Connect to a Cosmos of Entertainment with ASUS O!Play HD2
World’s First USB 3.0 Multimedia Center Combines Enhanced Content Sharing with Greater Storage Flexibility

 
With the HD2 model, the O!Play range expands its multimedia functionality to cover even more ground, including the world’s first media device with USB3.0 support to transfer high definition video and audio in ultra-fast speeds. The new device also features standard 3.5-inch hard drive compatibility, NAS support, iPhone® interconnectivity and DLNA compatibility for effortless access to online entertainment.

Right click to download image
Better Sharing with USB 3.0, 3.5-inch Hard Drives and Network Attached Storage Support
O!Play HD2 features USB 3.0, which works up to ten times faster than USB 2.0, so even an entire HD movie only takes around 70 seconds to transfer.
O!Play HD2 expands the amount of content users can keep with support for 3.5-inch hard drives and an easy swap-and-store design so consumers can easily use O!Play HD2 as an external hard drive.
Complementing its mass storage capabilities, O!Play HD2 can be configured as a network attached storage (NAS) device for seamless network integration. It comes pre-setup with iTunes, Samba and standard FTP server functions. Users can manage their content and data quickly, all on one device. It even works as a jukebox, with on demand browsing of stored music files.

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iPhone® Remote Control
Special enhancements make it possible to use an iPhone® as a remote control with O!Play HD2. This feature supports all major playback and content handling settings, extending O!Play HD2’s range in addition to promoting greater device integration.
Rich Connected Entertainment
O!Play HD2 brings more online entertainment home. It delivers access to live streaming of over 20,000 radio stations, Picasa and Flickr, plus a wealth of infotainment, including weather and stock quotes.
Easy Home Networking with DLNA
DLNA, or Digital Living Network Alliance, offers a standardized format for handling content such as movies, photos and music across different devices. O!Play HD2 comes fully compatible as a DLNA client, helping users share content through networked devices. This makes media streaming throughout the home effortless.
Multiple Format Support and Upgradable Firmware
O!Play HD2 supports the most popular formats, including MPEG2 (AVI/VOB), MPEG4 (AVO/Xvid), M2TS (Blu-ray), MKV (H.264), rmvb and DVD functional navigation of ISO and IFO formats. It also supports Dolby TrueHD decoding and pass-through, taking full advantage of Blu-ray Disc quality to produce 100 percent lossless audio. O!Play HD2 lets users experience 7.1-channel audio output for theater-like enjoyment.
ASUS offers constant online updates to O!Play firmware and drivers. As new standards emerge and existing ones are refined, O!Play devices receive prompt operational revisions.
Specifications
Supported video formatsMPEG1/2/4, H.264, VC-1, RM/RMVB
Supported video file extensionsMP4, MOV, XVID AVI, ASF, WMV, MKV, FLV, TS, M2TS, DAT, MPG, VOB, MTS, ISO, IFO, TP,TRP,M1V,M2V,M4V
Supported audio formatsMP3, WAV, AAC, OGG, WAV, FLAC, AIFF, Dolby Digital AC3, DTS Digital Surround, Dolby  True HD, ID3Tag, PCM/LPCM
Supported image formatsJPEG, BMP, PNG, GIF, TIFF
Supported subtitle formatsSRT, SUB, SMI, SSA, TXT
File systemsFAT16/32, NTFS, HFS /HFS+, EXT3
OutputsComposite (AV)
Component
Optical digital audio
Coaxial digital audio
HDMI 1.3
InputsPower (DC)
2 x USB 2.0
1 x USB 3.0 PC Link
USB/eSATA combo
Card reader: CF, SD+MMC, MS+MS Duo
RJ-45 LAN (10/100Mbps)
Dimensions230.0 x 178.0 x 60.5 millimeters
730 grams

Product specifications and features may change without prior notice. Please check http://sg.asus.com for further details.

Usually we only see 9-11″ netbooks. As for Notebooks, it is not that common. Panasonic surprises us with their latest Intel notebook. The J9 series offers a 10″ screen and it is paired with the most power Intel Core i5 and i7 processor!

The J9 comes in 2 different models. There is the Standard model and a high performance model. There are two high performance models, one is with SSD while the other is the traditional HDD.

The Premium edition uses the Intel Core i3-M 370M, Core i5-460M. The top performing model uses the Intel Core i7-M 670M.

The models weigh around 0.9-1.21KG and it is definitely lightweight compared to traditional notebooks.

New features include :

1. Improved mainboard design for better thermal. The size is 24% smaller too compared to the R9 model. It uses the Core i series of processor.

