IT-Code-News: IT News Head Lines (TweakTown) 3/29/2012

Good Old Games renames themselves to just 'GOG', now offers newer titles, as well as a new site design
Good Old Games offer some insanely cool stuff, and in this post-PC world (let's face it, consoles and casual gaming are the dominant force now), and have thrown a bunch of new things into the mix. First up we have Good Old Games renaming themselves to just 'GOG', which makes sense really... GOG are now offering newer titles instead of just the older titles we all know and love.

This means that we will see AAA new titles, as well as more partners for GOG, with new partners and developers joining every month. GOG have also just rolled out a new website layout, which sports a more modern look, which I think looks quite swish. It's very clean, and very easy to navigate. GOG now offer their Facebook, Twitter and Google+ accounts at the footer of each page so you can get your social networking fix with GOG anytime you like.

GOG are also offering a new, faster than ever GOG.com downloader - this is only a good thing, folks! The new downloader integrates support for downloading game patches, goodies, and notifications to keep all of the GOG users up-to-date on changes on the games they've purchased, replies to forum threads, or PMs.

One would think with all of these ground-breaking changes, that GOG would now slap DRM on their titles. Nope. None. Nada. GOG are sticking to their non-DRM guns and continuing with their Fair Pricing and Love for GOG-ers (their words!). This means newer games, whether they're big, recognized names, indie games, day-one releases, or pre-orders.

The most interesting thing is the old Good Old Games now is gone, and GOG enters the room. GOG doesn't need to stand for anything, and GOG themselves have said Gee Oh Gee dot com stands for high-quality, DRM-free gaming, each week with bigger and newer games and you know what? Hot damn this is amazing to see a company do this. I wish GOG all the best for the future! Keep on keepin' on.

Samsung has shipped over 5 million GALAXY Note smartphones
Samsung's 5.3-inch GALAXY Note smartphone has been doing surprisingly well for the South Korean-based company, having shipped over 5 million units in just five months. This is quite the achievement considering its one of the larger screened smartphones on the market today.

5 million units shipped, and the 5.3-incher doesn't even include Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, this is quite the achievement for Samsung. We should expect Samsung to released their Premium Suite of apps, as well as Android 4.0 in the near future.

Until then, the GALAXY Note is still an amazing looking phone. I personally wouldn't mind checking it out, but I'm waiting for some Ice Cream Sandwich lovin' before I get into that gorgeous 5.3-inch display. I really should stop dilly dallying and just get one, shouldn't I?

Coby ships new Android 4.0-based tablets in both 7- and 9.7-inch sizes
Coby has begun shipping a few new Android 4.0-based tablets, after they were first introduced earlier this year at CES. The two new models arrive in 7- and 9.7-inch and will have the names of Kyros MID7042-4 and Kyros MID9742-B, for the 7- and 9.7-inch tablets, respectively.

Both tables sport 1GHz ARM Cortex-A8 processors, with 1GB of RAM, front-facing cameras, HDMI output, 8GB of internal storage with microSD for expandable storage, and 802.11n Wi-Fi. The 7-inch model sports a 16:9 capacitive touchscreen with an 800x480-pixel screen, where the 9.7-inch ramps it up to 1024x768-pixels.

The MID7042 is available right now for $179, and the MID9742 sells for $100 more at $279. Coby expects to offer 8-, 9-, and 10-inch models later this spring.

Apple's Newsstand makes $70k per day
People are spending up big on Apple's Newsstand app, where a study of Apple's App Store for iPad during just the month of February from market research firm Distimo shows that the top 100 publications raked in more than $70,000 a day. This is just absolutely huge, considering that the revenue is from the United States alone, and is led by News Corp.'s The Daily, followed by The New York Times, and The New Yorker magazine.

Apple don't disclose what individual app makers and content providers earn on ints store, but Apple provide 70-percent of each sale to the content creators, holding back 30-percent for themselves. Publishers can also let existing subscribers view digital editions of content, to which they've already subscribed to. But, they're not allowed to link to outside Web sites where subscriptions can be struck outside of Apple's App Store, that's a naughty no-no.

