Nokia Teams With Microsoft Digital Media Format Support

Microsoft and Nokia agreed to long-term collaboration on extended digital media format support. This collaboration includes support for Windows Media® Audio, Windows Media Digital Rights Management (DRM) 10 and Media Transfer Protocol (MTP) on music oriented Nokia handsets, and including support for Open Mobile Alliance (OMA) Digital Rights Management and the MPEG Advanced Audio Coding (AAC) family of codecs in Windows Media Player via a plug-in.

Agreement between Nokia and Mircosoft, announced at the 3GSM World Congress in Cannes, includes long-term collaboration on support on Nokia handsets and Windows Media Player. This dual-technology-stack support from both companies will further broaden the range of music enjoyment choices for consumers and delivery options for content owners and service providers, as well as ensure easy device connection and content flow between Nokia handsets and Windows XP-based PCs.

The mobile music service from Nokia and Loudeye is based on the OMA DRM and MPEG AAC standards and enables a wireless operator's customers to search, listen, download and pay for music using an operator branded music application on their mobile device. Windows Media Player is used for the PC component of the music solution, and wireless operators will be able to brand their music service when it is integrated into the Windows Media Player.

"This agreement makes it easier for consumers to download music they want to listen to, without having to worry about whether or not the file format is supported - it's all about enabling choice without compromising compatibility," said Anssi Vanjoki, Executive Vice President and General Manager, Multimedia Business Group, Nokia. "The broad reaching popularity of Windows Media Player, its comprehensive feature set and support for service integration made it a natural choice for us when looking at the PC component of the mobile music solution we are offering to mobile operators."

"Microsoft and Nokia recognize that interoperability and ease of use are crucial to delivering a seamless consumer experience and enabling digital music to be enjoyed on the move," said Amir Majidimehr, corporate vice president of the Windows Digital Media Division at Microsoft. "This agreement marks the beginning of a collaborative effort that will greatly enhance the mobile phone as a personal music device, and help realize our vision of digital entertainment anywhere."

Starting immediately, operators can provide their customers access and download of music using the mobile music solution from Nokia and Loudeye, allowing instant access to purchase content through Nokia handsets or Windows XP-based PCs. By supporting MTP on their handsets, Nokia is ensuring consumers have a simple and easy sync experience with their phones when transferring music to and from Windows XP-based PCs using Windows Media Player.

Dell announces official availability of Android-powered Venue smartphone in Singapore

Do you remember the new Dell-related article we posted three months ago? You know, the one where Dell was showing off its Dell Streak 7 and Venue at a media lunch shortly after Chinese New Year and proclaiming that both smartphones will be making their way down to Singapore "in the next couple of months"? Well, it turns out that the staff at Dell were apparently not very good with dates, as it has already been three months since that incident, and there is still no sight of the elusive Streak 7 tablet and Venue smartphone that should have already arrived based on Dells estimations.

However, patience is always a virtue, and it seems that today is the day where three long months of waiting where finally paid off, for Dell has just confirmed in a press release that the Venue is still on track for a local launch, and will be available for sale to consumers from May 14.

According to Dell, the Venue will sport a 4.1-inch AMOLED touchscreen display that utilizes the tough Gorilla Glass to protect against scratches, along with an eight-megapixel rear-facing camera, while processing power is supplied by Qualcomms 1GHz Snapdragon system-on-a-chip (SoC).On the software side, Dell has confirmed that the Venue will be preloaded with the same proprietary Stage user interfacethat was present on its five-inch Streak tablet, along with version 2.2 (aka Froyo) of the Android operating system.

Unfortunately, the company had conveniently neglected to mention whether it will be providing the smartphone with an upgrade path to Gingerbread or not. As such, users who are keen on replacing their current smartphones with Venue will have to decide whether they are willing to live with this little uncertainty until Dell decides to issue an official statement pertaining to this issue. However, if the thought of getting a smartphone that may potentially have no upgrade path to Gingerbread is of little concern to you, the Venue can be yours at the recommended retail price of S$738 when it is officially available for sale on May 14.And yes, it can be purchased with carrier subsidies from all three local telcos.