2. The notebook uses SSD and speeds up Windows boot up by 15 seconds.

3. Customers can purchase a Jacket for it to protect the notebook from scratches and pressure.

The J9 is priced from 120000 to 28000 Japanese Yen.

New OCZ HSDL Eliminates the Bandwidth-Saturation of Current Interfaces to Deliver Unparalleled SSD Performance for Both Enterprise and Consumer Clients

SAN JOSE, CA—September 29, 2010— OCZ Technology Group, Inc. (Nasdaq:OCZ), a leading provider of high-performance solid-state drives (SSDs) and memory modules for computing devices and systems, has unveiled a proprietary interface called “High-Speed Data Link” (HSDL) to accelerate the progression of solid-state storage. Unsatisfied with existing interface options, OCZ developed HSDL to eliminate I/O bottlenecks and enable SSD technology to operate at its full potential. With this initiative, OCZ aims to enhance high performance computing (HPC) and I/O-intensive infrastructures for its clients.

“Solid State Drive throughput speeds are increasing at a rate in excess of what current storage buses can support, and as a result, storage protocols are quickly becoming the bottleneck to storage subsystem performance,” said Ryan Petersen, CEO of OCZ Technology. “Designed for both high-performance computing and enterprise storage applications, our new High Speed Data Link interface addresses this issue and revolutionizes data storage by significantly outperforming other current interfaces delivering performance at levels that saturate most CPU busses.”

Capable of running up to 20Gbps of data bandwidth per channel, HSDL significantly outperforms existing storage interfaces such as Serial ATA (SATA) and Serial Attached SCSI (SAS) which only offer 3Gbps/6Gbps data rates. Furthermore, multiple HSDL channels can be combined for maximum bandwidth to increase productivity levels in both consumer and enterprise applications.

OCZ’s new HSDL interface is the driving force behind the “OCZ IBIS,” an upcoming 3.5-inch SSD to be launched under the new HSDL initiative. As the first solution to make use of the HSDL interface, the OCZ IBIS Series has the potential to redefine storage and surpass the limitations currently placed on hard drives as well as other SSDs.

HSDL is an open standard and allows other devices to leverage this high-speed internal interconnect technology. OCZ is diligently working with platform partners for mass HSDL adoption, and in the meantime, single port adapter cards will ship with every HSDL solid-state drive such as the IBIS Series, while quad port cards for multiple drive configurations will also be available to clients seeking even greater storage and bandwidth.

Nokia N8 shipments have started

SINGAPORE, September 30, 2010 – Nokia’s latest entertainment smartphone, the highly anticipated Nokia N8 with Ovi services, has started shipping around the world. Customers who have placed a pre-order for the Nokia N8 in Nokia Online Shops and Nokia retail stores will be the first to receive their Nokia N8. Market availability will vary by country and by operator, with broad availability in the coming weeks.

“With the N8, and the new Symbian software, we are bringing a familiar, faster and more intuitive user experience to the world’s most popular smartphone platform. The Nokia N8 has received the highest amount of consumer pre-orders in Nokia’s history and we are thrilled to start shipments of the N8, the first of Nokia’s new Symbian smartphone range,” says Jo Harlow, Senior Vice President, Smartphones, Nokia.

“To appeal to today’s high-end buyers, smartphones have to be enjoyable, useful and beautiful. Ease of use, excellent multimedia performance and elegant design are all essential elements of the package,” says John Delaney, Research Director, IDC.

The first of a series of smartphones based on the new Symbian, the Nokia N8 is fast and easy to use and supports true multitasking, allowing users to run multiple apps simultaneously and switch between them easily. Dubbed the world’s best camera phone, the Nokia N8 lets you take the highest quality photos and shoot HD-quality videos in supreme clarity with the 12MP camera with Carl Zeiss optics. You can edit photos and videos on-screen and choose from multiple ways to share them; transfer large files to an external hard-drive with USB-on-the-go, or upload photos to social networks like Facebook, Twitter or RenRen straight from the homescreen. All this is delivered in a robust aluminum body in a range of vibrant colors with a real-glass 3.5” AMOLED display.

The Nokia N8 has a black belt in entertainment. Its WebTV apps from channels like E! Entertainment, National Geographic and CNN and the intuitive music player inject an element of fun into idle moments. Plug the device to the home entertainment center to watch HD-quality videos from the big screen with full Dolby Digital Plus Surround Sound. The latest version of Ovi Store, available first on the Nokia N8, gives easy access to more apps – from social networking services like Foursquare to games like Need for Speed Shift or productivity apps like Tesco in the UK.

