythatdrawspowerfroman8-pinEPSconnector,and a2-phaseVTTcircuitthatusescommonchoke+DrMOS design.Apartfromthe24-pinATXand8-pinEPS,theboard alsodrawspowerfroma6-pinPCIepowerconnector,thisis probablytostabilizePCIeslotpowerdeliveryandotherpower domains. AlthoughknownmoreforitsAMDRadeongraphicscards, Sapphirealwaystriedtomakeinroadstothemotherboard industry.Notthatthereareanymajorhurdlesinitsway,given thatithasacash-richOEM(PCPartner)pullingitsstrings. ComeLGA2011SandyBridge-EHEDTplatform,andSapphire isoutforitssliceyetagain,withthePureBlackCI7X79N motherboard,ofwhichwescoredsomeearlypictures. AlthoughknownmoreforitsAMDRadeongraphicscards, Sapphirealwaystriedtomakeinroadstothemotherboard industry.Notthatthereareanymajorhurdlesinitsway,given thatithasacash-richOEM(PCPartner)pullingitsstrings. ComeLGA2011SandyBridge-EHEDTplatform,andSapphire isoutforitssliceyetagain,withthePureBlackCI7X79N motherboard,ofwhichwescoredsomeearlypictures. TherearefourDDR3DIMMslots,onepermemory channel.SandyBridge-Epacksaquad-channelDDR3memory controller.Thememoryonthisboardispoweredbya4-phase VRM,whichusescommonchokesanddriver-MOSFETs. 3

  31. November4th,2011 SpeakingofPCIe,alltheexpansionslotsonthisboardare physicalPCIex16.Amongthese,threearePCI-Express3.0x16 capable,andallsixarePCI-Express3.0x8capable.We'renot quitesurewhatthethirdsetof16PCIelanesarewiredto, Publishedby:VR-Zone TherearesixUSB3.0portsonthisboard,fourontherear panel,andtwoviainternalheader,alldrivenbyASMedia- made2-portcontrollers.TherearetwogigabitEthernet connection,whichsurprisingly,arehandledbyMarvellYukon UltraIIPCIeGbEcontrollers-youdon'tseethateveryday. AudioiscareofaRealtekALC892HDaudioCODEC,with8+2 channels,opticalandcoaxialSPDIFoutputs.Connectivityalso includesaBluetoothcontroller. butthatisquiteabigheatsink(boardarea-wise)coolingthe chipset.Perhapsthere'sabridgechip,too?Evenifthereis, wedon'texpectittobeNVIDIA-made.Duetosomeindustry politics,Sapphiredoesn'thaveaccesstoNVIDIASLIonits motherboards,butheyyou'renotmissingoutmuch,andthere areplentyofoptionsfromtheRadeoncamp. Movingontothebusiness-endofthisboard(overclocking),we couldfindmanyniftyfeatures,startingwithastrongVRM,a UEFIfirmwarewithatleastabasicinterfaceyetloadedwith options,consolidatedvoltagemeasurementpointscovering keyvoltagedomains,somejumper-basedhardoverclocking, phaseLEDsthatgiveyouavisualmeasureofphaseloading, StorageconnecitivyincludesfourinternalSATA6Gb/s(red) ports,outofwhichtwoarewiredtotheX79PCH,andtwotoa Marvell-madeSATA6Gb/sRAIDcontroller;fourSATA3Gb/ s(black)portsfromtheX79PCH;andtwoeSATA6Gb/sports ontherearpanel,drivenbyaMarvell-madecontroller. andbothPOSTLEDnumericdisplayandafixedPCspeaker -aniftytouch. ExpecttheSapphirePureBlackX79tofeatureinthefirstwave ofLGA2011motherboards. KlipschImageS4A,firstfor Androidheadphones,available now Source:http://vr-zone.com/articles/klipsch-image-s4a-first-for-android- headphones-available-now/13873.html 4

  32. November4th,2011 November4th,2011 ThisnewKlipschImageS4Aclaimstobethefirst headphonesforAndroiddevices.Androiduserscandownload thefreeKlipschControlapptocustomizebuttonfunctionsof thesingle-buttonremotecontrol-play,pause,answerandend callsetc. Publishedby:VR-Zone November4th,2011 Thisafternoon,MotorolaMobilityunveiledthenewRAZR smartphonewhichfeaturesdual-core1.2GHzprocessor,1GB memoryandrunsGoogleAndroid2.3.5Gingerbreadmobile operatingsystem.The4.3-inchphonewithSuperAMOLED Advancedtouchscreendisplaywillbeavailablefromnext week. TatChuanAcoustichasbroughtKlipschImageS4A,first forAndroidheadphones,toSingapore.Androiduserscan downloadthefreeKlipschControlApppriortouse.Once installed,theheadphoneinstantlybecomesafullyfunctioning headsetforanydevicerunningtheAndroid2.1orhigher.With itssingle-buttonremote,usersareabletoplay,pauseandskip musictracks,answerandendincomingcalls,andvoicesearch. Eachbuttonfunctioncanbecustomizedbyusersthrough TheMotorolaRAZRmeasures7.1mmatitsthinnestpointand sportsa4.3-inchqHD(960x540)SuperAMOLEDAdvanced touchscreendisplaywithCorningGorillaglass.Powered bydual-core1.2GHzprocessorandrunsGoogleAndroid 2.3.5,thephonehasacurvedbodywithlaser-cutKEVLAR rear,stainlesssteelcoreandlaminatedconstructionthatoffer gooddurability. theuseoftheKlipschControlApp.Bysimplyassigningthe single,doubleorthree-clickfunctionalitiesoftheremoteto thedifferentcallandmusiccontrols,usersaregranteda customizedlisteningexperienceeachtimetheyplugin. Availableinasleekblackfinishwithchromeaccents,the ImageS4Acomescompletewithfourdifferent-sizedovalear tips(asmall/mediumdualflangedesignaswellassmall, mediumandlargesingleflangedesigns),anylonzippercase, clothingclipandtwo-yearwarranty.TheKlipschImageS4A isretailingatS$169(inclusiveofGST)andisavailablenow atTatChuanShowroomatTheAdelphi#01-17,aswellasall HandphoneShopand3Mobileoutlets. MotorolaMobilitybrings thenewRAZRAndroid smartphonetoSingapore Source:http://vr-zone.com/articles/motorola-mobility-brings-the-new- razr-android-smartphone-to-singapore/13872.html 5

