MSI Announced New Big Bang-Xpower Gaming Series Mainboard

PR: The MSI Big Bang-XPower is making its much anticipated debut in April of this year. MSI, a leading mainboard and graphics card maker, with over 23 years of R&D and manufacturing experience, has made its name catering to performance-hungry gamers. The Big Bang-XPower is another exceptional mainboard from the Big Bang series with astonishing performance and reliability. MSI is confident that the Big Bang-XPower will again be selling like hotcakes to users worldwide.

Military Class Components
MSI’s Big Bang-XPower mainboard is built with Military Class components that includes a Hi-c CAP (highly-conductive polymerized capacitor), Solid Cap (solid capacitor), and Icy Choke for longer lifespan, better thermal reliability, and stability. The Hi-c CAP has excellent physical properties of thermally stable, reliable, performs under stress, and lasts 8X longer than traditional solid capacitors. Icy Choke is a new generation ferrite choke that features low temperature and longer lifespan. Military Class Solid CAP lasts longer than traditional capacitors, up to 10 years of lifespan. All these Military Class components add up to a stable and long lasting mainboard that will keep running even under high stress conditions.

Ultimate Gaming Visual and Audio Experience
MSI’s Big Bang-XPower is the only recommended mainboard by THQ for experiencing Metro 2033, their blockbuster survival horror FPS. The Big Bang-XPower supports both NVIDIA SLI and ATI CrossFireX technologies for gaming sessions powered by up to four graphics cards. This configuration enables unparalleled 3D performance, silky smooth action scenes, excellent color reproduction, and fully anti-aliased image quality. Bundled standalone Quantum Wave sound card has built-in Creative EAX® ADVANCED HD™ 5.0 and THX TruStudio PRO technology support the latest surround sound standard, to offer multi-channel in-game audio presented with digital clarity.

Extreme Power Design For Overclocking
The Big Bang-XPower features incomparable 16 Phase DrMOS PWM, which not only provides the highest power capability but also the best power efficiency. Coupled with Dual 8-pin CPU Power Connectors, Big Bang-XPower can offer the best power stability and overclocking capability for new high-end six-core CPU like Intel Core i7 980X (Codename “Gulftown”). Big Bang-XPower also supports Extra 6-pin Power Connector for graphics card. New generation graphics card draw incredible power to achieve high performance. In order to provide the best 3D performance and overclocking stability of enthusiastic Multi-GPU configuration, MSI designed exclusive extra 6-pin power connector for hardcore gamers and overclockers.

MSI’s Exclusive OC Genie & OC Dashboard and V-Kit Design
The Big Bang-XPower comes with MSI’s exclusive OC Genie and OC Dashboard for overclocking needs, where the CPU frequency can be automatically adjusted through the hardware and BIOS options. The XPower also features the V-Kit design to provide monitoring and adjustment capability of the CPU VCORE, VTT, DDR, and PCH voltages. Gamers can easily configure their systems without breaking a sweat.

USB3.0 & SATA 6Gb/s for Next-gen Data Transfer
The Big Bang-XPower adopts the latest USB3.0 & SATA6Gb/s specifications. USB3.0 is 10X faster than the traditional USB2.0 platform, and has the throughput to transfer a full Blu-ray movie in under a minute. SATA 6Gb/s not only doubles the bandwidth of previous SATA II protocol, but is also more reliable with better data handling commands. The Big Bang-XPower offers fast and secure data management capabilities to satisfy consumer needs.

THQ, a worldwide international American developer and publisher of video games, officially announced the MSI Big Bang-XPower as the preferred platform for Metro 2033. Metro 2033 is a THQ published survival horror FPS and is being hailed as the most graphically challenging game for top-end hardware specifications. MSI is also dedicated to building the ultimate gamers’ platform that will fulfill all your wildest dreams.

SANYO launches energy-efficient 24-inch LCD TV in the Middle East

PR: SANYO, a leading company in providing eco-friendly energy, environment and lifestyle applications, has announced the Middle East launch of its latest 24-inch LCD TV – Vizon LCD 24-K40, which can reduce power consumption by 30 per cent compared to conventional 21” CRT televisions, thereby complementing SANYO’s thrust to synergize its core technologies to create solutions for a sustainable earth.

