VR-Zone Tech News for the Geeks 2012 Issue 3

March 14th, 2012 Published by: VR-Zone

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.

Star Wars: The Old Republic
free to play this weekend
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/star-wars-the-old-republic-free-to-
play-this-weekend/15248.html
March 14th, 2012

Get out your lightsabers and blasters,
because Star Wars: The Old Republic, BioWare's first foray This is unlikely to happen, however, as Tesco has already
into the world on MMORPGs, will be free to play this blamed the situation on an IT error. It said it would cancel
weekend. all of the purchases in question and refund any money paid.

Tesco will not honour sales This is not the first time Tesco has made a mistake like this.
after 50 pound iPad offer In January 2011 a glitch saw 36 cans of lager go on sale for
£11, resulting in the store calling the police to keep order as
blunder the shop was crowded with people looking for bargain beer.
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/tesco-will-not-honour-sales- A similar problem in October saw Terry's Chocolate Oranges
after-50-pound-ipad-offer-blunder/15247.html retail for a mere £0.29.
March 14th, 2012

As the shops slogan goes, “Every little helps.” Unfortunately
offering an unbeatable deal in error and then taking it away
does not help at all.

Supermarket chain Tesco has refused to honour sales of
Apple's popular iPad tablet after it accidentally listed the Teen wins Intel award for
price on its website for £49.99 rather than £499.99.
breast cancer research
Supermarket chain Tesco has refused to honour sales of Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/teen-wins-intel-award-for-breast-
Apple's popular iPad tablet after it accidentally listed the cancer-research/15246.html
price on its website for £49.99 rather than £499.99. March 14th, 2012

Tesco Direct made the pricing blunder on its website for the
iPad Wi-Fi 4G 64GB black model and only spotted the error
after numerous sales went through.

A US teenager has won the top prize of $100,000
Customers thought it was their lucky day, with many from the Intel Science Talent Search competition for his
scrambling to purchase the tablet computer for a tenth of groundbreaking research on breast cancer, which could
its retail cost. News spread like wildfire across the internet, revolutionise treatment.
eventually crashing the Tesco website as everyone tried to A US teenager has won the top prize of $100,000
grab what they thought was a bargain. from the Intel Science Talent Search competition for his
groundbreaking research on breast cancer, which could
revolutionise treatment.
While this is an obvious error it is still a mistake on the part
of Tesco, not its customers, so it's understandable why many
feel it should honour the price. 17-year-old Nithin Tumma, from Fort Gratiot, Michigan,
was awarded the prestigious first place honours from the
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Intel Foundation after he discovered that certain proteins stores past midnight like M1, so do save the hassle of
in cancer cells could be inhibited to slow their growth and queueing.
decrease their malignancy.

Giada's Uni-box is a split-
The potential benefits of this finding include the
development of a more direct, targeted, effective and less
level computer
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/giada-s-uni-box-is-a-split-level-
toxic treatment for breast cancer, a goal that many scientists
computer/15244.html
have been working on for some time.
March 14th, 2012

We saw a preview of Giada's Uni-box just ahead of CeBIT
and at the show we got a couple of minutes of hands on
time with it and there's a reason for the unusually two-tone
chassis design, as the Uni-box is made up from two different
PCBs. In fact, the main motherboard was never intended for
Tumma is first in his class of 332, is a varsity tennis player the Uni-box and as such we're looking at something of a bi-
and does volunteer work for the Port Huron Museum, where product here that worked out to be an interesting product in
he initiated a restoration program for historical and cultural its own right.
landmarks, showing that his contributions to society extend
We saw a preview of Giada's Uni-box just ahead of CeBIT
beyond his scientific research.
and at the show we got a couple of minutes of hands on
time with it and there's a reason for the unusually two-tone
Tumma was not the only teen to win awards. Andrew Sushko chassis design, as the Uni-box is made up from two different
and Mimi Yen, both also 17, won second and third place PCBs. In fact, the main motherboard was never intended for
respectively for their developments in tiny motors and the the Uni-box and as such we're looking at something of a bi-
study of the evolution and genetics of microscopic worms. product here that worked out to be an interesting product in
its own right.

“We invest in America’s future when we recognize the
innovative achievements of our nation’s brightest young
minds,” said Paul Otellini, President and CEO of Intel.
“Hands-on experience with math and science, such as
that required of Intel Science Talent Search finalists,
encourages young people to think critically, solve problems
and understand the world around them. Rather than simply
memorizing facts and formulas, or repeating experiments
with known outcomes, this competition engages students in
an exciting way and provides a deeper level of understanding
in such important but challenging subjects.”

SingTel and StarHub
announce new iPad to retail
in stores on 16 March
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/singtel-and-starhub-announce-new-
ipad-to-retail-in-stores-on-16-march/15245.html
March 14th, 2012

Giada will offer the Uni-box with a range of CPU options,
although the base option which is likely to be the most
common one includes a Celeron 857 which isn't exactly a
With M1 Limited announcing performance CPU. That said, Core i3, i5 and i7 options will
yesterday that the new iPad will hit the stores on 16 March, be available, although as you might've guessed, the Uni-box
it is only expected that the other two telecommunication uses mobile CPUs which are relatively costly.
companies, SingTel and StarHub, would follow shortly
with their own announcements. However, both SingTel
and StarHub will not have the iPad launch at their retail

2


NTT Docomo unveils SH-06D
NERV special edition Android
smartphone
The two halves of the Uni-box are connected via a PCI Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/ntt-docomo-unveils-sh-06d-nerv-
Express interface and that is how it's possible to have things special-edition-android-smartphone/15242.html
like the DisplayPort and DVI connector on the lower half March 14th, 2012
of the Uni-box. The interesting thing here though is the
fact that Giada also sells the motherboard on its own and
it's called the NI-HM65T. The motherboard measures a
mere 120x128mm and it sports a single SO-DIMM slot, one
mSATA slot and a half-size mini PCI Express slot.

NTT Docomo in Japan has unveiled the special edition
Android smartphone that will launch in June, in conjunction
with the "Evangelion: 3.0 You Can (Not) Redo" movie. The
SH-06D NERV will be showcased at the NOTTV booth at the
Anime Expo 2012 (held at Makuhari Messe in Japan) during
the weekend, 31 March and 1 April.

