VR-Zone's PSU Testing Station Mark II Upgrades

July 1st, 2012 Published by: VR-Zone
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Behind the scenes: VR-Zone's
PSU Testing Station Mark II
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/behind-the-scenes-vr-zone-s-psu-
testing-station-mark-ii/16485.html
July 1st, 2012
Here at VR-Zone we continuously strive to provide you
with the highest quality and most accurate product reviews.
Thoroughly and accurately testing a power supply is a
complicated matter, not only because the testing has to
be done in a controlled environment and with full control
over the power load but also because laboratory grade
instruments have to be used for taking readings. For
that purpose, we performed major hardware and software
upgrades on the testing station that we have been using for
the past couple of years. In order to be able to fully control
our testing procedures and emulate real world conditions
as closely as possible, we upgraded our reading instruments
and replaced our resistive loads with fully electronic loads,
thus achieving quality and accuracy in line with the most
expensive of power supply testers currently available.
In VR-Zone we continuously strive to provide you with
the highest quality and most accurate product reviews.
Thoroughly and accurately testing a power supply is a
complicated matter, not only because the testing has to
be done in a controlled environment and with full control
over the power load but also because laboratory grade
instruments have to be used for taking readings.
For that purpose, we performed major hardware and
software upgrades on the testing station that we have been
using for the past couple of years. In order to be able
to fully control our testing procedures and emulate real
world conditions as closely as possible, we upgraded our
reading instruments and replaced our resistive loads with
fully electronic loads, thus achieving quality and accuracy
in line with the most expensive of power supply testers
currently available.
In order to create a real-world environment for our testing
we decided to modify and use a common SECC steel tower
case for housing the power supplies during our testing.
Inside the case we installed three Watlow Firerods, rated at
500W power each, the output of which is being controlled
by a common AC rheostat.
The stock rheostat and its axle have been replaced with
a multi-turn precision rheostat for accuracy, driven by a
DC motor with a modified speed control circuit which is
controlled by our CompuLAB interface and custom software.
In layman's terms, we only have to enter our desired ambient
temperature in our software and it automatically adjusts the
power of the Firerods to match it throughout our testing.

7
Apple Users Unlikely To
Switch
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/apple-users-unlikely-to-
switch/16487.html
July 1st, 2012
A study by Goldman Sachs has shown that, not only are
iOS users unlikely to switch from Apple's products to a
competitor's products, but that they are also extremely
valuable to the company, making up nearly half of the
company's market cap.
One analyst, Bill Shope at Goldman Sachs, has estimated
the value of loyal Apple users, which are unlikely to switch
to another platform, at nearly $295 billion. In a note to
investors on Friday, the analyst said that he believes the
average iOS customer is worth $1,053, assuming the average
selling price of an iOS device is $535 with an erosion of
5%, a gross margin of 45%, and annual defections of 5%.
Sharpe wrote that, without considering content, services,
peripherals or growth potential, his valuation implies a
value of nearly $295 billion for the current install base.
That represents roughly 55% of Apple’s current market cap,
before including the $110 billion cash balance the company
has, a continuously growing install base or the Mac and iPod
businesses.
Goldman Sachs also conducted a survey of 1,000 iOS users,
which found that 21% of respondents would never defect
from Apple’s platform, regardless of discounts. More than
half of those who would switch, however, said they would
need a discount of greater than 30% in order to do so. 71% of
respondents said they were “highly likely” to choose Apple
for their next tablet or smartphone; only 1% were “unlikely”
to stick with Apple.
Possible Half-Life 3 concept
art
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/possible-half-life-3-concept-
art/16488.html
July 1st, 2012
It has been almost five years since Valve released Half-Life
2: Episode 2, and up until now there have been very little
signs that Valve will continue or is working on another Half-
Life game. A few days ago, however, some supposed leaked
concept art of the next Half-Life surfaced via Valve Time.
It has been almost five years since Valve released Half-Life
2: Episode 2, and up until now there have been very little
signs that Valve will continue or is working on another Half-
Life game. A few days ago, however, some supposed leaked
concept art of the next Half-Life surfaced via Valve Time.
The concept art doesn't reveal much about what Valve may
have in mind for the next Half-Life because most of the

8
pictures are depictions of Alyx Vance and some apparel for
enduring cold weather. The ending of Half-Life 2: Episode
2 suggested that Freeman and Vance were heading to the
Borealis, hence, the crashed helicopter in the snow and some
snuggly outfits.
You can check out all the concept art via this Facebook page,
and follow this steam forum thread and decide for yourself if
Valve is indeed working on another Half-Life title. We have
reached out to Valve concerning the concept art, but have
not received any response. We’ll update if and when Valve
decide to reply.
ASUS Readies Dragon HD
7850 DirectCU II Graphics
Card
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/asus-readies-dragon-hd-7850-
directcu-ii-graphics-card/16484.html
July 1st, 2012
ASUS unveiled pictures of its Radeon HD 7850 DirectCU II
Dragon Edition graphics card. The new SKU is designed for
specific markets, and is expected to be priced on par with
reference clock speed models, perhaps even replacing the
HD 7850 DirectCU II. Factory overclocked speeds, and a
revamped DirectCU II cooler give it the edge, even as it steers
clear of the HD 7850 DirectCU TOP.
Regardless of how high-end graphics card SKUs fare in the
markets, it's the cost-performance "sweetspot" SKUs ($150-
$250), that provide bread and butter to GPU makers.As
NVIDIA readies new GPUs for this segment in its GeForce
GTX 600 series, AMD wants to make the most out of its
current offerings. As part of its efforts, it recently altered
the reference clock speeds of SKUs such as HD 7750.
ASUS is ready with a new custom-design graphics card
targeting select markets (Greater China region is one such
market), which offers factory-overclocked speeds and noise-
optimized cooling at prices comparable to those of some of
the most affordable Radeon HD 7850 graphics cards in the
market, perhaps even replacing its own Radeon HD 7850
DirectCU II (reference clocks) graphics card. It is named
Dragon HD 7850 DirectCU II. To sweeten the deal in the
immensely competitive market segment, ASUS tossed in a
few goodies.
To begin with, the ASUS Dragon HD 7850 DirectCU
II (SKU: DRAGON HD7850-DC2O-2GD5) features slightly
differerent board and cooler designs from those of the ASUS
HD 7850 DirectCU II reference (HD7850-DC2-2GD5) and
ASUS HD 7850 DirectCU II TOP (HD7850-DC2T-2GD5).
The PCB features a strong 6 + 2 + 1 phase VRM, which
consists of ASUS' SuperAlloy chokes (don't whine on
load), high-grade LFPAK MOSFETs, Japanese condunctive
polymer capacitors, tantalum capacitors, and Digi+ VRM
controller (likely rebadged CHiL CHL8318), which works
with the included GPU Tweak software to provide software
voltage control. The card draws power from two 6-pin PCIe
power connectors
The cooling assembly of the ASUS Dragon HD 7850
DirectCU II is a slight variation of the cooler featured on the
other HD 7850 DirectCU II cards. While its top stage (shroud
and two 80 mm fans) is identical, the heatsink beneath
is different, in that it appears to make use of five greatly
S-shaped 8 mm-thick nickel-plated copper heat pipes to
convey heat from the GPU to the aluminum fin stack. In
the other HD 7850 DirectCU II cards, there are just three 8
mm-thick heat pipes, which pass through the length of the
heatsink.
While the aluminum fins are stacked along the length of the
PCB in this design, they are arranged along the height of
the PCB, in the older HD 7850 DirectCU II cooling solution.
The aluminum fins themselves feature a curvy, turbulence-
inducing design, for better heat dissipation. Beneath the
main heatsink is a base plate heatsink that draws heat from
the VRM MOSFETs and memory chips. Although there are
no hot components on the reverse side of the PCB (that
we know of), ASUS strapped the PCB with a back-plate,
complete with a "hot surface" caution sticker.

9
The ASUS Dragon HD 7850 DirectCU II comes with clock
speeds that are higher than AMD reference specifications,
but lower than those of the HD 7850 DirectCU II TOP. The
GPU is clocked at 910 MHz, and the memory at 1250 MHz
(5.00 GHz GDDR5 effective), against AMD reference clock
speeds of 860/4800 MHz. It packs 2 GB of GDDR5 memory,
across a 256-bit wide memory interface. Based on the 28 nm
"Pitcairn" silicon, the Radeon HD 7850 is armed with 1,024
Graphics CoreNext stream processors. Display outputs have
changed with the ASUS Dragon HD 7850 DirectCU II,
compared to the other HD 7850 DirectCU II models. This
card features two DVI, and one each of standard-size HDMI
1.4a and DisplayPort 1.2, whereas the other cards have two
mini-DisplayPort connectors.
Pricing of the ASUS Dragon HD 7850 DirectCU II is a
mystery, though it's expected to be highly competitive with
the other reference-clocked HD 7850 graphics cards in the
market. Expect a US $199-229 price-range, if the card ever
makes it stateside.
Apple Wins Samsung Galaxy
Nexus Injunction
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/apple-wins-samsung-galaxy-nexus-
injunction/16483.html
July 1st, 2012
Apple has won a second victory in the space of a week against
Android devices today with an American judge granting its
request for an injunction against Samsung.
The Galaxy Nexus smart phone by Samsung and Google has
been barred from the US market - the world's largest just
ahead of China – due to the probality that it is engaging in
patent infringements against competitor Apple Inc.
Judge Lucy Koh of the US District Court for the Northern
District of California found the Galaxy Nexus probably
infringes four patents belonging to Apple Inc and agreed
to grant an injunction to Apple while the court considers
Apple's claim that the South Korean company has infringed
its patents.
"Apple has clearly shown that it is likely to suffer irreparable
harm in the absence of preliminary injunctive relief," Judge
Lucy Koh stated.
The four patents that Samsung has likely breached are:
Slide-to-lock/unlock, Data tapping, Auto correct and Siri's
unified search function.
Judge Koh then ordered Apple to post a $96 million bond
— the sum being an estimation of the damage suffered
by Samsung from the temporary ban on its sales —should
the iPhone maker lose to Samsung in later proceedings,
scheduled for 2014. The sales ban in the United States will
be effective immediately when Apple posts the bond.
With the Galaxy SIII already the subject of preliminary
legal proceedings by Apple, there is little doubt that either
a settlement or further legal proceedings lie ahead for the
Samsung Google partnership.
This case has ramifications for future patent disputes
relating to fair and reasonable, non-discriminatory
licensing.
Xbox 360's Future Hangs in
Balance
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/xbox-360-s-future-hangs-in-
balance/16482.html
July 1st, 2012
Motorola's patent claim against Microsoft's Xbox 360
gaming console has resulted in a ruling by the ITC that the
Xbox 360 console infringes four Google/Motorola patents;
however it’s not all bad news for US Xbox fans just yet due
to a remand ordered by the Federal Trade Commission.
Motorola's patent claim against Microsoft's Xbox 360
gaming console has resulted in a ruling by the ITC that the
Xbox 360 console infringes four Google/Motorola patents;
however it’s not all bad news for US Xbox fans just yet due
to a remand ordered by the Federal Trade Commission.
Motorola’s claim of Standard Essential Patents against
Microsoft is allegedly being investigated by the Federal
Trade Commission, a six-member decision-making body
who have now ordered a remand of the decision, referring
it back to the Administrative Law Judge. While this
doesn't necessarily mean that the preliminary ruling will be
overturned, it is likely that a variation will be made to the
initial determination in Microsoft’s favour.
The Commission's remand decision has directed
Administrative Law Judge Shaw to apply the Commission's
opinion in the matter of S3 Graphics v. Apple, a case where
the final outcome was an outright dismissal, despite an
initial ruling that established several infringements.
The ongoing patent dispute between the hardware giants
has seen a rejection by Microsoft of Motorola’s offer of
settlement. The future of both Android phones and Xbox
360s in the United States continues to hang in the balance

