Singaporean researchers were able to increase hard drive storage capacity six-fold using bit-patterned media and sodium chloride during the lithography process. This allowed them to create "islands" measuring around 10nm that could each store a bit, increasing areal density from 0.5 to 1.9 terabits per square inch. However, more refinement is still needed to reach their goal of 10 terabits per square inch. Two competing technologies, bit-patterning and heat-assisted magnetic recording, may allow hard drive densities to continue growing beyond current limits of 1-1.5 terabits per square inch. Xbox Singapore unveiled new Kinect titles for the holidays including Disneyland Adventures, Kinect

1. October 17th, 2011 Published by: VR-Zone
It's surprising what you can find browsing compliance hard drive technology and then applied a sprinkling of salt to
databases and we just happened upon a big one today. AMD's really spice things up.
next generation chipset for its Trinity Fusion APU's have made Ok, that's not quite true, as the salt was added as a step
an appearance in the USB-IF's certified product list and the in the e-beam lithography process as this helped to produce
USB-IF kindly revealed the chipset name, rather than putting a much more defined nanostructure on the disk surface.
up some kind of code name. The end result is a structured surface on the disk, whereas
In all fairness, we have very little to go at here, but as you can traditional hard drives have randomly distributed nanscopic
see from the screenshot below, the first chipset model will be magnetic "grains" (measuring around 7-8nm each) where
called the A85X. We'd presume that this is the replacement multiples of tens are used to store a single bit, the researched
for the x90X series of chipsets for AMD's AM2/3 sockets and managed to create a disk where the disk surface consist of
this suggests that we might end up seeing a higher-end and a tiny "islands" (measuring around 10nm each) instead and each
lower-end version as well. island can store a bit.
So far the only feature we know that we'll see as part of this
new chipset is of course USB 3.0, although we don't expect
AMD to go with more than the current four ports as seen in the
A75 chipset. Trinity is expected to arrive fairly early next year The method used still requires a lot of refinement, as on
and judging by the fact that the reference platform has already average the researches managed to boost the storage density
paced through the PCI-SIG as we reported earlier, it seems like from 0.5 Terrabit per square inch to 1.9 Terabit per square
AMD might actually be on track with its follow up to Llano. inch, they also managed to reach data densities as high as
3.3 Terabit per square inch. As you can see from the electron
Singaporean researchers microscopy image above, the data is packed extremely dense
by using this new technology. However, this is just a step
boost hard drive capacity six towards the researcher's goal to hit 10 Terabit per square inch,
fold with a sprinkle of salt although this isn't likely to happen overnight.
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/singaporean-researchers-boost-hard- Currently there are two competing standards in the future
drive-capacity-six-fold-with-a-sprinkle-of-salt/13739.html of hard drive technology, one is the bit-patterned technology
October 17th, 2011 used by the Singaporean researches and this is also the
technology that Hitachi GST (which might soon be part of
Western Digital) and something called heat-assisted magnetic
recording or HAMR which is a technology Seagate is pushing
for. The long of the short is that the current perpendicular
drive technology is about to run out of steam once storage
Judging by the latest news, the good old hard drive is far from
densities of 1 to 1.5 Terabits per square inch is reached as the
dead as it seems that we can expect a six fold increase in
bits stored will be too small and become unstable due to the
storage capacity in the near future, at least if researched by
fairly unstructured surface of the disks. HAMR is expected to
Singaporean scientists end up catching on with the hard drive
happen sooner than bit-patterning, although it's possible that
manufacturers. What's surprising is that simple table salt, also
this new break-through process will change all that.
known as ammonium chloride is what made it all possible.
We'll definitely be keeping an eye on things, as in as much as
SSD's are getting cheaper and the density is going up, they just
Judging by the latest news, the good old hard drive is far from can't compete with hard drives in terms of cost per GB. On top
dead as it seems that we can expect a six fold increase in of that we're storing more data than ever, so larger hard drives
storage capacity in the near future, at least if researched by is a must, but with 4TB drives starting to trickle out from the
Singaporean scientists end up catching on with the hard drive manufacturers, it seems like we have little to worry about for
manufacturers. What's surprising is that simple table salt, also the time being at least.
known as sodium chloride is what made it all possible.
The development is actually two fold, as the scientists from
Singapore's Institute of Material Research and Engineering
Xbox Singapore unveils new
(IMRE) as well as ones from Singapore's Agency for Science, Kinect holiday titles
Technology and Research (A*STAR) with some help from the Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/xbox-singapore-unveils-new-kinect-
National University of Singapore (NUS) and the Data Storage holiday-titles/13737.html
Institute (DSI) used bit-patterned media which is cutting edge
11

2. October 17th, 2011 Published by: VR-Zone
October 17th, 2011 Dance Central 2: Following up to the best-selling dance
game for Kinect, Harmonix expands the full-body dance
game universe with Dance Central 2, which provides new
multiplayer experiences and all-new routines set to an
unstoppable soundtrack, featuring Usher, Rihanna, Nicki
Minaj, Montell Jordan and more. Meet the crews and dance
Today, Xbox Singapore had a media event to showcase collaboratively with friends in Perform It! or challenge them
their upcoming holiday titles including Kinect: Disneyland to a simultaneous head-to-head Dance Battle.
Adventures, Kinect Sports: Season Two, Dance Central 2 and
Forza Motorsport 4 which would be available this month and Pricing: SRP S$59.90
November. On top of that, the company also showed the Xbox Availability: 21 October, 2011
classic Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary. Forza Motorsport 4: With genre-defining controller-based
racing, game-changing Kinect experiences, such as head
tracking, and new social features that connect players in ways
no other racing game can, Forza Motorsport 4 is transforming
the racing category.
Availability: 11 October, 2011
Pricing: Standard Edition: SRP S$59.90; Limited Collector’s
Edition: SRP S$84.90
Kinect for Xbox 360 was launched a year ago and according
to Jimmy Khoo, director for Retail Sales and Marketing,
Microsoft Singapore, it set the new Guinness world record
as the fastest-selling consumer electronics device in 60 days.
Today, the company unveiled the new Kinect holiday titles
which some were showcased at Electronic Entertainment
Expo (E3) in June this year. Titles include the Kinect:
Disneyland Adventures, Kinect Sports: Season Two, Dance
Central 2 and Forza Motorsport 4.
Kinect: Disneyland Adventures: This is the first title coming
out of a licensing agreement between Microsoft Studios and
Disney Interactive Studios, and children, parents and Disney And for those who enjoyed Xbox classic, high-definition
fans can explore Disneyland park - from Main Street U.S.A. remake of Halo: Combat Evolved.
to Critter Country - joining Peter Pan to battle Captain Hook,
Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary: Created in celebration of
high-five Mickey Mouse or hug Snow White using their full
the tenth anniversary of one of the most beloved franchises
bodies and voices. No controller required.
in gaming history, Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary is
Pricing: SRP S$59.90 a spectacularly re-mastered version of the original Halo
Availability: 15 November, 2011 campaign, bundled with some of the most beloved multiplayer
Kinect Sports: Season Two: The sequel to last year’s nunber- maps in Halo history reimagined for Xbox LIVE. Halo: Combat
one hit for Kinect is back with more full-body action, featuring Evolved Anniversary will include a bounty of new features,
six new sports: American football, golf, baseball, winter skiing, including cooperative play over Xbox LIVE, new challenges
darts and tennis. Whether you want to go for a hole-in-one in and new fiction to uncover.
golf, throw a Hail Mary touchdown pass in American football Price: SRP S$42.90
or compete against a friend during a few sets of tennis, Kinect Availability: 15 November, 2011
Sports: Season Two has something to appeal to everyone.
Price: SRP S$59.90
Availability: 25 October, 2011
Xbox and the Health Promotion Board is also collaborating to
promote a fun and healthy lifestyle to Singapore families. The
public can get their first hands-on with Kinect Sports: Season 2
at the upcoming National Healthy Lifestyle Campaign (NHLC)
launch at Sengkang Community Club on Saturday 22 Oct 2011,
a week before the game’s retail launch.
12

