VR-Zone is a leading online technology news publication reporting on bleeding edge trends in PC and mobile gadgets, with in-depth reviews and commentaries. Our inquisitive team of journalists cover key international events like CES, CeBIT, MWC, Computex and local exhibitions like CommunicAsia, IT SHOW, PC SHOW, COMEX and SITEX.

1. November 13th, 2011 Published by: VR-Zone
seen when notebooks powered by GeForce 600M will hit retail For a 4K home theatre like this one, you can expect it to have
shelves - most likely in early Q1 2012. a hefty price tag. Yes, the Sony VPL-VW1000ES 4K home
theatre projector has an SRP of S$31,999 (before GST), and
will be available in Singapore in March 2012.
Sony Singapore introduces
VPL-VW1000ES world's first
4K home theatre projector
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/sony-singapore-introduces-vpl-
vw1000es-world-s-first-4k-home-theatre-projector/13918.html
November 13th, 2011
For those of us who want to enjoy 4K movie screening, we
could go to cinemas like Golden Village Vivocity that are
showing that. Well, it looks like Sony Electronics Asia Pacific is
bringing the experience to homes when the company unveiled
the world's first 4K home theatre projector in Singapore today.
"Sony has delivered professional 4K digital projector globally
The VPL-VW1000ES is not only 3D-capable but is also capable
to cinemas. Our overall shipping quantity for 4K digital
of displaying stunning images.
cinema projectors have reached 10,000 units. We are the only
company to offer a full range of 4K products and end-to-
end solutions for 4K," said Tsuyoshi Nagata, general manager
of Presentation Display, Professional Solutions Company
(PSAP), Sony Electronics Asia Pacific.
Hard drive supplies to run dry
while Thailand stays wet
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/hard-drive-supplies-to-run-dry-while-
thailand-stays-wet/13916.html
November 13th, 2011
The flood in Thailand caught manufacturers off guard, but
The VPL-VW1000ES is Sony's flagship home theatre projector damages and losses are more than initially analysed. The
that incorporates the new SXRD 4K panel, which can produce outlook of the hard disk supplies are grimly forecasted to run
outstanding contrast and 2,000 ANSI-lumens brightness. out at the end of the year, leading to backlash in the first
It boasts an incredible 1,000,000:1 dynamic contrast when quarter of 2012.
combined with Sony's Iris3 technology, and can produce
screen sizes of up to 200-inches (diagonally) for superb
cinematic viewing in the comforts of the home.
On top of that, the VPL-VW1000ES features Sony’s exclusive
Super Resolution 4K upscaler “Reality Creation” that
enhances all content – standard definition or high definition,
2D or 3D – to higher definition true 4K (DCI Format: 4096
x 2160p) picture signals. This means that even if you are
playing Blu-ray content at 1080p, you can choose to upscale
the resolution to 4K without significant loss in details. It also
comes with a built-in IR transmitter for Full 4K 3D that drives
the projector’s TDG-PJ1 USB-chargeable active shutter 3D
glasses for an immersive 3D experience.
17

2. November 13th, 2011 Published by: VR-Zone
It is no surprise that hard drive prices are increasing to the Performance and pricing are both expected to be right in
tune of 10 to 60 percent as a result of the flood which crippled between GTX 560 Ti and GTX 570. This could mean pricing
factories of hardware manufacturers for weeks. Now a report in the ~$280 region, essentially competing with overclocked
shows that the supply of storage devices may run out. Radeon HD 6950 2GB variants. However, our sources suggest
the GTX 560 Ti 448 Core will be a very limited edition with
Analyst Gus Richard of Piper Jaffray Investment Bank
less than ten thousand units available worldwide. AICs are
commented that this shortage of hard drives may occur at
free to use non-reference designs and we can also hope they
the end of November, and that tech industrial leaders aren’t
can do something to adequately differentiate the 448 cores'
proactive enough to take stock of the situation.
nomenclature from the six other GTX 560 cards, while stocks
Just a few months ago, the tsunami and earthquakes in Japan last.
became the earliest reminder this year of the weakness that the
global supply chain possesses, decapacitating car component
factories and inducing a major loss. Smartphone and tablets
"Nobody seems to be really paying attention. Everyone expected to drive global
overreacted to the disaster in Japan. And now I think they're
underreacting," he mentions. increase in Wi-Fi hotspots
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/smartphone-and-tablets-expected-to-
While current analysis shows PC manufacturers are already 60 drive-global-increase-in-wi-fi-hotspots/13915.html
million hard drives behind the demand of 180 million units, November 13th, 2011
the shortage situation will become more dire in Q1 2012.
In a note by Piper Jaffray, they mention "While it is difficult
to calculate, we would estimate that limited drive availability
will reduce PCs sales by 10-20M units over the next couple of The Wireless Broadband Alliance (WBA) has published a
quarters with 2.5M to 7.5M in demand destruction and 7.5M report on the state of the global public Wi-Fi hotspot market.
to 12.5M in deferred purchases." The WBA is an industry association with a focus on driving
next-gen Wi-Fi experience and consists of leading technology
companies and mobile operators such as Google, Cisco, AT&T
and StarHub.
GeForce GTX 560 Ti 448 Core With a comprehensive survey of more than 250 service
specifications leaked providers and Wi-Fi vendors included in the report, it
concluded that there will be a 350% increase in the number of
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/geforce-gtx-560-ti-448-core-
global public Wi-Fi hotspots by 2015.
specifications-leaked/13917.html
November 13th, 2011 Some of the key points mentioned in the report:
• Wi-Fi hotspot numbers are set to grow from 1.3 million
this year to 5.8 million by 2015
• Smartphone connections to Wi-Fi hotspots are expected
to overtake laptops. On a global basis, laptops currently
account for 48% of connections to hotspots, while
Last month, we first broke news of the GTX 560 Ti 448 Core. smartphones and tablets stand at 36% and 10%
Sweclockers have now leaked detailed specifications for the respectively.
upcoming GTX 560 Ti 448 Core. As revealed before, the GTX • Mobile data growth is a key factor to the rapid build-
560 448 is indeed a crippled GTX 570. However, surprisingly, out of Wi-Fi hotspots. Its impact is mitigated primarily
it features identical clocks to the GTX 570, and reportedly through new pricing strategies and Wi-Fi-based offload.
a slightly higher clocked memory despite featuring the same
320-bit memory interface.
Last month, we first broke news of the GTX 560 Ti 448 Core.
Sweclockers have now leaked detailed specifications for the
upcoming GTX 560 Ti 448 Core. As revealed before, the GTX
560 448 is indeed a crippled GTX 570. However, surprisingly,
it features identical clocks to the GTX 570, and reportedly
a slightly higher clocked memory despite featuring the same
320-bit memory interface.
That means the GTX 560 Ti features 730 MHz core, 1460 MHz
shaders. Like the vanilla GTX 570, the 560 Ti 448 features
1280 MB memory, albeit mated to 3.8 GHz GDDR5 as opposed
to 3.6 GHz for the GTX 570. Disabling one SM saves the GTX
560 Ti 448 9W for a "max power consumption" of 210W - a
full 40W higher than the original GTX 560 Ti.
18