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with a deadline being set for a final decision to be made by
the ITC on July 2.
KT will make indoor LTE
speed faster with 'One Chip
Femto Cell'
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/kt-will-make-indoor-lte-speed-
faster-with-one-chip-femto-cell-/16447.html
July 1st, 2012
KT (formerly Korea Telecom) announced yesterday that
it will eventually expand the commercialization of 'LTE
Femto Cell' throughout South Korea. 'LTE Femto Cell' is a
miniscule base station that allows users to enjoy fast LTE
WARP even in basements, buildings and metropolitan cities.
'LTE Femto Cell,' a miniscule base station, offers a stable
LTE service inside buildings by being installed in gaps within
the buildings. The installation can increase LTE speed in
major areas by three to five fold.
LTE Femto Cell consists of a modem and a CPU in a
typical SoC, built with the aim of small size, low electricity
consumption and low cost.
In addition, KT's LTE Femto Cell utilizes the world's best
424,000km optical communication internet cable, which
enables it to provide a stable and fast LTE network, whereas
the standard 3G Femto Cell utilizes VDSL interent cable.
Moreover, LTE Femto Cell can send and receive LTE signals
to and from all the gaps within buildings. The feature is
being recognized as a critical technology for stable VoLTE
voice calls. KT is planning to offer a stable VoLTE service by
linking its service to virtualization technology of LTE WARP
and LTE Femto Cell which will reduce any interference of
borders between base stations.
Motorola's Droid RAZR emits
most radiation, Korean study
shows
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/motorola-s-droid-razr-emits-most-
radiation-korean-study-shows/16479.html
July 1st, 2012
According to a study by Korea Communications Commission
(South Korea's FCC equivalent), the Motorola Droid Razr
XT910 emitted 1.38 SAR, the highest amount of radiation
measured from popular smartphones since 2009. Prolonged
exposure to harmful electromagnetic waves may cause
ADHD in young humans.
The smartphone that emits the most amount of
electromagnetic radiation in South Korea is found to
be Motorola's Razr. Korea Communications Commission
disclosed the electromagnetic wave data of all the
smartphones that have been registered since 2009 in South
Korea. And on July 2nd, they are going to announce
the measured data of smartphones' Specific Absorption
Rate (SAR) through South Korean National Radio Research
Agency's website (http://www.rra.go.kr).
SAR means how much electromagnetic wave can be
absorbed into bodies. The maximum allowed upper limit
in South Korea is 1.6W/kg. Only products that meet the
standard rate are allowed to be manufactured and sold.
So far, there has not been a centralized database of
such records, which made it difficult for users to
check every single time they purchase a new phone.
Korea Communications Commission has been preparing
disclosing a comprehensive list of SARs based on

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'Electromagnetic wave Comprehensive Policy' established in
September of 2011.
A certain fruit flavoured company's products also showed a
relatively high SAR. Among Apple's products, 'iPhone 3G'
is tops with 1.18W/kg, followed by 'iPhone 3GS' with 1.13W/
kg. The only Apple product that had SAR below 1.0W/kg
was 'iPhone 4', which emits 0.89W/kg.
Samsung's products boasted the lowest SARs among all the
products that were tested, which were only about 30% of the
standard rate. Galaxy S2 HD was measured to output from
0.24 to 0.402W/kg and Galaxy Note 0.269 to 0.405W/kg.
Meanwhile, although LG's 'Optimus LTE Tag' had a
relatively low SAR about 0.607-0.749W/kg, 'Optimus LTE
2' was shown to emit a high SAR with 1.12-1.2W/kg.
In last May, Electronics and Telecommunications Research
Institute announced that the more a child uses a cellphone,
the more he or she is likely to develop ADHD (Attention
deficit hyperactivity disorder).
Today's Announcements:
Guardians of Middle-Earth,
Star Wars: The Clone Wars,
and Prototype 2
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/today-s-announcements-guardians-
of-middle-earth-star-wars-the-clone-wars-and-prototype-2/16481.html
July 1st, 2012
Time for another quick update on what’s going on in the
gaming and entertainment world. Today we have news
regarding Lord of the Rings: Guardians of Middle-Earth,
Star Wars: The Clone Wars, and Prototype 2.
Time for another quick update on what’s going on in the
gaming and entertainment world. Today we have news
regarding Lord of the Rings: Guardians of Middle-Earth,
Star Wars: The Clone Wars, and Prototype 2.
First off, Monolith showed us a preview video of its
upcoming title Lord of the Rings: Guardians of Middle-
Earth at E3, but no actual gameplay. So finally it arrives, a
video revealing some actual game play. Will it be another
disappointing LOTR title or will developers get it right this
time around. You decide. Expect the game to hit the shelves
this fall.
Next, Star Wars: The Clone Wars complete season four will
arrive on Blu-ray and DVD October 23. If an animated spin
off of one of the most popular franchise in history has made
it past the fourth season then it has some substance to it
(personally, I love it). You can save yourself some money
and enjoy watching the CG version of Obi-Wan hack enemies
with his light saber on DVD or spend extra on the Blu-ray.
If you opt to purchase the Blu-ray version then you’ll be
getting extra content such as an extensive database of special
effects footage, concept art, and 3D character and object
turnarounds visualization. More details here.
To end things off, Activision made it clear that they will
no longer create games for Radical Entertainment, thus a
possible indefinite end to the Prototype franchise. However,
Activision will release the PC version of Prototype 2 on July
24th
as planned.
“We're very proud of what we achieved with the Prototype
franchise, but unfortunately, the Blacklight virus didn't
spread as far as it could,” Radical said on their Facebook.
Activision is looking into what it can do with Radical, and
one option is to sell the studio.
Twitter and LinkedIn call it
quits
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/twitter-and-linkedin-call-it-
quits/16480.html
July 1st, 2012

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After several years of partnering with each other, Twitter
and LinkedIn have decided to part ways. Their partnership
began in 2009, but even a long term relationship such as
theirs was not strong enough to keep them together.
After several years of partnering with each other, Twitter
and LinkedIn have decided to part ways. Their partnership
began in 2009, but even a long term relationship such as
theirs was not strong enough to keep them together.
LinkedIn suffered a huge blow recently when over 6 million
users had their password stolen, and this could possibly
be one of the reasons why Twitter decided to distant itself
from LinkedIn. Furthermore, a $5 million lawsuit came
about when users said that LinkedIn’s security policy had
contradictions that did not abide to industry standards.
Secondly, Twitter has amassed such a huge following that
it simply doesn’t need or want to share its potential ad
revenues with LinkedIn. Users can post a Tweet directly
from LinkedIn, but they can no longer directly share their
post to LinkedIn from their Twitter account.
The split could be mutual in every respect, but LinkedIn’s
recent security breach suggests that it will take some time for
LinkedIn to restore its reputation.
Talking on a smartphone is
not a priority
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/talking-on-a-smartphone-is-not-a-
priority/16478.html
July 1st, 2012
According to analytics from O2, people are using their
smartphones more for tasks that are unrelated to making or
taking phone calls.
According to analytics from O2, people are using their
smartphones more for tasks that are unrelated to making or
taking phone calls.
People spend about 25 minutes on average per day on
their smartphone surfing the internet, 17 minutes on social
networking, 16 minutes on music, and 14 minutes on playing
games. That’s not including tasks that uses less time than
making phone calls. What about for making phone calls?
Well, according to O2, making phone call accounts for less
a tenth of the total amount of time people spend on their
smartphone—12 minutes.
If you want to analyze it even further, just take 12 minutes
and times that by 30 and you’ll find out that (based on O2’s
data) people are spending roughly 360 minutes on their
smartphones making or taking calls per month!
So unless people have carry overs on their smartphone plan,
the thousands of minutes they’re paying for are going to
waste every month. Now you know why carriers offer high
minute plans, and charging outrageous amounts for the
data. Even they know you will most likely NOT use your
phone for making or taking calls.
Megaupload's Kim Dotcom
extradition update
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/megaupload-s-kim-dotcom-
extradition-update/16477.html
July 1st, 2012
The case against Kim Dotcom has just gotten a little weaker,
and there may be a slim possibility that his extradition to the
U.S. may not happen.
The case against Kim Dotcom has just gotten a little weaker,
and there may be a slim possibility that his extradition to the
U.S. may not happen.
We reported earlier that New Zealand’s High court ruled
that the FBI’s warrants for searching and seizing of
Dotcom’s properties were “invalid.” In the ruling, the court
determined that the warrants were too vague and that they
didn’t specifically state any evidence or offenses against
Dotcom’s Megaupload site.
Dotcom’s lawyer, Ira Rothken, told a radio station in New
Zealand that his client has been violated not only once
but twice during the search and seize process. Rothken is
defending his client’s innocence by saying that Megaupload
is used for storage and that Dotcom is not directly involved
in the distribution of any copyrighted materials. Secondly,
after New Zealand’s High court verdict, Rothken claims
that the FBI’s seizure of Dotcom’s properties was wrongful
because “they weren’t allowed to.”
Under New Zealand law, extradition requires that a person
must be punishable by jail sentence in both of the countries.
Therefore, if somehow Dotcom manages to wiggle his way
out of jail sentence in New Zealand then his extradition to the
U.S. may not happen. The New Zealand High court ruling
is a small victory for Dotcom and company, but he and his
supporters still have long ways to go.

