VR-Zone Technology News | Stuff for the Geeks! Issue #30

May 16th, 2011 Published by: VR-Zone

VR-Zone.com | Stuff for the Geeks!
to have a floor space measuring 300 by 100 meters. On top of
VR-Zone | Stuff for the Geeks is a bi-weekly publication the three server halls, two power stations are also going to be
covering the latest gadgets and stuff for the geeks. built nearby. It shouldn't be too long until we find out if this is
going to be where Facebook will locate its first European data
center or not.
Facebook rumoured to locate
new data center in Sweden Exclusive: MSI's GTX 560
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/facebook-rumoured-to-locate-new-
data-center-in-sweden/12245.html cards pictured
May 16th, 2011 Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/exclusive-msi-s-gtx-560-cards-
pictured/12244.html
May 16th, 2011

According to Swedish newspaper NSD, Facebook is in the final
stages of making an agreement with the local city council in
Luleå, the largest city in the northernmost parts of Sweden.
The city of Luleå is located just south of the polar circle and has
a population of about 45,500, yet this could be where Facebook
We're only hours from the official launch of Nvidia's upcoming
is planning to build its next data center which is said to consist
GTX 560 GPU, the one without Ti on the end which is set to,
of three massive server halls.
well, compete with something or the other at a price point of
$10-20 less than something else. Anyhow, we've gotten our
According to Swedish newspaper NSD, Facebook is in the final hands on a couple of pictures of MSI's upcoming N560GTX
stages of making an agreement with the local city council in Twin Frozr II cards, both of which look very similar to MSI's
Luleå, the largest city in the northernmost parts of Sweden. N560GTX-Ti Twin Frozr II, but not identical.
The city of Luleå is located just south of the polar circle and has
a population of about 45,500, yet this could be where Facebook
We're only hours from the official launch of Nvidia's upcoming
is planning to build its next data center which is said to consist
GTX 560 GPU, the one without Ti on the end which is set to,
of three massive server halls.
well, compete with something or the other at a price point of
So far it's mostly speculation, but all the details are said to $10-20 less than something else. Anyhow, we've gotten our
be pointing towards Facebook. The local city council is said hands on a couple of pictures of MSI's upcoming N560GTX
want to expedite the applications for the new server halls and is Twin Frozr II cards, both of which look very similar to MSI's
hoping to have everything approved by the end of this month. N560GTX-Ti Twin Frozr II, but not identical.
That said, this is a big hush hush project and as such only
We're not quite sure why, but MSI seems to have added a
trickles of information has leaked out so far.
small clamp on the rear part of the PCB that helps stabilize
Even if the server halls aren't for Facebook, there are only so the GPU cooler. Oddly enough, the Ti versions don't have this
many companies that would need three server halls pulling a little addition and we're not quite sure why MSI has added,
massive 473 million kWh of electricity, that's said to be a year's but there must be a reason for it. This is the only difference we
worth of power for 16,000 houses. On top of that, the facility managed to spot between the cards, but the real difference is
is said to have no less than 30 backup diesel generators, just of course inside the GPU itself.
in case there's a power failure.
There is still said to be a few issues that need to be looked at
before the building permit is given, as the location chose is
close to a nature reserve among many things. The facility is
said to need somewhere between 70 to 90 employees that will
handle the 24/7 operations and each of the server halls are said

1


Corsair has just announced its latest line of solid state drives,
the Force Series 3. Using the latest SandForce SF-2281
controller, the Force Series 3 claims up to 550MB/s read and
520MB/s write speeds. The drives support SATA 3 (6Gbps)
and are backward compatible with SATA 2.
According to Corsair, Force Series 3 drives will be priced close
to previous generation drives. Corsair's suggested retail prices
for the drives are as follows:

• 60GB - US$139
• 120GB - US$219
• 240GB - US$499
The stock clocked card should have a core clock of 820MHz
Hopefully prices will decrease further as more manufacturers
with the 336 shaders clocked at 1640MHz and the 1GB of
bring new generation Sandforce drives onto the market. Prices
GDDR5 memory at an effective speed of an even 4GHz. The
of previous generation SSDs have dropped in tandem, which
GTX 560 GPU is said to have 32 ROPs and it retains the
might be of interest to bargain hunters.
256-bit memory interface. The N560GTX Twin Frozer II/
OC is a little bit faster with a core clock of 870MHz which
brings the shaders up to 1740MHz while the memory has been
overclocked to 4080MHz.

See the full press release below:
Corsair announces Force Series 3 Solid State Drives
New family offers SATA 3 performance for near SATA
2 pricing
FREMONT, California — May 16th, 2011 — Corsair,
a worldwide designer and supplier of high-
performance components to the PC gaming hardware
market, today announced the Force Series™ 3 family
Both cards have a pair of DVI ports and a mini HDMI port and of solid-state drives.
MSI supplies a mini HDMI to HDMI adapter as well as a DVI
The newly announced Force Series 3 models take
to D-sub adapter with the cards. We found the N560GTX Twin
advantage of the new SATA 6.0 Gb/s (SATA
Frozer II/OC listed on a European online retailer for €214.12
3) interface to deliver impressive speed at an
(S$380) which is only €9.16 (S$16) cheaper than the Ti version
attractive price. The Force Series 3 features the
and with such a small price difference, it's hard to see why
highest performance version of the latest-generation
anyone would go for the GTX 560 over the GTX 560 Ti.
SandForce SF-2281 SSD Processor with out-of-box
read and write speeds of up to 550 MB/s and 520
Corsair Unveils Force Series 3 MB/s respectively, and an impressive 85000K IOPS
for measurably faster system response, boot times
Solid State Drives and application load times than SATA 2 solid-state
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/corsair-unveils-force-series-3-solid- drives. All Force Series 3 models are also backward
state-drives/12242.html compatible with SATA 2, and include an easy-to-
May 16th, 2011 use 3.5” adapter to allow owners of both desktop
and notebook PCs to enjoy the cool, quiet operation
and enhanced system performance made possible
by replacing their traditional mechanical hard drive
with an SSD.
“With the rapid market adoption of SATA 3, there’s
strong demand for affordably priced SSDs that can
More Sandforce SF-2000 drives are appearing: Corsair has take advantage of the enhanced performance it
announced the Force Series 3 line of solid state drives. provides,” said Thi La, Vice President of Memory
Equipped with the SandForce SF-2281 controller, these SATA Products at Corsair. “Our new Force Series 3 SSDs
3 (6Gbps) compatible drives are specified for up to 550MB/s provide the performance that enthusiasts demand, at
read and 520MB/s write speeds.
2


