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. August 19th, 2011 Published by: VR-Zone
be, considering how the company has announced the release
of what appears to be yet another such entry-level tablet for
sale in its domestic market.
Sleek-looking and high-performance tablets may be all the
rage today, but it does not change the fact that such devices,
which are often known for their equally sleek pricetags, are
usually way to expensive for the average Joe to afford in thes
form of an impulse purchase. However, the good news is that
if you ever happen to find yourself in China, low-cost entry-
level tablets, such as Aishuo's new A820 tablet here, are readily
available for most people to purchase without breaking the
piggy bank.
That being said, a quick search on Aishuo's product page
reveals that the A820 tablet as described by M.I.C Digi does
not exist in the company's product lineup at all. However, we
were able to find an A816 which, interestingly, boasts near-
identical specifications as the ones M.I.C Digi has listed for
the aforementioned “A820” tablet device, but with a slightly
different design. Interesting.
According to a report posted by M.I.C Digi, the new Aishuo
A820 tablet makes use of a somewhat unconventional eight-
inch display which utilizes resistive touch technology and
sports the relatively low maximum resolution of 800 x 600
pixels. In addition, the A820 also features a paltry 512MB of
onboard memory, although the 4GB of internal flash storage
available on the machine is somewhat more substantial than
some of the other entry-level tablets that are being sold in
China. Forget Google phones;
In addition, M.I.C Digi has also claimed that the A820 will
feature a Samsung S5PV210 processor clocked at 1.2GHz as
SoftBank unveils "Yahoo
its main muscle, and will boast support for wireless Internet Phone" in Japan
connectivity via WiFi only. However, if it is of any consolation, Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/forget-google-phones-softbank-unveils-
M.I.C Digi claims that the A820 sports an upgraded WiFi yahoo-phone-in-japan/13337.html
module produced by Samsung which is capable of receiving August 19th, 2011
wireless signals from as far as 50m away. And from the looks
of it, it seems that the A820 also features a variety of I/O ports
such as a single full-sized USB port, a micro-USB port as well
as what appears to be a mini-USB port, along with a microSD
card reader and audio output jacks.
So the Android operating system is a hit and even Google
wants to get in to the game by releasing the occasional 'Google
phone' that boasts premium hardware and access to the latest
firmware version of Android. But for a smartphone OEM to
churn out a “Yahoo Phone”? Don't be surprised, but that
is exactly what SoftBank in Japan has done with its new
smartphone that is every bit the Yahoo-equivalent of those
Google phones we have been reading all about.
When it comes to Japan, one is almost always assured of an
announcement or launch of an unconventional product every
3

2. August 19th, 2011 Published by: VR-Zone
so often, especially where consumer electronics products such competition. According to SoftBank, this comes in the form
as smartphones are concerned. And true enough, this latest of 13 preloaded apps and services for Yahoo Japan, such as
announcement from SoftBank only serves to reinforce that Yahoo Finance, Yahoo Calendar and Yahoo Weather, among
claim, for thhe country;s third largest mobile network carrier many others. In addition, SoftBank has also claimed that
has announced the availability of what is probably the first ever subscribers who purchase the 009SH Y can expect to score
“Yahoo Phone” for its domestic smartphone market. two years of free membership to Yahoo Premium, as well as
obtain additional points with every purchase made on Yahoo
Shopping throughout that time frame.
Oh, and one last thing; the Yahoo Phone runs of version 2.3
(aka Gingerbread) of the Android operating system. But you
probably know that already, no?
Epson announces availability
of five new LED printers
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/epson-announces-availability-of-five-
new-led-printers/13336.html
August 19th, 2011
The machine translation of SoftBank's press release throws up
some funky interpretations, but from what we have managed
to gather, it seems that SoftBank's new Yahoo phone, which is
manufactured by Sharp, is known domestically as the AQUOS
PHONE THE PREMIUM SoftBank 009SH Y. This makes it a
rebranded variant of the original 3D-capable AQUOS PHONE Epson has announced the availability of five new high-
THE PREMIUM SoftBank 009SH, which we first spoke about performance LED printers which have been reportedly
last month and was slated to be released for sale in Japan in designed to cater to both home and small business users.
mid-August this year. According to Epson, the new LED printers, which are known
as the AcuLaser M1400, MX14, MX14NF, C1700 and CX17NF,
Specs-wise, it appears that the 009SH Y is virtually identical
will be replacing the company's entry-level laser printer
to the original 009SH in that it sports a four-inch QHD display
lineup.
capable of a maximum resolution of 960 x 540, along with
an eight-megapixel rear-facing camera. However, it seems Need a new printer? If so, you are in luck, for Epson has
that the 009SH Y might have a chance of seeing life outside just announced the availability of ive new high-performance
of Japan, for the specifications sheet released by SoftBank LED printers which have been reportedly designed to cater
indicates that the smartphone features both CDMA and GSM to both home and small business users. According to the
radios, thus making it a world phone of sorts. company, the new line of LED printers, which consists of three
monochrome models (AcuLaser M1400, MX14 and MX14NF)
and two colour printers (AcuLaser C1700 and CX17NF), will
be replacing the company's entry-level laser printer lineup.
Epson claims that its new line of LED printers will be capable
of a maximum printing speed of 24ppm for the monochrome
models, while its colour printers will feature a slightly lower
speed of 12ppm. In addition, features common among all five
printers include high monthly cycles of up to 20,000 pages a
month, along with built-in memory capacities of up to 128MB
Of course, with the 009SH Y being a “Yahoo phone”, it would for what the company claims amounts to "better workload
only make sense that the smartphone comes preloaded with management". In addition, all five printers will also sport
various Yahoo-centric features to distinguish itself from the lower energy consumption because of their use of LEDs over
conventional laser technology.
4

