VR-Zone Tech News for the Geeks Jul 2011 Issue

June 30th, 2011 Published by: VR-Zone

VR-Zone.com | Stuff for the Geeks!
VR-Zone | Stuff for the Geeks is a bi-weekly publication Too Hot to Handle: Sony
covering the latest gadgets and stuff for the geeks.
issues BIOS update for
535,000 VAIO notebooks at
Sandy Bridge-E delayed until risk of overheating
January 2012 Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/too-hot-to-handle-sony-issues-bios-
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/sandy-bridge-e-delayed-until- update-for-535-000-vaio-notebooks-at-risk-of-overheating/12815.html
january-2012/12816.html June 30th, 2011
June 30th, 2011

Sony has just issued an urgent BIOS update for certain F and
C series VAIO notebooks. The affected models were sold in the
Wow, what's going on at Intel? It seems like the company first half of 2010 and are at risk of overheating due to a faulty
has decided to delay its entire consumer desktop roadmap, thermal management system. According to Sony, the BIOS
as we've now heard from a very reliable source that Intel has update should fix the issue. More than half a million units
pushed back the Sandy Bridge-E launch from Q4 this year to worldwide are affected, of which 120,000 are in Southeast
January 2012. Asia.

Wow, what's going on at Intel? It seems like the company
has decided to delay its entire consumer desktop roadmap,
as we've now heard from a very reliable source that Intel has
pushed back the Sandy Bridge-E launch from Q4 this year to
January 2012.
We have a feeling that Intel is doing an AMD and what we
mean by that is that Intel is focusing on its server CPU business
instead of on consumers. AMD delayed its consumer Bulldozer
launch in favour of its Opteron CPUs and it's possible that
this is part of what made Intel change its strategy. The Sandy
Bridge-E CPUs are based on the same core as Intel's upcoming
More than half a million VAIO notebooks are at risk of
LGA-2011 and LGA-1356 Xeon processors and these are big
overheating due to a faulty thermal management system,
chips which mean fewer chips per wafer. As such it's entirely
according to Sony. A product recall was previously issued but
plausible that Intel is trying to stock up on chips for its Xeon
Sony now says that a BIOS update will fix the problem. The
platforms, but this is only speculation from our side at this
affected parts have serial numbers starting with VPCF11 or
point in time.
VPCCW2 and were sold in the first half of 2010.
As the Sandy Bridge-E CPUs are set to replace Intel's aging
535,000 notebooks are affected worldwide, about half of
LGA-1366 Core i platform it looks like the enthusiast end of the
which are in the US. Of the remainder, 103,000 are in Europe,
market is going to have to wait another quarter before they can
120,000 are in Southeast Asia and 52,000 are in Japan.
get their hands on the new platform. This is going to disappoint
The number of overheating cases reported so far is said to
quite a few people out there, but this is still a very tiny market
be between 30 and 40. No injuries have occured, but the
for Intel and it's unlikely that it will affect Intel's profits much,
notebooks can get hot enough to warp the plastic casing and
if at all. Hopefully there won't be any further delays, although
cause burns.
it's also entirely possible that this is a calculated move by Intel,
as the company launched a new LGA-1366 CPU only this week, To check if your Sony notebook is affected, refer to Sony's
but it's believed to be the last of a dying breed. support website. Sony advises owners of affected notebooks to
cease all usage until the fix has been applied.

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This is hardly the first notebook recall in recent years, though According to the official press release, Skype for Android 2.0
recalls are more often due to notebook batteries. In 2008, Sony will allow users of Android-powered smartphones to "make
recalled 73,000 VAIO notebooks due to a similar overheating and receieve free 1-1 video calls over Skype between their
issue. Sony was forced to recall over 4 million notebook Android phone", as well as with other Skype contacts who
batteries back in 2006 after a notebook battery exploded in are making use of the service on other platforms. In addtion,
Japan. the client will work with both WiFi and 3G data connections,
although Skype recommends the use of a "strong WiFi
connection" for best results.
Skype announces updated Users will also notice that the user interface for Skype's new
client for Android, brings client has been given an overhaul, as shown in the image
video calling to supported below. According to Skype, this was done to ensure that users
can easily gain direct access to all of the key functions that are
smartphones available in the client.
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/skype-announces-updated-client-for-
android-brings-video-calling-to-supported-smartphones/12809.html
June 30th, 2011

For the longest time, users of Android smartphones could
only watch in envy while their iOS-totting friends were
happily utilizing Skype's services to initiate video calls among
their fellow iOS users, but it seems that things are about to
change for the better very soon. This is because Skype just
announced the availability of an updated client which it has
confirmed will be bringing that missing feature to the Android
platform. Android users, let the video calls begin.
Skype may have been present on mobile platforms for a long
time, but the unfortunate truth is that the Android version
of Skype still has some way to go before it can be proclaimed
to have finally achieved feature-parity with the one that is
currently available for Apple's iOS. This is especially true,
considering how Skype for Android still lacks support for
video calls, a feature that was made available for iOS 4 in late
December last year.
However, just as good things always comes to those who wait,
it would seem that today is the day Android users can finally
have something to phone home about, for Skype has just
announced the availability of an updated version of its Android
client, which is designed to bring that missing feature to what
is currently recognized as "the fastest growing mobile OS".
Of course, in addition to video calls, users can also continue
to make use of Skype's services as a means to make calls to
landlines and mobiles, as well as send SMS’s to their friends
and family members under Skype's existing rates.
That being said, you might want to hold your horses first.
VR-Zone was given the opportunity to interview Skype's
Mark Douglas, who confirmed that support for video calls is
currently limitted to only four devices in the initial rollout,
and they are HTC's Desire S, Sony Ericsson's Xperia neo
and Xperia pro and Google's Nexus S, although Skype has
confirmed that more devices will be added to its compatibility
list in time.
However, there is no way to get the feature working on
unsupported phones, as Douglas has confirmed that the
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app is closed-ended. This means that devices which fulfill
the minium requirements (Android 2.3 + meets the OS's
video requirements) but are not on the compatibility list will
be locked out from making video calls via Skype on their
smartphone, although they will still have access to all the other
services.
Also, those of you who are hoping for a greater degree of
integration of Skype into Android will probably be disapointed Above: 8 USB 2.0 ports, 2 USB 3.0 ports and a single HDMI
to know that the company has got no plans to do so, but that display output.
is only because the developers are limitted to what Google
allows them to do via the SDK. And last but defintiely not
least, no, group video conferencing is not available on this
new release, although Douglas did suggest that such a feature
might eventually make its way into future versions of its
mobile Skype client once smartphones gain access to much
more powerful and capable hardware.