To the right of the motherboard is an extension PCB that
Giada will offer that adds additional USB ports, a second
HDMI port, a DisplayPort, headset jacks and a couple of
SATA ports. The company can also make custom PCBs for
system integrators for the NI-HM65T and we might be
seeing a wide range of devices based on this motherboard
in the future from various companies. We were told that
the original concept for the motherboard was some kind of The "Eva mobile" was extremely well received when it was
media player/streaming TV service STB for China, but we first launched in 2009. And this year, NTT Docomo has
weren't told what that product is called, only that it was co- come up with the second "NEXT series SH-06D NERV"
developed with Intel. special edition phone, manufactured by Sharp, and will be
launched in conjunction with the movie "Evangelion: 3.0
You Can (Not) Redo" in June. The Evangelion: 3.0 You Can
(Not) Redo is a Japanese animated film directed by Kazuya
Tsurumaki and Hideaki Anno, and is the third of four movies
released in the Rebuild of Evangelion tetralogy, based on the
original anime series Neon Genesis Evangelion.
The SH-06D NERV special edition model reproduces the
view of the world in the movie with the same concept of
"government paramilitary organization NERV". The body

3


design, built-in content, as well as user interface are made Next up we have the very odd looking TD-W8968 which is
to reflect the world of "Evangelion", and is supervised by an all-in-one ADSL2+ modem, router and 802.11b/g/n Wi-
the color studio production company. The picture that has Fi access point with a USB 2.0 port for printer or storage/
been released only shows the the rear panel of the phone - media sharing. We’re not sold on the looks, but the TP-Link
the NERV logo, as well as the FeliCa mark. (FeliCa is the representative we spoke to said that it had been popular with
contactless RFID smart card system used in Japan). Details its customers.
on pre-orders and other information have yet to be released.
The price is rumored to be slightly higher than the original
Sharp SH-06D, though the special edition smartphone will
only be available in limited quantity. The SH-06D NERV will
be showcased at the NOTTV booth at the Anime Expo 2012
(held at Makuhari Messe in Japan) during the weekend, on
31 March and 1 April.

TP-Link shows off new line of
routers and more at CeBIT
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/tp-link-shows-off-new-line-of-
routers-and-more-at-cebit/15241.html
March 14th, 2012

Routers may not be the most exciting piece of hardware
around, but TP-Link has come up with some new designs
that look a lot more attractive than its current range of
products. Besides improved looks, the company has also
added much improved performance to some of its upcoming
models.
TP-Link has a bit of an odd mix of new products and starting The next device is a new venture for TP-Link in some ways, as
at the bottom of sorts we have the TL-MR3040 which is a the TD-VG3631 offers all the functionality of the TD-W8968,
new portable router that has a built in battery which can but adds a second USB 2.0 port and more importantly, it’s a
be used to either power a USB 3G modem, or charge USB VoIP gateway with two FXS ports and one FXO port which
devices. It only sports 150Mbps Wi-Fi, but there’s at least a allows for regular phones to be attached to it so they can be
WAN port as well as a USB port, so it can be used to share a used with VoIP services. The TD-VG3631 features a more
wired hotel connection as well as operate as a 3G router. business like design, although we’re once again not sure we
think it’s an improvement.

4


The difference between the models are fairly minor, as the
TL-WDR3600 is a 300/300Mbps router, whereas the TL-
WDR4300 adds 450Mbps support on the 5GHz band and
finally the TL-WDR4900 offers speeds of up to 450Mbps
on both bands. The company is also offering similar models
with built in ADSL2+ modems, but we didn’t catch the model
names on those.
The final new product on display was the TL-NS210, TP-
Link’s first NAS which features a 1.2GHz Marvell processor,
space for two hard drives, three USB 2.0 ports with the front
port offering direct copying of files via a button and a Gigabit
Ethernet port. On the software side the TL-NS210 offers a
built in web server as well as the regular media and file
sharing features you’d expect from a NAS.
Moving on we got three new routers in the same series that
all sports the same design and this time around TP-Link has
done a much better job, albeit our pictures aren’t the best
thanks to a lot of reflections in the Perspex that was shielding
the routers from the visitors at the show. The new models are
called the TL-WDR3600, TL-WDR4300 and TL-WDR4900
and all three models sport simultaneous dual-band 802.11n
support, two USB 2.0 ports and a full set of Gigabit Ethernet
ports on both the LAN and WAN side.

When we quizzed TP-Link about 802.11ac products the
company said it will be offering them in due time, but it’s
early days yet and they feel that it’s more important to focus
on its current range of products. We have a feeling it might
not be that long to wait before we see the first 802.11ac
devices in the market, but it’s likely that the cost will be fairly
high at the start and as such people will stick with 802.11n
for quite a while still.

5


and then cooled by an external cooling system outside of the
Boston's Hardcore LSS 200 building. In fact, the heat could actually be extracted and
blade server is oil cooled used to heat other parts of the building. Apparently there’s
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/boston-s-hardcore-lss-200-blade- an 80 percent energy saving – in terms of cooling costs – and
server-is-oil-cooled/15240.html a 40 percent cost saving – again in terms of cooling cost –
March 14th, 2012 to use a system like this over a traditional air cooled server
room.

There are of course some major drawbacks of this otherwise
superior cooling solution, as for one it’s difficult to clean the
components inside the blades, although as each blade is hot-
swappable, this isn’t a concern for the customer. Then it’s
We’ve seen a fair few whacky cooling solutions over the the fact that each rack will be heavier than an air cooled
years, but a server cooled by mineral oil is a new one to rack thanks to the oil and extra plumbing needed, so current
us, even though it’s hardly a new idea in itself. Boston was server rooms are often unsuitable for retrofitting for this
demoing a small unit of its Hardcore LSS 200 blade server type of cooling. Finally it’s quite a complex install due to the
solution at CeBIT which uses custom made enclosures for plumbing requirements for the coolant, again making this an
the slim-line Super Micro blade motherboards, but things unsuitable technology in many current installations.
are a lot more complex than that.
The idea behind the Hardcore LSS 200 is that current server
rooms are anything but ideal, as they rely on large open
spaces with cool air being blown in at floor level and vented
out at ceiling level, not exactly and elegant solution and it’s
hard to get the cool air to reach the servers in the racks. The
Hardcore LSS 200 on the other hand means that there’s no
need for the air conditioning and on top of that, the server
can be packed much denser.

However, for a new server room installation, especially in
hot and humid countries where a lot more energy is required
to cool down and potentially dehumidify the air; this is an
excellent solution in the right circumstances. We should
mention that the technology was developed by LiquidBlade
and not Boston, but Boston has the competence to build
installations based on the technology and the Hardcore
LSS 200 is a custom solution from Boston based on
LiquidBlade’s technology. Just on case our poor description
of how it works wasn’t clear enough, have a look at the video
and you’ll get a clearer idea of what the advantages of this
technology are.

