CES 2012: Nvidia Wanted to Showcase Kepler at the Fair, But Decided Not to

With AMD’s release of the 28nm Radeon HD 7970 at the end of last year, everyone’s attention has now turned towards the green camp, but Nvidia’s Kepler still seems to have a long way to go before it arrives, Jen Hsun Huang, the company’s CEO, advising us to be patient about it.

Reportedly, at some point in time Nvidia wanted to present a Kepler GPU at this year’s CES fair during Huang’s keynote speech, but in the end it decided not to.

This was a business decision according to Fudzilla who says that Kepler is actually in production and that the chip is scheduled for a H1 2012 launch, probably at the end of this quarter.

Jen Hsun Huang told the same publication that we need to be patient when it comes to its next-gen GPU, which does indeed seem to imply that we have quite a long wait ahead of us.

Kepler is the code name used by Nvidia to refer to its next-generation graphics processing unit architecture, which, just like AMD's Radeon HD 7900 GPUs, is manufactured using TSMC's high-K metal gate (HKMG) 28nm fabrication process.

The new graphics core is expected to be more flexible in terms of programmability than the current Fermi architecture.

In the second half of 2010, Nvidia promised that Kepler, and its successor Maxwell, will include virtual memory space (allowing both the CPU and the GPU to use a unified virtual memory) and pre-emption support, as well as a series of other technologies meant to improve the GPU's ability to process data without the help of the system's processor.

According to previous Nvidia estimates, these changes, combined with the new manufacturing process, should deliver 3 to 4 times the performance per Watt of the Fermi architecture in double-precision 64-bit floating point operations.

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How to Download and Install iOS 5.1 OTA (Over-the-Air)

With the introduction of iOS 5 last year, Apple kicked off over-the-air updates, a method of installing new software on your iPhone or iPad without downloading the whole IPSW file, but just the bits you need to apply the latest changes.

Apple is currently testing iOS 5.1 internally. The update, expected to drop relatively soon, will deliver a number of important fixes addressing user-reported issues, as well as new features and security plugs.

Developers with access to the latest iOS 5.1 betas are presented with the same two options to continue their testing: install OTA; or download the IPSW and do a manual install via iTunes.

OTA delivers an incremental software update, which means that your download is considerably smaller, hence it can be done wirelessly - without having to tether your iDevice to a computer.

So, how do you do this when Apple decides to release the next iOS version? Easy, just follow these four steps:

1. Unlock your home screen and locate the Settings icon
2. Launch Settings and tap on General
3. From there, select “Software Update” and see if there’s anything new to install
4. Review the information about the available iOS update and tap “Download and Install”

All you need to do now is wait for your device to automatically download and install the new software.

If everything goes as Apple intended it to go, your iPhone / iPad / iPod touch will reboot automatically and your new software will have been installed without ever touching a computer or the iTunes application.

 A few important notes before you attempt to install any new iOS over-the-air:

1. First of all, you need to have iOS 5 installed to download any point-releases that came after it.
2. Second, you need at least 50% battery charge for your device to start downloading the new firmware and proceed with the installation.
3. And finally, you need a strong wireless internet connection, since that’s what over-the-air is all about.

Happy over-the-air updating!

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Shuttle Outs XH61 7cm-Tall Desktop PC

In case you all missed it, Shuttle is ready to start selling the latest Barebone PC to ever come out of its labs.

Since it is a barebone PC, it ships without a processor, memory and storage units.

That means that owners have to get their own Intel Core-series chip, HDD / SSD and ODD.

What the XH61 does have, though, is a motherboard with two RAM slots, four SATA 3.0 Gbps ports and room for a 2.5-inch drive and a slim DVD/Blu-ray drive.

In other words, up to a Core i7 can be used (max TDP is 65W), along with 16 GB of DDR3 memory.

Other specifications include 7.1-channel audio, Gigabit Ethernet, six USB 2.0 ports, PS/2 ports (two), HDMI and D-sub (graphics prowess comes from the CPU's own GPU).

