Techs & Digitals

Samsung

2011-05-31T18:14:00.000+08:00

Samung Galaxy Ace

Network

HSDPA 7.2Mbps 900/2100
EDGE/GPRS 850/900/1800/1900

Dimension

112.4 x 59.9 x 11.5 mm (113g)

Display

3.5” 320x480 HVGA 16M TFT

Android 2.2 (Froyo)

Download applications

Android Market
Samsung Apps

Social Hub

Integrates SNS, Email,
IM and Calendar Accounts
Integrated Calendar
(Google/Facebook/Outlook)

Integrated E-mail

Gmail
MS Exchange ActiveSync

Processor

800MHz (MSM7227-1 Turbo)

Connectivity

WiFi 802.11 (b/g/n)
Bluetooth technology v 2.1
USB 2.0 (High Speed)

Camera

5.0 MP AF Camera with
LED Flash
Single Shot, Continuous Shot, Panorama Shot, Smile Shot

TouchWiz UI for Android

Multiple Homescreens
Hybrid Widgets
Search in Browser

Battery (Standard) Li-on
1,350mAh Talk time: up to 627min(2G), up to 387min(3G) Standby time: up to 642Hr(2G), up to 421Hr(3G)
Video
QVGA@20fps / WVGA@30fps Codec : MPEG4, H.263, H.264 Format: 3gp(mp4)
Music
3.5mm Ear Jack & Speaker MP3, AAC, AAC+, eAAC+
Memory
150MB + inbox 2GB + microSD (up to 32GB)
Android Browser
RSS reader
GPS
A-GPS
LBS
Google Maps™, Latitude, Places Google Maps™ Navigation(Beta)
Sensor
Accelerometer Sensor, Proximity Sensor, Digital Compass
Additional Features
Quicktype by SWYPE ThinkFree (Document Viewer & Editor) AllShare Multi-touch zoom FM Radio (RDS) Samsung’s Galaxy Ace is yet another new Android toting handset from the company that churns out smartphones like a slot machine with a winning line churns out coins. OK, maybe not that fast. But you get our drift. The Samsung Galaxy Ace costs £230 and as such it falls into the crowded middle ground. More expensive than the Galaxy Mini you have a right to expect that it offers more features, and indeed you get them. At first glance, though, the Samsung Galaxy Ace looks a bit bland. There’s a certain iPhone take to it with the rounded silver rimmed corners and single central button, and while it competes on the grounds of measurements (112.4x59.9x11.5mm and 113g for the Ace 115.2x58.6x9.3 and 137g for the iPhone 4), it doesn’t actually look as slick. Next to the single Home button are two backlit touch buttons which light up when you press Home or touch their locations. It is nothing we have not seen before, but it is neat. We do like the slightly textured backplate which makes for fairly good grip, and the side mounted microSD card slot which means you can hotswap cards. A 2GB card augments the somewhat mean 158MB of built in storage. The screen measures 3.5-inches which makes it about the smallest we’d like to use for multimedia rich stuff like video viewing and web browsing. It is large enough for good responsive keyboard action, though, and Samsung bundles Swype which you can turn on and off in the Settings area. Swype lets you make words without lifting a finger from the keyboard, and some people find it a lot faster than pecking at individual keys. The web browsing experience is pretty good, though the 320x480 pixel resolution means that small text is fuzzy and often unreadable. Under the hood Android 2.2 provides the main power and there is an 800MHz processor keeping things strumming along nicely. Unless, that is, you want to watch embedded video. There’s no support for Flash so you can’t watch embedded video in the BBC web site – or plenty of others. The smartphone basics of Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, HSDPA and GPS are all sitting pretty, and they work well. The speed with which web pages load, for example, is perfectly acceptable, and Google Maps worked for us without a hitch. You’ll see from all this that there have been compromises made with the Samsung Galaxy Ace in the shape of low screen resolution, shortage of built in memory and the absence of Flash support, but there are some plus points too like a sharp and vibrant screen and a fairly nifty hardware design. Into the mix comes a somewhat hamstrung camera with video capture limited to 320x240 pixels. Stills shooting sits at 5-megapixels and there is a small LED light to assist with duller conditions. Despite the video camera’s low resolution the camera is capable of some reasonable quality stills. It won’t blow your mind, but it is adequate for a quick snapshot here and there. This being a Samsung handset you’ve got TouchWiz sitting on top of Android and it looks very familiar. You start off with three home screens. Pinching in on any one of them allows you to add more to a total of seven in all. Hardwired to each of the three home screens you have to begin with, and any you add, are four shortcuts at the bottom of the screen that take you to the phone dialler, contacts, messaging and the full apps screen. You can customise home screens with widgets, and Samsung augments Android with a few widgets of its own, but we didn’t see anything that really excited us or that we have not seen before. Samsung adds a few apps to the standard Android set though again there’s nothing that really blew us away. We do like the interface for the FM radio which Samsung seems to be putting on a number of handsets at the moment. It has a dial icon for changing stations and an old fashioned bar showing what channel you are listening to. Four station presets can be hardwired onto the screen for quick switching. There’s also a little memo app for making brief notes to yourself, and Social Hub, which picks up Twitter and Facebook, but we tend to prefer using dedicated apps for both, of which there are plenty. There’s also AllShare for sharing video, Pictures and Audio over Wi-Fi to other devices, Shazam, and Samsung’s own app store to complement the Google Market. In the end, the Samsung Galaxy Ace doesn’t do anything we have not seen done before, and while its battery kept us going for a day easily, we wonder how well it will fare in what is a crowded section of the market.

Canon 1100D

2011-04-25T22:44:00.001+08:00

The bottom-end of the interchangeable lens camera has become fiercely competitive with manufacturers culling features and cutting-corners to offer a tempting upgrade path from compact cameras, at the most attractive price. As a result we've seen control dials, orientation sensors and even focus motors disappear to reduce the manufacturing costs of these entry-level, gateway cameras. From the consumer's perspective, of course, we've also seen technologies once only in the reach of the professionals filter down to almost compact camera prices.

For several years, Canon and then Nikon were able to carve up the sub-$1000 DSLR market between themselves, without any particular concern about other players in the market. But this hegemony was never likely to last, especially once the electronics giants such as Panasonic, Sony and Samsung had time to prepare their own competitors. Eventually even Canon had to respond to the arrival of these companies' increasingly impressive low-end offerings, most notably with the splitting of its Rebel series into a multiple model range.

In June 2008, rather than just letting the outgoing model's price drop when the next camera was introduced, Canon launched a completely new model that sat below its then very recent Rebel XSi/450D. The Rebel XS (EOS 1000D in Europe) was unashamedly a cut-down version of the XSi but its mixture of a well trusted sensor and compelling price tag have seen it continue to sell strongly, particularly at the price-conscious end of the market.

Two-and-a-half years is nearly two lifetimes in contemporary camera terms, so it was beginning to look like the XS might turn out to be a one-off, until the launch of its replacement in February 2011. The Rebel T3 (EOS 1100D) builds on a successful formula and takes it further, offering a strong (if not exactly cutting-edge) set of features in a body that suggests it should be very capable of competing on price.

The 1100D takes a series of familiar-sounding components and folds them together in a distinctly conventional but still capable-sounding package. So there's a 12MP CMOS chip that is likely to date back to the 450D/XSi, coupled with Canon's now-standard 9-point AF system and the 63-area iFCL (Focus, color and luminance sensitive) metering system first seen in the EOS 7D. These combine with the equally well-known Digic 4 processor to offer a camera that's unlikely to offer much in the way of surprises (which should also mean the avoidance of any nasty ones).

Sitting alongside the Rebel XS (1000D), it's clear that T3 (1100D) is very slightly larger but only by a fraction. The new model eschew's the 1000D's textured plastic, instead being constructed of smooth, rather low-density materials.


The rear view shows the 1100D has been updated in line with more recent Canon DSLRs, gaining direct access to live view/movie shooting and a Q button for the interactive 'Quick Control' displays.

Canon EOS 1100D specification highlights:

12MP CMOS sensor
9-point AF system (up from 7 on the 1000D)
63-area iFCL color-sensitive metering (from EOS 7D)
720p movie recording at 30 or 25fps (H.264 compression)
2.7" LCD, 230,000 dots
ISO 100-6400 (no expansion)
Basic+ creative point-and-shoot mode
Eye-Fi wireless SD card compatible menu options

Nikon D3100

2011-04-25T22:22:00.001+08:00

DX-format, 14.2 effective megapixel CMOS image sensor [NEW]
- Softly defocused backgrounds that only a D-SLR can produce

Nikon equipped D3100 with a newly developed CMOS sensor for outstanding subject detail and smooth color gradation. Whether shooting photos or full HD movies, the sensor is crucial to image quality. The high pixel count of D3100's sensor produces photos of striking clarity, revealing all the nuance of the original scene with minimum noise - ideal for intricately detailed textures and grain-free background defocus.

EXPEED 2-Nikon's new image processing engine [NEW]
- Faithful color reproduction and smooth, beautiful gradations

Welcome to a new level of excellence with EXPEED 2. We've leveraged our vast technological know-how to bring you Nikon's most advanced image processing engine yet. EXPEED 2 maximizes CMOS sensor performance for clear, lifelike images that exhibit vivid colors, reduced noise and smooth tonal gradations for outstanding photos and movies.

ISO sensitivity 100-3200 (expandable to ISO 12800 equivalent)
- Great performance and less blur in dimly lit settings

Hi 2 (ISO 12800 equivalent)

ISO 3200

ISO 1600

A maximum ISO of 3200 (standard range) lets you shoot at fast shutter speeds, reducing camera-shake blur in dimly lit scenes. Twilight and indoor shots come alive with a refreshingly natural look without the need for a tripod or flash. Moreover, fast shutter speeds make it easy to freeze action in dynamic situations such as children at play and sports events. For added versatility, D3100's Hi 1 and Hi 2 settings effectively boost ISO to the equivalent of 6400 and 12800, respectively.

Active D-Lighting - Beautiful balancing of light and shade

Shooting in bright sunlight often produces pictures with extreme contrast between light and dark areas, resulting in loss of tone and detail. Active D-Lighting effectively combats this by preserving important details in shadows and highlights. The results are optimally exposed photos that better reflect the scene as you saw it.

Without Active D-Lighting

With Active D-Lighting

Picture Control - Customizing images before the shot

Expand creative expression with Picture Control. Six settings - Standard, Neutral, Vivid, Monochrome, Portrait and Landscape - let you determine the look of photos and full HD movies before you shoot. In addition, sharpness, contrast, brightness and saturation can be adjusted to customize settings.

Portrait

Natural, lovely skin tones

Vivid

Increased color saturation

Monochrome

Black and white images, including tints

Type	Digital Single-Lens Reflex (DSLR) camera
Lens mount	Nikon F mount (with AF contacts)
Effective pixels	14.2 million pixels
Image sensor	23.1 x 15.4 mm CMOS sensor
Image size (pixels)	4,608 x 3,072 - Large 3,456 x 2,304 - Medium 2,304 x 1,536 - Small
File format	1) NEF (RAW) , 2) JPEG, 3) NEF (RAW) + JPEG
Media	SD (Secure Digital) memory cards *1, SDHC- and SDXC-compliant
Frame advance rate	Up to 3 fps *2
ISO sensitivity	ISO 100 to 3200 in steps of 1 EV; Can also be set to approx. 1 EV above ISO 3200 (ISO 6400 equivalent) or to approx. 2 EV above ISO 3200 (ISO 12800 equivalent); auto ISO sensitivity control available
Movie	Frame size (pixels) and frame rate: 1,920 x 1,080; 24 p - 1,280 x 720; 30 p - 1,280 x 720; 25 p - 1,280 x 720; 24 p - 640 x 424; 24 p Maximum Recording Time:10 min. File format/Video compression: MOV, H.264/MPEG-4 Advanced Video Cording Audio recording device; Supported:monaural recording with built-in microphone.
LCD monitor	3-in., approx. 230 k-dot TFT LCD with brightness adjustment
Power source	Battery; One rechargeable Li-ion EN-EL14 battery AC adapter (optional);EH-5a AC adapter; requires EP-5 power connector
Dimensions (approx.) (W x H x D)	124 X 96 X 74.5mm
Weight (approx.)	455g without battery, memory card, or body cap, 505g;with battery and memory card but without body cap
Major supplied accessories	EN-EL14 rechargeable Li-ion battery, MH-24 battery charger, AN-DC3 camera strap, ViewNX 2 CD-ROM, Ferrite Core (2 types)

DFI LANParty DK P55-T3eH9 Motherboard

2011-04-15T19:09:00.001+08:00

DFI is a well known and rather popular brand among enthusiast everywhere. It is known for its high performance motherboards that take overclocking to the next level. DFI achieves this through a mix of design innovations, with the software to match. As many other top ranked manufacturers have done, DFI split its more enthusiast-friendly products in to a separate line aptly named LANParty. Their latest board to join this line seems poised to continue in the performance tradition that past DFI boards have set.