13
UMC and IBM to create 20nm
FinFET chip
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/umc-and-ibm-to-create-20nm-finfet-
chip/16476.html
July 1st, 2012
After having reportedly landed a contract to produce
Qualcomm’s Snapdragon S4 chip, United Microelectronics
Corp (UMC) has confirmed that they will be partnering with
IBM Corp to produce a next gen 20nm chip that features
FinFET 3D transistors.
After having reportedly landed a contract to produce
Qualcomm’s Snapdragon S4 chip, United Microelectronics
Corp (UMC) has confirmed that they will be partnering with
IBM Corp to produce a next gen 20nm chip that features
FinFET 3D transistors.
FinFET is a space saving, finbased, multigate architecture
aimed at energy efficiency. According to UMC, they are
hoping that their 20nm R&D capacity along with IBM’s
FinFET know-how will help expedite the development of the
next gen 20nm chip.
“We are happy to engage with a recognized technology leader
such as IBM for this technology advancement effort,” says
UMC’s VP, I.C. Chen.
“Leveraging IBM’s technology expertise to shorten our
20nm and FinFET R&D cycle will create a win-win situation
for UMC and our customers.”
UMC has announced prior that it plans to invest $8 billion
to expand its 28nm chip making capacity, and therefore
establishing a solid foundation for R&D of 20nm chips in the
future.
RIM's "refocusing" plans
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/rim-s-refocusing-plans/16474.html
July 1st, 2012
RIM has confirmed that the BlackBerry 10 will be delayed
until the first quarter of next year because developers cannot
deliver a complete software by the end of this year. Adding
injuries to insult, RIM is hemorrhaging money and has to lay
off nearly a third of its employees.
RIM has confirmed that the BlackBerry 10 will be delayed
until the first quarter of next year because developers cannot
deliver a complete software by the end of this year. Adding
injuries to insult, RIM is hemorrhaging money and has to lay
off nearly a third of its employees.
At this point, RIM may be better off delaying BlackBerry 10
until a highly refined product is completed. iOS 6 and Jelly
Bean will most like make their debut later this year, so that
might give RIM a competitive edge by looking at what the
competitions have got to offer before releasing a product of
their own.
However, it still stands that the opportunity cost of delaying
BlackBerry 10 is that RIM has to keep on losing money if they
aren’t making money from their main product.
“It is necessary to change the scale and refocus the company
on areas of highest opportunity,” Thorsten Heins, RIM’s
CEO, answered to the press regarding the company’s
decision to delay BlackBerry 10 and laying off workers.
RIM is reporting that it’s losing almost much as money this
year as it earned last year. RIM netted $695 million last year
in profit, but it posted a net loss of $518 million this year.
Part of RIM’s refocusing involves reducing the number
of phone offerings to put more resources into developing
BlackBerry 10.
Apple is not doing this, but Android and Microsoft are
licensing their OS to OEMs, so RIM is said to be looking into
eliminating the exclusiveness of the BlackBerry brand.
Google blames Android
fragmentation on
manufacturers
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/google-blames-android-
fragmentation-on-manufacturers/16473.html
July 1st, 2012
Google has blamed the fragmentation of the Android
platform on manufacturers and suggested the nature of the
ecosystem would mean that it would never be the same as
Apple's approach with iOS.
Google has blamed the fragmentation of the Android
platform on manufacturers and suggested the nature of the
ecosystem would mean that it would never be the same as
Apple's approach with iOS.
Hiroshi Lockheimer, VP of Engineering on the Android
team, said that it was up to manufacturers to provide
upgrades to the latest version of Android, and that since
Android is open source, they have the freedom to make those
upgrades or not, and on their own timeframe.
“It’s up to the manufacturers to see what their targets are;
some may say we want to be the first one, or they may decide
a fully customised reskinned experience is what they want to
do,” Lockheimer said.

14
Fragmentation has long been a major criticism of Android,
with hundreds of devices out there on different versions
of the mobile operating system, which means many people
cannot access the latest features, games, or apps, which
require the newest version of the software.
While Lockheimer argues that this is a natural side-effect
of the freedom of the Android model, he also suggested
that fragmentation would be less of a problem in future, as
Google is working on a platform developer kit to encourage
developers and manufacturers to accelerate updates and to
make sure the manufacturers have time to optimise their
products to ensure those updates are released.
Google brings Chrome
browser to iPhone and iPad
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/google-brings-chrome-browser-to-
iphone-and-ipad/16472.html
July 1st, 2012
Google has released its Chrome web browser on the iPhone,
iPad and iPod Touch, allowing users to sync with the browser
on their desktop and laptop computers.
Google has released its Chrome web browser on the iPhone,
iPad and iPod Touch, allowing users to sync with the browser
on their desktop and laptop computers.
The 12.8MB download gives iOS users access to version
19.0.1084.60 of Chrome, which will help Google expand the
reach of the browser beyond the 310 million active users it
currently has, up from 160 million at last year's I/O event.
Chrome touts high browsing speeds, a bookmark sync
option, and deep integration with other Google products,
including Google Drive and Google Apps, so it is interesting
to see it show up on Apple's tightly-controlled App Store.
If you thought Google might start stealing away Apple
customers, however, you'd be wrong, as initial reports
and benchmarking tests show that Chrome for iOS suffers
speed issues when it comes to JavaScript, with Anandtech
reporting that MobileSafari works faster, and one reviewer
of the app stating that Chrome “runs 3.5 times slower doing
JavaScript than Safari.”
Apple's policy on not allowing custom JavaScript engines,
like Google's open source V8 engine, is the reason behind
the slower speeds, and, of course, Apple won't share Safari's
Nitro engine either, leaving rival browsers on iOS lagging
behind unnecessarily.
BlackBerry 10 delay
drives analyst fears of RIM
bankruptcy
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/blackberry-10-delay-drives-analyst-
fears-of-rim-bankruptcy/16471.html
July 1st, 2012
Research In Motion (RIM) could face bankruptcy, analysts
say, after delaying the release of its BlackBerry 10 mobile
operating system and cutting staff numbers by 5,000.
Research In Motion (RIM) could face bankruptcy, analysts
say, after delaying the release of its BlackBerry 10 mobile
operating system and cutting staff numbers by 5,000.
The Canadian firm, which was once a dominant player
in the burgeoning smartphone market, reported abyssmal
quarterly results, with losses of $518 million, several times
more than analysts predicted. This sent shares down by
more than 20 percent and lead to some brokerages cutting
their price targets by up to 50 percent.
RIM had originally planned to release BlackBerry 10 this
year, but fans of RIM will need to wait until early next year at
the earliest to get their hands on a new smartphone powered
by the operating system. The delay comes at a bad time
for the company, as it was this software and the range of

15
devices built around it that were largely expected to save the
company.
Nomura Equity Research believes “the company will
eventually fail” if it continues its current operational plan,
and even BlackBerry 10 will not help it make a successful
turnaround.
Analysts at Citi said the company “could run out of cash” and
also expressed doubt about the viability of BlackBerry 10 as
the saving grace many expect it to be. Cannacord Genuity
agreed on this point, suggesting that RIM's only hope would
be to sell. However, Baird Equity Research believes there are
no buyers interested in the plummeting firm.
The delay has also forced RIM to implement new cost-
cutting measures, including plans to axe 5,000 jobs, which
amounts to 30 percent of its workforce. With fewer
employees and the threat of bankruptcy looming ever closer,
there are tough times ahead for the BlackBerry maker.
Adobe will stop supporting
mobile Flash beginning
August 15
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/adobe-will-stop-supporting-mobile-
flash-beginning-august-15/16470.html
July 1st, 2012
One of the main reasons why Android has drawn so many
loyal users is because many Android devices support Adobe
Flash. The days of “I can watch Flash videos on phone”
will soon be over as Adobe has declared that it will cease to
support mobile Flash on August 15th.
One of the main reasons why Android has drawn so many
loyal users is because many Android devices support Adobe
Flash. The days of “I can watch Flash videos on phone”
will soon be over as Adobe has declared that it will cease to
support mobile Flash on August 15th
.
Okay, we all know (or at least people that care enough to
dig into these things) that Steve Jobs—and by extension—
Apple had issues with Adobe, therefore iPad loyalists never
got official Flash support. Essentially, Jobs decreed that the
iPad will not have Flash support, and therefore it doesn’t.
Some devs have managed to make some flash contents work
on the iPad through certain app, but it’s nothing comparable
to streaming YouTube contents from a desktop.
It’s simple with the iPad, but why is Adobe deciding
to stick it to Android users now after several years of
supporting mobile Flash? There could be a variety of
reasons, but one main reason is perhaps there are just too
many Android devices (with all sorts of specs) to support
—fragmentation. Imagine working on trying to make one
software compatible with literally thousands of devices from
different OEMs. On top of that, Android users are all over
the place with regards to the OS that’s powering their phone.
Albeit, over half of all Android users are still on Gingerbread,
there are many more that are on Froyo, Eclair, ICS, etc… Did
I mention that some OEMs also heavily modify their Android
OS (i.e. Amazon’s Kindle Fire)? Okay, you get my point by
now—that is, it just takes a lot of work to make Flash work
on Android devices.
People that purchased Android tablets and smartphones
recently with the intention of using their devices to view
Flash content will just have to live with the fact that their
device may not support Flash in the future.
Flash may become obsolete in the future, as HTML 5 is
supposed the next medium for delivering media online. So
Adobe may not be dropping Flash support for mobile devices
based solely on how much work is needed to make it work,
but rather they may see HTML 5 as replacing Flash sooner
than we expect.
It’s unknown when HTML 5 will become the predominant
form for delivering online content, but we can’t help it
if Adobe wants to stop supporting mobile Flash. Until
then, Android users will have to anxiously await a complete
YouTube transition to HTML 5. Again, Android users will
have until August 15th
to get the most out of their “Flash
enabled device.”
Click here to see Adobe’s reasoning on why they are dropping
mobile Flash support.