3. August 19th, 2011 Published by: VR-Zone
That being said, the monochrome models will feature a titles that have been optimised for use on its smartphone, and
maximum print resolution of up to 1200 x 1200 dpi, while the then some.
colour models sports slightly higher print resolutions which
top out at 1200 x 2400 dpi. More information about each
individual printer's specification can be viewed in the table
shown below:
Sony Ericsson has announced the availability of what it claims
is an “ever-growing ecosystem” of over 150 games that have
been optimized for use on its Xperia PLAY smartphone at the
Gamescom event that is currently taking place in Cologne.
According to the company, its ability to offer such a healthy
selection of titles was made possible due to its expanding
partnerships with top publishers and leading independent
studios.
The printers will be made available for sale locally starting
from August 19 (which happens to be today) at the following
prices:
• AcuLaser M1400 – S$138.00
• AcuLaser MX14 – S$218.00
• AcuLaser MX14NF – S$298.00
Some of the new titles include smartphone ports of well-
• AcuLaser C1700 – S$300.00 known console and PC titles, such as EA's Need For Speed Hot
• AcuLaser CX17NF – S$545.00 Pursuit and Dead Space. In addition, the company has also
claimed that that the Android premiere of Polarbit's driving
game, Reckless Getaway, was featured at Gamescom.
Sony Ericsson announces An incomplete list of the Xperia PLAY Android titles that
availability of new content for were announced and showcased at Gamescon this week are as
follow:
Xperia PLAY at Gamescom
• Dead Space, Need For Speed Hot Pursuit and FIFA12 by
2011 EA
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/sony-ericsson-announces-availability-
• Reckless Getaway, Reckless Racing 2 and Tanks by
of-new-content-for-xperia-play-at-gamescom-2011/13335.html
Polarbit
August 19th, 2011
• Let's Golf 3 by Gameloft
• Townsmen 6, Guns & Glory WW2 and Clouds and Sheep
by HandyGame
• They Need To Be Fed by YoYo Games
If a certain smartphone is going to be marketed and sold • Lame Castle by Be-Rad Entertainment
as a portable gaming device in its own right, it would make • Hyperlight by Catfishblues Games
sense that such a phone will need to boast a strong selection
of popular game titles to ensure that interest in its product • Diversion and Crazy Snowboard by Ezone PTY LTD
remains high, no? That is exactly what Sony Ericsson has done • Gibs & Gore Micronytes
with with its first ever Playstation-certified smartphone, the
Xperia PLAY, where it has announced the availability of new • Protoxide and Battle Boats 3D by Herocraft
5

4. August 19th, 2011 Published by: VR-Zone
• EVAC HD and Radient HD by Hexage
• PewPew 2 by Jean-Francois Geyelin
• Stellar Escape by Orange Agenda
• Jumpy, INC and Meganoid by Orange Pixel
• Death Worm by PlayCreek LLC
• No Gravity by Real Tech VR
• Crusade of Destiny by Divide Arts
• Desert Winds by Southend Interactive
Lastly, Sony Ericsson has also announced the availability
of new smartphone features for the Xperia PLAY. This
includes plans for a new Facebook app which will allow
users to recommend their favourite games in their Xperia For those who are wondering about the Galaxy Tab 10.1's
PLAY smartphone on Facebook, as well as upload screenshots specifications, the tablet runs off version 3.1 of the Android
to share their high scores or memorable gaming moments operating system (aka Honeycomb) and is touted to measure a
with other users. Sony has also confirmed that the Xperia mere 8.6mm in thickness, thus making it the world;s thinnest
PLAY now supports Skype video calling via the official Skype tablet. On the hardware side, the Galaxy Tab 10.1 will be
app that is currently available for download off the Android powered by a 1GHz “dual-core application processor”, while
Market. the built-in 3G modem is reportedly capable of achieving
network speeds of up to 21Mbps.
No details pertaining to availability and exclusivity of the
aforementioned game titles has been released by Sony Last but definitely not least, Samsung has also claimed
Ericsson yet, although the company has claimed that the that the new Galaxy Tab 10.1 will boast “surround sound
games “will be released in the coming months”, and that such stereo speakers”, dual-facing cameras and support for 1080p
information will follow in due course. video playback, thus allowing for users to enjoy a “rich
entertainment experience”.
Samsung releases Galaxy Tab Full specifications of the Galaxy Tab 10.1 tablet are as follow:
10.1 for sale in Singapore
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/samsung-releases-galaxy-tab-10.1-for-
sale-in-singapore/13334.html
August 19th, 2011
Samsung's woes with the current injunctions Apple has won
against its new Galaxy Tab 10.1 in Germany may have just
started, but the good news is that local fans of the Korean
electronics giant's mobile computing devices will not have to
worry about a potential ban over here. This is because the
company has just confirmed that its highly anticipated Galaxy
Tab 10.1 tablet computing device has just been launched for
sale in Singapore.
So Samsung's new Galaxy Tab 10.1 tablet computing device has
just been officially shown the door in Germany. Now, that is
definitely not going to be good for German fans of the Korean
electronics giant's mobile computing products, but the good
Intel delays new Atom's to
news is that local fans will not have to fret about the possibility November
of a ban over in Singapore. This is because Samsung has just Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/intel-delays-new-atom-s-to-
announced that it has officially released the Tab 10.1 for retail november/13333.html
in Singapore, where it will be sold at the price of S$848 (GST
included) without a contract from a carrier.
6

5. August 19th, 2011 Published by: VR-Zone
August 19th, 2011 Only a few days ago HP dropped the price of its webOS
powered TouchPad tablets by $100 in the US and it's less than
a week since the TouchPad launched in Singapore, but the
company has now announced that it's going to discontinue
all its webOS devices. That means no more TouchPad and no
more Pre phones.
We're not quite sure what's going on at HP, but the company
By the look of things November is going to be a busy month has issued a press release where it's talking about its intent
for Intel, at least with all the delays that the rumour mill to join forces with Autonomy Corporation plc., alongside
is currently churning out. The latest rumour is that Intel's its preliminary third quarter fiscal results and a three line
upcoming Cedar Trail Atom processors have now been delayed statement that simply states "[HP] will discontinue operations
from an expected September launch to November, alongside for webOS devices, specifically the TouchPad and webOS
the Sandy Bridge-E processors. phones." It wasn't long ago that the company announced that
it had appointed a new executive to lead the development of
webOS.
By the look of things November is going to be a busy month
for Intel, at least with all the delays that the rumour mill To call this surprising news is being modest, as although
is currently churning out. The latest rumour is that Intel's HP's webOS products haven't been a roaring success, its Pre
upcoming Cedar Trail Atom processors have now been delayed 3 handset only launched in Europe less than 48h ago. HP
from an expected September launch to November, alongside only took over Palm just over a year ago and has so far
the Sandy Bridge-E processors. only launched three webOS devices, the TouchPad, the Pre 3
and the Veer. However, the company did indicate that from
The new Atom processors are the mobile N2600 (1.6GHz)
next year, all of its PCs were to ship with webOS alongside
and N2800 (1.86GHz) and the desktop D2500 (1.86GHz)
Windows.
and D2700 (2.13GHz). All four models are said to have been
delayed, although the reason behind the delay is quite unusual. The very short statement goes on to say "HP will continue to
According to Digitimes, Intel has run into problems with explore options to optimize the value of webOS software going
the graphics driver and as such failed to pass Windows 7 forward." We're not quite sure what this means, but maybe
certification. This means that Intel is going to have to re- HP is still considering to put webOS on its PCs, but it seems
submit its drivers to Microsoft for re-certification, something a bit moot if there are no handheld devices to go with the OS.
that doesn't happen overnight with complex drivers like the The idea as we understood it was that you'd be able to run
ones for graphics. the same apps on your desktop or notebook as you could on
your handheld device. We'll see how things develop, but it's
The Cedar Trail Atom processors sports PowerVR graphics
not looking good for fans of the webOS.
as we exclusively reported back in May and we're looking
at a PowerVR SGX545 graphics core. We're not quite sure In related news, there's also a rumour going around that
what kind of snag Intel has run into here, but it's obviously HP is considering spin-off its PC business. The potential
something fairly crucial since Microsoft has deemed the reason behind this is that HP wants to become a software and
drivers unsuitable for Windows 7. If we'd have a guess we'd service company, somewhat in line with what IBM is doing.
be leaning towards something to do with media decoding, as Apparently there's no longer any value in hardware, but we'll
Intel has struggled with past PowerVR implementations when just have to wait and see how things develop.
it has come to just that part of its drivers. Hopefully we should
ASUS ROG Mars II 3GB - A
find out more from IDF in September.
HP calls it quits on webOS Mini Review
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/asus-rog-mars-ii-3gb--a-mini-
devices review/13306.html
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/hp-calls-it-quits-on-webos- August 19th, 2011
devices/13332.html
August 19th, 2011
Only a few days ago HP dropped the price of its webOS
powered TouchPad tablets by $100 in the US and it's less than Back in 2009, ASUS launched their 1000-piece limited edition
a week since the TouchPad launched in Singapore, but the mammoth "Mars" (2 x GTX285 on a single card) and took the
company has now announced that it's going to discontinue performance crown over then GPU leaders NVIDIA GTX295
all its webOS devices. That means no more TouchPad and no and AMD HD5970, albeit at a significant price premium. Two
more Pre phones. years later today, we do a mini review on the world's fastest
single graphics card equipped with two GTX580 Fermi cores -
the ASUS Republic of Gamers Mars II 3GB.
7

