Q A Caleb Neelon on Ed Emberley Friends..

Scion Presents: Ed Emberley and Friends from Scion ART on Vimeo.

One day last Spring, as my friend Caleb Neelon and I walked over the Mass Ave bridge in Boston, he told me about a show he was starting to piece together that would pay tribute to the children's drawing book illustrator, Ed Emberley. I loved it. As someone who was heavily influenced by Ed Emberley books as a child, it seemed like such a great homage and a brilliant idea. Those books were pivotal in my learning to draw and made it seem so accessible. Plus, who doesn't like to wax nostalgic about drawing as a child? It seemed like such a no brainer, and especially if Caleb was behind it. An artist and muralist, who spends a lot of his time encouraging inner city kids to draw, Caleb seemed like the obvious person to bring this idea to light.

It seemed obvious how quickly Ed Emberley & Friends came together over the past year. Opening this coming weekend, the show will feature Ed Emberley's original mock-ups, as well as on-site panels and work from six artists who were influenced by Ed Emberley books as children; Raul Gonzalez, Seonna Hong, Matt Leines, Christopher Kline, Saelee Oh and Ben Woodward. Each of the panels will be donated to various Children's Hospitals around the U.S. Amazing.

Caleb sat down and answered a few questions about his inspiration behind the show, getting to work with Ed himself and how such a humble and prolific illustrator helped shape his career. - meighan

Ed Emberley & Friends opens Saturday July 17, 7-10 pm at Scion Installation, LA 3521 Helms Ave (at National) Culver City, CA 90232. On view until August 7.

For those who didn't grow up with Ed Emberley books, can you give us alittle background on him, his drawings and the books.

Ed Emberley is an author and illustrator best known for hisstep-by-step drawing book series: Ed Emberley’s Drawing Book ofAnimals, Ed Emberley’s Make a World, Ed Emberley’s Big Green Drawingbook, Ed Emberley’s Big Purple Drawing Book, and so on – most of thesecame out in the 1970s and early 1980s. Inthe drawing books, he breaks down drawing into a very simple languageof squares, triangles, squiggles, dots, and lines. And these funnycharacters he taught – lions, faces, space creatures, etc – are sopervasive that even if you didn’t learn directly from his books as akid, the kid at the next desk over might have – and they showed youhow too.

Something one hears again and again about Ed – this is a quote from myfriend Anne, but I’ve heard it a lot in putting this show together isthat “Ed Emberley made drawing possible for those like me who have nosense of how to create anything but a few simple shapes!”

Tell us about your earliest memory using/reading an Ed Emberley book.

His Big Green Drawing Book is very near and dear to my heart. I stillhave my old drawings of Zorts and Wooflers (kinds of space creatures)to prove it!

Is there a certain animal you drew as a child (and perhaps inadulthood) that Ed Emberley books helped shape for you?

Well, my Lilman character, which I even ended up publishing achildren’s book about, grew out of an Ed Emberley beastie. The funnything was, I didn’t realize it until I was in my 30s. I never had hisBig Purple Drawing Book as a kid – I had looked over another boy’sshoulder as he had the book, drawn one of Ed’s characters, then afterthat I mutated it along until it was something my own.

Tell us about the show, Ed Emberley & Friends.

Well, enough time has passed that some of the kids who grew up on EdEmberley books are now accomplished artists in their own right. So Iwanted to put together something that showed this generationalconnection. And along the way I made the connect with Ed and his wifeBarbara. Turns out Ed and I are even from the same old neighborhoodin Cambridge.

So the show puts Ed together with artists Saelee Oh, Matt Leines, RaulGonzalez, Seonna Hong, Chris Kline and Ben Woodward. They’re all showing a bit oftheir artwork, but also, each one of them is painting a six foot bysix foot panel that is a happy mash-up of their style with Edcharacters and flavor. These big pieces are gonna be donated fordisplay in children’s hospitals in various U.S. cities.

And then there is Ed himself! He is showing the original mock-ups forseveral of his books, and they are so so rad….. He’s also done a smallamount of drawings for sale (also to benefit children’s hospital artprograms). They are going fast!

What was his reaction when you first contacted him about puttingtogether a show based on his work?

Curious to see what this would look like, I think.

I know you've spent time with Ed leading up to the show. Canyou tell us what that was like?

Ed and Barbara live in a million year old house on Boston’s NorthShore, it’s beautiful. Old wood beams and everything. He has a greatlittle studio upstairs with lots of his old stuff. And spending timewith him has of course been a treat. It’s inspiring to see someonewho has made a life out of encouraging millions of kids to draw.

Is he still drawing today?

Yes, and still is making books. They look different from the DrawingBook series that I grew up on, but they are no doubt influencing newgenerations of kids.

Each artist that you asked to be in the show has a pretty distinctstyle, can you briefly tell us what each artist will bring to theshow?

Everyone makes art that I love, that’s what! I wanted to bringtogether a group that would have fun together – everyone is painting abig fun happy panel on-site in the week leading up to it, and it’s EdEmberley, so it’s art camp!

You are an artist that frequently works with children in Boston, howhas Ed Emberley's work shaped your interactions with kids?

The spirit of Ed’s work is that it doesn’t take ‘I can’t draw’ as ananswer. No. Really. You can. Try it again. Then try it again.And have fun doing it.

Do kids nowadays now who Ed Emberley is?

Not in the way they know Elmo, but yes.

What do you hope people will take away from the Ed Emberley & Friends Show?

I want people to go home and lie on the floor and eat cereal and draw!

Lexar New USB Card Form Factor amp; FlashCard

Lexar Media today announced a new USB card form factor designed for universaland superior interoperability to bring next generation storage, connectivity andutility products to a broad variety of computing, consumer electronics andmobile electronics devices.

