VR-Zone Technology News | Stuff for the Geeks! Issue #6

February 25th, 2011 Published by: VR-Zone

VR-Zone.com | Stuff for the Geeks!
GIGABYTE’s laboratories, including 24-phase power design,
VR-Zone | Stuff for the Geeks is a bi-weekly publication Driver MOSFETs and Dynamic Energy Saver 2 technology.
covering the latest gadgets and stuff for the geeks.
Description: The Antec 600 v2 is a slight redesign of the
original Antec 600 featuring some new attributes like a
The Daily VR-Zone News larger storage hole for cables, front hot-swap 2.5" bay, top
mounted "moon roof" window, and a CPU-Backplate cut out
Summary - 25 Feb 2011 for aftermarket cooler installation, like the Antec Kühler 620.
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/the-daily-vr-zone-news-summary--25- Consumer Electronics and Software News:
feb-2011/11338.html
February 25th, 2011 Description: Google made the algorithmic announcement on
its blog yesterday and said that the change is significant.
However, it is only designed to target low value websites that
copy content from other websites.
Description: One of the cooler new features not seen before is
AirDrop. Say you're somewhere with no Internet connectivity,
To round up this week's news: Overview of the SandForce don't have a USB key handy, and want to transfer a file to
SF-2000 Series Solid-State Drive (SSD); Review of Spire another Mac user in the room. Go into an options page and
Slimod II GPU cooler; Google launches preemptive strike enable the feature.
at Office 365 ; Barnes & Noble updates Nook Android app,
promises a Honeycomb version this spring; Elder Scrolls V Description: Google's new Cloud Connect collaboration add-
preview up on YouTube; Mortal Kombat banned in Australia in for Microsoft Office strikes at the heart of the Office 365
etc.. juggernaut

Hardware News: Description: For a six-week period this spring the company
will release a series of popular mobile games that have yet to
Description: SandForce DuraClass technology paired to TRIM make their way to the platform. The “Must Have Games” sale
support in Windows 7 has helped with this concern, but it was will include Plants Vs. Zombies, Hydro Thunder Go, Sonic the
their RAISE technology that provides RAID-like protection for Hedgehog 4: Episode I, geoDefense, Doodle Jump and “more,”
single SSD computer systems paired to AES-128 automatic according to Microsoft’s Major Nelson.
data encryption that put them on top.
Description: Okay, so they're rather minor updates, but our
Description: The shape of the heat sink inherits the radiator of guess is that the Nook Honeycomb app that's being promised
the Super Mega Megahalems cooler because Prolimatech was for some time this spring will be far more exciting. Yep, it's
not an experiment. Between the aluminum fins are now found a lot of B&N Android, but while we're on the topic, we've got
scattered copper fins, reducing the weight increased from 790 to admit we're wondering about the whereabouts of that Nook
grams to 155 grams once to 945 grams. Color app store, which was announced back in November.
Description: Spire are internationally recognised as a premiere Description: Staff Buyers of Apple's new MacBook Pro lineup
producer of cooling technology that specialises in cooling for will get the newly out-of-beta FaceTime for Mac free with a
gaming PCs. But as usual, a name doesn't give you a pass new machine, while existing Mac users can buy the video chat
in XSR testing, so let's see how their latest iteration of GPU software on the Mac App Store for 99 cents.
cooler, the Slimod II stands up.
Gaming News:
Description: One of the additions to the Corsair cooling line-
up was the original Hydro H50 CPU cooler which provided a Description: Rockville-based game company Bethesda
near plug-and-play water cooling system for your CPU. Now Softworks has released an in-game preview of the latest
Corsair is back again with a revamped and beefed up solution installment of its popular Elder Scrolls series of games. The
called the Hydro H70. latest installment, called Skyrim, is due Nov. 11.

Description: The GIGABYTE P67A-UD7 is not just new in Description: Although many pundits are predicting a change
terms of looks, but also sports all the latest innovations from to Australia’s classification system coming soon, Warner

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Bros. Interactive Entertainment's (WBIE) upcoming Mortal
Kombat is the latest game to fall victim to Australia's outdated
classification rules.

Intel Began Z68 Chipset
Production, Launch in May
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/intel-began-z68-chipset-production- Do you make heavy use of Western Digital (WD) products in
launch-in-may/11339.html your daily computing and entertainment life? If so, this latest
February 25th, 2011 bit of information direct from the American manufacturer of
hard disks should be just the news you need to perk up your
Friday night after a hard day's work, and that is not because
WD is about to start giving away a bunch hard disks as free
gifts.
Rather, the good news comes from the fact WD has just
announced in a media conference held at A*STAR Data
We have reported earlier that Intel has started P67 B3 Storage Institute (DSI) that it has established a research and
production last week and shipment to customers has resumed. development centre right here in sunny Singapore. This new
Interestingly, Intel has also started production of their Z68 centre, which is situated in the Singapore Science Park, will
chipset this week along with other Cougar Point SKUs like facilitate the leveraging of the local talent pool and expertise
H61 and Q65. All of them are based on the new B3 stepping of research organizations/
therefore the SATA port 2-5 issue is fixed before they hit the In his opening address, Western Digital's Chief Operating
market. Officer, Timothy Leyden, spoke about how the humble hard
We have reported earlier that Intel has started P67 B3 disk has withstood the test of time, while describing the
production last week and shipment to customers has resumed. significance of entering such a strategic partnership with the
Interestingly, Intel has also started production of their Z68 DSI.
chipset this week along with other Cougar Point SKUs like
H61 and Q65. All of them are based on the new B3 stepping
therefore the SATA port 2-5 issue is fixed before they hit
the market. Judging from the specs, it seems Intel has
catered Z68 specially for enthusiasts which allows better
processor overclocking, discrete graphics support and SSD
caching capability. With these enhancements, Intel has priced
the Z68 chipset some US$8 higher than the P67 counterpart.
The launch for the Z68 chipset is slated for first week of May.

Western Digital establishes
R&D centre in Singapore
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/western-digital-establishes-r-d-centre-
in-singapore/11337.html "Hard drive technology is remarkable, and it is true
February 25th, 2011 nanotechnology. Being more than 50 years old and US$35
billion strong, the hard disk drive industry has survived
and thrived because it invested in talented people, built a
robust supply chain and has persevered and flourished when
The next time you head out to a computer shop to purchase a confronted with technological hurdles," he said, while adding
Western Digital (WD) product, don't be surprised if you find that the partnership with the DSI "embodies this spirit".
out that part of the technology used to develop the company's
Leyden also explained the reason Western Digital had chosen
storage devices hails from Singapore's very own laboratories.
Singapore to be the location for its new R&D centre instead of
This is because the American hard disk manufacturer has just
other developed countries, citing the country's infrastructure
announced the establishment of a research and development
and location as key factors in the company's eventual decision.
centre in Singapore with the partnership of our country's
A*STAR Data Storage Institute (DSI). "Singapore has built a treasure trove of engineering talent.
This environment has produced an advanced technology
research and human resource culture that makes Singapore an
ideal location for investment," he said.