3. November 13th, 2011 Published by: VR-Zone
It is obvious that one primary driver of Wi-Fi hotspot growth is
mobile operators keen to offload the tsunami of data generated
by increasingly ubiquitous smartphones and tablet devices.
Indeed, these devices are set to eclipse Wi-Fi consumption by
laptops on a per connection basis.
Cumbersome authentication was identified as one of the
barriers towards greater adoption and use of public Wi-
Fi hotspots. However, this is expected to be overcome by
Next Generation Hotspots (NGH) currently trialed around
the world. NGH allows users to roam between cellular
and Wi-Fi networks seamlessly, using their handset's SIM
authentication, and looks set to be the driving force behind
public Wi-Fi hotspot deployments.
"The findings show we are about to enter the golden age
of public Wi-Fi with hotspot deployments set to soar. Fixed
operators are extending broadband services beyond the home
and office, and Wi-Fi is supporting busy mobile broadband
networks," says Chris Bruce, Chair of the WBA and CEO, BT
Openzone in a prepared statement. "Next Generation Hotspot
trials are making inroads in the remaining barriers and by
cracking the code of a simple, secure user experience hotspot
use will continue to soar."
The full report "Global Developments in Public Wi-Fi WBA
Industry Report, 2011" can be downloaded here(pdf).
19

4. November 16th, 2011 Published by: VR-Zone
VR-Zone.com | Stuff for the Geeks!
VR-Zone | Stuff for the Geeks is a bi-weekly publication
covering the latest gadgets and stuff for the geeks.
Epson SITEX Promotions
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/epson-sitex-promotions/13984.html
November 16th, 2011
Here are some promotions from Epson for the upcoming
SITEX Show, giving a boost of productivity to your home
or office printing needs. Check out the products at C2O The Epson CX17NF caters to home and small business users
Corporation (booth 5D41) and Harvey Norman (booth 6B30). with its colour scan, copy, fax and print abilities. Besides its
manual duplex printing and multiple-up printing functions, it
Epson AcuLaser-MX14 (Monochrome 3 in 1)
can also to improve productivity by handling multiple queued
jobs courtesy of the printer’s high memory capacity, producing
high quality outputs every time.
Retail Price: S$545
SITEX Show Price: TBA
Epson ME Office 535
The Epson AcuLaser-MX14 monochrome 3-in-1 printer is
targeted at home and small business users, and provides cost-
efficient high-quality prints, touting a print speed of up to 24
pages per minute. It also features manual duplex and multiple-
up printing functions in addition to your scanning and copying
needs.
Retail Price: S$218
SITEX Show Price: TBA The Epson ME Office 535 is the world’s smallest all-in-one
printer, measuring just 30cm by 39cm by 14.5 cm, which
helps to conserve valuable work space and staying out of
Epson AcuLaser-CX17NF (Colour 4 in 1)
the way while performing its duties flawlessly. Thanks to
the Micro Piezo printer head and the Epson 141 INKdividual
catridges, running costs are kept as low as S$0.50 per page
(monochrome) and quality is maintained despite the printer’s
remarkable size. It even has a 1.44-inch LCD screen to
accommodate direct photo printing needs.
Retail Price: S$148
1

5. November 16th, 2011 Published by: VR-Zone
SITEX Show Price: TBA
Epson ME Office 900WD
Enjoy more than just your favorite TV programs in a
smart way. Featuring a full High Definition (HD) 1080P
resolution, the Samsung 40" SMART LED TV provides endless
entertainment with Internet@TV, LED light dimming to
adjust brightness to the comfort of your home, USB support
(JPEG, MOVIE), Anynet+ support for universal remote
control, and DLNA compatible, all packed in a slim and elegant
design of a 40” screen.
Retail Price: S$1,999
The Epson ME Office 900WD features maximum cost SITEX Special Price: TBA
savings as it uses Epson 143 INKdividual Cartridges that
allows separate replacement of depleted cartridges, optimizing
Samsung 46" 3D SMART LED TV
ink usage and replacement. Built-in duplex and all-in-one
function maximises the cost-effectiveness of the printer,
coupled with WiFi/Ethernet accessibility for easy multiple-
user usage.
Retail Price: S$298
SITEX Show Price: TBA
*Offers avaliable at C2O Corporation (booth 5D41) and Harvey
Norman (booth 6B30)
AudioHouse SITEX Special
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/audiohouse-sitex-special/13980.html
November 16th, 2011
Similar to its smaller brother, this 46" TV features
full HD 1080P resolution, Internet@TV, 3D HyperReal
engine which redefines your cinematic experience in three
dimensional view, Extended PVR to record shows, energy
saving capabilities , Skype video call capability, Wide Colour
Visit AudioHouse booth (no. 5B20) and check out the fantastic Enhancer Plus which extends the color range and prevent
deals for some of the beautiful screens to put in your living white wash-out, DLNA support, and USB support(JPEG,
room at this year's SITEX show. Be amazed by the clarity and MOVIE).
exciting 3D representations on some of these sexy and well Retail Price: S$3,999
designed televisions. SITEX Special Price: TBA
Samsung 40" SMART LED TV
Samsung 46" FULL HD LED TV
2

6. November 16th, 2011 Published by: VR-Zone
SITEX Special Price: TBA
Iomega launches eGo Mac
edition portable hard drive
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/iomega-launches-ego-mac-edition-
portable-hard-drive/13982.html
November 16th, 2011
Iomega has recently launched their eGo Mac edition portable
hard disk which not only looks stylish, but it also packs
plenty of storage space. Like its Helium portable hard drive
and the Iomega Mac companion hard drive siblings, the eGo
Action movie addicts will love the 100Mhz Motion Plus Mac edition is also formatted in HFS+ for compatibility with
feature which smoothens the motion picture and reduces blur; Maccomputers, making it a perfect complement to Apple’s
Auto-adjusting LED Backlight; iDTV which is an integrated notebooks and desktops.
digital system that comes with MPEG4 AVC decoder and
digital tuner; as well as Content Library which is preloaded
informative programs and games. Instead of booting up
your PC to assess basic information on the Internet, the
television’s InfoLive allows you to view news, weather and
stock information quickly, all at a key press. WISELINK Pro
gives access to your media devices such as video cameras,
laptops and digital cameras for output on screen. It also comes
with DLNA support, DNIe Pro and Anynet+ support.
Retail Price: S$1,999
SITEX Special Price: TBA
Samsung C9000 3D SMART LED TV
Iomega has recently announced the completion of its new
Mac-oriented hard drive line with the launch of the new eGo
Mac Edition portable hard drive, a mobile stylish drive with
huge storage that can withstand drops and still easy to bring
along in a briefcase. Combined with the recent launches of
the Iomega Helium portable hard drive and the Iomega Mac
Companion hard drive, the company now has a complete new
line of portable and desktop hard drives for Mac users. All
three new drives are formatted HFS+ for compatibility with
Mac computers.
Available in 500GB and 1TB capacities, the new black Iomega
eGo Mac Edition has two FireWire 800 ports and one USB 2.0
connector for fast performance and versatile connections. It
also comes with a Drop Guard Case to help protect the drive
from drops of up to two metres. The eGo Mac Edition portable
hard drive requires no external power supply and comes
Meet the best of them all. The Samsung C9000 3D SMART complete with three cables - USB 2.0, FireWire 800, and
LED TV is equipped with full HD 1080P resolution, FireWire 800-FireWire400 adaptor cables. The new Iomega
Internet@TV, 3D HyperReal engine, 800 Clear Motion Rate Helium portable hard drive is available in 500GB and 1TB
for smooth performance at all times, Extended PVR Feature, capacities, and has one USB 2.0 port and a durable aluminum
DLNA support, USB support (JPEG, MOVIE), SRS Theater case, giving mobile users and others peace-of-mind when
Sound for a complete cinematic audio experience, all packed traveling. The Helium portable hard drive requires no external
into a irresistibly slim and sexy design. power supply, and comes complete with one USB 2.0 cable.
Retail Price: S$12,888 Comes in 2TB and 3TB capacities, the new Iomega Mac
Companion hard drive utilizes a fast 7200rpm 3.5-inch hard
3