Finally, the total height is of 7 centimeters (2.75 inches), the price is €146 ($186) and it is even possible to fasten the item to a VESA mount (at the back of a display).

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ECS Unveils Mainstream H77 Black Series Motherboard

Since it dropped by the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Nevada, ECS didn't bring just one product, but several, one of which is the mainstream H77 Black Series motherboard.

We have already talked about the Z77H2-AX Black Deluxe motherboard that Elitegroup Computer Systems brought over to CES 2012.

It so happens that, in addition to that admittedly powerful platform, ECS also built a mainboard based on the H77 chipset.

H77, otherwise dubbed Panther Point, is almost identical to the Z77, but lacks overclocking capabilities and also does not offer the Rapid Storage technology.

For those unaware, Rapid Storage is a feature through which a solid state drive and an HDD are viewed by the OS as a single entity, so that the speed of flash memory and the capacity of magnetic platters may be combined.

Back to the ECS product, The H77 Black Series motherboard has the micro-ATX form factor and a 6-phase VRM for the LGA 1155 CPU socket.

Four DDR3 memory slots are present (dual-channel), along with a PCI Express Gen 3.0 x16 slot.

Moving on, ECS tossed in a PCI Express 2.0 x1 slot and two legacy PCI slots as well.

Furthermore, buyers will find a pair of SATA 6.0 Gbps connectors, four SATA 3.0 Gbps ports, a DVI output, D-Sub and HDMI as well.

Other specifications include an ITE-made chip (handles the aforementioned legacy PCI slots), four USB 3.0 ports and electrolytic capacitors for circuits that don't deal with large currents.

That means that only power conditioning circuits have solid-state capacitors, leading to a lower price.

Finally, there should be no problem when trying to outfit the ECS H77 Black Series micro-ATX motherboard with an Ivy Bridge CPU.

Unfortunately, there was no mention of pricing or availability, so prospective customers will just have to wait for more news or keep an eye on their local retailers.

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CES 2012: Zotac Debuts D2700-ITX WiFi Supreme Mini-ITX HTPC Board

Adding to a never-ending portfolio of mini-ITX motherboards, Zotac has now released the Intel Atom Cedar Trail powered D2700-ITX WiFi Supreme board that was designed to meet the needs of HTPC enthusiasts.

Just as its name implies, this compact motherboard is built around an Atom D2700 Cedarview processor, and pairs together the dual-core 2.13GHz x86 CPU with an Nvidia GT 520 graphics card packing 512MB of DDR3 VRAM.

Both of these are cooled by an active heatsink that covers most of the PCB space available on the board, forcing the company to drop support for DIMM memory and go instead with the smaller SO-DIMM modules that are usually found inside notebooks.

Two such slots are provided offering users the capability to install up to 4GB of system memory, while the rest of the expansion options include two SATA 3Gbps ports and a PCI Express x16 slot (PCIe x1 electrically).

An additional mini-PCIe slot is also available, but this is occupied by an 802.11 b/g/n WiFi card.

To the rear of the D2700-ITX WiFI, Zotac has installed all the I/O ports that are required for an HTPC system, including all the important DVI, HDMI and DisplayPort video outputs.

But these are only the tip of the iceberg, as the motherboard also comes equipped with dual USB 3.0 ports, four USB 2.0 ports, a Gigabit Ethernet port and with 7.1-channel audio with optical S/PDIF out.

“Zotac platforms have been quite popular among home theater PC users,” said Carsten Berger, marketing director, Zotac International.

“The Zotac D2700-ITX WiFi Supreme succeeds our award-winning IONITX series with upgrades to smoothly playback stereoscopic 3D content, output lossless audio formats and embrace Microsoft DirectX 11 technology while maintaining the compact mini-ITX form factor,” concluded the company’s rep. 

Sadly, no information regarding pricing and availability was disclosed by Zotac at this time, but the solution is on display at CES 2012.

