Microsoft New Windows 8 Commercial

Microsoft will officially unveil Windows 8 on October 25 and one of the most important features of the new OS is the brand new Windows Store.

The company continuously calls for developers to submit their apps for Windows Store, and this new Windows 8 commercial does the same thing one more time. Basically, it’s a video that promotes Windows 8’s ability to run smoothly on tablets too, but also underlines the key role of the apps in this entire environment.

Windows 8 will be available not only on desktop computers, but also on tablets and mobile phones, with Microsoft planning to sell millions of copies from the very first months of availability. What’s more, the Windows RT flavor, the one that will be installed on tablets, will be shipped with a free copy of Microsoft Office.

Over the last 2 years, more Windows licenses have been sold than Android, iOS and Mac combined. Are you ready to publish your app? http://dev.windows.com
Video credits to ubellyms

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AsRock FM2A85X Extreme6 Mainboard

AsRock is also getting ready to launch its own FM2 overclocking mainboard, but unlike MSI’s FM2-A85XA-G65 that we presented on previous post, AsRock’s has three PCI-Express x16 slots and also features a useful POST LED indicator.

The AsRock’s FM2A85X Extreme6 mainboard is likely to end up more expensive than MSI’s counterpart. The black overclocking platform features four USB 3.0 ports on the backside I/O panel and that’s double the number we can find on the MSI board. The eSATA is also present on AsRock’s board while it’s missing from MSI’s FM2 implementation.

Moreover, the AsRock FM2A85X Extreme6 mainboard also comes with PCB integrated Power, Reset and CLR CMOS buttons, but the latter is comfortably positioned on the backside I/O panel, thus allowing the user to quickly restore its system from a failed overclocking attempt. The CPU power system is also a 10-phase implementation and this is superior to MSI’s 8-phase FM2-A85XA-G65. Pricing has not been announced yet.

AsRock FM2A85X Extreme6 Mainboard
Images credits to ixbt

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Securifi Almond Touchscreen Router

Securifi came to our attention back in January, when it created the Almond concept router, the one that has two MIMO antennas on the inside and a TFT LCD on the outside.

The company is finally following up on that project by announcing that the Almond is ready to go on show at CEATEC Japan 2012 (October 2-6), complete with Japanese language support. Shipped with a security key pre-configured in the factory, the router can set up a network with WEP/WPA/WPA2 security.

The real reason it stands out at the first glance, though, is the 2.8-inch FT LCD touchscreen (320 x 240 pixels), which grants owners direct control over the signal and the range extender functionality. "Almond has changed the way users setup and manage their wireless routers. We believe its elegant design and interface appeal to the technology conscious Japanese consumers," says Securifi's CEO Rammohan Malasani.

Securifi announces Almond router at CEATEC 2012
Image credits to Securifi

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MSI FM2-A85XA-G65 FM2 Mainboard for AMD Trinity APUs with 8-phase CPU Power System

Well-known mainboard manufacturer, Taiwanese company MSI is getting ready to launch its own top-of-the-line AMD FM2 mainboard. The new platform will be based on the A85 chipset from AMD and will be an overclocking oriented model with a powerful 8-phase CPU power system.

The official name of the new product is MSI FM2-A85XA-G65 and this is a high-quality motherboard featuring MSI’s Military Class III components, including an IR3567A 8-phase controller, Renesas FETs and solid capacitors. The mainboard will feature two PCI-Express Gen2 x16 slots that will work in a x8 + x8 configuration when two video cards are installed. There are also three PCI-Express x1 slots and two classic 32-bit PCI slots, along with eight SATA 3 connectors and two USB 3.0 ports.

The backside I/O panel provides connectivity for four monitors using VGA, DVI, HDMI and a DisplayPort. Being an overclocking-oriented product, MSI’s FM2-A85XA-G65 motherboard also features Power, Reset, Clear CMOS and OC Genie (automatic overclocking) buttons directly on the PCB. No information on pricing or availability has been made available at press time.

MSI FM2-A85XA-G65 FM2 Mainboard for AMD Trinity APUs
Images credits to ixbt

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Samsung GT-i9500 Spotted with Tizen 2.0

Samsung has had a great success on the smartphone market with its Android-based devices, yet it seems that the company is already hard at work with an alternative strategy, Tizen.