7. November 16th, 2011 Published by: VR-Zone
drive in a space-saving design that fits perfectly on the base vicinity. Users will be able to post interesting activities or
of the Apple iMac or Apple monitor. The stylish silver and events in their location for others nearby to see what they see,
black drive includes two FireWire 800 ports, one USB 2.0 port or even check it out in person.
and a two port integrated USB2.0 hub that lets you connect To create a feecha on the map, you just need to take a video
multiple devices such as a printer or other external storage or photo of the activity, upload it to the app and share it with
device. It also comes complete with one FireWire 800, one a short comment. Once shared, a feecha will appear on the
conversion FireWire 400-800, and one USB 2.0 cable. The map; the more popular the story is on the app, the bigger and
Mac Companion features the first-of-its-kind high powered more alive the feecha becomes. Feechas feed on attention to
USB charging port for the Apple iPad, iPhone or iPod, and the grow and breed – it is "survival of the most interesting". They
charging port is a high-powered 2.1 amp hookup that makes it grow and change colour depending on the number of views,
easy and convenient to charge your Apple devices. comments and shares they receive. However, feechas that stop
Pricing and Availability attracting attention will slowly shrink and fade away, clearing
space for the better and stronger.
The new Iomega eGo Mac Edition is available worldwide in
500GB model at S$229 and 1TB model at S$290. The new The potential uses for the app are varied and wide – from
Iomega Helium portable hard drive is available worldwide in unsigned bands promoting their gigs; teenager organizing a
a 500GB model at S$165 and 1TB model at S$253. The new casual game of footie with his neighbours; a foodie sharing her
Iomega Mac Companion hard drive is available worldwide in favourite restaurant's new dish; to alerting others nearby that
a 2TB model at S$369 and a 3TB model at S$533. All three something is on sale. Feecha is free to download for all iPhone
products will be retailing in Apple Stores by mid-November users with iOS running at 4.2 and above. Users can download
and include a three-year warranty with registration. it on the Apple App Store, iTunes or via www.feecha.com. The
Ching Chong Group plans to roll out the Android version of
feecha soon.
Feecha for iPhone lets you
see what is happening in your HP unveils Folio13 Ultrabook,
vicinity Pavilion dm4 and ENVY15
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/feecha-for-iphone-lets-you-see-what-
is-happening-in-your-vicinity/13981.html notebook PCs
November 16th, 2011 Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/hp-unveils-folio13-ultrabook-pavilion-
dm4-and-envy15-notebook-pcs/13961.html
November 16th, 2011
With this feecha iPhone app, you can share or view interesting
activities or events that are happening in the area. The feecha
will appear on the map once it has been posted and the
higher the popularity of the news, the feecha will become more With various laptop manufacturers coming up with their
alive. Ultrabooks, HP has also introduced theirs, which comes in the
form of Folio13, designed for prosumers. The company also
announced the new HP Pavilion dm4 and dm4 Beats Edition,
as well as the ENVY15 laptops.
Earlier this week, HP Singapore treated the local media to
a special preview of the Folio13 Ultrabook, Pavilion dm4
and ENVY15 laptops. Please note that the images are of pre-
production units and not the final retail versions, and that
the laptops that are shown here that have matte display, the
retail units should come with glossy HP BrightView screens
instead.
HP Folio13
Creative-technology studio developing mobile applications
and games, Ching Chong Group, has announced the launch
of feecha, a mobile tool that allows users to locate interesting
happenings in the vicinity. Conceived and programmed
entirely in Singapore, feecha brings the local and social
networking scene to the next level by allowing users to share
noteworthy information and broadcast it to users in the
4

8. November 16th, 2011 Published by: VR-Zone
HP ENVY15
HP has also jumped into the Ultrabook wagon and
unveiled the Folio13, which is the company's first Ultrabook. The HP ENVY15 is designed from the ground up, with an all-
However, it isn't the lightest one we have seen, weighing metal chassis and round edges in black and silver finish. The
1.5kg, and measuring 0.75-inch thin. The Ultrabook is company has also included subtle red details (from the red
designed for prosumers, which mean business professionals LED surrounding the keyboard) to reflect the signature Beats
and consumers, and features a sleek metallic chassis, 13.3-inch Audio collaboration. Featuring 15.6-inch full high definition
high definition (HD) BrightView display and backlit keyboard. display, the ENVY15 boasts 9.25 hours of battery life on SSD
The HP Folio13 will come with either Intel Core i3 and Core i5 (and 8 hours of battery life on the hard disk variant). It also
processor flavors, Intel Rapid Start technology for fast system offers optional 3x3 wireless technology for superior wireless
resume while having long battery life, and 128GB SSD for performance, advanced proximity sensor technology, and fast
storage. According to HP, the Ultrabook will also come with boot-up in 21 seconds, turn on sleep mode in three seconds
optional Trusted Platform Module (TPM), though that will and resume work in one second. Incorporating Beats Audio
be at a later date. The HPFolio13 is scheduled to be available technology, the ENVY15 comes with six speakers and two
in Singapore from December with a starting price tag of US
$1,099.
5

9. November 16th, 2011 Published by: VR-Zone
HP Triple Bass Reflex subwoofers. The HP ENVY15 will be
available from December at a starting price of US$1,499.
Asus readying Rampage IV
Formula for LGA-2011
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/asus-readying-rampage-iv-formula-for-
lga-2011/13978.html
November 16th, 2011
It appears that Asus has more motherboard coming based on
Intel's X79 chipset and its next model will be the Rampage
IV Formula, a more affordable sibling to the Rampage IV
Extreme. This move makes sense considering the price tag of
the Rampage IV Extreme and in all fairness; the two boards
have slightly different target markets as the Rampage IV
Formula is more of a gamer's board than its more expensive
sibling.
It appears that Asus has more motherboard coming based on
Intel's X79 chipset and its next model will be the Rampage
IV Formula, a more affordable sibling to the Rampage IV
Extreme. This move makes sense considering the price tag of
the Rampage IV Extreme and in all fairness; the two boards
have slightly different target markets as the Rampage IV Most of the other features are cost savings, such as a pair of
Formula is more of a gamer's board than its more expensive PCI Express x1 slots instead of that fifth x16 slot and a x1 slot,
sibling. four DIMM slots, a simpler cooler design which we're happy
to say is using a passive heatsink and a few cuts when it comes
Sadly we don't have a top-down view of the board, so it's not to connectivity options such as only two front USB 3.0 ports.
entirely clear what has been changed. However, the Rampage The rear I/O is fairly similar, but the Bluetooth dongle is gone,
IV Formula has some features that you won't find on the but you still get a PS/2 port, six USB 2.0 ports, four USB 3.0
Rampage IV Extreme, such as a new audio design which has a ports, two eSATA ports, Intel Gigabit Ethernet, 7.1-channel
small part of the PCB isolated to reduce EMI interference. Asus audio with optical S/PDIF out and a clear CMOS and ROG
took the opportunity to add a rather pointless but interesting connect button.
looking backlight to the PCB to highlight the separate audio
area. Asus has also added a massive 1,500uF capacitor to The rumour also has it that Asus is working on a Rampage IV
the audio circuitry which the company claims will somehow Gene, i.e. a mATX LGA-2011 R.O.G. motherboard, although
improve the audio quality thanks to reduced ripple. neither model has a firm launch date at the moment. This
brings Asus' total board count for the LGA-2011 platform up
to eight boards, that's a few too many in our opinion as the
platform isn't likely to gain a major uptake among consumers
until at least the more affordable quad core Core i7-3820
which we're hearing has been pushed even further back now
and is not expected to launch in January. Check out the
source for a slide deck detailing a few more of the features of
the Rampage IV Formula.
Fuji's interchangeable lens
camera leaked
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/fuji-s-interchangeable-lens-camera-
leaked/13977.html
6