  33. November4th,2011 Publishedby:VR-Zone ThereportalsosuggestsNVIDIA'sperformanceKeplerGPUs arenowscheduledforaQ22012release,aroundtherelease ofIvyBridge.Bythattime,AMDwillhavequiteafewoftheir 28nmGPUsonthemarket. SamsungSeries9TA9503D LEDHDTVmonitorreview:As goodasitlooks Source:http://vr-zone.com/articles/samsung-series-9-ta950-3d-led-hdtv- monitor-review-as-good-as-it-looks/13751.html November4th,2011 AtthetopofthenewMotorolaRAZRarea3.5mmaudiojack, microUSBandHDMIconnectorsforcharging/datatransfer andvideooutput.Thevolumecontrolsandpower/lockbutton areontheright,whiletheleftholdsthemicroSDandSIM cardslots.The8-megapixelautofocuscamerawithLEDflash areattherearandiscapableofrecordingvideosat1080phigh definition.TheMotorolaRAZRalsocomespreloadedwith TheSamsungSeries9TA9503DLEDHDTVmonitoris designedforbothentertainmentandwork,andcomeswith SmartTVfeaturesforuserstonavigateYouTubeandsocial networkingserviceslikeFacebookandTwitter.Sohowgood isthis3DLEDbacklitmonitor?Readon. MotoCastappthatletsyouremoteaccessyourfilesfromyour PCssecurely. TheMotorolaRAZRwillbeavailablefromSingTel,M1and StarHubfrom11November2011atarecommendedretail priceofS$888. Report:28nmAMDGPU volumeshipmentsin2012 Source:http://vr-zone.com/articles/report-28nm-amd-gpu-volume- shipments-in-2012/13871.html November4th,2011 Thesedays,eventhoughLCDTVsarebecominghighly affordablethesedays,theLCDmonitorsarestillindemand, especiallyforPCuserswhowantareplacementorabigger monitordisplay.Well,itistruethatyoucanusea32-inchor largerLCDTV,butunlessthatTVisfullhighdefinition1080p (1920x1080),elsethescreenresolutionwouldbesmaller thanmostLCDmonitors.Moreover,someusersmaywant evenhigherresolutions,like2560x1600pixelresolutionlike whattheDell30-inch3007WFPLCDmonitoroffers,whichis onlyslightlysmallerthana32-inchLCDTV.Anotherthingto considerisconnectivity,sincenotallPCshaveHDMIoutput, orLCDTVshavingVGAandDVIinputs.Andifyouchoose tousetheLCDTVasyourPC'smonitor,built-infeatures includingTVtunerandanalogueAVinputswouldbeofnouse asthereisnoneedtousethem. Ontheotherhand,theLCDmonitorscandoubleupasaTV displaywiththeirHDMIinput,providedyoudon'tmindthe smallerscreensize.TheSamsungTA950isthelatestinthe 6 AccordingtoareportfromFudzilla,AMDwillbeabletosupply next-gen28nmGPUsinmassquantitiesonlyin2012.Atits lastconferencecall,AMDconfirmedthatthenext-genGPUs willshipbytheendoftheyear,althoughtheactualgeneral releasestillremainsamatterofspeculation. AccordingtoareportfromFudzilla,AMDwillbeableto supplynext-gen28nmGPUsinmassquantitiesonlyin2012. Atitslastconferencecall,AMDconfirmedthattheSince AMDwillbeshippingsomeGPUswithin2011,alaunchfor atleastone28nmGPUcouldbepossiblebytheendofthe year.However,availabilitywillbeverylimitedin2011and widespreadavailabilityforthesameGPUwillonlyhappenin early2012.Asexpected,thereasonscitedhavebeenchallenges andyieldissueswiththelongpendingtransitionto28nmat TSMC.AMDalsoplanstouseGlobalfoundries'28nmprocess forselectedchips,butGloFo'snobetteroffthanTSMCwith the28nmtransition.

  34. November4th,2011 Publishedby:VR-Zone Series9LED-backlitmonitorsandclaimstoofferboth2D and3Dcapabilities.Beforewegoon,let'stakealookatits specifications:- AutoVolume Leveler Caption(Subtitle) Clock&On/Off Yes Yes Yes Timer GameModeYes Picture-In-Picture1TunerPIP SleepTimerYes StillPictureNo HotelTVFeatureHotelMode SystemDTVReception DTVTunerBuilt-inYes MHP/MHEGMHEG(1.0.6) (version) Input&OutputAudioOut(Mini Jack) ComponentIn(Y/1 Pb/Pr) CompositeIn(AV)1(Commonusefor ComponentY) SamsungSeries9TA9503DLEDHDTVmonitor DisplayBLULED UltraClearPanelYes VideoScreenSize27-inch Resolution1,920x1,080 PictureEngineDNIe+3D HyperRealEngine PanelFrameRate120Hz DynamicContrastMegaDCR Ratio AutoMotionPlusYes 120Hz Brightness Responsetime3ms ViewingAngle(H/170/160 Yes DVB-T Yes 300cd/m2 V) DigitalAudioOut 1 DolbyDigitalplus pulse,dts2.0,SRS TheatreSoundHD (Optical) DVIAudioIn(Mini1(Commonusefor Jack)PCAudioin) Ethernet(LAN)Yes Headphone1(Commonusefor Audioout) Audio Soundoutput (RMS) Woofer SoundSolution 7wattsx2 No Feature Samsung3D Yes HDMI 2 3DSound(TV) WirelessHeadSet Smart@TV RemoteControl AppSupport Yes No Yes Yes PCAudioIn(MiniYes Jack) PCIn(D-sub)No RFIn(Terrestrial/1 Cableinput) No Yes Yes RFIn(Satellite input) RS232C(AV CONTROL) USB No No 2 ExtendedPVR Allshare(Powered byDLNA) ConnectShare™ (USB2.0) MetalicMaterial - AC100-240V 50/60Hz DesignConcept/Type (ToCorHigh Glossy) FrontColorBlack TiltYes Swivel(Left/Right)No MarkEnergy/ EnvironmentMark PowerPowerSupply PowerTypical70watts/ ConsumptionMax80watts (Max.) Power<1.5W Consumption (Stand-by) RUI WiFiBuilt-in EPG Teletext(TTXT) OSDLanguage DigitalNoiseFilter BDWise InstaPortS RoomEQ,Auto SoundCalibration (ASC) Anynet+(HDMI- CEC) AutoChannel Search AutoPowerOff No No No No English Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes 7

  35. November4th,2011 Publishedby:VR-Zone ITprofessionalsforsecurity,manageability,serviceand support.TheDellLatitudeSTisavailablenow. Dimension SetSizewithout Stand(WxHxD, 621.0x380.0x11.4 mm) SetSizewithStand621.0x472.5x (WxHxD,mm) PackageSize (WxHxD,mm) 185.5 691.0x543.0x 216.0 SetWeightwith Stand(kg) 9.8 5.9 Weight PackageWeight (kg) Yes Accessory3DGlasses (Bundle) RemoteControl Model Batteries(for RemoteControl) VesaWallMount TM1060 Yes Notsupportany Supportwallmount SlimGenderCableYes ANT-CableNo PowerCableExternalAdapter SignalCableHDMItoHDMI (Default)Cable QuickSetupGuideYes E-manualYes InstallCDYes(forPC3D GameS/W) DellintroducesLatitude STTabletforbusiness, healthcareandeducation Source:http://vr-zone.com/articles/dell-introduces-latitude-st-tablet-for- business-healthcare-and-education/13870.html November4th,2011 Today,DellSingaporeunveiledtheirlatestLatitudeST,a lightweightandportabletabletPCdesignedbothmobileand DellhasannouncedtheirnewLatitudeSTtabletPCthatis designedforbothmobileandITprofessionals.Incorporating Windows7productivityinaconvenient,lightweightbody, theLatitudeSTpromisessecurity,manageability,serviceand support.ThetabletPCsportsa10-inchmulti-touchdisplay withastylusforintuitiveease-of-use,andletsyouaccess dataanytimeandanywhereviaWi-Fiandmobilebroadband options.TheDellLatitudeSTcanbetailoredtospecific businessorenduserneedswithcertifiedapplicationsand professionalservices.Itisalsoidealforanyorganization whereemployeesneedtorunacoresetofapplicationsinsafe computingenvironments. Asuslaunchesfeaturepacked 11.6-inchU24Enotebookin Japan Source:http://vr-zone.com/articles/asus-launches-feature-packed-11.6- inch-u24e-notebook-in-japan/13869.html November4th,2011 Whenitcomestonotebooks,Japanseemstobegettingallthe coolmodelsandnowAsushasgoneandlaunchedanew11.6- inchnotebookinJapanandno,it'snotanotherUltrabook,as theU24Efeaturesafull-fatCPU,yetstillmanagestoweighin at1.5kg.ThisisthereasonwhyUltrabooksarepointless,asit's obviouslypossibletocreatenotebookswithstandardnotebook CPUswithoutmakingbig,heavy15-inchorlargerbehemoths. Whenitcomestonotebooks,Japanseemstobegettingallthe coolmodelsandnowAsushasgoneandlaunchedanew11.6- inchnotebookinJapanandno,it'snotanotherUltrabook,as theU24Efeaturesafull-fatCPU,yetstillmanagestoweighin at1.5kg.ThisisthereasonwhyUltrabooksarepointless,asit's 8

