| Arctic Announces New Graphics Coolers Compatible With A Wide Array Of Cards Posted: 04 May 2012 11:20 AM PDT The GTX 680 and AMD Radeon 7000 series cards that showed up this year run cooler and more efficiently than cards from previous generations, but hey, they're still powerful pieces of technology; pumping out those kinds of polygons puts out some high temperatures. If your new GPU has been running a bit hot under the collar, you'll be happy to hear that a trio of new cooling solutions from Arctic can help you beat the heat. And if you haven't been able to spring for a new GPU in 2012, that's okay; these coolers support a vast array of cards from both Nvidia and AMD. 
The Arctic Accelero Hybrid gets its name from its hybrid cooling system, which blends liquid cooling with air cooling. The Hybrid combines an 80mm PWM-controlled fan that points at the RAM and VRM while spinning at 900 to 2,000 RPM with an adjustable GPU liquid cooling system that includes a heat exchange radiator module with a 120mm fan blowing between 400 and 1350 RPM. Arctic claims it offers a 200 percent improvement over stock GTX 680 temperatures. According to its product page, the $180 cooler works on most Nvidia and AMD cards released over the past two or three generations. It'll be available on May 29th. 
If liquid cooling ain't your thing, Arctic's also putting out the Accelero Xtreme III, an air cooler with three 92mm PWN fans and an 84-fin heatsink with five copper heatpipes. According to Arctic, the Xtreme III keeps a GTX 680 running over 20 degrees cooler than the stock fans when both are running at 2000 RPM. Like the Accelero Hybrid, the Xtreme III works with several generations worth of AMD and Nvidia products. It'll be available on the 21st and costs $120. The Accelero Xtreme III won't work with Radeon 7900 series cards, but fortunately, Arctic's Accelero Xtreme 7970 will. (It'll work with Radeon 7800 series cards, too.) The card rocks the same basic design as the Xtreme III, but it's available now for $98. Even though the Hybrid and Xtreme III won't ship until later this month, they're available for pre-order right now. Note that Artic products ship from Hong Kong so some hefty shipping fees may apply for all these coolers. Via: VideoCardz.com |
| OCZ To Start Shipping 2.5-inch 1TB Octane SSDs This Month Posted: 04 May 2012 10:17 AM PDT  One of the big knocks against SSDs is that they simply don't have the same storage capacities as traditional mechanical HDDs. Well, that argument's about to fly out the window: OCZ is finally making good on its promise to deliver a 1TB SSD as part of its 2.5-inch Octane lineup.
OCZ announced that 1TB Octane drives were coming way back in October, but none had actually made it into the wild. (OCZ already offers a 3.5-inch 1TB SSD, the Colossus.) The Indilinx Everest-based SSD includes a 512MB DRAM cache and a 6Gbps SATA 3.0 interface, but despite that, the rated performance isn't quite as mind-blowing as some of the smaller SSDs available on the market. The drive sports 460/330MBps sequential read/write speeds and 32k/24k IOPS during random 4KB read/writes. An SSD this big doesn't come cheap, though. The original announcement in Japan's Akihabara newspaper lists a 260,000 yen price; that's around $3,250 USD. Even though the 1TB Octane has only been announced for a mid-May launch in Japan, with no word of U.S. availability, Tom's Hardware reports that U.S. retailers are offering pre-order prices between $2,600 and $3,100. Meanwhile, OCZ's listing of the OCT1-25SAT3-1T on Amazon carries a $2,420 price tag. But hey, that includes free shipping. |
| Microsoft Explains Windows Media Center Upgrade in Windows 8; Mums the Word on Price Posted: 04 May 2012 07:25 AM PDT  Microsoft didn't make many friends by casually mentioning how Windows Media Center wouldn't be included with Windows 8, Redmond's next generation operating system set to debut in a few months. In fact, many were downright outraged at the news, and seeing the sharpened pitchforks and brightly lit torches being waved around cyberspace, Steven Sinofsky set out to clarify things on the Building Windows 8 blog.