Designed with SANYO’s signature ‘Simple-Slim-Stylish’ concept, the LCD 24-K40 comes in a choice of high black glossy/wine red/pearl white surface finish with a 24-inch high definition (HD) panel and built-in hidden speakers. The model, which is powered by the new generation Vizon Engine, offers key features such as easy to connect plug and play mode, an icon menu for easy navigation and adjusting personal settings, sport mode, hotel mode, child lock and an auto shut-off system. The TV, which operates under an amazingly small wattage of less than one watt in stand-by mode, is also equipped with a High Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI), PC input mode and DVD component input terminal. SANYO also pointed out that when the ECO mode setting in the LCD 24-K40 is turned on, the TV can save power consumption by an extra 30 per cent with the back-light control system.

Takeshi Hirao, Vice President of SANYO Electric Co. Japan and Chairman, SANYO Gulf, said: “The Middle East region is currently witnessing an increased demand for LCD TV models, replacing old CRT TVs. This demand is accompanied with strong consumer preferences like high definition image resolutions and low energy consumption. SANYO seeks to capitalise on this trend with the launch of the LCD 24-K40, which not only produces high definition images but also ensures considerable power saving. Moreover, the new model reflects SANYO’s ‘Think GAIA’ brand vision of combining the power of natural sustainability with SANYO’s pioneering technology. Our continued ability to bring out innovative yet eco-friendly electronic products demonstrates our steadfast commitment to preserve and save our environment.”

The new LCD TV, which uses AI image processing for optimum resolution, has a built in frequency synthesizer tuning system for easy fine tuning and configuration. Audio features for the 24-K40 include audio status memory, bass expander and balance, AV stereo connection (for DVD and Blu-Ray devices) and a sound equalizer.

The LCD 24-K40 will be available across the Middle East from May 2010 at a retail price of USD 245.

SANYO’s diverse range of products and services, which include consumer electronics, home appliances, photovoltaic systems, HVAC/R equipment, digital imaging devices, personal navigation systems, home appliances, and electronic components, among others, are divided into the three domains of energy, ecology and electronics. The company synergizes its core technologies to promote its unique “Think GAIA” brand vision of creating solutions for a sustainable earth.

Update 4: Internet Services in the UAE Fully Restored

Repairs on the broken undersea SE-ME-WE 4 internet cable has been repaired and internet services have been fully restored in the UAE, Etisalat said in a press statement. Etisalat has now re-routed the clogged traffic back on the submarine cable, finally ending the 2-week long disruption.

Repair work to the fix undersea cable was scheduled to start on April 17th, but was pushed back to April 24th due to bad weather in the Mediterranean Sea. Etisalat had then said that the repair work would begin on Sunday and will be fixed by April 27th.

We had been noticing the increase in speed since morning, and so have our forum members, reporting normal browsing, HTTP and torrent downloading speeds. If you are still having problems, give us a shout below in our comments section. Full press release below:

Press release:
Etisalat announced today that the cable repairs on the submarine cable (SE-ME-WE-4) have been completed and the Internet services have been fully restored. Etisalat has re-routed the internet traffic to the submarine cable (SE-ME-WE-4) that has now been completely restored.

To provide an uninterrupted surfing experience during the cable cut period, Etisalat had acquired additional link capacities and re-routed the traffic to through these links, to  ensure seamless Internet services in the UAE.

Etisalat customers did not face major slowdowns in Internet browsing owing to its robust network with multiple redundant links to major global Internet hubs in Asia, Europe, and USA. Etisalat’s network has been so designed to avoid disruption of Internet traffic during such an eventuality. Etisalat has invested heavily in building a robust network with multiple redundant links to major global Internet hubs in Asia, Europe, and USA, so that the traffic can be re-routed to ensure that Internet services can remain operational at reasonable speeds in the UAE.

