IT-Code-News: IT News Head Lines (TweakTown) 13/06/2012

Intel changes its mind: Intel 520 Series SSD does not have AES 256-bit Encryption
Intel has decided that AES encryption feature of the 520 Series SSD (Cherryville) does not actually feature 256-bit encryption. It turns out that the SSD actually only supports 128-bit encryption, which should be plenty for most users. These details have come to light after Intel published an updated specification document for the series.

Intel is doing the right thing and offering a refund for users who feel 128-bit isn't enough:

Intel stands behind its products and is committed to product quality, and is working to bring AES 256-bit encryption to future products. If, however, our customers are not satisfied with the 128-bit encryption in an Intel 520 Series SSD purchased before July 1, 2012, they can contact Intel customer support prior to October 1, 2012 to return their product and Intel is offering to provide a full refund of the purchase price. For further information or questions about this specification change, consumers should contact Intel Customer Support.

Intel asserts that 128-bit is enough for most consumers, and I have to agree. The bit number refers to the length of the key and 128-bit keys are pretty hard to crack. The longer the key, the longer it takes to crack due to a larger keyspace. 256-bit is only really needed for military and super secret applications. But then again, if you aren't careful with the password, a huge key doesn't matter.

AMD beta drivers show 16 new device IDs, 3 new codenames, could it be the 8000 series?
A surprise from AMDs beta drivers has arrived today. No, not some incredible performance jump that causes it to smash the 680...or is it? The new beta drivers make reference to 16 previously unseen device IDs and their codenames. These new device IDs could (read: likely) belong to the upcoming HD 8000 series GPUs.

amd_beta_drivers_show_16_new_device_ids_codenames_could_it_be_the_8000_series

The codenames, 4x "Venus", 3x "Oland" and finally 9x "Mars", should flesh out the HD 8000 series nicely. The Venus will most likely be the top end card due to the LE, Pro, XT and XTX suffixes. Oland will probably end up being the 8800 series and Mars will most likely flesh out the lower end and mainstream market.

The cards will likely launch near the end of 2012 or very early 2013, if previous AMD launches are anything to go by. There have been zero rumors about performance, although with this new finding, I'm sure they will start flowing. In case you're curious, the device IDs are listed below:

AMD1305.1 = "KAVERI1 DESKTOP (1305)"

AMD1304.1 = "KAVERI1 MOBILE (1304)"

AMD1307.1 = "KAVERI2 DESKTOP (1307)"

AMD1306.1 = "KAVERI2 MOBILE (1306)"

AMD9833.1 = "KB 12W 2C (9833)"

AMD9834.1 = "2C 5W KB (9834)"

AMD9831.1 = "KB 4C 17W (9831)"

AMD9832.1 = "KB 17W 4C (N-1) (9832)"

AMD9830.1 = "KB 4C 25W (9830)"

AMD6600.1 = "MARS (6600)"

AMD6601.1 = "MARS (6601)"

AMD6602.1 = "MARS (6602)"

AMD6602.1 = "MARS (6603)"

AMD6602.1 = "MARS (6606)"

AMD6602.1 = "MARS (6607)"

AMD6600.1 = "MARS (6620)"

AMD6601.1 = "MARS (6621)"

AMD6602.1 = "MARS (6623)"

AMD6610.1 = "OLAND (6610)"

AMD6611.1 = "OLAND (6611)"

AMD6631.1 = "OLAND (6631)"

AMD682B.1 = "VENUS LE"

AMD6823.4 = "VENUS PRO"

AMD6821.1 = "VENUS XT"

AMD6820.2 = "VENUS XTX"

iOS 6 officially announced
iOS brings with it a new version of Siri. She has been studying for the past 8 months and can now do so much more like understand sports. There are also new features for finding restaurants and making reservations.

Siri also understands movies better as she has integrated with Rotten Tomatoes. Siri can search for movies featuring specific actors or directors.