6. August 19th, 2011 Published by: VR-Zone
Introduction (effective) (4008MHz) (3416MHz) (4008MHz)
Memory 1.5GB 2 x 1.5GB 2 x 1.5GB
Stream 512 1024 1024
Processors
TDP 243W 365W ?
From the specifications table above, we see that the Mars II
is clocked marginally higher (1.3%) than the reference GTX
580 core clock, and 28% over the similar dual chip GTX 590.
To sustain the higher frequencies, the ROG team at ASUS
designed a custom PCB and power circruitry on the Mars
II, allowing the 2 GF110 Fermi cores to perform at their full
potential on a single card.
A very big box
On the triple slot I/O shield, we have two DVI-D ports, a HDMI
and a Display Port interface on the card allowing for up to 4
display outputs.
Like its predecessor, the ASUS ROG Mars II has limited
production run of 999 pieces (ours was the "529th"). At the side of the card, there are 3 x 8 pin PCIE power
connectors delivering up to 450W of additional power. There
GTX 580 GTX 590 (2 Mars II
is also a red-backlit button to override and trigger 100% fan
x GTX 580)
speeds on the two huge 120mm fans in the cooling system.
Core Clock 772MHz 607MHz 782MHz
Shader Clock 1544MHz 1215MHz 1564MHz
Memory Clock 1002MHz 854MHz 1002MHz
8

7. August 19th, 2011 Published by: VR-Zone
The upcoming Xperia Ray took about one and a half year
Accesories to develop from product conceptualization to launch, though
along the way, changes and adjustments have to be made
to meet users' requirements. You must be thinking, with so
many phone manufacturers coming up with display of 4-
inch and larger, Sony Ericsson is going to launch one with
a smaller 3.3-inch screen. Well, apparently, the Xperia Ray
is designed for youths (with the majority at females) and it
promises something unique and stands out with good quality
design, features and is easy to use. Another reason is also
because it is more of a Japan and Asian-focused phone.
Weighing a mere 100g, the 9.4mm slim Android phone is
available in four colors - black, white, gold and pink - and
Sony Ericsson design team explained the color choices. Black
is Xperia's signature color with a matte soft exterior which
adds to the solidity of the product, while white gives a modern
fresh look with emphasis on the metal part of the phone. Gold
is a premium color that gives a sophisticated elegance though
ASUS has thoughtfully bundled a "PCI-E sustainer" to protect it is toned down to be less striking to the eyes, and pink is
the motherboard and to aid mounting in obtuse cases. expressive, young and vivid. However, the black flavour is not
available in Japan and it is the only one with matte exterior
while the other trendy colors are high gloss.
Sony Ericsson shares insight So how did the company come up with the name Xperia Ray?
on design, concept and The name is taken from the Japanese "rei", of the word Ki-rei
which means beauty, elegant.
engineering of upcoming
Xperia Ray
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/sony-ericsson-shares-insight-on-
design-concept-and-engineering-of-upcoming-xperia-ray/13325.html
August 19th, 2011
The Sony Ericsson Xperia Ray was first unveiled at a global
event in Singapore, in June (same time as CommunicAsia
2011) and is scheduled to launch in Q3 this year. Find out in
the next pages on the design, concept and engineering of the
Android smartphone as we bring the coverage from Tokyo,
Japan.
Here we see the Xperia Ray (left pic) placed side-by-side
with the Xperia Arc. The circuitry and PCB area on the
Xperia Ray is significantly reduced compared to the Arc, and
9

8. August 19th, 2011 Published by: VR-Zone
even the battery for the Ray is smaller but slightly thicker. Note contract. Availability and pricing details have yet to be released
that even though the battery for Xperia Ray is smaller, it has for other countries.
the same 1500mAh rating to that of the one used in the Arc.
Samsung unveils high-capacity
32GB DRAM module for
servers
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/samsung-unveils-high-capacity-32gb-
dram-module-for-servers/13331.html
August 19th, 2011
The Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 on the left has a display Samsung has announced the availability of its new RDIMM
with defined edges when the power is off. But for the DRAM module for servers, which boasts a maximum capacity
Xperia Ray, the display is true black and looks more of 32GB and makes use of 3D-TSV technology. According to
seamless. According to the company, the Xperia Ray has an the Korean electronics giant, the new high-capacity RDIMM
25% increased brightness to the Xperia Arc, even though DRAM module was designed to meet the needs of high-
both feature Reality Display with Mobile BRAVIA Engine performance next-generation server platforms.
technology. Unfortunately, for its small footprint, the Xperia
Samsung has announced the availability of its new RDIMM
Ray does not have the HDMI output or camera shutter button
DRAM module for servers, which boasts a maximum capacity
which are found on the Xperia Arc.
of 32GB. According to the Korean electronics giant, the
new high-capacity RDIMM DRAM module was designed to
meet the needs of high-performance next-generation server
platforms.
At the event (from left) were Tetsuya Okuchi, mechanical
design leader; Linda Lissola, color and material senior
designer; Shigeaki Suzuki, design manager, industrial design;
Kozue Tanaka, product planner; Tatsu Nishimura, product
manager; Yoshio Kawahara, electronics design leader; and
Ryuichi Arai, radio design leader of Sony Ericsson Japan.
Touted as the industry's first such high-capacity RDIMM
According to Tanaka, the most important point for the Xperia DRAM module to be built with 3D-TSV technology, Samsung
Ray's design is the metal part which can be seen on the sides claims that the new 32GB memory stick, which is fabricated via
of the Xperia Ray, which not only gives a premium feel to a 30nm process, consumes a mere 4.5w of energy per hour, or
the phone but also gives the slim form factor; the thickness is almost 30% lower than what LRDIMMs of the same capacity
just 9.4mm. In order to appeal to feature phone users, high typically draw. Samsung has also added that its new RDIMMS
specifications is necessary. Thus, it was decided to re-use all of are able to achieve transfer speeds of up to 1,333Mbits/s, as
the new technologies for viewing and capturing - the Mobile opposed to the 800Mbits/s speed found on older RDIMM
BRAVIA engine for viewing quality images and Exmor R for memory.
imaging sensor from the flagship Xperia Arc. So it can be said
that all the high-end features of the Xperia Arc are integrated Samsung has not released any details pertaining to global
into the smaller, compact Xperia Ray. availability of its new 32GB RDIMM DRAM modules, although
it has confirmed that engineering samples of the modules
The Sony Ericsson Xperia Ray will be available in Japan on 27 have already been released for evaluation purposes, and that it
August at 37,000 yen (approximately US$482) with two year will continue to produce memory modules based off 3D-TSV
10