The DFI LANParty DK P55-T3eH9 motherboard is designed around the Intel P55 chipset. This chipset allows the board to support the following technologies innately: Intel LGA 1156 Core i7 and Core i5 processors, DDR3 memory operating in Dual Channel mode up to 1333MHz officially, and either NVIDIA SLI and ATI CrossFireX graphics mode using matching video cards.

DFI chose to integrate the following onboard devices in to the DK P55-T3eH9: six SATA II ports (RAID 0, 1, 0+1 and 5 capable) on the Intel P55 controller; one e-SATA port and one ATA-133 IDE port on the JMicron JMB363 controller; two SATA II ports (RAID 0 and 1 capable) on the JMICRON JMB322 controller; fifteen USB 2.0 capable ports (7 in rear panel, and 4 onboard headers supporting 2 ports each); one Intel GigE Ethernet port in the rear panel; Realtek 8-channel HD audio codec with integrated S/PDIF optical and RCA component output ports; integrated power, system reset, and CMOS reset buttons; 2-digit diagnostic LED display; and PS/2 keyboard and mouse ports in the rear panel.

Specifications Overview:

Board Layout

The DK P55-T3eH9’s layout is well thought out, with no real tight areas on the board. DFI seemed to cover the board hot spots with an interconnected heat pipe cooling solution as well. The one flaw was the lack of active cooling integrated in to the heat pipe cooler, but this is easily remedied. While I could find no definitive serial number marking on the board, the board revision is silk-screened to its surface just above the PCI slots, with the board tested being a revision A. For the board’s power needs, DFI chose to use high quality polymer solid-electrolyte capacitors.

The board’s CPU socket area is obstruction free, with all power components directly surrounding the socket of an unobtrusive low profile design. The heat sinks covering the power components are far enough back so as to not interfere with CPU cooler placement. DFI chose to use the standard LGA1156 4-hole based hold-down mechanism for securing the CPU cooler. Just above the CPU socket and hidden behind the cooler are the rear panel USB standby power jumper, the S/PDIF header, and the PWM fan header. The rear panel PS/2 standby power jumper and the 8-pin ATX12V power connector are to the upper right of the socket. The CPU fan header is located to the right of the socket, along the edge of the board.

The onboard DDR3 slots are located underneath the CPU socket, sporting a bi-colored arrangement scheme. Dual Channel memory mode is active with modules placed in like colored slots, with the black colored slots being reserved for the primary memory modules. Below the DIMM slots are the ATA-133 IDE port, the 24-pin ATX power connector, and the fan 4 header. The DRAM power indicator LED is located in the lower right corner of the board.

The board’s P55 chipset is located just under the secondary and tertiary PCI-Express x16 slots, covered by a low profile cooler. This cooler also acts as a termination point for the onboard heat pipe cooler. The 8 onboard SATA II port are located just below the chipset cooler, with the Intel controlled ports being those colored florescent orange. The standby power LED, Chipset fan header and BIOS flash header are located to the left and upper left of the SATA II ports, with the front panel header being in the lower left corner of the board. The onboard power and system reset buttons, as well as the CMOS reset and backup BIOS clear jumpers are located just above it. The 4 onboard USB 2.0 headers, as well as their tied standby power jumpers, are located to the upper left of the chipset cooler.

DFI incorporated 7 total card slots in to the DK P55-T3eH9’s design: 3 PCI-Express x16 slots, 2 PCI-Express x1 slots, and 2 PCI slots. The onboard floppy port and serial port header are located along the outer edge of PCI slot 2, with the 2-digit diagnostic LED display located just above them. The diagnostic display is useful in troubleshooting system boot related issues, using the debug codes that it displays during system initialization. The CMOS battery is located in between the lower portion of the secondary and tertiary PCI-Express x16 slot. A floppy style power port, as well as the infra-red and front panel audio headers, are located just above the secondary PCI-Express x1 slot. The floppy power connector is used to provide additional power to the board and video card slots when 2 or more video cards are in use. The chassis fan and CD_IN headers are located directly above the primary PCI-Express x16 slot.

DFI integrated with following ports in to the DK P55-T3eH9’s rear panel: PS/2 keyboard and mouse ports; a CMOS reset button; 5 USB 2.0 ports; 1 shared e-SATA / USB 2.0 port; 1 mini-USB port for use with the BIOSecure cable; 1 Intel GigE Ethernet port; and 6 analogue and S/PDIF optical and RCA component audio output ports. The integrated mini-USB port is used in conjunction with the included BIOSecure interface cable for flashing the BIOS to or from a connected remote device or board.

Ipad vs Apad

2011-04-15T17:55:00.001+08:00

Not many people know what an aPad is. This is not surprising since it is not advertized like the iPads from Apple. The good news is that if you know about iPads, then you almost know what an aPad is.

The awareness is growing by the day and a good number of individuals are accepting the aPad as a nice alternative to the iPads.

aPads originated from China. They are known as the Asian alternative for the iPad. Some people call it a iPad clone.

It is nice to know that aPads have some striking features which will interest you. This article focuses on the difference between the aPad and the iPad

The most striking difference is the Operating System. The aPad or ePad has the Google Android Operating system which is also used in a large number of cell phones and PDAs. The beauty of this is that it works seamlessly with Google Applications like Gmail, Google calendars and Google Maps. Emails and calendar information is synchronized when the aPad device is connected to the Internet via Wifi. iPads on the other hand runs on iOS 3.2.2 which also runs on the iPod touch and earlier versions of the iPhone. It works seamlessly with other Apple products and services.

Just like the iStore, applications for the aPad are available on the Android Marketplace. With thousand of free Android applications available, one will still have fun downloading and using these programs.

Another striking difference is the price. An Android aPad can be purchased for less than $100. This is not the same for the iPad. Although the iPads are more sleek, the aPad, for the price, has virtually the same functionality and more including the webcam (in some aPad models) and an SD/Mini SD slot that can hold up to 32 GB! Transferring data to and from the SD card is a big advantage.

aPads come in difference sizes, the most popular ones are the 7" and the 10" widescreen versions. The price range between the 7" and the 10" aPads is not that much. iPads for now are all 10". Some individuals prefer the 7" version because of the compact size.

Overall, the aPad is an excellent option if one has a tight budget.

ASUS Xonar Essence STX

2010-09-06T00:23:00.000+08:00

Audiophiles are interested in getting the best audio quality they can out of their components. The ASUS Xonar Essence STX is probably one of the best consumer level audio cards on the market thanks to its high signal-to-noise ratio, 192KHz/24bit support, superb digital to audio converters and even a built-in headphone amplifier. The audio components also have shielding to ensure that it doesn't receive any interference from other computer components. This provides it with some of the best playback and recording capabilities in a desktop audio card. The card does require an additional 4-pin power connector to provide it with sufficient power. It uses a PCI-Express x1 interface. Priced around $200.

Audio Chipset: ASUS AV100
Sample Rate: 192KHz

Digital Audio:24-bit

SNR: 118 dB Input Signal-to-Noise Ratio 124dB for Front-out 110dB for Headphone-out dB

Line In: Yes

SPDIF Out: High-bandwidth Coaxial/TOS-Link combo port supports 192KHz/24bit

MIC In: Yes

Other Ports: Aux-In (4-pin header on the card) Front-Panel Header: Shared by Headphone out / 2 channels out / Microphone in S/PDIF Header: Connects to compatiable graphic cards for HDMI output

LCD Monitors 2010

2010-09-06T00:14:00.001+08:00

NEC E461 and E551 LCD Monitor

NEC has launched its latest technology named as NEC E461 and E551. This cool LCD has a good performance than other monitors, it has 46-inch E461 and 55-inch E551 both feature 1920x1080p Full HD, and up to 5000:1 typical contrast ratio. It may contains 210W and fully connectivity, in terms of 4 HDMI inputs, analog RGB, composite video and S-Video.

Other features include multiple picture modes, features advanced video and a 120Hz refresh rate, built-in ATSC/NTSC/QAM analog/digital tuner, built-in closed captioning and integrated CONEQ Sound technology. It is have a swivel stand, its detachable for wall amount applications. The NEC E461 and E551 LCD is available with a retail price of $999 and $1,499 respectively, and will be released in the month of August.

Samsung UN55C7000 55-Inch 3D LED HDTV

Samsung has unveiled its latest technology, now it is a 55-inch wide screen HDTV. One unique features of this TV is that it can connect on web applications therefore you can stream movies, play games, display your slideshows of pictures, and many more not just watching like on ordinary television sets. The Samsung 3D LED UN55C7000 HDTV features HDMI, movie connect share where in you can insert a USB 2.0 flash drive, or connect to digital camera to see a clip or images, and it also has skype built-in. Core specifications includes 240Hz Clear Motion Rate and 6,000,000:1 Mega Dynamic Contrast Ratio. They also added a feature that can eliminates all motion blur for excellent performance.

Dell SX2210T Multi-touch LCD Monitor + Webcam

Dell has unleashed their latest technology, but this time a 21.5 inch multi-touch LCD monitor called Dell SX2210T. What’s good with this Multi-Touch LCD Monitor is it has a webcam that you can use for chatting and other video conferencing stuff. If you’re using Windows 7 Home Premium & above with its multi-touch capabilities, the Dell SX2210T monitor features full HD 1920 x 1080 experience with 16:9 widescreen display. Aside from that the Dell SX2210T multi-touch monitor has a 220 cd/m2 brightness, dual microphones for video chat, and the capability to to flick, tap, drag, and scroll with your fingers using its multi-touch technology.

HP S2031, S2231 and S2331 LCD Monitors

HP has announced their latest affordable LCD monitors which are expected to be released and sold to the market in late May 2010. These are the S2031, S2231 and S2331 series. These brand new model of monitors have a contrast ratio of 1000:1, a resolution of 1600 × 900px, 250 nits of brightness levels and has a response time of 5 ms. Only S2031 model supports 1080p and 300 nits of brightness levels. For the price, the S2031 costs $150, whereas for S2231 has a price of $190, while the S2331 has a selling price of $220.

BenQ “World’s Slimmest” Monitor

BenQ, the leading LED monitor manufacturer has finally introduced its three latest and the world’s slimmest LED monitors in India. Yes they are three, this are the BenQ V2220 (21.5” W), V2420 (24.0” W) and V920 (18.5” W) these three are also known as BenQ’s V series. These three V series has the following features: LED backlighting technology, set apart by proprietary Senseye Human Vision Technology, which has six preset modes: Game, Movie, sRGB, Eco, Photo, and Standard. This latest monitor is also energy saving because it can consume up to 44 percent less energy compare to those other LED monitor.

What is Android?

2010-09-05T23:55:00.000+08:00

Android is a software stack for mobile devices that includes an operating system, middleware and key applications. The Android SDK provides the tools and APIs necessary to begin developing applications on the Android platform using the Java programming language.

Features

Application framework enabling reuse and replacement of components
Dalvik virtual machine optimized for mobile devices
Integrated browser based on the open source WebKit engine
Optimized graphics powered by a custom 2D graphics library; 3D graphics based on the OpenGL ES 1.0 specification (hardware acceleration optional)
SQLite for structured data storage
Media support for common audio, video, and still image formats (MPEG4, H.264, MP3, AAC, AMR, JPG, PNG, GIF)
GSM Telephony (hardware dependent)
Bluetooth, EDGE, 3G, and WiFi (hardware dependent)
Camera, GPS, compass, and accelerometer (hardware dependent)
Rich development environment including a device emulator, tools for debugging, memory and performance profiling, and a plugin for the Eclipse IDE

Android Architecture

The following diagram shows the major components of the Android operating system. Each section is described in more detail below.