The new USB card form factor is based on the USB Type A connector as outlined inthe Universal Serial Bus Specification. A mere 12 millimeters wide, 4.5millimeters high and 31.75 millimeters long the card is no longer than thediameter of a penny. At half the width and a little more than twice the height,it is volumetrically similar to an SD card. The rugged, sturdy metal housing isintended to make the USB card suitable for use in a range of environments.

Lexar’s USB FlashCard will be the first product based on the new form factor.The USB FlashCard will offer universal plug and play connectivity with allmodern operating systems leveraging the ubiquity of the USB interface. Lexarplans to introduce Full-Speed USB versions in 16MB, 32MB and 64MB capacities aswell as Hi-Speed USB versions in 64MB, 128MB, 256MB, 512MB and 1GB capacitieswith a high performance 60MB/s interface speed in 2005.

“Lexar’s USB FlashCard will offer unparalleled ease of use by leveraging thepervasive USB interface”, said Petro Estakhri, Chief Technology Officer, Lexar.“Moving forward, our intent is to leverage the open standard to createtechnology that is feature rich in terms of security, provides an easy interfaceand is built on an environmental design that meets general standards for almostall of today's computing, consumer and mobile electronics devices usingnon-volatile storage."

The USB FlashCard is designed to fit into any industry standard USB Type Asocket. Lexar is working with connector manufacturers to offer an extended USBType A socket to be used in consumer electronics devices and mobile applicationssuch as digital still cameras and handheld computers. The USB FlashCard socketswould accommodate the USB FlashCard inside of a camera similar in use to otherforms of flash memory cards.

“USB flash drives have seen a tremendous success as external flash based storagedevices and are now the preferred medium of choice for a wide range ofprofessional and consumer users for transferring data, “said Steffen Hellmold,General Manager of OEM Products, Lexar. “This new form factor enables the use ofUSB flash drives beyond computing applications, realizing the dream ofconnecting the worlds of computing, consumer and mobile applications through auniversal USB FlashCard.”

Invisible QR codes developed to combat counterfeit money and goods

Researchers have created invisible Quick Response (QR) codes that could help fight a growing battle with counterfeit money and goods.

The University of South Dakota and South Dakota School of Mines and Technology found that the codes, which have become popular as a means to download apps or access product information, could be utilised to help fight counterfeiters, with the complexity of the codes making them difficult to fake.They can be printed on paper, glass and a wide range of other materials in a mixture of nanoparticles and blue and green fluorescent ink, which makes it invisible to the naked eye, but can be seen under an infrared light.QR codes are becoming the standard in the industry, thanks to the fact that they can hold up to 100 times more information than normal barcodes. They have particularly become synonymous with smartphones, where they are widely used, but they could be as much a tool of security as marketing.The technique could be extended to be even more secure, with the potential for a microscopic message or symbol to be hidden in the QR code, potentially in different colours, which means even the infrared light wont show it without the use of a microscope.One setback to the idea is the fact that the initial process takes around 90 minutes, which is a long time to design and print a single code. However, once the original code is made it can be mass printed in just 15 minutes.Source: BBC

Leica Camera Asia Pacific offers new rental program for Leica S2

The Leica S2 features a 37.5-megapixel sensor and coupled with Leica’s lenses that claims to deliver great detail rendition with high-speed and accurate autofocus in a compact form factor. Its weather-sealed body also lets photographers shoot even in extreme conditions. Leica Camera Asia Pacific has announced its new rental program for the professional system, the Leica S2 and its accompanying lenses, which are available for rent at Camera Rental Centre from today. Photographers who want to try or loan the Leica S2 can use the camera and two lenses at S$588 at the Camera Rental Centre. The available lenses are the Elmarit-S 30mm f/2.8, Summarit-S 35mm f/2.5, Summarit-S 70mm f/2.5 and the APO-Macro Summarit-S f/2.5. Upon request, Leica lens adapters for the Mamiya 645, Pentax 67 and Hasselblad V system are available too. The Leica Camera Rental Centre offers the rental of Leica S2 on a first-come-first-served basis. For more information on the rental rates,you can email your queries to info@camerarental.biz or call +65 9650 4158.

AMD Turion 64 Strategy

With the introduction of its 64-bit enabled Turion 64 processor, AMD is looking to push its market share in the notebook-CPU segment to 12-15% in 2005, compared to the 5-8% share it had previously. AMD, together with a number of leading vendors, including HP, Acer, ASUS and PC distributors, will wage a promotional campaign worldwide on April 18 to promote the Turion 64-based notebooks. Vendors participating in the campaign will unveil new notebooks built using AMD Turion 64 2800+ and 3000+ CPUs, with power consumption averaging 25W or 35W, depending on models. Although AMD has set the prices of its Turion 64 CPUs about 13% cheaper, on average, than Intel’s Pentium M processors, some vendors have suggested that AMD needs to aggressively lower Turion 64 CPU prices to around 25% lower than P4 M CPUs, in order to gain market share from Intel. HP might raise the proportion of AMD-based notebooks to 50% of its total sales in 2005, from about 20-30% in 2004. Asustek plans to launch five or six AMD-based notebooks this year, compared to just one or two models launched a year previously.

Arctic Freezer 7 LP Cooler For HTPC Users

Most small chassis users find it difficult to buy a suitable coolerreplacement that fits the size of their PC case. As a leader in innovative, lownoise and high performance PC coolers, ARCTIC COOLING today unveiled the Freezer7 LP, a cutting edge Intel CPU cooler especially designed for media centre usersto fulfill their needs.

Slim Beauty
The revolutionary heatsink design of the Freezer 7 LP reduces the size of thecooler dramatically, leaving it only 42mm slim (to the air intake level) / 53mm(with fan holder) and 263g light, almost half the size of usual CPU coolers.With this ultra thin dimension, the Freezer 7 LP easily fits into any smallchassis with limited space.