Like other Nokia smartphones, the Nokia N8 comes with free Ovi Maps walk & drive navigation in more than 70 countries worldwide, with no hidden costs. The latest beta release of Ovi Maps is also available for download from Nokia Beta Labs for the Nokia N8. It features visibility to public transport in 85 cities around the world, as well as real-time traffic, safety camera alerts, visibility to parking and petrol stations, and speed limit warnings.

For more information on the Nokia N8, please visit http://www.nokia.com.sg/find-products/products/nokia-n8

Here are some exclusive pictures of the upcoming Intel P67 and H67 board from Biostar. Both boards will support the upcoming LGA1155 socket processor that will be launched in Jan 2011. Both boards will also support USB 3.0 and SATA3.

TP67XE is the full ATX board based on Intel P67 and allows the use of discrete graphics card whereas the mATX board TH67XE is based on Intel H67 chipset. The TH67XE backplane comes with D-SUB, HDMI, DVI-D and DisplayPort for video out. The boards will bundle a few unique software feature which are under development.

The two boards will go on sale by Christmas 2010.

Your window to your world with

Sony Ericsson LiveView™

• Sony Ericsson LiveView™ micro display with remote control functionality mirrors the activities of your mobile phone  

Singapore, September 28^th 2010 – Today sees the announcement of the Sony Ericsson LiveView™. This innovative accessory is another step in Sony Ericsson’s commitment to help consumers get the very best mobile phone experience through the open Android platform. The Sony Ericsson LiveView™ is part of the Sony Ericsson Extras portfolio – a division which offers a total product experience and enhanced mobile possibilities.

The Sony Ericsson LiveView™ uses Bluetooth™ connectivity to wirelessly pair up to a compatible handset and allows consumers to control the phone without taking it out of their pocket or handbag. Read text messages, see incoming calls and keep up to date with the latest news on Facebook™ and Twitter™.

The Sony Ericsson LiveView™ allows the user to control the Sony Ericsson music features of the handset from the micro display, selecting tracks and controlling volume.  The product also serves as a calendar reminder, displaying calendar events and other phone applications.

Whether on the go, in a meeting or out for dinner, the convenient Sony Ericsson LiveView™ can be clipped anywhere. Attached in a watch strap, on a keychain or clipped to a laptop, the micro display allows the user to incorporate the product into their lifestyle and always stay connected.   

Eugene Goh, Deputy General Manager & Head of Singapore, Sony Ericsson said: “It is our ambition to be THE Communication Entertainment brand and this includes being the most open mobile phone brand on the market. We believe in openness and offering consumers a wide range of applications to choose from. We will continue to develop accessories to ensure we play a major and groundbreaking role in the market and design innovative and exciting accessories for all platforms, including Android.”

Eugene Goh continued: “The Sony Ericsson LiveView™ is the first Sony Ericsson accessory to be compatible with the open Android™ platform which gives developers an opportunity to be creative and develop the next must-have innovative application.”

Your window to your world with Sony Ericsson LiveView™ 

• Micro display device that mirrors the phone
• Tunes on the go – control music
• Don’t miss out – Get instant notification and read texts, tweets and Facebook™ updates
• Incoming calls – see who is calling
• Make it mine – open platform for developers to add to the large collection of applications for a unique experience

To find Sony Ericsson LiveView™ enabled applications, Sony Ericsson has developed the Sony Ericsson LiveWare™ Manager application. It will scan Android™ Market for Sony Ericsson LiveView™ enabled applications and present them to the user. The Sony Ericsson LiveWare™ manager will be available from Android™ Market, or come preinstalled in phone bundles.

The Sony Ericsson LiveView™ will be available in stores in Singapore from Q4, 2010.

The Sony Ericsson LiveView™ is also available in one of the Sony Ericsson Experience Packs.  An ‘Experience Pack‘ is a package of several related components that together create a great user experience in a certain area. The packages include mobile phone applications, accessories, services and much more. The “Sony Ericsson Fitness Pack” is aimed at sports and fitness enthusiasts. It contains a sport application for the Sony Ericsson LiveView™ – The SportyPal™ Pro – and a carrying case for your mobile phone – ideal for exercising.

The first ‘Sony Ericsson Experience Pack’ will be available in Singapore in Q4.

