iPhone 5 released - usual hullaballoo follows

Whats worth waiting for on street sidewalks for a week?
What can be bought for $720, and sold on the gray market for much more?
What can cause mass marketing hysteria in nine of the worlds major countries, with twenty-two more to go?

Well, if the last four years have anything to do with it, and if todays release is any indication, its the release of a new iPhone.

The iPhone 5, which was announced last week and released today around the world, has caused its now anticipated plethora of customers, spilling in to Apple stores abroad to get their hands on what will probably be the hottest smartphone for the next few months.

Today at Apples flagship store in NYC (image from The New York Times)

The device was released in Australia, Japan, Hong Kong (but not all of China), Singapore, Britain, France and Germany, and is set to be released in twenty-two more countries within the next week. The iPhone 5 isn’t just a name, and has some worthy steps up from its predecessor, the iPhone 4S. These include iOS 6 - a big upgrade to the phone’s operating system - a larger screen, faster processor, and access to 4G networks.

The release was accompanied, as usual, by massive lines, especially in major cities. In London, some shoppers camped outside the Apple store for a week, waiting for the big release. In Osaka, Japan, there were some notable cases of theft, included 116 iPhone 5s stolen from one store alone, according to Kyodo News.

Despite some criticism of the phone, and its highly condemned Maps application, the iPhone 5 sold like hotcakes – but it isn’t as if anybody doubted it would. Still, it’s nice to see that the iPhone is still a smashing success in the first year after Steve Job’s death. Obviously the founder’s passing has led to concerns of Apple’s decline. But, at least for now, its still running strong, and has more than enough steam to pull off the yearly September extravaganza.

**Note: The claim that the iPhone 5 is the worlds thinnest smartphone is still being debated. If youll direct your attention to the Oppo Finder, a smartphone from a Chinese manufacturer, you will find that it is actually thinner than the iPhone 5. The Finder is 6.65mm thick, whereas, the iPhone 5 is 7.6mm thick.

The following segment was taken from Apples press release regarding the iPhone 5:

"iPhone 5 is the thinnest smartphone in the world, with an all-new 7.6 mm anodized aluminum body that is 18 percent thinner and 20 percent lighter than iPhone 4S. Designed with an unprecedented level of precision, iPhone 5 combines an anodized aluminum body with diamond cut chamfered edges and glass inlays for a truly incredible fit and finish."

Source: The New York Times

Ivy Bridge to have 20 percent performance advantage over Sandy Bridge

Although Intel's Sandy Bridge processors have only just launched, early details of Intel's next generation platform codenamed Ivy Bridge are already starting to trickle out. According to early roadmap details we've seen, Intel is estimating that Ivy Bridge will offer a 20 percent performance advantage over Sandy Bridge which is slightly more than what Sandy Bridge offered over Intel's first generation of Core i processors.

Ivy Bridge will at least initially be available in LGA-1155, although we'd expect the new CPU core to appear in other socket configurations as well. Don't expect any huge change in terms of the basic features though, as Ivy Bridge will still only get two or four cores, although there will of course be models with Hyper Threading available. Ivy Bridge is likely to get upgraded to support PCI Express 3.0, although it's unlikely that we'll see an increase in lane count.

On the graphics side we'll see support for DirectX 11 and OpenCL 1.1 and Intel is targeting a 30 percent graphics performance boost compared to Sandy Bridge. Ivy Bridge will also add support for three independent displays and will support HDMI 1.4, but oddly enough so far it doesn't seem to support DisplayPort 1.2, only 1.1. We should also expect to see improved video encoding, decoding and transcoding, although as always this is depending on software support.

The Panther Point chipset will of course have native USB 3.0 support with the first four USB ports being of the 3.0 variety. Panther Point will support Sandy Bridge, but it's unlikely that Intel's Cougar Point chipsets will support Ivy Bridge. Panther Point will of course also support SATA 6Gbps, but we don't have enough details on how many ports will be supported as yet. When it launches Panther Point will be known as the Intel 7 series chipset, although the exact model names have yet to be nailed down by Intel. The Ivy Bridge platforms will launch sometime in early 2012.