Applications

Android will ship with a set of core applications including an email client, SMS program, calendar, maps, browser, contacts, and others. All applications are written using the Java programming language.

Application Framework

By providing an open development platform, Android offers developers the ability to build extremely rich and innovative applications. Developers are free to take advantage of the device hardware, access location information, run background services, set alarms, add notifications to the status bar, and much, much more.

Developers have full access to the same framework APIs used by the core applications. The application architecture is designed to simplify the reuse of components; any application can publish its capabilities and any other application may then make use of those capabilities (subject to security constraints enforced by the framework). This same mechanism allows components to be replaced by the user.

Underlying all applications is a set of services and systems, including:

A rich and extensible set of Views that can be used to build an application, including lists, grids, text boxes, buttons, and even an embeddable web browser
Content Providers that enable applications to access data from other applications (such as Contacts), or to share their own data
A Resource Manager, providing access to non-code resources such as localized strings, graphics, and layout files
A Notification Manager that enables all applications to display custom alerts in the status bar
An Activity Manager that manages the lifecycle of applications and provides a common navigation backstack

Libraries

Android includes a set of C/C++ libraries used by various components of the Android system. These capabilities are exposed to developers through the Android application framework. Some of the core libraries are listed below:

System C library - a BSD-derived implementation of the standard C system library (libc), tuned for embedded Linux-based devices
Media Libraries - based on PacketVideo's OpenCORE; the libraries support playback and recording of many popular audio and video formats, as well as static image files, including MPEG4, H.264, MP3, AAC, AMR, JPG, and PNG
Surface Manager - manages access to the display subsystem and seamlessly composites 2D and 3D graphic layers from multiple applications
LibWebCore - a modern web browser engine which powers both the Android browser and an embeddable web view
SGL - the underlying 2D graphics engine
3D libraries - an implementation based on OpenGL ES 1.0 APIs; the libraries use either hardware 3D acceleration (where available) or the included, highly optimized 3D software rasterizer
FreeType - bitmap and vector font rendering
SQLite - a powerful and lightweight relational database engine available to all applications

Android Runtime

Android includes a set of core libraries that provides most of the functionality available in the core libraries of the Java programming language.
Every Android application runs in its own process, with its own instance of the Dalvik virtual machine. Dalvik has been written so that a device can run multiple VMs efficiently. The Dalvik VM executes files in the Dalvik Executable (.dex) format which is optimized for minimal memory footprint. The VM is register-based, and runs classes compiled by a Java language compiler that have been transformed into the .dex format by the included "dx" tool.
The Dalvik VM relies on the Linux kernel for underlying functionality such as threading and low-level memory management.

Linux Kernel

Android relies on Linux version 2.6 for core system services such as security, memory management, process management, network stack, and driver model. The kernel also acts as an abstraction layer between the hardware and the rest of the software stack.

Belkin N1 Vision

2010-09-05T23:45:00.000+08:00

Belkin's latest N1 series router, the N1 Vision, isn't just hands-down the smokiest 802.11n draft 2.0 router we've seen—it tries to one-up everyone else with a built-in LCD screen that displays info ranging from a bandwidth speedometer to the number of neighbors leeching your internet. At $200, the sexiness doesn't come cheap, but it can be yours later this month. More details after the jump.

Belkin N1 Vision

•Interactive network display •Plug-and-Play "CD-less" setup •Operating Range: Up to 1,600 ft.** •Link Rate: Up to 300Mbps in 20/40MHz channel mode •Compatible with IEEE 802.11g, 802.11b, 802.11n draft 2.0*, 802.3ab •Ports: WAN - 1 Gigabit port; LAN - 4 Gigabit ports •Security: Wi-Fi Protected Setup™; WPA™, WPA2™; 64-/128-bit WEP encryption; multiple SSID •VPN Support: PPTP; IPSec pass-through

Techs & Digitals: PCTech Magazine: DLP Projectors

2010-09-04T19:41:00.000+08:00

Techs & Digitals: PCTech Magazine: DLP Projectors: "PCTech Magazine: DLP Projectors: 'SONY VPLDX15 This powerful mobile business projector is ideal for mid-sized conference rooms and classro..."

Digital Techs: AMD Phenom

2010-09-04T00:31:00.000+08:00

Digital Techs: AMD Phenom: "AMD Phenom™ II Processors Unbeatable multi-core value with AMD Phenom™ II processors. They deliver The Ultimate Visual Experience..."

Battlefield Bad Company™ 2

2010-08-31T15:42:00.000+08:00

The ultimate Online warfare

Battlefield Bad Company™ 2 brings the spectacular Battlefield gameplay to the forefront of next-gen consoles and PC, featuring best-in-class vehicular combat set across a wide range of huge sandbox maps each with a different tactical focus. New vehicles like the All Terrain Vehicle (ATV) and the UH-60 transport helicopter allow for all-new multiplayer tactics in the warzone. Extensive fine-tuning ensures that this will be the most realistic vehicle combat experience to date. Tactical destruction is taken to new heights with the updated DICE Frostbite engine. Players can now take down entire buildings or create their own vantage points by blasting holes through cover, thereby delivering a unique dynamic experience in every match.

Players can also compete in 4-player teams in 2 exclusive squad-only game modes, fighting together to unlock exclusive team awards and achievements. Spawn on your squad to get straight into the action and use gadgets such as the tracer dart in conjunction with the RPG to devastating effect. Excellence in the battlefield is rewarded with an extensive range of pins, insignias and stars to unlock along with 50 dedicated ranks to achieve. Variety also extends into the range of customizable kits weapons and vehicles available. With 4 distinct character classes, dozens of weapons, several gadgets and specializations, players have over 15,000 kit variations to discover and master. Players will be able to fine-tune their preferred fighting style to give them the edge in combat.

All of these features combine to deliver spectacular and unpredictable action moments found nowhere else in a modern warfare experience. The game also sees the return of the "B" Company squad in a more mature and intense single player experience where the stakes are higher than ever.

Game specifications
Publisher Electronic Arts
Developer EA Digital Illusions CE AB
Street date 2010-03-02 North America, 2010-03-05 Europe
Category First person shooter
Platforms XBOX 360™, Playstation® 3, PC

Preston

Private Preston Marlowe

Preston Marlowe (You)

Raised on two generations of war stories, Private Marlowe joined Bad Company to get some combat under his belt. Now, as Bad Company's latest "recruit," Marlowe's getting all the action he can handle. Maybe more.

Sarge

Sergeant Samuel D. Redford

Sarge (Squad Leader)

Sergeant Samuel D. Redford is the only soldier to actually request transfer to Bad Company. Some paint that decision as crazy or suicidal, but Sarge has his reasons. He used to buy into the whole military lifestyle, Mom and Apple Pie, all of it. Not anymore. Especially not after Sadiz.

Haggard

Private George Gordon Haggard, Jr.

Haggard (Explosives Expert)

Private George Gordon Haggard, Jr. actually likes being in Bad Company. His better personality traits include low-impulse control, consistently poor hygiene, and an encyclopedic knowledge of explosives. The upside is that Haggard's a hell of a soldier. He's just a little … unorthodox. And loud.

Sweetwater

Private Terrence Sweetwater

Sweetwater (Technical and Communications Specialist)
Private Terrence Sweetwater is too smart for his own good. He enlisted for the college scholarship his recruiter dangled in front of him, figuring his brains would keep him in the rear with the gear. And maybe they would have, if he hadn't "accidentally" uploaded a virus to a secure military network he wasn't supposed to access in the first place.

WEAPONS AND VEHICLES

XM8 Prototype

An experimental US military project, the XM8 P fully automatic rifle was created with a unique versatility, allowing the operator to perform quick repairs and barrel changes in a hot spot.

3,020 ASSAULT SCORE

SCAR-L Carbine

The Scar Light model is designed for various barrel size modifications and is compatible with a bevy of ammunition types. The rifle's stealthy silencer and frame has made it the weapon of choice of the SOCOM forces.

2,510 ENGINEER SCORE

M60 LMG

Utilizing design elements from the WW II MG42, the M60 was introduced in 1957 and has been the workhorse of every branch of the U.S. Military. It has gone through several modifications throughout its service life but is slowly being phased out by the M240.

24,700 MEDIC SCORE

GOL Sniper Magnum

With outstanding accuracy and Mauser reliability this rifle provides exceptional performance in difficult operational situations. It's extremely long range and pinpoint accuracy makes it the rifle of choice with German police agencies and counter terrorist units.

20,500 RECON SCORE

M1A2 Abrams

Details

U.S. Main Battle Tank (MBT) armed with a 120mm smoothbore cannon and a remotely operated .50 caliber HMG. The M1 is heavily armored, and highly mobile and designed to dominate armored ground warfare and urban operations.

AH-64 Apache

Details

U.S. Attack Helicopter armed with a belly mounted 30mm chain gun firing HEAT rounds and dual 70mm Folding-Fin Aerial Rocket (FFAR). It has a crew of 2 and is armored to defeat small arms up to and including .50 caliber munition.

Anti-Air Gun

Details

Russian dual barreled 23 mm auto cannon used primarily as an anti-aircraft weapon it can also be used in direct fire support against soft-skinned armored vehicles. Its towing cradling functions as a weapon mount eliminating timely set up.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2

2010-08-30T21:45:00.000+08:00

Over the years the Call of Duty series has set the bar for immersive, action-packed, cinematic FPS gaming, and no matter what camp you're from there's no denying the franchise's influence on the industry. When Infinity Ward moved from the classic World War II setting and blazed new ground with Modern Warfare we saw the first obvious split within the world of Call of Duty. The series dropped its historic focus, created a new cast of characters, and began treading on new ground by taking the first-person shooter genre to new locales, and pushing the boundaries of what military games are willing to show. With Modern Warfare 2, the sheer amount of hype has been practically inescapable, with preorders alone setting it up as one of the biggest selling games of all time, the addition of even more multiplayer modes and features, and the game's new Special Operations mode has set Infinity Ward's lastest up as the game to beat this year.

The real question: has it been worth the wait, and can Modern Warfare 2 live up to the precedent set by over half a decade of Call of Duty tradition?

Modern Warfare 2 is by far the least traditional of the series, with the core package broken up into three main pillars of gameplay. Single-player fans have their main campaign, if you're down for more co-op gameplay either locally or via online connection you've got the new Spec Ops mode, and Modern Warfare's groundbreaking multiplayer is back, and truly better than ever. There's an overwhelming amount of content to experience, but with each mode being 100% standalone in nature, you're getting three completely different experiences all in one. That, however, also plays a huge factor into how your final opinion of Modern Warfare 2 as a whole turns out.

First and foremost is the single-player experience. As the anchor of the Call of Duty world, campaign mode is back, and it's intense. You'll instantly get a sense of just how far the improved engine has come when you're thrown into the bustling streets of Rio de Janeiro's favela, the ice-capped mountains of Kazakhstan, the dusty roads of Afghanistan, and other unexpected locales. On the visual side of things, Modern Warfare 2 is an obvious step up over Call of Duty 4 and World at War, with a stronger emphasis on complex terrain in the environments, weather effects, destructible objects, and the overall sense of action and chaos that comes with so many visual improvements. This is only complemented further by the increased attention to sound design, with the effects of many returning weapons being re-recorded,even more in-level chatter amongst your allies, and a truly captivating score by Hans Zimmer which builds based on specific in-game moments. Modern Warfare 2 feels like an action movie through and through, with the production values alone dating Infinity Ward's last game, Call of Duty 4, quite a bit.