In response, A*STAR's chairman, Lim Chuan Poh, praised
Western Digital's well-deserved success in the data storage
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industry, while speaking about how he envisions the strategic which claims to be the world's slimmest Android phone on the
partnership as one that greatly benefits both parties. market, measuring just 7.7mm.

"Our magnetic media research team has built strong Today, NTT Docomo in Japan has officially launched the
research capabilities since its inception in 1996, (and) MEDIA N-04C Android smartphone. The smartphone will
further enhancing its strengths and capabilities in research retail on 15 March while consumers can start to pre-order on
is the state-of-the-art infrastructure over at DSI. The Master 4 March next week.
Research Collaboration Agreement signed today would give Weighing 105g, the MEDIAS N-04C sports a 4-inch capacitive
WD access to there facilities, as well as to the team of touchscreen display (480x854) with a layer of toughened
experienced researched in DSI in the magnetic media area," guerilla glass. The smartphone runs Android 2.2 Froyo and
he said. the company has stated that the 2.3 Gingerbread update will
Last but definitely not least, the agreement was set in black be available this summer. The phone also comes with a 5-
and white when both Leyden and DSI executive director Dr megapixel CMOS camera, microSDHC card slot and supports
Pantelis Alexopoulos inked their respective signatures onto i-mode, 3G/GSM and GPS, Wi-Fi, HSUPA and Bluetooth.
the documents presented before them. The N-04C will be available in black and white, and NEC said
it will ship the phone outside of Japan soon.

NEC MEDIAS N-04C is world's ASUS to launch new notebook
slimmest Android phone at PCs at IT Show 2011
7.7mm Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/asus-to-launch-new-notebook-pcs-at-
it-show-2011/11320.html
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/nec-medias-n-04c-is-world-s-
February 25th, 2011
slimmest-android-phone-at-7.7mm/11336.html
February 25th, 2011

ASUS will be launching four new laptops at the upcoming IT
Show 2011 in Singapore - Eee PC 1015PW, Eee PC 1015B, ASUS
While NEC phones aren't available in SIngapore, they are
U41Jf and N73Sv. More details inside.
selling pretty well in the land of the rising sun. And it looks
like the manufacturer has just launched the MEDIAS N-04C
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Pricing information to be announced closer to IT Show 2011.

Xoom corporation sues
Motorola over tablet name
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/xoom-corporation-sues-motorola-over-
tablet-name/11334.html
February 25th, 2011

When it comes to the word "Xoom", most users following
The ASUS Eee PC 1015PW sports a sleek Seashell design with consumer technology news would naturally link it with
elegant "wave" finish on the exterior and inside. Weighing Motorola's latest Android 3.0 tablet that is running a dual-
just 1.25kg, the 1015PW is powered by the dual-core Intel core processor. Well, Xoom is also the name of a company
Atom N550 processor and boasts a battery life of up to 10 that provides online international money transfer service, and
hours. ASUS also has the 1015B model which uses AMD it is no wonder a lawsuit is filed against Motorola over the
processor. The Eee PC 1015PW comes in Purple Rain, Gold trademark of the company's name.
Dust and Angel Skin.

Whenever a company comes up with a new product, giving
it a name is probably the most difficult task before it goes to
market; you wouldn't want to receive lawyer's letters on the
infringement over the trademark name. (Well, unless you have
the wealth to settle with that company).
Law firm Morgan, Lewis & Bockius has filed a trademark suit
against Motorola, on behalf of San Francisco-based money
The new U series laptop claims to offer an ultra slim transfer company Xoom Corporation. Yes, this is all about the
design, and superb performance for the mobile road warriors. Motorola's Xoom tablet device. According to news reports,
The ASUS U41Jf is equipped with the latest Intel Core i5/ Xoom has had its name since 2003 and has indisputable
i3 processor and you can boost the machine's performance trademark over it.
up to 15%, thanks to ASUS’ Super Hybrid Engine (SHE) Motorola's purchase of the keyword "Xoom" on Google and
technology. On top of that, it also features two incredible other search sites could have caused potential disruption to the
energy-optimizing technologies to help extend battery life to financial company's business, which was the main ground of
over 10 hours. complaint. At the moment, Motorola has no comment over the
lawsuit.
Xoom's company tagline may be "The Smarter Way To Send
Money", but in this case, it surely is a smarter way to earn
money.

Dead Space 2 PC Review
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/dead-space-2-pc-review/11322.html
February 25th, 2011

The game starts from the very moment our engineer Isaac
Clarke awakes from a coma after events from the first game
on the Sprawl, an offshoot human colony on Titan, Saturn’s
largest moon. As usual, things do not go favorably with
The ASUS N73Sv boasts SonicMaster audio technology that the already tormented engineer, and there is yet another
offers outstanding audio performance on the portable laptop. Necromorph manifestation on board the space station. For
It is also equipped with the second generation Intel Core those who don’t know, Necromorphs are undead, reanimated
processors, and utilizes advanced Smart Performance and corpses that have mutated beyond recognition. And they are as
Intel Turbo Boost Technology 2.0. blood thirsty as they are intelligent. The usual culprits behind
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this outbreak are, of course, the oddball religious fanatics With the new iPad 2 expected to be announced next week,
called Unitologists and the Earth Government, who have their many have speculated that Apple will drop its newest iOS 4.3
own agenda as well. alongside with their new tablet device. There have been reports
that the iOS 4.3 has already hit the golden master stage and the
iPad makers are reportedly finalising on the mobile operating
system.
One of our Apple sources has just informed us that it
looks like Apple has finalized the code for its upcoming
iOS 4.3 release. The build, we're told, is 8F190 for those
keeping track.
iOS 4.3 could make its debut public appearance sometime
next week, possibly at Apple's media event scheduled for next
Wednesday. The updated mobile operating system is set to
add more unique features such as personal Wi-Fi hotspot
functionality, enhanced support for AirPlay video streaming
The dynamics of the struggle between the two opposing and more.
factions are interesting, and throughout the game, clues are
dropped in the form of text logs, audio tapes and video tapes
to fill you in as you play. The narrative pacing is excellent
here; the game does enough to educate and yet intrigue you
further as into what happened. The brief walkthrough from
Elpida considers increasing
a Unitologist centre that leads to their eerie church near the DRAM price in March
beginning keeps a comfortable momentum going, and while Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/elpida-considers-increasing-dram-
Isaac isn’t the most talkative of video game protagonists, price-in-march/11332.html
he does enough to pull you entirely into his see-saw world February 25th, 2011
of desperation and survival. Isaac has serious personal,
but equally pressing issues: his bouts of dementia trigger
hallucinations and visions, and the mental manifestation of Dynamic random access memory (DRAM) price may increase
his girlfriend are as thrilling as they are terrifying. These come March, as Japanese PC chip maker Elpida considers
jarring moments fit in nicely with the gameplay mechanics raising DRAM prices in view of growing demand. Projected
- Isaac’s struggle to perpetuate reality from his mental state of price for 2Gb DRAM chips in March could be as high as $2.50,
mind directly mirrors his tensed physical encounters with the a 19% increase over the current $2.10.
frightening Necromorphs. Dynamic random access memory (DRAM) price may increase
come March, as Japanese PC chip maker Elpida considers
Apple's iOS 4.3 available raising DRAM prices in view of growing demand. Elpida
President and Chief Executive Yukio Sakamoto suggested that
for all at next week's media projected price for 2Gb DRAM chips in March could be as high
as $2.50, a 19% increase over the current $2.10.
event? Sakamoto also reiterated his hopes for a merger with Taiwan's
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/apple-s-ios-4.3-available-for-all-at-
next-week-s-media-event-/11330.html
Powerchip Technology Corp, Rexchip Electronics Crop and
February 25th, 2011
ProMOS Technologies Inc. The merger would see the new
alliance holding a 40 to 50 percent share of the global
mobile DRAM market, and be in a better position to combat
South Korean giants Hynix Semiconductor Inc and Samsung
Electronics Co Ltd.

