Apple iPhone 5 to launch before 4 October

Former Apple marketing chief, John Martellaro, has expressed that Apple isnt all keeping quiet about their new products, but the company has carefully and purposely plan of releasing certain relevant information to the media as part of their marketing effort. This time, the rumor comes from the American telco AT&T. According to a leaked memo, the company will be making some adjustments on the mobile insurance of the Apple iPhone and other devices from 17 July till 4 October. Previously, it was US$9 and now it will be adjusted between US$4.99 to US$6.99 (and probably increase of monthly prices).

The question is, why should anyone be concerned as to AT&T choosing this period to adjust their mobile insurance? If you recalled, this period overlaps that of the rumored launch month (which is September), and it would seem logical that the iPhone 5 would be launched before the 4 October deadline.

Source: imobile.com.cn

AT amp;T iPhone 5 to launch mid or late September

A source from within AT&T has confirmed with BGR that the iPhone 5 will launch on the carrier on the third or fourth week of September.

As per the same source, AT&T is gearing for the launch with a large training event, which undoubtedly is for the sake of keeping iPhone nuts from ransacking the stores. September 12 seems to the date that Apple will make an official announcement concerning the iPhone 5 and perhaps other iOS devices such as the iPad mini.

Current status as to the launch dates of the iPhone 5 for other carriers are unknown, but if the trend continues as it did for past iPhones, then Verizon might be the next in line to claim the coveted Apple smartphone.

If you’re an AT&T customer and your contract is about to run out later this month, make sure to stay up to date as to the official AT&T launch date, or else you might not get an iPhone 5 until Christmas!

SimCity Les stratégies multiville en vidéo

Electronic Arts continue à expliquer aux joueurs le fonctionnement du prochain Sim City. Et cette semaine, c'est le mode multijoueur qui est à l'honneur à travers une nouvelle vidéo. Pour ceux qui se demandaient comment les joueurs interagiraient entre eux, le principe des multiville est ici longuement illustré. Les joueurs pourront ainsi spécialiser leurs villes et répondre aux besoins de leurs voisins ou amis. Untel aura donc une ville spécialisée dans les casinos, tandis que l'autre fournira l'électricité. L'un paiera pour le courant de l'autre, et tout le monde y trouvera son compte.



Sim City est attendu pour le 7 mars 2013. EA a également mis en ligne les configurations minimales et recommandées, consultables à cette adresse.

· Forum SimCity

Apple makes transition from MobileME to iCloud more appealing

In helping pave way for a smooth shift to its iCloud service, Apple has a new deal on offer for its long-staying MobileMe subscribers who havent yet gotten with the times in upgrading to Snow Leopard. Apple is now providing a free Snow Leopard upgrade for all MobileMe users running an older OS, saving them US $29.

As MobileMe, a subscription-based set of online services is scheduled for discontinuation by June and with iCloud only being supported in Snow Leopard and Lion, this will make the offer a much appreciated one for many yet to jump onto the cloud. It also means that upgrading to Lion would be half the price as a download for it is available via the App Store which can only be initiated if already running Snow Leopard.

So, for all of you still holding a MobileMe account and running an OS up to a half decade old. now theres no more excuses and you can get with the times on the cheap!

AMD revises down Q3 forecasts - yield issues blamed

Previously, AMD had expected a strong Q3 2011, driven by strong demand for Llano, with revenue growth of 10% over Q2. However, AMD has now revised Q3 revenue growth to only 4%-6%. The main reason cited was manufacturing issues at GlobalFoundries.

The previous forecast suggested revenues of approximately $1.725 billion, while the revision pulls down the revenue guidance to the $1.65 billion range. It is no surprise that the GlobalFoundries 32nm process is suffering from yield issues, with supply shortages for Llano APUs. The top Llano SKU for desktops, A8-3850 is out of stock at many retailers around the world, and notebooks based on Llano are still hard to come by, if not completely non-existant in several popular markets, such as South Asia. It is clear that AMD is unable to satisfy the strong demand for Llano, leading to reduced shipments.

In additions to problems with the 32nm process, 45nm supply has been hit as well, "due to complexities related to the use of common tools across both technology nodes". Due to the top bin A8 APUs being worst affected - another sign of poor yields - the average selling price is also down, resulting in a reduced gross margin of 44%-45%, from previous guidance of 47%.