  36. November4th,2011 obviouslypossibletocreatenotebookswithstandardnotebook CPUswithoutmakingbig,heavy15-inchorlargerbehemoths. TheU24EsportsaCorei5-2430Mprocessorwhichisclocked at2.4GHz,butwillturboallthewayupto3GHz.Italsocomes with4GBofRAMasstandardwhichisupgradeableto8GB. Storageisaregularoldharddrive,butAsuswilloffersizesup to750GB.There'sofcoursenoopticaldrive,asthisisarather smallmachineat291x207x28mm(WxDxH)andit's11.6-inch screenhastypicalnotebookresolutionof1366x768pixels whichispoweredbyIntel'sintegratedHD3000graphics. OtherfeaturesincludetwoUSB3.0ports,asingleUSB2.0 port,anHDMIport,GigabitEthernet,aD-subconnector, amemorycardreader,audiojacks,802.11b/g/nWi-Fi, Bluetooth3.0+HSandofcourseawebcam.The6-cellbattery isratedat6.8handalthoughthisiswherethingsaren'tasgood assomeoftheUltrabooks,it'snotsignificantlylesswhenyou compare,infactAsus'onZenbookUX21hasacomparatively smallbatterythatwon'tgiveyoumuchmoreusablebattery life.TheU24EisonsaleinJapannowfor59,800Yen(S$968/ US$766)whichseemsquitereasonableforwhatyouget.Asto whentheU24EwillbeavailableoutsideofJapan,isanyone's guess. MotorolaXoom2andXoom2 MediaEditionlaunches Source:http://vr-zone.com/articles/motorola-xoom-2-and-xoom-2-media- edition-launches/13868.html November4th,2011 MotorolahaslaunchedapairofAndroidtabletintheshape oftheXoom2andXoom2MediaEditionandthetwoare Publishedby:VR-Zone smaller8.2-inchscreen,althoughbothmodelsshouldhavethe same1280x800resolution. MotorolahaslaunchedapairofAndroidtabletintheshape oftheXoom2andXoom2MediaEditionandthetwoare quitedifferent,eventhoughthenamewouldn'tsuggestso.The Xoom2shouldbereplacingtheoriginalXoom,asbothfeature a10.1-inchdisplay,whereastheXoom2MediaEditionhasa smaller8.2-inchscreen,althoughbothmodelsshouldhavethe same1280x800resolution. Thetwotabletsshareasimilardesign,runAndroid3.2and featuregorillaglassaswellasrubberisededgestoimprovethe grip.Bothtabletsarepoweredbyadualcore1.2GHzTIOMAP 4430SoCwhichhasbeenpairedupwith1GBofRAM,16GB ofinternalstorage,Wi-Fi,arear5MegapixelcamerawithLED flashandafrontfacing1.3Megapixelcamera.Bothmodelsalso hasamicroUSBportandamicroHDMIport,withtheXoom 2alsohavingamicroSDcardslot,althoughit'sapparently notenabledatthemoment.TheXoom2MediaEditionalso featuresaninfraredtransmitterwhichallowsyoutouseitas auniversalremotecontrol. quitedifferent,eventhoughthenamewouldn'tsuggestso.The Xoom2shouldbereplacingtheoriginalXoom,asbothfeature a10.1-inchdisplay,whereastheXoom2MediaEditionhasa 9

  37. November4th,2011 CurrentlythetwomodelsareonlyavailableintheUKand Ireland,althoughwe'dexpecttoseebroaderavailabilityover time.There'salsoapotentialofa3GmodelfortheXoom2,as it'salreadyequippedwithaSIMcardslot,buttheUKmodel willbeWi-Fionly.TheXoom2weighsinat599gwhilethe smallerXoom2MediaEditionisabitmoreportableat386g. ApparentlytheXoom2MediaEditionalsosportsasubwoofer speaker,althoughwe'dhavetohearittobelieveit.Pricewise theXoom2willretailfor£379.99(S$780)withtheXoom2 MediaEditioncominginslightlycheaperat£329.99(S$650). Asus'TransformerPrimegets undressed,revealsTegra3 Source:http://vr-zone.com/articles/asus-transformer-prime-gets- undressed-reveals-tegra-3/13867.html November4th,2011 TheFCC(FederalCommunicationsCommission)hadkindly postedpicturesofthegutsofAsus’upcomingTransformer Primetablet,sinceifyouwanttoselladeviceintheUS;it hastopassthroughthestringenttestingoftheFCC.Assuch, wenowknownotonlywhatNvidia’sTegra3chipfortablets looklike,butalsosomedetailsaboutthespecificationsofthe TransformerPrimebeyondtheprocessor. TheFCC(FederalCommunicationsCommission)hadkindly postedpicturesofthegutsofAsus’upcomingTransformer Primetablet,sinceifyouwanttoselladeviceintheUS;it hastopassthroughthestringenttestingoftheFCC.Assuch, wenowknownotonlywhatNvidia’sTegra3chipfortablets looklike,butalsosomedetailsaboutthespecificationsofthe TransformerPrimebeyondtheprocessor. Publishedby:VR-Zone ItlookslikeNvidiahasmanagedtoshrinkthesizeofthe chipquitesignificantlycomparedtoTegra2,despitedoubling thecorecountandthensome.It’sunlikelythatthissame chipwillbeusedinsmartphonesthough,asit’sstillbigger thanyouraverageARMSoC.BeyondtheTegra3chip,we’re lookingatanunknownamountof32-bitDDR2orpossibly LPDDR2memoryfromElpida,asthespecificmodelnumber doesn’tappearonElpida’swebsite.Storagecomescourtesy ofaneMMCchipfromHynix,inthiscasea32GBchip builton2XnmtechnologythatiscompliantwiththeeMMC 4.41standardthatoffersamaximummemorybandwidthof 104MB/s. OtherchipsspottedincludeWi-FifromAzurewave,aGPS receiverfromBroadcom,audiofromRealtekandatouch screencontrollerfromAtmelwithsupportforupto16 simultaneoustouchinputs.Thetabletalsoappearstohavea microSDcardslot,abuiltincamerawithwhatappearsto beanLEDflash,anaudiojackandaUSBport.There’salso acustomdockconnectorforthekeyboarddock,butit’sabit hardtoseeinthepictures.Thebatterypackseemstotake upmostofthespaceinsidethetabletandit’sratedat25Wh 10