Gigabyte GA-Z68XP-UD3-iSSD
Preview
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/gigabyte-ga-z68xp-ud3-issd-
preview/12810.html
June 30th, 2011

Above: The power delivery system uses DrMOS (Driver
+MOSFET)

Intel specifically designed the 20GB SSD 311 to be used as
a cache drive with Z68's Smart Response Technology. Now
Gigabyte has taken the mSATA version of the SSD 311 and
bundled it onto a full-fledged Z68 motherboard, hoping to save
you the hassle of purchasing the SSD separately. We haven't
had the chance to test out this unique motherboard yet, but
look inside for a quick tour.

Above: An additional two USB 3.0 ports are accessible
via header. A Marvell 88SE9172 controller provides two
additional SATA 6 Gbps ports (grey).

Above: Gigabyte's trademark blue colour scheme.

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Behind The Scenes: The
Making of the Jay Chou ASUS
N43 Notebook
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/behind-the-scenes-the-making-of-the-
jay-chou-asus-n43-notebook/12808.html
June 30th, 2011

Today, VR-Zone barged into a secret ASUS design facility
where Jay Chou has been spending some of his time to design
and develop the N43 notebook. We are shown with some of his
Above: The two x16 slots can be used in a x8/x8 configuration works that are eventually incorporated into the final design of
for SLI/CrossFire. Gigabyte has used the Realtek ALC889 the notebook. Let us walk you through the workplace of Jay
audio codec and RTL8111E ethernet controller. Chou now.

Above: The key selling point of this motherboard - an onboard
Intel SSD 311 20GB solid state drive.
Today, VR-Zone barged into a secret ASUS design facility
where Jay Chou has been spending some of his time to design
and develop the N43 notebook. The ASUS designers revealed
that Jay Chou spend some of his nights in this facility over
the last 6 months entering only by the back door to avoid any
unwanted attention. His visits to ASUS are even kept a secret
from most of the ASUS employees. We are shown with some of
his works that are eventually incorporated into the final design
of the notebook. Let us walk you through the workplace of Jay
Chou now :

Stay tuned for our full review of the Gigabyte GA-Z68XP-UD3-
iSSD!

4


This is the place where Jay Chou sat down with ASUS The ASUS designers eventually picked this one and a few
designers to ponder over the design, colors and features that others to mix and match to form the perfect J
he wish to see in the notebook. This is also the place he drew
the J letter in calligraphy.

These are the J letter calligraphy drawn by Jay Chou and one of
them is picked by the ASUS designer as the signature J found
on the N43 notebooks.

The signature J letter is found on the box and notebook

5


Initially, he wanted a really bright pink but through numerous
revisions, the color is eventually toned down to the one you are
seeing now.

That's all for the walk through of his workplace in the ASUS
Design facility.

Olympus officially announces
three new Micro Four Thirds
cameras
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/olympus-officially-announces-three-
new-micro-four-thirds-cameras/12807.html
June 30th, 2011

Jay Chou and the ASUS designers have drawn this together
and is eventually imprinted onto the notebook cover

While Panasonic may have claimed an early head start in this
race with the recent launch of the GF3, it is clear that Olympus
is not about to let itself get outdone anytime soon, for the
company has just announced three new Micro Four Thirds
system cameras that look set to give Panasonic's GF3 a run for
its money. VR-Zone brings you the coverage.
Not so long ago, Panasonic and Olympus made headlines
when they jointly announced the creation of the Micro Four
Thirds system. The new standard was initially met with
varying degrees of skepticism. Some pundits claimed that the
concept was superfluous because the use of large lenses would
negate any size-related advantages that Micro Four Thirds was
founded upon.
Fast forward to 2011, and what was once considered a
'superfluous' standard has quickly matured into one of the
Jay Chou has written on some Post It notes specifically most popular segments in the digital camera market due to its
wanting a hot pink color notebook and exceptional sound ability to capture excellent stills in a compact-sized body. As
quality. evidence of this success, Olympus saw it fit to announce not
one, but three new Micro Four Thirds cameras today that at
the National Geographic Store in VivoCity, Singapore.

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The latest additions to the Micro Four Thirds stable are the smaller E-PM1 will get Live Guide, which allows users to
E-P3, Olympus's flagship model, and the smaller E-PL3 and control the camera's background defocusing.
E-PM1. Hirobumi Imano (above), Olympus Imaging Corp.'s
general manager for the design centre, was given the task
of officially unveiling the new devices to the world. Imano
described how the new cameras reflect the design principles
which have been a focal point of the company's PEN cameras
even since their conception:
"A camera should not be a toy.. the Olympus PEN is a product
that is designed to deliver the happiness of photography all
over the world without two main obstacles - difficulty in usage,
and price. PEN exludes a sense of class and refinement, and its
feature set is always expanding. And today, we will introduce
the E-P2's sucessor, which sports the same design but is a
completely different camera in its own regard, along with two
additional products", he said in Japanese.

Toshiyuki Terada (above), senior manager of Olympus' SLR
division, then described some of the new features of the new E-
P3, E-PL3 and E-PM1. In a nutshell, the new E-P3 will feature
a faster autofocus algorithm, an extremely sensitive sensor Terada also announced the availability of two new large-
capable of ISO 12800, TruePic VI technology and a capacitive aperture prime lenses for its entire Micro Four Thirds camera
OLED touchscreen. lineup, the 12mm, F2.0 "Snap Lens" and the 45mm, F1.8
portrait lens.

The E-PL3 will boast a tilting widescreen LCD display
and support for high-speed continous shooting, while the