Freeze and Breeze
Apart from its lightweight and low profile design, the Freezer 7 LP alsoperforms excellent cooling execution. Two heatpipes, 40 fins and an 80mm PWM fandissipate heat from the CPU core efficiently and rapidly. Together with thehighly thermal conductive pre-applied MX-2 thermal paste and voltage regulatorcooling, the Freezer 7 LP is 15% cooler than the generic low profile cooler,giving media centre users an unexpected cooling experience.

The Art of Silence
Like other ARCTIC COOLING products, low noise impellers and patented fan holderare used to minimize the noise level. Even though spinning at full load, theFreezer 7 LP generates only 0.3 Sone of noise – 66% quieter than the Intel lowprofile cooler.

The Freezer 7 LP is widely compatible with Intel Socket LGA775. It offers a6-year limited warranty and will be available by mid-May 2008. The MSRP is US$27.95 / 17,95 € (excl VAT).

Assassin's Creed III launch trailer is here!

Assassins Creed III, one of the hottest games to hit shelves this holiday season, is but days from launch. The PS3 and Xbox360 versions hit stores tomorrow in North America and the day after in Europe, with the PC and WiiU versions following in about a month. As such, Ubisoft has released the games launch trailer.

Check out the video above, and youll find out a lot about the protagonist, Connor, and his origins; what he fights for, and youll even catch a glimpse of George Washington shaking hands with him. It is slightly odd to see a Native American fighting with the colonists; but I guess the British are the greater evil in this case.

At the very least, the trailer has me bubbly with anticipation, and I dont seem to be alone. Ubisoft stated on October 25th, that ACIII is the most preordered game in the history of the company.

Apple To Migrate To Light Peak For Single Port Solution

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AMD to launch new fastest Phenom II X3

It's been a long time coming, but AMD is finally going to add to thetri-core line-up (which is nothing but Phenom II X4 with one coredisabled).

The new product in question is Phenom II X3 740 -running at 3.0 GHz, with a total of 1.5 MB L2 + 6MB L3 cache.

It is unknown whether this will be a Black Edition CPU like it'spredecessor (the 2.8 GHz 720BE).

The 720BE has been a hot seller thanks to it's affordability (US$119),overclockability and if you are lucky - unlocking the disabled core to the BIOS.

It is expected to launch some time in September.

Reference: Fudzilla

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Android malware rises threefold in second quarter

Malware on Googles Android platform has risen threefold in the second quarter of this year, with nearly 15,000 new malware added to Kaspersky Labs database.

The rapid growth of Android in the booming smartphone arena has not come without its price, as hackers and cybercriminals now view it as an increasingly profitable target, leading to more than 14,900 new malicious programs during the three-month period.49 percent of these are multi-functional trojans, which steal data from mobile phones, including contact names, email addresses and telephone numbers, but they can also download more software from servers they are connected to, presenting an even greater threat to mobile users.A quarter of the malware on Android are SMS trojans, which steal money from users credit or adds to their bill by texting messages to premium-rate numbers without alerting the owner of the device. Often times these are only found out long after a large amount of money has been stolen, and Kaspersky Lab has detected a rise in use of such tactics, with at least 47 countries reporting incidents.18 percent of Android malware are backdoors, which give hackers full access to the device, allowing them to be used as part of a botnet.Just two percent of Android threats are trojan spy programs, but Kaspersky Lab said that these are the biggest threat, as they hunt out valuable information that can give access to users bank accounts.“In the near future, we expect not only more malware, but more effective and dangerous malware targeting Android,” said Yuri Namestnikov, Senior Malware Analyst at Kaspersky Lab. “Judging from existing trends, we should expect that cybercriminals will soon shift to more personalised attacks. This is primarily about malware hunting for confidential data with which to steal money from users’ credit cards.”With Android likely to grow even further in the coming years, users will need to stop seeing their smartphone as just a phone and more like their home computer – which needs regularly updated anti-virus software and a healthy dose of security common sense.

Apple to make official iPhone 5 announcement on September 12

An anonymous source has reported that Apple may unveil the latest iPhone on September 12. The iPhone 5 will be Apple’s next flagship smartphone, which is rumored to have a larger screen, thinner dimension, and better overall processing power.

A supposed leak of a fully assembled iPhone was found earlier, but it was unconfirmed whether the smuggled device was the real deal.

The iPhone 5’s official announcement is perhaps Silicon Valley’s most anticipated news of the year, and its almost a no brainer that Apple will take advantage of the increase holidays spending to boost sales of their cash cow device.

The anonymous source also said that the September 12 date might change; so don’t get excited just yet.

We’ll know in about a month and a half whether or not Apple decides to lift the lid on their next-gen smartphone. We have our calendar circled and will keep you posted.

Source: iMore

ASUS Eee PC 1004DN

Versatile, Intuitive and Elegant. These are the qualities found in the latest ultraportable Eee PC™ 1004DN mobile internet device which provides mobile computing flexibility through intuitive interfaces and input methods.

The1004DN is the first in the Eee PC™ range to feature a Super-Multi optical disc drive, enabling users to read and write optical discs for convenient data back-ups. An Express Card slot provides expansion capabilities, along with plug-and-play compatibility and auto-configuration access. It also has an ergonomic keyboard to provide users with a more comfortable typing experience.

The Eee PC 1004DN sportsa 10-inch LCD display that supports 720p high definition playback for more vibrant and vivid visuals, andfeatures a multi-touch touchpad for intuitive and interactive control over multimedia playback, or surfing the Internet without using a mouse.

With a digital array microphone and a built-in 1.3-megapixel webcam,userscan communicate with their family and friendseasily, while an intuitive software suite with applications such as EzMessenger lets users synchronize data and communicate with their friends without an Internet connection.