3. October 17th, 2011 Published by: VR-Zone
turning on digital zoom at magnification settings over 10x,
Sony unveils world's first both boost total magnification range from 0.9x up to 20x.
digital binoculars with HD Electronic autofocus allows both binoculars to focus cleanly
on subjects as close as 1cm away when recording in 2D (min.
video recording, zoom, 80cm when recording in 3D).
autofocus and SteadyShot
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/sony-unveils-world-s-first-
Separate images for left and right eyes are captured by
digital-binoculars-with-hd-video-recording-zoom-autofocus-and-
a matched pair of precision G Lens optics by Sony with
steadyshot/13736.html
Exmor R CMOS sensors and powerful BIONZ processors.
October 17th, 2011
Independent electronic viewfinders provide clear, detailed
images for left and right eyes, offering a 3D viewing experience
that’s comfortable, natural and highly immersive.
The binoculars are comfortable to hold for extended periods,
Sony has unveiled the world's first digital binoculars - DEV-5
thanks to the ergonomic grip area that’s coated with an
and DEV-5K - which claim to offer high definition video
elastomer material for comfortable handling and stable
recording, as well as 3D recording for military, security and
operation. Top-mounted controls allow easy operation with
private investigation use. Both binoculars are going to be
gloved fingers, while dual buttons are provided to start
available from November.
recording instantly with either hand. As an additional
refinement, both models include an on-board GPS receiver
that automatically geotags video clips as you are on the move.
The DEV-5 comes supplied with a rechargeable battery pack
(NP-FV70) that allows up to approximately 3 hours of 2D
recording on a single charge, while the DEV-5K is supplied
with a high capacity rechargeable battery pack (NP-FV100)
that allows up to approximately 6 hours of 2D recording. In
addition, both models come with lens cover, finder cap, large
eye cups, a carrying case and neck strap supplied.
The new DEV-5 and DEV-5K digital recordable binoculars
from Sony will be available in Singapore from November 2011
and are priced at S$2,599 and S$3,080 respectively.
Quick hands on video
The DEV-5 and DEV-5K from Sony claim to be the world’s
first digital binoculars that can record Full high definition Colourful and affordable
video with stereo sound. Available in two versions, the
DEV-5 is the consumer version of the digital binoculars, Nokia 603 to be available in
while the professional DEV-5K comes with the same technical Singapore in Q4
specifications as the DEV-5 but also includes the AC-VQV10 Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/colourful-and-affordable-nokia-603-to-
high-speed AC adaptor/charger, plus a high-capacity NP- be-available-in-singapore-in-q4/13735.html
FV100 battery. October 17th, 2011
The DEV-5 lets you capture precious moments that you can
enjoy later on your HD television. There is also a 3D record
mode that captures the scene as thrilling stereoscopic video
footage to enjoy on your 3D BRAVIA TV, with a maximum
magnification of 5.4 times in 3D mode. Similar to the DEV-5,
the DEV-5K professional model lets you observe and capture
incontrovertible evidence simultaneously without having to The new Nokia 603 is equipped with the latest Symbian
take your eyes off the subject. It also offers 3D recording Belle operating system and with the Nokia Luna Bluetooth
as realistic stereoscopic video footage, which is suitable for headset, both aim to bring Near Field Communication (NFC)
military, security and private investigation use. to mass market. The Nokia 603 smartphone and Luna
Bluetooth headset are scheduled to be available in Q4 this year.
Variable zoom on both models lets you scan a wide area at
low magnification before zooming in seamlessly to pinpoint
your subject, like a distant golf ball or birds in the field. By
13

4. October 17th, 2011 Published by: VR-Zone
subscription plan. Singapore is one of the first markets where
the MediaPad is commercially available.
Nokia has announced their new colourful and affordable Nokia
603 which is preloaded with the latest apps and featuring
single-tap pairing, sharing and tag reading with Near Field
Communication (NFC). The company also unveiled the Nokia
Singapore, 13 October 2011 - The wait is finally over for
Luna Bluetooth Headset to use with the Nokia 603 that lets
Huawei MediaPad fans in Singapore! From 15 October 2011,
user pair easily via NFC technology. Designed to appeal to
the 7-inch Android Honeycomb 3.2 MediaPad will be retailing
first time smartphone users and those upgrading from older
at operators as well as selected retail stores for S$598
products, the Nokia 603 offers the latest technologies and
(including GST) without subscription plan. Singapore is one
features in a package that is extensive, affordable and unique
of the first markets where the MediaPad is commercially
to the company.
available.
The Nokia 603 has a seamless, compact design and has a
The Huawei MediaPad is a complete entertainment
durable 3.5-inch ClearBlack, scratch-resistant display that
powerhouse driven by Qualcomm’s dual-core 1.2GHz
is optimized for use even under bright sunlight. Priced at
processor. Featuring a 7-inch 217 PPI capacitive touch screen,
EUR200 (before taxes and subsidies), the Nokia 603 comes
the MediaPad is Huawei’s smartest, slimmest and lightest
preloaded with Maps, latest social networking games and
tablet yet, measuring just 10.5mm (0.4 inches) deep and
apps, and the ability to capture, edit and share photographs.
weighing approximately 390g (0.86 pounds).
It also features the latest Symbian Belle software with up to
six customizable homescreens and dynamic live widgets for It supports 1080P full HD video playback and features a 1.3
improved personalization and prioritization of your favourite megapixel front-facing camera and 5 megapixel auto focus
content. rear-facing camera with HD video recording capabilities.
With HSPA 14.4Mbps and high-speed WiFi 802.11n Internet
The Nokia 603 is available in black and white with a choice
connectivity and preloaded with 3 popular games, the
of back covers in six different colors: black, white, fuchsia,
MediaPad doesn’t just entertain – it keeps you connected.
green, yellow and blue. The Nokia Luna Bluetooth Headset
is available in black, white, fuchsia, green and cyan. Both
products are expected to start shipping in the fourth quarter Intel CPUs Overclocked: Sandy
of 2011.
Easy, Ivy Easier, Haswell
Huawei MediaPad on sale Easiest!
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/intel-cpus-overclocked-sandy-easy-ivy-
tomorrow for S$598 easier-haswell-easiest-/13733.html
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/huawei-mediapad-on-sale-tomorrow- October 17th, 2011
for-s-598/13734.html
October 17th, 2011
Contrary to the image some harbour due to the temporary
Sandy Bridge overclock lock on the generic non-K parts, Intel
The wait is finally over for Huawei MediaPad fans processors are expected to be very overclock friendly in the
in Singapore! From 15 October 2011, the 7-inch Android future generations. My sources at IDF confirmed that directly,
Honeycomb 3.2 MediaPad will be retailing at operators as well and now it might be the time to cover it in more detail...
as selected retail stores for S$598 (including GST) without
14

