ADATA Releases Overkill XPG V3 Memory of 3,100 MHz

Hardcore PC owners would probably argue that there is no such thing as overkill, especially when it comes to CPU and memory speeds, but I would beg to differ when faced with what ADATA has just released.

The company has formally launched a dual-channel memory kit composed of two modules with a clock of 3,100 MHz frequency: XPG V3. There used to be a time when 2,500 MHz was considered a huge overclock for memory whose technical specification says 1,600 and 1,866 MHz should be the upper “limits.” Clearly, RAM device makers are not concerned with this as pedestrian as “limits.” Adata designed this positively ludicrously overclocked memory kit for systems powered by Z97 motherboards and Intel's Haswell and Broadwell high-end CPUs (Core i3, i5 and i7).

The memory supports Intel XMP 1.3 (Extreme Memory Profile) and has a bandwidth of 24.8 GB/s. Also, the 8-layer PCB with 2oz copper improves cooling performance, which is why the heatspreaders (Thermal Conductive Technology, TCT for short) can even handle the heat caused by the frequency of over 3,000 MHz in the first place. Alas, ADATA did not say what humongous price it intends to charge for a dual-channel, two-module kit. Curiously, it didn't even specify a capacity (it would presumably be offered in 8 GB and/or 16 GB variants).

ADATA XPG V3 memory
Image credits to ADATA

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Xiaomi Mi4 Goes Official with Snapdragon 801 Processor

Today, Chinese mobile phone maker Xiaomi officially announced the upcoming availability of a new flagship handset, in the form of Xiaomi Mi4.

The new device went official during a press event held in Beijing, and it is said to be the fastest smartphone in the world. To ensure high-end performance capabilities for its device, Xiaomi included a 2.5GHz Snapdragon 801 processor inside it, along with 3GB of RAM. When last year’s Xiaomi Mi3 was launched, the mobile phone maker claimed that it was the fastest handset in the world at the time, just as it does for the Mi4 today. However, the powerful processor is not the only highly appealing feature that Xiaomi is teasing for its new handset. The company is also touting the phone’s 3080mAh battery as being able to deliver up to one day and a half of usage time, more than what most 5-inch flagship smartphones out there can offer. Moreover, the handset vendor notes that the battery can be charged at 60 percent in less than an hour, so that users won’t stay away from their devices for too long.

The new Xiaomi Mi4 was also announced with a 5-inch touchscreen display that can deliver a full HD resolution and with back-cover replacements to add extra customization options to the package. On the back, the smartphone sports a 13-megapixel camera with a Sony IMX214 sensor, which is capable of recording videos in 4K resolution. Moreover, the mobile phone will arrive on shelves with an 8-megapixel camera on the front and an f/1.8 sensor with 80-degree wide-angle lens, enabling users to enjoy a great experience when it comes to snapping selfies. Xiaomi Mi4 was announced in two different flavors, one featuring 16GB of internal memory, while the other packing 63GB of storage.

The new handset also arrives on shelves with the usual set of connectivity capabilities and sensors inside, while running under the Android operating system. The phone will also sport nano-coating for water resistance. Moreover, the phone features Xiaomi’s own MIUI loaded on top, which provides users with a wide range of customization capabilities. The mobile phone maker confirmed that a new variant of the user interface was set to become available in August, in the form of MIUI 6.5. Users in China interested in the purchase of Xiaomi Mi4 should know that the device is set to be put up for pre-order in the country as soon as July 29, as AndroidOS reports. The handset will be quite affordable, considering its hardware specs. The 16GB model will cost 1,999 Yuan ($322/€238), while the 64GB variant will be priced at 2,499 Yuan ($403/€298).

Xiaomi Mi4
Images credits to Xiaomi via AndroidOS

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Gionee GN9005 Could Be the Thinnest Smartphone at 5mm

Chinese mobile phone maker Gionee appears determined to bring to the market the thinnest smartphone out there, in the form of Gionee GN9005, which has emerged in China with a body that is only 5mm thick.