With Bulldozer finally shipping, and FX Series finally releasing next month, things are going to get even more challenging for the problematic GloFo 32nm process. The Bulldozer die is 40% larger than Llano. On the other hand, Bulldozer is a traditional CPU with no extensive GPU part.

Source: Forbes

ASUS To Unveil ROG Line Of Products @ Computex

Taipei, Taiwan, March 28, 2008 – Technology for computing gaming evolves at a tremendously fast pace, so users will constantly require cutting-edge technologies and solutions in order to keep up with the latest in gaming requirements. With this in mind, the ASUS Republic of Gamers (ROG) has produced an exceptional range of gaming products to give gamers the ultimate gaming edge. These advanced gaming hardware are geared for the future, and will be showcased at Computex 2008.

Automobile Conceptualized Graphics Cards for Extreme Gaming
The "Concept Car" Graphics Card
With three RV670PRO GPUs onboard, the ASUS EAH3850 TRINITY/3DHTI/1.5G graphics card is likened to a concept car model; and truly paves the way towards the future of gaming. An astonishing 139% improvement in speeds is achieved when compared to single-GPU solutions; while a MXM module provides upgrade possibilities, and two exclusive extra DVI outputs give users support for extra monitor outputs. It also features a specially designed water cooling solution – ensuring efficient heat dissipation for stable performance. The ASUS EAH3850 TRINITY is also equipped with a world-exclusive large onboard memory size of 1.5GB – designed to provide feature-rich DirectX 10 gaming and the best multimedia playback at ultra-high resolutions and maximum quality settings – earning this graphics card top billing among the ROG.

"Hybrid-Class Car" Styled Matrix Graphics Cards
The leading and intelligent thermal innovation of the ASUS EN9600GT Matrix graphics card draws its inspiration from Hybrid cars of the same namesake. With an innovative combination of the fan and heatsink solutions on one card, the ASUS Matrix innovation targets guaranteed performance with savings in mind. When required, the fan and heatsink will work together for optimum cooling, while the fan is automatically controlled according to the GPU loading – providing users with power savings in the event of lower graphics utilization – much like real Hybrid cars.

The "Workhorse Jeeps" of Graphics Cards
The Glaciator fansink utilizes a powerful and specially designed fan design that are likened to the Jeeps of the automobile industry. Much like the Land Rover or the Hummer, ASUS graphics cards equipped with the Glaciator Fansink effectively dissipates heat away from the graphics card – quickly transferring heat away from the GPU and lowering the temperature. With all this cooling capacity, the Glaciator Fansink maintains a quiet operating level of only 25dB – almost unperceivable in a quiet room; and caters to gamers who require maximum cooling without excessive fan rotation noise.

Racing Car Inspired Designs
The V-Cool Heatsink’s super racing car engine design comprises of two mainstay racing car engine technologies – V-Engine and Intercooler. Combining stylish outlooks with powerful cooling performance, the V-Engine concept of ideally arranged V-fins provide even heat dissipation with a minimum of space required; while the high-density zipper array fin module utilizes the Intercooler technology to maximize the surface area exposed to the air for exceptional heat dissipation. Additionally, three powerful heatpipes are carefully arranged to enable the average temperature on the heatsink to enhance heat transfer effects, and the special material aluminum alloy used is lighter and provides excellent thermal conductivity – all at an ultra-quiet 0dB.

Life-like Audio and Powerful Gaming Performance with ASUS ROG Maximus II Formula
The new ASUS ROG Maximus II Formula series motherboard is equipped with the latest Intel chipset, and supports DDRII memory for exceptional overclocking. It is also able to deliver astoundingly life-like audio through the SupremeFX X-Fi audio card; while the innovative overclocking technology – CPU Level Up, delivers flexible CPU overclocking – even without prior overclocking knowledge. What’s more, the Extreme Engine power design provides stable voltages for exceptional overclocking – making this motherboard the ultimate gamer´s choice, and garners the ROG’s hearty recommendation.

Ultimate Cooling with ASUS Axe Square CPU Cooler
The Axe Square CPU Cooler provides enhanced cooling performances with support for CPU overclocking up to 180W. This exceptional cooler utilizes the Aureate design, and provides optimal cooling while retaining low operating noise. This outstanding cooler gets the ROG’s stamp of approval in providing outstanding cooling for gaming needs.