DreamWorks releases an open source software

The software DreamWorks is being given away as an open source license is called OpenVDB. DreamWorks states at their download site,

The OpenVDB library comprises a hierarchical data structure and a suite of tools for the efficient manipulation of sparse, possibly time-varying, volumetric data discretized on a three-dimensional grid. It is based on VDB, which was developed by Ken Museth at DreamWorks Animation, and it offers an effectively infinite 3D index space, compact storage (both in memory and on disk), fast data access (both random and sequential), and a collection of algorithms specifically optimized for the data structure for common tasks such as filtering, CSG, compositing, numerical simulation, sampling, and voxelization from other geometric representations.

A November 22 on-line issue of the Wall Street Journal quotes a Mr. David Prescott who worked as a visual-effects supervisor for the "Guardians” animation after some were curious why DreamWorks would give away free software. Prescott stated that a release of the software was done in hopes that it would be adopted as an industry standard and possibly get adapted in other software company tool kit features, which would in turn benefit DreamWorks. The article goes on to state that open source releases of special animation software isn’t unique to DreamWorks and noted that Lucasfilm Ltd. and Sony Pictures both have released their own software as well.

To learn more about the free software download, you can check out the DreamWorks site here and learn more about it.

GC 2009 Date de sortie de Dark Void

Non content de vous avoir ravitaillé en images de Dark Void ce matin, Capcom vous offre également la date de sortie de son jeu tout rempli de jet pack. C'est donc le 12 janvier que le titre sortira aux Etats-Unis, 3 jours avant son arrivée en Europe.

Dark Void PS3

Dark Void 360

Dark Void PC

EPoX Boards Ready For Sempron

Leveraging existing platforms to support value segments, AMD released a newline of processors, Sempron™ that serves the needs of the basic PC market. EPoXat the same time released Sempron™ supported mainboard list for selection.

The initial AMD Sempron processor supports multi-platforms, ranging from SocketA, Socket 754 and Socket 939. It also integrates 256KB of L2 cache and supportsonly 32-bit OS, differencing from Athlon 64-bit CPU. As supporting Socket754/939, users can easily upgrade from 32-bit platform to 64-bit, the nextgeneration platform, while keeping the same hardware and maintaining the mostcost effective performance.

Sempron is invented from Latin Semper. "Semper", Latin for "always", is morecommonly used in the phrase "Semper fidelis", or "semper fi", meaning alwaysfaithful. As its name suggested, AMD Sempron™ processors are being developed tomeet the evolving day-to-day needs of home and business PC users. The newoffering is able to run over 60,000 of the worlds most popular applicationsflawlessly and deliver maximum performance on the mainstream applications, suchas web browsing, email, and word processing, even downloading and playing music.Also, it is optimized for Microsoft Windows XP Professional, and is compatiblewith Windows XP Home Edition/98/ME/NT/2000, as well as Linux and other PCoperation systems.

The AMD Sempron™ processor is set to redefine everyday computing. It is at thehead of its class for all of the most important performance measurements.Sempron™ 2800+ had been proved being 106% outperformed its counterparts. Tofulfill the demand for Sempron™ s market, EPoX released a list of mainboardmodels that support Sempron™ processor.

AMDSempron™ (Thoroughbred) Supported Mainboard List

Model

Chipset

Model

Chipset

1

EP-8KDA3+

nForce3 250Gb

10

EP-8HDA5+

K8T800

2

EP-8KDA3J

nForce3 250Gb

11

EP-8KRAI

KT600

3

EP-8RDA6+ Pro

nForce2 Ultra400Gb

12

EP-8K9A7I

KT400A

4

EP-8RDA+ Pro

nForce2 Ultra400

13

EP-8KMM5+

KM400A

5

EP-8RDA3+ Pro

nForce2 Ultra400

14

EP-8KMM5I

KM400A

6

EP-8RDA3I Pro

nForce2 Ultra400

15

EP-8KMM3I

KM400

7

EP-8RGM3I

nFore2IGP

Final Fantasy IV headed for iOS December 20th

Phone-based gamers and Final Fantasy fans will be happy to know that Final Fantasy IV will be released for iOS within the month – December 20th, to be exact. Though there wasnt an official release announcement from Square Enix, both the publisher and iTunes have advertised for the game on their respective websites.

