The OCWorkbench editorial team wishes everyone a Happy 2012. May all wishes come true for all readers and forumers in the coming new year!

Following sources’ claims that Samsung Electronics and Sharp will manufacture chips and displays, respectively, for the so-called Apple “iTV,” others have suggested that Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), Advanced Semiconductor Engineering (ASE) and Siliconware Precision Industries (SPIL) have the potential to win orders for Apple’s smart TV.

Foxconn Electronics (Hon Hai Precision Industry) likely will obtain assembly orders for the Apple smart TV, according to industry sources.

Apple is expected to finalize hardware standards of its TV at the end of second-quarter 2012, and will place orders for the customized chips and other components directly with its contract manufacturers – same as what the CE vendor does with iPads and iPhones, the sources said.

Apple’s new smart TVs will be rolled out by the end of 2012, the sources indicated.

Source

A few weeks ago, we attended an event by Promise technology, showing off it’s Thunderbolt NAS devices. As Apple is the only company that builds Thunderbolt capable notebooks, PC which is based on Intel processors and chipsets do not have motherboards which cater to this new transmission standard. According to Digitimes, Intel has recently notified its partners that the company will fully release its Thunderbolt technology in April of 2012 with several first-tier PC players already preparing to launch Thunderbolt-supported motherboards, notebooks and desktop PCs, according to sources from PC players.

Most board makers are still using third party USB 3.0 solutions while the Apple has it adopted into its products such as monitor, MacBook Pro, iMac, MacBook Air and MacBook Mini, it has strongly boosted demand. With the price of Thunderbolt technology dropping in 2H 2012, it is expected that board makers and notebook makers will adopt this technology onto to PC platform.

Currently Sony is expected to adopt Thunderbolt technology into its product lines with players such as Asustek Computer also expected to adopt the technology into their high-end notebook products. Gigabyte Technology, which has been aggressively adopting new transmission technology into its product line, is also expected to launch Thunderbolt-featured motherboard by April 2012 to compete against other brands.

Here is a link to the Promise SmartStor products which feature the Thunderbolt technology.

PRADA PHONE BY LG 3.0 BEGINS WORLDWIDE ROLLOUT
Much Awaited Designer Smartphone Arrives in
South Korea Today, Europe and Asia in January

Seoul, 28 December 2011: LG Electronics (LG) made its highly anticipated PRADA phone by LG 3.0 available to the public today in South Korea. The phone is now available to Korean customers and scheduled for the release in most European countries and other parts of Asia in January.

The phone, its existence announced only last month in Seoul during the joint signing ceremony, was unveiled for the first time at a showcase event in London two weeks ago. The stylish new device has been attracting significant attention for being the only smartphone with premium branding on the market currently.

The PRADA phone by LG 3.0 is the third handset from the PRADA and LG collaboration following the highly successful PRADA phone by LG 1.0 and 2.0 phones. The latest offering continues in the same tradition combining PRADA’s trademark chic simplicity with LG’s leading technology, including one of the brightest 800-nit NOVA display and a PRADA themed UI for truly unique mobile experience.

Following PRADA’s renowned design philosophy, the handset features a full glossy touchscreen on the front and PRADA’s signature Saffiano pattern on the back. Impressively thin at only 8.5mm, minimal hardkeys and a classic black finish complete the phone’s sleek look.

With 1.0GHz Dual-Core/Dual Channel architecture, the PRADA phone by LG 3.0 is as effective as it is stylish. The phone runs on Android Gingerbread OS with an update to Android Ice Cream Sandwich scheduled for the second quarter of 2012.

For more details on this unique collaboration, please visit the official site of PRADA Phone by LG 3.0 at www.pradaphonebylg3.com.

Key Specs:
Operating System: Android 2.3 Gingerbread
Memory: User 8GB maximum (varies depending on carrier requirements)
Display Size: 4.3 inches
Resolution: WVGA (800 x 480)
Display Brightness: 800 nit
Camera: 8MP
Processor: 1.0GHz Dual-Core / Dual Channel
Battery: 1540mAh

AMD Tuesday announced it is extending its A-Series portfolio to include 13 new dual- and quad-core APUs (accelerated processing units) for desktops and notebooks.