Enjoy Pure Power with ASUS PSU G-1000HA
With the added power requirements of current components – especially those catered for gaming, a power supply that can deliver uninterrupted, stable and high performance power is paramount. The Intel ATX 12V V2.3 compliant ASUS PSU G-1000HA power supply does all these things with ease. With a 1000 watt high power supply rating with active PFC (PF>0.99), it can deliver environmentally friendly power and is able to support Duo Core and Quad Core CPUs; as well as PCI-Express 2.0. It is also equipped with a 13.5 cm ball-bearing fan with auto thermal acoustics noise control – making for quieter operations. The PSU G-1000HA is also equipped with five dedicated +12V rails for reliable output, and is 80 PLUS certified to provide up to 87% at 230VAC input.

Ultimate Gamer Gear: ASUS ARES Gaming PC
The ARES Gaming PC features massive performance with the best gaming hardware configuration that includes an Intel Core™2 Extreme CPU, support of up to 8GB of fast DDR3 memory, NVIDIA’s Quad SLI / ATI CrossfireX graphic technology and up to 4 Terabyte hard disk for exceptional processing and graphical performance. It also showcases Dual Power™ power modules and liquid cooling for exceptional stability; while the sleek gaming outlook draws upon ancient and modern armor concepts from both Eastern and Western cultures for a uniquely designed upper faceplate. This design also fully encloses and provides protection for the various I/O drives and user interface modules, completing the overall gaming package.

Ultimate Gaming Station
The ASUS G70 utilizes a “Multi Dual-Engine” architecture to answer gamer needs for extreme performance. Comprising of a duplex structure in its major system components that include an Intel Core™2 Duo / Extreme CPU, dual independent Nvidia 8700M GT VGA cards, dual HDD with a combined mass storage capacity up to 640GB and dual thermal fans, the G70 provides high-definition visuals and audio capabilities that sets a new standard in mobile gaming. It also offers special lighting and material designs that enhances the gaming atmosphere; as well as dual screens for display of critical system info and messages for disruption-free gaming. A dual mode touch pad and the gaming-themed keyboard with special key highlights provide easy access to multimedia controls as well as additional hotkeys (including a four-way key) that can be configured for a tailored gaming experience – allowing gamers to truly enjoy the ultimate in gaming.

Also showcased are the G50 and the G71 new gaming series. The laptops, carrying the same G Series design as well as the most advanced nVidia™ GeForce 9700M GT graphic engine with GDDR3 support, are to be available in Q3.

Call of Duty Black Ops 2 la version PC à nouveau patchée

C'est la communauté des fraggers de Call of Duty : Black ops 2 qui va être contente. Treyarch vient de mettre en ligne un nouveau patch (qui se télécharge automatiquement) qui apporte quelques ajustements réclamés par les joueurs.

A commencer par l'augmentation du FOV de 10° qui passe ainsi à 90. De quoi améliorer le champ de vision des tueurs virtuels qui vont pouvoir s'en donner à cœur joie. Autre bonne nouvelle, le jeu est désormais mieux optimisé pour les processeurs à 4 cœurs ou plus. Ces derniers rencontraient quelques problèmes pour faire tourner le jeu, c'est désormais du passé. Ainsi, les chevaux afghans qui tombaient irrémédiablement dans le décor ne rencontrent plus ce problème. Même chose pour le RC-XD et l'AGR qui se perdaient dans la map, ce bug a été corrigé. De plus, les performances avec ce type de processeur ont été améliorées pour les modes solo, multi et zombies. Si vous ne faites pas partie des millions de gens ayant déjà craqué pour ce shooter efficace, notre test (disponible ici) pourrait finir de vous convaincre.

Voici la liste complète des correctifs apportés par cette mise à jour :
- FOV augmenté à 90
- Réparation du bug des chevaux passant à travers la map en Afghanistan avec des processeurs 4 cœurs ou plus
- Correction du bug des RC-XD et AGR passant à travers la map avec des processeurs 4 cœurs ou plus
- Performances améliorées sur le solo, le multi et le mode zombies avec les processeurs 4 cœurs ou plus
- Correction du crash lorsqu'un septième joueur tente d'entrer dans un lobby réservé pour 6
- Matchmaking amélioré sur les serveurs dédiés
- Fin des connexions interrompues lors du chargement dans MP

· Forum Call of Duty : Black Ops 2