price points approaching the current generation of the official release date for Modern Warfare 3, with November
SATA 2 SSDs.” 8 being the magic date where the game will be released for sale
globally.
“We are pleased to have our SandForce SF-2281
driving the leading-edge performance of the Force Hardware news
Series 3 family,” said Jeremy Werner, Director of G.Skill Ripjaws-X Series PC3-17000 16GB Kit Review
Marketing at SandForce. “ Corsair, and its newest Description: The G.Skill Ripjaws-X PC3-17000 kit comes with
Force Series 3 drives, is poised to ride the wave of four 4GB sticks carrying a default clock speed of 2133MHz
SATA 3 adoption by offering compelling pricing and DDR. I'm not all that big on overclocking my main machine,
enthusiast-level performance.” but the ease of P67 RAM overclocking means that changing
Force Series 3 solid state drives will be available the XMP Profile to 1 gives me the speeds I need without even
worldwide this month from Corsair’s network of touching my CPU speed. Carrying such large modules at such
authorized retailers at a suggested retail price of $139 a large speed, it comes as little surprise that the timings are
USD for the 60GB model, $219 USD for the 120GB more relaxed than the black Ripjaws-X we looked at earlier in
model and $499 USD for the 240GB model. Note the year. The kit we've got today comes in at 9-11-9-28-2T @
that stated capacities are unformatted and actual 1.65v. Normally I would just ignore the 2T and jump straight
capacities will vary depending on the formatting to 1T, but I actually had trouble with the machine booting.
and operating system used. For more information ECS HDC-I Mini-ITX Fusion Board Review @ Madshrimps
on Force Series 3 solid state drives, please visit the Description: The HDC-I Fusion Board from ECS has a lot of
Corsair web site. connectivity options right from the factory: Bluetooth, WiFi,
About Corsair one eSATA 6GB/s along with 4 SATA III ports; two USB 3.0
ports are also offered. The "Turbo" option can be enabled in
Founded in 1994, Corsair supplies high performance
the BIOS and gives the system quite a noticeable boost.
products purchased primarily by PC gaming
enthusiasts who build their own PCs or buy ASRock Z68 Pro3 (Intel Z68) Motherboard Review
pre-assembled customized systems. The company's Description: Priced at $199.99, the ASRock Z68 Extreme4 is a
award-winning products include DRAM memory very well-priced product for something that let us achieve over
modules, USB flash drives, power supply units, solid- 5GHz from our 2600k. Compared to the competition, it's an
state drives, PC headsets and speaker systems, cooling aggressive price point, but there's no doubt that some people
systems and computer cases. don't even need all the features that are on offer on the Z68
Extreme4. For a whole $70 less you can pick up the ASRock
Z68 Pro3 we're looking at today. At $129.99 it's one of the most
The Daily VR-Zone News aggressively priced Z68 boards on the market. Are you still
Summary - 16 May 2011 getting a Z68 board that you will want, though?
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/the-daily-vr-zone-news-summary--16- OCZ ZX 850W Power Supply Review at Overclockers Online
may-2011/12243.html Description: There is very little one could reasonable fault the
May 16th, 2011 ZX 850W power supply on. Actually there’s quite a bit of things
that I do like. OCZ has put quite a bit of thought, effort and
detail into this power supply. The packaging, the paint job,
wires, the clean construction inside, everything speaks highly
of OCZ’s efforts here and their efforts are not without results.
The ZX 850W isn’t only for show.
In today's news roundup: G.Skill's Ripjaws-X Series
Antec Sonata IV Mid-Tower Case Review @Hi Tech Legion
PC3-17000 16GB memory kit, which consists of four 4GB
Description: The Sonata IV from Antec is a mid-tower case
sticks, each clocked at 2133MHz, gets reviewed; TSMC claims
with elegant styling that promises whisper quiet operation.
that it will stick to planar transistor designs for its upcoming
The Antec Sonata IV is aimed squarely at the HTPC and
20nm process "for the forseeable future" in the name of
high end business/SOHO market where aesthetic appeal and
compatibility due to beliefs that the ecosystem, which consists
silence are the most important characteristics. With a gloss
of design tools, IP and design kits, are not ready for Intel's
piano black finish and discretely styled front panel, the Sonata
3D Tri-Gate transistor design yet; Panasonic has released
IV can look at home in almost any environment. Included with
a new app for iOS devices which allow for remote control
the Sonata IV is a 620 watt Antec Neo PSU, more than enough
of its VIERA television sets via the aforementioned iOS-
wattage to power for any mainstream system. The Sonata IV
powered devices; Microsoft has given its stamp of approval
is versatile, with motherboard compatibility for micro-ATX,
to a tool created by developer Chris Walsh that reportedly
ATX, and even mini-ITX boards which are now common in
allows for existing Windows Phone 7 smartphones that have
HTPC builds. Inside the Sonata IV there is room for four 3.5”
received 'grey update images' from Walsh to be flashed back
drives as well as one 2.5” drive. Outside is space for three 5.25”
to their official firmware images needed in order to remain
optical drives. The front I/O puts your most commonly used
on the official software update path; Capcom has released
connections in an easily accessed area, including audio, 2 USB
instructions on what gamers should do in order to sucessfully
2.0 and 1 USB 3.0.
install the Arcade Edition patch for Super Street Figher IV on
their consoles, and Word has it that retail sources have leaked Swiftech Polaris 120 CPU Cooler Review @ OCIA.net