The expanded series will offer four new desktop and eight new notebook APUs, all of which will deliver a boost in both graphics and performance, AMD said.

The new A-Series APUs combine up to four x86 CPU cores and up to 400 Radeon cores to deliver higher quality graphics and dedicated HD video processing. AMD Dual Graphics technology can also be found within the new line-up, boosting visual performance up to 144 percent when select APUs are combined with an AMD Radeon HD 6500 graphics card, according to the chipmaker.

AMD Steady Video technology, designed to stabilize videos during playback, also eliminates any chance of unsteady or jerky visual clips when using the new APUs.

AMD’s revamped A-Series may especially pique the interest of gaming and high-performance computing (HPC) enthusiasts – and not just because of its graphics. The refresh includes, for the first time in the chipmaker’s history, two unlocked desktop APUs. The quad-core A8-3870K and A6-3670K can be overclocked by up to 500MHz for the CPU and 200MHz on the GPU, allowing end users to tune both x86 and graphics settings within a single processor.

AMD spokesperson Miriam Cox said that, while overclocking may not necessarily appeal to the masses, the unlocked AMD Steady Video and A6-3670K APUs are still expected to create some buzz in the market. What’s more, over-clockable APUs may provide a platform for hobbyists and HPC enthusiasts to further explore performance and graphic optimization.

The A8-3870K APU is priced at $135, while the A6-3670K APU is $115. Pricing details for the rest of the A-Series will be available over the next “several weeks,” AMD said.

Source

Ice Cream Sandwich coming to 2011 Xperia™ smartphones from end March/early April 2012

Sony Ericsson confirms that the first 2011 Xperia™ smartphones will be upgraded to Android 4.0 starting from end March/early April 2012. The first smartphones to get the upgrade are Xperia™ arc S, Xperia™ neo V and Xperia™ ray. Soon after, starting from end April/early May, Xperia™ arc, Xperia™ PLAY, Xperia™ neo, Xperia™ mini and mini pro, Xperia™ pro, Xperia™ active as well as Sony Ericsson Live with Walkman™ will get their upgrades.

This will be a phased roll out over several weeks and all kits for a specific phone model will not get the upgrade at the same time.

Below is a summary of the process:
•It starts with public push when we as a manufacturer get access to the new Android release from Google
•Our developers take the existing Xperia™ software and combine it with the new Android release
•Once the coding is done we want to make sure the quality of the new software meets our, our partners and your expectations
•Now we feel the new software is ready but we also need to make sure it’s approved by our external partners
•All good. We’re all set to roll-out the new software. The story continues in your Xperia™ smartphone

Owners of 2011 Xperia™ smartphone will receive a notification in the phone instructing them to download the software over the air via 3G or WiFi. Alternatively, they will have the option to connect to a computer and download it via PC companion.

Tahiti core specifications:

1. Tahiti Radeon HD 7900 with two Geometry Engine (ACE), but under the jurisdiction of their 16 “GNC QUAD SIMD ”, also known as computational units, that can be simply interpreted as 16 SIMD array. Each array has 64 stream processing cores.

2. A total of eight back-end rendering, to complete the 32 week period the color operation, 128 Z-Stencil operations.

3. The calculation unit for every four shares 16KB L1 instruction cache, 32KB data cache; secondary cache read and write total capacity high as 768KB.

4. Has been equipped with 384-bit memory bit wide GDDR5 particles can exceed the bandwidth of 264GB/s.

5. Support for PCI-Express 3.0 bus standard specifications.

6. The number of transistors 4.3 billion.

7. Radeon HD 7970 had earlier came with a calculation unit of 32, 2048 stream processors, core clock 925MHz, a memory frequency of 5500MHz equivalent; Radeon HD 7950 reduced to the calculation unit 28, 1792 stream processors and a 384-bit memory interface. No mention in terms of memory size as of yet.

8. Tessellation part is clearly up to Gen8 (6900) four times the performance of Anisotropic Filtering is basically and 6900, but the new improved high-frequency texture flickering problems. Double-precision performance of 947 GFLOPS, to achieve the DDR, SRAM full ECC.