The handset has already received the necessary approvals in its homeland market, and we might see it going official very soon with the aforementioned thin body and with a 4.8-inch AMOLED touchscreen display that can deliver a 720 x 1280 pixels resolution. The mobile phone should also arrive on shelves with a 1.2GHz quad-core processor inside, as well as with 1GB of RAM. Moreover, it was listed at TENAA in China with 16GB of internal memory, it seems. On the back, the upcoming Gionee GN9005 will sport an 8-megapixel camera, which will be complemented by a 5MP front camera for making video calls while on the go.

The specs list of this device is also said to include a 2050mAh battery, along with Google’s Android 4.3 Jelly Bean operating system loaded on top. The new handset is expected to arrive in China with TD-LTE connectivity inside, which would make it fit for the network of wireless carrier China Mobile. Unfortunately, no specific info on its release date and pricing has been provided as of now.

Gionee GN9005
Image credits to TENAA via PhoneArena

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LG G3 Prime to Go Official on July 25 with Snapdragon 805 CPU

South Korean mobile phone maker LG Electronics has been long rumored to plan on releasing a new, updated flavor of the LG G3 smartphone, and it appears that all might go down before the end of this week.

According to info coming from South Korean website Naver, the new device model, long referred to as LG G3 Prime, should go official as soon as July 25.In fact, we should note that said handset has already emerged online in South Korea, under the name of LG G3 Cat. 6, even if it hasn’t been officially introduced in the country as of now. What the new device model will bring along when compared to the original LG G3 variant is support for Category 6 LTE-Advanced networks, with speeds of up to 225 Mbps. This is due to the inclusion of a Snapdragon 805 processor inside the new smartphone variant, which not only offers support for the faster data transfer rates, but also delivers increased performance capabilities. The rest of the handset’s hardware specifications should remain unchanged, which means that those who will go for the LG G3 Prime will still enjoy a 5.5-inch touchscreen display capable of delivering a Quad HD (1440 x 2560 pixels) resolution.

Moreover, the mobile phone sports 3GB of RAM, along with 32GB of internal memory, paired with a microSD memory card slot for expansion purposes. On the back, the LG G3 features a 13-megapixel camera with Optical Image Stabilization and support for 4K video recording, complemented by a 2MP front camera for making video calls while on the go. The handset is powered by a 3000mAh battery, while also featuring support for 3G networks, along with the usual Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and NFC capabilities. The same as its predecessor, the smartphone comes with back-mounted power and volume buttons. However, it also adds a Laser Focus sensor on the back, so that users receive a better experience when it comes to snapping photos. LG G3 runs under the Android 4.4.2 KitKat operating system, but also sports LG’s own set of customizations and exclusive applications loaded on top.

The new LG G3 Prime is expected to become available for purchase only in South Korea, at least in the beginning. However, chances are that LG will work with other LTE-A carriers to release it in other markets out there as well. What remains to be seen at the moment is whether the phone will indeed become official before the end of this week, so stay tuned to learn more on the matter.

LG G3
Image credits to LG

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Moto G2 Smartphone Emerges Online

Moto X, the flagship Android-based handset that Motorola launched last year (though only a mid-range device), might not be the only phone in the company’s lineup to see a successor before the end of 2014, the latest reports on the matter suggest.

Moto G, the cheaper variant of Moto X, is also said to be receiving such a treatment in the not too distant future, and info on what could prove to be this handset’s sequel made it online today. The mobile phone, supposedly called Moto G2, has emerged online in an allegedly leaked photo, which confirms that it will arrive on shelves with a front speaker, similar to its predecessor. Moreover, the device is said to sport model number 1068 XT and to run under the latest flavor of Google’s Android operating system. The leaked info on this handset has emerged online courtesy of mallandonoandroid, yet no official confirmation on the matter has been provided as of now. Rumor has it that the mobile phone will arrive on the market with a quad-core ARM V7 processor inside, paired with Adreno 305 graphics, and that it will also feature dual-SIM capabilities. Moreover, the Moto G2 is supposedly set to launch with a touchscreen display capable of delivering a 1280 x 720 pixels resolution. However, info on its size hasn’t been provided as of now.

