Samsung didn't launch Galaxy S3, launched a retail location instead
Remember the speculation that we posted saying that the Samsung Galaxy SIII would be launching today due to that cryptic message? Turns out, we were wrong. But that's OK because Samsung launched something else that is pretty cool. Samsung has teamed up with the UK's Phone 4U to provide a store-within-a-store dedicated retail location for all things Samsung Mobile.
I would have rather seen the Galaxy SIII launch today...I'm in need of a new phone!
Read More ...
WARNING: A factory reset on an Android device could leave behind sensitive or private data
I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but someone has to do it to keep you, our reader, safe. It has come to our attention, thanks to the research of Robert Siciliano, that Android's Factory Reset could leave behind sensitive or personal data such as credit card numbers, Social Security numbers, or other such information.
But not only were people lax about clearing their data, when people actually did it, it could have been futile. His results show that if you are on a Blackberry, iPhone, or Windows 7 PC, then there should be no problem using the manufacturers method to restore it to factory defaults. He was unable to collect any data off of these devices.
However, if you use Android's reset, you may not be so lucky. The same goes for wiping Windows XP, but this is to be expected since it is so old. "Put it in the back of a closet, or put it in a vise and drill holes in the hard drive, or if you live in Texas take it out into a field and shoot it," he said. "You don't want to sell your identity for 50 bucks."
Read More ...
SteelSeries announced new product line based on 8-bit theme
Feeling nostalgic? Missing those terrible graphics of yesteryear? Well, SteelSeries has your back with an all new line of products that are based on an 8-bit theme. The products are boxy just like the graphics were not too long ago. I'm not quite sure of how comfortable they are, but they sure do look cool.
Taking out the relevant functionality to dominate your game, the SteelSeries ErgoRetro® Mouse has been ergonomically re-altered for extreme hand-sized users, increasing hand-cramp reaction times, and added weight technology for a block-like, retro feel. Features also include a new TrackBlock sensor, modeled after the track-ballwith an added 8-Bit flair.
Headsets are simple, make them look cool and the rest will follow. The new SteelSeries ErgoRetro® Headset embodies an oversized, block-like design for sort-of-superior sound and an incredibly limited amount of comfort. Weighing in at 8.6 lbs., users will never forgetwhat they're wearing.
Modeled after the first mechanical gaming keyboard that was introduced in 2007 by SteelSeries, the new SteelSeries ErgoRetro® Keyboard supports the same tank-like, indestructible design, butwith new 8-Bit style improvements. The severe, pixel-block design and oversized keys takeaway the fast response time of its user and focuses the attention more on the way it looks than the way it works.It appears that the press release states that they were more worried about how it looks than how it performs.
Read More ...
Do-it-yourself sentry gun turret--Who doesn't need one?
I think I found a project that's going to consume my spring break. Well, that is if I didn't already have about 50 things to do over it, none of which are particularly fun. But, even though I can't do it, I think I should share it with you guys, just in case you want to make one. And if you do, you better send me a video.
It's going to take up all your free time. This will take a lot of effort, probably a few afternoons to build it, then some more work to get it set up with your computer. And, if you are a truly inspired person, you won't want to stop tweaking and personalizing it after it is finished.
Read More ...
RumorTT: Samsung Galaxy S3 display to rival the iPhone's
Here's another juicy nugget regarding the upcoming Samsung Galaxy S3. Reports are suggesting that the yet unreleased Samsung Galaxy S3 phone will be sporting a Super AMOLED HD plus display when it finally lands in Q2 or Q3 of this year. Digitimes spoke to some of Samsung's supply chain and found that the phone is likely to ship with a 4.6-inch display.
Read More ...
Independence Day ID4 (1996) Blu-ray Movie Review
In their formulative years, some kids like to draw mythical creatures. Or dinosaurs. Or whatever their little minds can conjure up. Me? I drew airplanes exploding. Suffice to say, as a ten year old in mid 1996, there was not a movie I wanted to see anymore than Independence Day. The teaser trailer image of aliens attacking the White House is seared into my memory and became one of the iconic pop culture images of the 1990's. As the film approaches its sweet sixteenth, I decided take a look at how the prime example of sci-fi pulp up in the modern age.
