NVIDIA has been pushing its 3D Vision stereoscopic support for what feels like a long while now and AMD got in on the game via its HD3D Technology open eco-system with the launch of its Radeon Catalyst 10.3 driver back in March. Who are we missing, though? Oh, Intel!
During our visit to the ASRock headquarters today, we got an early look at one of their Intel H67 Express based motherboards and noticed something interesting on the packaging. Something along the lines of "Intel" and "3D" in the same line got our attention pretty quickly.
It turns out that as long a H67 motherboard comes with a HDMI 1.4a connector, Intel will be able to provide 3D support to desktop systems early in 2011 when the Sandy Bridge platform officially goes on sale around CES time.
The technology used is "InTru 3D" and it was originally thought the technology would only be reserved for laptops. The Sandy Bridge HD Graphics IGP (onboard graphics) will be able to process full dual H.264, VC1 and MPEG-2 high definition decodes, which is what is required to provide 3D viewing.
One of ASRock's upcoming motherboards will include a free set of red and blue polarized lense glasses, pictured above. When asked what type of software would be required for 3D Blu-ray playback, the comment was that any software could be used. As far as quality goes, unfortunately we didn't see a demo, but when asked, the comment was that it provides "acceptable" quality and considering the cost of entry into 3D on this platform is basically free once you've bought the motherboard (no expensive active shutter glasses required like the NVIDIA 3D Vision solution), it sounds like a pretty good deal to us.
Final conclusions on Intel's 3D technology will be reserved until we can try it out for ourselves.
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Happy Thanksgiving from TweakTown!
Thanksgiving is a time for friends, family, food, football, and fun. All of us at TweakTown want to wish our readers a happy Thanksgiving. Remember, this is the calm before the Black Friday storm, so enjoy it! Thanks for making a little time for us during this holiday!
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ASRock P67 Extreme6 Motherboard Video Hands-on
Earlier on today we visited the ASRock headquarters here in Taipei and Chris Lee, Marketing Manager, was on hand to give us a full hands-on video look at their upcoming P67 Socket LGA-1155 Sandy Bridge Extreme6 motherboard.
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Due to NDA restrictions, we are kind of limited by exactly what we can say and show, but in the video above, you still get a good look at what is on offer. One of the tricks that ASRock has up their sleeves is to do with USB performance. Using the included ASRock XFast USB technology, they claim performance improvements of up to 100% when "turbo mode" is enabled in the small application which pops up whenever a USB device is attached to the motherboard.
All upcoming ASRock P67 motherboard also support UEFI which is a next-generation BIOS that provides a full graphical interface, support for using a mouse as well as support for OS booting 3TB and larger hard drives. Also on the software side, with the P67 series, ASRock is also introducing AXTU which is an all-in-one revised tuning program which holds all of ASRock's software tools in one handy location.
For the full scoop on the P67 Extreme6, you'd be best served watching the video above. Enjoy.
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Download of the Day: AVG Free Edition 10.0.1170
Our Download of the Day today is AVG Free Edition 10.0.1170.
AVG Anti-Virus Free Edition is trusted antivirus and antispyware protection for Windows available to download for free. In addition, the new included LinkScanner® Active Surf-Shield checks web pages for threats at the only time that matters - when you're about to click that link.
AVG Anti-Virus Free has these following features:
• Award-winning antivirus and antispyware
• Real-time safe internet surfing and searching
• Quality proven by 80 million of users
• Easy to download, install and use
• Protection against viruses and spyware
• Compatible with Windows 7, Windows Vista and Windows XP
AVG Anti-Virus Free Edition is only available for single computer use for home and non commercial use.
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Deal of the Day: GE DV1 HD 1080P Digital Camcorder for $99.99 with Flat $4.99 Shipping
Our Deal of the Day today is the Walgreens - GE DV1 HD 1080P Digital Camcorder for $99.99 with Flat $4.99 Shipping.
Offer: Choose from grey, orange or green,... this is easily one of the better options for those of you looking at the Flip video cameras. And it's 1080P. And it'll do it underwater. And it's been reviewed by one of my favorite tech sites as one of their choices in their gift guides. Only $99.99 folks.
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RumorTT: Nexus S spotted?
There should be thanks given to XDA-developers as they received some pics of what looks to be Samsung's Nexus S which is looking to sport Gingerbread (Android 2.3) and has a new back cover.
XDA's source says that it has a 720p camera with the other specs not exactly known yet. Not much else is known about the phone at the moment, but we have a glorious blurry-picture for you to marvel at.
XDA-Developers website link - more pictures and specs there!
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Activision deny plans to charge for Call of Duty multiplayer
Rumors are beginning to surface again of Activision implementing a subscription based model for their kinda popular Call of Duty. Supposedly Activision is waiting until the backlash will have less of an effect from the current sales of Black Ops.
There are claims that the subscription will begin with cheap membership that provides virtual goods such as special weapons and armor. This would of course increase to more expensive subscriptions that would give access to map packs which would then lead to eventually offering (when the time is right) they will then offer an "all access pass" to play games like COD, World of Warcraft and Starcraft 2.
"The trick is managing this without destroying sales of the game. They will tread very carefully, and will make sure that they let consumers know that they are NOT taking anything away, but are merely offering a LOT MORE VALUE for a little bit of money," Pachter said. Activision quickly chimed in on the matter and partially refuted the claims.