5. October 17th, 2011 Published by: VR-Zone
Even with AMD's initial Bulldozer parts around now, Intel All that's missing in this story is some competition to this...
seems to still hold a firm lead when it comes to easy where, oh where?
"production" overclocking where, with just a small tune up,
you can get an extra 20% to 30% processor performance
without major - or any at all, if using a good board and decent
cooling - impact on your systems' long term reliability. For Asus launches USB 3.0 speed
instance, a typical six-core Core i7 990X runs very nicely at
4.27 GHz speed everyday at just 1.28 volts, without a hitch.
booster, UASP support for
And, the K-series Sandy Bridge overclocking capabilities, even ASMedia
on standard air cooling, are well known, with the new i7 2700K Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/asus-launches-usb-3.0-speed-booster-
parts running stable at 5 GHz with decent air cooling alone. uasp-support-for-asmedia/13732.html
October 17th, 2011
So far we've only seen performance boosting software for USB
3.0 data transfer from ASRock, but now Asus has launched its
own take, alongside a set of new drivers for ASMedia's USB
3.0 host controllers which adds UASP support. We did a quick
and dirty speed test with the new drivers to see if there was
any improvement, although we didn't have a compatible Asus
motherboard at hand to test the speed boosting software.
So far we've only seen performance boosting software for USB
3.0 data transfer from ASRock, but now Asus has launched its
own take, alongside a set of new drivers for ASMedia's USB
3.0 host controllers which adds UASP support. We did a quick
and dirty speed test with the new drivers to see if there was
any improvement, although we didn't have a compatible Asus
Now, the good seems be just getting better, as we move motherboard at hand to test the speed boosting software.
forward. According to the stuff seen at the IDF, Ivy Bridge
UASP or USB Attached SCSI Protocol not only brings with it
CPUs decouple the main clock finally, following what the
a performance boost as long as you're using a storage device
coming Sandy Bridge - E Socket 2011 is also implementing.
with UASP support, but it also offers support for command
Now, you can overclock the cores and memory without
queuing and removes several software overheads. But most
worrying about affecting the I/O and PCIe clocks. But then
significantly for most consumers, UASP adds support for out-
comes the more interesting piece news.
of-order completion of file copies. What does this mean in
practical terms? Well, you can now copy files simultaneously
A year later, in early 2013, the pinnacle of Intel's 22 nm
by drag and drop and they'll finish based on the file size rather
process show off, the initial Haswell processor, is expected
than on the order you copied them as in generally the case
to go another step further, where CPU core, GPU, memory,
with the Bulk Only Transfer protocol. Sadly UASP won't be a
PCI and DMI ratios are all set independently here, on top of
standard until Windows 8 comes out and it's quite tricky to
fine grain BCLK base clock available within the Lynx Point
know which devices are supported and which aren't.
chipset. Also, due to its fully integrated voltage regulator
circuitry for simplified platform design, more stable power Renesas was the first to support UASP for its host controllers
delivery and therefore more predictable overclocking could and has so far been the only USB 3.0 host controller
be achieved. Add to it the expected major improvements in manufacturer to support the standard. That said, ASMedia
memory DIMM layout topology, enabling great performance has support UASP on the device side for quite some time and
even with 2 DIMMs per channel without the usual penalties its ASM1051E, ASM1051U and ASM1054 SATA to USB 3.0
compared to just 1 DIMM per channel. bridges all support UASP. According to Asus, the LucidPort
USB300 SATA to USB 3.0 bridge also offers UASP support and
Now, this would be as far as one can go in overclock this is also what the manufacturers website is stating. Beyond
friendliness on a mainstream platform, and, knowing that the SATA bridges several USB 3.0 flash drives also support UASP
sources were confirming the likelihood of combined multiple and Asus is providing a list of devices that the company has
CPU and multiple GPU cores on Haswell (i.e. you could have, tested on its website (see link at the end of the article).
say, 4 CPU cores and 2 GPU cores, or 2 CPU cores and 3 GPU
cores chip), would create possibly the most flexible desktop -
and mobile - platform Intel, or anyone else, ever had in one
socket.
15

6. October 17th, 2011 Published by: VR-Zone
maximum write speed peaked at 293.3MB/s a few times, with
the average write speed hitting 242.6MB/s. Pretty impressive
stuff, especially as it's a free upgrade.
Seagate launches the GoFlex
Cinema multimedia drive
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/seagate-launches-the-goflex-cinema-
multimedia-drive/13731.html
October 17th, 2011
Media players are hardly what we'd call special these days and
Even if you don't have an Asus motherboard, but an ASMedia you can get some really cheap, if albeit basic models these days
host controller we suggest you head over to Asus and hit the that will play pretty much any file format you throw at them.
download button, as included in its USB 3.0 Boost package are Seagate has been trying to get in to the media player for quite
new ASMedia drivers as well as a new firmware and both are some time and so far the company has come up with some
needed for UASP support and will work on all ASMedia USB fairly uninspiring solutions, but its new GoFlex Cinema is a
3.0 host controllers. We did a really quick Crystal DiskMark rather intriguing piece of hardware.
test using the same ASM1051E bridge and Patriot Wildfire
SSD and although we used a different system for the test
than the one we used during our exhaustive USB 3.0 host Media players are hardly what we'd call special these days and
controller roundup, we saw improved read speeds of about you can get some really cheap, if albeit basic models these days
12MB/s although the read speed was only up by about 1MB/s. that will play pretty much any file format you throw at them.
That's still a decent improvement considering that all we did Seagate has been trying to get in to the media player for quite
was flash the host controller firmware and install a new driver. some time and so far the company has come up with some
Asus is making some wild claims of a 170 percent performance fairly uninspiring solutions, but its new GoFlex Cinema is a
increase in UASP mode which might be possible in some rather intriguing piece of hardware.
scenarios and considering that their test setup was slightly The GoFlex Cinema is one of the smallest media players in
different and consisted of actual file copying, we can't say the market, well; it is as long as you don't take into account
it's wrong. What's more surprising is that its Turbo software the size of the GoFlex hard drive which it's attached to. The
only offers a 127 percent improvement in the same scenario, entire setup measures 223x120x44mm and that gives you a
although that was in BOT (Bulk Only Transfer) mode, as sizeable external hard drive available in 1TB, 2TB and 3TB
apparently Asus' USB 3.0 Boost software isn't compatible with sizes. Unlike Seagate's previous attempts at media players the
UASP. Still, if you have a device that doesn't support UASP, GoFlex Cinema relies on 3.5-inch hard drives rather than 2.5-
it's still a decent way of getting some additional performance inch drives. Beyond its media player features it can also be
out of your USB 3.0 devices. For some reason there's also a used for copying files directly from a digital camera without the
"normal" mode in the USB 3.0 Boost software in case you have need of a PC. A small remote control that doesn't look overly
a device that doesn't like UASP or the boost mode. impressive is also supplied.
So the takeaway here is that even if you don't have an Asus
motherboard on the list, as long as you have an ASMedia USB
3.0 host controller it's well worth upgrading the firmware and
drivers. Asus is currently listing 17 motherboard models that
it says are compatible with the USB 3.0 Boost software and
the new UASP drivers. We tested with a standard ASM1042
based PCI Express cards and didn't run into any issues with
the new UASP drivers and several devices that we tested it
with. All we're hoping for now is that all the other USB 3.0 host
controller makers will follow suit and launch UASP drivers for
their host controllers.
Update: We ran another quick test in HD Tune Pro 4.61 and
got an average read speed of 261.6MB/s, that's nearly 37MB/
s faster than without UASP. In terms of write performance we
saw a huge increase in performance here too with an increase
in the average sequential write speed of 33MB/s, although the
16