7


as weak PC end-user demand and consequent inventory build-
Lamptron to Release Slider- up at OEMs, and that prices may continue to fall in July;
based Fan Controller AMD's next-generation Opteron microprocessors which are
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/lamptron-to-release-slider-based-fan- based off the Bulldozer microarchitecture will reportedly boast
controller/12804.html a new feature where by users can tweak the chip's maximum
June 30th, 2011 TDP, thus allowing them to strike a balance between power
consumption and performance; Netvolution has launched its
very own Avenue App Store for Microsoft's desktop Windows
operating system, in which users can browse through apps
by popularity and category, and be informed about featured
and new apps; Eurocom Corporation has announced its
support for the high-performance Killer Wireless-N 1102 high-
Lamptron, a China-based manufacturer of computer modding performance wireless network adapter as another available
accessories, has announced the FC9 fan controller. The wireless card option in its premium notebook solutions;
FC9 uses sliders to control up to four fans and includes Blizzard announced the availability of a new 'Starter edition' of
customizable LED lighting. See inside for more pictures. the popular World of WarCraft game, in which gamers will be
allowed to play for free until their character reaches level 20,
after which their levels will remain capped until the full version
is purchased, and PSP owners can expect to see more action
from Lord "The Most Badass Freakin Overlord In the Cosmos"
Zetta, for Nippon Ichi has confirmed that it will be porting
the PS2 title, Makai Kingdom, over to Sony's handheld gaming
console, and is expected to be released for sale on September
22.
Hardware news
Sentey Burton Full-Tower Computer Case @ Benchmark
Reviews
Description: The Sentey Burton GS-6500 is a full tower
enclosure developed for enthusiasts who desire high
performance and a sexy exterior. This case flaunts its multiple
LED fans, and LED buttons, turning heads in the process. The
Burton, is one of several models belonging to the Extreme
Lamptron is doing away with knobs on its latest fan controller. Division line of computer cases, and it is available in 3
The FC9 uses sliders instead to control the fan speed, flavors; The GS-6500 in glossy black, the GS-6500B with blue
supporting up to four fans. Each channel can deliver up to 50W highlights and grills, and the GS-6500R with red highlights
of power (or just over 4A), which is more than enough for high and grills. It's pretty easy to glance at the exterior of this case
performance fans. The dimensions of the FC9 are 148.5 x 42.5 and be charmed into submission...
x 75mm, which means it will fit into a 5.25" bay.
DRAM contract prices may decline further, says Nanya
The FC9 will be available in silver or black, with both models Description: Weak PC end-user demand and consequent
including customizable LED lighting. The FC9 supposedly inventory build-up at OEMs have put pressure on contract
requires a 600W+ power supply for optimal operation, prices for DRAM, Nanya Technology has pointed out. Prices
but unless you really use that many high-powered fans it may continue to fall in July as OEM clients slow down their
doesn't really make sense. Pricing for the FC9 has not been pace of orders, Nanya said.
announced.
TEAM Group TR1151 USB 3.0 42-in-1 USB 3.0 Card Reader
Review
The Daily VR-Zone News Description: USB 3.0, the big brother of the USB 2.0 bus
standard which was introduced way back in 2000, is now here
Summary - 29 June 2011 and in force after quickly gaining momentum in the market
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/the-daily-vr-zone-news-summary--29- after both ASUS and GIGABYTE launched boards at CES 2010
june-2011/12798.html with USB 3.0 chips onboard. As a quick recap, USB 3.0 claims
June 30th, 2011 to offer a ten times improvement over USB 2.0, which has a
maximum bandwidth of 480Mbit/s or 60MB/s. USB 3.0 has
a maximum bandwidth of 5Gbit/s or 625MB/s. While we are
not sure if you would actually know someone who has achieved
speeds this high, the potential is there as the products that
make up USB 3.0 such as chips and devices ramp up in terms
of performance.
In today's news roundup: Nanya is claiming that the contract Liteon iHES212 12x Internal Blu Ray Review - XSReviews
prices for DRAM could decline even further due to issues such

8


Description: Blu Ray might just be a stop gap before true HD mobile-style applets on the PC desktop. Avenue is a user
streaming, but for now it’s one of the easier ways to get hold friendly, lightning fast and immediately available option for
of high definition movies and other media; especially since it’s fully functioning Windows apps.
becoming more affordable. While they used to cost hundreds Custom Firmware Alternatives For Your Wireless Router
of pounds, now you can get yourself an internal one like the one Description: For most users a good wireless router is the one
we’re reviewing today for around £60. This one is the Liteon that you set up in a few easy steps and forget about it as long
iHES212 12x Internal, let’s give it a look. as it gets you online. But beyond the stock features that came
OCZ RevoDrive 3 X2 480GB PCIe SSD Review @ Legit with your router, there are many things that the hardware you
Reviews bought might be capable of. Luckily for you, people have been
Description: OCZ gave everyone a hint of things to come at working on ways to get the fancy stuff running on your average
Computex 2011 with a sneak peak of the third generation $60-$100 device. After a relatively simple upgrade to a free
of the RevoDrive. We've been impressed with our previous third-party firmware, you'll be able boost your wireless signal,
encounters with this SSD line and this time is no different as prioritize what programs get your precious bandwidth, and
we give the RevoDrive 3 X2 480GB PCI-E SSD a test drive. Is do lots of other stuff usually reserved for pro-grade wireless
it fast? Well, how does 1500MB/s reads grab you? Oh yeah, routers.
there's TRIM support too! Nvidia gets excited about Alienware notebooks
Adesto to sample CBRAM Description: And it's all thanks to its own GTX 580M GPU,
Description: Adesto Technologies Corp. of Sunnyvale in the company says. You can buy the Alienware M18x notebook
California is sampling a completely new type of RAM called now if you're richer than the sense you have. There's an option
CBRAM. The CB stands for Conductive Bridging and the RAM to have two of the GPUs under the hood if it takes your
differs from traditional DRAM in several important aspects. fancy. Machines that feature the GTX 580M, says Nvidia,
First of all CBRAM is non-volatile and secondly it scales well are among the fastest DirectX 11 machines you'll find on
down to at least 12nm, where it is very difficult to manufacture the market. It claims the GPUs offer up to six times the
traditional DRAM – to put it mildly. tessellation performance of "any other notebook GPU" along
with a performance increase of 20 percent compared to the last
AMD's Next-Generation Opteron "Bulldozer" Chips to Feature
Adjustable TDP. lot.
Description: Advanced Micro Devices' next-generation The World's fastest Notebooks now support the World's fastest
Opteron microprocessors based on Bulldozer micro- Wireless Card!
architecture will support capability to adjust maximum Description: Eurocom Corporation, a leading developer of
thermal design power (TDP). The technology will allow long lifespan, fully upgradable notebooks, high performance
customers to regulate TDPs in order to balance power mobile workstations, All-in-One desktops and mobile servers
consumption and performance of data centers. is announcing support for the Killer Wireless-N 1102 high-
performance wireless network adapter as another available
Consumer Electronics and Software News
wireless card option in Eurocom systems. The addition of
Cooler Master NotePal Infinite EVO Notebook Cooler Review the Killer Wireless-N 1102 adapter by Bigfoot Networks gives
Description: Even as far as fans go, I really thought I had seen Eurocom customers an ultra high-performance wireless card
it all. 80mm fan, 120mm fans, all the way up to a single 20mm for their custom built notebook.
fan; I have tested them all as far as standard fans go. If I
The HP TouchPad Will Come With Its Own Facebook Tablet
remember correctly, I even tested a cooler with a rather large
App (Leaked Pics)
"squirrel cage" style fan that was the size of a hamster wheel.
Description: The world has been waiting for an official
I also recall that that fan idea didn't work out too well and
Facebook tablet app, and waiting, and waiting. But that app
offered very little in the way of actual cooling to the laptop. This
may not appear on the iPad first (although Facebook is
time around Cooler Master uses a blower style fan, or rather
working on an iPad app for sure). Instead, Facebook’s first
a pair of them, to do the cooling in the notebook cooler we
tablet app will appear on the HP TouchPad, which comes out
received for testing.
this Friday and runs the WebOS it bought with Palm. This app
With SkypeKit, Skype wants to be everywhere was not built by Facebook but by HP, much like how RIM built
Description: Skype opened up its development platform to all the Facebook app for the Blackberry Playbook using Facebook
comers Tuesday, but it still has a disconnect between revenue platform
generation and its platform efforts. Like many companies
Gaming news
trying to build a dominant position in the technology
ecosystem, Skype is navigating the path between dollars and World of WarCraft is free until Level 20
devs. Description: Sick of the 14-day trial in World of Warcraft ?
There is a change for the better. Calling it the Starter edition,
Windows Gets an App Store of Its Own: Avenue
Blizzard will be making World of WarCraft free-to-play until
Description: Windows users, don’t you wish there was a
your character reaches level 20 and their levels will remain
vendor-agnostic, one-stop shop for downloadable software?
capped until you purchase the full version.
Something with easily browsable categories, ratings, reviews
and simple purchase options? Several companies are trying Makai Kingdom conquering PSP in Japan this September
to make an Apple App Store-like software shop for Windows. Description: Fans of Nippon Ichi strategy RPGs like the
Yesterday we noted the launch of Pokki, a store that puts Disgaea series can definitely look forward to more of their

