ASRock Unveils 3 Z68 Boards; Adds Z68 Pro3 and Pro3-M

Full Press Release

TAIPEI, Taiwan, April 28, 2011 – Tick-tock, tick-tock, one generation, the next generation! The much-anticipated Intel Z68 platform will join the party in late Q2 2011; the new generation brings all major advances over the previous platforms. In the past, if users were looking for extreme overclocking, it’s P67. If users needed integrated graphics, then it’s H67. Now, what you really need is hybrid of the two chipsets, the superb Z68, which could be the most interesting talk this year, bringing together the P67 native OC performance, plus the H67’s support for graphics.Z68 Extreme4ASRock Inc., the global leading motherboard manufacturer is proud to present its latest Z68 express chipset motherboard series. Commenting on the news release, James Lee, V.P. of ASRock Sales and Marketing, is with confidence. “Tech generation comes one after one. It is our responsibility to keep users in the know. As we always apply the world’s best motherboard technology to our products, we’ll have a competitive advantage.” he states. “We’re trying to make all points running on our Z68 lineup to drive performance up. We’re keen on delivering a Happy Building experience to ASRock fans!” said James Lee. “Paired with the strongest processor microarchitecture”, ASRock believes their latest Z68 express platform can deliver the best kit to users.Designed for the most demanding technology, ASRock’s brand new Z68 platform motherboard series not only takes advantages of dual personalities but also gives users the performance they demand.Hybrid Chipset Brings Advanced FeaturesIntel Smart Response Technology & Lucid VirtuThe ASRock Z68 motherboard offerings provide a powerful performance. There are two major new technologies to this hybrid platform. First one is the Intel Smart Response Technology. For users who are tempted to connect the SSD and HDD on ASRock Z68 motherboard series, the Intel Smart Response Technology can make the SSD become the "Cache of the HDD" to boost up the HDD access speed.The numbers are stunningly good. The performance of PCMark 05 HDD and boot time are increased hugely.Another technology pointed out to be part of the Z68 is Lucid Virtu. It’s a software GPU virtualization technology that will allow dynamic switching between the GPU of the Sandy Bridge processors and a discrete graphics card, without the need for a system reboot. It makes the switch based on which application is using the graphics subsystem at the same time. Lucid is designed to work with all second-generation i3/i5/i7 processors, automatically assigns the GPU or external graphics card to do the jobs.? Lucid Virtu software will dynamically assign tasks in real time to the best available graphics resource based on power, performance and features. In video file convert testing, the convert speed on the integrated Intel HD graphics is 235.48% faster than external Nvidia GTX580 graphics card on ASRock Z68 motherboard.Brilliant Software Tools To Achieve Ultimate PerformanceXFast USB, On/Off Play TechnologiesXFast USB is best known for its incredible performance boost, which allows users to enjoy the world’s fastest USB transfer speed. It can not only possibly double the USB transfer speed but also shorten the file-copy time significantly. To drive performance up, all you have to do is just simply enable XFast USB on your ASRock Z68 motherboard series.USB 3.0 Performance ComparisonAs you can see, USB 3.0 transmission speed has improved 185.52% when comparing with other motherboards without XFast USB.The innovative On/Off Play Technology provides a modern and convenient digital life. Even when the system is powered off (in ACPI S5 mode), On/Off Play still ensures users to enjoy the great audio experience from the portable audio devices through the PC speaker. To facilitate computing environment, ASRock also bundles a free 3.5mm audio cable with its Z68 Extreme4 motherboard package.Stupendous Build Quality Delivers The Most Reliable Computing ExperienceDuraCaps & Digi PowerIn addition to the software support of Z68 boards, ASRock has put great efforts on building its hardware components as well. The ASRock signature DuraCaps on Z68 Extreme4 are 100% Japan-made high-quality Conductive Polymer Capacitors; these solid caps represent long life and stable performance.Another highlight here is the Digi Power design. Traditional motherboards are mostly equipped with analog Pulse-width modulation (PWM), which might brings users annoying problems that the CPU power supply is not stable enough, hence affects the computing efficiency. To improve CPU power solution, ASRock Z68 Extreme4 adapts digital Pulse-width modulation, providing CPU Vcore voltage more efficiently and smoothly. On the other hand, the advanced V8+4 power phase design signatures tough components and smooth power delivery to the CPU as well.Z68 Lineup : Z68 Pro3 & Z68 Pro3-MBesides the flagship board Z68 Extreme4, the long-awaited Z68 motherboard series comes with another two models – Z68 Pro3 and Z68 Pro3-M. Both two models are focused on value, but that needn’t mean bargain basement.Z68 Pro3, ATX form factor, supports dual channel DDR3 2133 memory, Intel HD graphics with Built-in Visuals, USB 3.0 and SATA3. Users will get onboard VGA outputs such as D-Sub, DVI-D and HDMI display ports as well. Other noteworthy features include XFast USB Technology, graphical UEFI BIOS, all-in-one AXTU tuning program and the support for 7.1 CH HD audio.Z68 Pro3Z68 Pro3-M, Micro ATX form factor, supports four DDR3 2133 memory slots, Intel HD graphics with Built-in Visuals and comes with four VGA output options : D-Sub, DVI-D, HDMI and DisplayPort. As for software aspect, the board, like other Intel Z68 platforms, is also equipped with XFast USB Technology, graphical UEFI, AXTU programs.Z68 Pro3-MInterestingly, the newly-launched Z68 Motherboard series has bundled with Cyberlink MediaEspresso 6.5 Trial software. It supports Intel Quick Sync Video hardware transcoding and is optimized for second generation Core i7, i5, and i3 processors to accelerated conversion of all your favorite media files for your favorite portable players. The added software is a fabulous piece of kit and makes your digital life so versatile.When considered alongside Intel’s Sandy Bridge, which also offers up integrated graphics, the landscape for processors has shifted. Stunning performance with the added bonus of Intel technologies, the ASRock Z68 motherboard series will definitely serve pretty much all your needs!