To see more about Sony Ericsson Extras, visit: www.sonyericsson.com/LiveView

For more developer information, visit: http://developer.sonyericsson.com 

For product images, visit: www.sonyericsson.com/press

– ENDS –

Sony Ericsson LiveView™ at a glance

ECS has been pretty busy with it’s upcoming boards. As you all know, new boards from other vendors are now adopting the Hydra technology so that you can use A/N/MIXed graphics cards from different vendors on the same board.

ECS’s joins MSI and ASUS to deliver the upcoming P67H2-A board with this capability. The ECS P67H2-A features the Socket LGA1155 for Sandy Bridge high end processors. Featuring the P67 chipset, it has a DMI running at 5.0GT/s.

Simiar to the P55, it has a a dual-channel DDR3 memory architecture with 4 x 240-pin DDR3 DIMM socket up to 16GB, It supports DDR3-1333 SDRAM with OC capability and supporst up to OC of 2600MHz.

On board are 3 x PCI Express x16 Gen2.0 slots , 2 x PCI Express x1 slots, 2 x PCI slots. As for storage, the board features 4 x SATAII 3.0Gb/s, 2 x SATAIII 6.0Gb/s and 2 x ESATAIII 6.0Gb/s ports.

Multimedia features include Realtek ALC892 8-CH High Definition audio CODEC (Compliant with HD audio specification). It also has Dual Realtek 8111E Gigabit Lan.

The rear I/O connectors include 4 x USB3.0 port(Compatible with 2 x USB2.0 ports) , 6 x USB2.0 ports ,
2 x RJ45 Lan connectors, 1x Audio port(1xLine in,4xLine out,1xOptical SPDIF Out), 1x PS/2 keyboard & PS/2 mouse connector, 1x CLR CMOS bottom.

MSI and Corbell showcase new Fuzion boards at annual event at Vivocity
Bluetooth 26 Sep 2010

Corbell, the Singapore’s distributor held it’s annual end user gathering event at the usual Vivocity Cineplex last week. Media and end users were invited for a buffet, movie treat and most importantly a technical update on the latest MSI products.

The main focus on the event would be the Fuzion series of boards.  

Fuzion solution based on Lucid Hydra 200 allows users to use upgrade their graphics performance by adding more graphics cards to their system. As most traditional Intel or AMD designs, they don’t allow competitor cards to be used to improve overall system performance. For example, in SLI, you need to get two cards of the same GPU, the same applies for ATi’s CrossFireX.

Some of these problems also exists on chipset support for SLI or CrossFireX. For example, you can’t run SLI on AMD based motherboards. While high end Intel X58 solutions support both CrossFireX and SLI but they don’t allow an ATi card and NVIDIA card to work in tandem. So, if you require multi GPU system, you are quite restricted in the number of choices.

Fuzion resolves these issues as it is found that most poeple   still want to reuse their old VGA cards.  Fuzion thus enables true upgrade path for your old graphics cards and you can enjoy different GPU vendor features such as PhysX Cuda and Eyefinity all on the same board using two different cards.

MSI intoduce two mid range boards, the P55A FUZION and the 870A FUZION. The first is based on Intel P55 while the later is based on AMD 870 chipset. Both boards highlights the Military Class Components that is Hi-C Cap, Icy Choke and Solid Cap for longevity.

The Hi-C Cap provides 8X longer life than traditional capacitors. Icy Choke has 20 deg celsius lower temperature than traditional Ferrite Choke. The Solid cap gives you 10 year ultra long lifetime than traditional capacitors.

To ensuer top quality and stability. Quality parts are used. All military class components meet temperature requirement of US department of defense MIL-PRF-39003L standard. Some class of components are used on NASA satellites or space shuttles because of the highest quality.

The P55A Fuzion based on Intel P55 solution comes with 2 full length PCIe X16 slots. It supports the Fuzion Technology in N mode/A mode/X mode. it has Front USB 3.0 port. It uses a 8+2 phase DrMOS PWM and extra 6 pin VGA power for maximum stability. Other features include OC Genie, Super Unlock, True PCIe gen 2 x16, USB 3 and SATA 6Gbps ports.

The 870A Fuzion board based on AMD 870 chipset also supports N mode/A mode/X mode and Front USB 3.0. It also has OC Genie, Unlock GPU Core, True PCIe Gen 2 x16, USB 3 and SATA 6Gbps support.