The 1004DN offersASUS Data Security System (ADSM) which allows users to log-on using their fingerprints. Not only does it recognize multiple fingerprints belonging to the same user, it also allows him or her to encrypt a single folder with the same security system. 802.11b/g/n and Bluetooth® connection allow for faster Internet connectivity and pairing to other Bluetooth®-enabled devices respectively. Helping users enjoy more entertainment and surf the Internet is SHE, which intelligently monitors energy usage and helps extend the battery lifespan up to 5.9 hours.

Source: ASUS

Specifications

Display

10-inch wide active matrix LED backlight TFT, WSVGA (1024x600), 252K colors max

Dimensions

277mm x 194mm x 27.4-34mm

Weight

1.45kg with HDD (with 6-cell battery and ODD)

Battery

Li-Ion 57.72WHrs - 6 cells, 5200mAh

Processor

Intel® N280 1.66GHz Processor with 512k L2 Cache

FSB 667MHz 2.5W TBP thermal

Chipset

Intel GN40

ICH9Mb (Integrated GMA 4500M graphics core)

Main Memory

1 x SODIMM socket for expansion up to 2GB DDRII DRAM

Storage

Up to 1.8-inch PATA 120GB, 4200 RPM

Communications

Built-in Bluetooth® v2.1 module

802.11n

support Antenna x 2

Camera

1.3-megapixel

Microphone

Array Mic

Keyboard

Keyboard: W:254mm chiclet type

Audio

Hi-Definition Audio CODEC

Built-in high quality stereo speakers

documentary sidebar “shut up little man! an audio misadventure”

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Apple's iPad 2 to come in white

For those who are following close to months and months of iPad 2 rumours would know that the upcoming tablet from Apple would feature front and rear cameras, thinner design and an improved (but not Retina) display. With just about a few days away from Apples iPad media event, this new (and rather interesting) rumour pops up from nowhere.

Originating from Shenzhen, China, this front bezel in white does include a hole for a front-facing camera. But what really surprised us is the colour. Apple originally announced the white iPhone 4 alongside with the black iPhone 4, but till this date have yet to deliever their flagship phone in white.

But on a personal note, I feel that having the iPad 2 in white just looks a tad weird.

In white or not, well find out soon on this Thursday morning at Apples iPad media event.

Source: 9to5Mac

Apple patented a face unlocking mechanism, similar to one in Android

The method allows for the locking/unlocking of a device, and includes child safety features, and acquisition of “user’s intended movements”

The idea of unlocking a device by pointing it at your face has already been seen on the market, built into Androids Ice Cream Sandwich. However, some have pointed out that it appears Apple actually took this patent before the feature was even integrated into Android devices.

Nonetheless, facial detection as a biometric security mechanism was not the innovation of either Apple or Google, so neither should really complain.

PatentlyApple, who reported this story, also argues that Apples methodology for the system is much deeper than that used by Google in its Android devices.

"Today’s invention takes a few different twists that very interesting. I’m sure that die-hard Androiders will be up in arms today pointing to Google’s feature and patent – but Apple’s invention adds so much more depth. We’ll point you to Google’s patent for those wishing to compare the two inventions to be fair. Yet at the end of the day, Apple’s invention – especially if they combine it with ‘Presence’ technology, will have a unique product that will simply outshine Google’s implementation, plain and simple."

And, on that note, it is important to point out that the patent is not for facial recognition/unlock at all, but for a specific method and system of implementing it.

In any case, this story will probably rouse two types of people: those who are excited that face unlock could be coming to iOS devices, and those who are thoroughly irritated to see Apple stamping its logo on another idea.

Source: PatentlyApple via 9to5mac

ASUS launches Eee PC T91MT, first netbook with multi-touch

Taipei, Taiwan, November 27, 2009 – ASUShas launched the Eee PC T91MT, which claims to be the world's first convertible tablet netbook to feature a multi-touch screen that supports Windows 7 Multi-Touch gestures.Designed for students and professionals, the slim and light Eee PC T91MTreproduces handwriting beautifully and allows users to perform tasks fluidly and intuitively with just their fingers.Designed for mobility, the Eee PC T91MT sports a shockproof 32GB Solid State Drive (SSD) and comes with an additional 500GB of online ASUS WebStorage.

Great for Casual, Creative and Collaborative Uses
The Eee PC T91MT functions as a great e-reader, allowing users to read documents and books comfortably anywhere. In netbook mode, the Eee PC T91MT serves as an invaluable tool for discussions, as the screen can be swiveled to accommodate multiple users, as well as accept concurrent touch input from more than one source. With the Eee PC T91MT's multi-touch capabilities, free-flowing interaction between participants is now possible.

Puts Users in Touch with their Creative Sides
With its support for Windows 7 Multi-Touch gestures, virtually every task can be performed with a tap, drag, pinch or flick. Adding to the fun is a suite of touch-optimized applications known as TouchSuite. TouchSuite allows users to perform a myriad of tasks with their fingertips, including editing photos with FotoFun, taking notes with NotePad and scribbling handwritten reminders with Memos.

A Smooth Writing Experience
Equipped with a 256-level pressure sensor, the Eee PC T91MT's crisp and responsive 8.9-inch multi-touch screen reproduces handwriting beautifully and accurately, regardless of whether a finger or the bundled ergonomically-designed stylus is used.

Made for Mobility
Built to withstand the rigors of day-to-day use, it is equipped with a shockproof 32GB SSD that prevents data loss in the event of accidental drops and shocks. It also comes with an extra 500GB of online ASUS WebStorage** which allows users to access, share and back up their files and media no matter where they are, through an easy-to-use drag-and-drop web-based interface.

