VR-Zone Tech News for the Geeks Apr 2011 Issue

1
Published by VR-Zone
April 5th, 2011 VR-Zone.com Stuff for the
Geeks!
and backup solutions, it also offers print
and media server capabilities, website hosting,
PC-free downloading, and much more at a price
that is easy on the wallet. OCZ Vertex 3 Solid
State Drive Tests _at_ Benchmark Reviews Description
The OCZ Vertex 3 SSD is based on the
second- generation SandForce's SF-2281 SATA 6Gb/s
controller and maintains all of the original core
technology introduced in the original SF-1200
series, but now improves SSD performance with 20
faster IOPS and 40 faster sequential
read/write throughput. OCZ promises 60,000 IOPS
at up to 550 MB/ s transfer speeds with the
Vertex 3 SSD, and Benchmark Reviews confirms
that they're keeping this promise with tests of
the new storage device on a B3-stepping
Sandy Bridge platform against the Crucial
RealSSD C400. Sapphire Radeon HD 6790 1GB Video
Card Review Description If all those NDAs
last month weren't already enough for
everyone, we start the NDA run for April nice
and early. With AMD having taken care of the high
end segment with cards like the HD 6970 and HD
6990, while also taking care of that mid-range -
high end segment with cards from the HD 6800
series, it was only a matter of time 'till we saw
some more mid-range, cheaper cards hit the
market. Considering NVIDIA released the GTX 550
Ti last month and more mid- range models are
rumored, it comes as no surprise that
AMD arestartingtoreleasetheirline-up.Thefirstcomes
intheform of the HD 6790. It's clear that the
xx30 naming scheme didn't work for them in the
past, so it seems they've decided to look at a
50, 70 and 90 line-up now. Thermaltake Armor A30
SFF Chassis Review Description Now, when
most people think SFF, they immediately
gravitate to Lian Li or Silverstone, but dreams
of building a portable gamer on a budget usually
get dashed by thecostofafullaluminumchassis,ormayb
etheconfiguration andairflowaren'tuptopartohandlet
hepowerhouseyouplan to put in the smallest
package possible to impress your friends and foes
at the next LAN event. Thermaltake jumped in
with bothfeetandthrewtheA60inthedryerforawhileunti
litwas just the right size. Not in reality, just
conceptually. AMD Radeon HD 6790 1GB Video Card
Review _at_ Legit Reviews Description AMD wanted
a video card to fill in the price and
performance gap between the Radeon HD 6850 and
the RadeonHD5770.ThereleaseoftheRadeonHD6790graphi
cs card at the 149.99 price point should fill
that gap and give the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 550 Ti a
run for its money. Read on to see how the AMD
Radeon HD 6790 compares to dozens 1
VR-Zone Stuff for the Geeks is a bi-weekly
publication covering the latest gadgets and
stuff for the geeks. The Daily VR-Zone
News Summary - 5 April 2011 Source
http//vr-zone.com/articles/the-daily-vr-zone-news
-summary--5- april-2011/11454.html April 5th,
2011 In today's news roundup Reviews of
AMD's Radeon HD6790 graphics card have started
making their presence known on theInternetThermal
take'sLevel10GTchassisgetsreviewed A group of
Windows Phone 7 hackers have released an
update that allows existing WP7 users to
get the latest Microsoft NoDo patches for
their smartphones without having to wait for
carriers to officially roll out the update More
information about Dell's elusive Alienware M14x
notebook gets revealed Japan is attempting to
proceed on with life as usual
by announcing that the Tokyo Game Show 2011 event
will take place as planned, and EA has launched
their new online-only, free-to-play version of
Battlefield. Hardware news Thermaltake Level 10
GT Case Review Description Taking some cues
from the original Level 10, Thermaltake hopes
to be able to capitalize on it by offering a more
down to earth 'GT' version. Not only is the Level
10 GT more affordable, it's also smaller and
lighter, but has it lost all that made the
original such a work of art? Mach Xtreme
Technology MX-GX 16GB USB 3.0 Flash Drive Review
_at_ Madshrimps Description The Mach Xtreme MX-GX
USB 3.0 Flash Drives offer incredible read speeds
and come in 4 different flavours 8GB, 16GB, 32GB
or 64GB they are also priced competitively, the
16GB model being found at CaseKing.de for about
29.90 Euros. Synology DS-211J Diskstation Two-Bay
NAS Review _at_ Tweaknews Description Synology's
DS211j is a great addition to an expanding
home network. Not only does it provide
storage
2
April 5th, 2011 of other cards and yes, we also
overclock it and show you the thermals and power
numbers! Radeon HD 6790 Ace Up The Sleeve _at_
InsideHW Description Last month, NVIDIA
nicely summed up this years first quarter
with GTX 550, which seemed like a
great competitor against Radeon HD 5770.
Everything would have been perfect for the
Americans if AMD hadnt already
planned thecounterattackfortheverybeginningofthese
condquarter, or to be precise, 5thApril. The
newRadeon isnamed HD 6790 and is somewhat of
a modification, or a weakened version of,
Radeons HD 6850/6870, based on the Barts
GPU. As such, this model is based on the VLIW5
architecture, which is somewhat old and
doesnt belong to the truly
high-class Radeons all chips from the
Cayman family are based on VLIW4 (Very Long
Instruction Word). Besides, the Barts
chip located in HD 6970 has been weakened in
order to replace the already obsolete HD
5770... Consumer Electronics and Software
news See your location history dashboard and more
with Google Maps 5.3 for Android DescriptionToday
,werehappytoannounceGoogleMaps5.3 for Android,
which lets you see your Google Location
History dashboard, check in at home, and add
your own aspects for places when rating
them. Bing Becomes a Default Search Option for
Firefox Description Companies like Microsoft
and Google have a major advantage due to
their sheer size they can optimize their
extra products (such as IE9 and Chrome)
for their existingservices(suchasBingandGooglesea
rch).Assuch,the fact that Microsoft is losing
ground with Internet Explorer is significant for
all their additional products. Internet
Explorer 9, with its more minimalist
structure, better hardware acceleration,
improved security, and faster overall load
times, is an attempt to re-capture that
ground and its little surprise that IE9 is
also fully integrated with Bing. What may be
somewhat surprising, though, is that Microsoft
has been working to integrate Bing with Firefox
their top browsing competitor. Apple followers
have difficulty coping with Android's
fame Description Fanzine Apple Insider
appears to be having a little difficulty when
it comes to the fact that Apple is slowly losing
the mobile operating system wars to Android.