Some noteworthy metrics from the study:

China has outgrown the United States, when it comes to daily downloads of free applications. The country tallied more than 1.1 million daily downloads from within the top 300 most popular free apps. By comparison, the U.S. tallied "just below" 1 million daily downloads, Distimo said.

The U.S. is still the top-grossing country, when it comes to iPad app spending. It is trailed by Australia, Canada, and the United Kingdom.

The iPad has more apps with in-app purchase than apps built for the iPhone. Ten percent of the iPad applications on the App Store had in-app purchase, versus 6 percent for the iPad.

iPad users download lots of weather apps. One of the omissions from Apple's iPad version of iOS is a built-in weather app. That has led to some serious downloading, Distimo said. While the number of downloads is nowhere near the same class as things like entertainment, travel, or photography, the study found the number of downloads for weather apps to be considerably higher than how many such apps are available.

GEFORCE GTX 670TI and GTX670 to hit late-April, or early-May
According to 'Gibbo' on the Overclockers.co.uk forums, we should expect the new NVIDIA GEFORCE GTX 670Ti and GEFORCE GTX 670 to launch late-April, or early-May. These two GPUs will be placed into price segments aimed at AMD's Radeon range of GPUs.

The GTX 670Ti will replace NVIDIA's GeForce GTX 580, and take on the HD 7950 3GB. The GTX 670 on the other hand, replaces the GTX 570 and should be slightly faster, too. The GTX 560Ti and 560 are not expected to be replaced with 600-series GPUs until much later into 2012.

The low-end 520/550 cards will reportedly be rebranded into the 600-series, where we should expect the usual same card, re-boxed as 600-series GPUs. Gibbo also mentions the dual-GPU NVIDIA beast, which we should expect to arrive as the GEFORCE GTX 690, and "can be released when NVIDIA desire to do so". The roadmap that Gibbo is coming from says that the GTX 680 is the fastest single-GPU card, but a faster single-GPU card is expected later this year.

This will all come down to whether NVIDIA feel threatened by the onslaught from AMD, but he expects something in the October-December timeframe. Gibbo mentions that we should expect some tasty offerings in the near future such as AIB's in April/May releasing much faster and higher TDP variants of the GTX 680. One amazing thing with the GTX 680 is that it is quite power efficient, which will allow us to see some insanely revised cards from AIB's. Exciting!

Plextor M3 Pro 256GB (PX-256M3P) Solid State Drive Review

Introduction

As I'm sitting here looking over the performance numbers Speed Channel is airing a documentary on the Porsche 911. Around 1963 Porsche released their iconic two door sports car. The 911 name lives on today, but so does the exterior design. When you see a 911, be it a model produced in 1969, my favorite, the 1982 slant nose turbo with the big whale tail to the new 2012 you know it is a 911. Altogether, there have only been seven major revisions to this car, quite a legacy.

The Marvell 88SS9174 isn't quite sixty years old, but the controller first hit the scene in January 2010, a long time in computer component years. Just like the 911, each minor revision adds to the speed and functionality. Also like the 911, the components that surround the main controller have changed to produce a better product.

Plextor has taken a bit of that Porsche magic and brought it into the new M3 Pro solid state drive. The base for the M3 Pro is the same 9174 controller we've been reporting on for more than two years. Plextor has paired this ageless controller with the newest NAND flash on the market today, Toshiba 24nm Toggle Mode flash.

The 256GB model M3 Pro that we are looking at today is also equipped with a massive 512MB cache buffer which certainly adds to the amazing performance we're seeing from this new series of products from Plextor. We've already seen the performance of the 128GB model; now let's take a close look at the 256GB model.

Let's go dive into the technical details.
... Read the rest in your browser!