16
Today's Announcements: The
Expandables 2, The Amazing
Spiderman and Guild Wars 2
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/today-s-announcements-the-
expandables-2-the-amazing-spiderman-and-guild-wars-2/16467.html
July 1st, 2012
We have a bunch of video game announcements for you
today. Starting things off is The Expendables 2 Video Game,
coming to the XBLA, PSN, and PC. A tie-in to the upcoming
Expendables 2 movie, the game will tell the story leading
up to the movie. Players will be able to play one of four
characters as they attempt to rescue a kidnapped billionaire.
Offering four-player local and online co-op as well as
challenges to compete with each other in, the game will
feature the over-the-top action the Expendables franchise
is known for, and has been set up to provide a seamless
introduction to the upcoming movie. While no exact release
date has been given, look for it to release before the movie
comes out on August 17th
.
Next up is a game that already released on PS3 and
Xbox 360: The Amazing Spiderman. While it has garnered
mediocre reviews in the press, Activision has confirmed that
the game is being brought to the PC. PC gamers wanting to
get their hands on the web-slinger’s newest game will be able
to purchase the game on Steam on August 10th
.
Finally, the highly-anticipated MMO, Guild Wars 2, has had
its release date announced by NCSoft. Guild Wars 2 will have
its final beta weekend July 20-22, with the game releasing in
North America and Europe on August 28.
Dropbox adds "undo"
command
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/dropbox-adds-undo-
command/16469.html
July 1st, 2012
Undoing an accidental action while using many computer
programs is as easy as hitting an “undo” option, and Dropbox
has only just started implementing the undo command.
Undoing an accidental action while using Dropbox is as
easy as hitting an “undo” option, and Dropbox has only just
started implementing the undo command.
“We just launched a quick way for you to unwind those
slips of the mouse or gaffes on the keyboard when you’re
using Dropbox on the web. Now if you make a mistake when
moving, renaming, copying or even deleting a file or folder,
you can quickly reverse it. Just click the ‘Undo’ link in the
green dialog that appears at the top of your screen. (Ctrl+Z
and ?+Z work too!)”
So the next time you accidentally uploaded a file to Dropbox,
you can instantly undo that action without having to go
through the troubles of manual removing those files from
your box.
Microsoft Surface Tablet may
not come preloaded with
Office 2013
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/microsoft-surface-tablet-may-not-
come-preloaded-with-office-2013/16468.html

17
July 1st, 2012
If you are planning on purchasing the upcoming Windows
RT Surface tablet, keep in mind that it may not come with
Office 2013 preloaded. Insiders suggest that Microsoft has
only just finished the beta, and therefore Office 2013 may
launch a few months later than Windows 8 and the Surface
RT tablet.
If you are planning on purchasing the upcoming Windows
RT Surface tablet, keep in mind that it may not come with
Office 2013 preloaded. Insiders suggest that Microsoft has
only just finished the beta, and therefore Office 2013 may
launch a few months later than Windows 8 and the Surface
RT tablet.
Now if consumers won’t get a Surface tablet with MS Office
2013 then what will they get? Chances are MS will preload
the RT tablet with an earlier version of MS Office and
offering Surface tablet users opportunities to upgrade to
Office 2013 when it’s ready.
People that are interested in the Pro Surface tablet may
not have to worry as much as MS Office 2013 may launch
alongside the Pro tablet.
MS does not have a robust app developing community like
that of iOS or Android, so an MS Office preloaded Surface
tablet will be one of the main reasons why people will
consider the Surface at launch. Savvy tablet users know
that office suite apps are available for purchase on both iOS
and Android, and for increased productivity they just need
a small and cheap keyboard add on (some peripherals are
more expensive than others, it just takes a little bargain
hunting to find a cheap alternative).
Polaris Office, Documents To Go, and OfficeSuite Pro,
among others, are some of the popular office software that
are available for Android and iPad. The prices of these apps
vary, but if paying for a document editing app is not a priority
then people can opt to use free software like Google Doc.
We don’t know how robust MS Office is on the Surface tablet,
yet, but hopefully the Office suite that comes preloaded with
the Surface tablet is on par with its desktop counterpart.
Windows 8 Upgrade Details
Leaked
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/windows-8-upgrade-details-
leaked/16458.html
July 1st, 2012
Microsoft has begun to share with select partners some
specific details about what users can expect when upgrading
to Windows 8 from Windows XP, Vista, or 7. Reportedly,
the following points were released privately this month by
Microsoft:
• Users upgrading to Windows 8 from Windows 7
Starter, Home Basic or Home Premium will be able
to maintain their existing Windows settings, files and
applications.
• Users upgrading to Windows 8 Pro from any Windows
7 edition will be able to maintain all existing settings,
files, and applications.
• Users upgrading to Windows 8 Enterprise (which will
only be available to volume licensees with Software
Assurance contracts) from Windows 7 Professional or
Enterprise will be able to maintain all settings, files and
applications.
• If upgrading from Windows Vista, only personal files
will be maintained, unless SP1 is installed, in which
case system settings will also be maintained.
• Users can upgrade from Windows XP with SP3
installed, but only personal files will be maintained.
All other installations of Windows 8 will require a full
format, leaving none of the data intact. This includes cross-
language installations and cross-architecture installations
(i.e., moving from a 32-bit edition to a 64-bit edition).
Earlier this month, Microsoft launched its latest Windows
Upgrade Offer, which will allow users who purchase a
Windows 7 PC between June 2, 2012 and January 31, 2013
to purchase a copy of Windows 8 Pro for just $14.99 when
it becomes available. Analysts expect that Windows 8 will be
shipped to manufacturers in July, with general availability
coming sometime this fall.
Delta Expanding WiFi Offering
to International Flights
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/delta-expanding-wifi-offering-to-
international-flights/16456.html
July 1st, 2012
Delta Airlines has announced that by early 2013 its fleet of
international aircraft will have internet connectivity through
the use of Ku-band satellites.
Delta has announced that they will begin offering their in-
flight internet service on their fleet of international aircraft,
encompassing roughly 150 aircraft including models such as
the Boeing 777, 767, transoceanic 757, 747, and the Airbus
330. The satellite-provided service will begin operations on
the planes in early 2013, complementing existing air-to-
ground service already in place for domestic flights.
Delta Airlines, headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, is among
the largest WiFi-enabled aircraft providers in the world, with
over 3,000 daily flights connected to the web. These flights
include the entirety of its domestic fleet, some 550 mainline
aircraft, and more than 250 additional aircraft, including all
of their Delta Connection regional jets.

18
Delta’s WiFi portal, called “Delta Connect,” provides free
access to real-time travel information, news from The
Wall Street Journal, People magazine, and other services,
including Amazon.com (from March). The new international
service will use high-bandwidth Ku-band satellites for
internet coverage. Scheduled for 2015, when the rollout is
complete, Delta plans to be operating roughly 1,000 WiFi-
capable aircraft in its fleet.
Google unveils Nexus 7
tablet, Nexus Q music device,
Google Glass, and Siri-
busting Google Now
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/google-unveils-nexus-7-tablet-nexus-
q-music-device-google-glass-and-siri-busting-google-now/16466.html
July 1st, 2012
Google has unveiled the Nexus 7 Android tablet, the
Nexus Q music device, Google Glass for consumers, and
a Siri-like Android service called Google Now, making the
search giant's I/O event this year jam-packed with exciting
announcements.
Google has unveiled the Nexus 7 Android tablet, the
Nexus Q music device, Google Glass for consumers, and
a Siri-like Android service called Google Now, making the
search giant's I/O event this year jam-packed with exciting
announcements.
Nexus 7
The company showcased the Nexus 7, its 7-inch Android-
powered tablet computer with a 1280x-800 pixel high-
definition display, a Tegra-3 chipset, quad-core CPU, 12-
core GPU, and a dirt cheap price tag starting at just $199,
with a release date of mid-July in the US, UK, Canada and
Australia. The low price is for an 8GB model, with a 16GB
version available for $249.
Google is hoping to entice multimedia buffs of all kinds by
preloading the Nexus 7 with the film Transformers: Dark of
the Moon, the book The Bourne Dominion, magazines like
Condé Nast Traveler and Popular Science, and music from
bands including Coldplay and the Rolling Stones. There is
also $25 free credit provided on Google Play for a limited
time.
Not everyone is impressed with the announcement,
however. Jan Dawson, chief telecommunications analyst at
Ovum, criticised Google's approach, suggesting the tablet
would not be sustainable long-term, due to subsidising of
the cost to keep the price down, and that Google has failed
to address problems with Android for tablets, such as the
sparsity of tablet-sized apps. Of course, more success in
the tablet market for Google will result in more developers
flocking to this area, so this may not be a major problem.
Nexus Q
Those looking for a less mobile device for music may enjoy
the Nexus Q, an unusually-designed home entertainment
sphere, which plugs into speakers or a TV and allows
streaming of music from Google Play. With a price-tag of
$299, however, it is more expensive than Google's new tablet
and does less things, so consumers may not be as enamoured
by it as interior designers appear to be. It will ship in mid-
July as well.
Google Glass
It was only a few short months ago when Google unveiled a
new research project to develop augmented-reality glasses,
but a mock demo of its features had fans salivating and
throwing their wallets at Google employees in anticipation.
The company is now going beyond merely a “what if”
scenario, with the only questions remaining being “when?”
and “how much?” Google is hoping to have a version of the
glasses ready for public consumption within two years, with
a price tag expected to be drastically lower than its existing
developer cost of a pricey $1,500.
The glasses are effectively a smartphone on your head, albeit
without a phone network, allowing users to see, hear and
speak in a semi-android experience. The company hopes
to bring a Google Maps experience to the glasses, among a
variety of other features shown in the demo.
If none of that was impressive, some Google Glass-wearing
skydivers almost stole the show.
Google Now
If you were won over by the sweet nothings whispered in
your ear by Siri, you might want to consider cheating with a
certain little green robot. As part of the Android Jelly Bean
offering, Google announced a new service called Google
Now. As the name implies, it's all about getting information
to the user immediately, and so it mimics many of the
offerings of Siri, such as finding the score of a sports match
or locating a nearby restaurant.
That is all pretty standard fair, but where Google Now
differs, and potentially wins out, is that it seeks out
information before you even ask it. When you leave your
house it looks for traffic updates. When you go to a
restaurant it checks the menu and recommends the top-
rated choices. So instead of having an electronic friend who

19
will answer your questions, you have an electronic friend
who will make suggestions and pre-empt your actions.
Nintendo announces release
date for latest Pokemon
games
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/nintendo-announces-release-date-
for-latest-pokemon-games/16465.html
July 1st, 2012
Nintendo has announced the release date for the latest
Pokémon games, including two DS titles and one
downloadable 3DS game.
Nintendo has announced the release date for the latest
Pokémon games, including two DS titles and one
downloadable 3DS game.
Pokémon Black Version 2 and Pokémon White Version 2 will
join a host of other Nintendo colour variations of the classic
monster-catching series on 7 October, playable on both the
DS and the 3DS in 2D mode.
Collectors will want a 3DS, however, as there are rare
Pokémon to catch in the downloadable Pokémon Dream
Radar title, which lets players use their 3DS camera,
motion control and augmented-reality technology for a
more interactive experience. Creatures caught can then be
transferred into the other two games.
The sequels to the Black and White versions will see the
return of Cheren and Bianca to the region of Unova two
years after the events of the original games, with new areas
to discover, including Virbank City, where players can visit
the Pokéstar Studios to make their own Pokémon-starring
movies.
Some of the Pokémon up for grabs include Eevee, Riolu,
Tyranitar, Arcanine, and Mareep. Those who get Dream
Radar will also be able to catch the new Therian Formes of
Tornadus, Thundurus and Landorus.
Gamers looking to learn more about the various Pokémon
will also be able to buy the Pokédex 3D Pro from the
Nintendo eShop, expanding upon the original Pokédex 3D
with details about all known Pokémon to date.
Twitter to combat trolling
and hate speech
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/twitter-to-combat-trolling-and-hate-
speech/16454.html
July 1st, 2012
Twitter is attempting to combat trolling and hate
speech on its micro-blogging service, which could see a
difficult balance between removing offensive material and
maintaining freedom of speech.
Twitter is attempting to combat trolling and hate
speech on its micro-blogging service, which could see a
difficult balance between removing offensive material and
maintaining freedom of speech.
Dick Costolo, CEO of Twitter, told the Financial Times that
the company was planning to address the issue, which he
said was in some cases “horrifying.”
Racial abuse appears to be on the increase on the service,
which limits messages to 140 characters. Recent examples
of high-profile cases include racist remarks by users against
footballers Ashley Cole, Ashley Young, Stan Collymore,
and Fabrice Muamba, all of which resulted in police
investigations and, in some cases, arrests.
Measures to tackle the problem could include censoring
responses from accounts that do not have followers, a profile
picture, or a biography, making them more likely to be
newly-created accounts designed specifically for the purpose
of “trolling,” internet lingo for users who go out of their way
to cause offence purely for the fun of it.

