Archive for July 2012

Intel Chipset Software Installation 9.3.0.1021 Download

Mainboard 578 Published by Hilbert Hagedoorn 0

The Intel Chipset Software Installation Utility installs the Windows* INF files. The INF files inform the operating system how to properly configure the chipset for specific functionality, such as USB and core PCI.

This download is intended for use with Intel Desktop Boards.

Release-Notes:

1. Implemented workaround for a Bluetooth pairing issue
2. Implemented /v


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Corsair Force GS 240GB SSD review

Storage 785 Published by Hilbert Hagedoorn 0

We review the Corsair Force GS 240GB SSD. Corsair introduces the Force GS series, and they are equipped with the 2281 series SandForce controller. Paired with SanDisk Toggle Toggle NAND flash ICs that will increase read and write performance to 555MB/s and 525 MB/s respectively which makes the Force GS the fastest SSDs they have ever brought to market.

With 4K random write performance estimated at 90,000 IOPS (input/output operations per second) the product is definitely in the right performance bracket we like to see Corsair in. But have a peek at the review.


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Patriot Supersonic Rage XT USB 3.0 Drive

Storage 785 Published by Hilbert Hagedoorn 0

If you are looking for a new ultra-portable USB 3.0 flash drive, then check out the Patriot Memory Supersonic Rage XT. Available in 32GB and 64GB of storage capacities, the Supersonic Rage XT offers read and write speeds of up to 180MB/s and 50MB/s, respectively. The storage device features a custom retractable USB housing and a high quality NAND/IC controller. The Patriot Supersonic Rage XT USB 3.0 drive also provides plug-and-play compatibility with Windows, Linux and Mac operating systems.


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PLX widens PCI Express Gen3 Portfolio

Mainboard 578 Published by Hilbert Hagedoorn 0

PLX Technology, Inc., a leading global supplier of high-speed connectivity solutions enabling emerging data center architectures, today announced a new trio of ultra-high lane count PCI Express (PCIe) Gen3 switches developed for cutting-edge markets like storage systems, high-end graphics, and communications platforms. The high-performance ExpressLane PCIe Gen3 switches include the PEX8796 (96 lanes, 24 ports), PEX8780 (80 lanes, 20 ports) and PEX8764 (64 lanes, 16 ports), which expand the PLX portfolio to 14 PCIe Gen3 devices. Designers choosing the PEX8796 switch -- touting bandwidth of 8 Gigatransfers per second, per lane, in full duplex mode -- are rewarded with amazing throughput of 1,536 gigabits per second (192 gigabytes/s), delivering performance that challenges all other interconnect technologies.

Individual racks making up the core of data centers now have a new choice when considering fabrics for external box-to-box rack connectivity. By implementing a PCIe-based ExpressFabric, architects can take advantage of native PCIe-based systems to increase performance and lower overall cost.

Other markets experiencing growth via PCIe include oil and gas exploration, Wall Street trade routing, test and measurement, communications, and general-purpose computation on graphics processing units (GPGPU) used to accelerate a wide range of applications like embedded systems, mobile appliances, computers, and gaming graphics.

PLX Product Features
An enhanced PLX multi-host architecture allows users to configure each device in legacy single-host mode or multi-host mode, which enables designers to build PCIe-based systems supporting high-availability, failover, redundant, and clustered systems. In multi-host mode, a virtual switch is created for each host port and its associated downstream ports inside the device. The traffic between the ports of such a virtual switch is completely isolated from the traffic in other virtual switches. The devices also employ a multi-clock domain, which allows the user to terminate spread spectrum clock (SSC)-enabled domains (supported on all ports), thus removing the need to pass a common clock across a backplane.

The PLX performancePAK architecture supports packet cut-through with a maximum latency of 150ns (in a x16-to-x16 configuration). This low latency, combined with large packet memory, support for a packet payload size of up to 2048 bytes, flexible common buffer/credit pool, and a non-blocking internal switch architecture, enables a full-line rate on all ports in performance-hungry applications.

PLX's unique visionPAK software provides diagnostic support, including per-port performance monitoring, capturing SerDes eye width and height, a PCIe packet generator tool, and support for error injection and loopback tests. The complementary software toolkit reduces cost by getting designs to market faster and reduces test equipment overhead.