9. August 19th, 2011 Published by: VR-Zone
technology while working to help shrink down the fabrication of Macbooks. To qualify for the quiz, participants will have to
process to as low as 20nm. compete in a 'fastest finger first' round of sorts, where they will
be tasked with answering 10 Apple-related questions correctly
in the shortest amount of time. The top 10 participants from
Nubox issues "The Ultimate the qualifying round will then compete in the finals “live” at
Mac Challenge" to Apple fans Nubox's Raffles City branch on September 24, where the top
two scorers will win for themselves Nubox vouchers worth S
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/nubox-issues-the-ultimate-mac-
$1,300 and S$300 respectively.
challenge-to-apple-fans/13329.html
August 19th, 2011 The online qualifying quiz, which is already open to the public,
can be accessed via http://www.nubox.com.sg/umc/ and will
run till August 31. Results of the qualifying round will be
announced on September 12, while the top 10 participants will
be notified of their selection via email,, so mmake sure that you
enter the correct email address when attempting the quiz!
What processors do Apple's Mac computers run on? Which
specific gesture activates a certain feature in OS X? If you know
Monster announces
the answers to such questions, perhaps the time has come for availability of limited edition
you to walk the talk and show off your in-depth knowledge
about Apple's line of consumer electronics devices in exchange Detox Beats Pro professional
for prizes. This is because Nubox has just announced the headphones
launch of its “The Ultimate Mac Challenge” quiz, which will be Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/monster-announces-availability-of-
held from August 15 to September 24 this year. More details limited-edition-detox-beats-pro-professional-headphones/13330.html
about the quiz inside. August 19th, 2011
If you are a loyal Apple user who can rattle off any information
that is related to the Cupertino giant's line of software titles
or consumer electronic devices, now is your chance to actually
take all of that knowledge of yours and turn it into a money
spinner of sorts. This is because Nubox has just announced the
launch of its “The Ultimate Mac Challenge” quiz, which will be
held from August 15 to September 24 this year. Are you a fan of Monster-branded products? If so, this latest
announcement from the Californian-based company might be
just be of interest to you. Apparently, Monster has decided to
celebrate the release of Dr. Dre's latest album, which is known
as Detox, by announcing the availability of its new limited
edition headphones, Monster Beats Pro Special Edition Detox
Professional Headphones, which the company claims is a
'must-have' product for any audiophile or Dr. Dre fan.
Monster has announced the availability of its new limited
edition headphones, Monster Beats Pro Special Edition Detox
Professional Headphones. Said to be uniquely designed by Dr.
Dre himself, the company claims that its new limited edition
headphones are a 'must-have' product for any audiophile or
Dr. Dre fan.
According to Nubox, the quiz, which is the first of its kind in
Singapore and is designed to help the company engage with
the local Apple community, will be centred around Apple's new
range of products, namely OS X Lion, iLife and the new series
11

10. August 19th, 2011 Published by: VR-Zone
Internet Explorer 9 tops
browser security test once
again
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/internet-explorer-9-tops-browser-
security-test-once-again/13328.html
August 19th, 2011
Remember the news we posted some time back about how
Microsoft's Internet Explorer 9 (IE9) web browser topped the
charts for browser security in Europe?It turns out that NSS
Labs has released the results of yet another browser security
test that pits IE9 against other popular browsers, except that
this time the test consists of socially engineered malware data
generated worldwide. And the results? Well, let's just say IE9
came in first yet again.
A month ago, we published a story describing how a research
company known as NSSS Labs has released the results of its
study on browser security in Europe, where Microsoft's new
Internet Explorer 9 web browser topped the charts with its
100% success rate in blocking socially engineered malware.
However, if those results were not enough to convince you
to actually start considering IE9 as a suitable web browser
for use on your Windows-based PC, the latest results released
by NSS Labs might just do the trick. This is because the
research company has released yet another report claiming
that Internet Explorer 9 has once again beaten its competitors
According to Monster, the new Detox Pro headphones are to retain its top position in actively blocking malware from
constructed out of strong and lightweight aluminium in order entering a user's PC.
to ensure that the headphones is able to stand up to heavy Unlike the previous study, which was centered around the
duty use and rough treatment. In addition, the lightweight effectiveness of a web browser's protection against socially-
aluminium is also said to be capable of resisting vibrations, engineered malware targeting European users, the new test
thus allowing the Detox Pro to deliver what Monster claims is was expanded upon to include users from all over the world.
“pure, clean sound” that is free from any form of artefacts. And just as it was in the previous test, Microsoft's Internet
Topping of the package are “large, plush ear cushions” which, Explorer 9 came through as the undisputed winner, if the
according to Monster, is designed to provide both passive results below are of any indication.
noise isolation and user comfort from extended usage, while
the use of the company's proprietary driver technology and
materials reportedly allows the Detox Pro to deliver pro-
calibre sound with a deep bass response. Lastly, Monster
has also confirmed that the Detox Pro headphones will sport
dual input/output cable ports that allows users to share their
music with other listeners by daisy-chaining other headphones
together.
The limited edition Monster Beats Pro Detox Edition
headphones by Dr. Dre are currently available for sale at
the retail price of S$999 and can be purchased from Audio
House, Alpha Audio, Best Denki, Courts, DG Lifestyle Store,
Epicentre, Farle Innovation, Harvey Norman, HMV, iP Case, i
Studio, Macshop, Stereo and Nubox outlets
12