Siri can also launch apps:

She has reportedly learned much, much more as well:

"You can now Tweet just by talking to your phone." A buttons should start to be available on new cars in the next 12 months to bring up Siri. "And we've added something called Eyes Free. We're working with car manufacturers to include a button that will bring up Siri - so you can keep your hands on the wheel and your eyes on the road. A number of manufacturers have committed to delivering this in the next 12 months."

Siri is learning new languages as well, along with local search becoming available around the world.

Facebook and Twitter become more integrated within the OS itself. You can now see what your friends like in the App store.

Call rejections get the option to send a text or, my favorite, remind me to call them back later.

Do Not Disturb function...why, I do believe this is called silent?

It does allow slightly finer control and will sound for repeated calls.

Mobile Safari gets iCloud Tabs and Offline Reading List.

iOS 6 gets new Maps, gives Google directions on where they can take their Maps service.

New Maps features Siri integration and crowd-sourced traffic service.

Apple has been building 3D models of cities around the world and will allow users to "Flyover" them with a new feature.

Mountain Lion ships in July, features new APIs
Mountain Lion is nearing completion and will start shipping in July. With it comes a host of new APIs for App developers. Users will be happy to hear that updates from as far back as Snow Lion will only cost $19.99. Users who buy a new Mac will get a free upgrade when it ships in July.

mountain_lion_ships_in_july_features_new_apis_and

OSX New Feature: Power Nap
A new feature has been introduced into OSX Mountain Lion which will allow the PC to continue updating while sleeping. The feature works with the second-gen MacBook Airs and the new MacBook Pro. It's claimed to be efficient and silent. I just wish it worked on more devices than the second-gen Air and Retina MBP.

Roshan's Win a trip to Computex 2012 Guest Blog Story

This article is written by Roshan Ashraf Shaikh from India. Roshan won our win a trip to Computex contest and here is his story.

This is the first Computex expo that I am attending and I am very happy that I am doing this with the TweakTown team as a TweakTown guest blogger. I also would like to thank Corsair, LSI and Sapphire for making it happen.

A lot of tech enthusiasts and fans irrespective of where we come from we always wanted to check out Computex. I am no different from those guys who started by contributing reviews for couple of Indian forums, meeting different people in the PC tech business and doing what you can for the community. People always ask the question, "When are you coming to Taiwan?" - a question that I wasn't really good at answering back because a lot of my time was consumed in putting up reviews for forums and to be honest since I was not getting anything out of it, it was not very feasible for me to travel and check out Computex. I do run a very small blog to put up my reviews, but it has a very long way to go. I really wanted to check out Computex 2012, but I didn't remotely imagine I was going to end up with TweakTown - all expense paid - how badass is that, eh?

After I arrived, Cameron and the rest of the guys went to a shrimp fishing place where the place was filled with media such as folks from Netbook News, The Verge and Engadget. There they were, with the TweakTown guys, fishing for shrimps! I was very surprised after seeing the level of interaction everyone has with each other. Here I was, a guy a like me standing with these guys, with guys who are in a different league. This is something I don't think I would get to see where I come from for the time being. A very good start!

Since day 2, I was with Anthony Garreffa and for him it's the first Computex that he's attending too. On day 2, our minds were blown away when we attended Acer's press conference, especially after seeing Aspire 7600U in action. With Windows 8 and swivel-action system Acer has, it changed my opinion about pre-built desktop systems, at least towards addressing certain types of end-users. After wrapping up ARM's and Ford's concept car press conferences on the same day, we took some time off to put up the articles. Despite seeing Anthony's MacBook giving serious connectivity issues with Wi-Fi, he still didn't give up.

Till this point, some of my photographs I've taken and couple of paragraphs that I wrote were posted on TweakTown - whoa!! My post was on TweakTown, and not the forums, but the actual website!! Anthony was covering up news as soon as the press meet was over. That's the level of dedication I got to see.