I don't see the problem with it personally - I would rather a constantly evolving MMO FPS - it could be the first of it's kind to be an absolutely huge MMO set in an FPS world, done right. I'm sure the 5 - 10 million and counting users that play COD titles would be in for this also. Instead of paying $90 per year for a game with slightly different maps and a few new modes, an entirely evolving, constantly changing world of Call of Duty would be awesome.
A scalable engine that allows upgrades, a smart level design that can create levels on the fly (other games have this) and randomly insert items into the map. Make the game have seperate sections for those who want it easier (console gamers because of their slower aiming/newbies to COD) and then harder levels (more realism, bigger levels, less ammo, etc) for the veterans and hardcore PC/console gamers.
Come on Activision - do it.
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Sandy Bridge Pentium processor details
Well, the Pentium name has been very strong for Intel - even with the Core ranges being popular, there are still people who ask for an "Intel Pentium" and Intel must know this.
These new Pentium's won't be the top end parts, but they are named Pentium nonetheless. Expreview has a diagram of the new chips, with a tonne of information and specs to get all nasty with.
All four models are dual-core processors, without HT. Three of the four models are 65W TDP parts, the fourth is a "T" model with a 35W TDP. There's also news floating around that the H61 chipset will be the replacement for the LGA775 platform over time - although that is not meant to happen until the end of 2011, if not the beginning of 2012.
Hit up the source for more info, most of it being on the included picture - interesting stuff! It's good to see the Pentium name is still strong.
Link for the diagram and more info.
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Sony looking to bring holographics and 3D same-screen multiplayer to PS3
Think that just being a 3D gaming platform is enough for Sony and their Playstation 3? No way. Mike Hocking, SCEE studio director, stated in an interview with Develop that Sony is looking towards using new techniques to expand 3D gaming.
"We also have techniques like holographics for the PS3 that I think will be very interesting for the future 3D games," stated Hocking. But single player 3D gaming is not the only thing in Sony’s pipeline. Hocking continued on to add, “we have some new technology that we've shown to developers that uses 3D techniques, it allows two players to play full screen multiplayer games but without each being able to see the others view, and they have been massively keen on them." Split-screen 3D multiplayer is an interesting concept; we’ll probably have quite a wait before we see it in action, though.
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New browser extension allows you to "Like" tweets
You can’t say you didn’t see this coming, right? Developer Jesse Stay won Kynetx’s Facebook App contest with a browser extension that allows you to add Facebook’s familiar “Like” button to Twitter.
The browser extension, bearing the name “TwitterBook,” uses Facebook’s “Like” button iframe code to add the button when you hover over a tweet. “Liked” tweets show up on your profile and allow you to share your favorite posts. The developer is also working on a way to add a “Post to Facebook” checkbox to the Twitter update box. Check the Source Link to grab the extension and give it a test drive.
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Intel's Oak Trail platform enters production
Intel's upcoming Oak Trail platform may sound like a nice walking spot to get your trainers worn in, but it's actually not - ready for an early 2011 launch with mass production underway is what it is.
Oak Trails Atom Z6XX series system-on-a-chip (codenamed Lincroft) is designed for lightweight portable computing devices, like tablets. There are countless manufacturers wanting to enter the tablet market next year - with Oak Trail being a possibility in a number of them.
Lincroft incorporates an Atom processor core, an Intel GMA600 graphics core and a 32bit LPDDR1/DDR2 memory controller and video encoder/decoder. It's also paired with an SM32 IO (codenamed Whitney Point) and Intel is supposedly planning to sell both with it's Linux based MeeGo OS for only $25. Cheap, ain't it?
Of course, it sounds cheap - but the Windows version would be more expensive. But for customers familiar with Windows - they'll pay that premium. Intel is claiming Oak Trail consumes up to 50% less power on average, handles HD video also.
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Real life Portal gun to be auctioned off for Child's Play charity
Haven't heard of Portal? Valve's super-duper awesome sauce Portal shooting FPS? Well, if not, Steam have a sale if you're interested - it might be on sale there over the next five days, if you do know what it is - the real life replica is being auctioned off for charity.
Harrison Krix's used his own two hands to create a handmade replica of the gun in 2009 and now has an updated model. How do you get your grubs on it? Well, at auction - it's for a good cause too, it will be held on December 7th - at a Child's Play Charity event in Seattle.
The winner's auctioned amount will go to Child's Play (a gaming industry charity dedicated to improving the lives of children with toys and games in a network of over 60 hospitals worldwide) and of course you get your hands on a one-of-a-kind Portal gun.
You could possibly use it to pretend shoot portals at the bottom of people's feet. Possibly.
And, as a bonus, a video!
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Next-gen Gran Turismo 6 might not be on PS3?
I bet when you read that title you thought it was going to Microsoft's Xbox 360 console - didn't you? HA! Well, Polyphony Digital head Kazunori Yamauchi told Eurogamer that he "doesn't know" if the next-gen Gran Turismo title will be on the PlayStation 3 of the next-gen of console hardware.
He went on to say "10 years ago it was easier to predict what would happen three years in the future," he said in an exclusive interview at the official GT5 launch event in Madrid. "Nowadays no-one knows what happens in the future. In three years, we don't know what will happen."
With the release of the game happening in the last 24 hours - Yamauchi also responded to the criticism of GT5's online feature set - saying "Online updates are planned of course for leaderboards and matchmaking - [they're] all planned in the process of evolution."
There was also a stage presentation earlier in the evening where he said that his team would be "upgrading every week, every month" to improve the game. He also described the game as a "pet" that his team had "nourished and looked after" - while paying special tribute to GT fans "all of whom have helped and supported us to develop Gran Turismo."
