So it’s time again for the news from our friends around the world! In here you’ll find quite a bit, I’ve got a three days worth for you. There’s also a few decent giveaways going on so you can get a chance to win some cool products. Anyway, I’ll be back later with a review so read the news and check back for a review.

Storage Related:

Understanding SSD Advertised Performance and Its Purchase Implications – An SSD Primer

G.Skill RIPJAWS-Z 16GB DDR3 1600 CL9 Memory Review on Technic3D

Funky Kit Review: OCZ Vertex 3 MaxIOPS 240GB SSD

OCZ Synapse Cache SATA III Solid State Disk @ Pro-Clockers

Seagate Barracuda 3TB 7200RPM HD Review

OCZ Technology Octane 512GB Solid State Drive with 1.13 Performance Firmware

OCZ RevoDrive 3 120GB SSD Review

Hitachi Touro Desk Pro 3TB USB 3.0 External HDD Review

Intel 520 Series 240GB (Raid 0 update) SSD Review

Audio / Video / Video Cards:

Audiophiles: No difference between Monster cables and coat hanger

MSI HD 7950 Twin Frozr III 3072 MB

AMD Radeon HD 7950 3GB CrossFire Review @ Legit Reviews

MEGATech Reviews – AVerMedia Game Capture HD for PS3, Xbox 360, and Wii

VMware’s Virtual GPU Driver Is Running Fast @ Phoronix

NVIDIA 3D Vision 2 featuring the ASUS VG278H Screen @ HardwareHeaven.com

VisionTek Radeon 7970 @ PureOverclock

Zotac GTX 580 AMP2 3GB Edition Review @ HardwareLOOK

Western Digital WD TV Live Media Player

GeChic On-Lap 1301 Portable Monitor Review @ ThinkComputers.org

ASUS VG278H LCD Monitor 3D Vision-2 Kit @ Benchmark Reviews

Mobile Related:

Interview with Alec Saunders, RIM’s VP of Developer Relations

Lenovo ThinkPad Tablet Review

Toddy Smartcloth Screen Cleaner @ TechwareLabs

Sony Ericsson Live WT19i Review

The $300 ultraportable experiment

HTC set to release ICS for some phone models

Choiix/Cooler Master Mobile Wave Stand Review @ eTeknix.com

PC Cooling:

Shagon’ ARC-118

Phobya Shrouds Review on Technic3D

Lamptron FC9 Fan Controller Review @ eTeknix.com

Corsair H80 and H100

SilenX EFZ-120HA5 CPU Cooler @ Bjorn3D

SilenX Effezio EFZ-120HA5 CPU Cooler Review @ circuitREMIX

Spire Kepler Pro CPU Cooler

Swiftech H20-220 Edge HD Liquid Cooling Kit Review @ Legit Reviews

PC Cases:

Cooler Master Elite 431 Plus Computer Case Review @ APH Networks

Cooler Master COSMOS 2 Review @ Vortez

NZXT Switch 810 Full Tower Chassis Review @ eTeknix.com

Xigmatek MidGard II Case Review

NZXT Switch 810 Full Tower Chassis

Power Supplies/ Related:

Antec VP450 Power Supply Review

GeiL Thortech Thunderbolt 1000W PSU Review on Technic3D

Athena Power AP-MFATX40P8 400 W Power Supply Review

Spire BlackDragon 400 W

Motherboards:

Gigabyte GA-Z68XP-UD3 Intel LGA1155 Motherboard Review

Assorted:

AMD A8-3870K and Sapphire HD6450 FleX Review

Vapor King Portable Charging Case Review

Win a Logitech C270 HD Webcam

Win a Logitech h250 Stereo Headset

Vapor King Auto USB Passthrough Review

Trendnet TPL-307E2K Powerline Adapter kit @ Rbmods

Funky Kit: Win a Steelseries Kana Mouse plus a Qck Mouse Pad

Laser or inkjet for the home office, that’s the question

Basic Casemodding Listener Mailbag Interview with a Top Overclocker

Gaming:

Bastion PC Review @ eTeknix.com

Corsair Vengeance M90 Review @ XSReviews.co.uk

SteelSeries SRW-S1 Review

Lux Delux Review @ FusionMods.Net

News for February 12th 2012 is a post from: Testfreaks | The Blog

Recently the battery on my 2007 17” MacBook Pro decided to uncontrollably expand. Thankfully I removed the battery from my machine before it decided to mimic a six-month pregnancy.

When this happened I brought my machine and battery to my local Apple Store and was told since the machine was no longer under Apple Care coverage that they could not swap the battery and I would need to buy a replacement. Currently the Apple branded 17” battery runs $129. The Genius did offer to take off $30 off the price making it $99.

Before accepting this offer I decided to research alternative options and the most promising one was the NewerTech NuPower Battery for all MacBook Pro 17″ non-Unibody 71 Watt which offers 4.4% more capacity, The price was $119 for this larger capacity battery or $89 for a battery that was comparable to the Apple 68 Watt branded version.

The NewerTech NuPower Battery for all MacBook Pro 17″ non-Unibody comes in a white cardboard box with an image of a MacBook Pro and the battery. On the back is a listing of Specs and a Model ID/Info compatibility list.

Inside the box we find just the battery padded in Styrofoam; nothing else is included. The OWC site has a link for recommended conditioning for your initial use of the NuPower Battery.

Aesthetically the NuPower Battery looks identical to the Apple version. The exterior has the machined aluminum coating with the power indicator lights and test button. The only distinguishable difference is the label on the inner surface of the battery otherwise they both have the same dimensions and weight.

Specifications:

NewerTech NuPower Battery for all MacBook Pro 17″ non-Unibody

A Perfect-fit Solution
NuPower batteries are engineered to perfectly complement the fit and finish of your Mac notebook as well as offer full compatibility with applicable OEM sleep and power reduction modes.

Powerful and Responsible
NuPower battery upgrade solutions are environmentally responsible and feature RoHS certification to be free of lead, mercury, cadmium, PBBs, and PBDE. We also offer a comprehensive recycling program for your old battery, as well as an industry-leading 1-year warranty.

Newer Makes Your Mac Better Than New!
When high-performance, quality,and longevity are your battery upgrade criteria, NuPower is your answer. NuPower batteries are designed to meet and exceed factory specifications, so now you can listen to more music, watch more videos, and get more work done between recharges. To ensure your confidence and satisfaction, these highest-quality batteries are backed by free, award-winning US-based support and a one-year, 48-hour or less turnaround warranty.

Battery Specs:
-Lithium-Ion Technology
-71 Watt-Hour
-RoHS certified
-1yr NewerTech Warranty

Price: $119.99

To prepare the NuPower battery I followed the directions on the OWC website. First I charged the battery overnight for 12 hours uninterrupted. Then I ran my machine on battery power until it was total discharged then recharged the battery using the MacBook Pro AC adapter.