11. August 19th, 2011 Published by: VR-Zone
LinkedIn introduces
new mobile platform for
smartphones and web
browsers
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/linkedin-introduces-new-mobile-
platform-for-smartphones-and-web-browsers/13327.html
August 19th, 2011
LinkedIn has announced the availability of a new, faster
Once again, Internet Explorer 9's stellar performance in
mobile experience for LinkedIn members on the iPhone,
browser security was credited to Microsoft's strategy of
Android and mobile web platform. According to the business-
implementing a dual-pronged approach of actively filtering
focused online social networking outfit, the new platform has
out malware via a combination of URL and application-
been completely rebuilt from the ground up and is intended
based reputation scans. NSS Labs claims that Microsoft's URL
to offer members a richer, simpler, and faster way to get the
filtering system was capable of nabbing as much as 96% of
information they need to help them be even more productive.
live threats, while the added protection offered by Application
Reputation bumped the filter's success rate up to 99.2%. If you are a business user who makes use of LinkedIn to
socialize with your colleagues and to network with industry
On the other hand, Chrome managed to block a total of 13.5%
experts, this latest announcement by the popular business-
of the live threats it was exposed to, a figure which NSS Labs
focused online social networking service ought to be of great
claims is significantly higher than the 3% it was able to manage
interest to you. This is because LinkedIn has announced the
in last year's test, while Safari 5 and Firefox 4 are both tied for
availability of updated mobile apps for LinkedIn members who
third place with a successful block rate of 7.6%.
access the service via their Android-powered smartphones and
In addition, the report also credits Internet Explorer 9 with iPhones.
having the shortest response time in blocking suspicious sites
According to a blog posting made by Chad Whitney of
that might be hosting malware, although this is largely due to
LinkedIn's mobile team, the new mobile apps that it has
the browser's Application Reputation feature playing a huge
released for both the Android and iOS operating systems are
part in helping it achieve such a low response time, as shown
capable of improving performance by up to 10 times across
in the graph below.
all features, including search and updates streaming. Whitney
also points out that the new apps sport a more simpler user
interface which makes it easier for members to not only
accomplish tasks easily, but also makes it more intuitive to find
what they are looking for when they download the app for the
first time.
With results as definitive as this, it seems that Microsoft is well
and truly on its way to banishing the previously held stereotype
that it can never make a browser which is secure enough to
actively protect users from a variety of online treats that lurk
in cyberspace. So, the next time Microsoft Update issues a
notice recommending that you upgrade your copy of Internet
Explorer to the latest version available, you might want to do
yourself and your PC a favor by actually accepting it.
The full report can be obtained from NSS Labs's website here.
13

12. August 19th, 2011 Published by: VR-Zone
AMD launches its first triple
core APU, brings a friend
along
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/amd-launches-its-first-triple-core-apu-
brings-a-friend-along/13326.html
August 19th, 2011
If the current quad core APU's from AMD are a bit on the
expensive side for you, then we have good news, AMD has
launched a triple core APU today called the A6-3500. The
interesting thing tough is the other CPU AMD launched today,
the Athlon II X4 631, as this is AMD's first socket FM1 Athlon
branded CPU.
If the current quad core APU's from AMD are a bit on the
expensive side for you, then we have good news, AMD has
launched a triple core APU today called the A6-3500. The
interesting thing tough is the other CPU AMD launched today,
the Athlon II X4 631, as this is AMD's first socket FM1 Athlon
branded CPU.
The A6-3500 doesn't hold any real surprises as the specs
leaked quite some time ago, but this triple-core model is
clocked at 2.1GHz with a 2.4GHz turbo frequency, which just
happens to be the same as the A6-3600. Losing out on a core
also means losing out on 1MB of L2 cache, so the A6-3500
has a total of 3MB L3 cache. The graphics core also remains
the same, which is one of the better aspects of this APU as
the Radeon HD 6530D should be more than sufficient for
anyone that doesn't play demanding 3D games. The GPU core
is clocked at 444MHz and has 320 shaders. The TDP also
remains the same at 65W.
The Athlon II X4 631 on the other hand is a curious beast and
we have a feeling that it will cause a lot of consumer confusion.
It's comparatively slow to AMD's older Athlon II X4 modes at
a mere 2.6GHz which coincidentally is the same CPU clock as
the A6-3650 APU. In fact, the Athlon II X4 631 is pretty much
identical, as it sports 4MB L2 cache and a 100W TDP, the only
thing missing is the graphics found in the APUs. The problem
is that it goes into a socket FM1 motherboard and currently
every single FM1 board has display interfaces, something this
CPU can't take advantage of and something we're not sure how
AMD is going to highlight towards consumers.
The A6-3500 is priced at US$95 in retail packaging or US$89
Last but definitely not least, Whitney has announced the
in quantities of 1,000 units, whereas the Athlon II X4 631 is
launch of a new mobile version of LinkedIn that is reportedly
priced at US$79 in quantities for 1,000 units. Both models are
created with HTML5 and can be accessed via any modern
priced fairly competitive compared to AMD's current Athlon
mobile web browser.
II CPUs, although both models also have the CPU core clocked
The new mobile apps are now available for download off a fair bit slower.
Apple's iTunes Store and the Android Market for your
Source: AMD
respective platform.
14

13. August 19th, 2011 Published by: VR-Zone
Fusion Garage rejoins mobile
computing fray with new Grid
10 and Grid 4
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/fusion-garage-rejoins-mobile-
computing-fray-with-new-grid-10-and-grid-4/13323.html
August 19th, 2011
So the JooJoo tablet turned out to be nothing sort of a
disaster for local startup company Fusion Garage. Usually,
most startups would have abandoned ship after such a failure,
but it seems that Fusion Garage is a big believer in the saying
that one should always try again until they succeed. And
The Grid 4 smartphone, on the other hand, sports a four-inch
what better way to get the world to take it seriously once
TFT LCD screen which boasts a native resolution of 800 x
again than to announce the availability of two new mobile
480 pixels, and will be powered by a Qualcomm MSM8255
computing devices for the masses, complete with their own
processor that is clocked at 1GHz. Like the aforementioned
unique operating system?
Grid 10 tablet, the Grid 4 will also be preloaded with Fusion
Remember the ill-fated JooJoo tablet that was essentially Garage's own Grid OS and will feature 512MB of memory,
dead-on-arrival as soon as it was launched for sale globally, along with a healthy 16GB of internal flash storage.
due to extremely fierce competition from the likes of Apple's
That being said, most of the focus is on the company's new
iPad and the plethora of Android-powered tablets produced by
Grid OS, which, according to its CEO, Chandra Rathakrishnan,
various big-name OEMs such as Samsung, LG, Archos at that
is essentially an extremely customized version of Google's
time? Well, it appears that Fusion Garage is all set to banish
Android operating system. Rathakrishnan has also gone on
those bad memories of the JooJoo by once again attempting
to explain in interviews to various media outlets that what
to claim a share of the mobile computing pie with not one, but
Fusion Garage did was to take Android's Linux-based kernel
two new devices. These take the form of the 10-inch Grid 10
and build a completely new operating system over it. This is
tablet and the four-inch Grid 4 smartphone, both of which will
extremely similar to what Apple has done with Mac OS X,
be powered by Fusion Garage's brand new operating system
which consists of the Mach kernel which is reportedly based
known as Grid OS.
off FreeBSD, along with Apple's own proprietary APIs layered
over it. This probably makes Grid OS the first true blue 'fork'
of the Android operating system, much like how most popular
Linux distributions are essentially forks of a single parent
distribution.
More interestingly, it seems that Fusion Garage's move
has allowed Grid OS to maintain some form of binary
compatibility with the actual Android operating system, for
the company's website has explicitly claimed that both the
Grid 10 and Grid 4 will be shipped with Android applications
preloaded into Grid OS. If this is true, Fusion Garage might
well have an extremely potent differentiating factor from its
According to Fusion Garage, the Grid 10 will make use of a competitors, as it provides a means for users to migrate over to
n LED-backlit, 10-inch display that is capable of outputting Grid OS seamlessly without any fears of losing access to their
a maximum resolution of 1366 x 768 pixels. In addition, the favorite apps they have come to depend on in their Android-
Grid 10 will feature an NVIDIA Tegra 2 system-on-a-chip powered smartphones. This is vital, especially if one takes into
(SoC) which boasts a dual-core processor clocked at 1.2GHz; consideration the fact that it is the size of a mobile platform's
Fusion Garage claims that the Tegra 2 will be capable of application repository, and not its technical benefits, which
providing all the power the Grid 10 needs to run all of the will decide whether an operating system has any chance of
eye candy in the tablet's bundled Grid OS. The Grid 10 will surviving in the highly competitive mobile computing space.
also reportedly feature a front-facing 1.3 megapixel camera for
use in video chats, along with 16GB of internal flash memory
and a 5,800mAh battery pack, although the 512MB of system
memory comes across as being somewhat limited.
15

