SteelSeries debuts customizable Shift gaming keyboard

Looking for some more customization options than your standard gaming keyboard offers? Then you might want to consider the new SteelSeries Shift, which can accommodate various Zboard keysets to tailor the keyboard for specific games. Those looking to take things even further can also record macros (including timed delays) directly on the keyboard itself,

and you'll naturally get plenty of gamer-friendly touches all around, including some improved rubber domes that promise a lifecycle of 15 million keystrokes per key, and even some "fine-tuned heat spots" centered around commonly used keys like WASD. Look for the keyboard itself to set you back $89.99, while individual keysets will run you $24.99 apiece.

Buy @ steelseries.com

ASUS Unveils New Notebooks and PCs at Pepcom

As the title might suggest to you, PEPCOM is happening tonight. And, while it’s one way to get people to meet and greet, it’s primarily just another avenue for companies to show off and announce new pieces of technology. ASUS is taking full advantage of it, and they’ve just gone and announced a plethora of new toys that people would want to get their hands on. The main draw is notebooks, but there’s one PC in there worth mentioning.

First up is the ASUS NX90Jq. The manufacturing company is saying that this notebook is the result of cutting-edge technology and craftmanship. The notebook features a polished aluminum body, and there are two speakers that feature Bang & Olufsen ICEpower technology, making sure that your music and movies get the sound they deserve. The display? Coming in at a whopping 18.4-inches, and there are two trackpads, along with the full keyboard. And, there’s Asus’ Rotation Desktop software, which lets you work with the User Interface like an intuitive DJ-like experience.

And then on the smaller scale, we have the ASUS U33Jc 13.3-inch notebook. These are the notebooks that feature the bamboo top case. Inside, you’ll find Intel’s Core i3 processor (which you can choose to use Intel’s Core i5 processor, if you want), and you’ll also get to take advantage of Intel’s Wireless Display (WiDi) technology for wirelessly streaming media.

The N53Jf packs the next-generation NVIDIA GeForce GT425M graphics, as well as Intel’s Core i5 processor inside. The company has also put in their new audio technology, SonicMaster. It’s designed to bring professional surround sound to your notebook. You also get NVIDIA’s Optimus auto-switching technology, and USB 3.0 ports. And just in case you have moments where you need a bit more computing power, you can take advantage of Intel’s Turbo Boost technoogy.

Read More @ slashgear

Logitech Z506 review

Audiophiles are quick to name the umpteen flavors of Dolby, but at the risk of oversimplifying things a tad, there are just three types of surround sound today -- each easily identified by their plug. Virtual surround uses just simple stereo jacks, emulating multiple channels from two, while digital surround travels across optical or coaxial S/PDIF cables (or HDMI) and has to be decoded. Finally, there's analog surround sound -- the cheapest solution of all -- where you basically just plug a pair of dumb speakers into each of front, rear and center 3.5mm sockets on your existing PC sound card. Unsurprisingly, the $100 Logitech Z506 speakers use this last technique to deliver their true 5.1 sound, but that's no reason to count them out. The question is, do they deliver enough bang, boom and tweet for the buck? Read on to find out.

Truth be told, the Z506 is far from the company's first analog surround sound package -- it replaces the very similar X-540 setup from 2006, which was itself a upgrade of the $80 Logitech X-530 from 2004 -- but it's clear the company paid a bit more attention to aesthetics this time round. Where both previous packages were fairly symmetrical, boxy (in the case of the X-540) and had stands that jutted out, each of the Z506's satellites have a space-age elliptical design with gentle oblong curves. Here, the two-inch drivers aren't covered by metal grates, but rather gently protected by thin, springy mesh nets, and instead of two per satellite, each has one driver and a small tweeter -- except for the center, which has a pair of eyeballs that joyously remind us of Wall-E. We're also a big fan of the volume dial, if you can believe that, as it's smooth as can be -- just light enough to turn with a single finger, but still enough resistance that we could adjust the volume in fine increments. Yes, it's a pretty handsome looking package, all in all... but before you get too excited, know that it's a far less flexible one.

Read More @ engadget.com

NVIDIA GeForce GTS 450 on sale at Newegg, ahead of official release

Just like its older sibling the GTX 460, NVIDIA's GeForce GTS 450 is hitting online stores, even though we've yet to hear a word from NVIDIA itself about the new Fermi-based graphics card. While we can't confirm rumors that the GTS 450's got a new GF106 chip under that plastic shroud, it seems evident we're looking at a somewhat less powerful board -- shipping samples from ASUS, EVGA, Gigabyte and Palit show just 192 CUDA cores (down from 336) and a narrower 128-bit memory interface.

