VR-Zone Tech News for the Geeks 2012 Issue 1

April 2nd, 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.

Sapphires Pure Platinum Z77
motherboard pictured
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/sapphires-pure-platinum-z77-
motherboard-pictured/15425.html
April 2nd, 2012

With less than a week to go until the official launch of
Intel's new 7-series chipset, the first pictures of Sapphires
upcoming Pure Platinum Z77 motherboard has appeared
Sadly the colour scheme is still fairly un-coordinated and
and one thing is certain, it's not the same board as the one
could do with some work, but it's really a minor issue. The
that was touted as the Pure Black Z77 back at CES in January.
Pure Platinum Z77 sports a rather unusual slot layout, as it
The Pure Platinum Z77 appears to be a different breed of
has no less than four x16 PCI Express slots, yet it doesn't
motherboard compared to what Sapphire has come up with
have a bridge chip of any kind. This is done by splitting the
to date and one of the first boards from the company that
16 lanes from the CPU into a x8, x4, x4 configuration for the
we'd seriously consider owning.
three blue slots and the grey slot is connected via four lanes
With less than a week to go until the official launch of to the chipset. The board also has two x1 PCI Express slots,
Intel's new 7-series chipset, the first pictures of Sapphires but these are inaccessible if more than two graphics cards
upcoming Pure Platinum Z77 motherboard has appeared are being used.
and one thing is certain, it's not the same board as the one
The only reason this kind of configuration works is because
that was touted as the Pure Black Z77 back at CES in January.
the board has very few peripheral chipsets. In fact, we've only
The Pure Platinum Z77 appears to be a different breed of
been able to spot two. Unlike its previous motherboards,
motherboard compared to what Sapphire has come up with
the Pure Platinum Z77 sports a Qualcomm Atheros Ethernet
to date and one of the first boards from the company that
controller, but Sapphire has also kitted out the board with
we'd seriously consider owning.
one of the new Killer NIC E2200's, the same chip used by
This time around it's the little things that make a big impact Gigabyte on its G1.Sniper 3 board. The board also sports the
and compared to the Pure Platinum Z68 it almost looks like standard six SATA ports, four USB 3.0 ports and whatever
Sapphire has found itself some new engineers. For starters else comes courtesy of the Intel chipset. Sapphire has added
the board mostly use regular chokes instead of the ones a POST80 debug LED, Voltage readout points, power, reset
with small heatsinks cut out of the top, alongside various and clear CMOS buttons and a manual BIOS switch.
other changes to the general PCB layout. Visually the biggest
change is the heatsinks and we have to give credit where
credit is due, as the new heatsinks look so much better than
what Sapphire has used to date. The MOSFET heatsinks are
connected via a small heatpipe, whereas the chipset heatsink
appears to be screwed in place rather than using plastic
push-pins.

The rear ports are made up out of a PS/2 port, four USB 2.0
ports, two USB 3.0 ports, a pair of Gigabit Ethernet ports,

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7.1-channel audio, an optical S/PDIF out and a DisplayPort,
HDMI, DVI and D-sub connector.
The people from Sapphire we spoke to at CeBIT didn't sound
too optimistic about Sapphire's upcoming motherboard
models, but the Pure Platinum Z77 is a big step in the right
direction for the company. It's not a mind blowing product,
but it's at least a competitive product that has been given a
much needed facelift in terms of the heatsink design. We'll
have to wait and see what else the company has in store
for us, but we know that they're working on at least a B75
motherboard and potentially also that Pure Black Z77 model,
although we have a feeling that might have been canned by
now.

Intel's H77 media creation
motherboards pictured in
detail
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/intel-s-h77-media-creation-
motherboards-pictured-in-detail/15424.html
April 2nd, 2012

Last week we posted some detailed pictures of Intel's
upcoming Z77 motherboards and today we bring you the
H77 models. This time around we have one ATX board,
one mATX board and one mini ITX board for your viewing
pleasure. Moving on we find the mATX DH77EB and although it
comes with an mSATA/mini PCI Express slot, it has space
Last week we posted some detailed pictures of Intel's
for a second mini PCI Express slot just below the x16 PCI
upcoming Z77 motherboards and today we bring you the
Express slot, so it's possible Intel will have multiple SKUs of
H77 models. This time around we have one ATX board,
this board. The rear connectivity is almost the same as the
one mATX board and one mini ITX board for your viewing
DH77KC, with the exception of a missing PS/2 port.
pleasure.
Going in order of size, we start with the DH77KC which as we
mentioned shares the same PCB as the DZ77SL-50K, but this
time around you actually get some features for your money.
Nothing much appears to have changed since we wrote about
the specs for this board back in February, but compared to
the DZ77SL-50K we're missing one power phase and the
heatsink on the MOSFETs. That said, the board has gained
an mSATA/mini PCI Express slot as well as a DVI port and
a DisplayPort connector, as well as a full set of audio jacks
with an optical S/PDIF out.

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The third and final model is the DH77DF which is a pretty
feature packed little board. Intel seems to be pushing its
As long as you're not interested in overclocking, Intel's
mSATA SSD's for caching pretty heavily as even this tiny
H77 motherboards aren't half bad. In fact, we'd say that
board has an mSATA/mini PCI Express slot and judging by
these models are far more impressive than Intel's Z77
the board layout, it only just fitted as Intel has only allowed
motherboards which appear quite poorly equipped to take
for one screw to hold down the card, rather than the usual
on the competition, something we can't really say about its
two. Around the back no big changes have taken place, but
H77 models.
one thing we noted was the fact that Intel has added a pair
of high current USB 2.0 ports which as far as we know
should deliver 1A and as such allow for faster charging of Intel's upcoming 7-series
certain mobile devices. Rather unusually for a product these
days, Intel has also kitted out the DH77DF with FireWire chipsets priced
connectivity. Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/intel-s-upcoming-7-series-chipsets-
priced/15423.html
April 2nd, 2012

When it comes to official pricing, Intel isn't a very
imaginative company, for better or worse. Pricing details of
the upcoming 7-series chipsets have been revealed and they
mostly look the same as for the current 6-series of chipsets.
When it comes to official pricing, Intel isn't a very
imaginative company, for better or worse. Pricing details of
the upcoming 7-series chipsets have been revealed and they
mostly look the same as for the current 6-series of chipsets.
First out are the Z77, Z75 and H77 chipsets which are priced
at US$48, US$40 and US$43, exactly the same as for the
Z68, P67 and H67 chipsets. That said, our understanding
is that the pricing to the motherboard makers differs from
Intel's official pricing and in as much as the Z68 chipset
pricing was lower than anticipated about a year ago, we're
hearing that the price difference between the Z77 and Z75
chipsets might not be as high as the official pricing is
suggesting. This is also the main reason as to why there have
been so few Z75 motherboard announcements.
Alongside the already mentioned chipsets, Intel's B75
chipset will launch at US$37, the same as the little used
B65 chipset. This time around there appears to be vastly
more interest from the motherboard makers and once again
actual pricing seems to be someway off the official list price,
as we're hearing it's closer to the H61 chipset which has a
list price of US$30. Intel will launch these four chipsets on
Sunday, but depending on where you live, you might already
be able to get your hands on a motherboard based on them.