7. October 17th, 2011 Published by: VR-Zone
The actual media player is a small attachment that goes on October 17th, 2011
what would normally have been the bottom end of a GoFlex
hard drive and it sports a mini USB port for file transfers to/
from a PC, a standard USB port to which cameras or other USB
storage devices can be connected, an HDMI port, an optical
S/PDIF out, a pair of RCA audio jacks and a composite video
connector as well as a power connector. There's both an upside
and a downside to this. The upside is that the drive that comes This afternoon, Western Digital announced the launch of
with the GoFlex Cinema works with other GoFlex adapters the WD TV Live, My Passport Studio and My Passport for
from Seagate, so you can get a USB 3.0 dock to boost the speed Mac in Singapore. The WD TV Live streaming media player
when you're copying files from your PC. The downside is that can connect to the Internet easily via Ethernet or wireless,
the GoFlex Cinema isn't sold without a hard drive, so if you and supports high definition video applications. The WD
already own a GoFlex drive, you'll have to get another one to MyPassport portable hard drives come in compact form factor
get the GoFlex Cinema. with high storage capacity options and are designed for use
with Mac and Apple Time Machine.
In terms of file support the GoFlex Cinema appears to have just
about every format in all standard resolutions supported. It'll
play back AVI (Xvid, MPEG 1/2/4, AVC, H.264), MPG/MPEG,
VOB, ISO (DVD and Blu-ray), M2TS, MP4, MOV (AVC ,
H.264), MKV (MPEG 2/4, AVC, H.264), FLV and ASF (VC-1,
WMV9) video files as well as MP3, WAV, AAC, MKA, FLAC,
WMA, APE and OGG audio files, alternatively audio combined
with the video. There's also support for LPCM, WMA Pro,
Dolby Digital and DTS audio, although only pass through for
the multi-channel formats. Finally it'll display JPEG (up to
20Megapixles), GIF, TIFF, BMP and PNG images and SRT,
SSA, ASS and SAMI subtitles.
We can't say much about the UI as Seagate has only posted a
single screenshot on its website and even that isn't very clear.
There's multi-language support, but as to which languages
are supported seems to vary between the regions the unit is
sold in and currently it seems to only be available in EMEA
and the details on Seagate's website is as such limited to that
region. The 1TB model retails for €99 (S$175), with the 2TB
model only being slightly more expensive at €129 (S$229) and
finally the 3TB model at €179 (S$315). No word on when or if
Seagate is planning on launching the GoFlex Cinema outside
of Europe, but we'd expect it to be available globally. Western Digital has launched their latest WD TV Live wireless
streaming media player, WD My Passport Studio and My
Passport for Mac portable hard drives in Singapore. The WD
Western Digital launches WD TV Live streaming media player is Wi-Fi enabled and can
TV Live, My Passport Studio connect to the Internet via wireless or Ethernet connection.
It features a new intuitive user interface and offers Internet
and My Passport for Mac in content from services including Facebook, Flickr, YouTube,
Dailymotion, Spotify (available only in USA), AccuWeather
Singapore and even Shoutcast Radio. The media player also includes
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/western-digital-launches-wd-tv-live- Fun Spot Games gaming service that has games such as
my-passport-studio-and-my-passport-for-mac-in-singapore/13730.html Sudoku, Black Jack and Poker. Other features include DLNA-
compatible, supports a wide variety of media formats and
support any USB connected drives, digital camera, video
camcorder and network drives.
17

8. October 17th, 2011 Published by: VR-Zone
The WD TV Live streaming media player is available at
selected retailers at S$189. Chevrolet works on next-
generation EN-V concept
vehicle
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/chevrolet-works-on-next-generation-
en-v-concept-vehicle/13729.html
October 17th, 2011
Car manufacturer Chevrolet has announced plans to work
on the next-generation EN-V vehicle that claims to be safe,
is zero-emission and powered by Lithium-ion batteries. The
company intends to use the EN-V vehicle for pilot programs in
selected megacities around the world.
The ultra-copmact WD My Passport for Mac sports an elegant
Mac-inspired finish and features high capacity storage options
of up to 2TB. The WD My Passport for Mac is powered through
USB2.0 and does not require additional cables or power
source. The WD My Passport Studio, on the other hand, has an
all-metal design and offers multiple connectivity options - two
FireWire 800 and USB 2.0. It also allows users to daisy chain
additional drives or other peripherals such as high definition
camcorders, and features encryption and password protection
software.
The WD My Passport for Mac and My Passport Studio are
available at selected retailers at the following price tags:-
WD My Passport Studio WD My Passport for Mac
500GB - S$169 500GB - S$119
Work on the a next-generation Chevrolet EN-V concept vehicle
750GB - S$189 750GB - S$129 was announced today, and it represents General Motors’
1TB - S$219 1TB - S$159 vision to meet the growing demand for safe, connected,
zero-emissions personal transportation. The next-generation
Chevrolet EN-V could participate in pilot demonstration
programs in megacities around the world to determine real-
world practicality.
Future EN-V concepts will carry the Chevrolet brand, Chris
Perry, vice president, global Chevrolet marketing and strategy,
told international and domestic media visiting Detroit in
advance of Chevrolet’s Nov. 3 Centennial celebration.
The award-winning EN-V, short for Electric Networked-
Vehicle, is a two-seat, electric urban mobility concept that
maintains the basic principle of personal mobility, while
responding to congestion and environmental concerns in
growing global megacities. The next-generation Chevrolet EN-
V concept will add new features that customers need, such as
Craig Davis, director, Sales and Marketing, Branded Product
climate control, personal storage space and all-weather and
Group, Western Digital Asia Pacific Region, was at the event
road condition operation. It will also retain its battery electric
to talk about the new offerings from the company.
propulsion, connectivity and autonomous driving capabilities.
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9. October 17th, 2011 Published by: VR-Zone
The EN-V is a zero-emissions vehicle powered by lithium-ion — in more ways than one. Peep closely and you can see the
batteries. Recharging from a conventional wall outlet using notches of the capacitive sensors embedded on top of the
standard household power enables EN-V to travel at least 40 device. Our review unit came in a standard retail box with
kilometers on a single charge, acceptable for most urban trips. bundled accessories including a USB nano receiver, two AA-
size batteries, base cover, USB cable and the product and setup
guides.
By combining GPS with vehicle-to-vehicle communications
and distance-sensing technologies, the EN-V can be driven
manually or autonomously. In autonomous mode, EN-V offers
mobility to people who may not otherwise operate a vehicle.
By leveraging wireless communications it allows drivers and
occupants to communicate hands-free with friends or business
associates while on the go.
The ability to communicate with other vehicles and with
the infrastructure could help EN-V significantly reduce the
number of vehicle crashes and make it easier to find available
parking spaces. It could also reduce traffic congestion by
automatically selecting the fastest route based on real-time
traffic information.
Microsoft Touch Mouse
Review: Mouse with a clever
Touch
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/microsoft-touch-mouse-review-mouse-
with-a-clever-touch/13728.html
October 17th, 2011
The Microsoft Touch Mouse was introduced in Singapore,
in August this year. The stylish, elegant mouse claims to work
with Windows 7 operating system and is capable to handle
scrolling, minimizing/maximizing, and docking with finger
gestures. VR-Zone managed to get one for this review and see
how well the Microsoft Touch Mouse works.
This Microsoft mouse should come with a warning: Swiping
is addictive. This is a wireless Mouse with a different Touch
19