Why you ask? It’s because each blade is connected to what OCZ Octane 512GB SSD
can only be described as a plumbing system for the mineral
oil, where cool oil enters each of the blades in a rack and Review
is then being circulated by a small pump inside the blade. Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/ocz-octane-512gb-ssd-
The hot oil exits the blade and the oil from all of the blades review/15238.html
are extracted out of the server room via a pipeline system
6


March 14th, 2012 • Max Read: up to 480MB/s
• Max Write: up to 330MB/s
• Random Write 4KB: 26,000 IOPS
• Random Read 4KB: 35,000 IOPS

It was a year ago when OCZ decided to acquire Indilinx, a
major designer and manufacturer of SSD drive controllers, NCSoft reveals pre-order
revealing the company’s medium-to-long term business plan
to focus a large percentage of their operations on the SSD
details for Guild Wars 2
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/ncsoft-reveals-pre-order-details-for-
drives market. Today we are going to examine the fruits of
guild-wars-2/15236.html
that merger by testing and reviewing the Octane, the first
March 14th, 2012
Indilinx-based drive which found its way into our labs after
Indilinx was acquired by OCZ.
It was a year ago when OCZ decided to acquire Indilinx, a
major designer and manufacturer of SSD drive controllers,
revealing the company’s medium-to-long term business plan
to focus a large percentage of their operations on the SSD
drives market. Today we are going to examine the fruits of NCSoft has revealed details of its pre-order offers for the
that merger by testing and reviewing the Octane, the first Limited Collector's Edition, Digital Edition and Digitial
Indilinx-based drive which found its way into our labs after Deluxe Edition of its highly-anticipated Guild Wars 2
Indilinx was acquired by OCZ. massively multiplayer online role-playing game.
NCSoft has revealed details of its pre-order offers for the
Manufacturer features and specifications Limited Collector's Edition, Digital Edition and Digitial
Deluxe Edition of its highly-anticipated Guild Wars 2
• Available in 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB capacities massively multiplayer online role-playing game.
• Interface: SATA 6Gbps / Backwards Compatible
3Gbps
Anyone who pre-orders will get a guaranteed entry into all
• 512MB Onboard Cache beta weekend events, a three-day headstart when the game
• Indilinx Infused™ launches, and a Hero's Band in-game item, which offers +2
to a variety of stats.
• TRIM Support
• Background Garbage Collection Support
The Digital Edition will feature just the core game and will
• Boot Time Reduction Optimization thus be considerably cheaper than other offerings.
• AES and Automatic Encryption
• SMART Support The Digital Deluxe Edition will feature the game and a
• Proprietary Indilinx Ndurance™ Technology number of bonus in-game items, such as the Summon
Mistfire Wolf Elite Skill, Rytlock Miniature, Golem Banker,
• Low-Latency Seek Time: 0.06ms Read; 0.09ms Write Chalice of Glory (which gives a one-time boost to Glory for
• Slim 2.5" Design PvP gear), and a Tome of Influence (giving a one-time boost
to influence for guild features).
• 99.8 (L) x 69.63 (W) x 9.3 mm (H)
• Lightweight: 83g
• Operating Temp: 0°C ~ 70°C
• Ambient Temp: 0°C ~ 55°C
• Storage Temp: -45°C ~ +85°C
• Low Power Consumption: 1.98W active,1.15W standby
• Shock Resistant up to 1500G
• RAID Support
• MTBF: 1,250,000 hours
• 3-Year Warranty
• Compatible with Windows XP, Vista, 7 (32/64 bit),
Linux, Mac OSX The Limited Collector's Edition includes all of the above and
some real-life items, such as a 10-inch statue of Rytlock,
a 112-page “making of” book, a custom art frame, an art
512GB Max Performance portfolio with five prints, and a soundtrack CD.

7


All of this does not come cheap though, as the current price
tag is £129.99 ($205). Prices for the digital versions were
not revealed, but they should be considerably cheaper, given
there won't be any physical product to ship. Users also
need to take into consideration the lack of subscription fees
compared to other MMOs.

Players can begin pre-ordering the game on 10 April.

Marketing firm causes
outrage over using homeless
as wireless hotspots
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/marketing-firm-causes-outrage-over-
using-homeless-as-wireless-hotspots/15235.html
March 14th, 2012 The phrasing on the t-shirts alone drew considerable
criticism, as it made the homeless people into objects, like
a piece of furniture or an electronic device that can be cast
aside.

Some saw humour in the event, joking that their Wi-Fi
hotspots kept wandering out of range of their devices, thus
A marketing firm has caused controversy over the hiring of
ruining their trades.
homeless people to carry mobile Wi-Fi devices at an internet
conference in return for small donations.
A marketing firm has caused controversy over the hiring of Others thought the idea was ingenious, as it raised questions
homeless people to carry mobile Wi-Fi devices at an internet about how we treat homeless people. One person highlighted
conference in return for small donations. how it made them question their feelings about those living
in shelters or on the streets.

BBH Labs gave 13 volunteers from a homeless shelter Wi-Fi
devices, business cards, and a t-shirt bearing their name and Many of the volunteers themselves had no problems with the
a message, such as: “I'm Clarence, a 4G Hotspot.” project either, with one calling it “an honest day of work and
pay.”

The volunteers got $20 a day for their work and were allowed
to keep any donations made by those who attended the Source and Image Credit: New York Times
conference. BBH Labs called its Homeless Hotspots project a

NVIDIA Adds Windows 8 to
“charitable experiment,” but with such paltry payments and
the objectification of fellow human beings it is not surprising
that some were dismayed by the idea. its Drivers Stack
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/nvidia-adds-windows-8-to-its-
drivers-stack/15232.html
Some onlookers labelled the marketing move as “exploitive,”
March 14th, 2012
with one person describing it as something from a “darkly
satirical science-fiction dystopia.” Others pointed to the
huge divide between the haves and have-nots at the events,
with many touting their expensive devices and connecting to
the free Wi-Fi offered by the homeless volunteers.
After AMD released its Catalyst beta drivers for Windows 8
Consumer Preview, we didn’t have to wait on NVIDIA for
too long: the company added Windows 8 to its regular driver
update portfolio.
Windows 8 Consumer Preview is turning to be the most
popular beta program yet, with over a million downloads in
the first 24 hours. It will be interesting to see can Microsoft
reach 10-15 million downloads in the first month, but in
order for that to happen - the companies need to offer new
drivers.
AMD was the first company out the door to offer a beta
version of its Catalyst drivers for Windows 8 Consumer
Preview, but NVIDIA came out with a very interesting

8


release today; as of today, the company added Windows 8 to
its driver stack. This means that every new release of drivers
for GeForce and Quadro boards will be simultaneously
launched for both the actual Windows 7/Vista and the
Windows 8 Consumer Preview.

