The Daily VR-Zone News Summary - 23 Mar 2011

Hardware news

MSI N550GTX-Ti Cyclone II OC Video Card Review @ Legit Reviews
Description: The MSI N550GTX-Ti Cyclone II OC 1GB graphics cards is based on the NVIDIA Geforce GTX 550 Ti GPU, but is kept nice and cool with the MSI Cyclone II cooling solution. The N550GTX-Ti Cyclone II OC is factory overclocked with the core clock set to 950MHz and the memory at 1075MHz. We put this overclocked GF116 card to the test to see how it performs, keeps cool and overclocks!

ASUS EAH6870 1GB Video Card Review @ ITShootOut.com
Description: The Radeon HD 6870, contrary to its somewhat confusing name, is not the successor to the Radeon 5870. Instead, it acts as an almost direct replacement for the Radeon 5850, both in terms of performance and in price. Today we are looking at the Asus variant which has some exclusive features including the Voltage Tweak functionality we have come to particularly enjoy when overclocking.

Arctic Cooling Freezer 13 Pro CPU Cooler Review @ Tweaknews
Description: When its all said and done, Arctic Coolings new Freezer 13 Pro, with its innovative “Cross Blow” feature, is a worthy successor to the Freezer series of coolers. As of this writing, it only seems to be available from the Arctic Cooling website for around $55 US.

Sapphire Radeon HD 6950 Flex Edition 2GB DDR5 DX11 Video Card Review @Hi Tech Legion
Description: Sapphire is back on the scene with the Sapphire Radeon HD 6950 FleX Edition. The Sapphire Radeon HD 6950 FleX comes with the onboard ability to use Eyefinity without the need of a DisplayPort monitor or Active DP adapter. The underlying 6950 is still the original stock model. This sports a 800MHz core clock and 1250MHz (5 Gb/s effective) memory speed. The HD 6950 has 2 DVI, 2 mini Display Port, and a single HDMI 1.4a slot. There is also advanced technology with the HD 6950, including dual graphics engines, 22 SIMD engines, and 88 texture units. Sapphire has also included TriXX utility support and their Vapor-X cooling solution.

NZXT H2 Review @ Vortez
Description: The H2 is a case that slots into NZXTs "Classic" series and is regarded as the "Silent Midtower" due to the fact that there are thick side panels which feature foam underlay. It differentiates itself from the gaudy gamer styled cases currently swarming the market, by offering elegance and a minimalistic approach to styling. Fans within H2 can be controlled through 3 stages giving the user complete control over audio levels emitted from the chassis. With much more to talk about, lets begin our analysis of the new NZXT H2 that launches today.

Fractal Design Define R3 Case Review on Technic3D (German)
Description: (Machine translation) The Fractal Design Define R3 is the next PC-Case in the Technic3D Editorship. Define R3 – the successor to the good selling Define R2! Now available with a bunch of improvements, including improved cable routing, air flow and bigger hole in M/B plate for mounting CPU coolers. We will check this and more in the following Review.

DRAM contract prices up 3% in 2H March
Description: In order to ensure chip supply, which reportedly is likely to be short of demand starting in May, PC and system vendors are more willing to accept higher prices, according to sources at DRAM makers. Prices will go up in April anyway as PC OEMs begin to rebuild their low inventory, even without taking into account the effects of Japans earthquake on the chip supply chain, the sources said.

Intel: We Are Completely Committed to Itanium Platform.
Description: Intel Corp. on Wednesday said that it would continue developing Itanium-series microprocessors and the mission-critical platform will continue to exist. The companys statements were a response to Oracles claims that the IA64 platform was nearing the end of life.

Consumer Electronics and Software news

Sprint announces HTC EVO 3D smartphone and EVO View 4G tablet
Description: HTC is getting in on the 3D action with Sprint announcing the upcoming release of the 4G-capable HTC EVO 3D smartphone, which will be appearing alongside the equally 4G-capable HTC EVO View 4G tablet.

ARM cooperating with Microsoft, says ARM Taiwan president
Description: ARM has been cooperating with Microsoft to develop processor architectures, according to president Philip Lu for ARM Taiwan at a March 22 press conference in Taipei.