In the evening GIGABYTE hosted an "unofficial" Computex party and I got to meet the usual faces I get to see when they are in India. Just across the table Hi Cookie was there! This was when TweakTown's reviewer Chris Ramseyer arrived to Taipei and came straight to the party. I met few guys from ETeknix and Techware Labs. First media party - kickass!

Day 3! Computex started! Anthony and I were very excited to see what was in store for us!

"Republic of Gamers" press meeting is something that makes people remember about their presentation and their hardware. After seeing Shamino in action, ASUS went ahead and showed off their new stuff to the media. A new line-up of hardware, a new gaming desktop, a couple of new gaming notebooks, a new soundcard and their gaming headsets.

I know a lot of people will still prefer assembling their own rig with their preferred hardware. ROG Tytan CG8480 has a dedicated button to bump up the processor clock speed via their pre-sets without exiting the game or the system. At least for those who are skeptical in overclocking their own, this is a good step. However, I would like see ROG cases. Personally, I wouldn't be surprised if ASUS decide to make ROG cases sometime in the future and have some exclusive implementation with ROG series motherboard and video card. Let's not forget, ASUS did have "Vento" Series cases some years ago.

In Intel's press conference, they emphasized on ultrabooks! I wasn't really too keen on checking out ultrabooks from the start. But after seeing line-ups from ASUS and Acer's booth who displayed arrays of ultrabooks, I believe that ultrabooks can do well. I know Anthony is looking forward to dump his MacBook Pro and grab an ultrabook - he is eyeing a Zenbook!

Moving towards Xigmatek, Dark Knight "SD1283" Night Hawk Edition impressed me because they implemented a "ceramic surface coating" (similar to ASUS Sabertooth's Ceramix?) that according to Xigmatek's research, promises to help to cool the processors, especially during overclocking.

[img]24[/img]

A lot of PC chassis manufacturers were emphasizing on Mini-ITX cases, but what caught my eye was the BitFenix Prodigy and the Lian Li PC-TU200. I believe that Prodigy' design is better with mATX form factor motherboards.

But I was disappointed to see that none of the Lian Li cases were made of steel, even the Lancool series. I prefer steel cases because they are strong and cost effective. I know aluminium and steel PC chassis has its pros and cons, but the older Lancool K60/K62 is preferred because of the built quality. To be honest, I prefer K60/K62's built quality over most cases in this price point made by many Tier 1 manufacturers, so I hope Lian Li will reconsider. I didn't know what Lian Li was thinking with their locomotive themed Mini-ITX case, maybe as a "special edition", but I guess few people would like it.

Full tower cases? Oh yeah! 4-way SLI with GTX 680 all the way! Antec's concept case is pretty interesting with an option to turn the case upside down and you are able to mount two power supplies. But full tower cases can really use either with handles or with wheels.
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Max Payne 3 PlayStation 3 Review

As video game characters go, Max Payne has had a tough life. Starting as a New York detective on the beat, he arrived home to find his wife and daughter murdered by the very criminals he is trying to put away. Max fell into a spiral of depression and vowed revenge.

Over the first two games we encountered Max trying to move on and learn to love again, whilst taking down the criminal syndicates that took everything dear away from him. Max Payne was one of the most awarded and anticipated games early this century and so it goes without saying that this game has been one of the most anticipated games of 2012. Could Rockstar really take the third person shooter and update it for what gamers expect in 2012? The results are mixed, but in general yes. Max Payne 3 proves that despite the numerous third person cover shooters released in the last five or so years, he still has a place in gaming and Rockstar has done enough to keep this game relevant.

Max Payne 3 picks up with Max doing what Max does best. Chugging down alcohol and taking pain killers, slowly killing himself on this cocktail of drugs. Max remains a bitter and broken man. He is out of the police force and instead working as a PMC (private military contractor) for those who have too much money to know what to do with. One even changes Max's life and realising he can no longer live in New York. He takes a job in Brazil to protect the family of a wealthy banker. The storyline is one of the strongest sides of Max Payne 3.