Now, the game is technically a remake of the original – it will have additional content in the form of mini-games, bug fixes, and other improvements. The game will even have 3D graphics and a new translation. Not bad for a iOS release, considering the version for the Nintendo DS was released all the way back in 2008.

Theres a bit of sad news when it comes to Android owners, as the game will not have the same release date for them. Theyll be getting the short end of the stick, as the release date is lost somewhere in 2013. Not a great Christmas for Android owners.

The price may be a little off-putting – once the initial launch price has ended, its estimated to go up to a little over $17. Thats quite a bit to be set back for an iOS game, especially not an original game. Perhaps Square Enix thinks itll really draw in the crowds. Or the niche group. In any case, the fellow over there are trying to weigh things out by cutting prices of other final Fantasy titles. If you head over to the App Store, you can see that FF1 and FF2 are both only $4 instead of their normal $9. A bit of relief on the wallet, but doesnt quite make up for the loss on the new release.

Check out the App Store on December 20th if youre interested - you can get that gamer in your life a nostalgic gift theyll enjoy... and if that gamer just happens to be you, so be it!

News Source: Phones Review and EGM Now

Analyst says Apple can sell as many as 10 million iPhone 5 in the first week

Apple is setting itself up for one of its best iPhone launch outings ever, and according to an analyst from Piper Jaffray, as many as 10 million iPhone 5s can fly off the shelves within the first week alone!

Recently, expectations for iPhone 5 first quarter sales were somewhere in the range of 22-23 million devices, but that number can bloom to around 30 million if what the analyst predicts hold true.

There will be an Apple press event on September 12 to announce something that’s “almost here.” So we will probably see soon enough whether or not the iPhone 5 will sell like grains during a famine.

If Apple’s track record means anything, then no one should really doubt that the iPhone 5 won’t have impressive sales within the first week. Last year, Apple sold 4 million iPhone 4S in just the first three days!

Apple is already one of the world’s most valuable companies, and if everything goes well for the firm in the coming months (especially with the iPad mini looming in the background) then we may witness the birth of the first company ever to reach the trillion dollar market cap.

Apple probably can't stop June 21 launch of Samsung Galaxy S III

Last Friday, Apples lawyers were threatening to file a temporary restraining order on Samsungs Galaxy S III to stop the device from going on sale on June 21, its launch date. Now that is hardly likely to happen.

Among the other Apple vs. Samsung cases that are going on right now in the United States, Apple was hoping that Judge Lucy Koh would make a preliminary injunction request for the Samsung Halaxy S III, to add to an existing pile of similar requests which Apple has made for Samsung products.

But, according to a report by Reuters, Judge Koh ruled that the requests would "overload her calendar". A date of July 30 has already been set for the trial on the previous Galaxy cases.

While Apple could still theoretically request a ban for a separate hearing date, it most likely wont be able to do so before the June 21 launch of the Galaxy S III in the U.S.

Its no secret that Apple thinks Samsung products are generally shameless ripoffs of their own. In the case of the Samsung Galaxy S III, a Samsung lawyer commented that Apple is only trying to "prevent a phone from getting to the public that is better than Apples in many, many respects."

"U.S. District Judge Lucy Koh in San Jose, California, effectively dashed Apples hopes of stopping the launch of Samsung Electronics Co Ltds new Galaxy S III smartphone, which also runs on Android. Koh had said Apples push to get a court order blocking the June 21 launch would overload her calendar… Koh last week said Apple could ask for a temporary restraining order against the Galaxy S III phone, but that would likely delay the trial over a Galaxy tablet and other smartphones. In her order on Monday, the judge said Apple would have to request a new hearing date if it wanted to stop sales of the Galaxy S III phone. That likely would not take place before the phones scheduled launch. Apple has not said what its next move will be."