Microsoft Resolve AMD64 Conflict w SP2

Microsoft says that Service Pack 2 may not work with computers running AMD's 64-bit chips include the Athlon 64 and Opteron. AMD believes the problem has only occurred, so far, with one application, Sigma Designs' Realmagic Hollywood Plus DVD Decoder. PCs with 64-bit AMD processors may restart repeatedly after installing Service Pack 2, if those machines are also configured to enforce so-called data execution prevention (DEP) and contain hardware that requires a driver software known as Mpegport.sys. Sigma Designs' Realmagic Hollywood Plus DVD decoder application is one such application that uses the driver. Microsoft says users may be able to resolve the problem by configuring a so-called DEP exception. AMD also recommends that people affected by the problem do so. Otherwise, Microsoft advises AMD users to remove SP2 altogether.

Java-based Trojan For Mac OS X Discovered

Surprise, surprise! Apple's claims of OS X being well-defended against the threat of malware has just been debunked by the release of a new trojan horse which security firm SecureMac claims is capable of unleashing some serious trouble on that copy of OS X installed on the Mac.

Known as trojan.osx.boonana.a, the trojan works by disguising itself as a video being hosted on social networking sites, which in turn is linked via a text URL posted on most popular social networking sites. And to top off the disguise, the post in which it appears also has a fairly innocent-sounding subject which asks potential victims whether they were able to identify themselves in the 'video'.Of course, any web-savvy user would be immediately wary about clicking on an unfamiliar link with an overly innocent subject in any online social networking site. However, it appears that some users were trusting enough to actually access those links, and that was where the 'fun' started.

When the link is accessed, the trojan starts to execute itself as a Java applet which is somehow capable of bypassing Mac OS X's built-in sandboxing protection scheme. SecureMac did not elaborate on how the applet was able to do so, but the company stated that upon gaming access to the Mac, the trojan will download a list of files and and installer, which launches automatically. And when the installer runs, it proceeds to install modified versions of the OS X system files disables OS X's password verification, thus allowing all forms out external access into the system.

In addition to dumping its payload and wrecking system files, the trojan is also capable of running silently in the background on startup while linking with a botnet to send and receive information from the infected Mac. Last but not least, the trojan has also been reported to be capable of spreading itself through emails and spam messages on popular social networking websites.

Sounds nasty? Well, it appears that the trojan's ability to infect other Macs has been called into question by a competing antivirus company, Intego. Apparently Intego agrees that while the trojan's ability to modify system files and run invisibly with minimal user interaction is a real threat, the company claims that it was not able reproduce the part of it infecting other Macs via spam mail and messages. It attributes this to either the presence of bugs in the trojan or a dormant botnet which has yet to be activated, both of which greatly diminishes its ability to propagate and spread.

Either way, it does not change the fact that Apple's OS X is slowly but surely becoming a target for malware authors, and this announcement of a new trojan for the Mac platform is proof. How Apple and Oracle will react to this remains to be seen, but we definitely will not be holding our breath. Especially not after Apple announcing that support for Java will be dropped on the upcoming OS X 10.6, Lion.

And until the security hole has been patched, Mac users might want to seek a little 'Web Safety 101' from users of other 'battle-hardened' operating systems. Like Microsoft Windows Vista and Windows 7.

Source: SecureMac and Intego via MacRumors, DZone

Microsoft To Release Windows 8 By 2012

With Windows 7 being a runaway success for Microsoft, users cannot help but wonder when Microsoft will release the next version of its popular Windows operating system. That, along with the fact that Microsoft has kept its plans and development of Windows 8 under a tight veil of secrecy means that speculation is rife about the kind of new features Redmond might have in store for the upcoming version of Windows.

And while we cannot answer the question about the features Microsoft plans to load into Windows 8, it seems that a certain leaked roadmap from Microsoft Netherlands has given us some insight to the upcoming OS's release date. Engadget had somehow managed to obtain a screenshot of some text which purportedly contains information of an impending Windows release, as shown below:

Engadget claims that running the aforementioned text through a machine translation revealed some interesting information. Apparently, Microsoft Netherlands claims that the company is on course for the next release of Windows, and that it will take about two years before 'Windows 8' is released to the market. That puts the OS's release date some time in late 2012, which would make sense if Microsoft intends to release 'Windows 8' just in time for the holiday spending spree.

Of course, that still leaves the other question about Microsoft's intentions for 'Windows 8' unasnwered. And considering that Microsoft is determined to keep its mouth sealed for the time being about about anything that might be remotely related to its upcoming version of Windows, it seems that we can only wait and see what Microsoft has in mind for its 'riskiest product release'.