20
Of course, the problem with such measures is that genuine
accounts that have failed to secure followers or update their
profile may be caught up in this. That said, if Twitter is clear
about its policy then more users will update their profiles
to avoid the restrictions. Trolls may do likewise, however,
simply uploading fake photos and biographies, and possibly
even following themselves from multiple troll accounts.
However, Costolo does not want to Twitter to be too heavy-
handed with its actions. He said the service will continue to
allow pseudonyms, as that is the only way some people can
speak freely in some parts of the world.
He expressed frustration at finding the perfect balance
between the two extremes, recognising that “emboldening
people to speak politically” can also embolden trolls and lead
to further cases of hate speech.
The debacle is a problem for many on the internet, as it is
a fine line between protecting people and crossing into the
dangerous waters of online censorship.

July 3rd, 2012 Published by: VR-Zone
1
VR-Zone.com | Tech News for the Geeks!
VR-Zone | Stuff for the Geeks is a bi-weekly
publication covering the latest gadgets and stuff for the
geeks.
Next Xbox could be called
Xbox 8 as Microsoft secures
domains
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/next-xbox-could-be-called-xbox-8-
as-microsoft-secures-domains/16528.html
July 3rd, 2012
Microsoft's next-generation gaming console may be called
Xbox 8 rather than the expected Xbox 720.
The Redmond, Washington-based company managed to
secure a number of domain names from a Chinese national
named Cheng Juan, after bringing two cases to the National
Arbitration Forum.
The domains include XboxPhone.com, XboxTablet.com,
XboxLiveTV.com, XboxCompanion.com, Xbox8.us and
Xbox8.org, according to Fusible.
On the surface of it, Microsoft may simply be pre-empting
any potential future Xbox products it may plan to release and
ensuring it owns the relevant domain names. However, the
new Xbox would only be the third of its kind, so a literal Xbox
8 would be decades away, making a move to protect its name
now a little hasty.
Xbox 720 is a logical extension of the Xbox 360 name,
simply doubling the number, but Xbox 8 seems like an
odd potential choice for the console, until we take into
consideration Microsoft's big investment in Windows 8 and
Windows Phone 8, which will have a shared core.
The number 8 is clearly a big deal for Microsoft over the
next year or two, with many considering the next version
of Windows to be a potential game-changer and money-
maker for the company. Windows Phone 8 is also looking
promising, and, of course, Xbox is central to Microsoft's
strategy to entice people to its operating systems.
Xbox 8 as the next console name is all about brand unity
then, and the gamble could pay off big-time, as it ensure
that people think of Microsoft's collective product line when
approaching any of the three. Using 720 only differentiates
the Xbox console from Windows, while Xbox 8 could be the
beginning of a new marketing style for the software giant.
Activision and Tencent
announce Call of Duty Online
for China
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/activision-and-tencent-announce-
call-of-duty-online-for-china/16527.html
July 3rd, 2012
Activision and Tencent have announced Call of Duty Online,
a massively multiplayer online first-person shooter targeted
at a Chinese audience.
Activision and Tencent have announced Call of Duty Online,
a massively multiplayer online first-person shooter targeted
at a Chinese audience.
Gamers are still gearing up for Call of Duty: Black Ops II,
which is to get a revamped Nuketown map, but players in
China will have something potentially just as exciting within
the Call of Duty franchise.
Details are thin, but a trailer shows that the game plays
fairly similarly to other titles in the series, with pretty good
graphics to boot, which is often an area that receives some
cartoonisation by many studios in order to combat the
intense lag possible in MMO games.
According to reports, the game will be free-to-play, likely
charging players for additional content, maps, gear and
weapons. It will also draw on previous content from other
Call of Duty titles, while adding new material from Tencent.

2
The game would undoubtedly appeal to players around the
world, but it looks like it will initially only launch in China.
This may be a strategic move to entice gamers to buy Black
Ops II later this year or localisation may simply be taking
some time to do. It may also turn out that Call of Duty Online
never launches elsewhere in the world, but we expect that
this is unlikely.
Microsoft writes off $6.2
billion over 2007 acquisition
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/microsoft-writes-off-6.2-billion-
over-2007-acquisition/16526.html
July 3rd, 2012
Microsoft has written off a whopping $6.2 billion after
admitting that one of its largest acquisitions, made five years
ago, was essentially worthless.
Microsoft has written off a whopping $6.2 billion after
admitting that one of its largest acquisitions, made five years
ago, was essentially worthless.
The software giant bought aQuantive, an advertising agency,
in 2007, hoping to compete with Google after it bought
DoubleClick. It was the largest acquisition in the company's
history at the time, with $6.3 billion spent, dwarfed only by
the $8.5 billion it spent on Skype last year.
The deal failed to deliver, however, with Microsoft still
lagging behind its rivals in the advertising market and many
of aQuantive's executives moving on to greener fields.
It took five years for Microsoft to admit its failure,
announcing to investors that it would take a “non-cash
charge” of $6.2 billion, almost the entire amount spent on
the ill-fated acquisition.
The decision will have a significant affect on the company's
profits this year, and particularly for the company's fiscal
fourth quarter. Microsoft is expecting to turn a net profit
of $5.25 billion, almost guaranteeing the company will lose
money this quarter.
The dire news for Microsoft does not end there, however,
as it also admitted that some of its other products are not
performing so well, including Bing and MSN, which it said
will return lower than previously estimated growth and
profits.
Twitter opens up through
transparency campaign
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/twitter-opens-up-through-
transparency-campaign/16525.html
July 3rd, 2012
In an effort to make their business more transparent, Twitter
has released some rather interesting figures in regards
to its compliance to remove copyrighted materials and
government requests.
In an effort to make their business more transparent, Twitter
has released some rather interesting figures in regards
to its compliance to remove copyrighted materials and
government requests.
In the category of copyrighted content removal, Twitter
received 3,378 requests from January 1 to June 30 this year.
Out of the 3,378 requests, Twitter complied with about 600
of them—so the compliance rate is roughly 20%.
However, when it came to government requests for user
information and withholding of content, Twitter complied
75% of the time. Another thing to note is that the majority of
the government requests are through agencies in the United
States.
Christine Chen, Spokeswoman for Twitter, told Venture Beat
that “the more transparent that companies and governments
are, the more meaningful the public debate can be about the
free flow of information online.” Get full details on what
exactly Twitter is trying to do here.
iPhone combusts in
teenager's pocket
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/iphone-combusts-in-teenager-s-
pocket/16524.html
July 3rd, 2012
iPhones are supposed to be of the highest quality, and rarely
do we get news about an Apple product exploding while in
someone’s pocket.

3
iPhones are supposed to be of the highest quality, and rarely
do we get news about an Apple product exploding while in
someone’s pocket.
In a recent Finnish pub SK24 report, 17-year-old Henri
Helminen had his iPhone spontaneously began to heat
up and nearly drowned him in a cloud of smoke. The
phone’s Lithium battery may have something to do with the
combustive event, and although there are no confirmations
as to what caused the iPhone to fail so miserably, a video may
help you figure out how.
Unprintable Content (Video, Flash, etc.)
Android Jelly Bean melts
under California sun
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/android-jelly-bean-melts-under-
california-sun/16522.html
July 3rd, 2012
Google’s Android Jelly Bean is hot, so hot that it melted.
I’m not talking about the actual OS causing smartphones to
melt, but rather the Android Jelly Bean’s head on the lawn of
Google’s Mountain View campus melted due to extreme heat
under the California sun. Although you can find an article
on Samsung's recent Galaxy smartphone explosion here.
Google’s Android Jelly Bean is hot, so hot that it melted.
I’m not talking about the actual OS causing smartphones to
melt, but rather the Android Jelly Bean’s head on the lawn of
Google’s Mountain View campus melted due to extreme heat
under the California sun. Although you can find an article
on Samsung's recent Galaxy smartphone explosion here.
Orange cones along with yellow caution tape now surround
the out-of-commissioned Jelly Bean statue, but prior to that,
some passerby allegedly dipped their hands into the Jelly
Bean’s torso and stole some of the flavorful organs.
Chinese woman sentenced to
10 years in prison for stealing
a mobile phone
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/chinese-woman-sentenced-to-10-
years-in-prison-for-stealing-a-mobile-phone/16521.html
July 3rd, 2012
What is a justifiable punishment for a mobile phone theft?
How about a slap on the wrist, reparation, and a month
or two in jail? Apparently, a Chinese woman’s phone theft
crime landed her a 10 year prison sentence. The woman’s
punishment has sparked a debate on whether or not the
sentence is absurd or just.
What is a justifiable punishment for a mobile phone theft?
How about a slap on the wrist, reparation, and a month
or two in jail? Apparently, a Chinese woman’s phone theft
crime landed her a 10 year prison sentence. The woman’s
punishment has sparked a debate on whether or not the
sentence is absurd or just.
Forty-eight year old Zhang Yun stole a mobile phone from
her employer—claiming, she did so because she was not
compensated for her service. The phone theft was traced
back to Zhang through the use of security surveillance. Yun
tried to hide her tracks by burying the phone in a radish field,
but ultimately her employer managed to cast a decade long
prison term unto her former employee.
According to ecsn.cn, the phone’s value is 60,000 (~$9,444),
and if you think that’s an absurd number then you have every
right to think so. The average income per year for people in
China is less than the value of the phone which Yun stole.
On top of her 10 year prison term, Yun has to also pay a fine
of 20,000 yuan (~$3,148).
A Survey taken on tencent.com has revealed that 95% agreed
that the sentence is much too harsh. Will people’s interest
in this Yun’s punishment give her a chance at another trial
to reduce the degree of punishment? What do you think?
Ivy Bridge i7 vs Bulldozer FX
@ 4.6GHz - July 2012 Battle of
the Flagships
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/ivy-bridge-i7-vs-bulldozer-
fx--4.6ghz--july-2012-battle-of-the-flagships/16520.html

