VR-Zone Technology News | Stuff for the Geeks! Issue #29

May 11th, 2011 Published by: VR-Zone

VR-Zone.com | Stuff for the Geeks!
VR-Zone | Stuff for the Geeks is a bi-weekly publication
covering the latest gadgets and stuff for the geeks.

Google announces partner
Chromebooks
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/google-announces-partner-
chromebooks/12169.html
May 11th, 2011

Other parts of the specifications include dual band Wi-Fi,
optional 3G (most likely cost option), an HD webcam, two
USB 2.0 ports, a memory card reader a pair of audio jacks and
Not entirely unexpected, Google's first Chromebook partners surprisingly an HDMI port. There's also a "full size Chrome
will be Acer and Samsung and both companies have a model keyboard" and the Acer Chromebook is using an Acer "floating
that will go on sale in the US on the 15th of June. Surprisingly island" type keyboard and it also has an "oversize fully-
the two models are quite different in terms of not only in terms clickable trackpad". The battery is said to be good for up to
of features, but also cost. In fact, the only similarity is the fact 6h of continuous usage, not a huge surprise considering this is
that they're both black and running Google's Chrome OS. pretty much a netbook and the whole thing weighs in at a very
portable 1.34kg.

Not entirely unexpected, Google's first Chromebook partners Samsung's Chromebook on the other hand is slightly larger
will be Acer and Samsung and both companies have a model at 12.1-inches it's surprisingly using a 16:10 display with
that will go on sale in the US on the 15th of June. Surprisingly 1280x800 resolution. Maybe this is a good way of getting rid
the two models are quite different in terms of not only in terms of old stock? We're looking at another unspecified dual core
of features, but also cost. In fact, the only similarity is the fact Atom CPU here and once again no mention of memory or
that they're both black and running Google's Chrome OS. storage capacity. As with the Acer, the Samsung sports dual-
band Wi-Fi, optional 3G, an HD webcam, two USB 2.0 ports,
Acer's Chromebook is an 11.6-inch netbook as far as the a memory card reader, but seemingly only a single audio jack
specifications goes, as at its core is an unspecified dual core and a "mini-VGA port" which is kind of frustrating.
Atom processor. For whatever reason there's no mention of
system memory or storage space, although we wouldn't expect
either to be particularly huge, especially as the Cr-48 only
came with 2GB of RAM and 16GB of storage. The screen should
have a resolution of 1366x768 pixels as far as we can tell, but
there's no explicit mention of the resolution apart from it being
"HD".

1


Samsung has gone for a chiclet keyboard design and once
again an "oversize fully-clickable trackpad". The battery life
in this case has been upped to 8.5h which is pretty decent,
although the weigh has also gone up a little bit to 1.48kg.
Design wise the Samsung looks nicer that the Acer on the
pictures, but we're somewhat sold on the HDMI port and the
smaller size and lighter weight of the Acer.
Where the Acer really wins though is on price, as it should
retail for US$349 (S$432), although this is without 3G,
whereas the Wi-Fi only Samsung model is US$429 (S$531)
with the 3G model going for $499 (S$618). It's worth keeping
in mind that at least in the US, owners of a Chromebook
get 100MB of 3G data free every month for two years from
Verizon, although an unlimited day pass is a steep US$9.99 (S The DZ68DB is part of Intel's media series of motherboards
$12) and 1GB of DATA is $20 (S$25) a month, with 3GB for rather than the extreme series. Intel should be launching the
US$35 (S$43) and 5GB for a massive US$50 (S$62) a month. DZ68BC at a later stage though and this is part of the extreme
series and should end up taking the top LGA-1155 board
position ahead of the DP67BG. We're somewhat mystified by
Intel Z68 gets official, own the DZ68DB as we can't really see this board having much
brand motherboard too appeal unless you fall in the category of users that needs the
power of a graphics card once in a while. However, in this case
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/intel-z68-gets-official-own-brand-
it would be wiser to spend your money on an H67 board.
motherboard-too/12168.html
May 11th, 2011 So what we have here is a board that has a pretty good rear I/O
layout with six USB 2.0 ports, two USB 3.0 ports (via a Renesas
host controller), a FireWire port, Intel Gigabit Ethernet (of
course), an eSATA port (from the chipset), 7.1-channel audio
with optical S/PIDF out and last, but not least, a DisplayPort,
HDMI and DVI port. Intel has obviously decided to drop
all types of legacy connectors here with no PS/2 or D-sub
In case you haven't been paying attention to what's going on connectors in sight.
in the motherboard market for the past week or so, today is
the official launch of Intel's Z68 chipset (note. This entirely
depends on what time zone you live in). We've already covered
many of the motherboards announced today, but Intel does of
course still have a line of its own motherboards and alongside
the new chipset announcement, the company also launched
the DZ68DB motherboard.

In case you haven't been paying attention to what's going on
in the motherboard market for the past week or so, today is
the official launch of Intel's Z68 chipset (note. This entirely
depends on what time zone you live in). We've already covered
many of the motherboards announced today, but Intel does of
course still have a line of its own motherboards and alongside However, the board itself doesn't impress much and as a
the new chipset announcement, the company also launched matter of fact, this might as well have been a mATX board as
the DZ68DB motherboard. the lower half of the PCB is almost void of components. It's
also interesting that on what should be a high-end board for
The Z68 chipset doesn't really hold any secrets by now and a company that has removed PCI support from its chipset; we
Intel didn't really seem to make much of a fuss about the have a board with no less than three PCI slots. The board also
whole launch. The interesting thing will be to see how many has a single x16 PCI Express slot and two x1 PCI Express slots.
people will consider spending US$100 (S$124) for the Intel There are three SATA 3Gbps and two SATA 6Gbps ports on the
311 series SSD designed for Intel's Smart Response technology. board and not very much else apart from a set of four headers
You could of course use any SSD, but the faster the better for an additional eight USB 2.0 ports spread around the board.
really. It's somewhat surprising that Intel only launched on The VRM design is also very basic and by the looks of it we're
motherboard today though and it's not even their high-end looking at a 4+1 phase design.
models.
Price wise the board is listed with one retailer in the US for
about US$135 (S$167) which is pretty decent, but considering
the uninspiring board layout, we'd pick something else to be
honest. That said, as with so many other Z68 boards, Intel does
2


supply a copy of Lucid Logix Virtu software with the board Intel will exhibit a range of mobility products and technologies
which is at least something. at the Taipei World Trade Center (TWTC) Nangang Exhibition
Hall from May 31-June 4.
In related news, Digitimes reports that top tier Taiwanese
motherboard makers are expecting to ship 350,000-400,000
Z68 motherboards before the end of May. Gigabyte is expected DATES:
to be shipping the bears share of this and it might turn out
that the company's claim of an 80 percent market share will Opening Ceremony:
come true, as Asus in only expecting to ship 30,000 boards and Tue.-Fri., May 31-June 3 (9:30 a.m-6 p.m.)
MSI and ASRock will only managed 15,000 together, if we're
to believe Digitimes numbers. Sat., June 4 (9:30 a.m-4 p.m.)
WHERE:

Intel to Showcase Latest Intel Exhibition Showcase at Computex

Technology on Mobile Booth M0410

Computing at COMPUTEX
TWTC Nangang, 4F
(Address: No. 1, Jingmao 2nd Rd., Nangang District, Taipei
2011 City, Taiwan)
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/intel-to-showcase-latest-technology-
on-mobile-computing-at-computex-2011/12167.html
May 11th, 2011

PRESS ACTIVITIES:

Computex Opening Keynote
Tuesday, May 31, 2-3 p.m. (Reception: 1:30–2 p.m.)
Intel is hosting a series of events over at COMPUTEX
Speaker: Sean M. Maloney, executive vice president and
Taipei 2011 to unveil and showcase its latest hardware and
general manager of Intel Architecture Group
software technology innovations spanning a spectrum of
mobile personal computing devices. Intel will exhibit a range TICC, 3F Plenary Hall
of mobility products and technologies at the Taipei World (Address: No. 1, Xin-yi Rd., Sec. 5, Hsin-yi District, Taipei City,
Trade Center (TWTC) Nangang Exhibition Hall from May 31- Taiwan)
June 4.

PC Client Event
Grand Hyatt Hotel, 3F, Ballroom A
(Address: No. 2, Song Shou Rd., Hsin-yi District, Taipei City,
Taiwan)

PC Client Event Post-Keynote Press Q&A Session
Grand Hyatt Hotel, Crane Room, 3/F
Intel Speaker:
Intel Corporation is hosting a series of events to unveil Shmuel (Mooly) Eden, vice president and general manager of
and showcase its latest hardware and software technology PC Client Group
innovations spanning a spectrum of mobile personal
computing devices.
Netbooks and Tablets Event: Companion Computing Gets
Personal
Intel’s presence at Computex 2011 will kick off with the
Wednesday, June 1, 3-5 p.m. (Reception time: 3-3:30 p.m.)
opening keynote address by Sean Maloney, executive vice
president and general manager, Intel Architecture Group, at Grand Hyatt Hotel, 3F, Ballroom A
the Taipei International Convention Center (TICC), 3F Plenary
Hall, on May 31.
Netbooks and Tablets Event Post-Keynote Press Q&A Session
Grand Hyatt Hotel, Crane Room, 3/F
Intel Speakers:

3


Douglas L. Davis, vice president and general manager of CPUs have a 65W TDP and 2MB L3 cache. The graphics clock
Netbook and Tablet Group on these models start at 850MHz with a turbo clock of 1GHz.
Douglas W. Fisher, vice president and general manager of No word on a launch date or pricing as yet, but it's possible
Systems Software Division that they'll arrive alongside the Pentium G CPUs which are
expected to launch on the 22nd of May. The Celeron's should
be priced below US$64 (S$79) as that's the expected price of
Intel Booth Guided Tour for Media
the Pentium G620.
Thursday, June 2, 10-11 a.m.
Booth M0410
The Daily VR-Zone News
TWTC Nangang, 4F
Summary - 11 May 2011
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/the-daily-vr-zone-news-summary--11-
Computex Taipei Executive Speech 2011 may-2011/12165.html
May 11th, 2011
Speaker: Boyd A. Davis, vice president of Intel Architecture
Group and general manager of Data Center Group
Marketing TICC, 3F, Banquet Hall

Source : http://newsroom.intel.com/community/
intel_newsroom/blog/2011/05/10/media-alert--intel-at-
In today's news roundup: AMD has admitted that it is willing
computex-taipei-2011
to reconsider its 'x86 everywhere' strategy if market conditions
change drastically, in spite of it having no intention to license
Intel's Celeron G440, G530 ARM technologies for use in producing ARM processors at this
point of time; ASUS has announced the launch of two new self-
and G540 specs are out designed graphics cards, the Radeon HD 6770 DirectCU and
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/intel-s-celeron-g440-g530-and-g540- HD 6750 Formula; Motion Computing's enterprise-centric
specs-are-out/12166.html CL900 tablet is finally available for ordering in the US at the
May 11th, 2011 starting price of US$899; Microsoft has reportedly sent at
least two employees packing from its offices over the alleged
leak of the beta builds of its upcoming Windows 8 operating
system, making it one of the more high-profile sacking cases
to occur over at Redmond; Square Enix has announced a
Dragon Quest Wii collection which will consist of the original
Famicom versions of Dragon Quest I, Dragon Quest II, and
In the midst of Intel's Z68 chipset launch, details have Dragon Quest III, and their respective Super Famicom (SNES)
emerged of three upcoming budget CPUs from Intel, its first G- versions, specifically Dragon Quest I & II and Dragon Quest
series Celeron CPUs. What we're looking at here are one single III, and Fans of Portal 2 can now start modding the game and
core CPU and two dual core CPUs which will be Intel's new creating their own test puzzles now that Valve has released the
entry level Sandy Bridge processors and a step down from the official game authoring tools for download
soon to launch Pentium G-series of CPUs. Hardware news
Cooler Master Storm Enforcer Mid Tower Chassis Review
In the midst of Intel's Z68 chipset launch, details have Description: A couple months back I took a look at the Cooler
emerged of three upcoming budget CPUs from Intel, its first G- Master Test Bench V1.0, but it seems like it has been a while
series Celeron CPUs. What we're looking at here are one single since I had a look at a case from CM. The last couple of cases
core CPU and two dual core CPUs which will be Intel's new I looked at were the HAF-X, CM690II and the Storm Sniper.
entry level Sandy Bridge processors and a step down from the The Sniper had some very cool features and a style all its own,
soon to launch Pentium G-series of CPUs. keeping most of what made those cases a success while adding
a fair bit of individualism to this new concept. Aesthetically
The most basic model will be known as the Celeron G440 and
this case looks like no other I have seen and almost looks like
this is a 35W TDP single core 1.6GHz CPU with 2MB L3 cache.
the case is in motion with the rounded design and stamped in
This almost seems too basic by today's standards and we have
designs in the steel.
a hard time seeing anyone being interested in buying this CPU.
It has a claimed graphics clock of 650/1000MHz in standard/ Kingston X58 Triple Channel kit 2250Mhz Cas 9 Review @
turbo mode. Madshrimps
Description: At the latest MSI MOA Benelux qualifier we were
Next up we have the dual core Celeron G530 and G540 where
allowed to play with MSI's Xpower board, some 980X ES CPUs
the only difference is clock speed, as the G530 is clocked at
and some pretty high specced Kingston rams. The 2250Mhz
2.4GHz whereas the G540 is a smidgen faster at 2.5GHz. Both
CL9 triple channel kit seemed very interesting for a spin in the