Source: Engadget

Logitech Unveils K800 Wireless Illuminated Keyboard

Logitech Press Release

FREMONT, Calif. — Aug. 18, 2010 —Logitech (SWX: LOGN) (NASDAQ: LOGI) today introduced the rechargeable Logitech® Wireless Illuminated Keyboard K800, delivering bright, precise illumination — day or night. The newest Logitech keyboard features ambient light and motion sensors, ensuring that you have the right amount of backlight when you need it, while conserving battery life when you don’t.



“The Wireless Illuminated Keyboard K800 is perfect for someone who values both form and function,” said Denis Pavillard, vice president of product marketing for Logitech’s keyboards and desktops. “The Wireless Illuminated K800 keyboard includes features that make it a standout — smart backlighting, Logitech® Unifying technology, our PerfectStroke™ key system and Logitech Incurve keys™ — and presents it all in a very stylish and sleek package that’s sure to please.”



The Wireless Illuminated K800 backlighting automatically adjusts based on the amount of light in the room using ambient light sensors. Motion sensors detect your hands as they approach to turn the backlighting on and to turn it back off when your hands move away. As a result, you’ll enjoy bright, precise illumination and more battery life — up to 10 days of battery life without recharging. (Actual battery life will vary with use, settings and environmental conditions.)

The Wireless Illuminated K800 is always ready when you need it thanks to the micro-USB cable that lets you recharge while you type. Due to the fast, flexible recharging, you’ll never need to replace the batteries. Instead, you can simply plug in the universal micro-USB cable to recharge the onboard batteries.

Because a good keyboard needs to deliver a good typing experience, the Logitech Wireless Illuminated keyboard includes the PerfectStroke™ key system and Logitech Incurve keys™. The PerfectStroke key system helps make every stroke comfortable, fluid and whisper-quiet. And the concave design and softly rounded edges of the durable Logitech Incurve keys position your fingers properly and invite your fingertips to glide from key to key, hour after hour. Additionally, the letters and characters on the keys are very durable and won’t wear off.

The Wireless Illuminated Keyboard K800 is also the latest in a line of Logitech® Unifying-compatible mice and keyboards that feature the tiny, leave-in receiver — so small you can leave it in your laptop. Unifying-compatible keyboards feature Logitech® Advanced 2.4 GHz wireless connectivity, virtually eliminating delays and dropouts.

Pricing and Availability

The Logitech Wireless Illuminated Keyboard K800 is expected to be available in August for a suggested retail price of $99.99 (U.S.). You can learn more about the Wireless Illuminated Keyboard K800 on our blog or you can visit www.logitech.com.

It is official Samsung has sold its hard drive business unit to Seagate

Sometimes, it does not take a genius to predict what certain major hardware companies have up their sleeves, especially when it has got something to do with acquisitions. Sure, certain acquisitions have been known to be so unexpected that not even the most accomplished speculator or business analyst could have foreseen the result (like HP purchasing Palm Inc), but there also exists deals whose outcomes are so obvious that it makes one wonder why the companies involved did not just simply announce the deal and get it over with.

And unfortunately (or fortunately) for Samsung, its latest deal with Seagate over the fate of its hard disk business unit was a classic example of the latter. As most people would remember, speculations were rife that Samsung was planing to sell off the unprofitable business unit, and that Seagate would be the most likely candidate to pony up the money Samsung is asking for in a bid to increase its share of the HDD pie, simply because Western Digital would be essentially asking for an FTC investigation on itself if it were the one to do so. And just as most people have predicted, it was indeed Seagate which stepped up to the negotiating table with Samsung, and has walked away with the latters HDD business unit in exchange for the total sum of US$1.375 billion in both cash and stock options.

So what does this mean for Samsung, Seagate and the end-users who are still heavily reliant on mechanical hard disks for their storage needs? Well, the fact that Samsung has received a cash injection of almost US$1.4 billion means that the Korean electronics giant now has the money it needs to invest in other profitable divisions under its banner, so end-users can expect to see more interesting consumer electronic devices being churned out from Samsungs factories in the very near future. Also, the agreement will see Samsung adopting the use of Seagates hard disks for a wide variety of products in its offerings, such as its notebook divisions.

On the other hand, Seagate will reportedly see a 10% increase in the market share of its hard disks. This figure, when added to Seagates existing market share, will result in Seagate claiming almost 40% of the global HDD market. This will put Seagate in a very good position to compete against the likes of Western Digital, which current owns as much as 50% of the global HDD pie. In addition, the agreement will see Samsung supplying Seagate with NAND flash, as well as extending existing patent agreements currently in effect among both companies.