10. October 17th, 2011 Published by: VR-Zone
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11. October 20th, 2011 Published by: VR-Zone
VR-Zone.com | Stuff for the Geeks!
such as the dual analog sticks, dual cameras, and front and
VR-Zone | Stuff for the Geeks is a bi-weekly publication rear touch pad are all designed to deliver the unique, powerful
covering the latest gadgets and stuff for the geeks. gameplay experiences consumers have been asking for and
enable new ways for users to connect with the world around
them."
Playstation Vita Launches The portable market is changing, and on February 22 we'll all
February 22, 2012 get a chance to see if the Vita has a fighting chance.
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/playstation-vita-launches-
february-22-2012/13781.html
October 20th, 2011
Lytro finally shows off and
launches its light field camera
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/lytro-finally-shows-off-and-launches-
its-light-field-camera/13782.html
October 20th, 2011
Sony has announced that the Playstation Vita will hit the
streets on February 22, 2012 in the United States, Canada,
Latin America, and Europe. The Wi-Fi model will sell for the
surprisingly reasonable price of $249.99 followed by $299.99
for the 3G/Wi-Fi model. The portable market is changing, and The first pictures taken using Lytro's light field technology
on February 22 we'll all get a chance to see if the Vita has a appeared on the web a few months back and stirred up quite
fighting chance. a lot of interest in what kind of camera the company could be
working on, as it all seemed a little bit too good to be true and
there weren't a whole lot of details to go on. Now the company
has finally launched its first product which is simply called the
Lytro light field camera and it doesn't look like any camera
we've ever seen before.
The first pictures taken using Lytro's light field technology
appeared on the web a few months back and stirred up quite
a lot of interest in what kind of camera the company could be
working on, as it all seemed a little bit too good to be true and
there weren't a whole lot of details to go on. Now the company
Sony has announced that the Playstation Vita will hit the has finally launched its first product which is simply called the
streets on February 22, 2012 in the United States, Canada, Lytro light field camera and it doesn't look like any camera
Latin America, and Europe. The Wi-Fi model will sell for the we've ever seen before.
surprisingly reasonable price of $249.99 followed by $299.99 If anything, the Lytro light field camera looks a bit like a
for the 3G/Wi-Fi model. CCTV camera in terms of design, albeit like a smaller designer
Though my initial excitement for the device was tepid, that version. The rectangular body houses a lens at the front and a
changed after spending some time with the Vita at this years comparatively tiny 1.46-inch glass covered LCD touch screen
E3. It feels good in the hand, has a gorgeous 5 inches (16:9), at the back. It only has two buttons, power and shutter, as
960 x 544 OLED screen, finally has dual analog sticks, and I'm well as a small touch sensitive surface on the top which is
interested in the potential of the rear touch pad. used for zooming with the lens. There's also a micro USB
2.0 port hidden under a flap at the bottom. There's a built-in
President and chief executive officer of SCEA Jack Trenton rechargeable battery, but there's no mention as to how many
says "PlayStation Vita will redefine traditional boundaries of pictures it's good for. One very questionable design decision
gaming and blur the lines between entertainment and reality. from Lytro is the fact that the company decided to go with built
Its launch will serve as a pivotal point in the history of in memory and as such you get to make do with either 8 or
portable gaming and create a new fan base of PlayStation 16GB of storage space.
gamers for generations to come. With its technological
prowess and social connectivity, PlayStation Vita offers an
experience beyond anything available on the market. Features
1

12. October 20th, 2011 Published by: VR-Zone
The lens sports 8x optical zoom and appears to have 10 or 11
lens elements. The f/2 aperture is constant across the entire
zoom range which is photographically an impressive feature,
but it also helps explain why the camera is 112mm long,
although it only measures 41mm square. Behind the lens is the
light field sensor which sports ”11Megarays” as the company
calls it, although they don't seem to be too keen to say what
this compares to in traditional Megapixles. It's pretty clear
that the Lytro camera doesn't shoot super high resolution
pictures, as in various videos from the launch event company
representatives are talking HD video resolution and images The bad news is that currently the Lytro camera only comes
with sides of 1080 pixels. It's possible that this is a limitation with software for Mac, although the company has promised
of the technology at the moment and it's also worth noting that to deliver Windows software sometime next year. On top
the camera takes square pictures. of that all images are saved in a proprietary lfp file format
and it doesn't appear to be possible to export the images to
standard formats if you'd want to. This makes it impossible
to edit the images and it also makes them fairly useless for
any kind of professional use. That said, Lytro seems to be
targeting the consumer market with its first camera as the
company is offering a free, unlimited image hosting service
that will allow the pictures to be shared to various other
services such as Facebook or Twitter. It should also be pointed
out that the company is only talking about online sharing of the
pictures and there really seems to be little else you can do with
them. This is again disappointing considering the otherwise
impressive technology.
Despite the peculiar camera design and somewhat
Unprintable Content (Video, Flash, etc.)
disappointing specifications, the technology behind the
pictures you take is mind blowing. Not only can you re-focus With so many pros and cons you'll have to be a true gadget
and zoom your pictures after taking them, but you can even lover or an experimental photographer to invest in one of
adjust the parallax of the images, something that has never Lytro's cameras, as they don't come cheap. The 8GB models
been possible to do before. On top of that all the pictures will be available in electric blue and graphite for US$399 (S
you take with the Lytro camera are 3D compatible and the $509) whit the 16GB red hot model will be going for US$499
company even claims that the pictures will be compatible (S$639). We don't want to be overly pessimistic here, as we
with future display technology such as holographic displays haven't actually played with one of the cameras, but it feels like
if they're ever made. As such quite a lot of data is saved per Lytro has created a camera with very limited appeal despite
image, the company recons each image is about 16MB in size, its obvious technological advantages over a traditional digital
similar to RAW images out of high-end digital cameras or camera.
DSLRs. What isn't so great, at least in its current state, is that
you can't seem to get the entire image in focus the way you can Source: Lytro, for some more examples of Lytro's images,
by stopping down a traditional camera lens, but hopefully this please check out their image gallery
is something that will be added in the future.
HP Launches new e-All-in-One
Printers
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/hp-launches-new-e-all-in-one-
printers/13780.html
2