Amazon Issues New Update for Kindle

Amazon has just announced v2.5 software update for its Kindle and Kindle DX e-book reader. Here is the entire list of changes to be had:

• Collections: Organize your books and documents into one or more collections.
• PDF Pan and Zoom: Zoom into PDFs and pan around to easily view small print and detailed tables or graphics.
• Password Protection: Password protect your Kindle when you’re not using it.
• More Fonts & Improved Clarity: Enjoy two new larger font sizes and sharper fonts for an even more comfortable reading experience.
• Facebook & Twitter Posts: Share book passages with friends on Facebook and Twitter directly from your Kindle.
• Popular Highlights: See what the Kindle community thinks are the most interesting passages in the books you’re reading.

Currently, the software update is being rolled out to a select group of Kindle users with a public release coming late May.

Source: Amazon

Interview with Min Liang Tan, Chief Gamer and CEO, Razer

Min Liang Tan is the Chief Gamer and CEO of the Razer Group, a company dedicated to creating the best gaming peripherals. Born in Singapore, he is now based in California where he oversees the company’s global operations spanning offices in the USA, Germany, Singapore, China and Korea. We talk to Min Liang about Razer, the games he loves and their cutting-edge Sixense technology.

MEGamers.com: Tell us about Razer and what inspired you to give up a career as a lawyer and start this company.

Razer is the world’s leading brand in gaming hardware. Robert “Razerguy” Krakoff and I founded the company in Carlsbad California more than 10 years ago and we’ve got 7 offices worldwide today.

We’re the only gaming peripherals company in the world with a dedicated R&D team and we develop our own proprietary technologies to provide gamers with the competitive edge.

We created the entire performance gaming peripherals industry and remain the technology leaders with our products generations ahead of our competitors. We are also the first company to support e-sports in a big way worldwide and remain one of the biggest supporters of gaming tournaments and professional gamers worldwide.

As for myself, I used to play competitively and I realized that I was getting more of a kick out of fragging online than going to court. One day, I decided to hang up my suit, swop them for jeans and sneakers and focus on designing products for gamers. It’s a passion for me, and it wasn’t a hard choice between games and dusty law books ☺.

MEGamers.com: Why is the company named Razer and why the snakes theme?

We named the company Razer because Rob had an accident with a razor blade one day (that’s a story for another day) and I didn’t have spellcheck on when we submitted the docs for the company’s incorporation.

And the rest is history.

As our first product looked like it had Logitech mice for lunch, we decided to name it after a venomous South African snake – that’s how the Razer Boomslang was born. We thought it was pretty funny to name our mice after snakes, but we thought it was pretty fitting as our mice weren’t exactly normal computer mice. And we picked the acid green Razer colors as the Boomslang snake is also the same green.

The Razer triple-headed snake logo is probably one of the most recognized brands for gamers in the world – as for why there are three…well, that’s another story for another day. ☺

MEGamers.com: As Chief Gamer of Razer, we’d like to know what your favorite games are. What games are you looking forward to this year?

I play a lot of WoW (which kinda explains why our products are always delayed) and I’ve always played FPSes semi-competitively.

However, I’m really looking forward to Starcraft II this year. I have been playing StarCraft II for a while, even before the beta was released, and I think it will be one of the most phenomenal games for the year, if not for the decade. You know people have been playing StarCraft for a decade. So I’m looking forward to StarCraft II!

MEGamers.com: A lot of critics argue that PC gaming is on the decline thanks to consoles becoming more affordable. Do you agree?

Well, people have been saying this for the last 5 to 10 years every time there’s a cycle in terms of consoles. I see both as mutually complementary to each other. I play Xbox 360 games, I play PS3 games, and I play PC games at the same time. Every platform has great games and you know, sometimes you may play God of War III, for example and it’s exclusive on PS3. Or you may play World of Warcraft. Try playing World of Warcraft on an Xbox. You can’t do that, right? I don’t just see PC gaming growing. I see it growing exponentially. I see console gaming growing a lot at the same time. In January, we launched the world’s first premium Xbox controller, the Razer Onza, and the Razer Chimera. And there’s been a lot excitement in terms of that, where we bring the Razer brand to console gaming. ‘For gamers, by gamers’; we’ve never said for ‘for PC gamers, by PC gamers’; it’s ‘for gamers, by gamers’. Anything that we believe that a gamer will dig, we’re there.

