NXP brings HDMI 1.4 to Mobile Phones

NXP Semiconductors today announced a new HDMI 1.4 transmitter solution, TDA19989, which enables consumers to transfer HD multimedia content from their mobile phones directly to a television via the TV remote control. The TDA19989 features ultra-low power consumption, a small form factor, and support of full HD (1080i/p). The device supports the newly introduced HDMI 1.4 Type D micro-connector and provides an additional embedded Consumer Electronic Control feature, which enables users to control their mobile phones through their TV remotes.

With the explosion of high-definition (HD) multimedia content, it is common for devices to support 10M pixels+ camera sensors. HD content support is becoming one of the major criteria when selecting a NXP Semiconductors. “NXP has also reduced the HDMI low-power transmitter budget to sub-100mW, allowing for more than 7 hours’ HD video streaming on battery via HDMI. In addition, the introduction of this new interface is a key element for Open Source developers to leverage HD availability on mobile phones.”

To further reduce BOM cost and ease of design, the TDA 19989 provides additional embedded features such as CEC (Consumer Electronic Control). This feature eliminates the need of any additional device to handle CEC and enables CEC-connected devices to be controlled by only one remote control.

NXP worked on a Zoom OMAP34x-II mobile development platform (MDP) from Texas Instruments Incorporated (TI) to demonstrate the Consumer Electronic Control (CEC) feature. The Zoom OMAP34x-II MDP is based on TI’s proven OMAP3430 applications processor.

Fred Cohen, director of the OMAP wireless ecosystem at TI, said: “The CEC feature takes ease of use to the next level by allowing the control of portable electronic devices, such as mobile phones, through existing TV remote controls. Sitting on a couch, for example, a user can play, stop or fast forward a movie on an HD phone connected through HDMI to an HD TV. This capability brings new use cases to the mobile market, and helps consumers connect to their phones and other consumer electronic devices in a whole new way.”

Fire hazard forces Toshiba laptop recall

Enlarge

Japanese electronics maker Toshiba has recalled 41,000 laptop computers worldwide because of a fire risk, the US Consumer Product Safety Commission said.

"The notebook computers can overheat at the notebook's plug-in to the AC adapter, posing a burn hazard to

The computers involved are the Satellite T135, Satellite T135D and Satellite ProT130.

The safety commission said that Toshiba has received 129 reports of the computers overheating and deforming the plastic casing area around the AC adapter plug.

It said there had been two reports of minor burn injuries and two reports of minor property damage.

Toshiba offered a software program for download at laptops.toshiba.com/about/consumer-notices.

The program detects whether the computer is overheating and disables its external power.

Japan's next gizmo brainwave-controlled cat ears

Enlarge

A team of Japanese inventors have come with a new device that blends the country's fascination with cuteness and its penchant for experimental high-tech -- brainwave-controlled cat ears.

The fluffy headwear reads users'

"We were exploring new ways of communicating and we thought it would be interesting to use brainwaves," said Neurowear's Kana Nakano.

"Because the sensors must be attached to the head, we tried to come up with something cute and catchy."

Enlarge

"But falling costs have allowed people like us to seek interesting ways to use the sensors," he said.

"Existing toys featuring brainwaves focus on controlling brainwaves. Meanwhile, Necomimi can reveal a user's state of mind. In that sense, we are proposing a new communication tool."

Current BlackBerry Users Will Not Receive BlackBerry OS 10 Update

Today, RIM confirmed that current BlackBerry owners will not receive the much anticipated Blackberry OS 10 update. The only way to get it will be to purchase a new Blackberry handset.

Considering the new features of this firmware, and the types of phones for which it is built, this news will come as no surprise to those who have kept up with the new OS. Yesterday, RIM previewed Blackberry 10 at Blackberry World 2012, releasing an "Alpha Dev" phone to developers. The new phone is stylized after popular smartphones, featuring a full touch screen with no physical keyboard.

With these radical new modifications, the software would be infeasible on the smaller and much differently built BlackBerry devices of the past. Although this consequence was probably inevitable, it is bound to disappoint fans who already own BlackBerry devices.

RIMs choice to upgrade BlackBerry software to a more modern and marketable form has been compared to Microsofts migration from the enterprise oriented Windows Mobile, to the more mainstream Windows Phone. This change, while not a disaster, could be thought of as a small failure. iOS and Android dominate the market, with Windows phone lagging far behind.

What remains to be seen is how these changes will end up affecting RIM’s position. If some BlackBerry fans are excited about these new changes, there are certain to be others who will not be. However, considering where RIM is right now, new customers are probably the real goal.