The premise of Independence Day (or ID4 as its promotional abbreviation was known) is simple. An unknown and technically superior alien race enters the earth's atmosphere at strategic locations around the world. Their intentions are soon revealed when attempts to communicate with the alien ships result in a pre-emptive attack which destroys the biggest cities in the world. F-16 Navy Captain Steven Hiller (Will Smith) and scientist David Levinson (Jeff Goldblum) are drafted into the cause to strike back at the invaders before there is nothing left to fight for.
Made for the at the time relatively conservative budget of $75 million (Twister made in the same year was budgeted at $92 million), the film went on to gross over $800 million - which held the record for highest grossing film, before Titanic stole that mantel the following year.
Independence Day was always a prize piece of cinematic ham, a throwback to the cold war channeling B schlocks of the 1950's. The "go get-em America" formula was the most effective advert for the U.S. armed forces since World War II and no doubt enthralled Republicans nationwide. It was also a different, slightly more naive time. The fear of terrorism wasn't forefront in the minds of cinema goers and the image of some of the world's most recognizable structures being felled didn't really make anyone uncomfortable. It wasn't high art, but it promised a roller coaster ride of a cinema trip - and it delivered in spades.
Despite the massive advances in computer graphics technology, there is something still very special and engaging about Independence Day. The plot is still paper thin, with holes big enough to steer an alien spacecraft through, and it's even hammier than a can of spam, but it's still as incredibly entertaining and enthralling as it was in 1996. God bless America.
Independence Day is presented in the film's original aspect ratio of 2.35:1, encoded with the AVC codec.
Fox had clearly struck a new transfer for the film prior to this Blu-ray release, evident by some slightly diverging framing which cropped into the image a little tighter in order to not reveal the edges of the film which were annoyingly visible on the DVD release. Intrusive artifacts and even objects that bore more than a passing resemblance to hair on the film have been wiped clean and the wider colour gamut of the HD format means some of the colors are translated far more accurately and free of smear.
The image is appropriately sharp and detailed, which has the unfortunate side effect of causing the exploding models to look a little more like models.
Despite being a stickler for the directors approved aspect ratio, it is worth mentioning that the pan and scan VHS and Region 1 DVD display a varying degree of additional vertical detail at the expense of the horizontal, due to the film being lensed on the Super35 format. I took some screenshots of the VHS version to compare and was somewhat surprised by the results. It seems that most of the effects shots were filmed hard matted to 2.35:1, but many of the live action shots have a lot of extra vertical information. Take a look at some of the comparison shots below.
Of course, the original aspect ratio is the way that the film was meant to be experienced, and for a film with as much scope as this, widescreen is the only way to go.
This is a very pleasing transfer from Fox and it's great to see they reinvested a little bit of the cash into ensuring sure it can look as good as possible.
Independence Day is presented in DTS HD Master Audio, encoded at 24 bits.
The film has always had a pretty rocking soundtrack on DVD in Dolby Digital 5.1 and then DTS 5.1 in the special edition DVD, but this Blu-ray leaves them both for dead.
Expectation is a funny thing and something which does cause surprise. Generally when I'm tasked with reviewing a comedy or a drama, I generally don't expect to be blown out of my chair. But when a title such as Jurassic Park or Tron: Legacy comes my way, my expectations are somewhat inflated. Sometimes I'm disappointed. I'm glad to say that Independence Day belongs to the latter category and 16 years have done nothing to dull the sonic power of the film.
The audio track presented here is completely over the top and bombastic in every way. There is nothing subtle here. And that's even before we get to the centerpiece sequences of destruction, which will test even the most active subwoofers on the market. Some of the sequences ease off the low frequency just a tad in order to not completely overwhelm the mix, but this is more of an observation than a criticism.
The score by David Arnold is not one of his best works, but it is quite effective for the films intent. It's funny that it took a Brit to create one of the most jingoistic scores ever produced, under the supervision of a German director, but there you go.
Extras
Unfortunately, Twentieth Century Fox has failed to port over all of the extra that were to be found on the impressive special edition DVD release from 2000, so fans will want to hang on to the second disc from the set to retain everything. Let's take a look at what they did include.
First up are two Audio Commentaries, the first provided by Director Roland Emmerich and Producer Dean Devlin. Despite the hatred of film critics worldwide, the duo clearly love movies, and it's interesting to hear them describe the film as a love letter to the films they grew up with, such as Star Wars. The second commentary is a bit more technical in nature, provided by visual effects artists Volker Engel and Doug Smith. It's even more interesting to hear their comments with more intervening time - it's clear that many of the technical solutions provided would not be done in the fashion described in this day and age.