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Come May the 13th – which is not a Friday – Intel will April 2nd, 2012
officially launch the Q77 chipset at US$44 and Q75 chipset at
US$40, again identical pricing to the Q67 and Q65 chipsets.
These models are intended for use in desktop system for the
corporate and business sector and comes with a wide range
of features for remote management and security that the
consumer SKUs lack.
Microsoft's next-generation console, the Xbox 720 or
codename Durango, will feature a four- to six-core CPU, two
Etron starts shipping its GPUs, and Bluray, and will require an always-on internet
connection, according to sources close to the company.
first USB 3.0 flash drive Microsoft's next-generation console, the Xbox 720 or
controllers codename Durango, will feature a four- to six-core CPU, two
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/etron-starts-shipping-its-first- GPUs, and Bluray, and will require an always-on internet
usb-3.0-flash-drive-controllers/15422.html connection, according to sources close to the company.
April 2nd, 2012

VG247 cited anonymous sources claiming that the new
console will effectively be “like two PCs taped together,”
thanks to the inclusion of two GPUs and a powerful
processor.

Back in January Etron announced its USB 3.0 flash The exact specs are not yet known, but the GPUs are believed
controllers at CES, but only now has the company started to to have horsepower equivalent to an AMD 7000 series chip.
ship the ICs. The company is aiming to bring lower cost USB They won't employ CrossFire or SLI, but will instead work
3.0 flash drive to the market with its now controller, while independently to render graphics simultaneously.
still offering decent performance.
Back in January Etron announced its USB 3.0 flash
controllers at CES, but only now has the company started to
ship the ICs. The company is aiming to bring lower cost USB
3.0 flash drive to the market with its now controller, while
still offering decent performance.
The EV268-series of two and four channel USB 3.0 flash
drive controller ICs should start to appear in various retail
products over the coming months. Both models support
SLC, MLC and TLC NAND flash built on 3xnm and 2xnm
technology. Transfer speeds of up to 230MB/s is possible
with the four channel controller and fast enough flash
memory, but it's likely that we'll see much more modest
speeds until fast flash memory comes down in price.
Digitimes is reporting that the global flash drive market is
around 80-100 million units a year – we don't know how The CPU is expected to have between four and six cores, one
many of these products are promotional material, but we'd of which will be reserved for the OS, and another for the
expect it to be at least half – and although it's not a highly Kinect. Of course, if a Kinect does not come bundled with the
profitable market to be in as far as USB 2.0 flash drive main console and players don't buy one separately this could
controllers are concerned, the USB 3.0 flash drive market mean that one core is going to waste. However, the report
is still in its infancy. Etron is hoping to help transition suggests that the new Kinect will come as standard and may
consumers towards USB 3.0 flash drives, but the company actually be built into the console in some manner.
recons that for this to happen, the price difference between a
USB 2.0 and a USB 3.0 flash drive has to be less than US$2.
We have a feeling that more USB 3.0 equipped computers The device will also apparently come with a Blu-ray player
would also be needed, but that's a problem that's slowly but and will require users to have an always-on internet
surely solving itself. connection, designed to stop piracy of games. This supports
early reports that Microsoft is abandoning physical games
and won't allow players to use pre-owned games.
Microsoft's Xbox 720 to
feature six-core CPU, two The Xbox 720 is expected to release around Christmas 2013,
GPUs, Blu-ray, and more a year after the release of Nintendo's Wii U console.
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/microsoft-s-xbox-720-to-feature-six-
core-cpu-two-gpus-blu-ray-and-more/15421.html

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clear what these platforms are, but we expect they will be
Samsung officially launches available on mobile operating systems, PCs, and possibly as
display business spin-off downloads on Xbox Live and on other consoles.
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/samsung-officially-launches-display-
business-spin-off/15420.html
"I am happy to say we are going to roll out a weekly
April 2nd, 2012
animation series this year of short format content," said Nick
Samsung has officially launched Samsung Display, its spun Dorra, head of animation at Rovio. "It's a great way for us
off display business, which became the world's largest to connect with our existing fans, to give them more and
display manufacturer overnight. keep them engaged. But it's also important for acquiring
new fans because not everyone might want to play the game
or is not able to play the game. We want to offer people
Samsung Display held its inauguration ceremony yesterday, different points where they can interact and experience our
attended by over 350 employees, and will begin business characters."
operations tomorrow, 3 April, after its incorporation
registration is approved.

Dr. Donggun Park, EVP and former head of Samsung's LCD
business, has been named as CEO of the new company. Park
has been with the company since 1983, before it entered the
display market, and has led the company's LCD business
since July of last year.

Rovio is also working on an Angry Birds film, set for release
in 2015 or later. No details about this project are known
and it is likely that the studio is waiting to see how people
respond to the animated series before investing too much in
this area.

The company brought in revenue of 22.7 trillion Korean
won ($20 billion) in 2011 when it was still Samsung's LCD The game studio bought Finnish animation firm Kombo in
division, and with more than 20,000 employees and five 2011, when it announced it was first considering an animated
production facilities throughout the world, it is now the top series. Given the style of the artwork employed in the games
producer of displays. and the popularity of Angry Birds merchandise, a series
like this could really work and help broaden the appeal and
popularity of its birds versus pigs franchise.
Samsung's foray into the display market began in 2011 with
research and development, but over the years it has quickly
become not just a major contender in the market, but the Rovio also hinted that this new approach to Angry Birds will
leading maker of displays. Now that Samsung Display is affect its games in future. It said its focus will be less on
working as a separate company it can continue to focus on flinging birds at pigs and more on the characters and their
growing and maintaining its dominance in the industry. adventures, suggesting that story will become a key part of
future games.

Rovio to make Angry Birds
animated series
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/rovio-to-make-angry-birds- Samsung Galaxy S III (i-9300)
animated-series/15419.html
April 2nd, 2012
to Launch in 2-5 Weeks,
Game developer Rovio is turning its popular Angry Birds Immediate World-Wide
games into an animated series. Availability
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/samsung-galaxy-s-iii-i-9300-to-
launch-in-2-5-weeks-immediate-world-wide-availability/15417.html
The studio is working on 52 short cartoons for release on
a variety of platforms, beginning this year. It is not yet

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April 2nd, 2012 The question now stands - can Samsung Galaxy SIII beat the
iPhone 5 in number of units sold during 2012?

Sony and Panasonic to use
LG's 3D technology in their
It is rumored that Samsung will launch Galaxy SIII TVs
superphone at the Samsung Unpacked event (May 22). Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/sony-and-panasonic-to-use-lg-s-3d-
However, we've been told that the launch is being moved technology-in-their-tvs/15416.html
forward, with immediate world-wide availability (excluding April 2nd, 2012
USA, which will follow in Summer 2012).
A lot of ink, both virtual and physical was spent on
speculations what the specifications of one of hottest
smartphones, or "superphones" will be. Samsung i9300
or Galaxy SIII was originally planned to launch on May
22, 2012 at the Samsung Unpacked event, but it looks that
Samsung moved forward the date when the new smarphone With LG having great success in their 3D TV sales in China
will be released. and North America, it is no wonder Japanese electronics
companies Sony and Panasonic, who are struggling in
Furthermore, the new Galaxy SIII will follow with almost this market segment, have opted to incorporate LG's 3D
immediate retail availability in APAC and EMEA, with North technology into their future line of TVs.
America to follow. Samsung allegedly decided to enter the
European market ahead of the American market due to
a multiple sports events that will take place throughout
summer.