-Reuters

Source:9to5mac

ASUS Dual GeForce 6800 Ultra GPUs Card

Discuss

ASUS X61Gx

The ASUS X61Gx notebook is designed for users who desire both high definition audio visual entertainment and extensive multitasking capabilities on the move. It is quintessentially trendy, imbued with Infusion styling that sets it apart from conventional notebook design. The X61Gx features Nvidia GeForce 9400M dedicated graphics that provide users with powerful graphics performance.

The ASUS X61Gx comes standard with high definition audio quality and a 16:9 Full High Definition (HD) display that providesincredible visual clarity and vibrant colors like that of a top-end entertainment system.

A newly adopted ‘Chocolate’ keyboard continues in the same functional vein by providing users with concave keys that fit the contours of the users’ fingers, offering excellent rebounding elasticity to ease typing over long durations.

The X61Gx also features the ASUS Express Gate, allowing users to boot up quickly and granting them instantaneous access to a built-in icon-based operating system that runs commonly-used applications such as Skype™, a music player, an email client and an Internet browser.

Specifications:
X61Gx (X61Gx20PYI32DPM)

•Intel® Core™2 Duo Processor Penryn T6400 (2.0GHz, 800MHz, 2MB L2)
•Genuine Windows Vista Home Premium
•nVidia GeForce 9400M with up to 256MB shared
•16” HD (1366x768) Colorshine & Crystalshine LCD; 16:9 aspect ratio
•2GB DDR2 RAM – DDR2 800MHz
•320GB SATA HDD
•DVD SuperMulti Double Layer Drive
•Integrated Bluetooth 2.0
•Built-in 1.3 Mega Pixels web-camera & Card reader
•Warranty: 2 years global warranty

Price: SGD1,398 (GST Included)
Availability: From 12th March 09 onwards

ASUS DSL-N10 2-in-1 ADSL modem and router with high-gain antenna for extended range

ASUS Press Release

Product highlights

The large, high-gain 5dBi external antenna provides greater Wi-Fi coverage than the 2dBi antennae typically used in wireless home routers, which means the DSL-N10’s signal extends to every room of a home or office environment.

Multiple SSIDs allow users to create up to four independent wireless networks with completely separate security and bandwidth prioritization (QoS) settings.

True plug-n-surf set up with an intuitive graphical user interface, three-step auto-detection of an ISP’s ADSL settings and WPS support for wireless devices.

Taipei, Taiwan — Home Wi-Fi users plagued by poor network coverage will be well served by the new DSL-N10 from ASUS. This combined ADSL modem and 802.11n Wi-Fi router features a high-gain 5dBi antenna for significantly greater signal range, which means users can enjoy wider wireless network coverage even in hard-to-reach locations.

Enhanced security through four separate SSIDs

The DSL-N10 further enhances wireless security with support for four SSIDs. These allow up to four independent wireless networks to be created, each with their own performance and security settings. As an example, users can operate a secure, high-bandwidth network for personal use alongside a more open, low-bandwidth network for guests, without compromising data privacy.

Compact design, simple set up

The compact design of the DSL-N10 makes it suitable for use in any room, while its ISP auto-detect setting means users will be online within seconds of plugging in to a wall socket. The graphical user interface makes network configuration simple, while WPS (Wireless Protected Setup) makes it easy to set up secure wireless connections between the router and other devices.

Optimized performance for all network applications

ASUS EZQoS settings also enable fast and easy prioritization of network traffic according to need, so low-latency applications like VoIP and online gaming remain free from the lag created by large file downloads.