  38. Publishedby:VR-Zone Continuingwithtradition,NoctuaisofferingthenewNM- I2011SecuFirm2™mountingsfreeofchargetonewand existingcustomers,whichiscompatiblewiththeirwholeline ofretailheatsinks.WeatVR-Zonetesteditonourpreviously reviewedNH-C14andthenewASUSSabertoothX79to bringyouthemountingproceduresandsomeideaaboutram clearance. Thekitcameinasmallandglossybox November4th,2011 or3,380mAhwhicheveryouprefer.Thatsaid,weshouldn’t havetowaittoolongfortheTransformerPrimetolaunchand weshouldknowmorethen.Checkoutthesourceformore picturesoftheinternalsoftheTransformerPrime. Rosewillreleasesthe monstrousBlackhawk-Ultra GamingCase Source:http://vr-zone.com/articles/rosewill-releases-the-monstrous- blackhawk-ultra-gaming-case/13866.html November4th,2011 TodayRosewillreleasedtheBlackhawk-UltraGamingSuper TowerComputerCase,aproductofmonstrousproportions andloadedwithfeatures.ThecasecansupportHPTX motherboards,twopowersuppliesandaludicrousnumberof coolingfans;itcomeswith8LEDfanspre-installed. Openingtheboxwasakintoopeningajewellerycase,quite impressiveconsideringitsfreeofcharge Thecasealsoincludesafullblackinteriorwithmanycable routingoptions,tenHDDtraysandupto43cmlongGFX cards.RosewilloffersthecasewithaMSRPof229.99$USD. NoctuaNM-I2011SecuFirm2 LGA2011MountingKitReview Source:http://vr-zone.com/articles/noctua-nm-i2011-secufirm2-lga-2011- mounting-kit-review/13865.html November4th,2011 11

  39. November4th,2011 Publishedby:VR-Zone Fool-proofinstructions ASUSSabertoothX79 Themountingnuts,screwsandbolts Fujitsulaunches13.3-inch LIFEBOOKSH771 Source:http://vr-zone.com/articles/fujitsu-launches-13.3-inch-lifebook- sh771/13864.html November4th,2011 Withnotebookmanufacturerscomingupwiththeirlineof thinandlightportables,FujitsuPCAsiaPacifichasrecently launchedtheir13.3-inchLIFEBOOKSH771whichclaimsto bethethinnestandlightestLIFEBOOKyet,with9.5hours runtimeonastandardbattery. WewillbetestingitontheNH-C14top-flowheatsink 12

  40. November4th,2011 FujitsuPCAsiaPacifichasannouncedthelaunchoftheir FujitsuLIFEBOOKSH771designedforprofessionalsand userswhowantaportablelaptopwithgoodperformance andlongbatterylife.TheLIFEBOOKSH771claimstobe thethinnestandlightest13.3-inchtwo-spindleLIFEBOOK, weighingjust1.33kginasturdymagnesiumalloybodythat canwithstandupto200kgfofforce,andoffersanextended batterylifeofupto14hours. UserscanchoosebetweenanIntelCorei7ori5processorwith 500GB7200rpmharddiskdriveand4GBRAMforsuperb computingperformanceandsmartmulti-taskingfeatures.The LIFEBOOKSH771isalsoequippedwithanUSBAnytime ChargingplusfeatureandaUSB3.0portthatallowsyou toeffectivelychargeyoursmartphone,PlayStationPortable, MP3playersandotherdevices,withoutpoweringupthe notebookPC.OtherfeaturesincludeDTSBoostthatcan deliversuperbaudioexperienceandclarityinsound,andIntel WirelessDisplaythatallowsuserstowirelesslyconnecttoa largescreenHighDefinition(HD)TVforsharingofpicturess andvideoswithfamilyandfriends. TheFujitsuLIFEBOOKSH771isretailingfromS$2,288w/ GSTandwillbeavailablefromearlyNovember2011. NokiatomovefromQualcomm toST-EricssonforWindows Phonechips Source:http://vr-zone.com/articles/nokia-to-move-from-qualcomm-to-st- ericsson-for-windows-phone-chips/13863.html November4th,2011 InasurprisingannouncementithascometolightthatST- EricssonwillsoonbepartoftheWindowsPhoneecosystem whichsofarhasbeenthesoleplayinggroundforQualcomm. ST-EricssonhasbeenselectedbynoneotherthanNokiato becomeitssupplierofSoCsforitsfutureWindowsPhone handsets. InasurprisingannouncementithascometolightthatST- EricssonwillsoonbepartoftheWindowsPhoneecosystem whichsofarhasbeenthesoleplayinggroundforQualcomm. ST-EricssonhasbeenselectedbynoneotherthanNokiato becomeitssupplierofSoCsforitsfutureWindowsPhone handsets. ThepressreleaseissuedbyST-Ericssonisshortandvirtually freeofdetailsandifitwasn'tforthefactthatthecompany mentionsitsNovaThorplatform,itcouldsimplyhavebeen thatST-Ericssonwould'vebeenselectedtoprovidemodem solutionstoNokia,somethingthattheyoffertoalotofhandset manufacturers. Publishedby:VR-Zone Mali-400MPgraphicswhichmeansthatwe'relookingat chipsthatareuptherewiththecuttingedgeofcurrent ARMsolutions.Butwhat'sevenmoreinterestingisthatthe companyisalreadysamplingitsnextgenerationCortex-A9 SoCswhichwillbebuilton32nmandwillberunningatspeeds ofupto1.8GHz. Asifthatwasn'tgoodenough,thecompanyshouldalsobe closetostartsamplingits28nmCortex-A15basedSoCswith clockspeedsofupto2.5GHzandnextgenerationPowerVR graphicswhichsupportsDirectX.Thismakesuswonderif thisplatformmightbedestinedforafutureNokiaWindows tabletornot,asthecompany'sCEOStephenElophashinted atthefactthatthecompanymightbeinterestedinbuildinga Windows8tablet. It'seasytospeculateastowhatmayormaynothappen, butonethingisclearunlessST-Ericssongotaheadofitself, theWindowsPhoneplatformisfinallygoingtogetsupport forbetterhardwarethanQualcomm'sratherdullsinglecore offerings.Competitionwithregardstothephoneinternalsis alsoagoodthingasit'slikelytofinallybringoutamajor differentiatorbetweenthevariousWindowsPhonedevices. Handsonpicturesof Gigabyte'supcomingX79 motherboards Source:http://vr-zone.com/articles/hands-on-pictures-of-gigabyte-s- upcoming-x79-motherboards/13862.html November4th,2011 VR-ZonegottospendalittlebitoftimewithGigabyte's upcomingmotherboardfor(aswewereinformedbyGigabyte whointurnhadbeeninstructedbyInteltotellusthat weshouldcallit)theIntelCorei7processorfamilyfor theLGA2011socket,otherwiseknownunderIntel'scode nameofSandyBridge-E.We'vealreadyseenGigabyte'sX79 motherboardsafewtimes,butthesearethefirstdetailed picturesandassuchwehaveafewadditionalsnippetsof informationtosharewithyou. VR-ZonegottospendalittlebitoftimewithGigabyte's upcomingmotherboardfor(aswewereinformedbyGigabyte whointurnhadbeeninstructedbyInteltotellusthat weshouldcallit)theIntelCorei7processorfamilyfor theLGA2011socket,otherwiseknownunderIntel'scode nameofSandyBridge-E.We'vealreadyseenGigabyte'sX79 motherboardsafewtimes,butthesearethefirstdetailed picturesandassuchwehaveafewadditionalsnippetsof informationtosharewithyou. TheNovaThorplatformisanentirelydifferentballgame though,especiallyasitrevealsalotaboutthefutureof WindowsPhone.CurrentlyST-Ericsson'sNovaThorplatform onlyincludesdualcoreCortex-A9basedSoCs,allwithARM 13