NZXT Announces the Phantom 410 Special Edition PC Case
NZXT, a company built on realizing the dreams of gamers worldwide, is proud to introduce new, special edition color options of the widely-acclaimed Phantom 410. Early this year, NZXT polled the facebook community to see what color combinations were most demanded by gamers and enthusiasts, selected the top choices and made them a reality. Phantom 410 is now available in Black with Orange Trim, Black with White Trim, White with Blue Trim, and a surprise Gunmetal black edition with a gunmetal interior and exterior matte finish.

Phantom 410 builds off of the legendary qualities of the award-winning case with even more value for every dollar spent. Effective airflow is paramount with a cooling capability of up to seven fans (2x 120 mm and 1x 140 mm LED fan included), support for 240 mm dual radiator water cooling solution, and an integrated 30W fan controller for customizing your system for silence or performance.

Installation and upgrades are simplified with innovative right mounted HDD rails, a solution for easy hard drive replacement, a removable HDD cage to allow more room for extended video cards, and screwless 5.25" and HDD trays that secures 2.5" SSD. Additional innovative features include USB 3.0 support and an acrylic window that allows gamers to admire the power of their rig.

"We're proud to reward the enthusiast community the specific color combinations that they voted for earlier this year" said Johnny Hou, Founder and Chief Designer at NZXT. "Now you can have the same legendary quality of the highly regarded Phantom 410 in an array of designs that suit your personal preference. We always pride ourselves on bringing gamers dreams to reality, and this is a great example of how NZXT makes that happen."

The Phantom 410 will be available in Gunmetal, Black with orange trim, black with white trim, and white with blue trim for $99.99 in late March. For more information visit http://www.nzxt.com/new/products/crafted_series/phantom_410.

Logitech Introduces the UE Air Speaker
Today Logitech introduced the Logitech UE Air Speaker with Apple's AirPlay. Now you can stream uncompressed music from iTunes or an iPhone, iPad or iPod touch connected to your home's Wi-Fi network to a Logitech UE speaker that delivers high-quality audio with a big sound stage boosted by dual tweeters and woofers.

"There's a new breed of music fans whose iPad and iPhone devices are at the center of their listening activities," said Rory Dooley, senior vice president of music at Logitech. "We created the Logitech UE Air Speaker to give those people a great audio experience that combines effortless streaming with fantastic sound. With its stylish, modern design, easy setup and excellent sound, the Logitech UE Air Speaker looks and sounds phenomenal in any room in the house."

With Logitech UE, it's about delivering pure, undiluted music wherever you want to listen. Combining Logitech's experience in home audio with the Ultimate Ears heritage of delivering great quality sound directly into music lovers' ears, the new Logitech UE Air Speaker offers superior functionality in a stylish design. The Logitech UE Air Speaker's subtle curves and handsome piano-black finish look great in any room, while its custom-tuned acoustics deliver a big soundstage with impressively detailed stereo sound.

Setup is easy: just dock your iPad, iPhone, or iPod touch, follow the on-screen instructions to download the Logitech UE Air app, enter your Wi-Fi network password and you're ready to go. After that one time setup process, any iPhone 4s, iPhone4, iPhone 3GS, iPod touch (2nd, 3rd or 4th generation), iPad, iPad 2, or iPad (3rd generation) with iOS 4.2 or later, or any Mac or PC on your network with iTunes 10.1 or later is instantly connected. Plus with the Apple Dock Connector, you can charge your iPad, iPhone or iPod touch while you play music.

The Logitech UE Air Speaker has been named an International CES Innovations 2012 Design and Engineering Awards Honoree in the Wireless Handset Accessories product category.

Pricing and Availability:

The Logitech UE Air Speaker is expected to be available in the U.S. and Europe beginning in April 2012, for a suggested retail price of $399.99.

Lian Li Announces the PC-Q15 Mini-ITX Chassis
Lian-Li Industrial Co. Ltd, the award-winning aluminum computer chassis manufacturer, today announces the automobile-esque PC-Q15. With its space-saving design, the PC-Q15 is an ideal data storage center for the numerous hi-tech mobile devices of the modern mobile consumer.