9. Multimedia instruction, the introduction of QSAD, MQSAD, each cycle can be achieved for each CU 256 pixels perform SAD operation, the entire down the equivalent of 7.6 Tera pixels per second. Software, WinZip 16.5 will offer OpenCL support (e.g. AES), which are also described in the slide area PowerTune.

DirectX 11.1

1. AMD specifically described in the document like MegaTexture (massive texture) the part of the resident texture (Partially Resident Textures / PRT) technology , but this is a hardware implementation, including mapping, filtering and other operations, the maximum grain size up to 32TB , which is then multiplied by the cube of 128KB 128-bit.

2. The performance surface subdivision known as Radeon HD 6900 can achieve four times the eighth-generation technology.

3. Anisotropic filtering very basic and Radeon HD 6900, but improved high-frequency texture flickering problems.

4. double-precision floating point performance of 947GFlops, close to a trillion per second, to achieve the DDR, SRAM ECC error checking complete protection.

5. The introduction of multimedia instruction in QSAD, MQSAD, and each cycle of each cell can perform 256-pixel SAD operation, the overall execution down the equivalent of 7.6 trillion pixels per second.

6. Software, WinZip 16.5 OpenCL support will be provided, such as AES.

Power Tune:

The introduction of a more a more granular power control, based entirely on digital technology, independent of the driver and configuration files.

In the “black” state or PC into idle mode, GPU core state into the 0 watts, the fan will turn off, CFX configuration, when this technology is very attractive 7970 TDP is about 210 watts, 7950 is be yet determined .

The AMD 7970 features frequencies of 925 MHz (2048 Core/32 CU), the memory is 384-bit @ 5.5 GT/s. The AMD 7950’s core frequency specifications are yet to be determined, but the core is 1792 to determine the number of / 28 CU, memory bus is still 384-bit, but the rate of reduction for the 5GT/s

LG AND INTEL SIGN STRATEGIC ALLIANCE FOR
INTEL WIRELESS DISPLAY (WiDi) TECHNOLOGY
LG and Intel Collaborate on Intel WiDi to Enhance Content
Accessibility of CINEMA 3D Smart TVs

SEOUL, Dec. 15, 2011 – LG Electronics (LG) and Intel entered into a strategic alliance to adopt and jointly promote Intel? Wireless Display (WiDi) technology. Intel WiDi will be embedded into next year’s LG CINEMA 3D Smart TVs, making them the first in the TV industry to feature Intel WiDi technology. Intel WiDi is a wireless connectivity inter-face which allows for instant, high-definition viewing of content stored in notebooks and other external mobile devices on large screen TVs, projectors or monitors.

“Through this strategic alliance, CINEMA 3D Smart TV users will be able to access a wider variety of content in a more convenient manner,” said Seog-ho Ro, Senior Vice President of LG Home Entertainment Company’s TV Business Unit. “Intel WiDi will be one of several features that will enhance the user convenience of our CINEMA 3D Smart TVs, further differentiating our products from the competition.”

“Intel is planning to expand Intel WiDi technology to various devices to provide con-sumers the seamless, smarter usage experience,” said Hee-Sung Lee, Country Manager of Intel Korea. “Through this collaboration with LG Electronics, LG CINEMA 3D Smart TV users could also benefit from Intel? WiDi without the need to purchase an ex-ternal adapter.”

Intel WiDi not only enables sharing of stored content, it also transfers onto CINEMA 3D Smart TVs, projectors and monitors a spectrum of online contents – such as YouTube videos and streaming TV shows from broadcast websites – that are accessible through notebooks and other mobile devices. Users can view such contents through the expan-sive and immersive high-definition CINEMA 3D display.

Like wired connectivity standards, such as HDMI and USB cables, Intel WiDi does not require an active wireless internet or WiFi connection to transfer content between exter-nal mobile devices and CINEMA 3D Smart TVs. Intel WiDi establishes a direct connec-tion between the WiFi chips embedded in the external mobile devices and the CINEMA 3D Smart TVs.

Furthermore, Intel WiDi does not tie down the mobile device during real-time content sharing. Users may perform other tasks on their notebooks and tablet PCs while simul-taneously streaming content to a CINEMA 3D Smart TV, projector or monitor.