"PCIe 3.0 adoption is proliferating, with workstation and desktop computing motherboards shipping since late 2011, followed by support from major server vendors and the emergence of PCIe 3.0-capable networking and storage I/O adapters this year," said Abhi Dugar, research manager, wired communications semiconductor research at IDC and author of Worldwide Enterprise Networks, Security Appliances, Telecommunications, and Wireless Infrastructure Semiconductor 2012-2016 Forecast. "With its broad portfolio of PCI Express-compliant switches, PLX is well positioned to take advantage of this transition to the next generation of interconnect technology."

Pricing and Availability
PEX8796, PEX8780 and PEX8764 samples are expected in Q4 2012 with full production planned for Q1 2013. Volume pricing ranges from $150.00 to $250.00. All other PLX Gen3 switches are already sampling or in full production today, with many more Gen3 devices in development.


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Netgear ships new WiFi Booster

Network 111 Published by Hilbert Hagedoorn 0

Netgear presents the WN1000RP WiFi Booster, this device will ship for $39.99. NETGEAR, Inc., a global networking company that delivers innovative products to consumers, businesses and service providers, today announced the WiFi Booster for Mobile (WN1000RP). The compact, WiFi Booster for Mobile amplifies WiFi coverage for mobile devices in the home by extending and strengthening an existing WiFi signal, giving consumers the ability to enjoy an improved wireless experience on tablets, smartphones and e-readers.

Consumers are leveraging WiFi connectivity at home more than ever before to browse the web, stream movies and play online games on their devices. The NETGEAR WiFi Booster for Mobile improves an existing WiFi signal throughout the home and even outside on the deck or patio, enabling users to move freely around the house while streaming content on everything from tablets and e-readers to smartphones.

In addition, the NETGEAR WiFi Booster for Mobile helps consumers reduce the risk of unforeseen mobile data plan charges by easily accessing their home WiFi networks instead of the carrier's mobile networks. In a March 2012 report by Chetan Sharma, researchers found that 90% of tablet owners prefer to use WiFi, not mobile data plans, to get online at home. The NETGEAR WiFi Booster for Mobile enables users to surf the Internet and stream content using WiFi, unconstrained by mobile data plan usage limits.

NETGEAR's WiFi Booster for Mobile repeats a 2.4 GHz WiFi signal from existing routers and gateways to boost range and WiFi performance. It has a small form factor and is simple to install with a mobile-friendly browser-based setup and real-time LED indicators helping to determine optimal placement to ensure the best WiFi coverage. With the small wall-plug design and NETGEAR's Push 'n' Connect (WPS) feature, the WiFi Booster for Mobile connects quickly and easily once plugged into a power outlet and provides an instant and secure connection to any existing WiFi network.

"Consumers today want the best connected experience, complete with the ability to enjoy online entertainment on their WiFi connected mobile devices throughout the home," said Damir Skripic, product line manager for connected entertainment at NETGEAR. "The NETGEAR WiFi Booster for Mobile enables this experience by significantly increasing WiFi coverage in the home, which is ideal for roaming iPads, iPhones, Android tablets, Kindle e-readers, smartphones or any other mobile WiFi devices."

Features:

  • Boost existing WiFi coverage
  • Improve WiFi strength for smartphones, iPads

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Club3D Radeon HD 7970 RoyalAce cards

Graphics Cards 1673 Published by Hilbert Hagedoorn 0

Club3D presents the Radeon HD 7970 royalAce:
Club 3D takes a giant leap and destroys the competition with the release of the most quiet, cool and brutally fast Club 3D Radeon HD 7970 royalAce graphic card, the latest addition to the PokerSeries family.

Get the best of the best with Club 3D's PokerSeries, the Radeon HD 7970 royalAce offers great performance by breaking the GHz barrier on the GPU, clocking at 1050MHz, making it amazingly fast, up to 7% faster in games when compared to the reference HD 7970 GHz Edition. The Radeon HD 7970 royalAce is a quiet card, achieving 31.5 dB on idle, 38 dB at load, making it the ideal choice for gaming and multimedia. By utilizing a custom cooler design with a dual fan and four high performance heatpipes it ensures the card to remain cool at 71 ⁰C on average when gaming. A Dual BIOS toggle switch offers overclocking potential for the most demanding gamer and overclocking enthusiast.