Specifications

Wi-Fi: IEEE802.11b, 802.11g, 802.11n

ADSL: ANSI T1.413 Issue 2, ITU-T G.992.1 Annex A (G.dmt), ITU-T G.992.2 (G.lite), ITU-T G.994.1 (G.hs), ITU-T G.992.3 (G.dmt.bis), ITU-T G.992.5 Annex A/M

WAN ADSL: 1x RJ11

LAN Ethernet: 4x 10/100Mbps RJ-45

Management: Web-based GUI configuration, Auto VPI/VCI detection, Diagnostics, Configuration backup and restore, Log and trace function

Utilities: ADSL settings wizard, Firmware restoration, Device discovery

Security: Built-in NAT and SPI firewall port, IP packet, URL, MAC filter

Encryption: WEP/TKIP/AES/WPA/WPA2, WPS (Wi-Fi Protected Setup)

Operating frequency: 2.4GHz

Data rate: Up to 24Mbps for ADSL 2/2+, Up to 150Mbps for Wi-Fi link

Wi-Fi channels: 13

Buttons: Wireless on/off, WPS, reset

Antenna: External 5dBi (detachable)

DC power adapter: AC input - 100-240V (50-60Hz), DC output - 12V/1A

ASUS To Roll Out 5 Models Of Classmate PCs

ASUS will roll out five types of low-priced PCs embedded with Intel`s Classmate platform in second half this year, posing heat to Quanta Computer in the competition in low-priced PC market. The five computer types ASUS will introduce are priced at US$ 199, US$ 249, US$ 299, US$ 399 and US$ 549 each. ASUS will contract AU Optronics to supply seven-inch LCD display screens for the computers. Industry watchers expect competition in low-priced PC market to heat up in the second half this year after the two heavyweight PC makers begin shipping the products.

ATi Overclocking Policy

Apple relaxes on repair policy for faulty iPods with liquid sensor triggered

Liquid Contact Indicator (LCI) can be found at the bottom of the headphone port of the iPods, and also on iPhones, iPads, iPods, and MacBooks. When come in contact with liquid, the LCI turns from white (or silver) to pinkish red. Obviously, the sensor is designed to help Apple technicians determine if the Apple product has been damaged due to water or other problems. But it seems that the LCI may have a tendency to give a false indication due tohumidity and other factors when the Apple products may not actually have had any contact with liquid. And Apple has been rather strict on repairing the device because of the LCI.

Thankfully, the company has lightened their repair policies and honor repairs of iPods with triggered LSI but has no external signs of damage,provided they are still under Apple's warranty.

Source: AppleInsider

ASUS Uses SiS671FX On P5S-MX SE Board

SiS today proudly announced that the SiS671FX, which is integrated with theMirage™ 3 graphics engine, has been implemented in the ASUS P5S-MX SEmotherboard. ASUS P5S-MX SE is fully compatible with Windows® Vista™ and hasofficially been launched in the market.

ASUS, as one of the leading motherboard makers, highly appreciates theperformance of the SiS671FX chipset. Therefore, P5S-MX SE motherboard isequipped with the SiS671FX chipset aiming to perfectly release the power of thesystem.

Based on the SiS671FX chipset, ASUS P5S-MX SE motherboard supports FSB1066/800/533MHz Intel® Core™ 2 Duo/ Pentium® D/ Pentium® 4/ Celeron processors.It also supports DDR2-667 memory and allows up to 5.4GB/s of transmissionbandwidth. With SiS’s proprietary HyperStreaming™ technology, the SiS671FXenables to optimize the performance of the entire computer system. It smartlymanages the data streaming to flow effortlessly between the North Bridge andSouth Bridge, from the peripherals to the core logic chipsets, to the front sidebus, to the memory and to the graphic interface. The Mirage™3 graphics engine isalso integrated in the SiS671FX chipset to support 2D and 3D playback. TheMirage™3 graphics engine smoothes the image quality of the system when playinggames or watching DVDs. Moreover, the SiS671FX chipset equips one PCI Expressx16 slot which allows up to 4GB/s of bandwidth for each direction. Gamers do notneed to worry about further upgrading.