The specs list of this mobile phone would also include an 8-megapixel camera on the back, most probably capable of recording videos in full HD resolution. A front-facing camera will also be present on this device, along with the usual set of connectivity capabilities and sensors. Unfortunately, as mentioned above, no official word on this mobile phone has been provided as of now, and it remains to be seen how much of the info presented above will pan out in the end. Undoubtedly, Motorola is preparing the release of a Moto G successor, especially when considering the success that the original device has enjoyed in various markets out there. At the same time, we can assume that the company will be releasing the phone at a price tag similar with that of the predecessor, so as to ensure that it continues to attract users on its side.

In addition to this phone, the vendor is also expected to launch a Moto X sequel before the end of this year, and it might also be working on even cheaper devices, similar to the Moto E that landed earlier this year.

Allegedly leaked Moto G2
Image credits to mallandonoandroid

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6 TB Helium-Filled HDDs Can Now Be Used in Network-Attached Storage from QNAP

Network-attached storage devices are a great way to add centralized storage space to a network, which anyone with a desktop, laptop or mobile device (tablet/phone) can access via LAN, Wi-Fi or even the Internet if you set it up that way. QNAP has just delivered the latest upgrade to its NAS units.

You see, most NAS devices, whether made by QNAP or others, can't handle anything larger than 4 TB. Even those that can usually have 5 TB as the upper HDD/SSD limit. Now, though, QNAP has announced that its Enterprise and Small-Medium-Business lines of Turbo NAS products can successfully accept and read HGST Ultrastar He6 helium-filled hard disk drives (HDD) with 6 TB capacity. It has been a long time coming, but HGST has finally started to persuade OEMs to use the things.

In 8-drive units, this means a total of 48 TB, though RAID setups will take around 10% of that in order to “fool” every network-connected system into thinking there is just one huge drive volume available, not several. RAID brings great benefits in performance and security. The exact range of supporting products for the helium-filled HDDs is this: QNAP Turbo NAS TS-x79U-SAS series and QNAP expansion enclosures REXP series.

HGST Ultrastar He6
Image credits to HGST

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Microsoft to Kill Asha, Series 40, and Nokia X in 18 Months

Today, Microsoft announced some major changes in its smartphone strategy moving forth, including a large number of layoffs from the former Nokia Devices and Services division, but it seems that the company did not reveal all on its plans for the future.

The company said that it would streamline production at some factories and that the engineering process would be restructured to only two of Nokia sites in Finland (though others would continue to operate as support), but it seems that there’s more to it. Within the next 18 months, we might see the Asha, Series 40, and Nokia X series of devices completely shut down, as the company is shifting focus on Windows Phone and Lumia devices. Satya Nadella, Microsoft’s CEO, has already said that some Nokia X devices will be re-purposed to Lumia phones, and Stephen Elop has reiterated that, while also saying that current Android devices will continue to be available for purchase and will also receive support. However, an internal memo from Jo Harlow, head of Microsoft’s phone business, clears things up a bit more, revealing that Asha, Series 40, and Nokia X devices are being moved into "maintenance mode" effective immediately, The Verge reports.

Thus, they will no longer receive new features, although support for them will still be offered for the next 18 months. Past that, these handsets will be completely removed from Microsoft’s plans. "This means there will be no new features or updates to services on any Mobile Phones platform as a result of these plans," Jo Harlow reportedly says in the aforementioned internal memo. "Whereas successful hardware was the goal at Nokia; delighting our customers with Microsoft platforms, services and applications through our hardware is our goal at Microsoft,” she also notes. Thus, Microsoft will focus completely on Windows Phone and on increasing its market presence in the high-end and entry-level segments, it seems.

"To drive success in the short term, we plan to focus our high end go-to-market strategy on the Lumia 930, Lumia 1520, and other high-end products that we will be announcing very soon," Harlow says. As part of the restructuring plans, Microsoft will also kill MixRadio, it seems. This service too has been moved to maintenance mode, and the company is said to be looking into transforming it into a third-party service, and is also considering spinning it off. Said memo also reveals that the Redmond-based company will work on the building of new flagship products to be released alongside the next iteration of Windows Phone, which will arrive next year under the codename of Threshold.