An unlikely home for Windows 8 Return of the budget PC

During the holiday shopping weekend, low-end budget PCs running Windows 8 were all the rage at shopping chain Walmart. HP, Gateway, and Toshiba have all teetered recently due to the decline of the desktop and rise of mobile computing. All three companies started to return to form this weekend though, as their low cost Windows 8 running notebooks were a hit.

The notebooks in question ran from $248 - $328, which pitted them in direct competition with netbooks/Ultrabooks and were only a little more expensive than your average tablet computer. Of course, when using a tablet with a keyboard a dock is usually your best choice, so the notebook offerings worked out cheaper than a $200 tablet + $100-$150 dock. The notebooks had average 2GB memory, 300GB HDD, and 1.3GHz dual-core AMD processors. Some models like the Toshiba Satellite C855D were marked from their usual price for more than $300.

While the tablet boom certainly is booming, it still seems some sensible shoppers just want a regular device to do chores on and write the occasional word. Touch screen technology is a great marketing device, but in reality fails to be practical for anything more than a plaything. As computing takes up more of our lives, a media-consuming device like a tablet just doesn’t cut it in some areas.

Either way its good news for Microsoft, whose latest operating system Windows 8 runs on both notebooks and tablets, and is a cunning strategy by the Redmond developer to ensure they get a cut of whatever trend takes hold over the next few years.

It’s not all pie in the sky for Microsoft, as the Microsoft Surface saw far less popularity than the Apple iPad. Fortune columnist Philip Elmer-Dewitt commented that Microsoft’s Store saw 47% less foot traffic than Apple at one particular mall. Most of the items purchased at the Microsoft Store were also Xbox360 games, not Surface tablets.

While official numbers have yet to be released, eye-witness accounts don’t exactly convey a sense of popularity for Microsoft’s tablet that previous iPad launches have had. Perhaps the notebook isn’t dead after all.

Source: geekwire

ASUS unveils Xonar DG gaming sound card

The Xonar DG sound card combines Dolby Headphone 5.1 high definition surround with ASUS’ own GX 2.5 gaming audio engine and an on-board headset amplifier. The result is accurate and deep audio that brings every nuance and sound across fully, making the new Xonar DG an ideal sound card for gamers who want to remain totally aware of their play environments.