The SiS968 Southbridge is paired with the SiS671FX to strengthen the P5S-MX SEmotherboard. It supports PCI Express x1 interface, provides two high-speedSerial ATA connectors to speed up the data transmission process, and increasesthe stability of the system by supporting RAID0 and RAID1. Enabling users toenjoy Dolby digital and surrounding effects, the SiS968 supports 6-channel HighDefinition Audio. Also, the SiS968 has built-in 10/100Mbps Ethernet controllerfor Internet usage. Moreover, the SiS968 supports S/PDIF (Sony/Philips digitalInterface) to provide perfect digital signals by connecting PC with homeentertainment devices.

“The SiS671FX has received overwhelming responses from worldwide customers. Weforesee the great success will keep going and has a fruitful result.” said byDaniel Chen, CEO and the President of SiS.

ASUS to introduce MARS II and Matrix for GTX 580

The ASUS Matrix GTX 580 model comes in two versions, Standard and Platinum. The standard version offers a 10MHz overclock in the core frequency from the reference GTX 580, while the Platinum version offers a 44MHz overclock. Thereare also additional features on the card itself shown in the image above: TweakIt (instant voltage adjustment), ProbeIt (instant voltage measurement) and Safe Mode Button (reset settings instantly).

The ASUS MARS II GTX 580 X2 model will feature two pieces of GF110 (GTX 580). The core frequency and memory frequency have not been revealed at this point in time. Memory size of the graphics card is said to be 3GB. Similar with the Matrix and other high end models from ASUS, the MARS II will also come with the DirectCu design which offers better temperatures.

ModelCore FrequencyShader FrequencyMemory FrequencyMemory Size

MemoryInterface

Reference GTX 580772MHz1544MHz4008MHz1.5GB384-bitASUS Matrix GTX 580 Standard782MHz1564MHz4008MHz1.5GB384-bitASUS Matrix GTX 580 Platinum816MHz1632MHz4008MHz1.5GB384-bitASUS MARS II GTX 580 X2TBATBATBA3.0GB2 x 384-bit

Sources: PCTuning, XFastest.

ASUS unveils AMD powered U82U 14-inch Ultra Thin Laptop

ASUS is preparing a new "Ultra Thin" notebook for market which would have otherwise been referred to as an ultrabook if not for the AMD powered internals. The upcoming U82U uses AMDs E-450 APU comprising two Bobcat cores running at 1.65GHz and Radeon HD 6320 graphics.

The notebook has a 14-inch sized display, while internally it comes equipped with 2GB of RAM out of the box (with support for up to 8GB), a 500GB mechanical HDD, a couple USB 3.0 ports. HDMI output and an 8-cell battery.

Without doubt this slim AMD alternative to the ultrabook realm will be a cheaper route to take, but at this stage we are yet to hear of a release date or exact price point.

Source: Netbooknews

ASUS Eee Pad Slider at TICA 2011

ASUS showcased some of their latest products which include the Eee Pad Slider (shown above), the ultra-thin laptop - U46SV,Eee PC X101H,ET2410INTS All-In-One PC,CM6850 desktop and PA246Q monitor.

Above: ASUS U46SV ultra-thin laptop, 14" 1366 x 768 display, Intel i5 2520M Processor, up to 8GB DDR3 ram, NVIDIA GeForce GT 540M graphics card, up to 750GB HDD, weighs 2kg and measures 333 x 245 x 27mm.

Above: ASUS Eee PC X101H netbook

Above: ASUS ET2410INTS All-In-One PC, 23.6" 1920 x 1080 touch screen display, Intel i5-2400S Processor, up to 8GB ram, NVIDIA GeForce GT 540M graphics card, up to 2TB SATA 6Gbps HDD, weighs 10.8kg and measures 590 x 461 x 230mm.

Above:CM6850 desktop, Intel H67 chipset, Intergrated Graphics Card or ATI HD 6450 or NVIDIA GT 530.

Above:PA246Q monitor, 24" 1920 x 1200 display, 400cd/m2 brightness, 6ms response time, weighs 7.3kg and measures 558.4 x 380.8 x 235mm.