In fact, a Samsung device powered by the latest Tizen flavor has already been spotted, namely the GT-i9500. This is said to be a reference device, which has been loaded with Tizen 2.0 (codename Magnolia) for testing purposes, but which might materialize into a commercially available product next year.

The OS appears similar with Tizen 1.0 (codename Larkspur), SamMobile notes, adding that there should be a wide range of changes made under the hood. There is a strong possibility that Samsung is planning the launch of its first Tizen-based devices for the Mobile World Congress 2013 in Barcelona, so stay tuned to learn more on the matter.

Tizen 2.0-Based Samsung GT-i9500
Images credits to moguriqt.hatenablog.jp

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BlackBerry 10 Lisbon Specs

When officially launched in the first quarter of the next year, Research In Motion’s first BlackBerry 10 devices will arrive on shelves in full-touch form factors, as part of the company’s long rumored L-Series.

Of course, there will also be QWERTY-enabled devices included in the BlackBerry 10 lineup, yet they will be part of the N-Series, it seems, and should be accompanied by the yet undetailed R-Series family of smartphones. One of the touch-capable BlackBerry 10 smartphones expected to hit shelves in the coming months is said to sport the codename of Lisbon, and the full list of specifications on it is now available online, following the leak of Laguna's hardware specs. Available courtesy of rapidberry, the specs list shows a Qualcomm Snapdragon MSM8960 processor packed inside the device, complemented by 1GB of RAM and 16GB of internal memory (along with a microSD memory card slot with support for additional storage space).

The handset is said to sport a large 4.2-inch touchscreen display that can deliver a 1280 x 768 pixel resolution and 355dpi, as well as an 8-megapixel photo snapper on the back, capable of full HD video recording. A 2MP camera will be present on the handset’s front, enabling users to easily make video calls. The phone will land on shelves with support for 4G LTE connectivity, as well as with tri-band HSPA. The upcoming BlackBerry 10 smartphone is also expected to land on shelves with Wi-Fi connectivity packed inside, as well as with 4G mobile Hotspot capabilities, Wi-Fi Direct, NFC, DLNA, Bluetooth and microUSB port, as well as with built-in GPS receiver.

Apparently, Lisbon could turn out to be Research In Motion’s GSM BlackBerry handset, which means that we’ll see it available on the networks of AT&T and T-Mobile in the United States. If so, it will make an appearance on shelves in Canada as well, that’s for sure. Stay tuned for more.

BlackBerry 10 Lisbon specs
Image credits to RapidBerry

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Open webOS Ported to Galaxy Nexus

HP has made the final version of its Open webOS platform available yesterday, and a port for Galaxy Nexus is already making it to headlines.

The availability of this platform on the latest Google phone out there is the result of a few months of development, though it seems that a lot of improvements need to be made to it. While the OS does run on the handset, and can even access the WiFi, support for phone functions is not ready just yet, and it might take a while before it is provided.

The port also needs hardware acceleration, as the software is almost unusable at the moment. However, the first steps in bringing the Open webOS to the smartphone have been taken, and things could evolve in the right direction soon. More info on the software can be found on webOS ports.

first video of Open Webos 1.0 on Google Nexus By Morphis (and WebOS Ports) 
Video credits to WebOS Ports

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Gigabyte GeForce GTX 680 Overclock Edition 4GB, Triple-Slot GeForce GTX 680 Graphics Card with 4GB Memory

The world of high-end graphics adapters has become a bit larger now that Gigabyte has finished its latest and arguably greatest GeForce GTX 680 board, with WindForce 3X cooling and more memory than all the others in its collection.

We suspect that prospective buyers will be torn between considering this the best of Gigabyte's GeForce GTX 680 cards or going with the GeForce GTX 680 WindForce 5X. For what it's worth, we think that the GTX 680 Overclock Edition 4GB (GA-N680OC-4GD) is the better choice, for several reasons. The first is that the price of $800 / 622-800 Euro (as revealed by some buyers through Chinese forums) is lower than the $870 / 670-870 Euro of the five-fan monstrosity. The second is that the three fans of the newcomer (as many as the copper heatpipes) make for a lower level of noise. While the WindForce 5X did not add to the decibels, it did not reduce the volume either, so the board still produces 40dB or so, while the GTX 680 Overclock Edition 4GB runs at 28.3 dB under the Furmark test.