"In this post we wanted to update you on Media Center and Windows 8, specifically how we will make sure Windows 8 fully supports the capabilities of Media Center as it is in Windows 7," Sinofsky begins. "We took the feedback about maintaining the functionality very seriously, and we clearly understood what we've heard many of you saying around the value of Media Center for movies, Internet TV, broadcast TV, optical media, music, photos, and all the other scenarios it covers today. Many said in comments and email to us, that so long as the feature is available somehow it is fine." So, how will it be available? Through the 'Add Features to Windows 8' option in the Control Panel, previously known as Windows Anytime Upgrade. Windows 8 users will have the option to purchase the Windows 8 Pro Pack and end up with Windows 8 Pro with Media Center, while Windows 8 Pro users will be able to purchase the Windows 8 Media Center Pack and also end up with Windows 8 Pro with Media Center. Sound confusing? Here's a visual that will help: - Windows 8 Pro + Windows 8 Media Center Pack = Windows Pro with Media Center
- Windows 8 + Windows 8 Pro Pack = Windows 8 Pro with Media Center
Basically, this is Microsoft's way of sugarcoating the fact that Windows Media Center isn't going to be included with any version of Windows 8 like it currently is with Windows 7 Premium and Pro, and that it will cost extra to obtain it, though there's still no word on much the add-on will cost. You can read the full blog post here. |
| Windows 8 Will Have Built-in Dolby Digital Plus Support Posted: 04 May 2012 07:06 AM PDT  Microsoft's upcoming Windows 8 operating system will incorporate Dolby Digital Plus audio technology, it has been announced. In a press release on Thursday, California-based Dolby Laboratories revealed that its deal with Microsoft covers both x86- and ARM-based Windows devices.
According to the company, Windows 8, Windows 8 Pro, and Windows RT will all come with built-in support for Dolby Digital Plus 5.1-channel decoding and Dolby Digital two-channel encoding. While the technology is fairly ubiquitous and can be found in most Windows 7 and Vista PCs, the Californian firm had seemed unsure about its chances of being included in Windows 8 during an earnings call last year. "With the incredible growth of online download and streaming media, particularly for video content, this agreement ensures a great audio experience for those consumers who wish to download or stream TV and movies containing Dolby Digital Plus," said Tami Reller, Chief Financial Officer and Chief Marketing Officer, Windows and Windows Live, Microsoft. "Additionally, all of their existing and future home videos recorded with Dolby Digital Plus audio will work great on Windows 8 right out of the box." As per AllThingsD, OEMs will have to license the technology directly from Dolby for their Windows 8 PCs, with PCs with optical disc drives attracting a higher fee. |
| Subsidized Xbox 360 with Kinect to Run $99 with a Two Year Service Agreement Posted: 04 May 2012 06:56 AM PDT  Seemingly since the beginning of time, man and woman have been willing to paying discounted prices for subsidized hardware with long-term service agreements. It's how the majority of smartphones are sold, and in the dial-up era, you could snag a low-cost PC if you were willing to pay out the nose for blazing fast 56K Internet service. Could the same principle drive Xbox 360 sales? Get ready to find out.
We don't have any official word on this, but according The Verge, which is usually spot-on with its information, Microsoft's is getting ready to sell a subsidized Xbox 360 console package for $99 that includes a 4GB console and Kinect sensor. To qualify for that low price, gamers will have to commit to a 2-year service agreement at $15 per month, which adds an additional $360 to the total cost. The subscription fee includes Microsoft's Xbox Live Gold service, which normally runs about $60 per year, or around $35 if you shop online deals and take advantage of timely discounts. Streaming cable content and sports packages may also be included in the subscription fee, as well as a 2-year warranty. Our knee-jerk reaction is that a subsidized Xbox 360 is a clever way of price gouging gamers, but if you run the numbers, this isn't exactly highway robbery, depending on the extras. At face value, a 4GB Xbox 360 console with Kinect hardware costs $300 MSRP, plus another $120 for two years of Xbox Live Gold service. That's a grand total of $420 versus $460 for the long-term subsidized cost with warranty. Depending on the other extras, gamers could potentially break even or come out ahead without the burden of a high upfront investment. Would you be interested in a subsidized Xbox 360 console as outlined above, or does the value fall too short? Image Credit: Microsoft |
| This week's hottest reviews on TechRadar Posted: 04 May 2012 06:49 AM PDT 
There's a reason why Apple is suing Samsung in just about every major world territory - it feels threatened, and so it might. Samsung is now the top-selling phone manufacturer on the planet, and that's entirely thanks to the wildly popular Galaxy range of Android smartphones. The latest such handset, the Galaxy S3, has enjoyed the kind of build-up and reception normally reserved for iDevices and that's no mean feat. The stats don't lie, either - over half a million people read our hands-on in just 12 hours! So do check out our Galaxy S3 page below, as well as all our other reviews this week. It's been a good one. Happy weekend! 
Hands on: Samsung Galaxy S3 review The headline feature of the new Samsung Galaxy S3 is the 4.8-inch Super AMOLED+ HD screen, packing a whopping 1280x720 pixels into a sub 5-inch space. That means a resolution of 309ppi, which is encroaching on iPhone 4S territory but at a much larger screen size. Under the hood is very impressive too: a 1.4GHz Exynos quad core processor backed up by 1GB of RAM, and will come in 16GB, 32GB or 64GB flavours, with a microSD slot to boot. In your face, HTC One X! 