Interestingly, beneath a video screen slogan which read: "Today is not the finale. Today is only the beginning of a new era for Gran Turismo," the series creator insisted that his team's work on the project was far from complete.
With a 10 year cycle for current consoles, another 5 years or more in development might as well be spent on next-gen, will we finally see an AAA+ game as a launch title?
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Internet Explorer 9 Beta gets updated
The Internet Explorer 9 Beta has proven to be a fairly popular item, racking up over 10 million downloads in the six weeks since it was rolled out. Many of you with the beta may have noticed an automatic update yesterday to the program.
The IE9 update from Microsoft addressed some issues that users have been having with the browser crashing. Microsoft wasnÂ’t specific on that front, only stating that the update "improves the reliability of Internet Explorer 9 Beta in various scenarios." The feedback bug on 64 bit machines was also addressed, which affected users with Windows Live Essentials 11 installed.
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Pleco Chinese Dictionary iPhone app now handling real-time image translations
Pleco 2.2 has arrived at the Apple App Store - after dealing with various launch day bugs last week it's finally out and ready to do your Chinese translation for you.
The Pleco Chinese Dictionary is now available in the app store with version 2.2.1 - supporting both full screen handwriting input and live camera-based character recognition. Pretty amazing stuff!
I would've killed for these types of apps back in school! There's a video for your pleasure below:
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Want to get your Black Friday on? Look inside!
I'm really jealous right now - so many sales in the US with Black Friday sales going on right now. Here in Australia we pay around 3520X the price for everything compared to the US, even with our dollar either above parity or sitting right next to it eating a sandwich.
However, Engadget have a constantly updated Black Friday sales deals post - which I thought I'd let TweakTown readers know about, there are unbelievable amounts of points on it to buy things from Dell Incredible for free on two year contracts, Samsung 46" LCD 3D TV for $1250 (Blu-ray player and Shred 3D starter kit included), Kindle 2 for $89.99.
Most interestingly - Apple has a one day sale at it's online store ON Black Friday itself, keep checking apple.com if you're after any Apple products.
To check out the page click here for some Black Friday sales!
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Sandy Bridge and Bulldozer to both support LR-DIMMs
Gone are the days of Billy boy saying 640k will be enough, most systems I sell go with 4GB of memory, some with 8. Triple channel kits come in 6, 12 and 24GB so memory is going up and up and up. Sandy Bridge and Bulldozer plan to combat this with LR-DIMM's.
LR-DIMM's are a JEDEC version of the late MetaRAM tech - which basically faked a DRAM chip with a heap of small ones. LR stands for Load Reduced, and that's exactly what the buffer on the DIMM does.
The effect of this? You can make a 4G DIMM from 32 x 1Gb chips and the system only sees 8 x 4Gb chips. It makes the life of the memory controller much easier (less Facebook emo updates) and effectively quadruples DIMM capacities.
Of course, it's not just rainbows and lollipops for LR-DIMM's - they need a buffer and that chip is usually expensive. Luckily, the cost of very high density DRAM's tends to be insanely expensive - so the buffer not only makes the impossible, possible - but it makes it cheaper than alternative options.
Next-gen server CPU's should support LR-DIMM right away. Another twist for LR-DIMM is it needs explicit support or at least 'awareness' on the system side that they are playing tricks. MetaRAM did not need to do this, but LR-DIMM might be a much cheaper alternative, bringing equilibrium to the situation.
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Gigabyte set to release gaming motherboards at CES
For a long time - Asus have had their ROG (Republic of Gamers) boards, targetted at the enthusiast, overclockers - but gamers? Apart from having mutli-GPU support, there's not much there that a gamer would enjoy.
However, Gigabyte are joining the fight with their own line of gaming motherboards at CES. Gigabyte have blogged saying "Get Ready for a Showdown at CES". There should be multiple boards announced - but for now, they seem to be using the stealth mode from Crysis to hide from us.
The first board seems to be called "G1-Killer" - with the board looking quite small, no one knows anymore details at the moment. It could be a Sandy Bridge compatible motherboard (which would make sense as they're about to drop it like it's hot).
Gigabyte has supplied pricing, with the G1-Killer at $299. Hopefully it's a feature-heavy board with a PCB color to really stand out. It could even be bundled with the new COD: Black Ops title? Who knows!
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Angry Birds coming to all three major consoles in 2011
Angry Birds has been a mobile phenomenon for quite a while now, and now it looks like the pig-destroying avians are spreading their wings and slingshotting their way onto the Wii, PS3, and Xbox 360 in 2011 according to Rovio.
CEO Peter Vesterbacka dropped this information in a BBC interview as well as the fact that the company is also working on Angry Birds 2, which will not be a sequel but an all new game. Vesterbacka did not go into too many specifics, but did state that there will be more pigs in Angry Birds 2 and that “the pigs will be a lot more active than just being slingshotted at by birds.” Pigs vs. Birds online multiplayer, anyone?
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LG to introduce 23-inch 240Hz IPS LCD panel
LG today announced the launch of a 23-inch 240Hz LCD for monitors that refreshes at an insane 240 frames per second. Being a fan of 120Hz gaming myself, I find this highly interesting - wouldn't mind testing one out myself! (wink TT gods, wink).
The full HD 23-inch 240Hz panel was developed by combing 120Hz tech with scanning backlight tech which enables a backlight to repeatedly turned on and off. The standard refresh rate of most LCD monitors is 60Hz, with 120Hz entering the market in the last 18 months (being pushed for NVIDIA 3D Vision mostly) a 240Hz refresh would significantly refuse motion blur - gamers alike, crying with joy.