LG and Intel would undertake co-marketing activities and Intel WiDi-enabled LG CINEMA 3D products will be on display at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) next month in Las Vegas.

According to a Citi analyst, Apple is prepping a next-generation iPad — likely called an iPad 3 — for a February release.

Such a device would be similar to the iPad 2, but include Apple’s high-resolution retina display technology found on the iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S by doubling the iPad 3′s screen resolution, said analyst Richard Gardner in a research note first reported on by Business Insider and PCMag.

Gardner reportedly said that “several sources” told him that Apple could launch the iPad 3 as early as February, which would put its debut ahead of the first two generations of Apple’s tablet.

The first iPad hit stores in April 2010 after being unveiled the month before, and the iPad 2 was unveiled and released in March 2011.

The analyst also said that “there do not appear to be any significant technical hurdles remaining” to prevent the launch of a high-resolution iPad, which contradicts previous reports that fitting such a dense screen into an Apple tablet was one of the reasons Apple iPad 2 maintained the 1024 x 768 resolution of the first iPad.

Both the first iPad and iPad 2 displays have a pixel density of 132 pixels per inch (or ppi).

Apple’s iPhone 4 and 4S have what is classified as a retina display, with a resolution of 960 x 640 resolution, and a 326 ppi. Any display with a ppi of 300 or greater is said be so dense that pixels are indistinguishable from each other to the human eye at a distance of about 10 to 12 inches — and thus, those displays can be dubbed retina displays.

Tablets with higher screen resolution have been released by Apple rivals and more are on the way, but nothing close to a retina display tablet has surfaced yet — though Samsung has been working on it for months.

Among the most anticipated iPad competitors coming soon is the Asus Eee Pad Transformer Prime, which features a screen resolution of 1280 x 800 pixels.

Gardner also estimated that Apple would sell about 12 million to 13 million iPads in the final three months of this year.

The major sales competitor to Apple’s iPad is widely considered the Amazon Kindle Fire, which boasts much lower specs than iPads and Eee Pads. The research firm IHS iSuppli has estimated that Amazon will ship about 3.9 million Kindle Fire tablets before the end of the year.

In the past, Apple normally released new generations of its products about a year apart, though the iPad 2 did arrive 11 months after the first iPad, and recently the tech giant waited 16 months before releasing the iPhone 4S after the iPhone 4.

Apple is currently the leading tablet seller worldwide, with an estimated 65% share of the market.

Source

First X79 Motherboard CertifiedIntel® XMP with DDR3 2400MHz Memory

ASUS P9X79 DELUXE awarded Extreme MemoryProfile classification for exemplary RAM optimization, reliability, andproven overclocking potential

Singapore (December 13, 2011) ― following the successful launch of a complete range of ASUS X79-based motherboards, the brand has scoredanother accolade in the form of its first Intel® Extreme Memory Profile(XMP) certified Socket LGA 2011 board, the P9X79 DELUXE, which features2400MHz RAM. The ROG Rampage IV Extreme also hosts the current X79 RAMspeed record at 2700MHz, made possible thanks to exhaustive development andtesting, as well as focused investment in exclusive power delivery andoverclocking technologies.

Intel® Extreme Memory Profile initiative

To promote better-performing memory designs that cater to the needs ofhigh-end gaming applications and other areas where overclocking may be desirable, Intel® and partners ASUS and Kingston® have beenactively encouraging the implementation of XMP standards. These require motherboards support higher memory voltages, more flexible timing andtuning options, plus improved clock speeds and the highest efficiency indesign. The P9X79 DELUXE is the first X79 board certified XMP to offerusers 2400MHz memory, opening up new performance avenues with confidence and improved stability. As an official Intel® program, XMP mandatesmotherboard evaluation and certification, offering consumers further assurance that a board enables greater reliability, safe and stableoverclocking, and increased performance. Certification indicates designst hat go beyond basic reference specifications, and in the case of the P9X79DELUXE, maintains the ASUS belief that consumers should always have the best possible hardware, without compromise. XMP certification for the P9X79DELUXE was attained using Kingston® HyperX quad-channel memory kits, aresult of the long-standing relationship ASUS has with major memory makers.

