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move is particularly interesting given strained relations between the two companies after Steve Jobs dismissed Flash as outdated and insecure.Apple launched iAd in 2010 in an attempt to monopolise on the potential ad revenue that could be made from the booming smartphone and tablet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.

2012-12-21-443

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

2012-12-21-360

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.