That doesn't mean the GTS 450 won't necessarily be a capable gamer, though, as the graphics and shader chips are actually clocked closer to 800MHz and 1.6GHz respectively this time, and so far they're all paired with a full 1GB of GDDR5 memory with the same 3.6GHz effective rate -- no 768MB cop-outs. At around $130 a pop, we imagine dedicated graphics enthusiasts will spend the extra to get those bonus cores, but if you've only got three portraits of Ulysses S. Grant to spare, this might just be your board. Don't take our word for it, though -- if history's any indication, we'll have plenty of reviews come Monday morning.

Via : engadget.com Buy @ Newegg

Zotac introduces ID33 and ID34 Zbox mini PCs, complete with Atom D525 and Blu-ray

Now this is an HTPC worth gawking at. Zotac has just revised its long-standing Zbox line with a new duo, and we have to say -- we're digging the new look. Beyond the exterior improvements, the outfit has bolstered the internals by providing the HD-ID33 and HD-ID34 with Intel's new 1.8GHz Atom D525 CPU, 2GB of DDR2-800 memory, NVIDIA's next-gen Ion graphics platform, an HDMI output, 6-in-1 card reader, gigabit Ethernet, 802.11b/g/n WiFi, a couple of USB 2.0 ports and an unexpected pair of USB 3.0 sockets. The only notable difference between the two is the inclusion of a 250GB hard drive in the ID34, while the 2.5-inch HDD slot is left open for DIYers in the ID33. Windows 7 is onboard, naturally, as is a slot-loading Blu-ray drive that the company is (rightfully) proud of. It's not talking prices just yet, but we're willing to overlook a modest premium to finally get BD support within a delightfully small package. Hit the gallery below for more eye candy.

Via : Hot Hardware, engadget.com

ATI FirePro V9800 runs out of ideas, shoots up with 4GB of GDDR5 and six mini DisplayPorts

If somehow you were able to choke up the FirePro V8800 and its 2GB of graphics buffer -- traveling across an autobahn-wide 147.2GBps interface -- here's the card for you. ATI has just announced the V9800, which doubles its predecessor's memory allowance to a mighty 4GB of GDDR5, but otherwise looks an almost identical beast.

It maintains the 1,600 stream processor count of the V8800 and makes some small advances in performance and power efficiency, but on the whole it's the same card, just strapped up with more buffer muscle. We shouldn't neglect the new array of six mini DisplayPorts -- the retail package will include six DVI adapters, worry not -- which will let you have your full six-screen Eyefinity cake driven by just this one card.

So, is this future collector's item worth your time? Well, at $3,499, the V9800 is a whole two thousand dollars pricier than the V8800, but then if you have the highly specialized needs it's looking to cater for, we're guessing that won't be too much of a hurdle for you.

Update: Oh, about the price, AMD just got in touch to say it'll suggest a $3,499 tithe, not the $2.5K indicated on the slide below. Sorry is we misled you into selling up your entire 3D rendering farm with the lower price we had before.

Via : engadget.com

LG does the IPS dance with IPS2062T, IPS226V, IPS236V and IPS231P monitors

It's becoming progressively easier to land LCD monitors with IPS panels (as opposed to the decidedly less stunning TN panels), but given that there's rarely ever enough competition to truly push prices as far south as we consumers would like, we're welcoming LG's latest with wide open arms.

The outfit has just issued a new foursome -- the IPS2062T, IPS226V, IPS236V and IPS231P -- of LED-backlit displays, with sizes running 20-, 21.5-, 23- and 23-inches in order of mention. The larger three offer 1,920 x 1,080 resolutions with a six millisecond response time, and the whole lot offers a deceiving 5,000,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio, 250 nits of brightness and 178-degree viewing angles. You'll find plenty of glossy black to go around, but sadly you'll find plenty of questions when it comes to pricing and release dates.

Via : Flat Panels HD, engadget

Kingston unveils Mini Fun G2 USB Drives

With everyone trying to be glossy and slick when it comes to USB flash drives these days, the fun factor of carrying a storage device so small has been diluted. However, with new DataTraveler Mini Fun Generation 2 USB Flash drives, Kingston has decided to bring back the fun factor of carrying one around. The new DT Mini Fun G2 flash drive, which can be attached to your keychain or mobile phone, look like an accessory and style statement. DT Mini Fun G2 will come in 2GB, 4GB and 8GB storage capacities, with each capacity offering a different color combination.