LG Display's copper bus line technology was used for fast processing of large amounts of image data - the results of this has a motion picture response of 8ms, which is pretty equal to large premium TV's. The 240Hz LCD features an IPS (In-Plane Switching) technology for no distortion in color or images from any viewing angle.
The IPS/120Hz problem has been a thorn in IQ lovers thighs - they don't like TN panels, but enjoy the fast/smooth motion of 120fps and above on 120Hz gaming, but the IPS panels are so much better to look at, so many LG have a first on their hands... I'll have 3 thanks!
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Android Market is adding content ratings to all apps
Apple had it's turn with mandatory content ratings with iPhone OS 3.0 - but now it's Google's turn. They've announced that the content ratings will become obligatory for all Android developers in a few weeks.
Google also said that they'll be showing ratings for all apps along with other "Android Market upgrades in the coming weeks" - this might fall into the schedule with Gingerbread too.
Any developer that fails to specify a rating level for their existing apps automatically gets dumped in the "Mature" pile until they rectify the rating. In addition to Mature, available ratings to choose from will be Pre-teen, Teen and then "All" which is guaranteed to not offend people like Justin Bieber and JoBros (whom our own Shane Baxtor is a big fan of).
This is good news for parents of Android owners, or family members/friends who allow children to use their phone for games - and just in time for the holiday season.
It's also good news as it seems like Google is evolving their Market, in this tech game - you can't stand still for too long.
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Nintendo won't be at CES 2011 - jumps back into green pipe and goes home
I did post yesterday that Nintendo were going to make a come back after 16 years of absence at CES - but it appears they won't be. They were going to jump into a green tube at the Nintendo HQ and appear at CES next year, but not anymore.
But, they've booked some meeting rooms during the show - to discuss something no one knows about, what will it include? No one is sure. Stay tuned!
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Unreal Engine 3 - 2010 trailer - what the engine is capable of
Holee sheet. This is how games should look, NOW. Yes it's a technology demo, but it's showing where gaming might be by the time next-gen consoles hit. The engine is not even DX11 capable and looks stunning.
Unreal Engine has been popular over the past few years, I still remember the times Epic's engine always came second to id's engines at the time, but with console sales booming - their engine has been in some pretty big games, Unreal (of course), Gears of War, Bioshock, Mass Effect - ya know, just to name a few games.
Check out the video below. Take your socks off before hand - because they'll just get blown off anyway.
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Steam have daily deals for the next 5 days!
Steam are running their usual yearly sales - with some huge savings again this year. As a bonus, every day 30 people are selected to receive their top 5 games in their wishlist - so if you don't have your wishlist filled, I'd suggested you do this now!
As for the deals, there's things available at up to 90% off. Games from Deus Ex collection, Prototype, RUSE, Borderlands and Counterstrike Source, CSS being available for $5 !!
To hit up the sales, clicky right here.
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Quick Review: Corsair XMS3 Series PC3-16000 12GB Kit
I remember the XMS series back in the day of original DDR memory. It really was the bees knees of memory and it let us know that it was the cream of the crop when it came to Corsairs memory line-up. Over the years, though, weÂ’ve seen less XMS series memory from Corsair; instead performance has been dominated by the Dominator series.
While 12GB isnÂ’t the norm yet, thereÂ’s no doubt that over the next 12 months weÂ’re going to see 4GB modules become more and more standard with I think a larger push being seen when Sandybridge graces us with its presence.
While the Corsair XMS3 PC3-16000 12GB package might not have much going on with really just the modules present, the part that stands out the most in the package is of course the memory itself. Consisting of three 4GB modules carrying a 9-10-9-27 @ 1.65v setup, the kitÂ’s the most aggressive 12GB kit weÂ’ve looked at to date.
Being Corsair modules, I expected very little issues when it came to installing them into our ASRock X58 testbed. With the voltage set to 1.65v and the timings manually adjusted to 9-10-9-27, we got out of the BIOS and straight into Windows with no problems and you can see our CPU-Z validation here.
Firing up Everest Ultimate Edition and testing the memory, we ended up with a Read / Write number of 12,745MB/s / 11,702MB/s. Sandra offered us Integer / Float of 15,000MB/s / 15,000MB/s. Both numbers donÂ’t really offer too much off a surprise.
The biggest issue weÂ’ve had when it comes to 4GB modules is the overclocking headroom and today I didnÂ’t really expect anything too different with such large modules generally offering less movement north.
Leaving the timings and memory voltage alone, we started to bump the BCLK up.to see just what kind of headroom we could get out of the Corsair kit and we really found nothing with the modules having similar issues to the Super Talent kit which couldnÂ’t get past around the 2020MHz DDR mark.
ItÂ’s a little funny to see the modules rock solid at 2004MHz DDR, but as soon as we moved any more they became quite unstable.
Of course, if we started to relax the timings thereÂ’s a good chance we couldÂ’ve seen more, but weÂ’ve always tested at the stock timings.
Really, in the end, though, what it all comes down to is the 12GB number more so than that 2000MHz DDR one. While youÂ’re going to see some gains over a 1600MHz DDR kit, the performance boost is generally only seen under a synthetic environment.
What the Corsair kit offers us is 12GB of memory that is going to give an overall boost to your system if moving from a 6GB one. Stuff is just going to load a little faster and everythingÂ’s going to run a bit smoother. And personally I think if youÂ’re going down the SSD route for your boot drive, it seems a little counterproductive to only have 6GB of memory in your system.