10. November 16th, 2011 Published by: VR-Zone
November 16th, 2011 The camera which might end up being known as the LX looks
quite large, as in one of the pictures it's being held by a
person and the size of the camera compared to the hand makes
it look a fair bit larger than the most recent generation of
m4/3 cameras from Olympus and NEX cameras from Sony.
That said, this is likely to be a Lecia competitor looking at
There's no doubt that every camera manufacturer wants a slice all the manual control dials fitted to it and the sort of classic
of the new interchangeable lens market and most recently rangefinder look. The rumour mill also suggest that we can
Nikon entered it with its 1-series of cameras that uses a expect an 18mm f/2 pancake lens, a 35mm f/1.4 lens, a 60mm
small sensor and a CX mount. Around the same time, Fuji lens and some kind of zoom lens. It's highly unlikely that the
announced it was working on its own interchangeable lens Fuji LX will end up in a price range that most of us can casually
camera, although not much has been known about it, well, that go and buy one, but it will be interesting to see if Fuji can
was until now as several pictures of a not quite finished camera carve out a niche for itself in the high-end interchangeable lens
and a couple of lenses has made its way onto the web. camera market.
There's no doubt that every camera manufacturer wants a slice
of the new interchangeable lens market and most recently
Nikon entered it with its 1-series of cameras that uses a
small sensor and a CX mount. Around the same time, Fuji
announced it was working on its own interchangeable lens
camera, although not much has been known about it, well, that
was until now as several pictures of a not quite finished camera
and a couple of lenses has made its way onto the web.
AMD refreshes FM1 Athlon,
tweaks prices
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/amd-refreshes-fm1-athlon-tweaks-
prices/13976.html
November 16th, 2011
So far the only camera maker that hasn't joined the fray is
Canon, although the company is rumoured to have something AMD has quietly released a new Athlon CPU for Socket FM1 -
up its sleeve. Fuji has gone around things in quite a different Athlon II X4 651. As the branding suggests, it is a significant
way from Nikon and the company has officially said it will be update to the previous Athlon II X4 631, featuring a clock
launching a high-end interchangeable lens camera that offers speed of 3.0 GHz. The 651 is expected to match the AM3+
better image quality than anything else in its class. The leaked socket Athlon II X4 650, outperforming it in cache bound
pictures do give away the fact that this is something quite applications. In addition to the new release, AMD has adjusted
different and builds on Fuji's FinePix X100 in as much as the prices for A-Series and FX-Series products.
body design appears to be similar and most importantly, it has
AMD has quietly released a new Athlon CPU for Socket FM1 -
what appears to be a hybrid viewfinder.
Athlon II X4 651. As the branding suggests, it is a significant
update to the previous Athlon II X4 631, featuring a clock
speed of 3.0 GHz. The 651 is expected to match the AM3+
socket Athlon II X4 650, outperforming it in cache bound
applications. In addition to the new release, AMD has adjusted
prices for A-Series and FX-Series products.
The Athlon 651 features a TDP of 100W and is basically Llano
with its GPU disabled. Interestingly, it is the highest clocked
Llano CPU yet. Priced at $92, it will slightly outperform the
$139 A8-3850 in terms of CPU performance. Of coures, the
A8-3850 does include a 400SP GPU within the same TDP.
The A4-3300 and A4-3400 received insignificant $2 cuts,
down to $64 and $69 respectively. The A6-3500, the only tri-
7

11. November 16th, 2011 Published by: VR-Zone
core Llano APU, is down to $85 from $89. The last SKU to get announce that its entire line-up of handsets from the past year
a price cut is the FX-6100, down to $155. will be upgraded and we have a feeling that not many of their
competitors will follow suit.
Report: AMD Wichita/Krishna
APUs canceled If you happen to own one of Sony Ericsson's Xperia handsets
that was launched this year, then we have some good news for
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/report-amd-wichitakrishna-apus-
you, the company has decided to upgrade its entire 2011 range
canceled/13975.html
of Xperia handsets as well as the Live with Walkman model
November 16th, 2011
to Ice Cream Sandwich. Sony Ericsson is the first company to
announce that its entire line-up of handsets from the past year
will be upgraded and we have a feeling that not many of their
competitors will follow suit.
In reality the upgrade shouldn't be overly complex, that is
unless the handset maker has done a lot of customizations to
The successor to AMD's Brazos platform - Deccan - has been the OS. Even so, Sony Ericsson has its own UI modification
reportedly canceled. Codenamed Wichita and Krishna APUs called Timescape which should be making an appearance in
were set to succeed Zacate (E-Series) and Ontario (C-Series) Android 4.0 as well, so it's not as if you're just getting a bog
respectively. Last month, news about the Brazos 2.0 refresh standard release of the OS. One of the reasons many Android
was leaked fueling doubts regarding the future of Wichita and handset makers don't release updates for their phones when
Krishna, so this move was not entirely unexpected. a new OS version comes is that they don't have the software
engineering resources to put aside, with the other more likely
The successor to AMD's Brazos platform - Deccan - has been
reason set to be that they want to sell new handsets. Even so,
reportedly canceled. Codenamed Wichita and Krishna APUs
as a consumer you feel kind of cheated if you end up getting a
were set to succeed Zacate (E-Series) and Ontario (C-Series)
new handset just ahead of a new major release of Android and
respectively. Last month, news about the
your handset maker doesn't offer any kind of upgrade scheme.
Wichita and Krishna were set to be fabbed at 28nm.
SemiAccurate suggests the cancelation is due to the delay of The models from Sony Ericsson that are getting the upgrade
Globalfoundries' 28nm process. However, previous rumours treatment are the Xperia arc and arc S, Xperia PLAY, Xperia
suggested these APUs might be fabbed at TSMC, just like neo and neo V, Xperia mini and mini pro, Xperia pro, Xperia
Brazos platform APUs, and they would be ready with 28nm active, Xperia ray and the Sony Ericsson Live with Walkman.
Bulk before Globalfoundries. The only model not getting upgraded that was released this
year is the W8 Walkman phone, but this came with an older
Whatever the reason, Brazos 2.0 will now have to hold ground
version of Android and different hardware to start with, so we
till the Kerala platform - or an evolution of it - arrives,
can cut Sony Ericsson some slack here. The announcement
previously expected in 2013. Hopefully, with Deccan platform
didn't include any specific dates, just that the company will
out of the way, AMD will be able to pull in Kerala - which
get cracking on getting Android 4.0 up and running on these
includes Kabini APUs - to meet closer to the much anticipated
models as quickly as possible once its released by Google.
Windows 8 release. No doubt the Kerala platform will power
a wide range of ultraportable devices from tablets to low
affordable ultrabooks (or high end netbooks). It is clear that Dell Singapore unleashes XPS
AMD's new CEO Rory Read is serious about mobile devices,
and the successor to Brazos 2.0 will be crucial to AMD's future 14z, a laptop with great design
plans.
and performance
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/dell-singapore-unleashes-xps-14z-a-
Sony Ericsson gets official on laptop-with-great-design-and-performance/13972.html
November 16th, 2011
Ice Cream Sandwich upgrades
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/sony-ericsson-gets-official-on-ice-
cream-sandwich-upgrades/13973.html
November 16th, 2011
This Dell XPS 14z may not be the company's first Ultrabook,
but it claims to be one of the thinnest full-featured 14-inch
laptops that comes with an internal optical drive. It measures
If you happen to own one of Sony Ericsson's Xperia handsets less than an inch thin, with a 14-inch display in a 13-inch form
that was launched this year, then we have some good news for factor, and is designed for business professionals.
you, the company has decided to upgrade its entire 2011 range
of Xperia handsets as well as the Live with Walkman model
to Ice Cream Sandwich. Sony Ericsson is the first company to
8