Samsung invests $15 million in mobile 3D technology company
Description: MasterImage 3D announced today that it has received a $15 million investment from Samsung Ventures. The company is focused on 3D - for cinemas (with over 60 installations), mobile displays and 3D camera ASICs. Were guessing that Samsung is more interested in the glasses-free handset displays and cameras than the cinema 3D technology...

Apple’s Mac Chief Departs as Big Changes Come to OS X
Description: Apple SVP of Mac Software Engineering Betrand Serlet is leaving the company, according to a press release issued by Apple. He will be replaced by Craig Federighi, Apple’s VP of Mac software engineering. Frederighi’s chief responsibility at Apple has been OS X development.

Torvalds backs Google Android
Description: The man who gave the world Linux, Linus Torvalds, has dismissed claims that Googles Android violates the Linux licence.

Apple sues Amazon over "app store"
Description: Fruity peddler of broken iDreams Apple is suing the online bookstall Amazon, claiming that it invented the words "app store". Apple has been getting very defensive about the phrase "app store" lately. Microsoft has appealed to the Trademark and Patent Office to stop Jobs Mob from suing everyone for using it.

Samsung Galaxy Tabs 8.9 and 10.1 Are Official: HD Video Recording And Superfast Networking Stand Out
Description: Samsung just announced their two new Galaxy Tabs, the 8.9 and the 10.1. Both are just 8.6 millimeters thick and support 4G and WiFi. Click through to watch the live video launch of these two Honeycomb tablets (with TouchWiz on top).

Gaming news

Singapore 3DS launch slated for March 28
Description: The 3DS may already be out in Japan, but gamers in Asia are still in the dark about when the handheld will be arriving in the region. Until now, that is, with a recent press release from Singaporean distributors MaxSoft confirming that the handheld will be available at all retailers in Singapore on March 28.

Sony: PS3 Hacker George "Geohot" Hotz in South America Attempting to Dodge Court Authority
Description: The ongoing PlayStation 3 security breach battle of Sony Computer Entertainment America versus George Hotz is set to continue on April 8. But according to the latest legal filing, its possible Hotz will be a no-show as he continues what Sony calls "a campaign to thwart jurisdictional discovery at every turn" -- a campaign that includes Hotzs convenient trip to South America.

Resident Evil Mercenaries 3D Dated in Japan
Description: Theres some big Resident Evil news coming out of Japan today. Joining the announcement of Resident Evil Revival Selection for PS3 and Xbox 360 comes a final release date for Resident Evil The Mercenaries 3D.

Tencent Video to recoup startup expenses by 2014

In the past 16 months, Tencent has been investing heavily in in its online video website and now expects to recoup its losses by 2014. Tencent Video recieves around 275.5 million viewers a month, better than Youkus previous 266.3 million viewers a month. Youku, a popular Chinese online video service, recently merged with its rival, Tudou, amassing an average of 475 million monthly viewers.

However, Liu Chunning, Tencents general manager, is confident that Tencent can catch up with Youku-Tudou soon. According to Liu, Tencent has four advantages over other video sites. First, Tencent has years of previous experience in the entertainment industry and is better able to draw viewers to videos according to their interests. Second, with Tencents integrated platforms and channels, videos can spread more widely. Third, Tencent can use its user base resources and capital to keep technology up to date. And lastly, Tencent has one of the most innovative and influential new media platforms in the country.

There are currently four popular video platforms available in mainland China: Youku-Tudou, Tencent, Sohu, and Aiqiyi. Foreign websites, such as Youtube, are banned by the government and only accessible through a VPN or other application.

Source: techweb.com.cn

TSMC Benefits From NV amp; ATi 80nm Race

ATI recently unveiled the X1950PRO designed on 80nm process and built by TSMC and NVIDIA too will roll out its 80nm chip in November, with TSMC also being the contact supplier. Thanks to the contracts from the world's top two graphics-chip suppliers, TSMC expects its capacity utilization at its leading-edge process to go up in the fourth quarter. The 80nm cooperation between ATI and TSMC also quelled speculations that ATI might divert TSMC-bounded orders toward AMD. ATI was the only contract buyer to contribute over 10% of TSMC`s revenues last year. ATI plans to introduce the 65nm technology next year.