Samsung is a major sponsor of Olympics 2012 and one of According to Nho Seok-ho, head of LG Electronics’ LCD
their largest competitors, SHARP - is the key sponsor of TV division, Panasonic and Sony have plans to expand
Euro 2012. However, Samsung and its marketing agencies their lineup of 3DTVs this year, and that their upcoming
are preparing to blanket the airwaves with Samsung Galaxy models will use LG’s 3D technology. There is a battle for 3D
SIII taking the key place with telco partners such as Orange, technology supremacy, between LG's Film Pattern Retarder
Vodafone and T-Mobile. First and foremost, Galaxy SIII will (FPR) and Samsung's Active Shutter. And it seems that
be advertised with soccer players from Samsung-sponsored LG has an advantage over its rival as it is more affordable
clubs (not country representatives, as Samsung has no rights to the battery-powered glasses, though in terms of visual
for EURO 2012), and then those ads will be replaced with 3D quality, it is still very much debatable. Sony has rarely
Olympics 2012 signage. mentioned that it has been selling 32- and 42-inch 3D
The phones will be in stores during early weeks of May, and TVs with film-patterned 3D technology in China since this
we expect a major push. Remember, rumored specifications year, while Panasonic is relying more on LG for 3D screens
cite a 4.7" HD Ready (1280x720) Super AMOLED+ display, for many of its TV models. The Korean manufacturer is also
quad-core Exynos processor ticking at 1.5GHz, 1GB of planning to add a 60-inch model to its 3D TV lineup of a 65-
system memory and 16-32GB Storage (expandable to 64GB and 72-inch set in June.
with microSDHC cards).
When it comes to connectivity, it was originally rumored DeNA and Walt Disney to
that the Galaxy SIII will only support LTE at 700MHz (US
Market). That however, is not true. Galaxy SIII will support bring mobile social games to
LTE over European 1800MHz band as well, which is the
reason why the European telecoms are eager to get as much
users worldwide
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/dena-and-walt-disney-to-bring-
units as possible.
mobile-social-games-to-users-worldwide/15415.html

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April 2nd, 2012 cards with Marvel characters developed by Marvel and fight
against enemies.

D-Link DIR-605L mydlink
Cloud Router Review
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/d-link-dir-605l-mydlink-cloud-
Japan’s leading mobile social gaming platform operator router-review/15411.html
DeNa and Walt Disney company have jointly announced that April 2nd, 2012
they will be bringing mobile social games to users worldwide,
through DeNA Group’s Mobage social gaming platform.

D-Link offered their mydlink cloud services last year and it
allow users to effortlessly access, share, view and control
the mydilink-capable devices on their home network from
anywhere, at anytime. The company has also made the
products as simple to set up as they are for use. Simply
attach them to your network and associate them to a mydlink
account; it's that simple.
The DIR-605L is an entry level wireless router for the
consumer market, and is one of the few wireless routers
that features mydlink cloud services.

Dena and Walt Disney have recently launched their first
jointly-developed social game, Disney Party, last week in
Japan, which serves over 35 million users in the country. The
two companies planned to launch their second title "Disney
Fantasy Quest" today and the third title based on Marvel
Comics characters this summer. According to reports,
localized versions of Disney Party, Disney Fantasy Quest
and the Marvel-based title are also scheduled to launch
after July on the Mobage networks outside Japan - in North
America, Europe, China and South Korea. The three titles
will be DeNA’s first jointly developed titles to be released
outside of Japan and both companies are considering
development of new titles for worldwide market in future.
The front side of the router has the LED indicator for power,
Disney Party is a free-to-play social game for mobile
wireless, WAN and LAN
phones and players can organize parties and decorate
their interiors with various "gifts" that will attract Disney
characters. When the characters pay visits, players can
greet or take photos with them, which can be shared with
other users. Optional virtual items are available for purchase
though. Disney Fantasy Quest is a social card-collection
game whereby players collect cards of popular characters
from Mickey and Friends, princesses and other Disney series
to compile “magic books” in a quest to make the world
happier. The title is also free-to-play with optional virtual
items for purchase. The Marvel-themed game is slated to be
a free-to-play social card-battle game where players collect

7


some fans when it revealed that player-versus-player (PvP)
combat would not make it into the launch version.

Another Blizzard blunder involved a community manager
telling players to lower their expectations of the game, a
claim that was countered by the game's director, Jay Wilson.
Today's announcement, however, shows that the game must
remain in a very uncompleted state, and Blizzard is well-
known for its reluctance to release projects that it is not
happy with.

The rear side of the router has a pair of 5dBi fixed diapole “No one likes to disappoint players,” said Wilson. “We take
antennas, four LAN ports, a WAN port and a power jack. great pride in the millions of fans of our games throughout
the world. However, we also want to deliver a quality
product. We feel that by pushing back the release date into
2013 we can create a game that fans will truly enjoy, one that
will be remembered for many years to come.”

The DIR-605L is powered by a Realtek RTL8196C SoC and
a Realtek RTL8192CE 802.11b/g/n 2T2R WLAN System on Some of the features that are expected to go back into
a Chip (SoC). It also has 32MB of RAM and 4MB of flash the game include PvP, an as yet unnamed class thought
memory. to be a mix of the other classes, a command option to
access the admin features of the game, and a World of
Warcraft character import feature. The latter is believed to
Blizzard delays Diablo III be an attempt to boost falling subscription numbers for the
release until next year company's popular MMO title.
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/blizzard-delays-diablo-iii-release-
until-next-year/15413.html
Blizzard did not hint at exactly when it expects to release
April 2nd, 2012
Diablo III, whether it is early or late 2013. It could even
surprise fans and announce a pre-Christmas 2012 release,
but given the scope of some of the planned features, we
would not be surprised if it was further delayed. Fans will
just be hoping that the game does not become the next
Duke Nukem Forever, the ill-fated title that spent 15 years in
production thanks to numerous delays.
Blizzard has announced that the release of its upcoming
hack-and-slash role-playing game, Diablo III, will be
delayed until next year, due to unfinished features. Edit: We did a survey of one Diablo fan and found that 100 percent
April Fools :) were unhappy with Blizzard's decision. We can't say we
blame them.
Edit: April Fools :)
Blizzard has announced that the release of its upcoming
hack-and-slash role-playing game, Diablo III, will be Intel quietly unveils its new
delayed until next year, due to unfinished features. 7-series motherboards
After 11 years in production, the company finally announced Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/intel-quietly-unveils-its-new-7-
a release date of 15 May a few weeks ago, but angered series-motherboards/15410.html

8


April 2nd, 2012 As for the DZ77GA-70K, well, beyond the specifications
we've already mentioned, the pictures do reveal some
additional features, although thanks to Intel blanking out
the text on all the peripheral chipsets on the board, it's
a little bit hard figuring out what they all are. It appears
that the additional SATA 6Gbps ports are via Marvell's
second generation SATA 6Gbps controllers if we're not
With just over a week until the official launch of the Z77, H77 entirely mistaken and there also appears to be a PLX PCI
and B75 chipsets, Intel has posted details of its upcoming Express bridge chip on the board. Amusingly it seems like
motherboards on its website. Generally Intel motherboards Intel's motherboard division has run into the fact that the
aren't all that much to get excited about, but the new company's chipset division doesn't like adding a sufficient
Skulltrail board, known and the DZ77GA-70K looks better amount of PCI Express lanes to it chipsets and as such had
than what we've been used to see from Intel. to add the PLX bridge.