4


Madshrimps Lab. Could these blue beauties come close to the Google Finally Delivers On Promise Of Admin-Free Chrome
almighty Corsair Hyper IC based GTX2s ? What's the use for Frame Installs For IE
such a high MHz kit for a daily user ? Is this kit Bloomfield Description: Today at Google I/O in San Francisco, Google
friendly ? A lot of questions warped through my brain. Time to developers Amit Joshi and Alex Russell took the stage at
open the box and find some answers a breakout session to announce an important milestone: a
version of Chrome Frame that doesn’t require admin rights to
EK Water Blocks EK-FC580 GTX Nickel @
install. While this might not jump out at you as a huge thing,
Hardwareoverclock.com
it’s big news for millions of users stuck working at offices or
Description: The summer is not so far away, also the high
schools with older machines where admins won’t allow them
temperatures of the hardware components, specially the video
to upgrade to newer, modern browsers. And some 30 percent
card. A great alternative will be a water cooler, for example the
of these users were not even able to install plug-ins for IE. Now
EK Water Blocks EK-FC580 GTX Nickel. This cooler has an
there’s a way around that with the new dev build of Chrome
extreme high flow path design and unique increased cooling
Frame. You can install this within IE without needing admin
surface over GPU keeps all your graphic cards components
access.
cool even at highest graphical loads and over clock. We have
tested this sample on a GTX 570 in a comparison between Adobe Takes Wowza to Court Over Flash Patents
other alternative VGA coolers. Description: Adobe is taking Wowza Media to court, suing
it for patent infringement related to its Flash Media Server.
GIGABYTE Z68X UD4 Review @ Vortez
Adobe filed its lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the
Description: So what do we get from GIGABYTE if the video
Northern District of California last week, alleging patent
outputs aren’t present? Well with the Z68 chipset we have the
infringement, false advertising and unfair competition.
new Touch BIOS, SSD caching and we have been told – better
overclocking. So today we will be putting the Z68-UD4 on our Google To Lease Chrome Laptops for $20/Month
test bench and putting it through its paces within synthetic and Description: Google will begin leasing Chrome laptops for $20
gaming benchmarks in order to reveal to our readers whether per month in a “student package” that includes both hardware
there is any great advantage of moving to this new chipset over and access to online services, a senior Google executive has
P67. reportedly told Forbes. The report aligns with earlier rumors
that Google would begin offering Chrome OS-based notebooks
Ethernet Aims for Terabit
for between $10 and $20 per month this summer. The
Description: IEEE 802.3 – among friends know as Ethernet
official announcement is expected to hit the wire sometime
– has formed a working group to look beyond 100 Gbps
Wednesday.
speed. Currently the group is soliciting input at expects to
report some time next year. There is, however already a divide Motion Computing's CL900 tablet now available for order,
between power users and silicon suppliers. End customers like starting at $899
Facebook and Google cannot wait to get a higher speed version Description: It's been a while since we first laid eyes upon
of Ethernet and is lobbying for 1 Tb/s as soon as 2013. They this rugged little guy, but Motion Computing's CL900 tablet
are countered by silicon suppliers who would like to move to is finally available for orders, starting at $899. Designed
400 Gbps in the first instance. with enterprise markets in mind, the 2.1-pound Windows 7
slate runs on a 1.5GHz Intel Oak Trail Atom Z670 processor
OCZ IBIS 240GB Review @ ocaholic
and rocks a 10.1-inch, 1366x768 multi-touch display that's
Description: If you take a look at the SSD market, searching for
shielded in Corning Gorilla Glass. Seated atop that display
a really powerful product, then you'll definitely take the OCZ
is a 1.3-megapixel front-facing camera, with a 3.0-megapixel
IBIS into account. With a throughput of 740 MB/s read and
sensor keeping watch over the backside. Boasting a thickness
720 MB/s write this drive shows serious throughput rates and
of 15.5mm, the device also offers up to 2GB of RAM (along with
also the claimed 120'000 IOPS are massive.
a 30GB or 62GB SSD), promises a battery life of up to eight
AMD May Reconsider Its Opinion About ARM Processors . hours and houses a USB port, SD card slot and Bluetooth 3.0
Description: Advanced Micro Devices does not close the doors module.
to ARM and may reconsider its x86 everywhere strategy if
Lenovo spoils own ThinkPad X1's May 17 launch with video
the market requirements change drastically. Even though the
Description: Lenovo effectively pre-announced the ThinkPad
company is not working on a deal to license ARM technologies,
X1 on Wednesday with a video (below). The minute-long
AMD admits that its vision is generally similar to ARM's when
ad was short on details but confirmed the backlit, spill-
it comes to heterogeneous multi-core computing.
resistant keyboard and Gorilla Glass screen. The PC builder
ASUS announces self-designed Radeon HD 6770 DirectCu and also pledged a May 17 release date.
HD 6750 Formula graphics cards
Microsoft Employees Fired Over Windows 8 Leaks
Description: ASUS announced the launch of the new self-
Description: The recent leaks of Windows 8 suggests that there
designed HD 6770 DirectCU and HD 6750 Formula graphics
are sources within Microsoft that are letting out copies of the
cards. Both are equipped with the ASUS-exclusive Super Alloy
work-in-progress operating system. According to a well known
Power technology that delivers a 15% performance boost along
leak tracker, as characterized by WinRumors, Microsoft has
with a lifespan that is 2.5 times longer than conventional
fired two employees that the company believed to be leaking
graphics cards.
the beta builds.
Consumer Electronics and Software news
Gaming news

5


Square Enix announces Dragon Quest Wii collection
Description: With the Dragon Quest franchise being insanely
popular in Japan, it was only a matter of time before publishers
Square Enix formally announced that a collection of the series'
earlier games is in the works. According to the official site, said
collection will be released on the Wii and will contain all five
past titles on one disk. The games on the collection are the
original Famicom versions of Dragon Quest I, Dragon Quest
II, and Dragon Quest III, and their respective Super Famicom
(SNES) versions, specifically Dragon Quest I & II and Dragon
Quest III.
Unlike Microsoft's Surface and Surface 2 tabletop PCs which
SoulCalibur V Announced were available in 30-inch and 40-inch touchscreen displays,
Description: At a press conference in Dubai just now, Namco Pioneer's WWS-DT101 boasts a gigantic 52-inch display
officially announced SoulCalibur V. While no details were that is capable of full HD resolutions, thus making it the
revealed just yet, the game is slated for a 2012 release. We do largest known tabletop PC known to exist today. However,
know that more info and a teaser trailer will be coming soon, in Pioneer's case, bigger does not necessarily translate to
so stay tuned for those. better; while Microsoft's 40-inch Surface 2 multitouch display
Alright Modders, Let's Get Modding: Valve Releases Portal 2 supported up to a maximum of 50 simultaneous contact
Authoring Tools points', the WWS-DT101 is only capable of recognizing up to
Description: Admit it: while playing through Portal 2, you 10 contact points at any time.
couldn't help but devise your own devious test lab puzzle. That being said, do you remember the little demonstration
Well, now is your chance to make that turret-bot filled vision made by Microsoft which showed off how users can place data
a reality. Valve has released the Portal 2 Authoring Tools on storage devices on Surface and its contents would 'spill' onto
Steam. the display for easy collaboration? Well, it would seem that
Pioneer has been hard at work in replicating this function in
Can't afford Microsoft's the WWS-DT101. Which, in hindsight, makes perfect sense
when one takes into account that the WWD-DT101 is meant
Surface? Try Pioneer's WWS- to be used as a digital conference system, and the ability to
share files by simply sliding them around a tabletop PC's
DT101 alternative instead display is definitely a huge time saver, no matter how one looks
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/can-t-afford-microsoft-s-surface-try- at it. However, Pioneer has once again managed to one-up
pioneer-s-wws-dt101-alternative-instead/12164.html Microsoft's Surface by adding tablets such as iPads to the list
May 11th, 2011 of supported devices in its collaboration process, as shown in
the image below:

A long, long time ago in a news posting made way, way back
in January, we spoke a little about Microsoft's new Surface
2 tabletop PC and how it could potentially change the way
businesses handle their digital collaborating needs. As it turns
out, there is a new contender in the tabletop PC game today
which is supposedly capable of performing the same tasks as
Microsoft's Surface, and it comes in the form of Pioneer's new
WWS-DT101 'discussion table' PC that was launched today in
Japan.
Microsoft's Surface tabletop PC is definitely one of the more
interesting PCs out there to exist in the market today, and
we are sure that Apple and Google will be hard pressed to
come up with a suitable product to compete against it if
Microsoft was willing to release the product for sale to end- What is more amazing though, is the fact that Pioneer, like
users instead of limiting its purchase to enterprise customers. Microsoft before it, was able to pull off such features using
However, it would seem that Microsoft is about to face some nothing more than the standard PC software and hardware to
competition in its own market segment very soon, thanks power the tabletop PC. Yes, you read that correctly; hidden
to the introduction of Pioneer's own tabletop PC, the WWS- under that pretty and flashy-looking user interface is the same
DT101, which is supposedly capable of performing the same Windows 7 operating system that we all know and love today,
functions as Surface. while the giant touchscreen is powered by none other than a
standard Intel Core i7 processor paired with 6GB of system
RAM.

6


As is the case with most enterprise products, Pioneer has that is not x86 or x86-64 based. Therefore, it should be of
chosen not to set a fixed price on the WWS-DT101. Instead, the no surprise that the VersaPro Touch VT will be powered
company has seemingly adopted an 'open pricing' model for by Intel's Atom processor. To be more specific, it will be
the tabletop PC, which suggests that the WWS-DT101's pricing Intel's recently-launched Z670 Oak Trail processor that will
may vary based on the results of negotiations between Pioneer be providing the computational horsepower needed to run
and its prospective clients. The PC is expected to start shipping Windows 7 smoothly on the NEC VersaPro Type VT. Clocked
in late July, so there should be plenty of time for customers to at 1.5GHz, Intel claims that the Z670 processor has been
start making their way to the negotiation tablet with Pioneer. specially designed for use on tablets and is supposed to
be capable of supporting 1080p video playback with some
help from the onboard Intel GMA 600 graphics core; as
NEC unveils Atom-powered such it should be powerful enough to support a desktop-
tablet running Windows 7 for grade operating system like Windows 7 without any major
performance hiccups.
business users In addition, NEC has also announced that the VersaPro Type
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/nec-unveils-atom-powered-tablet-
VT sports a 10.1-inch touchscreen display that has a native
running-windows-7-for-business-users/12159.html
resolution of 1280 x 800, is pre-loaded with the 32-bit version
May 11th, 2011
of Windows 7 Professional, and will feature a user-removable
battery pack. Last but definitely not least, the company also
claims that the tablet utilizes a 64GB SSD for data storage
purposes and can be used with a docking station to provide a
desktop-esque experience for the user, as shown in the image
below:

Mention the words 'tablet PC' to most consumers and chances
are the mental image they will conjure about such a device
is one that runs on ARM processors and comes preloaded
with an operating system that is anything but Microsoft's
Windows. While that may be true in the consumer space, it
would appear that things are notably different in the enterprise
space; apparently, there is enough demand for tablets running
on Windows 7 for NEC to justify rolling out its own Windows-
powered tablet for business users. Japan, meet NEC's VesaPro The NEC VersaPro Type VT is expected to be available for
Type VT slate PC. purchase by business users in summer, with the pricing to be
confirmed at a later date.
Let's not deny it; Windows 7 is an astounding operating
system that works wonders on almost any PC available on the
market today. Unfortunately for Microsoft, the relatively high Icy Dock Debuts USB 3.0 EZ-
hardware requirements and touch-unfriendly user interface of
its OS means that Windows 7 is essentially a no-go as far as DOCK
consumer tablets are concerned, especially when touchscreen Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/icy-dock-debuts-usb-3.0-ez-
computing is starting to become mainstream for highly mobile dock/12163.html
devices. May 11th, 2011

However, things are usually different in the enterprise space,
and based on the looks of it, tablets loaded with Windows 7
are apparently doing well enough in various areas for OEMs to
justify their continued production. More importantly, it seems
that NEC is keen to carve out a slice of the business tablet
market for itself as well, having just launched its own Windows
7-powered tablet, the VersaPro Type VT, today in Japan. Icy Dock has released the MB881U3-1SA, a USB 3.0 docking
station supporting one 2.5" and 3.5" SATA/ IDE HDDs and
SSDs. It features a USB 3.0 interface, removable aluminum
stand for mobility, and works with both PC & Mac systems. The
easy to use MB881U3-1SA is bundled with a low profile power
adapter for 3.5 drives and is expected to hit store shelves soon.
ICY DOCK PRESS RELEASE

As most of us will undoubtedly know by now, Windows is
incapable of running on any other processor architecture

7


Shuttle Announces SX58H7
Pro LGA1366 Mini PC
barebone
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/shuttle-announces-sx58h7-pro-
lga1366-mini-pc-barebone/12162.html
May 11th, 2011

Introducing Icy Dock's new MB881U3-1SA USB 3.0 2.5 &
3.5 SATA and IDE hard drive adapter with docking station Shuttle has unleashed the XPC Barebone SX58H7 Pro,
functionality. Icy Dock has taken another one of its tried and targeting gamers on the lookout for high-performance SFF
true products and taught it some new tricks. It features the desktops. Measuring 326 x 208 x 189mm, the stylish barebone
new USB 3.0 interface for up to a 5 Gbsec transfer rate. The comes in a black aluminum enclosure and boasts an X58
MB881U3-1SA is perfect for any DIY user or IT Professional motherboard, four DDR3 memory slots (up to 16Gb), dual
in need of a quality hard drive adapter. The hard drive adapter PCI-Express x16 slots (for SLI/ CrossFireX), four SATA ports,
will work with both 3.5 & 2.5 SATA drives and IDE drives and three drive bays, two Gigabit Ethernet LAN ports, I.C.E.
use them on a USB 3.0 interface. (Integrated Cooling Engine) heatpipe technology, a 80-PLUS
certified 500W PSU, audio connectors, two USB 3.0 and
The 2.5 SATAIDE drives can be powered with the USB cable eight USB 2.0 connectors. The XPC Barebone SX58H7 Pro is
alone. A small power adapter is included for faster or bigger available from major retailers and e-tailers now at a MSRP of
2.5 hard drives or 3.5 hard drives. Using the USB 3.0 interface EUR 444.00 (excl. VAT).
will maximize not only the SATA drives but also the IDE drives SHUTTLE PRESS RELEASE
readwrite speeds not found on other USB 2.0 products. The
MB881U3-1SA will accept almost any size of 2.5 3.5 IDE and
SATA hard drives.
Product Features

• Perfect hard drive adapter with docking station
functionality in USB 3.0 speeds.
• USB bus power for 2.5 drives.
• Low profile power adapter for 3.5 drives.
• Detachable docking platform to use while on the go.
• Compatible with both 2.5 & 3.5 SATA hard drives and
supports hot swap.
Shuttle Computer Handels GmbH, the European subsidiary of
• Compatible with both 2.5 & 3.5 IDE hard drives.
Shuttle Inc., one of the leading developers and manufacturers
• Supports USB 3.0 connection for maximum of compact PC solutions such as the world-renowned XPC
performance. Mini-PC Barebones, today launches its 2011 model with
• Plug & Play USB 3.0 with backwards capabilities to Intel X58 Express chipset and support for all Intel Core i7
USB 2.0 for quick connection processors (LGA1366).