“Kingston is very excited that the ASUS P9X79 DELUXE is the firstX79 board certified XMP by Intel, which was achieved using Kingston HyperXquad-channel kits. We are very happy to partner with Intel and ASUS againto bring this new high performance solution to market”, said Ann Bai,Kingston DRAM Memory Sales Director ― APAC Region, when speaking on theP9X79 DELUXE.

More information on the Intel® XMP program can be found at thislink:

http://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/gaming/gaming-computers/core-i7-extreme-memory-suppliers-1111-datasheet.html

Rampage IV Extreme achieves new memory speed records at2700MHz

With its support for faster memory speeds and more stable overclocking,the Rampage IV Extreme has also played an important role in demonstratinghow far RAM speeds can be pushed on the Intel® X79 platform. It hasrecently served as the core of a system that clocked 2700MHz DDR3,configured with 16GB of G.Skill Ripjaws Z DDR3-2400 (4GB x4) at 1.65V. ASUSengineers also used 64GB of G.Skill Ripjaws Z DDR3-2133 (8GB x 8) at 1.5Von the P9X79 DELUXE, reaching RAM speeds of 2133MHz, showing its highlystable overclocking potential when running the full amount of memory. Asthe development cycle of any ASUS motherboard involves meticulous testingwith hundreds of memory modules from all major RAM producers, consumers canrely on the highest compatibility in the industry when using ASUS boards.Pre-launch testing also includes rigorous overclocking trials, ensuringthat each model can sustain performance well beyond reference levels.

Built for ultimate flexibility and better performance with an 8-DIMMdesign

ASUS P9X79 Series motherboards and the Rampage IV Extreme offer the verybest of flexible and control-focused Intel® X79 implementation. Theyarrive loaded with the enabling features consumers expect for high output2nd generation Intel® Core™ i7 processors, and offer an8-DIMM design that supports up to 64GB of quad-channel DDR3 memory. Thisallows users to choose the module size that best suits their budget andneeds, for example eight 4GB kits, as the design offers much greater roomfor different options. However, the main enabler of overclocking is themeticulously designed and implemented total board layout, which usesexclusive ASUS New DIGI+ Power Control all-digital voltage regulationarchitecture for both the CPU and DRAM. It opens up added flexibility andgreater efficiency, driving a much-improved overclocking posture. The P9X79DELUXE becoming the first XMP-certified X79 motherboard with 2400MHz RAMindicates the ASUS focus on unmatched overclocking and tuning optionscontinues to reap many rewards for consumers and the industry as awhole.

DDR3 2400MHz 64GB is ready! G.Skill roles out the ultimate RipjawsZ DDR3 2400MHz 64GB(8GBx8) quad channel memory kit.

Following the exciting announcement of its extreme RipjawsZ series quad channel DDR3 memory, G.Skill has once again pushed the DDR3 memory performance to the boundary, and successfully developed the super sized & super speed DDR3 2400MHz CL10 64GB(8GBx8) kit, exclusively for Intel X79 platform.

Every single memory module of this epic 2400MHz 64GB kit is hand-tested, hand-picked by G.Skill legendary R&D team. All the chips are highly selected and tested with G.Skill rigorous internal validation process to ensure the maximum stability, while maintaining a decent overclocking headroom. The following screen shows the super kit under memtest burning test with ASUS Rampage 4 Extreme motherboard and Intel 3960K processor.

All G.Skill memory products come with a lifetime warranty and the G.Skill technical team is always ready to provide consumers with complete technical support via online forums, telephone and email.

Chip maker Intel said Monday its fourth-quarter revenue will be lower than expected due to hard disk drive supply shortages.

Intel [INTC 24.045 -0.965 (-3.86%) ] shares tumbled more than 3 percent after the company made the announcement, which came before the opening bell.

Intel said it now expects fourth quarter revenue of $13.4 billion to $14 billion. It had previously forecast revenue of $14.2 billion to $15.2 billion for this all-important holiday quarter.

Analysts polled by FactSet are expecting revenue of $14.65 billion.