MEGamers.com: What’s your favorite gaming mouse from the Razer range?

My all-time favorite is Razer Mamba. We worked on the wireless technology behind the Razer Mamba for over five years and since we launched the Razer Mamba, nobody has been able to replicate our technology for the past one and a half years. The technology behind our products are generations ahead of our competitors and our success is built on our world class engineering and design teams.

The other product which I really have a personal attachment to is the Razer Orochi. It’s one of the most beautiful products ever designed. If you look at it, even without the Razer logo on it, the way the light plays on the surfaces, people know it’s a Razer product. So this is probably one of the most beautiful products we’ve ever designed. I use the Razer Orochi all the time when I travel. So I could go on and on about it. Every Razer product has a little piece of me, a little piece of the scientists, engineers, designers and artists at Razer.

MEGamers.com: Can you tell me about the kind of peripherals we can expect from Razer for the Xbox 360?

Just as we have always done for PC gamers, we will revolutionize the world of console gaming by creating Razer Onza Professional Gaming Controller for Xbox 360 and Razer Chimaera Professional Gaming Headset for Xbox 360 that give console gamers the same level of quality, precision and accuracy that they know and expect in our PC products. This allows us to continue to give gamers the competitive edge by really listening and responding to their needs.

Razer Onza Professional Gaming Controller for Xbox 360 and Razer Chimaera Professional Gaming Headset for Xbox 360 will enhance the Xbox 360 gaming experience. The Razer Onza will feature Razer Hyperesponse™ buttons, analog sticks with customizable tension and a programmable multi-function button (MFB). The Razer Chimaera is equipped with a 5.1 Channel Virtual Surround sound system, a Daisy-Chain cable system and a circumaural design for optimum sound quality and comfort. These releases promise to be an exciting new endeavor as Razer makes its much anticipated debut into the world of console gaming.

MEGamers.com: Tell us about your new Sixense technology.

Razer and Sixense partnered up to bring gamers TrueMotion tracking technology that provides superior true-to-life, next-generation motion sensing and gesture recognition controller for PC gaming.

The TrueMotion technology, used by Razer, knows exactly where the controller is located and how it’s oriented at all times down to the nearest millimeter (position) and degree (orientation). Instead of relying on how fast the user pushes the controller in a given direction to affect what’s happening on screen, our system knows exactly where the controller is and how it’s oriented at all times. It then reports these values – as a set of six numbers – with no shadowing and no drift. In gaming that’s the difference between instructing a character to do something and actually being that character.

This means the total functionality offered by accelerometers is a small subset of that offered by our TrueMotion – approximate acceleration in an approximate direction versus exact X-Y-Z position and absolute pitch-roll-yaw orientation. The end result is a controller that offers a finesse and fidelity that inertial systems simply do not and cannot possess.

Developers love the system as much as consumers, our Software Developer Kit is known by the developer community for its intrinsic, technical simplicity, and absolute reliability. Its ease of integration dramatically raises their ROI. The controller connects to any computing device with a USB port, any PC, console, TV or custom HW, and runs all its P&O computations on-board the controllers, This means no processing overhead on the host system.

The Left 4 Dead 2 demo shown at CES is just the tip of the iceberg for the potential game applications. In an FPS you will be able to throw grenades in any direction and distance, tossing them onto rooftops or into open vehicles. Racing games will allow players to use the controller like a highly responsive steering wheel, then switch to a track editor where you can snap tracks together by reaching directly into the game world. The 1-to-1 tracking means that flight-sims can use one controller as a flight stick and the other as the throttle. RTS games will allow the player to fluidly zoom and rotate the terrain map similar to Google Earth, and give movement commands to units by simply picking them up and moving them to their target destination.

In operation, the TrueMotion system employs wireless links between up to four of its hand controllers and a small base station. The base station generates a weak magnetic field one fiftieth the strength of the Earth’s magnetic field. The hand controllers sense changes in this field – relayed at the speed of light – and compute position and orientation relative to the base station.

MEGamers.com: How much will the Sixense device cost and when will it be available?

We will release the recommended retail price for this motion sensing controller closer to shipment date so stay tuned for the announcement.