The reason is the presentation. Max Payne has always had a very powerful storyline and strong performances from the voice actors, but MP3 takes this to a new level. Instead of playing out in a comic book style ala the first two games, in-engine cut scenes are the order of the day and there is an aspect to this that some gamers won't like. In certain areas of the game it seems like you are losing control every five seconds. There are a lot of cinematic sequences in the game, but rather than harm the game, they add to it and add more tension to the situations Max finds himself in. To convey that you are going the right way, Rockstar slow Max to a pace making the transition between gameplay and cut scene (and vice versa) seamless. Max Payne 3 really is one of the most well-presented games in terms of story for quite sometimes, but given the pedigree of the series, this should surprise no one.

Where it matters, the game also excels. Initially when we started to play through Max Payne 3 we thought that Rockstar had potentially screwed up in a major way. How could they take the gameplay from 2003, ship it in 2012 and expect it to still be seen as a game pushing a genre forward, or at least matching it with the best. However, as time went, on this feeling eroded and we started to again experience why Max Payne is such a good series. The addition of cover to the series is an interesting one.

Whereas in the previous games you relied on bullet time and shoot dodge to take down enemies, this time around you have access to cover. However, this comes with a catch. Max Payne 3 is one of the most difficult games you are likely to play in 2012. This is not a game where you can be flanked and survive by quickly taking down the enemy. If an enemy manages to get to the side of you without you noticing, Max is already dead.

There are times in the game where you will quite literally want to smash your controller. Some design decisions contribute to this. One such item is the checkpoint system; often they are too far apart, which leads you having to play through the same lengthy section of gun fights over and over again. This is wildly inconsistent. It seems on some missions the game will save more often than others.

The positive on this aspect is that once you do finally get past a tough section, you feel a sense of accomplishment and relief. Even on the easiest difficulty, this game offers a challenge. Again this shouldn't be a surprise because this was a hallmark of the first two games with many gamers still not finishing Max Payne 2 to this day.

The gameplay itself is incredibly good. Although at first the AI can seem dumb, they do become smarter as the game progresses. Stuck in cover? The AI will rush at you rather than wait for you to build up enough bullet time. This can lead to some instant deaths and means you must always be aware of your surroundings. Max can also disarm enemies and perform a number of brutal executions.

Given that you can often run out of ammunition if you don't play well, this is a good thing. Even though the mechanic was designed a long time ago, shootdodge and bullet time remain as effective as ever. There really is nothing like diving towards an enemy down stairs shooting in super slow motion. We've seen a number of games try and take the bullet time mechanic and fail. The true owner of the feature is back and it's even in multiplayer.

One of the criticisms of the older games was the replay value was not as good as it could have been due a lack of multiplayer. Not only has Rockstar added multiplayer, they have added a new feature into single player to give some back story. As you progress through if you go off the linear track so to speak, you will find clues such as a blood stain to gain back story - a nice touch for those who want to go discovering. Some of the modes from the previous games make a return with arcade and New York minute making a comeback. Arcade puts more focus on gaining points and trying to beat scoreboards, whilst New York minute remains the ultimate challenge.

As Max shoots enemies he gains time with the goal being to finish each mission in the shortest time possible. And aside from this there is also a very strong multiplayer component which plays a lot better than we expected. The animations are fluid, the gameplay is strong and there are enough game modes to keep you happy. One disappointment with multiplayer is that some of the game modes are initially locked. The worry we have with this is if that gamers pick this up a few months down the track, no one will be playing the old game modes and so they won't be able to unlock the new modes.

Max Payne 3 uses the RAGE engine and it shows. The environments are stunning, as are the character models and the animations are some of the best in the business. Rather than magically put a gun away when you stash it, Max will either carry it or holster it. So for example if you have a machine gun and switch to a pistol, Max runs with the machine gun in his off hand. It's a small thing, but it adds a lot to the game. Rockstar is a company that revels in putting in that attention to detail and it is one reason why their games are always such a visual master piece.