13. October 20th, 2011 Published by: VR-Zone
October 20th, 2011 HP says the Photosmart range of printers allows home users to
print lab quality photos at home. According to product sheets
provided by HP, the HP Photosmart 7510 has 5 individual inks
system that allows for the changing specific inks for greater
savings. The Photosmart 7510 comes with an automatic
document feeder that can hold up to 25 loose sheets, while
Hewlett Packard (HP) has launched a new series of lifestyle duplex printing capabilities helps reduce paper wastage. Wi-
connected printers that the company promises will enhance Fi is also built in, with a large 4.33-inch TouchSmart screen for
and redefine users' home printing experience. They are running HP print Apps and printing of web content without
the stylish HP Envy 110 e-All-in-One printer and the HP the need for a PC.
Photosmart family of e-All-in-One printers for consumers. Other printers in the Photosmart family include the HP
All e-All-in-One printers incorporate ePrint technology that Photosmart 6510 e-All-in-One and the HP Photosmart 5510 e-
allows them to be customized with an email address. Printing All-in-One.
can be initiated by simply sending a photo or document to the
printer via email and picking up the printed pages later. In
The HP Envy 110 will be available at the recommended retail
addition, the printers come with AirPrint and HP ePrint Home
price of $440 from October onwards. The HP Photosmart 7510
& Biz support for app based printing from Android, iOS and
will be available from November at a recommended retail price
Symbian.
of $387, while the Photosmart 6510 and the Photosmart 5510
HP Envy 110 e-All-in-One will be available for $307 and $261 respectively.
Buyer's Guide: MSI N580GTX
Lightning Xtreme Edition 3GB
- The Fastest Single GPU for
BF3?
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/buyer-s-guide-msi-n580gtx-lightning-
xtreme-edition-3gb--the-fastest-single-gpu-for-bf3-/13772.html
The HP Envy 110 e-All-in-One printer features a sleek and slim
October 20th, 2011
design in a classy white and cream color. Elegantly designed
to blend in, HP says that the printer will easily complement
any room in the house. Whisper-quiet printing also ensures
that no conversations or TV programs are ever interrupted
around the house. The Envy 110 comes with copy, scan and
duplex printing capabilities, USB 2.0 and Wi-Fi (802.11 b/g/n)
connectivity, as well as the ability to read memory cards such
There are plenty of reasons why anyone would only
as the Memory Stick Duo and Secure Digital/MultimediaCard.
want a single graphics card in their system - limited
Finally, a 3.45 inch touchscreen makes it possible to access space in SFF motherboards/enclosures, power consumption
a wide array of HP print Apps that include Facebook Photos considerations, and input lag or framerate stuttering with
to printer photos directly from your Facebook Photo album, some multi-GPU setups. Before Battlefield 3 launches
to My Recipes, which is filled with recipes from various officially next Tuesday (25th October 2011), we take a
magazines. quick look on whether the MSI N580GTX Lightning Xtreme
HP Photosmart e-All-in-One printers Edition is best single GPU weapon for your online battlefield
domination.
Introduction
Earlier this month, the highly anticipated Battlefield 3
multiplayer open beta introduced revolutionary new levels
of DirectX 11 graphics quality and detail in the game
environments, obsoleting many older hardware in the
process and triggering a mad rush to upgrade to higher grades
of graphics cards and CPUs in order to get comfortable and
consistent framerates.
As covered by our BF3 system builder guide, we mentioned
that the game demands at least a 3GHz Quad Core processor
such as Intel's Core i5/i7 and AMD's Phenom II/FX Bulldozer
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14. October 20th, 2011 Published by: VR-Zone
class of CPUs to not be bottlenecked by it. Scaling the number
of CPU cores/threads/modules, or overclocking the working
frequency did not show much noticable improvement beyond
that.
Things were more exciting on the GPU end though as we saw
almost linear FPS scaling when we varied the number of cards,
shaders, clock speeds and memory bandwidth. GPU usage was
walling at 99% - something we haven't seen in games except
the original Crysis and stress test burners. For example, we
tested that a dual SLi setup (ultra image quality) get almost
90% more FPS (~95fps) than a single card (~50fps), a tri-SLi
setup get 170% more (~135fps), and a quad SLi 250% more
(~175fps). We'll be testing this again when the final retail game
is released, with the latest drivers.
Inset of Box (with a transparent window to see the card)
There are plenty of reasons why some end users and
competitive gamers would want only a single GPU graphics
card:
• Lack of space and cooling capacity in cramped small form
factor cases/motherboards
• Power Consumption of Multiple Cards
• "Good Enough" for lower resolutions / image quality
presets
• Mouse Input Lag, framerate jitter and micro stuttering
caused by certain bridge chips implementations and the
concept of AFR (alternate frame rendering) itself which
is used in both SLi and Crossfire.
Today, we'll be doing a quick look on the MSI N580GTX Back of Box
Lightning Xtreme Edition 3GB that we will be using in some
of our upcoming BF3 articles. Simply put, the card in hand
belongs to the pinnacle of off the shelf air-cooled gaming
graphics cards, bar multi-GPU behemoths like the Nvidia
GTX590 and the AMD Radeon 6990. As the final Battlefield
3 game is not released yet, we will be doing some max air
overclocking and running a few demanding benchmarks in
preparation for the main event next week..
The Packaging
Front of Box
Accessories (PCIe 6 to 8 pin convertors, Analog to DVI dongle,
SLi Bridges, Installation CD and a User Guide)
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15. October 20th, 2011 Published by: VR-Zone
Asia, World Sport Group, Warner Music Group, Refinery
Media, and Oak3. The partners are establishing a strong
presence on YouTube to easily distribute their content and
grow their audience. YouTube has also secured a masthead
advertisement on the Singapore home page for opening
day from local telecommunication operator, SingTel. At the
launch, SingTel has expressed plans to launch a new YouTube
channel and seeks to find a suitable host who could well be the
next social media star on youtube.com.sg.
The video sharing site has also signed a licensing agreement
with Composers & Authors Society of Singapore (COMPASS)
that allow music artists to earn revenue on YouTube.
Revenue is generated when advertisements are displayed
against YouTube partner’s videos. This means that under the
agreement, Singaporean authors can receive payments from
their associations when rights holders distribute them.
For Xbox 360 owners, the company has also announced that
YouTube launches localized YouTube service will be available on the gaming console in
service in Singapore November next month. While no details are out, it should
come in the form of an online update. No word as to when the
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/youtube-launches-localized-service-in- YouTube service will be available on other game consoles like
singapore/13779.html Sony PS3 though.
October 20th, 2011
Today, YouTube announced a localized service in Singapore,
www.youtube.com.sg, which features a local interface that
allows users to search relevant videos quickly and easily; has
expanded content from local and global partners; and offers
Singaporean users opportunities to increase their exposure.
According to Adam Smith, director of Product Management
for YouTube Asia-Pacific, with today's launch, YouTube will be
globalized to 35 countries around the world.
"Every day, the 35 countries generate close to 3 billion video
views on the YouTube platform, and that figure is a 50%
increase of the 2 billion last year. What we see is that every
single minute, there are 48 hours of videos uploaded. One
of the trends we are watching very closely is how YouTube
is expanding from being primarily a desktop service to one
that is available wherever people are, with mobile playing an
The world’s most popular online video sharing site, YouTube, incredible part; we have over 400 million views a day on the
has made its official debut in Singapore. Singaporeans can now mobile platform. And that is important over here, in Asia" said
find their favourite local content easily, and share them across Smith.
the globe. All you need to do is go to URL youtube.com.sg or
select the location "Singapore" at the bottom of the YouTube
website.
In conjunction with this launch, YouTube has formed
partnership agreements with top Singaporean media
companies such as Interactive SG, Valleyarm / Music Services
5