Here is a comparison of the NuPower battery and an Apple model using the battery health monitoring software – Coconut Battery. 6600 mAh is the standard capacity for a 17″ MacBook Pro Non Unibody battery and as we can see the NuPower one tops out at over 7300 mAh.

With the NuPower battery I was able to get around 4-4 1/2 hours out of my MacBook Pro that has an SSD and additional hard drive in place is a definite battery drainer. This provided my MacBook Pro with a slightly improved battery life. So overall I was happy with the functionality of the NuPower Battery.

Thumbnail gallery here

Conclusion:

For those folks with older Apple laptops the NewerTech NuPower Battery is an excellent alternative to the Apple branded one. The NewerTech versions offer similar capacity and function while saving the buyer a few dollars in the process. They also offer slightly larger capacity ones that cost the same as the lower capacity Apple models.

Pros:
+Cheaper than Apple brand laptop batteries
+Looks like the Apple brand
+Works as advertised

Cons:
-None

Grades:
Overall
Design
Performance

To learn more about our review policy please visit this page HERE.

Review of NewerTech NuPower Battery for all MacBook Pro 17" non-Unibody is a post from: Testfreaks | The Blog

So the long awaited patch 1.4 for Skyrim on the PlayStation 3 has come. Yes I installed it and really didn’t get the chance to play it until late last night. I followed the tips, you need to install the patch, then launch the game, create a manual save and then restart your PS3. Did that done. Started playing and ten minutes into it the game froze while I was ‘waiting’ for one hour. I like to use the wait to save my game, especially before entering a dungeon, or just to renew my health and magic. The game froze and I waited thinking it might fix itself, but no, after 15 minutes I had to manually turn off the PS3 as it was totally unresponsive.

The biggest issue for us PS3 users was the lag of course, I’m still not too happy that I bought the game on launch day and really couldn’t play it because the lag was so bad. We should not have had to wait months to actually play and enjoy a game that we paid full price for when it came out. It’s ridiculous that game companies use their paying customers as beta testers. Seriously, how could they not have know about the lag issue on the PS3? It is/was horrible and there’s no way they could have missed it during testing. The lag was so bad for me it was like going frame by frame, extremely slow and just a horrible experience.

As far as this patch fixing the lag, it seems to be fixed. I played for about four hours last night and didn’t encounter the lag I had before. I ran into some stuttering here and there, but nothing horrible like the lag was. So I guess only time will tell. I’m going to play again tonight for a few hours again to see how things are working.

I also noticed something that wasn’t there before, some artifacting was appearing. That never happened before. I went to Whiterun and I noticed the tops of two buildings were jumping around, they were pixelated and moving around in place. That was odd.

After this whole Skyrim debacle I’ve have decided whole-heartedly and honestly that I will NEVER but another game on launch day again. I don’t care what the game is either, it will never happen again. I will wait at least two months and check up and see and read about the game I want to make sure it’s patched and it works as it’s supposed to before I go and spend my money on it. Hopefully by then I can get it cheaper, and maybe even get a used version at an even lower price.

Skyrim is the kind of game I like, one where you can get lost for hours in, but this experience has be just one that I don’t ever want to ever repeat.

I’m done with spending good money to be an unpaid game tester. I or we should be getting paid to test the games, we should not be paying to test games.

Skyrim 1.4 PS3 Patch Not Exactly Perfect is a post from: Testfreaks | The Blog

As usual we’ll start with the packaging, the case is packaged well with styrofoam and plastic around it for protection.

Then here’s the case, it’s mostly black with blue highlights around the drive bays.

On the front of the case you’ll see three regular 5.25” bays and one that can be used for a 3.5” device like a card reader. Below the bays you’ll find a meshed are, behind which is the front 200mm fan which has blue LEDs in it, and then the Thermaltake logo is there as well.

Moving to the top of the case you’ll find power and reset buttons along with eSATA, USB 2.0, USB 3.0 and audio connectors. One of the great features of the Overseer case is the addition of the SATA dock that’s located on the top as well.

Here’s the view of the top of the case behind the control panel, it’s just mesh and there’s one 200mm fan installed towards the back with space for another one. This fan has blue LEDs in it as well. The top section has an interesting ‘fin’ look to it, I like it.

The right side of the Overseer is just plain black, but you’ll notice the panel sort of bulges out, this is to provide extra room so you can stuff all of your cables back behind the motherboard tray and out of the way and yet still get the side panel back on with ease.

On the left side of the case you’ll see a small window and space for another 200mm fan if you desire more cooling.

Moving around the back of the case you’ll find the normal stuff here, I/O port, PCI slots and then there’s holes for liquid cooling and a security lock for your peripherals like mouse and keyboard towards the top. The side panels are held on with thumbscrews so you can take them off and put them back on easily.

Under the power supply is a removable dust filter, it just slides in and out for ease of cleaning it.

Here’s the bottom of the case, it has nice tall rubberized non-slip feet to help promote airflow, and here you can see the removable filter. There’s also a space for another fan and the filter extends to that fan as well.

Here’s the front bezel removed, you can get a better look at the 200mm fan and the bays. The bezel just pops on and off with ease.

Moving on here’s the right side of the case, or the back of the motherboard tray with the side panel removed. Here you’ll find plenty of rubberized slots for routing your wires through and a nice large cut-out where the CPU would be located so you can quickly and easily swap CPU coolers if needed. You’ll also notice that the inside of the case is painted black to match the outside.

Then here’s the view with the let panel removed:

The 5.25” bays are tool-less, they use a spring lock latch system.

The hard drive cage is located beneath of course and can hold five drives. The drive trays can be used with 3.5” or 2.5” drives.

Here’s a couple of the racks, one upside down and one right-side up so you can see them better.

Here’s the bottom of the case, you can see the filter here and where the optional fan can be installed.

Then here’s the back section where the PCI slots are and you can see the 120mm fan installed for you, there’s no LEDs in this one.

Here’s the inside view of the top of the Overseer showing the 200m fan installed:

Of course you’ll find an assortment of wires for connections to your motherboard and USB 2.0 and UBS 3.0 headers, there’s also power connectors for the fans and the lighting effects on the front of the case which I’ll show you later in the review.

Finally there’s a small assortment of accessories for you including a CPU power extender and Molex to 3pin fan conenctors. In the bag is the assortment of screws along with several reusable cable ties.