The frame rate remained rock solid throughout which given some of the huge gun fights that take place is rather impressive. Although the missions are very linear as you would expect, they are lengthy and large. And as mentioned before there is a little scope to go exploring for new clues. The cinematic soundtrack suits the game perfectly (with the music dying down when Max has taken out the last enemy in the area) and the voice acting is nothing short of stunning. You can tell the voice actors really cared about their characters in this game and Max really does come across as an emotional wreck at the end of his tether.

Max Payne 3 was no doubt a risk for Rockstar. The series was looked upon fondly by many gamers and some had feelings that it should have been left back early this century, thinking that this game wouldn't translate to the next generation. Well Rockstar has proved the doubters wrong and Max Payne 3 is a cinematic triumph. Whilst the gameplay can at times be very difficult, and in some ways they haven't changed that much since the original two games, the presentation of the game is almost second to none in the genre and the animations and voice acting brings home this gritty story. You should definitely play this game.

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Sniper Elite V2 PC Review

Remember the days where World War 2 games were met with a certain disdain? The days where we felt there was just way too many of them. Whilst war games continue to be a very popular genre, we haven't seen a serious tilt with World War 2 for at least a few years. So in a way it's refreshing to be heading back to one of the world's biggest conflicts. However it's not just the setting that is somewhat refreshing, but the gameplay style. Sniper Elite V2 is best described as a World War 2 Splinter Cell game with snipers and if you expect this game to play like Gears of War, then you will be very surprised indeed.

Sniper Elite V2 is set towards the end of World War 2. The Germans are on the brink of collapse and are throwing out their last ditch efforts to continue the war against the Allied forces. You play as a crack allied sniper behind enemy lines. Sneaking in to take out key targets of the enemy whilst also discovering the German plans and ultimately stopping one of the largest tragedies of the war occurring. That all sounds cliche, but it is the gameplay and its different take on the usual World War 2 style of play that differentiates this game from the rest.

The word sniper isn't in the games title for no reason. Primarily your goal is get to an elevated spot, don't be detected and take out a high level German from distance. How you reach that goal is purely up to you. The game gives you many tools to play around with and on the higher difficulty levels you really do need to plan your attacks. One false move and the enemy is alerted and once that happens, you may as well restart, at least on the higher difficulties. On the lower end the developers have taken some liberties and included a machine gun for you to get out of tough spots with, but in general, stealth is the way to go.

And not just because it's the best way to survive, but because it shows the areas where this game shines. Slowly building up to a point, laying traps for chasing enemies and finally getting that one single shot off is immensely satisfying. Moving through levels without being detected offers more freedom although as the missions continue, this does become harder and harder to achieve.

Also, it's not just the German's who remain your enemy with environmental factors also becoming both your friend and foe. For example, when aiming with the sniper rifles you need to take into account distance and wind to ensure a hit. On the Sniper Elite difficulty level this is incredibly tough to get right, but ultimately incredibly satisfying. But also it can offer opportunities. Sniper rifles are incredibly loud, but you can use environmental sounds to hide your shots such as bombs landing. The depth of the sniping in this game really is second to none.

However the lack of variety in the game is probably its biggest problem. Ultimately each mission leads to same tasks over and over (reach x, shoot y, disable z) and considering the vast levels the developers have built, it could have been utilized a lot more. Also the AI can often leave a lot to be desired. During one mission we were right next to an enemy, and they couldn't see us. Clearly an AI bug.

The game also features a strong multiplayer component and even an exclusive mode for the PC. Competitive multiplayer is only available on the PC and entails team deathmatch. However where the real multiplayer gems are is in the Overwatch and Bombing Run mode. In these two modes you work together (one as a sniper, one as a spotter), to take on the enemy. It is up to the sniper to protect the spotter as he only has a pistol and machine gun to defend himself against enemy weaponry. Bombing run tasks the two players to gather items to put together a vehicle to escape before a bombing run occurs. The co-op was always going to be interesting given the premise of the game.