Next up is the BD-Java Alien Scavenger Hunt Game, which requires players to locate twelve objects throughout the duration of the film, with on screen hints. The pay off for finding all the items is a short gag reel which is kinda funny. I admit I cheated by investigating the contents of the disc on a PC - it's somewhat worth it.
Finally, we have the Original Theatrical Trailer along with the Teaser Trailer, all provided in 1080p.
Read More ...
Critically-acclaimed Shinobi and Colossus Window get even better with two USB 3.0 ports
(BitFenix Design Lab, March 29, 2012) - BitFenix is pleased to announce that two of our most popular chassis, Shinobi and Colossus Window, are being upgraded to SuperSpeed USB 3.0. With this new upgrade, users will be able to connect their SuperSpeed devices right out of the box and enjoy enhanced speed and performance.
With this new upgrade, Shinobi, Shinobi Window and Colossus Window will all be equipped with two USB 3.0 ports and two USB 2.0 ports:
Shinobi (USB 3.0 Ports x 2, USB 2.0 Ports x 2)
Shinobi Window (USB 3.0 Ports x 2, USB 2.0 Ports x 2)
Colossus Window (USB 3.0 Ports x 2, USB 2.0 Ports x 2)
Winning a combined 80 awards and positive reviews worldwide, these two models are some of the most celebrated PC cases on the market today.
Read More ...
STEELSERIES TAKES ON THE NEXT GENERATION OF GAMING AND BRINGS GAMERS BACK TO 8-BIT; NEW FAMILY OF PERIPHERALS TAKE ON OLD FORM AND FUNCTION
CHICAGO, March 30, 2012 - Kicking off the weekend, SteelSeries, the leading brand in all things related to being awesome and superior, today announced an entirely new line of products specifically designed for gamers living in an 8-BIT world. Inspired by retro-styled games such as Minecraft or FortressCraft, this revitalized family of SteelSeries ErgoRetro® peripherals has been ergonomically improved for the ultimate PC gaming comfort, control and overall domination.
SteelSeries ErgoRetro® Family of Peripherals
The classic and most recognized SteelSeries peripherals including the SteelSeries Sensei Mouse, SteelSeries 6Gv2 Keyboard and SteelSeries Siberia v2 Headset have all been re-designed to fit an ultra-new, ergonomically sound design.
SteelSeries ErgoRetro® Mouse
Taking out the relevant functionality to dominate your game, the SteelSeries ErgoRetro® Mouse has been ergonomically re-altered for extreme hand-sized users, increasing hand-cramp reaction times, and added weight technology for a block-like, retro feel. Features also include a new TrackBlock sensor, modeled after the track-ballwith an added 8-Bit flair.
SteelSeries ErgoRetro® Headset
Headsets are simple, make them look cool and the rest will follow. The new SteelSeries ErgoRetro® Headset embodies an oversized, block-like design for sort-of-superior sound and an incredibly limited amount of comfort. Weighing in at 8.6 lbs., users will never forgetwhat they're wearing.
SteelSeries ErgoRetro® Keyboard
Modeled after the first mechanical gaming keyboard that was introduced in 2007 by SteelSeries, the new SteelSeries ErgoRetro® Keyboard supports the same tank-like, indestructible design, butwith new 8-Bit style improvements. The severe, pixel-block design and oversized keys takeaway the fast response time of its user and focuses the attention more on the way it looks than the way it works.
The SteelSeries 8-Bit ErgoRetro® peripherals will be available soon; pricing is still to be determined. Be sure to check out theSteelSeries Facebook page for giveaways of these new products throughout the weekend at http://facebook.com/steelseries.
Read More ...
Gainward GeForce GTX 680 Phantom Launched
As the leading brand in enthusiastic graphics market, Gainward, again, introduces its Phantom series for GeForce GTX 680 - Gainward GeForce GTX 680 Phantom. The Gainward GTX 680 Phantom, continue the elegant design of the first generation, delivers much better performance than the previous design. The most important is the Gainward GeForce GTX 680 Phantom comes with factory over-clocked setting - 1150MHz boost clock (1084MHz base clock) and 3150MHz (DDR6300) memory clock.
It is really a "silent monster", the fastest GTX 680 in the market and extreme cool under gaming environment. Under 3D benchmark, it is 12.6% higher than reference board (3DMark 2011 Xscore). While in gameplay, it is around 10% higher. To compare with the competing GPU in red camp, it performs 27.7% higher in 3DMark 2011 Xscore and exceeds amazingly 32% in hot titles gaming performance.