The Club 3D Radeon HD 7970 royalAce embodies the maturity of the 28nm process, and the scalability of the Graphics Core Next architecture. This card also features an extension to AMD Powertune technology called "Boost", which allows the GPU to dynamically adjust both voltage and clockspeed above the reference clock of 1050MHz+.


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Sharkoon Tactix Gaming Keyboard

Generic News 1994 Published by Hilbert Hagedoorn 0

Sharkoon presents the budget-friendly Tactix Gaming Keyboard. Sharkoon Tactix Gaming Keyboard: compact gaming keyboard with detachable wrist rest, 18-key rollover, interchangeable gaming keys and programmable keys | MSRP 12.99 euros

Sharkoon expands their assortment for PC gamers with another gaming keyboard: The Sharkoon Tactix Gaming Keyboard comes with an 18-key rollover, interchangeable WASD and Arrow keys.

The black keyboard eliminates the need for multimedia keys and offers compact dimensions of 431 x 136 x 24 mm for a space saving design. Delivery also includes a handy, detachable wrist rest. The Sharkoon Tactix supports N-key rollover for up to 18 keys, now several key commands can simultaneously be performed quickly and precisely during action-packed gaming situations. Important for gamers is that the WASD and Arrow keys are highlighted in a nonslip rubber blue coating. For users who prefer a more discreet design, keys are in the default layout together with replacement tool.

Also included is a software CD for setting up user profiles. The 107 function keys can be optionally assigned, for example, with Macro, Mouse, Internet, Office, Media or other program functions. Overall, a total of ten different profiles each with three sub-levels can be created for different applications and environments.

End customers will find the Sharkoon Tactix Gaming Keyboard available for the suggested retail price of 12.99 euros in authorized retailers.


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AMD loses two high-profile executives

Generic News 1994 Published by Hilbert Hagedoorn 0

Guru3D.com ImageBob Feldstein, AMD's VP of Strategic Development, has left the company to become NVIDIA's new VP of Technology Licensing. Feldstein was responsible for getting AMD's GPUs into the Wii and Xbox 360 consoles, as well as the next-gen PlayStation, although Sony's plans could still change.

When reached by the Journal, Feldstein confirmed that he left AMD on "amicable terms" on July 13 and started work at Nvidia on July 16. His LinkedIn profile still hasn't been updated, however. It lists him as an 18-year ATI and AMD veteran, who started out as VP of Engineering at ATI in 1994 before joining AMD as part of the 2006 AMD-ATI merger. The Journal says Feldstein led AMD's Boston Design Center, as well. His new title at Nvidia is VP of Technology Licensing.

Another executive to leave AMD is Ben Williams, the company's Corporate VP and General Manager of the Asia Pacific business. This AMD Corporate Fellow is now VP of North America Sales for Calxeda, an Austin-based start-up that makes ARM-based CPUs for servers. Williams was one of the original Opteron guys, who joined AMD from Cyrix.


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Diablo III -Immortal Wizard Exploit Hotfix Released

Games 1603 Published by Hilbert Hagedoorn 0

Yesterday we reported about it, today  Blizzard has released a hotfix for the Immortal Wizard Exploit that was unveiled yesterday. All players had to do was Select Teleport - Fracture (rune), Select Archon - Arcane Destruction (rune), Hover their mouse over their character and Press Teleport and quickly after press Archon. That combination triggered the exploit and the Wizard characters could not be killed, regardless of the game's difficulty. So there you have it everyone, no more immortal Wizards for you :-P

We are currently rolling out a hotfix for a recent bug regarding invulnerable Wizards. We will continue to carefully monitor this issue and welcome anyone with information about bugs or hacks to submit a detailed report to our Hacks Team by emailing hacks@blizzard.com, or by completing the Hacks Report web form. In your correspondence, please include any steps necessary to replicate the issue as well as any additional details you are able to provide.


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MSI GTX 680 Lightning and Voltage Tweaking

Graphics Cards 1673 Published by Hilbert Hagedoorn 0

In this quick article I wanted to give a quick update on the MSI GeForce GTX 680 Lightning versus Software Voltage control overclocking.

For a while now lots of people have been eagerly awaiting an update of MSI AfterBurner in which software voltage control is unlocked. With this article I wanted to digg a little deeper and talk you though the challenges and difficulties of opening up this function.

Read the content here.


