ASUS Z87 series feature new technologies such as 802.11ac technologies

Intel will be launching a new chipset next month. In conjunction with the upcoming launch, ASUS held an event in Singapore late last month to introduce their line up of boards at CHIJMES, Singapore.

The ASUS Z87 Series now comes in a Golden colour scheme that makes it stands out from the rest. The Z87 boards comes in different feature set. The Z87 Deluxe / Dual being the top of the range comes with DIP4 with 4 way optimization, WiFI 802.11ac 5Ghz. The Z87-Pro,Plus,-A and -C are lower range models of the series.   As it is a new chipset, the socket type is changed to LGA1150 which is incompatible with existing socketed processors. The new chipset supports native PCIe 3.0×16, 6 USB 3.0 and 6 SATA 6Gbps. It can also support up  to 3 indepdendent displays from DP/HDMI/DVi/VGA. Displayrtport 1.2 monitor can daisy chain up to 3 displays. ASUS new Z87 board features 4 Way Optimization and they are Digi+Power, TPU, fan Xpert2 and EPU. It can all be done in real time or by a single click. TPU:Overlclocking CPU, EPU:CPU voltage, Digi+:Power, Fan:Speed and noise.

ASUS also is the first to incorporate 802.11ac which delivers higher data throughput of up to 867Mbps compared to 802.11n’s 300Mbps. Lastly, the Z87 series has a revamped UEFI BIOS to make tuning much simpler than before.

On the next page, we take a look at the TuF Series boards – SABERTOOTH Z87 and GRYPHON Z87.

In addition to the 5 new Intel Z87 boards with the new golden colour scheme, ASUS will have the RoG and TUF boards upgraded with new functionalities in their new Z87 series. Below are the pictures of the mainboards.

They include the Maximus  VI Extreme, Maximus VI GENE and MAXIMUS VI HERO

For TUF Series, there is the small size board Gryphon Z87 and the original Sabertooth Z87

ASUS Presents New Gold Color Theme for Upcoming Z87 Motherboards

Fresh look reflects ASUS dedication to the highest standards in quality, performance, reliability, and innovation

Singapore (16 May, 2013) — ASUS today announced a new look for its range of motherboards based on the Intel® Z87 chipset. Replacing the previous blue-accented color scheme, a unique gold application on custom-designed heatsinks serves to emphasize the ASUS philosophy of always providing the most innovative motherboards in every generation.

“ASUS-branded motherboards keep evolving and always offer the gold standard in quality, performance, and durability. The new gold color scheme symbolizes this and our insistence on delivering the highest degree of innovation and reliability. ASUS motherboards are fully-featured and offer an attractive visual style for great system building experiences”, said Jackie Hsu, Corporate Vice President and General Manager of Worldwide Sales, ASUS Open Platform Business Group.

Elegant color choice makes component matching easier

For nearly a quarter of a century, ASUS has been leading in motherboard design and development while maintaining close ties to the global PC DIY community. Accommodating system builder needs, the gold treatment on new motherboards promotes great-looking PC interiors with a two-tone color palette that works well with the primarily black designs of PC cases.

Form and function with more efficient gear-shaped heatsinks

The gold-imbued heatsinks on new ASUS Z87 motherboards use forms inspired by the gears of handcrafted luxury timepieces. Multi-faceted and multi-tiered, the new heatsinks have bigger surface areas for better heat dissipation and improved cooling, and use fine-threaded polished metal that gives the gold theme a deep luster. As such, ASUS Z87 motherboards are as visually pleasing as they are industry-leading in stability, reliability, and exclusive features.

Availability & Pricing

ASUS Z87 motherboards will be available on 2-June-2013. Pricing for all motherboards will be disclosed after the official Intel NDA date

ECS Intel^® 8-Series Chipset Motherboards Officially Debuts, Desktop Motherboard Products Launched

May 15, 2013, Taipei, Taiwan -

ECS introduces the first Intel^® 8-Series Motherboards featuring the new 4^th Generation Intel^® Core processor family for their new family of desktop motherboards Pro, Deluxe and Essentials.

The new ECS (Elitegroup Computer Systems) family of motherboards featuring the new Intel^® 8-series Chipset family with new designed specifically for the new 4^th Generation Intel^® Core processor family of CPUs, which will be available and shipping worldwide in Q2 2013. The new chipset features support for full SATA III 6 Gb/s internal ports and PCI-Express Gen.3 x16 bus design. They also integrate USB 3.0, Thunderbolt, and enable responsiveness technologies like Intel^® Smart Response, Intel^® Smart Connect, and Intel^® Rapid Start.