3


Description: It has been quite a while since Swiftech last card access and VIERA Connect over WiFi by simply activating
offered a new air-cooled heatsink. Looking back through old the function within your Viera TV's menu.
reviews it appears the last one may have been the MCX6400- Speedlink Strike FX Wireless Gamepad Review - XSReviews
V, circa 2004. Certainly at that time Swiftech's coolers were Description: Speedlink are a German company who are
well regarded, and they were the only ones to utilize anything well known for making budget peripherals, such as mice,
like their patented Helicoid cooling pin design for base to keyboards, cables, speakers, controllers and headsets for PCs,
fin heat transfer. However in more recent years Swiftech has laptops and consoles. With the Strike FX, they have created a
concentrated exclusively on liquid cooling products. You can Playstation-like wireless controller which is compatible with
imagine my surprise then when I received the notice that I both Windows PCs and the PS3 itself. Read on to find out how
would be reviewing a new air-cooled heatsink from Swiftech, the Strike FX shapes up.
the Polaris 120.
Razer Starcraft 2 Mouse, Keyboard and Headset Review on
Arctic Accelero XTREME Plus GPU Cooler Review @ Real Technic3D (German)
World Labs Description: (Machine translation) The Razer Starcraft 2
Description: With a cooling efficiency second to none, very Spectre Mouse, Marauder Keyboard and Banshee Headset
low noise levels and the ability to choose between PWM and arrived Technic3D. We will check all the Features and more in
Manual controlled fan speeds the Accelero XTREME Plus by the following Review.
Arctic is the ideal choice for people who seek the best cooling
solution for their graphics card especially in time for the Sapphire Edge HD: A Compact Ionisation @ InsideHW
summer period. Description: PCs in miniature enclosures are nothing new.
However, when this enclosure is merely two centimetres thick,
TSMC Does Not See Triple-Gate Transistors as Economically and the graphics card in the PC NVIDIA’s ION 2, what is your
Viable Solution. first thought? This might just be the new ideal candidate for
Description: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company the living room media centre? We thought the same…
said that while Intel Corp's 22nm manufacturing technology
with tri-gate transistors has a number of advantages, it has no Microsoft-blessed tool fixes WP7 updating for gray installs
plans to implement something similar in the generations to Description: Developer Chris Walsh has put out a tool to help
come. keep Windows Phone 7 updates going for those with unofficial
versions of the Walshed tool mends NoDo installs loaded using
Consumer Electronics and Software News the ChevronWP7 hack so that they can keep receiving official
Lenovo T420: The Ultimate Business Machine @ InsideHW updates from Microsoft. Unlike most unofficial firmware
Description: Whether it’s their ultraportable PCs, business tricks, the new tool is officially sanctioned by Microsoft as a
models or workstations, Lenovo solutions are always touted way of getting the phones back on the official path.
to be uncompromising solutions, with excellent quality and Gaming news
flawless product support. The ThinkPad series became well-
known for the aforementioned features all the way back Capcom Explains Super Street Fighter IV Arcade Edition
when IBM still held this company segment. Split into several Update For Consoles
series, the ThinkPad family comprises several important Description: Capcom will be releasing the critical update on
subcategories: the ultraportable X-series, the workstation W- June 7 for Super Street Fighter IV console players to upgrade
series, the accessible SL-series, the stylised Edge series, the it to the Arcade Edition (AE). The update consist of three
“green” L-series, and finally, the most popular of all, the patches. Capcom’s blog quoted the following...
balanced T-series. The newest representative of the T-series, Millions of Password Reset Requests Slow PSN Restoration,
T420, is the one that we’ve received for testing, and its Japan Halts Restart
intention was to convince us that it’s worthy of replacing one Description: Sony flipped the switch on PSN Saturday, but
of the company’s best-selling models, T410… a significant chunk of the PlayStation 3 gaming population
Two New Clues: Is This The Next iPhone? [RUMORS] is still offline. The problem? A bottleneck in the tubes as
Description: Clues about the next iPhone are piling up this millions of PlayStation Network users attempted to reset their
weekend. First an analyst gave tantalizing details of the passwords at roughly the same time. In Japan, however,
upcoming iPhone, saying it’ll be called the iPhone 4S, and then Sony's home base, there is a completely different issue: the
we saw this case design in the graphic above from Asian site government is unsatisfied with Sony's new security measures.
Alibaba. Is it real or just another guess at what Apple might do, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 Release Date Revealed
based on rumors and mockups? Description: Whoops. The good ship Modern Warfare has
Panasonic Turns Your iPad, iPhone or iPod touch Into A sprung another leak. In this instance, our anonymous retail
VIERA TV Remote Control With New VIERA Remote App sources have provided IGN with a confirmed street date
Description: Panasonic is proud to announce its new VIERA for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3. Rumours have been
Remote App for iPad, iPhone and iPod touch is now available circulating around the web for a little while, but IGN can
on the App Store. Panasonic has made watching and browsing now confirm a release date of November 8. This will almost
your VIERA TV even easier with the new VIERA Remote App. certainly be a global date.
The app allows you to quickly and intuitively navigate all the
tools and features on your VIERA TV including 3D settings, SD

4


Report: AMD A-Series mobile HP announces 'limited edition'
tops at 1.9 GHz ultra-thin LED-backlit monitor
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/report-amd-a-series-mobile-tops- Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/hp-announces-limited-edition-ultra-
at-1.9-ghz/12241.html thin-led-backlit-monitor/12240.html
May 16th, 2011 May 16th, 2011

DonanimHaber has unearthed some details about AMD's top Looks like it is not just our television sets that are getting
mobile A-Series part, to be branded A8-3530MX. It will be thinner today; apparently, consumerism has dictated that
clocked at a standard 1.9 GHz, with Turbo Core up to 2.6 GHz. OEMs start shifting their efforts from producing the typical
It features 4MB of L2 cache, as expected, with no L3 cache, robust monitors for PCs into stylish devices with dimensions
much like the Propus CPUs. The USP of Llano is, of course, the and looks which will make any non-tech savvy consumer
powerful GPU part - to be branded HD 6620G. It features 400 swoon over. And the latest entry to this is of premium monitors
SP, clocked at 444 MHz. is HP's new x2301 monitor, which is reportedly a mere
The APU has a TDP of 45W, which is comparable with AMD's centimeter thick.
current top end CPU, but below Intel's flagship 55W Core
i7 Extreme. Considering the Phenom II X940 BE, AMD's
current flagship, is clocked at 2.4 GHz, one may wonder how
optimizations and a 32nm shrink resulted in a sharp 500 MHz
downclock. If at all, the opposite would make more sense. The
catch is that the A8 APU integrates a full fledged GPU, and
45W is actually a very power efficient result for a quad core
CPU and a 400SP GPU at full load.
Of course, AMD will introduce Turbo Core 2 with Llano, and
we may see the CPU part boosting to as high as 2.6 GHz if the
GPU is idling.
One of the major bottlenecks identified for the Fusion GPU
has always been the memory. A derivative of the HD 5500 For most enthusiasts, the desktop PC and its accompanying
series, the A8-3530MX is powered by 1600 MHz DDR3 which peripherals that make up a complete computing system is
is higher than Intel's 1333 MHz support. Still, this is a fraction almost always required to be as large and clunky as possible,
of the 3600 MHz GDDR5 memory in the HD 5570. The if only for the sake of amassing some 'geek cred' from the likes
sharp difference in performance between the HD 5570 GDDR3 of one's non tech-savvy friends. After all, nothing can be more
edition and the GDDR5 edition suggests why upping the impressive than showing off a huge, full-tower self-built PC
memory clocks is important for the Llano APU. As part of the complete with matching hardware such as a huge monitor that
Sabine platform, the A8 APU will occupy the FS1 socket, paired occupies nearly half of one's existing desk space.
up with the A70M chipset.
However, there will always be people who prefer to have
Interestingly, even for notebooks, dual-GPU will be enabled, hardware that appears a little more elegant and sophisticated
for a kind of hybrid crossfire. So, adding a HD 6600M graphics as opposed to their their enthusiast-grade counterparts that
card, for example, will see the APU's IGP and the additional are currently being sold on the market. And if you happen to
GPU working in crossfire for maximum performance. belong to that group, HP's new ultra-thin LED-backlit monitor
Llano will bring forth a new class of computer processors might just catch your fancy.
- power efficent notebook processors with an even balance
between GPU and CPU. While Intel's mobile parts will run
away with CPU performance, we can expect the A-Series
APUs to offer far superior GPU performance and an overall
superior power efficency. If you are in the market for pure
CPU performance, the A-series APUs are bound to disappoint.
Hopefully, AMD will cater to CPU performance needs for the
mobile market with mobile Bulldozer CPUs.
Notebooks with A-series APUs are expected to hit retail mid-
to-end June.