Specifications:

Overseer RX-I 

Features:   
-Pulsating lighting effect.
-E-sports gaming style front bezel.
-USB 3.0 SuperSpeed via internal 20 pin connector.
-Top-mounted HDD Docking Station enables blazing fast file transfer and effortless hot-swap capability.
-Black coating makes stylish inside look.
-Bottom-placed PSU design for better and easier installation.
-Supports most advanced AMD & NVIDIA graphic cards up to 12.5"/32cm (e.g. —-AMD Radeon HD 6990 & nVidia Geforce GTX 590).

Specs:
Case Type: Full Tower
Material: SECC
Front Bezel Material: Combination of plastic and high air flow mesh

Color:      
Interior: Black
Exterior: Black

Side Panel: Solid with Transparent Window

Motherboard Support      
9.6” x 9.6” (Micro ATX)
12” x 9.6” (ATX)
12” x 13” (Extend ATX)

5.25" Drive Bay: 3
Ext. 3.5" Drive Bay: By using 5.25" to 3.5" Converter
Int. 3.5" Drive Bay: 5
Expansion Slots: 8

Front I/O Ports:      
USB 3.0 x 2 (via internal header)
USB 2.0 x 2
eSATA connector x 1
Mic & Speaker (support AC’97 & HD Audio)

Cooling System      
- Front (intake) :
  200 x 200 x 30 mm Blue LED (600~800 RPM, 12~14 dBA)
- Rear (exhaust) :
  120 x 120 x 25 mm TurboFan, 1000rpm, 16dBA
- Top(exhaust) :
  200 x 200 x 30 mm Blue LED fan x 1 (600~800rpm, 13~15dBA)
2 x  200 x 200 x 30 mm (optional)
- Bottom(intake) :
  120 x 120 x 25 mm x 1 (optional)
- Side(intake) :
  200 x 200 x 30 mm x 1 (optional)

Liquid Cooling Capable: Yes

Power Supply Supported: Standard ATX PSII Power Supply

Dimension (H*W*D): 535 x 220 x 580 mm / 21.1 x 8.7 x 22.8 inch
Net Weight: 10.3 kg / 22.7 lb
Security Lock: For Peripherals Only
Application: Suitable for gaming, enthusiast, DIY and modding

MSRP: $139.99
Price: $129.99 (from Amazon at time of review)

Next up would be installing my system in the case. The first thing I did was install the hard drives in the racks, this involves four screws through the frame through the silicone vibration dampeners into the hard drive.

Next of course was the rest of the system. I found there’s plenty of room to move around, it’s a nice big case.

I got a lot of use from the wire management during the installation, it is really nice having this type of setup in a case.

On the back of the motherboard tray is a slot so you can route the CPU power connection through to the motherboard, it was a tight fit but it worked. The case is tall, so you need to have a long power cable though for this to work, or get some sort of extender. Thermaltake was kind enough to include a power extender for you though, so you won’t have to buy one!

Speaking of the power connector, I found here’s plenty of space at the top of the case to work. I easily got the connection for the power in and it was easy to get the motherboard screws in as well thanks to all of the extra room.

I used the built-in 3.5” bay for my card reader, this way I didn’t have to use a 5.25” to 3.5” adapter which is nice.

Here’s my four hard drives installed, once they’re in the rack they just slide into the cage and lock into place.

Here’s everything installed, you can see the ATI 4890 I have fits fine in the Overseer with a lot of room to spare and thanks to the built-in wire management the inside looks rather clean and neat.

The back of the motherboard tray is a different story though, it’s a mess and I don’t care as it’s not seen. The Overseer case offers a lot of room for wires behind the mobo tray so it doesn’t have to be neat back there and I had no problems getting the side panel back on.

The front and top 200mm fans have blue LEDs in them making for a nice appearance in the dark. the Fans are also very quiet, the case is sitting less than three feet from me and I really can’t hear anything.

On the control panel at the top of the case is what looks like a dragon that lights up blue as well, it blinks very slowly, it’s not really a blink, it’s more of a fade though.

The top fan light does illuminate the inside of the case slightly, you can see it though the window somewhat. In the dark it’s more noticeable though.

As I mentioned already, the fans are nice and quiet, you can barely hear them even up close and they do a very good job at keeping things cool.

A couple small things to note about dust though. The side panel has a space for another 200mm fan, and there’s a filter in place but after about a week that filter gets full of dust and doesn’t look to great. I was thinking of cutting a piece of Plexiglas in the shape of the hole and putting it in there so the dust issue would be eliminated and then you could see more into the case.

The next issue with dust is the side window, it collects dust as well, both on the outside and inside. I’m guessing it’s due to static that it’s doing this but it’s not very pretty. The dust on the outside can easily be wiped off but to clean the inside you’ll have to remove the side panel of course and that can be a pain. This isn’t an issue if you case is under your desk or out of site, but I have mine on my desk so I see it all of the time and I don’t care for it much.

Something else I noticed that I found rather odd is that the hard drives can be heard through the case but only at certain angles. If you’re positioned more towards the front of the case they can’t be heard, but if you’re off to the side then you can hear them accessing. It’s just weird  really.

Conclusion:
The Thermaltake Overseer RX-I is an awesome case, just plain awesome. It’s big and makes a bold statement, it’s the kind of case I’m happy to have sitting on my desk, one that’s well made and looks great, but it’s on the inside where it counts and the Overseer has plenty of room for all of your stuff to fit without any issues. This case could be for gamers, it sure looks like a gamer case, but it doesn’t have to be, it can work for anyone and fit in anywhere.

The Overseer is full of great features that I think everyone can appreciate, especially the built-in SATA dock right there on the top of the case for easy access.

There are a few very small issues with the case, but the good things very much outweigh the bad, so this is a case that I can easily recommend to you.

Pros:
+Lots of room inside
+Plenty of room for wires on back of mobo tray
+Plenty of wire routing options
+Quiet and cool
+Looks great
+Built-in SATA dock

Cons:
-Depending on the angle, hard drives can be audible
-Side fan filter collects a lot of dust
-Side window collects dust

Grades:
Overall
Design
Performance

To learn more about our review policy please visit this page HERE.

Review of Thermaltake Overseer RX-I Full Tower PC Case is a post from: Testfreaks | The Blog

It seems that the gaming world is going a little crazy about Skylanders – so I thought I should let you know that we’re stocking the little guys too!

This is the cat page to all things Skylanders -  http://www.mobilefun.co.uk/cat/Skylanders.htm

But the big news is that we’ve sourced the Dragon’s Peak Adventure Pack with Sunburn in it and the Sparx Dragonfly and Winged Boots item – plus we’ve also sourced Triple Packs G and H – Triple Pack G has Cynder, Lightning Rod and Zook in it and Triple Pack H has Ignitor, Warnado and Camo in it

Skylanders in Stock at Mobile Fun is a post from: Testfreaks | The Blog

Quote: In sunny Monte Carlo, the haute couture revelations are matched only by the inside info unleashed by the major corporation’s executives. While Microsoft themselves were tight-lipped, we managed to discover the Windows 8 mega-beta-launch date.