ECS is also introducing a new family of motherboard tiers including: Pro series optimized for power computing, Deluxe series optimized for small office and home, and Essentials series optimized for home and multi-media. The new ECS family of motherboards will feature ECS’s new Durathon durability technology which includes a triple density PCB, extreme temperature resistance, 1.5K point marathon testing, and superior solid capacitors designed to greatly improve motherboard quality, stability and longevity. 

Additional features includes ECS’s exclusive Hyper Alloy Choke technology, Sound Blaster Cinema Technology, 4-way video output (DVI, HDMI, Display Port and D-Sub VGA), EZ quick charger, Motherboard Intelligent Bios III, 4K video output, ECS EZ Bios, and ECS ADS (Anti-Dust Shield).

As part of ECS’s growing commitment to the gamer community, ECS will also be introducing a new brand and family of motherboards specially designed for gaming and high performance processing to be announced in Q2 of 2013. These motherboards will be designed for extreme gaming performance with the highest quality components, numerous exclusive technologies designed to enhance the gaming experience.

To learn more about ECS products and upcoming releases, visit http://www.ecs.com.tw/extra/8series/

BIOSTAR Hi-Fi Z87X 3D

The new Biostar HiFi Z87X 3D extends the Puro HiFi audio to the Z87 series of motherboards. As you are probably aware, Biostar is the first manufacturer to incorporate high quality audio components on board using a seperate circuitry, generating clear audio with lesser  noise compared to older technologies. The board supports Sound Blaster Cinema.

The Z87 chipset which supports the Intel Haswell processor uses a Socket LGA1150 design and it incompatible to existing 1155 processors.

This motherboard comes with 3 full length PCIe 3.0 slots and supports the Ati CrossFire and SLI. There is GbE LAN, native USB 3.0 and HDMI 4K support. The backplane comes with 2 USB 3.0, 4 USB 2.0 D-SUB, DVI-D PS/2 keyboard, GbE and audio ports.

On board you can also find the SATA 6Gbps ports, 4 DIMM slots supporting up to DDR3-2800+ (OC).

The board should go on sale in early June to coincide with Intel’s launch at Computex Taipei 2013.

Dell Latitude 6430u Ultrabook review
Bluetooth 11 May 2013

Tablets are flooding the market in different sizes and shapes. Although they cater to a new generation of users who loves apps for functionality, such Windows 8 tablets do not come with a nicely built functional keyboard and expansion capabilities.

Tablets are handy but it has a 10 inches or smaller screen. When it comes to the business world, it may not be practical as most of the users require a bigger screen and a nice keyboard to type and view comfortably.  A large 14″ 1366×768 anti glare LED screen and a tactile keyboard is definitely the preferred platform for the working professionals.

Today, we take a closer look at the Dell Latitude 6430u Ultrabook, a no frills durable ultrabook.

The Dell Latitude 6430u is thin slim 1.69kg ultrabook. Flip open the screen and you will notice the sturdiness of the ultrabook. In fact, the Dell Latitude 6340u is the only Ultrabook tested to 14 MIL-STD-810G standards. The keyboard is somewhat water proof. The silver black colour scheme makes it stand out when illuminated by the white keyboard light.

Specfications wise, the unit is powered by the 3rd generation Intel Core i5-3427U at 1.8GHz. To speed things up, the unit comes with a 128GB Samsung SSD PM830 mSATA. Loading Windows 8 to login screen takes less than 6 seconds from power up. The unit we review comes with a 6-cell (60Whr) Li-polymer battery with ExpressCharge.

The graphics inbuilt within the processor is a Intel HD Graphics 4000 graphics and supports the 14″ HD display at 1366×768.

The Latitude 6430u is also vPro-enabled for easy management and comes with TPM and Dell Data Protection│Encryption.

ON the next page, we will take a detail look at the unit followed by benchmarks.

Here are the specs

Processor

If you are thinking of buying a PVR to record recurring programmes, e.g. the daily Ch 5 news, you can now save some money.

With the RecordTV service at http://www.recordtv.com, you can now record free to air Singapore channels using login ID of Google/Twitter/Facebook. You can also schedule it to record a series or set individual programmes to record.

