AC Accelero Xtreme 5870 Review

Arctic Cooling have released both the Accelero Xtreme 5970 and 5870 almost around the same time sometime during March 2010. What we have here with us is the Accelero Xtreme 5870 version.

Since the stock cooler that comes with the Radeon 5870 does the basic job of keeping the card cool, it does manage to let the card reach temps as high as 90c on the both the GPU and VRMs. Along with that it can also get annoyingly loud- especially for people that like to keep their PCs quiet.

So we went ahead and ordered the Accelero Xtreme 5870 directly from ACs website. Even though it was an international order, it managed to arrive to Oman within ONE week after the order was made- pretty impressive considering that HK airmail was used.

Let’s get down to the technical details of the cooler, taken directly from ACs website:

Ultimate Cooling Weapon for ATI Radeon HD5870

This premium cooler is specially designed for the ATI Radeon HD5870. Equipped with 5 heatpipes and an optimized heatsink, this 3-fan solution outperforms the stock cooler by 36C. Its excellent acoustic design also manages to lower the noise level to an inaudible level, which is ideal for silent enthusiasts.

Main features Unmatched cooling performance – 250 Watts 3 ultra quiet 92mm PWM fans with low noise impeller 5 heatpipes and 83 fins for efficient heat dissipation Patented fan holder eliminates the buzzing sounds RAM and voltage regulator cooling Pre-applied ARCTIC MX-2 CrossFire compatible

Excellent cooling performance
Both models are equipped with three 92mm PWM fans running from 900 to 2,000 RPM, generating 81 CFM airflow for efficient heat dissipation from the core(s).

Whereas the Accelero XTREME 5870 comes with 5 heatpipes and 84 fins, providing 250 watts cooling capacity for the Radeon HD5870. A layer of the ARCTIC MX-2 thermal compound is also pre-applied on the base of these two coolers.

The results are very promising– the GPU temperature of Radeon HD5870 is now 36°C lower than using the stock cooler. This enhances not only the overclocking performance, but also extends the service life of your valuable VGA card.

Whisper quiet
Using three fans does not mean the noise level will be high. The precise fan blade design improves the laminar airflow and helps reducing the noise level to a minimum – only 0.5 sone at full speed (2,000 rpm). The patented fan holder and PWM function helps the Accelero XTREME 5870 to reduce the noise further, creating a much quieter gaming environment.

Pretty impressive stuff on paper. We will be putting that to the test.

Gmail Implements One-Click Previews for Word files

According to ReadWriteWeb, Google has announced a small, but much needed feature for its popular email service Gmail. Users can now preview .doc and .docx Microsoft Word files straight of the email’s interface. Until now, Gmail’s one-click preview feature only supported PDF files, PowerPoint documents and TIFF images.

The preview feature replaces the old “view as HTML” feature, and looks and functions far better. ReadWriteWeb notes that the preview handles page breaks, footnotes and other advanced features without any problem. Users can also choose to edit the document in Google Docs by click once more in the preview mode.

Source: ReadWriteWeb.

Having Reception Issues with iPhone 4?

A MacRumors reader fired away an email to Steve Jobs in the hopes to follow up about the widely dramatized iPhone 4 signal reception issue that is plaguing every build of the device.

Instead of the regular PR gibberish, Apple’s CEO replied immediately with this:

Does this imply that there is going to be announcement or is it a hint towards the purported iOS 4.01 fix that is supposed to grace the web today?

Source: MacRumors.

Samsung Upgrades its Surround Sound Setup with SRS TheaterSound

Press release:
SRS Labs, the industry leader in surround sound, audio and voice technologies, announced today that Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., the world’s leading manufacturer of HDTVs, will be the first flat panel TV manufacturer to ship TVs equipped with SRS TheaterSound™, the industry’s most advanced and effective all-in-one HDTV audio solution.

“We designed SRS TheaterSound to set a new standard of excellence for HDTV audio performance and we’re thrilled to work alongside Samsung to bring it to consumers the world over,” said Allen H. Gharapetian, Vice President of Marketing for SRS Labs. “The advanced, innovative audio technologies within SRS TheaterSound provide a remarkably rich, theater-like experience over the built-in internal speakers of new Samsung HDTV models.”