Via: http://www.kitguru.net/software/operating-systems/faith/windows-8-confirmed-for-february-29th-beta-queue/

Windows 8 Beta Arriving on February 29th is a post from: Testfreaks | The Blog

2K Games announced today that The Darkness™ II, the sequel to the hit 2007 title, The Darkness™, is now available in North America for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, PlayStation® 3 computer entertainment system and Windows PC*. The title will be available internationally on February 10, 2012. Inspired by the comic book series created by Top Cow Productions, Inc., and developed by Digital Extremes, The Darkness II continues the story of Jackie Estacado, head of a New York crime family and wielder of an ancient and brutal force of chaos and destruction known as the Darkness. Introducing unique Quad-Wielding™ combat and four-person cooperative gameplay distinct from the first-person campaign, The Darkness II breaks the mold of traditional first-person shooter titles.
“The Darkness II combines a powerful driving narrative with imaginative violence, creating a unique gameplay experience,” said Christoph Hartmann, president of 2K. “We are able to stay true to the origins of The Darkness comics while introducing significant new features to the game, which is a great accomplishment for the franchise.”
The Darkness II introduces a new combat mechanic through Quad-Wielding, allowing players to slash, grab, and throw objects and enemies with two Demon Arms while simultaneously firing two weapons. The game is layered with thematic elements of dark versus light, steeped in deep and twisted storytelling, and maintains the stylistic violence visualized through a hand-painted graphic noir technique, true to its comic book origins.
“Jackie Estacado’s saga returns in epic form with The Darkness II,” added Marc Silvestri, founder and CEO of Top Cow Productions and co-creator of The Darkness comics. “There’s a certain level of anxiousness when you see a favorite character move from ink on a page to pixels on a screen. 2K Games and Digital Extremes were able to do it in a way that stayed true to the Jackie from the comic books, while making a brutally awesome game at the same time.”
Also new in The Darkness II is the cooperative Vendettas campaign, a fast-paced, story-driven experience that takes place parallel to the single-player campaign. Vendettas lets up to four friends play together as one of four new playable characters – all with their own unique Darkness weapon – and begin their dangerous and bloody journey. Designed as a team-focused, mission-based experience, Vendettas explores the crucial role each character plays in Jackie Estacado’s campaign to defeat the Brotherhood.
A playable demo** of The Darkness II is broadly available worldwide for Xbox 360, PS3™ and Windows PC. The Darkness II is rated M for Mature by the ESRB. For more information on The Darkness II, please visit www.embracethedarkness.com.
*Steam account and Internet connection required to activate game.
**Xbox LIVE®, PlayStation®Network or Steam account and Internet connection required to access demo.

The Darkness II Now Available is a post from: Testfreaks | The Blog

-Intel Corporation announced today its fastest, most robust client/consumer solid-state drive (SSD) to date, the Intel® Solid-State Drive 520 Series (Intel® SSD 520), a 6 gigabit-per-second (gbps) SATA III SSD produced using Intel compute-quality 25-nanometer (nm) NAND memory process technology. Aimed at delivering world-class performance for even the most demanding PC enthusiasts, gamers, professionals or small-medium businesses (SMBs), the Intel SSD 520 has fast throughput performance, new security features and unmatched reliability to meet even the most intensive user requirements.

Any consumer application requiring high throughput and bandwidth, low latencies and accelerated speed will benefit from the Intel SSD 520. Software developers, architects, accountants, engineers, musicians, media creators and artists are just some of the professionals that will find that the Intel SSD 520’s full package of features can make a dramatic impact on their productivity. With faster performance for graphic renderings, compiling, data transfers and system boot-ups, users can speed through multi-tasking or once-cumbersome application wait times with an Intel SSD 520 Series.

Unlike a traditional hard disk drive (HDD) with spinning disks and moveable parts, an SSD is based on silicon, NAND flash memory specifically, to create a lower power, more reliable and drastically faster storage solution that can keep up with today’s most demanding applications, Internet streaming and intense multi-tasking. Based on its own industry-leading 25nm Intel compute-quality NAND flash memory and a 6gbps SATA III interface, the Intel SSD 520 uses an LSI SandForce Flash Storage Processor with an Intel co-defined and validated firmware release, to create an SSD that sets new industry performance benchmarks. The Intel SSD 520 delivers up to 80,000 maximum 4K random write Input-Output Operations Per Second (IOPS) and up to 50,000 4K random read IOPS to speed through every day operations. High sequential read performance of up to 550 megabytes-per-second (MB/s) and up to 520MB/s sequential writes also markedly accelerate and improve user productivity. This is backed by thousands of hours of Intel testing and validation, including more than 5,000 individual tests, as well as a 5-year limited warranty.

The Intel SSD 520 will mark the high end of its client SSD offerings and include these new features: a wide range of user capacities from 60GB to 480GB, Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) 256 bit encryption capabilities and stronger password protection for added security in the event of theft or power loss. According to PCMark Vantage benchmarking, users of the Intel SSD 520 may see significant productivity gains through an up to 78 percent boost in overall PC responsiveness, and gamers will see an up to 88 percent jump in performance to enhance their gaming experience.** IT professionals will not only provide this additional performance and productivity to their customers/employees, but find that the Intel SSD 520 also delivers on reliability, improved security, smoother operations and lower total operational costs.

With a broad range of capacity choices, the Intel SSD 520 Series is priced as follows, based on 1,000-unit quantities: 60GB for $149, 120GB at $229, 180GB at $369, 240GB at $509 and 480GB at $999. It comes with a 5-year limited warranty. For more information on Intel SSDs go to www.intel.com/go/ssd

 

* Other names and brands may be claimed as the property of others.

**Based on Intel research and comparative testing of an Intel SSD 520 Series and 10K RPM 6Gbps HDD using PCMark Vantage Productivity and PCMark Vantage Gaming benchmarks.

Intel Announces 520 Series SSDs is a post from: Testfreaks | The Blog

Apparently Intel has just released a new SSD as I’ve got a ton off reviews that came in today. Apparently I’m not in the know about these things as we didn’t get one, come to think of it I don’t think I’ve ever gotten anything from Intel for review?! There’s a few sites giving away stuff this week as well, they’re down in the ‘Assorted’ section so maybe you could win something.   Oh well, we’ve got lots of new for you and more reviews coming of course, so read on and check back later for more reviews from us.