Apple's upcoming iOS 4.3 for iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad Rexchip, which is a joint venture between Elpida and
has reported hitting the golden master stage, and ready for its Powerchip, will start production in the third quarter of this
public appearance as early as next week. year. Elpida also has plans to buy all of Powerchip's DRAM
output to 'bolster its competitiveness and help it focus on
higher-end chip production'.

The Daily VR-Zone News
Summary - 24 Feb 2011
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/the-daily-vr-zone-news-summary--24-
feb-2011/11328.html

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February 25th, 2011 selectable on or off accenting a sleek black enclosure design.
The Thermaltake Max 5G is, of course, backwards compatible
to USB 2.0/1.1, as well as SATA II/I. The Thermaltake Max 5G
also offers quick and easy installation to go along with rock
solid build quality.
In today's news roundup: Intel is reportedly planning to
ASRock P67 Profess1onal Fatal1ty - Layout and Design @
demonstrate its new Medfield platform for tablet PCs in the
ocaholic
upcoming Computex 2011 event held at Taipei; The market for
Description: With the P67 Profess1onal Fatal1ty, ASRock has
NOR flash memory is set to shrink by as much as six percent
a high-end Sandy Bridge motherboard in its portfolio which
this year; Android and Nokia Maemo users can play with a
especially targets the gaming market. Next to a very attractive
beta of the Firefox 4 browser which has been specially made
design the board also features three PCI-Express x16 slots and
for both operating systems; The Google Nexus S officially loses
ten SATA-Ports.
the ability to perform Facebook syncing; A new Crysis 2 trailer
has emerged, and Dead Space 2 is set to gets its first set of DLC Antec LanBoy Air ATX Case Review
on March 1 this year. Description: At first glance you can tell this is an enthusiast
and gamer-oriented product. Antec touts the LanBoy Air for
Hardware News:
its highly customizable and modular design. Weighing 20.3
Intel expected to offer 3rd-generation MID platform Medfield lbs (9.2 kg), the case can be outfitted with an insane fifteen
in 3Q11 120mm fans -- so you know the "Air" moniker belongs in its
Description: Intel, in order to compete with ARM architecture name. Perhaps more intriguing, nearly every part of the case
devices which are prevailing in the tablet PC industry, has is modular, even the motherboard and PSU mounts.
had Medfield, its third-generation MID platform, enter testing
Scythe Mine 2 cooler @ Hardwareoverclock.com
by Taiwan-based hardware partners, with products to be
Description: The Mine 2 CPU Cooler is based on a twin
demonstrated at Computex Taipei 2011 and shipments to
cooler Layout. Eight copper heatpipes transport heat to two
begin as early as the third quarter, according to industry
generously dimensioned cooling blocks. By placing the fan in
sources.
between the 2 heatsink towers, intake as well as exhale airflows
Edimax ES5500 G Gigabit Switch Review -XSReviews are optimized to provide high performance. By default, the
Description: The easiest way to get yourself some faster Mine 2 will be delivered with a centrally placed, adjustable 140
network transfer rates is to throw a Gigabit switch into the mix. mm Slip Stream PWM & VR fan. Although the fan supports
That's what I'm looking to do today with the Edimax ES 5500G the PWM feature, the user can manually adjust the PWM
5 port gigabit switch. Is it worth the money? Does it give good bandwidth between 470 to 1,370 rpm and 740 to 1,900 rpm.
transfer rates? That's what we're here to find out.
OCZ Vertex 3 240GB SATA 3 6Gbps SandForce SSD Preview
FSP Aurum AU-600 -600W PSU Review on Technic3D @ Legit Reviews
(German) Description: Since the inception of the line, the Vertex name
Description: (Machine translation) The FSP Aurum AU-600 has been synonymous with performance and helped propel
-600W PSU arrived Technic3D. See you in the following OCZ to a prominent position in the SSD market. Not resting
Review from Technic3D the next PSU with four +12V rails on their laurels, OCZ has jumped out in front again with the
(18A), 120mm Fan, 6x SATA hard disk connectors and 3x PCI- Vertex 3 to be the first to launch a line featuring the latest
e 6+2-Pin SandForce controllers paired with a SATA III 6Gbps interface
NOR flash memory shipments set for 2011 drop and 25nm NAND, while others ostensibly seem a little more
Description: NOR flash memory is going to take a slight conservative in their speed to market. Just how high has the
knocking this year, with IHS iSuppli research claiming that the bar been set? Read on to see.
market will drop by nearly six percent. Consumer Electronics and Software News:
Deepcool Ice Matrix 400 Review at Overclockers Online New Firefox 4 for Android Available Now
Description: When looking at the entire picture, Deepcool’s Ice Description: Firefox 4 for Android and Nokia Maemo devices
Matrix 400 is a spectacularly assembled piece of equipment. is now available in a new beta version that’s made huge leaps
Combining four heat pipes with a simple 120mm fan, the heat in terms of stability and performance.
sink does well at keeping the CPU at acceptable operating
Coolermaster Spawn gaming mouse: comfortable, powerful,
temperatures.
portable
Thermaltake MAX 5G External HDD Enclosure Review @Hi Description: Good things come in small packages, and
Tech Legion Coolermaster’s Spawn gaming mouse is one of them, packing a
Description: The Thermaltake Max 5G 3.5” HDD Enclosure good balance of features and comfort into a small, inexpensive,
offers a solution to data and OS portability. Offering 5Gbs capable gaming mouse.
USB 3.0 transfer speeds along with SATA III capability, the
A Sleeping OS X Lion Stirs
Thermaltake Max 5G offers portability along with all of the
Description: The iPad 2 nears! An iPad 3 is on the horizon!
speed one would expect from an internal HDD. The Max
iPhone 5 is coming! Maybe an iPhone nano! New MacBook
5G is also the first external HDD enclosure offering the
Pros! New iMacs! Maybe even an Apple television! Of all the
superior cooling capabilities of twin 80mm fans. These fans
also offer a little eye candy with glowing blue LEDs which are