Reallusion unveils Visualize image editing tool for iPad

Reallusionhave launched a brand-new visual application for the iPad market, whichcombines the power of free-hand cutouts, visual templates and layered compositiion.It isa image editingapplication that can create instant PNG cutouts by importing and editing images directly from the iPad camera or the Internet. Cutouts can be saved in the onboard gallery folders, to expand the current collection, or be retouched for further layering and compositing. Customizing and compositing images are made easy, thanksto a wide range of stationeries, symbols, icons and arrows, found in overseven item categories.You can rotate, scale and transformimages oruse the embedded slider controls for pixel-accurate positioning. The same can be done for changing color settings, and adjusting edge properties with special effects such as feathering, shadowing, or white edging.

Users cannow import snapshots and clippings directly from online websites with the use of a rectangular cropping tool. Images can also be manually cut out with just a flick of the finger, using the intuitive lasso tool. You can also addtextby simply typing and later adjusting the background and font settings.Last but not least, you can also further customizeyour projects by dropping in background images with added spotlight, and color effects to enhance the look. When ready, simplyexport the projects to Facebook, Picasa, Dropbox or send them as a email attachment to colleagues.

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

Heres a demo introduction video of Visualize

Quad Core Battle Intel Yorkfield vs AMD Altair

Yorkfield Extreme Edition based on the 45nm Penry core architecture will meetheads-on with AMD Altair based on the 65nm K8L core in Q3 2007. Both are quadcore offerings but AMD touted theirs to be a native quad-core with dedicated512KB L2 cache for each core and an additional 2MB L3 cache for the 4 cores toshare. Intel has different plans for Yorkfield. Instead of sharing L2 cache forall the cores, the L2 cache size is further increased. Due to its advanced 45nmprocess technology, Yorkfield XE is able to pack a total of 12MB L2 cache (2 x6MB L2) and still achieving a much smaller die size. The clock speed issignificantly higher at 3.46-3.74GHz too.

Yorkfield will feature Penryn New Instructions (PNI) or more officially knownas SSE4 with 50 more new instructions. Yorkfield XE will pair up nicely with theBearlake-X chipset supporting DDR3 1333, PCI Express 2.0 and ICH9x coming in theQ3 '07 timeframe as well. It is hard to predict which architecture will wineventually but it seems like AMD has packed more innovations into their K8Larchitecture while Intel moving onto 45nm process benefits its Yorkfield greatlyin terms of lower power consumption, higher clock speed and a much bigger L2cache. Certainly it is exciting ahead of us.

Discuss here!

Super Talent Announces Value SSD Series

Super Talent, leading manufacturer of Flash storage solutions and DRAMmemory modules, has jumped onto the SSD bandwagon with the launch its Super Talent VSSD family of SSDs.





The SSDs, enclosed in a lightweight polymer shell, feature a SATA IIIinterface, MLC NAND Flash memory, a MTBF of 1,000,000 hours, and deliverdata transfer speeds of up to 150 Mb/s read and 110 Mb/s write.Available in capacities of 8Gb, 16Gb, 32Gb and 64Gb, they are backed by atwo year warranty and available from authorized resellers and e-tailersat prices ranging from USD 65 (8Gb) to USD 175 (64Gb).


News via [Tweaktown]

SingTel and Nokia launch the new Nokia N8 smartphone in Singapore

SingTel and Nokia launch the new Nokia N8 smartphone in Singapore

Singapore 28 Oct 2010 – Singapore Telecommunications Ltd (SingTel), Asia’s leading communications group and Nokia, a world leader in mobile communications, today announced that SingTel will be the first operator to offer the highly-anticipated Nokia N8 to its customers starting from 5 Nov 2010 for a period of 4 weeks. The handset will also be available in Nokia Stores and Nokia appointed retail outlets from the same date. As the first smartphone in the world to be powered by the new Symbian^3 operating system, the Nokia N8 is the ultimate multimedia entertainment phone.

Big Screen Bonanza - Entertainment Centre in your pocket

The Nokia N8 is a great portable entertainment centre that offers a cinema-grade audio and visual experience. With its built-in HDMI interface, it allows users to play music, videos and images through HDMI-compatible televisions and home theatre systems, with full Dolby Digital Plus surround sound. To bring the best out of the Nokia N8's multimedia capabilities and to offer customers the best in live sports on the go, SingTel will offer customers one month’s free subscription to its ESPN Mobile TV service. Customers can also enjoy the latest chart hits with SingTel’s award-winning AMPed music service. As an added bonus, customers will receive a free pair of tickets to watch American pop sensation, David Archuleta, in his Singapore showcase on 14 Nov 2010.