What I like about the XMS3 kit today isnÂ’t just that $299.99 price tag which is attractive, but the fact that the XMS3 is a lower profile kit compared to the Dominator series. It means that you could use a massive CPU cooler that could hang into the first two DIMM slots and you donÂ’t have to worry about the memory hitting the heatsink.
Corsair has built a strong name in the industry and thereÂ’s no doubt that youÂ’ve been wanting a more aggressive 12GB kit from the company. Well, the good news is itÂ’s here and the pricing is strong. While overclocking headroom above 2000MHz seems to be limited, itÂ’s not at all uncommon with 4GB modules at this speed, so weÂ’re not going to hold that against Corsair.
What you end up with is a nice, fast kit that comes in at a good price, good physical size and offers some real world benefits over the 6GB kit youÂ’re probably currently using. ThereÂ’s little to complain about when it comes to the XMS3 PC3-16000 12GB kit and a lot to like; and really for us, thatÂ’s a win win situation.
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Lenovo ThinkCentre A70z All-in-One Desktop Computer
Introduction
Lenovo, the world’s fourth largest vendor of personal computers, purchased IBM’s PC division in 2005 for the handsome sum of $1.75 billion, and along with it the widely recognized ThinkPad moniker. Lenovo has picked up the ball and run with Think branding, christening its business-focused PCs with some iterations of the name—ThinkServer, ThinkStation, ThinkCentre, etc. Lenovo’s “Lifestyle” line of PCs use a similar naming convention, substituting “Think” for “Idea,” as in IdeaPad and IdeaCentre.
With the A70zÂ’s integrated Intel GMA X4500 graphics processor, 3D gaming is all but out of the question. But its All-in-One (AIO) form factor lends itself to installation in places where a full-size desktop wouldnÂ’t be practical, meaning it might make a good network server or computer for the spare bedroom or kitchen.
LetÂ’s take a look.
Specifications, Pricing and Availability
The Lenovo A70z is widely available from online retailers such as Amazon, Office Depot, Sears, TigerDirect, and NewEgg. Prices hover in the $500-750USD range, depending on options. Our unit, which has a Core 2 Duo E7500 running at 2.93GHz, lists for $735 USD at Newegg.com.
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Quick Review: AOC e2239Fwt Touchmate 21.5-inch Monitor
IÂ’m a huge fan of touchscreen based PCs. Every time I go to my local computer store I canÂ’t help but go in and start touching the screen and navigate through a few windows before I move on.
Until now, though, there hasn’t been much outside of pre-built PCs when it comes to getting in on the touch screen action. Today, however, AOC bring a 21.5” screen that looks to be the goods for people who want to get their touch fix.
Inside the package weÂ’ve got nothing that you wouldnÂ’t really expect with a VGA and HDMI cable, USB cable along with the standard paperwork and driver CD. ItÂ’s probably whatÂ’s not included which may surprise and that would be a DVI cable, which is something weÂ’re used to seeing in our monitor bundle. ThereÂ’s a reason itÂ’s not included, though, but weÂ’ll cover that later.
Looking at the e2239Fwt specifications, the monitor seems to have the goods with an LED backlit display that has a native resolution of 1920 x 1080, offering a 5ms response time and 20,000,000:1 dynamic contrast ratios. The screen itself comes in at 21.5” and offers both VGA and HDMI on the video connection front. Other connectors on the screen include USB, audio jack and a second HDMI port.
Something missing is of course, a DVI connection, and itÂ’s not a huge deal with most cards offering HDMI these days, but itÂ’s something that you do have to realize as if you donÂ’t have a HDMI connection on your card youÂ’re going to have to opt for the ugly analogue connector.
With the monitor connected via HDMI and a USB cable connected to enable the touch screen ability, the setup of the monitor is extremely easy. Once in Windows we installed the driver, rebooted and were ready to go with the e2239Fwt.
With the monitor up and running I took a second to quickly just look at it and it’s really quite a good looking monitor. Across the bottom we’ve got a sound bar and the “Dual Stand” design that AOC has opted for means that the keyboard or even a laptop can sit under the monitor.
This is a great idea, because you would have the monitor closer to you then a normal monitor controlled with your mouse. Of course, if you need access to the keyboard to type faster you can just pull it out quickly. ThereÂ’s also a fair bit of room under the screen so that if youÂ’re using the screen with a laptop you could just move the laptop forward slightly and slide your hands under and type with ease. Of course, it would depend on the thickness of the laptop in hand.
Moving on from the aesthetics and onto the actual screen, the e2239Fwt is a nice looking screen. The LED backlit design makes the screen nice and bright, while keeping power draw at a very nice level of around 21w.
As we mentioned, the monitor comes with a built-in speaker and if youÂ’re using HDMI you shouldnÂ’t have an issue getting sounds to the monitor with the same cable doing the video. Quality isnÂ’t that bad. Sure, youÂ’re not going to get the house pumping with it, but for a bit of music or just some general YouTube video it does a good job.
Of course, you can use the monitor as a normal one and do everything you would with a standard one including playing games, and the e2239Fwt does a good job of handling them. Sure, itÂ’s not as strong as other monitors weÂ’ve looked at in this respect, but it does a good job nonetheless.
On to the touch screen ability of the screen, it supports multi touch and is very accurate. It’s easy to use and works well, but the question you have to ask is, ‘Where is the touch ability best used?’ - Most of the touch screen based PCs tend to be orientated around media centres and we’ve got to say that this is the best target market.