5


According to a report published by ZDNet, the HP x2301 is ZDNet clams that the x2301 will be available for sale on June
a limited edition monitor which sports an unbelievably thin 10 onwards, although it did not make any mention as to
frame that is only a mere 9.8mm thick. However, HP clearly whether the sale of this monitor will be restricted to the US
did not want to make any compromises with the x2301, and market or not. However, in the event that HP decides to release
it shows in its specifications. Apparently, the LED-backlit 23- the x2301 for global purchase, the ultra-thin monitor can be
inch monitor is capable of a native full HD resolution (1920 had for the not-so-thin price tag of US$279.99.
x 1080), offers up to 72% of the color gamut and a dynamic
contrast ratio of 8000,000 : 1 (no mention of its static contrast
ratio). In addition, the x2301 is also reportedly capable of a Fujitsu Japan shows off
low response time of 3ms and is furnished with HP's own
BrightView technology, which is simply a marketing term used
Windows 7-powered tablet
to describe high-gloss, anti-reflective LCD panels which allow with built-in hardware
for greater and more punchy colour saturation.
keyboard
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/fujitsu-japan-shows-off-windows-7-
powered-tablet-with-built-in-hardware-keyboard/12238.html
May 16th, 2011

Tablets may be the future of computing, but suffice to say the
onscreen keyboard offered by all OS developers for use on
such devices leave a lot to be desired where tactile feedback
and ergonomics are concerned. So what is an OEM to do
to address such issues among consumers, especially among
the heavy keyboard users found in business environments?
Simple; you build a tablet that comes with its own built-in
hardware keyboard. You know, like the one Fujitsu has here;
the Fujitsu FMV LifeBook TH40/D.
Of course, to make the display this thin, it should be no
surprise that HP had little choice but to move all x2301's ports
down to the monitor's base, which contains options for video
input via DVI or VGA.

The tablet may be a neat little device to use for mobile
computing, but like all mobile devices, it comes with its own
set of compromises, of which the most notable one is centered
around its lack of a hardware keyboard. As such, this makes it
ill-suited as a drop-in replacement device for typists who are
always on the move. Until now, that is, for Fujitsu seems to
have rectified the problem for good in the form of its new tablet

6


PC, the FMV LifeBook TH 40/D, which features a...yep, you The 2048MB POV GTX 560 Ti comes in two variants - Charged
got it, a built-in hardware keyboard. and Ultracharged - featuring different overclocked frequencies
for the core and the shader.
Reference POV GTX 560 POV GTX
GTX 560 Ti Charged 560 Ti
Ti Ultracharged
Core 822 MHz 860 MHz 911 MHz
Frequency
Shader 1645MHz 1721 MHz 1822 MHz
Frequency
Memory 4008 MHz 4008 MHz 4008 MHz
Frequency

The only downside for these two cards is most likely to be the
As with many unreleased devices, the devil lies in the details, dull, ugly green printed circuit board (PCB). Although the
but what we do know from various reports is that the tablet will green PCB nicely compliments the POV brand, it may not
be preloaded withMicrosoft's Windows 7 operating system, entice most buyers.
and will be powered by Intel's Z670 Atom processor which Read the full article from Techpowerup.
is clocked at 1.5GHz. In addition, Fujitsu claims that the
See the full specifications of the card at POV's website.
tablet will feature a 10-1-inch LED-backlit display, ostensibly
to further reduce the power drain on the tablet in order to
allow for longer uptimes on a single charge. Last but definitely
not least, the LifeBook TH40/D is also said to feature 1GB
Epic Games and Microsoft
of system memory and a 120GB hard disk, and sports a releases developer video
maximum height of 17.4mm.
documentary for upcoming
The Fujitsu FMV LifeBook TH40/D tablet PC will reportedly
be made available for retail in late June at the retail price Gears of War 3 game
of80,000 yen or approximately US$989. Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/epic-games-and-microsoft-
releases-developer-video-documentary-for-upcoming-gears-of-war-3-
game/12234.html
Point of View launches GTX May 16th, 2011

560 Ti 2GB version
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/point-of-view-launches-gtx-560-ti-2gb-
version/12236.html
May 16th, 2011
Gears of War 3 is still a full four months away from its global
launch on September 20 this year, but that does not mean that
gamers have to sit by idly and start crossing off the dates on
their calendar until that day arrives. If you happen to not mind
getting 'poisoned' by sneak previews and hints about what one
can expect from the game, Microsoft has got something for
you: a new developer video documentary which “divulges the
Point of View has launched the 2GB version of the GTX 560
exclusive contents of the “Gears of War 3” Epic and Limited
Ti, days before the official launch of the Nvidia GTX 560
Editions”. Gamers, let the “poisoning” begin.
scheduled this Tuesday. Read on.

As most gamers will undoubtedly know, waiting by the
sidelines for a highly anticipated title to launch can be quite

7


the nerve-wrecking event, especially when one has not been Ironically, a quick look at Microsoft's Gears of War home page
able to secure early access to the game's beta channels before reveals that the aforementioned video documentary has not
they are scheduled to go permanently offline today. However, been made available for public viewing on the site yet, but we
if you are the kind of gamer who thrives on getting as much are fairly certain that it will only be a matter of time before the
information about the game before it eventually launches video is eventually published.
globally, Microsoft may have just the thing for you, and it
comes in the form of a just-released video documentary for the
upcoming Gears of War 3 game for the Xbox 360.
Titled “Making Gears 3: Inside the Wicked Workshop”,
Microsoft claims in a press release issued today that the
video documentary will focus on Chris Perna, who is currently
working for Epic Games as an Art Director. According to
Microsoft, Chris will be talking about how he conceived the
characters and settings for one of the bestselling games for
Microsoft's video game console, but the real draw will have
to be the revelation of two special editions of the game,
the Limited Edition and Epic Edition, with each version
boasting its own various unique and exclusive freebies that
come bundled with the game. Erm...excuse me Microsoft? We seem to be missing a video...
Touted as the 'must-have' for fans who want to “celebrate the Last but not least, if any of the above special edition packs of
culmination” of the Gears of War trilogy, the Limited Edition Gears of War strikes for your fancy, our advice would be to
will include the following: start saving now, for these special edition packs are going to
be quite costly. Just so you know, the Limited Edition will be
• An Octus Award Box and Octus Service Medal – Replicas
retailing for US$79.99, while the Epic Edition will boast an
of the honors bestowed on Adam Fenix, Marcus’s father,
equally epic price tag of US$149.99.
for his work on the Hammer of Dawn.
• Exclusive Unlockable Adam Fenix Multiplayer Character
– Each Octus Service Medal replica is engraved with a GIGABYTE's Radeon HD 6770
unique Xbox LIVE code that is the only way to unlock
Adam Fenix in multiplayer.
using Passive Cooling
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/gigabyte-s-radeon-hd-6770-using-
• A fabric COG Flag – Proud colors that once flew above passive-cooling/12233.html
the House of Sovereigns. May 16th, 2011
• The personal effects of Adam Fenix, including his “Last
Will and Testament,” the initial Hammer of Dawn
schematic, and other Fenix family mementos.