However, things are slightly different as far as the end user is concerned, simply because consumers now have lesser choices to choose from when it comes to HDD selection. With Seagate and Western Digital both owning 40% and 50% of the global HDD market respectively, this leaves Toshiba as the only other major competitor left with approximately 10% of the HDD market. This means that there is a very real possibility of seeing a duopoly in the HDD market like the one that is currently present in the x86 processor market (Intel and AMD), and we can only wait and see how this is going to affect the end user.

Source: NYTimes

Memory module makers have mixed feedback on Samsung prediction of 40 drop in NAND flash prices

Taiwan-based memory module makers have had mixed responses to a recent Semiconductor Reporter article quoting Chang-Gyu Hwang, president of Samsung Electronics’ Memory Division, Device Solution Network as saying that he expects NAND flash prices to fall 40% every year due to maturing process technologies.

NAND flash prices may not fall as dramatically as Samsung predicted this year, said Simon Chen, chairman of A-Data Technology, as NAND flash demand will be stimulated in the second half of this year thanks to rising demand for small-size memory cards. Chen indicated earlier that demand for NAND flash for mobile storage products will grow 21% this year.

While admitting that prices for higher-priced 4Gbit and 5Gbit NAND flash products may fall more significantly, Chen said it is not likely that prices for lower density NAND flash products will fall as much as 40%.

However, other module makers were more pessimistic about the NAND flash market, as the inventory levels at makers of MP3 players is currently too high, they stated. Some makers even predicted that NAND flash prices may fall 40% as early as this quarter.

To stay cost-competitive, Samsung has already begun producing 4Gbit NAND flash chips using 70nm process technology, with volume production to commence in July. According to DRAM module makers, Samsung will also volume produce its new 8Gbit multi-level cell (MLC) NAND flash memory this quarter.

Kingston KHX6400D2LLK2 2GN EPP Memory Kit

Kingston KHX6400D2LLK2/2GNMemory Kit is a 2x1GB DDR2 kit rated for PC2-6400 (800mhz) speeds. Itis also programmed with NVIDIA's new Enhanced Performance Profiles (EPP) and ismarketed as "SLI-Ready". Developed as an extension to the traditional SerialPresence Detect (SPD) found on today's high performance DIMMS, EnhancedPerformance Profiles allow memory manufacturers to integrate additional moduleperformance data in the unused portion of the JEDEC standard SPD, allowingcompatible motherboards to read and take advantage of added performancecapabilities. EPP brings simplified overclocking success for entry levelenthusiasts, and access to more advanced memory specifications and a higherrecovery point for hard-core overclockers.
To take full advantage of the Enhanced Performance Profiles, motherboardsdesigned with a special BIOS can recognize the presence of EPP settings. Oncethese settings are enabled, the system boots directly into the memory'sspecified settings and takes immediate advantage of the increased performance.Kingston makes a twin set to this without the "SLI-Ready" branding also. The "N" at the very end of the model number denotes the NVIDIA SLI Readymoniker.

Specifications:
2GB 800MHz DDR2 Low-Latency CL4 (4-4-4-12) DIMM (NVIDIA SLI-Ready)

Detailed Specifications: Standard 128M X 64 Non-ECC 800MHz240-pin Unbuffered DIMM (SDRAM-DDR2, 2.0V, CL4, Gold)

Memory timings are 5-5-5-15

Intel launches Pentium Extreme Edition 965

Intel has quietly rolled out the dual-core Pentium Extreme Edition 965, its anticipated upgrade to the gaming-oriented CPU family that ups the clock speed to 3.73GHz. Due in Q2, the part is already making appearances on the chip giant's website.

In other respects, the new chip matches the previous top-of-the-range PEE processor, the 3.46GHz 955. The new part supports a 1066MHz frontside bus clock frequency, each core has 2MB of L2 cache, it's fabbed at 65nm, it has Virtualisation Technology, HyperThreading, support for Windows XP Service Pack 2's 'no execute' anti-virus technique, and has 64-bit addressing.

The 965 may prove short-lived. According to recent Intel roadmaps, the chip will be joined in Q3 by a 'Conroe'-based version of unknown clock speed. The roadmap doesn't show any 'Presler'-based PEEs from Q4 onwards.