9


favorite titles re-released for the PSP. The PS2 title Makai of new features, it was definitely a good sign for users, as it
Kingdom: Chronicles of the Sacred Tome (known as Phantom means that Microsoft is definitely taking steps to ensure that
Kingdom in Japan) will be out for Sony's portable system in Internet Explorer remains as up-to-date as possible with the
Japan on September 22. latest web standards.
OnLive Talking to Sony and Microsoft About Streaming Fast forward to the present, and it seems that Microsoft is not
Games about let up development on Internet Explorer 10 any time
Description: The service offered by OnLive is quite intriguing, soon, for a quick visit to the Internet Explorer Test Drive Home
as it allows you to play games on any number of platforms. A Page reveals that the second Platform Preview for its upcoming
high-end game plays just as well on the OnLive MicroConsole web browser has already been made available for download.
which hooks up to your TV as it does on your PC or laptop, Yep, all this in less than 80 days after the first Platform Preview
regardless of the specifications of either computer. At E3, was launched. Way to go, Microsoft.
the company even demonstrated the ability to stream games
on an iPad; figuring out a way to handle the controls on a
touchscreen aside, it's impressive. Two places OnLive wouldn't
mind also being available on are Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.
It might seem like a stretch, but it's in the process of speaking
to both companies about possible support.

Internet Explorer 10 Platform
Preview 2 now available for
download
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/internet-explorer-10-platform-
preview-2-now-available-for-download/12803.html
June 30th, 2011

However, unlike the first Platform Preview which had
extremely little to show off to developers, Platform Preview
2 is actually loaded with a ton (figuratively speaking) of
new features which are bound to be of great interest to
Well, it seems that Microsoft sure is not about to take its web developers, especially if they have already committed
time with its browser development schedule, especially if this themselves to the new HTML5 standard. According to a
latest piece of news is of any indication. In just less than 80 blog post made by Dean Hachamovitch, who serves as the
days, the Redmond giant has pushed out yet another Platform corporate vice president in charge of the Internet Explorer
Preview for its upcoming Internet Explorer 10 web browser for team, these new features come in the form of support for a
developers to test and experiment with. And based on what wide variety of web technologies, such as Positioned Floats,
we have seen, it appears that one thing is clear: Microsoft is HTML5 drag-drop and the HTML5 File Reader API, among
deeply committed to enhancing a user's online experience with many others. Most importantly, though, has got to be the fact
its web browser. that HTML5 forms are now supported as well, although web
developers were quick to note that Microsoft's decision to not
include support for the text-shadow attribute was a major
disappointment.

If you would remember, we heaped praise on Microsoft in
a story written two months ago when news broke out that
the Redmond giant had already commenced work on the next
version of its Internet Explorer web browser, and had even
released a working Platform Preview of Internet Explorer 10
for developers to get their hands wet, in spite of the fact that
Internet Explorer 9 was barely even a month old at that time.
Even though the Platform Preview had little to show in terms
10


A demonstration of Positioned Floats support in IE10 Interested? Well, the usual disclaimer about pre-release
Platform Preview 2... software definitely applies, even if the application comes
direct from a company that is as established and reputable
as Microsoft. Considering that Platform Previews were never
meant to be serve as full-fledged web browsers, it goes without
saying that this particular release, like the one before it, should
not be used as one. However, if you just want to have some
fun in playing around with the various new features mentioned
above, the second Platform Preview for Internet Explorer 10
can be downloaded off the Internet Explorer Test Drive home
page here.

Corsair HX1050 1050W PSU
review
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/corsair-hx1050-1050w-psu-
review/12801.html
June 30th, 2011

...and HTML5 forms.
In addition to the various new features, Microsoft claims
that the Internet Explorer 10 Platform Preview 2 application
also boasts enhancements in a variety of areas such as web
application performance and security.
It appears as if Corsair has been releasing more high-
end power supplies than RAM modules during the past few
months. It was only a few weeks ago that we reviewed the
currently most powerful power supply Corsair offers, the
AX1200, and the exceptional TX850 V2. Today we are going
to examine and review a unit in between those two, their
Professional Series HX1050 modular power supply.

It appears as if Corsair has been releasing more high-end
power supplies than RAM modules during the past few
months. It was only a few weeks ago that we reviewed the
currently most powerful power supply Corsair offers, the
AX1200, and the exceptional TX850 V2. Today we are going
to examine and review a unit in between those two, their
Professional Series HX1050 modular power supply.

Manufacturer’s features and specifications

11


• Guaranteed to sustain its full rated wattage at an ambient interested in licensing its WebOS for handheld devices.
temperature of 50°C Apparently a number of companies are interested, although
this generally doesn't mean anything until a license agreement
• Up to 88% energy-efficiency under real-world load
has been signed.
conditions
• Single +12V rail design providing up to 87.5A
The inevitable looks like it's about to happen, HP has
• Multi-GPU ready
started talks with various potential partners to see if anyone's
• Active Power Factor Correction (PFC) with PF value of interested in licensing its WebOS for handheld devices.
0.99 Apparently a number of companies are interested, although
• Supports ATX12V 2.2 and EPS12V 2.91 standards. this generally doesn't mean anything until a license agreement
Backwards compatible with ATX12V 2.01 has been signed.