We'll take a quick look at Intel's Z77 models in this article
and follow up with the H77 and B75 boards in a separate
post. We've already given you all the technical details of these
boards back in February, but sadly we lacked pictures to go
with the specifications back then. It's all good and well to
read a spec sheet, but it doesn't give you a full impression of a
product in the same way a picture does. Intel also appears to
have changed the model names slightly and we have no idea
what the 70K in the DZ77GA-70K model name stands for,
but its higher-end sibling is now known as the DZ77RE-75K,
so it seems like Intel is trying to bring in a higher number
equals better scheme for its motherboards, just as it has done
for its CPUs.
The DZ77RE-75K and the DZ77GA-70K shares the Power and reset buttons are also present, alongside various
same PCB and largely the same feature set with the LED's and four 4-pin fan headers, hardly generous on a
major difference being that the DZ77RE-75K will sport board in this price range, but at least they all support PWM
Thunderbolt support. However, as Intel's Cactus Ridge fans. The VRM design appears to feature 10 phases, plus two
Thunderbolt chipset isn't quite ready as yet, it looks like this additional phases for the IGP. Most of the VRMs are covered
model will launch later in the year. Looking at the PCB of the by a large heatsink, with a smaller one covering the topmost
DZ77GA-70K on can clearly see a missing chip just left of the part, but there's no heatpipe to be seen here. The unusual
topmost x16 PCI Express slot and a missing connector right positioning of the HDMI port is also an interesting feature
next to the audio jacks. in itself, as you don't see too many boards with a vertical
HDMI port. Intel will also supply a front USB 3.0 bracket
with the board and a RazerZone discount voucher. Overall
no big surprise on a whole, but at least it confirms our earlier
specs were indeed correct.

Moving down a to the Media series we find the DZ77BH-55K
which compares quite favourable to the DZ68DB that it slots
in above. Again, we've already covered the specifications for
the DZ77BH-55K and its sibling, the DZ77SL-50K back in
February, although back then the DZ77SL-50K was called

9


the DZ75SL, but it seems like even Intel decided it was
pointless making a Z75 chipset motherboard.

All four models, at least as soon as the DZ77RE-75K
launches, will come with a copy of LucidLogix Virtu
Universal, McAfee Antivirus Plus and Splashtop remote
The DZ77BH-55K is still adorned with heatsinks, albeit a desktop. The DZ77RE-75K and DZ77GA-70K will both come
fair bit smaller than the ones on the DZ77GA-70K. The with Intel's new Visual BIOS at launch, a feature the other
advantage here is that you get an extra SATA port over your models will get later in the year.
average Intel motherboard, although Intel has dropped the
x4 PCI Express slot of the DZ77GA-70K in favour of a regular
x1 PCI Express slot. There's no need for a PLX bridge chip ASMedia is aiming for
on this board, due to the reduced feature set. Oddly enough
the reset button is missing, but there's at least a power Thunderbolt compatible
button on the board. For those looking at taking advantage solutions
of Intel's integrated graphics, the good news is that the Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/asmedia-is-aiming-for-thunderbolt-
DZ77BH-55k has an HDMI port as well as a DisplayPort compatible-solutions/15409.html
connector of which the latter wasn't mentioned in our earlier April 2nd, 2012
specifications.

What can only be called a very recent addition in the world
of peripheral IC makers, ASMedia has quickly made a name
for itself, thanks to in to small part to its USB 3.0 host and
device controllers as well as its SATA 6Gbps controllers. Now
the company is said to be aiming to product solutions that
are compatible with Intel's Thunderbolt standard. Updated
with a correction from ASMedia
What can only be called a very recent addition in the world of
peripheral IC makers, ASMedia has quickly made a name for
itself, thanks to in to small part to its USB 3.0 host and device
controllers as well as its SATA 6Gbps controllers. Now the
company is said to be aiming to product solutions that are
compatible with Intel's Thunderbolt standard.
The DZ77SL-50K is something of a peculiar beast, as just as Digitimes is reporting that ASMedia's president, Lin
with the DZ75SL that it was once intended to be, it only has Che-Wei said that the company is planning to produce
a single x16 PCI Express 3.0 slot, but there's an open ended Thunderbolt compatible peripherals for the second half of
x4 PCI Express 2.0 slot on the board, as well as a x1 PCI this year, but sadly no details as to the specific types of
Express 2.0 slot and three PCI slots. A very peculiar board devices were revealed. So far, Intel hasn't seemed to be very
layout to say the least, at least until you realise that it shares keen on sharing the Thunderbolt specification with anyone,
the same PCB as the DH77KC. The shared PCB doesn't mean but we've been hearing rumours for quite some time that the
that the two boards are identical, as the DZ77SL-50K is quite company is considering opening up the peripheral chipset
a feature light board. Changes from our previous specs of end of the standard. Even so, Intel will remain the sole
this boards include the loss of the mini PCI Express slot, manufacturer of the host side chipsets and as we've reported
but most of the other features seems to remain unchanged, several times already, the company appears to be having
except possibly the audio outputs which now only appears some issues getting its upcoming Cactus Ridge chipset out
to offer 5.1-channel audio without the optical S/PDIF out. the door.
We're not entirely sure why anyone would go for this model,
In addition to whatever Thunderbolt compatible chips
as it makes very little sense compared to the DZ77BH-55K
ASMedia is working on, the company will continue to
or for that matter just about any other Z77 motherboard.