16. October 20th, 2011 Published by: VR-Zone
October 20th, 2011
Admittedly we're late on reporting this, but it seems like the
camp of four port USB 3.0 host controller makers is growing
quickly and about a month ago Fresco Logic quietly joined
Renesas, TI and VLI with its own four port host controller. Its
latest product is the FL1100 and it gets a couple of additional
features over the FL1009
Nikon 1 cameras, J1 and V1, Admittedly we're late on reporting this, but it seems like the
arrive in Singapore camp of four port USB 3.0 host controller makers is growing
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/nikon-1-cameras-j1-and-v1-arrive-in- quickly and about a month ago Fresco Logic quietly joined
singapore/13778.html Renesas, TI and VLI with its own four port host controller. Its
October 20th, 2011 latest product is the FL1100 and it gets a couple of additional
features over the FL1009.
Fresco Logic is making a big deal about the FL1100 featuring
new "hardware-based multi-stream, multi-threaded parallel
processing engines" which are meant to help deliver full USB
3.0 bandwidth to each of the four ports. The chip itself is fairly
big compared to the competition at 9x9mm, Renesas recently
Nikon surprised the world when the company announced launched µPD720201 measures 8x8mm and has nearly half
their new Nikon 1 advanced mirrorless cameras with the pin count at 68 vs 119 pints for the FL1100.
interchangeable lens last month - the J1 and V1. Well,
apparently, the Nikon 1 cameras have just hit the shelves in
Singapore and are retailing from today.
As with the older FL1009, the FL1100 supports xHCI 1.0 and
UASP. It also features Fresco Logic's GoXtream technology
Please note that Nikon will only carrying the Black, Pink and which the company claims minimizes latency and helps
White version of the Nikon 1 J1 at this point in time. protect real-time data streams when other devices are being
used simultaneously. What's new is support for hardware
Fresco Logic does four ports based link power management which is still a fairly new
addition to USB 3.0 and it's not a feature all device supports.
of USB 3.0 goodness However, USB 3.0 devices that support LPM can go into sleep
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/fresco-logic-does-four-ports-of- states if there are long periods of inactivity.
usb-3.0-goodness/13777.html The final new addition is support for USB battery charging and
the FL1100 supports revision 1.2 of the standard. Apparently
there's also a special USB charging standard for China that
isn't quite the same as the one pushed by the USB-IF, but
6

17. October 20th, 2011 Published by: VR-Zone
the FL1100 can apparently auto detect which standard is
supported by the device being charged and automatically
switch between the two standards. The reason this is needed is
because USB devices that supports the USB charging standard
will send a handshake that informs the host controller how
much power it wants and if this isn't initialized correctly, then
the USB device will only get 500mA.
We'll have to wait and see if any of the motherboard
manufacturers picks up the FL1100, but at the moment it looks
as if Gigabyte is slowly moving from Etron to Fresco Logic, at
least on its high-end motherboards.
We should also take the opportunity here to clear up a
Intel talks Intelligent Systems misunderstanding here with regards to Intel's Digital Home
at IEDS Taipei Group. Although the DHG has been merged with the tablet
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/intel-talks-intelligent-systems-at-ieds-
group, Intel didn't communicate what was going on in a clear
taipei/13776.html
manner. Intel has indeed pulled its Atom CE 4000-series of
October 20th, 2011
SoC's out of the retail product market and as such products like
Google TV and the Boxeebox won't be getting any competitors
on the retail shelf. However, Intel is actively pursuing the IPTV
and Cable TV market space with its CE 4000-series of Atom
SoC's.
Mention embedded computing and most people either leaves
the room or start yawning and this is something Intel
apparently have picked up on, as the company as re-named
its embedded computing division to Intel Intelligent Systems.
We spent a day at the Intel Embedded Developer Summit in
Taipei and found out that the company is busy trying to make
embedded computing sexy.
Mention embedded computing and most people either leaves
the room or start yawning and this is something Intel
apparently have picked up on, as the company as re-named
its embedded computing division to Intel Intelligent Systems.
We spent a day at the Intel Embedded Developer Summit in
Taipei and found out that the company is busy trying to make
embedded computing sexy.
When most of us think about embedded computing, we
think about industrial PC's and antiquated motherboards and
possibly expensive, yet out dated hardware. However, this is
quickly changing as the embedded market is evolving and
moving towards more advanced solutions and we're now
seeing cutting edge hardware in many embedded systems.
Intel is of course pushing its Atom processors heavily into this
market space, as they're low power and can often be equipped In fact, Intel is making a big push into the IPTV and Cable TV
with passive cooling. That said, the company is also busy market and is working closely with several service providers
pushing its Sandy Bridge processors into this market space not only on the hardware side to create devices that consumers
and there were a few demos as the show that explained why. won't be ashamed to have in their homes, but also on the
software side to allow the set top box makers to build software
platforms that are future proof, upgradable and expandable.
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18. October 20th, 2011 Published by: VR-Zone
Swedish telecom company Ericsson was on location at IEDS
as well and they're one of the bigger players out there when
it comes to delivering the connectivity between the service
providers and the end users. Ericsson was keen to point out
that consumer's wants easy to use hardware where they don't
have to sit down and read manuals to work out how to get
the most out of their set top box, but they also want a lot of
functionally and are in fact willing to pay for it. They didn't
specifically promote Intel's solution, but hinted at the fact that
Other products on display included a rather nifty patient
offering hardware that can be easily upgraded instead of using
hospital all-in-one PC which doubled up as a TV, a streaming
custom made solutions for each generation of set top boxes
video player, meal ordering system, phone and maybe most
would overall offer a better customer experience.
importantly, a means for the doctor to easily access the
patients records. Some other rather peculiar products on
display included a set top box from Tatung with Intel WiDi,
i.e. video streaming over Wi-Fi to the TV. We're not sure
how much sense this makes, unless it's possible to stream
to another room. There was also a company showing off an
Atom powered car "stereo" which will of course handle video
playback, navigation and a wide range of other things such as
optional internet access and what not.
Not only set top boxes were on display of course, Intel also
had several other partner demos and some of its own. One
that caught our eye was an augmented reality demo that was
done together with Lego. Although Intel and Lego has shown
off similar demos before, the ones we've seen on YouTube in
the past have been of simpler Lego toys, while the demo at
IEDS consisted of a couple of Lego Technics products where
you could actually interact with the demo and one of the Lego
kits could show at least two different trucks you could build
out of the kit.
8