Navigating around Windows is extremely easy and that includes everything from using the start menu to navigating around your hard drives. ItÂ’s here that you can really see how the touch screen works great, selecting media to play or navigating photos.
Where I could see the screen being extremely impressive is a really nice home theatre setup where someone has a projector. Have a bit of room in your cabinet and you could navigate a real home theatre PC, play music and do little things without the need to put the actual projector on.
We canÂ’t deny that for most the e2239Fwt isnÂ’t going to be something you look at, because itÂ’s not worth paying the premium thatÂ’s associated with the Touch Screen ability. But if you donÂ’t want to fork out $1,000s for a full-fledged brand name PC that comes with a touch screen, this is such a better option.
ItÂ’s easy to say the e2239Fwt is pointless, a waste of money and unnecessary, and for most people it is. The touch ability is similar to a car that can carry seven people, but you donÂ’t have any children nor do you really drive anyone around. ItÂ’s a feature that is useless to some, but handy to others.
The e2239Fwt isnÂ’t going to be for everyone, but if youÂ’re interested in getting in on some touch screen action this is a really nice display that lets you do it without a massive price premium.
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Need for Speed Hot Pursuit Xbox 360 Review
For years many people have believed that the Need for Speed series was going downhill. What was once a must buy series has become a wait and see franchise whenever it releases a new game. EA appears to have recognised this trend and has started to take steps to rectify it. The first indication of this was the significantly different Need for Speed Shift last year that was built to take on games such as Gran Turismo. However, in 2010 we have a completely different game again; one which heralds back to the days where Need for Speed was THE racing series, and this is a good thing.
Need for Speed Hot Pursuit as the name implies returns the series to the cops versus phelons gameplay that made some of the last generation games so popular. It's one thing to race hot and exotic cars together, but add the law enforcement aspect and the game becomes all the more thrilling and enjoyable to play. The best way to describe Need for Speed Hot Pursuit is a game of two halves; the cops and the phelons.
Criterion Games is the developer behind this latest game and considering their pedigree in Burnout, it is of no surprise to us that the game focuses on speed and thrilling chases. At any point in the game you can choose to take on a law enforcement mission or try and outrun the cops with the level of your police and phelon character stored individually. It is entirely possible to 'finish' the police side of the game before even taking a spin on the other side of the law and it is this flexibility that makes the game so approachable. If you get stuck on a race, just try another one.
The progression is modelled very much in the same way as Burnout Paradise. At any time a number of races are present on the screen for you to choose from and you win either a gold, silver or bronze medal in each race depending on how you perform. Aside from, this game also introduces a bounty system where you win points for taking out cops, taking down an opponent or just driving well. This bounty is used to unlock new cars and equipment and is used to determine your career progression and level.
The racing itself is fast, very fast. Initially the cars you get access to handle like boxes, but after a few hours once you have unlocked some of the exotics the game starts to come into its own and you will be drifting and throwing that car around corners like a professional. The racing when the police are involved is in a word, mayhem. Not only do you have to worry about beating your opponents, but you are constantly being harassed by the police in numerous ways; spike strips, helicopter chases and even EMP blasts which can render your car useless in an instant.
However, this is where the main problem with the game starts to rear its head. It has rubber band AI. For those who don't know what that means, basically, no matter how well you drive and how often the AI crashes, they will always be behind you. We can understand why EA did this; they wanted thrilling racing all the time, but the first time you lose a race due to a last corner crash, you will want to smash your controller into many little bits, especially considering the length of some of the races.
The tracks in Need for Speed Hot Pursuit are not circuits; instead they are point to point races in the fictional Seacreast County. This once again is a tribute to the way Need for Speed was built in its early days and works well.
The tracks do feature shortcuts, although not all of them are good with some taking you on the long way around. Unfortunately you have to learn which ones are the hard way.
Visually the game is a bit of a mixed bag. When compared to some of the blockbuster titles of this generation, it doesn't compare, however the cars do look quite good given the speed and framerate of the title (which doesn't baulk even with crazy amounts of action on screen).
The cars will take damage, but most of it is cosmetic. However, if you do decide to trash your car the game will end and you will fail, so damage is not entirely something you can ignore.
EA has included something called Autolog which is a fancy way of saying friend leaderboards. Every time you start a race, if someone on your friends list has set a time, it will tell you what the best time was and you can attempt to beat it. If you do so you can even send a message to your friend with some smack talk attached.
On paper it doesn't sound that interesting, but it has the 'Geometry wars' effect of continuously trying to get faster than each other. As well as this, online racing against each other is available and offers matchmaking.
Need for Speed was a franchise in trouble. Whilst Need for Speed Shift did do some things differently, it had a lot of problems. EA potentially had the perfect solution right under their nose with the Burnout developers and there is no doubt some of that Burnout magic has been put into this title.
Need for Speed Hot Pursuit returns the series to its roots and is the best Need for Speed release for this generation of consoles. Grab your keys and get ready to race.
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Team Group Launches TP-1023 Sporty External HDD with USB 3.0 Interface
Team Group Launches TP-1023 Sporty External HDD with USB 3.0 Interface
The TP-1023 external HDD Team launched in 2010 is integration between the wild speed and luxurious design of a sports car. With the USB3.0 interface, TP-1023 delivers a transfer speed up to 5Gbps, which makes TP1023 runs as fast as a sport car! Under the Ferrari red surface coating, T1023 is fully packaged with functions that make itself stands out from any other external HDD on the market.