The web based software works on your PC, tablets and even your smartphones. The only regret is the video quality during real time playback. It would be nice if it can deliver HD 720p quality LVIE programming over the Fibre network.

Do try it out at http://www.recordtv.com

Run Android apps on your PC with AMD GPUs

If you use an AMD graphics card on your PC, the card not only accelerates your videos and applications, another neat feature is that you can run Android apps on it.

Get AMD AppPlayer, powered by BlueStacks, to run popular Android™ games and apps on Windows and AMD Technology-based Notebooks, Desktops and Tablets. With AMD AppPlayer, get full screen access to phone apps on larger, more immersive PC screens, browse through featured apps that are free to download and search third party app stores and explore hundreds of thousands of Android apps that can be enjoyed on AMD PCs

http://www.amd.com/us/vision/shop/cool-apps/Pages/cool-apps.aspx

M1 lowers Fibre Broadband pricing; 200Mbps at SGD 39/mth

With more Telcos coming onto the bandwagon undercutting fibre broadband service pricing, M1 fired another salvo at the new comers with it’s latest Fibre broadband Deals.

Instead of the usual S$39/mth for a 100Mbps, it has now increased it to 200Mbps. It also throws in as usual the free mobile broadband 1GB, home fixed voice service and 3 mths internet security.

How to achieve stable connection on WD N900 Central when FasTrack Plus QoS is enabled

If you have been using the WD My Net N900 Central, you would have noticed that there is this FasTrack Plus QoS in the settings menu. In the past firmware, enabling it gives me random disconnects of PCs and net devices both wired and wireless mode.

There were quite a number of incremental updates available on Western Digital support site. The latest version is 1.06.28. The first thing that comes into my mind is to update it to the latest firmware to iron out issues.

Yes the new version seemed to help in it’s stability when FasTrack Plus QoS is turned on. We did a reboot of the router and hoped for stability.

Unfortunately, the same issue resurfaces on this new firmware, the random disconnects is unresolved. The problem also seem to bug users on WD forums.

As there is a 2TB HDD built into the router, my gut feeling tells me that it might be warm.  To solve the issue, I flipped the router upside down with the fan duct (the fan doesn’t seem to be rotating). I powered down the router and powered it on again.

I did my usual youtube, HD streaming, WD smartware and the system is very stable. I can’t be conclusive but I suspect it is the heat that was causing the random hangs and disconnects.

If you own any of the similar routers, do try it out and tell us if the trick helps.

Desktop variants of AMD “Richland” APUs in the socket FM2 package, will arrive this June. Three of the first models to be released to the market, the A10-6800K, the A10-6700, and the A4-4400, could already be in stock with certain retailers, and were pictured. The A10-6800K (AD680KWOA44HL) features four x86-64 cores based on the “Piledriver” micro-architecture, 4.10 GHz core clock speed, 4.40 GHz maximum Turbo Core frequency, and Radeon HD 8670D graphics, clocked at 844 MHz. It features an unlocked base-clock multiplier.

The A10-6700 (AD6700OKA44HL) features the same graphics core as the A10-6800K, but features 3.70 GHz CPU clock speed, 4.30 GHz maximum Turbo Core frequency, and an upwards locked base-clock multiplier. The A4-4400 (AD4400OKA23HL), on the other hand, is an entry-level dual-core chip with 3.70 GHz core, 3.90 GHz Turbo Core, and Radeon HD 8370D graphics.

*** Please see the table below for more details about AMD Fusion S-Series “Richland” CPU line up:

Source

Review of Synology DiskStation DS213 NAS
Bluetooth 2 May 2013

Do you run a small office and has a number of PCs, notebooks for your different usage ? With so much data stored on your local HDD or SSD, it is always messy to hold multiple USB devices to backup your work. You would also want to do it manually. With the Synology DiskStation DS213, all these problems can easily be resolved. Not only can you backup your data from multiple machines to one central network storage, the data is also replicated to a second drive in a RAID 1 storage. Using the Synology Data Replicator software, it ensures your data is always intact even if your PC or notebook decides to go on strike. Mac OS X is also supported using it’s native Apple Time Machine software.

The DS213 allows backup to scale up to another level. It also comes with a backup wizard for backing up the data from DS2w13 to another DiskStation or rSync server or to another external USB 3.0 HDD/SSD. This backup wizard can also backup data to the cloud via Amazon S3 or STRATO HiDrive.