Source: ASUS

Specifications

Eee PC™ T91MTDisplay8.9" glossy LED-backlit WSVGA screen (1024×600)Operating SystemGenuine Microsoft Windows® 7 Home Premium
Genuine Microsoft Windows® 7 Home Basic (China only)CPUIntel® Atom™ Z520Default MemoryDDR2 SO-DIMM 1GB
DDR2 SO-DIMM 2GB (optional)StorageTotal 532GB
(32GB SSD + 500GB ASUS WebStorage**)Wireless Data NetworkWLAN 802.11b/g/n @2.4GHz, Bluetooth2.1 + EDRBattery LifeLi-polymer Battery, 5 hrs*MultimediaCamera0.3M PixelsAudio CodecHi-Definition Audio CODECSpeakersStereo SpeakersBuilt-in MicDigital Array MicInterface1 (D-sub 15-pin for external monitor) VGA Connector, 2 x USB 2.0, 1 x LAN RJ-45, 2 x Audio Jack (Headphone / Mic-in), Card Reader: MMC/SD (SDHC); Disk Expander: MMC/SD (SDHC)OptionalDigital TVPhysicalDimensions225mm (W) x 164mm (D) x 25.2~28.4mm (H)Weight0.96kg (with battery)ColorsInfusion (IMF): White, Black

* Operation lifetime subject to product model, normal usage conditions and configurations. For more information, please visit here. The estimated maximum battery life in Windows® 7 is measured with MobileMark® 2007.
** Complimentary one-year 500GB ASUS WebStorage trial. Please visit http://www.asuswebstorage.com/ for more details.
Specifications are subject to change without prior notice. Please visit http://www.asus.com/ for more information.

Apple in talks to buy flash storage firm Anobit

Apple is in talks to buy flash storage company Anobit for upwards of $500 million in a move that could give it more control over the storage element of its successful iPhone and iPad ranges.

The Cupertino, California-based company is allegedly in “advanced negotiations” with Israeli company Anobit to acquire the firm for between $400 million and $500 million, according to a report in Israels financial newspaper The Calcalist.Anobit develops flash chips that enhance performance via signal processing. These are already used by Apple in its iPhone, iPad and MacBook Air devices.Apple is apparently looking to buy Anobit in order to increase the memory volume and performance of its devices, which could double with the use of Anobit chips.This marks an unusual departure for Apple, which traditionally has bought software firms instead of hardware. It may mean a shift in direction following the death of Apples iconic leader Steve Jobs in October.Anobit also supplies chips to companies like Hynix and Samsung, the former of which makes flash memory for the iPhone 4S and the latter of which manufactures the A4 processor chips for Apple. If the Anobit acquisition goes ahead it would mean that Apple would become a supplier to Samsung, a move which could either strengthen or worsen relations between the two companies.Source: Reuters

Apple to issue free OS X Lion USB sticks to certain consumers

As most people would have probably found out by now, Apples new digital distribution method for OS X Lion nowallows users to download a copy of the installer onto their Macs for a nominal fee, and that the installer automatically deletes itself as soon as the operating system is successfully installed. This has resulted in many users attempting to hold on to their downloaded installers by making use of OS X s built-in tools to create a bootable DVD or flash disk of OS X Lion, thus ensuring that they have something to fall back on if their Macs suddenly suffer a catastrophic hard disk failure, thus making it impossible for them to access the recovery partition that Lion creates during the installation process.

But what if you are unlucky enough to suffer from such a hard disk failure and have no usable backup copies ofLion to make use of for the reinstallation of your operating system? Well, the good news is that help may be at hand, for word has it that Apple has got plans to issue such users with a free USB recovery stick containing the rescue partition for OS X Lion, but only if they meet certain requirements, as shown in an internal Apple memo which 9to5mac has somehow managed to get its hands on.

According to 9to5mac, a Mac user is only eligible to receive the USB recovery media for free after he or she has failed to make use of Lions built-in recovery tools (especially Internet Recovery) to restore the operating system. And even then, the request must be cleared by a Tier 2 tech support personnel before Apple will agree to ship a USB recovery flash drive to the affected consumer. Otherwise, they will still have to pay the handsome sum of US$69 for the recovery media, which is more thandouble the price Apple is charging for a fresh download of Mac OS X Lion (US$29)offthe Mac App Store.

Source: 9to5mac

EXIF data indicates Motorola is developing a quot;Droid RAZR HD quot;

While it remains uncertain whether Motorola Mobility will stay attached to Google or possibly sold off to Huawei as recent reports have cited, this hasnt stopped the phone manufacturer from continuing to tick away in producing new products for market.

It has been discovered via the EXIF data from a series of images uploaded by a supposed Motorola employee that the company is developing a new DROID series smartphone dubbed the "DROID RAZR HD".

The name of the uploader of the photos on Picasa, Vic Yu indicates via both his Google+ profile and LinkedIn page as being an engineer and program manager at Motorola Mobility.

Aside from the model name revealed in the EXIF data, a camera is also mentioned with a f/2.4 aperture and a focal length of 5mm. Further to that is mention of the software version running; Ice Cream Sandwich (build 4.0.3) and a possible product codename of Vanquish.

These pieces of info should of course be taken with a few grains of salt at this point, especially given how easy it is to fake EXIF data. Well be sure to supply more substance on the model if and when it comes to light.

Source: The Verge

Firefox 16 removed due to security risks

Only a day after release, Mozilla has pulled the newest version of their popular browser Firefox from their installer page after it was discovered that a significant security flaw compromised the browser. The flaw would allow malicious software to track the internet usage of the browser and determine which pages the user had accessed and provide the URL to those sites.

The Firefox logo

Mozillas director of security assurance has stated on the companys blog that "At this time we have no indication that this vulnerability is currently being exploited in the wild." Nevertheless, Mozilla is urging users who upgraded to downgrade to version 15.0.1 for the time being, while a fix is being developed. The previous vbersion of the browser is supposedly unaffected by the security flaw. The fix is expected to ship tomorrow, patching the vulnerability, and to those users who decide not to upgrade, the fix will be applied to their browsers automatically when released.

The new version of Firefox will contain more support for HTML 5, as it seems the development team has decided the emerging technology is stable enough not to cause problems for the browser. In addition, web developers will receive a new command line tool and the Android version of the browser will get a new "reader mode" enabling easier reading of articles on your phone by reformatting the page.