For the hardcore fans...well, the job of satisfying them falls to
the aptly-named Epic Bundle. And from the looks of it, the Epic
Bundle is definitely the most epic of the two special editions; GIGABYTE's Radeon HD 6770 has just retailed in Japan
in addition to getting all of the goodies available in the Limited and the company's GV-R677SL-1GD, the Silent Series is aimed
Edition, gamers will also get to enjoy the following: at users who prefer a quiet system as the 6770 is mounted with
a large heat sink (and there is no heatsink fan). Read on.
• A Limited Edition Marcus Fenix Statue – Designed by
Epic Games Art Director Chris Perna and expertly crafted
by the artisans at Triforce, this fine PVC statue collectible
makes the ultimate living room centerpiece for any true
“Gears” fan.
• The Art and Design of Gears of War by Tom Bissell -
Through unprecedented access to the Epic Games team,
acclaimed author Tom Bissell (Extra Lives) gives readers
an incisive behind-the-scenes glimpse into one of the
most celebrated sagas in video game history with 96
pages of interviews, photos, concept artwork and more.
• Infected Omen Weapon Pack -- Custom multiplayer
skins for the game’s five starting weapons; Lancer, Retro
Lancer, Hammerburst, Sawed-off Shotgun, and Gnasher
Shotgun. The Radeon 6770 is an improved version of the 5770. Although
both uses the same core, The Radeon 6770 has an improved
video playback engine, Bluray 3D support and HDMI 1.4a.
8


As you can see, the Gigabyte's GV-R677SL-1GD has an extra support for multichannel surround sound offers a powerful
component (heatsink) on the side of the card. Users will need audio experience.
to take note of this to ensure that it can fit into the case HP Pavilion Slimline s5 series PCs: The HP Pavilion Slimline
before buying. If one has enough space in the motherboard s5 performance series PCs are conveniently sized to fit
region, a bit of customisation can be done to mount two fans seamlessly into any home environment. It can also be
on the Radeon 6770 which will definitely improve the cooling. configured with a versatile range of performance features,
Overclockers will love to take advantage of this. from storage to processers, to support the most demanding
tasks.
HP launches new Pavilion HP Pavilion HPE h8 series PCs: The HP Pavilion HPE h8
consumer desktop PCs series PCs are the most powerful Pavilion PCs to date.
Select models are available with up to three internal hard
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/hp-launches-new-pavilion-consumer-
drives, AMD Phenom or Intel Core i7 processors, and high-end
desktop-pcs/12232.html
NVIDIA or ATI graphics cards. The PCs also support multiple
May 16th, 2011
displays so users can be more productive with up to three
monitors.
Pricing and availability
- The HP Pavilion HPE h8 series PCs are expected to be
available on May 18 in APJ at a starting price of US$599.99.
— The HP Pavilion p7 series PCs are expected to be available
HP has announced their new lineup of Pavilion consumer
on May 18 in APJ at a starting price of US$299.99.
desktop PCs which include the p7 series, Slimline s5 series
and HPE h8 series. The new desktop PCs are scheduled to be — The HP Pavilion Slimline s5 series PCs are expected to be
available this month and June. available on June 15 in APJ at a starting price of US$329.99.

Audio-Technica introduces
new ATH-WS55 headphones
and ATH-CKM77 earphones
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/audio-technica-introduces-new-ath-
ws55-headphones-and-ath-ckm77-earphones/12231.html
May 16th, 2011

HP today announced a new lineup of HP Pavilion consumer
desktop PCs that claim to deliver the latest technologies in
sophisticated designs. The redesigned HP Pavilion desktops The ATH-WS55 headphones and ATH-CKM77 earphones are
look to fit anywhere from dorm-room desks to media cabinets. the latest additions to Audio-Technica's line of audio products,
Versatile design, powerful features offering superb audio quality and both are available in stores
now.
The new HP Pavilion consumer desktop PCs are equipped
with powerful processors and graphics for superior computing
experience. Additionally, innovative technologies like Beats
Audio and HP LinkUp are now available on select models to
offer consumers the best in sound and functionality.
Music lovers can enjoy their favorite music the way the artiste
intended it with Beats Audio, a high-performance audio
technology developed by HP and Beats by Dr. Dre. With HP
LinkUp, users can easily view and interact with content and
programs from their notebook PC on an HP Pavilion desktop
PC wirelessly via a home network.
The HP Pavilion consumer desktop family includes:
HP Pavilion p7 series PCs: The HP Pavilion p7 series PCs
offer generous hard drive space for photos, music and videos. Designed for bass lovers, the new ATH-WS55 is wrapped in
Integrated graphics enhance picture quality, and built-in a sleek aluminum casing with a huge 40mm driver that is
capable to transport you to your music dreamscape. With a

9


frequency response of 10-24,000Hz, you can feel all the beats
of your favorite dance music in this wonder kid. The ATH-
WS55 also feautres a new “Bass Innovation” in the form of a
dual air chamber that allows better airflow for a powerful bass
sound.
The sizzling red aluminum cap version also comes with equally
eye catching red cables. The ATH-WS55 is designed with a
well-padded top headband and soft ear pads that not only
ensure comfort; but it also provides high sound isolation. The
Audio-Technica ATH-WS55 is retailing at an attractive S$148.

NAVTEQ is supplying NAVTEQ map and location data for the
Olympus TOUGH TG-810 compact digital camera, currently
available in Singapore at a recommended retail price of S$598
(inclusive of 8GB SD card).

The ATH-CKM77 is the latest addition of in-ear monitor The TG-810 features GPS functions and an electronic compass
earphones to the hugely successful line of Audio-Technica to record the location data of the shot. By simply activating
earphones famed for crystal clarity. Specially designed in a the GPS functionality, the camera can display landmarks on
hybrid metal casing of aluminum and stainless steel, the ATH- the monitor and identify the country/region of the shot being
CKM77 reduces unwanted vibration, making it sound better taken. Integrated within the TG-810 are NAVTEQ maps and
and with less distortion. points of interest (POI) ranging from tourist destinations to
ferry terminals. So users now have the ability to geographically
The ATH-CKM77 gives a pure and well-balanced sound, light organize their photos effortlessly, allowing them to easily
on the treble, yet managing a powerful, warm bass. The 13mm determine the precise location of where the photo was taken
driver earphones are great for general listening to a wide and link it with the exact POI on the NAVTEQ map. This
spectrum of music, from jazz to hip-hop to classical. added capability allows NAVTEQ and Olympus to deliver an
Weighing at only 8g, the earphones comes together with a hard enhanced imaging experience to consumers.
leather case, 4 sets of ear buds, and a cleaning cloth. The ATH-
CKM77 is available only in aluminum/stainless steel version
and will be available at S$178 at selected authorized retailers. A look at Intel Z68 Platform
with ASUS P8Z68-V Pro
NAVTEQ supplies digital map Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/a-look-at-intel-z68-platform-with-
asus-p8z68-v-pro/12104.html
data to Olympus TOUGH May 16th, 2011

TG-810 compact digital
camera
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/navteq-supplies-digital-map-data-to-
olympus-tough-tg-810-compact-digital-camera/12230.html
May 16th, 2011 When the overclocking capabilities of a P67 chipset put
together with the graphics awesomeness of the H61/H67
chipset, the Z68 platform is borned. Today, we test out the new
Z68 platform from Intel specifically on the ASUS P8Z68-V Pro
motherboard to see if it has got what it takes to be called the
best of both worlds.

NAVTEQ has announced that it is supplying the map and
location data for the Olympus TOUGH TG-810 compact digital
camera. This offers location-enabled imaging experiences for
photographer enthusiasts. Read on.