• for any computer system. The Shuttle XPC Barebone SX58H7 Pro cuts an elegant figure
• User friendly screw-less and tool-less design just plug with a black aluminium chassis, case and front panel. It also
in the hard drive and play. boasts two heatpipe cooling systems – ideal for ensuring
optimal heat dissipation and high stability.
• Exposed working HDD stands in the air vertically for
fast heat radiation.
• Aluminum alloy stand is detachable for portable use. Owners of this powerpack have a choice to fit either two single-
slot graphics cards or one dual-slot graphics card. Two PCIe-
• Designed for PC & Mac systems.
x16-2.0 slots offer an enormous bandwidth and a separate
Mini-PCIe-x1 slot allows the installation e.g. of a WLAN
module.

8


for DVD-R+R DL and DVD+RW, 6x for DVD-RW, 48x for CD-
R, and 24x for CD-RW".

A further important innovation is the provision of external and
internal ports to the latest standards. Shuttle's SX58H7 Pro
has 2x USB 3.0 (up to 5 Gbits) and 2x SATA 6 Gbits. External Lite-on, manufacturer of numerous OEM PC parts, has
storage media and internal drives (hard disks or SSDs) can introduced the eHBU212 external Blu-ray writer in Europe.
now run at maximum speed. In addition, at the front and rear The writer boasts a USB 3.0 interface, 8Mb of cache memory,
are 8x USB 2.0, 2x eSATA and 1x eSATAUSB 2.0 ports as LightScribe support, Smart-Burn and Smart-X technologies,
well as eSATA power supply. Two 1000 Mbit network cards on and support write speeds up to "12x for BD-R, 8x for BD-R
the mainboard of the SX58H7 Pro offer maximum reliability DL, 2x for BD-RE (DL), 16x for DVD-R+R, 12x for DVD-RAM,
or maximum data transmission speed. The teaming function 8x for DVD-R+R DL and DVD+RW, 6x for DVD-RW, 48x
enables the activation of failover or load balancing. for CD-R, and 24x for CD-RW". The eHBU212, bundled with
CyberLink's Blu-ray Suite, can be pre-ordered from selected
With the 80-PLUS-certified 500 W power supply unit, a resellers and distributors at a MSRP of €165.
maximum configuration with 6-core processor, 16 GB DDR3 News via [Techconnect]
RAM, one or two modern graphics cards and three drives
is possible at any time. A comparable configuration was
presented live at CeBIT 2011 and silenced the skeptics. ADATA Announces New PSU
Series
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/adata-announces-new-psu-
The technical possibilities offered here within a space series/12160.html
measuring just 32.6 x 20.8 x 18.9 cm are simply astounding, May 11th, 2011
states Tom Seiffert, Head of Marketing & PR at Shuttle
Computer Handels GmbH. Although we'd be hard pushed to
win an energy-saving competition with the SX58H7 Pro, in the
performance per cm³ category this PC is streets ahead of its
rivals.

The XPC Barebone SX58H7 Pro is available now. Shuttle's Taipei based ADATA Technology, the world’s 2nd largest
recommended retail price is EUR 444.00 (ex VAT). vendor of DRAM Modules, has unveiled the BN series of PSUs.
These 80 Plus Bronze certified units feature active PFC and
comply with the European Energy Using Products Directive
Lite-on Unveils USB 3.0 Blu- (EuP) and The American Energy Star 5.0 standard. Available
ray Writer in 400W, 450W, 500W and 550W capacities, they can be
purchased from authorized retailers and e-tailers now.
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/lite-on-unveils-usb-3.0-blu-ray-
writer/12161.html ADATA Technology, a leading manufacturer of high-
May 11th, 2011 performance DRAM modules and NAND Flash application
products, today announced the launch of its latest series
of power supply for personal computers. The BN Series is
targeted towards consumer and professional users who are
looking for economical solutions in energy efficient power.

Lite-on, manufacturer of numerous OEM PC parts, has With 80 Plus Bronze certification, the BN series offer up to
introduced the eHBU212 external Blu-ray writer in Europe. 85% efficiency, while the 95% Active Power Factor Correction
The writer boasts a USB 3.0 interface, 8Mb of cache memory, (PFC) minimizes power loss. The series comes in four wattage
LightScribe support, Smart-Burn and Smart-X technologies, models to meet a wide range of individual user needs, and
and support write speeds up to "12x for BD-R, 8x for BD-R DL, all models meet both the European Energy Using Products
2x for BD-RE (DL), 16x for DVD-R+R, 12x for DVD-RAM, 8x Directive (EuP) and The American Energy Star 5.0 standard.

9


The units run quietly and emit extremely low levels of capacitive touchscreen display is 3D-capable and boasts a
interference. native qHD resolution of 960 x 540. However, the company
neglected to mention the exact version of Android that the
phone will be shipping with, although the image above seems
An interesting aesthetic touch on what is often a bland system to suggest that the SH-12C may be getting some (heavily-
component is the patented design pattern on the laminated customized) Gingerbread love right out of the box instead of
steel shell. The innovative surface coating process yields an the older Froyo.
attractive textured appearance. That being said, it would seem that the dual 3D cameras
situated at the SH-12C's rear might just happen to be the
smartphone's real draw. Capable of capturing images at a
Availability remarkably high resolution of eight megapixels, the dual
ADATA BN Series power supply units are now distributed cameras can also be used to capture 3D HD videos at the
through selected distributors and resellers. maximum resolution of 720p.
Last but not least, Sharp did not provide any information
Sharp introduces 3D AQUOS about the smartphone's price in its press release, but suffice
Phone SH-12C for Japan to say a smartphone that boasts both a 3D camera and a 3D-
capable display is definitely not going to be the most affordable
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/sharp-introduces-3d-aquos-phone-
mobile communications device on the market. However, the
sh-12c-for-japan/12158.html
company did mention that the SH-12C will be released for
May 11th, 2011
retail in Japan on May 20 via NTT DoCoMo. As for the rest
of the world...well, let's just say that watching pigs grow wings
and fly would be a good way to pass the time while waiting for
the SH-12C to show up on the shelves.