Nokia X
Image credits to Nokia/Microsoft

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New Components for iPhone 6 Leaked: Bigger Battery and Sony Camera Sensor

New reports coming from Chinese and French sources give us a little more insight on the next generation iPhone. Apple future device may be greatly improved when it comes to taking photos and videos and the battery life may be considerably higher.

A report on a Chinese Sony related forum (http://www.digi-wo.com/thread-19938-1-1.html) explains that a component made by Sony will be included in the iPhone 6. The IMX220 camera sensor has a higher megapixel count than the current iPhone 5s camera: 13MP. It also sports a 1/2.3 inch sensor that records videos in 1080p (just like the previous iPhone model). Apple usually doesn't talk about camera specs, but it does compare it to previous models. For example, when the iPhone 5s came out, the device had a sensor that increases the are for pixels by 15 percent and the pixels themselves were larger. The aperture was increased with the iSight camera and light sensitivity was larger by 33 percent. The iPhone 5s also introduced a dual flash and auto image stabilization. The iPhone 5s camera has a sapphire crystal lens cover, backside illumination sensor, five-element lens and a Hybrid IR filter.

Another leak comes from the French blog Nowhereelse.fr and it is related to the battery of the next generation iPhone. According to the mentioned source, the iPhone 6 will incorporate a 1,810 mAh cell which is considerably larger than the 1,560 mAh one found in the iPhone 5s. Sure, the iPhone 6 may have a larger case and that can easily accommodate a larger battery, but it will supposedly have a larger display as well - 4,7 inch instead of a four inch one. The increase will kill the battery even faster so a larger capacity one is a must have. The source says the new capacity is still way behind the battery for Android-powered devices like Galaxy S5 and HTC One (M8). But then again, Apple is optimizing the internal components and software to have a lower power consumption. iOS 8 may also contribute at the way the battery is drained.

The tech giant from California is getting ready to release the new iPhone this fall. The new device might be announced on September 19th and launched a week later, on September 25th. The device will supposedly have a 4.7" diagonal display made from sapphire glass.

Sony sensor to be included in iPhone 6
Image credits to alibaba.com

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BBM for Windows Phone Beta to Start Arriving on Devices on July 17

Last week, Canadian mobile phone maker BlackBerry has officially announced the availability of its BBM application for Windows Phone users in a beta flavor, and it seems that it is finally ready to make it available for download.

The company has provided users with the possibility to register for the beta testing of the application, but did not provide users with info on when the application will actually arrive on their devices. A recent tweet coming from Jeff Gadway, the head of product and brand marketing for BBM, reveals that this will happen as soon as tomorrow, July 17. The beta testing program filled up pretty fast after BlackBerry’s official announcement, yet the company also offered users the possibility to sign up for a waiting list, which should provide them with the possibility to get a taste of the app before many others.

Those who did make it into the beta program, however, should sit tight and wait for the application to become available for download for them tomorrow. No specific info on when the rest of Windows Phone users out there will receive access to the app has been provided as of now, but BlackBerry did say that the app will enjoy general release in a matter of weeks, so they might not have that long to wait in the end.

BBM for Windows Phone

Image credits to BlackBerry

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Google Adds Bitcoin Price Conversion

All Bitcoin fans should rejoice as Google has finally introduced price conversion for the cryptocurrency directly into the search results page.

The ability to make the switch between various currencies in the world is one of Google’s coolest features on the search engine since it considerably cuts down on the time needed to find a proper conversion tool. Now, if you want, you can simply type “price of Bitcoin” or “5 bitcoin to Euro” and get the result straight on the page. The feature was recently rolled out by Google and it seems like it was the logical next step after the company introduce Bitcoin prices into the Finance section. Furthermore, the fact that Bing has already been offering such conversion options for a while must have annoyed Google quite a bit. Just like Bing, Google is providing the currency conversions from Coinbase after signing a partnership with the site.

This isn’t exactly a major update for Google, but it does indicate that the company has come to the conclusion that Bitcoins should be treated just like any other currency by including it in the list with all the rest. While integrating Bitcoin in the Google Wallet may still be some distance away, this is a good step for the company.

Google has added a cool new feature
Image credits to Google

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