Storage Related:

Intel SSD 520 Series 240GB Review

Intel SSD 520 Series Solid State Drive @ Benchmark Reviews

Intel SSD 520 Series Solid State Drive Review @ HotHardware

Intel 520 Series 240GB Solid State Drive Review

Intel SSD 520 240GB @ Bjorn3D

Intel’s 520 Series solid-state drive

Intel 520 Series 240GB SSD Launch Review @ HardwareHeaven.com

Intel 520 240GB SSD Review @ Hardware Canucks

Intel 520 240GB SSD Review (Round One) – Intel Releases Amazing SATA 3 SandForce Driven SSD

Intel 520 ‘Cherryville’ Series 240GB SSD Review in RAID 0 @ Legit Reviews

Samsung Green 8GB VLP 1600MHz Kit Review

Kingston SSDNow V+ 200 120GB SATA III SSD (Upgrade Bundle Kit) Review

Kingston HyperX Limited Edition DDR3-1600 4GB Dual Channel Memory Kit Review @ ThinkComputers.org

Kingston DataTraveler HyperX 3.0 Thumb Drive Review

Kingston HyperX 2400mhz Review (8GB KHX2400C11D3K4/8GX)

Synology DS-212 Two-Bay NAS Review @ Tweaknews

Samsung’s 830 Series solid-state drive

Patriot Memory Division IV Viper Extreme 16GB 1600MHz DDR3 Quad Channel Memory Kit Review

MyDigitalSSD ‘Bullet Proof’ 128GB mSATA SATA 2 SSD Review

Seagate Barracuda 3 TB Hard Drive Review

Audio / Video / Video Cards:

SAPPHIRE PURE Black 990FX

Funky Kit Review: HIS Multi View+ Sound Adaptor

Monster Clarity HD Model One Speakers Review

Scott Luminor Sound and Light Wireless System (i-DXS 10 L Luminor) Review

Arctic Living Audio Relay Wireless Media Extender Review @ eTeknix.com

AC Ryan Veolo @ techPowerUp

Cooler Master Choiix Power Fort 5600 @ LanOC Reviews

Sapphire Radeon HD 7950 3GB OC Video Card in CrossFire

Mobile Related:

Mobility Digest Review: Inexpensive Screen Protector for HTC Titan from Amazon

HTC Rhyme Review

Sony Tablet S launch coverage

BlackBerry App of the Week: Catapult @ t-break

PC Cooling:

Cooler Master MegaFlow 200

Cooler Master GeminII M4 CPU Cooler Review

Enermax ETS-T40-VD CPU Cooler Review @ eTeknix.com

Prolimatech Genesis CPU Cooler @ TechwareLabs

Noctua NH-D14 CPU Cooler Review @ ITShootOut.com

Noctua NF-F12 Focused Flow Fan Review @ Ninjalane

SilenX Effizio EFZ-120HA5 CPU Cooler Review

PC Cases:

Thermaltake Chaser MK-1 PC Case @ Pro-Clockers

NZXT Tempest 210 @ PureOverclock

Xigmatek Midgard II Mid-Tower Chassis Review

BitFenix Raider ATX case Review  @ XtremeComputing

Cooler Master Cosmos II @ techPowerUp

Antec ONE Preview

Thermaltake Azurues Gaming Mouse @ Pro-Clockers

Antec Three Hundred Two Case Review @ Hardware Secrets

Power Supplies/ Related:

Kingwin Lazer Platinum 1000W Power Supply Review @ ThinkComputers.org

Funky Kit Review: PC Power & Cooling Silencer Mk III 600W PSU

Thermaltake SMART 630W Power Supply Review @ APH Networks

Motherboards:

MSI Z68A-GD65G3 Motherboard @ Rbmods

Assorted:

Newer Technology Power2U AC/USB Wall Outlet Review

Win two fully-loaded Intel Ivy Bridge powered PCs !

ARCTIC MC001-BD Review @ Vortez

Win a Positive Vibration On-Ear Headphones from The House of Marley

Win a PS3 with Bluetooth Remote and an Outcast Jr. Speaker System

Corsair Vengeance M60 FPS Gaming Mouse Contest @ Legit Reviews

End of the Internet or the beginning of a new-style Internet?

Five Years With Blu-ray – Part Two

Ubuntu 12.04 ARM Performance Becomes Very Compelling @ Phoronix

Intel Core i7-3820 3.6GHz Processor Review @ Legit Reviews

Gaming:

ROCCAT Isku Illuminating Gaming Keyboard Review @ HardwareLOOK

SOULCALIBUR V Review @ HardwareHeaven.com

GeiL Epicgear MEDUZA Mouse @ Hardwareoverclock.com

Need For Speed: The Run PC Review @ eTeknix.com

Final Fantasy XIII-2 (XBOX 360) Review @ HardwareHeaven.com

Cyborg GLIDE 7 Gaming Surface Review @ eTeknix.com

ROCCAT Alumic Mouse Pad @ techPowerUp

News for February 6th 2012 is a post from: Testfreaks | The Blog

Idolian.com is pleased to announce IdolPad give away contest for Facebook fans. Idolian is a tablet PC manufacturer and distributor with its offices in Newport Beach, CA, Arkansas and South Korea. Idolian’s vision is to produce reliable Tablet PC, priced between $100-$299 that any individual or small business can afford.

Idolian.com is giving away a free IdolPad as part of their marketing efforts to launch their newest 7 inch Tablet PC. Idolian.com has hopped on social media bandwagon with Facebook as its starting point. Along with its best seller IdolPad priced at $99.99, Idolian offers many new tablet PCs on its website.

The first contest has launched February 5th, 2011 and is simple and easy to get in on. Facebook users are simply asked to become a Fan of their Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/idoliantab by pressing “LIKE”. One of the 500 fans who “LIKE” Idolian’s Facebook page will automatically be entered to win the new IdolPad. The contest is only open to fans 18 years or older. Idolian.com is planning on giving away up to 10 more Idolpad for every 100 additional fans after 500 fans contest is done. Facebook fans will get exclusive offers and updates for sales events, product upgrades and new product launch and more.

“We’re just happy to get our name out there. A lot of what you buy on the internet is heavily dependent on our customer’s reviews. Everyone I’ve met who has had a chance to use an IPad or Galaxy tab has always wanted their own tablet, we’re trying to making it affordable to own.” said Arthur Lopez, Director of Operations for Idolian.com.    “We’re all excited about this Facebook contest, I hope it would be the first of many. “

IdolPad is one of the best selling 7" Touch Screen Tablet PCs in the market. With the price tag of less than $100, IdolPad comes with 7" Multi-Touch Resistive Screen, Fast 1Ghz Cortex 9, 512 MB and 4GB Flash Drive. IdolPad is the best tablet PC that customers can buy to get true Tablet PC experiences at less than quarter of the price of the Apple IPad. Many consumers are impressed with its superior quality and its low price. IdolPad is best selling Tablet PC for Idoilan.com.