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Apple rumors out there right now, there’s a odd lack of talk out their children were racking up huge purchases without
about something we know is coming — and soon: OS X Lion. understanding what they were doing - including one young
gamer who managed to download more than $1,400 in virtual
Eurocom Launches Intel Core i7-990X Extreme Processor in
Smurfs currency...
its Panther 2.0
Description: Eurocom Corporation (www.eurocom.com)
announces support for Intel's new high performance i7-990X
Extreme Edition Processor inside the EUROCOM Panther 2.0
Intel announces Thunderbolt
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/intel-announces-
performance notebook. The addition of the Intel Core i7-990X
thunderbolt/11333.html
to the long list of processor options gives Eurocom customers
February 25th, 2011
even greater choice when customizing their unique systems.
What the iPad 2 Needs to Steal From Android and WebOS
Description: Motorola and HP proved that companies can
make tablets with UI as usable, if not more so, than the iPad.
Now, with the iPad 2 being announced next week, Apple is the
one that needs to play catch-up to others. But is it possible
without drastically retooling iOS? So what's all the fuss about? Well, Intel and Apple has
Replace or Add User Profile Fields in WordPress @ Computing announced the launch and availability (at least in Apple's
on Demand products) of a new co-developed I/O interface previously
Description: If you take into consideration that WordPress is known as Light Peak, but it now goes under the name
the most widely used blogging platform, it is confusing why of Thunderbolt. The new interface uses the same physical
they are still living in the past. I am referring to the usage of connector as the mini DisplayPort interface and it's compatible
AIM, Jabber, and Yahoo in the user's profile. Currently, within with DisplayPort signals, but it also offers up to 10Gbps of PCI
WordPress, there is no way for you to modify these choices. Express data to allow for a wide range of external peripherals
However, with a few simple lines of code in our functions.php to be connected to it.
file, we can bring WordPress into the 21st century.
New Google PageRank Algorithm Debunked So what's all the fuss about? Well, Intel and Apple has
Description: In my recent article on SEJ about Google announced the launch and availability (at least in Apple's
PageRank I suggested that a new formula could be in action. products) of a new co-developed I/O interface previously
The article has gone big on Twitter and LinkedIn, with known as Light Peak, but it now goes under the name
hundreds of shares. And from some comments, it looks like of Thunderbolt. The new interface uses the same physical
many people accepted it for a fact. connector as the mini DisplayPort interface and it's compatible
Google Drops Facebook Sync On Nexus S: Google/Facebook with DisplayPort signals, but it also offers up to 10Gbps of PCI
Battle Continues Express data to allow for a wide range of external peripherals
Description: The reason Google cites is because Facebook to be connected to it.
contacts “cannot be exported from the device” and thus do not With so much bandwidth available it's clear that Thunderbolt
allow users to “control their data” as freely as Google would was designed with the future in mind. That said, with
like. companies such as Aja, Apogee, Avid, Blackmagic, LaCie,
Gaming News: Promise and Western Digital as launch partners, it's pretty
clear that the bandwidth is much wanted, especially in the
New Crysis 2 Trailer Focuses On Story, PC Multiplayer Demo
video and audio industry. Thunderbolt is at the moment the
on March 1
fastest interface you'll find on any computer that isn't a high-
Description: With about a month to the launch of Crysis 2,
end server and then you'd end up talking about network cards
the folks from EA released another trailer focusing on the
or Fiber Channel or something similarly advanced that isn't
story and giving a sneak of the transition of story from its
easily implemented into consumer and business devices.
predecessor. The trailer revolves around Jacob Hargreave, a
man with an obsession with the Nanosuit for most of a century.
Check out “Prophet’s Journey” below
Dead Space 2 Gets Severed March 1
Description: Finished strategically dismembering an entire
space station's worth of Necromorphs? Go back and do it all
over again on March 1, this time from a different perspective,
in the first DLC pack for Dead Space 2: Severed.
FTC agrees to investigate "deceptively free" iPhone games
Description: The Federal Trade Commission has confirmed
it will investigate mobile games that are advertised as free
but then entice players into buying virtual goods within
the game, especially those that target younger users. This
comes after several complaints surfaced by parents who found

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five devices and one display are supported – it's bi-directional
and it delivers power. However, on the power side things
aren't fantastic, as Thunderbolt is limited to 10W, a typical
external 3.5-inch hard drive requires 12W, so it's not going to
be possible to power plenty of external storage device directly
from the bus. Something of an oversight in our eyes, but then
again, it's unlikely that single hard drives will even be kitted
out with Thunderbolt interfaces.
Another interesting aspect is what you can connect to a
Thunderbolt interface, since as it uses PCI Express signalling,
pretty much anything that connects to the PCI Express bus
can interface with Thunderbolt. In this way Thunderbolt is
very much like the external PCI Express interfaces that never
really took off, just with a much more compact connector. This
means that solutions like laptop docks could become quite
advanced and offer a wide range of advanced interface that
don't have to be built into the notebook to save space. Another
option would be to build a display that acts as a laptop dock
with all of the ports built into it rather than the notebook.

The use of the mini DisplayPort connector is an odd choice
in our opinion, although as the DisplayPort signal runs
parallel with the PCI Express signal used for all other data, it
sort of makes sense, at least in a notebook implementation.
We haven't heard or seen anything relating to desktop
implementations of Thunderbolt, although we'd expect it to be
entirely possible, just something of a hassle, especially as you'd
need a motherboard with a mini DisplayPort connector and
a way to route the graphics card signal through this port. We
won't put it past the motherboard makers to come up with a
solution in due time though, as this would be a differentiator
on high-end motherboards.
As for notebooks, so far it's only Apple's MacBook Pro models One unanswered question is how much it'll cost to implement
that will come with Thunderbolt, although others are expected Thunderbolt, but it can't be too expensive considering that
to follow. However, we'd go as far as to say that this is a Apple doesn't appear to charge a premium for the technology.
technology that at least for now will be used exclusively on That said, just judging by the picture of the controller Intel
high-end notebooks due to the additional cost involved. Also, supplied, it's going to be vastly more expensive than USB 3.0.
as far as the implementation goes, the Thunderbolt controller It's also possible that Thunderbolt will stun the continued
requires four PCI Express lanes and connects directly to Intel's development and deployment of USB 3.0 which in our opinion
PCH, so it seems like it's an exclusive technology tied into would be a bad thing.
Intel's platform, at least for the time being. Call it a competitive
advantage if you like, although it's possible that it'll work with Thunderbolt was developed with the future in mind and as
any other chipset and/or device that have four available PCI such it's almost overkill today, but given some time it's likely
Express lanes of bandwidth available. that even Thunderbolt won't be able to keep up. However, with
more than twice the practical bandwidth of USB 3.0 and nearly
twice that of SATA 6Gbps we can see a lot of companies coming
up with creative usages of the new interface. The video and
audio hardware creation companies are happy to have been
given yet more bandwidth to play with and the storage device
manufacturers are some of the first to jump aboard the new
interface. The big question is if Thunderbolt will ever become
mainstream and this isn't likely to happen for quite some time.