10


make USB 3.0 and SATA 6Gbps solutions. Both Seagate
and Western Digital are using ASMedia's SATA to USB
3.0 bridge chips in their external hard drives and this is
where ASMedia is likely to be making its biggest sales when
it comes to USB 3.0 chipsets once the third party host
controller market dies down. ASMedia was planning on
making a new host controller, but in the end decided that
it wasn't a worthwhile endeavour due to more and more
motherboard chipsets featuring integrated USB 3.0 support.
We'll make sure that we catch up with ASMedia at Computex
in June for a closer look at what the company is working on.
Update: After contacting ASMedia about their so called
Thunderbolt solution which Digitimes reported about last
week, we were informed that the reporter at Digitimes got
things somewhat mixed up. What ASMedia was in fact
saying, is that their SATA 6Gbps and USB 3.0 controllers
are all going to be compatible with Intel's Cactus Ridge
Thunderbolt controllers. The company is also working
on some higher-end SATA solutions for external RAID The B100 supports MP3, WMVA, OGG, FLAC, APE, ASF
enclosures that will work over Thunderbolt, as well as and WAV audio files which is at least a fairly comprehensive
in NAS and DAS type devices and of course directly on range. On the video side of things –where the B100 offers
motherboards as a high-end version to the ASM1061 SATA up to 8.5h of playback time – you're looking at MPEG1/2/4,
6Gbps controller. WMV7/8/9 and H.264, although it only supports simple
profile or advanced simple profile MPEG4 files and baseline
profile H.264 files, so no high quality content. It does handle
iRiver set to launch touch all standard containers though, such as AVI, WMV, MP4,
enabled B100 PMP ASF, 3GP, MOV, MKV and M2TS, but video resolution
is limited to 720x480 at no more than 30fps. As far as
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/iriver-set-to-launch-touch-enabled-
supported audio formats in combination with video, the
b100-pmp/15408.html
selection is fairly meagre as the B100 inly supports MP3,
April 2nd, 2012
WMA, WAV and AC3.
It's also possible to display JPEG, BMP, PNG and GIF images
on the B100 and it can also handle PDFm EPUB and TXT
files. The B100 will initially be sold via Japanese website
Rakuten with the 4GB version coming in at 11,800 Yen (S
By now the market for PMP's have to have shrunk to one $179) and the 8GB versing at 13,800 Yen (S$210), so not
that's barely worth making new products for, although a exactly cheap for what you get. The glory days of iRiver
dedicated PMP still has one advantage over your average seems to have passed and we can't say that the B100 makes
smartphone, battery life. iRiver is getting ready to unleash us want to run out and buy a PMP, even though it's far from
its B100 PMP upon the world come the 6th of April and the worst device of its kind that we've seen.
with 36h battery life for music playback and a touch screen
interface, there might still be some takers.
Most desktop Ivy Bridge
By now the market for PMP's have to have shrunk to one
that's barely worth making new products for, although a systems won't support three
dedicated PMP still has one advantage over your average
smartphone, battery life. iRiver is getting ready to unleash its
displays
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/most-desktop-ivy-bridge-systems-
B100 PMP upon the world come the 6th of April and with 36h won-t-support-three-displays/15407.html
battery life for music playback and a touch screen interface, April 2nd, 2012
there might still be some takers.
Sadly it looks like iRiver hasn't been pulling out any stops
with the B100 as it sports a fairly mundane 480x320
resolution display that measures a measly 3.1-inches. On
top of that the B100 only comes with 4 or 8GB of built in
memory, but there's at least a microSD card slot to make Despite the fact that Intel has been banging its drums about
up for this. The rest of the "features" on offer include an support for up to three displays on the upcoming 7-series
FM radio, a mini USB port, a built in microphone and a motherboards in combination with a shiny new Ivy Bridge
headphone socket. based CPU, this isn't likely to be the case. The simple reason
behind this is that very few, if any motherboards will sport a
pair of DisplayPort connectors.
For most people this isn't likely to be much of an issue,
but if Intel delivers on its graphics performance claims for
Ivy Bridge, we have a feeling that at least some people will

11


want to connect additional displays via the ports on the The shared PLL would still be able to drive DVI and HDMI
motherboard. Add Lucidlogix Virtu MVP software in the displays at resolutions of up to 1920x1200 without a problem
mix which allows for discrete graphics card signals to be and the DisplayPort would be able to drive a 2560x1600
routed via the motherboard display connectors when extra display.
3D power is needed, as well as being combined with the Ivy Of course, the other approach of using DP++ would've been
Bridge GPU for an extra performance boost and maybe we've to include passive adapters and equipped a motherboard
found a slight flaw in the motherboard makers plans. with mini DisplayPort connectors, something most recent
The issue to this specific problem is that Intel has moved graphics cards support. The end result would've been the
away from TMDS support and towards the DisplayPort same as above, but less space would've been taken up by the
standard. However, Intel has only incorporated two PLLs connectors at the rear of the motherboard. We're still not
and although this isn't an issue for DisplayPort connected sure about DP++ support when it comes to the DisplayPort
monitors, it's a whole different matter when we're talking connector on the upcoming 7-series motherboards, but
TMDS interfaces like DVI and HDMI, as well as of course we've asked some motherboard makers about it and we're
good old analogue output. So if a motherboard maker was waiting to hear back from them with regards to this.
to make a board with three DisplayPort connectors – or one In the world of notebooks things are slightly different, as
eDP interface with regards to notebooks – one of the three here the built in display could be connected via the eDP
displays would be able to have a resolution of 2560x1600 interface and as we have yet to see a consumer notebook with
and the other two would still be able to work at 1920x1200, a higher resolution than 1920x1200, the issue of sharing a
due to the fact that they share one PLL. PLL isn't really an issue. We're not entirely sure what the
Once we start throwing in other interfaces things get limitations are on displays with a higher refresh rate than
complicated, as TMDS and analogue interfaces don't like 60Hz, or for 3D content, but Intel is supporting HDMI 1.4
sharing PLLs. As such on a system where both the DVI and so we have a feeling that this would force a limitation of two
HDMI ports are used – or if the D-sub connector in lieu displays regardless of the interface used.
of one of the other two interface – no third display can Hopefully all of this has proven to be of some use. Despite
be attached. The problem is that the DisplayPort interface the fact that Intel actually supports up to three displays via
is far from commonplace and as such most motherboard the IGP in its upcoming Ivy Bridge processors, it looks like
manufacturers have opted for more traditional interfaces. various limitations is at least for the time being preventing
The chart below will hopefully help to clarify things slightly, three displays from being used. Once Thunderbolt equipped
even though it's somewhat confusingly laid out. motherboards arrive, this could potentially change, at least
if the Thunderbolt equipped motherboards also sport a
DisplayPort interface as well as a DVI, HDMI or D-sub
connector. At the end of the day, the easy way around this
problem is to connect your displays to a graphics card, but
as we mentioned at the beginning of this article, there are
finally some good reasons as to why you'd want to use the
ports on the motherboard.

Facebook working on social
search engine to rival Google
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/facebook-working-on-social-search-
engine-to-rival-google/15406.html
April 2nd, 2012

The entire DisplayPort issue is a bit of a chicken and egg
problem, as due to a fairly limited availability of DisplayPort
Facebook is secretly working on huge improvements to
equipped monitors, the motherboard makers don't want to
its as yet untapped search engine, with the project being
add the connector, but without the connector being more
spearheaded by a former Google engineer.
commonly available; it's unlikely that we'll see a lot more
DisplayPort equipped monitors. That said, it seems like the Facebook is secretly working on huge improvements to
monitor makers are finally starting to catch on and hopefully its as yet untapped search engine, with the project being
we'll see more DisplayPort equipped screens this year. spearheaded by a former Google engineer.
A relatively easy way around this problem would've been to
take a leaf out of the graphics card makers' book, specifically Bloomberg cited anonymous sources at the company, who
Sapphire which has been making quite a few cards that revealed that Facebook is hoping to make it significantly
implements Dual-mode DisplayPort or DP++ as it's also easier to search through status updates and shared content,
known as. What Sapphre has done is to take the low-cost as well as anything that has been “liked” using Facebook's
compenents used in a passive DP++ adapter to turn a buttons across the web.
DisplayPort signal into a TMDS signal and as such an extra
DVI port has been usable on its cards. The motherboard
makers would be able to use the same passive components The project is being worked on by 24 Facebook engineers,
for the shared DisplayPort PLL to drive both a DVI and an led by Lars Rasmussen, an ex-Google employee, hinting at
HDMI port on the motherboard, without any real limiations. the rivalry between the two internet firms.
12


The move is largely seen as an attack on Google's dominance The changes come as the Fair Labour Association (FLA)
in the search engine market, a retaliation to Google's entry found that there were a number of violations of Chinese
into social networking last year with Google+, which many labour laws, including working too many hours and not
people see as the biggest threat to Facebook. getting paid for overtime work, a stark contrast to its initial
hints that Foxconn conditions were good.