12. November 16th, 2011 Published by: VR-Zone
models. It will also be available at next week's SITEX Show
2011.
Lenovo Singapore unveils
IdeaPad U300s Ultrabook
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/lenovo-singapore-unveils-ideapad-
u300s-ultrabook/13971.html
November 16th, 2011
Lenovo Singapore has announced the launch of their IdeaPad
U300s Ultrabook, designed for fashionistas who are looking
for a slim and stylish laptop with superb system performance.
The U300s Ultrabook will retail starting today, and at next
week's SITEX Show.
From its model number, the Dell XPS 14z laptop is 14-
inch laptop with a slim form factor and features an internal
optical drive and discrete graphics option. Incorporating a
stylish design, it claims to deliver superior performance that
can last business professionals through the day, as well as
providing the leisure for watching movies and videos on its
high definition (HD) display.
Available with second-generation Intel Core i5 or Core i7
processors, the XPS 14z sports a 14-inch HD WLED screen that
fits into a 13-inch laptop form factor and boasts more than
six hours of battery life. The laptop also come with slot-load
optical drive and NVIDIA graphics option.
The Dell XPS 14z laptop is available today through
www.Dell.com.sg, and select retail stores at starting prices of
S$1,449 for the Core i5 version, and S$1,749 for the Core i7
9

13. November 16th, 2011 Published by: VR-Zone
Building Better Wi-Fi for your
Business
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/building-better-wi-fi-for-your-
business/13970.html
November 16th, 2011
Wi-Fi usage around the world is literally exploding, as can be
The Lenovo U300s Ultrabook measures 14.9mm thin and evidenced in recent reports of how smartphones and tablets
weighs a mere 1.28kg. It has a 13.3-inch ultra-slim 16:9 are driving global increase in Wi-Fi hotspots. As these very
widescreen HD display, 4GB DDR3 memory and 128GB SSD devices head into corporate networks to jostle with laptops and
storage, and comes equipped with second generation Intel wireless-enabled desktops, businesses are finding themselves
Core i5 and Core i7 processor variants. The U300s also having to support the heavier network load.
boasts 10 seconds boot up time with Enhanced Experience
2.0 RapidDrive SSD technology, and Intel Advanced Cooling
technology that allows air to flow in through the keyboard
and out from the sides and rear hinge. The company also
claims that with Lenovo Long Life Battery, the U300s can
offer up to eight hours of use, or 30 days standby, and Lenovo
RapidCharge which allows the battery to be charged up to 50%
in just 30 minutes.
Other features of the Ultrabook include Bluetooth, 802.11n
Wi-Fi, USB 2.0 and USB 3.0 connectors and integrated 1.3-
megapixel (720p high definition) webcam. Unlike the Toshiba
Ultrabook we have seen earlier, this one does not have the
full-size Ethernet port. According to Lenovo, the U300s will To understand more about Wi-Fi use in business, I arranged
also come with wireless mouse, USB-to-VGA cable, external a meeting with executives from the Ruckus Wireless, a vendor
hard disk and external optical drive as accessories, though that specializes in Wi-Fi access points and wireless LAN
these will probably be available early next year. Available in (WLAN) management systems.
Graphite Gray and limited edition Clementine Orage (which
is the trademark Ideapad color), the Lenovo U300s will retail I first came across Ruckus Wireless in a review published on
from today with a starting price of S$1,899. Tom's Hardware that benchmarked an Access Point (AP) from
Ruckus with those from Cisco and Aruba. At that time, the
Ruckus AP was the only device capable of exceeding 100Mbps
actual throughput, and was heads and shoulders faster in the
tests that were conducted.
It was no surprise hence that the Sunnyvale, California-based
company was tagged by Gartner in the "Visionaries" quadrant
of the 2011 Magic Quadrant for Wireless LAN infrastructure.
Another interesting fact is how the company provides the
devices to hook up the IPTV residential gateways for SingTel's
mio TV service.
I spoke with Asia Pacific (APAC) vice president Louis Au,
director of APAC marketing Christ Yip and Vasudevan
Venkatakrishnan, who is the head of pre-sales in APAC.
Deploying Wi-Fi in business
To start off our conversation, Au offered a couple of pointers
to help businesses roll out a successful wireless deployment.
According to him, the two most important factors would be
to first define the intended usage of a Wi-Fi network, followed
by the implementation of a planning phase.
The former entails working out the number of users and
determining whether users will be light or heavy users. This
10