Popular DataTraveler Mini Fun G2 USB drives come in a miniature design with great colors. These small USB drives are perfect to carry around. Packed in rugged silicon housing, the new Mini Fun G2 comes with a key loop to attach it to key ring, phone or a bag.

New DT Mini Fun G2 flash drives would be compatible with Windows 7, Vista, XP, 2000 (SP4), Mac OS X 10.5.0 or higher and Linux kernel 2.6.0 based GNU operating systems.

Via : techtree.com

Kingston Mini Fun USB Flash Drive Brings Cheer for Kids

As a kid I might have asked for a toy, but know what todays generation is going to demand? Well geeky fun gadgets. Kingston is perhaps the first of companies to tap the young market with its Mini Fun USB Flash Drive. This thing comes in different colours and you can join your Flash Drives together to make some Lego type designs. No idea on the pricing of DataTraveler Fun series, but this one will come in 2/4/8 GB versions. Colors include black, red, light / dark green & light / dark blue.

Via : onlygizmos.com

Origin ‘Big O’ combines PC and 360 in one big box

Can’t decide whether to get a new gaming PC or an Xbox 360 and have a mountain of cash laying around? It’s your lucky day because you no longer have to choose between the two! Origin’s “Big O” is a completely custom liquid-cooled system housing not only a high-end overclocked PC, but also the guts of an Xbox 360 slim. The custom case is sure to attract the attention a system like this is designed for.

The $7669 base configuration consists of:

• Core i7 930 overclocked to 4GHz (liquid cooled)
• Asus Rampage III Extreme motherboard
• 6GB Corsair Dominator DDR3-1600
• Dual NVIDIA GTX 480 (liquid cooled)
• Dual OCZ Vertex2 50GB SSDs in RAID 0
• 2TB WD Caviar Black HD
• Silverstone 1500W PSU
• 12x Pioneer Blu-ray burner
• Creative Fatal1ty sound card (with front bay panel)
• Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit
• Liquid cooled XBox 360
• 5 port gigabit switch

Of course, if that’s not enough horsepower, the $16,999 “CPU Magazine” configuration consists of:

• Dual Xeon X5680 overclocked to 4.3GHz (liquid cooled)
• EVGA SR2 motherboard
• 12GB Corsair Dominator DDR3-2000
• Quad NVIDIA GTX 480 (liquid cooled)
• Quad OCZ Vertex2 50GB SSDs in RAID 0
• Dual 2TB WD Caviar Black HD
• LSI Megaraid SAS 9260-4i
• Dual Enermax 1050W PSU
• 12x Pioneer Blu-ray burner
• Windows 7 Home Ultimate 64-bit
• Liquid cooled XBox 360
• 5 port gigabit switch

Custom configurations are also available if neither of these systems is up to your requirements. Unfortunately you can’t just build your own online; you’ll need to speak with someone at Origin for configuration and pricing. Whatever your preferred configuration, your system also includes a personalized plaque, lifetime phone and online support, a three year warranty (with free shipping), and is shipped in “ORIGIN Wooden Crate Armor”.

Via : tech.icrontic.com

Samsung’s New Dual Core Orion Mobile Processor

Samsung has just announced a new mobile processor which is designed to be used in smartphones and tablets, the Samsung Orion. This new dual core mobile processor features two 1GHz ARM Cortex A9 cores.

The new Samsung Orion processor will offer the ability to record Full HD video in 1080p at 30 frames per second, and it will also be capable of playing back Full HD video as well.

A smartphone which is based on the new Orion processor will be able to feature two displays, whilst at the same time you will be able to use a third external display like a HDTV or monitor using HDMI.

Samsung has also said that the new Orion mobile processor will bring improved graphics to mobile devices, and according to Samsung it is capable of delivering five times the 3D graphics performance over their current generation processors.

Samsung will offer these new processors to ‘select customers’ later this year and will begin full scale production of them in the first half of 2011, so we can expect to see these new processors in smartphones by the second half of 2010.

Via : geeky-gadgets.com

Samsung and LG Both Go Dual-Core

Two major phone manufacturers have just announced their plan to produce dual-core devices for the mobile market. Samsung is bringing out the Orion, a 1GHz ARM® CORTEXTM A9-based dual-core application processor.