14. August 19th, 2011 Published by: VR-Zone
Foxconn's dual-core Xiaomi
smartphone shows up in
Beijing
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/foxconn-s-dual-core-xiaomi-
smartphone-shows-up-in-beijing/13322.html
August 19th, 2011
Most people will probably associate Foxconn with hardware
components such as motherboards, but it seems that the
Taiwan-based manufacturer has since decided to make a name
for itself in the lucrative smartphone market by releasing a
handset which will reportedly be sold under its own brand.
And the name of the company's first attempt at a smartphone
that will soon be released for sale? Why, the Foxconn Xiaomi,
of course.
We have heard of various Chinese brands such as Meizu,
ZTE and and even Huawei making the leap and offering its
smartphones up for sale globally under their very own brands,
Lastly, our first impressions of the various Grid OS screenshots and this latest piece of news seems to confirm our suspicions
that have shown up on Fusion Garage's product pages seems to that there is indeed a market for low-cost smartphones.
suggest that the company might be taking a couple of pages out Apparently, Foxconn, a well-known supplier of computer
of Microsoft's Windows Phone 7 book over its user interface, a hardware, has decided to branch out to selling smartphones
suspicion which is also shared by popular technology website under its own banner as well, and its first such product will be
The Inquirer. But at the very least, it is quite hard to deny the Xiaomi, as shown below.
that Grid OS does look more polished that Android at this very
point of time, although we can only wait and see how well the
Grid 10 and the Grid 4 will perform on the market. Assuming
that Fusion Garage gets everything right this time, of course.
16

15. August 19th, 2011 Published by: VR-Zone
Details about the Xiaomi are scarce, but according to a report
published by GizChina, the smartphone will offer consumers
a choice between two dual-core processors of differing clock
speeds, namely 1.2GHz and 1.5GHz. While no information
about the Xiaomi's support for 3G wireless connectivity, along
with its memory and onboard flash storage capacity has been
released at this point of time, what we do know from old
reports is that the smartphone will reportedly make use of a
four-inch Super LCD panel that sports a maximum resolution
of 854x 480 pixels.
Last but definitely not least, GizChina has claimed that the
Xiaomi is slated to be released for sale some time in October
this year at the price of US$310. And yes, the fact that it is due According to a report published by Shanzai.com, the new
for a release in October puts it in direct competition with the hiPhone 5, which is currently available for sale on Taobao at
likes of Apple's iPhone 5, Huawei;s Blaze and Meizu's quad- the retail price of 850 yuan (approximately US$133), is said
core MX smartphone. to be built off dimensions and designs that have somehow
*Update: It runs out that there has been an error in this report. managed to leak out from the Cupertino giant's iron-clad
While the smartphone will indeed be produced by Foxconn, curtain of secrecy. And apparently, the OEM responsible for
it will not be sold under the company's banner. Rather, the producing the hiPhone apparently did a decent job in the
phone's actual name is the M1, and that it will be sold by a process, as reports have claimed that the hiPhone 5 does
mobile apps vendor known as Xiaomi Tech. We apologize for indeed appear thinner than an iPhone 4 and features less
the inaccuracy. rounded edges. In addition, the hiPhone 5 is available in a
variety of colours such as black, white, red and even pink.
Can't wait for the iPhone 5? Unfortunately, no information about the hiPhone 5's technical
specifications have been released at this point of time,
Get the hiPhone 5 instead although the image above seems to suggest that the bundled
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/can-t-wait-for-the-iphone-5-get-the- operating system has been extensively skinned to mimic the
hiphone-5-instead/13321.html iOS user interface.
August 19th, 2011 That being said, the fact that the hiPhone 5 is nothing more
than an elaborate Chinese clone means that it is not going to
give out those 'HiHi' vibes that a real Apple product boasts, but
hey, at least it is cheap.
Sometimes, you just got to love China for coming out with
Samsung hires CyanogenMod
gadgets such as this. Apparently, OEMs over there are fully lead developer Steve Kondik
aware of the fact that there are users out there who will pay Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/samsung-hires-cyanogenmod-lead-
good money for lookalikes of popular or upcoming products, developer-steve-kondik/13320.html
and the iPhone 5 no exception. That being said, can we interest August 19th, 2011
you in a very realistic-looking hiPhone 5 to satisfy your iOS
urges?
If it looks and feels like the real thing, that it has got to be If you have in your possession an Android-powered
the real thing, no questions asked, right? Apparently, that was smartphone which has been rooted and flashed to run on a
what the OEM of this interesting smartphone had in mind custom Android ROM, we'd bet that there is a very high chance
when it rolled out its hiPhone 5 smartphone, which reportedly that the ROM which you are currently using hails from what
has the dubious honour of being one of the more realistic is probably the biggest name in the Android hacking scene,
iPhone 5 knockoffs, in spite of the latter having yet to see the CyanogenMod. And for those who are into such modifications,
light of day on retail shelves. this latest piece of news ought to be interesting, for we have
just received word that CyanogenMod's lead developer Steve
Kondik, aka “Cyanogen”, has been hired by Samsung.
When we lasted posted a story about CyanogenMod, it was
revealed that Samsung was taking an interest in the outfit,
having sent the team some of its smartphones, along with
a request that they get the custom ROM working on them.
However, it seems that Samsung's love for CyanogenMod has
just gone up by another level, for we have received word that
the Korean electronics giant's mobile division has started to
absorb members of the outfit into its very own development
17