Faced with web analytics statistics that say that
Android is kicking the Apple OS's bottom,
Apple Insider elected to say the complete
opposite to keep the reality distortion field
going. Raptor Gaming M3X gaming mouse 4800DPI of
fail Description The newly released M3X gaming
mouse is the latest gaming mouse from German
gaming peripheral maker Raptor Gaming (being
distributed by CompuExpert here in the United
States). The M3X has a good feature set
and it's certainly comfortable, but a critical,
physical design flaw quickly makes it irritating
and annoying to use. Get Windows Phone 7 NoDo on
your phone now
Published by VR-Zone update their phone to the
latest version of Windows Phone 7. The update
works on any WP7 phone (that use the
supported languages English US, English UK,
French, Italian, Spanish and German) and has the
pre-NoDo update, NoDo update 1 2 all in one
process. As usual, this is an unofficial
method to update your phone, so make sure you
know what youre doing before attempting
anything, but from reports so far the update
seems to work great. Head here for more details
and let us know if you decide to use the
update. More shots, specs of Alienware M14x
surface Description Thanks to Chinese tech site
Zol, the previously leaked M14x gaming notebook
from Alienware has been more fullyuncovered.Thespe
csalsohavebeenmademoreconcrete, with a
quad-core, 2.3GHz Core i7 CPU and an
NVIDIA GeForce GT 555M both being present to give
it relatively fast gaming. The notebook will
also get Klipsch speakers and a stainless
steel nameplate that can be engraved. Next-gen
iPod Nano to Also be a Tiny Camera? Description
The previous generation of iPod nano had
more featuresthanthecurrentone.Theoldermodelpacked
abigger display as well as a video camera to
capture 720p video. While the quality wasn't
great, it gave a very popular music player
a camera that worked for casual capture
uses. Gaming news Tokyo Game Show 2011 To Proceed
As Planned Description Following Japans
recent 9.0 earthquake last month, many
events and services were delayed or
shafted, people were concerned if it affects the
Tokyo Game Show this year. Fortunately, the
organiser CESA has confirmed that
the eventwillproceedasplannedfromSeptember15toSept
ember 18 at the Makuhari Messe just outside of
Tokyo. EA Launches Battlefield Play4Free Descripti
on EA's free online battlefield has
gone live. Battlefield Play4Free opened to
the public this morning, combining the most
popular maps from Battlefield 2 with the
classes and weapons of Bad Company 2 for
32-player shootouts. NGP could be delayed by
Japanese earthquake Description Sony
Computer Entertainment America president
Jack Tretton says supply-chain disruptions
caused by disaster may delay the forthcoming
portable in some regions. NVIDIA announces
Quadro 400, empowers designers and engineers with
10x better performance Source http//vr-zone.com/
articles/nvidia-announces- quadro-400-empowers-des
igners-and-engineers-with-10x-better- performance/
11805.html
Description For those of you who cant bear to
wait around for your carrier or Microsoft to
push out the NoDo update to your Windows
Phone 7 device, great news. Chris Walshie of Team
ChevronWP7 (the folks behind the WP7
jailbreak) releasedatoolonhisblogthatallowsallWP
7deviceownersto 2
3
April 5th, 2011 April 5th, 2011 NVIDIA
announced today the Quadro 400
graphics processing unit (GPU), a new
professional graphics solution that puts the
power of the GPU in the hands of designers
and engineers. Built for use with professional
applications, such as Autodesk AutoCAD, the
NVIDIA Quadro 400 GPU provides up to 5x faster
performance over high-end consumer gaming cards.
It also gives up to 10x improvement when
running industry leading CAD / CAM
applications. SINGAPORE - April
5, 2011 - NVIDIA announced today the NVIDIA
Quadro 400 graphics processing unit (GPU), a
new professional graphics solution that puts the
power of the GPU in the hands of designers and
engineers. Built for use with professional
applications, such as Autodesk AutoCAD, the
NVIDIA Quadro 400 GPU provides up to 5x faster
performance over high-end consumer gaming
cards. It also gives up to 10x improvement when
running industry leading CAD / CAM
applications. Priced at just US169, the
Quadro 400 GPU also offers excellent power
efficiency, consuming less than 35 watts,
and itslow-profilefootprintmeansitofferstheflexibi
litytofitinto any workstation, including small
form-factor systems. With 512 MB of DDR3 memory,
the Quadro 400 processor enables professionals to
interact with a wide range of design models. It
also provides high visual fidelity, featuring a
30- bit (10-bits per colour) colour engine with a
dynamic range of over one billion colour
variations. Quadro 400 drivers are optimised and
certified on leading professional
applications. "Designers and engineers,
whether designing the largest assemblies
or smallest components, rely on Quadro,"
said Jeff Brown, general manager, Professional
Solutions Group, NVIDIA. "The Quadro 400 is
the right tool to help ensure that job gets
done the right way, especially when it comes
to running professional apps like Autodesk
AutoCAD."
Published by VR-Zone software drivers,
and simplifies upgrading to a
new solution. Hardware 3D Window
Clipping - Accelerated clip regions
enable faster data transfer between a
window and the frame buffer to
improve overall graphics performance.
High-Quality Display Connectivity - Drives
ultra-high- resolution panels, producing
phenomenal image quality, supporting two
active connectors, including dual-link DVI
with up to 3840 x 2400 resolution _at_ 24Hz on
each panel, and DisplayPort (DP) with up
to 2560 x 1600 resolution. NVIDIA
Mosaic Technology - Enhances workspace across
up to eight displays (using one card per
two displays), enabling seamless taskbar
spanning, as well as transparent scaling of
any application. Works over multiple
displays or a single high-resolution display,
and with NVIDIA nView desktop management
software. The NVIDIA Quadro 400 processor
also supports NVIDIA 3D Vision and 3D
Vision Pro active shutter glasses 3D
technology that delivers crystal-clear,
stereoscopic 3D visualisation for the most
immersive 3D experience, ranging from desktop
workstations to collaborative work
spaces. Designed, Built and Engineered by
NVIDIA to the Highest Standards of Quality As
with all Quadro professional graphics cards, the
Quadro 400 is designed, built and warranted by
NVIDIA to provide industry-leading performance
and reliability when running professional
applications. Companies consistently
certify Quadro professional graphics solutions
for their users whose livelihoods depend on
them. Availability and Pricing The Quadro 400
(US169 MSRP) is available immediately for
the HP Z800, Z600, and Z400 Workstations,
and for all Fujitsu CELSIUS workstations. It
will be available later this month and
next on select Lenovo ThinkStation D20, C20,
S20 and E30 models. It's also available from
NVIDIA Quadro channel partners including
PNY Technologies in North America and Europe,
ELSA in Japan, and Leadtek in Asia
Pacific. Source NVIDIA Press Release
Additional features of the new Quadro 400 GPU
include Unified Driver Architecture -
Guarantees forward and backward
compatibility with professional
application 3
4
April 5th, 2011 COMPUTEX 2011 Spotlight Smart
Handheld Devices and Internet of Things Source
http//vr-zone.com/articles/computex-2011-spotligh
t--smart-
Published by VR-Zone According to the latest
statistics, the number of COMPUTEX TAIPEI 2011
exhibitors reached 1,800 and would be
using more than 5,200 booths, up by
8 from 2010. It is estimated that the
number of overseas buyers will top 36,000 and
expected to create US25 billions worth of
business opportunity.
handheld-devices-and-internet-of-things/11804.html
April 5th, 2011 During the Pre-show Press
Conference held in March 30 at Taipei
International Convention Center (TICC), Mr.