Google+ already has a fairly advanced search feature,
leaving Facebook to rely on a partnership with Microsoft for
Bing search results, which has not been fully explored or
monetised.

Facebook remains the dominant social network, however,
and if it can develop a true social search engine that takes
advantage of the huge amount of user content and data at its
disposal it could become a major feature that helps retain its
users and steal back some lost to Google.
Apple's CEO, Tim Cook, visited Foxconn factories recently,
an event widely seen as an attempt to show that Apple took
this problem seriously. It appears that it was not just for
Apple and Foxconn show, however, and the company has managed to secure
agree worker condition improvements at the Foxconn plants.

improvements
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/apple-and-foxconn-agree-worker- Some analysts believe that this change could rock the entire
condition-improvements/15405.html industry, with many companies relying on cheap labour in
April 2nd, 2012 China and other countries in order to cut costs and maximise
profits. These firms may be forced to follow suit, improving
the working life of many people, but hitting the bottom line
for these multi-billion dollar technology companies.

Apple and Foxconn have agreed to improve working In fact, Apple is far from the only company
conditions in Chinese factories after an independent employing Foxconn to manufacture and assemble electronic
investigation found a number of labour law violations. equipment. Amazon, Dell, HP, Intel, Nokia, Samsung, Sony
and Toshiba are among a large number of big names that
Apple and Foxconn have agreed to improve working outsource to the Chinese company's factories.
conditions in Chinese factories after an independent
investigation found a number of labour law violations.
There is undoubtedly still room for improvement at Foxconn
plants, but this decision will go a long way to improving
As part of a new agreement, Foxconn, which assembles working conditions and showing the industry that product
iPhone and iPad devices for Apple, will cut illegal overtime, innovation should not come at the price of ignoring the well-
improve safety protocols, upgrade housing and amenities for being of staff, no matter who they are or where they work.
workers, and hire thousands of new staff across the board to
make up for lost work.

The maximum working hours will now be 49 per week, BlackBerry maker RIM denies
including overtime, down from the over 60 hours per week
that an average Foxconn employee works when factories are
consumer market exit claims
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/blackberry-maker-rim-denies-
at peak production.
consumer-market-exit-claims/15403.html
April 2nd, 2012

Wages will remain the same, but they have already been
increased several times since a series of suicides caused
scandal at the company and damaged the reputation of
Apple. Some employees are not happy that wages are not
rising, however, as low pay was the reason they worked
Research In Motion (RIM), maker of the BlackBerry
insane hours in the first place.
smartphone range, has denied reports that it is abandoning

13


the consumer market, accusing the media of blowing a quote
out of proportion.
Research In Motion (RIM), maker of the BlackBerry
smartphone range, has denied reports that it is abandoning
the consumer market, accusing the media of blowing a quote
out of proportion.

After an abysmal quarter, where the company lost a
whopping $125 million, CEO Thorsten Heins said that RIM
would refocus on enterprise and stop trying to be all things
to all people.

Understandably, news outlets throughout the world
interpreted this as meaning that RIM was planning to leave
the consumer market, where it has been struggling for some
time against more popular Apple and Android devices.

The HTC One X features a a polycarbonate unibody that has
a unique matte exterior at the rear, while the sides are of
a glossy "piano" finish. Because of its unibody design, the
However, Patrick Spence, managing director of Global Sales phone battery is not removable, and the micro-SIM card
and Marketing, said that RIM “remains committed to all tray is at the top; together with the 3.5mm audio jack and
of our customers (consumer and enterprise),” adding that power button. On the left is the microUSB connector while
reports of a consumer market exit were “wholly inaccurate.” the volume controls are on the right.

BlackBerry is planning some new BB7 devices this year
before the release of its much-anticipated BlackBerry
10 operating system, which it might license to rival
manufacturers in an effort to bring in more revenue. The
company still has potential in the enterprise market, where
it will be putting its primary focus, but with how bad things
have been going, we wonder why it considers the consumer
market an option for it at all.

HTC Asia launches One X in
Singapore
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/htc-asia-launches-one-x-in-
singapore/15341.html
April 2nd, 2012 The phone sports a 4.7-inch 720p touchscreen display with
durable Corning Gorilla Glass, has three touch-sensitive
buttons below the display (back, home, and recent apps)
as well as 1.3-megapixel front camera and on the rear, an
8-megapixel with LED flash that can record videos at full
high definition 1080p resolution. It is equipped with the
new 1.5GHz NVIDIA Tegra 3 quad-core mobile processor
The HTC One X is one of the Android smartphones that was and runs Google Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich operating
announced at the Mobile World Congress last month. And system. The company has incorporated the latest HTC Sense
today, the phone has officially landed in Singapore. 4.0 UI that offers improved user experience, though it

14


has "quietly" removed the People Hub and OnLive apps.
HTC has also improved their Music Hub as it is now a one-
stop place for your playlist as well as online streaming radio
stations; you can add your favorite streaming sites to the list
too.

This 9.7-inch tablet runs a 1024 x 768 IPS display not
unlike the iPad 2 and TouchPad with a 1.3MP camera, 4GB
storage (+ SD Card slot) and a thickness of 9mm. One would
hope the U.S. release will come with a serve of Ice Cream
Sandwich, but I certainly wouldn't be counting on it.