Intel is by the world’s largest maker of microprocessors, the “brains” of computers.

The company says it expects PC sales to be up sequentially during the quarter. But it says companies are reducing inventories and microprocessor purchases because of hard drive shortages.

Source

Huawei Singapore announced the availability of two new smartphones today – the Huawei Honor and the Huawei Vision.

Huawei Honor

The Huawei Honor (U8860) will be shipped with the latest Android Gingerbread OS and features a 16M 16:9 true color high-definition (HD) 4-inch Full Wide VGA capacitive touch screen. Powered by a 1,900 mAh battery, Huawei Honor frees consumers from the inconvenience of searching for an electricity source, allowing them to share and connect for up to three days1 on a single charge – the longest battery life among smartphones in the 4-inch screen range.

The Huawei Honor will be available in Singapore from 16 December at a recommended retail price of $528 (without GST)

Huawei Vision

TheHuawei Vision (U8850) will feature the brand’s stunning 3D user interface and carousel animation display. The device features a 3.7” capacitive touchscreen and has an aluminium alloy uni-body in silver, and crystal sculptural curve lens for great touch feel. Vision measures only 9.9mm at its thinnest point and weighs only 135g. Huawei Vision was most recently awarded the iF Design Award 2012 for its immaculate design.

The Huawei Vision is available at authorised retailers from today at a recommended retail price of $438 (without GST).

MSI seems to be the only manufacturer to bundle in an overclocking guide with it’s package. This concise 6 pager is included on products MSI X79A-GD45 etc.

Here is a link of the scanned guide.

MSI X79A-GD45 Intel X79 Mainboard Review
Bluetooth 2 Dec 2011

The MSI X79A-GD45 is the first 4 models of Intel X79 Express chipset mainboard released by MSI in NOV 2011 just in time for the launch of the new Intel LGA2011 processor.

Today, we take a look at the MSI X79A-GD45. The board spots 3 full length Gen 3 PCIe x 16 slots with  PCI_E1 & PCI_E4 support up to PCIE x16 speed and PCI_E6 supports up to PCIE x8 speed. It supports both CrossFire X and SLI. There is another 4 PCIe x1 slots. It supports four unbuffered DIMM of 1.5 Volt DDR3 1066/1333/1600/1800*/2133*/2400* (OC) DRAM, 64GB Max.

There a 6 SATA ports on the board which

• SATAII controller integrated in Intel® X79 chipset
- Up to 3Gb/s transfer speed.
- Supports four SATAII ports (SATA3~6) by X79

• SATAIII controller integrated in Intel® X79 chipset
- Up to 6Gb/s transfer speed.
- Supports two SATAIII ports (SATA1~2) by X79
- SATA1~6 ports support Intel Rapid Storage Technology enterprise (AHCI / RAID 0/1/5/10) by Intel X79

There are 2 USB 3.0 chipset by NEC supporting the internet and rear I/O USB 3.0 ports.

Audio wise, it uses Realtek ALC892 8ch audio chip, It also comes with Realtek 8111E GbE and 1394 by VIA VT6315N.

Specifications are usually quite similar but the features and components used differs from one to another.

The MSI X79A-GD45 uses Military Class III components.In addition to the use of Hi-c CAP, SFC, and Solid CAP, MSI now incorporates DrMOS II, the next-generation DrMOS that provides an integrated Double Thermal Protection to maximize the lifespan of components. All Military Class III components have passed MIL-STD-810G certification, making MSI’s Military Class III components synonymous with premium quality and ultimate stability.

Instead of the boring UEFI BIOS, MSI introduces ClickBIOS II, providing a consistent interface between BIOS and in WIndows with touch screen support.

MSI incorporates a  gold-plated layer in the 2-in-1 PS2 and optimized USB ports to 30um to meet the demand of professional gamers. Besides enhancing mouse sensitivity in games, these improved interfaces deliver a longer lifespan and better stability of connectors and total solution for e-sports mouse control in UEFI BIOS.

Other features include SuperCharger, M-Flash, APS (active phase switching), Winki 3, Liveupdate 5, USB Safeguard, Instant OC, 3TB+ Infinity.