10


* Due to CPU behavior, DDR3
2200/2000/1800 MHz
memory module will run at
DDR3 2133/1866/1600 MHz
frequency as default.
Graphic Integrated Graphics
Processor
Multi-VGA output support :
HDMI/DVI/RGB ports

- Supports HDMI with max.
resolution 1920 x 1200 @ 60
Hz
Intel Z68 chipset was launched on the 11th May 2011 and
it boasts many new features that kept hardware enthusiasts - Supports DVI with max.
excited before the launch period. Equipped with this chipset, resolution 1920 x 1200 @ 60
the ASUS P8Z68-V Pro motherboard, brings out the best in Hz
Intel Technology and exemplifies technology in the modern
era. Never seen before technology such as Intel Smart - Supports RGB with max.
Response Technology and LucidLogix Virtu are the latest resolution 2048 x 1536 @ 75
additions to the world of PCs and we are definitely going to Hz
take a look at that in the later part of this review.
Maximum shared memory of
The P8Z68-V Pro is ASUS's latest offering for the Z68 Intel 1748 MB
chipset. Equipped with various state of the art technology
Multi-GPU Support Supports NVIDIA® Quad-
such as the use of a Digital VRM and not forgetting Turbo-V
GPU SLI™ Technology
Evo processor on the motherboard, it puts overclocking to a
Supports AMD® Quad-GPU
hardware level in the state of running the software in an OS.
CrossFireX™ Technology
What you get is a reliable and sturdy motherboard enough to
work fo you to the next century. Expansion Slots 2 x PCIe 2.0 x16 (x16 or dual
x8)
CPU Intel® Socket 1155 The 2nd 1 x PCIe 2.0 x16 (x4 mode,
Generation Core™ i7/Core™
black) *1
i5/Core™ i3 Processors
2 x PCIe x1
Supports Intel® 32 nm CPU
2 x PCI
Supports Intel® Turbo Boost
Technology 2.0 Storage Intel® Z68 chipset :
2 x SATA 6Gb/s port(s), gray
* Refer to www.asus.com for
CPU support list 4 x SATA 3Gb/s port(s), blue
Chipset Intel® Z68
Support Raid 0, 1, 5, 10
Memory 4 x DIMM, Max. 32GB, DDR3
2200(O.C.)/2133(O.C.)/1866(O.C.)/1600/1333/1066 Support Intel® Smart
Hz Non-ECC, Un-buffered Response Technology
Memory
Dual Channel Memory Marvell® PCIe SATA 6Gb/s
Architecture
controller : *2
Supports Intel® Extreme 2 x SATA 6Gb/s port(s), navy
Memory Profile (XMP) blue

* Hyper DIMM support JMicron® JMB362
is subject to the physical controller : *2
characteristics of individual 1 x eSATA 3G port(s), red
CPUs. LAN Intel® 82579, 1 x Gigabit
LAN Controller
* Refer to www.asus.com or Bluetooth Bluetooth V2.1+EDR
user manual for the Memory ASUS BT GO! Utility
QVL (Qualified Vendors
Lists).

11


Audio Realtek® ALC 892 8-Channel Music Player, Personal
High Definition Audio Manager
CODEC
- Supports : Jack-detection, ASUS BT Turbo Remote
Multi-streaming, Front Panel - Exclusive Smartphone
Jack-retasking Interface supporting iPhone,
Android, Windows Mobile
Audio Feature : and Symbian systems
- Absolute Pitch 192kHz/ 24-
bit True BD Lossless Sound ASUS Exclusive Features
- ASUS UEFI BIOS EZ Mode
- Blu-ray audio layer Content featuring friendly graphics
Protection user interface

- DTS Surround Sensation - MemOK!
UltraPC
- AI Suite II
- Optical S/PDIF out port(s)
at back panel - AI Charger+
IEEE 1394 VIA® 6308P controller
2 x IEEE 1394a port(s) - Anti Surge

(2 at mid-board) - Disk Unlocker
USB Ports ASMedia® USB 3.0
controller : ASUS Quiet Thermal Solution
4 x USB 3.0 port(s) (2 at back - ASUS Fanless Design: Heat-
panel, blue, 2 at mid-board) sink solution

Intel® Z68 chipset : - ASUS Fan Xpert
12 x USB 2.0 port(s) (6 at
back panel, black+red, 6 at ASUS EZ DIY
mid-board) - ASUS Q-Shield
Overclocking Features Overclocking Protection :
- ASUS Q-Connector
- ASUS C.P.R.(CPU
Parameter Recall)
- ASUS O.C. Tuner
Special Features ASUS Dual Intelligent
Processors 2 with DIGI+ - ASUS CrashFree BIOS 3
VRM:
ASUS Digital Power Design - ASUS EZ Flash 2

- Industry leading Digital 16 ASUS Q-Design
Phase Power Design - ASUS Q-LED (CPU, DRAM,
VGA, Boot Device LED)
(12-phase for CPU, 4-phase
for iGPU) - ASUS Q-Slot

- ASUS DIGI+ VRM Utility - ASUS Q-DIMM
Back I/O Ports 1 x Bluetooth module(s)
ASUS EPU
1 x DVI
- EPU, EPU switch
1 x D-Sub
ASUS TPU
1 x HDMI
- Auto Tuning, TurboV, GPU
1 x eSATA 3Gb/s
Boost, TPU switch
1 x LAN (RJ45) port(s)
ASUS BT GO! (Bluetooth)
- Folder Sync, BT Transfer,
2 x USB 3.0
Shot & Send, BT to Net,

12


6 x USB 2.0 1 x ASUS USB 3.0 Bracket(s)
BIOS 64 Mb Flash ROM, EFI AMI
1 x Optical S/PDIF out BIOS, PnP, DMI2.0, WfM2.0,
SM BIOS 2.5, ACPI 2.0a,
6 x Audio Jack(s) Multi-language BIOS,
Internal I/O Ports 1 x USB 3.0 connector(s) ASUS EZ Flash 2, ASUS
support(s) additional 2 USB CrashFree BIOS 3, F12
3.0 port(s) (19-pin, moss PrintScreen Function
green) Manageability WfM 2.0, DMI 2.0, WOL by
3 x USB 2.0 connector(s) PME, WOR by PME, PXE
support(s) additional 6 USB Support Disc Drivers
2.0 port(s) ASUS Utilities

4 x SATA 6Gb/s connector(s) ASUS Update

4 x SATA 3Gb/s connector(s) Anti-virus software (OEM
version)
2 x IEEE 1394a connector(s)
Form Factor ATX Form Factor
12 inch x 9.6 inch ( 30.5 cm x
2 x CPU Fan connector(s) (4 -
24.4 cm )
pin)
Note *1: The PCIe x16_3 slot
2 x Chassis Fan connector(s) shares bandwidth with PCIe
(1 x 4 -pin, 1 x 3 -pin) x1_1 slot, PCIe x1_2 slot,
USB3_34 and eSATA. The
2 x Power Fan connector(s) (3 PCIe x16_3 default setting is
-pin) in x1 mode.
*2: These SATA ports are for
1 x S/PDIF out Header(s) data hard drivers only. ATAPI
devices are not supported.
1 x 24-pin EATX Power
connector(s)
Lazare Kaplan International
1 x 8-pin ATX 12V Power unveils "The Lazare Diamond
connector(s)
4c" app for Apple iPhone and
1 x Front panel audio
connector(s) (AAFP)
iPad
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/lazare-kaplan-international-unveils-
the-lazare-diamond-4c-app-for-apple-iphone-and-ipad/12229.html
1 x System panel(s) (Q- May 16th, 2011
Connector)