Using CloudStation software, you can turn the device into a storage for all your computers and devices. It also keep multiple versions of a document in case it is accidentally deleted or upon any change.

Unboxing of the Synology DiskStation DS213

StarHub TV Excites with Pumped-Up Asian Lineup

-Six new channels-

-Shorter telecast windows for TVB dramas-

-Launch of VV Drama On Demand on TV Anywhere-

-Additional subtitling option for Korean channels-

-E City to be revamped-

Singapore, 30 April 2013 – The Asian offerings on StarHub TV is set to become even more exciting! From 3 May, StarHub TV will be rolling out a series of initiatives to ramp up its Asian lineup so as to cater to an increasingly discerning and sophisticated audience. These include:

· Launch of five exciting channels from now TV and Hunan TV World

· More TVB titles to be showcased concurrently with Hong Kong’s telecast

· Shorter window periods for TVB drama series on VV Drama (Channel 855)

· Launch of VV Drama on Demand (Channel 857) on TV Anywhere

· Dual language subtitles to be made available for Korean content

· Enhanced programming on E City (Channel 111/825)

Following the ramp-up, StarHub TV will further extend its leadership in Asian content, through the offering of more current, new and exciting titles, as well as increased flexibility in viewing schedules.

Launch of five new channels from now TV and Hunan TV World on StarHub TV

Viewers can soon immerse themselves in top-notch entertainment when StarHub TV launches new, exciting channels packaged by now TV, Hong Kong’s top pay TV operator, and a subsidiary of PCCW Limited. Four of the channels, now Baogu Movies, now Baogu Movies on Demand, now Mango and now TV On Demand will launch on 3 May, while the other two channels, Hunan TV World and now HaiRun will launch at a later date. In addition, customers can also take their viewing of these channels out of their living rooms when now Baogu Movies on Demand (selected titles), now HaiRun, now Mango and now TV on Demand, are made available on TV Anywhere, StarHub’s internet TV service.

- now Baogu Movies (Channel 861) and now Baogu Movies On Demand (Channel 862)

now Baogu Movies which showcases Asian blockbusters and first-run movies from Hong Kong, is a collaboration among the entertainment industry heavyweights comprising now TV, Huayi Brothers, and Peter Chan’s Shine Focus & Edko Films. Apart from movies, viewers can also look forward to top-rated micro films, behind-the-scene footages of the latest movies, and exclusive interviews with movie producers and A-list cast. now Baogu Movies On Demand allows viewers to catch the programmes at their convenience.

- now Mango (Channel 836)

A collaboration between now TV and Hunan Broadcasting System, now Mango features Asian superstars like Aaron Kwok, Faye Wong, Mayday and Jang Keun-suk in top-rated variety shows such as Happy Camp, Make Progress Everyday and World of Women.

- now TV On Demand (Channel 837)

now TV On Demand allows viewers anytime access to popular entertainment and lifestyle programmes like One Life One Earth, Chef Corner and You are the Queen aired in its original Cantonese language.

- Hunan TV World (Channel 831)

Hunan TV World presents rich infotainment programmes from Hunan Satellite TV, one of the most popular channels in China. Viewers can look forward to Chinese entertainment, culture and a glimpse into modern China through variety programmes like The Past, Yang Lan One on One, and Focus on Hunan.

- now HaiRun (Channel 851)

Launched by now TV and Hairun Media & Entertainment Group, one of the largest TV production company in China, now HaiRun showcases quality drama series from China, featuring popular artistes from the region including Sun Hong Lei, Betty Sun Li, Maggie Cheung Ho Yee and Joyce Tang Lai Ming.

Same-day telecast as Hong Kong on StarHub On Demand and shorter windows on VV Drama

Singapore viewers can catch the latest and hottest TVB drama series at the same time as their Hong Kong counterparts! Three of the highly-anticipated drama series will premiere on StarHub TV On Demand 星和随选电视concurrently with their Hong Kong’s telecasts in the coming months. These include Triumph in the Skies II衝上雲霄II, A Change of Heart好心作怪, Awfully Lawful熟男有惑. To enable Singapore viewers to enjoy more current TVB dramas, the window period on VV Drama 娱家戏剧 (Channel 855) will be shortened from the existing six months to three months.