• Auto switching circuitry for universal AC input from According to Bloomberg, WebOS is being considered as a
90-264V choice to Google's Android OS and Microsoft's Windows
Phone 7, something that almost has to happen if HP wants
• Over Current/Voltage/Power Protection, Under Voltage the platform to survive. It's a dog eat dog world in the mobile
Protection and Short Circuit Protection provide device OS market with Apple and Google dominating it at the
complete component safety moment. WebOS is somewhere at the bottom of the pecking
• Dimensions: 150mm(W) x 86mm(H) x 180mm(L) order having been a proprietary solution owned by Palm
before HP bought the company and although it has a lot of
• MTBF: 100,000 hours
unique features and several benefits over its competitors, it
• Safety Approvals: UL, CUL, CE, CB, FCC Class B, TÜV, lacks market share.
CCC, C-tick
Samsung is rumoured to be one of the companies interested,
but considering the company is already involved in just about
every single mobile OS platform, bar iOS, at least directly,
this isn't entirely surprising. The question is who else will
CMPSU-1050HX jump on board, as HP needs all the device partners it can
AC 100-240V get to grown the ecosystem for its WebOS, especially as its
INPUT ~ lacking in developer support for apps. The way the market
13A-7.5A has developed, this has become a key part of any mobile OS,
50/60Hz as if you can't offer the apps your customers want, they'll go
elsewhere.
DC +5V +3.3V +12V -12V +5Vsb
OUTPUT HP is also expected to be putting its WebOS on its desktop and
MAX 30A 30A 87.5A 0.8A 3.5A notebook computers, but as a virtualised environment rather
CURRENT than as a dual boot solution. The reason behind this move is so
that users could access their mobile device apps even on their
MAX 180W 1050W 9.6W 17.5W
desktop, something that could prove to be a small win for HP.
COMBINED
That said, if it remains exclusive to HP PC's, it's not likely to
WATTAGE
go down well with WebOS users, as very few consumers tend
TOTAL to like to get tied in with a single brand for all their products,
POWER: notwithstanding Apple users.
1050W
@ 50°C
ambient Olympus set to launch new
temperature
m4/3 cameras later today
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/olympus-set-to-launch-new-m43-
cameras-later-today/12800.html
HP mulling WebOS licensing June 30th, 2011
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/hp-mulling-webos-
licensing/12802.html
June 30th, 2011

If you're looking at getting a new mirrorless camera then you
might want to hold off a little bit, as later today Olympus is
set to unveil no less than three new micro 4/3 cameras, of
which pictures of two models have already leaked. Full specs
The inevitable looks like it's about to happen, HP has
of one model has also made an appearance on the web ahead
started talks with various potential partners to see if anyone's

12


of the launch and one of the headline features of Olympus' new
models is superfast auto-focusing.

If you're looking at getting a new mirrorless camera then you
might want to hold off a little bit, as later today Olympus is
set to unveil no less than three new micro 4/3 cameras, of
which pictures of two models have already leaked. Full specs
of one model has also made an appearance on the web ahead
of the launch and one of the headline features of Olympus' new
models is superfast auto-focusing.
The three new models are the PEN E-P3, E-PL3 and E-PM1,
all based around the m4/3 lens and sensor system. So far, full
details of the E-P3 has tipped up, alongside with a couple of
pictures of the E-PM1. As far as the E-PL3 is concerned, it
seems like we might have to wait until the official launch later As far as the E-PM1 is concerned, we're looking at a tiny m4/3
today. camera, albeit apparently not as small as Panasonic's GF3 and
it's meant to share its design, but not size with the E-PL3. As
far as specifications are concerned, we'll have to wait for the
official word from Olympus, but the good news is that we'll be
at the launch event in Taipei to bring you the full details of
these new cameras and lenses.

MSI's CX480 notebook
features top mounted battery
indicator
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/msi-s-cx480-notebook-features-top-
mounted-battery-indicator/12796.html
June 30th, 2011
The E-P3 is Olympus new high-end m4/3 mirrorless model
and it features what Olympus calls Instant AF. This almost
sounds too good to be true, but Olympus has created a sensor
for its new cameras with 35 focus points that are spread across
most of the sensor surface and it features what is believed to
be infra-red sensors to further improve the AF speed. Olympus
claims that this camera has the fastest AF of any camera with
interchangeable lenses which says something about how good So far we've already seen quite a few notebook models from
it should be. MSI this year, but the company is continually updating its line
up and the new CX480 follows the CX640 in terms of overall
Further improvements over the E-P2 – a camera which shares design, but it has a few features of its own. MSI has really
a very similar body and design with the E-P3 – include an started to get the fact that design matters and beyond having
OLED touch screen which is expected to feature a higher managed to put together something that looks attractive, the
resolution compared to Olympus current m4/3 cameras. company will also offer the CX480 in multiple colours and we
Despite having a touch screen, Olympus has included a regular have some exclusive pictures of the blue model.
mode dial as well as two customizable scroll wheels for more
advanced users.
The E-P3 is also Olympus first m4/3 camera to offer 1080 So far we've already seen quite a few notebook models from
video recording, albeit only interlaced video at 60fps. It MSI this year, but the company is continually updating its line
records video in the AVCHD or MJPEG formats and it can also up and the new CX480 follows the CX640 in terms of overall
shoot in 720p. A few new lenses are also expected and to get design, but it has a few features of its own. MSI has really
the most out of the new, superfast AF you need to team the started to get the fact that design matters and beyond having
camera up with the new lenses. managed to put together something that looks attractive, the
company will also offer the CX480 in multiple colours and we
have some exclusive pictures of the blue model.

13


The standard 6-cell 4,400mAh battery is said to be good for
up to 8.5h of usage and a one hour charge replenishes 80
percent of the battery power. The screen has an ambient light
sensor and it adjusts the screen backlight automatically based
on ambient light and there are 16 brightness levels. At 2.2kg
the CX480 is somewhat on the chunky side, but still a fairly
standard 14-incher. It will be available in black, white and blue
as per our pictures. No word on pricing as yet, but we'd expect
it to be slightly cheaper than the CX640 which would put it in
the very affordable category.

The CX480 is by all intents and purposes a fairly average 14-
inch notebook with a 1366x768 resolution screen, a choice of
an Intel Core i3-2310M or Core i5-2410M processor and it
should support up to 8GB of 1333MHz DDR3 memory. That
said, MSI has kitted it out with a GeForce GT 520M graphics
card with 1GB of dedicated DDR3 graphics memory and in as
much as this is Nvidia's most basic 500-series mobile GPU, it
should still prove to be a smidgen faster than Intel's HD 3000
graphics.

Rumour: NVIDIA's next-
gen Kepler taped out, AMD
Southern Islands in September
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/rumour-nvidia-s-next-gen-kepler-
taped-out-amd-southern-islands-in-september/12799.html
June 30th, 2011

After an eternity at 40nm, thanks to 32nm cancelation and
Add to that various storage options, an optical drive, 802.11b/ 28nm delays, the GPU industry is finally transitioning to
g/n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 3.0, Gigabit Ethernet, two USB 2.0 ports, TSMC's long, long awaited 28nm HKMG process. Fudzilla
a USB 3.0 port, HDMI, D-sub, a pair of audio jacks, a memory reports that NVIDIA's next-gen GPU, based on the Kepler
card reader and a webcam and you got a somewhat better than architecture, has already been taped out. On the AMD side
average notebook. However, MSI has added at least one nifty of things, we have heard reports of Southern Islands tape-out
feature, a battery charge indicator located next to the power dating all the way back to March 2011. AMD's Southern Islands
button. This consists of four green LEDs which will switch off GPUs could release as early as September, with NVIDIA's
in order and once you hit 10 percent battery life the last LED Kepler releasing earliest in Q4 2011; more likely Q1 2012.
will start flashing.
At this early stage, there is still very little known about the
next generation. While AMD has recently presented it's future
GPU architecture at AMD Fusion Developer Summit, the HD