Granted, mobile phones with 3D-capable displays are not the StarHub and M1 announce
norm yet, but it is only a matter of time before more OEMs
start hopping onto the bandwagon and rolling out devices
iPad 2 offering; SingTel unveils
that will see 3D-enabled smartphones eventually becoming iPad 2 price and availability
the new mainstream. However, those who prefer to live their Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/starhub-and-m1-announce-ipad-2-
digital life on the bleeding edge of technology would probably offering-singtel-unveils-ipad-2-price-and-availability/12156.html
take delight in the fact that there is a new player in the market May 11th, 2011
for 3D-capable smartphones, and it comes in the form of
Sharp's new AQUOS Phone SH-12C.
Smartphones sporting 3D-capable displays are more of a
novelty than a mobile communication tool today due to the fact
that consumer, carrier and software support for such devices Earlier this week, StarHub and M1 have announced that they
is still at its infancy. However, it is also widely understood would be offering the Apple iPad 2, though there have been no
that the world is slowly but surely moving towards 3D, and word on the pricing and availability. Today, SingTel unveiled
that it is only a matter of time before such smartphones their iPad 2 offering, the price and its availability.
eventually take their place as the new 'standard' mobile
communication tool. And it will seem that Sharp is looking
to accelerate the adoption rate of 3D-enabled smartphones
with the announcement of its own 3D smartphone, the AQUOS
Phone SH-12C.

SingTel has announced it will offer iPad 2 with Wi-Fi + 3G in
Singapore on May 14, this Saturday. The telco operator will
offer iPad 2 Wi-Fi + 3G models with select tariff plans on a
two-year contract, as well as a range of attractive data plans
Not much about the SH-12C has been revealed by Sharp; for iPad 2 without a contract.
indeed, the only thing we know about the SH-12C is that it has Here are the data plans:-
both rear and front-facing cameras, is (obviously) preloaded
with Google's Android operating system, while the 4.2-inch

10


Acording to the press release issued by Panasonic, the 14-inch
Toughbook CF-53 is packs a multitouch-capable touchpad that
is 25% larger than the ones found on previous versions of
the Toughbook and an "adjustable backlit keyboard" that is
meant to assist users who often use their notebooks under poor
lighting conditions. Additional features present on the CF-53
include the use of a spill-resistant keyboard, a "high-definition
LED display" and the ability to survive 30-inch drops on six
faces unscathed, due to it passing nine MIL-STD-810G tests.
Finally, the CF-53 will come standard with USB 3.0, VGA
and HDMI ports and an SDXC card reader, along with an
Panasonic announces integrated 3G modem from Qualcomm.
its latest addition to the However, the CF-53's real draw stems from the fact that it is
Toughbook family - the CF-53 powered by Intel's Sandy Bridge platform, and Panasonic has
confirmed that the CF-53 will be available in three different
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/panasonic-announces-its-latest-
configurations. The US$1,599 model is due for shipment in
addition-to-the-toughbook-family--the-cf-53/12157.html
August and will feature an Intel Core i3-2310M processor
May 11th, 2011
clocked at 2.1GHz, a 320GB mechanical hard disk with a
platter speed of 5400rpm along with 2GB of memory.
The i5 model, on the other hand, costs US$1,899 and is
expected to start shipping in June. It will pack an Intel
Core i5-2520M vPro processor clocked at 2.5Ghz (3.2Ghz on
TurboBoost), a high-performance mechanical hard disk with
a platter speed of 7200rpm and 320GB of storage and 4GB of
Panasonic's Toughbooks make for popular notebook PCs
memory. In addition, a touchscreen-capable version of the i5
among military and business users for obvious reasons, but
model is available, although it will only start shipping in July
most consumers who desire a notebook with bleeding-edge
and will set consumers back by US$2,449.
hardware usually tend to shy away from them because of
their last-gen specifications. However, this is all set to change
with Panasonic's newest addition to the Toughbook family, the A sneak peek at Asus'
semi-rugged CF-53, which is powered by...yep, Intel's Sandy
Bridge platform. Looks like good things really do come to those Maximus IV Gene-Z
who have the patience to wait, after all. Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/a-sneak-peek-at-asus-maximus-iv-
gene-z/12153.html
Most of us are slaves to our notebooks when it comes to
May 11th, 2011
being productive while on the move, but more often that not,
the cheap notebooks which most of us use as our primary
mobile workhorse are seldom, if ever designed to handle
the abuses of the outside world. In fact, it would not be an
exaggeration to claim that an 'accidental' mishap that involves
physical trauma is more than sufficient to see screen, body
and battery part company from the device that was previously
called a 'notebook'. In fact, such mishaps are the main reason Asus unveiled a tiny picture of its Maximus IV Gene-Z in
rugged notebooks like the Panasonic Toughbook are in such its Z68 motherboard announcement, but it didn't really give
high demand among careless professionals, and leave it to away a lot of details. However, VR-Zone can now offer some
Panasonic to delight Toughbook fans with its latest addition to more detailed pictures of the board, albeit we have as yet not
the lineup - the semi-rugged CF-53. managed to get hold of a decent picture of the entire board.
On the other hand, the pictures we have do give a good idea of
11


what the board has to offer in terms of hardware features and
they're a lot more detailed than the first picture.

Asus unveiled a tiny picture of its Maximus IV Gene-Z in
its Z68 motherboard announcement, but it didn't really give
away a lot of details. However, VR-Zone can now offer some
more detailed pictures of the board, albeit we have as yet not
managed to get hold of a decent picture of the entire board.
On the other hand, the pictures we have do give a good idea of
what the board has to offer in terms of hardware features and
they're a lot more detailed than the first picture.

The board also has a set of Voltage readout points for
overclockers and of course X-Fi 2 SupremeFX audio. We can't
really tell how many power phases the board has, but we'd
hazard a guess at something like a 12-phase design judging by
the size of the heatsinks. Overall a pretty decent little board
with plenty of features, although what remains is the one
question we all would like to know, how much is it?

First up we've got a larger picture of the one supplied with the
press release which still isn't all that detailed, but a lot better
than the tiny one we've seen so far. It's clear from this picture
In related news, Asus has also confirmed via it's Asus ROG
alone that the board has a single HDMI port, but let's have a
forums that we'll be seeing the Maximus IV Extreme-Z at a
closer look shall we?
later stage, alongside the P8Z68 Deluxe and the P8Z68.

Lian Li releases new casing
Cowry PC-U6
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/lian-li-releases-new-casing-cowry-pc-
u6/12148.html
May 11th, 2011
Although the close-up we have of the rear ports doesn't
reveal everything, it's clear that we have one special USB 2.0
port here, most likely for Asus' ROG Connect. There's also a
CMOS reset button around the back and beyond that it looks
like we were pretty much spot on, even based on the tiny
picture provided alongside the announcement. The Ethernet
controller is from Intel, and it has two ASMedia USB 3.0 host
Very often, we see computer cases in the shape of the dull
controllers.
looking cuboid, but Lian Li's latest Cowry PC-U6 casing is set
to dispel the conventional looks. Read on.

Around the front we were also spot on, although it's now clear
that the board also has a pair of pin headers for four USB 2.0
ports. There's also a POST80 debug LED and a power and
reset button at the bottom of the board. Interestingly the PCI
Express x4 slot is open ended, so on theory a full-length card
could be fitted to it.