While business users may stick with BlackBerry for the various infrastructures it offers, how lay users will respond is unknown. Will the new design and overhauled OS be enough to pull them over, or will it just bore a market with too many superior devices to care? Only time will tell.

Source:SlashGear

Do you have an old Gigabyte Motherboard or Graphics Card stashed up somewhere in your storeroom

Click on the picture above to find out more!!!

Eleven Years of Goog11e

On Sunday September 27 2009, Google, the number 1 search engine in theworld, celebrated its 11th birthday with a new logo, featuring an extra“l” to the name Google (anyone saw it?).PCWorld has an article discussing the search and advertising giant’s eleven year history.For most users out there, Lycos, eXcite and Yahoo was probably thesearch engine of choice before Google made its debut in 1998. Googlehas certainly come a long way (thanks to 2 men, Larry Page and SergeyBrin) since its inception as a Stanford University research project in1998, to the global, multi-billion dollar company it today is. Google’sa classic “rags to riches” fairytale if you ask me.

A brief look at Google’s 11 years:

Early Days: 1998
Founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin dropped the original BackRubmoniker in favor of Google, a play on the mathematical term "googol"Google.com domain registered and with a healthy $100,000 investmentfrom Sun co-founder Andy Bechtolsheim, the two Stanford students rentedout a $1,700 a month garage space in California's Menlo Park Growth & Expansion: 2000
Google reached a milestone of one billion pages indexed, and alsoexpanded to support over fifteen languages including Chinese, French,German, Japanese and moreYahoo! revealed that they will be using Google as their default search provider The Written Word: 2003
Google acquired Pyra Labs, creators of the Blogger service, whichallowed the masses to publish their thoughts online with ease Google Print was launched: Now known as Google Book Search, the serviceallows users to view excerpts from thousands of books in digital form Email, Google Style: 2004
Google introduces Gmail Google moved to its Mountain View, California "Googleplex" headquarters, where the company still resides today Mapping The World: 2005
Google released Google Maps and subsequently Google EarthRelease of the iGoogle customizable home page, Google Reader RSS feed manager and Google AnalyticsOptimized mobile versions of Gmail, Blogger, and Search were also released A Message From Chad & Steve: 2006
Google acquired online video site YouTube in a massive $1.65 billion stock transaction The Growth Continues: 2007
Google Maps made its way to Australia and the Google Docs suite of tools being made available in several additional languages Gmail made available to all, no longer requiring an invitationGoogle introduced Google Street, an addition of street level photography to Google Maps Going Full Circle: 2008
Google celebrated its 10 anniversary
Google announced open source Google ChromeGoogle released Android, an open-source mobile OS Google At Present: 2009
Google unveiled its Wave service in May this yearGoogle announced plans to release Google Chrome OS News via [PCWorld]

Dell UltraSharp U2711 release soon

Wefound a driver released by Dell themselves (DELL_U2711-MONITOR_A00-00_R247058.exe) , dated 30th November 2009 on their own Support site.

Upontaking a look atthe driver files,it isnoted that the U2711 has:

- VGA output
- DVI output
- HDMI output
- DisplayPort output

And the resolutions of the panel:

[1920]
HKR,,MaxResolution,,"1920,1080"

[2048]
HKR,,MaxResolution,,"2048,1152"

[2560]
HKR,,MaxResolution,,"2560,1440"

It's probably firm that the panel on the U2711 would be the same one found in the 27-inch iMac.

That display isa LG LM270WQ1 16:9 IPS panel with LED backlight, andhas amassive 2560 x 1440 resolution.

AMD's next generation CPU features multi-threading

AMD's next generation architecture, codenamed Bulldozer, will feature amulti-threading system, Xbitlabs reports.

However, AMD claimsthat Bulldozer's multi-threading is different from the simultaneousmulti-threading (SMT) available with Intel's HyperThreading.

Thefirst Bulldozer desktop CPU, Orochi, is expected to be a 6/8 core CPUwith >8MB cache, supporting DDR3 RAM, manufactured on 32nm. It is dueto hit stores in 2011. The Fusion CPUs or APUs (Accelerated ProcessingUnits), as AMD calls them, are also part of the Bulldozer architecture. Bulldozer is expected to support up to 16 cores.It is expected to be the most significant change in AMD's CPUarchitecture since K8, back in 2003.

The next CPU on AMD'sroadmap is the 12-core server CPU "Magny Cours" based on a Multi-ChipModule, which packages two 6-core "Istanbul" dies in one package. TheMagny Cours CPU is designed for the elongated Socket G34, and willlaunch in Q1 2010. It is also expected to be the last AMD CPU tillBulldozer, according to AMD's current roadmap. In the desktop arena, thePhenom II/Athlon II products may have to fight all the way through 2010, according to AMD's current roadmaps.