Launch of VV Drama On Demand on TV Anywhere

VV Drama On Demand (Channel 857) allows fans of TVB drama series to catch their favourite programmes anytime. With VV Drama On Demand made available on TV Anywhere starting 2 May, viewers can take it one step further by choosing to watch their favourite TVB content anytime and anywhere. TV Anywhere allows subscribers of VV Drama Pack to catch all TVB titles that are currently screening on VV Drama On Demand as well as selected Korean titles, at no additional cost. With the availability of VV Drama On Demand on TV Anywhere, the Catch-Up feature on VV Drama (Channel 855) will thus be discontinued with effect from 1 January 2014.

Dual language subtitles soon available for Korean content

Anchored by mega-hit Korean drama series, and complemented with top-notch variety and music programmes, viewers of ONE can soon choose between English or the existing Chinese subtitles to complement their viewing. English subtitles for ONE will be offered on (Channel 820) in June, and it is available to subscribers of Chinese Entertainment Basic Group, Impian Pack and Thangam Pack customers. channel M (HD) (Channel 874), known for its wide range of Korean programmes like dramas, concerts, lifestyle and music, will also be offering English and Bahasa Malay subtitles for its programmes, on top of its current offering of Chinese subtitles. The options to select subtitles in other languages on channel M (HD) and ONE HD will be available in upcoming months.

Enhanced programming on E City (Channel 111/825)

Rejuvenations are underway for E City, the 24-hour Chinese entertainment channel packaged by StarHub. Featuring the trendiest idol dramas from Taiwan, Japan and Korea, popular Japanese animation series, and highly-rated Taiwanese variety shows, the rejuvenation will see E City bringing on new time belts to showcase lifestyle programmes and microfilms. Following the revamp, E City will also undergo a makeover that includes a slightly refined logo and new channel outlook that revolves around the “Happy” theme.

From June, E City will introduce popular lifestyle programmes like cooking shows and travelogues every Saturday and Sunday at 7pm. The first show to premiere, Flavour of Happiness (煮) 角, is a cooking programme that introduces food that is cooked with different themes in mind, and explores the moving story behind each delicious cuisine.

Microfilms 微电影from China, Hong Kong and Taiwan will premiere on E City starting 28 June. These microfilms which originated from China are short films that usually last from five to 15 minutes. These microfilms will be screened on every last Friday of the month at 10pm.

Ms Lee Soo Hui, Vice President of Media Business Unit, StarHub 李素慧, 星和多媒体企业部副总裁 expressed, “The ramp-up in our Asian lineup is timely as our increasingly discerning customers yearn for access to more quality productions in the region, more up-to-date titles, as well as a stronger demand for flexibility in their viewing schedules. These additions and enhancements are testimonies of how StarHub never rests on its laurels and constantly strives to provide our customers with the best content coupled with the best value.”

“At the same time, we are excited to work with now TV, Hong Kong’s leading pay TV operator to showcase even more exciting content from Hong Kong on our platform. The partnership with now TV augments StarHub TV’s comprehensive range of Asian lineup and reinforces our leadership in Asian content. We are confident that the launch of now TV’s six channels on our platform, one of which – the now Baogu Movies that showcases the hottest movies with exclusive behind-the-scenes footages and related interviews, will be well-received. Similarly, now Mango’s top-rated variety shows showcasing Asian superstars will be a hit with the Singapore audience. In addition, Singapore’s viewers would be happy to note that the highly-popular lifestyle programmes on now TV On Demand not only offers them flexibility in their viewing schedules, they will be aired in its original Cantonese language,” Ms Lee added.

Ms. Janice Lee, PCCW’s Managing Director of TV & New Media 电讯盈科电视及新媒体董事总经理 – 李凯怡, said, “Singapore is one of the most important Chinese-language markets in our overseas distribution roadmap and we are glad to have StarHub, the largest pay-TV operator in Singapore, as a partner. We are excited that more and more viewers globally can experience our top-class Chinese-language entertainment, movies and drama series.”

Customers who wish to enjoy more of their favourite Asian channels can subscribe to new value bundles that offer access to more than 10 compelling channels with savings of up to 53% off the retail prices of the add-on packs. These are:

· Yu Le Pack 娱乐增选配套which comprises VV Drama Pack 娱家戏剧组合, Cantonese Premier Pack 粤语精选组合and STAR Chinese Movies Pack 卫视电影组at a monthly subscription of $22.90 (including GST) (U.P. $38.52).