See more specifications at the ASUS website:-
U46SV, ET2410INTS All-In-One PC,CM6850 desktop, PA246Q monitor.

Source: Xfastest

ASUS Extreme AX850 Series

ASUSTeK today introduced the Extreme AX850 graphics card series. Powered bytoday’s most powerful 16-lane PCI Express VPU, ATi RADEON® 850, and incorporatedunique features available exclusively from ASUS. The Extreme AX850 seriesprovides the best visual experience compared with other competing graphicscards.

“We are pleased to be working with ASUS to deliver the world’s best PCI Expressgraphics solutions,” said Rick Bergman, Senior Vice President, Marketing,General Manager, Desktop, ATI Technologies Inc. “With the introduction of theASUS EAX850 series powered by ATI’s RADEON® 850, ATI and ASUS are enablingcustomers to experience the full benefits of PCI Express.”

The new graphics card series incorporated innovative features exclusively fromASUS:

GameFace Live – Talk to and see your teammates
GameFace Live is the world’s first multi-player, video/audio communicationsolutions for DirectX PC gaming. It enables simultaneous connection of up toeight players, allowing gamers to talk to and see their teammates or the enemyduring PC gaming.

OnScreenDisplay (OSD) – Fast setting adjustment
This feature allows users to adjust general settings such as brightness andcontrast levels, VR settings and extra light settings while watching movies orplaying 3D games without having to pause or even stop.

VideoSecurity Online– Set up a home security system
Simply aim the webcam to a specific area and this unique feature will monitorthat location, take snap shots of any unauthorized visitors and send out warningmessages to preprogrammed recipients via e-mail or phone call.

Also included are two of the hottest 3D games:

Joint Operations – the largest multiplayer Modern Combat FPS game ever released.
Xpand Rally – Race with powerful rally cars amidst photo-realistic sceneries.

AMD Llano APU is Shipping

In fact, Llano (as part of the Sabine platform) has been shipping since late March, as suggested by the above picture - a celebration at AMDs Singapore branch.

While AMD remains silent about when we can expect the OEMs to ship systems with A-series APUs, rumours suggest we can see Sabine based laptops as early as May. Of course, we can certainly expect the notebook and desktop worlds, OEM and retail, to be flooded with A-series Fusion APUs within this quarter, by June. Rumours suggest AMD has notched up an impressive number of design wins for its A-series APUs.

Despite being so close to release, we dont know much about Llano and its Sabine platform and Socket FM1, beyond a tentative line-upand some performance demos by AMD.

AMDs Llano release is now expected to be closely followed by its next-gen CPU release, FX-Series (Bulldozer) in what is a crucial few months for AMD.

Source: AMD Blogs

ASUS My Cinema-EHD3-100 NAQ FM AV MCE RC PCI-express Dual TV card

Taipei, Taiwan, May 11, 2009 – ASUS today announced the launch ofits new ASUS My Cinema-EHD3-100/NAQ/FM/AV/MCE RC PCI-express Dual TV card. Designed for users seeking to watch and record both digital (ATSC/QAM) and analog (NTSC) TV channels simultaneously without taking a CPU hit, the ASUS My Cinema-EHD3-100/NAQ/FM/AV/MCE RC is embedded with a MPEG2 hardware encoder that dramatically reduces CPU loading while guaranteeing high quality video.

The Premier Solution for High Quality PC TV Watching
The ASUS My Cinema-EHD3-100/NAQ/FM/AV/MCE RC allows users to watch and record high quality digital (ATSC/QAM) and analog (NTSC) TV programs on their PCs simultaneously. Utilizing the PCI Express x1 interface, it boasts transmission speeds of up to 500MB/s - almost 3 times faster than that of a conventional PCI bus which runs at 133MB/s - ensuring silky smooth pictures regardless of the broadcast content. The ASUS My Cinema-EHD3-100/NAQ/FM/AV/MCE RC also utilizes less CPU resources, thanks to its in-built MPEG2 hardware encoder, allowing users to watch TV while surfing the Internet without impacting the performance of either. Furthermore, the ASUS My Cinema-EHD3-100/NAQ/FM/AV/MCE RC is equipped with noise reduction technology, providing clearer images and delivering the best video quality, bar none.