As mentioned before, the missions are set in rather large areas however the game generally has a very linear feel. It doesn't take too long to figure out where to go next, and whilst you can approach sections in different ways, it's not at a level where you can go anywhere in the environment, prepare your attack and then do so. That would have been truly something special.

The environments are detailed and the graphics do the job well. One interesting feature with the graphics is the kill cam style x-ray vision. As you hit targets an x-ray vision pops up to show exactly the damage you have done to the enemy such as smashed skulls, broken spines or yes, popped testicles. You know you have had a good shot when the x-ray mode pops up. The sound side of things is also quite good with the soundtrack ramping up once you are spotted. It's an easy way to tell if you are currently being hunted or not.

Sniper Elite V2 does a lot right, but there is just a few things missing that keep this from a must buy AAA experience. With just a little more polish, Rebellion could have been on to a mega winner with this game, but instead it falls just short. The gameplay is there, but the missions can seem repetitive and without that much variety.

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Corsair Releases Flash Voyager Slider USB 3.0 Drives
Corsair®, a worldwide designer and supplier of high-performance components to the PC gaming hardware market, today announced the availability of the Flash Voyager® Slider USB 3.0 drives in capacities of 8GB, 16GB, 32GB, and 64GB.

Flash Voyager Slider USB drives feature a sleek new, capless housing with a sliding retractable USB plug for convenience and protection. Like Corsair's other USB drives, the new Flash Voyager Slider delivers high-performance USB 3.0 speedsi, backwards USB 2.0 compatibility, and plug-and-play support for major operating systems including Microsoft® Windows®, Mac OS® X, and Linux®.

"Our Flash Voyager USB 3.0 drives are known for their blazing transfer speeds and rugged reliability," said Thi La, Vice President of Memory Products at Corsair. "Our new Flash Voyager Slider continues this tradition while adding cap-free convenience and providing outstanding value."

Pricing and Availability

Flash Voyager Slider USB 3.0 USB drives include a five year warranty backed by Corsair's passion for quality and customer service. They are available immediately worldwide from Corsair's network of authorized retailers.

Corsair Announces World's Most Advanced PC Power Supply
Corsair®, a worldwide designer and supplier of high-performance components to the PC gaming hardware market, today announced the Corsair AX1200i Digital ATX Power Supply, the world's most advanced modular power supply for PC gamers and enthusiasts.

The AX1200i's digitally-controlled power circuitry provides incredibly stable voltages, and exceptionally low ripple and noise. These features are aided by the reduced component count and elegant circuit-board layout made possible by the DSP-based design. These design elements also contribute to the AX1200i's 80 PLUS® Platinum certification and incredibly high energy-efficiency of up to 92%. The high efficiency also results in reduced heat, allowing the AX1200i to operate in a silent fanless mode until the PSU load reaches 40% of the maximum power rating.

"Corsair has earned a reputation as one of world's best providers of enthusiast PSUs, and with the AX1200i, we have raised the technology and performance bar far above anything the market has seen," said Ruben Mookerjee, VP and General Manager of the Components Business Unit at Corsair. "By designing the first DSP-based enthusiast PSU and integrating our unique Corsair Link technology, we can offer enthusiasts a PSU with a matchless combination of performance and customizable features."

AX1200i's DSP-based design, combined with Corsair Link technology, provides enthusiasts with unprecedented control over the features and performance characteristics of their PSU. This includes real-time monitoring of temperature, current draw, and power efficiency, as well as the ability to adjust the speed of the internal 140mm fan. These features also allow for a unique level of customization, such as the ability to switch from the default single +12V rail configuration to a tailored "multi-rail" mode, with the ability to set over current protection set-points on a per-rail basis.