At the same time, the single-player campaign has its issues. For starters, it's short. I've been playing Call of Duty 4 steadily since its release, and my first completion of the Modern Warfare 2 campaign came in at just under five hours on regular difficulty. Playing through on hardened will add another hour and a half onto that. Modern Warfare 2 is definitely more chaotic this time around – partially due to the new visual effects and upped production values – and with the improved enemy AI and tough scenario design you'll be fighting for every checkpoint. One of the larger visual changes to the game's heads-up display this time around is the blood splatter system. In previous Call of Duty offerings you'd get damaged, the screen would start to shade red, and you'd be required to seek cover before your vision returned to normal. Modern Warfare 2 employs a new system, actually having a thicker blood layer added to up the realism. There's been some discussion on whether the splatter is too distracting, and in my experience with the game it's far from an issue. You'll be able to take more hits on easier difficulty settings, so while a few well-placed shots will drop players on hardened or veteran modes the added splatter is an acceptable trade-off for more overall health

Campaign's story might be a little farfetched and slightly cramped, but there's no denying the spectacle of it all.

Modern Warfare 2 will blow you away.

Thankfully many of the glaring issues from last time around have been fixed. You won't find unlimited enemy spawns in areas, there's always a waypoint icon on-screen showing you where to go or who to follow, and the amount of in-game chatter from your team is simply astounding. It isn't often in games that you'll hear your squad call out specific areas on the map and have it mean anything. When your friend shouts, "Two tangos behind the yellow station wagon!" you'll actually see two enemies behind a yellow station wagon. It's a pretty engaging experience. You'll still have random issues with friendly AI, specifically with blocking your movement or deciding to walk in front of you mid-firefight, but for the most part it's a better experience than the first Modern Warfare.

Where Modern Warfare 2's campaign drops the ball, however, is in its actual storytelling. With no historic anchor it's up to the Infinity Ward to not only put players in the moment, but also build and develop the world around those moments. That's one area where Modern Warfare 2 could have used more polish time or specific direction to get right. Events fly by, story is told only through load screens or in-game via NPC chatter (usually amidst firefights, where reading text isn't exactly priority one) and the story is so gigantically over-the-top that you'll often find yourself catching your breath after a mission, feeling like you had fun, and then trying to figure out what you just did in the context of the story. Though this may prove an issue for some, I was able to catch the plot, enjoy the characters, follow the twists, and truly care about the story. But then again, I've also been dedicated to nothing but Modern Warfare 2 for the last six months. The game often expects you to already know the characters, extrapolate on one line of dialogue or a quick cut-scene, and then figure out the story from there. In the end though, there's no real weight to anything you're doing. Outside of playing a couple missions as a soldier taking orders from the top you never get a true feel for scale, or any actual emotional attachment to the events. Something as simple as a newscast reel, or moment of downtime while on the field would have gone a long way. The end result is a game that has the feel of an '80s action movie with huge plot holes covered by plenty of epic moments, but never a believable, cohesive set of events.

There are definitely still great moments to be had in single player though. There's a laundry list of awesome gameplay concepts and new tech at your disposal. It just doesn't stack up against some of the previous Call of Duty story modes, where single player was the obvious focus throughout the entire package.

Multiplayer raises the bar this time around with a huge emphasis on team play. Bring your friends, or get online and make some.

For the vast majority of the experience, Modern Warfare 2 is best enjoyed with friends either locally or via online. The core campaign may have taken a bit of a hit, but in its place is an incredibly well done debut mode called Spec Ops. For those that don't know, Special Operations mode is an arcade-inspired challenge mode that can be played single player for the most part (minus a few co-op specific challenges), but is obviously designed around two-person team play. The mode is broken up into five tiers, each with missions that have a possible three stars to gain based on difficulty level in each of the 23 missions. You'll see a lot of repeating areas, some pulled directly from the single-player campaign, but the actual objectives (and most of the time, the exact layout of the level) is all new. You won't find leaderboards for this mode, unfortunately. SpecOps mode is going to surprise a lot of gamers. It's addictive and surprisingly entertaining. It's longer, overall, than single-player mode, is a huge upgrade from the previously unlockable Arcade Mode in the first Modern Warfare, and some of the missions will have players going back over and over again well after all 69 stars are earned. The co-op only AC-130 mission, for example, is one of the biggest highlights of the entire Modern Warfare 2 package. One player mans the gunship while the other sneaks behind enemy lines on foot. The need for co-op play here is tremendous. In a similar mission, one player will man a chopper mini-gun and actually control the bird's fly speed as it circles a stranded soldier (player two) in a suburban warzone. Not only will you need to work in tandem to move from point to point, but the mission ends with an amazingly cinematic finale as the chopper pilot destroys countless buildings, lays down waves of covering fire for his friend, and then actually swoops in to pick him up on a rooftop. You may have thought you were buying Modern Warfare 2 simply for the competitive multiplayer or single-player campaign alone, but mark my words; you will be pulled in by Spec Ops, and when it's all said and done you'll be begging for more.

Seeing Modern Warfare 2 next to Call of Duty 4 is a pretty eye-opening experience. The engine has come a long way.

And then there's the competitive multiplayer. While there's a near-endless amount that could be said about the final and largest pillar of the Modern Warfare 2 experience, it really boils down to a few key aspects. First off, the visual overhaul. Multiplayer looks beautiful this time around, with the visuals trumping that of the single-player offering in the original Modern Warfare, and much more epic locales. There's a huge level of smoke and effects to be seen, electrical equipment and cars explode, and nearly every item in the levels are physics enabled, all amounting to an experience that feels like a true extension of single player, rather than some stripped down visual offering. There was a full team dedicated to multiplayer for Modern Warfare 2 and it shows.

Infinity Ward also made a point to focus on both user feedback from the first Modern Warfare, as well as overall balance across multiplayer modes. The class system returns with a set of both new and returning weapons, perks, and the new customizable killstreaks, but despite having well over double the amount of total content this time around Modern Warfare 2 retains its strategic feel across the board. In fact, this is easily one of the most balanced multiplayer games I've ever played, as every strategy has its counter, and players at every skill level can contribute to their team in some unique way. The entire experience is extremely rewarding, and the sheer amount of content will have you coming back again and again.

Simply stunning.

In fact, the killstreaks themselves are evidence that the game's balance is truly there. Killstreaks have been expanded from the original Modern Warfare, now allowing players to unlock rewards such as stealth bombers, AC-130 strikes, EMP blasts, and even a devastating 25 killstreak nuke that ends the game with a big bang, automatically handing your team the win if you can pull it off. With such devastating power at your fingertips though, balance was crucial, and Infinity Ward pulled it off. Many of the more annoying tactics in the original Modern Warfare have been removed, so you'll no longer have players throwing three frag grenades every life, martyrdom has been removed from the main set of perks, and with plenty of airborne attacks and a wide variety of equipment and weapons camping is far less of an issue. In fact, even the multiplayer maps themselves solve many of the common issues of COD4's multiplayer, and in turn make for a better experience. You'll find more height, more alternate routes to areas, and more diversity all around. There's an insane level of depth and strategy in Modern Warfare 2's multiplayer, and this is far from just an upgrade from COD4. Thinking about picking up one of the special edition Modern Warfare 2 packages? Check out our full review of the Hardened Edition, or the must-see Prestige Edition review.

Closing Comments

When you look at the total package, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 is hands-down one of the best first-person shooters out there, and a truly amazing offering across any system. With that being said, our score comes with a disclaimer. For those planning to check out everything Modern Warefare 2 has to offer – online competition, full co-op Spec Ops mode, as well as the campaign – you’re looking at a no-brainer purchase. For the strictly single player crowd, however, Modern Warfare 2 is surprisingly short, and doesn’t live up to the standard set by previous Call of Duty games. The campaign can be completed in as little as four and a half hours, and the missions make better scenarios and moment-to-moment adrenaline rushes than they do a cohesive, well-told story. If you’re going solo, you’ve officially been warned. Look at the complete Modern Warfare 2 experience though, and there’s no denying its rightful place at the top.

ATI Radeon™

2010-08-30T21:08:00.001+08:00

ATI Radeon™ HD 5970 Graphics

ATI Radeon™ HD 5970 - The fastest graphics card on the planet¹

Engineered for speed, the ATI Radeon™ HD 5970 delivers an unrivaled HD gaming experience so you can play the latest, most demanding HD titles like never before.² Featuring cutting-edge graphic, display and memory technology, this next-generation powerhouse delivers unprecedented performance straight out of the box. Unlocked, this graphics card has massive headroom so you can take control and push your hardware to its full potential!³

Features and Benefits

Get unrivalled visual quality and intense gaming performance and for today and tomorrow with support for Microsoft® DirectX® 11
Expand your visual real estate across up to three displays and get lost in the action with ATI Eyefinity Technology. ^4,5
Using ATI Stream technology, accelerate even the most demanding applications and do more than ever with your PC.⁶
Enable rich, realistic visuals with explosive performance so you can dominate your gaming competition.
State of the art overclocking capabilities give you the control and flexibility to tune your rig for maximum performance and unleash its true potential³
ATI CrossFireX™ technology in dual mode with support for up to 4 GPU's⁷
Ultra-high bandwidth GDDR5 memory

ATI Radeon™ HD 5970 Graphics Feature Summary

Dual GPUs with a total of 4.3 billion 40nm transistors
TeraScale 2 Unified Processing Architecture
- 3200 Stream Processing Units
- 160 Texture Units
- 256 Z/Stencil ROP Units
- 64 Color ROP Units
GDDR5 memory interface
PCI Express 2.1 x16 bus interface
DirectX 11 support
- Shader Model 5.0
- DirectCompute 11
- Programmable hardware tessellation unit
- Accelerated multi-threading
- HDR texture compression
- Order-independent transparency
OpenGL 3.2 support¹
Image quality enhancement technology
- Up to 24x multi-sample and super-sample anti-aliasing modes
- Adaptive anti-aliasing
- Super AA
- 16x angle independent anisotropic texture filtering
- 128-bit floating point HDR rendering
ATI Eyefinity multi-display technology^2,3
- Three independent display controllers
  - Drive three displays simultaneously with independent resolutions, refresh rates, color controls, and video overlays
- Display grouping
  - Combine multiple displays to behave like a single large display
ATI Stream acceleration technology
- OpenCL support¹⁴
- DirectCompute 11
- Double precision floating point processing support
- Accelerated video encoding, transcoding, and upscaling^4,5
  - Native support for common video encoding instructions
ATI CrossFireX™ multi-GPU technology⁶
- Dual card performance scaling
ATI Avivo™ HD video & display technology⁷
- UVD 2 dedicated video playback accelerator
- Advanced post-processing and scaling⁸
- Dynamic contrast enhancement and color correction
- Brighter whites processing (blue stretch)
- Independent video gamma control
- Dynamic video range control
- Support for H.264, VC-1, and MPEG-2
- Dual-stream 1080p playback support^9,10
- DXVA 1.0 & 2.0 support
- Integrated dual-link DVI output with HDCP¹¹
  - Max resolution: 2560x1600¹²
- Integrated DisplayPort output
  - Max resolution: 2560x1600¹²
- Integrated HDMI 1.3 output with Deep Color, xvYCC wide gamut support, and high bit-rate audio
  - Max resolution: 1920x1200¹²
- Integrated VGA output
  - Max resolution: 2048x1536¹²
- 3D stereoscopic display/glasses support¹³
- Integrated HD audio controller
  - Output protected high bit rate 7.1 channel surround sound over HDMI with no additional cables required
  - Supports AC-3, AAC, Dolby TrueHD and DTS Master Audio formats
ATI PowerPlay™ power management technology⁷
- Dynamic power management with low power idle state
- Ultra-low power state support for single and multi-board configurations
Certified drivers for Windows 7, Windows Vista, and Windows XP

Speeds & Feeds

Engine clock speed: 725 MHz
Processing power (single precision): 4.64 TeraFLOPS
Processing power (double precision): 928 GigaFLOPS
Polygon throughput: 1.45 billion polygons/sec
Data fetch rate (32-bit): 464 billion fetches/sec
Texel fill rate (bilinear filtered): 116 Gigatexels/sec
Pixel fill rate: 46.4 Gigapixels/sec
Anti-aliased pixel fill rate: 185.6 Gigasamples/sec
Memory clock speed: 1.0 GHz
Memory data rate: 4.0 Gbps
Memory bandwidth: 256.0 GB/sec
Maximum board power: 294 Watts
Idle board power: 51 Watts

Driver support scheduled for release in 2010
To enable a third display you require one panel with a DisplayPort connector or an active DisplayPort adapter
ATI Eyefinity technology works with games that support non-standard aspect ratios which is required for panning across three displays
Requires application support for ATI Stream technology
Digital rights management restrictions may apply
ATI CrossFireX™ technology requires an ATI CrossFireX Ready motherboard, an ATI CrossFireX™ Bridge Interconnect (for each additional graphics card) and may require a specialized power supply
ATI PowerPlay™, ATI Avivo™ and ATI Stream are technology platforms that include a broad set of capabilities offered by certain ATI Radeon™ GPUs. Not all products have all features and full enablement of some capabilities and may require complementary products
Upscaling subject to available monitor resolution
Blu-ray or HD DVD drive and HD monitor required to play Blu-ray / HD DVD discs
Requires Blu-ray movie disc supporting dual 1080p streams
Playing HDCP content requires additional HDCP ready components, including but not limited to an HDCP ready monitor, Blu-ray or HD DVD disc drive, multimedia application and computer operating system.
Some custom resolutions require user configuration
Requires 3D stereo drivers, glasses, and display
14 OpenCL compliant driver and SDK release scheduled for later in 2010

AMD Phenom

2010-08-30T21:06:00.000+08:00

AMD Phenom™ II Processors

Unbeatable multi-core value with AMD Phenom™ II processors. They deliver The Ultimate Visual Experience™ for high definition entertainment, advanced multitasking performance, and power-saving innovations for smaller, cooler machines that are energy efficient.