RIM admits defeat in
consumer smartphone space
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/rim-admits-defeat-in-consumer-
smartphone-space/15401.html
The camera function has also seen some advancements. In
April 2nd, 2012
capture mode, both the camera shutter and video record
onscreen buttons are available immediately rather than the
need to switch between modes. According to HTC, even
when you are already in video recording mode, you can still
choose to snap still images at any time, though the image
resolution will be that of the video. The camera can also
shoot in continuous burst mode, up to 100 images at a time.
Canadian based BlackBerry maker Research in Motion
The HTC One X has a suggested retail price of S$898 (before (RIM) has just made a statement indicating that it will
contract), and will be in stores from 2 April. The model that recede from most consumer markets due to Apple and
is selling here is not 4G-capable; the 4G version will only Google dominating most of the market share - nothing
be using dual-core processor and there is no news as to unsurprising there. RIM has said that from here it will
whether it will come to Singapore. (Not that Singapore has be focusing more so on what it believes to be its primary
widespread 4G network yet). strength, security, which is of more significant importance
to its business customers.
ViewSonic's ViewPad 10E Canadian based BlackBerry maker Research in Motion
hits FCC's database, coming (RIM) has just made a statement indicating that it will
recede from most consumer markets due to Apple and
to the U.S. soon Google dominating most of the market share - nothing
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/viewsonic-s-viewpad-10e-hits-fcc-s- unsurprising there. RIM has said that from here it will
database-coming-to-the-u.s.-soon/15402.html be focusing more so on what it believes to be its primary
April 2nd, 2012 strength, security, which is of more significant importance
to its business customers.
RIM's CEO Thorsten Heins said, "We plan to refocus on the
enterprise business and capitalize on our leading position
in this segment. We believe that BlackBerry cannot succeed
Following availability in limited parts of the globe post its if we tried to be everybody's darling and all things to all
initial sighting at CES early into the new year, ViewSonic's people. Therefore, we plan to build on our strength."
VS14445 (also known as the ViewPad 10E) looks to be Yesterday RIM also said that co-CEO Jim Balsillie has
coming to the states soon with an entry appearing via the resigned from its board as well as David Yach, chief
FCC's database that tends to indicate the item's presence on technology officer for software and Rim Rowan, chief
store shelves within a few weeks. operating officer for global operations both leaving after
Following availability in limited parts of the globe post its some acute management manouvres.
initial sighting at CES early into the new year, ViewSonic's
VS14445 (also known as the ViewPad 10E) looks to be
coming to the states soon with an entry appearing via the
FCC's database that tends to indicate the item's presence on
store shelves within a few weeks.

15


Windows Phone future roadmap, the company has been
divided into two. The "next billion" strategy would rely on
the company's Series 40/Asha department to fulfil, though
Android devices may pose a threat with the cutting of
prices to cater to the emerging markets. The Nokia N9 was
said to be the first and last MeeGo device. And it looks
to be a pity for the company to just call it quit on future
MeeGo development, especially with its favorable reviews
and acceptance in the market.

Intel's Haswell to push the
desktop PC CPU packaging
frontiers
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/intel-s-haswell-to-push-the-desktop-
pc-cpu-packaging-frontiers/15399.html
April 2nd, 2012

There is no denying that BlackBerry retains a strong foothold
in the corporate smartphone market with the phones being
renowned for their security and reliability and a lot of
business customers depending and trusting in them for
their portable email needs. RIM's BlackBerry 10 OS seeing
delay after delay hasn't helped them at all and the hype on
this one is also minimal with general knowledge being that Got used to the simple packaging migration from LGA1156
BlackBerry drags its feet a little in the performance stakes, to LGA1155? Intel's next generation - Haswell - is widely
particularly when running third party apps. expected to up the ante in the PC CPU packaging excellence,
and offer a spread of choices
The particularly sad thing is that even in the business realm
BlackBerrys are slowly losing their share in the market with For a typical mainstream or mid-high end desktop
more employees requesting iOS or Android-running phones user, Intel's CPU packaging policy was pretty clear: the
these days. LGA1156 socket for Nehalem and Westmere based quad-
core processors was replaced by LGA1155 socket for the
In all, things are looking pretty grim for this once top tier Sandy Bridge and Ivy Bridge generation, and then the
player in the smartphone market. It's all about iOS and LGA1150 socket (another five pins or, more correctly, holes,
Android these days, with a sprinkle of Windows Phone in gone) will come for the Haswell and Broadwell processors in
between. 2013.

Nokia to release two low-end So, every microarchitecture has its own socket and the
associated chipset and board platform that, with the BIOS
MeeGo phones? updates and reasonable advance design fixes allowing easy
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/nokia-to-release-two-low-end- upgrades, should also span the extra process shrink within
meego-phones-/15400.html each microarchitecture - about a 2 year lifespan.
April 2nd, 2012

While keeping one package and socket standard for its
microarchitecture, there's much more to Haswell than just
the outside package. Namely, Haswell will have more than
one die variant, as discussed here before. For the desktop,
the usual dual core and quad core die choices are obvious,
The Nokia N9 was the first MeeGo phone to go to market just like they were on the Sandy / Ivy Bridge. However, there
last year. But after that, the Finnish company said that it is the third and the most exciting die choice here, which we
would focus on Windows Phones. While Nokia had gone also covered: the very high end quad core plus GT3 graphics
quiet for many months with regards to the development of with an additional L4 cache die, very likely an eDRAM large
new MeeGo devices, rumors had it that the manufacturer cache (16+ MB) connected via a separate backside bus to the
could be launching two low-end MeeGo phones. main CPU die.

According to reports, Nokia may be launching two new
low-end MeeGo smartphones to accomplish their "next The purpose of this cache wouldn't be just minimising the
billion" strategy. The so-called "next billion" strategy can be bandwidth contention between the CPU and GPU, both
attributed to the billions of users in the emerging markets more powerful than before here, for the usual dual channel
Nokia is targeting with its affordable mobile phones, with DDR3 memory - of course, that is still a very important
the majority of these users being based in China. And the factor, since even DDR3-2500 dual channel can't easily
company is looking to maintain its leadership position in satisfy both CPU and GPU together. That cache, after some
this market. Last year, when Nokia has announced their thinking, could also deliver the extra sustained bandwidth

16


for the AVX-enabled high throughput floating point, with procurement and distribution. John Stefanac, vice president
extra FMA (Fused Multiply Add) that comes in Haswell and of Qualcomm and president of Qualcomm Southeast Asia
doubles the peak FP execution rate. To truly double the and Pacific is quoted saying that "The expansion of our
actual obtained FP rate, the extra memory bandwidth is presence in Singapore demonstrates Qualcomm's deepened
needed and, in absence of higher bandwidth main memory, commitment to the Asia Pacific region and builds on more
this large cache would be VERY helpful to achieve this goal. than a decade of successful operations here."

Back to the packaging: fitting all this in one socket means
going back to the future and the MCM multi chip module
approach seen in Pentium Pro far in 1995, then in Presler
P4 and, of course, initial Westmere entry level CPUs: here,
the CPU and L4 cache dies would be on a single high
speed substrate allowing half clocked or possibly even same
clocked external L4 cache, but the outside world will not
see the L4 cache, only the usual CPU stuff, just like on
other Haswell CPUs. No big problems here, since the power
savings from the 22 nm tri-gate process should easily
leave plenty of TDP headroom for the L4 cache to be
accomodated, without any clock speed sacrifices necessary
by the processor.

Do keep in mind MCMs are always seen as a sort of high end
'technology frontier' here, and such 'packaging excellence'
will add a bit of extra price. Now, imagine how many choices
would there be on the mobile side of the story?