The Xonar Advantage for Gaming and Multimedia

The new Xonar DG sound card joins the existing Xonar range, which includes cutting-edge audio products for PCs such as the Xonar Xense and Xonar Essence, all of which have been tailored towards gaming and multimedia sound with built-in dedicated headphone amplifiers. The emphasis with Xonar sound cards has been to ensure truly immersive, precise audio reproduction in games and movies, making interactive and multimedia experiences more enjoyable.

Standard sound cards offer compromised audio when heard through headphones, resulting in muddy and underpowered reproduction. The new Xonar DG resolves this and other issues with headphone-dedicated amplification. The card has been designed from the ground up to cater to PC gamers who prefer to get sound through personal audio.

Realistic Acoustics

Accurate positioning through surround sound can make a huge difference for gamers, especially in first person shooters. Sound cues are often the only means by which players can pinpoint the location of opponents in a play arena, and so a quality sound card that brings out every rustle, footstep or thump can prove pivotal in gaining a tactical advantage.

The Xonar DG has been designed and built to give gamers the audio edge over the competition and to enhance the user experience.

Ideal for Entertainment Center PCs

The Xonar DG comes in a low profile presentation with a low profile bracket. Therefore, in addition to its role as a gaming sound card, it easily integrates into compact home theater PC configurations that use smaller, space-saving cases.

The powerful amplification of the card comes into play beyond games, rendering movie audio in great detail with lively and impressive reproduction. The same traits hold true for music, making the Xonar DG an excellent all-round multimedia choice. This is bolstered by the card’s auto-detection flexibility, as it switches instantly between front and rear panel audio, depending on where headphones are connected.

Source: ASUS PR

Apple iOS 5.0.1 released with battery bug fix, security updates

The iOS 5.0.1 update can be installed over-the-air, a new capability found only in iOS 5. To initiate it, just go to the Settings App, ‘General à ‘Software Update. The update process worked seamlessly for me, completing in about five minutes. The software update will automatically reboot your iOS device when done.

Unfortunately, the battery issue does not appear to be fixed for some. Already, a number of disgruntled users have logged on at the Apple Support Communities to complain that their battery is draining at the same rate.

On other hand, reports from other users say the improvement in the battery life of their iPhone has been significant. Reader Donald Kuntzman - who had an early preview of iOS 5.0.1, told Wired that:

"Frankly, the difference is nothing short of amazing... To go almost an entire day without a change in the meter reading seems unbelievable. Where before I could almost watch the battery drain, now it doesnt move at all."

Battery fix aside, the update also patched five security vulnerabilities, including one revealed by prominent security researcher Charlie Miller earlier in the week. Miller had released an app onto the App Store which exploited an undisclosed flaw to ‘sideload arbitrary and unauthorized code from external sites.

Such a vulnerability would have far-reaching ramifications to the walled-garden security of the App Store, allowing hackers to circumvent Apples strict approval process with Trojan apps. As it is, Millers stunt swiftly earned him the ire of Apple, and the company has since banned Miller from its developers program.

Other improvements in iOS 5.0.1 include multitasking gestures added to the first-gen iPad, improved voice recognition for Australian users using dictation, and tweaks to resolve "some issues with Documents in the Cloud."

Source: Wired

Answers to Obscure BIOS Options in DFI LAN Party UT ICFX3200-T2R G

Alright, I've gotten an update on some queries regarding some of the obscure BIOS options available in DFI LAN Party UT ICFX3200-T2R/G - RD600 Motherboard. Here they are my friends.

Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich upgrade now available for Samsung GALAXY S II

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 selectedGALAXY smartphones such as the popular GALAXY S II. Well, the wait is finally over. Today, Samsung KoreaannouncedAndroid 4.0 ICS software upgrade for GALAXY S II, startinginEurope-Poland, Hungary, and Sweden;as well as Korea andslowly 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 provideAndroid 2.3 Gingerbread firmware upgrades for the GALAXY S, GALAXY Tab 7, GALAXY S Plus, GALAXY S SCL(Super Clear LCD), and GALAXY W from end of March. Theupgrades include features such as Face Unlock, Snapshot, Photo Editor and others.