14. November 16th, 2011 Published by: VR-Zone
can sometimes be derived from the physical location for concluded that measuring the actual wireless throughput is
wireless access; a school auditorium and a public location for "more important."
example, can expect to see far heavier usage than that of a Gigabit Wireless
small meeting room. The planning phase should also include
the removal of old Wi-Fi points. Clearly, it is not the case of With faster wireless technology just round the corner, a
"the more the better" here, given how too many overlapping number of CIOs and business owners are probably debating on
APs can cause interference issues to arise. the merits of investing in current-gen 802.11n wireless today.
For those who are not aware, the Wireless Gigabit Alliance
Not all APs are created equal (WiGig) has already published the initial specifications for
Given the sheer number of wireless vendors out there, gigabit wireless in the unlicensed 60GHz spectrum in May
I was naturally curious about what differentiates one AP this year. On this front, all three were unanimous that gigabit
from another. Venkatakrishnan replied that the company's wireless should not be any deterrence towards companies
products can deliver more consistent and reliable throughput rolling out their Wi-Fi infrastructures.
than specified by the standards. He told me, "We implement The overall consensus is that 802.11n, "will stay for another
technology on top of the standard to deliver the speeds. We four to five years," and will probably also coexist for a little
are able to excel compared to the consumer products, and while with gigabit wireless networks. Au illustrated his point
compared to other vendors even in the enterprise and business by pointing out that mobile operators will hardly give up on
space." 3G networks immediately even with the introduction of 4G.
Yip added that the company had "a lot of feedback" from He did admit however, that it is still too early to talk about a
businesses that start off with "SOHO grade" hardware, migration path. As a final reason why businesses should not
implying that businesses may find themselves stuck with hold back from Wi-Fi deployments today, Venkatakrishnan
wireless equipment that lack the features and capacity that says there is a possibility that gigabit wireless could be used as
they require. a complementary technology that is used in tandem with 2.5
GHz and 5.0 GHz Wi-Fi.
Au pointed out that the cost of buying the wrong AP is very
high, in certain organizations such as a school, for example. Businesses interested in products from Ruckus
Without specifying brands, Au also added that there are Wireless can contact Ruckus Singapore via email
APs "out there" which will lower the speed once they hit a SEAsiaSales@ruckuswireless.com or phone at +65 68292319.
certain number of users. According to Au, other important
considerations when choosing a wireless AP would be its
reliability, ability to deal with interference and maintain a
good throughput. SanDisk's Christmas Offer
And unlike many other enterprise vendors, Ruckus maintains Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/sandisk-s-christmas-offer/13969.html
a shared feature set across its range of products. This means November 16th, 2011
that new capabilities found in firmware upgrades are bestowed
across all Ruckus-branded APs. The only difference resides in
the onboard hardware capabilities of an AP - such as whether
it is an indoor or outdoor unit, RF performance, and whether
it has single-band or dual-band support.
The misconception about interference
SanDisk has a great offer to give away free camera wraps
Interference is a topic one can expect to have to deal for purchase of their SanDisk Extreme or SanDisk Extreme
with when it comes to wireless technologies. Unfortunately, Pro UHS-I cards (while stocks last). Take a look at what its all
misconceptions on this front are common. Au asserted to me about.
that: "In a room that is devoid of interference, every vendor
will do a good job." The most common misconception about
interference, elaborated Yip, is that a strong signal yields
strong throughput. This line of thought completely ignores
interference from neighboring networks however, which could
decrease performance substantially.
"You increase the power, you increase noise; the objective
is to reduce noise," quipped Venkatakrishnan. Given that
neighboring APs are not manageable by you, a better-placed
question that IT managers should ask themselves is: "How do I
deliver a quality signal with minimum power required, without
creating interference and managing interference."
Putting paid to the concept of that AP range is all-important;
Au says that an AP with an extended range is not always
useful, especially when paired with low-power client devices
such as a Wi-Fi enabled smartphone. With this in mind, Au
11

15. November 16th, 2011 Published by: VR-Zone
The good people at SanDisk are presenting a great
piece of Christmas news for professional and enthusiast
photographers alike. With purchase of the 16GB or higher
SanDisk Extreme and SanDisk Extreme Pro UHS-I cards will
come with a protective camera wrap, just for this festive season
from now till December 31st.
These memory cards pack a punch, especially the Pro series,
which sports a 90MB per second write speed which enables
a continuous string of RAW images shot in burst-mode to be
recorded quickly, while the UHS Speed Class 1 rating allows
for flawless recording of full High Definition video.
Its 95MB per second read speed means less time taken to
transfer photos from card to computer and more time to do
Philips has released a trio of speaker docks in Android flavour,
what needs to be done instead.
a first ever. It is timely too, as Android platforms already own
a big market segment for quite some time now, and yet the
amount of accessories and docks designed for these devices are
meager compared to the army of gadgets that cater to Apple's
devices.
Capitalizing on this realization, Philips takes the first strike
with its flagship AS851 Fidelio using the patented ‘Flexidock’
micro USB connection which slides laterally to accommodate
to the wide array of shapes and port configurations on Android
devices, while charging the mounted gadget.
All these goodness get better with the free camera wrap that
comes with it. Made of flannelet and Dacron, these wraps will
protect any part of the camera from body to lens by conforming
to the various shape and be self-secured by four in-built Velcro
tabs.
So what are you waiting for? Grab it while stocks last.
Philips unveils speaker docks
for Android Upon docking, both devices will pair with Bluetooth via the
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/philips-unveils-speaker-docks-for-
free Fidelio app and stream music for output through the
android/13968.html
speakers. It is also possible to continue to play music while
November 16th, 2011
the Android handset is off the dock, and even represent every
sound made by the Android platform when paired, such as
message notifications.
The AS851 is akin to the DS8500, which works for Apple
devices, and shares the same chassis. Its Philips Digital sound
Android devices finally receive not one but three speaker docks processor and rated 30 Watts output ensures that music
designed for the platform, courtesy of Philips. A repackaged is distortion-free and well-heard. All of these features will
version of its iPod-oriented cousin the DS8500, this new kid be under the command of a remote control, which makes
in the block seems like a hit from early reports. switching music back and forth a breeze.
The two other accompanying docks on release include the mid-
range AS351 featuring a 10 Watt output and Dynamic Bass
Boost, while the AS111 is a bedside dock sporting an all-round
speaker.
12

16. November 16th, 2011 Published by: VR-Zone
in a chic and pleasing “folding design”, which makes typing
on a flat surface easy and holding it in one hand for reading
even easier. It shares content to be displayed on your home
Sony has something for entertainment devices and even doubles as a universal remote
everyone this festive season control. Nothing feels like empowering the home with a Sony
Tablet S this Christmas.
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/sony-has-something-for-everyone-this-
festive-season/13967.html
November 16th, 2011
This seaons's line-up from Sony proves to be a exciting mix in
the bag, with something for everyone. Read on to find out!
Sony Christmas Gift Guide Selections
Sony NEX-5N E-mount Camera will capture the spirit of this
festive season on the faces of your loved ones with complete
clarity using its 16.1-megapixel Exmor APS HD sensor and
its responsive touch screen interface for quick adjustments.
Its ultra-lightweight build and interchangeable lenses ensures
that you will shoot what you want in the way you want it.
Let the W262 MP3 Walkman bring party music to you in its
waterproof and hip design. Powered by an integrated player
that lets you roam freely without dangling wires, and playing
2GB worth of favourites from your collection of music. It is
also the perfect companion for the more athletic ones, or those
who think they should shed some weight amidst the holiday
feasting that is coming soon.
The Sony DPF-C700 Photo Frame is a beautiful way of keeping
and displaying memories of your family and friends from this
holiday season through its 7-inch WVGA Clear Photo LCD.
Swarovski Crystals grace the frame and you can be sure it will
stay a conversation piece all year round too.
Prices
The Sony Tablet S will do just about everything a child to a W262 MP3 Walkman: S$129
senior citizen would want it to. Be it reading, gaming, playing
music, surfing the Internet, to even video conferencing; all Sony Tablet S: S$798
13

17. November 16th, 2011 Published by: VR-Zone
Sony NEX-5N E-mount Camera: S$1299
Sony DPF-C700 Photo Frame: S$149
Belkin Christmas Promotion
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/belkin-christmas-
promotion/13966.html
November 16th, 2011
Boost your connectivity with friends and family in a stylish
way (without the lag) this festive season with Belkin Christmas
Promotions.
The N300 Wireless N Router will be a great Christmas gift
Seamless Gaming, Video And Voice Conferencing, All At The
for any family looking to improve their home connectivity in
Same Time
the most cost effective and productive manner with its special
coverage pattern that will reach across the household better, a
distinct difference from traditional donut-shaped flat coverage
pattern of other routers.
Light And Mobile Connectivity
This Belkin N750 DB Wireless Dual-Band N+ Router will let
your family members speak to loved ones overseas with their
favourite video conferencing program, stream music, and play
the latest online multiplayer games all at the same time with
the smooth performance. Experience lag-free connectivity of
up to 300Mbps at 2.4Ghz or 450Mbps at 5Ghz.
Share your connectivity with others with the N150 and the
N600 Wireless USB Adapter this season. Enjoy up to 150Mbps
Cost Effective Connectivity
with the N150 or dual-band speed of 300Mbps on the N600
on your favourite devices.
Prices
N750 DB Wireless Dual-Band N+ Router: S$229
N300 Wireless N Router: S$59
N150 Wireless USB Adapter: S$27
N600 Wireless USB Adapter: S$54
14

