Asus warranty does not protect computers during alien invasions

Asus computers are not protected by its warranty in the event of an invasion by aliens from outer space, it has been revealed.

The unusual clause in the Asus warranty was recently spotted by a number of technology news outlets, suggesting that lawyers might have a sense of humour after all.It is not clear if this exclusion will affect sales, as no studies have been conducted regarding how many alien abductees are loyal Asus customers.It might also be possible that Asus knows more than the rest of us about the possibility of extraterrestrial life.We wonder if competitors will now start including a similar clause. Of course, trying to get a refund for a zapped computer might be the last thing on our minds when the little green men start landing.Source: Gizmodo

Asus M4A79T Deluxe Now in Japan

Asus's M4A79T Deluxe is now available in various shops of Akiba Japan. Coupled by AMD 790FX + SB750 chipset, this board is a ATX board that supports AM3 socket.

Akiba Kakaku mentioned that overclocking is also said to be strong point of the SB750 chipset and powerful circuitry to enable a stable power supply circuit using 8 +2 phase.

In addition, the cooling mechanism, and between the copper heat pipe chipset to + VRM and heat sink structure contributes to the enhancement of cooling capacity.





A short breakdown of the specifications -

Chipsets: AMD 790FX + SB750

CPU: Phenom II X4, X3 / Athlon X2 (AM3 Only)

FSB: Up to 5200MT/s

Expansion slots: PCI Express x16 × 4 (dual x16, triple x16/x16/x8, quad x8 link), PCI × 2,

Onboard Components: Gigabit LAN, 8ch sound, SATA × 5 (RAID support), eSATA, IDE, IEEE1394, USB 2.0

Memory: DDR3 1600 (OC) / 1333/1066 slots with 4 slots (up to 16GB)

Retail price is at 22,980 yen (price varies slightly at some shops) (~$370)

Apple TV OS may be demoed at June's WWDC

Tech blog BGR claims to have it from a "trusted source" that Apple is going to showcase the operating system for its television set at this years Worldwide Developers Conference in June.

According to the report, it is unlikely that Apple will demonstrate the actual television at the event, but will be showing off their operating system for the device. The source alleges that Apple wants to give developers a chance to develop components to interface with the television before it is released.

According to BGRs report,

"This new OS is said to be much more feature-complete than the current OS that runs on the Apple TV, and is apparently the one that Apples upcoming HDTV will run. Yes, that one.

Weve heard Apple is actively trying to court manufacturers to use a new "control out" API in order for third-party manufacturers to make accessories that are compatible with the new Apple TV OS and the upcoming "iTV." Its said that by using the API, it will be possible to control any connected components all from the Apple remote (and the Apple remote iOS app as well, were assuming)."

The nation is likely ready for a "smart" television, and the FCC might soon make a decision that will ease such a release for Apple.

Recently, WantChinaTimes reported that its sources had told them FoxConn was already receiving orders for the Apple TV, and was currently in the ""trial production stage."

However trustworthy BGR deems its source, this is not a confirmation of anything. It has released inaccurate information before regarding hardware. However, the blog issued correct information regarding iOS releases in 2011, and could very well be correct this time too.

Source: MacRumors

Apple New iMac G5

Touted as "the world's thinnest desktop computer," the new iMac resembles athicker version of Apple's LCD Cinema Display series, with the entire computer,including optical drive and power supply, built into a single case two inchesdeep. The system comes in three models. The low-end machine, priced at $ 1,299,is based around a 17-inch LCD and 1.6GHz PowerPC G5 processor, and comes with a533MHz front-side bus, 256MB of DDR-RAM, and a slot-loaded CD-RW/DVD combodrive. The middle system, priced at $ 1,499, ups the speed of the processor to1.8GHz with a 600MHz front-side bus, and swaps the combo drive for a DVD-RWSuperDrive. Both models come with an 80GB Serial-ATA hard drive. At the top ofthe range comes a 20-inch version, identical to the midrange model other thanthe larger screen and a 160GB hard drive; it is priced at $ 1,899. Apple claimedthe iMac will begin shipping worldwide in mid-September.