Reference: Xbitlabs

Apple Announces New MacBook Air And Upgrades To iPhoto, iMovie And GarageBand

Angeline Tan, product marketing manager, portables and wireless, Apple Asia Pacific, says that in Singapore, according to IDC, the PC grows 21% as compared to the Mac, whichgrows 41.5% year-on-year.

"The Mac business is very important to us and we have spent a lot of focus and investment in this segment. Today we have the new MacBook Air which is Apple's thinnest and most portable and compact Mac. And for the first time, it has two configurations, the 11-inch and 13-inch," Tan said.

The baseconfiguration for the 11-inch MacBook Air starts from S$1,488, and the 13-inch MacBook Air starts from S$1,948.

Sam Leung, manager for applications product marketing, Apple Asia Pacific, talked about the new upgrades to iPhoto, iMovie and GarageBand on iLife'11 and demonstrated how easy it is to create a slideshow, photo album, movie trailer and learn to play the guitar and piano.

The iLife '11 is availablein Novemberat a suggested retail price of S$78
through the Apple Store (http://store.apple.com/sg) and Apple Authorized Resellers.
The iLife ’11 Family Pack includes five licenses and is available for S$128 and the Mac
Box Set which includes iLife ’11, iWork and Mac OS X v10.6 Snow Leopard is
available for S$278.

Antec Launches Continuous Power Facts Website

A new website by Antec explains the differences between “continuous power" and "peak power". The website also highlights the consequences of buying mislabeled power supplies. The website’s pretty educational if you ask me, so folks, click here to find out more.

"Many brands on the market use misleading power efficiency labels or model names to confuse consumers. To make things crystal clear, Antec, the global leader in PC components and accessories, always uses “Continuous Power” on all our power supply labels."

Article via [Antec]

Le FPS XCOM deviendrait un TPS

Le temps passe et l'on se dit que nous avons eu la chance exceptionnelle de voir XCOM lors de l'E3 2011 dans une version plus qu'alléchante. Pourtant, le fameux FPS tactique s'est vu depuis maintes fois repoussé et ses équipes changées. Si nous ne connaissions pas les raisons des déboires de ce volet, c'est désormais chose faite grâce à un lecteur de Kotaku.

Le bougre signale en effet avoir participé à un sondage marketing concernant XCOM, lequel présenterait le jeu comme un jeu de tir à la troisième personne gardant toutefois un large aspect tactique. Mais ce n'est pas tout puisque l'étude laisse penser que la version PC ne serait plus d'actualité, tandis que les versions consoles seraient relayées à de simples versions téléchargeables sur le Xbox Live et le PSN. A ce rythme, XCOM sera un hack and slash en 2014, date à laquelle le jeu est censé nous dévoiler ses charmes.

· Forum XCOM

ASUS announces Eee PC 1015PEM, packs dual-core Atom N550

[Singapore, 13 September 2010] ASUS today announces the launch of the Eee PC™ 1015PEM with the latest Intel® Atom™ N550 dual core processor. This processor gives the 1015PEM a level of performance that surpasses other Atom-based netbooks available today.

Unprecedented Performance from a 10.1-inch Netbook

The incorporation of the Intel® Atom™ N550 dual core processor into the Eee PC™ 1015PEM enables the netbook to deliver an enhanced cloud computing performance with DDR3 memory support and longer battery life.

The processor gives the 1015PEM the processing power it needs to handle games, as well as other advanced software like Adobe® Flash®. In terms of performance, the 1015PEM has clocked at speeds at least 23 percent* faster than single core processor netbooks.

Despite the added performance, the ASUS-exclusive Super Hybrid Engine technology ensures all-day computing, delivering a battery life of up to 10 hours.

And in terms of storage space, the 1015PEM comes with a 250GB hard drive along with 500GB of online storage space thrown in, making it the ideal cloud computing tool.

Multiple Connectivity Options- Everything but the Kitchen Sink

The Eee PC™ 1015PEM comes with all the bells and whistles normally found on much larger machines.

Bluetooth 3.0 speeds up mobile device sync times, making them up to eight times faster than the previous Bluetooth standard.

There is also Wi-Fi 802.11n and a built-in webcam with its own camera cover for additional privacy.

A Color for Everyone

The 10.1-inch Eee PC™ 1015PEM comes in a variety of shades and colors and is available in Silky Red, Midnight Blue, and Glossy Pink. For those with a more distinguished taste, there is also glossy and matte black or white finishes to choose from.

Availability and Pricing

The Eee PC™ 1015PEM is available already available in Singapore at a recommended retail price of S$599.