Source: Samsung Korea

Apple in Japan to replace overheating iPod Nanos

According to Apple in Japan,it isusually very rare that iPod Nanos would overheat, especially those that were sold between September 2005 and December 2006.

There has been27 reported cases of overheating devices that caused fire or minor burn injuries since 2008 and the Japan Ministry ofEconomy, Trade and Industry had asked the manufacturer for more information. And Apple in Japan had reported an additional 34 cases which the company failed to report earlier.

But with pressure from the government, Apple Japanhas agreed toreplace overheating iPod Nanos.

Source: Wall Street Journal

Arctic Unleashes Accelero XTREME Plus VGA Cooler

Swiss based Arctic Cooling has launched the Accelero XTREME Plus VGA Cooler, adding on to its Accelero series of graphic cardcoolers.







Measuring 290 x 104 x 56mm and weighing 622g,the beefy cooler features 84 aluminum fins, five copper heat-pipes, acopper base with pre-applied Arctic MX-4 thermal paste, and is equippedwith three 92mm fans that work at 900 - 2000 RPM. The Accelero XTREMEPlus, backed by a six year warranty, is SLI/ CrossFireX compatible andis expected to hit stores come end September at a MSRP of USD 65.95/54.95 Euro.




News via [Techpowerup]

AOpen i975Xa-YDG Board In Early April

AOpen is now offering a compelling innovative ATX motherboard: the i975Xa-YDGis the latest MoDT motherboard to apply Intel’s Pentium Mobile processortechnology to desktop products. By using MoDT technology and the Intel Core DuoCPU, i975Xa-YDG allows end users to enjoy tremendous performance as well as lowpower consumption on the desktop. The i975Xa-YDG is the best of the latestgeneration of gaming motherboard design.

AOpen i975Xa-YDG offers ingenious features not only for power, performance butalso in usage factors.

Dual Power - May Dual Force be with you

AOpen i975Xa-YDG supports the revolutionary Intel Core Duo (Yonah) CPU, whichboosts multitasking computing power and offers you a more versatile computingplatform.In addition, because AOpen i975Xa-YDG is furnished with dual channelDDRII 667 memory architecture, it can double the bandwidth and provide the bestmemory control performance for your system. Adopting Intel 975X and ICH7chipsets, ATi CrossFire™ technology has been supported. With two PCI Express x16graphics interfaces on board, it provides high performance GPU sharingcapability that works with all games. Also, two PCI Express x1 expansion slotsand two PCI expansion slots are provided.

Superior Performance - Take the 975 Express to the next generation of gaming

Intel® 975X Express Chipset delivers incredible high performance for gaming,multimedia entertainment and demanding business applications for today andtomorrow. It supports ATi CrossFire™. With combined multi-GPU power, ATICrossFire™ provides high performance GPU sharing capability that works with allgames. You can enjoy the highest image quality and resolutions. The CPU, DRAMVoltage, CPU Clock, Northbridge, and Power Master setting can be changed inBIOS. Power users can discover the potential power of i975Xa-YDG,. It providesmany setting combinations for gamers to enjoy the greatest fun fromover-clocking.

CPU cooler – The strong and silent type

An illuminated CPU cooler provides excellent temperature and noise control. Thetop speed can reach 2500rpm with only 25dB of noise even during maximumover-clocking. Compared to others, i975Xa-YDG gives a perfect combination ofexhilarating performance, low power consumption and ultra silence.

Hot-Pluggable Serial ATA connector - Plug, Unplug and play

The external Serial ATA II had the fastest transmission speed for storageinterfaces. The Hot Plug function can let you access and store data easily underWindows without rebooting the system and wasting your time.