Both boards are already on sale. Mix and Match your same brand of different brand graphics cards and get the best performance out of them,

See detail exhibits below :

Everyone is making mobile phones. Even Mozilla seems to be in the pipeline of making their dream phone driven by the community. Check out what Mozilla Seabird has to offer in the video below :

Garmin-Asus Launches Pedestrian-Centric Advanced Android™ Smartphone with Multiple Navigation Modes

The A10 Delivers Professional Pedestrian and In-car Navigation

Singapore/ September 25, 2010  — Garmin-Asus, a co-branded alliance between Garmin^® Ltd. (NASDAQ: GRMN), and ASUSTeK^® Computer Inc. (TAIEX: 2357), today announced the Singapore launch of the Garmin-Asus A10, a touchscreen smartphone running on the Android platform that boasts Garmin’s professional pedestrian and vehicle navigation. The A10 being sold in Singapore has Android 2.1 and is designed for urban professionals who travel frequently within city environments whether by foot, car or public transport with its top of the line navigation-centric system.

“The A10 is the only smartphone on the market today that not only offers multiple navigation options, but delivers one of the best experiences for pedestrian navigation to today’s urbanite – whether for shopping spree, sightseeing in the city, or just simply getting to your destination comfortably and fast,” said Andy Chen, Regional director of Garmin Asus SEA. “The A10 brings the professional navigation pedigree and power Garmin is renowned for into a sleek and compact form-factor.”

The A10 comes preloaded with the NAVTEQ® map of Singapore and Malaysia. NAVTEQ® is the world leader in premium-quality digital map data and content. Powered by NAVTEQ map data, pedestrian navigation on A10 provides accurate turn-by-turn, step-by-step directions when walking or using public transit. Other NAVTEQ map content on the A10 includes speed limit information to enable warnings of potential speed violations while providing information about maximum speed on a road. In addition, intuitive visual cues such as extended lane information helps guide drivers into the most appropriate lane as they approach complex intersections, avoiding difficult last-minute maneuvers.

“The Garmin-Asus A10 aims to deliver superior navigation experience. NAVTEQ is uniquely positioned to support Garmin-Asus through its high quality map data and innovative map content.” said Ogi Redzic, Vice President, Business Development, APAC, NAVTEQ.

The Only Smartphone to Offer Multiple Navigation Options

The A10 features distinctive pedestrian navigation functionalities and an electronic compass, making it ideal for city navigation. Both car and pedestrian navigation on the A10 does not entail any GPS data charges. The A10 is also preinstalled with the equivalent capabilities of Garmin 1460 PND worth S$499! Detailed maps powered by NAVTEQ are preloaded on the A10 so that users do not have to pay and wait for third party maps to download from a server. This also ensures that users do not lose their turn-by-turn, voice-prompted navigation even if they go out of range on their cell phone coverage. In addition, the A10 features Google Maps™ with Street View which enables users to take a detailed look at their destinations before embarking on navigation with just one click. The smartphone’s Junction View and Lane Guidance features lets users know the exact lanes to turn into at intersections. With its uniquely designed car kit, the A10 is ready for use in an automobile straight out of its packaging. The car kit comprises a powered audio mount that magnifies the volume of the handset’s voice commands. The car mount also automatically switches the A10 to hands-free mode when the phone is docked, and records the final GPS location when the phone is removed, enabling users to home in on their parking locations with ease. With the Fastest Satellite Positioning at 32 seconds^ and seamless integration of navigation features, the A10 boasts an unparalleled in-car experience.

Discovering the Real World: Robust Specifications and Location-based Services

The pocket-sized A10 has a bright 3.2” capacitive multi-touch screen and a 5-megapixel auto-focus camera that automatically geotags images with an exact location reference. A geo-tagged photo can be sent to friends who can then initiate navigation to the location by simply clicking on it. Designed to deliver a rich entertainment and productivity experience on the go, the A10 is equipped with abundant memory – 4GB of internal storage, 512MB of RAM and 512MB of ROM – for work documents, multimedia files and applications. The A10 is fitted with a 1500mAh battery that ensures uninterrupted navigation, outstanding standby and talk times.

A large built-in point of interest (POI) database in the A10 provides real-time information on weather, movie showtimes, restaurant guides and public transportation such as bus and SMRT services. These Connected Services can be accessed instantly via the A10’s ‘click and go’ function.

Connecting to the Virtual World: Comprehensive Online Capabilities

The A10 has everything users need to stay connected to the people important to them and to keep updated on the events in their lives. It integrates Google™ mobile services with one-click access to Google Maps™, Gmail™, YouTube™, Google Talk™, calendar, contacts and Android Market™, where users can find thousands of applications to expand and personalize their phone to fit their individual lifestyles. 510MB of memory is dedicated exclusively to applications making it ample for over 400 applications. The A10 also supports Wi-Fi sharing which enables users to access the Internet anytime, anywhere, through any Wi-Fi capable device. Packed with a comprehensive range of features and with its unique navigational-centric system, the A10 is the ideal smartphone for those who live on-the-go.