SRS TheaterSound, which is available in new Samsung HDTVs, is an all-in-one audio suite that directly addresses the three most common consumer TV audio complaints – inconsistent volume levels, unintelligible vocals, and poor, dimension-less sound. SRS TheaterSound provides the following feature benefits:

Automatically detects and consistently levels abrupt volume fluctuations that normally occur when TV programming switches to commercial break or while changing channels.
Intelligently separates vocals from all other content and dynamically adjusts the dialog level to ensure it’s always clearly understood.
Delivers up to a 5.1 surround sound experience from multichannel content using built-in TV speakers, and significantly enhances both depth and dimension.

“Samsung is committed to providing the very best in home entertainment,” said John Revie, Senior Vice President of Home Entertainment for Samsung Electronics America. “We are proud to be the first to roll out SRS TheaterSound and deliver a brand new, immersive sound quality experience to our customers through our new HDTVs models and address a variety of their audio needs.”

SRS TheaterSound is available in the 2010 Samsung LED and Plasma HDTVs as well as Samsung LCD models.

LG Gets into the Gaming Jig With Core i7, 3D-enabled Laptop

Press release:
LG Electronics (LG), a global leader and technology innovator in mobile communications, today unveiled its first quad-core processor notebook, the 15.6-inch LG WIDEBOOK™ R590. The LG R590 packs the performance of a high-end desktop PC into a mobile chassis and includes a 1.73GHz Intel Core i7 processor with the PM55 Chipset, and a discrete NVIDIA GeForce GT230M with 1GB of dedicated DDR3 video memory. The combination provides the ultimate in portable performance and enables users to enjoy 3D games and full HD movies on the road.

“Notebooks are narrowing the performance gap to desktops thanks to improvements in mobility and performance. However, rendering high-end 3D content on a notebook has been challenging until now,” said Mr. H.S Paik, President of LG Electronics Gulf FZE. “By introducing a new workhorse with a quad-core processor and powerful multimedia features, LG is enabling our customers to finally be free of their desks to enjoy 3D games and full HD movies anytime, anywhere.”

The LG R590 achieves its performance thanks to Intel’s Calpella Platform which integrates the Core i7 processor and PM55 chipset, boosting performance by up to 112% over the Montevina platform for the Core 2 Duo processor.

The NVIDIA GeForce GT230M enhances 3D graphics quality as well. According to tests using 3DMark06, this graphics chipset with 1G of DDR3 video memory offers about eight times the performance of Intel’s GMA 4500MHD. In addition, the WXGA+ high-resolution display running at a native resolution of 1600 x 900 pixels offers clear, crisp images.

The LG R590 is fully packed with a range of multimedia features to bolster the entertainment experience. The LED-backlit 16:9 ratio LCD widescreen is embedded with two stereo speakers with SRS TruSurround HD, which offer a cinematic experience for 3D games and movies. A 1.3-megapixel webcam is included along with the You-Cam viewer for video chatting and conferencing. A Blu-ray drive is also included so users can enjoy true HD content on the road.

Beyond the high-performance multimedia features, the LG R590 offers a stylish and sleek design to appeal to discerning consumers. The newest notebook offers a rich, glossy appearance with a UV-coated shiny white or crystal black finish. A row of backlit blue touch buttons also provides instant access to commonly-used functions and the soft feel of the body skin makes the LG R590 comfortable to use for long periods.

LG’s Smart Pack is included to help keep the LG R590 running at peak performance and comprises Smart Indicator, Smart Recovery, and Smart Care to maintain an error-free notebook. A detachable ODD boosts mobility by enabling the notebook to shed weight while out and about. An e-SATA port is provided to connect with current-generation hard drives and a High Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) connector makes it easy to integrate with modern displays.

LG’s first quad-core processor notebook, the LG WIDEBOOK™ R590, will be rolled out in the UAE from August.