AOpen is now offering a compelling innovative ATX motherboard: the i975Xa-YDGis the latest MoDT motherboard to apply Intel’s Pentium Mobile processortechnology to desktop products. By using MoDT technology and the Intel Core DuoCPU, i975Xa-YDG allows end users to enjoy tremendous performance as well as lowpower consumption on the desktop. The i975Xa-YDG is the best of the latestgeneration of gaming motherboard design.

AOpen i975Xa-YDG offers ingenious features not only for power, performance butalso in usage factors.

Dual Power - May Dual Force be with you

AOpen i975Xa-YDG supports the revolutionary Intel Core Duo (Yonah) CPU, whichboosts multitasking computing power and offers you a more versatile computingplatform.In addition, because AOpen i975Xa-YDG is furnished with dual channelDDRII 667 memory architecture, it can double the bandwidth and provide the bestmemory control performance for your system. Adopting Intel 975X and ICH7chipsets, ATi CrossFire™ technology has been supported. With two PCI Express x16graphics interfaces on board, it provides high performance GPU sharingcapability that works with all games. Also, two PCI Express x1 expansion slotsand two PCI expansion slots are provided.

Superior Performance - Take the 975 Express to the next generation of gaming

Intel® 975X Express Chipset delivers incredible high performance for gaming,multimedia entertainment and demanding business applications for today andtomorrow. It supports ATi CrossFire™. With combined multi-GPU power, ATICrossFire™ provides high performance GPU sharing capability that works with allgames. You can enjoy the highest image quality and resolutions. The CPU, DRAMVoltage, CPU Clock, Northbridge, and Power Master setting can be changed inBIOS. Power users can discover the potential power of i975Xa-YDG,. It providesmany setting combinations for gamers to enjoy the greatest fun fromover-clocking.

CPU cooler – The strong and silent type

An illuminated CPU cooler provides excellent temperature and noise control. Thetop speed can reach 2500rpm with only 25dB of noise even during maximumover-clocking. Compared to others, i975Xa-YDG gives a perfect combination ofexhilarating performance, low power consumption and ultra silence.

Hot-Pluggable Serial ATA connector - Plug, Unplug and play

The external Serial ATA II had the fastest transmission speed for storageinterfaces. The Hot Plug function can let you access and store data easily underWindows without rebooting the system and wasting your time.

All these fascinating features can be summary as ‘COO’, the so-called ‘Code ofOver-Clock’, is unveiled for you to gain extra performance (over-clocking) foryour PC system in different factors.

IR Remote control provided - Why let TV have all the fun, Speed me up

An included multifunction IR remote control (over-clocking control buttonincluded) allows you to power on/off your system, use DVD and MP3 functions, andover-clock your system with the press of a button.

Low Power - Guilt free gaming

Save the planet and enjoy gaming at the same time, i975Xa-YDG uses 100W lessthan Pentium D.

System: The superior power of the whole system is generated from Dual Core CPUplus Dual Graphic Card and Dual Channel Memory. Design: The best design ofi975Xa-YDG is using the latest Intel 975X + ICH7 chipset, which support supportsATi CrossFire™, with Intel® Core™ Duo mobile CPU
Expert: Only expert gamer know, AOpen i975Xa-YDG IR remote control has providedthe instant enjoyment for game and media simultaneously. Also, the externalSerial ATA II can store data and safe your time easily. CPU: Intel® Core™ DuoProcessor delivers revolutionary dual-core mobile performance and great powerefficiency. Instant enjoyment of amazing responsiveness for both gaming andentertainment is provided.
BIOS: Power users can enjoy the greatest fun from over-clocking by changingdifferent BIOS. Cooler: The best choice of temperature and noise control.

AMD Radeon HD 7970 specifications slide leaked

A slide purportedly detailing Radeon HD 7970 has leaked online. The slide resembles AMDs standard presentation design, and is seemingly part of the press deck held. Aspreviously rumoured, the HD 7970 features the GCN architecture.