Features & Benefits

Smoother faster experience, even when running complex software application with native Multi-Core Technology
Scaled performance to conserve PC power with HyperTransport® 3.0 Technology
Hear your music, not your PC with AMD PowerNow!™ Technology (Cool’n’Quiet™ Technology)
Prevent the spread of certain viruses and strengthen your network integrity with Enhanced Virus Protection (EVP)*

AMD Phenom™ II Processors Product Brief

Visual Experience

Live your life in HD. AMD Phenom™ II is for high definition entertainment, gaming, creativity, and beyond. With AMD Phenom™ II processors as the foundation, you'll enjoy a new level of responsiveness and visual intensity. AMD puts high definition computing within everyone’s reach.

Superior technologies for HD video. Enjoy a superior high definition experience for HD videos on you PC. AMD Phenom™ II processor are the powerful engine behind your fidelity, high definition video entertainment experience. Only AMD puts the Ultimate Visual Experience™ for HD video within your reach.

Enjoy entertainment beyond your media library. Get HD content online, offline, wherever you want it, however you want it. Your system can handle whatever you dish out - and serve it up on screen in full, high definition glory.*

Perfect chemistry. Combine AMD Phenom™ II processors and ATI Radeon™ HD graphics to really see the difference. Enjoy smooth video, brilliant videos and immersive games. AMD unleashes visual clarity and responsiveness for what you want to do.

Performance

Do it all. AMD Phenom™ II processors have the power to do it all. Featuring next-generation quad-core design, they crush even the most demanding tasks. So design it, render it, play it, create it, stream it, HD it.* With AMD Phenom™ II processors, if you can imagine it, you can do it.

Energy Efficient

Make a choice you can feel good about. AMD Phenom™ II processors were designed with energy efficiency in mind. Capitalizing on AMD's leadership in energy efficiency, they incorporate all of the latest technology that gives you performance when you need it and save power when you don’t.

Look for ENERGY STAR® with AMD. Thanks to AMD's power-saving innovations, you can count on machines based on AMD Phenom™ II processors for the energy efficiency you want and the performance you need.

AMD Phenom™ II Key Architectural Features

AMD Phenom™ II X6 Six-Core Processors

The backbone of the VISION Black technology platform, the new AMD Phenom™ II X6 six-core processors are the fastest CPUs AMD has ever created. The AMD Phenom™ II X6 six-core processors are also the world's only six-core processors for under $200*. At the heart of a VISION Black Technology platform, the AMD Phenom II X6 processor is the most advanced AMD desktop processor and features innovative AMD Turbo CORE technology to adjust to the dynamic needs of performance users.

New AMD Turbo CORE Technology

Both the AMD Phenom™ II X6 1055T and 1090T come equipped with AMD's new Turbo CORE technology. AMD Turbo CORE technology is a performance boosting technology that automatically switches from six cores to three turbocharged core for applications that just need raw speed over multiple cores. While in Turbo CORE mode, the AMD Phenom™ II X6 1090T shifts frequency speed from 3.2GHz on six cores, to 3.6GHz on three cores, making it the fastest processor AMD has ever created.

AMD Phenom™ II Triple and Quad-Core Processors

True quad-core and triple-core designed from the ground up for better communication between cores.
- Benefit: Cores can communicate on die rather than on package for better performance

AMD64 with Direct Connect Architecture

Helps improve system performance and efficiency by directly connecting the processors, the memory controller, and the I/O to the CPU.
Designed to enable simultaneous 32- and 64-bit computing
Integrated Memory Controller
- Benefits: Increases application performance by dramatically reducing memory latency
- Scales memory bandwidth and performance to match compute needs
- HyperTransport™ Technology provides up to 16.0GB/s peak bandwidth per processor—reducing I/O bottlenecks
- Up to 37GB/s total delivered processor-to-system bandwidth (HyperTransport bus + memory bus)

AMD Balanced Smart Cache

Shared L3 cache (either 6MB or 4MB)
512K L2 cache per core
- Benefit: Shortened access times to the highly accessed data for better performance.

AMD Wide Floating Point Accelerator

128-bit floating point unit (FPU)
High performance (128bit internal data path) floating point unit per core.
- Benefit: Larger data paths and quicker floating point calculations for better performance.

HyperTransport™ Technology

One 16-bit link at up to 4000MT/s
Up to 8.0GB/s HyperTransport™ I/O bandwidth; Up to 16GB/s in HyperTransport Generation 3.0 mode
Up to 37GB/s total delivered processor-to-system bandwidth (HyperTransport bus + memory bus)
- Benefit: Quick access times to system I/O for better performance.

Integrated DRAM Controller with AMD Memory Optimizer Technology

A high-bandwidth, low-latency integrated memory controller
Supports PC2-8500 (DDR2-1066); PC2-6400 (DDR2-800), PC2-5300 (DDR2-667), PC2-4200 (DDR2-533) or PC2-3200 (DDR2-400) SDRAM unbuffered DIMMs – AM2+
Support for unregistered DIMMs up to PC2 8500(DDR2-1066MHz) and PC3 10600 (DDR3-1333MHz) – AM3
Up to 17.1GB/s memory bandwidth for DDR2 and up to 21GB/s memory bandwidth for DDR3
- Benefit: Quick access to system memory for better performance.

AMD Virtualization™ (AMD-V™) Technology With Rapid Virtualization Indexing

Silicon feature-set enhancements designed to improve the performance, reliability, and security of existing and future virtualization environments by allowing virtualized applications with direct and rapid access to their allocated memory.
- Benefit: Helps virtualization software to run more securely and efficiently enabling a better experience when dealing with virtual systems

AMD PowerNow!™ Technology (Cool’n’Quiet™ Technology)

Enhanced power management features which automatically and instantaneously adjusts performance states and features based on processor performance requirements
For quieter operation and reduced power requirements
- Benefit: Enables cooler and quieter platform designs by providing extremely efficient performance and energy usage.

AMD CoolCore™ Technology

Reduces processor energy consumption by turning off unused parts of the processor. For example, the memory controller can turn off the write logic when reading from memory, helping reduce system power.
Works automatically without the need for drivers or BIOS enablement.
Power can be switched on or off within a single clock cycle, saving energy with no impact to performance.
- Benefit: Helps users get more efficient performance by dynamically activating or turning off parts of the processor.

Dual Dynamic Power Management™

Enables more granular power management capabilities to reduce processor energy consumption.
Separate power planes for cores and memory controller, for optimum power consumption and performance, creating more opportunities for power savings within the cores and memory controller.
- Benefit: Helps improve platform efficiency by providing on demand memory performance while still allowing for decreased system power consumption

D-lInk Switch/Hub

2010-08-27T12:59:00.001+08:00

Description

With Plug-&-Play functionality, the D-Link DES-1024D Unmanaged switch expands your network and automatically detects your network speeds and adjusts for peak performance.

The 24-port D-Link DES-1024D unmanaged switch is the latest addition to D-Link’s popular line of Express EtherNetwork™ products. Like other products in the line, the DES-1024D combines ease of use with unsurpassed performance resulting in an exceptional value for any cost-conscious network administrator who wants the best possible solution at the best possible price.The DES-1024D is truly Plug-&-Play with features like: Auto Speed Sensing — allowing it to automatically sense whether a network device is running at 10Mbps or 100Mbps then automatically adjusting itself for optimal performance; Auto-Negotiation (Full or Half Duplex) — negotiating and running the highest supported transmission rate whether at Half- or Full-Duplex; and Auto MDI/MDIX Crossover—offering auto-negotiating MDI/MDIX detection on every port to eliminate the need for crossover cables or uplink ports.
The DES-1024D features a non-blocking wire-speed architecture with a 4.8Gbps switching capacity, for maximum data throughput. It also features an integrated universal power supply, and per port diagnostics LEDs that make it easy to “spot check” for problems. With wire-speed filtering and Store-and-Forward switching, the DES-1024D also maximizes network performance while minimizing the propagation of bad network packets.
This easy-to-use 10/100BASE-T swich will enhance and compliment any existing network infrastructure and deliver the performance that IT managers and other SMB network administrators demand.

Features

Superior Performance
Non-Blocking Wire-Speed Architecture
4.8Gbps Switching Capacity

Specifications

Ports	24-10/100Mbps RJ-45 Auto-sensing ports
Standards	IEEE 802.3 Ethernet IEEE 802.3u Fast Ethernet IEEE 802.3x Flow Control IEEE 802.1p QoS Support (2 Queues)
Network Interface	RJ-45: 100ohm, UTP/STP cable 10/100Base – EIA/TIA Categories 3 or 5 cable
Switching Method	Store – and – forward
Switch Fabric	4.8Gbps
MAC Address Table	8,000 entries
Filtering/ Forwarding/LearningRates	Full line rate/full wire speed
Physical Specifications	Dimensions (W x H x D):11.02 x 7.09 x 1.73 in.(280 x 180 x 44 mm) Weight: 4.19 lbs. (1.9 kg.) Metal Housing Side Air Vents with Fanless Air-Cooling Design
LEDs	100Mbps – one per port 10Mbps – one per port Power Link/Act (activity)
Temperature	Operating: 32°-104°F (0-40°C) Storage: 14°-158°F (-10°-70°C)
Humidity, non-condensing	Operating: 5% to 90% RH Storage: 5% to 90% RH
Power Requirements	Universal AC input: 100 to 240 VAC, 50 to 60 Hz, Internal Universal Power Supply
EMC/ Safety Compliances	Emissions CE Mark Class A FCC Class A VCCI-A Safety UL
Warranty	Limited Lifetime

Ordering Information

Part Number:	DES-1024D
Description	Unmanaged Layer 2 Switch with (24) 10/100BASE-T Ports

Altec Lansing Speaker System

2010-08-27T12:49:00.000+08:00

Expressionist Ultra speaker system

Altec Lansing

Live your games with the Expressionist Ultra speaker system. Crashing waves of sound hit you from five digital amplifiers powering five separate drivers, drenching you in the action. Lose yourself in titanic bass and astonishingly accurate, full-spectrum sound from precision-matched speaker drivers. This uniquely designed 3-speaker, 200-watt monster is hardcore equipment to unleash your games to the next level. The desktop controller puts you in the driver’s seat, letting you command your sound. Get earth-shattering volume, crystal clarity and seriously heavy bass whatever you plug in – computer, TV, MP3 player, games console or DVD player. With the Expressionist Ultra, you need to get ready for the ride.