EVGA releases dual-GPU Geforce GTX 275 CO-OP PhysX

Remember themysterious "new" dual-GPUfrom EVGA/Nvidia? It is here, and there are no surprises. It is a combination of GTX 275 as the "GPU" and a GTS 250 as the PhysX Processor, "PPU".
The GTX 275 CO-OP is based around the single PCB GTX 295 design. However, unlike the GTX 295, it isn't really a true dual-GPU product, as only the single GTX 275 GPU renders graphics.
Priced at $349, it is roughly the same as a GTX 285 and just below a HD 5870, provided you can find them. Of course, on graphics performance, it will come in behind the GTX 285, and far behind the HD 5870.
It is clear that the GTX 275 CO-OP is designed for a niche audience - fans of PhysX. While there are very few such games - if you are a big fan of Batman: Arkham Asylum, this might be the card you were waiting for. For just about everyone else, a HD 5870 makes far more sense.
The strangest thing about this release is the timing - it comes after ATI's next generation being released, Nvidia's next generation being announced, and most importantly, Nvidia's GTX 200 cards (which the GTX 275 CO-OP is a part of) reaching EOL. Of course, EVGA feel there's some potential in what would seemingly appear a rather limited market.
Reference: EVGA

Dragon Quest X Online now has 40,000 players in Japan

Dragon Quest X: Rise of the Five Tribes Online, has been reported to have reached a number of more than 40,000 players in Japan as of November 6, 2012, within a time period of about three months after its initial release. For comparison, Final Fantasy XI, which is also developed and presented by Square Enix over 10 years ago last 2002, gathered only around 10,000 players within the same three-month period. This shows that the reception of the game is exceedingly a lot more than what was expected. The game is also noted to have been sold in over 70,000 copies in Japan.

Dragon Quest X is currently the first online Dragon Quest game. It presents the same fundamental gameplay system of older titles, while having many more features that are usually available to standard MMORPGs. It currently has two game modes. The first one is the standard pay-to-play version, and the other is the time restricted "kids time" free-to-play version. The upcoming Wii U version of the game is supposed to be filled with lots of other extra features that would make your adventure experience in the game more fun and exciting.

The very first Dragon Quest game was released for the FamiCom (NES) console more than two decades ago, in 1986. It was one of the very first pioneers of the Japanese RPG genre known today, and have since then grown to be played on numerous other titles on other consoles through the years. With the largely positive reception of the game in Japan, could we expect an international release soon?

Source: 4Gamer, Square Enix (JP)

ECS PF88 Board For AMD amp; Intel CPUs

Hexus has an interesting CeBIT report on the ECS PF88, the firstmainboard to support both Pentium 4 and AMD Athlon 64 processors. The mainboarditself features an SiS965 Southbridge and SiS656 Northbridge for full Intel P41066 FSB support on the Intel LGA775 platform. Also you can use a converter cardfeaturing a SiS756 northbridge onboard, 2 slots of DDR400, own MOSFETs, FSB2000Tto support the AMD 939 Athlon 64 chip while the Southbridge is shared with themainboard. There are jumpers to disable to Intel support and enable the AMDcard.

Firing Squad Invitational Tournament at Computex

For the first time ever the computer industry will take aim at each other ona new front, competing for glory in the world of cyber-gaming. Thisindustry-only tournament will bring the top names in the computer industrytogether for one day of hard fought battles to see who can reign supreme overtheir competitors. The top names in the gaming hardware industry will beparticipating in this event, including ABIT, AOpen, ASUS, Epox, Gainward,Gigabyte, MSI, PowerColor, Shuttle and XGi.

Companies to Compete in Gaming, Tweaking, Modification

As if that was not enough, this BYOC event will show the world what the topPC manufacturers consider to be their version of the “Ultimate Gaming Rig!” Eachcompany will submit 2 PCs that have been overclocked, modified and tweaked bythe finest PC engineers on the planet. Look for Firing Squad’s special coverageafter the event to see who won awards! Award categories include: The UltimateGaming Rig, Best Video Performance, Best CPU/Motherboard Performance, BestVisual Design, Best Portable Design, Best Low Noise Design and HighestOverclock!

The tournament is scheduled to take place between 10AM and 3PM at the WorldTrade Center Club, 33rd Floor, the World Trade Center, Taipei. Refreshments willbe provided so come on by, take a break and check out the action. The finalawards ceremonies will take place between 3:30PM and 5PM. Guest speakers willinclude Mr. C.S. Ho, Honorary Chairman of the Taipei Computer Association andMr. Jack Lin, General Manager of Electronic Arts Taiwan.

Eagle GeForce 8600 Series

Espco Technology Holdings Ltd of Hong Kong has launched the latest products in their Nvidia GeForce 8 series of graphics cards, the 8600GT and 8600GTS. Espco markets value-for-money graphics card solutions targeted at the budget-conscious segment of the market under the brand name Eagle. This time round though, Espco has used a custom cooling solution for these cards and pre-overclocked them, presumably in a bid to differentiate itself from other manufacturers in the budget zone and perhaps even draw some attention away from the big names.

VR-Zone has received a sample of the 8600GT and will be taking a closer look at the card soon.

Meanwhile, these products have already been released to market and are currently available for sale in Singapore. Retail prices are around SGD200 for the 8600GT and SGD290 for the 8600GTS.

19/4 Update: The factory-overclocked speeds for the Eagle 8600GT can be found in the table below. Reference 8600GT and 8600GTS speeds have been added for comparison. The 8600GT is shown above.

Reference 8600GTSReference 8600GTEagle 8600GTCore Clock675540650Memory Clock1000 (2000 DDR)700 (1400 DDR)850 (1700 DDR)

Figures in MHz.