The new Phantom II comes with brand new fins design (patent pending) that introduces:
Better thermal performance
Lower acoustic level
A more solid structure than previous generation
With this new design, Gainward GTX 680 Phantom delivers Extreme cool and silent acoustics under 3D heavy loading even with factory over-clocked speed. It really is an extreme gaming gear for enthusiast gamers.
Gainward superior hardware design
Beside the cooler performance, the Gainward engineers' contribution for their users is to provide superior hardware design for GeForce GTX 680 Phantom. A 6-phase with DrMOS PWM design for the GTX 680 cores brings a lot more benefits for the over-clocking capability. With factory over-clocked to 1150MHz boost clock (1084MHz base clock) and 3150MHz (DDR6300) memory clock speed, the GTX 680 Phantom also can be over-clocked easily.
Thanks to superior hardware design, Gainward GeForce GTX 680 Phantom gains extra 5% more power efficiency that is 5W saving while performing 8% more in gaming performance.
Gainward Expertool II utility
Along with new Phantom series announcement, Gainward proudly introduces the new Expertool utility for GTX 680's dynamic clocking to tap into this powerful board. Users can utilize this new tool to enjoy the experience of the performance enhanced and quiet gameplay.
QuattroPorts
The QuattroPorts supports up to four displays in the same time on a single GTX 680. Gainward GeForce GTX 680 Phantom also comes with a HDMI to DVI adapter for the users to enjoy NV Surround with three DVI monitors.
Technologies
Microsoft DirectX 11, Shader Model 5.0 support
Microsoft DirectCompute and OpenCL Support
NVIDIA GPU Boost
NVIDIA Adaptive Vertical Sync
NVIDIA Unified Driver Architecture (UDA)
NVIDIA CUDA Technology
NVIDIA PhysX Technology
NVIDIA 3D Vision Surround Ready
NVIDIA PureVideo HD technology
NVIDIA SLI Technology
OpenGL 4.2 support
PCI Express 3.0
Two Dual-link DVI connectors
One DisplayPort connector
One HDMI connector (v1.4a)
Read More ...
Palit Makes GeForce GTX 680 JetStream Official
Palit Microsystems Ltd, the leading graphics card manufacturer, announced a brand new Jetstream series at the GeForce GTX 680 The Palit Jetstream series of graphics cards features innovative cooling and an optimized product design to deliver gamers the ultimate gaming experience. As the latest and most powerful GPU in the series, the Palit Jetstream GeForce GTX 680 Jetstream guarantees gamers cutting-edge performance and an explosive new gaming experience.
In addition, Palit GeForce GTX 680 Jetstream uses 6+8 PCI-Express power connectors to gain extra power and equipped with DrMOS and 6-phase PWM to make current circuit more stable and efficient which maximum the overclocking potential. With new Jetstream thermal design features, the noise level is 9dB quieter and the temperature is 8°C cooler. Palit GeForce GTX 680 Jetstream is absolutely the first and the best choice for enthusiast gamers.
Palit GeForce GTX 680 JetStream Unique Features:
Triple Fan
A Triple Fan design offers triple the cooling performance, and combined with the 8CM-9CM-8CM Smart Fans, heat is effectively drawn away from hot spots.
LED Lighting
Fancy blue LED lighting on the Palit Jetstream's thermal solution provides ambient lighting to further immerse gamers into the gaming world.
TurboFan Blade
Inspired by the power of jet engines, the TurboFan Blade is designed to improve cooling performance by generating a powerful air stream and air pressure.
DrMOS
DrMOS, originally only available for high-end server CPUs, is now available in all its glory in the next generation of Palit graphics cards. DrMOS offers high current circuits, low noise operation, and effective reduction of heat generation.
6-Phase PWM
Unique 6-Phase PWM design reduces max current load to stabilize the voltage level and improve overclockability.
Simultaneous 3 X DVI monitor support
With its optimized video output, the Palit Jetstream supports 3 DVI connections using a single graphics card. *through HDMI-DVI dongle
Optimized Air Flow
The 8CM-9CM-8CM Smart Fan system consists of three fans with alternating blade rotations. Each adjacent fan rotates in a different direction to reduce airflow conflicts and effectively improve overall cooling performance.