16. August 19th, 2011 Published by: VR-Zone
team, with Steve Kondik (aka “Cyanogen” himself) being the
first such hire.
According to an article posted by AndroidFC, Kondik has
just recently updated his Facebook profile to reflect his new
employment status as being that of a software engineer for
Samsung Mobile. However, as Kondik has kept his Facebook
page private, we are unable to show you any screenshots of his
updated status.
That being said, Kondik's employment does raise a couple of
Maybe it is because I was one playful kid back then, but
questions. For one, what Samsung intends to do with Kondik's
when I was first introduced to the concept of universal remote
expertise in ROM hacking and customization remains to
controls my immediate thought was about how one could use
be seen, although AndroidFC is currently speculating that
such a device for mischief-making, such as turning off the
Samsung might task him to work on improving TouchWiz's
neighbour's television set from a distance. However, those
user interface. This makes sense, considering how Samsung is
days are long gone, and today we cannot help but appreciate
currently engaged in a legal catfight with Apple over the “look
the convenience such remote controls bring to our lives, and
and feel” of its GALAXY line of smartphones, which are said to
Logitech's new Harmony 200 looks set to continue that trend.
sport interfaces that are too similar to those of iOS's.
And if you are wondering about CyanogenMod's fate now that
its lead developer has already been snapped up by Samsung,
fret not. Apparently, Kondik has assured his user base that
his employment at Samsung and CyanogenMod are two
completely unrelated issues, and that Samsung has apparently
given him permission to proceed with the development of
CyanogenMod. Last but definitely not least, Kondik has
reportedly claimed that Samsung has got no plans to license
CyanogenMod for use on its smartphones. Oh well.
Many thanks to Jacek for sending this in.
Logitech announces
availability of Harmony 200
universal remote control
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/logitech-announces-availability-of-
harmony-200-universal-remote-control/13319.html
According to Logitech, the new Harmony 200 universal
August 19th, 2011
remote control is capable of controlling up to three devices.
Which, for most people, will probably be the television set, the
pay-TV setup box and a surround sound speaker setup. The
company also claims that the new Harmony 200 is designed
to be easy to configure, as users merely need to register for an
online Harmony account, enter the details of the devices they
wish to control with the remote and Logitech's servers, which
boast a hardware compatibility database of “over 5,000 brands
Do you still remember those good old days where the act of and 225,000 devices”, will automatically handle the rest.
turning on the television set to catch a few shows involved
having to fiddle with no more than two remote controls? Well, The new Logitech Harmony 200 universal remote control will
the good news is that Logitech is attempting to bring back be available for sale locally at the suggested retail price of S$39
such simplicity to a user's home entertainment by introducing come early September this year.
its new Harmony 200 universal remote control, which is
reportedly capable of performing the functions of up to three
remote controls in a single unit.
Samsung announces
availability of GALAXY S WiFi
4.0 in Singapore
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/samsung-announces-availability-of-
galaxy-s-wifi-4.0-in-singapore/13318.html
18

17. August 19th, 2011 Published by: VR-Zone
August 19th, 2011 According to Samsung, the new GALAXY S WiFi 4.0 will
feature specifications that are similar to the 'Super Clear'
variant of its GALAXY S smartphones. This means that users
of a GALAXY S WiFi 4.0 will get to enjoy features such as
a 1GHz processor and a four-inch WVGA Super Clear LCD
screen which boasts a native resolution of 800 s 480, as well as
support for 720p video playback and access to Samsung Social
Want a smartphone but do not wish to get involved with costly Hub. However, unlike the original GALAXY S, the new WiFi
3G mobile data plans? Don't worry, there is a smartphone for 4.0 variant will sport 8GB of internal flash memory instead
that, and it comes in the form of Samsung's new GALAXY S of the 3GB found in the former, thus allowing users to store
WiFi 4.0 smartphone, which has just been recently released more data in the new GALAXY S WiFi 4.0's internal memory
in Singapore. According to Samsung, the new smartphone before resorting to the use of microSD cards.In addition, the
will allow users to enjoy what it claims is an “unrivalled GALAXY S WiFi 4.0 will also be preloaded with version 2.2.2
entertainment experience” thanks to the variety of features it of the Android operating system.
comes bundled with. The new Samsung GALAXY S WiFi 4.0 is now available for sale
Mobile broadband connectivity may be ubiquitous in many at all Samsung retail stores at the suggested retail price of S
parts of the the world today, but it does not change the fact that $328, inclusive of GST.
there will be users who will prefer to retain their existing non-
data plan for various personal reasons, even as they make the
migration from a low-end feature phone to a smartphone. And
the good news for such users is that Samsung has announced
the release of its new WiFi-only smartphone, the GALAXY S
WiFi 4.0.
X79 to have 10 SATA ports
after all
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/x79-to-have-10-sata-ports-after-
all/13317.html
August 19th, 2011
This is slightly embarrassing, but we have to start by
apologizing here, as we got some information mixed up, but
then again, no-one else spotted it either so there you go. It
turns out that Intel's X79 chipset will have a total of 10 SATA
ports after all, although there still won't be any SAS support.
This is slightly embarrassing, but we have to start by
apologizing here, as we got some information mixed up, but
then again, no-one else spotted it either so there you go. It
turns out that Intel's X79 chipset will have a total of 10 SATA
ports after all, although there still won't be any SAS support.
19

18. August 19th, 2011 Published by: VR-Zone
The mistake came to light when looking at a couple of
slides from an updated presentation detailing Intel's Patsburg
chipset, as the -A version of chipset will have an additional four
SATA ports via the SCU. This was an oversight on our side and
if you remember the chipset diagram that we've already posted
a couple of times, it's even listed as a feature on there.
So what we're looking at is four SATA 3Gbps ports and two
SATA 6Gbps ports which are part of Intel's standard AHCI
setup as per the current 6-series chipsets. The other four ports
are added via the SCU, but unlike early details of the X79
chipset suggested, we're not getting any SAS support and we're
still four ports short. One major difference between the X79 as
well as the -A version of the Patsburg chipset compared to the
higher-end versions (-B/-D/-T) is that there will be support
for RAID 5 for the SCU ports, something that's an optional
feature on the higher-end SKUs. Note that it's not possible to
run a RAID between the SCU and AHCI ports at BIOS/UEFI
level, although it should be possible to stripe drives across the
controllers in the OS.
Once again, apologies for this little snafu, especially as the
information was right in front of us. To make up for things a
little bit, we've also gotten word that Intel's will be bringing
out a new stepping of the Patsburg chipset in late Q4, as there
are still a few kinks to work out in the versions beyond the -A
SKU. The company is also actively working on validating PCI
Express 3.0 support in the platform, but there's no word as to
when we'll see actual support. Once all of this has been done,
we might, with a bit of luck, finally see a version of the X79
chipset that delivers everything that was promised, well, ok, it
wasn't really promised, but it was part of what people expected
to get from the X79 chipset based on various roadmap leaks.
20