4
July 3rd, 2012
After months of BIOS firmware updates and software
patches, both platforms from Intel and AMD should have
reached some level of maturity by now. We run a myriad
of tests with HD 7970 GHz Edition CrossfireX and G.Skill
16GB 2400MHz ram to see how everything goes at a typical
4.6GHz CPU overclock.
Price Comparison
Intel Core i7-3770K -USD$349
AMD FX-8150 - USD$199.99
Prices from NewEgg as of 3rd July 2012
CPUID Validation
Intel Ivy Bridge i7-3770K setup - http://
valid.canardpc.com/show_oc.php?id=2425748
AMD Bulldozer FX-8150 setup - http://valid.canardpc.com/
show_oc.php?id=2426606
Operating System
Windows 7 SP1 with all Windows Update patches until 2nd
July 2012
Core Parking Fix

5
Apple faces Snow Leopard
trademark lawsuit in China
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/apple-faces-snow-leopard-
trademark-lawsuit-in-china/16519.html
July 3rd, 2012
Apple is facing yet another lawsuit over trademarks in China,
and this time it deals with their Snow Leopard OS.
Apple is facing yet another lawsuit over trademarks in China,
and this time it deals with their Snow Leopard OS.
The recent Chinese court decision to award Proview
Technology $60 million in its dispute with Apple over the
“iPad” trademark may be considered as extortion to an
extent, but no one really knows what went on behind the
scene three years ago.
Move forward a few days, and a Chinese household chemical
company by the name of Jiangsu Xuebao is suing Apple for
infringing on their “Snow Leopard” trademark. The Chinese
translation for “Xuebao” is Snow Leopard, hence, they are
claiming that Apple is infringing their trademark based on
the translation.
The case against Apple this case may not be as strong
as Proview’s case since the chemical company registered
“Xuebao” and not the English translation. In the end,
however, it all depends on how the Chinese court decides to
rule this matter.
Jiangsu Xuebao is demanding an $80,645 compensation as
well as an apology, and a court hearing has already been
scheduled for June 10. Apple can settle this matter with
money demanded and apologize, but if that Apple does that
it may be perceived as a crack in the Cupertino-tech giant’s
armor.
Whichever method Apple decides to go about the Snow
Leopard trademark dispute, it’s almost a guarantee that
other companies, individuals, and/or organizations are

6
currently looking into to how Apple has violated their
trademarks.
Microsoft's Risky Move:
Upgrade to Windows 8 for
Just $14.99 and $39.99
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/microsoft-s-risky-move-upgrade-to-
windows-8-for-just-14.99-and-39.99/16515.html
July 3rd, 2012
Microsoft chose the first working day of the third quarter to
announce the Windows 8 Upgrade pricing model. We expect
to see a lot of fireworks over this one, since the upgrade cost
dropped beyond belief. Bought a new computer and want
Windows 8 Pro? That’ll be $14.99, sir.
Even with all the marketing preparations, Microsoft pulled a
never-before-seen move to get as much traction as possible.
The whole idea of paying hundreds of dollars for an
operating system seems like an idea from 1990s. Faced with
obvious competition in the form of Apple and its continuous
reductions in upgrade prices, Microsoft pulled quite an
unexpected move.
If you own a Windows XP, Vista or Windows 7 operating
system, you will be able to upgrade the system to Windows 8
Professional for just $39.99. The company released images
of its Windows 8 upgrade advisor which will take you
through the process. If you wish to order the version on a
DVD, you will have to pay $69.99.
If you have just bought the computer (Windows 7 SP1),
you will be able to upgrade for just $14.99, with that offer
expiring end of January next year (2013). This is a quantum
shift from Windows 7 upgrade prices, which ranged from
$119.99 for Windows 7 Home Premium to $199.99 for
Windows 7 Professional.
Naturally, if by some odd reason you don't have a Windows
license already, regular prices will be announced in the next
couple of weeks.
Which leads us to the question - why Microsoft started to
follow Apple with its OS prices? Is Windows 8 bombing that
badly with the user experience groups, media and analysts
that the company is going for price dumping so that it could
say that Windows 8 installed on XXX million of computers?
ITC denies Apple's bid for
emergency ban on HTC
products
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/itc-denies-apple-s-bid-for-
emergency-ban-on-htc-products/16517.html
July 3rd, 2012
In a last-minute ditch to prevent HTC from importing HTC’s
One series smartphone into the U.S., Apple filed for an
emergency ban of HTC’s product with the U.S. ITC, but
ultimately the agency denied the request.
In a last-minute ditch to prevent HTC from importing HTC’s
One series smartphone into the U.S., Apple filed for an
emergency ban of HTC’s product with the U.S. ITC, but
ultimately the agency denied the request.
Apple filed a complaint against HTC for infringement of a
patent that dealt with the detection of phone numbers in
emails, and if tapped, the number can be directly dialed
without having to manually input the number.
After several days of reworking the phones, HTC received
approvals of U.S. customs officials. However, Apple
remained adamant that HTC had not completed all the
requirements necessary to get the ban lifted. HTC argued
that the infringement which Apple was referring to was
beyond HTC’s control, because the Gmail app which
infringed Apple’s patent was a closed-source software from
Google.
Since HTC’s product bans were lifted, their stock prices rose
and today it added nearly 1 percent to its NT$393.50 at
closing—a tremendous boost for a company that haven’t
seen a figure like that in almost four weeks.
HTC’s peaked smartphone market share was 10.7 percent
in the second quarter of 2012, but has since slipped to 4.5
percent due to Apple’s iPhone and Samsung’s Galaxy line.
Today's Announcements:
Assassin's Creed III, Rome:
Total War sequel, Starship
Troopers: Invasion, and Halo
4: Forward unto Dawn
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/today-s-announcements-assassin-s-
creed-iii-rome-total-war-sequel-starship-troopers-invasion-and-halo-4-
forward-unto-dawn/16516.html

7
July 3rd, 2012
Assassin’s Creed III, if you don’t already know, is headed to
a retail store near you October 30 along with fandom extras.
If RTS is your flavor then Sega has announced that it will
release a sequel to the 2004 Rome: Total War. If you’re
not in the mood for video games then some futuristic sci-fi
flicks may tickle your fancies. Starship Troopers: Invasion
hits store on Blu-ray and DVD August 24. The game won’t
drop for couple more months, but the live-web series Halo
4: Forward Unto Dawn will begin airing this fall.
Assassin’s Creed III, if you don’t already know, is headed to
a retail store near you October 30 along with fandom extras.
If RTS is your flavor then Sega has announced that it will
release a sequel to the 2004 Rome: Total War. If you’re
not in the mood for video games then some futuristic sci-fi
flicks may tickle your fancies. Starship Troopers: Invasion
hits store on Blu-ray and DVD August 24. The game won’t
drop for couple more months, but the live-web series Halo
4: Forward Unto Dawn will begin airing this fall.
In the next Assassin’s title you will take on a young American
frontier in the midst of a revolution, but there’s no point
in outlining that now. What’s important at the moment,
however, is that Ubisoft will deliver a special edition for
North and South America. For $119.99 you can purchase the
special edition of Assassin’s Creed III for PS3 or Xbox 360
with a 9’’ statue of connor, a special flag, and a belt buckle.
If you’re not a console gamer, then the downloadable Digital
Deluxe Edition for PC is available for $64.99. The PC Deluxe
Edition won’t come with any physical toys, but there will
be extra in-game contents such as George Washington’s
notebook which contains actual stories from the American
Revolution.
Metacritic raved about Rome: Total War in 2004 and gave
it a 92 rating, and in 2012 Sega announced that they will be
releasing a sequel. Surprising? Not especially. Rather, it’s
surprising that it hasn’t occurred to the developers sooner
that they can capitalize on an outstanding game by releasing
a sequel.
The cinematic of Hollywood’s Starship Troopers may have
disappointed many, but perhaps CGI-animated Starship
Troopers: Invasion will help the franchise regain the
interest of fans. The Blu-ray and DVD is set to hit August 28.
Last but not least, Halo 4 the game is taking up much of
the spotlight surrounding the Halo brand, but don’t forget
that the series Halo 4: Forward unto Dawn is coming this
fall. So while you wait for Halo 4 to launch, you can catch
some Master Chief live-web action via Halo Waypoint and
Machinima. Trailer? Of course. It's a little short, I know.
Enjoy!
Upgrade to Windows 8 Pro for
$40
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/upgrade-to-windows-8-pro-
for-40/16518.html
July 3rd, 2012
An upgrade to Windows 8 won’t set anyone back, and if
one carpools for a couple days he will be able to upgrade to
Windows 8 Pro from Windows 7, Vista, and XP.

8
An upgrade to Windows 8 won’t set anyone back, and if a
person carpools for a couple days he will be able to upgrade
to Windows 8 Pro from Windows 7, Vista, and XP.
In addition to wooing consumers to upgrade with a relatively
reasonable promotional price tag, Microsoft is also tagging
on Windows Media Center for free through the “add
features” after an upgrade is purchased.
The Windows 8 upgrading process is very similar to
previous versions of Windows. Users are notified that
the upgrade may cause incompatibilities among the users’
current hardware, and then they will be given the options to
keep all, some, and none of the current Window’s files and
settings. Also, depending on the version of Windows a user
is upgrading from, he may not be able to keep all settings
and or files.
The next step will be downloading the upgrade, and how fast
the download finishes varies on network conditions on both
sides.
Once the upgrade finishes downloading, users will be given
the options to install the upgrade now or later via various
methods which include USB drive or ISO-to-DVD.
If people prefer to purchase the physical backup DVD it will
cost an extra $15, and a complete retail upgrade version will
also be available for $69.99. The promotions of both retail
and downloadable upgrades end January 31, 2013.
Micron Acquires Elpida and
the Future of Computer
Memory for $5 Billion
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/micron-acquires-elpida-and-the-
future-of-computer-memory-for-5-billion/16514.html
July 3rd, 2012
The modern world has ton of companies that were on
the verge of making a revolution, only to exhaust its cash
reserves and crash before they could change the world.