14


7000 generation is expected to be a tweaked version of the
VLIW-4 architecture currently used only in HD 6900 series.
Of course, it is possible that the one line of the HD 7000 series
- perhaps HD 7900 - will feature the new AMD's Graphics Core
Next architecture, following a similar architecture split as seen
in the HD 6000 series. Other rumours also suggest AMD will
be splitting GPU lines between TSMC and Globalfoundries.
While optimistic rumours peg Southern Islands' release date
at mid-Q3, SemiAccurate suggests that September is a more
likely release date for the first HD 7000 GPUs. The bottleneck,
as usual, is TSMC, and it remains to be seen when they can fab
28nm wafers, and in what quantity?
Incredibly, the first 40nm GPU, the HD 4770, was released
over 2 years back. Pegged back at 40nm, both NVIDIA and
AMD have only offered incremental performance upgrades for
the Geforce 500 and HD 6000 generations. The GPU industry,
in general, desperately needs an efficient 28nm process - over
to TSMC.
Well, according to the official press release from Samsung,
the upcoming portable media player, which is also known as
Samsung to launch Korea's the Galaxy 070, will be able to function as a mobile phone of
first Android-based Smart sorts due to the use of VoIP to achieve this feat. In fact, to
further convey the message that the Galaxy 070 is capable of
Home Phone on July functioning as a mobile phone (albeit without a SIM card),
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/samsung-to-launch-korea-s-first- Samsung has announced that it has teamed up with LG U+ for
android-based-smart-home-phone-on-july/12797.html the Galaxy 070's official launch on the first of July this year,
June 30th, 2011 where the device will reportedly be marketed as Korea's first
ever Smart Home Phone to be based off the Android operating
system.
Further sweetening the deal are the hardware specifications
of the Galaxy 070: Samsung has confirmed that the device
will boast a four-inch Super Clear LCD screen, a rear-facing
camera capable of capturing still images at a maximum
Considering how Google's Android operating system was resolution of three megapixels, a T-DMP module, WiFi and
originally designed to be an OS which is meant to be Bluetooth wireless connectivity, 8GB of memory and support
used exclusively by smartphones, it would be expected for additional storage via the use of microSD cards.
that Samsung's idea of introducing a line of portable media
Customers who purchase the Samsung Galaxy 070 Smart
players that are powered by Android would raise more than
Home Phone from LG U+ will be charged the same tarrifs
just a few eyebrows. However, leave it to Samsung to put a
that are currently has in place for existing "Internet Phones".
unique spin on its latest Galaxy Media Player by launching
However, the company has also added that it will be enhancing
it as a VoIP device that is capable of making phone calls via
the functionality of the device by allowing consumers to
the power of the Internet. Now that has got to be some rather
access the all-important Android Market on the Galaxy 070,
creative thinking on the Korean electronic giant's part.
a decision which will definitely appeal to users considering
Now that a smartphone is capable of fulfilling just about every how important a role apps play in the popularity of a mobile
single task under the sun that consumers could possibly ask platform.
for, would you pay good money to purchase an Android-
No information about the Galaxy 070's pricing has been
powered device which is designed to serve as a portable media
revealed by either company.
player, much like the approach Apple has taken with its iPhone
and iPod Touch product lines? Well, it seems that Samsung
believes that there is still a large enough market out there for ASUS and Jay Chou jointly
such devices to justify the release of yet another addition to its
Galaxy line of portable media players. announce special edition N
However, in what has got to be rather interesting twist to the series notebook PC
story; Samsung will not be selling the its new Galaxy player as Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/asus-and-jay-chou-jointly-announce-
the portable media player that it is supposed to be, but as a special-edition-n-series-notebook-pc/12795.html
mobile phone which is capable of making actual phone calls.
Wait, say what?

15


June 30th, 2011 he is happy to have Chou as the designer for the special
edition N-series. To conceptualize the design, it boils down
to how the combination of the consumers sixth senses and
ASUS' advanced technologies, and bring out the incomparable
experience to the users. According to Chou, he had used
"incomparable" as the theme for one of his concerts and that
the design of the special edition N-series is very much like east
Today, ASUS and renowned Taiwanese musician, singer- meets west.
songwriter and actor Jay Chou have jointly announced Shih also presented Chou with an honored employee pass
the new special edition N-series notebook PC. The 14- which means the celebrity is officially working for the
inch notebook PC features the latest second generation company.
Intel processor, SonicMaster audio technology (from the
collaboration with Bang & Olufsen ICEpower), and unique Here are some pictures of models with the ASUS special
designs from Chou. VR-Zone brings you the coverage. edition N-series laptop:-
Updates : Check out Behind The Scenes: The Making of Jay
Chou N43 Notebook

The event kickstarted with a symphony comprised of
ASUS laptops, conducted by ASUS chairman Jonney Shih and
Taiwanese celebrity Jay Chou playing the piano. And later,
both unveiled the Jay Chou special edition N-series notebook
PC.

No, it isn't exactly a celebrity endorsement; Chou was the chief
designer who has worked with the ASUS design centre on
the laptop. Shih said that the company's vision is to produce
more of such distinct products which are incomparable and

16


themselves disappointed, as most 3D-capable television sets
are definitely too big to be used as PC monitors without
causing some serious neck issues on the user's part, and 3D-
capable monitors typically lack support for certain A/V jacks
which are widely used by many digital appliances today.
However, it seems that users who are finding themselves
caught in the aforementioned situation now have a potential
solution to their needs, and it comes in the form of LG's new
MX235D Cinema 3D TV monitor, which was just released for
retail in South Korea yesterday.

LG releases new Cinema 3D
TV monitor for sale in South
Korea
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/lg-releases-new-cinema-3d-tv-monitor-
for-sale-in-south-korea/12779.html According to the official press release posted by LG
June 30th, 2011 Electronics, the MX235D boasts an ultra-thin bezel which
measures16.8mm and is fitted with 3D conversion chips which
allow for on-the-fly conversion of digital content from 2D to
3D without the need to pass the device through additional
software needed for doing so. In addition, LG has claimed that
the MX235D utilizes passive 3D technology; this allows users
to do away with the heavy and cumbersome battery-operated
Wouldn't it be nice if you could have a 3D-capable television active shutter 3D glasses which have been said to have the
set that is so small and compact, it could also double up for side effect of potentially inducing dizziness among users. Add
use as a PC monitor? If your answer to that question is a that to the fact that the MX235D's 23-inch display size is small
resounding "yes", well, we got some good news for you, and enough to be able to double up as a PC monitor, and you have
it comes in the form of LG Electronics' new MX235D Cinema a rather decent one-size-fits-all, 3D-capable device which can
3D TV monitor, which is reportedly capable of fulfilling the shuttle between the roles of both a HDTV and a HD monitor
aforementioned need, and then some. effortlessly.
Now that 3D technology is fast becoming mainstream, it is Last but definitely not least, LG has also confirmed that
hardly surprising to see manufacturers start rolling out new the MX235D television set will come equipped with various
3D-capable television sets and monitors as though there is no standard features such as a pair of 5W speakers, a USB port
tomorrow. Unfortunately, consumers who are on the lookout for playing back content via external storage devices, and
for a one-size-fits-all 3D-capable device will probably find
17