1 x MemOK! button(s)

1 x TPU switch(es)

1 x EPU switch(es)
Lazare Kaplan International (LKI) has unveiled their new "The
Accessories User's manual Lazare Diamond 4c" app for the iPhone and iPad. The app
ASUS Q-Shield offers an educational insight on purchasing of diamonds and
it is free to download from the Apple iTunes Store.
2 x Serial ATA 3.0Gb/s
cable(s)

2 x Serial ATA 6.0Gb/s
cable(s)

1 x SLI bridge(s)

1 x Q-connector(s) (2 in 1)

13


Lazare Kaplan International Inc. (LKI) has recently launched This foldable prototype display allow users to maximise the
“The Lazare Diamond 4C’s” app designed specifically as an screen size while minimising the device size. It did not show
interactive and educational guide to purchasing diamonds, a crease even after performing 100,000 folding and unfolding
now available for the iPhone and iPad. Free to download in cycles although the brightness at the junction does shows a 6%
iTunes, the app is a user-friendly tool for retailers, suppliers decrease in brightness. Commercialisation of this device will
and consumers alike to better understand the most important take about one to two years and we can expect mobile devices
characteristics of diamonds: Cut, Color, Clarity, and Carat- and even photoframes with curved form factors incorporating
Weight. The app also includes a geographic locator that lets this new display.
users identify the closest Lazare Diamond retailer.
LKI was the first to cut diamonds to ideal proportions, the
first to laser inscribe, the first to brand a diamond, and is
Samsung promises Android
now the first diamond sightholder to create a 4C’s app for 2.3 Gingerbread upgrade for
the iPhone and iPad. “The Lazare Diamond 4C’s” is a hands-
on tutorial that uses interactive screens, videos and side-by- GALAXY S and GALAXY Tab
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/samsung-promises-android-2.3-
side comparison to demonstrate the 4C’s and help demystify
gingerbread-upgrade-for-galaxy-s-and-galaxy-tab/12228.html
diamonds.
May 16th, 2011
Lazare Diamonds are exclusively sold at Larry Jewelry, located
at Paragon (#01-21) and ION Orchard (#03-04).

Samsung Advanced Institute
of Technology unveils foldable
display prototype Good news to GALAXY S and GALAXY Tab owners. Samsung
has announced that the Android 2.3 Gingerbread upgrade will
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/samsung-advanced-institute-of- be made available for both the GALAXY S smartphone and
technology-unveils-foldable-display-prototype/12226.html GALAXY Tab tablet device.
May 16th, 2011

Samsung Advanced Institute of Technology in South Korea
have designed and built a prototype of a seamless foldable
display that folds in half without a visible crease in the middle.
Read on.

Today, Samsung has announced the Android 2.3
(Gingerbread) upgrade to the Samsung GALAXY S, GALAXY
Tab, as well as the GALAXY Ace/Gio/Fit/mini, giving users
enhanced performance and an improved user interface.

14


The GALAXY S and GALAXY Tab are Samsung’s intelligently packs a powerful smartphone experience. It lets you maintain
designed smart devices with 1 GHz application processors, and build connections and friendships through popular sites
giving users an intuitive, immersive and integrated mobile like Facebook, as well as through voice and text messaging.
experience. The upgrade from Froyo 2.2 to Gingerbread 2.3 You can instantly tag your friends in photos before posting
offers an even greater user experience, with features including: them on Facebook, or share your latest discoveries from the
Android Market at the touch of a button.
HTC Wildfire S is one of HTC’s smallest phones ever –
measuring just 10.13cm long and 5.94cm wide – and boasts a
Faster Performance – Multimedia content now has a lower distinctive 3.2-inch, HVGA display.
CPU consumption rate, while support for more powerful 3D
Graphics enables an enhanced mobile gaming experience. Create your very own smartphone experience
Celebrate your individuality by choosing from a wide variety
Upgraded Usability – The user interface has been improved, of colors including pink, white and gray. The HTC Wildfire
enabling faster access and control and a more intuitive user S’ home screen is fully customizable with your favorite apps,
experience. Users will also benefit from improved copy-and- widgets and content, while a 5-megapixel color camera with
paste functionality. auto focus, expandable microSD memory and support for a
variety of audio and video formats make for a great all-around
multimedia device that slips easily into any pocket.
The Android 2.3 upgrade will start with GALAXY S in the UK
and Nordic countries from mid-May, and gradually rolled out Availability
to other European markets, North America, Southeast Asia, The HTC Wildfire S will be available in ‘Bloom Pink’, ‘Silver
the Middle East Asia, Africa and rest of the world according to White’ and ‘Dark Gray’ at all mobile operators and authorized
the regional plan. retailers at a suggested retail price of S$388 from May 2011.

PSN is (finally) coming back
The upgrade will be available via Kies, Samsung’s device online
management software. Kies can be downloaded from Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/psn-is-finally-coming-back-
Samsung’s corporate website (http://www.samsung.com). online/12224.html
May 16th, 2011

HTC launches Wildfire S in
Singapore
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/htc-launches-wildfire-s-in-
singapore/12227.html
May 16th, 2011
After almost a full month of waiting, PSN users will soon have
their network back online - at least that is what Sony claims
via their blog and facebook pages. To access the network, users
are required to both upgrade their firmware and change their
password. Stay tuned for one of the most legendary network
HTC Singapore has announced the launch of the new Wildfire boots in history, the success of which hopefully will not be
S, based on the popular Wildfire that was launched last year. compared to that of Skynet in "Terminator 3 : Rise of the
The new Wildfire S is equipped with 600MHz processor and Machines".
preloaded with Android 2.3 Gingerbread OS. "Please note that these services will take a bit of time to be
turned on and rolled out to the whole region. The process has
begun and some countries are being turned on now, so please
be patient as we reach you.", Sony says but the company does
not share which regions will be served first and how much time
the complete restoration of the PSN network requires.

Intel SSD 710 Series
Lyndonville Slated for July
Release
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/intel-ssd-710-series-lyndonville-slated-
for-july-release/12223.html
HTC today unveiled the new HTC Wildfire S in Singapore.
Building on the popularity of the HTC Wildfire smartphone,
the HTC Wildfire S smartphone is affordable, compact and

15


May 16th, 2011

The recent leaked Intel SSD roadmap has already provided us
a glimpse of what's coming up in the next few months and VR-
Zone learned that 710 series codenamed Lyndonville which
uses the 25nm MLC-HET NAND flash is slated for July launch.
It will come in capacities of 100GB, 200GB and 300GB not
400GB as rumored earlier. Performance and pricing is not
available at this moment. The 1.8" 320 series in capacities of Remember the horror of GeForce GTX 590 going up in smoke
80GB, 160GB, 300GB is slated for July release too. while benching? Well, apparently NVIDIA has found a way to
solve this issue completely without doing a quick fix through
the drivers. The solution : a much needed hardware fix where
the new inductors are added to the card. However, the new
inductors are larger in size therefore a change to the baseplate
is needed. What does it mean to the 3rd party cooling solutions
especially the GTX 590 waterblocks? Probably back to the
drawing board so as to conform to the revised keep outs. The
revised GeForce GTX 590 cards denoted with a new -502
marking on the PCB are expected to hit the market in June.