ASUS Adds Another ROG mATX Board Maximus II GENE

ASUStodayreleases a mATX board based on the Intel P45 Express Chipset, the Maximus II GENEtargeting atgamers, case modders and enthusiasts. It comes with features such as CPU Level Up, an OC utility foreasy overclockingas well as MemOK! that auto-load the failsafe settings to ensure a boot up.The board also bundled in a SupremeFX X-Fi soundcard.

Official Press Release:

ASUS, the world’s leading producer of motherboards, today added an integral GENE to its lauded lineup of ROG (Republic of Gamers) motherboards. Based on the Intel® P45 Express Chipset, the Maximus II GENE delivers ROG’s legendary stability, overclockability and flexibility to gamers, case-modders and overclocking enthusiasts with an affinity for the Intel® Core™2 Extreme/Quad/Duo platform and the mATX form factor. As with the preceding GENE—the ROG Rampage II GENE—the Maximus II GENE offers a wealth of high-end features including MemOK!, CPU Level Up, and SupremeFX X-Fi.

Size Doesn’t Matter
The Rampage II GENE proved that a petite mATX system could outgun a full ATX tower rig. With the Maximus II GENE, Intel® Core™2 Extreme/Quad/Duo processor users now have access to the same bragging rights. Despite its compact size, the Maximus II GENE packs a feature set that surpasses that of many full-sized ATX motherboards. One such feature is CPU Level Up, a handy utility that boosts CPU performance to match that of a better, more expensive processor with just a click or two.

MemOK! Any Memory is A-Okay!
MemOK! was developed to provide users with a worry-free memory upgrade experience. In the event of a boot failure after installing new RAM, all the user has to do is press an easily accessible button on the motherboard and MemOK! will automatically load the failsafe settings needed to ensure a successful system boot. MemOK! is able to rapidly detect and resolve memory issues—even if bad or unstable memory is used!

Supreme In-game Audio with SupremeFX X-Fi
SupremeFX X-Fi solution delivers crisp audio and incredibly realistic in-game sound effects. Official EAX sound effects from EAX 1.0 to EAX HD4.0 allow gamers to enjoy total immersion in supported games. X-Fi CMSS3D’s groundbreaking positional audio gives gamers a distinct in-game advantage, while Crystalizer enhances overall audio quality dramatically.

ASUS introduces the ASUS-LAMBORGHINI VX6 netbook

ASUS Press Release

[Singapore, 25 October 2010] Stylish and uniquely crafted to honor the Lamborghini tradition, the new ASUS-Lamborghini VX6 fields powerful NVIDIA® ION™ graphics and dual-core Intel® Atom™ D525 processing, audio by Bang & Olufsen, and the super-fast USB 3.0 standard.

Technology Focus

The result of co-branding and cooperation between ASUS and supercar maker Automobili Lamborghini, the new VX6 offers a 12-inch portable PC that brings to the fore superb multimedia capabilities, with graphics driven by the new, second generation discrete NVIDIA® ION™ engine. It also uses NVIDIA® Optimus™ technology, which can switch in real time between integrated and discrete graphics modes to ensure optimized performance and a longer battery life.

The VX6 uses the dual core Intel® Atom™ D525 processor, ensuring unprecedented multimedia performance for a 12-inch notebook. It renders graphics in sharp, vivid 1366 x 768, and can connect to any large screen HDTV via HDMI to enable 1080p visuals.

Bang & Olufsen ICEpower technology produces deep and rich bass with an extended frequency response range for audio performance far ahead of that offered by other notebooks. The technology provides high definition surround audio, with crystal clear and powerful sound in music, movies and games.