built-in support for MP3 playback. This means that users who at a modest subscription fee of US$6 a month per user. And
are planning to utilize the MX235D as a monitor due to its speaking at the event's opening address today was productivity
size can potentially make use of the device's media playback guru Michael A. Podolinsky, who described in great detail the
capabilities to enjoy their digital media content without even importance of the cloud and Microsoft's Office 365 in helping
having to turn on the PC to do so. businesses transform themselves and achieving even greater
productivity.
No mention about global availability for the device has been
made by LG, although you may be interested to know that the
MX235D is currently available for sale in South Korea at the
price of 479,000 won (approx US$445).

Microsoft officially launches
Office 365 for businesses
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/microsoft-officially-launches-
office-365-for-businesses/12786.html
June 30th, 2011

Remember the little story we ran a few months back about how
Microsoft was attempting to make life easier for businesses by
pitching the then beta version of its cloud-based productivity "Because of the connectivity aspect of the cloud... 60% of the
suite, Office 365, as a solution to allow business consumers IT focus this year is going to be about it. And with almost three-
the luxury of not having to worry about maintaining their quarters of the people and companies involved in it, this is a
own IT infrastructure? Well, the good news is that users can tipping point which we will not go back from," he said, while
finally start migrating away from the beta, for Microsoft has adding that adoption of Office 365 is expected to be seamless
just officially launched the finalized version of Office 365 today due to the fact that most consumers are already familiar with
in a media event held at Swissotel The Stamford. Hit up the the way Microsoft Office works.
link for the coverage of today's event...
Podolinsky also described how businesses do not have to
worry about compatibility or security issues on Office 365, as
Microsoft will ensure that the software on its servers always
remain up to date, and that systems administrators will always
have full control over their data in the cloud to ensure that
company files or information do not get removed or destroyed
without the proper authorization.
Up next was Microsoft's Chief Operating Officer for Asia
Pacific, Andy Pickup, who talked about what users can expect
For those who would remember, VR-Zone ran a story a couple from Office 365 now that the finalized version of the service is
of months ago which talked about Microsoft's unveiling of already available for subscription.
the then beta version of its cloud-based productivity solution
for businesses. Known as Office 365, the idea was that
Microsoft's new offering, which combines the functionality
of Microsoft office, Microsoft SharePoint Online, Microsoft
Exchange Online and Microsoft Lync Online together into
a single, tightly-integrated cloud offering will help business
users to enhance their productivity by ensuring that their
data will remain accessible at all times, online collaboration
will be as seamless as possible, and that the IT department can
spend more time dealing with user-specific issues.
That sounded great and all, save for one little problem: there
was no mention as to when the finalized version of Office 365
will be released for public use. Fortunately, the last piece of
the puzzle has fallen into place, for Microsoft has officially
announced the availability of Office 365 in a press event held at
Swissotel The Stamford, where it will be offered to businesses

18


"This is the first time Microsoft has offered a premiere
productivity suite in a cloud-based service format. Customers
will be able to choose between a rich client that is downloaded
on one's device and used in that way, or to opt for a cost-
effective, affordable and predictable service fee that allows
them to access Office through the power of the Internet," he
said.

In addition, Pickup also described other benefits users can
expect to derive from utilizing its Office 365 solution, such as
the assurance of having 99.9% server uptime and a "rich and
powerful experience" that stems from the seamless integration
among various Microsoft services, along with ready access to
the service regardless of location via an Internet connection.
All of this, he said, can be had for a subscription fee that costs
less "than a cup of cappuccino".

"Our heads are up in the cloud, but our feet are very firmly here
on the ground," he quipped.
That being said, we should point out that Microsoft has got
a total of seven different price plans for users who are keen
to sign up for Office 365. The one which Pickup described as
costing only US$6 a month is targeted at small businesses and
individuals, and offers 25GB of email, along with access to
Office Web Apps, SharePoint and the Lync enterprise instant
messaging client. Larger enterprises will have up to six price
19


plans to choose from, four of which cost between US$10to US
$27 per user per month, while the other two for kiosk workers
are priced at US$4 and US$10 per person. Of course, the more
costly plans will come with added features such unlimited
Exchange storage, the full desktop Office suite, Lync voice
capabilities and Office Professional Plus.
Alternatively, there is also the free 30-day trial which can
be obtained from the Microsoft's product page if you feel
the need to give Office 365 a test spin before deciding to
commit yourself to a full-time subscription for the service. Last
but definitely not least, more information about the various
components which make up the complete package that is
Office 365 can also be obtained there.
This tool, which is known as Swiffy, has been described by
Google releases tool to Google as one that as originally built by an intern by the name
of Pieter Senster as a means to explore how the company
convert SWF files into HTML5- could find a way to get Flash animations working on devices
compatible content which do not support the standard. Apparently, Google was so
impressed by Senster's efforts that the company decided to not
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/google-releases-tool-to-convert-swf-
only hire him as a full-time staff, but also assembled a team
files-into-html5-compatible-content/12791.html
to commence work on the project, which resulted in the birth
June 30th, 2011
of the Swiffy tool that is now currently available for use as a
Google Labs feature.
For those who are wondering how Swiffy works, here's how it
When you've got certain OEMs making sure that their is done as described by Google's Marcel Gorden, who is also
bestselling products are designed not to play nice with the the product manager for the tool:
current online standard known as Flash, what is a socially
Swiffy uses a compact JSON representation of the
responsible corporation to do to ensure that users will still
animation, which is rendered using SVG and a bit
be able to enjoy much of the web's beauty? Simple: release
of HTML5 and CSS3. ActionScript 2.0 is also present
a tool which converts the offending code into nice HTML5-
in the JSON object, and is interpreted in JavaScript
compatible instructions. Which is exactly what Google's new
in the browser. This representation makes the Swiffy
Swiffy tool is all about. Read on to find out more about Swiffy...
animations almost as compact as the original SWF
Pundits may claim that Flash is well on its way to becoming files.
irrelevent soon while pointing to the introduction of the new
That being said, we should probably point out that Swiffy does
HTML5 standard as the basis for their convictions, but the
not play very nice with Internet Explorer, as the tool insists
truth of the matter is that, despite its capabilities and potential,
that only a WebKit-based browser will be capable of displaying
it will still take some time before the world is ready to migrate
the results of the conversion accurately. Still, the introduction
to a web that is powered purely by HTML5. Until then, there is
of such a tool will definitely be good news for users who want to
little to be gained from turning one's back on well-established
view Flash animations on devices that do not support Adobe's
standards which are widely used in the dissemination of online
Flash platform.
content today, such as Adobe's Flash platform.
However, if for some reason you have chosen to drop Flash
completely in your daily web-browsing needs, fret not. Google Be Quiet Dark Rock Advanced
has, in its typical "Don't be evil" fashion, released a tool which
allows users to convert SWF files into viewable content written
C1 CPU cooler review
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/be-quiet-dark-rock-advanced-c1-cpu-
in HTML5 code so that they can continue to enjoy their online
cooler-review/12792.html
experience without having to feel left out over their decision
June 30th, 2011
to do so.