The Garmin-Asus A10 will be available from September 25, 2010 at all major telco shops and retailers. Additional information on Garmin-Asus products can be found at sg.garminasus.com.

Garmin-Asus A10 Main Specifications:

Garmin-Asus A10 Car Mount **Features:

?        When the A10 is mounted, the car mount will automatically recharge the phone.

?        It automatically switches the A10 to hands-free mode.

?        A built-in speaker amplifies the volume of calls and of sounds from the handset.

?        When the A10 is dismounted, it will automatically record the final GPS location.

^ Depends on environment and phone usage

Crosshair IV Extreme Pushes AMD Performance with Multi-GPU CrossLinx 3 Technology

Innovative features from ASUS Republic of Gamers Guarantee Better Performance through Overclocking

The new Crosshair IV Extreme from ASUS’ Republic of Gamers brand delivers compatibility with some of the fastest processors available through the AMD890FX chipset. It further ships with CrossLinx 3 technology, which enables multi-GPU usability with graphics cards from different vendors and generations. The new motherboard also comes with a slew of user-friendly overclocking features, including ROG Connect, RC Bluetooth and ROG iDirect.

Right click to download image

Graphics Card Flexibility

With CrossLinx 3 technology, Crosshair IV Extreme users gain the ability to mix and match multiple graphics cards from both NVIDIA and ATI, including models of different GPU generations. This technology uses the Lucid HYDRALOGIX engine, which bridges various graphics cards to enable their simultaneous usage. By removing compatibility hurdles, CrossLinx 3 makes it possible to experiment with different configurations of graphics cards for maximum performance.

On Crosshair IV Extreme, a unique layout design features a total of five PCI Express expansion slots. Two provide dedicated native graphics card support for either a single GPU or two in CrossFire configuration. The additional three feature Lucid HYDRALOGIX and CrossLinx 3 technologies, which enable a mixture of graphics cards from different vendors and generations, with a total of four detectable and working at once. Users keen on tuning their system gain greater freedom to do so with the unprecedented five PCI Express slots, and the technology maintains optimized performance whether in single or multiple-GPU arrangements.

Revolutionary User Control

Crosshair IV Extreme continues ROG’s established tradition of extreme performance, bringing much needed hardcore overclocking capabilities to the AMD side of the market. It ships with a full range of performance features, starting with ROG Connect, which enables pure hardware-level tweaking through USB from a remote notebook PC.

RC Bluetooth accesses a host of board, memory and CPU overclocking parameters from any Bluetooth-enabled device, while ROG iDirect introduces PC tuning from iPhone. This adds convenience and style to overclocking, a practice that used to be exclusive and cumbersome to get into.

These features simplify overclocking without compromising results, so that any user, novice to hardcore, can tap the full potential of Crosshair IV Extreme and related hardware with minimum difficulty and for maximum gain. All have been designed with direct feedback from the PC performance community taken into consideration.

Specifications

Model

ROG Crosshair IV Extreme

CPU

AMD socket AM3 Phenom™ II/Athlon™ II/ Sempron™ 100 Series Processors

Chipset

AMD® 890FX / SB850

Memory

DDR3 2000(O.C.)/1866 (O.C.)/ 1800 (O.C.)/ 1600(O.C.) / 1333 / 1066 MHz memory 4xDIMM, max. 16GB

Expansion Slots

*5x PCIe2.0 x16 slots (dual @ x16, triple @x16 , quad@x16 x16 x8 x8)

1 x PCI 2.2

Multi-GPU

Support HYDRALOGIX / ATI CrossFire™X Technology

Storage

- 6 x SATA 6Gb/s ports with RAID 0, 1, 5, 10 (Red)

- 2 x SATA 3Gb/s ports (Gray)

- 2 x External SATA 3Gb/s ports at rear (SATA On-the-Go)

Bluetooth

Bluetooth V2.0/V2.1+EDR accessories card

RC Bluetooth ON/OFF switch

LAN

Intel® Gigabit LAN

Audio

8-channel High Definition Audio CODEC

IEEE1394a

2 x 1394a ports (1 port at back I/O, 1 port onboard)

USB

NEC® USB 3.0 controller – 2 x USB 3.0/2.0 ports at rear

AMD SB850 chipset – 13 x USB 2.0 ports

Form Factor

Extended ATX , 12”x 10.6” (30.5cm x 26.9cm)

Intel unveils $50 CPU upgrade scheme

Somewhat a surprise move by Intel. They now intend to charge customers $50 to uncover the hidden processing power of your processor.