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MSI Afterburner 2.2.3 download

Download 370 Published by Hilbert Hagedoorn 0

MSI announced today that its Afterburner V2.2.3 overclocking utility and its Kombustor testing utility is now available for all gamers to download worldwide.

Changes list includes:

  • Revised I2C access API for NVIDIA 301.xx and newer display drivers
  • Added core, memory and auxiliary PEXVDD voltage control for custom design MSI N680GTX Lightning series graphics cards with CHL8318+uP6262 voltage regulators
  • Added memory and VRM temperature monitoring for custom design MSI N680GTX Lightning series graphics cards with NCT7718W thermal sensors
  • Added core, memory and auxiliary PEXVDD voltage control for custom design MSI N670GTX Power Edition series graphics cards with uP6262 voltage regulators

Download

ab2201.png


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MSI GTX 680 Lightning Voltage Tweaking

Graphics cards 1054 Published by Hilbert Hagedoorn 0

teaser

In this quick article I wanted to give a quick update on the MSI GeForce GTX 680 Lightning versus Software Voltage control overclocking. For a while now lots of people have been eagerly awaiting an update of MSI AfterBurner in which software voltage control is unlocked. With this article I wanted to digg a little deeper and talk you though the challenges and difficulties of opening up this function.


Corsair Force GS 240GB SSD review

Memory (DDR4/DDR5) and Storage (SSD/NVMe) 378 Published by Hilbert Hagedoorn 0

teaser

We review the Corsair Force GS 240GB SSD. Corsair introduces the Force GS series, and that are equipped with the 2281 series SandForce controller. Paired with SanDisk Toggle Toggle NAND flash ICs that will increase read and write performance to 555MB/s and 525 MB/s respectively which makes the Force GS the fastest SSDs they have ever brought to market. With 4K random write performance estimated at 90,000 IOPS (input/output operations per second) the product is definitely in the right performance bracket we like to see Corsair in. But have a peek at the review.


Turtle Beach Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 Gaming Headset

Speakers 98 Published by Hilbert Hagedoorn 0

The Turtle Beach Call of Duty: Black Ops II Ear Force Tango gaming headset supports the Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound technology, which enables you to locate the direction of every gunshot and footstep in the video game. This limited edition headset can be programmed with up to 9 different presets for game and chat/mic audio paths. Other specs include a 2.4/5GHz Dual-Band Wi-Fi, a rechargeable Lithium Polymer battery, dual-pairing Bluetooth and wireless chat for the Microsoft Xbox 360 and Sony PlayStation 3 consoles. The Turtle Beach COD: Black Ops 2 gaming headset will be launched in October 2012 for around $299. [Turtle Beach]


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Gigabyte GA-990FXA-D3 ATX Motherboard

Mainboard 578 Published by Hilbert Hagedoorn 0

Gigabyte has also showed off another one of its upcoming ATX motherboard, the GA-990FXA-D3. Based on AMD 990FX + SB950 chipset, the board supports for AM3+ processors and features four DDR3 memory slots (up to 32GB RAM), two PCI-Express 2.0 x16 slots, two PCI-Express 2.0 x4 slots, two PCI-Express 2.0 x1 slots and one PCI slot. In terms of connectivity ports, it has six SATA 6.0 Gbps, two USB 3.0, fourteen USB 2.0 and Gigabit Ethernet. The GA-990FXA-D3 will start shipping from late July for around 10,000 Yen (about $128). [Gigabyte]


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Mushkin Catalyst Cache SSD

Storage 785 Published by Hilbert Hagedoorn 0

Add SSD performance to an existing hard drive at an economical price with the new Mushkin Catalyst Cache SSD. This simple upgrade combines the capacity of an existing hard drive with the speed of a Solid State Drive. The addition of a Mushkin Catalyst Cache SSD will accelerate boot times, application launches, and general system performance

Dataplex Cache software makes the innovative combination of a hard drive and an SSD possible. Frequently accessed data and applications are cached to the SSD automatically. Less frequently used data stays on the hard drive. Further boosting performance - Mushkin's caching policy includes both reads and writes. Supercharged performance is the result.

The Mushkin Catalyst Cache SSD is available in 50 GB and 100 GB capacities and works with any SATA interface. A SATA 6 Gb/s system can yield up to 550 MB/s read/ 515 MB/s write - blazing speed at a fraction of the cost of a traditional SSD.