Team Group Announces SR1
and SR3 Flash Drives
The recent leaked Intel SSD roadmap has already provided us Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/team-group-announces-sr1-and-sr3-
a glimpse of what's coming up in the next few months and VR- flash-drives/12221.html
Zone learned that 710 series codenamed Lyndonville which May 16th, 2011
uses the 25nm MLC-HET NAND flash is slated for July launch.
It will come in capacities of 100GB, 200GB and 300GB not
400GB as rumored earlier. Performance and pricing is not
available at this moment. The 1.8" 320 series in capacities of
80GB, 160GB, 300GB is slated for July release too.
Taipei-based Team Group Inc. has expanded its line-up of
portable flash storage solutions with the addition of the SR1
Revised GeForce GTX 590 and SR3 flash drives, Measuring 67 x 22 x 13mm, the stylish
drives are shaped like sports cars and feature a USB 3.0 (SR1)
Cards In June or USB 2.0 (SR3) connector. The SR1 series, available in
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/revised-geforce-gtx-590-cards-in- capacities of 8Gb, 16Gb and 32Gb, offers data transfer rates up
june/12222.html to 54Mb/s (read) and 30Mb/s (write). The SR3 comes in 4Gb,
May 16th, 2011 8Gb, 16Gb and 32 Gb variants, delivering read/ write speeds
up to 30Mb/s and 15Mb/s. Both SR1 and SR3 flash drives,
covered by a limited lifetime warranty, support power saving
modes. They are expected to ship soon.
TEAM GROUP PRESS RELEASE

Remember the horror of GeForce GTX 590 going up in
smoke while benching? Well, apparently NVIDIA has found
a way to solve this issue completely without doing a quick fix
through the drivers. The solution : a much needed hardware
fix where the new inductors are added to the card. However,
the new inductors are larger in size therefore a change to the
baseplate is needed.

16


Team Group Introduces the New SR1, SR3 Flash Drives
Since Team Group Inc. released the TP1023 portable hard Deepcool Preps Assassin CPU
drive, which adopts a streamline sports car design, it has Cooler
created a new trend. Following up this success, Team Group Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/deepcool-preps-assassin-cpu-
schedules to display the first sports car-designed flash drive cooler/12220.html
disks at Computex 2011. The Team SR1 SR3 carrying with May 16th, 2011
exclusive “Team EZ Go” application software and come in
both USB 3.0 and USB 2.0 interfaces, respectively, are made
of the same material and streamline sports car design as the
TP1023. In addition to data storage, it is perfect for showcasing
personal zest for sports and making a statement of masculine
vitality and energy.
Deepcool, manufacturer and provider of various thermal
products for desktops, laptops and servers, is preparing to
Excellent Performance USB 3.0-SR1
unleash the high performance Assassin CPU cooler - an
Just like pursuing a sense of speed on the race track, the all
Alpenfohn K2 lookalike.
new SR1 followed Team Group’s exclusive sports car design,
blending the sports car concept into a small flash drive disk by
using a unique streamline design and curves. The high speed
USB3.0 interface breaks the USB2.0’s transfer speed limit,
with a read and writes performance of over 50MBs that help
shorten the time of transferring large multimedia files and
create better portability of Full HD videos.

High cost-performance ratio USB 2.0-SR3
The USB 2.0 SR3, from the same series as the SR1, has the
same sports car design, and a multiple capacity selection
ranging from 4~32GB. The diverse choices and prices makes
it more affordable for consumers, providing a perfect high
cost-performance solution for general users or IT gadgets
enthusiasts, fulfilling everyone’s dream of owning a sports car.
The USB 2.0 SR3, from the same series as the SR1, has the
same sports car design, and a multiple capacity selection
ranging from 4~32GB. The diverse choices and prices makes
Deepcool, manufacturer and provider of various thermal
it more affordable for consumers, providing a perfect high
products for desktops, laptops and servers, is preparing to
cost-performance solution for general users or IT gadgets
unleash the high performance Assassin CPU cooler - an
enthusiasts, fulfilling everyone’s dream of owning a sports
Alpenfohn K2 lookalike.
car. As a leading provider of memory storage products to the
consumer market, Team Group is committed to providing the
best storage, multimedia and data sharing solutions.

The nickel plated boasts a twin tower design, eight 6mm
copper heat-pipes, a copper base, uniquely shaped aluminum
fins, and comes with two fans. The Assassin is compatible with

17


all Intel LGA 775/ 1155/ 1156/ 1366 and AMD AM2/ AM2+/
AM3 processors.

News via [Softpedia]

Genius Ships Ring Mouse
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/genius-ships-ring-mouse/12219.html
May 16th, 2011

The Ring Mouse, bundled with a carrying case, portable USB
charger and ioMedia software, is availalbe from authorized
Genius has begun shipping its Ring Mouse in North America. resellers and e-tailers at a MSRP of US$70.
The unique finger-attached mouse connects to the PC via a 2.4 News via [Electronista]
Ghz radio, has two buttons, an integrated rechargeable lithium
ion battery, and allows users to control its movement through
a 1000 DPI touch sensor. Tt eSports Readies New Meka
G Unit Mechanical Keyboard
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/tt-esports-readies-new-meka-g-unit-
mechanical-keyboard/12218.html
May 16th, 2011

Thermaltake is preparing to update its Meka series of gaming
keyboards with the introduction of the Meka G Unit - the
first mechanical keyboard to feature on-board memory and
individually backlit keys.

Genius has begun shipping its Ring Mouse in North America.
The unique finger-attached mouse connects to the PC via a 2.4
Ghz radio, has two buttons, an integrated rechargeable lithium
ion battery, and allows users to control its movement through
a 1000 DPI touch sensor.

Thermaltake is preparing to update its Meka series of gaming
keyboards with the introduction of the Meka G Unit - the
first mechanical keyboard to feature on-board memory and
individually backlit keys. It boasts a 1.8m sleeved cable with
gold-plated USB 2.0 connector, the ISS (Instant Shift System)
advanced macro key shifting function (gamers can access all
60 macro keys in one profile), Cherry Black switches (with a
MTBF of 50,000,000 clicks), seven multimedia keys, and a
hub with two USB 2.0 ports and audio connectors. The Meka
G Unit is expected to debut at Computex 2011 (May 31st - June
4th).
News via [Techpowerup]

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VR-Zone Technology News | Stuff for the Geeks! Issue #30

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VR-Zone Technology News | Stuff for the Geeks! Issue #30