Intel Resumes P67 B3
Shipment, Limited Initially
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/intel-resumes-p67-b3-shipment-
limited-initially/11331.html
In many ways Thunderbolt is a bit like the old FireWire
interface, as it can be daisy chained – up to six devices or

8


February 25th, 2011

Last week, Intel has began production on
the P67 B3 chipsets and has shipped out to
various motherboard manufacturers. This week, we
saw ASUS and Biostar announcing that they are shipping out
their P67 B3 motherboards to their customers and the same
goes for Gigabyte, MSI, Asrock as well. We can expect the new
boards to reach by early March. However, full recovery won't
First demonstrated last October, we have not heard anything
be expect till late March or early April therefore replacement
from Apple since. But now Apple, along with the release of
boards for end users are expected to be in shortage initially.
their updated line of MacBook Pro, has provided us with some
info on their new features in Mac OS X Lion which is all set for
a public launch later this summer.
Apple today released a developer preview of Mac
OS X Lion, which takes some of the best ideas
from iPad and brings them back to the Mac for the
eighth major release of the world's most advanced
operating system. Lion features Mission Control, an
innovative new view of everything running on your
Mac; Launchpad, a new home for all your Mac apps;
full screen apps that use the entire Mac display; and
new Multi-Touch gestures. Lion also includes the Mac
App Store, the best place to discover, install and
automatically update Mac apps. The Lion preview
Last week, Intel has began production on the is available to Mac Developer Program members
P67 B3 chipsets and has shipped out to through the Mac App Store today, and the final
various motherboard manufacturers. This week, we version of Lion will ship to customers this summer.
saw ASUS and Biostar announcing that they are shipping out
their P67 B3 motherboards to their customers and the same
goes for Gigabyte, MSI, Asrock as well. We can expect the new Apple has also outline a number of key features that will be
boards to reach by early March. However, full recovery won't included as part of Mac OS X Lion:
be expect till late March or early April therefore replacement
- Mail, a new version of Mail, with an
boards for end users are expected to be in shortage initially.
elegant, widescreen layout inspired by the iPad;
Conversations, which automatically groups related
Apple releases first developer messages into one easy to read timeline; more
powerful search; and support for Microsoft Exchange
preview of Mac OS X Lion 2010;
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/apple-releases-first-developer-preview-
- Versions, which automatically saves successive
of-mac-os-x-lion/11329.html
versions of your document as you create it, and gives
February 25th, 2011
you an easy way to browse, edit and even revert to
previous versions;
- AirDrop, a remarkably simple way to copy files
wirelessly from one Mac to another with no setup;
- Resume, which conveniently brings your apps back
Along with the updated line of MacBook Pros, Apple has exactly how you left them when you restart your Mac
also just announced the release of the first developer preview or quit and relaunch an app;
version of Mac OS X Lion. Let's see what is Apple going to
surprise us with in this upcoming version of the Mac OS. - Auto Save, which automatically saves your
documents as you work;
- the all new FileVault, that provides high
performance full disk encryption for local and
external drives, and the ability to wipe data from your
Mac instantaneously; and

9


- Mac OS X Lion Server, which makes setting up way. The speed in which it can achieve, is expected to replace
a server easier than ever and adds support for the need for USB 3.0
managing Mac OS X Lion, iPhone, iPad and iPod "Thunderbolt is a revolutionary new I/O technology
touch devices. that delivers an amazing 10 gigabits per second and
can support every important I/O standard which is
ideal for the new MacBook Pro."
More information on the upcoming Mac OS X can be found on
Apple's feature page for it here.
The following new models are available now online at the
Apple Store.

• 17" 1920x1200 Display. 2.2Ghz Quad i7. 4GB RAM.
Apple launches refreshed 750GB HD. AMD 6750M 1GB. S$3398

MacBook Pros with Quad • 15" 1440x900 (1680 option) Display. 2.2GHz Quad i7.
Core CPUs, AMD GPUs and 750GB HD. AMD 6750M 1GB. S$2988

Thunderbolt • 15" 1440x900 (1680 option) Display. 2.0GHz Quad i7.
4GB RAM. 500GB HD. AMD 6490M 256MB. S$2488
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/apple-launches-refreshed-macbook-
pros-with-quad-core-cpus-amd-gpus-and-thunderbolt/11308.html
February 25th, 2011 • 13" 1280x800 Display. 2.7GHz Dual i7. 4GB RAM.
500GB HD. Intel HD Graphics. S$2048
• 13" 1280x800 Display. 2.3GHz Dual i5. 4GB RAM.
320GB HD. Intel HD Graphics. S$1648
Apple has just formally launched their refreshed MacBook
Pros and it's available right now online. While still retaining
the same body, there has been a lot of changes under the hood.
Full specifications are available here.

A-Data Launches CH11 USB
3.0 External HDDs
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/a-data-launches-ch11-usb-3.0-external-
The much-anticipated refreshment of MacBook Pros are here. hdds/11327.html
For the first time ever in the company's history, Apple has February 25th, 2011
included Quad Core CPUs into their laptops. The 15-inch and
17-inch models offer Quad Core CPUs using the Intel 2.2GHz
Quad Core 2720QM and 2.0GHz Quad Core 2630QM.
The new Sandy Bridge processors found in these new MacBook
Pro also feature Intel's Turbo Boost 2.0, which will increase
athe speed of the remaining cores when the others are A-Data has expanded its line-up of external HDDs with the
underultilised. addition of the CH11. The compact 2.5" external HDD delivers
Intel® Turbo Boost Technology 2.0 automatically transfer speeds up to 90Mb/s (read) via a USB 3.0 interface
allows processor cores to run faster than the base and comes with custom tags (allowing users to label drive
operating frequency if it's operating below power, contents). Available in black, white or pink colors, they are
current, and temperature specification limits. expected to start shipping in Europe soon.