"The Catalyst Cache SSD really is the best of both worlds. Users will experience amazing speed while maintaining large amounts of data on their computer. The best part, it's an upgrade that wont break the bank." - Brian Flood, Mushkin director of product development.

The Mushkin Catalyst SSD is available now from authorized Mushkin resellers and distributors.


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MSI Reflex SSD Appears

Storage 785 Published by Hilbert Hagedoorn 0

Specifications of MSI's upcoming Reflex solid state disk lineup appeared on the web. This 2.5" SATA 6Gbps SSD series is based on the SandForce SF-2281 controller.

MSI Reflex drives will be available in 60GB, 120GB and 240GB capacities at a 2.5-inch form factor with bundled 3.5-inch mounting bracket. Speeds differ according to storage volume which is similar to any brand as more NAND means more usable channels: the RX-60 comes at a 525MB/s read and 495MB/s write speed with 85,000 input/output operations per second (IOPS); the RX-120 ups the performance to 550MB/s read and 515MB/s write with 90,000 IOPS; the RX-240 tops the range at 560MB/s read, 525MB/s write and again 90,000 IOPS.

The MSI SSDs will be sold in selective markets at customer request. We will not sell any MSI SSD


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Thunderbolt going for 20Gbps

Generic News 1994 Published by Hilbert Hagedoorn 0

Fricking weeks after its release Intel is about to change ThunderBolt into a 20Gbps connector.

The speediest Thunderbolt controller code-named Falcon Ridge will support speeds up to 20Gb/s as well as DisplayPort v1.1a and DisplayPort v1.2 Redriver. The latter technologies will also be supported by the Redwood Ridge controllers due in 2013, reports DigiTimes web-site. Given the fact that now Intel reportedly charges $20 per TB controller, the new ones should be more affordable.

The new - Falcon Ridge - Thunderbolt chip clearly improves speed by implementing PCI Express 3.0 technology outside the PC. From what has been told, it is obvious that it will continue to use copper cables.


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Intel Core i7-3970X Extreme expected in Q4 2012

Processor 721 Published by Hilbert Hagedoorn 0

Intel's Core i7-3970X Extreme Edition processor will arrive in the final quarter of this year. This chip will feature a 3.50GHz clockspeed, a 4GHz Turbo, and 15MB L3 cache.

The six-core chip is based on the all too familiar 32 nm "Sandy Bridge-E" silicon, and built in the LGA2011 package. Its feature-set is consistent with that of the Core i7-3960X, with 15 MB shared L3 cache, HyperThreading, and unlocked base-clock multiplier.


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Crysis 3 Screenshots Spotted -- Looking really good

Games 1603 Published by Hilbert Hagedoorn 0

Crytek's Lighting Artist, Pierre-Yves Donzallaz, has revealed four new screenshots for Crysis 3. These new images showcase gorgeous lighting effects and we can safely say that Crysis 3 will feature better textures than Crysis 2. The game is currently slated for a Spring 2013 release on PC, Xbox 360 and PS3.

   


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Skyrim Update 1.7 Beta Available On Steam

Games 1603 Published by Hilbert Hagedoorn 0

Bethesda has revealed the changelog of Skyrim's upcoming 1.7 update. The beta version of this update is now available on Steam and can be downloaded. Players will have to log into Steam, click on Steam in the upper menu, select Settings, go to the Beta Participation section (that is under the Account tab) and select Change, select Skyrim Beta from the drop down menu and select OK.

* General memory and stability optimizations
* Fixed crash related to new water shaders
* Fixed rare crash related to dragon landings
* Fixed logic error with loading screens from add-ons (Xbox 360)
* Using vampiric grip and swimming no longer prevents swimming animation from playing afterwards
* Improved recognition with Kinect voice commands (Xbox 360)
* Kinect-enabled dragon language shouts for French, German, Italian and Spanish work properly (Xbox 360)
* Fixed issue with Dawnguard Kinect-enabled dragon shouts for French, German, Italian and Spanish (Xbox 360)
* Fixed issue with Dawnguard Kinect-enabled dragon shouts for French, German, Italian and Spanish (Xbox 360)


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Diablo III Exploit Found

Games 1603 Published by Hilbert Hagedoorn 0

Diablo III players have discovered an exploit that makes the Wizard characters immortals.
1 Select Teleport - Fracture (rune)
2 Select Archon - Arcane Destruction (rune)
3 Hover your mouse over your character
4 Press Teleport and quickly after press Archon

Result: Character becomes Invulerable. No health loss at all, some effects like frozen don't work anymore.