  41. November4th,2011 StartingwiththeX79-UD3wedon'thavetoomuchnewto report,butweknowforsurethatwe'relookingatacoupleof additionalMarvellcontrollersfortheextrafourSATA6Gbps ports.Anotherfeatureweweren'tawareofuntilnowisthat Publishedby:VR-Zone MovingonwehavetheX79-UD5andwe'dliketopointout thattheheatsinkinthiscaseisquitedifferenttotheUD3and we'renottalkingaboutthebluecolourhere.Duetoinpartthe heatpiperunningfromtheVRMtotheheatsinkandinpartto thetwodifferentcolouredmaterialsused,Gigabytehasfitted amuchthickerandmoresolidfeelingheatsinkontheUD5, eventhoughitmightnotlooklikeit'sanythingspecialfromthe pictures.Aswementionedbefore,theUD5isGigabyte'sonly eightDIMMboard,althoughthisisatthecostoftheseventh expansionslot.Weshouldalsomentionthatthisisthereareno PCIExpressswitchesonthisboard,asit'sconfiguredindual x16andasinglex8slotandasthereareenoughPCIExpress lanestogoaround,there'snoneedforanyswitches. GigabytehasmovedawayfromRealtekonallofitsX79 motherboardsinfavourofIntelEthernetcontrollers.That said,theaudioisstillfromRealtek,butthat'smoreorlessthe normtoday,nomatterwhatmotherboardyoubuywithafew exceptions. ForthosestillusingFireWire,thisisalsoGigabyte'sonly X79motherboardthatsupportsFireWire.You'llalsofindan eSATAp(poweredeSATA/USBcombo)portaroundtheback. AswementionedbackattheIDFpreview,thatblueandgreen buttonbelowtheO.C.buttonaroundthebackisinfactfor manualBIOSswitching.There'salsowhatappearstobea smallclearCMOSbuttonhere.Otherwisethisboardoffers fairlysimilarfunctionalitytotheUD3. AthirdMarvellcontrolleraddsthetwoeSATAportsandaswe mentionedbefore,GigabytehasmovedovertoFrescoLogic fortheUSB3.0hostcontrollersonitsX79boards.Sadly FrescoLogic'sfourporthostcontrollerwasn'treadyintime, somultiplecontrollershadtobeused.Thisisalsotheonly ofGigabyte'sX79motherboardsthatlacksaheatpipe,butto makeupforitatallerheatsinkhasbeenfittedtohelpcoolthe VRM. 14

  42. November4th,2011 AMDgainsCPUmarketshare inQ3 Source:http://vr-zone.com/articles/amd-gains-cpu-market-share-in- q3/13860.html November4th,2011 Publishedby:VR-Zone November4th,2011 Christmasisjustroundthecorner,andCanonhascomeup withsomegiftideasfromcompacrtdigitalcameras,video camcordersanddigitalSLRcamerasforyourfriendsandloved ones,betheyladies,teensorphotoenthusiasts. For Ladies and Teens The12.1-megapixelIXUS230HSisaslenderandchiccompact camerawhichclaimstobetheworld’sslimmestwith8xoptical zoom.WiththeIXUS230HSyoucantakegreatpartyshots withtheSmartAutofeaturethatcanautomaticallyfocuses onthesubjectandthebackground,creatingidealscenesfor eachphoto.RecommendedretailpriceoftheCanonIXUS230 HS-S$399. AccordingtoMercuryResearch,AMDhasgainedmarket shareyear-over-yearinQ32011,upby0.5%to18.8%. Intel'smarketshare,meanwhile,droppedto80.3%.Overall shipmentswereup5%versusQ32010. AccordingtoMercuryResearch,AMDhasgainedmarket shareyear-over-yearinQ32011,upby0.5%to18.8%. Intel'smarketshare,meanwhile,droppedto80.3%.Overall shipmentswereup5%versusQ32010.However,sequential marketshareincreasedforIntel,from79.9%inQ2.AMD'sfell from19.4%duringthesameperiod.Thisdropislargelydue toseveresupplyshortagesforLlanoatGlobalfoundries'32nm process.Inviewofthisshortage,AMDchosetoprioritizeon themobilemarket.Thisleadtoahighergrowthinmobile shipmentsforAMDcomparedtodesktops.TheaverageCPU priceincreasedto$107-thehighestinfiveyears. TheCanonPowerShotS95isaheavyweightcompactwith revolutionaryHSsystemthatmakesitexcellentinlow-light situations.ItfeaturesarangeoffeatureslikeHighDynamic Range(HDR)mode,10-megapixelresolution,afastf2.0zoom andahybridISsystemforadvancedimagestabilisation. Inshort,thePowerShotS95istheultimatetravelcompanion. 15 CanonChristmasGiftIdeas Source:http://vr-zone.com/articles/canon-christmas-gift-ideas/13859.html

  43. November4th,2011 Publishedby:VR-Zone RecommendedretailpriceoftheCanonPowerShotS95-S $599. For Techies and Photo Enthusiasts TheCanonLEGRIAFS406isauser-friendlystandard definitioncamcorder.IthasaVideoSnapshotandaPre RECfunctiontoensureuserscapturekeymomentseven ifrecordbuttonwaspressedthreesecondslater.Parentsdo notneedtoworryaboutshakyvideosofjuniorssincethe ElectronicimageStabilizerwithDynamicModeeliminates shakes.RecommendedretailpriceoftheCanonLEGRIA FS406-S$499. TheEOS600Dispoweredbyan18-megapixelhigh imagequalityCMOSsensorandthepowerfulDIGIC4 imageprocessor,allowingphotostobecreatedintogallery masterpiecesevenaftercroppingthem.Choosefromtwokits withdifferentlensestogiveyouthelookyouwanttoachieve. WithSceneIntelligentAutofeatureinthiscamera,itcan deliverfullHDrecordinginupto30fps.RecommendedRetail PriceoftheCanonEOS600D-S$1,199withEFS18-55ISII lens,andS$1,549withEFS18-135ISIIlens. ThelatestCanonPIXMAMG8270all-in-onewill suiteveryone’sneedsfromhomeoffice,tocreativephoto prints,copy,scanningandfaxing.ItfeaturesIntelligent TouchSystemanda3.5-inchLCDdisplaythatprovidesa varietyofcreativeprintingoptionsfordigitalimagesandhigh definitionmoviestills.TheMG8270isalsoenabledwith PIXMACloudLinkandcaneasilyprintphotofromonline albums,accessstationerytemplatesdirectlyfromtheprinter, orprintGmailmessagesorGoogleDocsfromsmartphoneor tabletviaGoogleCloudPrint.Recommendedretailpriceofthe CanonPIXMAMG8270-TBA. SingTellaunchesdeF!ND digitalconciergeappfor iPhoneandAndroid Source:http://vr-zone.com/articles/singtel-launches-def-nd-digital- concierge-app-for-iphone-and-android/13858.html 16 TheCanonEOS60Dincorporatesan18-megapixelAPS-Csize CMOSsensorwithadynamicDiGIC4imageprocessorfor takingbreathtakingphotos.Itcomeswitha3-inchwideVari- AngleLCDscreen,andletsyouediteasilywithIn-camerapost processing.RecommendedRetailPriceoftheCanonEOS60D -S$1,699withEFS18-55lens,S$2,049withEFS18-135lens, andS$2,199withEFS18-200lens. For New Parents and family