In addition to its eye-catching sports car design and coating, TP1023 is equipped with sports car like shock absorbent performance. The suspension design can significantly enhance the shock resistance ability. Passed Team GroupÂ’s 130 falling tests (which has exceeded the industrial specification), the suspension on the TP-1023 provides the best protection for both the hard drive and data within.
Environmental friendly: automatic suspend mode
The energy-saving deign of TP1023 is equipped with the automatic suspend mode to shut down the hard drive after idling for a particular period of time, which significantly reduce electricity consumption and saves energy. TP-1023 also comes in a green design which features the auto power management function.
Like no others : exclusive industrial design
The brand new TP1023 is an integration fashion and modern technology. The exclusiveness of T1023 wonÂ’t let you find an identical external HDD in the market.
TP1023 is also equipped with many other smart abilities, such as file management and data backup. Moreover, TP1023 is also available with the USB2.0 and USB3.0 versions. All in all, the TP1023 will surely be the total mobile storage solution for any consumer who seeks for a sleek design mobile disk with powerful performance.
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Exceleram Announces Rippler Series Memory Kits
Exceleram Announces Rippler Series Memory Kits
Exceleram – the Highend Memory based in Landau, Germany, announces the availability of the first four Rippler Memory Kits. The name Rippler stands for a new Heatsink designed especially for the overclocking community. The German Exceleram Team completed the development and the Rippler Series is ready to ship now. First shipments are leaving the German warehouse this week. The Rippler Series will be expanded during the next weeks.
“We already have customer requests for other Rippler Kits and we will consider them of course.” said Martim Reis Silva – Sales Director Exceleram. As a goody, there are also 2 highend kits with black 8layer PCB available. In the beginning the memory will be delivered in a noble aluminiumbox instead of plastic blister.
Rippler Kits Overview:
• ERB300A 4GB (2x2GB) PC3-12800 6-8-6-24 1.65V 8 Layer Black PCB
• ERB301A 6GB (3x2GB) PC3-12800 6-8-6-24 1.65V 8 Layer Black PCB
• ER3000A 4GB (2x2GB) PC3-12800 7-9-9-24 1.65V
• ER3001A 6GB (3x2GB) PC3-12800 7-9-9-24 1.65V
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LG Introduces 23-inch 240 Hz IPS LCD Panel for Monitors
LG Introduces 23-inch 240 Hz IPS LCD Panel for Monitors
LG Display, a leading innovator of TFT-LCD technology, announced today that it has launched the 23-inch 240Hz LCD for monitors (dual monitor and TV use) that refreshes at a rate of 240 frames per second to deliver clear picture quality with no ghosting effect.
The industry have been engaged in a heated race to improve the motion picture response time (MPRT), unveiling products with refresh rates of 120Hz or 240Hz which are respectively twice and four times as fast as broadcast signals (60Hz). However, the technology has mostly been applied to LCD panels for high-end TV panels that are 40-inch or larger. This is the first time that 240Hz technology was applied in a 23-inch product under mass production.
The full HD 23-inch 240Hz LCD panel was developed by combining 120Hz technology (refreshes 120 images per second) with scanning backlight technology which enables a backlight to be repeatedly turned on and off.
Boasting a refresh rate that is four times higher than regular 60Hz monitors and twice as high as 120Hz monitors, the 240Hz LCD significantly reduces motion blur to make it less strenuous on the viewer's eyes and deliver true-to-life images.
LG Display's copper bus line technology was employed for fast processing of vast amounts of image data. As a result, the product has an motion picture response time of 8ms (millisecond), akin to a large premium TV, to eliminate motion blurring for fast moving images. Moreover, the 240Hz LCD features IPS (In-Plane Switching) technology for no distortion in color or images from any viewing angle which makes products ideal for TVs.
In the past, monitors in the 20-inch range were mainly used for word processing, but expansion of the multimedia environment has extended their application to games, videos, and even second TV sets. The 23-inch 240Hz LCD panel from LG Display should allow consumers to enjoy vibrant images and picture quality they expect from a large-size TV on their monitor or a smaller, second TV.
Ha Hyun Hwoi, LG Display's VP and head of the IT business unit, noted, "This product was designed to meet expectations of consumers who are already used to superior picture quality and high motion picture response time. LG Display will continue with efforts to introduce products that deliver new value to our customers and consumers."
According to research firm DisplaySearch, the market for 26-inch and below LCD products, which are primarily for dual monitor/TV use, is expected to grow by more than 20% from 49 million units in 2009 to 60 million units in 2010.
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Tt eSports Announces the Challenger Gaming Keyboard
Tt eSports Announces the Challenger Gaming Keyboard
Tt eSPORTS, the worldÂ’s leading professional gaming gear division by Thermaltake has unveiled their new keyboard the CHALLENGER Ultimate, a gaming keyboard created for MMORPG and RTS gamers to rule your kingdom with your own style. Enjoy the dark atmosphere but execute accurate shots, itÂ’s the only way to take down the enemies. With the Wizard 256 back light design, 4 levels of illumination design that simulates all time true-to-life gaming ambience that can match any mood, the CHALLENGER Ultimate also provides up to 14 Macro keys capability to be one step ahead of their competitors.
With 64KB on board memory in 5 game profiles and 70 Marco keys, plus anti-ghosting capability, gamers are given that extra boost of confidence to win. Tt eSPORTS is not only the leading gaming gear provider, but they are always focused on adding that something extra. With 2 extra built-in USB ports, audio jacks for Mic. in and SP out, Gold-plated USB connector are convenient features that enhance the gaming actions.