200 Watt powerhouse
Separate bass, midrange and treble amplifiers turn out phenomenally clean power at any volume.
Audio Alignment™
Drivers, enclosure and electronics perfectly balanced for ultimate sound.
Exhilerating ride
a mind blowing experience whatever you’re plugged in to.
Full, accurate sound
Each speaker delivers clear, full-spectrum sound from a 3” midrange driver and a 1" inch neodymium tweeter.
Formidable bass
6 1/2“ front-firing, long-throw woofer delivers low-frequency bass you can feel.
Desktop Controller
Full-function Power, Volume, Treble and Bass controls gives you total command.
Plug in more devices
AUX IN jack and RCA adapter let you add devices to the mix while plugged in to your computer. Connect to your TV, game console, MP3, DVD, VCR or CD player.
Headphone jack
Get lost in your own world.

Specifications
Two 3” mid-range (75 mm) and
two 1” (22 mm) high-frequency
neodymium drivers

6.5” long-throw woofer (165 mm)

Sound Pressure Level (SPL): 106 dB

Total Continuous Power: 200 Watts RMS

Midrange driver: 33 Watts per Channel @
4 ohms @ 10% THD @ 150 Hz – 2.5 kHz

Tweeter: 33 Watts per Channel @ 4 ohms
@ 10% THD @ 2.5 kHz – 20 kHz

Subwoofer: 68 Watts @ 8 ohms @
10 % THD @ 40 Hz – 180 Hz Single
Channel Loaded

System Response: 40 Hz – 20 kHz (-10 dB)

Signal to Noise Ratio
@ 1 kHz input:> 75 dB

Dimensions:
Subwoofer:
10.2” (W) x 15.1” (D) x 15.8” (H)
260mm (W) x 382mm (D) x 400mm (H)

Satellite:
5.4” (W) x 6.2” (D) x 8.7” (H)
135mm (W) x 156mm (D) x 220mm (H)

Specifications subject to change without notice.

• 1-year limited warranty (2 years in Europe; see inside for details.)
• © 2008
Plantronics, Inc. All rights reserved.
• ALTEC, ALTEC LANSING, the Altec Lansing logo, the horn design, Altec Lansing Hear What’s
Next, Expressionist, and MX6021 are trademarks or registered trademarks of Altec Lansing, a division of Plantronics, Inc.
• Plantronics,
the logo design and Sound Innovation are trademarks or registered trademarks of Plantronics, Inc.
• iPod is a trademark of Apple,
Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries.
• All other trademarks appearing herein are the property of their respective owners.
• Designed by Altec Lansing in the USA. Made in China.

Packaging Specifications
Master Carton Quantity: 2
Master Carton Dimensions:
18.2” (W) x 34.7” (D) x 18.4” (H)
Display Carton Dimensions:
17.1” (W) x 17.6” (D) x 17.6” (H)
Master Carton Weight: 47.8 lbs.
Display Carton Weight: 22.2 lbs.

Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi Titanium HD

2010-08-27T12:32:00.002+08:00

The Sound Blaster X-Fi Titanium HD provides the highest quality audio playback of any other sound card Creative has ever introduced. This sound card includes THX TruStudio PC audio technology, bringing together two of the most respected names in sound quality to provide an unparalleled audio experience on the PC. The Sound Blaster X-Fi Titanium HD features audiophile-grade components for high-quality playback of music, games and movies, including 122db SNR Digital-to-Analog Converters (DACs), the highest signal-to-noise ratio sound card ever produced by Creative. Replaceable OP-amps provide the flexibility to further customize your audio experience through different sound coloration. If you are serious about how your PC sounds, this is the ultimate Sound Blaster experience.

	Premium Sound Blaster quality Featuring High-Fidelity audio performance with the Digital-Analog (D/A), Analog-Digital (A/D) converters, together with a signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of 122dB with 0.001% (THD) distortion, the Sound Blaster X-Fi Titanium HD is the ideal choice for the demanding audiophile.
	Audiophile components The Sound Blaster X-Fi Titanium HD features high quality components offering audiophile-grade performance, designed to eliminate noise, while dramatically improving sound field dynamics in the high and mid tones.
	Superior headphone experience Enjoy pristine audio in private anywhere with the superlative headphone output featuring an amazing 115dB, 24-bit/96kHz support in High-Definition (HD) quality sound for original playback.
	Personalize your sound with upgradeable components For the discerning music listener, you can personalize your listening experience with the swappable OP-amp sockets on the sound card to tailor sound to the way you want it.
	THX TruStudio PC for unprecedented audio realism The ground-breaking THX TruStudio PC sound effects will transform your experience into a true High-Definition (HD) multimedia emotional journey.
	Hardware accelerated EAX 5.0 for ultimate gaming audio Hardware-powered 3D positional audio and EAX 5.0 effects provide stunning audio realism over both headphones and speakers without affecting your frame-rates.
	Pristine audio recordings with ultra low latency ASIO recording support with latency as low as one millisecond and minimal CPU load for precise audio recordings.
	Immersive digital home entertainment Dolby Digital and DTS encoding enable a simple one-step single-cable connection to home entertainment systems with included optical cables, for compelling surround sound.
	Optimized for Windows Vista and Windows 7 In order to achieve the ultimate Sound Blaster performance, the Sound Blaster X-Fi Titanium HD has been optimized to work on PCs with Windows Vista or Windows 7 only.

Feature	Description
Audio Performance
DAC Resolution:	Front Channel Out : 24-bit, 192kHz Headphone (330Ohms): 24-bit, 192kHz Headphone (33Ohms): 24-bit, 192kHz Aux In: 24-bit, 96kHz
Output Level (Full Scale):	Front Channel Out : 2Vrms Headphone (330Ohms): 1Vrms Headphone (33Ohms): 1Vrms Aux In: 2Vrms
SNR (20kHz Low-pass filter, A-Wgt), @ 24-bit, 96kHz	Front Channel Out : 122dB Headphone (330Ohms): 117dB Headphone (33Ohms): 115dB Aux In: 118dB
THD+N (20kHz Low-pass filter):	Front Channel Out : 0.001% Headphone (330Ohms): 0.001% Headphone (33Ohms): 0.006% Aux In: 0.001%
Frequency Response (-3.5dB):	Front Channel Out : 10Hz to 90kHz Headphone (330Ohms): 10Hz to 46kHz Headphone (33Ohms): 10Hz to 46kHz Aux In: 10Hz to 46kHz

PCTech Magazine: DLP Projectors

2010-08-27T00:26:00.000+08:00

PCTech Magazine: DLP Projectors: "SONY VPLDX15 This powerful mobile business projector is ideal for mid-sized conference rooms and classrooms. It features native XGA resolu..."

DLP Projectors

2010-08-27T00:25:00.000+08:00

SONY VPLDX15

This powerful mobile business projector is ideal for mid-sized conference rooms and classrooms. It features native XGA resolution, 3000 lumens color light output and accepts a wide range of input signals, including both PC and video sources. The VPL-DX15 is a Windows® Vista compatible Network Presentation Projector featuring network file viewing; remote monitoring and maintenance; streaming video viewing; and “Remote Desktop,” which allows the user to view files and folders from their PC and access web browsers without needing proprietary software – all without bringing their PC along.

Highlights:

XGA Native Resolution
3000 Lumens Brightness
Compact, lightweight & portable
Windows Vista compatible Network Presentation Projector
USB File Viewer
Off & Go Technology
Anti-Theft Features: Password Authentication, Control Panel Key Lock, Security Lock
Direct Power On/Off

Floor, Ceiling and Rear Installation Flexibility
4x Digital Zoom
Freeze Function
Picture and Audio Muting
12-bit 3D Gamma Correction
ID Function for Multi-Projector Installation
The lamp in this product contains mercury. Disposal of these materials may be regulated due to environmental considerations. For disposal or recycling information, please contact your local authorities or the Telecommunications Industry Association Electronic Industries Alliance.

Optical Specifications	Detail:
Projection System	3 LCD Panels 1 lens projection system
Image Device	0.63 inch XGA LCD panel
Color Light Output	3000 lumens
Color Light Output (low lamp mode)	2400 lumens
Light Output	3000 lumens (lamp mode high) 2400 lumens (lamp mode low)
Contrast Ratio	700:1
Lamp	200W UHP
Lamp Life	approx. 2000H (lamp mode high), approx. 3000H (lamp mode low)
Projection Lens	1.2 times zoom lens f18.63 to 22.36 mm F1.65 to 1.8
Throw Ratio	1.5-1.8:1
Screen Coverage	40 to 300 inches (viewable area measured diagonally)

Input/Output Specifications	Detail:
S-Video In	Y/C Mini DIN 4-pin
Composite Video In	RCA phono jack
Analog RGB/Component In	HD D-sub 15-pin (female) x 1
Network	Wired: RJ45 Wireless: IEEE.802.11.a/b/g
Variable Audio Out	Stereo mini jack
USB	Type A

Electrical Specifications	Detail:
Native Resolution	XGA: 1024 x 768 Pixels
Video Resolution	750 TV lines
Color System	NTSC3.58 PAL SECAM NTSC4.43 PAL-M PAL-N PAL60
Acceptable Computer Signals	fH: 19 to 80 kHz fV: 48 to 92 Hz Up to SXGA+ (fv 60 Hz)
Acceptable Video Signals	15k RGB, Component 50/60 Hz Component 50/60 Hz Progressive Component 50/60 Hz DTV (480/60i / 575/50i / 480/60p / 575/50p / 720/60p / 720/50p / 1080/60i / 1080/50i) Composite Video Y/C Video

General Specifications	Detail:
Dimensions (W x H x D)	11 5/8 x 2 29/32 x 8 1/32 inches (295 x 74 x 204 mm)
Weight	4.14 lbs 2.2 kg
Power Requirements	AC 100 to 240 V 3.6 - 1.6 A 50/60 Hz
Power Consumption	Max 320 W Standby 5.5 W Standby (low) <1.0 W
Speaker	Mono 1 W (max.) x1
Fan Noise	37dB (lamp mode low), 42 dB (lamp mode high)
Vertical Keystone Correction Range	Max. +/- 30 degrees (auto)
Horizontal Keystone Correction Range	N/A
Operating Temperature	32 to 95 °F (0 to 35 °C)
Operating Humidity	35 to 85% (no condensation)
Heat Dissipation	990 BTU
Storage Temperature	-4 to 140 °F (-20 to 60 °C)
Storage Humidity	10% to 90%

Other Specifications	Detail:
Safety Regulations	CB (IEC60950-1) DEMKO (EN60950-1) FCC Class B IC Class B JEITA UL60950-1 cUL (CSA 60950-1) VCCI eK (K60950-1 +EMC) C-Tick (EN55022(B)) CE (LVD, EMC, R & TEE) MIC JATE

Acer® P7290

The Acer® P7290 projector is equipped with leading technologies for high-impact, professional business presentations. This DLP® certified projector provides bright, lifelike visuals and guarantees big power savings, thanks to Acer ePower Management technology.

Exceptional display
Advanced Acer ColorBoost II presents vivid graphics and enhanced details via powerful image processing and advanced lamp illumination technology. XGA resolution depicts sharp details even for fine print and allows you to select the level of display detail required for your particular usage scenario. 5000 ANSI lumens brightness and a 3000:1 contrast ratio project crystal clear, vibrant images from a long distance on a large screen.

Versatile installation
The Empowering Key provides easy access to the useful suite of Acer Empowering Technology tools. Acer SmartFormat technology offers complete multiformat support for instant projection of wide-format content without complicated resolution settings. And the convenient Installation Menu means you no longer need signal input before setting up, making it easier to install your projector.

Empowering usability
An HDMI™ port delivers uncompressed digital signals and multi-channel audio for exceptional HD viewing and the highest-quality video and audio currently available. Furthermore, a fully digital DVI-D port supports HD digital and analog signals as well as HDCP for a secure connection to a variety of media sources, while S/PDIF allows connectivity of a 5.1-channel sound system for an immersive sound experience. The Acer® P7290 projector is also equipped with two sets of D-Sub and audio connectors, allowing dual-PC source input for more flexible connectivity and instant switching.