Walter Yeh, the executive vice president of
Taiwan External Trade DevelopmentCouncil(TAITR
A)pointedoutthatCOMPUTEX TAIPEI is one of
the international exhibitions for
large enterprises to launch their latest
products, foreign enterprises
include AMD, Hitachi, Intel, Microsoft and etc.,
while local companies led by Acer, Asus, Foxconn
(Hon Hai) and others which will showcase their
latest products such as Tablets, e- Book readers,
Smart phones, 3D Display and products related to
cloud computing at COMPUTEX, brightly shining
into the sight of thousands overseas
buyers. Mr. Zhang Li, the deputy secretary
general of TCA also mentioned that in the
midst of Smart Handheld Devices, Tablet PC
will have a tremendous force and becomes the
focal point during COMPUTEX 2011, estimating
around 50100 new Tablet PCs to be displayed.
Not only have the Taiwanese ICT manufacturers to
show its strength in development of the
The Taipei Computer Association (TCA), the
organizer of COMPUTEX TAIPEI 2011 has expressed
that the change in computer usage of the
consumers and the applications of Internet of
Things (IOT) is increasing gradually,
boosting Taiwan ICT industry toward the
development of supply chain forSmartHandheldDevice
sandIOT,whichrelevantproducts and devices will
exhibit during COMPUTEX. Smart Handheld Devices
and Internet of Things (IOT) are the hottest
words in the ICT industry in 2010, including
Tablets, Smartphone, Internet TV, Smart TV,
3D display products become the spotlight of
the global market, clearly show the
wireless broadband infrastructure of the new
information society is taking shape.
Tablet PC, but also to seize a big piece of
market shared from the grip of iPad. During
the speech, Mr. Stephen Su, general
director of Industrial Economics and
Knowledge (IEK) under the Industrial
Technology Research Institute (ITRI) said
the average annual sales rate of netbook
and e-book reader will not go over 4
from the period of 20112014. As
for notebook will experience some effects,
Su thinks that the averageannualsalesrateofnot
ebookwillstayabove16from 20112014.Completeresea
rchreportnamed"HowTabletwill Transform the
Landscape of ICT Industry" is available
for download under this link
http//www.computex.biz/photo/ images/computexsho
w/list/file_20110330135542.pdf. The mobile life
becomes a trend after wireless broadband
is available, which driving the
ICT manufacturers to develop information
technology products and equipments for smart
life. The Taipei Computer Association
(TCA), the organizer of COMPUTEX TAIPEI
2011, the world's most complete
communication supply chain industry,
has expressed that the change in
computer usage of the consumers and the
applications of Internet of Things (IOT)
is increasinggradually,boostingTaiwanICTindustryto
wardthe development of supply chain for Smart
Handheld Devices and IOT, which relevant products
and devices will exhibit during COMPUTEX,witnessin
gTaiwanICTindustryinstepswiththe hottest trend
that never stop growing! Gathering of large
enterprises in COMPUTEX
bolsters explosive force on the Tablets
Smart Handheld Devices integrate with wireless
broadband makes a new information society Li
expressed that the Smart Handheld Devices and
Internet of Things (IOT) are the hottest words in
the ICT industry in 2010, including Tablets,
Smartphone, Internet TV, Smart TV, 3Ddisplayproduc
tsbecomethespotlightoftheglobalmarket, clearly
show the wireless broadband infrastructure of the
new information society is taking
shape. Starting from Q4 of 2010, TCA
is conducting quarterly economic prosperity
survey where the audiences are the
local exhibitors, the result of each quarter
refer as COMPUTEX Exhibitor Index (CEI).
The result of Q2, CEI is 1.64 that means
in the Above Average area, while 43 of
interviewed enterprises viewed between Good and
Above Average. On the 4
5
April 5th, 2011 statistical, the exhibitors whom
are dealing with Tablet PC, Smartphone, Internet
TV, Smart TV and products related PC systems
including photo-electronics products are
optimistic and gave Good rating on Q2.
Consequently, TCA thinks that this coming June,
many relevant products will be displayed during
COMPUTEX, which is worthy of expectation. In
order to realize the market potential of Smart
Handheld Devices, TCA and Ministry of
Economics Affairs (MOEA) established a Smart
Handheld Device working group, hoping Taiwan to
generate production output value worth
US50 billions by 2014, which develops
Taiwan to become the innovation and
manufacturing center of Smart
Handheld Devices in the world. On the other
hand, TCA established TaiwanInternetofThingsAll
iance(TIOTA)recentlyinwhich COMPUTEXwillbehosting
IOTAreaatTWTCHall2thatwill be one of many new
highlights in this year's COMPUTEX. Not only
limited to PC and peripheral products, TCA
believes under the efforts in many aspects, the
COMPUTEX TAIPEI will become the world's
purchasing platform for Smart Handheld
Devices and IOT products. Shift 2 Unleashed
Review Source http//vr-zone.com/articles/shift-2
-unleashed-review/11799.html April 5th,
2011 For the racing fanatics, here is one
game you might want to try - Shift 2 Unleashed
And in this review, we bring Electronic Art'slates
tracingtitleforaspindowntheracingtrack.andsee how
it fares. More after the jump.
Published by VR-Zone The game is a direct
sequel to the original Shift launched back
in 2009 and puts the basics in perspective
by adding a rewarding experience system for
everything you do in the game,onlineornot.Together
withgame'seconomywhichyou earn by getting several
achievements or winning a place, you are able to
give your car some lovely cosmetics and
engine customizations.Thesequeloffersmorethan140ve
hiclesfrom 37 manufacturers, a huge boost from
the original's 60 cars. As easy
as it may look but the game be a tough nut to
crack as extra experience are earned by fulfiling
the right requirements or sticking to the green
racing line marker on the track. All these
actions fill up the experience gauge which
unlocks other tracks, customizations and
advancing of the story. Driving your vehicle is
not just breeze but it can be rather
a 'terrifying' experience. Shift 2 Unleashed
takes a step further to get close with racing
simulation genre, an attempt to place itself
with the likes of other simulation titles
such as Gran Turismo5orForzaMotorsport.Sothinktw
icebeforecranking up the speeds to the maximum
and trying to achieve some impossible drifting at
a sharp corner. To make this realism on a higher
notch, Shift 2 Unleashed adds a helmet cam view
that puts the player in the driving seat. As
suggested by the name, you will see the the
dynamic view as what a real driver would and feel
its effects A blurring view of the sides as
speed hits insanity levels or nasty bumps
and gray-outs with shedding doors, broken glass
and bonnets afteranastycrash.Itisaniftyadditionbu
tgivesanimmersive experience on the overall
gameplay. The screeching of tyres
on the track is no stranger to any racing
game and games involving vehicles of such genre.
The fundamentals of winning is simple get down
the racing track and win.