  44. Publishedby:VR-Zone November4th,2011 November4th,2011 -Bankingandfinance -Businessandprofessionalservices -Groceriesandliquor -Sportsandrecreation -Medicalanddentalservices -Governmentandorganisations -Artsandentertainment -Pets -RealEstateandhousing -AutomotiveandMotorcycles -Legalservices -Travelandtransportation -Education -Personalservices Amenities -ATM -Banks -Clinics -Minimarts -CarRepairandServices -Florist -Hospitals/Polyclinics -LaundryService -MoneyChanger -SingaporePools -PetrolKiosk -CourierandPostalServices -Supermarket HotDeals -Men’sapparelandaccessories -Ladiesapparelandaccessories -BeautyandSpa SingaporeTelecommunications(SingTel)haslaunchedanew digitalconciergeappfortheiPhoneandAndroiddevices, whichallowsuserstobookcabs,makerestaurantreservations, purchasemovieticketsandevenfindamenitiesintheir vicinityeasily.Ontopofthat,deF!NDalsocomeswithavoice recognitionfeatureforyoutofindyourlocalfoodandethnic restaurantsjustbysayingitout. SingTelhasunveileddeF!ND,whichclaimstobethe company'sfirstintelligentmobileconciergeappthat integrateslocalinformationandallowsbookingsofservices thatSingaporeansfindessentialwhileonthemove.Theapp alsohasavoicerecognitioncapabilityforlocalfoodandethnic restaurantsanditisavailableatnochargefromtheAppleApp StoreandtheAndroidMarketplace.WithdeF!ND,userscan bookcabs,makerestaurantreservations,buymovietickets, locateATMs,medicalclinicsandotheressentialamenities aroundtheirvicinities,aswellasfindthebestshoppingdeals, searchbusinessdirectoriesandgetupdatesonlocalevents. deF!NDsearchcategoriesinclude: TaxiBookings Foodaroundme Movies Bookmearestaurant Businessdirectory -Foodanddrink -Shoppingandretail -Computersandelectronics -Homeandgarden 17

  45. November4th,2011 -Electronicsandappliances -Childrenandinfantwear -Homeandgarden -Restaurants Events -Featuredevents -Performingarts -Fairsandfestivals -Kidsandfamily -LeisureandSport -NightOut SamsungintroducesNX200 mirrorlesscompactsystem interchangeablelenscamera Source:http://vr-zone.com/articles/samsung-introduces-nx200- mirrorless-compact-system-interchangeable-lens-camera/13857.html November4th,2011 Samsunghasintroducedtheirnewmirrorlesscompactsystem interchangeablelenscamera,theNX200,whichboasts professionalimagequalitywithgreateaseofuse.The NX200isfullycompatiblewithninedifferenti-Function lenseswithnewlensesforthei-Functionsystemincluding 18-200mm,16mm,60mmand85mmfocallengths. Publishedby:VR-Zone SamsunghaslaunchedtheNX200,anewcompactsystem camerathatdeliversprofessionalstandardphotography, promisinganeasyexperience.TheNX200deliversDSLR qualityimaginginacamerathatiscompactandeasy-to- use.Thecameraincorporatesa20.3-megapixelAPS-CCMOS sensorthatprovideshighqualityimagewithgreatdetails.For highspeedcapture,theNX200canachieve100msAdvanced AFspeed.WithitsFastBootandsevenframespersecond continuousshooting,youcanrestassurednottomissashot. Inaddition,thecameraoffersawiderangeISO(100-12800) thatgivesnaturalcoloursandsharpdetails,evenindark environmentsorwhencapturingfastmovingobjects.The NX200alsofeatures1920x1080/30p(H.264)highdefinition movierecordingwithstereosound. Thecompactsystemcameraiscompatiblewithi-Function 2.0lenses,whichgivescontroltoarangeofparametersfrom thelens,providingcompletefocusonashot.TheNX200is alsocompatiblewithninedifferenti-Functionlenseswhich enabletogglingbetweenshutterspeed,aperture,EV,WB,and ISOquicklyandeasily.Withtheupgradedi-Function2.0 ontheNX200,youcancontrolsixdifferentSmartFilters andtheintelli-ZoomfunctionfromthelenswhilstinLens PriorityMode.Newlensesforthei-Functionsysteminclude 18-200mm,16mm,60mmand85mmfocallengths. WiththenewPanoramafunction,itprovideslengthenedshots oflargeobjectsorconvertstheimageinto3Dandbringsthe objecttolife.TheNX200alsocomeswiththeaddedSound Picturefunction,asnippetofsoundcanberecordedtoastill imagetoincludeinterestingmemoriestoashot. TheSamsungNX200(with18-55mmi-Function2.0lens)is availableatS$1,099. CreativeSoundBlaster Tactic3DOmegawireless gamingheadsetavailablenow Source:http://vr-zone.com/articles/creative-sound-blaster-tactic3d-omega- wireless-gaming-headset-available-now/13856.html November4th,2011 CreativeTechnologyhasannouncedtheavailabilityoftheir SoundBlasterTactic3DOmegawirelessgamingheadset, designedtoprovidesuperbaudioqualityforanimmersive gamingexperience.TheTactic3DOmegawirelessgaming headsetisnowavailableattheCreativeonlinestore,the CREATIVEStoresoutletsandauthorizedretailers. 18

  46. November4th,2011 CreativeTechnologyhasannouncedtheavailabilityof thenewSoundBlasterTactic3DOmegaWirelessGaming Headset.TheSoundBlasterTactic3DOmegaWirelessGaming HeadsetcanconnectwirelesslytoanXbox360,PlayStation 3,PCorMac,anddeliverssuperioraudioqualityvia apowerfulFullSpectrum50mmdriversforanimmersive gamingexperience.TheSoundBlasterTactic3DOmega WirelessGamingHeadsetalsofeaturesadetachablenoise- cancelingmicrophoneforclearvoicecommunications.With theincludedsoftware,PCandMacgamerscanexperience THXTruStudioProaudiotechnologytocustomizetheirown gamingaudiosettingsandprofile. KeyFeatures -Award-winningwirelesstechnologydeliverslowlatencyand lackofinterferencewithotherwirelessproductsinthehome -FullSpectrumtunable50mmaudiodriversforgreataudio performance -Independentvoiceandgamevolumecontrolsdirectlyonthe earcups -Optimisedlightweightdesignformarathongameplay -Detachablenoise-cancelingmicrophoneallowsheadsettobe usedasgreat-soundingheadphones -Comfortable,durabledesignwithcustomisableilluminated earcups -Includesabasestation,whichfeaturesaline-intoexpandthe capabilitiesoftheheadset,makingitidealforusewithmedia streamers,TVsorMP3players PricingandAvailability TheCreativeSoundBlasterTactic3DOmegaWirelessGaming HeadsetwillbeavailableattheCreativeonlinestoreat sg.store.creative.comandTheCREATIVEStoresoutletsat InternationalBusinessPark,MarinaSquareandauthorised dealersinSingaporefromNov2011onwardsatthefollowing suggestedretailpriceS$269. Publishedby:VR-Zone Biostar'sTPowerX79smiles forthecamera Source:http://vr-zone.com/articles/biostar-s-tpower-x79-smiles-for-the- camera/13855.html November4th,2011 ThereseemstobenoendtotheX79motherboardsthatare beingshownoffaheadoftheofficiallaunchwhichisnowless thantwoweeksawayandpicturesofBiostar'supcomingX79 boardwhichwillbecalledtheTPowerX79hasnowmadetheir wayonline.Wedon'thavetonsofdetailsonthisboardand havetosimplygowithwhatwecandeductfromthepictures, sosadlythiswon'tbethemostdetailedlookattheboard ThereseemstobenoendtotheX79motherboardsthatare beingshownoffaheadoftheofficiallaunchwhichisnowless thantwoweeksawayandpicturesofBiostar'supcomingX79 boardwhichwillbecalledtheTPowerX79hasnowmadetheir wayonline.Wedon'thavetonsofdetailsonthisboardand havetosimplygowithwhatwecandeductfromthepictures, sosadlythiswon'tbethemostdetailedlookattheboard. FirstimpressionoftheTPowerX79isamessyboardwith asomewhatpeculiarboardlayout.Thereareapairofred x16PCIExpressslotsaswellasawhiteone,althoughwe're notsureifthewhiteslotissomewhatdifferentornot.The markingsontheboardreadPCIExpress2.0,ratherthan3.0 whichisalsosomewhatstrange.There'salsoapairofx1PCI ExpressslotsandasinglePCIslotandwecan'tsaythatwe're soldonBiostar'sslotlayoutinthiscase. ThesixwhiteSATAportsarepresumablyconnectedtothe X79chipset,althoughthere'snosimplewayoftellingwhich twoportsareSATA6Gbps.There'salsoaseventhSATAport inredjustnexttothemainblockofports.Biostarhasgone overboardwhenitcomestopowerdeliverywithapairof8-pin 12VpowerconnectorsaswellasaMolexconnector,something overclockersmightfindusefulthough.They'vealsoputasmall shieldovertheaudiocodec,butthere'snospecialcomponents 19