Racing Outlook

The new VX6 takes its design cues from the Lamborghini Murcielago LP640 roadster. True to its heritage, it embodies luxury and performance, with a premium design that stands out among other portable PCs. It offers advanced ergonomics, including an isolated, quiet-action keyboard and soft touch palm rests. Exterior panels use durable and stylish brushed metal.

Centered on Speed

The VX6 uses USB 3.0, which operates at up to ten times the speed of USB 2.0. The new standard’s accelerated data handling is perfect for high definition content and media libraries. The VX6 also features Bluetooth 3.0, the latest iteration of the wireless standard, which delivers a bigger bandwidth and up to eight times the overall performance of Bluetooth 2.1.

Matching Mouse

Coinciding with the launch of the VX6, ASUS are releasing the WX-LAMBORGHINI wireless mouse to complement the new notebook. This high fidelity device (sold separately) features an attractive design reflecting the style of both the VX6 and Lamborghini cars. It operates at up to 2500 dpi, making for highly precise mouse input. The included USB nano dongle extends the range of operation up to 10 meters, while providing complete plug and play on any PC.

Pricing and Availability

The VX6 has a recommended retail price (RRP) of $999 (in Singapore Dollars), and will be available from mid-November 2010, in time for SITEX 2010.

Source: ASUS SG

AMD HD 5800 quot;mass widespread availability quot; by year's end

In a conversation with AMD Product Manager Dave Baumann, HardOCP hasclarified most of questions surrounding the much-debated availabilityof the ATI Radeon HD 5800 series. Excess demand and limited supply hasmeant it is difficult to get a HD 5800 series card, even at higherprices, and even though the product has enjoyed 6 weeks of launch.

However,availability has been improving, albeit slightly and at the cost of ahigher price. Mr. Baumann expects mass widespread availability by theend of 2009, assuming AIBs continue air freighting the products, whichis very likely.

Fortunately, there are no issues expected with HD 5700 stock - and indeed, they are widely available on e-tail.

Here's a summary of the conversation (Courtesy HardOCP):
TSMC is steadily rolling out production of 5800 series GPUs albeitat a slower rate than AMD wishes. There are daily production runs of5800 series GPUs.

AMD’s Add-in-Board (AIBs) partners are currently shipping thousands of 5800 series video cards per week on a worldwide basis.

The number of 5800 series video cards that have been shipped into the channel already is in the very "high tens of thousands."

While currently there are thousands of video cards shipped on aweekly basis, we will likely see this weekly number reach into the"tens of thousands" come late November or early December. This hingeson whether or not AIBs keep air freighting video cards. The likelihoodof air shipments to continue is very high, but AMD does not directlycontrol this.

Should air freighting continue we are still not going to see"mass widespread availability" by years end, but certainly supply willcontinue.

Most of these 5800 video cards are moving into e-tail and retail sales while the great minority are going into OEM sales.

Expect "well into the hundreds of thousands" of 5800 video cards to be shipped into the channel by year’s end.

Expect no issues with 5700 stocks.

TSMC is still having some 40nm production issues, but as youcan see from the points listed above, production is not close to astandstill and has ramped up greatly in the last 30 days. TSMC also hasnew 40nm machines as of September and that capacity is starting to nowcome online.

The current mix of 5870 and 5850 cards is running approximately 50/50.With Nvidia's Fermi nowhere to be seen, we can't expect price drops; at least not in a few months. Though, we can expect the prices to fall back to normal once supply meets demand.

Of course, both TSMC and AMD are working hard to ensure maximum availability of HD 5800 as soon as possible. Considering availability patterns and statements from both TSMC, it seems likely that a majority of availability issues will vanish by December. Another anecdotal evidence is that Hemlock is finally expected to hit retail in late November. Of course, AMD would only put out Hemlock when they have enough Cypress dies.

To conclude, while there are HD 5800 cards available, and you can get them if you are lucky, a widespread availability can be expected in December. There will be no big price drops however, though we can expect prices to return back to normal. Following which, let's hope a competition (Fermi) emerges soon.

Reference: HardOCP