Specifications and Features

Specifications		LG WIDEBOOKTM LG R590
Processor		Intel® Core™ i7-820QM processor (1.73GHz, Turbo up to 3.06GHz / 1333MHz FSB L2 cache 8MB) Intel® Core™ i7-720QM processor (1.60GHz, Turbo up to 2.80GHz / 1333MHz FSB L2 cache 6MB)
Operating System		Windows 7 (Home Premium/Professional)
Chipset		Intel PM55
Sys. Memory		Max. 4GB (DDR3 1333MHz, 32bit OS)
Intel® Turbo Memory		None
Display		15.6″ HD+ (1600*900)
Graphics		GeForce GT 230M (w/ DDR3 1024MB)
Storage	HDD	Max. 500GB
	SSD (Option)	None
ODD		DVD Super-Multi / Blu-Ray Combo
Comm.	Wireless	Intel WiFiLink 5300AGN (3×3)
	WLAN Antenna	Triple Hexa-band Antenna (Intel® WiFiLink 5300 only) or Dual Hexa-band Antenna
	Modem	56kbps Modem (Option)
	LAN	Gigabit Ethernet
	Bluetooth	*Yes (Bluetooth v2.1+EDR) / OPTION
	TV-Tuner	None
	3G	Ready
Webcam		1.3M w/ Stereo Mic.
Audio		HD Audio, SRS WOW HD, SRS TruSurround HD
Security		Kensington Lock, HDD Security
Input Device	Keyboard	Full Size 98 Key (w/ Numeric Keypad)
	Pointing Device	Touch Pad w/ Scroll Function
Expansion Slot	Multimedia Card Slot	5-in-1 (xD, MMC, SD, MS, MS Pro)
	PC Card Slot	Express /34
Input/Output Port		HP Out, Mic In, USB (x3), e-SATA (combo w/ USB), HDMi, VGA, RJ45, RJ11, DC-In
Battery		6Cell (Li-Ion / 2400mAh or 2200mAh)
AC Adapter		90W
Software	Pre-Installed	- Pre-Installed LG Smart Care LG Magnifier Cyberlink YouCam SRS WOW HD, SRS TruSurround HD LG Smart Recovery (w/ Smart Partition) LG Intelligent Update Google Toolbar On Screen Display LG Smart Indicator Oberon Game Office Trial (Optional, 60days) Bluesoleil (Bluetooth Model only) Windows Live Essential (Messenger, Mail, Photo Gallery, Movie Maker, Writer) - Not Pre-Installed (Supplied on LIU CD) Norton Anti-virus (Trial Version, 90days)
	CD/DVD Titles	-  CD/DVD Title LG Intelligent Update DVD Option: LG Smart Recovery Center, Power2Go, Cyberlink Hi-Def Suite
Port Replicator		None
Dimensions (W x D x H)		373 x 254 x 27.8, 35.2, 39.0 (mm)
Weight		TBD

Samsung goes compact-friendly with ST5000 and ST60 digital cameras

Press release:
Samsung Digital Imaging Company Inc., a market leader and award-winning innovator in consumer electronics, today unveiled two new ultra-slim digital cameras, Samsung’s ST5000 and ST60, in UAE.

“We understand that standing out from the crowd and taking the best shots with ease are of the up most importance to consumers, so we have produced two cameras which bring together a wealth of easy-to-use features with unique good looks,” said Mr. Ram Modak, General Manager of the Digital Imaging Division of Samsung Gulf Electronics.

“The ST5000 and ST60 deliver on the need for consumers to have a camera that does it all. They are convenient and easy-to-use, but still retain style and an element of fun; after all, this is what photography is all about. In the case of the ST5000, we’ve taken it a step further by providing several connectivity options to share those photos and videos on the go.” Modak continued.

ST5000

Another addition to the popular Samsung Dual LCD camera line-up launched last year is the ST5000; the upgraded version of the Samsung ST5000. The new camera redefines photography by bringing together intuitive user interfaces and impressive yet simple features to get the most from your camera and truly enjoy your photography experience. Samsung has also added class-leading features such as a bright 3.5” WVGA, AMOLED touch screen and an oversized lens to create a chic package that will define the future of the compact camera market.

A further premium design enhancement is the ‘da Vinci-inspired design’ of the lens technology, based on Leonardo da Vinci’s famed habit of writing notes backwards to be read later using a mirror. This method ensures that when the camera is turned on, the lens barrel extends automatically and the image’s specifications (focal length and aperture) appear in the concave reflective lens rings instantaneously.

The ST5000 shoot in 14.2 mega pixels, often a characteristic of bulkier, heavyweight cameras, and this image quality, alongside the premium lens and 7x optical zoom, ensures crisp, clear, shots every time. The ST5000 also comes equipped with an account with mobile hotspot provider Boingo, delivering broadband speeds in the palm of your hands at more than 100,000 Wi-Fi hotspots across the world.