The HD 7970 features 32 CU containing 2048 ALUs, clocked at 925 MHz. This amounts to 3.5 TFLOPS (Single Precision). TMUs are upped to 128, as expected. However, ROPs remain at 32 compared to Cayman, which is odd considering the memory bus, as we have observed, is 384-bit. Memory speed remains unchanged at 5.5 GHz, meaning a 50% boost in memory bandwidth. The TDP is rated under 300W, while the idle power is incredibly only 3W. This means a 8-pin + 6-pin power connector configuration. HD 7970 features 4 display outs - 1x DVI, 2xmini-DisplayPort and 1x HDMI. Finally, the slide mentions the embargo release date - 9th January 2012.

Needless to say, faked slides are nothing new for the rumour mill, so the information contained within this slide must be considered with caution. However, most of the details contained are realistic, and the image of the shroud looks identical to the leaked pictures.

Source: OBR-hardware

Apple iPad not to be blamed for weak PC sales

PC sales have fallen and according to market research company NDP Group, the Apple iPad is not to be blamed. Stephen Baker, vice president of industry analysis at NPD, said that "the conventional wisdom that says tablet sales are eating into low-priced notebooks is most assuredly incorrect".

Baker attributed the blame for weak PC sales to the explosion of computer sales when Windows 7 were launched and large increase in netbook sales at that time.

According to NDP data, consumers are looking to buy notebook PCs priced below US$500 and that segment has grown 21 percent between October 2010 and March 2011; while sales of PCs over US$500 has dropped 25 percent in the same period.

Source: PC Magazine

Apple launches iBooks 2 with digital textbooks

Apple has launched iBooks 2 with digital textbooks for schools and colleges, an attempt to secure additional adoption of its iPad tablet computer in educational circles.

The Cupertino, California-based firm has inked deals with publishers Pearson PLC, McGraw-Hill Cos Inc., and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, the three of which rule a whopping 90 percent of the textbook market in the US.The idea to move in this sector, which Amazon is currently the ruler in with its Kindle devices, came from Apples co-founder and former CEO Steve Jobs only months before he died. It may mark the last of his great business ideas put into action, with the digital textbook market worth an estimated $8 billion.Initially students will buy books directly from Apple at $14.99, significantly cheaper than their hardcover versions. Apple will take 30 percent of the money generated in this way.iBooks 2 is a free app available on the iPad. There are textbooks available on a wide range of subjects at different levels of education, with many of the books coming with interactive features.Apple is hoping that widespread adoption of digital textbooks will push sales of its iPad, the next version of which is expected for release in March.Apple claims that its iPads are “very affordable,” a difficult marketing spin to swallow, given the starting price of $499, which is two and a half times the price of Amazons Kindle Fire and up to five times the price of a regular Kindle, where students can also get digital textbooks.Source: Reuters

Apple CEO apologises for Maps blunder, suggests using Google Maps

Apples CEO Tim Cook has apologised over the disaster of its new Maps app in iOS 6, even going so far as to recommend that people use rival services like Google Maps instead.

The Cupertino, California-based company touted its own Maps product, based on data supplied by TomTom, as one of the main selling points of the new iPhone 5, but the app is plagued by errors, with cities missing or misplaced, and locations found in rivers or wrongly named, leading to widespread confusion and criticism.“At Apple, we strive to make world-class products that deliver the best experience possible to our customers. With the launch of our new Maps last week, we fell short on this commitment,” Cook wrote in a message on Apples website. “We are extremely sorry for the frustration this has caused our customers and we are doing everything we can to make Maps better.”He revealed that there are now 100 million devices running the new Maps app, and that in the space of just one week close to half a billion locations were searched for. He said the more people use Maps “the better it will get.” It really should not need people to use it for it to launch with accurate information, however.“While we’re improving Maps, you can try alternatives by downloading map apps from the App Store like Bing, MapQuest and Waze, or use Google or Nokia maps by going to their websites and creating an icon on your home screen to their web app,” Cook added.Considering Apple ditched Google Maps due to growing rivalry between the companies, this suggestion from Apples head-honcho marks an unusual move for the company. Google said it was up to Apple if it wanted to reinstate its app, and it is probably unlikely that Apple will, but this apology will perhaps humble the company enough to avoid rushing products in order to get one over on rivals.