Electronic Art's Need for Speed franchise has
been around for morethan15yearsandwithShift2Unlea
shed,thisisthe17th installment in the series,
developed by Slightly Mad Studios and published
by EA.
ouch! Being preferential towards arcade racers,
Shift 2 took me a while to get used to its
driving mechanics. Regardless of what car I
choose, I will just crash and find myself in the
last place 5
6
April 5th, 2011 but there are intriguing factors
in the game which keeps me going for a
reason. Shift 2 Unleashed Noteworthy
Features Social at its best Autolog, a social
feature that began in Hot Pursuit returns as the
core of the game, putting together your friends
and those glorifying statstics in a
leaderboard-like system. More often than not, you
will be racing your friends and compare
fastest times and stats with one other.
Published by VR-Zone AMD Llano APU is
Shipping Source http//vr-zone.com/articles/amd-l
lano-apu-is-shipping/11803.html April 5th,
2011 RecentrumoursofAMDshippingLlanoinAprilwer
emetwith some skepticism. However, the rumours
have turned out to be true, as AMD is shipping
Llano A-series APUs to OEMs, as
of 4th April 2011, for revenue. In a webcast,
CFO and Interim CEO Thomas Seifert announced,
Customers are very excited about Llano coming
to market and we will look forward
to seeingourLlano-basedsystemsinthemarketthisqu
arter the second quarter. Career
Mode This is where the main bulk of the game lies
- Career mode. In the single-player campaign,
your Shift 2 racing career begins with a quick
test on the track using a Nissan GT-R. Don't be
fooled as the results of the race will determine
your skill level andtherecommendedenhancementssuch
asanti-lockbrakes, traction assistance and a
racing guide line. All of this is to prepare you
for the open seasons to the grand FIA GT1 series
finale. A different range of events await
from standard races and time attacks, to
eliminations and drift challenges. With
approximately 40 tracks, the game should satisfy
an average racer looking for terrain
differences. Realism For easy
crashers like me, I will enjoy the total
destruction of my vehicle. Damage is not
visual-only and by changing an
In fact, Llano (as part of the Sabine
platform) has been shipping since late March,
as suggested by the above picture - a celebration
at AMD's Singapore branch. While AMD remains
silent about when we can expect the OEMs to
ship systems with A-series APUs, rumours
suggest we can see Sabine based laptops as early
as May. Of course, we can certainly expect the
notebook and desktop worlds, OEM and retail, to
be flooded with A-series Fusion APUs within
this quarter, by June. Rumours suggest AMD has
notched up an impressive number of design wins
for its A-series APUs. Despite being so close to
release, we don't know much about Llano and
it's Sabine platform and Socket FM1, beyond
a tentative line-up and some performance demos
by AMD. AMD's Llano release is now expected to be
closely followed by its next-gen CPU release,
FX-Series (Bulldozer) in what is a crucial few
months for AMD. Nikon D5100 Digital SLR Camera
Announced Source http//vr-zone.com/articles/niko
n-d5100-digital-slr-camera- announced/11802.html A
pril 5th, 2011
option, damage to your vehicle affects the car
performance even an engine blowout with tyres
rolling onto the tracks. Forget about other
camera angles, go for the driver seat view and
experience the way the game is meant to be
played. 6
7
Published by VR-Zone
April 5th, 2011 After much anticipated wait,
Nikon D5100 is real and official. Product
availability and prices will be announced at a
later date but let us look at the official specs.
Additional Features and Functions
-High-speedcontinuousshootingatuptoapproximately4f
ps and a very precise and durableshutterunitthatha
spassedtestingfor100,000cycles - Equipped with
Quiet shutter-release mode for shooting
in situations in which quieter shutter operation
is desired. Infrared receivers for remote
control operation on the front and back of the
camera enable wireless control over the shutter
from both in front of and behind the camera
(optional
Nikon announces the D5100 Digital SLR camera,
introducing new features and upgraded
specifications as compared to its predecessor. The
D5100 will come with Nikons latest CMOS image
sensor andthenewEXPEED2image-processingengine.Theu
pdated sensor will bump the effective
megapixel count to 16.1, the same that was
found in Nikon D7000. The camera adds a new
High Dynamic Range (HDR) feature that captures
two shotsofvaryingexposureeachtimetheshutter-relea
sebutton ispressed,andthencombinesthetwoshotsintoa
singleimage with a broad dynamic range.
ML-L3 wireless remote control supported). The
D5100 another new feature known as the "Effects
mode"
found on the Mode selection dial which is
essentially special effects applied on
images and videos. A total of
seven special effects, including Selective Color
and Color Sketch are included. Night Vision is
another feature which ramps up the ISO to 102400
which enables shooting under conditions of
darkness while verifying the subject and
composition in the monitor (this feature
shoots in JPEG format and in black and white. RAW
recording is not possible) Visibility has
been increased with the large 3-inch
display found on the D5100 that has approximately
921k-dot high-
-Equippedwith16scenemodesthatenablethesimplecaptur
e of beautiful photos of the desired scene with
automatic optimization of camera settings -
Built-in HDMI-CEC compatibility enables
control over playback of still images and
movies using the television's remote control
when the camera is connected to a
high-definition TV via the HDMI connector. - HD
movie recording and editing
resolution that supports viewing on various
angles. 1Manual focus, M or S mode, shutter
speed 1/250 s or faster,
and other settings at default values
Nikon adopts a side hinge for the
vari-angle monitor that prevents the monitor
from hitting the tripod when it is opened while
the camera is mounted on a tripod.
The vari-angle monitor opens from 0 to180 to the
side, and can be rotated up to 90clockwise and
up to 180 counter- clockwise when it is open.
Say yes to self-portraits.
Specification Chart Type Lens mount Effective
pixels
Single-lens reflex digital camera Nikon F mount
(with AF contacts) 16.2 million
7
8
April 5th, 2011
Published by VR-Zone
Dimensions (approx.) (WH D) Weight
(approx.) Major supplied accessories
Image sensor mage size (pixels) File
format Media Frame advance rate ISO
sensitivity
23.6 X 15.6 mm CMOS sensor 4,928 X 3,264
(L) 3,696 X 2,448 (M) 2,464 X 1,632
(S) 1) NEF(RAW), 2)JPEG, 3)NEF(RAW)JPEG SD
(Secure Digital) memory cards 1 SDHC, and SDXC
memory cards Up to 4 fps 2 ISO 100 6400 in
steps of 1/3 EV. Can also be set to approx. 0.3,
0.7, 1, or 2 EV (ISO 25600 equivalent)
128 X 97 X 79 mm 510 g without battery, memory
card, or body cap 560 g with battery and memory
card but without body cap EN-EL14 rechargeable
Li- ion battery, MH-24 battery charger, AN-DC3
strap, EG- CP14 audio/video cable, UC- E6 USB
cable, DK-5 eyepiece cap, BS-1 accessory
shoe cover, DK-20 rubber eyecup, BF-1B body cap,
ViewNX 2 CD-ROM
above ISO 6400 auto ISO sensitivity control
available
1Not applied to Multi Media Card
2Manual focus, mode M or S, shutter speed
1/250 s or faster, and other settings at
default values Unless otherwise stated,
all figures are for a camera with a
fully-charged battery operating at an
ambient temperature of 20 C (68
F). 7-inch Android tablet with IPS panel
display spotted in China Source
http//vr-zone.com/articles/7-inch-android-tablet-
with-ips-panel- display-spotted-in-china/11801.htm
l April 5th, 2011 In-Plane Switching
technology (IPS) has been around for a
long time, being made available for
high-resolution displays including Apple's first
generation iPad. And recently, another
manufacturer is making a tablet that is using the
IPS panel for its display.