Europe is expected to get it this month as well, or latest by next, and will go for 349 EUR.

Unfortunately, there is no news on availability in the United States yet.

Specifications table

Reference: ASUS SG PR

ASUS 240 MIMO Wireless Total Solution

ASUS Technology Pte Ltd (ASUS), a leading provider of high-performancewireless solutions, today unveiled the 240 MIMO series total solutions, whichincludes the WL-566gM router and the WL-106gM cardbus adapter. The ASUS 240 MIMOtotal solution drastically improves WLAN’s data transfer rate and coveragerange, while maintaining signal integrity and Wi-Fi interoperability.

With high-speed 240Mbps data transfer rate, the multi-transmitting 240 MIMOtotal solution excels with an actual throughput of up to 100Mbps, and coverseight times the range than that of standard 802.11g WLAN devices. True wirelessmultimedia experience in homes, small businesses, retail stores etc, without anydead spots is now possible by taking advantage of multipath propagation in theMultiple Input Multiple Output technology - MIMO.

True Wireless Reality
Employing the MIMO technology, which leveraged multi-path signaling, the overallthroughput, range/coverage, and reliability are significantly improved. TheWL-566gM and WL-106gM incorporated this innovation and makes true wirelessenvironment a reality at enterprises, home offices, retail stores and homes withcoverage range that extends eight times than that of the existing 802.11g WLANsolutions, and thus eliminating dead spots, cables, and the cost of additionalrouter configurations.

8X Speed than Existing IEEE 802.11g Units
By transmitting multiple signals containing different information streams overthe same frequency channel, MIMO provides a means of doubling or triplingspectral efficiency. With a data rate of 240Mbps and actual throughput of up to100Mbps, the 240 MIMO series operates at Super Speed that is two times the speedof standard MIMO devices, and eight times the speed of 802.11g. This makesextending applications possible in areas of HD video streaming, multiple onlinegaming, MP3 and movie downloads; and large file sharing could be accomplished ina few seconds.

EZSetup at Press of a Button
Both the WL-566gM and WL-106gM utilizes the ASUS EZSetup Wizard that allows foreffortless setup in just 2 easy steps. Wireless devices and security featuresare detected and automatically implemented at just a press of the button.

Wi-Fi Multmedia (WMM)
WMM enhances wireless transfers of multimedia contents, providing wirelessnetwork users an improved experience for sharing audio and video files. TheWi-Fi Alliance defined WMM as a profile of the upcoming IEEE 802.11e Quality ofService extension for 802.11 networks. QoS and multimedia support are criticalto wireless home networks, which require video on demand, audio on demand, voiceover IP and high-speed Internet access. WMM defines four access categories –voice, video, best effort, and background – that are used to prioritize trafficto provide enhanced multimedia support.

Data Security with Wi-Fi Protected Access2
The WL-566gM router employs WPA2, which is based on the IEEE 802.11i standard,ensuring all data and access to the network is restricted to authorized usersonly. Coupled with WEP firewall protocol, the router provides advancedencryption mechanism and security without the sacrifice of physical distance.

Apple hires Adobe executive for iAd position

Reports suggest that Apple has hired Todd Teresi, an Adobe executive, for its iAd advertising platform, an ironic move considering the companies past rivalry.

Teresi previously held the role of vice-president of Adobes media solutions group and is now working as vice-president of iAd, despite the lack of a formal announcement of the employment shift.The position opened up after the founder of Quattro Wireless, the firm Apple acquired and turned into iAd, stepped down, suggesting all was not well in Apples mobile advertising division.The move is particularly interesting given strained relations between the two companies after Steve Jobs dismissed Flash as outdated and insecure.Apple launched iAd in 2010 in an attempt to monopolise on the potential ad revenue that could be made from the booming smartphone and tablet sectors, an area that Google has been quite successful in. Some believe iAd has failed to achieve what Apple set out to do, however, with criticisms over its high cost and limited exposure.“Charging premium prices and reaching only Apple devices is a much harder sell,” said EMarket analyst Noah Elkin, according to Bloomberg. “That has been a huge stumbling block.”This might explain why Apple brought Teresi on board, as he has extensive experience in the media and advertising sector, working for both Adobes digital publishing business and Yahoos publishing sales. Whether or not he can turn iAd into the number one mobile advertising business remains to be seen.Source: Bloomberg

ASRock Fatal1ty Z68 Professional spotted

Our correspondent on the ground managed to snag this picture. Looks like it will the same feature set as its P67 sibling - 16+2 power phase digital PWM design,Dual LAN, 500hz Fatal1ty mouse port for gamers, 100% Japan-made high-quality Conductive Polymer Capacitors and 3x PCIe x16 lanes for your insatiable Crossfire/SLi Rigs.