Earth-friendly functionality
Acer EcoProjection technology cuts standby power consumption to a single watt for environment-friendly energy management. Up to 3000 hours of lamp life saves lamp replacement costs and ensures long-term, dependable projector use. ECO Mode extends lamp lifespan and reduces noise and power consumption. The low 29 dBA noise level ensures clear and audible presentations. With Acer Instant Pack technology, you can safely unplug the power cord right after the Acer® P7290 is turned off -- you don't have to wait till it cools down, so you can pack up and go immediately! The Acer® P7290 automatically performs a safety shutdown if there is no input for an extended period of time.

Display Technology	DLP™, Digital light processor
Native Resolution	Native XGA (1,024 x 768)
Compressed Resolution	Maximum UXGA (1,600 x 1,200), WSXGA+ (1,680x1,050)
Typical Colors	1.07 Billion Colors
Brightness (ANSI lumens)	5,000 ANSI Lumens (Standard), 4,000 ANSI Lumens (ECO)
Contrast Ratio	3000:1
Noise Level	35 dBA (Standard mode), 29 dBA (ECO mode)- w/o dust filter
Weight	5.4Kg (12 lbs)
Dimensions	404 x 315 x 120 mm (15.9" x 12.4" x 4.7")
Computer Compatibility	IBM PC and Compatibles, Apple Macintosh, iMac, and VESA Standards WSXGA+ (1,680 x 1,050), WXGA+ (1,440 x 900), WXGA (1,280 x 800, 1,280 x 768), UXGA (1,600 x 1,200), SXGA+ (1,400 x 1,050), SXGA (1,280 x 1,024), XGA (1,024 x 768), SVGA (800 x 600), VGA (640 x 480)
Video Compatibility	NTSC (3.58/4.43), PAL (B/D/G/H/I/M/N), SECAM (B/D/G/K/K1/L), HDTV (720p, 1080i, 1080p), EDTV (480p, 576p), SDTV (480i, 576i)
Aspect Ratio	4:3 (Native), 16:9
Picture in Picture (PiP)	Yes
Digital Zoom	8x
Horizontal Scan Rate:	27 ~ 92 kHz
Vertical Scan Rate	50 ~ 85 Hz
Projection Distance	3.9' (1.2m) ~ 31.4' (9.6m)
Projection Screen Size (Diagonal):	31" (79cm) ~ 300" (762cm)
Keystone Correction	+/-40 Degrees (Vertical), +/-15 Degrees (Horizontal), Manual
Audio	Two Internal Speaker with 3 watts Output
Lamp Life	2,000 Hours (Standard), 3,000 Hours (ECO)
Lamp Type	Philips 350 W user replaceable P-VIP lamp
Power Consumption	460 Watts (Operation), 1 Watts (Standby)
I/O connectors	Analog RGB/Component Video (D-sub) x 2, Composite Video (RCA) x 1, S-Video (Mini DIN) x1, Component (3 RCA) x 1, HDMI (Video, Audio, HDCP) x 1, DVI (HDCP) x 1, PC Audio (Stereo mini jack) x 2, Output interface: Analog RGB (D-sub) x 1, SPDIF Audio (RCA) x 1, Control interface: USB (Type B) x 1 RS232 (Mini DIN) x 1 Wired remote control port (Mini jack) x 1
Bundled Accesories	AC power cord, VGA cable, Composite video cable, DVI cable, S-Video cable, Component cable, Remote control, Battery x 2 for remote control, Detachable cable holder, Duster filter x 2, Lens cap, Carrying case, User's guide (CD-ROM), Quick start guide, Security card
Ceiling Mounting Capability	Yes
Warranty	All of Acer projectors support a two year carry-in warranty and 90 days for the lamp.

Dell 2400MP DLP Portable Video Projector

Overview

The Dell 2400MP projector incorporates the latest generation of DLP technology with LVDS data transmission technology which increases the switching speed of the DLP chip for enhanced video performance. The 2400MP combines super high brightness, DarkChip3^TM and BrilliantColor^TM the latest in color reproduction technology from Texas Instruments to deliver the ultimate in projector performance.

Features

Bright 3,000 ANSI Lumens (Max)
Excellent high contrast ratio of 2100:1 (Full on/Full off)
5.5 lbs. (2.5kg) and only 4" (101mm) high
Integrated zoom lenses and automatic vertical keystone correction
DLPTM LVDS technology from Texas Instruments
Native XGA (1024 x 768), with autosync up to UXGA (1600 x 1200)
Eco-mode option for quiet operation and extended lamp life2(up to 2500 hours)
Full connectivity — Supports PC, S-video, composite video, component video via VGA and RS-232 connectors
Supports full range of television and video standards, including NTSC, NTSC 4.43, PAL, PAL-N, PAL M, SECAM and HDTV (480i/P, 576i/P, 720P, 1080i)
Up to 5-years limited warranty3 with Advanced Exchange5 Service (90 days on bulb)
Includes all relevant cables, a remote and a drop-tested hard carrying case.

Specifications

Brightness	3000 ANSI Lumens (Max)
Light Valve	Single chip DLP^TM LVDS technology
Contrast Ratio	2100:1 (Full on/Full off)
Lamp	260-watt, user-replaceable P-VIP lamp; 2000 hours (2500 hours in Eco-mode)
Resolution	Native XGA (1024 x 768), with autosync up to UXGA (1600 x 1200)
Displayable Color	16.7 Million true colors
Projection Lens	F/ 2.4 ~ 2.7, f = 28.0 ~ 33.6 mm with 1.2x Manual Zoom Lens
Projection Screen Size	Adjustable from 24.6" to 295.3" Diagonal (62.5 - 750cm)
Projection Distance	3.9ft - 39.4ft (1.2m - 12m)
Video Compatibility	NTSC, NTSC 4.43, PAL (B/D/G/H/I/M/N), SECAM (B/D/G/K/K1/L) and HDTV (480i/P, 576i/P, 720P, 1080i) compatible
H. Frequency	15kHz-92kHz horizontal scan
V. Frequency	50Hz-85Hz vertical refresh
Keystone Correction	Vertical: Horizontal: +/- 40 degree (80 degrees) Vertical: +/- 15 degree (30 degrees)
Multimedia Audio	One internal speaker with 2 watt output
Power Supply	Universal 100-240V AC 50/60 Hz
Power Consumption	325W at full power (285W at Eco-Mode)
Noise Output	36 dBA (normal operation); 33dBA (eco-mode)
I/O Connectors	Power: AC power input socket Computer Input: One VGA 15 pin D-sub Computer Output: One VGA 15-pin D-sub Video Input: One Composite Video RCA, one RGB/component and one S-Video USB: One USB port
Weight	5.5 lbs (2.5 kg)
Dimensions (W x H x D)	10.8" x 8.3" x 4" (273.7 x 212 x 101mm)
Environmental	Operating Temperature: 5o C - 35o C (41o F-95o F) Storage Temperature: -20o C to 60o C (-4o F to 140o F) Humidity: 80% maximum

INFOCUS IN1100

The InFocus IN1100 projector series is designed for teams that want it all - mobility, performance, and ease-of-use. With DisplayLink™ USB connectivity the IN1100 series takes seconds to set up & project and uses a much smaller cable. Utilizing filter-free DLP® with BrilliantColor™ technology, the IN1100 brings superior visual performance to any meeting space.

Ease-of-use At a mere 2.75lb and 2400cc, the lightweight & compact nature of the IN1100-series makes it easy to move between floors and easy to travel with. With a much smaller footprint than a piece of notebook paper, every tabletop has room for this projector.

Performance The IN1100-series provides vivid colors and ample brightness. DLP® with BrilliantColor™ technology offers true-to-life color reproduction with up to 2200 lumens and an 1800:1 contrast ratio; a trifecta other mobile products cannot match. Leveraging high speed processing the IN1100 series accepts WUXGA & 1080p high resolution content. Additionally, the IN1100-series offers XGA and WXGA native resolutions to perfectly display from 4:3 or 16:10 widescreen computers.

Peace of mind
Plug-in, power-on, project. The IN1100-series is the first projector to utilize DisplayLink™ technology to eliminate the need to resize computer screens or toggle function keys when setting up an IN1100 series projector.

Inputs and Outputs
Native Aspect Ratio:	4x3
Supported Aspect Ratio:	16:9, 4:3, 5:4
Brightness: (max ANSI lumens)	High Bright: 2100 Lumens Eco Mode: 1550 Lumens
Contrast Ratio:	1800 : 1 Full On/Full Off
Display Technology:	DLP by Texas Instruments: 0.55" XGA DMD with Brilliant Color
Data Compatibility:	VGA (640x480), SVGA (800x600), XGA (1024x768), SXGA (1280x1024), SXGA+ (1400x1050), UXGA (1600x1200)
Video Compatibility:	Full NTSC, PAL, SECAM, 480i, 576i, 480p, 576p, 720p, 1080i, 1080p/60
Color Wheel (DLP Only):	5-segment
Native Resolution:	XGA
Projector Placement:	Front Projection, Rear Projection
SMPTE Brightness:	Not Available
Lamp Wattage:	High Bright: 165 Watts Eco Mode: 132 Watts
Lamp Life:	High Bright: 3000 Hours Eco Mode: 4000 Hours
Minimum Image Size:	Not Available
Maximum Image Size:	Not Available
Standard Lens Zoom:	1.1 : 1
Standard Lens Throw Ratio:	1.95 - 2.15 (Distance/Width)
Standard Lens Image Offset Ratio:	115%
Standard Lens Projection Distance:	3.9 - 39 ft (1.19 - 11.89 m)
Digital Keystone Correction (Vertical):	+30°/-30°
Digital Keystone Correction (Horizontal):	Not Available
Lens Shift:	Not Available
USB:	Not Available
DVI:	Not Available
M1:	Not Available
HDMI:	Not Available
BNC:	Not Available
Component (RCA):	Number of Inputs: 1 requires optional VGA to Component adapter.
VESA (HD15):	Number of Inputs: 1 15-pin VGA
S-Video:	Number of Inputs: 1 4-pin mini-DIN
Composite (RCA):	Number of Inputs: 1
Standard Definition TV:	Composite RCA, S-Video
Enhanced Definition TV:	VGA
High Definition TV:	VGA
Computer:	USB (DisplayLink), VGA
HDCP Support:	No
Stereo RCA Jacks Inputs:	No
Stereo 3.5 mm Mini-jack Inputs:	Yes
12v trigger for motorized screens (3.5 mm mini-jack):	No
Projector Control:	Projector Keypad, Remote, USB
Speakers:	1 Watt mono speaker
Monitor Output:	No
Audio Output:	Not Available
Compatibility
Data Compatibility:	VGA (640x480), SVGA (800x600), XGA (1024x768), SXGA (1280x1024), SXGA+ (1400x1050), UXGA (1600x1200)
H-Sync Range:	31 - 92kHz
V-Sync Range:	50 - 85Hz
Video Compatibility:	Full NTSC, PAL, SECAM, 480i, 576i, 480p, 576p, 720p, 1080i, 1080p/60
General
Audible Noise:	35 dB
Actual Dimensions:	Height: 2.5 in (6.35 cm) Length: 7.2 in (18.29 cm) Width: 8.3 in (21.08 cm)
Actual Weight:	2.75 lbs (1.25 kg)
Shipping Dimensions:	Height: 11.42 in (29.01 cm) Length: 15.5 in (39.37 cm) Width: 7.28 in (18.49 cm)
Shipping Weight:	7.5 lbs (3.4 kg)
Projector Warranty:	2 years - Filter Free Design and 24 hour operation compatible, 5 year DLP imager warranty
Lamp Warranty:	6 months
Accessories Warranty:	90 days
Operating temperature: (at sea level)	41 - 95° F (5 - 35° C)
Maximum Altitude Supported:	10000 ft (3048 m)
Typical Power Consumption:	164 Watts
Maximum Power Consumption:	185 Watts
Power Supply:	100 - 240 Volts at 50 - 60 Hz
Menu Languages:	English, French, German, Italian, Korean, Norwegian, Portuguese, Russian, Simplified Chinese, Spanish, Traditional Chinese, Swedish, Dutch, Polish, Turkish, Danish, Finnish
Approvals:	UL and c-UL (US/Canada), FCC (US/Canada), CE (CE member countries), GOST (Russia), TUV GS (Germany), CCC (China), IRAM (Argentina), NOM (Mexico), C-Tick (Australia), MIC & eK (South Korea), PSB (Singapore), WEEE (EU), South Africa, RoHS, China RoHS

LED Versus LCD Monitors

2010-08-26T22:21:00.000+08:00

Computers are important electronic devices in a world of technology in which changes need to be made so as for all sorts of improvements to be made possible in all sorts of domains. Computers need to be good quality ones in order to enable for such improvements to be obtained. A very important hardware component which is said to widely influence the performance of our computers is the monitor on which results which come from all kinds of instructions which we require for the computer system to operate are being displayed.