  47. November4th,2011 hidingunderneaththeshieldasseenonadifferentpictureat thesource. TherearI/OconsistofaPS/2port,twoUSB2.0ports,no lessthansixUSB3.0ports,aneSATAport,aGigabitEthernet portand7.1-channelaudiowithopticalandcoaxialS/PDIF out.TheboardalsohasapinheaderforapairoffrontUSB 3.0portsandpower,resetandclearCMOSbuttonsaswellas aPOST80debugLEDdisplay.Wedon'tknowwhatUSB3.0 controllersBiostarisusingonthisboard,butwe'dguessit's ASMediaasitlookslikethere'sachipforeachpairofUSB3.0 pots.Notabadshow,butnotourfirstchoiceeither. IntelleakstheDX79SIonits ownwebsite Source:http://vr-zone.com/articles/intel-leaks-the-dx79si-on-its-own- website/13854.html November4th,2011 Lookwhatwefound,Intelhasbeensloppyandputup informationaboutitsupcomingDX79SImotherboard–also knownasSiler–whichwillbepartofIntel'sExtremeseriesof motherboards.It'snotworthgettingoverlyexcitedaboutthe DX79SIthough,asIntelisn'treallypushingtheenvelopewith thismotherboard,despiteitbeingIntel'shigh-endX79model. Lookwhatwefound,Intelhasbeensloppyandputup informationaboutitsupcomingDX79SImotherboard–also knownasSiler–whichwillbepartofIntel'sExtremeseriesof motherboards.It'snotworthgettingoverlyexcitedaboutthe DX79SIthough,asIntelisn'treallypushingtheenvelopewith thismotherboard,despiteitbeingIntel'shigh-endX79model. Firstwe'dliketoapologiseforthepoorqualitypicture,but it'sallwemanagedtodigupasInteldidn'tincludeanyhigh resolutionimages.Secondly,we'veincludedascreenshotto showyouthatthisisindeedfromIntelitselfandnotfrom somethirdpartysource,althoughthedetailsappearedonthe company'smobilesite,althoughwe'renotsharingtheURL, butanyonethatknowshowtouseasearchenginemightbe abletolocatethepagethemselves. Publishedby:VR-Zone Sowhatarewelookingathere?Well,whatwehavehereis thefinalversionofaboardthatIntelshowedoffatIDFback inSeptember,buttowhichsomechangeshavebeenmade. Intel“fixed”theSATAports,sonowtherearesixinsteadof four,insteadof10,insteadofSAS,allthankstoafewbugs inthechipset.However,unlikeitspartners,Inteldecidednot tofitanyadditionalSATAportstotheDX79SIwhichmakes itafairlybasicmotherboardconsideringit'sIntel'shigh-end model.Judgingbythepicture,Inteldidaquickfixratherthan re-designtheentiremotherboardandassuchthere'snospace forextraSATAcontrollers. Intermsofslotswehavethreex16PCIExpress3.0slotsand it'sinterestingthatIntelactuallyspecifiesthis,asthecompany isstillbusytestingcomplianceduetothelackofdevicesthat supportsPCIExpress3.0.There'salsoapairofx1PCIExpress slotsandaPCIslot.Forthoselookingforaboardtoloadout withtonsofmemory,theDX79SImightappeal,asithasthe fulleightDIMMsandIntelclaims64GB/smemorybandwidth withthememoryrunningat2.4GHz.Thatsaid,thatonly workswhenyouhavefourDIMMsintheblueslots,stickfor moreDIMMsinandtheoverallmemoryspeedisreduced. AroundthebackaresixUSB2.0ports,twoUSB3.0ports,a FireWireportandapairofGigabitEthernetportswiredup toIntelnetworkchipsandlastbutnotleast7.1-channelaudio withopticalS/PDIFoutandaclearCMOSbutton.Theboard 20

  48. November4th,2011 alsohasawiderangeofpinheaders,butthemostimportant onehastobetheonethataddsapairoffrontUSB3.0ports. AtleastIntelwentwithapassivechipsetcooler,unlikesome boardswe'veseen,soit'sclearthatactivecoolingisn'tneeded. IntelisalsosupplyingaWi-FiandBluetoothmodule,aswellas amousepadandUVreactiveSATAcableswiththeboard.We shouldhaveamoredetailedlookattheboardshortly,although wejustwantedtogetthisupASAP,asit'snoteverydaythat Intelleaksitsownunreleasedproducts. GlobalFoundriesmakes interimCEOpermanent Source:http://vr-zone.com/articles/globalfoundries-makes-interim-ceo- permanent/13853.html November4th,2011 Shareholdersdon'ttendtobehappywithinterimmanagement andGlobalFoundrieshavenowgoneandmadeitsinterim CEO,AjitManochaitsfulltimeCEO.Apparentlyhewasn't theonlychoicethough,butheprovedhimselftotheboard ofdirectorsduringhisfourmonthsasinterimCEOandwas chosenfromarangeofcandidatesfortheCEOposition. Shareholdersdon'ttendtobehappywithinterimmanagement andGlobalFoundrieshavenowgoneandmadeitsinterim CEO,AjitManochaitsfulltimeCEO.Apparentlyhewasn't theonlychoicethough,butheprovedhimselftotheboard ofdirectorsduringhisfourmonthsasinterimCEOandwas chosenfromarangeofcandidatesfortheCEOposition. MrManochahasextensivebackgroundinthefoundry businesswithpastexperienceincludingtheroleasExecutive VPandChiefManufacturingOfficeratNXP,asExecutive VicePresidentofWorldwideOperationsandamemberof theExecutiveManagementboardatSpansion.Hehasalso workedforAT&TMicroelectronicsandAT&TBelllabsinthe past.Heevenholdspatentsforvariousinventionsrelating towaferprocessing,sothemanobviouslyknowswhathe's gettinghimselfinto. Publishedby:VR-Zone WemeetMrManochabrieflyatGTCTaiwanearlierthisyear andhecameacrossasacharismaticpersonthatknowswhat he'stalkingabout,althoughit'shardtodrawanyconclusions duringalunchmeeting.Thatsaid,he'sgottoughtimesahead ofhim,asheneedstogetGlobalFoundriesupandrunningat 100percentcapacityandgetthecompany's32nmand28nm nodesworkingatalevelwhereallitscustomersaresatisfied, somethingwe'rehearingisn'tquitethecaseatthemoment. Timewilltellifhe'stheleaderGlobalFoundrieshasbeen lacking,wecanonlyhopeasweneedanotherstrongfoundry playerbeyondTSMCiffornootherreasonthantokeepthings competitive. Intel'ssoontolaunchZ68 motherboardsdetailed, pictured Source:http://vr-zone.com/articles/intel-s-soon-to-launch-z68- motherboards-detailed-pictured/13852.html November4th,2011 We'vefinallymanagedtodigupdetailsofIntel'supcoming DZ68PLandDZ68AFmotherboardsalongwithacoupleof picturesofeachoftheboards.Wefirstgotwindofthenew boardsbackinSeptember,butthenweonlyknewthemodels 21