ASUS China Announces NVIDIA GeForce GTX 580 Recommended Retail Price

Less than four hours ago, we discoveredan online Chinese technology forum organising a mass purchase for the yet-to-be-released NVIDIA GeForce GTX 580. Right now, we're staring at ASUS's website - which lists the recommended retail price (RRP) in RMB.


The fastest 2010 GeForce will sell for 4799 RMB, which translates to approximately 719 USD.
We expect street prices to be lower, especially with AMD threatening to take a grand share of the discrete graphics pie with its upcoming Radeon HD 6900 series of graphics accelerators.
It is hard to believe it that consumers will be informed of retail prices this fast, but you can click on thelinkand see for yourself.

Apple criticised over poor Maps app

Apple has been strongly criticised over inaccuracies and poor quality in its new Maps app, which it is employing in its latest iPhone software instead of rival Google Maps.

Given a bitter dispute with Google and its allies over Android smartphones and tablets, which have caused tough competition for the iPhone and iPad, it is understandable that Apple would want to no longer rely on Googles software, but in its haste to cut ties with the search giant it appears to have made a number of major blunders.Users of iOS 6, pre-installed on the iPhone 5 and which can be downloaded to older iPhone devices, have complained about a number of elements of Apples Maps app, which it developed using data supplied by TomTom.Some examples provided by the BBC illustrate how poor the new app is, with some towns completely missing, others in the wrong location, satellite images obscured by cloud, mislabelled, missing and wrongly located places, including schools and football clubs, with some so misplaced that they show up in rivers.So far Apple has failed to comment on the mess-up, but TomTom said it only provided data to Apple and was therefore not responsible for how the app, developed by Apple itself, worked. Perhaps abandoning Google Maps was not such a wise thing to do after all.Source and Image Credit: BBC

Asus promises Android 4.0 for Transformer Prime from next week

For those lucky few that has managed to get their hands on an Asus Eee Pad Transformer Prime the company has announced that it will start rolling out Android 4.0 also known as Ice Cream Sandwich beginning on the 12thof January. On top of that, the company is working on a solution that will allow users to unlock the bootloader, with one small caveat.

The details were posted on Asus Facebook page and contain some confusion as it mentions an over the air update with a version number of 8.8.3.33 which will apparently improve the auto focusing of the camera, the fluidity of the touch experience and the APK capabilities in the Android market. Then it goes on to talk about the Android 4.0 upgrade which is also an over the air update, but its not clear if this contains the aforementioned fixes or not, or if thats a separate update for those not wishing to move on to Android 4.0 as yet.

The post also contains a disclaimer about the GPS and the fact that its not as good as people expected it to be. Asus is making some excuse about the metal chassis of the tablet blocking the signal as well as the usual excuses as to why you wouldnt get a good GPS signal. Either which way it appears that the company has removed the GPS from the spec and its now a feature that is included but may not work to everyones satisfaction. Odd to say the least.

As for the bootloader and the complaints about Asus locking it down, Asus is making some fairly lame excuse about Google DRM, yet Googles own phones arent locked down as tightly as the Transformer Prime. Asus is also claiming that bricking is one of the reasons why Asus decided to lock down the Transformer Prime, but anyone that has tried to flash a recent Android device knows that its relatively hard to brick it. Even so, Asus will apparently be offering a tool that unlocks the bootloader, but this means that you can no longer watch Google video rentals and other similar DRMed content on your tablet. Not a big loss in our opinion, but it might be for some.

Source: Asus Facebook page

APC Trade UPS Programme

American Power Conversion (APC) has announced the APC Trade-UPS(Uninterruptible Power Supply) Programme, offering customers a new initiative inupgrading existing units to the latest APC UPS technologies.

This programme was introduced to provide customers with the option ofupgrading their existing units to APC UPS products. By trading in your existingUPS and ordering a new APC UPS, APC will present customers with an instant cashrebate regardless of the brand, manufacturer, or model. APC will further extendits focus on premium customer service by collecting the existing and disposingof the unit in an environmental friendly manner, in compliance with theEnvironmental Protection Agency standards.

The UPS products being offered for trade-in are:

Back UPS RS

An emergency battery back-up and surge protectionfor your entire system.
Instantly switches your computer to battery back-up power and allows you towork through brief power outages.
Protects multiple workstations with up to 5-40 minutes runtime.
Auto-shutdown software for Windows 95/98, NT, 2000.
Estimated retail price ranging from $ 242 to $ 420.