Dunhill Biometric Wallet keeps your money and credit cards safe

This stylish Dunhill Biometric Wallet comes with a biometric fingerprint reader that opens only with your fingerprint. (Don't lose your finger together with your wallet though). Made with durable carbon fibre, it claims to be "virtually indestructible" for those who tried to pry it open with sheer brute force. The interior holds a leather credit card holder and a stainless steel money clip. But probably the most impressive feature is the wallet's Bluetooth whereby it can link to your mobile phone and sounds off an alarm when the wallet is separated from your phone by more than 5m away.Thislets you know when your wallet is stolen or misplaced.

So the question you'll be asking is, how much is this Dunhill Biometric Wallet? For theluxury brand name and innovation features, it isn't at all cheap - the Dunhill Biometric Wallet costs US$825. But if you really want afully-secured wallet,thisone time investment is worth it.

Source: Dunhillvia PC Magazine

Danger Den Releases Waterblocks For GeForce GTX 295

Danger Den hasproducedasmall batch of GTX295 blocks that have gone on sale on their website for US$189.95. It is fully compatible with all the reference GTX295 cards out there. Among the new features are :

Fitting is threaded directly into the copperUses a Delrin/Acetal mid plate to port waterflowUses the Additional RAM Pad mounting point for maximum mounting contact Contact pads with the PCB to avoid warping or bending of the video cardCools all heat generating points on the card - GPU, RAM, Voltage Regulators, I/O Chip

D-Link introduces new Cloud initiative and mydlink platform in Singapore

D-Link has unveiled their portfolio of Cloud products including routers, cameras and network storage devices, which allow you to access your digital content, and connect to family anytime, anywhere. The new products include the D-Link Cloud Camera 5000 (DCS-5222L) which offers pan/tilt capabilities and autotmatic day/night viewing, and D-Link Enhanced Wireless N Day/Night Home Network Camera (DCS-942L; above pic second from left). The D-Link Enhanced Wireless N Day/Night Home Network Camera offers H.264 video compression which can record up to five times more footage than MJPEG, and comes with enhanced motion detection and night vision of up to five metres in pitch darkness, as well as built-in microphone. The DCS-942L will be available in Singapore at authorized retailers at S$199, in Q3 this year.

The D-Link DNR-322L mydlink Network Video Recorder (NVR) is a standalone storage that can record real-time video from up to nine D-Link network cameras to hard disk storage. It can support real-time remote monitoring and playback via web browser (via mydlink website) or NVRs web graphical user interface. On top of that, users can control pan/tilt/zoom functions from within the interface or by directly clicking on the video. The D-Link DNR-322L mydlink Network Video Recorder (NVR) will be available in Singapore at authorized retailers at S$329, in Q2 this year.

Jacky Chang, vice president of D-Link, South Asia region, said that D-Link Cloud provides user with a single platform (mydlink) and account to connect to all the D-Link Cloud devices. You can use any smartphone or tablet to log in to the portal with your username and password to access your home cloud devices such as router, camera and storage.

Elpida 2 GB DDR2 Registered DIMMs

Elpida Memory, Inc (Elpida) today announced volume productionof its 512 Megabit-based 2 Gigabyte DDR2 registered dual in-line memory modules(DIMMs). The 2 Gigabyte modules are the highest density available for the servermarket, and they offer high-speed performance with a data transfer rate of 4.3Gigabytes per second (PC2-4300). Elpida's newly developed stacked BGA (sBGA)technology creates a slim module (4.8 millimeter thickness) that increases airflow space between modules, thus improving thermal performance and reliabilityfor server applications.

"Elpida's 2 Gigabyte DDR2 DIMMs combine the industry's highest density moduleswith the maximum system performance available in the server market," said JunKitano, director of Technical Marketing at Elpida Memory (USA). "Our new sBGAstacking technology allows component testing to occur prior to stacking,resulting in improved module production and better yields. Elpida's ability toenhance production capability on high-density, high-performance modulesdemonstrates our readiness to meet customer demands for DDR2 DIMMs in volumequantities."

2 Gigabyte DDR2 DIMM Features
Elpida's new DIMMs (Part numbers: EBE21RD4ABHA-xx) are based on Elpida's 512Megabit DDR2 SDRAM devices that operate up to 533 Megabits per second (Mbps).The modules are organized as 256M words x 72-bits x 2 ranks, and they containthirty-six 0.11 micron, 512 Megabit DDR2 devices that are stacked and mounted onthe DIMMs using Elpida's unique sBGA stacking technology. The mounted deviceshave a CAS latency (CL) of 3, 4, 5 with a burst length of 4, 8. The standard240-pin DIMMs have a JEDEC-compliant outline with a slim thickness of 4.8 mm,and they support Error Checking and Correction (ECC) necessary for high-endserver applications. The modules also offer 1.8V operation - one-half the powerconsumption over DDR.

The 2 Gigabyte DDR2 registered DIMM is part of Elpida's comprehensive DDR2product portfolio that also includes 512 Megabyte and 1 Gigabyte densities.

EA's Keynote Speech @ E3 - Games as a Service

I’m going to come right out and say it. I don’t have a problem with DLC. In fact, I think DLC is a wonderful way of prolonging a game’s life, especially if you’ve really enjoyed that game. I will grant that there are ways that DLC is used horribly, namely paid DLC on the disc or forcing the gamer to pay for DLC to get the full experience. EA has often been accused of bad practices when it comes to DLC, but they decided to focus on that during their E3 presentation.

Their talk wasn’t focused entirely on DLC, but instead on gaming as a rich experience, rather than a singular event. Instead of thinking of the game as residing on a particular disc, EA wants us to think of a game as a world that extends beyond the console to other areas of our lives, including social networks and smartphone integration.

The presentation kicked off with a demonstration of Dead Space 3, the newest game in the survival horror franchise. Taking place on a snowy world, the demo showed off co-op gameplay and a massive worm-like boss encounter. The game will release February of 2013.