The case follows recent announcements by Facebook of a
plan to go public later this year for a whopping $5 billion. The
timing is particularly significant as Yahoo also sued Google
before it went public in 2004. Google settled with a transfer
of 2.7 million shares, a move which Facebook could also do,
though analysts believe it will be more difficult to get money
from the social network.
According to Bryan Del Rizzo, NV PR, the drivers are
just a quick update to 295.73 drivers, adding support for
Blacklight: Retribution. You can read more about it on the Yahoo is facing mounting financial difficulty as it struggles
official GeForce page. to remain relevant in a digital age where rivals are quickly
advancing new technology and services, leaving the once
dominant internet portal in the dark. Layoffs and a board
Yahoo sues Facebook over reshuffle have failed to rescue the company and even a
alleged patent infringement payout from Facebook will only be a temporary boost until
the company starts attracting customers again.
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/yahoo-sues-facebook-over-alleged-
patent-infringement/15234.html
March 14th, 2012

Yahoo has sued social networking giant Facebook over the
alleged infringement of 10 of its patents.
ARM announces "world's
most energy-efficient"
The patents in question relate to messaging, news processor
feed generation, social commenting, advertising display, Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/arm-announces-world-s-most-
preventing click fraud and privacy controls, which targets a energy-efficient-processor/15233.html
number of important features in Facebook's service. March 14th, 2012

The 32-bit processor uses just 9µA/MHz on a low-cost 90nm
LP process, a third of the energy used by existing 8-bit or 16-
"Facebook's entire social network model, which allows users bit processors, while providing a huge boost to performance.
to create profiles and connect with, among other things,
persons and businesses, is based on Yahoo's patented social The chip is aimed at devices like home appliances, medical
networking technology,” Yahoo claimed. monitoring, metering, lighting, and motor control devices,
areas that are increasingly becoming known as “the Internet
of Things.” All of these can benefit from the low-cost, low-
Facebook responded by describing the lawsuit as puzzling, power, and high performance offered by the new Cortex
since Yahoo has not made any attempts to settle out of chip.
court. It said it was disappointed that a longtime business
partner resorted to litigation. Interestingly it never denied
the allegations.

9


When considering the purchase of a PC chassis, cases from
well known Taiwanese manufacturer Lian Li will often
come up for consideration. They offer a whole range of
models covering everything from the smallest mini ITX
cases to huge full tower cases and everywhere in between.
Of course Lian Li offer a variety of Micro ATX cases for
different target markets. Here for review we have the PC-
V600F, the primary design goal of which is to fit the largest
components available into the smallest possible case while
keeping compromises to a minimum. It is available in the
black color we have here as well as silver or red.

The CPU also comes with a number of new features,
such as a single-cycle IO to speed access to GPIO and
peripherals, improved debug and trace capability, and a two-
stage pipeline to reduce the number of cycles per instruction
and improve Flash accesses, which further reduces power
consumption.
The Cortex-M0+ employs a model that is particularly
suitable for the C programming language and it features
binary compatibility with existing Cortex-M0 processors
tools and RTOS. It is also compatible with other ARM The PC-V600F is compact even by mATX case standards.
software for Cortex processors. Looking at the dimensions, a height of just 390mm is as
Freescale and NXP Semiconductor have already agreed small as it is reasonably possible to make a mATX case
to licence the Cortex-M0+ processor, and considering the without major compromise. At just 190mm wide it's also
fact that 50 companies licensed the previous Cortex-M0 thinner than you'd expect, so much so that there isn't
processor, we can likely expect to see many other firms show space at the back for a standard 12cm exhaust fan. Lian Li
their support. presumably opted not to use a 80mm fan for noise reasons.
The PC-V600F may be small for a mATX case, yet it can take
Lian Li PC-V600F Case an oversized PSU, a very long dual or triple slot graphics card
and up to five 3.5" and two 2.5" drives within its compact
Review frame.
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/lian-li-pc-v600f-case-
review/15201.html
Specifications
March 14th, 2012
Model PC-V600F
Case Type Mini Tower Chassis
Dimensions (W) 190mm x (H)
390mm x (D) 470mm
Front Bezel Material Aluminum
Color Black / Silver / Red /
Lian Li have long been held in high regard in the field of Black ( Internal Black )
PC case manufacturing. The PC-V600F mATX chassis we
Side Panel Aluminum
have for review is the latest incarnation of their popular
PC-V600 series, although it bears little resemblance to the Body Material Aluminum
original. This lovely looking little case promises a nice blend Net Weight 5 KG
of features and a compact size. Let's see if it can meet our 5.25" Drive Bay (External) 2
high expectations. 3.5" Drive Bay (External) None
Introduction HDD Bay 3.5” HDD (Sata hot
swap) x 5 / 2.5” HDD x 2
10


Expansion Slot 4
Motherboard Micro-ATX / Mini-ITX
System Fan (Front) 120mm LED Fan x 2
System Fan (Top) 140mm Fan x 1
System Fan (Rear) None
I/O Ports USB 3.0 x 2 / e-
SATA x1 / HD Audio
Four small rubber feets at the bottom to keep the box
Maximum Compatibility VGA Card length: 370mm grounded during a user-induced earthquake..
PSU length: 240mm

CPU cooler height: 150mm

ASUS Xonar Essence One
Review
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/asus-xonar-essence-one-
review/14935.html
March 14th, 2012

In a market flooded with muddy onboard audio codecs and
laughable "multi-core" DSP effects devoid of actual audio On top of the Essense One, we see the iconic gold "Chime of
fidelity, ASUS is thankfully one of those companies who have Tiger" totem which also appears on the other Xonar family
invested quality engineering with the intent of the faithful of sound cards.
reproduction of PC audio. Today we take a look at their
flagship S$699 sound card - the Xonar Essence One USB
DAC & headphone amplifier.
Aesthetics and Connectivity
The Xonar Essence One has a brushed metal faceplate
with blue LED indicators, silver push buttons (power,
upsampling, input selection and mute) and large rheostats/
knobs (headphone and speaker volume) at the front. There
is also a 1/4" headphone out jack which when plugged can
still be driven simultaneously with the speakers.

Blue LEDs when switched on. Note that it does take up a
considerable amount of space on most desks (261.33 x 230
x 60.65 mm).

At the back, we see a variety of input and output options.
Besides the usual RCA L/R outputs to connect to 2.0/2.1
speakers, the box also includes balanced XLR connectors
which allows for extended cabling distances. In additional
to the computer USB input, there is the capability to handle
Coxial S/PDIF and TOSLINK digital links. A 115/230v
voltage selection switch (why no auto switching?) is also
present and the Xonar One takes a ubiquitous C14 power
inlet.
11


Accessories and documentation included with the DAC (USB
cable not in picture). Being positioned as an audiophile class
product, ASUS could have bundled a thicker power cord with
a better AWG rating as audio purists will testify the effects
of resistance on the "energy" of the sound output.