For those who are interested in the Quad Cores, the maximum A-DATA PRESS RELEASE
Turbo clock speeds for the 2720QM and 2630QM are 3.2GHz
and 2.9GHz respectively. Taipei, Taiwan - February 21 2011 - ADATA™ Technology,
a leading manufacturer of high-performance DRAM modules
and NAND Flash application products, today introduced the
Another new feature that Apple has introduced in this new CH11 external hard drive, the company's latest contender
refreshment is the hybrid Thunderbolt/ mini Display port. in the high-speed external storage market.
This revolutionary technology, which represents Intel's Light
Peak technology, is expected to surface in other Macs along the

10


Drives (Gartner, May 2010), and the Top 20 global brand
in Taiwan, provides complete memory solutions, including
DRAM Modules, USB Flash Drives, Memory Cards, solid
state drives and portable hard drives. ADATA products are
internationally recognized by Germany's iF Design Award, red
dot Award, CES Best of Innovations Award, Japan's Good
Design Award, Best Choice of Computex Award, and Taiwan
Excellence Gold Award. For more information, please visit the
company's website at www.adata-group.com.

Last minute MacBook Pro
rumours
The CH11 incorporates the most recent "SuperSpeed" USB Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/last-minute-macbook-pro-
3.0 standard, and achieves read speeds of up to 90 MB/ rumours/11326.html
sec. As end-users worldwide become increasingly aware of February 25th, 2011
the tremendous performance advantages of USB 3.0 capable
devices, products like the CH11 are expected to displace drives
using the older USB 2.0 standard in the market. Consumers
who need to transfer large image, video, or other media files
will find the CH11 an appealing option.

The MacBook Pro rumours continue to appear all over the
web and the latest one bring with them some additional details
that may or may not prove to be true, although it seems like we
won't have to wait too long to find out what's true and what's
not. On top of that, Intel is readying an announcement related
to Thunderbolt for later today together with Apple, but we
can't give you all the details quite yet as that is under NDA for
the time being, so check back with us later for the full details.

The MacBook Pro rumours continue to appear all over the web
and the latest one bring with them some additional details that
may or may not prove to be true, although it seems like we
An added benefit of the CH11 is the inclusion of custom
won't have to wait too long to find out what's true and what's
labels, providing users with a handy solution for labeling drive
not. On top of that, Intel is readying an announcement related
contents. The unit can be stored and used vertically, making
to Thunderbolt for later today together with Apple, but we
it an excellent choice for those who frequently work with
can't give you all the details quite yet as that is under NDA for
multiple external drives of different categories. The CH11 will
the time being, so check back with us later for the full details.
be available in 500GB, 750GB and 1TB capacities.
The new rumours are talking to some degree about
Thunderbolt and without getting ahead of things, yes, this
Availability is Intel's Light Peak technology, but as we said, more on
that later. What is clear now though is that all of Apple's
MacBook Pro models will feature Thunderbolt support, but it's
The CH11 will be available through ADATA's selected not certain that the vanilla MacBook's will. It's also unclear
distributors and resellers. More information can be found at as to when and if we'll see this on desktop Apple computers,
the company's website at: although we'd expect Apple to implement this at least on its
Mac Pro's. The downside here is of course that Apple won't
support USB 3.0 which is suggesting the standard has lost a
http://www.adata-group.com. major promoter for better or worse.
Other rumours include dropped support for Nvidia graphics
in favour of AMD, something that's been a long term rumour
but which might finally prove to be true. Considering that
Apple have been using AMD graphics in its Mac Pro and iMac
About ADATA desktops for quite some time, we'd say this is a very likely
rumour to come true.
ADATA Technology, the world's 2nd largest vendor of DRAM Sadly it seems like the 13-inch MacBook Pro's have to make
Modules (iSuppli, May 2010), 3rd largest of USB Flash do with Intel's HD 3000 series integrated graphics, at least

11


if the leaked specs are anything to go by. At least the entire February 25th, 2011
range from top to bottom will get kitted out with Intel's second
generation of Core i processors which in a way is a big win, as
Apple has finally decided to give up on Intel's Core 2 platform
in lieu of something much faster.
The rumours about SSDs don't seem to have proven to be true
though, but we should find out shortly if this is the case or not.
The high-resolution screen rumours have as yet to be proven After the wildly successful original Facebook contest, BitFenix
right as the spec leaks for the 13-inch model suggested no is pleased to announce BitFenix Facebook Sweepstakes 2.
change here. Apple is expected to unveil its new product range From now until March 9th, users can go to the BitFenix
shortly, so stay tuned for more on the new MacBook models, Facebook page and enter the contest by "liking" the page and
as well as a detailed look at Tunderbolt. filling out the sweepstakes entry form. At the end of the contest
period, one lucky fan will win a brand-new BitFenix Survivor
gaming chassis!
MSI releases finalized version BitFenix Press Release
of Afterburner 2.1.0
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/msi-releases-finalized-version-of-
afterburner-2.1.0/11324.html
February 25th, 2011

Facebook fans can enter to win a brand-new Survivor chassis

After months of being in beta status, MSI Afterburner 2.1.0
has been finalized and is now available for download. The (BitFenix Design Lab, February 23th, 2011) - After the wildly
new version supports the latest graphics cards, including the successful original Facebook contest, BitFenix is pleased to
NVIDIA GeForce 500 Series and AMD Radeon HD 6000 announce BitFenix Facebook Sweepstakes 2. From now until
Series. March 9th, users can go to the BitFenix Facebook page (http://
facebook.bitfenix.com) and enter the contest by "liking" the
page and filling out the sweepstakes entry form. At the end of
the contest period, one lucky fan will win a brand-new BitFenix
Survivor gaming chassis!

After months of being in beta status, MSI Afterburner 2.1.0
has been finalized and is now available for download. The
new version supports the latest graphics cards, including the
NVIDIA GeForce 500 Series and AMD Radeon HD 6000
Series.
The latest Afterburner has a new feature known as Predator,
which allows users to capture a video of the game you are
currently playing.

Win a Survivor gaming
case: BitFenix Facebook
Sweepstakes 2 "We had so much fun with our fans last time, so we just
had to bring it back," says David Jarlestedt, BitFenix Product
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/win-a-survivor-gaming-case-bitfenix-
facebook-sweepstakes-2/11323.html
Manager. "The support for the fans has been tremendous and

12


these contests are meant to give back to the very community
that helped make BitFenix into what it is today."

Entering the contest is easy:
1. Go to the BitFenix Facebook Page (http://
facebook.bitfenix.com) and click "Like"
2. Find the Sweepstakes tab and fill in the contest form
In addition, BitFenix will give away one additional chassis if
the BitFenix Facebook page can reach 2,000 fans during the
contest period! The more people that enter, the more prizes
will be given away!