Dual TV: Enjoy Digital and Analog TV at the Same Time
The ASUS My Cinema-EHD3-100/NAQ/FM/AV/MCE RC ingeniously integrates the capabilities of analog and digital TV receivers. With it, users will be able to view one digital or one analog TV channel, watch an analog or digital TV channel while recording another channel, or record two different channels at the same time.

A Multimedia Entertainment Center in a Card
The ASUS My Cinema-EHD3-100/NAQ/FM/AV/MCE RC also supports FM radio playback,and comes with a Microsoft certified Media Center remote control which enables users to switch channels and record programs with just one convenient click.

Exclusive ASUS GadgeTV Technology for Windows Vista®
The ASUS My Cinema-EHD3-100/NAQ/FM/AV/MCE RC also offers a unique solution for users who love keeping a constant eye on what’s going on on TV even while engaged in other PC-based activities. Dubbed ASUS GadgeTV, this nifty widget adds a small window on the Windows Vista sidebar, allowing users to watch, record and take snapshots of live TV directly from their sidebars. Users can easily enlarge the screen size by pulling the widget onto the main desktop. With ASUS GadgeTV, users will never miss a favorite moment.

Key Features
- Utilizes the PCI-Express port for faster data transmission
- Enhances multitasking through an in-built hardware MPEG2 encoder that significantly reduces CPU load
- Delivers the best video quality through hardware noise reduction technology
- Enables users to watch analog or digital TV (or digital TV through a standard coaxial cable) and record another channel, or record two different channels at the same time
- Adds a convenient TV widget on the Windows Vista sidebar upon startup, powered by ASUS GadgeTV Technology
- Comes with a remote control kit for easy channel surfing
- Equipped with FM radio capabilities
- Sports dual AV inputs for capturing external sources
- Turns the PC into a private security system with ASUS VideoSecurity Online Technology

Source: ASUS

ARM Multi-Core Processors Info

ARM has tipped sparse details of plans for a next-generation processor a follow on to the three processor cores the comprise the Cortex series. ARM has signed a licensee for a next-generation processor during an analysts' conference and indicated the processor would adhere to the same ARMv7 instruction set architecture as Cortex processors and it would take about 18 months for the design to complete and come to silicon.

Gran Turismo 6 Kazunori Yamauchi a retenu la leçon

On apprend toujours à être meilleur à travers ses erreurs. Et il n'y a que ceux qui ne font rien qui ne se trompent pas. Ca suffira pour les petites phrases toutes faites qui pourraient servir de crédo à Mr Yamauchi.

Le développeur vedette de Polyphony Digital vient de confirmer la mise en chantier de Gran Turismo 6, la célèbre série de simulation automobile. Toutefois, notre homme se souvient parfaitement des multiples retards du cinquième opus qui aura mis plusieurs années à atterrir sur nos PS3. Ainsi, il déclare qu'aucune date de sortie ne sera dévoilée lors d'événements publics pour éviter toute bisbille avec la communauté des joueurs.

Polyphony Digital adopte donc la formule "when it's done" de Blizzard et ce n'est peut-être pas plus mal.

NB : l'image de cette news est tirée de Gran Turismo 5

· Forum Gran Turismo 6

2012-12-21-469

A-DATA Preps NH03 USB 3.0 External HDD for Release

A-Data is preparing to release its first 3.5" external USB 3.0 HDD, thestylish looking NH03.



Measuring 150 x 48 x 178mm and weighing 1kg, the well-ventilatedexternal device features 256-bit AES encryption, a one-touch backupbutton, and a USB 3.0 interface supporting data transfer rates of up to140 Mb/s. Available in capacities up to 2Tb, the NH03 comes bundled withHDDtoGO, OStoGO and a 60-day trial Norton Internet Security 2010.Backed by a three year warranty, it is expected to start shipping soon.


News via [Techpowerup]