12


From a designer's point of view, the Cowry PC-U6 certainly
scored a few points. Its design is sleek and really stands out
from other regular cases. Although it is a mid tower chasis, the At the Google I/O conference, the company has announced the
specifications show that it can only mount Micro-ATX / Mini- new Android mobile operating system (Ice Cream Sandwich),
ITX motherboards. This is probably why they only included 2 and revealed that the next Nexus smartphone will be launched
x 140mm intake fans by the side of the case. in Q4 this year.
Andy Rubin, senior vice president of Mobile at Google, said
that the next Nexus smartphone can easily run Android
"Ice Cream Sandwich" platform. This means that the Nexus
phone will only be ready closer to the end of this year. From
the current development of smartphones, it would be no
surprise if the Nexus phone incorporate dual-core processor.
It is anyone's guess whether Sony Ericsson would be the
manufacturer tasked to make the new Nexus smartphone,
seeing HTC and Samsung had already made one for Google.
The biggest feature of the next version of Android mobile
operating system, Ice Cream Sandwich, is that it will support
both tablet and smartphone devices. Google wants to fulfil
"One OS Everywhere", be it on the smaller screen smartphones
Lian Li have included dust filters within the casing for easy or the tablets with larger displays.
cleaning and a tool-less system for easy mounting. There is
also a little knob for the fan control found at the back of the
case. Its SRP is estimated to be US$349 (S$430). Updated:Gigabyte reveals Z68
See the full specifications and introductory video of the Cowry
PC-U6 Case at the Lian Li website.
board with mSATA connector
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/updated-gigabyte-reveals-z68-board-
with-msata-connector/12151.html

New Nexus phone will May 11th, 2011

incorporate Android "Ice
Cream Sandwich" platform
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/new-nexus-phone-will-incorporate-
android-ice-cream-sandwich-platform/12150.html
May 11th, 2011
Here's a surprise, Gigabyte is going to have more Z68
motherboards and we'll be seeing boards with an mSATA
connector on them which will accept mSATA SSDs. Talk about
spoiling it on the day of the launch of the much anticipated
Z68 motherboards. Well, ok, it's not that big of a deal, but it's
a neat feature and we can see other board makers follow suite.
At the recent Google I/O conference in San Francisco, the
search engine giant has revealed that the next Nexus Android Here's a surprise, Gigabyte is going to have more Z68
smartphone is scheduled to launch in Q4 this year and will motherboards and we'll be seeing boards with an mSATA
run the new Android Ice Cream Sandwich. The question is, connector on them which will accept mSATA SSDs. Talk about
will Sony Ericsson be the next manufacturer to build the phone spoiling it on the day of the launch of the much anticipated
(after HTC and Samsung)?

13


Z68 motherboards. Well, ok, it's not that big of a deal, but it's May 11th, 2011
a neat feature and we can see other board makers follow suite.
The mSATA connector was developed for tablets and thin
and light notebooks, but it works just as well on a desktop
motherboard. It's pretty much a mini PCI Express connector,
although rather than having PCI Express and USB interfaces, It is old news that the next version of the Android operating
it does as the name suggests have a SATA interface. This allows system will be known as Ice Cream Sandwich (hmm, yummy)
for extremely small, but standardised SSDs to be installed in and that it will supposedly be released to OEMs sometime
small devices, yet more flexibility compared to soldering the in Q4 this year. But in spite of that, Google has somehow
chips onto the PCB or using a non-standard connector or SSD. managed to push out an update for its tablet-centric build of
Android known as Honeycomb in its Google I/O 2011 keynote
address before it gets merged with Gingerbread to form Ice
Cream Sandwich. So what can consumers look forward to the
first major update to Honeycomb?

Gigabyte has so far only provided a single picture via its
Facebook page of the new board and it doesn't reveal much at
all about the board itself. The SSD in question is the mSATA
Honeycomb-totting tablets are still few and far between on the
version of Intel's Larsen Creek SLC SSD, also known as the 311
market, but it is clear that Google is trying its best to fix the
series.
major bugs and issues that have been reportedly found on its
What details we can see from the board is that it has at least tablet-centric build of the Android operating system. However,
one x16 PCI Express slot and the mSATA connector is located it seems that Google may have outdone even itself this time,
between it and the CPU socket which is a somewhat unusual now that it has finally taken the wraps off what is essentially a
place to fit anything beyond a x1 PCI Express slot. Of course major update for tablets running on Honeycomb in its Google
the model name has been handily cropped out of the picture I/O 2011 developer conference held at San Francisco.
as well, so all we know for a fact is that it's a Z68 board.
Interestingly though, the blue PCB is suggesting that this is
an entry-level motherboard, as Gigabyte's higher-end boards
have black PCBs these days. That said, it could just be that this
is a prototype on the blue PCB and final boards will have a
black PCB.
Update: Gigabyte has now announced the model names of
the board with the mSATA connector and there will be
four models, all launching sometime in June. The models
are the Z68XP-UD3, Z68XP-D3, Z68AP-D3 and Z68P-DS3
suggesting that all four models are fairly far down in Gigabyte's
range as well as lacking display connectivity. On top of that the
model names give away that all three boards are full size ATX
boards of which only one is part of the Ultra Durable 3 series,
According to various reports, one of the major refinements
i.e. the other three models don't have 2oz copper layers in the
made to Honeycomb in version 3.1 is centred around the
PCBs. The P in the model names are obviously an indicator
operating system's user interface. Google claims that the
for the mSATA connector. We'd expect to see the boards on
updated user interface in Android 3.1 is now more intuitive
display at Computex.
and efficient for consumers to use, due to the implementation
of various features such as improved transitions between the
Google unveils Android 3.1 at system and installed apps, while the Launcher's animations
have been tweaked to allow for "a smoother and faster
Google I/O 2011 transition to and from the Apps list". In addition, the
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/google-unveils-android-3.1-at-google- user interface in Android 3.1 now features consistent audio
io-2011/12147.html feedback, while the ability to resize widgets has also been
added to the mix.