Movie Monitor
Power source
Frame size (pixels) and frame rate 1,920
X 1,080, 30 p/25 p/24 p, high/normal
1,280 X 720, 30 p/25 p/24 p, high/normal
640 X 424, 30 p/25 p, high/normal A frame
rate of 30 p (actual frame rate 29.97 fps)
is available when NTSC is selected for video
mode. 25 p is available when PAL is selected for
video mode. Actual frame rate when 24 p is
selected is 23.976 fps. File format/Video compress
ion MOV, H.264/MPEG-4 Advanced Video
Coding Audio recording device Built-in
monaural or external stereo microphone
sensitivity adjustable 3-in., approx.
921k-dot (VGA), vari-angle low- temperature
polysilicon TFT LCD with 170 viewing
angle, approx. 100 frame coverage, and
brightness adjustment Battery One rechargeable
Li-
ion EN-EL14 battery AC adapter EH-5b
AC adapter requires EP-5A power connector
(available separately) 8
9
April 5th, 2011 The Apple iPad incorporated
In-Plane Switching (IPS) technology for
its screen, which may explain why
images lookedsharpandvividonthetablet.Ithastakenma
nymonths before IPS panels become affordable
for manufacturers to adopt them. And it seems
like a Chinese company is coming up with a
7- inch tablet device running on Android 2.3
Gingerbread and equipped with IPS screen. A
picture of the prototype is out on the web
(shown above). The tablet will also come
with A9 AMlogic CPU which has the performance to
stream either Flash or HTML5 video with no
buffering. HDMI out, SD card reader, 3G sim and
USB.
Published by VR-Zone The Daily VR-Zone
News Summary - 4 April 2011 Source
http//vr-zone.com/articles/the-daily-vr-zone-news
-summary--4- april-2011/11456.html April 5th,
2011 In today's news roundup Three
USB3.0-capable flash drives withcapacitiesof64GBge
tputtothetesttoseewhichproduct offers users
better performances Thermalright's TR-360
replacement cooler for the Xbox 360 video game
console gets reviewed A future version of iOS
might receive OS X's Spaces feature Panasonic is
reportedly starting to ship BDXL optical
1900
yuan
(US290)
Pricing will be approximately and
available from 10 April.
discs which boast up to 100GB of storage
space Dynasty Warriors 7 is set to receieve a
DLC which restores the game's originalJapanesevoic
es,andAnonymoushasdeclaredwaron Sony in support
for George Hotz Hardware news USB 3.0 64GB Flash
Drive Round-up Description In the last year we
have reviewed a handful of USB 3.0 devices and
today several memory manufacturers offer
flash drives claiming to utilize the extra
performance offered by the revamped interface.
Today we are looking at three 64GB flash
drives the AData Nobility Series
N005, Kingston DataTraveler Ultimate 3.0 and
Patriot SuperSonic. ASUS Routers Wireless
Elegance _at_ InsideHW Description In order to
create a good SOHO wireless network environment,
one always has to provide reliable equipment. In
order to avoid the regret of not having chosen
equipment more wisely when first setting up the
network (unlike some of us), make sure you
look comprehensively at the current market
situation. If you dont have a personal
contact that would provide adequate advice,
cruise the internet a little and takealookatwhatot
hersarerecommending.Itslikelyinboth cases that
youll end up in the default product gamma of
a large manufacturer, but at times, you may be
surprised by the quality of the solutions offered
by other familiar names in the ITfield.Thisisonesu
choccasion,andwevehadthechanceto thoroughly
examine two of ASUS wireless solutions,
namely DSL-N10(modem/router)andadual-bandrouterRT-
N56U... Thermalright TR-360 Xbox 360 GPU Cooler
Replacement Review _at_ Madshrimps Description
Designed for the XBOX 360 GPU, to
provide better cooling and heat dissipation,
reduces the chances of break down and prolong
the XBOX 360 life. Lian Li Lancool PC-K57
Computer Case Review _at_ Tweaknews Description
Lian Li LanCool's PC-K57 chassis has a lot
going for it, and the potential for much more.
The bold look and solid construction are quite
welcome, but there is a lot more to recommend it.
With a roomy interior, solid tool-free
features and outstanding cable management,
including the innovative cable channel, the
PC-K57 was a joy to work in and the dust filters
are easily serviced to help the user keep the
case in good shape. 9
ASUS P8H67-I DELUXE (Intel H67 Express)
Review Source http//vr-zone.com/articles/asus-p8
h67-i-deluxe-intel-h67-express- review/11734.html
April 5th, 2011 While Mini-ITX solutions
are often looked down upon as slow and
somewhat cheap, not all of them are
destined for use as low-power media centres or
8-hours-a-day office machines.EnterthelatestMini-I
TXmotherboardfromASUS, theP8H67-IDELUXEwhichisbase
dontheIntelH67Express chipset, and supports all
second-generation Intel Core 'Sandy Bridge'
processors. How will this mighty midget perform?
We find out. Intel's second-generation Core
'Sandy Bridge' processors can be mated to a
few 6 Series chipsets, including the
P67 Express and H67 Express which are often used
in consumer and enthusiast builds. The core
frequency of Intel Unlocked 'K' processors can
be overclocked only on the P67
Express chipset, while the H67 Express trades
that for integrated Intel HD Graphics
overclocking capabilities. The ASUS
P8P67-I DELUXE that we will be looking at today,
is powered by the H67 Express - you have no
access to a 'K' processor's unlocked multipliers.
Obviously, this particular motherboard is not
really aimed at enthusiasts, but its small form
factor is definitely excellent for SOHO
implementations. Although small in size,
that does not necessarily mean it has limited
computing power. In this article, we test the
P8H67-I DELUXE with an Intel Core i5-2500K
Processor. Read on to find out more!
10
April 5th, 2011 OCZ ZX 850 Series 850 Watt Power
Supply Review Description The ZX series of
power supplies is aimed at poweringgaminganden
thusiastsystemsalikeandisavailable in 850W,
1000W, and 1250W flavors. This range of
power supplies offers plenty of power for
those seeking to power systemswithasingleGPUall
thewayuptoatripleGPUsystem with dual processors.