Qualcomm to open R&D
centre in Singapore for IC
design and engineering
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/qualcomm-to-open-r-d-centre-in-
singapore-for-ic-design-and-engineering/15398.html
April 2nd, 2012

There’s no secret that Singapore is home to many chip design
companies and now Qualcomm is looking to the small nation
to be a base for a new IC design and Engineering R&D centre.
The office would focus on CDMA technology, or what is
commonly known as 3G.
There’s no secret that Singapore is home to many chip design
companies and now Qualcomm is looking to the small nation
to be a base for a new IC design and Engineering R&D centre.
The office would focus on CDMA technology, or what is
commonly known as 3G.
According to the press release, Qualcomm will be focusing
on "analog and power design; mixed signal design; digital
design; mask layout design; and pre and post silicon
verification" at its Singapore facility. The local government
chimed in and Mr. Teo Ser Luck, the Minister of State
for Trade and Industry said that "[w] e are excited
that Qualcomm, the world's largest fabless semiconductor
company, is setting up an IC Design & Engineering R&D
Centre in Singapore, further establishing Singapore as an
international hub for its chipset business."
Considering the local expertise when it comes to IC
design, it’s clear that this move by Qualcomm isn’t one
by chance. Beyond IC design and R&D, the new facility
will also be home to business planning and development,
marketing and administrative functions as well as sourcing,

17

April 5th, 2012 Published by: VR-Zone

VR-Zone.com | Tech News for the Geeks!
There is, however, an "In Case You Leave Something Behind"
VR-Zone | Stuff for the Geeks is a bi-weekly mode that can be activated to alert you whenever the LBT-
publication covering the latest gadgets and stuff for the MPVRU01 is outside of your iPhone 4S's connectivity range.
geeks. Both devices will ring at once.
If your PC is equipped with a BlueTooth 4.0 USB adapter, the
Logitec's new Bluetooth 4.0 LBT-MPVRU01 can also be paired to that, allowing you to
automatically lock your Windows 7 PC whenever the gadget
accessory helps you find is out-of-range.

missing keys (or iPhone 4S)
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/logitec-s-new-bluetooth-4.0-
accessory-helps-you-find-missing-keys-or-iphone-4s-/15394.html
April 5th, 2012

If you're an iPhone 4S (or a new iPad) owner and often find
yourself spending time searching for misplaced keys or other
such items, Logitec's new Bluetooth 4.0 accessory - the LBT-
MPVRU01 "Burutag" (which translates to "vibrating tag")
may just be the solution you've been looking for.

The idea itself is not entirely new. Cobra Tag for Android and
BlackBerry provided pretty much the same functionality a
couple years back. Although in Cobra Tag's case, when your
device is out of range it will notify you via email instead.
Pair the LBT-MPVRU01 to your iPhone 4S via Bluetooth,
download the Burutag app from the iTunes store, and you'll That said, Burutag does take advantage of Bluetooth 4.0's
be able to tap a virtual button in the app to make the low-energy profile, consuming significantly less power both
accessory play a melody or vibrate, depending on its setting for your iPhone 4S and the gadget itself - which is powered
(changeable through a switch on the device). by a single CR2023 cell battery. Logitec rates the gadget's
battery life at approximately two years.
Conversely, if you have the Burutag with you, and can't locate
your iPhone 4S, hitting a button on the accessory will make Unfortunately, this also means that the accessory is not
your handset play its ringtone. compatible with any prior iPhone or iPad models (the 4S and
the new iPad are the only two IOS devices equipped with
The LBT-MPVRU01 and your iPhone 4S must be within 10 Bluetooth 4.0). Nevertheless, if you're keen on picking one
meters for the functionality to work (assuming there are no up, the gadget is open to preorders at Logitec's web store in
solid walls), so if you left your vibrating-tagged keys in the Japan, priced at 3,490 (in retail shops it's open-priced).
office, well, you're out of luck.

1


The LBT-MPVRU01 Burutag is available in three colours
(black, red, and white), and goes on sale in Japan in mid-to-
late April. Logitec has not yet announced any plans to sell
the gadget outside of Japan.

Preview: GIGABYTE GTX 680
OC WindForce 3X 2GB
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/preview-gigabyte-gtx-680-oc-
windforce-3x-2gb/15433.html
April 5th, 2012

One obvious improvement is the doing away of the vertically
stacked 6+6pin PCIe connector design from the reference
When the GK104 based GeForce GTX 680 was first card, with GIGABYTE instead opting for a more generous
released, many pundits pointed out that the reference 8+6 pin layout, which means the card can theoretically take
design had much room for improvement, especially in the 300W of peak power instead of an underwhelming 225W,
power circuitry department which comes into play when allowing for more ambitious overclocks.
overclocking. The GIGABYTE GTX 680 OC WindForce 3X
that we have today attempts to address some of the shortfalls
with a beefed up VRM and their custom triple fan cooler.
GIGABYTE needs no introduction - they are one of
the largest motherboard and component makers in the
industry and pride themselves in engineering excellence.
The WindForce brand is their line of non-reference graphics
cards from both AMD/ATi and Nvidia, decked out with
a custom cooler and trademark blue PCB design to
improve overclocking mileage and durability. Today we
have their GTX 680 version in our labs, which is factory
overclocked at 1071 MHz (base)/1124 MHz (boost), 50MHz
more than regular cards.

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users running non ICS-running devices. Google says that by
updating to the latest version on an Android 3.2 Honeycomb
device you will be given the Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich
experience with the ability to swipe to move between newer
and older conversations, tap your account to access Recent
labels and set custom notifications for individual labels.
Further to the above, Honeycomb users can now sync
the last 30 days of messages allowing them to read and
search messages faster whether on or offline. Froyo and
Gingerbread users can reap some of the benefits as well with
performance improvements and a new labels API for third
party app devs.
The latest version of Gmail for Android can be freely
downloaded via Google Play for all devices running Android
1.6 and up.

GIGABYTE didn't change the I/O Panel on their GTX
680 WindForce, sticking with full-sized HDMI/DP ports NVIDIA Prepares Cut-down
and dual DVI (one of them single link only, which we
think is redundant and spoils the prospect of single slot
GK104 Chip: GTX 670 Ti to
water-cooling). The obvious improvement from the previous Compete Against HD 7950
generation GTX 580 flagship is that we can now run triple- Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/nvidia-prepares-cut-down-gk104-
display 3D Vision Surround from a single card (previously chip-gtx-670-ti-to-compete-against-hd-7950/15440.html
only possible on SLi setups), although it might be hampered April 5th, 2012
on graphically intensive games by the 2GB of framebuffer.

It's no secret that the GK104 originally started its life as
a mainstream i.e. performance SKU, but not the high-end
kind. Chip originally designated for GeForce GTX 670 Ti will
get that name, albeit in a cut down shape.
All viable silicon vendors are always working on maximizing
their yields (percentage of working dies). One of most
common moves is to fuse off non-working parts of the chip
and rebrand the product one or two notches down. Intel and
AMD are doing that with its CPUs and quite naturally, AMD
and NVIDIA are doing that with GPUs. For example, you can
read how Intel deals with faulty Ivy Bridge dies in this article.
Gmail for Android updated
with ICS experience for
Honeycomb users
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/gmail-for-android-updated-with-ics-
experience-for-honeycomb-users/15453.html
April 5th, 2012

Google has rolled out a significant update to its Gmail
for Android application which is of particular benefit to
users running non ICS-running devices. Google says that by
updating to the latest version on an Android 3.2 Honeycomb
device you will be given the Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich
experience with the ability to swipe to move between newer
and older conversations, tap your account to access Recent
labels and set custom notifications for individual labels.
Google has rolled out a significant update to its Gmail
for Android application which is of particular benefit to

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VR-Zone Tech News for the Geeks 2012 Issue 1

VR-Zone Tech News for the Geeks 2012 Issue 1

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