Nowadays there are numerous models of computer monitors available for everyone interested in learning more about them to analyze and compare them. Many users have also been interested in being able to learn about important aspects related to the idea of considering a LED versus LCD monitors comparison, as they are widely used nowadays and users should be able to decide which of them they might enjoy more working with.

When trying to discuss about important aspects in a LED versus LCD monitors comparison there are important aspects which need to be mentioned abut both of these two types of monitors. When discussing about TV monitors, it should be mentioned the fact that the main difference between LED and LCD monitors is related to their backlighting techniques.

This difference is very important to be taken in account because the lighting techniques are said to influence the picture quality very much and in this way they can represent an important factor which might help users decide which of these two types of monitors might be more appropriate for them to work with. In this respect, in a comparison such as LED versus LCD monitors it needs to be mentioned the fact that LCD TV monitors use fluorescent type of tube lightning while LED TV monitors are said to use the light being emitted by diodes. It should also be made aware to all of us the fact that there are both diverse types of fluorescent lights and LED backlighting styles available nowadays.

Other aspects which should be considered in a comparison such as the LED versus LCD monitors one are the contrast presented by these monitors, the color accuracy presented by them, the viewing angles included, certain functional considerations which are also important, their longevity and many other such aspects which might enable users to decide which of them might be more appropriate to be used. In what concerns the contrast presented by these monitors it has been considered that most of the LED TV monitors are advantageous form this point of view.

In what concerns the color accuracy, things are a little different as both of these tow type of TV monitors are said to be kind of equal in quality form this point of view. Certainly, this applies in cases in which the backlight color is not affected in any way as when this happens LED TV monitors are once again said to be more advantageous to be used. When discussing about the viewing angles, many users have also considered LED TV monitors to be better. Certainly, these opinions might not be the same among all of us but many of the users who have compared these two types of TV monitors have considered this to be the case.

There are also many situations in which LED TV monitors have been considered equal with LCD TV monitors and which are also important to be mentioned in a discussion on LED versus LCD monitors comparison. These situations refer to their use and to the quality of their video playback. There are also many features which cannot be generally considered either better or worse in one type of monitors or another as this depends on many factors and it cannot be made a general rule concerning them. Anyway, it is always possible for different users comparing these two types of monitors to have different opinions and in this way when we are interested in buying one type or another we should also try to compare them so as for a better decision to be made.

PCTech Magazine: Best Wireless Router 2010

2010-08-26T18:06:00.000+08:00

PCTech Magazine: Best Wireless Router 2010: "A router is a very powerful piece of hardware. Linking all of your computers makes file sharing, backing up files and internet usage much ..."

PCTech Magazine: Enermax Switching Power Supply

2010-08-26T17:32:00.000+08:00

PCTech Magazine: Enermax Switching Power Supply: "It is all about efficiency, so goes the public mind. But being 85+ efficient was the minimum goal for our engineers. We wanted to create ..."

Intel® X25-E Extreme SATA Solid-State Drive

2010-08-26T16:49:00.000+08:00

Extreme performance, reliability, and power savings for servers, storage and workstations

Intel® X25-E Extreme SATA Solid-State Drive

The Intel® Extreme SATA Solid-State Drive (SSD) offers outstanding performance and reliability, delivering the highest IOPS per watt for servers, storage and high-end workstations.

Reduce your Total Cost of Ownership (TCO)

Enterprise applications place a premium on performance, reliability, power consumption and space. Unlike traditional hard disk drives, Intel Solid-State Drives have no moving parts, resulting in a quiet, cool storage solution that also offers significantly higher performance than traditional server drives. Imagine replacing up to 50 high-RPM hard disk drives with one Intel® X25-E Extreme SATA Solid-State Drive in your servers — handling the same server workload in less space, with no cooling requirements and lower power consumption. That space and power savings, for the same server workload, will translate to a tangible reduction in your TCO.

Better by design

Drawing from decades of memory engineering experience, the Intel X25-E Extreme SATA Solid-State Drive is designed to deliver outstanding performance and reliability, featuring the latest-generation native SATA interface with an advanced architecture employing 10 parallel NAND flash channels equipped with single-level cell NAND flash memory for even greater overall performance and reliability. With powerful Native Command Queuing to enable up to 32 concurrent operations, these Intel SSDs deliver higher Input/Output Operations per Second (IOPS) and throughput performance than other SSDs on the market today - and drastically outperform traditional hard disk drives. These Intel drives also feature low write amplification and a unique wear-leveling design for higher reliability, meaning Intel drives not only perform better - they last longer.

Validated and tested by Intel, on Intel

All Intel® X25-E Extreme SATA Solid-State Drives are tested and validated on the latest Intel-based server and workstation platforms, for your peace of mind.

Technical specifications

Model name	Intel® X25-E Extreme SATA Solid-State Drive
Capacity	32GB and 64GB
NAND Flash components	Intel® Single-Level Cell (SLC) NAND Flash Memory 10 Parallel Channel Architecture with 50nm SLC ONFI 1.0 NAND
Bandwidth	Sustained sequential read: up to 250 MB/s Sustained sequential write: up to 170 MB/s
Read latency	75 microseconds
I/O Per Second (IOPS)	Random 4KB Reads: >35,000 IOPS Random 4KB Writes: >3,300 IOPS
Interface	SATA 1.5 Gb/s and 3.0 Gb/s
Form factor	2.5" by 7mm industry standard hard drive form factor
Compatibility	SATA Revision 2.6 Compliant. Compatible with SATA 3 Gb/s with Native Command Queuing and SATA 1.5 Gb/s interface rates
Life expectancy	2 Million Hours Mean Time Before Failure (MTBF)
Power consumption	Active: 2.4W Typical (server workload¹) Idle (DIPM): 0.06 W Typical
Operating shock	1,000G / 0.5ms
Voltage	5V SATA supply rail
Operating temperature	0°C to +70°C
RoHS compliant	Meets the requirements of EU RoHS Compliance Directives
Product health monitoring	Self-Monitoring, Analysis and Reporting Technology (S.M.A.R.T.) commands, plus additional SSD monitoring

How Hard Disks Work

2010-08-26T16:36:00.001+08:00

Nearly every desktop computer and server in use today contains one or more hard-disk drives. Every mainframe and supercomputer is normally connected to hundreds of them. You can even find VCR-type devices and camcorders that use hard disks instead of tape. These billions of hard disks do one thing well -- they store changing digital information in a relatively permanent form. They give computers the ability to remember things when the power goes out.

In this article, we'll take apart a hard disk so that you can see what's inside, and also discuss how they organize the gigabytes of information they hold in files!

Hard Disk Basics

Hard disks were invented in the 1950s. They started as large disks up to 20 inches in diameter holding just a few megabytes. They were originally called "fixed disks" or "Winchesters" (a code name used for a popular IBM product). They later became known as "hard disks" to distinguish them from "floppy disks." Hard disks have a hard platter that holds the magnetic medium, as opposed to the flexible plastic film found in tapes and floppies.

At the simplest level, a hard disk is not that different from a cassette tape. Both hard disks and cassette tapes use the same magnetic recording techniques described in How Tape Recorders Work. Hard disks and cassette tapes also share the major benefits of magnetic storage -- the magnetic medium can be easily erased and rewritten, and it will "remember" the magnetic flux patterns stored onto the medium for many years.

Cassette Tape vs. Hard Disk

Let's look at the big differences between cassette tapes and hard disks:

The magnetic recording material on a cassette tape is coated onto a thin plastic strip. In a hard disk, the magnetic recording material is layered onto a high-precision aluminum or glass disk. The hard-disk platter is then polished to mirror-type smoothness.
With a tape, you have to fast-forward or reverse to get to any particular point on the tape. This can take several minutes with a long tape. On a hard disk, you can move to any point on the surface of the disk almost instantly.
In a cassette-tape deck, the read/write head touches the tape directly. In a hard disk, the read/write head "flies" over the disk, never actually touching it.
The tape in a cassette-tape deck moves over the head at about 2 inches (about 5.08 cm) per second. A hard-disk platter can spin underneath its head at speeds up to 3,000 inches per second (about 170 mph or 272 kph)!
The information on a hard disk is stored in extremely small magnetic domains compared to a cassette tape's. The size of these domains is made possible by the precision of the platter and the speed of the medium.

Because of these differences, a modern hard disk is able to store an amazing amount of information in a small space. A hard disk can also access any of its information in a fraction of a second.

Capacity and Performance

A typical desktop machine will have a hard disk with a capacity of between 10 and 40 gigabytes. Data is stored onto the disk in the form of files. A file is simply a named collection of bytes. The bytes might be the ASCII codes for the characters of a text file, or they could be the instructions of a software application for the computer to execute, or they could be the records of a data base, or they could be the pixel colors for a GIF image. No matter what it contains, however, a file is simply a string of bytes. When a program running on the computer requests a file, the hard disk retrieves its bytes and sends them to the CPU one at a time.

There are two ways to measure the performance of a hard disk:

Data rate - The data rate is the number of bytes per second that the drive can deliver to the CPU. Rates between 5 and 40 megabytes per second are common.
Seek time - The seek time is the amount of time between when the CPU requests a file and when the first byte of the file is sent to the CPU. Times between 10 and 20 milliseconds are common.

The other important parameter is the capacity of the drive, which is the number of bytes it can hold.

Inside: Electronics Board

The best way to understand how a hard disk works is to take a look inside. (Note that OPENING A HARD DISK RUINS IT, so this is not something to try at home unless you have a defunct drive.)
Here is a typical hard-disk drive:

It is a sealed aluminum box with controller electronics attached to one side. The electronics control the read/write mechanism and the motor that spins the platters. The electronics also assemble the magnetic domains on the drive into bytes (reading) and turn bytes into magnetic domains (writing). The electronics are all contained on a small board that detaches from the rest of the drive:

Inside: Beneath the Board

Underneath the board are the connections for the motor that spins the platters, as well as a highly-filtered vent hole that lets internal and external air pressures equalize:

Removing the cover from the drive reveals an extremely simple but very precise interior:

In this picture you can see:

The platters - These typically spin at 3,600 or 7,200 rpm when the drive is operating. These platters are manufactured to amazing tolerances and are mirror-smooth (as you can see in this interesting self-portrait of the author... no easy way to avoid that!).
The arm - This holds the read/write heads and is controlled by the mechanism in the upper-left corner. The arm is able to move the heads from the hub to the edge of the drive. The arm and its movement mechanism are extremely light and fast. The arm on a typical hard-disk drive can move from hub to edge and back up to 50 times per second -- it is an amazing thing to watch!

Inside: Platters and Heads

In order to increase the amount of information the drive can store, most hard disks have multiple platters. This drive has three platters and six read/write heads:

The mechanism that moves the arms on a hard disk has to be incredibly fast and precise. It can be constructed using a high-speed linear motor.

Many drives use a "voice coil" approach -- the same technique used to move the cone of a speaker on your stereo is used to move the arm.

Storing the Data

Data is stored on the surface of a platter in sectors and tracks. Tracks are concentric circles, and sectors are pie-shaped wedges on a track, like this:

A typical track is shown in yellow; a typical sector is shown in blue. A sector contains a fixed number of bytes -- for example, 256 or 512. Either at the drive or the operating system level, sectors are often grouped together into clusters.
The process of low-level formatting a drive establishes the tracks and sectors on the platter. The starting and ending points of each sector are written onto the platter. This process prepares the drive to hold blocks of bytes. High-level formatting then writes the file-storage structures, like the file-allocation table, into the sectors. This process prepares the drive to hold files.

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