18. November 16th, 2011 Published by: VR-Zone
SingTel announces skoob,
November 16th, 2011
Singapore's first e-book
service
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/singtel-announces-skoob-singapore-s-
first-e-book-service/13965.html
November 16th, 2011 Now that we finally have gotten past the official launch of
Intel's new platform, we thought we'd talk a little bit about the
details of Intel's Patsburg chipset, of which the X79 is the first
product to arrive in the market. As many of you already knows,
Intel's X79 chipset isn't exactly what the company had in mind
initially and Intel had to cut back on the feature count not once,
SingTel has announced the launch of skoob, which but twice. However, the resulting product is little more than a
claims to be Singapore’s first e-book service that not glorified P67 chipset and it doesn't look set to change.
only offer international best sellers, but also works of local
writers, study guides and educational books for local primary Now that we finally have gotten past the official launch of
and secondary school students. Intel's new platform, we thought we'd talk a little bit about the
details of Intel's Patsburg chipset, of which the X79 is the first
product to arrive in the market. As many of you already knows,
Intel's X79 chipset isn't exactly what the company had in mind
initially and Intel had to cut back on the feature count not once,
but twice. However, the resulting product is little more than a
glorified P67 chipset and it doesn't look set to change.
For starters the X79 is a power hog; it has a max TDP of 7.8W
which should be compared to 6.1W for the 6-series chipsets.
However, Intel's server version which should be the C600
series of chipsets peak at 6.7W. The only reason that we can see
for this is some additional features such as extra USB 2.0 ports,
a couple of extra PCI Express x1 lanes, native PCI support, a
built in Gigabit Ethernet MAC and audio, but these don't seem
SingTel has launched skoob, Singapore’s first e-book service to account for the extra power draw. What we do know is that
that to offer the works by local writers and local school the disabled SCU is still part of the chipset and it's using power
study guides and books. At launch, skoob offers more than even though it doesn't offer any functionality.
39,000 local and international bestsellers for smartphones, Some reviewers have criticized Intel for the X79 and its lack
tablets and PCs. It also claims to be the first e-book service of features, although it seems that very few were aware of the
to accept payments in Singapore dollars. For example, fans of much higher price Intel is charging the motherboard makers
John Grisham can enjoy his novel, "The Confession", at S$9 for what is not only a feature castrated chipset, but also for
instead of S$17.07 at a bookshop. Neil Humphreys’ acclaimed a revision that won't be around for long. As we've reported
"Complete Notes" from Singapore is available at S$13.90 previously, Intel is working on a new stepping of the chipset,
instead of S$29.90. Skoob also offers a range of classics for free initially for its Xeon platform, but at some stage this revision
download, such as Arthur Conan Doyle’s "The Adventures of will make an appearance for the desktop platform.
Sherlock Holmes" and Charles Dickens’ "A Tale of Two Cities".
The only problem here is that Intel was meant to have its new
The skoob e-book service is available on Apple and chipset revision done and dusted by now, but the company
Android tablets and smartphones as a free app. It is also has run into further problems with the SAS interface. As such,
available on PCs and Macs using standard browsers. Users Intel has an interim solution here called Patsburg-J, otherwise
have the flexibility to download books on up to five devices known as X79. Patsburg-J might be for Intel's Xeon platform,
and payments can be made via Singapore credit cards. For but as far as we can tell, it's identical to the X79 chipset, bar the
SingTel customers, they can choose to have the purchases features mentioned above that Intel didn't bother with for its
conveniently charged to their monthly bills. server platform. Thanks to this move, Intel can still announce
For more information on skoob, and to download the app, its new LGA-2011 and LGA-1356 Xeon parts sometime in Q1
please visit www.skoob.com.sg. next year, rather than having to delay the platform further.
We're actually quite surprised that Intel has launched such
a half finished product, but the story doesn't end here, as
Intel's Patsburg chipset things get even more complicated. With the new revision of
continues to encounter delays the X79 chipset which at the moment we don't know when it'll
arrive, Intel will allow the motherboard makers to enable the
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/intel-s-patsburg-chipset-continues-to-
encounter-delays/13964.html
SCU, although only functionality for four SATA 6Gbps ports.
However, there's a but coming here and it's a bold but with
15

19. November 16th, 2011 Published by: VR-Zone
exclamation marks and warning signs, Intel isn't guaranteeing
the performance, reliability or data integrity of these ports. In
other words, if the motherboard makers want to chance it, they
can enable the additional four ports and if they end up with
major support issues, then it's on their head.
We're really starting to wonder what's going on at Intel, as
something isn't right at the company. Minor errata's aren't
unusual in this business, but for Intel all of 2011 has been a year
of SATA – and in the case of Patsburg SAS – related problems
that have caused severe problems to the company. It's also
worth remembering that the Sandy Bridge-E CPU's are far
from the final revision, with at least one more stepping coming The M.M.O.7 has no less than 13 programmable buttons, as
before the Xeon branded Sandy Bridge-EP models launch and well a three position switch and a two position shift button
most likely another revision or two later this year to try and for a total of 78 user definable commands. Let's not forget the
bring down the power usage of these huge processors. two scroll wheels (one is for your thumb) and the new "5D"
button which is a mini joystick that's thumb controlled and can
move in four directions as well as being pressed inwards. Mad
Mad Catz Cyborg M.M.O.7 Catz has also added adjustable backlight to the M.M.O.7 which
unveiled apparently can display any of 16 million different RGB colours.
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/mad-catz-cyborg-m.m.o.7-
unveiled/13963.html
November 16th, 2011
Another interesting feature is something Mad Catz call
ActionLock which allows the left and right mouse buttons to
be auto clicked until unlocked. The M.M.O.7 sports what Mad
Over the past couple of years we've seen a handful of mice Catz call a "Twin-Eye" laser sensor that offers 25 to 6400dpi
designed for MMO's and now Mad Catz has joined the fray sensitivity and six meters per second tracking with four user
with its Cyborg M.M.O.7 which builds upon is adjustable R.A.T definable dpi settings. For fans of World of Warcraft, Mad Catz
series of mice. However, the M.M.O.7 has been given more has even created a special plug-in that gives you quick and easy
buttons than the previous models to apparently make it more access to the button configuration. No word on pricing as yet,
suitable for MMO's. as the Cyborg M.M.O.7 isn't expected to arrive until January
next year, so no, you can't have one from Santa no matter how
good you've been.
Over the past couple of years we've seen a handful of mice
designed for MMO's and now Mad Catz has joined the fray
with its Cyborg M.M.O.7 which builds upon is adjustable R.A.T Logitech's Christmas Special
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/logitech-s-christmas-
series of mice. However, the M.M.O.7 has been given more
special/13960.html
buttons than the previous models to apparently make it more
November 16th, 2011
suitable for MMO's.
At first glance the most noticeable difference is the new
black and chromed orange colour scheme which makes this a
visually more "in your face" product. That said, it's been quite
tastefully done and it doesn't look garish. As with the other
R.A.T mice from Mad Catz the M.M.O.7 is fully adjustable to
allow for a good fit in your hand. It comes with three different Logitech has prepared some Christmas specials for everyone
palm and pinkie grips, as well as a set of weights. this year and it is bound to make both the style-conscious and
avid gamers happy. Let's take a look.
Gamers For The Win
16