The third point is the following: this is the very first of Gigabyte's Geforce GTX 680 adapters to boast 4 GB of GDDR5 VRAM instead of two (though not the first such item in the market). Coupled with the clock speeds of the GPU and the memory itself, the performance should be more than a match for that of the WindForce 5X. To elaborate, the 5X features a base speed of 1,137 MHz and can rise to 1202 MHz via GPU Boost. WindForce 3X is just 66 / 65 MHz behind, but the extra 2 GB of memory (256-bit interface, speed left at the normal 6 GHz) will give it an edge in multi-monitor setups. As a bonus, Gigabyte's creation supports OpenGL 4.2 (NVIDIA's original card supports 4.1), Ultra Durable VGA technology (5-10% cooler GPU, 10-30% better overclocking, improved power switching), the OC Guru II and a gold-plated HDMI output.

Gigabyte has added the high-grade adapter to its website, but has yet to officially announce availability and the price. We have only learned the tag, and that shipments are already being carried out, thanks to Chinese buyers that took to online forums.

Gigabyte GeForce GTX 680 Overclock Edition 4GB
Image credits to Gigabyte

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TP-Link N600 Wireless Dual Band Router

IT companies have begun straight-up choosing rivals, with TP-Link being locked in a contest with Netgear for who makes the best and most affordable routers.

TP-Link is the one releasing a product this time around, called N600 Wireless Dual Band Router, and the core of its marketing strategy is “Netgear's product is more expensive than ours.” To elaborate, the press release points out that Netgear's N600 WNDR3400 ships for $79.00 in the USA, or 61-79 Euro, give or take. The TP-Link N600 Wireless Dual Band Router TL-WDR3500 is sold for $47, or 40% less. That's around 36.44-47 Euro. "This router provides cost-conscious consumers a chance to experience the advantages of dual band technology that they otherwise may not have been able to invest in," says Lewis Wu, director of Sales at TP-LINK USA. "No other competitor can beat our combination of the latest technology for the lowest everyday price."

N600 communicates over the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bandz, making it compatible with more or less every 802.11a/b/g/n Wi-Fi device out there. It also has four 10/100 Mbps Ethernet ports, one USB port, two external antennas and a wireless On/Off button, letting it behave like a regular switch. For older computers that lack Wi-Fi, TP-Link has the N600 Wireless Dual Band USB Adapter, TL-WDN3200, “a simple and affordable add-on.” We're not quite sure how $31.06 / 17.90 Euro / £19.99 qualifies as affordable though (the prices were taken from online retailers at the time of this article's writing). At any rate, there is one final asset of the TL-WDR3500 router, not the adapter, that we have to specify: the One Button Security Setup, which establishes a secure connection at a single press of the WPS button (Wi-Fi Protected Setup).

All in all, assuming that no adapter is needed, TP-Link's router is a more convenient buy than TRENDnet's TEW-712BR.

TP-Link N600 Wireless Dual Band Router
Image credits to TP-Link

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$99 (€76) Supercomputer Running Ubuntu OS

Adapteva, a company that designs and sells low-power multicore microprocessor, wants to sell a supercomputer running an Ubuntu operating system.

The Parallella project will try to build an affordable supercomputer aimed at regular consumers. It will make use of Epiphany multicore chips, built by Adapteva. The supercomputer is trying to get some traction with the help of a Kickstater project. Adapteva is trying to raise enough money to make this computer a reality.

The components that will be used to build the Parallella supercomputer are: a dual-core ARM A9 CPU, Epiphany Multicore Accelerator (with 16 or 64 cores), 1GB RAM, 1 MicroSD Card, two USB 2.0 slots, two general purpose expansion connectors, gigabyte Ethernet port, HDMI connection, and Ubunu OS. If you are interested in the project and you want to participate, check out the official Kickstarter project.

Parallella scheme
Image credits to Kickstarter.com

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