The 955 is currently down on Intel's price list as costing $ 999, as is the previous-generation 840, and we'd expect the new model to be priced at that kind of level.

Mitsubishi joins 3D bandwagon, announces new LVP-HC9000D SRXD 3D video projector

Let's face it: 3D projection is not exactly the newest piece of technology in the block, especially when one takes into account that such projectors have been around in the market for quite some time already. That being said, any news about new devices offering 3D technology will probably be of interest to the home theatre enthusiast, and the new LVP-HC9000 projectors from Mitsubishi are unlikely to be the exception.




According to Mitsubishi, the LVP-HC9000 projector series make use of Sony's proprietary SXRD technology which is capable of producing double the framerates of most existing 3D display technologies. This reportedly allows users to enjoy extremely realistic 3D images from the new LVP-HC9000 projectors right out of the box.



To further improve the user experience, Mitsubishi claims that the projectors are capable of producing contrast ratios of up to 120,00 : 1, which results in "exceptionally deep blacks" highly sought after by home theatre enthusiasts. Last but not least, the LVP-HC9000 projectors can toggle between side-by-side and top-bottom 3D implementations and are fitted with Reon VX-200 processors to upscale standard-def movies into HD-capable resolutions as accurately as possible.



No prices have been officially released for the LVP-HC9000D and LVP-HC9000DW 3D projectors yet, although it is rather obvious that these projectors are not meant for anybody who is not a serious home-theatre enthusiast.

Reference: Mitsubishi Japan

Mass Effect 4 will be arriving in 2014 or 2015

In an interview with Gamer Syndrome, a Bioware employee revealed some news about the next installment in the Mass Effect franchise. The employee stated that the next game is most likely looking at a release sometime between late 2014 and mid 2015. They went on to reveal that full time production on the new game started about a month or two back.

Bioware made it no secret that we would receive more Mass Effect games; revealing almost immediately after the trilogy ended that the universe theyd created would be a waste to just throw away, and that there would indeed be another sequel. Bioware made it pretty clear though, that Mass Effects protagonist, Commander Shepard, would not be featured in any major way.

A while back, the developers reached out to the fans to ask for their input on whether the new game should be a sequel or prequel, and while the majority of gamers seemed to indicate they wanted the story to pick up in the aftermath of Mass Effect 3, we have no definitive knowledge so far, of what the game will contain.

Leica Camera Asia Pacific reveals improved Customer Care Centre

Leica customerscan now enjoy a better experience when they need to send in their camera for servicing.LeicaCamera Asia Pacific has announced thenew and improved Customer Care Centre located at the heart of Orchard Road, Singapore. According to Gerald Wagner, service manager, the company has a 2015 Customer Service Strategy and the vision includes the increase of value of Leica products, and enhance customers binding and enthusiate for new products. It is a shift fromthe traditional"repair shop" to a supplier of services with strong focus to customers needs.

The Customer Care Centre has recently been equipped with new Leica Rangefinder and sensor calibration machine for the M digital cameras. The new equipment can perform adjustment and calibration checks as well as confirms and aligns sensor flatness. Such services were previously conducted only in the Leica Customer Care Centre back in Solms, Germany, but now two of the local technicians can do the checks and calibrations. This also helps to shorten the waiting period for M-camerasservicing to around seven working days, as compared to six to eight weeks if the cameras went sent back to Germany. However, note that for the S-cameras and lens adjustments and repairs, these would have to be done by Leica HQ in Germany, while upgrades from M9 to M9-P can be performed here.

The Leica Customer Care Centre handles requests from Southeast Asia, namely Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia.

Lite-on Unveils USB 3.0 Blu-ray Writer

Lite-on, manufacturer of numerous OEM PC parts, has introduced the eHBU212 external Blu-ray writer in Europe. The writer boasts a USB 3.0 interface, 8Mb of cache memory, LightScribe support, Smart-Burn and Smart-X technologies, and support write speeds up to "12x for BD-R, 8x for BD-R DL, 2x for BD-RE (DL), 16x for DVD-R+R, 12x for DVD-RAM, 8x for DVD-R+R DL and DVD+RW, 6x for DVD-RW, 48x for CD-R, and 24x for CD-RW". The eHBU212, bundled with CyberLinks Blu-ray Suite, can be pre-ordered from selected resellers and distributors at a MSRP of €165.

News via [Techconnect]