MEGamers.com: Tell us about your interest in the Middle East market. How have your products been received here?

Middle East (ME) is a big market opportunity for Razer. With the growing internet penetration, and young population, there has been a lot of interest in gaming.

We have been in UAE market actively for past 2 years, and our products are available at all major retailers. In fact, many of them have dedicated gaming zones, and Razer is very popular with gaming community. We are very encouraged with the high take up rate of our new products in UAE market.

We are now beginning to focus on other ME markets by setting up distribution channels, marketing to gaming community, and reaching to our fans. We have also increased our focus on Saudi Arabia markets and we shall extend it to other ME markets soon after that. By 2011, we see ME to contribute significantly to our global growth. Some of these markets offer huge market opportunity in terms of target gamer demographics supported by improved infrastructure of broadband penetration and setting up of innovative distribution channels.

MEGamers.com: Tell us about Razer’s association with Starcraft II.

Razer has joined forces with Blizzard Entertainment to co-develop StarCraft II gaming peripherals powered by Razer technology. With the upcoming launch of StarCraft II, Razer and Blizzard Entertainment are collaborating on bringing gamers a quality tournament-grade mouse, keyboard and headset specifically designed to maximize the StarCraft II gameplay experience.

The Razer Starcraft II peripherals have been designed to integrate directly into the game to provide a phenomenal gaming experience. Razer and Blizzard are not just working on a line of Starcraft II peripherals, but also other merchandise such as Razer bags with the Starcraft II motif – we’re really looking forward to launching the line and we think its going to change the industry by how we’ve blurred the line between hardware and software.

Apple Acquires Siri

Apple has acquired Siri, a mobile “assistant” app maker, a Siri representative has confirmed. Siri is sort of a to-the-point, mini search engine or we can let them describe themselves: “You can ask Siri to find a romantic place for dinner, tell you what’s playing at a local jazz club or get tickets to a movie for Saturday night.”

So, in a sense, Apple just got into the search business. A territory owned by Google. Basically, how Siri differentiates itself from a normal search engine is that it connects to APIs across the web to bring you the search result on your query. This eliminates the to scrape and index the web.

Neither Apple or Siri disclosed the terms of acquisition (read: we have no idea how much Apple paid for the acquisition). However, Business Insider guesses the amount to be anywhere between $100-$200 million.

The acquisition was listed in a Federal Trade Comission document as a deal granted early termination under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Act.

Siri’s executive team consists of CEO Dag Kittlaus, VP of Engineering Adam Cheyer, CTO Tom Gruber, and VP Product Gummi Hafsteinsson (an ex-Google employee) – all industry veterans of the telecom, mobile, AI, and semantic technologies.

Source: Business Insider

Adobe Releases Flash ‘Gala’ for Mac

Adobe yesterday released Gala, its first ever version of Flash for the Mac with GPU-based hardware acceleration. The release takes advantage of Mac OS X 10.6.3′s hardware video decoding API to utilize the graphics chipset to decode H.264 rather than offloading it to the main processor. The change will bring power efficiency to notebooks and ease strain on the system while watching Flash-based content.

Adobe explains the importance of hardware acceleration:
“Many video professionals point out that access to hardware video decoding is the single most important factor in overall CPU load when playing video. Mac OS X 10.6.3, which became available on March 29, 2010, is the first Mac OS X release to expose APIs that support H.264 hardware video decoding in the browser. The combination of NVIDIA GPUs (GeForce 9400M, GeForce 320M or GeForce GT 330M) with the Gala version of Flash Player enables supported Macs running the current version of OS X to deliver smooth, flicker-free HD video with substantially decreased power consumption. Users will be able to enjoy a much smoother viewing experience when accessing rich, H.264 video content built with the Flash Platform from popular sites like Hulu.com or YouTube.”

Adobe notes that CPU utilization is reduced by up to two-thirds when compared to previous release candidate version of Flash Player 10.1

Gala will not be incorporated into the initial release of Flash Player 10.1, instead it will be available as a separate download some time after Flash Player 10.1.  Currently, Gala will only work on OS X 1.6.3 and only supports hardware decoding for H.264. You can download Gala from here.