· Qiang Dang Yu Le Pack 强档娱乐增选配套comprising VV Drama Pack, Cantonese Premier Pack, STAR Chinese Movies Pack, now Baogu Pack, Celestial Movies天映频道, Celestial Classic Movies天映经典频道 at a monthly subscription of $28.90 (including GST) (U.P. $62.06).

For more information on StarHub TV, visit www.starhub.com/tv.

-End-

Description of now TV channels and Hunan TV World

now爆谷台

now爆谷台－電影人打造的電影頻道!now TV聯同華誼兄弟、陳可辛Shine Focus、以及安樂影片合作推出，播放香港首輪猛片及亞洲頂級電影，加上獨家花絮、精品短片、電影人訪談，每天24小時為您精心打造最佳電影體驗！

now爆谷台随选

now爆谷台随选－電影人打造的電影頻道!now TV聯同華誼兄弟、陳可辛Shine Focus、安樂影片合作，播放香港首輪猛片及亞洲頂級電影，加上獨家花絮、精品短片、電影人訪談，隨時一按即看，為您精心打造最佳電影體驗！

now芒果台

now芒果台為now TV 與湖南廣播電視台合作的綜藝娛樂頻道，搜羅“快樂大本營”、“天天向上”、“ 天下女人”等高收視、集亚洲巨星的節目。曾參與巨星包括郭富城、王菲、五月天、韓星張根碩等，為觀眾帶來無限歡樂、陣陣笑聲！

now TV 随选

now TV随选-創新粵語生活時尚娛樂隨選頻道，提供“一個地球”、“煮角”、“女皇駕到”等旅遊、飲食、生活潮流節目，其中“觀星總部”更奉上新鮮娛樂新聞及獨家專訪，緊貼香港及亞洲娛樂圈最新動態！精彩節目隨時一按即看！

湖南國際頻道

湖南國際頻道整合中國領軍媒體的湖南衛視優質節目資源，為海外觀眾打開輕鬆看中國的視窗。《往事》《楊瀾訪談錄》《世界看湖南》等將中國的歷史事件、人文古跡到現代社會至每日資訊一一為觀眾講述，讓海外華人與中國緊密相連。

now海润台

now海潤台為now TV與國內劇集製作巨头之一海潤傳媒娛樂集團合作的24小時華語劇集頻道。播放劇集屢獲口碑，曾參演紅星包括孫孙红雷、孙俪、黃子華、張可頤、滕麗名等，部份更設導賞環節，迎合海外華人口味。

ASUS Launches Full Range of Audiophile Products in Singapore
Award-winning external USB DAC and headphone amplifier alongside with ASUS Xonar audio cards

Singapore (26 April, 2013) — ASUS collaborated with Sennheiser to announce the entire range of audiophile hardware from audio card to external USB-DAC. The event features innovative audio products such as the critically acclaimed ASUS Xonar Essence One series external USB DAC, ROG Phoebus gaming audio card and top of the line ASUS Xonar Essence STX audio card. With this collaboration, ASUS continue to lead the way in marrying audiophile-grade hardware to the market.

ASUS Essence One
The ASUS Xonar Essence One external digital-analog converter (DAC) and headphone amplifier earned considerable critical acclaim, winning a 2012 CES Innovations Award in the audio component category with the industry’s only 8x symmetrical upsampling. With most modern audio signals stored in digital format, the ASUS Xonar team has catered to audiophiles’ needs and launched its first hi-fi USB digital-to-analog converter (DAC), the Xonar Essence One. It is an industry-leading high-end USB DAC with the world’s first 8x symmetrical upsampling technology, while also featuring a 120dB signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), audiophile-class headphone AMP and eleven operational amplifier (op-amp) design for distinct tonal customization. SRP: $699 SGD

ASUS Essence One Plus
The ASUS Xonar Essence One Plus Edition USB DAC adds an Op-Amp swap kit to the award-winning Xonar Essence One. The kit allows audiophiles to easily adjust sound characteristics based on personal listening preferences, with no complicated soldering required. It improves on the industry’s leading external USB DAC, combining the benefits of eleven swappable Op-Amps, 32-bit lossless 8x symmetrical upsampling, 120dB SNR, and a 600ohm-optimized headphone amplifier. ASUS Hyper Grounding technology, reinforced internal linear power delivery, a premium WIMA capacitor, and XLR outputs further enhance impact, clarity, balance, and compatibility. SRP: $1,199 SGD