Corsair Professional Series HX Power Supplies upgraded with 80 PLUS Gold certification

In addition to launching the flagship AX1200i Digital ATX Power Supply, Corsair is also updating its highly respected Professional Series HX range. The upgrades include 80 PLUS Gold certification, providing up to 90% energy-efficiency, and significantly lower noise levels. The new HX PSUs now feature a silent fanless operation mode at low loads. Incredibly, the new HX PSUs are available at the same price points as the outgoing models. The new Professional Series HX range is available in 650W, 750W, 850W and 1050W wattage ratings.

Pricing and Availability

Both the AX1200i Digital ATX Power Supply and the upgraded Professional Series HX will be available beginning in August from Corsair's worldwide network of authorized distributors and resellers. Pricing will be announced upon product release. They are supplied with a Limited 7-year warranty and are backed up by Corsair's highly regarded customer service and technical support.

Corsair Unveils 4th Generation SSDs with Exclusive New Link_A_Media Devices Controller
Corsair®, a worldwide designer and supplier of high-performance components to the PC hardware market, today announced the Neutron Series solid-state drives (SSDs), the industry's first consumer SSDs to feature the LM87800 6Gb/s SSD controller from Link_A_Media Devices (LAMD), a leader in the development of semiconductor SoC (system on chip) solutions for the enterprise and mobile storage market. Also available in an extreme performance Neutron GTX model, the new SSDs bring professional-grade performance and reliability to PC enthusiasts, content creators, and IT professionals.

Available in capacities of 120GB, 240GB and 480GB, Neutron Series GTX SSDs are designed with toggle NAND flash memory to deliver up to a super-high 90,000 random read and write IOPs (input/output operations per second), which speeds up data-intensive tasks like video and image editing. These drives also provide superior sequential speeds of up to 555 MB/s read and 500 MB/s write, for lightning fast file access. The standard Neutron Series models, available in 120GB and 240GB capacities, provide up to 90,000 random read IOPs and 85,000 random write IOPs with sequential speeds of up to 555 MB/s read and 370 MB/s write. i

All Neutron Series models incorporate LAMD's powerful on-the-fly error correction and advanced NAND management technologies which improve the endurance of onboard flash memory, giving the SSD's enhanced reliability and durability. The Neutron Series GTX drives also include adaptive DSP technology which maintains superior performance throughout the lifetime of the SSD. Neutron Series and Neutron Series GTX models are backed with a 5 year warranty.

Neutron Series SSDs provide impressive read and write speeds with both compressed and non-compressible data regardless of file type. This is a significant advantage compared to other SSDs on the market which offer quick load times with compressible files, but get bogged down significantly when reading compressed data such as video files.

"The Neutron Series SSDs, a strategic collaboration between Corsair and LAMD, reflects the shared commitment to performance, quality, and reliability ingrained in our companies," said Thi La, Vice President of Memory Products at Corsair. "Together we've raised the standard for SSDs, and we have more exciting products on the way."

"LAMD has built our reputation engineering high-performance, high-reliability SSD controllers for mission-critical enterprise storage solutions," said Dr. Hemant Thapar, CEO of LAMD. "Now, with Corsair's commitment to delivering innovative, high-performance SSD solutions, we are pleased to bring our advancements in SSD technology to all PC users."

The new SSDs bring broad compatibility for desktop and notebook PCs thanks to their standard 2.5" form factor and slender 7mm height. The thin design fits most standard notebooks as well as the latest generation of slim notebook designs. The drives also come with a 3.5" adapter to allow easy mounting in desktop PC drive bays. Neutron Series also support the latest high-speed SATA 6Gb/s and SATA 3Gb/s standards as well as the TRIM command to provide the fastest possible speeds.

Pricing and Availability

Neutron Series SSDs are expected to be available in July. Pricing will be announced upon product release.

Corsair Launches Dominator Platinum DDR3 Memory
Corsair®, a worldwide designer and supplier of high-performance components to the PC gaming hardware market, today announced the Dominator Platinum range of DDR3 memory kits, the world's most technologically-advanced performance memory. The new design adds a customizable light bar to the list of exclusive features, which includes patented DHX cooling, Corsair Link support, and hand-screened, super-overclockable DRAM ICs.