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CES 2012: Toshiba FlashAir Is the First SD Card to Feature Wireless LAN

A few days ago, the SD association announced a certain new standard for memory cards and, now, Toshiba has unveiled the first memory card to comply with it.

Toshiba's exhibition at this year's Consumer Electronics Show (CES 2012) includes the FlashAir SD card.

Basically, this is a memory card that complies with the Wireless LAN standard.

In other words, that small storage unit has its own wireless network support.

In fact, rather than hold the ability to join a wireless network, the FlashAir creates its own, or so reports say.

More precisely, the card features an 802.11b/g/n hotspot, down to its very own web server.

The implication is that any device connected to the card's hotspot can open a browser and see the pictures snapped with the camera that uses the card at the time.

Accessing http://flashair/ is all it takes to browse the individual folders.

For those who want more numbers, Toshiba gave the Class 6-rated SD card a capacity of 8GB and a piece of $70 (about 55 Euro).

“As cloud servers and wireless technologies continue to penetrate the consumer experience, wireless accessibility will become increasingly more important,” says Michael Yang, senior principal analyst, memory and storage, IHS iSuppli. 

“The addition of wireless capability to the existing SD memory card standard, will enable SD memory cards to remain relevant to shifting market demand, and add value to consumers and manufacturers of new cameras, tablets, and mobile phones.” 

According to the hands-on experience of the folks at Engadget, the wireless connection is actually quite fast, and so it the read and write speed.

By snapping some photos with a point-and-shoot camera, the pictures were already up for viewing after an instant refresh of http://flashair/.

All that’s left to do now is to wait for February, when sales are going to start. More capacious models are scheduled for the following months.

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Shuttle XH61 3-Litre Barebone Supports Intel LGA 1155 CPUs

Shuttle has just announced that the company has updated its X-series barebone lineup with a new model, dubbed the XH61, which was designed to be compatible with Intel processors using the LGA 1155 socket.

The smallish 3-liter case of the XH61 features an all-black design, but despite its compact size it does have enough room for quite a bit of hardware.

This includes support for an optical Slimline drive and a 2.5-inch hard disk or SSD as well as a pair of DDR3 DIMM sockets, for installing as much as 16GB of system memory. Four SATA 3Gbps ports also make their appearance on the XH61’s specs list.

Outside of the Gigabit Ethernet interface, the back of the unit houses four USB 2.0 ports, two PS/2 ports, D-Sub and HDMI video outputs as well as 5.1-channel audio (7.1 channel internally).

Another two USB 2.0 ports and a series of 3.5mm audio jacks are found in the front of the case behind a drop-down panel.

A heatpipe cooling system paired together with two lateral fans is used for chilling Intel‘s LGA 1155 processors with TDPs up to 65W while power is provided by a fanless 90 W power brick.

"With the XH61, we can now fit second-generation Intel Core processors in our smallest and fastest PCs", states Tom Seiffert, Head of Marketing & PR at Shuttle Computer Handels GmbH. 

"The practical format of the XH61 and its predecessor, the XG41, has proven its worth and will continue to be developed in future. 

“3-litre PCs represent a good compromise between space requirements and computing performance," concluded the company’s rep.

Shuttle has set the recommended price of the XH61 LGA 1155 barebone at EUR 146 (ex VAT), which translates into about $185 US.

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Allwinner A10 Is Almost Illegally Cheap at $15

There used to be a time when $200 (157 Euro) tablets and $50 (39 Euro) gadgets were considered low-cost, but perception has begun to change with the rise of absurdly cheap personal computers. 

Rhombus Tech has just announced a product that will give the credit card-sized PC Raspberry Pi a run for its money. 

It isn't exactly clear when the so-called Allwinner A10 will be ready, but it should not take overly long, not with the price already known. 

In fact, the price is ridiculously low, at only $15 (under 12 Euro). 

Things get even more interesting when one realizes that the Raspberry Pi has a price of $25, or about 18.5 Euro, while actually being slower. 