ASUS Essence One MUSE
The ASUS Xonar Essence One MUSES Edition USB DAC continues the award-winning Xonar Essence tradition, following Xonar Essence One and Xonar Essence One Plus Edition products. Designed by Xonar audio experts, it employs premium MUSES 01 Op-Amps from New Japan Radio. It features German-made WIMA capacitors, stable linear power delivery, 8X symmetrical upsampling, 600ohm headphone amplification, and a swappable Op-Amp layout. Connectors include optical, S/PDIF, and USB inputs. With a 120dB SNR, Xonar Essence One MUSES Edition meets the needs of the most demanding audiophiles with lively and spacious sound. SRP: $1,399 SGD

ASUS Phoebus Gaming Audio card
The new ROG Xonar Phoebus audio card set represents the entry by ROG into gaming audio components. Drawing on ROG and Xonar expertise, it offers gamers up to 50% environmental noise cancelation via ROG Command technology, ensuring authoritative voice quality for in-game communication. With 118dB SNR and a powerful 600 ohm headphone amplifier, the new product out-performs competing models and onboard audio, integrating Dolby® Home Theater V4 and the exclusive ASUS GX 3.0 game audio engine. For added convenience, the attached control box helps gamers with easy-reach volume and mute controls. SRP: $279 SGD

ASUS Essence STX PCI-e Audio Card
The Xonar Essence STX is equipped with a built-in headphone amplifier capable of driving every available headphone with up to 600 ohms of impedance to their full extent and less than 0.001% of distortion—all without additional amplication. This ensures that only the most high density sounds can be heard from these headphones without the need to purchase an extra amplifier. Furthermore, the Xonar Essence STX also comes with the following features which include: Swappable OPamp sockets to help tune up unique sounds effortlessly, complete Dolby Home Theater technologies, and the latest DS3D GX2.5 3D gaming engine technology. SRP: $249 SGD

ASUS Xonar DX Affordable Audio Card
The Xonar DX is capable of delivering 35 times cleaner audio quality with 116dB SNR in comparison to most motherboard onboard audio with only 85dB SNR. While noise is unavoidable, the Xonar DX dramatically reduces the amount of background noise, and it is this distinction that allows the Xonar DX to produce as little as 1/32 (-105dB) of the total harmonics distortion versus traditional motherboard audio (-75dB). As most onboard audio only provide 80~86 dB SNR audio quality, background noises are easily heard while listening to music or playing games. By adopting the CirrusLogics CS4398 audio DAC (120dB SNR & 117dB THD+N) that is often used in Hi-Fi devices, the Xonar DX provides at least 30% better quality sounds than the average onboard audio. SRP: $129 SGD

WiFi has been replacing fixed wires at homes for internet connectivity. A lot of users have been asking for higher speeds and RF signal level. These signals might be detrimental to your health. Experiment it yourself by tuning down the WiFi signal or turn if off at night for better sleeping quality. Check out the video demonstration below.

This video provides a simple, yet profound lesson. The radio frequency radiation being transmitted from your wireless router or modem is extremely toxic and detrimental to your health. Notice how high the measurements are on the RF meter! Most of us are living and working in this type of RF radiation exposure every single day and night. The fix, or remediation is simple. Plug your modem or router into your computer using an Ethernet connection (hardwire), and “disable” the wireless function on your modem or router. This is very important for the health and safety of all those in your home or office. If you need to use the wireless function, then turn it on for a short time, do your task or watch your movie, then disable it once again. Never leave your wireless internet on all night as it will cause sleep disturbances which lead to even worse health issues. The fix is simple! Ethernet cord and disable the wireless function.

According to local news media, Taiwan on Wednesday reported the first case of the H7N9 bird flu outside of  mainland China. The 53 year old man had been working in Suzhou before returning from Shanghai to Taiwan.

The men had been hospitalized since  April 16 and was in a critical condition in quarantine ward.

Although it is unconfirmed that H7N9 will transmit from human to human, there would be some precautions needed for those who  intend to visit China and Taiwan.

Computex Taipei 2013 will be held in June this year, will visitors hold back their trip ? During the SARs outbreak a decade ago, Computex was postponed. So, will you be attending the Computex this year and take precautions before heading there?