The ZX series of power supplies boast 80Plus Gold
certification, fully modular cables, and a
single 12V rail. Today we take a look at the ZX
850, the smallest of the three ZX series power
supplies. ASUS Sabertooth P67 Motherboard Review
_at_Hi Tech Legion Description This year ASUS
introduced the Sabertooth P67 motherboard. The
Sabertooth P67 is the next generation
in durability and reliability. The Sabertooth
P67 has enough features to hit every market of
user, from the server computer, to the enthusiast
gamer. This P67 motherboard supports the newer
Intel 1155 socket CPUs and up to 1866 DDR3
memory. The main specific features to note with
the Sabertooth P67 are theTUFthermalarmor,TUFtherm
alradar,TUFcomponents, Digi VRM, and E.S.P.
The TUF thermal armor is a shunt designed
panel that covers all of the critical
components. Zalman ZM-F4 135mm Multipurpose Fan
Review Description We've visited similar
offerings from Zalman's Computer Noise
Prevention System (CNPS) products with the Zalman
ZM-F3-FDB ZM-SF3, along with the CNPS 9900 MAX.
We at Legit Reviews have come to respect the
Zalman products we have seen since they perform
admirably and live up to their claims. Today
was no different. Zalman's ZM- F4
Multipurpose Fan was probably one of the
best fans I have ever run into. Its sound
was as smooth as butter. It outperformed
most offerings on the market. It also did
so while still remaining quiet and
affordable... Patriot G2 (GAMER 2) 1600MHz CL9
8GB Review _at_ Vortez Description It was at the
very end of last year that Patriot Memory
announced the commencement of a new
series named Gamer 2 (G2 for short). This new
series of memory, again, like many of our
recent memory product reviews is focussed on
the new Sandy Bridge platform. Apart
from their attractive price-tag they also have a
number of pleasing characteristics - they are
extremely low profile, so much so that the
heatspreaders are in fact shorter than the
modules they cover. They are also said to give
impressive performance figures too. Consumer
Electronics and Software news Patent Describes OS
X Spaces on iPad Description The U.S. Patent and
Trademark Office published a new patent that
describes a system by which Spaces,
Apples system for operating multiple independent
desktops on one computer, might be brought to
the iPad. Could this be a preview of the
merger of iOS and OS X? Samsung UN55C9000 55 inch
3D LED TV Review at Overclockers
Online Description Flip through any magazine and
youll see that sex sells and an ultra thin 55?
3D LED TV is just downright sexy in any room!
Mouths drop in awe when friends come over and see
what I have in the living room. Picture quality
is just as important to how a TV looks and the
UN55C9000 has one of
Published by VR-Zone out and the LED backlight
highlights dark scenes extremely well. Not to
be outdone by any 3D TV on the market,
the UN55C9000comesfullyequippedwith3Dplaybackaswel
las wireless LAN for media streaming and Internet
browsing. A.C.Ryan PlayON!HD Mini 2 Full HD Media
Streamer Review Description The space and user
friendly PlayON!HD Mini 2 may not be perfect in
every possible aspect but it is without doubt
amongst the best standalone Media Players
A.C.Ryan has designed and manufactured to
date. Sony CEO tips Apple built-in camera plans,
iPhone 5 delay possible? Description In an
on-stage interview at Carnegie Hall with Walt
Mossberg, Sony CEO Howard Stringer appears to
have confirmed an earlier rumor that an upcoming
iPhone 5 will have an 8MP digital camera
with a sensor made by Sony. Stringer made a
number of somewhat cryptic comments to Mossberg
about Apple, at one point commenting on the
irony of Sony making "the best camera" for Apple
devices. K-Touch W700 Anroid phone looks pretty
sweet Description While the Chinese have been
known for creating poor copies of existing phones
and slapping on a different OS and brand name on
their devices, phone manufacturers,
K- Touch,hasintroducedaphoneworthyofnotbeingbrande
das some cheap knock off. Called the W700, this
Android phone has got some pretty nice specs to
boot. It packs a dual-core NVIDIA Tegra 2
processor, it runs Android 2.2, has 512MB of RAM,
8GB of internal memory, a 3.8? display (480 x
800), a 5 megapixel rear camera, a 0.3 megapixel
front facing camera, WiFil, Bluetooth, GPS, FM
tuner, and microSD card slot. It willbereleasedinC
hinamid-AprilviaChinaUnicomfor3500 Chinese Yuan
(535). No word on whether itll hit our
stores but we wouldnt mind seeing phones like
these on sale at low prices. Panasonic to ship
first-ever 100GB BDXL recordable
disc Description Panasonic claimed the
distinction on Monday of being the first company
to ship a BDXL rewritable disc.
The three-layer,100GBdiscgivesusersasmuchaseightho
ursand 40minutesoffull-quality,24Mbps1080pvideothe
ycanwrite many times. It should theoretically be
tougher than mostdiscs with a coating to guard
against fingerprints and scratches. Windows 8 to
use Ribbon, Phone 7 design? Description
Screenshots from early builds of the next
version ofWindowssuggestMicrosoftisfavouringitsRib
boninteface. Early versions of Windows 8 have
popped up online over the past few weeks, with
the pre-beta code apparently leaked as Microsoft
sends it to partners. Gaming news WC 11 Clone
Wars Season 4 - Grievous vs. Gungans! Description
A teaser for Clone Wars Season 4 shows some cool
clips glimpses at what's to come, including a
Jedi so bad ass, he has two double-sided
lightsabers. Anonymous Declares War on
Sony Description Gulp! That's the collective
reaction Sony likely had this morning after
receiving a slap to the face from the
hacker activist group famous for taking on
the Church of Scientology, Anonymous. For
its recent actions against
the best displays Samsung has ever made. The
colors stand 10
11
April 5th, 2011 PlayStation 3 hackers,
including George "Geohot" Hotz, Anonymous
has declared war on Sony. Dynasty Warriors 7 To
Get Japanese Voices In Free DLC Description The
US release of Dynasty Warriors 7 will
be getting Japanese voices for free in the form
of a DLC. The DLC willbemadeavailableviaXboxLivean
dPlayStationNetwork. The free DLC update will
also include additional costumes. No release date
was mentioned but the developers mention another
paid DLC is also on its way. Apple's 7th
generation iPod nano may come with
built-in camera Source http//vr-zone.com/article
s/apple-s-7th-generation-ipod-nano- may-come-with-
built-in-camera/11797.html April 5th, 2011
Published by VR-Zone Go-Rock
SRS 3D surround Bluetooth mini-speakers coming to
Singapore
Source http//vr-zone.com/articles/go-rock-srs-3
d-surround-bluetooth- mini-speakers-coming-to-sin
gapore/11795.html April 5th, 2011 A leaked
photo from a Taiwanese Apple-related
blog, Apple.pro, shows an iPod Nano with a camera
hole. If that is believed to be true, this means
that the portable digital media
player could also take videos (and even images)
like its 5th generation sibling.