IdolPad will be available to upgrade to the newest Android 4.0 version by the end of May 2012 using the Firmware updates that will be provided on idolian.com. This upgrade can be performed on all IdolPad that was purchased.

IdolPad is currently available to purchase from idolian.com and all the major online retailers such as Amazon and Sears.com. Thanks to its established retail distributions, Idolian tablet PCs will be widely available at cellular locations throughout the USA and South Korea in the near future.

All of Idolian’s Tablet PCs come with a 1 year limited warranty that is serviced in the USA and offers extended warranties and protection plans for sale only on idolian.com.

www.Idolian.com

Enter to Win a Free Android Tablet from Idolian is a post from: Testfreaks | The Blog

Idolian.com is pleased to announce IdolPad upgrades to Android 4.0. Idolian is a tablet PC manufacturer and distributor with its offices in Newport Beach, CA, Arkansas and South Korea. Idolian’s vision is to produce reliableTablet PC, priced between $100-$299 that any individual or small business can afford.

IdolPad is one of the best selling 7" Touch Screen Tablet PCs in the market. With the price tag of less than $100,IdolPad comes with 7" Multi-Touch Resistive Screen, Fast 1Ghz Cortex 9, 512 MB and 4GB Flash Drive. IdolPad is the best tablet PC that customers can buy to get true Tablet PC experiences at less than quarter of the price of the Apple IPad. Many consumers are impressed with its superior quality and its low price. IdolPad is best selling Tablet PC for Idoilan.com.

IdolPad will be available to upgrade to newest Android 4.0 version by the end of May 2012 using the Firmware updates that will be provided on idolian.com. This upgrade can be performed on all IdolPad that was purchased.

"We are in a process of perfecting the Android 4.0 upgrades and we are very pleased with the fact that IdolPad will be one of the few tablets that runs on Android 4.0 for less than $100. IdolPad is the lowest priced Android Tablet PC that actually works like tablets. With the Android 4.0 update, IdolPad performance will be even better than now," says, the VP of Sales, Jay Kim.

Customers can download firmware updates from idolian.com to update their IdolPad when the Android 4.0 upgrade is available at end of May. Idolian is currently working on all other models upgrade to Android 4.0.

IdolPad is currently available to purchase from idolian.com and all the major online retailers such as Amazon and Sears.com. Thanks to its established retail distributions, Idolian tablet PCs will be widely available at cellular locations throughout the USA and South Korea in the near future.

All of Idolian’s Tablet PCs comes with a 1 year limited warranty that is serviced in the USA and offers extended warranties and protection plans for sale only on idolian.com.

www.Idolian.com

Idolian Confirms $99 IdolPad Upgrades to Android 4.0 is a post from: Testfreaks | The Blog

Verbatim recently announced at this year’s CES the line of SSD products which include both SATA II and SATA III versions. Today we will be looking at the SATA II 2.5 inch SSD upgrade kit. It is designed to replace hard drives in it either notebook or desktop configurations. It includes preloaded cloning software making the transition from hard drive to SSD seamless.

The Verbatim SATA II 2.5" SSD Upgrade Kit comes in colored cardboard box with the drive pictured on the front. On the sides we see the system requirements, specifications, package contents and warranty info and a description of the product on the back.

Opening the package we find the SATA II SSD, a 3.5” driver adapter plate, two USB cables, a 2.5” drive enclosure, mounting screws, users guide and Molex power cable.

The Verbatim SSD is enclosed in a black metal housing with a green blue-and-white label indicating the drive capacity. It has an SATA II interface with advertised read speeds of 270MB/sec and 225MB/sec write speeds; a MTBF rating of one million hours means your PC/Mac, or Laptop will probably go before this drive will. In addition the SSD is SMART capable and offers TRIM support for Windows 7 and OS X Lion users.

Verbatim ships the SSD drive preinstalled into the base of the 2.5” drive enclosure that features a USB 2.0 connection. This enclosure allows transferring the data to the SSD and then re-using your old 2.5” internal hard drive as an external one. Installed on the SSD is a copy of NTI Echo, which is a Windows, based cloning software making it easy to copy your data onto the new SSD.

The enclosure secures the Verbatim SSD with three clips on each side. The mini USB to SATA connector slides out of the enclosure with the SSD drive; so theoretically you could transfer data to the SSD without installing it into the enclosure.

The top of the enclosure snaps down onto the base securely locking the drive within. The snap closures actually make it difficult to re-open the enclosure unlike the Kingston enclosure solution which simply slides on and off with a locking mechanism.

For those wishing to install this SSD into their desktop machines a 3.5" drive adapter plate is also included.

Overall Verbatim SATA II 2.5" SSD Upgrade Kit is pretty similar to most other SSD upgrade kits, nothing fancy just what’s required to get the job done.

Specifications:

Verbatim SATA II 2.5" SSD Upgrade Kit – 128GB

Rugged, fast and quiet, Verbatim’s SATA II Internal Solid State Drive (SSD) with Upgrade Kit provides the latest hard drive replacement storage solution for notebook and desktop PCs. Offering data read speeds up to 270MB/sec* Verbatim SATA II SSD drives are ideal for users that demand maximum performance in data storage and computer efficiency, while the do-it-yourself upgrade kit makes drive swapping a breeze. Verbatim’s SATA II Internal SSDs handle large amounts of data quickly and improve system responsiveness, extending notebook battery life and maximize computer performance. The internal SSD operates silently and provides faster system boot-up, application launch and shutdown times. Verbatim’s SATA II Internal SSD is S.M.A.R.T. capable and offers TRIM support for Windows 7, along with a 1500G Shock Rating The package includes preloaded NTI Echo cloning software, a 3.5” drive bay adapter plate and Molex power cable (for use in optional desktop installations), mounting screws, USB cable, and a 2.5” drive enclosure to allow reuse of the user’s original hard drive as a USB attached external storage device. All Verbatim Solid State Drives are backed by a 3-year limited warranty.

• Includes preloaded Clone software, a 3.5” drive bay adapter plate and power cable, mounting screws, USB cable, and a 2.5” drive enclosure to reclaim and reuse original hard drive
• Everything in one box for do-it-yourself notebook or desktop installation.
• SATA II interface offers speeds up to 3GB/sec
• Up to 270MB/sec. read speed and 225MB/sec write speeds
• Reliable Solid-State design features 1500G shock rating
• Low power consumption conserves laptop battery life
• MTBF rating of 1 million hours
• Backed by a 3-year limited warranty

Contents: Solid State SATA II, loaded Eco NTI cloning software, 3.5” drive adapter plate and Molex power cable (for use in desktop installations optional), mounting screws, 2 USB cable, 2.5” drive enclosure, users guide.