ST60

The ST60 comes fully equipped with fresh and innovative features that allow users to enjoy their high-end stylish cameras, stunning photographs and easy-to-use features. Whether you are taking pictures in the outdoors or in the room of your home, the ST60 offers an expanded 4x optical zoom providing you with the sharpest quality of photos ever before. Along with the improved optics, Samsung enables consumers to add a touch of creativity to their photos using the new image effects and Photo Styles including Normal, Soft, Vivid, Forest Retro, Cool, Calm, Classic, Negative, Custom RGB and two new options: Sketch and DeFog Clear/Fog Lifting, which cuts through the haze to take clear photos.

The ST60 comes with a high-definition video recording in the palm of users’ hands allowing them to record videos at a resolution of 720p/ 30fps, using H.264 compression. To continue simplify users’ ability to record videos, the camera offers the Smart Auto feature – an upgrade from the ST50 used with video and still images.

Consumers who want a little more control over their picture-taking can opt to use the Program mode or choose from a long list of Scene modes.  Program mode allows the user to manually set options including ISO, white balance, metering mode, AF, and exposure compensation.  Choosing a scene mode that best matches the shooting environment also provides users with some control but doesn’t require much effort since the camera automatically adjusts the settings for the selected mode.  Available scene modes include Beauty Shot, Night, Frame Guide, Portrait, Children, Landscape, Close-up, Text, Sunset, Dawn Backlight, Beach & Snow, and Fireworks.

Fujitsu Lifebook S710 Notebook Review

The Fujitsu Lifebook S710 that landed in our offices a few weeks back is a bit hard to summarize. Its definitely not the sleekest looking laptop and neither is it light on shoulders- yet its one the fastest notebooks we’ve ever tested. The bland light and dark grey tones make the Lifebook S710 seem more like a target for conservative business types. And even though its incredibly fast, it seems that Fujitsu could have done a lot more to it.

The S710 is based on the Intel Core i7 M620 CPU running at 2.67GHz along with 4GB DDR3-1066 RAM and a 128GB Intel SSD. A platform like that is incredibly fast to build upon. However, this is let down by the use of the Intel HD integrated graphics adapter and a very ordinary 14 inch LCD display with a resolution of 1366×768. What I’m trying to say is that you don’t need a Core i7 with an Intel SSD to create word documents, surf the web or read your email. You need this fast of a machine for maybe crunching numbers in excel or render 3D graphics- neither of which feels like a fit for this laptop because of a lack of a higher screen resolution or a dedicated graphics controller. Other specs on the laptop include the Intel 6200 802.11n based Wi-Fi controller, Bluetooth, Gigabit networking and built-in 3G broadband services.

To the left of the unit, you have the power connector, a covered VGA as well as DisplayPort outputs along with two USB ports, an eSATA port and a PC card slot. The front has an SD/Memory card slot, a mini Firewire port, audio inputs and outputs and a Wi-Fi switch. Moving to the right, you’ll find another USB port and the DVD writer which interesting has a latch to slide it out. My guess is that you can equip that bay with another hard drive or an additional battery. Lastly, the Gigabit Networking port sits on the back side.

The LCD on the Fujitsu Lifebook S710 is pretty average with decent horizontal viewing angles but not the best vertically. Keyboard is your old springy type that works well but makes a bit of noise. There is a trackpad as well a a pointing stick for moving the mouse around. The trackpad is too small for my liking and the buttons below it make them hard to reach when using the pointing stick, even for someone with large hands like mine. You can tap the pointing stick for a left click but will still need to stretch your thumb for the right click.

Performance for CPU and disk based benchmarks is excellent on the Lifebook S710. The following table compares some of the benchmarks to other recent laptops that we have reviewed.

	PC Mark Vantage	3D Mark 06	WinRAR	PassMark
Lifebook S710	11488	1933	1753	959
Sony VAIO Z	9403	6191	1576	1163
Lenovo Edge	5931	4335	1325	1209

As you can see, the Lifebook S710 is very fast in CPU and overall tests because of its speedy SSD but fails in 3D related tests due to the lack of a discreet GPU present on both the Sony Z and the Lenovo Edge Notebooks.