When connecting the device to a host over USB it will operate
as a USB HID keyboard while simultaneously getting a
battery recharge.
Elecom unveils the TK-
PBL042BK Projection
Keyboard in Japan
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/elecom-unveils-the-tk-pbl042bk-
projection-keyboard-in-japan/15231.html
March 14th, 2012

A Japanese company by the name of Elecom is one of the
first out the gate to introduce a projection keyboard to
market. The TK-PBL042BK wireless projection keyboard
simply requires nothing more than a flat surface and its host
to carry either USB or Bluetooth connectivity, which means The device itself measures only 38.0 x 29.0 x 75.0 mm and
iOS and Android will natively support it. weighs in at a mere 77g without the rechargeable battery
(said to provide up to two hours of continuous use).
A Japanese company by the name of Elecom is one of the
first out the gate to introduce a projection keyboard to
market. The TK-PBL042BK wireless projection keyboard
simply requires nothing more than a flat surface and its host
to carry either USB or Bluetooth connectivity, which means
iOS and Android will natively support it.

12


The source has indicated that the K-PBL042BK will arrive in
early April. Elecom has priced it at 28,875 JPY which works
out to around US $352.

The final stable build of
Firefox 11 arrives today
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/the-final-stable-build-of-firefox-11-
arrives-today/15230.html
March 14th, 2012

The new Sony Xperia sola claims to incorporate the
company's proprietary technology to offer users premium
entertainment they want. It features a unique "floating
touch" navigation that allows users to browse the web, and
Little more than two months after Mozilla's final build of its
their home screens by hovering their finger above the screen,
"Firefox 10" web browser came out, the official stable version
without actually touching it. The smartphone is also NFC-
of FireFox 11 is now right on our doorstep with the launch
enabled and comes with two NFC Xperia SmartTags in the
taking place a little later today.
box, which can be personalized with up to 10 commands.
Little more than two months after Mozilla's final build of its Powered by a 1GHz dual-core processor, the Xperia sola
"Firefox 10" web browser came out, the official stable version sports a crisp 3.7-inch Reality Display with Mobile BRAVIA
of FireFox 11 is now right on our doorstep with the launch Engine, xLOUD and 3D surround sound audio technology
taking place a little later today. to deliver superb multimedia experiences. It also comes
The final build of FireFox 11 will bring with it a fair chunk with fast capture that allows the phone's built-in camera to
of new features and performance improvements including activate from sleep in just over a second with a single key
support for the SPDY protocol, meaning that all pages are press.
loaded on SSL with SPDY resulting in speedier and more Comes in black, white and red, the Sony Xperia sola will
secure attributes. be available in Q2 this year, initially with Android 2.3
Some other additions include built-in migration tools to Gingerbread. And upgradeable to Android 4.0 ICS during
make it much easier to port bookmarks and preferences summer 2012. Pricing details not available at press time.
across from Google's Chrome browser, a new Add-On
Synchronization tool allowing users to synchronize add-
ons between sync'd PCs, a stack of more useful developer-
Apple's new iPads run a
oriented tools and last but certainly not least, the inclusion higher bill of materials, offer
of Adobe Flash support on devices running Android 2.3 and
earlier. Mozilla has said that Flash support will arrive for better value
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/apple-s-new-ipads-run-a-higher-bill-
Android 3.0+ running devices in a later release.
of-materials-offer-better-value/15229.html
Keep an eye out here for the stable build of Firefox 11 folks. March 14th, 2012
It will likely pop up within the next 8 hours or so.

Sola joins the ranks in Sony
Xperia family It's been revealed that Apple's bill of materials (BOM) on the
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/sola-joins-the-ranks-in-sony-xperia- 'new iPad' is heftier than some may have previously thought;
family/15228.html this despite Apple keeping its latest range of tablets at the
March 14th, 2012 same respective price points as their predecessors.
It's been revealed that Apple's bill of materials (BOM) on the
'new iPad' is heftier than some may have previously thought;
this despite Apple keeping its latest range of tablets at the
same respective price points as their predecessors.
The Sony Xperia S was announced in Singapore last week, The 16GB 4G version of the latest iPad is estimated to be US
and today, the company has introduced the new addition $310 which is substantially higher than the 16GB iPad 2 (US
to the Xperia range of smartphones - the Xperia sola. The $270). The biggest factor in the higher cost of build would
Android smartphone features "floating touch" navigation inevitably be due to the higher res (2048 x 1536) screen,
for web browsing without touching the screen, Near Field estimated to come in at about US $70 alone (about $20
Communication (NFC) to launch apps and other actions via higher than the iPad 2's). Then there's other factors like the
Xperia SmartTags, and sports a Reality Display with Mobile bulkier battery (US $8 higher), the US $5 dearer camera and
Bravia engine for brilliant image display. the A5X processor at US $28 (close to double that of the A4
used in the first-gen iPad).

13


The lower margins as a result of the increased BOM equate Square Enix will release the game outside of Japan or
to a 6% dip from 57% for the original iPad to 51% on the even an English version of it.
new model. So if you're thinking iPad pricing is still way too
inflated, at least you can rest assured if you pick up a third-
gen model you're literally getting better bang for your buck Sony Singapore introduces
versus its predecessors. Alpha 57 with 12fps
continuous shooting and Full
M1 Singapore to offer new
HD 50p recording
iPad on 16 March Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/sony-singapore-introduces-alpha-57-
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/m1-singapore-to-offer-new-ipad- with-12fps-continuous-shooting-and-full-hd-50p-recording/15225.html
on-16-march/15227.html March 14th, 2012
March 14th, 2012

The new iPad was unveiled last week,
which features a high resolution Retina Display, A5X Sony Singapore has announced the Alpha SLT-A57, the
processor, 5-megapixel iSight camera and supports 4G LTE. successor to the Alpha SLT-A55, which boasts 12fps
Singapore telecommunication company, M1 Limited, has continuous shooting and Full HD 50p (PAL) recording. The
announced that the mobile device will retail in M1 stores on SLT-A57 will be retailing in Singapore next month.
16 March, this week.

Final Fantasy III comes to
Android, only in Japan though
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/final-fantasy-iii-comes-to-android-
only-in-japan-though/15226.html
March 14th, 2012

Final Fantasy fans would love this piece of news: Square
Enix's Final Fantasy III has come to Android devices. But the
bad news is, the game is only available for Japan Android
users.
The mid-range Sony Alpha SLT-A55 digital SLR camera has
garnered favorable reviews, and today, the company has
unveiled its successor, the Alpha SLT-A57 that is built with
enhanced features and performance. The Alpha SLT-A57
incorporates Translucent Mirror Technology which directs
incoming light to the CMOS image sensor and the AF sensor
at the same time, achieving full continuous autofocus during
both still and video recording. You capture exactly what
you see on screen, with the new high-resolution Tru-Finder
which offers a wide viewing angle and 100% field of view;
and allows for efficient framing, focusing and real-time
preview.
Combined with the 16.1-megapixel Exmor APS HD CMOS
sensor and the latest BIONZ engine, the SLT-A57 claims
Square Enix had launched their Android games marketplace
to reproduce superb images with low noise across a wide
app late last year, which is available only in Japan, with
ISO 100-16,000 range. The digital SLR camera also boasts
games including Dragon Quest, Crystal Defenders and Final
high-speed 12 frames per second shooting with full-time
Fantasy. Well, it looks like Final Fantasy III has now come to
continuous autofocus (in Tele-zoom Continuous Advance
the Android Marketplace, but unfortunately, users outside of
Priority AE mode), and full high definition 50p (PAL) video
Japan would not be able to get the game. The Final Fantasy
with full P/A/S/M control. For those of you who are looking
III for Android is retailing for 1,400 "points" through Square
to get the Sony Alpha SLT-A57, it will be available in Asia
Enix's convoluted pricing system, which works out to 1,470
Pacific at all Sony stores and authorised outlets from April
yen (approximately US$18). There is no word as to whether
2012. Pricing details to be released closer to retail.