Features:
• The world’s first exclusive cooling fan illumination gaming keyboard
• 4 levels of illumination design simulates all time true-to-life gaming atmosphere
• Provides up to 64KB on board memory in 5 game profiles and 70 macro keys
• Innovative customization GUI to bring your joy of gaming achievement
For more information, visit the product page.
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Huntkey Announces 80 Plus Gold Certified X7 1200W and 300W PSUs
Huntkey Announces 80 Plus Gold Certified X7 1200W and 300W PSUs
Huntkey Enterprise Group held its Huntkey 80PLUS GOLD Certified Power Supplies launch conference successfully at 2:00 PM on November 23 at Dinghao's meeting hall. With a theme of "Surmounting", this conference released a series of 80PLUS Gold certified power-supplies with rated power of 300W and 1200W. It attracted many famous national IT media and overclockers.
Huntkey Vice President, Mr. Liu, global marketing manager, Mr. Tang, and global product manager, Mr. Villa, shared their opinions with audience. "Today's launch of 80PLUS Gold certified power supplies is dedicated to both overclockers and mainstream users alike. We hope to bring energy-saving, safe, high quality but cost-effective products to more users," Mr. Liu said. "300W and 1200W 80PLUS Gold certified power supplies stand for Huntkey's pursuit of two extremes, one for high-end quality, and the other for entry level users. The surmounting theme shows Huntkey's commitment for innovation." said another Huntkey representative in charge of the conference.
The X7 1200W 80PLUS Gold certified power supply is the upgraded version of the X7 1200W 80PLUS silver certified version. This version adopts four advanced technologies, including phase-shifted full-bridge, CRM interleaved PFC, synchronous rectification and DC to DC module. Six +12V rails with combined output 99A support extreme overclocking. For material choice, Japanese capacitors ensure its good performance during overclocking. Compared to 1200W, the 300W 80PLUS gold certified power supply is dedicated to mainstream groups. It adopts LLC resonant synchronous rectification and DC to DC module design. At typical load, it can reach 91% efficiency. 2X 6-pin PCIe connector support GTX 460/HD 6850 graphic cards and Japanese capacitor adoption make it a better choice for mainstream gamers.
Villa Li, Huntkey global marketing manager, said "The X7 1200W silver version got great feedback from many global overclockers after their testing, and as for its upgraded version, I think it will impress users as well. This version is launching worldwide. For 300W 80PLUS gold version, it will be sold first in mainland China and will come to the global market soon."
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The all-new MSI R6870 Twin Frozr II blends cutting-edge thermal solution and next-generation AMD GPU for ultimate performance
The all-new MSI R6870 Twin Frozr II blends cutting-edge thermal solution and next-generation AMD GPU for ultimate performance
(Taipei-Taiwan) Internationally renowned graphics card and mainboard manufacturer MSI announces today the R6870 Twin Frozr II graphics card. It is equipped with the latest 40nm AMD Radeon HD6870 GPU, IGB GDDR5 high-speed graphics memory, and the award-winning Twin Frozr II thermal solution. As a result, the operating temperature and noise of the R6870 Twin Frozr II are reduced by 19?C and 12.8dB respectively (versus the reference design). Also, the overvoltage function from the MSI-exclusive Afterburner software further enhances the OC potential of the Barts GPU, and AMDÂ’s Eyefinity Technology provides optimal multi-display 2D/3D output for gaming, productivity and entertainment. Along with the super reliable Solid CAPs which prolong product life and enhance product stability and quality, the R6870 Twin Frozr II is the best choice ever for power users looking for graphics cards with ultimate performance and low operating temperature.
Exclusive Twin Frozr II thermal solution maintains perfect balance between cooling and noise control
The Twin Frozr II found on the R6870 Twin Frozr II consists of a large-area copper base heat-sink with high density radiation fins, dual 8cm temperature-controlled PWM fans, and five heat-pipes to increase airflow and enhance heat conductivity for the GPU and neighboring components. In addition to the superb cooling effect, it is quiet! Under full load, the Twin Frozr II cooler reduces temperature and noise by 19?C and 12.8dB respectively versus the reference design. By design, the R6870 Twin Frozr II is the industry-first graphics card that achieves a perfect balance between thermal solution and noise reduction.
Support for Afterburner overvoltage function to unleash display performance
In terms of software support, the R6870 Twin Frozr II supports the MSI-exclusive Afterburner OC software designed for instantaneous GPU and memory clock adjustments and advanced fan speed control. Users can even save up to 5 OC profiles of their own for gaming, productivity and entertainment. With the Afterburner, users can further adjust the GPU voltage to break through the limit of GPU and thereby unleash the power and performance of graphics cards. The Afterburner can also monitor the GPU temperature and fan speed for power users to totally control their graphics cards.
AMD Eyefinity and 3D Video
The R6870 Twin Frozr II is equipped with the AMD-exclusive Eyefinity Technology for multi-display, supporting up to four screens*. DisplayPort 1.2 and HDMI 1.4a (which support 3D video and 7.1-channel lossless TrueHD and DTS-HD audio formats) help provide consumers with the most exciting audio/visual fun.
All Solid Caps maximize lifespan
Insisting on providing consumers with the best quality, the R6870 Twin Frozr II is made with all Solid CAPs. Apart from the extra long lifespan, they can maintain high stability even in high workload for consumers to experience the best performance and ultimate quality in MSI graphics performance.
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