Works in Softcore and in Hardcore. Needs a couple of tries to get it working, but once you have the timing it can easily be reproduced. This is pretty much gamebreaking, I hope to see a hotfix soon.

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NVIDIA A New Dawn DirectX 11 Demo

Benchmarks & Demo's 179 Updated by Hilbert Hagedoorn 0

teaser

In A New Dawn, the demo starts not with the main character, but with a sweeping overview of a lush rainforest. Ferns gently sway in the moonlight, vines sprawl across an ancient tree, and budding flowers cast a gentle glow on the surrounding bark. As our character comes into view, we find her swinging on a vine in her new tree home. The tree is rendered to the finest level of detail using DirectX 11 tessellation. At its peak, over four million triangles are used to showcase Dawn's environment.

NVIDIA 'A new Dawn' technology demo download

Graphics Cards 1673 Published by Hilbert Hagedoorn 0

Guru3D.com ImageNVIDIA released the 'A new Dawn' technology demo. We have it available for download.

You can discuss this DX11 technology demo right here.

In A New Dawn, the demo starts not with the main character, but with a sweeping overview of a lush rainforest. Ferns gently sway in the moonlight, vines sprawl across an ancient tree, and budding flowers cast a gentle glow on the surrounding bark. As our character comes into view, we find her swinging on a vine in her new tree home. The tree is rendered to the finest level of detail using DirectX 11 tessellation. At its peak, over four million triangles are used to showcase Dawn's environment.  

Fast forward ten years, and NVIDIA has brought back Dawn once again, in a demo simply titled "A New Dawn". The original Dawn demo had many merits, but due to the limitations of hardware at the time, it also took many short cuts. One of the most obvious was the fact that Dawn didn't really have a home. Fairies, as we all know, live in the depth of mysterious forests, but for Dawn, her home was a giant glowing cube map


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Wallpaper halts Wi-Fi stealing

Generic News 1994 Published by Hilbert Hagedoorn 0

Our forum regular trl1975 pickup up on this funny story, Wallpaper that stops Wi-Fi stealing.

Researchers at France's Institut Polytechnique de Grenoble have worked with the Centre Technique du Papier to develop Wi-Fi-blocking wallpaper. The product, also known as metapaper, claims to selectively filter, reduce or reflect electromagnetic waves.

Metapaper not only protects against intruders stealing Wi-Fi from buildings, but also ensures that signals inside a building are more secure and stronger, the group says. Benefits include data security for companies or people that need dependable Wi-Fi. The wallpaper can also be used to create quieter spaces for places like hospitals and movie theaters.

The high-tech paper does, however, allow FM radio waves and emergency frequencies to pass through. The paper, which has a snowflake pattern on it but can be covered up by traditional wallpaper, is made from renewable resources and is recyclable, according to the Centre Technique du Papier.

Conductive silver ink and metallic patterns on the wallpaper filter around 99% of waves coming from outside, according to the French newspaper Le Monde, which published a story on the topic earlier this year. However, a room cannot be completely safeguarded by the paper - unless you use it to seal off floor, ceilings and windows, of course.

The metapaper also advertises itself as a healthy alternative, since it claims to reduce a person's exposure to electromagnetic waves. Scientists behind the product point to studies that say the overuse of wireless technology could cause harmful heath effects.

The Finnish firm Ahlstrom acquired the rights to the metapaper. Exact cost estimates have not been released. According to the Centre Technique du Papier, the paper is not yet commercially available because it is still in the industrialization phase [via channel3000]


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OCZ Fatal1ty 1000W PSU review

Review 567 Published by Hilbert Hagedoorn 0

We review the OCZ Fatal1ty 1000W PSU. The power supply is on the market for a little while now already and it one of the more popular models. It offers gold efficiency, a single 12V rail. The PSU itself is modular has good looks and something you can appreciate for those of you with a side panel window in their chassis. Being 1000W and with all the aforementioned features the PSU is priced in the 190 EUR range here in the Netherlands. To top it off, OCZ even gives this PSU a 5 year carry in warranty.

Check out the review right here.