This pilot scheme in a number of retail stores is on PC with the Pentium G6951 processor.

The upgrade would increase the size of the chip’s cache memory and unlock a technology known as hyperthreading. This would allow the computer to be more responsive and help with data-intensive tasks such as video editing as it enables a workload to be spread more dynamically shared across the two processors.

The G6951 processor is a dual core 2.8Ghz chip from Intel’s i3 family that is intended for lower-end desktop machines. This part of the PC market is seen as very competitive and price sensitive.

The G6951 is not available to buy yet but is expected to be used in Gateway’s SX2841-09e desktop machine that will only be available from the Best Buy store. A comparable Gateway machine currently costs $559.99 (£385). Acer is also believed to be taking part in the upgrade scheme.

Source

AMD has announced two new processors, the Phenom II X6 1075 and X2 560 Black Edition, for its desktop CPU lineup.

The AMD Phenom II X6 1075 processor slots in just below AMD’s flagship 1090T model, offering high-end features like Turbo Core acceleration technology and six-core performance for less than US$250, said AMD.

The AMD Phenom II X2 560 Black Edition processor is an affordable alternative for enthusiasts looking for performance tuning capabilities for more performance or lower power consumption, the company added.

For those who intend to get hold of a HTPC with full 3D capabilities, the ASRock Vision3D will definitely meet your requirements.

The box has a dimension of 70(H)x200(W)x200(D)mm. it is based on the Intel Core i5 520M series processor and powered by Intel HM55 chipset and NVIDIA GT 425M GPU. With the NVIDIA GPU, the HTPC is able to support NVIDIA 3D Vision with HDMI 1.4a. On top of that, the box supports IEEE 802.11b/g/n WLAN, 8 ch audio, Serial ATA, eSAT, USB 3.0.

ASRock will launch the product in around 2 weeks time in early October. ASRock is now running a contest for this HTPC. Do check out the details from our forums too.

Vision 3D
Intel Core i series CPU
Intel HM55 chipset
Nvidia GT 425M GPU, support Nvidia 3D Vision and HDMI 1.4a

ASRock X58 Extreme3 Review - Introduction
bluetooth 15 Sep 2010

ASRock never failed to surprise us. Although there are many high end X58 boards out in the market, the ASRock X58 Extreme3 is simply not just another X58 board in the market with high price unused features. What ASRock X58 caters to a price conscious group and wants the best in terms of features and overclocking.

Today, we take a look at the ASRock X58 Extreme3. This board was released sometime ago but it still remains as one of the most sought after boards. The ASRock X58 Extreme3 comes with True 333. That is USB 3.0, SATA3 + eSATA3. Most importantly, ASRock True 333 series motherboards can run the PCI-E for VGA card, SATA3 and USB 3.0 at full speed together simultaneously. Some boards aren’t designed to be so, impairing the performance as it can only run half speed when the other uses the PCIe bus.

This board unlike other manufacturers supports the C.C.O., which stands for Combo Cooler Option, is another exclusive hardware design on ASRock boards. C.C.O. provides the flexible options to adopt different CPU cooler types and matches your socket LGA 775 / LGA 1366 CPU cooler in the respective holes. Once again, ASRock has successfully expanded the utilization of PCB by the exclusive C.C.O. design. With the exclusive fan design, the Cool Heatpipe can dissipate heat from CPU power mosfet and northbridge rapidly and make your system running much cooler.

The board supports the Gulftown 6 core processor. With the help of DuraCap, it gives the board a longer lifespan. The V8 power phase design is used on board for better stability. On top of that, this board features tri channel memory supporting DDR3-2000 (OC). It also supports both CrossFire X and SLI.

Multimedia wise, the board has a 7.1 CH HD Audio (VT2020 Audio Codec with QSound), SRN 110dB, THX TruStudio Pro™, Premium Blu-ray audio support. THX TruStudio PRO™ solution ensures you the premium audio quality, effects and features for PC systems equipped with onboard audio. For instance, the TruStudio Surround technology expands your stereo content into surround sound; the TruStudio Crystalizer technology restores the compressed sound source and can let you hear every detail in riveting surround sound. Combined with the THX TruStudio PRO and the ASRock high performance HTPC system, you will be assured to enjoy a rich variety of PRO gramming and be entertained by a better way!