Samsung’s new application
processor incorporates a rich portfolio of advanced multimedia features implemented by hardware accelerators, such as video encoder/decoder that supports 30fps video playback and recording at 1080P full HD resolution. Using an enhanced graphics processing unit (GPU), the new processors are capable of delivering 5 times the 3D graphics performance over the previous processor generation from Samsung.

LG has teamed up with NVIDIA for the Tegra 2 processer, a 1GHz chip. LG is claiming that they will produce the world’s first dual-core cellphones, and that a line of them will hit in Q4 2010.

Via : everythingandroid.org

Energizer’s Upcoming Qi Charger Brings Us Closer To A Wireless Future

The people who brought us the bunny who keeps going are going right ahead with the new Qi standard for inductive chargers.

In case you’ve fallen behind news of this minor revolution in battery charging, inductive technology spares your smartphone intrusive cables and wires by juicing it up using a specific frequency.

Via : geeky-gadgets.com

Sharp releases slew of new Quattron TVs at IFA 2010

Just in case those George Takei commercials didn't clue you in that Sharp was serious about Quattron, the company has announced four new TV lines at IFA sporting yellow as a fourth subpixel color.

At the top of the list, the Quattron 3D-enabled LE925 line will be available in 60-inch or 46-inch sizes and feature Sharp's proprietary high-speed FRED LCD signal processing technology along with side-mounted scanning LED backlighting -- which like the LV Series -- is touted to produce 1.8x better brightness than competing sets and reduce 3D crosstalk.

Aquos Net+ connectivity is thrown in too, along with 2D-to-3D conversion, a digital triple tuner and 8GB of built-in flash memory for timeshift recording. Playing second fiddle to this overachiever are the 2D-only LE924E, LE824E and LE814E series, which will also feature Aquos Net+. Pricing details for all of the new lines are still unknown, but they're slated to be available in Germany and Austria later this month. Here's hoping Sulu gets his jaw checked out before then.

Via : engadget

Toshiba unveils Lumileo P100 pocket projector

Toshiba has announced its own new pocket-size projector called the Lumileo P100. The little projector measures in at 116 x 50 x 18mm and weighs 96g with the battery installed. The little projector has a resolution of 640 x 480 and it has a scant 14 lumens of light output.

That battery is a rechargeable lithium-ion unit and the projector has a contrast ratio of 200:1. Inputs include RCA and VGA and the P100 has manual focus and a 0.5W stereo speaker. The projector is good for an image up to 65-inches in a dark room. Pricing is unknown at this time.

Via : slashgear.com

Nvidia’s new graphics chips will give you laptops with long battery life and 3D

Nvidia is announced a new family of laptop graphics chips today that will balance good 3D performance and battery life. The new Nvidia GeForce 400M series of graphics chips will be used in a number of new notebook computers coming from major computer makers including Acer, Asus, Dell, Lenovo, Samsung and Toshiba.

Those computer makers will ship laptops with Nvidia’s Optimus technology, which is also known as “switchable graphics.” Many computers have dual capabilities when it comes to graphics. They have low-end graphics integrated into the chip set on a motherboard. They also have a discrete graphics chip that is more capable. Optimus enables a laptop to switch back and forth between the lesser graphics and the more powerful graphics, depending on what an application needs. The switching happens seamlessly in the background.

Read More @ venturebeat.com

ASUS Leaks, GTS 450 Details Revealed

In less than two weeks time, nVidia is poised to introduce third silicon product based on the Fermi architecture. Known under codename GF106, this allegedly canceled part is set to power GTS 440 / 450 on desktop, and GT 445M and GTX 460M on the mobile side.

Confirming the rumored specs from last week, the very first "confirmed" specs come from TechConnect, who received a standard pre-dated press release containing details about ENGTS450 DirectCU.

As the name states, the part is based on GeForce GTS 450 GPU, consists out of 192 CUDA cores [single GPC] and is the first part that comes without reserve cores [GF100 ships with 32 disabled cores, GF104 ships with 48 disabled cores, i.e. a single SM]. This "helped" the die size, which measures in very large 238mm2 [its direct competitor, ATI Juniper is only 166mm2 in size].

The GPU itself is clocked at 783MHz, while the 192 cores tick at typical 2:1 [1.56 GHz]. That's the fastest non-overclocked parts as far as Fermi architecture goes [GTX 460 - 675/1350, GTX 480 - 701/1402]. This means the parts might have quite a potential when it comes to overclocking. Do note that you're limited with maximum of 150 Watts to play with [PCIe slot gives 75W, additional 6-pin connector gives 75W].