Smart-UPS XL and RT

Performance power protection for your servers and networks.
Protects your data by supplying network-grade battery back-up when powerfails.
Robust diagnostics allow network administrators to solve problems before usersknow they exist.
PowerChute plus software provides maximum, custom protection.
Perfect for fileservers, minicomputers, UNIX CPUs, Internet hubs,telecommunications systems and other mission-critical applications.
Price ranges from S$ 288 to S$ 3,675

Symmetra Power Array/Symmetra LX
Scalable, redundant power protection for centralized servers, data centres andhigh availability applications.
N+1 redundancy design ensures continuous availability.
Modular design allows customers to build and scale power systems with aflexible range of power capacity.
Serviceable while load is up and running.

AOpen vK8T800a-LF Value Board

For those who prefer good price/performance ratio and AMD Athlon 64-bitprocessors, AOpen will introduce a motherboard mid May just for that purpose --the vK8T800a-LF. The new motherboard is designed to be installed with CPUs whichare built with 754 pins such as Athlon 64-bit or Sempron processors. “Thisarchitecture makes the model very competitive,” says Edward Chen, channelmanager of the Platform Development Division. “DIY enthusiasts, students, orusers who look for low cost solutions would love to have such a system,” Chenelaborates.

Despite its competitive pricing, the motherboard is still designed with goodfeatures. For example, the motherboard’s built-in Cool’n’Quiet functionalitysupports three DIMMs while similar systems on the market only support one DIMMmemory module. Three double data rate (DDR) memory modules of 400/333 MHz can beinstalled to the memory slots of the system. The system’s memory can be expandedto 3GB which is more than enough for ordinary users. One of the other strongfeatures of the product is its support to high definition 7.1-channel surroundaudio output port. While the system comes with all standard personal computingfunctions, it can be used as a home entertainment system which can play highdefinition digital music.

Because the motherboard uses VIA K8T800 and VT8237 chips, the system requiresno cooling fan. The motherboard is designed with one AGP 8X slot and four PCIslots. It provides two Serial ATA slots and four IDE slots for installation ofhard drives. The Serial ATA interface supports RAID 0 and RAID 1 hard driveconfiguration. In addition to the 7.1-channel surround sound port, the rearpanel provides four USB connectors, one RJ45 LAN connector, one COM port, oneprinter port, and two PS/2 connectors. The other four USB 2.0 connectors arebuilt on-board and connected to two USB headers. Two 1394 connectors are alsobuilt on-board.

The motherboard is built with an S/P DIF Output header. The output ofSony/Philips digital audio interface circuitry (S/P DIF OUT) can be connected toa digital audio amplifier to generate 7.1 surround sound and Dolby Digital audioeffects which turns your home into an entertainment center. The motherboard hasa size (form factor) of 305 mm by 220 mm.

Angry Birds Seasons Crashes Into Android Marketplace And iTunes App Store

Fact of life number one: there can never be too much of Angry Birds. Fact of life number two: any news about Angry Birds is almost always good news. And with Rovio's latest release of the wildly popular smartphone game, it appears that one thing is certain: life without Angry Birds today is almost unbearable.
Of course, that might sound a little too extreme, but it does not change the fact that Angry Birds is the one game title which has managed to take the world by storm (while disrupting our concentration at work in the process). And today, it seems that our motivation to work during the festive period is about to meet a severe setback: Rovio has just launched their new, Christmas-themed version Angry Birds in time for the holidays.



Gameplay-wise, Angry Birds Seasons is perfectly identical to its non-seasonal predecessor, save for a few cosmetic differences. To keep in line with the Christmas spirit, much of the landscape has been replaced with snow, snow balls are available for use as projectiles, and some of the ugly pigs now sport Santa hats instead of tin helmets. Of course, those pigs are still going to be your main antagonists in Seasons, so don't expect them to be distributing Christmas presents any time soon. That is, unless they offer to sign a peace treaty and return the stolen eggs. And we all know what the outcome was.
But there's more. Apparently, as an act of goodwill, Rovio is also making the Halloween version of the game available in Seasons as well. This essentially means that users are getting two games for the price of one. But since Seasons is already a free download, it might be more prudent to say that users will get both games for the price. However, this only applies to Android users. iOS users will only get Angry Birds Seasons for free if that had previously purchased the Halloween version of the game. If not, the full price of $0.99 stays, but will come with the Halloween version bundled within as well.




The game is already available for download from the Android Marketplace and the iTunes App Store, so Android and iOS users can hit their respective app repositories and start downloading away.

ASUS Launched PG221 LCD Monitor

To satisfy users who want more multimedia value out of their LCD monitors,ASUS has launched the latest offering in the LCD market – the ASUS PG221 LCDmonitor. The ASUS PG221 is a 22-inch widescreen that incorporates a stylish andinnovative industrial design with great visual and audio performance to letusers fully experience the marvel of the space age. Rich video inputs and USB2.0 support turn the PG221 into an ideal multimedia display center in your room.