The package also comes with a Overclocking Guide which is very useful even for long time overclockers. It is a must read for everyone.

On the next page, we take a look at the mainboard layout followed by the BIOS.

Corsair Announces Vengeance High-Performance Memory for Laptops

– New 4GB and 8GB Vengeance® SODIMM kits are optimized to provide superior performance on notebooks which use the 2nd Generation Intel® Core™ processor family –

FREMONT, California — December 1st, 2011 — Corsair®, a worldwide designer and supplier of high-performance components to the PC gaming hardware market, today announced a line of high-performance memory upgrade kits for power laptop users.

Operating at speeds of 1600MHz and 1866MHz, the new Vengeance laptop memory upgrade kits are an ideal solution for notebooks equipped with a 2nd Generation Intel Core i5 or Core i7 processor. Vengeance laptop memory is designed to be plug-and-play, with no BIOS adjustments needed to instantly take advantage of the faster memory speed.

The new Vengeance high-performance memory upgrade kits for laptops are designed to work with any PC or notebook which accepts standard DDR3 SODIMMs, and are backward compatible with notebooks and laptops which use first-generation Intel Core i5 and Core i7 processors. Even on older notebooks, customers can still take advantage of the ability to upgrade to 8GB of memory using only two memory slots, and enjoy the confidence of Corsair’s renowned service and support.

“As more complex applications and games are available in the market, many laptop users are looking for an easy way to improve their system performance in order to have the best experience.” said Thi La, Vice President of Memory Products at Corsair. “Our new Vengeance high-performance laptop memory kits allow performance-minded customers to boost their memory performance and capacity in an instant.”

Images can be downloaded here.

Corsair Vengeance memory kits will initially be available in the following configurations:

The new Corsair Vengeance high-performance notebook memory upgrade kits are available immediately from Corsair’s worldwide network of resellers and distributors.

LG also pushes out firmware 7.10.7740.16 to fix email issue with Exchange 2003 and voicemail notification problem. It has been sometime LG has an update available for the Optimus 7. The new firmware will include the Internet Sharing tethering feature on previous firmware (which was not pushed out) as the firmware will include all the previous incremental updates.

Update : Internet Sharing feature is still unavailable on the Optimus 7.

HTC pushes out firmware 7.10.7740.16 to fix email issue with Exchange 2003 and voicemail notification problem. If you own a HTC trophy 7, you should have received the notification to update to the latest edition of firmware.

Discuss

ASUS today held a press event in Taipei to launch the world’s first tablet featuring the NVIDIA® Tegra® 3 quad-core processor – the ASUS Eee Pad Transformer Prime. This is also the world’s first tablet to be unveiled with Google® Android™ 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, which will soon to be available through an over-the-air update.

ASUS CEO Jerry Shen with Eee Pad Transformer Prime

Senior Vice President of NVIDIA’s Mobile Business Unit and also the inventor of Tegra®, Phil Carmack, joined ASUS CEO Jerry Shen on stage. “We are very excited to have ASUS as our launching partner. The Eee Pad Transformer Prime brings out the best of Tegra® 3,” said Mr. Carmack while introducing the enhanced features on NVDIA’s new quad-core processor. ASUS CEO Jerry Shen also said, “The Eee Pad Transformer Prime is designed to be the ultimate consumer choice for tablet. Aside from being extremely thin and light it is extremely powerful. We are proud to be the first to feature NVIDIA’s Tegra 3 quad-core processor and provide the best user-experience with Ice Cream Sandwich”. The ASUS Eee Pad Transformer Prime has also been nominated as a CES 2012 Innovations Honoree.

ASUS CEO Jerry Shen and NVIDIA Senior Vice President Phil Carmack

Developed with NVIDIA® and Google®, the Eee Pad Transformer Prime and its innovative exclusive mobile dock presents a harmony of beauty and strength. In addition to having superior multimedia performance, the Transformer Prime also boasts enhanced features that include audio powered by ASUS SonicMaster technology, an 8MP rear auto-focus camera with LED flash, and an 18-hour* rated battery life when combined with the mobile dock. All of these are housed in an ultra slim 8.3mm metallic spun finish chassis that weighs just 586g.