14


Comes in three color options – sparkling black, winter blue
HP unveils new Pavilion and ruby red; the g-series claim to offer enhanced audio
notebook PCs with stylish experience with both design and functional elements. It
has a chrome strip that borders the speaker which also
designs and enhanced serves as a visual cue for audio, while the exposed speaker
features bar provides better sound projection. The new HP Pavilion
g4 and g6 will be available in Asia Pacific from 8 April
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/hp-unveils-new-pavilion-notebook-
with a starting price of approximately US$499 and US
pcs-with-stylish-designs-and-enhanced-features/15224.html
$529 respectively.
March 14th, 2012

Android 4.0 Ice Cream
Sandwich upgrade now
HP has a new Mosaic design approach, an extension to its available for Samsung
MUSE (materials, usability, sensory appeal and experience) GALAXY S II
design philosophy, which focuses on improved usability and Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/android-4.0-ice-cream-sandwich-
aesthetics to users. The Mosaic design was applied to the new upgrade-now-available-for-samsung-galaxy-s-ii/15223.html
range of Pavilion dv-series and Pavilion g-series of laptops March 14th, 2012
that were announced today.
HP Pavilion dv-series

Samsung GALAXY S II owners rejoice! The Korean
electronics manufacturer has announced that the Google
Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich (ICS) upgrade is now
available for the GALAXY S II smartphone.

The new HP Pavilion dv4, dv6 and dv7 sport an infinity
waterfall edge, tapered chassis, slim top view and metal
finish on select models. Available in licorice black or carmine
red for the dv4, and midnight black for the dv6 and
dv7 models, the dv-series come with soft-touch bottom
panel and are easy to hold. For the Pavilion dv6 and dv7,
the exposed speaker bar is integrated with the display,
and magnifies the dv series’ Beats Audio experience by
projecting audio directly towards the user. The re-designed
HP Pavilion dv4, dv6 and dv7 will be available in Asia Pacific
from 8 April with a starting price of approximately US$699,
US$749 and US$849 respectively.
HP Pavilion g-series Even though Google Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich
came to the Samsung GALAXY Nexus first, the company
has promised that the upgrade will be made available
for selected GALAXY smartphones such as the popular
GALAXY S II. Well, the wait is finally over. Today, Samsung
Korea announced Android 4.0 ICS software upgrade for
GALAXY S II, starting in Europe - Poland, Hungary, and
Sweden; as well as Korea and slowly rolling out to other
markets.
On top of that, Android 4.0 ICS software upgrade will
also be made available for the GALAXY Note, GALAXY SII
LTE, GALAXY R, GALAXY Tab 7.0 Plus, 7.7, 8.9 and 10.1
soon. Samsung will also provide Android 2.3 Gingerbread
firmware upgrades for the GALAXY S, GALAXY Tab 7,
GALAXY S Plus, GALAXY S SCL(Super Clear LCD), and
The redesigned HP Pavilion g4 and g6 feature curved,
GALAXY W from end of March. The upgrades include
beveled edges with a bowl-shape keyboard deck and textured
touchpad with bowl-set curvature which looked distinct.

15


features such as Face Unlock, Snapshot, Photo Editor and we're not sure it's the most intuitive UI out there. That said,
others. it beats the budget Android media players from China that
lacks any kind of UI at all. The Stick N1 supports HDMI 1.4
and will play just about any video and audio formats you
Valueplus shows off the throw at it, including Blu-ray, although we're not sure about
TizzBird Stick N1 at CeBIT 3D content. You can also use the standard Android UI and
the Stick N1 supports user installed apps, although this is
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/valueplus-shows-off-the-tizzbird-
apparently only via the TizzBird Appstore.
stick-n1-at-cebit/15222.html
March 14th, 2012

Once in a while you run into the oddest companies at trade
shows and although Korean Valueplus isn't that odd in itself,
as it's a manufacturer of a wide range of Android powered
media players, but its retail branding which is TizzBird, is
rather odd. Still, the company has some interesting products
and its latest addition is the Stick N1, an HDMI adapter that
turns your dumb TV into a smart TV.
Once in a while you run into the oddest companies at trade
Other software features include support for NFS, Samba and
shows and although Korean Valueplus isn't that odd in itself,
uPnP and Flash support. Valueplus will also offer an iPhone
as it's a manufacturer of a wide range of Android powered
and Android app that allows you to use your smartphone as
media players, but its retail branding which is TizzBird, is
the remote control for the TizzBird Stick N1. It's the most
rather odd. Still, the company has some interesting products
retail ready product of its kind we've seen so far, but we have
and its latest addition is the Stick N1, an HDMI adapter that
a feeling that there will be a lot of competition in this market
turns your dumb TV into a smart TV.
space this year with several other players working on getting
their products out onto the market. Price wise the Stick N1
should cost around US$150 (S$185) when it launches later
this year.

Synology to launch updated
4-bay NAS products, draws
less power
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/synology-to-launch-updated-4-bay-
The TizzBird Stick N1 sports a Cortex-A5 based ARM SoC nas-products-draws-less-power/15221.html
from Telechips which operates at 1GHz which has been March 14th, 2012
paired up with 4GB of internal NAND flash and 2GB of RAM
in a fairly small dongle that slots into the HDMI port of your
TV. The dongle also has a USB 2.0 port for external storage
devices or wireless keyboards and mice, a micro USB port
for power, a micro SD card slot and integrated 802.11n Wi-
Fi. The company is also contemplating adding support for an
RF remote, but this wasn't ready at the show. At CeBIT, Synology was demoing a pair of new NAS
products, both being 4-bay units with a fairly similar
external design, but the internal hardware is quite different
between the two models. The company has not only revised
the internals, but the two new models share the new re-
designed enclosure as well which looks similar to the DS212
series, albeit larger due to the additional drive bays.
At CeBIT, Synology was demoing a pair of new NAS
products, both being 4-bay units with a fairly similar
external design, but the internal hardware is quite different
between the two models. The company has not only revised
the internals, but the two new models share the new re-
designed enclosure as well which looks similar to the DS212
series, albeit larger due to the additional drive bays.