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 680 GPU Features:
Microsoft DirectX 11 Support
DirextX 11 GPU with Shader Model 5.0 support designed for ultra high performance in the new API's key graphics feature, GPU-accelerated tessellation.
NVIDIA 3-way SLI Technology
Industry leading NVIDIA SLI technology offers amazing performance scaling in games across up to three GPUs.
NVIDIA PhysX Technology
Full support for NVIDIA PhysX technology, enabling a totally new class of physical gaming interaction for a more dynamic and realistic experience with GeForce.
SXM
Next generation streaming multiprocessor built from the ground up for incredible performance and power efficiency.
NVIDIA GPU Boost Technology
CUDA technology unlocks the power of the GPU's processor cores to accelerate the most demanding system tasks such as video transcoding, physics simulation, ray tracing, and more, delivering incredible performance improvements over traditional CPUs.
NVIDIA 3D Vision Surround Ready
With a single GeForce GTX680 you can expand your PC games across three displays in full stereoscopic 3D for the ultimate "inside the game "experience . NVIDIA Surround also supports triple screen gaming with non-3D Vision monitors. Add in a fourth accessory display to get access to your email, web , or other applications while you game.
NVIDIA FXAA Technology
Shader-based anti-aliasing technology available from the NVIDIA Control Panel that enables ultra-fast anti-aliasing in hundreds of PC games.
NVIDIA TXAA Technology
Support for new temporal anti-aliasing technique that delivers the ultimate combination of image quality and performance.
NVIDIA Adaptive Vertical Sync
Dynamically enables vertical sync based on your current frame rates for the smoothest gaming experience.
PCI Express 3.0
Designed for the new PCI Express 3.0 bus architecture offering the highest data transfer speeds for the most bandwidth-hungry games and 3D applications, while maintaining backwards compatibility with existing PCI Express motherboards for the broadest support.
Read More ...
Lite-On Introduces the E200 Solid State Drives
Lite-On, renowned as an Optical Storage innovator, has today announced its first solid state drive (SSD) for the UK. The E200 SSD is aimed at small/medium business users, with a design which is easily integrated into existing systems for minimal disruption and with a fast, consistent and reliable performance over time - at an affordable cost.
Key Features:
- 2.5" internal SSD drive with 3.5" mounting bracket
- True Speed technology for consistent performance
- Sequential read/write speeds of up to 503 MB/s and 256 MB/s and
- Random read/write speeds of up to 71,000 IOPS and 64,000 IOPS
- Supports latest SATA 6 Gb/s (SATA III)
- Uses Marvell controller & NAND Toggle Flash
Advanced hardware provides consistent performance:
The E200 boasts a maximum sequential read and write of 503 MB/s and 265 MB/s. Random read and write speeds (4K) are up to 71,000 IOPS and 64,000 IOPS.
The drive supports the latest SATA 6 Gb/s (SATAIII), and uses a Marvell controller and high-quality NAND Toggle flash for speed and stability.
With this ideal combination, the E200 SSD provides consistent performance for both compressible and non compressible data. It delivers faster boot-up and loading times and smoother operation to business users, making it a truly effective upgrade for office environments, business computers, or specialist systems - even at entry level.
Reliable performance over lifespan with True Speed:
Business users can often experience a decrease in performance over time with prolonged/heavy SSD usage. In order to combat this issue, the E200 SSD has been designed to True Speed certification standards.
By combining the power of the Marvell controller with the Instant Restore function in the firmware, the E200 will optimise data and prepare unused space for use. This process automatically continues in the background even when used in conjunction with operating systems that don't support the TRIM command.
True Speed ensures the efficiency of the drive remains consistent throughout its lifespan, providing peace of mind for users whose business depends on reliable performance.
Easy installation into desktop or notebook PCs:
The 2.5" E200 SSD is bundled with a 3.5" bracket, making it versatile for use inside a wide variety of notebook PCs or a standard desktop drive bay.
The E200 can be used as a replacement drive in a new build or as a boot drive in an existing system. Installation is as simple as fitting a hard drive, making it a fast, cost-effective way to upgrade system performance with minimal disruption to the office environment.
Pricing & Availability:
The Lite-On E200 SSD will be available from April 2012 in 80 GB and 160 GB capacities (pricing to be confirmed).
The drive comes with a three year warranty period.
Read More ...
Available Tags:Samsung , Galaxy , Android , Blu-ray , USB 3.0 , USB , GAMING , GAMERS , GeForce , GTX ,
No comments:
Post a Comment