For testing the Verbatim SATA II 2.5" SSD Upgrade Kit was installed into the following system:

CPU: Intel Core i7 2600K

Motherboard: Asus P8P67 PRO

Memory: 8GB Mushkin DDR3 1300

Video Card: Galaxy 460GTX

Hard Drive: Western Digital 250GB 7200RPM, Samsung 1 TB 7200 RPM

PSU: Ultra X-Finity 1000 Watt Power Supply

Upon installation the Windows 7 64 system recognized the drive as model: SATA SSD 128 GB with a drive capacity of 120 GB. The firmware version was identified as S5FAM012.

Using this information I tried to determine if this SSD was a rebranded model. Unfortunately my research on the web yielded little answer to that question. Speaking with my Verbatim contact I found out this SSD uses the Phison PS3105-S5 SSD controller which is found in the Torqx 2 SSD.

According to Benchmarkreviews.com this controller " supports 20/30/40nm MLC/SLC Large-Block Toggle Hi-Speed NAND flash memory with up to 32 chips, and features a build-in 28/32/48-bit hardware ECC circuit (BCH)." Verbatim saves the Sandforce controller for their SATA III SSDs.

For testing the Verbatim SSD was pitted up against an Intel X25-M SSD 80 GB with 250MB/s read and 70MB/s write speeds, a Kingston SSDNow V Series 30GB write speeds of 30 MB/s and read speeds of 180 MB/s and a Kingston Hyper X SSD 240 GB (SATA III) with write speeds of 510 MB/s and read speeds of 555 MB/s.

Benchmarking was performed with Anvil Storage Utilities Beta 11, ATTO Disk Benchmark and CrystalDiskMark 3.0.1 x64 and AS-SSD 1.6.4. One important thing to note is most companies use the ATTO benchmark to list their advertised speeds as these other benchmarking program tend to show results that are more “real world” like.

Thus starting with ATTO we see the Verbatim SSD hits their advertised speeds right on the nose with the other drives matching up to their specs pretty closely as well.

Moving to Anvil Storage Utilities using the 4MB Sequential Speed test we see the Verbatim is once again close to its advertised speeds. Measuring the IOPS (Input/Output Operations Per Second) the Verbatim comes in at half the speed of the SATA III based HyperX SSD, as it rightfully should.

Here are the results for Crystal Disk Mark and AS-SSD which run similar benchmarks.

For those wishing to copy over their system to the Verbatim SATA II 2.5" SSD the NTI Echo is a straightforward cloning program. Select your source and destination and then grab a snack while the copy process occurs. Then swap your SSD for your hard drive and you should be set.

Of course if you are going to use the Verbatim SATA II 2.5" SSD in a Mac you’ll need to copy the data using some other program like Carbon Copy Cloner. I decided to replace my sluggish 2008 MacBook Pro’s hard drive with the Verbatim SSD.

Since I was running Snow Leopard which does not support TRIM on non Apple approved SSDs, I needed to activate the TRIM feature using TRIM Enabler.

Benchmarking the MacBook Pro was done using AJA System Test which provided some disappointing results as the Read speeds were lower at 185 MB/s and the Writes were in the 50s. I did not Secure Erase the SSD before swapping it into the MacBook Pro which may be the issue. I will have do some further investigating although the MacBook Pro is still appreciably faster.

Conclusion:

If you are looking to upgrade your PC or Mac to an SSD system then the Verbatim SATA II 2.5" SSD Upgrade Kit is not a bad way to get that job done. The Verbatim SSD is TRIM enabled helping it to function at peak performance while running a Windows 7 system.

Currently the Verbatim SSD 128 GB bundle can be found for less than $200 on the web which makes it priced in line with SSDs with similar specs.

The Verbatim SSD performs up to its advertised speeds out of the box and comes with cloning software for Windows users preinstalled on the drive itself. The kit has everything you’ll need to make a seamless transition to the solid-state drive world.

Pros:
+Supports TRIM
+Kit allows desktop and laptop installation
+Can re-use old 2.5 Hard Drive with enclosure
+Silent operation
+Includes Windows cloning software

Cons:
-Not the fastest SATA II SSD in market

Grades:
Overall
Design
Performance

To learn more about our review policy please visit this page HERE.

Review of Verbatim SATA II 2.5" 128gb SSD Upgrade Kit is a post from: Testfreaks | The Blog

It’s Angry Birds so you expect it to be boxed in a fun way and it is. The box is made to look like a wooden shipping crate with a window on the front showing the Red Bird. The window actually has a screen pattern in it, sort of like chicken wire.

When I first saw these I thought they were small, but this thing is huge, I was very much surprised by the size of it. Here’s a regular size blu-ray movie box next to the Angry Birds box for size comparison:

When you open the box you’ll be greeted with the instructions for using the speaker and for unpacking the Red Bird, you’ll also notice a male to male audio cable.

Here’s everything unpacked:

The audio cable is red to match the bird and it’s about 41 inches long.

Included is what you might consider a dock, but it’s really a stand for your phone or MP3 player. It follows the Angry Birds theme and resembles wood. On the front is a part that look like broken wood that sticks up to hold your device in place, on the back edge is a rubber strip to keep it from sliding.

On the bottom are rubber feet and a part that slides out to make the platform more stable for larger devices.

Included is a power adapter that can be used in many countries around the world, just pop them off and on.

And here’s the Red Bird himself, and yes he looks angry. The bird is plastic, as with most things, and it’s heavy, much heavier than I expected it to be, and it feels solidly  and quality made.

Here’s a few more views for you. There are speakers on the sides and bottom of the bird, it has two mid-range and a sub-woofer.

On the back you’ll find the control panel with a knob for bass, a power button, power input jack, audio input jack and the volume knob, under those is the bass port.

On the bottom of the bird you’ll find a large rubber pad to keep that bird from flying off somewhere.

Specifications:

Gear4 Angry Birds Speaker – Red Bird

Love Angry Birds? Complete your Angry Birds collection with this official red bird speaker from Gear4.

Compatible with any device featuring a 3.5mm jack
The Red Bird speaker has universal compatibility with any device featuring a 3.5mm jack, meaning you can use it with your phone, laptop, PC and even tablet. The speaker is also portable meaning you can take the Angry Birds style with you wherever you go.

Comes complete with a stand for your playback device
As the Red Bird speaker is universal, it also comes with a universal stand for your media device such as phone, music player or tablet.

Officially licensed Angry Birds product
Gear4 has been commissioned with creating the official Angry Birds range, as a result the speaker is made from the highest quality materials and oozes quality.

Price: £49.99 / $78.94

Our friends are Mobile Fun sent this over for review and you can find all kinds of phone accessories in their little shop.

So to test it I listened to music with a couple devices I own. You just have to plug it in and here I noticed the first small flaw, the power cord is rather short. I plugged it into an extension cord right under my desk and the cord barely reached to have the Red Bird on my desk. So I think the cord could be a lot longer, at least twice as long would be good.

