Rumor: iTunes 11 to get a makeover

According to a series of rumors, Apple may finally be giving its most well know piece of software, the iTunes, a major makeover.

iDownload Blog’s claims that the new interface will be more clean and slick. But it just won’t be all cosmetic, a host of new features will be packed in as well, especially a tighter integration with the iCloud. According to the site’s sources, backups from iCloud will also be integrated, allowing users to backup their iDevice and have a permanent copy on the PC as well. App data will also be stored on the iCloud, meaning information on, say a level completed in a video game, will be communicated to iTunes and the iCloud as well.

BGR also strengthens the rumor by claiming a more tighter integration of iBooks with iTunes. Presently, iTunes is only a mean to download and sync e-books with an iDevice. However, the new version will also allow users to read books from within it as well.

Razer switchblade to be based on Intel Atom

Razer has been pretty mum after it unveiled its tiny Switchblade concept PC at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show. The portable PC promised to offer on-the-go access to our favorite PC titles, giving gamers easy play-ability on a small size with game specific interface and interactive visual elements.

However, two press release over the weekend has shed more light into the project. Firstly, Razer and Intel have teamed up to base the Switchblade on an Intel Atom Z690 processor. This version of the chip will run at 1.70 Ghz. And secondly, Razer announced that the Switchblade’s user interface will be adapted for every game developed and published by China-based Shanda Games. The development studio has titles like Legend of Immortal, Dragon Nest and World of Legend to its name.

There is a dearth of information otherwise. Razer has yet to put a price on the system or suggest a release window.

Sony gets its VAIO E series notebooks onboard the Middle East

Press release:
Sony, the leading consumer electronics brand, today announced the Middle East launch of the new VAIO E Series, a range of notebooks that blend exceptional design with optimal performance for everyday use.

The all-new VAIO E Series is equipped with second generation Intel® Core™ i5 Processor and AMD Dual-Core Processor. The enhanced processing ability of the Intel Core processor and power efficiency of the AMD Dual-Core processor enable sharp and clear videos, realistic and responsive games, and allow the notebooks to run longer between battery charges.

Sony also takes cutting-edge styling to new extremes through the VAIO E Series. The surface of the notebooks features a truss pattern where several small triangles construct one large hexagon. The texture covers the exterior as well as the palm rest. Ergonomically designed for ease of use, fingerprints and smudges are less noticeable due to the three-dimensional pattern. The screen size of the VAIO E Series ranges from 14-inch to 15.5-inch.

The VAIO E series features the graphics provided by NVIDIA GeForce 410M GPU, AMD Radeon HD 6310 Graphics or Intel HD Graphics 3000.

Delivering a richer communication experience, the VAIO E Series is preinstalled with several applications and utilities, many of which are launched through a one touch button including the ‘WEB’ button for quick web access and the ‘VAIO’ button that launches the media gallery. The dedicated ‘ASSIST’ button gives one-touch access to VAIO Care, which simplifies basic maintenance and troubleshooting tasks. In addition, VAIO E Series is equipped with the PMB VAIO Edition software that helps organize, create and share photos and videos.

Isolation keyboard and the handy numeric keypad is another user-friendly feature that allows comfortable typing. Moreover, the touch pad with multi-gesture control supports Flick, Tap and Scroll to facilitate easy navigation around web pages and application screens. This function can be easily enabled or disabled by Fn + F1 key.

Designed for users with a taste for superior quality, the VAIO E Series is available in four different colors. The 14-inch and 15.5-inch models are available in black, white, and pink. Glossy finished white and pink surfaces give a shiny and airy feel, while matte black offers a more sophisticated and stately tone.

Available across Jumbo Showrooms and other leading electronics stores in the UAE, the new VAIO E Series is currently available at a retail price starting at AED2,495.

CM Storm Sirus Headset Review

Cooler Master has just added a new product to its line of gaming peripherals, CM Storm – a 5.1 surround headset with a big control module. Read our analysis.

Here is a snippet:
“After putting out a line of gaming-grade mice, CM Storm – Cooler Master’s special label – now enters the realm of the headsets for gamers with the Sirus. The company is just missing a keyboard to complete the holy trinity of gaming peripherals. The Sirus is a big headset, the kind of model that covers the entire ear, and can be plugged into a PC either by analog connections (3.5 mm minijacks) or by two USB plugs. The appearance is robust, yet it’s quite comfortable. Let’s describe the Sirus first and then proceed to testing the performance.”

http://www.hardwaresecrets.com/article/CM-Storm-Sirus-Headset-Review/1348

Seagate Momentus 7200.4 SATA 3Gb/s 500-GB Hard Drive ST9500420AS

Review Quote:
“Another day, another hard drive review but this one is a 2.5” notebook drive, specifically it’s the Seagate Momentus 7200.4 500gb hard drive. I’ve put it up against a couple 3.5” drives as I was curious as to how a notebook drive stacks up against a desktop drive. let’s get into it… ”

Main site link: http://www.reviewthetech.com

Q & A With Western Digital

Quote : Recently, we had the rare opportunity to sit down and chat
with Mr. Albert Chang, Western Digital’s Product Marketing Manager at
Le Meridien @ KL Sentral. He was very knowledgeable about Western
Digital’s drives and very open (well, as open as he could be!). It
turned out to be a truly enlightening and educational hour and a half
of our time, and we certainly look forward to future chats with him!