14


Another new feature which Google was quick to boast of in
Android 3.1 is its newfound compatibility with a wide range of
USB accessories. Examples of such accessories include digital
cameras, keyboards, computer mice and even that controller
from your favourite video game console. However, Google was
quick to add that its support for USB accessories is greatly
dependant on the components used in the corresponding
devices, and that Android support for these devices is purely
up to the manufacturers' discretion.
Last but not least, the other new features present in
Android 3.1 includes a faster web browser with an improved
user interface, an updated Gallery app which supports the
importing of images directly from digital cameras via PTP ,
the introduction of new features for WiFi connectivity, such Specifications
as WiFi Lock and Preferred Network Offload and a new CPU AMD Dual-Core Processor
Movies app which allows users to rent movies directly from the E-350
Android Market.
Chipset AMD Hudson M1 FCH (A50)
Graphics Integrated AMD Radeon HD
6310
Memory 2 x 240-pin DDR3 DIMM,
Max. 8 GB, DDR3 1066/800
SDRAM
Expansion Slots 1 x PCIe x16 slot (x4
bandwidth)
1 x Mini PCI Express x1 slot
Storage 4 x SATA 6Gbps
The Motorola XOOM will be the first tablet to receive the 1 x eSATA 6Gbps
Android 3.1 update, which will be rolled out to owners of the Audio VIA VT1708B 8-channel High
device by as early as today. Also, word has it that the GoogleTV Definition audio CODEC
is slated to receive the update some time in summer, although
Network Atheros AR8151 PCIe Gigabit
there is no word on when non-XOOM tablets will be able
LAN
to obtain the update. And with Ice Cream Sandwich due for
release in the fourth quarter of 2011, it seems that Android 3.1 Realtek RTL8188CE 802.11b/
will be the first and last major update for Honeycomb before g/n (single antenna with rear
both the tablet-optimized and smartphone-optimized versions bracket included)
of Android are unified back into a single common release. Rear Panel I/O 1 x RJ45 LAN connector
1 x Audio port (Line-in,4x
Line-out, SPDIF out)
ECS HDC-I Review 1 x D-sub(VGA)
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/ecs-hdc-i-review/12031.html
1 x DVI Port
May 11th, 2011
6 x USB 2.0
2 x USB 3.0
1 x Bluetooth 3.0 adapter
1 x HDMI Port
1 x eSATA 6Gbps
We take a look at the latest AMD Brazos motherboard from 1 x S/PDIF Out (optical)
ECS. Featuring USB 3.0, WiFi and Bluetooth, how well does 5 x Audio jacks
the ECS HDC-I compare with the other E-350 motherboards Internal I/O Connectors and 1 x CPU Fan connector
reviewed so far? Headers
To date, we've looked at MSI's and Asus' AMD E-350 1 x Chassis Fan connector
motherboards. Today we'll be adding another board to the 4 x USB 2.0 header
club, ECS' HDC-I. 1 x Front panel audio header
ECS may be better known for no-frills solutions targeted at 1 x Chassis Intrusion
consumers on a budget, but the ECS HDC-I doesn't seem to fit connector
this mold. Instead, its list of features looks to be on par with Form Factor Mini-ITX (170x170mm)
the others we've seen so far.

15


No mirrors glossy coatings for these panels (matte anti-glare
is here to stay), and the monitors will accept DVI-D and
DisplayPort connections. All three models will be pushed out
Dell to release UltraSharp of the door by the end of the year, with the U2412M (or
U2412M / U2412HM, U2312HM U2412HM) expected to appear first in Q3.

and U2212HM soon
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/dell-to-release-ultrasharp-u2412m-
u2412hm-u2312hm-and-u2212hm-soon/12134.html
May 11th, 2011

Hotels.com introduces two
new apps for iPhone and
Dell regularly refreshes its high-end LCD products
Android phones
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/hotels.com-introduces-two-new-apps-
approximately every one year and a half. Recent product for-iphone-and-android-phones/12146.html
listings and driver releases on Dell's support site reveal that May 11th, 2011
the replacement for the UltraSharp U2410, the U2412M (or
U2412HM), is on track for a Q3 2011 release, along with two
other smaller-sized models, the U2312HM and U2212HM.

Hotels.com has recently introduced two new smartphone apps
for the iPhone and Android phones. The apps lets users log in
to their account, search for their accomodation options and do
their booking.

Last week, the folks over at HKEPC unearthed a monitor driver
meant for Dell's upcoming high-end 24-inch UltraSharp LCD,
which will be called the U2412M, according to the filename.
This week however, FlatpanelsHD and TFT Central have both
Hotels.com, a hotel booking website, has launched two new
suggested that the U2412M will be called the U2412HM, and
smart phone applications for the Apple iPhone and Android
Dell will be replacing the current U2311H and U2211H with the
phones. The two new applications, which are available
U2312HM and U2212HM respectively too around the same
in over 30 languages, allow users to search and book
time frame as the 24-incher.
from over 135,000 hotels around the world, with 20,000
TFT Central went on to explain that the 'H' in the model accommodation deals.
name signifies a 16:9 screen aspect ratio, and the 'M' an e-IPS
The apps act as an extension of the Hotels.com website,
panel classification. It is suggested that the new U2412HM 24-
allowing travellers to log in as either a guest, or create a
incher will use an e-IPS panel, move away from the 16:10
Hotels.com account from inside the app. User can search
format and adopt a 'more common' 16:9 ratio and native
for accommodation options, browse two million user reviews,
resolution of 1920 x 1080. Also, the use of White-LED (W-
access hotel deals and book and manage their choices.
LED) backlighting in the new monitor would mean reverting
to a standard NTSC gamut. The ‘sign in once’ feature, which applies to both apps,
automatically remembers previous users’ log in details to
Next, the smaller-sized 23-inch and 21.5-inch models will be
avoid hassle of the need to log in every time. Even without a
replaced with the U2312HM and U2212HM. These two e-IPS
data connection, all past and future bookings can be accessed
panels will be W-LED backlit, have a 16:9 aspect ratio and a
native display resolution of 1920 x 1080.

16


displaying a hotel address, phone number and map with just Other accessories include a carrying bag and velcro strips for
one touch. cable management. The CSP-X1200CB has 80-Plus® Silver
certification and highly durable & reliable 105°C and 85°C
capacitors.
Club 3D introduces 1200W See the full specifications at the Club 3D website.
Power Supply
Nikon announces
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/club-3d-introduces-1200w-power-
supply/12137.html
May 11th, 2011
discontinuation of COOLPIX
S4100 and S6100
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/nikon-announces-discontinuation-of-
coolpix-s4100-and-s6100/12145.html
May 11th, 2011

Club3D's has introduced the CSP-X1200CB 1200W power
supply. Aimed at enthusiasts, it supports multiple graphics
cards and has a semi modular design. It also features a 135mm
fan to ensure ample cooling.
Today, Nikon has issued a statement that they will be
discontinuing their COOLPIX S4100 and S6100 compact
digital cameras. The reason is due to issues with production
and supplies. Read on for the official world wide
announcement.

Club 3D has announced its latest power supply, the CSP-
X1200CB. This 1200W behemoth is aimed at hardware and
overclocking enthusiasts intending to run multiple graphics
cards and high-end processors. Nikon has decided not to embark on sales of the COOLPIX
S6100 and COOLPIX S4100,
which were announced on February 9, 2011. Though these
two models were announced in February, it has been
determined that steady production and supply of these
models will be difficult. For this reason, sales of the two
cameras have been discontinued in Asia. We sincerely
apologize to all those affected by this decision, and especially
to those who had intended to purchase the camera, as well as
our retailers and others whose business will be affected by the
inconvenience this decision may cause.

ZiiLABS announces new
ZMS-20 and ZMS-40 media
processors for Android
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/ziilabs-announces-new-zms-20-and-
The CSP-X1200CB has four dedicated +12V rails capable of zms-40-media-processors-for-android/12143.html
dishing out a total of 40A/1020W. There are sufficient PCIe May 11th, 2011
power connectors for multiple graphics cards. A semi modular
design reduces cable clutter, and a 135mm fan keeps the power
supply cool even under load.
When Creative launched its ZiiO tablet last year, many techies
were understandably more interested in the unique ZiiLabs

17

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VR-Zone Technology News | Stuff for the Geeks! Issue #29