Valueplus has created a custom UI on top of Android 4.0 for
the Stick N1 and it was all very smooth in operation, although

16


The new NAS design is quite attractive, in as much as a NAS
can be attractive, but we'd expect these two new models to
be fairly pricey considering the hardware inside them. Sadly
we don't know the exact launch date, but both models should
The two new models are the DS412 and the DS412+ and arrive in the next couple of months.
common features includes a front USB 2.0 port, two rear
USB 3.0 ports and a rear eSATA port. The DS412 sports
a single Gigabit Ethernet port whereas the DS412+ sports
a pair of ports. Both models also sport a pair of rear fans
and Synology informed us that the new fans feature failover
support, so in case one of the fans would fail, the speed of
the second fan will increase to help cool the NAS box until
the failed fan can be replaced.

The DS412 is Synology's most power efficient 4-bay NAS
to date, as it draws a mere 3W in idle thanks to in part
a new PowerPC based CPU. The DS412+ is intended for
more advanced usage scenarios and sports an Intel Atom
processor, most likely the D2500, but the company merely
informed us it was one of the new models without going into
details as the DS412+ hasn't been officially announced as yet.

17


VR-Zone.com | Tech News for the Geeks!
3DMark 11 Xtreme Score: 6243
VR-Zone | Stuff for the Geeks is a bi-weekly
publication covering the latest gadgets and stuff for the
geeks.

NVIDIA GeForce GTX 680 SLI
Performance Preview
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/nvidia-geforce-gtx-680-sli-
performance-preview/15273.html
March 18th, 2012

That's all for now. We hope to show you more benchmarks
especially in overclocked, 3-way or 4-way configurations
What happens when you pair two Kepler GK104 boards when we get the cards officially next week.
together when you get them from the stores next weekend?
We take an exclusive preview...
Original Source: Chinese VR-Zone
Disclaimer: Test results might or might not be indicative of
final retail performance, and is not supported or sanctioned
by NVIDIA and their partners. As such, we will refrain from Mystery solved - Haswell
making judgements or opinions.
expected to up the graphics
3DMark 11 Entry Score: 22878
ante further again
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/mystery-solved--haswell-expected-
to-up-the-graphics-ante-further-again/15272.html
March 18th, 2012

So, after all the guesses, it seems to be true: Intel will
continue its rapid integrated 3-D graphics improvement
into Haswell generation , with more GT3 options across
both desktop and mobile - including UltraBook - markets.
Further cause for Nvidia to worry on the entry level discrete
segment...
3DMark 11 Performance Score: 16860
Remember all the polemics over the Net, whether Haswell
will offer the same substantial performance jump in 3-
D from the Ivy Bridge, as Ivy Bridge is expected to give
compared to the Sandy Bridge, or if it will just be a smaller
incremental upgrade? Well, both are right... how?

There are three distinct die choices here, it seems: one is
the ULV focused dual core Ultrabook option but with up
to GT3 graphics. The other is a mainstream desktop and
mobile choice with 4 cores and GT2 graphics, just a bit faster
than the best Ivy Bridge graphics - we're talking 20% to 50%
extra GPU performance here. Then, there is the 'king of the
hill', the 4 core CPU plus GT3 GPU die with graphics further
double as fast as the GT2, i.e. well over twice, possibly thrice,
the Ivy Bridge speed.

1


In summary, interesting times ahead this and next year...
and that's even before we've seen the Ivy Bridge!
Now, this die is likely to have a very very fancy extra external
cache option on a multi chip module too. Wait a second,
aside from IBM Power7 superserver processors and such, New Intel Xeon E5 to offer
why would anyone want to have a L4 cache, maybe even
an eDRAM based one? The answer could be in sharing the
ultra-dense high speed
system memory bandwidth resources between a powerful compute solutions - right
quad core CPU, what Haswell surely will be, and a powerful
GPU with compute capabilities too. from Intel itself
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/new-intel-xeon-e5-to-offer-ultra-
To avoid such contention, having an additional large cache, dense-high-speed-compute-solutions--right-from-intel-itself/15271.html
implemented in a fashion similar to dedicated 'backside March 18th, 2012
cache buses' seen on the old Pentium III processors many
years ago, helps satisfy more CPU memory requests in
that cache, leaving more memory bandwidth for the GPU.
An exciting optional capability would be to designate a
portion of that large cache as a 'scratchpad' memory for GPU
compute and graphics usage - most high end GPUs do rely
on internal directly addressable scratchpad memory besides The freshly launched Xeon E5 does break all the
the caches for such purpose. performance records in 2 socket X86 space, as seen by our
Lennard's server review as well. However, compute density
How this extra cache connection would be implemented, we is critical to win large scale HPC contracts too. What did Intel
don't know yet - but it definitely makes no sense to put it develop to fit all this stuff into the smallest space, without
on the usual DDR3 memory bus, since it would add lots of compromising the performance?
unwelcome extra latency there. But, since the 4 core CPU The Socket 2011 'Sandy Bridge EP' Intel Xeon E5 processors
plus GT3 desktop and mobile graphics die will be different are fast, with 8 cores, 20 MB L3 cache, and plenty of
than the standard 4 core plus GT2 graphics die, yet they all memory and I/O resources to boot. They also inherit a
share the same socket - it makes sense to implement the large installed base of previous generation Xeons across the
extra L4 cache bus on the bigger die, and keep that L4 cache whole range of workstations and servers, from mini blades
connection to the MCM multi chip substrate without it being to supercomputers.
seen by the system at all.
However, for the evaluation of high performance
computing project platforms, especially medium to large
As widely talked about, Haswell will be the first Intel supercomputers, the power and the density achievable play
mainstream CPU in a few years, after the Westmere low end a big role too. We can't do much about the power here - the
DC part with graphics die, to bring back MCM packaging into larger 416 mm2 dies required to fit all the features do take
the general desktop and mobile PC realm. So, the standard their toll, with the fastest server part, the E5-2690, spec'ed
parts will have an option of integrating the PCH I/O bridge at 135W TDP at 2.9 GHz plus Turbo, of course.
to the same package, saving quite a bit of board wiring and
real estate for ultra-compact mobile computing - and I don't
mean just UltraBooks here. The density can be worked on, though - just figure out how
to squeeze four memory channels as well as all those QPI
and PCIe v3 lanes coming out of each CPU to the smallest
Talking about the UltraBooks, having GT3-class graphics possible dual socket board layout, then engineer the cooling
inside a Haswell UltraBook is definitely going to help the and power feed, not to mention the interconnect between the
cause of true 3-D capable ultrathin Intel platforms, without boards, to squeeze many dozens of those into each 42U or
resorting to additional discrete graphics. It doesn't help similarly tall compute rack.
companies like Nvidia, who seemingly lost a big chunk of its
Apple future Ivy Bridge MacBook Air GPU deployment, as
GT3 Haswell would likely obliterate that market in the long Here's Intel's solution - look how compact it feels compared
run. Of course, GT3 graphics on an UltraBook doesn't need to a typical high-end PC mainboard:
L4 cache and such enhancements, since only two CPU cores
will not compete much with it for the memory bandwidth.