Enjoy Crisp Acoustic Sounds

The PG221 has built-in 2.1 channel stereo speakers that include 10W satellitespeakers and a military-styled 15W subwoofer tank-box at the rear. To furtherexpand this audio experience, the ASUS PG221 is also able to support a 6.1-CHsurround sound system with SRS TruSurround XT™ Technology – a technology usuallyadopted by LCD TVs. The PG221 thus allows users to fully experience powerfulsound effects without setting up additional speakers to help save space andbring home-theater enjoyment to the user.

Rich Multimedia Support

Like PW201 and PG191, the PG221 also comes with a built-in 1.3 mega-pixel webcamand earphone/ microphone jacks to support face-to-face communications. Besidesconnecting with the personal computer, this LCD monitor is able to transforminto a multimedia display center. This is due to the fact that it supportsmultiple audio and video inputs that include VGA, DVI, Composite A/V, S-Videoand Component (YPbPr, up to 1080i/p) inputs and USB2.0 ports, to beinteroperable with all kind of consumer electronics such as HD DVD players,video games consoles, set top boxes, MP3/CD player, karaoke boxes, digitalcameras, camcorders, etc. Users can get more fun from the HD ready PG221 thanwhat they can imagine.

Great Comfort for Eyes

The ASUS PG221 presents a 22-inch wide screen which adopts a Color Shineglare-type panel to deliver crystal clear images and a cinema-like visualexperience. The SPLENDID™ Video Intelligence Technology delivers optimized videoperformance with intelligent color, brightness, contrast and sharpnesscorrections – enabling users to enjoy excellent image quality during games. ThePG221 also adopts Trace Free Technology to deliver 2ms (gray to gray) quickresponse times for smoother video display without ghosting while playing frameintensive games; while ASCR (ASUS Smart Contrast Ratio) Technology is set toboost a 2000:1 high contrast ratio to deliver sharper and brighter images. ThePG221 has passed the WHQL tests and is certified for Windows Vista™ Premiumversion to bring users a more plentiful graphic experience.

Marvelous Appearance Matters

Rife with gaming concepts in its designs, the black and silver PG221 comes witha sleek aluminum alloy neck, diamond-cut base and a black-glared front frame.The display contour is based on stealth bombers, and the subwoofer box at theback takes on the shape of a tank cannon. Besides this, the PG221 comes withinnovative Light-in-Motion scenario lighting effects, which derive from themagic weapon “light sabres” in Star Wars. Each light color (red/ green/ orange/pink/ blue) stands for a sound preset mode (fighting game/ strategic game/music/ theater/ standard) selected; the ambience while using the ASUS PG221 willbe greatly enhanced.

Revolutionary LED Sensor Control

Moreover, an invisible LED Sensor Control design has been pioneered in ASUSLCD monitors since the amazing PW191. It allows the user to experiencecutting-edge technology via Scenario Hotkeys, Adjustment Scroll Bar andexclusive interactive stereo melodies that create a complete a whole new userinterface. The exclusive Stereo Surround Melodies include 4 types of thematicmelodies for powering on/off, and 6 types of interactive melodies for keycontrols.

ASUS Rivals Gigabyte's Ultra Durable 3 with Xtreme Design

ASUS officially launched the Xtreme Design series motherboards today to rival Gigabyte's Ultra Durable 3 which is enjoying some success in the market. ASUS P6TD Deluxe, a X58chipset based board isone of the first motherboard based on the Xtreme Design DNA.

ASUS toutsXtreme Design as No. 1 Performance (Xtreme Phase, TurboV and Turbo Key),No.1 Safety (Anti-EMI)and No. 1 Reliability (Stack Cool3+ and Xtreme Durable Capacitor). For Xtreme Phase, you can head over here for more information. Turbo Keyis just a button on your case where you push to overclock real-time and TurboV is a OC software for your to tune your system performance. For Anti-EMI, ASUS has Electrostatic Discharge (ESD) chips on the board to protect against EMI. For Stack Cool3+, it features the 2oz copper PCB like the Gigabyte's but with better cooling. Lastly, the Xtreme Durable capacitor is like Gigabyte's using Japanese solid capacitors.

The war between ASUS Xtreme Design and Gigabyte Ultra Durable 3 continues...