Multimedia enjoyment in style

Featuring an incredibly slim form factor, the Transformer Prime is a svelte 8.3mm thin and the only metallic tablet that weighs in at a mere 586g. It brandishes a metallic spun finish design made of aluminum for a secure yet extremely comfortable grip. It comes in two gorgeous colors: Amethyst Gray and Champagne Gold.

The Transformer Prime is a svelte 8.3mm thin and the only metallic tablet that weighs in at a mere 586g

The Transformer Prime features the ASUS exclusive SonicMaster technology, which is renowned for crisp and acoustically accurate audio. It produces crystal clear sound with a wide sound range, increased sound fidelity, and distinct vocal enhancements not found on any other tablet in the market.

The Transformer Prime features the ASUS exclusive SonicMaster technology, which is renowned for crisp and acoustically accurate audio.

The Eee Pad Transformer already boasts a wide 178° viewing angle IPS display, with scratch-resistant Corning® Gorilla® Glass, but the Transformer Prime goes further, upgraded with a brighter Super IPS+ screen that enhances the brightness of the screen for a better outdoor reading experience.

Ultra performance

The Transformer Prime is the world’s first tablet to feature NVIDIA’s next-generation quad-core Tegra® 3 processor, creating a new breed of high powered tablet devices. With the quad-core CPU and 12-core GeForce® GPU, the Transformer Prime delivers the best and fastest experience for tablet-based multitasking, web browsing, as well as Full HD video playback and gaming. On its own, the Transformer Prime has a battery life of up to 12 hours*, but when combined with the mobile dock, it lasts up to an incredible 18 hours* as the dock recharges the tablet.

The Eee Pad Transformer already boasts a wide 178° viewing angle IPS display

Prime meets Ice Cream Sandwich

Google® Android™ 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich brings a plethora of enhancements, and when combined with the design of the Eee Pad Transformer Prime, brings the user experience to new heights. The new camera UI offers better sharing, a new panorama mode, as well as live effects and backgrounds that can be applied in videos. Basic photo editing is now also built into the system, which allows for simple photo touchups.

Google® Android™ 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich brings a plethora of enhancements, and when combined with the design of the Eee Pad Transformer Prime, brings the user experience to new heights.

With offline browsing, users can save web pages and view them later without an Internet connection, making it convenient for travelers. While on the road without access to a Wi-Fi network, users can use the new Wi-Fi Direct feature to directly transfer files between Wi-Fi enabled devices. Other enhancements include the new default Roboto font, with a typeface that is easy to read. Users can now also access the Transformer Prime’s camera directly from the lock-screen. Finally, among various other UI changes, users can easily create folders on the home screen by dragging one app on top of another.

Unrivaled visual acuity

A 1.2MP front camera allows for video conferencing while an 8MP rear camera with auto-focus and LED flash takes clear and sharp photos thanks to a large F2.4 aperture, back illuminated CMOS sensor, touch-to-focus depth of field and low light noise reduction. A first for any tablet, the 8MP camera on the Transformer Prime also has the ability to take full 1080p HD video.

Expandability and cloud services

The Transformer Prime is offered in both 32GB and 64GB models. It features a micro SD card slot, 3.5mm combo audio jack and micro HDMI port so sharing both what’s inside and on screen is quick and easy. However, the feature that gives the Transformer Prime its name is the mobile dock, which gives new meaning to the term versatility. The innovative and convenient design seamlessly provides the user with a keyboard and touchpad, along with limitless expandability options via the USB port and SD card slot. The preinstalled SuperNote application is able to take, draw or record notes; while Polaris® Office is great for productivity as it gives users the ability to read and edit Word, Excel and PowerPoint (MS Office 97-2007 version compatible) files. In addition, ASUS is offering 8GB of free cloud storage for life via ASUS WebStorage, so users have access to their files via the cloud no matter where they are.

Prime Has Arrived video

*Battery life may vary based on usage.

Specifications

(1) Product specifications and features may vary by SKU and country, and could change without prior notice. Check sg.asus.com for details.

(2) Battery life tested under power saving mode, playing 720p video playback, brightness at 60 nits, default volume with headphones.