Being one half of GF104, we're not surprised to see a 128-bit memory controller. ENGTS450 comes with 1GB of GDDR5 memory that ticks at 900MHz in Quad Data Rate [3.6 GT/s] for a total of 57.6GB/s.

As far as pricing goes, this part will run you down for some 125 USD/Euro. As you might expect, nVidia's GF106 will go head to head against best-selling AMD Radeon HD 5700 series. The problem with the price might be closeness to some heavily discounted GeForce GTX 460 boards, that went as low as $145 [after a rebate].

Via : brightsideo

Microsoft Launches Arc Mouse: Most Wildly Designed Mouse Ever

We're beginning to think that 2010 is the year of new mice. Or should we say, unconventional mice. First was Swiftpoint with their finger-based notebook mouse, and now there's Microsoft with their Arc Touch Mouse. The design on this one is totally new, and even old-school mouse users will probably need a few moments just to wrap their head around what's going on here

It's the first mouse designed to flatten for portability and pop up for comfort, featuring a capacitive touch scroll strip allowing you to swiftly navigate with the touch of a finger. This may be the beginning of the end for the scroll wheel, no? As you'd expect, Microsoft has also included a tiny Nano transceiver and Microsoft’s BlueTrack Technology allowing you to track on virtually any surface. It's probably the most alluring travel mouse we've seen yet, or at least the most interesting.

We get the feeling the software will work best on a Windows-based PC, as Microsoft has included this line in the release: "Windows-based PC users will love packing up their laptop bags without the added bump of a mouse, as the Arc Touch Mouse flattens with just the touch of a finger." The entire device is less than 15mm thick and it goes from curved to flat with one simple movement. You'll need two AAA batteries, but they'll supposedly last around six months on a charge. The new Arc Mouse won't ship until early December, but you can set aside the $69.95 now.

Via : hothardware.com

New Microsoft Arc Touch mouse is 'ultimate portable device'

Declaring that the new peripheral proves the humble mouse's days aren't numbered, as Steve Jobs and Apple might have the world believe, the software giant introduced the 'alive and well' gadget by pointing out it is designed to 'flatten for portability and pop up for comfort'.

More: New Apple TV box launched, not called iTV

'The new mouse features Microsoft’s first touch scroll strip for easy navigation - just move a finger slowly for controlled scrolling or flick for hyperfast scrolling,' the company explained in a statement.

'Windows-based PC users will love packing up their laptop bags without the added bump of a mouse, as the Arc Touch Mouse flattens with just the touch of a finger.'

Microsoft acknowledged a need for the mouse to evolve alongside the computing landscape as it continues to offer new ways of interacting, such as touch screens and touch pads, while still holding true to its core purpose of 'providing comfort and precision to users' when navigating their PC.

'It also goes from curved to flat with one simple movement, so working on the go is easier than ever - just collapse the Arc Touch Mouse to turn it off, and pop it up to turn on,' continued the statement.

Connecting to a user's PC via a minute Nano Transceiver that pops into the USB slot, the mouse uses Microsoft's BlueTrack Technology to run smoothly over any surface - ie it's wave-goodbye time to those frustrated searches for an office mousepad, theoretically at least.

The Microsoft Arc Touch mouse has been pencilled in for UK release in November, with an eye-popping price tag of £69.99.

Via ; metro.co.uk

Clearwire Announces Rover Puck Mobile Hotspot, Pre-Paid 4G Service

The days of $60 per month mobile hotspots with two-year contracts are getting some serious competition. This time it’s in the form of a new mobile hotspot called the Rover Puck, which is being sold by Clearwire. The Rover Puck costs $149 and can support up to eight devices at a time. Unlimited pre-paid 4G service costs $50 per month, $20 per week or $5 per day. The Rover Puck only supports 4G, which means it won’t switch over to 3G in areas that aren’t well-covered by WiMax.

Rover, ClearWire’s pre-paid brand, will also offer a $99 USB modem.

Unlike smartphones, mobile hotspots aren’t used on a daily basis by most users, making them very expensive on a per-use basis. I’ve been very satisfied with my Sprint MiFi card, but I will probably swap it out for something that supports 4G and a more flexible payment plan in the coming months.

Via : gottabemobile.com