Taiwanese manufacturer Go-Rock is known for
their range of products including cables,
power adapters and audio
accessories for computers, mobile phones and MP3
players. And the latest product comes in the
form of Bluetooth mini- speakers which are
coming to Singapore. Thepictureyouseea
boveistakenonSaturdayfromTaiwanese Apple-relatedbl
og,Apple.pro,whichiswell-knownforleaking Apple's
hardware. However, the author could not verify if
this
is genuine. It was only a day after April's Fool,
though it is unlikely this is a joke, seeing how
the blog has correctly leaked each of the
previous six generations of the iPod nano
past years. The 5th generation iPod nano has
received a built-in camera from the 4th
generation, but the 6th generation which comes in
a smaller, squarish form factor has the camera
removed. Perhaps Apple would bring the camera
back to the upcoming 7th generation after much
feedback from consumers.
The Go-Rock SRS 3D surround Bluetooth
mini-speakers features PumpBass Technology
which claims to maximize the sound bass
within limited and constrained space.
The speakers may have a small footprint, but
feature stereo 3D surround audio experience for
the audiophiles. The Go-Rock can connect
wirelessly to your iPad, iPhone, tablet PC,
notebook PC, mobile phone, PSP or any
devices that support A2DP and AVRCP
Bluetooth profiles. On top of that, the
speakers also come with two-way power
supply, retractable built-In cables, rechargeable
Lithium-ion battery and a charging USB
cable. 11
12
April 5th, 2011 Sony Alpha 33 DSLR Production
Halted in Japan Source http//vr-zone.com/article
s/sony-alpha-33-dslr-production-halted- in-japan/1
1794.html April 5th, 2011 The
Alpha 33 DSLR camera is Sony's first to
feature a translucent mirror technology though
it is not known why the camera was canned in less
than a year. Xilence Debuts M608
Pro cooler Source http//vr-zone.com/articles/xil
ence-debuts-m608-pro- cooler/11793.html April
5th, 2011 Taipei-based Xilence
Technology has announced the M608 Pro, adding
on to its line-up of CPU coolers for PC.
Measuring 143 x 136 x 129mm, the cooler boasts
four copper heat pipes, a copper base, and is
equipped with a 120mm PWM fan that operates at
500 RPM to 1,500 RPM.
Published by VR-Zone 775/ 1156/ 1366 and AMD
AM2/ AM2/ AM3 processors, the M608 Pro can be
found in stores in Europe at a MSRP
of 48.90. News via Xilence Sharkoon Unveils
AL2 and AL4 PC Chassis Source http//vr-zone.com/
articles/sharkoon-unveils-al2-and-al4-pc- chassis/
11792.html April 5th, 2011 German-based
Sharkoon Technologies has expanded its
line- upofPCchassiswiththeadditionoftheAL2andAL4.S
imiliar in designs, the AL2 (395 x 375 x 180mm)
supports all mini- ITX and micro ATX motherboards
while the bigger AL4 (480 x 192 x 430mm) can fit
full-sized ATX boards. AL4 German-
based Sharkoon Technologies has expanded its
line- up of PC chassis with the addition of the
AL2 and AL4.Similiar in designs, the AL2 (395 x
375 x 180mm) supports all mini-
ITX and micro ATX motherboards while the bigger
AL4 (480 x 192 x 430mm) can fit full-sized ATX
boards. Taipei-based Xilence
Technology has announced the M608 Pro, adding
on to its line-up of CPU coolers for PC. Measuring
143 x 136 x 129mm, the cooler boasts four copper
heat pipes, a copper base, and is equipped with a
120mm PWM fan that
AL4
operates at 500 RPM to 1,500 RPM. Compatible with
all Intel 12
13
April 5th, 2011 AL4
Published by VR-Zone Available in silver or
titanium colors, they feature external 5.25"
drive bays (AL4 - four, AL2 - two), one exposed
3.5" bay, PCIeslots(sevenonAL4,fouronAL2),pre-inst
alledblueLED fans (front), and and front-side I/O
panels with two USB 2.0 ports and audio ports.
The AL2 and AL4 can be purchased frommajorretailer
sande-tailersatMSRPsof44.90and49 respectively. N
ews via Softpedia I-O Data Readies New
External Blu-ray writer Source
http//vr-zone.com/articles/i-o-data-readies-new-e
xternal-blu-ray- writer/11791.html
April 5th, 2011 I-O Data has announced the
BRP-U6X, an external Blu-ray writer with support
for the BDXL standard. Measuring just 20mm thick
and weighing 320g, the slim writer sports a
USB 2.0 interface and supports write speeds up
to "6x for BD-R (single- and dual-layer), 4x for
34-layer BD-R, 2x for BD-RE, 8x for DVD-RR
and DVDRW, 6x for DVD-RR DL and DVD-RW,
5x for DVD-RAM, 24x for CD-R and 16x for
CD- RW". AL2 I-O Data has announced
the BRP-U6X, an external Blu-ray writer with
support for the BDXL standard. Measuring
just 20mm thick and weighing 320g, the slim
writer sports a USB 2.0 interface and supports
write speeds up to "6x for BD-R (single- and
dual-layer), 4x for 34-layer BD-R, 2x for
BD-RE, 8x for DVD-RR and DVDRW, 6x for
DVD-RR DL and
DVD-RW, 5x for DVD-RAM, 24x for CD-R and 16x for
CD- RW". Covered by a one year warranty, it comes
bundled with
AL2
WinDVD BD and Nero Express Essentials. The
BRP-U6X is expected to hit store shelves in
Japan in April at a MSRP ofUS 270. News via
Techconnect Silverstone Announces
DC01 NAS Source http//vr-zone.com/articles/sil
verstone-announces-dc01- nas/11790.html April
5th, 2011 AL2 13
14
April 5th, 2011 SilverStoneTechnology,well-knownf
oritshighperformance PC cases and thermal
solutions, has released the DC01, a compact
aluminum NAS device. SilverStone
Technology, well-known for its high
performance PC cases and thermal solutions,
has released the DC01, a compact aluminum NAS
device. Mea
suring 123 x 123 x 33mm, the enclosure
runs on a dual-core ARM11 processor, has one
2.5" drive bay, Gigabit Ethernet connectivity,
one eSATA and two USB 2.0 ports. It also supports
VPN/ Bit-Torrent clients, and doubles-up as
an iTunes/ DLNA/ print-server. The DC01 is
covered by a one year warranty and can be
found in stores at a cost of
US 149.99. News via Techpowerup
Published by VR-Zone The Daily VR-Zone
News Summary - 1 April 2011 Source
http//vr-zone.com/articles/the-daily-vr-zone-news
-summary--1- april-2011/11457.html April 5th,
2011 In today's news roundup NVIDIA talks
about its plans and hopes for both its mobile
Tegra platform and its workstation- oriented
Project Denver CPU based off the ARM
architecture Tier-1 notebook ODMs are reportedly
thinking to cutting out the ExpressCard
expansion slot from all future designs
in an attempt to conserve space and cut
costs Images of a mirrorless Pentax camera
featuring interchangeable lenses and a retro,
rangefinder-esque look has started leaking
onto the Internet Nokia has released the
entire source code for the latest (and final)
version of Symbian in a bid to keep the mobile
operating system alive in the developer
community The recently-released Angry Birds Rio
game for smartphones get reviewed, and our
sister site SGCafe has published its review
on the latest game that has taken the world by
storm Crysis 2. Hardware news Sapphire Pure
Black X58 Motherboard Review _at_ Legit Reviews Descr
iptionIthasbeenafewyearssinceSapphirehasputout a
new motherboard. Here we are though, getting
ready for a look at their first Intel motherboard
since the days of the Intel Pentium 4! The
Sapphire Pure Black X58 supports USB
3.0, SATA6,andCrossfireXforstarters!IstheSapphireP
ureBlack X58motherboardgoingtobetherightboardforyo
u?Readon to find out! Kingston HyperX Genesis 4GB
2133MHz DDR3 Memory Kit Review _at_
Bigbruin.com Description The aesthetics may
be slightly different from what we expect from
Kingston, but the under the hood of the HyperX
Genesis 4GB 2133MHz DDR3 kit the
performance is the same. Testing on a Sandy
Bridge system showed that this kit has the
ability to offer high speed performance
with minimal effort thanks to the plug and
play nature of XMP profiles. Corsair TX850V2
850 Watt Power Supply Review Description Fast
forward to today and we now have
the Corsair TX Version 2. The specific
power supply on the bench right now is the
Corsair TX850V2. On the surface, the
TX850V2 differs little from its predecessor.