The Playon!HD2 (ACR-PV73700) supports video formats
Enter the sweepstakes by going to the BitFenix Facebook page: including AVI, MKV, TS, TP, M2TS, MPG, MP4, MOV, M4V,
http://facebook.bitfenix.com VOB, ISO, DVD-ISO, IFO, DAT, WMV, ASF, RM, RMVB, BD-
ISO, FLV resolution up to 1080p. Even though it supports
Full contest details can be found here: http://bit.ly/eysnEl
Gigabit full HD streaming of up to 1000Mbps, wired data
For more information on BitFenix, visit: http:// transfer only reaches 100Mbps due to the limitation of the
www.bitfenix.com. onboard processor.

AC Ryan launches Playon!
HD2 and Playon!HD Mini2 in
Singapore
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/ac-ryan-launches-playon-hd2-and-
playon-hd-mini2-in-singapore/11317.html
February 25th, 2011

The power button is at the front of the Playon!HD2 while
on the right holds a card reader, three USB ports (one Type
B USB3.0). The USB ports can also connect to an external
This morning, AC Ryan has announced their new Playon! hard disk as well as a wireless dongle for wireless connectivity.
HD2 and Playon!HD Mini 2 full high definition players in However, note that full high definition (HD) streaming will not
Singapore. They are available now and you can check them out be that seamless via wireless. According to Wong, the optional
at the upcoming IT Show 2011. wireless dongle can be purchased at S$49, and the Playon!
HD2 with built-in wireless is scheduled to be available near
end of March.

Eugene Wong, senior product engineer for AC Ryan,
introduced the two new media players from the company -
Playon!HD2 and Playon!HD Mini2, which claim to feature More connectivity options are at the rear of the media player
the latest Realtek 1185 media player processor. According to including composite, component, HDMI, LAN, optical and
Wong, both media players allow users to interact with friends coaxial.
on Facebook, Twitter and Instant Messenger (ebuddy).

13


It is clear that Microsoft wants Windows to be as ubiquitous
in the cloud as it currently is in the desktop and notebook
PC market. And while Microsoft is also considered to be
one of the latecomers to the entire 'software-as-a-service'
ecosystem, it would seem that this minor setback is not about
to hinder the software giant in its plans for (virtual) world
domination: Microsoft has announced the commencement of
a free trial in a bid to attract more users to its Azure Services
Platform.

The hard disk compartment is on the right and to insert your Cloud computing and 'software-as-a-service' might be mere
hard disk, simply remove the side cover. blanket terms used to describe the future of computing, but
as far as Microsoft is concerned, it would seem that the such
services are more than ready to be implemented in today's
computing ecosystem. After all, enterprises have been known
to be relatively slow on the uptake of new technology, and in
most cases, all it needs is just a simple push to get the entire
industry moving in the 'right' (or wrong) directions.
With that in mind, what would Microsoft's plan for pushing
people onto the path of cloud computing under the Windows
banner and ecosystem be? Simple: to offer a free trial of
its Windows Azure Platform, in the hopes that enterprise
developers will be able to get their feet wet with Microsoft's
cloud computing solution and join the Microsoft ecosystem.

The Playon!HD Mini2 (ACR-PV73800) is more compact than
its Playon!HD2 sibling though it also supports most video
formats.

For those who might not be aware, Microsoft's Azure Services
Platform is a 'platform-as-a-service' offering and forms a
core part of Microsoft's cloud computing strategy. It allows
At the rear are component, composite, HDMI, LAN, optical customers to deploy applications and data into the cloud, and
and two USB connectors. is designed to compliment the company's other 'software-as-
a-service' offering, Microsoft Online Services.
Both the Playon!HD2 and Playon!HD Mini2 are alreday
available at S$269 and S$199 respectively, and will also be
retailing at the IT Show 2011.

Microsoft launches free trial of
Windows Azure Platform
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/microsoft-launches-free-trial-of-
windows-azure-platform/11314.html
February 25th, 2011
So what's in the free trial of Microsoft's Windows Azure
Platform for developers who bite? Well, according to
14


Microsoft, interested developers can choose between one of immediately after the revised design is released by Intel.
two offers, namely 750 hours of an Extra Small Compute ASUS hopes that its fast response will prevent any further
Instance or 25 hours of a Small Compute Instance. And in inconvenience and interruption to customers.
addition to the free computing time offered, Microsoft is
also throwing in a few extra features such as free inbound
and outbound data transfer of up to 500MB and 100,000
AppFabric access control transactions across two service bus
connections, as shown in the screenshot below:

As part of an overall recovery plan following the detection of
the Intel 6 Series chipset design error, ASUS has implemented
various customer support measures, including extensive
product replacement and return with additional service
hotlines around the world.
Based on new information from Intel, ASUS has announced
that its updated Intel 6 Series-based motherboards will begin
shipping starting this week, immediately after the revised
design is released by Intel. ASUS hopes that its fast response
will prevent any further inconvenience and interruption to
customers.
Of course, this complimentary trial is not without its own
set of caveats though. Developers and system administrators As Intel indicated the design error only occurs with certain
might want to take note that Microsoft does not impose SATA 3Gb/s ports, ASUS has created the SATA Verifier
hard data transfer or storage caps: this means that system utility to help customers clearly identify all unaffected
administrators who end up consuming more than the amount SATA 6Gb/s ports for each relevant product. More
of data allocated to them will be charged at Microsoft's information can be found at http://event.asus.com/2011/mb/
current rates. Last but definitely not least, Microsoft has also Identify_unaffected_SATA_port/.
confirmed that the trial is time-bombed to expire on 30 June Customers who already own potentially affected
this year, and that any subsequent usage of its Windows Azure motherboards may visit http://event.asus.com/sg/2011/
Platform after the aforementioned date will be charged at the SandyBridge/ for product return and replacement details and
standard rates as well. registration.
If that sounds reasonable enough to warrant getting your
hands and feet wet with what Microsoft has to offer the cloud
computing ecosystem, hit up the registration link located here.

ASUS to begin shipping
motherboards with revised
'B3' P67 and H67 chipsets this
week
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/asus-to-begin-shipping-motherboards-
with-revised-b3-p67-and-h67-chipsets-this-week/11319.html
February 25th, 2011

As part of an overall recovery plan following the detection of
the Intel 6 Series chipset design error, ASUS has implemented Users can easily identify revised products by checking for
various customer support measures, including extensive the 'New B3 Revision' label displayed on the packaging. The
product replacement and return with additional service chipset version can also be verified through the sticker affixed
hotlines around the world. Based on new information from on the motherboard itself, the BIOS, ASUS SATA Verifier and
Intel, ASUS has announced that its updated Intel 6 Series- CPUID’s CPU-Z utility.
based motherboards will begin shipping starting this week,

15


ASUS would like to use this opportunity to encourage any
current users in possession of affected products to carry out
return and replacement promptly, so that the transition to the
revised hardware is as smooth and fast as possible.