Next was Madden NFL 13, with Hall-of-Famer Michael Irving presenting some new features and commenting on the improved physics engine. Dubbed the “Infinity Engine,” the new physics model takes players’ mass, speed, and hit location into account, and dynamically creates the correct forces acting on the players to produce life-like collisions. Gone are the days of scripted animations determining when a player is downed. Also shown was a new Career mode, which connects you to your friends and revolves around your player as he strives to enter the Hall of Fame, with virtual twitter feeds, dynamic news stories, and RPG-like XP. Also revealed is that the career mode can either be taken from the perspective of a current player, a legend like Joe Montana or Michael Irving, or from a custom player. You can even take the shoes of a coach like John Madden and play through a coach’s career. Madden 13 will release later this year.

Next, it was Maxis’ turn to take the stage, with two announcements. The first was SimCity Social, which looks to topple all the FarmVille clones and provide a “real simulation” on the Facebook social game platform. While I sincerely hope Maxis can pull off a miracle, I fear that SimCity Social is going to become just another city-building time-sink on Facebook with forced social features and ridiculous microtransactions.

They next showed off the new PC version of SimCity, and this was far more exciting. For the first time, SimCity will include multiplayer, allowing you and your friends (or just yourself if you’re of a more megalomaniacal bent) to take control of multiple cities in the same region, with cooperative and competitive goals and with every action you take affecting every other city in the region. Your cities will also be connected to what was called “a world of SimCities,” with actions and global goals behaving similarly to their smaller-scale multiplayer counterparts. Look for it to release on PC later this year.

Battlefield 3 was next, with developers from DICE explaining the new features coming to the multiplayer juggernaut in the coming months, as well as providing some interesting statistics tracked by the game, such as 40 million flight hours logged and 1.9 trillion bullets fired by the 15 million players in Battlefield 3 since launch. The big feature announced, available now on PS3 and next week for PC and Xbox, is a new community feature called Battlefield Premium. Seemingly an answer to Call of Duty: Elite, the premium service for that shooter’s multiplayer community, Battlefield Premium will give players 20 new weapons, multiple new camo patterns and dogtags, as well as access to the 5 expansions for the Battlefield 3 game.

Included in this group is the already-released Return to Karkand, an expansion that released shortly after launch. Also included are Close Quarters, an infantry-centric expansion coming out this month with small, tight, infantry-only maps, Armored Kill, a vehicle-centric expansion with some of the largest maps in Battlefield to date releasing in September, Aftermath, with maps based around the ruined city of Tehran after the earthquake featured in the single-player campaign, releasing in December, and End Game, focusing on high-speed lethality and introducing motorcycles, releasing in March of 2013. All of this is available to gamers for $49.99.

Bioware took the stage next, praising the community of players in Star Wars: The Old Republic, who have invested more than 520 million hours into the game since launching 6 months ago. The surprise announcement was that The Old Republic would be getting a free-to-play trial similar to what World of Warcraft has done. Free players will be able to advance to level 15 without having to pay a dime, but will need to subscribe in order to advance beyond that point. A massive new content release is also coming in July, with a new playable race (pictured above), new instances, new warzones, and new high-level content.

Next was the highly anticipated shooter, Medal of Honor. Shown running on the Frostbite 2 engine, all of the conflicts in the single-player campaign have “a dotted line to real-world conflicts and hotspots.” The demo showed an attack on a Somali pirate compound, complete with destructible terrain and buildings. Multiplayer features were also announced, with a “global multiplayer campaign” featuring 12 Special Forces teams from 10 countries around the globe, such as the Russian Spetznas, the British SAS, the American SEALs, and so on. No release date was announced, but we’ll keep our eyes open.

EA Sports again took the stage and began announcing new features for FIFA 13. Calling the FIFA franchise a social network for football fans, EA announced new social features, including iPad and iPhone versions of the game which integrate seamlessly with the current social framework created for FIFA 12. In fact, it was announced that FIFA 12 players’ levels and XP will transfer between the games, allowing returning players to start right where they’d left off in the previous game. Messi was announced as the cover athlete, due to his skillful footwork being the inspiration for EA’s new handling system in FIFA. Using similar techniques to the physics engine detailed for the Madden series and refined physics for the ball, the improved AI can now think two or three plays ahead, with complex attacks being used to break through a tough defense. The example shown was a player running to a position for a pass from a player that had yet to receive the ball, though when the pass came he was in perfect position to score a goal. Look for FIFA 13 this fall.

The crown jewel in EA’s presentation was the announcement of a “multi-yea, multi-product” deal with the UFC. THQ had a stranglehold on the UFC license for three years, but now the UFC is partnering with EA to produce games for its “half a billion fans in 175 countries,” so that they can “finally get the best UFC videogame possible.” No word was given on when the first game would be releasing, but I suspect it will be within the next year and based on the previous EA MMA engine.

After dropping the UFC bombshell, EA continued by announcing that Criterion would be developing another Need for Speed game. Titled “Need for Speed: Most Wanted,” it’s based around the premise of the previous Most Wanted game of becoming the most wanted racer. Criterion plans to do this by creating an open-world racing game with deep social integration, allowing you to compete against your friends in multiple categories, such as fastest time or highest ranked. Each action in game will award you points, and these points are how much of the social competition is scored. No word on a release date.

Finally, EA ended on a graphics spectacle by showing off Crysis 3. The jaw-dropping visual fidelity of the demo was enough to get anyone interested, but the open world design and interesting locales allowing for a freeform style of gameplay are sure to bring in gamers who would otherwise write off Crysis 3 as just a pretty graphics engine. Called an “urban rainforest,” the environment allows for a huge variety of landscapes to fight across, along with multiple paths to completing objectives. Look for the release of this hotly anticipated game in February of 2013.

Keep your eyes open for more of our E3 coverage as the week continues.