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WD SmartWare update highlights:

Windows release 2.0.0 (updated 4/16/2013)

Scheduled backup support. Back up files on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis.
Improved and simplified auto update process.
The ability to upgrade to WD SmartWare Pro version (License fee required) for expanded backup capabilities

Backup supported on WD Elements drive
Backup supported on non-WD external USB hard drives
Back up files to your Dropbox account (Dropbox account required)
Back up your Dropbox files to an external hard drive (Dropbox account required)

Download from the link below:

http://www.wdc.com/wdproducts/wdsmartwareupdate/NAS.asp

Google Inc is experiencing a small outage of some of its popular applications such as Gmail and Google Drive, the search engine said on Wednesday.  The company disclosed on its website that six of its 13 applications were having partial status disruptions.

Some of our readers faced problems accessing their Gmail.  Are you having issues with the Google services ? Comment below.

Are you on 802.11ac ? The ASUS USB-AC53 Dual band 802.11ac might just be the right companion for your brand new wireless 802.11ac router.

USB-AC53 Dual-band Wireless-AC1200 USB Adapter Extra-fast 5th Generation Wi-Fi at up to 867Mbps/300Mbps

Selectable 5GHz/2.4GHz dual bands increase signal clarity for better HD multimedia

Powerful 2×2 embedded patch antennas (PIFA type) improve signal range while integrating into the attractive design

Exclusive NetClip and cradle accessories for convenient placement and better performance

Extreme 5th generation Wi-Fi speed The fastest Wi-Fi ever becomes more accessible via USB, going up to 867Mbps on the clear 5GHz band. Using 802.11ac wireless, faster connectivity and enjoyment come to all your devices.

* Quoted network speeds and bandwidth based on current IEEE 802.11ac specifications. Actual performance may be affected by network and service provider factors, interface type, and other conditions. Connected devices must be 802.11ac-compatible for best results.

Selectable dual-band 867Mbps/300Mbps bandwidth

Dual-band operation suits mainstream and power users. The 2.4GHz band is perfect for web browsing, email, and social networking, while the 5GHz frequency enables smooth HD streaming and online multiplayer for blazingly fast and lag-free home entertainment

ASUS RT-AC66U Dual band (802.11ac) and USB-AC53 Dual band USB adapter review (802.11ac)
Bluetooth 17 Apr 2013

A traditional 802.11n router is probably what most people would use with their signed up broadband plans. While it delivers the connection, wireless speed is always a major complain.

While most 802.11n promises a speed of 450Mbps theoritically, most users will find that the speed doesn’t really go beyond half of it. A single band would also not be able to handle so many clients and cover a larger pool of home users.

Most users will buy their own routers to replace those bundled with their subscription plan. A Dual Band 2.4GHz + 5GHz would be a good choice. While there are various manufacturers out there with such design, the 5GHz band doesn’t really travel far enough.

With the ASUS RT-AC66U, all these issues are solved with the 802.11ac support which can deliver a theoritical speed of 1300Mbps on the 5GHz band. So, no more hanging during video streaming and you get comparable speeds as good as having a line connection.

The 3 antenna design is specifically design for better coverage of wireless signal. In fact, we noticed that most 5GHz Band routers will be out of the radar once you are around 10 metres aways from the router. For the ASUS RT-AC66U paired up with the  USB-AC53, we can still achieve pretty decent connection speeds even on the 2nd floor.

As a wireless router, the RT-AC66U is more than a simple router. It comes with built in USB ports that connect to printers, 3G/4G dongles or storage media. Other features include guest access, VPN server, DLNA server,  Download Master, 5GHz HD Streaming and Printer Sharing.

ASUS also preloads RT-AC66U with AiCloud ASUS AiCloud is the cloud service that delivers you the most at no cost. Sync your data on a home PC with an online storage account, share files with anyone using a simple link, and stream media from your home PC directly to any internet-connected device. Keep in touch with your stuff wherever and whenever like never before.

the ASUS RT-AC66U is easily setup with the web browser using the setup wizard. The menus are very intuitive and can be easily configured through the web. For Singapore users, the firmware also has option for easy set up for fibre broadband operators, M1, Singtel and Starhub.

In the subsequent pages, we will take a look at the package, setup and benchmarks.

ASUS RT-AC66U Specs