Samsung US46ES8000 review Samsung is on typically aggressive form with the Samsung UE46ES8000, combining cutting-edge features with a gorgeous space-saving design and some of the best picture quality the LCD TV world has to offer. Particularly impressive are the set's attempts at revolutionising the way you interface with your TV, the improvements Samsung has wrought to its picture quality (especially in 3D mode) thanks to its dual-core processing, and the additions to Samsung's Smart Hub online platform. 
Asus P8Z77-V Pro review The really impressive thing about the Asus P8Z77-V Pro is the fact that, despite its relatively diminutive price-tag, it can easily hold its own against the best its siblings and competitors can muster. When you compare it against the likes of Intel's own Z77 and the bargainous ASRock Fatal1ty Z77 Professional, it's definitely ahead of the curve. 
Samsung HW-E551 review The Samsung HW-E551 is arguably the most sophisticated 2.1 system currently available. The hybrid design is neat and the wireless sub behaves impeccably, shutting down when required. As a sonic upgrade for a TV, it represents fine value, and the punchy sub is a crowd pleaser. Sonically it's not perfect, but for general TV viewing these caveats are unlikely to prove an issue. 
Acer Aspire Timeline U M3 review Nvidia has been calling the Acer Timeline U M3 the first true Ultrabook. And the big, green graphics giant has good reason to be backing this svelte-looking machine - at its heart beats the very latest in mobile graphics power, the GeForce GT 640M. This is the big selling point for this otherwise rather middle-of-the-road machine, and without it there is no way we would be anywhere near as enamoured with it. Desktops Chillblast Fusion Mamba review Laptops Medion Erazer X6819 review Asus X54H review Media Streaming Devices Honestech nScreen Deluxe review Monitors Philips Brilliance Blade 2 239C4QHSB review Motherboards ASRock Fatal1ty Z77 Professional review Intel DZ77GA-70K review Software Spotify for iPad review Televisions Finlux 42F7010 review Toshiba 40RL953 review TV tuner cards Hauppauge myTV 2GO review |
| EVGA Announces GeForce GTX 690 Signature Edition Graphics Card Posted: 04 May 2012 06:20 AM PDT  The Internet's abuzz with yesterday's launch of Nvidia's dual-Kepler GeForce GTX 690 graphics card with two potent GPUs underneath the hood, and if you haven't done so already, be sure to check out our preliminary benchmarks leading up to a full-on review. Following the official launch, EVGA announced it's raring to go with a Signature Edition bundle that packs in a few limited edition extras for a $50 premium.
EVGA's GeForce GTX 690 Signature card carries an MSRP of $1,050 and includes the card itself, a limited edition EVGA gaming poster, themed t-shirt, and mousepad. As is the case with pretty much all Kepler cards at this point, you'll have a bear of a time finding one in stock, though EVGA will notify you when it's available if you share your email address. If you don't care about the extras but still want an EVGA-brand graphics card and the warranty perks that go with it, the 'vanilla' version GeForce GTX 690 runs $1,000 MSRP and is spec'd the same. Both cards come with a few decals, cables, and adapters, and have a limit of 1 per household. Image Credit: EVGA |
| Samsung Galaxy S III Makes Eye Contact, Listens Attentively Posted: 04 May 2012 06:00 AM PDT  Samsung on Thursday introduced it's third generation Galaxy S smartphone at a press event in London. The Galaxy S III is "designed for humans and inspired by nature" and is unique in the way it interacts with the person holding it. Samsung spent a great deal of time talking about the Galaxy S III's "enhanced intelligence" technology, things like advanced voice recognition and the ability to detect your face and motion.
Let's start with the actual hardware. Samsung's newest smartphone boats a 4.8-inch HD Super AMOLED display with a 1280x720 resolution, 1.4GHz quad-core processor, 1GB RAM, 16GB/32GB/64GB internal memory (expandable via microSD card slot), 8MP rear-facing camera with auto-focus, 1.9MP front-facing camera, 4G LTE support, and a 2,100 mAh battery all wrapped in Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich). Lest you mistake the Galaxy S III for just another high-end Android device, Samsung says it's smarter than the rest and is a fantastic listener. "The Galaxy S III features 'S Voice,' the advanced natural language user interface, to listen and respond to your words. In addition to allowing information search and basic device-user communication, S Voice presents powerful functions in regards to device control and commands," Samsung explains. One example of how this works is saying "snooze" when the alarm goes off so you can sleep in a little longer. You can also communicate via S Voice to play songs, adjust the volume, send text messages, load the camera and snap photos, and more. It doesn't stop there. The Galaxy S III locks onto your eyes to figure out how you're using the phone. If you're reading an eBook or surfing the Web, it will keep the display brightly lit. And let's say you're typing a text message but decide it's too long winded and a phone call is in order. Simply lift the phone to your ear and it will dial the person you were text messaging. The Galaxy S III will be available at the end of May in Europe and roll out globally later this year. |