Let’s take a look at our discussion. For editorial purposes, we
paraphrased our questions and his replies to them. Any mistakes below
are our own and completely unintentional. We also held back a few of
the questions we posted to him because we are awaiting more
information. We will update this article once Mr. Chang gets back to
us.

In the meantime, enjoy the fruits of our little Q&A session!

Link : http://www.techarp.com/showarticle.aspx?artno=734

Tt eSPORTS MEKA G1 Mechanical Gaming Keyboard Review

Does the latest Mechanical Gaming Keyboard by TteSports called the MEKA G1 have what it takes to go up against the excellent 7G Pro Gaming Keyboard by SteelSeries? Since we were quite curious ourselves we took it for a spin to find out exactly that.

Article Link : http://www.rwlabs.com/article.php?id=484

Call of Juarez: The Cartel PlayStation 3 Review

QUOTE: “Call of Juarez in many ways was before its time. It took the player into the old west (now made popular again by the stellar Red Dead Redemption from Rockstar) and mirrored many of the great westerns we have seen from Hollywood over the years. Techland had the makings of a good game, but technical issues and overall style of the game needed improvement which occurred with the second title. For the third, for some reason they felt it necessary to move to modern times and the result in general is not good. We had a feeling that the series wouldn’t translate well to modern times, and we were right. However, the reason why shocked even us.”

Call of Juarez: The Cartel as mentioned previously is set in modern day Los Angeles. Drugs and crime are rife and Mexican drug cartels are trying to cross the border and trade their wares within the American borders. As you might imagine, American politicians won’t stand for it and put together an interagency team from the FBI, DEA and LAPD to try and uncover the head honchos of the drug cartel and take them down. But as you would expect, the three do not get along.”

http://www.tweaktown.com/gaming/4217/call_of_juarez_the_cartel_playstation_3_review/index.html

Bitfenix Shinobi Window Case Review

“Bitfenix is a relative newcomer to the market and certainly new to me. The case we are looking at today, the Bitfenix Shinobi, is actually my first hands-on experience with their products. When they introduced the Colossus chassis I was bit skeptical; the styling was just something that I questioned. However, most have seemed very happy with the build quality, so that did perk my attention. The Shinobi is a mid-tower offering that has a minimalistic style and comes with or without a side window. The sample sent to us includes the side window, viewed as an added perk by most.”

Direct Link: http://www.ocia.net/reviews/shinobiwindow/page1.shtml

Lexus CT 200h Hybrid Car Review

Picture this – you’re a Hybrid and it’s your first day of school. You walk into your class and are greeted by a projectile, a chalk – thrown at you by a big bad group of SUV’s lurking at the back of the classroom. They’ve targeted you because you’re different and you have a funny name – CT 200h. You quickly realize that this is how things are going to be for the rest of the year. Finally, one day, fed up of explaining Peak-Oil theory to your petrol powered friends and of all the bullying you’ve endured at the hands of the V8′s & V12′s of the school – you stick up for yourself and there’s an inevitable car chase. If you’re the Lexus CT 200h, you’ll get away, every single time.

Want to know why? Range – lots of it. While everybody chasing you will eventually have to stop for a drink of petrol. Like the Energizer Bunny, you’ll simply keep going – because that’s what Hybrids do.

The Lexus CT 200h is an exceptional Hybrid. With a RSP starting at 130,000 AED it’s also the lowest priced Lexus you can get your hands on. It’s based on the Scion tC platform and has a powertrain derived from the Toyota Prius. It was designed by a guy called Osamu Sadakata – who’s also been responsible for the development of the Lexus RX & LS 600h Hybrids. The man knows a thing or two about putting batteries in cars.

So, has Mr. Sadakata simply created a Prius in a fancy dress? No, not by a long shot. The CT 200h is definitely not a quick car, its 0-60 time is about 10 seconds (in Sports Mode) – so you’re not going to be winning any drag races. Its 134BHP are derived from a combination of a 1.8 Liter, high efficiency Atkinson Cycle Engine & an electric motor mated to 202-volt NiMh Batteries. The Atkinson Cycle engine, while being very fuel efficient lacks low-end torque. To compensate the batteries can be boosted up to 650Volts to give you extra-oomph – and you will need every bit of that extra power to overtake anything going over 120Kmph on the highway.

However, being a Hybrid – what the CT 200h lacks in power, it makes up for in its phenomenal fuel efficiency. The car has a fuel tank capacity of 45 Liters, and a theoretical driving range of around 1098 kilometers. To put that in perspective – you could drive from Dubai to Abu Dhabi and back (a round trip of 240kms) about 4 times before you would have to stop for petrol. That’s an astonishing achievement for a car that comfortably seats 5, comes loaded with SatNav, 17 inch wheels, heated seats, a rear-camera, an electric sunroof, an 8-way electrically adjustable driver’s seat, a sublime audio system & the bullet-proof build quality of a Lexus.

The CT 200h also features CVT – a Continuously Varying Transmission. This type of transmission system uses pulleys instead of gears, and therefore does not require a clutch. This means you won’t ever feel a “gear change” as you accelerate. Also, the lack of clutch makes for a much lighter car.

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