As part of the feature set, the board supports 1 x Powered eSATAIII/USB Connector, 2 x SATA3 6.0 Gb/s connector, 2 x USB 3.0 Ports. Other nice feautres include Dr Debug, Smart Swith Design : Power / Reset / Clear CMOS Switch with LED,  ASRock Instant Boot, Instant Flash, OC DNA, Multi-Speed Fan Control, OC Tuner, IES, Good Night LED. It also supports EuP / ErP.  EuP/ErP stands for Energy Using Product, was a provision regulated by European Union to define the power consumption for the completed system. According to EuP / ErP, the total AC power of the completed system shall be under 1.00W in off mode condition. To meet EuP / ErP standard, the EuP / ErP ready motherboard and the EuP / ErP ready power supply are required. (The EuP / ErP ready power supply must meet the standard of 5v standby power efficiency is higher than 50% under 100 mA current consumption.).

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Tech lovers awaiting the successor to the Xperia X10 / SO-01B, DoCoMo’s fasting selling smartphone, will not have to wait much longer to see how powerful the device will be and what it will look like. The codename for the device is Cliaro

Rumour has that the successor for the X10, to be pencilled in as the X12, is to surface early November, roughly one year since the announcement of the X10, according to Sony Ericsson fan forums.

Among the rumoured specifications:

1.5Ghz TI OMAP 4 Processor
4″ AMOLED screen 1080 x 720 resolution
Gyroscope
10mm thick
12MP AF Camera

The phone will launch with Android Froyo (2.2) with a possibility it will hit the stores with Android Gingerbread (3.0) and as well as featuring further enhancements to Timescape and Mediascape, there will also be the introduction of a third custom UI, although at this stage it is unknown what this will represent.

The SO-01C will be announced as part of DoCoMo’s Winter line-up which will also feature Sony Ericsson’s first WP7 phone the X11 a slider with hard qwerty.

The Xperia X10 was the company’s first dip in the Android pool and despite launching with the relatively stale Donut (Android 1.6 OS) the phone as achieved moderately successful sales.

Sony Ericsson has emphasised that it prefers it’s own custom UI, Timescape and Mediascape, which it is fine-tuning to provide the best user experience, although some Android fans would rather it just had the very latest version of the OS.

Shipping for this device will begin Week 03 2011.

We have seen the comparison chart of the various telcos offering Fibre Broadband running on light speed Fibre optical network in Singapore. M1, now with a level playing field is ready to take on the two bigger telcos in Singapore.

With an attractive price of S$39 for 100Mbps for students. It is for sure users without any outstanding contract will take up this plan with a recontract of their existing mobile line.

So, how does the new 100Mbps plan perform. Below is a screen shot sighted in a local forum. The test is done at 12 noon on a Saturday. With speedtest.net to local server, it is able to outperform by almost 25%, reaching almost 125Mbps for downlink. As for the uplink, it is able to achieve 32Mbps (falls short of the up to 50Mbps rating).

Comparing the price plans here

If you are looking for alternative view points from the Asian perspective, you will not want to miss out the reports in our Chinese version of the site. You can access the news in Traditional Chinese at http://www.ocworkbench.com/chinese

OCWOrkbench is up and running again. The site was hacked last night and was down for almost 12 hours. The host has restored the backup to get it up and running again.

If you notice any error messages or problems when surfing the site, please inform the administrator of the site at -webmaster @ocworkbench.com

Thank you.

Microsoft Corp. released a new version of its Internet Explorer Web browser today, aiming to stem market-share losses to Firefox, Google Inc.’s Chrome and Apple Inc.’s Safari.

Hardware-accelerated text, video, and graphics

The new graphic capabilities and improved performance in Internet Explorer 9 set the stage for immersive and rich experiences. Hardware-accelerated text, video, and graphics mean your websites perform like the programs that are installed on your computer. High-definition videos are smooth, graphics are clear and responsive, colors are true, and websites are interactive like never before. With sub-system enhancements like Chakra, the new JavaScript engine, websites and applications load faster and are more responsive. Combine Internet Explorer 9 with the powerful graphics capabilities that Windows 7 has to offer, and you’ll get the best web experience on Windows yet. See it in action at beautyoftheweb.com.

The shorter, streamlined installation of Internet Explorer 9 is faster than previous versions. It requires fewer decisions on your part, takes less time to load pages, and doesn’t require that you install updates separately. Once it’s installed, you’re ready to start browsing.

Other features include new tab page, notification bar, pinned sites, tab enhancements, web focused browsing and Windows 8 integration.