19. October 20th, 2011 Published by: VR-Zone
A wide range of other more traditional embedded computing
products were also on display, but we wanted to show off a
few that were more in line with Intel's new Intelligent Systems
name. In fact, Intel is expecting there to be around 15 billion
“intelligent connected devices” out there by 2015, which is
computers that can somehow interact with each other without
any need for user input. These 15 billion devices are expected
to create 35 trillion gigabytes of data by 2020 and this doesn't
even take us humans into account. Embedded computing is
changing and although it still has a long way to go before it
becomes what we'd call sexy technology that people care about,
Finally a rather unusual product was on display by a Malaysian more and more of us are likely to end up with some embedded
company called Pradotec, an Atom Z510 powered portable technology in our homes sooner or later, if we don't already
ePassport terminal. The HPT600 as it's known as is a one of a have some.
kind product so far that has been designed for border controls
around the world and it allows passports to be easily scanned
without the need of a larger PC. It also sports a wide range of MSI X79A-GD65 8D
wireless and wired connectivity options, a 5-inch LCD screen, Motherboard Pictured
a GPS unit, USB 2.0 ports, a keyboard and even an optional Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/msi-x79a-gd65-8d-motherboard-
fingerprint scanner. pictured/13775.html
October 20th, 2011
Here are some of the first pictures of MSI X79A-GD65
8D, the company's second-to-best socket LGA2011 offering,
which will feature in the first wave of Sandy Bridge-E
compatible motherboards. The marker "8D" brings back some
old memories. It literally stands for "eight DIMMs", and
was first used on the P45-8D "Memory Lover", a board that
featured four each of DDR3 and DDR2 slots. On the X79A-
GD65 8D, however, it refers to two DDR3 DIMMs per channel,
to take advantage of the quad-channel IMC of Sandy Bridge-
E. Let's put this one under the looking glass.
Here are some of the first pictures of MSI X79A-GD65
8D, the company's second-to-best socket LGA2011 offering,
9

20. October 20th, 2011 Published by: VR-Zone
which will feature in the first wave of Sandy Bridge-E options includes four each of SATA 6 Gb/s and SATA 3 Gb/s.
compatible motherboards. The marker "8D" brings back some There are no eSATA ports.
old memories. It literally stands for "eight DIMMs", and
was first used on the P45-8D "Memory Lover", a board that
featured four each of DDR3 and DDR2 slots. On the X79A-
GD65 8D, however, it refers to two DDR3 DIMMs per channel,
to take advantage of the quad-channel IMC of Sandy Bridge-
E. Let's put this one under the looking glass.
Connectivity options are fairly standard. There's 8+2 channel
HD audio with optical and coaxial SPDIF outputs, one gigabit
Ethernet connection, FireWire, and four USB 3.0 ports (two
on the rear panel, two by internal header), a few USB 2.0 ports,
and the PS/2 combo connector.
The board supports 4-way SLI and CrossFireX, and quite a
few overclocking options packed into the UEFI configuration
utility. There are MSI exclusives such as OC Genie II.
The MSI X79A-GD65 8D is a socket LGA2011 HEDT (high-
end desktop) platform offering by MSI, based on the Intel Samsung and Google
X79 chipset. The landscape photograph shows just how the
board is bursting with features. The LOTES-made LGA2011 unveils GALAXY Nexus, first
socket is powered by what appears to be a 5+2 phase VRM
configuration, which makes use of solid-state choles and
Android Ice Cream Sandwich
POSCAP capacitors. DIMM slots are arranged in two sets of smartphone
four slots, on either sides of the socket. Each of the two sets Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/samsung-and-google-unveils-galaxy-
has wiring for two of the four DDR3 memory channels of the nexus-first-android-ice-cream-sandwich-smartphone/13774.html
Sandy Bridge-E processor. The memory is powered by a 4- October 20th, 2011
phase VRM.
The wait for the Google Android Ice Cream Sandwich
platform is finally over. Today, Samsung and Google have
jointly announced the GALAXY Nexus, which claims to be
the first smartphone running the Android 4.0 Ice Cream
Sandwich mobile operating system.
Expansion slots include five PCI-Express x16, of which two
are PCI-Express 3.0 x16 capable, four are PCI-Express 3.0 x8
capable (depends on the way they're populated), and one is
PCI-Express 2.0 x4 capable (wired to the X79 PCH). A PCI-
Express 2.0 x1 makes itself comfortable in the middle. Storage
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21. October 20th, 2011 Published by: VR-Zone
850/900/1800/1900, *LTE
version will be available
depending on the region.
Processor 1.2 GHz Dual Core Processor
Display 4.65-inch 1280X720 HD
Super AMOLED
OS Android Ice Cream Sandwich
Camera Main(Rear) : 5 MP AF with
LED Flash with zero shutter
lag and fast shot2shot; Sub
(Front) : 1.3MP for Video Call
Video Codec : MPEG4/H.263/
H.264, Playback :
1080p@30fps Recording :
1080p Full HD Video@30fps
Audio Codec : MP3/AAC/AAC+/
Samsung and Google today announced GALAXY Nexus, the eAAC+, 3.5mm Ear Jack
world’s first smartphone running Android 4.0, Ice Cream Google Mobile Services Android Market, Gmail,
Sandwich; the latest release of the Android platform. The Google Earth, YouTube,
GALAXY Nexus sports a 4.65-inch high definition Super Movie Studio Google Maps
AMOLED display that supports 720p resolution and is 5.0 with 3D maps and turn-
powered by a 1.2GHz dual core processor. by-turn navigation Syncing
with Google Calendar, Google
Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich brings an entirely new
+ app
look and feel, with a redesigned user interface. It also offers
improved multi-tasking, notifications, Wi-Fi hotspot, NFC Connectivity Bluetooth technology v 3.0,
support and full web browsing experience. The Samsung USB 2.0, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/
GALAXY Nexus features software navigation buttons, which is n (2.4GHz/ 5GHz), NFC
a first for Android smartphones. The lock screen, home screen, Sensor Accelerometer, Compass,
phone app, and everything inbetween has been rethought and Gyro, Light, Proximity,
redesigned to make Android simple, beautiful, and useful. Barometer
Memory 1GB(RAM) + 16GB/ 32GB
Internal memory
Ice Cream Sandwich also features a new People app, which lets Size 135.5 x 67.94 x 8.94mm, 135g
you, browse friends, family, and coworkers, see their photos Battery Standard battery, Li-on 1,750
in high-resolution, and check their latest status updates from mAh
Google+ and other social networks. GALAXY Nexus features
a camera which can shoot panorama pictures, do 1080p HD
video capture, has zero-shutter lag, and offers various picture
effects like silly faces and background replacement. On top of Gigabyte teases near final
that, Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich also offers Face Unlock
which uses facial recognition to unlock your phone, and NFC G1.Assasin 2 X79 motherboard
technology that lets you share web pages, apps, and YouTube Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/gigabyte-teases-near-final-g1.assasin-2-
videos with your friends by simply tapping your phones x79-motherboard/13773.html
together. The Samsung GALAXY Nexus also supports LTE and October 20th, 2011
HSPA+ connectivity for high-speed web browsing wherever
you are.
The Samsung GALAXY Nexus will be available in the U.S.,
We already got a sneak peek at the Gigabyte G1.Assassin 2 X79
Europe, and Asia beginning in November and gradually rolled
motherboard along with Gigabyte's other X79 boards from
out to other global markets.
IDF, but now the company is showing off teaser pictures of
what should be near a final product on its Facebook page.
Nothing much appears to have changed in terms of the board
layout, although several SATA ports are missing thanks to
Network HSPA+ 21Mbps/ Intel's X79 chipset snafu.
HSUPA 5.76Mbps,
850/900/1900/1700/2100
EDGE/GPRS;
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