The first one I used was my Zune HD.

The Zune has its audio connection on the bottom so it had to sit sideways on the stand.

Then I used it with a larger device, my HTC Titan and it could stand up since its audio connection is on the top:

Here it is in the stand:

I didn’t take a picture of it, but it did hold my Android 10” tablet in the stand, I just had to extend the back section out to stabilize it.

The sound is very good, and wow this thing can get very loud. It does get a bit distorted at full volume but you just need to lower the bass level a bit and it clears up. There is a lot of bass in this bird (that sounds weird) and it was vibrating my desk, I had to turn it down a bit.

The Red Bird is simple to use, and the sound is very good really.

On a side note about this bird, my dog doesn’t care for it, it’s funny and weird at the same time. When I first got it I had it sitting up on a shelf and she would sit there staring at it and barking and growling at it. After a couple weeks she stopped the barking but she still doesn’t like it, when I bring it down she gets away and then walks over to it very tentatively to sniff it and then backs away to a safe distance.

The price is a bit high, but it’s an officially licensed product and a novelty, so prices are usually higher on these types of things.  Is it worth it? Maybe, if you’re an Angry Birds fan then yes it’s worth it.

Conclusion:
So it’s a speaker, it’s an angry looking bird, it’s an Angry Bird speaker. Is it worth it, I have to say yes, especially if you’re an Angry Birds fan. I like Angry Birds sure, but I’m not a fanatic about it, but my kids are and they just love this thing. I think they were more excited than I was when I opened the box.

The Red Bird Angry Bird speaker looks good and it’s very well made, well worth the cost in terms of design and build quality. The sound is very good as well, I think most people will be more than happy with the sound that this bird makes.

The one small issue I came across is the power cord, I think it’s just too short really.

If you or anyone you know is an Angry Bird fan I think this would go over very well as a gift for them or yourself.

Pros:
+Works with any device with standard audio jack
+Very loud
+Comes with adapters for world use
+Decent sounding

Cons:
-Rather expensive
-Power cord could be longer

Grades:
Overall
Design
Performance

To learn more about our review policy please visit this page HERE.

Review of Gear4 Angry Birds Speaker – Red Bird is a post from: Testfreaks | The Blog

The California based online retailer iBRIGHT LLC introduced an all-new range of iPhone docking stations called iBRIGHT myLAMP. Available in three different and attractive colors; pretty pink, classic white and gorgeous black, iBRIGHT myLAMP has a host of different features that make it immensely popular. Along with high quality built-in stereo speakers built-in at the base, iBRIGHT myLAMP has a number of other features such as a clock with alarm and sleep functions, a PLL FM radio, and a docking station. These iPhone docking stations can play music on an iPhone or iPod and also recharge them. The reading lamp uses an E26 /E27 lamp holder, so different bulbs can be replaced easily. The LCD screen of iBRIGHT myLAMP also comes with an adjustable backlight. The lamp head is made of plastic and there is a choice of the shade of fabric.

One of the most unique features of iBRIGHT myLAMP that sets it apart from similar products in the market is its PLL FM radio. The maximum output of this lightweight iPhone docking station that weighs just 3 pounds is 35W and its audio cable uses a 3.5mm plug while the AC cable that is 1.83m long has a 2pin polar plug. The line in jack can also be used to connect audio from other audio devices apart from an iphone or iPad. The power of the lamp is 50/60HZ and the power supply lies in the range of 110-220V/AC. The battery of this 8 * 8 * 16.5 inches bedside lamp lasts an entire year.

The CEO of iBright LLC says, “iBRIGHT myLAMP is an innovative and smart iPhone docking station. It is the only product in the market that offers so many functions, including some unique features like PLL FM radio.” Currently, iBRIGHT myLAMP is available at a price of $99.99 from iBRIGHT LLC and they are also offering a discount on it.

http://www.theibright.com/

It’s a Lamp, No it’s a Dock, No It’s Both is a post from: Testfreaks | The Blog

i Display, an innovative interactive digital display company, announced today, during the ISE show (Hall 10 stand N148) the launch of the new Android Media Player specifically designed for the retail market needs.

i Display’s Android based Media Player enables retailers to play their media, content and applications on any screen size and from any location in 1080P full HD quality.

i Display’s Android media player has embedded Wi-Fi and 3G (optional) which enables easy update and upload of content remotely making it the first truly mobile media player. In addition, the Wi-Fi and 3G allow for automatic connection to a web based, easy to use remote content management system (CMS). Scala is the first company to be compatible with the i Display Retail Tablets with their SignChannel service which is being demoed in the Scala Booth at ISE (Hall 10 stand K122).

The Android Media Player software has been designed specifically for commercial and retail use. Features include content auto-play, auto-copy and auto-detect functionalities. Powered by Android OS i Display’s media player can run a multitude of retail applications, videos and images that can be used to promote products, entertain customers and communicate with them in-store. In addition, the Android Media Player gives retailers the ability to showcase real time and social media updates. Retailers can download applications from the Android Market or develop their own applications. In addition, the Android media player provides you with the flexibility to connect to external hardware such as a barcode scanner, Android supported touch screens, motion sensor and touch and push buttons to deliver an interactive customer experience.

“The i Display Android Media player is a significant step forward in the world of media players. Combining retail designed software, the powerful Android OS, and an unbeatable price the range of possibilities for usage of this media player are endless,” says Ariel Haroush, i Display’s CEO. “Whether you are a retail shop that wants to highlight your latest merchandise while real time social media updates display on screen, or a bar owner who wants to highlight real time stats and scores, this media player enables you to interact with your customers in a way never imaginable before. Content can be played on any screen size from any location giving retailers ultimate flexibility. Retailers are constantly looking for ways to engage and interact with their customers, and this Android Media Player is a powerful tool in achieving this goal.”

i Display’s Retail Tablets’ main features include:

•     Android 2.3 Open Operating System, with access to thousands of applications
•     Wi-Fi and 3G enabled
•     Supports full HD 1080p
•     Web based, easy to use, remote content management system: SignChannel by SCALA
•     Auto copy of content
•     Auto play functionality
•     Auto detect
•     External hardware connections including barcode scanner, printers, motion sensor and push buttons

About i Display

i Display is part of the Outform Group. Based in London UK, i Display is one of the market leaders for interactive and effective digital signage displays. i Display combines beautiful design with great functionality to effectively get your customer’s attention and increase sales.

i Display is committed to delivering high-end, simple to use products which operate and blend in naturally with retail environments. The range of products can be viewed by visiting http://www.i-display.com

i Display Announces a New Android Based Media Player is a post from: Testfreaks | The Blog