During the past few months we brought you the reviews
of several power supply units from Be-Quiet, a German
manufacturer. The company produces more than just power
supplies though, offering a wide range of cooling products as
well. Today we have yet another product from Be-Quiet to test

20


and review but it is no power supply this time; it is the Dark Fan dimensions (mm) 120
Rock Advanced C1, a high performance CPU cooler. Speed @ 100% PWM (rpm) 1500
Air flow @ 100%
50,5; 85,8
(CFM; m3/h)
During the past few months we brought you the reviews
of several power supply units from Be-Quiet, a German Air pressure (mm H2O) 1,63
manufacturer. The company produces more than just power Bearing type FDB
supplies though, offering a wide range of cooling products as Rated voltage (V) 12
well. Today we have yet another product from Be-Quiet to test Input current (A) 0,09
and review but it is no power supply this time; it is the Dark Input power (W) 1,09
Rock Advanced C1, a high performance CPU cooler.
PWM Controller Yes
Connector 4-pin Molex
Manufacturer features and specifications Cable length (mm) 200
Cable sleeve Yes
• For gaming, multimedia and CAD systems even at
Livetime L10 @ 25 °C (hours) 300.000
maximum processing power.
• Suitable for overclocking operation.
• Extremely efficient up to more than 180 watt.
Angry Birds finally smashes
• Maximum cooling efficiency, Delta T 10.9 @ 100 watt.
into Windows Phone 7
• Quiet operation with 1× Silent Wings PWM fan, 6.6–18.8 Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/angry-birds-finally-smashes-into-
dB(A). windows-phone-7/12790.html
• High-quality materials with dark nickel surfaces. June 30th, 2011

Thermal resistance
@ CPU Power 0,109
disposal (Rth @ P) Microsoft may have left a less-than-favourable impression
Overall dimensions on Rovio Mobile by using the Angry Birds logo in an
without mounting 122 x 95 x 167 advertisement to tout that theWindows Phone 7 will have a
material (L x W x H) (mm) ton of cool apps well before the latter has yet to even commit
Total weight 1100gr to such a port (if at all), but the latest turn of events seems
CPU Wattage Range (W) 180 to suggest that the game's developers have since decided to
let bygones be bygones. After all, that can be the only reason
LGA 775 / 1155 / 1156 /
Angry Birds is now available for download on Windows Phone
Socket compatibility 1366, AM2 / AM2+ /
7, no?
AM3 / 754 / 939 / 940
Backplate Mounting Yes It is common knowledge that in the smartphone space, having
Push pin mounting a top-notch operating system is no longer enough to win the
hearts of consumers over to a company's side. Rather, the one
Fan model, number SilentWings PWM , 1
factor which can potentially make or break a mobile operating
Anti vibration fan fixing system today lies in the size of its app repository, and suffice to
Rubber string Yes say consumers are not going to be interested in a new platform
Stainless steel clip if it cannot offer the same popular apps that are currently
and contact ring available on competing operating systems.
Overall noise level (dB(A)) While it is clear to all that Microsoft has got its work cut
6,6 / 14,4 / 18,8
@ 900/1250/100% (rpm) out for it in terms of being able to deliver a well-populated
app repository that is capable of attracting consumers to its
Fin dimensions (L x Windows Phone 7 platform, consumers will undoubtedly be
122 x 72 x 0,4 gratified to know that the world's most popular casual game
W) , thickness (mm)
for smartphones, Angry Birds, is finally available for download
Number of fins 44
on their WP7-powered devices.
Fin material Aluminium
Base material Copper
CPU contact surface CNC machined
Heatpipe number,
6; 6
Diameter (mm)
Surface treatment Nickel plated

21


The Windows Phone 7 port of Angry Birds is identical
to the ones that have already been released for both iOS
and Android, so suffice to say Windows Phone 7 users are
not going to be getting any extra love from Rovio in the form
of additional platform-exclusive content. However, we'd dare
say that owners of Windows Phone 7-powered handsets will
probably be more than satisfied to finally have their chance
in experiencing just how addictive the act of flinging some
furious avians onto huge green pigs can be. Of course, do make
sure that you keep your bird-flinging acts out of sight from the
boss; we don't want to be held responsible for any unhappy
exchanges between you and your superiors about how the
office is supposed to be a place for working, and not gaming.
The MATRIX GTX 580's box is even larger than most
Oh, and one more thing, the Windows Phone 7 version of
motherboard boxes out there. This is really unnecessary in our
Angry Birds is not a free download. Rather, you will have to
opinion since there's so much empty space inside.
fork out US$2.99 for the right to engage in some avian-bovine
carnage from the luxury from your smartphone. But hey, that's
a small price to pay for what the game is really worth, right? Asus N43SL Gets Jay Chou
Endorsement (Live Coverage)
ASUS MATRIX GTX 580 Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/asus-n43sl-gets-jay-chou-

Platinum Review endorsement-live-coverage-/12789.html
June 30th, 2011
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/asus-matrix-gtx-580-platinum-
review/12682.html
June 30th, 2011

Asus is launching a certain N-series laptop with Jay Chou
endorsement in W Hotel. Our correspondents who are now in
Taipei is uncovering what secrets there might be with this Jay
Remember the ASUS MATRIX GTX 580 Platinum from Chou endorsement. Hop on to find out more. *Update* Check
Computex? That behemoth of a card has landed, and it's out more videos inside as well as our official coverage here.
packed full of features targeted at hardcore overclockers. Join Also check out Behind the Scenes : Making of Jay Chou N43
us as we journey into the MATRIX and push it to the limits... notebook
ASUS' MATRIX brand has been around for quite some time
now. Memorable models from yesteryear which have garnered
many accolades include the 9800GT MATRIX, 9600GT
MATRIX and MATRIX GTX 285.
The latest addition to the family, the MATRIX GTX 580, is
apparently inspired by exotic sports cars and even Formula 1
racing cars. Aesthetics aside, ASUS has lined up a whole slew
of features. These include a DirectCU II cooler, 19-phase Super
Alloy Power, a specially-designed GPU Tweak utility, TweakIt
buttons and ProBeIt voltage measurement points.

22

VR-Zone Tech News for the Geeks Jul 2011 Issue

VR-Zone Tech News for the Geeks Jul 2011 Issue

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VR-Zone Tech News for the Geeks Jul 2011 Issue