19. August 23rd, 2011 Published by: VR-Zone
VR-Zone.com | Stuff for the Geeks!
The Core i7-2760QM sports 6MB L3 cache just like the
VR-Zone | Stuff for the Geeks is a bi-weekly publication Core i7-2670QM, but as it falls in the business category of
covering the latest gadgets and stuff for the geeks. CPUs it also has support for VT-d, TXT and vPro, features
the consumer models have to make without. The other two
business models consists of the dual core Core i7-2640M
Wide range of new mobile which is a 2.8GHz part with 4MB L3 cache, the Core
processors coming from Intel i7-2860QM which is a 2.5GHz quad core with 8MB of L3
cache.
this autumn Finally we have the Core i7-2960XM which is the new Extreme
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/wide-range-of-new-mobile-processors- Edition model which is clocked at 2.7GHz and it too sports
coming-from-intel-this-autumn/13370.html 8MB L3 cache. We're not sure when Intel is expecting to
August 23rd, 2011 have the last four models out, but the Core i5-2430M and
Core i7-2670QM are both slated to arrive in notebooks come
October with Asus, Dell and Fujitsu already having revealed
models sporting the new CPUs. According to pricing from
Fujtisu, the Core i5-2430M is priced the same as the Core
i5-2410 and the Core i7-2670QM is priced the same as the Core
i7-2630QM, although there's no official pricing for any of these
If you're at the verge of splashing out on a shiny new Sandy models from Intel, as the company is considering them OEM
Bridge notebook, you might just want to gold on to that hard models and as such doesn't provide pricing.
earned cash for just a little bit longer if you can, as Intel is
getting ready to launch a few new consumer focused mobile
Sandy Bridge processors which should arrive in early October, USB 3.0 Speed Tests: 7-Way
as well as a few business oriented models. It's a shame that the
company is missing the school start by about a month, at least
Host Controllers Roundup
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/usb-3.0-speed-tests--7-way-host-
for those that need a new computer for school.
controllers-roundup/13358.html
August 23rd, 2011
If you're at the verge of splashing out on a shiny new Sandy
Bridge notebook, you might just want to gold on to that hard
earned cash for just a little bit longer if you can, as Intel is
getting ready to launch a few new consumer focused mobile
Sandy Bridge processors which should arrive in early October, Believe us when we say that this is one of the most epic
as well as a few business oriented models. It's a shame that the reviews we've ever put together. Not because it was the
company is missing the school start by about a month, at least hardest roundup we've ever done, but it's by far the most time
for those that need a new computer for school. consuming one and it doesn't even have anything to do with
Intel is set to boost the performance of a couple of its consumer the benchmarks we ran. We thought it'd be a good idea to do
level Sandy Bridge processors, although we're not talking a comparative review of the various USB 3.0 host controllers
about any huge performance increases here, but considering out there, as by now we've finally reached a stage where there's
the price points remain the same, it'd be madness not getting some competition in the market with at least three major
a notebook with one of the new processors if possible. players and a couple of smaller ones. VR-Zone is also proud
to have a world exclusive first review of the upcoming Renesas
First up we have the Core i5-2430M which is a 2.4GHz model
D720201 host controller which is launching later this year as
with 3MB of L3 cache which slots in above the Core i5-2410
part of this roundup.
which is 100MHz slower. The second new model is a quad
core CPU which will be known as the Core i7-2670QM and To give a little bit of background information to the USB
it's clocked at 2.2GHz and has 6MB L3 cache. This is the big 3.0 standard we thought we'd do a quick rundown of the
brother of the 2GHz Core i7-2630QM and it's important not theoretical benefits over USB 2.0. As you most likely already
to mix up the Core i7-2670QM with the much more expensive know, USB 3.0 is promising over 10 times the bandwidth of
Core i7-2760QM which is a 2.4GHz model that is also set to USB 2.0 and although in reality USB 3.0 doesn't quite reach its
launch later this year alongside three additional siblings. theoretical bandwidth of 5Gbps. It is possible to reach speeds
in excess of 400MB/s (3.2Gbps) and we've already seen this
demoed, but and this is a big but, only if you use very specific
1

20. August 23rd, 2011 Published by: VR-Zone
hardware today. Currently we only know of one solution that August 23rd, 2011
can provide these kinds of speeds and it's a SATA to USB 3.0
RAID controller by Fujitsu, but to our knowledge it's only sold
in one product made by a Japanese company.
If you are looking for some good deals on music players,
sound card, headphones and speakers, do drop by the Creative
Technology booth at Hall 602 (booth no: 6121) on level 6.
Offers include the ZiiSound D5x wireless speaker system, ZEN
Style M300 portable media player and Sound Blaster X-Fi
Titanium HD audio card.
On that premise, let's take a closer look at the contestants.
The USB 3.0 host controllers we put through the paces are the
AMD A75 chipset, the ASMedia ASM1042, the Etron EJ168A,
the Fresco Logic FL1009, the NEC/Renesas µD720200, the
Renesas µD720201 and the VLI VL800. Sadly we were unable
to source a Texas Instruments host controller as the company
requested to have an FAE present during the testing and this
wasn't possible to arrange from their side.
Most of these host controllers can be found on a wide range of
motherboards with the exception of the Fresco Logic FL1009
and the upcoming Renesas µD720201 which won't go into
mass production until October. The integrated solution in
AMD's A75 chipset was co-developed with Renesas and our Creative ZiiSound D5x Wireless Speaker System
understanding is that it's something of a hybrid between the
older µD720200 and the upcoming µD720201. The ZiiSound Dx series wireless speakers connect
independently to stereo Bluetooth devices such as the Apple
The baseline for this test would have to be the NEC/Renesas iPhone, Blackberry, Android smartphone, iPad or other tablet
µD720200 as it was the first USB 3.0 host controller on the devices. You can also configure such that more speakers
market and it's become something of the de facto standard. As are connected wirelessly to form a multi-channel home audio
such we expected the other controllers to outperform it simply system. It also allows link to ZiiSound DSx wireless subwoofer
on the virtue of it having been developed so much earlier. for deep bass capability or more ZiiSound D5x speakers for
However, we were surprised to see the old NEC controller keep stereo or surround applications. Featuring renowned apt-X
up with the competition in most of the test we threw at it, audio technology for superb sound quality, the D5x also offers
although it's clear that there are faster options out there. One precision volume control when used with the included BT-D5
thing that helps the µD720200 stay ahead of the pack in some Bluetooth transmitter.
tests is native UASP (USB Attached SCSI Protocol) support in
its drivers, which means that there's a performance boost to be Usual Suggested Retail Price - S$399
had in specific tests thanks to the way the UASP drivers work COMEX 2011 Promotional Price - S$349 (limited to 50 sets)
compared to the standard BOT (Bulk Only Transfer) driver Special bundles or extra goodies during COMEX 2011 -
most of the controllers rely upon. Purchase second unit of Creative ZiiSound D5x Wireless
Speaker System at S$249 or purchase Creative ZiiSound DSx
Wireless Subwoofer at S$149 (Usual Price - S$199)
COMEX Show 2011
Promotions: Creative
Technology
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/comex-show-2011-promotions-
creative-technology/13369.html
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