Source: Adobe

HP Completes Acquisition of Palm

Press release:
HP (NYSE: HPQ – News) and Palm, Inc. (NASDAQ: PALM – News) today announced that they have entered into a definitive agreement under which HP will purchase Palm, a provider of smartphones powered by the Palm webOS mobile operating system, at a price of $5.70 per share of Palm common stock in cash or an enterprise value of approximately $1.2 billion. The transaction has been approved by the HP and Palm boards of directors.

The combination of HP’s global scale and financial strength with Palm’s unparalleled webOS platform will enhance HP’s ability to participate more aggressively in the fast-growing, highly profitable smartphone and connected mobile device markets. Palm’s unique webOS will allow HP to take advantage of features such as true multitasking and always up-to-date information sharing across applications.

“Palm’s innovative operating system provides an ideal platform to expand HP’s mobility strategy and create a unique HP experience spanning multiple mobile connected devices,” said Todd Bradley, executive vice president, Personal Systems Group, HP. “And, Palm possesses significant IP assets and has a highly skilled team. The smartphone market is large, profitable and rapidly growing, and companies that can provide an integrated device and experience command a higher share. Advances in mobility are offering significant opportunities, and HP intends to be a leader in this market.”

“We’re thrilled by HP’s vote of confidence in Palm’s technological leadership, which delivered Palm webOS and iconic products such as the Palm Pre. HP’s longstanding culture of innovation, scale and global operating resources make it the perfect partner to rapidly accelerate the growth of webOS,” said Jon Rubinstein, chairman and chief executive officer, Palm. “We look forward to working with HP to continue to deliver industry-leading mobile experiences to our customers and business partners.”

Under the terms of the merger agreement, Palm stockholders will receive $5.70 in cash for each share of Palm common stock that they hold at the closing of the merger. The merger consideration takes into account the updated guidance and other financial information being released by Palm this afternoon. The acquisition is subject to customary closing conditions, including the receipt of domestic and foreign regulatory approvals and the approval of Palm’s stockholders. The transaction is expected to close during HP’s third fiscal quarter ending July 31, 2010.

Palm’s current chairman and CEO, Jon Rubinstein, is expected to remain with the company.

Microsoft Announces Patent Agreement With HTC

Press release:
Microsoft Corp. and HTC Corp. have signed a patent agreement that provides broad coverage under Microsoft’s patent portfolio for HTC’s mobile phones running the Android mobile platform. Under the terms of the agreement, Microsoft will receive royalties from HTC.

The agreement expands HTC’s long-standing business relationship with Microsoft.

“HTC and Microsoft have a long history of technical and commercial collaboration, and today’s agreement is an example of how industry leaders can reach commercial arrangements that address intellectual property,” said Horacio Gutierrez, corporate vice president and deputy general counsel of Intellectual Property and Licensing at Microsoft. “We are pleased to continue our collaboration with HTC.”

Microsoft’s Commitment to Licensing Intellectual Property

The licensing agreement is another example of the important role intellectual property (IP) plays in ensuring a healthy and vibrant IT ecosystem. Since Microsoft launched its IP licensing program in December 2003, the company has entered into more than 600 licensing agreements and continues to develop programs that make it possible for customers, partners and competitors to access its IP portfolio. The program was developed to open access to Microsoft’s significant research and development investments and its growing, broad patent and IP portfolio. More information about Microsoft’s licensing programs is available at http://www.microsoft.com/iplicensing.

Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq “MSFT”) is the worldwide leader in software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realize their full potential.

Apple announces World Wide Developer Conference 2010

Apple today official-ized the dates for its highly anticipated Worldwide Developers Conference. It will be held from June 7th through June 11th in Moscone West, San Fransisco.

What is WWDC
The Apple Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) is the premier technical conference for developers innovating with Apple technologies. Over 1,000 Apple engineers will be at Moscone West to present advanced coding and development techniques that will show you how to enhance the capabilities of your applications with the revolutionary technologies in iPhone OS and Mac OS X.

This might just be the platform for Apple to announce the infamously leaked iPhone HD/4G. Mark you calendar, boys!

Source: Apple

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