Rumour: NVIDIA GeForce GTX Well, this is indeed surprising. For a company that has already
590 release during PAX East prided itself on having products which boast some of the
longest product lifespans, it would seem that Sony has also got
2011 quite a few products which do not seem to live past its first
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/rumour-nvidia-geforce-gtx-590- year of retail life before getting canned from the company's
release-during-pax-east-2011/11318.html production line.
February 25th, 2011
And in this case, it would appear that even popular products
are not spared from the hammer, for the latest device to get the
heave-ho from Sony's production line is that of the compact-
sized 'DSLR' known as the NEX-3. Indeed, a quick peek into
Sony's Japanese site reveals that the information was no hoax:
the NEX-3 has indeed been dropped, with the product page
According to a latest report from DonanimHaber, NVIDIA's listing the camera's status as 'Discontinued'.
upcoming dual-GPU flagship, the GeForce GTX 590, is all set
to release at PAX East 2011 - which takes place between March
11th and March 13th. Prior to PAX East, the GTX 590 will
be introduced behind closed doors at upcoming CeBIT 2011
(March 1st to 5th).
As has been rumoured for quite a while now, the GTX 590 is
expected to sport two fully enabled GF110 GPUs. The power
consumption is rumoured to be through the roof - likely
breaking the PCI-SIG certification limit of 300W. The GTX
590 is certainly going to be an exclusive, ultra-enthusiast
product, with limited availability.
AMD's competitor - the Radeon HD 6990 - which was earlier
planned for a December 2010 release, is also expected to
finally release some time in March. Unfortunately, Sony has not been very forthcoming with its
reasons for the sudden pulling of the NEX-3 from its NEX
lineup. And with no press release issued, it would seem that
Sony quietly discontinues consumers do not have much choice but to wait for the official
explanation from the Japanese consumer electronics giant.
NEX-3 series of digital
cameras ImageShack pulls plug on
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/sony-quietly-discontinues-nex-3-
series-of-digital-cameras/11313.html hotlinking to unregistered
February 25th, 2011
domains
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/imageshack-pulls-plug-on-hotlinking-
to-unregistered-domains/11312.html
February 25th, 2011

The NEX-3 may be one of the more drool-worthy digital
cameras to exist on the market today, but it seems that Sony
has got other plans in store for the market segment currently Do you make use of ImageShack's image hosting services?
targeted by the aforementioned device. In what is probably the Well, if you do, you might want to seriously start considering
shortest-ever product lifespan for a digital camera, Sony Japan moving over to other alternative image hosting services.
has labelled the NEX-3 as a discontinued product, despite it Apparently, it seems that ImageShack has made the decision
being barely a year since it was launched. to pull the plug on hosted images that have been hotlinked
to 'unregistered domains'. And we all know what that means,
don't we?
Free image hosting services are a dime a dozen, so migrating
over to another service should be as easy as pie, should it not?
16


After all, the only thing one has to do is to download the entire
photo album from the original hoster, extract the images from Mach Xtreme Technology
within and re-upload them into the new image hoster. Adds 128Gb Model to FX USB
Okay, so maybe it might be a little more tedious that it sounds.
However, users who often upload images to a particualar
3.0 Flash Drives Series
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/mach-xtreme-technology-adds-128gb-
image hosting service known as ImageShack for the sole
model-to-fx-usb-3.0-flash-drives-series/11316.html
purpose of sharing them on websites or forums might want
February 25th, 2011
to start considering a migration to alternative services. Not
because ImageShack is shutting down though: rather, this is
due to a new policy implemented across ImageShack's image
hosting services.
Apparently, the hoster has just recently implemented
Mach Xtreme Technology has expanded its FX USB3.0
a 'registered domains' system: this policy requires that
flash drive line-up with the addition of a 128Gb
webmasters register their domains with ImageShack in order
(MXUB3MFX-128G) variant. Measuring 78 x 27 x 9.3mm and
to ensure that visitors to their site can view all ImageShack-
weighing 39g, the compact flash drive delivers data transfer
hosted images. And because no prior warning about this
speeds up to 130Mb/s (read) and 90Mb/s (write). Mach
sudden change in policy was made to the Internet-going
Xtreme has also obtained Asus's USB 3.0 certification for
public, it seemed that many were caught unaware when the
its MX-FX series of flash-drives, offering users full USB 3.0
policy was enforced. As such, ImageShack users who have
usability and compatibility with ASUS mainboards.
hotlinked images to unregistered domains will only see this
image on the offending site: MX-TECHNOLOGY PRESS RELEASE
Mach Xtreme Technology Inc., a worldwide leader in top
performance, high reliability and user-friendly designed PC
components, announces that MX-FX Series gets “Optimized
For ASUS USB 3.0 Mainboards” certification and adds 128GB
model to expanding FX USB3.0 flash drives series today.

MX has announced its successful certification of MX-FX USB
3.0 series flash drives, confirming close cooperation with
ASUS. Only devices rigorously tested with ASUS USB3.0
More importantly, it appears that this issue is affecting users
motherboards feature a prominent logo. Customers can
on a global scale, and is not just limited to users from a
recognize this logo and purchase ASUS certified USB 3.0
particular geographical region. To remedy the situation, users
devices with peace of mind. The extensive compatibility testing
can either attempt to visit the link listed on the image above
ensures complete compatibility with ASUS mainboards,
and register their often-visited sites with the image hosting
offering consumers full USB 3.0 usability.
service, or bug the webmasters of those websites to do so on
their behalf.

Besides, Mach Xtreme Technology adds 128GB model to
expanding FX series. The MX-FX 128GB flash drive delivers
best-in-class read and write speeds clocking in at up to 130MBs
Of course, at this point, users can also just opt to ditch read and 90MBs write along with its ultra compact size (78mm
ImageShack completely and go for an alternative, no-cost x 27mm 9.3mm). Mach Xtreme FX flash drives come also in
image hosting service. After all, as they always say, whatever 16GB, 32GB and 64GB flavors.
floats your boat.
All this combined with 3-Years warranty and consumer
friendly pricing nominates MX-Technology FX Series USB 3.0
flash drive as the #1 choice.

17


128GB FX Series USB 3.0 Flash Drive at A Glance

• USB 3.0 Interface
• Max. Read Performance up to 130MBs
• Max. Write Performance up to 90MBs
• Bus Power 900mA (no external power cable needed)
• Power Consumption Idle 1.0W Active up to 4.0W
• Shock and vibrations resistant
• Compact and easy to carry 78mm x 27mm x 9.3mm
• Lightweight 39g
• Certification ROHS, CE, FCC
• Capacity 128GB (MXUB3MFX-128G)
• Warranty 3-Years

18

VR-Zone Technology News | Stuff for the Geeks! Issue #6

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VR-Zone Technology News | Stuff for the Geeks! Issue #6