9
Regardless of are we talking about 3dfx and 48-bit color, or
Elpida and ReRAM i.e. Resistive RAM - the story remains
the same.
In the very recent past, we saw many of long-lasting industry
standards coming to pass, but the basic principle how
computer operates - hasn’t changed in a very long time.
Regardless of being a mainframe, server, desktop or a
smartphone, the principle is the same - computing logic
(CPU, GPU, SoC) has several layers of immediate memory
(Level 1-3), followed by the system memory (Level 4) and
ending with storage subsystem (5th level onwards). That
subsystem ranges from a hard drive or a USB stick to large
external storage boxes (NAS – Network Area Storage).
But what if a technology comes along that unifies the
system memory with the storage, and offers bandwidth
exceeding the one offered by the Level 1 memory (L1
cache, for example)? Last year, we saw Micron and Intel
Demonstrating Hybrid Cube Memory, a 512MB stacked
DRAM which achieved bandwidth of 128GB/s from a single
chip (imagine a CPU with 4 memory channels and 512 GB/s).
That concept is just the beginning. ReRAM or Resistive RAM
is considered to be the next phase of memory, supporting the
pairing with DRAM and NAND Cells, and ready to replace
both in the future. Elpida was considered as the company
closest to mass production but due to turmoil in the DRAM
industry and as one of consequences of big earthquake in
Japan - had to file for bankruptcy in March 2012.
Enter Micron - the company announced that “the parties
have signed a definitive sponsor agreement for Micron to
acquire and support Elpida.” For 200 billion yen, i.e. 2.5
billion U.S. Dollars will be paid off to Elpida’s creditors
(secured and unsecured). Furthermore, the company will
acquire Elpida as a company for $750 million, as well as
additional $1.75 billion secured in annual payments going
until 2019. This caused another shakeup on the Taiwanese
market as well, as Micron acquired 24% Share of Rexchip
Electronics Corporation for about $334 million. Elpida
owned 65% of Rexchip, bringing Micron’s share to 89%.
Jointly, Elpida and Rexchip can manufacture more than
200,000 300mm wafers (wspm), increasing Micron’s
overall capacity to massive 600,000 wafer starts per month
(all foundries manufacture chips using 300mm wafers).
Roy Taylor, Ex-VP in NVIDIA
and MasterImage 3D Joins
Rightware
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/roy-taylor-ex-vp-in-nvidia-and-
masterimage-3d-joins-rightware/16512.html
July 3rd, 2012
Today, Rightware announced that a former MasterImage 3D
and NVIDIA executive joined the team in the position of
Chief Sales Officer (CSO). The person that started NVIDIA’s
push in Europe and won many deals for MasterImage 3D will
push its future outside the hardware world - by expanding
the 3D user interface to as many devices as possible.
If you ask any fan for any company, he or she will tell you that
the most important asset of that company are the products,
be that a mobile phone, graphics card or a Formula 1 team.
However, should you ask the CEO of the said companies
“what is the most important asset”, the answer would be
almost unanimous: people.
There are no products if there aren’t people behind them,
and Roy Taylor’s career was quite stellar - from founding
NVIDIA Europe, The Way Its’ Meant To Be Played to first
Tegra design wins with telecoms around the world. After
leaving NVIDIA, we saw relatively unknown MasterImage
3D rising into the technical and mainstream press. Now,
Roy’s job is to make Rightware a well-known brand.
This Futuremark spinoff may be creating and shipping its
creations to Volkswagen-Audi Group (VAG) or BMW, but
the real challenge will be to enter one of “big-wigs” such as
Samsung, Sony, HTC - you’ve guessed it right - smartphone
and tablet makers. If you like in China, you can already enjoy
their 3D interface for Android operating system made in
cooperation with Konka, as well as some other designs we’re
not able to publish at present.
Can Rightware become a household name or will the
company end up being acquired by some player? There’s no
answer. Just like Dave Perry’s Gaikai and its recent $380M
acquisition by Sony Computer Entertainment.

10
Apple iPad Mini to launch this
October
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/apple-ipad-mini-to-launch-this-
october/16513.html
July 3rd, 2012
In a recent investment report from Pacific Crest, analysts
predict that Apple will launch a 7.85’’ iPad mini this October
priced at around $299.
In a recent investment report from Pacific Crest, analysts
predict that Apple will launch a 7.85’’ iPad mini this October
priced at around $299.
Rumors of a 7’’ budget slate from Apple have been on
the table for a while, and they’re still rumors. However,
many OEMs have been either rumored or confirmed to be
developing and launching 7-inchers, so it’s no surprise that
Apple don’t want other tablet makers to cannibalize their
brand.
“Based on our supply checks, we expect Apple to launch a
7.85” iPad in October. We anticipate an entry-level 7.85”
iPad with 8GB of NAND capacity to price at $299,” states the
report.
The late Steve Jobs, was an opponent of a 7-incher, but
apparently Tim Cook, Apple’s current CEO, have something
else in mind. An article from Tab Times a couple of months
ago rumored that the R&D in Cupertino was testing a 7.85’’
tablet.
Also in the report, analysts suggest that the current
gen iPad will receive some upgrades which may include
a repositioning of the camera, improved touchscreen
interface, reduced weight, and improved battery life. As for
the iPad 2, the firm predicts that its shelf-life will end with
the launch of the iPad Mini.
Mozilla announces Firefox
Mobile OS
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/mozilla-announces-firefox-mobile-
os/16511.html
July 3rd, 2012
The WebOS platform is virtually extinct due to stiff
competitions from iOS and Android, but more than anything
else, the WebOS “technology wasn’t there yet.” Paul Mercer,
former senior director of the WebOS project, claimed that
WebOS was “ahead of its time.” So perhaps now is the time
for a web based mobile OS to take on the challenge. Firefox
announced today that they will be partnering with various
OEMs and carriers to create an open sourced HTML5-driven
mobile platform using the Firefox brand—it’s called, “Firefox
Mobile OS.”

11
The WebOS platform is virtually extinct due to stiff
competitions from iOS and Android, but more than anything
else, the WebOS “technology wasn’t there yet.” Paul Mercer,
former senior director of the WebOS project, claimed that
WebOS was “ahead of its time.” So perhaps now is the time
for a web based mobile OS to take on the challenge. Firefox
announced today that they will be partnering with various
OEMs and carriers to create an open sourced HTML5-driven
mobile platform using the Firefox brand—it’s called, “Firefox
Mobile OS.”
Firefox claims that they will be able to “unlock many current
limitations of web development” by utilizing their “Boot to
Gecko project.” The Mozilla technology, they also claim, will
allow HTML5 applications to access capabilities of phones
which have been only available through native applications
previously.
In an earlier presentation this year, Mozilla teamed up with
Telefónica’s Digital unit to demonstrate how every feature
of a phone such as calling, messaging, and games can be
powered by HTML5.
Mozilla is quick to hint that they are not aiming to take
on the “high-end” smartphone market just yet. Their
mobile OS platform will initially be aimed at entry-level
smartphones, whereby, they are hoping that the elimination
of “unnecessary middleware layers” will allow mobile
operators to fully customize the OS for the right price and
functionality.
OEMs such as ZTE has announced that they intend to
produce smartphones featuring Qualcomm's Snapdragon
CPUs to run the Firefox Mobile OS.
The project has already submitted various Web APIs to W3C
for standardization, and Gary Kovacs, Mozilla’s CEO, hope
that the arrival of Firefox Mobile OS will spark “openness,
innovation and opportunity” from users and developers on
the web.

12
Press Release:
Industry support is growing behind Mozilla’s plans
to launch a new fully open mobile ecosystem
based on HTML5. The operating system, which
Mozilla today confirmed will use its Firefox
brand, will power the launch of smartphones built
entirely to open Web standards, where all of the
device’s capabilities can be developed as HTML5
applications.
Mapping to key Firefox footprints around the globe,
leading operators Deutsche Telekom, Etisalat,
Smart, Sprint, Telecom Italia, Telefónica and
Telenor are backing the open Firefox OS as
an exciting new entrant to the smartphone
marketplace. They have also identified the potential
of the technology to deliver compelling smartphone
experiences at attainable prices.
Device manufacturers TCL Communication
Technology (under the Alcatel One Touch brand)
and ZTE today announced their intentions to
manufacture the first devices to feature the new
Firefox OS, using Snapdragon™ processors from
Qualcomm Incorporated, the leader in smartphone
platforms. The first Firefox OS powered devices are
expected to launch commercially in Brazil in early
2013 through Telefónica’s commercial brand, Vivo.
The Firefox OS for mobile devices is built on
Mozilla’s “Boot to Gecko project” which unlocks
many of the current limitations of web development
on mobile, allowing HTML5 applications to access
the underlying capabilities of a phone, previously
only available to native applications. Telefónica’s
Digital unit joined forces with Mozilla earlier this
year to take this work and showcase a new phone
architecture where every phone feature (calling,
messaging, games, etc.) is an HTML5 application.
Due to the optimization of the platform for entry-
level smartphones and the removal of unnecessary
middleware layers, mobile operators will have
the ability to offer richer experiences at a range
of price points including at the low end of the
smartphone price range, helping to drive adoption
across developing markets.
Mozilla and all other participants are committed to
ensuring the project is fully open and the reference
implementation of the required Web APIs is being
submitted to W3C for standardization.
“The introduction of the open mobile OS
continues the Mozilla mission to promote openness,
innovation and opportunity on the Web for users
and developers. As billions of users are expected to
come online for the first time in the coming years,
it is important to deliver a compelling smartphone
experience that anyone can use,” said Gary Kovacs,
CEO, Mozilla. “The large number of operators and
manufacturers now supporting this effort will bring
additional resources and diversity to our global
offerings.”
About Mozilla
Mozilla has been a pioneer and advocate for the
Web for more than a decade. We create and promote
open standards that enable innovation and advance
the Web as a platform for all. Today, hundreds of
millions of people worldwide use Mozilla Firefox
to discover, experience and connect to the Web on
computers, tablets and mobile phones. For more
information please visit https://www.mozilla.org/
Supporting Quotes from Operators
Matthew Key, Chairman & CEO of Telefónica
Digital commented, “Firefox OS will bring a better
smartphone experience to a higher proportion of
the population at a lower cost. This is crucial for
us to accelerate the adoption of smartphones in
developing markets. The breadth of support for this
initiative across the industry makes it clear that
there is an opportunity in the market for a new, open
mobile ecosystem.”
Fared Adib, Product Chief at Sprint said, “Sprint
continues to support an open mobile ecosystem
that enables choice for Sprint customers and a
healthy competitive ecosystem for the technical
community. Firefox Mobile OS can help us drive
an HTML 5-based platform for creating lower
cost smartphone options for prepaid, postpaid and
wholesale customers.”
Thomas Kiessling, Chief Product and Innovation
Officer at Deutsche Telekom said, “Deutsche
Telekom’s objective is to provide our customers a
choice from a variety of attractive, and best of
breed, products and services – from DT as well as
from our partners. Partnering is key for Deutsche
Telekom and our cooperation with Mozilla is one
important initiative for us. We support Mozilla’s
Firefox OS project since we really believe that it
embodies openness, innovation, and competition,
and it is part of a growing cloud and HTML5-
based ecosystem. As a function of our commitment,
our Innovation Laboratory’s Silicon Valley Center
is working closely with Mozilla’s development team
and e.g. is contributing NFC enabling software to
Boot to Gecko Platform.”
Orlando B. Vea, Chief Wireless Advisor of Smart
said, “We welcome the introduction of the Firefox
OS, and we recognize the exciting potentials of an
HTML5-based, fully open mobile ecosystem. As the
leading wireless services provider in the Philippines,
we are keen to work with industry players like
Mozilla to create relevant and delightful mobile
Internet experiences for Filipino mobile users as we
make data connectivity even more pervasive in the
country.”
“Firefox entering the smartphone market is a
welcome development and we look forward to
seeing HTML5 bring mobile technology to new
levels not thought possible before,” Vea added.
Cesare Sironi, Head of Innovation and Industry
Relations, Telecom Italia commented, “Mobile
operating systems natively based on HTML5 will
lower the barriers to provide our customers with
performing and innovative mobile applications and
services. Open web technologies are the key for
the development of a sustainable and valuable
application ecosystem.”