On the desktop side, Nvidia and AMD entry level discrete
graphics are definitely to be badly affected by this evolution,
and lots of it is to be felt with the Ivy Bridge already. The
midrange and high end GPU segments should go on as usual,
though.

2


Hell is very real, kids.
The Darkness II was released by Digital Extremes and 2K
A small, half width 6.4 inch by 17.7 inch board contains it Games earlier this year for the PC, PlayStation 3 and Xbox
all - two CPUs with full bandwidth memory, three full x16 360. Building on the success of its predecessor in 2007, The
PCIe v3 slots, I/O riser connections for storage, as well as a Darkness II continues the story of Jackie Estacado and his
combination of dual GigE plus Connect-X Infiniband QDR struggle with the demonic entity residing within him, known
(40 Gbps) or FDR (56 Gbps) high speed interconnect. Quite as The Darkness. It has been two years since Jackie Estacado
impressive, isn't it? helplessly witnessed the brutal murder of his girlfriend,
Jenny, by the don of the New York mafia. Formerly a
Now, two of these boards can easily fit into one 1U hitman with aforementioned mafia, he was targeted for
rackmount server chasis, and of course, depending how assassination by the head of the criminal organization. The
much space you need for other hardware, up to 40 of course attempts on his life and the subsequent murder of his
could fit into a standard 42U rack. So, up to 80 high speed beloved Jenny unknowingly awakened an ancient unholy
dual CPU servers, each with ~360 GFLOPs dual precision power deep within him, the Darkness. Visually, they are
FP peak performance and up to 256 GB ECC RAM, in just a pair of tentacles that talk and they grant him immense
one rack - or nearly 30 TFLOPs single rack cluster if you strength, regeneration and other supernatural abilities at a
like it counted that way. Do keep in mind that, with at least grave price. With every life he took, he became perilously
400W per node, such cluster would also need a good 30 kW closer to losing control of himself to them, or raher The
of power at the peak usage... but at least you can pack them Darkness.
tight. The Darkness II begins when Jackie (the new don of
the criminal organization) and his gang are assaulted at
a restaurant. Grievously wounded in the surprise attack,
Xbox 360 Review: The Jackie gives in to the temptations of The Darkness and
Darkness II allows it to aid him in battle. You take control of Jackie,
now imbued with the unholy abilities of The Darkness,
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/xbox-360-review-the-darkness-
ii/15259.html
as you attempt to fight your way out of the ambush. The
March 18th, 2012
game centers on Jackie as the main protagonist this time,
as compared to the previous installment of the game that
focuses on his personal vendetta to avenge his deceased
partner. The Darkness II deals with his struggles to keep
himself in control while using his them at the same time to
stop a cult hellbent on stealing them from him.
The story unfolds with the help of flashbacks, hallucinations
"The Darkness 2" is the sequel to the first-person and narration from Jackie. They may appear bewildering
shooter game that was launched in 2007. And the plot and confusing initially, but the mystery slowly and artfully
continues from the main protagonist, Jackie Estacado, who unravels as the game progresses. The story stays fresh
is struggling with the power of the Darkness and the death thanks to Jackie’s raw emotions – grief, regret, and anguish.
of his girlfriend. So is the "The Darkness 2" as good as the You will feel keen to press on, wanting to find out more about
first one? Read on. why you are being attacked, what the antagonist wants to do
with your powers, and what plans does The Darkness have
in store.
Here's the game trailer of The Darkness II:-

Using mobile phones while
pregnant could make children
hyperactive
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/using-mobile-phones-while-
pregnant-could-make-children-hyperactive/15269.html

3


March 18th, 2012 Sega is resurrecting some of its old Dreamcast titles by
Women who use mobile phones while pregnant could end making high-definition versions of the games for the Xbox
up with hyperactive children, according to a recent study. Live Arcade and PlayStation Network.
Sega is resurrecting some of its old Dreamcast titles by
making high-definition versions of the games for the Xbox
Professor Hugh Taylor of Yale University led a team of Live Arcade and PlayStation Network.
scientists studying the effects of radiation from mobile
phones on the development of unborn babies' brains,
revealing some unsettling findings. Ben Harborne, Associate Digital Brand Manager of Sega,
revealed that the company may be re-releasing two classic
Dreamcast games, Shenmue and Skies of Arcadia.
As part of the tests pregnant mice were exposed to an
active mobile phone, resulting in offspring that suffered
from hyperactivity, anxiety and poor memory. Those who The games are two of the most popular and most often
were not exposed to this radiation were not affected in this requested, and while Harborne was reluctant to give a firm
way. “yes” or “no” regarding their re-release, it seems increasingly
likely that we will see these, and possibly other Dreamcast
titles, on Xbox and PlayStation 3 consoles soon enough.

Of course, since the study involved tests on mice, it cannot
be taken as conclusive when it comes to the effects of mobile
phone radiation on human mothers and children, but the
scientists believe that the results are likely to be the same.
Sega previously confirmed a re-release of the Dreamcast
skater title Jet Set Radio for the Xbox Live Arcade,
Taylor claims that the effects are so strong that that it PlayStation Network and Windows for this Summer,
might explain a growing rise in cases of attention deficit suggesting it plans to go through its back catalogue of
hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Dreamcast titles and bring them back from the dead.

However, Professor Eric Taylor of King's College London The Dreamcast was Sega's last forray into the world of
refuted the claims that mobiles were linked to rising levels game consoles, releasing in 1998 to stiff competition from
of ADHD in children, so the jury is not necessarily out on Sony's PlayStation 2, Microsoft's Xbox, and Nintendo's
whether or not mobile phones are causing damage to our GameCube. The system was the first of the sixth generation
kids. consoles to launch and contained internet connectivity, but
the company could not keep up with the competition and
decided to pull the product in 2001.

Sega to release Dreamcast Since then it has gained a cult status amongst gamers, so it's
titles in HD for Xbox Live and not surprising to see high demand for re-issues of its popular
titles.
PlayStation Network
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/sega-to-release-dreamcast-titles-in-
hd-for-xbox-live-and-playstation-network/15268.html
March 18th, 2012 Bethesda planning Elder
Scrolls MMO announcement
in May
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/bethesda-planning-elder-scrolls-
mmo-announcement-in-may/15267.html

4

VR-Zone Tech News for the Geeks 2012 Issue 3

VR-Zone Tech News for the Geeks 2012 Issue 3

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