Indeed, according to Rhombus, the Pi's 700mhz ARM11 is three times weaker than the 1.5ghz Allwinner A10 ARM Cortex A8. 

“Thanks to the low cost of the Allwinner Cortex A8, mass-volume pricing (just for the CPU card, and therefore excluding tax, shipping, profit, a case and a power supply) looks to be on target for around $15: 40% lower than the raspberrypi which is only a 700mhz ARM11 and is therefore at least three times slower in processor speed than the Allwinner A10,” the company says. 

One especially noteworthy aspect is that all the hardware is GPL-compatible (General Public License). 

The software will be made by the company itself, based on Allwinner GPL Source Code, while Chinese hardware makers will manufacture the physical components. 

All in all, this is shaping up to be a very small computer, probably smaller than most smartphones out there. 

No word exactly on what video interfaces will be implemented, but mini HDMI, at the very least, should make the cut, perhaps DVI too. 

After all, it would not do to have a PC that cannot connect to the most common monitors and HDTVs. 

Rhombus Tech is preparing an Android-based tablet as well, with resistive touch support. Its price will probably be on the low side as well.

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Samsung Galaxy 5 Gets CyanogenMod 9 Port Based on Android 4.0.3

The old Samsung Galaxy 5 will never receive an official Android 2.3 Gingerbread upgrade, so we can’t even think of the possibility of getting the Ice Cream Sandwich.

Fortunately, the folks over at XDA Developers are making wonders. Those who still own one of these old Android smartphones, which was initially delivered with Android 2.1 Éclair on board, will be happy to know that there’s a new unofficial Ice Cream Sandwich ROM available for their devices.

XDA forum user Myshu managed to cook a special CyanogenMod 9 ROM for the Samsung Galaxy 5. This ROM is based on Android 4.0.3 Ice Cream Sandwich and is only available for the European variant.

However, the alpha build is pretty unstable for the moment, so it’s not suitable for daily use. The following things have been listed as working: Hardware acceleration, touchscreen and Wi-Fi.

Telephony, audio, GPS, 3G, Bluetooth, sensor, tethering, USB mounting, Market, keyboard and others are not working. Head over to the original thread for more details on this ROM.

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CES 2012: Kingston Shows Off HyperX Memory Modules

Since it wasn't about to miss out on the opportunity that CES gave it, Kingston came along and put several products on display.

Predictably, since the HyperX line of memory modules has brought it a lot of fame over the years, its exhibition includes new additions to the series.

VR-Zone reports three different types of HyperX memory.

One of the offerings, bearing the customary blue heatsink, is called HyperX T1 and caters to the needs of high-end customers.

Whenever Kingston decides they are ready to ship, they will feature high XMP 1.3 profiles, meaning that their overclocking headroom will be considerable.

The maximum capacity of each module is reported to be of 8GB.

Also, all of them are cooled by fairly thick and solid aluminum heatsinks, with vertically-extended fins.

The second RAM offering is a HyperX module whose heat spreader is red instead of blue.

It is called “HyperX Red Limited Edition” and, as mentioned above, has a top capacity of 8GB, plus the mainstream clock speed of 1,600 MHz.

“The enthusiast community knows the HyperX brand is synonymous with high speed, high quality and stylish design,” said Mark Tekunoff, senior technology manager, Kingston, in the press release issued at the start of CES 2012 (two days prior to the writing of this article). 

“The new HyperX Red and the updated look of LoVo are great additions to our HyperX family. We have high-performance memory solutions to meet the specific needs of everyone from the entry-level gamer to the seasoned professional.”

Finally, Kingston held a demo of the HyperX Genesis quad-channel high-end memory kit for Sandy Bridge-E platforms.

It offers a total capacity of 64GB, meaning that it is made up of eight modules of 8 GB each.

The operational frequency is DDR3-2400 MHz, a truly high performance rating for such a capacity, especially given the thin heat spreaders.

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