Supporting mini-ITX motherboards, the PC-Q15 with its the rectangular shape and wheel-like stubs resembles a miniature SUV. Not only does this chassis stand out in any environment, but the compact dimensions of (W x H x D) 210 mm x 216 mm x 330 mm (8.27" x 8.50" x 12.99") allows the PC-Q15 to serve as the home central hub for the modern mobile user in any nook or cranny.

With optical drive support and multiple HDD/SSD drive bays, the PC-Q15 gives users numerous options for data storage. The forward facing 5.25" drive bay is at the top on the chassis with the 3.5" and 2.5" drive bays hanging below it. The hot-swappable 3.5" HDD is aided by perfectly sized rubber strips that are effortlessly attach to the side of your 3.5" drive, allowing you to easily take your HDD in and out. Hanging below the 3.5" drive, the 2.5" drive bay holds three 2.5" HDDs/SSDs and can be adjusted to face the front or side.

Adding to the PC-Q15's unique design, the motherboard plate lays flat against the bottom of the chassis. A prerouted cable simplifies connections between the motherboard and the the two USB 3.0 ports on the front panel. Keeping your system at optimum running temperatures, the included 120 mm fan with Lian Li's signature removable washable filter blows cool air directly across the motherboard and 2.5" SSDs.

Making the most out of every available space, the compact PC-Q15 supports VGA cards up to 250 mm (9.84") in length and CPU coolers with a height of up to 90 mm (3.54"). The included 300 W power supply with 80-Plus efficiency sits at the top rear of the chassis providing power to your components.

Wheel-like stubs with rubber strips not only keep the this chassis elevated, but also reduces vibrations to a minimum. As to be expected from Lian Li, the PC-Q15 is completely constructed from aluminum, and features pop-off panels for easy access to your system.

The Lian Li PC-Q15 is available in silver and back for the suggested retail price of US$179 / €179.

Product Highlights of PC-Q15:

- Compact, automobile-esque design with pop-off panels

- Supports mini-ITX motherboards

- Included 300 W 80 Plus power supply

- Front fan with removable filter blows directly on 2.5" hard drives and motherboard

- Rubber strips on the bottom wheel-like stubs to prevent vibration

- Hot-swappable 3.5" HDD

- Two colors: Silver & Black

- MSRP: US$179 / €179 (VAT not included)

- Available in the US & Canada by the end of May

Specifications:

ROVIO ENTERTAINMENT ACQUIRES FUTUREMARK GAMES STUDIO
March 27, 2012 -- Espoo, Finland -- Rovio Entertainment, creator of the global phenomenon Angry Birds, announced today the acquisition of Futuremark Games Studio, the gaming arm of benchmarking software developer Futuremark.

"They are an incredibly talented and experienced team, and we are thrilled to have them on board," said Mikael Hed, Rovio Entertainment's CEO. "Rovio's success is founded on the excellence of our team, and Futuremark Games Studio is going to be a superb addition."

"I am proud to see the potential of our talented games team recognized by Rovio," said Jukka Mäkinen, Futuremark CEO. "Futuremark will now focus on supporting gamers and industry with 3DMark, our professional grade benchmark which, in a new version to be released later this year, will allow unified gaming performance comparison across operating systems and form factors for the first time."

This announcement comes on the heels of the Angry Birds Space launch, a multiplatform release that debuted on iOS, Android, Mac and PC, as well as in books, merchandising, and animation. On the first day of release, Angry Birds Space shot to the #1 slot for iOS in 104 countries.

Futuremark Games Studio is the second acquisition for Rovio in the past year, after the acquisition of Kombo Animation Studio last summer. As Rovio continues its rapid expansion in entertainment, publishing, animation, and retail, the company will continue to focus on seeking out the world's best talent to join its team.

Available Tags:Samsung , GALAXY , Android , GEFORCE , GTX , Logitech ,

Thursday, March 29, 2012

IT News Head Lines (TweakTown) 3/29/2012

Introduction

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