Official Press Release :

ASUS today announced the Xtreme Design series motherboards featuring ground-breaking design innovations and offering the best in performance and reliability. The Xtreme Design series motherboards delivers exceptional overall system compatibility and enhanced reliability by proficiently managing and reliably controlling core processes operating in the PC. Drawing on two decades of engineering excellence, ASUS believes a genetically superior motherboard DNA will provide the winning formula to surpass current user expectations and industry benchmarks. ASUS leads the industry with designs that optimize overall performance and reliability of PC hardware. In the new Xtreme Design series motherboards, ASUS further raises the bar in motherboard designs for the ultimate in performance, reliability, and safe operations.

Xtreme Reliability for Extended Component Lifespan

Xtreme Design features innovative Stack Cool3+ to enhance motherboard component longevity. It is a feature that was re-engineered from the original copper cooling innovation of the ASUS P5E64 WS motherboard. With the perfect cooperation with Xtreme Design, Stack Cool3+ effectively cools motherboards with an enhanced PCB layer to provide a stable and low operating temperature for optimized data transmissions. By substantially improving heat dissipation, the new series offers users exceptional reliability. This innovation builds on ASUS’ pioneering achievement as the first adopter of innovative cooling technology—which transformed the way motherboards were designed.

Xtreme Performance for Enhanced Power and Throughput

For the ultimate experience in performance, Xtreme Design features Xtreme phase to ensure the most stable and optimized power delivery; and Turbo V for a real-time, dynamic processing boost. Both features allow motherboard enthusiasts to experience optimal power performance under various loading conditions as well as an overwhelming boost of up to 51% in processing throughput.

Xtreme Safety Standards for Minimized Health Impact

Unsurpassed safety standards are incorporated in the Xtreme Design series motherboards for safer operations. By passing stringent Electromagnetic Interference (EMI) testing that is 30% more rigorous than industry benchmarks; the new motherboards have exceptionally low EMI emissions. Together with a low Electrostatic Discharge (ESD) and an I/O bracket called Q-Shield, these features help to significantly reduce any negative health impact and potential damage to components.

Launching Soon: Xtreme Design Series Motherboards with Superior Performance

ASUS will be launching a range of Xtreme Design series motherboards. Among them is the P6TD Deluxe, an enhanced version of the record-breaking, high-performance, X58-based P6T Deluxe motherboard. With an “Xtreme Design” DNA, the new series will appeal to the performance-demanding market and gain more fans by offering superior capabilities and exceptional reliability—traits that discerning users have come to expect from ASUS, the leading name in technology innovation.

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Activision faces 50 percent share price increase

Activision Blizzard may see its share prices skyrocket by as much as 50 percent due to cost-cutting measures and new games, according to a financial newspaper.

Barrons predicts that stock for the game company, responsible for many popular games and franchises like Call of Duty and World of Warcraft, will rise to a price of $17 per share, roughly 50 percent higher than the current value of $11.46, which is already 3 percent higher than the opening price today.Activision shares are down 10 percent this year, largely due to a slowdown in the console market as smartphones and tablet computers lure away some gamers, but if Barrons forecast is correct, Activision will see a major comeback in the second half of the year.One major reason for the positive outlook on Activision shares is its recent deal with Chinas largest internet service provider, Tencent Holdings, to provide online gaming for Call of Duty in the country.The company has also cleared its debt and cut costs, including game cancellations and studio closures, over the past year, freeing it up to buy back some of its own shares earlier this year.Source: Reuters

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ABIT New Corporate Logo

With millions of motherboards sold worldwide, PC enthusiaststurn to ABIT for motherboards and VGA that deliver the performance and stabilitythey need. As a company on the cutting-edge of innovation, ABIT is pleased todisplay its new corporate identity.

"The new corporate identity better reflects where ABIT isheaded in 2004," says ABIT Marketing Director Scott Thirlwell. "Starting earlyin 2003, ABIT made significant changes with the goal of producing the absolutemost durable products available on the market. These changes over the last 14months to components used, testing procedures and manufacturing processes haveplaced ABIT into a position whereby we are confident in saying that ABITquality, reliability, stability and engineering is unmatched in the industry."

Designed for the end-user, ABIT's Advanced Durability bringsgreater responsibility to the motherboard manufacturers in creating durableproducts with quality, reliability and stability engineered for long-term,problem-free use. All of ABIT’s motherboards are Advanced Durability tested andapproved. ABIT looks to all motherboard makers to make a similar durabilitycommitment to the end-user. “Our products have always been known as excellentperformers, but what some users may not realize is that a lot of thought hasalso been put into making them the most durable. We’ve not only chosen thecomponents of the highest quality, but also put our products through extensivereliability and compatibility tests to ensure the very best user experience,”added Customer Service Director John Tsai.

ABIT’s new corporate logo will be used in all of its futuremarketing materials and product packaging.