13
Kristin Skogen Lund, CEO Telenor Digital Services
commented, “We are pleased to be part of the
coalition supporting the launch of the new open
mobile ecosystem. This will enable free and open
service distribution to our customers, in addition
to providing attractive smartphones at attainable
prices, which is especially important for the
adoption in emerging markets”.
Essa Al Haddad, Chief Commercial Officer at
Etisalat Group said: “Etisalat aim to enrich the user
experience and improve the life of its customers
by providing enhanced services across a complete
portfolio of devices and operating systems. Firefox
OS will provide an open source platform to our
customers and various ecosystem players, such as
application developers, to experience innovative
services. Thanks to this strategic initiative, the
industry will benefit from a sustained growth in
mobile data and the development of cutting edge
applications, as well as the promise of affordable
smartphone devices that provide an enriched
customer experience.”
Call of Duty: Black Ops II to
get reimagined Nuketown
map
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/call-of-duty-black-ops-ii-to-get-
reimagined-nuketown-map/16510.html
July 3rd, 2012
Treyarch has revealed that it is revamping the popular
Nuketown map for the upcoming first-person shooter Call of
Duty: Black Ops II.
Treyarch has revealed that it is revamping the popular
Nuketown map for the upcoming first-person shooter Call of
Duty: Black Ops II.
The original Nuketown was a small multiplayer map set in a
fake town used for simulating nuclear effects on urban life,
replete with mannequins and other interesting terrain.
Nuketown 2025 will involve a re-imagining of the classic
map, though Treyarch is remaining tight-lipped about what
this will involve. The combat will remain close-quarters like
the original, but the setting will involve a 1960s conception of
what a futuristic home would look like, giving that somewhat
dated science-fiction appeal.
“Multiplayer fans of Call of Duty: Black Ops LOVE
Nuketown,” said Mark Lamia, Studio Head of Treyarch.
“Flat out, Nuketown was a blast to play before, and we're
excited about the reimagined Nuketown 2025 in Call of
Duty: Black Ops II. We can't wait to play with everyone come
this November.”
The map will be given for free as a bonus download across
all platforms to anyone who pre-orders the game before its
release on 13 November.
Weekend website troubles
raise questions over internet
reliability
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/weekend-website-troubles-raise-
questions-over-internet-reliability/16508.html
July 3rd, 2012
Storms and the “leap second” have caused severe downtime
for many websites over the weekend, including popular
services like Reddit, Foursquare, Netflix, Instagram, and
Amazon Web Services, raising questions over the reliability
of the internet in the face of relatively simple obstacles.
Storms and the “leap second” have caused severe downtime
for many websites over the weekend, including popular
services like Reddit, Foursquare, Netflix, Instagram, and
Amazon Web Services, raising questions over the reliability
of the internet in the face of relatively simple obstacles.
The United States has suffered lightning storms in recent
days, with many along the East Coast left without power,
which has caused a knock-on effect to any internet-based
service operating in the area.
This meant that Amazon Web Services was partly knocked
offline, with even its back-up generator roasted by the
storms. Since many companies rely on this service for
hosting, thousands of other websites were affected by
downtime. Netflix, Instagram and Reddit were also affected.

14
Nature is one thing, but the addition of an extra second
added to the world clock, designed to address fluctuations
in the Earth's rotation, resulted in chaos in the way many
feared the Millenium Bug would.
The leap second added to Coordinated Universal Time
(UTC) at midnight on 30 June meant that many services
that rely on the precision of time to deliver data suffered
disruption, including severe errors where data was out of
sync or missing entirely.
Websites affected by this included Reddit, FourSquare,
LinkedIn, Gawker, and StumbleUpon, among many others.
Even online booking systems were disrupted, and doubtless
there were other incidents around the world as a result of the
extra second.
Google avoided the problem by dividing the extra second
throughout the day, adding just a few milliseconds at a time
over regular intervals. This meant its clocks had already
taken the extra second into account before it was suddenly
added to UTC.
The disruption raises questions about the reliability of the
internet in the face of such relatively simple issues.
Electrical storms are a common occurrence, and when even
backup generators face outage because of them it suggests
we have not yet developed sufficient protection for computer
equipment from the forces of nature.
The leap year issue is a computer problem, but since Google
was able to bypass any difficulties, and since 25 leap seconds
have been added since 1972, this is more of a sign of lack
of preparation than lack of skill. In fact, Google shared
its "leap smear" solution on a blog last September, giving
many services ample time to copy its approach and save
themselves and their customers many headaches.
Samsung launches S Health
app for Galaxy S III
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/samsung-launches-s-health-app-for-
galaxy-s-iii/16507.html
July 3rd, 2012
Samsung has launched the S Health “personal wellness”
application for the Galaxy S III, hoping to help improve the
health of its smartphone users.
Samsung has launched the S Health “personal wellness”
application for the Galaxy S III, hoping to help improve the
health of its smartphone users.
The app, which was first demonstrated at the Galaxy S III
Unpacked launch event in May, collects and collates data on
the user's health to chart changes and help with improving
lifestyle.
The software is compatible with a number of healthcare
sensors, including blood glucose meters, blood pressure
monitors and body composition scales. These currently
include the Lifescan Blood Glucose Meter, connected via
USB, the OMRON Blood Pressure Monitor and Body
Composition, and the A&D Blood Pressure Monitor and
Body Composition, the latter two connecting via Bluetooth.
Much of the data is added automatically through the above
devices, but users can also manually enter information about
diet, exercise, medication intake, and other relevant health
data.
For those who need a little motivation to improve their
health, the app is integrated with Twitter, allowing users to
share goals and achievements, and get the support of others
in their quest for better health.
The app can be downloaded through the More Services app
on the Galaxy S III.

15
Court Deals Blow To
Samsung Patent Claims
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/court-deals-blow-to-samsung-
patent-claims/16492.html
July 3rd, 2012
On Saturday the ongoing legal battle over patents between
technology giants Apple v Samsung & Google took another
step forward as California District Court Judge Lucy Koh
refused all of Samsung's pre-trial summary judgement
motions against Apple's smart phone patents.
On Saturday the ongoing legal battle over patents between
technology giants Apple v Samsung & Google took another
step forward as California District Court Judge Lucy Koh
refused all of Samsung's pre-trial summary judgement
motions against Apple's smart phone patents.
Samsung submitted the motions after Apple filed
motions against it for purported smartphone-related IP
infringments, plus Apple's FRAND-related antitrust claims.
As the matter has progressed, Apple's defense of it's patents
has been found to be mostly sound , while Samsung's
technology and Google's programming ethics have been
called into question by Apple's string of wins.
In this decision the Court found Samsung / Google did not
have sufficient property rights over the patents in dispute
to justify an injunction favoring them, and they were all
refused. By rebuffing Samsung's claims to those patents, the
court has put the Samsung / Google partnership on the back
foot in the lead-up to the trial in late July.
The string of courtroom wins by Apple in relation to
several patents as well as procedural issues are highlighting
Samsung's design strategy and direction and the ethics
of Google's programming involvement in the smartphone
market.
Judge Koh's decisions and Apple's concise submissions on
this matter highlight what appears to be a dubious design
and software practices by Samsung and Google.
Gaikai Cloud Gaming
Platform Sold to Sony for
$380 Million
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/gaikai-cloud-gaming-platform-sold-
to-sony-for-380-million/16506.html
July 3rd, 2012
Ever since Dave Perry started his big push in the media for
Gaikai, seasoned analysts could see a distinctive pattern –
this will be the year of sale or the last funding series ahead of
the IPO. In the end, it was the first one, with Sony winning
the bidding war alongside quite a few interested parties.
There is no doubt in our mind that David “Dave” Perry is an
industry legend with several multi-million titles that came
from the era before gaming became “larger than Hollywood”.
Four years ago, he started an adventure called Gaikai i.e.
a cloud gaming service which would harness the power of
GPUs to run multiple virtual instances of the same game and
give the high-end gaming experience to everybody.
For example, Gaikai technology was able to virtualize six
instances of World of Warcraft onto the single Kepler-based
GPU, presumably GeForce GTX 680. Naturally, the problem
with pixel streaming services was that in order to serve, let’s
say a million WoW gamers you would need to have - in the
very best case scenario – 166,666 GPUs. For some other
games, they were able to run from eight to twelve instances.
Now, while we know of two cases where future Tesla GPUs
will be deployed in a similar volume, you can be sure that
those supercomputers won’t be used for gaming.
Thus, when we heard the announcement between Gaikai and
Samsung, it was clear to us that there is a bidding war going
on for the company, and the biggest question was – who
will provide the biggest ROI to the investors that backed the
project since 2008, as well as who will expand the service.
The answer to that is no other than Sony Computer
Entertainment. While Sony has laid low following one of the
biggest security disasters of our time (70 million accounts
stolen), the company wants to come back swinging into
profitability, and it is obvious that SCE believes Gaikai is
the “Secret Sauce” the company needs to win over tens of
millions of gamers.
Also, big winners are investment groups and companies such
as Benchmark Capital, Intel Capital, Limelight Networks,
NEA, Qualcomm, Rustic Canyon Partners and TriplePoint
Capital. Even though it is not mentioned, we were informed
that some players at NVIDIA are also quite happy with the
acquisition as there were some green people funds involved
in not just one, but several funds which invested in Gaikai.
What we find especially funny though, is that the executives
at Sony Computer Entertainment specifically denied any
takeover attempt. However, we all know when the big
companies are lying e.g. deceiving the general audience and
its own investors in order to outbid the competitor, which in
this case was – Samsung. The Korean CE giant was very close
to Gaikai and announced quite a substantial “get together”
at the Electronic Entertainment Expo held in early July in
Los Angeles, CA.
Ultrabook Sales Picking Up:
11% of the Market Already?
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/ultrabook-sales-picking-up-11-of-
the-market-already-/16401.html
July 3rd, 2012
According to Intel, 2012 is the year of the Ultrabook.
According to AMD, 2012 is the year of the Ultrathin. No
matter how you look at it, the fall should be marked with
thin notebooks. NPD Group shows that both companies are
right, as consumers are starting to purchase more and more
compact laptops.

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