Battery life is decent on the Lifebook S710 considering the high specifications. We managed to get almost four hours out of it. Replacing the optical drive with another battery should hopefully last you over six hours. The laptop didn’t very loud or hot during our testing either.

With a street price is AED 6250 (US$ 1700), the S710 is a bit on the higher side. Yes, it has some incredible specs but at the same time, a discreet GPU or a higher res screen could’ve justified it costs.

Mozilla Thunderbird 3.1 Released

A new version of Mozilla’s open source email client, Thunderbird, is now available. Thunderbird 3.1 brings along a host of new features placing itself in a competing position against Microsoft Outlook and Opera M2.

The new Thunderbird offers a new migration assistant wizard that helps users move easily across from existing clients such as Outlook, Outlook Express and Windows Mail, making importing emails, address books and settings quick and efficient.

Mozilla has made it easier to add and manage extensions with the refined Add-ons Manager. Users can now install extensions straight from the manager itself.

The complicated steps up for setting up an email account has been done away for a new setup wizard that only requires your username and password while it automatically adjust server settings.

Mozilla has also implemented tabbed browsing, a new attachment checker that alerts if you forget to add an attachment, quick filters, faster search results and other stability and memory upgrades. Check out the full list of changelog below:

Thunderbird 3.1 is based on the Gecko 1.9.2 platform to provide improved performance, stability, web compatibility, and code simplification and sustainability.

New features include:

Faster Search Results and Quick Filter Toolbar

• Faster Search ResultsMessage indexing is faster and provides users with faster search results.
• Quick Filter ToolbarNew Quick Filter Toolbar lets you filter against search terms, tags, starred messages, address book contacts, new emails, and attachments.

User Experience Improvements

• New Migration AssistantThe new Migration Assistant gives Thunderbird 2 users a way to choose the new features in Thunderbird 3.1 or to keep their current features and settings.
• Saved Files ManagerNew Saved Files Manager displays all the files you downloaded from your email to your computer.
• Mail Account Setup WizardHundreds of ISP settings have been added to make setting up Thunderbird easier. The Mail Account Setup Wizard matches against a database of email settings from popular mail providers so that you will only need to provide your name, email, and password to set up new mail accounts.

Performance Improvements

• Improvements to Stability, Memory, and Password Handling

You can download Thunderbird 3.1 from here.

iOS 4.01 to Arrive Monday, May Fix Antenna Issue?

If rumors are to believed, Apple will be releasing an iOS update tomorrow (Monday), which will take care of the antenna signal issue, derided by bloggers as the ‘Death Grip’, that affects all iPhone 4 builds.

The update was referenced in a series of forum posts on Apple’s tech support forums (that have since been removed), implying that the signal reception issue is more of a software glitch than a hardware fault.

Apple Insider explains:
“Readers report that Apple’s tech support forums originally confirmed that a iOS 4.0.1 software fix addressing the issue would ship early next week (as early as Monday), before the comments were subsequently taken down along with all the other related discussion about the matter.

The fix is expected to address a issue in iOS 4 related to radio frequency calibration of the baseband. Readers who saw the original forum discussions say that the issue is believed to occur when switching frequencies; because the lag is allegedly not calibrated correctly, it results in the device reporting “no service” rather than switching to the frequency with the best signal to noise ratio.

iOS 4 introduced some enhancements to how the baseband selects which frequencies to use, so it makes sense that the error may have crept into those changes. Additionally, this explains why iOS 4 has also caused similar problems for iPhone 3GS users.”

The success of the update relies on if the problem is indeed related to a software bug. If it is hardware-based, Apple will have serious hell to pay.

iPhone 4 Proximity Sensor Troubles

Problems for the iPhone 4 does not seem to cease. A new one has popped up and this time its the proximity sensor thats acting up.

According to 9to5mac, users are sending reports of the glitchy proximity sensor in the iPhone 4. The sensor seems to be less sensitive and has led to hang-ups, mute calls and whatever the cheek feels like exploring. The problem is not widespread; however, it is apparent that many people are facing the same issue.

Here is a Youtube video of a user showcasing the problem:

Is it…is it too early to brand Apple’s iPhone 4 as the Xbox 360 of mobile devices?

Source: 9to5mac.

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