Connector availability remains the same and if
it wasn't for the sticker denoting it as a
TX850V2 instead of a TX850W, you
probably wouldn't know they were different.
Corsair took a good look at the internals and
decided to make some changes there, bringing
with it improved efficiency and higher
quality DC output. Read on as we take an in
depth look at the Corsair TX850V2. 14
15
April 5th, 2011 Asus P8P67 LE Motherboard Review
_at_ ITShootOut.com Description The P8P67 LE is the
baby of Asus extensive full- ATX Sandy Bridge
motherboard range. The variant we
are looking at today is one of the B3 editions,
meaning it doesnt suffer from the potential
SATA issue that plagued the first generation
of all P67 motherboards. Laptop makers to stop
using ExpressCard slots? Description There
are reports that some Tier-1
laptop manufacturers are considering dropping
ExpressCard ports on all laptops - to reduce
size and costs. ExpressCards haven't been
successful and almost all laptops now
include Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and enough USB ports to
make these modules quite unnecessary. NVIDIA
Interview Tegra 2 and Project Denver - March
31, 2011 _at_Hi Tech Legion Description Paul at
HiTech Legion chats with Nick Stam, NVIDIA
technical marketing director and Bruce Chan,
senior PR manager of Tegra 2 to discuss the past,
present and future of Tegra. With the announced
Tegra roadmap outlining the creation of powerful
ARM-based, multi-core, ultra low-power processors
that are significantly faster than anything the
tech industry could have imagined, how much
will the lines be blurred between desktop and
mobile computers in the future? How far is NVIDIA
willing to push the performance envelope of
sub-1W computing? Prolimatech Super Mega CPU
Cooler Review _at_ Vortez Description Prolimatech
first came into the market with their Megahalem
using a very original dual tower that came in
a package the same size as other
traditional tower heatsinks suchastheThermalrigh
tUltraExtreme.Itprovedtobehighly successful
amongst enthusiasts but from our own results
it failed to keep up with Thermalright's
offering, its closest competitor. Moving on
three years from then, Prolimatech have made
tweaks to their design and are ready to take on
the top coolers once again with their new
ultimate Super Mega iteration, this time facing
the Noctua NH-D14, Thermalright Silver Arrow and
Venomous X. HIS Radeon HD 6870 IceQ X TurboX
Video Card Review Description Today we've got a
fancy HD 6870 from HIS the IceQ X TurboX. It's a
bit of a tongue twister, but we're fairly sure
we're going to love it as it carries that IceQ
tag along with theTurbotag,ourtwofavoritefromHIS.B
eforewelookcloser at the actual card, though,
let's check out the package that HIS has got gone
on. Then we'll see the IceQ cooler they're
using before looking at the specifications. We'll
then finally get into the performance that's on
offer. Consumer Electronics and Software
news Nexus takes the click out of the computer
mouse Description The clicking sound we
hear when we press a mouse button is part
of the device's switching mechanism, that has
also become a kind of audible comfort cushion
for computer users. However, Dutch component
manufacturer Nexus believes that in these
days of notebook trackpads and tablet
touchscreens, we no longer need the
audible confirmation that a requested action has
been performed we can see it onscreen. The
company has now discovered some silent switching
technology and installed into a couple of its
Published by VR-Zone input peripherals, so that
they operate without so much as a squeak. Your
mobile phone is watching you ...
closely Description While most of us know it is
theoretically possible for our movements to be
tracked by detecting which tower our mobile phone
is connected too, it might come as a shock to
see just how much of a digital footprint we leave
as we go about our daily lives SteelSeries Scope
Pro Gaming Glasses Review Description The Scope
Pro Gaming glasses by SteelSeries and Gunnar help
reduce eye strain and fatigue while at the
same time they can improve your gaming
performance by reducing glare, improving contrast
and enhancing detail. Internet Explorer 9 Better
Than Ever _at_ InsideHW Description On 14th
March, a new chapter in the never- ending
browser war began. In the blue, Microsoft
corner, the long-awaited Internet Explorer 9
finally made its official appearance. After
several months of open testing of
beta versions, we got the finished
product, promising high performance and a
simple interface, ready to ease your work and
entertainment on the web Googles Music Search
Engine Quietly Vanishes From The Web Description
A tipster pointed out the disappearance of
the old Google Music Search landing page to us,
which doesnt necessarily mean it vanished
recently, but Ive searched everywhere
for mentions of Google officially or
unofficially retiring the service and have been
unable to find any reports aboutit.Iwonderifsimply
nobodynoticeditwasgone,orthat my search skills or
simply not what they used to be. Symbian source
code released by Nokia Description Just to
confirm with people that theyre finally done
with the aging operating system, Nokia has
released the source code to the latest
version of Symbian to the public. Originally
a job for the Symbian Foundation, Nokia took
over when the foundation closed its doors late
last year. Now the code for the Symbian
platform is out in the wild, as well as
the SDK and build tools. Now other developers can
take SymbianandpickupwhereNokialeftoff,andhopefull
ytheyll be creating something new in the process
maybe a heavily modified, homebrew version
of Symbian that would make even Android and
iOS users want to use? (Although highly unlikely)
What we do know is that Nokia is finally
saying goodbye to Symbian as it prepares
itself for the arrival of Windows Phone on
their hardware. Bad news for the Symbian devices
coming out later this year though when people
find out theres no more love for the operating
system from the parent company, will they even be
bothered to give those new Symbian phones a
shot? Pentax NC mirrorless camera spotted with
vintage design Description Corroborating
earlier rumors surrounding a mirrorless
Pentax camera, several press photos have
finally surfaced. The images are tied to the
model NC-1, which is sai