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Century Simple NAS BOX PLUS 2BAY External HDD Case

Storage 785 Published by Hilbert Hagedoorn 0

This is a new external HDD case from Century Japan, the Simple NAS BOX PLUS 2BAY. This aluminum case is equipped with a USB 3.0 connection interface, two LAN ports, two built-in 40mm cooling fans and can house a total of two 3.5-inch SATA HDDs. The Simple NAS BOX PLUS 2BAY will go on sale from early August for around 12,800 Yen (about $163). [Century]


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BIOSTAR Intel Z77 Based Hi-Fi Motherboard

Mainboard 578 Published by Hilbert Hagedoorn 0

BIOSTAR, major manufacturer of motherboards, VGA cards, industrial computer systems and other peripherals, officially launches their latest edition to their high-end motherboard lineup, the Hi-Fi Z77X.

This newest ATX form factor motherboard supports all Socket 1155 CPUs and offers native support for SuperSpeed USB 3.0 and dual-channel memory up to DDR3-2600 in overclocking mode. But what sets the BIOSTAR Hi-Fi Z77X really apart from all the rest of the competition is exactly the integrated BIOSTAR Hi-Fi technology called "Puro Hi-Fi Technology", targeting audiophiles, HTPC enthusiasts and high-end gamers alike, Puro Hi-Fi sports an integrated independent audio power design with a built-in amplifier.

The Puro Hi-Fi technology utilizes audio components with an independent power design for a significant reduction in electronic noise and superb sound quality. The unique noise-blocking multi-layer PCB layout is ideal for exceptional clarity and high fidelity sound. With sampling rate of 192 kHz/24-bit which delivers a high quality audio through an analog connection to your home theater system, multi-channel speakers and high-end headphone. You can enjoy real Blu-ray grade high-definition sound that you've never experienced before in true 7.1-channel surround sounds.

High quality 'Non-Polarized Electrolysis Electric audio capacitors' for each individual audio channel circuit deliver low noise, low distortion, and wide bandwidth to achieve the highest sound resolution and sound expansion to ensure the most realistic sound effects. Furthermore, the Hi-Fi Resistors are made of metal-oxide film resistors with metal oxides such as tin oxide. The electric characteristics are greater stability and reliability than regular metal film resistors when operating in an extremely broad working temperature range. This special component is used in applications with high endurance audio demands.

With BIOSTAR's four unique technologies, Puro Hi-Fi, THX, Lucid MVP and SmartSpeedLAN, the brand new Hi-Fi series of motherboards increases sound, network and graphics performance dramatically. For a unique gaming masterpiece even with a limited budget, this new Hi-Fi series is surely the best choice and will become a favorite among gamers.


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High-performance monolithic graphene transistors

Generic News 1994 Published by Hilbert Hagedoorn 0

Researchers at the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg in Germany have developed the first high-performance monolithic graphene transistors using a simple lithographic etching process. The discovery could pave the way to post-silicon electronics, but don't expect it anytime soon as the transistors created by the researchers were around 100 micrometers across, or 100,000nm.

As you probably know by now, graphene has a long and wonderful list of desirable properties, including being the most conductive material yet discovered. In theory, according to early demos from the likes of IBM and UCLA, graphene transistors should be capable of switching at speeds between 100GHz and a few terahertz. The problem is, graphene doesn


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Borderlands 2 is complete

Games 1603 Published by Hilbert Hagedoorn 0

Gearbox Software has just announced that Borderlands 2 is finished, and it has been send for certification. Borderlands 2 is schedule to launch on September 21 for Xbox 360, PS3 and PC.

Today, we have some exciting new to share about Borderlands 2 -- the game is headed to certification!

This means that the game's on-disc content has been locked down and will be thoroughly tested to ensure it is ready for release -� in other words, the game is finished and we cannot make any further changes to the game. As such, the team is now shifting their focus towards post-launch efforts, including the Mechromancer: the new character class that will be released as FREE downloadable content to members of the Borderlands 2 Premiere Club roughly 60 to 90 days after launch.

The Mechromancer is just one of the many bonuses for members of the Premiere Club, which can be joined by pre-ordering Borderlands 2 from a participating retailer in advance of its release on September 18 in North America and September 21 Internationally. For a list of those participating retailers and more details about Premiere Club benefits, please visit our Borderlands 2 FAQ and borderlands2.com/preorder

On behalf of everyone involved in the development of Borderlands 2, thank you for your love and support -- your passion for what we create is what fuels our effort!


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