20. November 16th, 2011 Published by: VR-Zone
The Logitech Keyboard Case sets you aside from other tablet
users with its keyboard seamlessly designed within the case.
Defeat your opponents with the Logitech Gaming Keyboard
The precision-cut, aircraft-grade aluminum along with its
G510 this holiday season. Sporting a game panel LCD to
high-density padding keeps your iPad 2 scratch-free and
keep your game statistics updated as you fire away, its
protected in a stylish way. Bluetooth pairing sets you up
customizable backlighting keeps you sharp even in the dark,
for some smooth typing action in seconds, while its in-built
while its 18 Programmable G-keys let you configure your
stand props your iPad up for good visibility in one of two
macro key combination beforehand or on-the-fly. Full-speed
orientations. This smart and sexy combination is yours at S
USB Multi-Key input executes your every key command with
$139.
no hesitation. At your disposal with a recommended retail
price tag of S$139.
Amaze yourself with the Ultimate Ears 700 Noise-Isolating
Earphones as it changes the way your music collection
sounds with its remarkable clarity and excitingly realistic
Logitech Gaming Mouse G400 lets you go trigger happy as audio representation, powered by its dual-armature layout.
it blazes away at 3600 dpi with consistent response ratio, Experience the audio revelation in isolation away from noise
which maps your exact hand movement to produce the same by up to 26 dBs with its comfortable and interchangeable
amount of cursor travel. Eight programmable buttons give you silicone ear-cushions. Stylish and sturdy case included. You
many options to execute your opponents, while the durable can now pamper your ears with this S$189 Ultimate Ears 700.
build ensures that it lasts long with you in battle to the tune
of 10 million clicks and 500km of travel tested. Surprise
your enemies by changing from accurate movements to fast 3DMark for Windows 8 to
response with In-Game Sensitivity Switching. You can own Benchmark Everything:
this weapon at just S$49.
Smartphones, Tablets,
On The Move With Style Laptops, Desktops
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/3dmark-for-windows-8-to-benchmark-
everything-smartphones-tablets-laptops-desktops/13958.html
17

21. November 16th, 2011 Published by: VR-Zone
November 16th, 2011 November 16th, 2011
Futuremark just announced that the company is developing
a unified benchmark suite for Windows 8 operating system.
Available in 2012, the benchmark currently known as
"3DMark for Windows 8" is targeting all Windows 8 platforms,
from rare high-end smartphones to commonplace tablets,
ultrabooks and desktops.
Lenovo introduces Android-
Windows hybrid to battle
battery life issues
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/lenovo-introduces-android-windows-
The new benchmark is the first to support multiple iterations hybrid-to-battle-battery-life-issues/13959.html
of DirectX - 9 and 11. This decision was made in order to November 16th, 2011
support the variety of devices, which as we all know will
range from high-end smartphones and tablets to ultrabooks,
notebooks and desktop PCs. Given the diversity of the
platforms, we had our doubts in complexity of the test
scenes. However, Oliver Baltuch, President of Futuremark
Corporation quickly addressed our doubts.
The disappointing battery life of the ThinkPad X1 calls for a
3DMark for Windows 8 will enable apples-to-apples solution, and Android is Lenovo's response. By segmenting the
comparison between ARM and X86 powered devices. It's function of a notebook with two platforms, the company hopes
going to be quite interesting to compare contemporary ARM to improve battery life with Android-based "Instant Media
products such as Nvidia Tegra or Qualcomm Snapdragon Mode" when less power is needed.
versus AMD Fusion and Intel Atom/Core processors.
3DMark will continue to feature "Entry", "Performance" and
"Extreme" levels of detail, albeit the difference in detail will be
larger, as previous "Entry" mode was simply too complicated
for Intel's embedded graphics. One of potential scenarios in
3DMark for Windows 8 would be that a tablet user sees all of
the test scenes, while a graphics processor in let's say Intel's
earlier Core i3/i5 processors (Arrandale/Clarkdale) fails to do
so.
Naturally, the reverse role applies as well, with AMD
Fusion processors rendering what for instance, Qualcomm
Snapdragon, NVIDIA Tegra or TI OMAP4 cannot.
The benchmark is scheduled to debut alongside Microsoft
Windows 8 operating system, probably sometime during 2012.
A Lenovo Live Update (which has been removed from the
company's website) showed a new ThinkPad X1 Hybrid which
Share & Win - ASUS ROG seeks to address the poor battery life that its predecessor
had, by adding a “Instant Media Mode” which is essentially
Rampage IV Extreme (X79) an Android platform resembling that of the IdeaPad K1.
Motherboard Giveaway! The "instant-on" mode can switch to Windows 7 when
performance and productivity is necessary, but otherwise,
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/share--win--asus-rog-rampage-iv-
extreme-x79-motherboard-giveaway-/13962.html
it boasts 10 hours of web browsing or 8 hours of
multimedia experience. Plans to introduce the 13- and 14-inch
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22. November 16th, 2011 Published by: VR-Zone
Ultrabooks mid next year were also revealed, priced at US
$1,300 and US$800 respectively.
Nabi Tablet: Toy? Tablet?
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/nabi-tablet-toy-tablet-/13955.html
November 16th, 2011
The rising technological dominance of tablets and toys While the specs won’t excite any tech geeks, the tablet will
converge as Toys R Us released a tablet to add to their arsenal engage kids with its 7-inch 800 x 480 capacitive touchscreen,
of children's fare. Well thought-out with content control for 4GB of storage, and a 533 MHz dual-core ARM Cortex-A9
the child, a durable design and dedicated app store to keep kids processor. It will also connect with Wi-Fi and shoot with its
busy, will the Nabi tablet cause a stir in Santa Claus' sack? 1.3-megapixel front-facing camera.
The key edge that the Nabi tablet has against competing family
tablets come from its software, which is completely designed
for children. This includes a child-accessible interface which
displays big colourful icons leading to a “kiddified” web
experience, and a whole host of apps like Fooz kids University
Toys R Us has released their latest toy, a tablet for kids. which teaches mathematics, design and art oriented apps
Considering the ever growing penetration of the tablet in many that allow for creative exploration, 30 e-Books to encourage
market segments and its accessibility to all age groups, it reading, and not forgetting support for popular games, all
hardly comes as a surprise that child-oriented products will preloaded. The Nabi app store powers the tablet with 500
start to surface in popularity. other apps for families who have the appetite for more.
The renowned toy manufacturer hired Chinese/American Mommies will not be left out, of course, as the tablet features a
Web 2.0 properties and app developer FUHU to create the “Mommy mode” which unleashes the full Android experience
Nabi tablet aimed at educating with fun, and perhaps most without any kind of restriction.
importantly, a form of sustainable distraction to free moms The Nabi will satisfy both mother and child as it ships on
from their children for a moment. From first impressions, a
December 1st. Pre-orders can be made at Toy R Us for US
very smart choice of reinforcing the corners of the tablet with
$199.99
seemingly soft material implies it can take some hard hitting
from playful or careless children.
ASUS ROG Rampage IV
Extreme (X79) Review -
Air Overclocking with Core
i7-3960X
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/asus-rog-rampage-iv-extreme-x79-
review--air-overclocking-with-core-i7-3960x/13950.html
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