Be a David La Chapelle or Steven Spielberg

Right out of the box, the new Nokia N8 sheds your inhibitions about being a photographer because its easy-to-use features allow you to effortlessly capture and edit still images. With its 12-megapixel Carl Zeiss Tessar optics camera, Xenon flash and the largest image sensor of any mobile device, it captures superb, pin-sharp images every time. The Nokia N8 provides the creative freedom to capture and edit HD quality video on the go, and view content on its large 3.5-inch AMOLED screen. Users can quickly share their photos and videos online in a few easy steps.

Games galore

The Nokia N8 is packed with the latest and most popular games to ensure that there’s never a dull moment. Favourites such as Angry Birds and Need for Speed Shift HD will keep avid gamers entertained for hours. Games come to life with every swipe, pinch and tap on the Nokia N8’s super-responsive touchscreen.

Price Plans

SingTel will introduce new N’tertainment 3G Flexi price plans for the Nokia N8. These plans include free local incoming calls and bundled data usage, as well as free AMPed and MobileTV service.

Customers who are interested in the Nokia N8 can currently pre-order the handset at www.singtel.com/n8

N’tertainment 3G Flexi Lite Plan
N’tertainment 3G FlexiPlanN’tertainment 3G Flexi Plus Plan
Monthly Subscription
S$39S$56S$95 FREE INCOMING CALLS
FREE Local Outgoing Calls
100 min
200 min
500 min
FREE Local Data Usage
12GB (Capped at S$30 a month for unlimited usage)
FREE Mobile TV
FREE 24 Months MobileTV Basic Pack Viewing(Includes Bloomberg TV, Channel 8, Channel NewsAsia, Dragon TV, ETTV Asia)FREE Singtel AMPed
Unlimited song downloads with no data charges from SingTel AMPed Music Store FREE ESPN Mobile TV
Free for one month

Nokia N8 Product Specifications

Stylish form carved out of a single block of scratch-resistant anodized aluminiumSleek design measuring 113.5 x 59.12 x 12.9 mm (L x W x H) and weighing only 135 gramsSharp and dazzling 3.5” AMOLED capacitive touchscreen (640 x 360 pixels) that allows high definition picture quality and intuitive and responsive navigationBuilt-in Wi-Fi (802.11 b/g/n) for faster web browsing and extended data coverage, positioning, as well as support for Wi-Fi calling via UMA where available12 MP camera with Carl Zeiss optics, variable zoom, autofocus, Xenon flash and video recording in HD 720pSymbian^3 OS, offering users a powerful and intuitive platform with several enhancements including support for gestures such as multi-touch, flick scrolling and pinch-zoom, multiple, personalizable homescreens, a faster and more responsive user interface, greater memory management for a faster multi-tasking experience.Built-in global Ovi Maps for walk-and-drive navigation in over 70 countries worldwide with built in premium guides from Lonely Planet and Via Michelin for tips on travel, restaurants, weather, and hotelsPositioning with GPS, A-GPS, WLAN and Cell-IDMedia player for videos, pictures and music (music plays up to 50 hours)Nokia PC suite for both PCs and Macs to enable synching data such as contacts and calendar appointments between a computer and the smartphoneUSB On-the-Go and Micro-USB 2.0 high speed for file transfers and chargingNokia AV connector 3.5 mm for audio input/output and TV out
16GB mass memory + micro SD card slot, 135MB internal memory, support up to 32GB memory cards. RAM256/ROM512Access to Nokia Ovi Store, featuring a broad and growing catalog of mobile applications developed specifically for Nokia smartphones. Categories include entertainment, games, IM and social networking, news, weather, productivity and more.Premium and easy-to-access phone features, background noise suppression technology and high quality speakerphoneBluetooth (3.0) with support for Secure Simple Pairing, hands-free headsets, stereo headsets, car kits and other Bluetooth peripheralsSupport for Nokia Ovi MailSupport for 3G networks around the worldNon-removable, rechargeable 1200mAh BL-4D battery (with 1 year warranty) that provides approximately 12.5 hours of talk time and 16 days of standby time in GSM mode