  49. November4th,2011 namesandwe'lldoourbesttofillintherestofthedetails today. We'vefinallymanagedtodigupdetailsofIntel'supcoming DZ68PLandDZ68AFmotherboardsalongwithacoupleof picturesofeachoftheboards.Wefirstgotwindofthenew boardsbackinSeptember,butthenweonlyknewthemodels namesandwe'lldoourbesttofillintherestofthedetails today. Weneedtostartthisbycorrectingasmallmistakefromour Septemberarticle,theDP67BAisinfactbeingreplacedbythe DZ68PLandtheDP67DEisbeingreplacedbytheDZ68AFand assuchIntelisnotaddingSmartResponsetechnologytoits P67motherboards.Thiswasamisunderstandingonourside duetounclearinformationgiventous. It'sreallyhardtofollowIntel'slogichere,aswe'renownearly ayearintotheSandyBridgelifecycleandIntelisputting outZ68motherboardsakintothefirstgenerationboardsthat arrivedbackinMay,somesixmonthsago.Whatwemean byfirstgenerationisthatneitherofIntel'stwonewboards featureanykindofdisplayconnectivity,despitethatboth boardsclearlyhasspaceforthedisplayconnectors. Publishedby:VR-Zone AroundthebackaresixUSB2.0ports,twoUSB3.0ports,an eSATAport,aFireWireport,aGigabitEthernetport–using anIntelEthernetcontrollerofcourse–and7.1-channelaudio withopticalS/PDIFout.Therereallyisn'tmuchtothisboard andconsideringthemultitudeofchoice,therearemanybetter optionstogoforbynow. TheDZ68AFfollowsasimilarconcept,althoughthisisa mATXboardsoitonlyhasasinglex16PCIExpressslot, twox1PCIExpressslotsandasinglePCIslot.Intelhasonce moregoneforfiveinternalSATAportsofwhichtwoareSATA 6Gbps.Othersimilaritiescarriedoverarethefourinternalpin headersforeightUSB2.0portsandthesinglepinheaderfor aFireWireport.TherearI/Oisalsoidenticalwithexactlythe sameportlayout. AssuchtheDZ68PLwhichistheATXsizeboardisarather strangeadditiontoIntel'smediaseriesofmotherboards,as whenyouthinkaboutmedia,youthinkaboutproductsthat somehowareconnectedtoadisplay.TheDZ68PLisarather boringboardwithasinglex16PCIExpressslot,twox1PCI ExpressslotsandthreePCIslots.IthasfiveinternalSATA connectorsofwhichtwoareSATA6Gbps.Theonlyother “feature”ifyoucancallitthatarefourpinheadersforeight USB2.0portsandapinheaderforasingleFireWireport. Wejustdon'tunderstandwhyIntelarelaunchingthese productswhenthereshouldbelessthanfivemonthsbeforeIvy Bridgeandnew7-serieschipsetbasedmotherboardsarrive. It'spossiblythatIntelhasdonethisasthecompanyiscutting theproductionoftheP67chipsetasthedemandissolowand 22

  50. November4th,2011 Publishedby:VR-Zone onlyminorchangeswereneededtothePCB.We'dstillhave muchpreferredthesenewadditionsifthey'datleasthadsome kindofdisplayconnectivity,sinceastheystand;theylookout- datedbeforethey'veevenlaunched.Bothboardsshouldbe availableshortly. TheLGA2011socketsupportsupcomingCorei7“Sandy Bridge”processors.Foxconnisusinga14-phaseCPUVRM designforthisboard,with2-phaseVRMforthememory. TherearefourDDR3DIMMslotsonthisboard,twooneither FoxconnQuantumForceX79 Motherboard(Final)Pictured Source:http://vr-zone.com/articles/foxconn-quantum-force-x79- motherboard-final-pictured/13851.html November4th,2011 HerearethefirstpicturesoftheFoxconnQuantumForce X79inaformthat’salmostreadyformarket.Quantum ForceisFoxconn’sbrandthattargetsthe“gamer-overclocker” market,thesameonethatASUS’RepublicofGamers, Gigabyte’sG1.Killer,andASRock’sFatal1tyProfessional motherboardstarget.Foxconnalsohasaknackofsurprising some(pleasantly)withthepricingoftheseboardscompared toothersinthesegment.Anexampleofthiswasthecompany’s QuantumForceboardsbasedontheX58chipset. HerearethefirstpicturesoftheFoxconnQuantumForce X79inaformthat’salmostreadyformarket.Quantum ForceisFoxconn’sbrandthattargetsthe“gamer-overclocker” market,thesameonethatASUS’RepublicofGamers, Gigabyte’sG1.Killer,andASRock’sFatal1tyProfessional motherboardstarget.Foxconnalsohasaknackofsurprising some(pleasantly)withthepricingoftheseboardscompared toothersinthesegment.Anexampleofthiswasthecompany’s QuantumForceboardsbasedontheX58chipset. sidesofthesocket,onepermemorychannel.Expansionslots includefourPCI-Expressx16,amongwhichthreearewiredto theCPU.TheredslotsarePCI-Express3.0x16capable,the bottom-mostslotisPCI-Express3.0x8capable.Thesecond blackslotiselectricallyPCI-Express2.0x8,andiswiredto theX79PCH,sotheboardisoptimalfor3-waySLIand CrossFireX. ThereareeightinternalSATAports,fourofthese(colorcoded red)areSATA6Gb/s,twoofthese(top)aredrivenbythe X79PCH,theotherbyanASMedia-madecontroller.Theblack portsareSATA3Gb/s,wiredtothePCH.TherearetwoeSATA portsontherear-panel,drivenbyaJMicron-madeSATA3 Gb/scontroller. Intermsofgeneralconnectivity,you’llget8+2channelHD audiowithopticalandcoaxialSPDIFoutputs;fourUSB 3.0ports(twoontherear-panel,twoviastandardheader), poweredbyRenesas-madecontrollers;twogigabitEthernet connections,onecontrolledbyanIntel-madecontroller,the otherbyRealtek-madeone;andothercommonportssuchas USB2.0andPS/2. TheQuantumForceX79lookstobepackingquiteafew featuresthatbenefitoverclockers.Tobeginwith,thereis redundantBIOSstoredinthreeseparate,socketedEEPROM chips,consolidatedvoltagemeasurementpointsthatletyou manuallymeasurevoltages(usingamultimeter),onboardOC tuningswitches,onboardpower/resetswitches,clearCMOS switchontherear-panel,andPOSTcodespeaker. Pricingisunknown,butit’slikelythattheFoxconnQuantum ForceX79willbeapartofthefirstwaveofmotherboardsfor SandyBridge-E. 23

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