The new Dominator Platinum will be available in dual and quad-channel kits with 8GB, 16GB, 32GB, and 64GB capacities, and frequencies up to 2800MHz. Dominator Platinum DDR3 memory is designed to fully exploit the performance potential of the latest Intel and AMD platforms, including the "Ivy Bridge" 3rd generation Intel® Core processor family. All Dominator Platinum kits support Intel's latest XMP 1.3 profiles for easy performance tuning.

The new light bar contains a user-swappable light pipe which lets enthusiasts tailor the downwash lighting color to match their PC lighting and components. Dominator Platinum kits are supplied with a white light pipe, and additional light pipes will be available to purchase in the future.

Dominator Platinum memory also supports full Corsair Link connectivity, allowing customers with Corsair Link to monitor DRAM temperature and other parametric data. This feature, unique to Dominator memory, provides end users with the data they need to tune system cooling and monitoring. Dominator Platinum memory kits also support Corsair AirFlow fans and AirFlow Pro dynamic temperature and activity displays to provide the low temperatures required for stable and reliable overclocks.

"Dominator has been the choice of performance enthusiasts and overclockers since its release six years ago, and Dominator Platinum will continue to dominate the memory market for many more years to come," said Thi La, VP of the Memory Business Unit at Corsair. "The stunning new industrial design and customizable light bar makes Dominator Platinum even more special and distinctive, while the patented DHX cooling technology and hand-sorted DRAM ICs deliver the performance and overclockability that enthusiasts demand."

Pricing and Availability

Corsair Dominator Platinum DDR3 memory is available now from Corsair's worldwide network of authorized distributors and resellers. They are supplied with a limited lifetime warranty and are backed up by Corsair's highly regarded customer service and technical support.

QNAP Expands its Turbo NAS Peripherals Compatibility List, Adding Two New Printers, One 2.5-inch Internal SATA Hard Drive, Thirteen 2.5-inch Internal Solid State Drives, Four 3rd Party Backup Applications and One Multimedia Player
QNAP® Systems, Inc. is extending the number of compatible peripherals for its Turbo NAS products. The additions, including two printers, one 2.5-inch 128GB internal SATA hard drive, thirteen 2.5-inch 60GB to 480GB internal Solid State Drives, four 3rd party backup applications, and one multimedia player are now fully compatible. The expanded peripherals are expected to give users greater convenience and deployment flexibility.

The compatible printers are listed below:

Brother® - DCP-7065DN

EPSON® - AcuLaser M1400

The compatible 2.5" internal SATA Hard Drive is listed below:

Crucial® - CT128M4SSD2 (128GB)

The compatible 2.5" internal Solid State Drives (SSD) are listed below:

Kingston® - SVP200S3/60G (60GB), SVP200S3/90G (90GB), SVP200S3/120G (120GB), SVP200S3/240G (240GB), SVP200S3/480G (480GB)

Corsair® - CSSD-F120GB3-BK (120GB), CSSD-F180GB3-BK (180GB), CSSD-F240GB3-BK (240GB), CSSD-F480GB3-BK (480GB), CSSD-F120GBGT-BK (120GB), CSSD-F180GBGT-BK (180GB), CSSD-F240GBGT-BK (240GB), CSSD-F480GBGT-BK (480GB)

The compatible 3rd party backup applications are listed below:

Veeam® - Veeam Backup & Replication 5, Backup & Replication 6

Altaro - Altaro Hyper-V Backup

DataCore - SANsymphony-V

The compatible multimedia player is listed below:

Mede8er - MED450X2

Available Tags:Intel , Intel , SSD , AMD , iOS , USB 3.0 , USB , DDR3 , SATA ,

Wednesday, June 13, 2012

IT News Head Lines (TweakTown) 13/06/2012

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