Nvidia 650i Ultra

After conquering the hearts of enthusiasts with the nForce 680i SLI, Nvidia now has something to stun the mainstream users. The nForce 650i Ultra promises to ace in its category with its lavish feature set.

Features

The nForce 600 series for Intel supports the entire line of Intel LGA775 processors including the latest Core 2 Duo series. The 650i Ultra North Bridge boasts 1333 MHz FSB and DDR2 memory support up to 8 GB. The board also features a x16 PCI-E slot for adding a graphics card. Combined with the 650i Ultra North Bridge is the powerful nForce 430 MCP supporting two IDE drives, four SATA drives, Gigabit Ethernet and 8 USB ports. 8-channel audio is controlled by the Realtek ALC885 HD audio codec.



Layout

The layout of the board is flawless with thoughtful placement of components. The area around the CPU socket is clutter-free with ample clearance between the North Bridge and the DIMM slots. The North Bridge is cooled by an aluminum heatsink fitted with a 40 mm fan. The DIMM slots are also well-spaced to allow thicker memory modules with heat-spreaders to breathe comfortably. The four SATA ports are placed at the lower right edge of the board to maintain close proximity to the hard drives in the case.



Test Bed

Processor: Intel C2D E6700, 2.66 GHz Memory: 2 GB DDR2 800 MHz (4-4-4-12 1T)

Hard drive: WD Raptor 740GD

Graphics card: Asus EN7800GTX Top



SCORES



SiSoft Sandra 2007

CPU Arithmetic

Dhrystones: 24572 MIPS

Whetstones: 48196 MFLOPS

Memory bandwidth: 5755 MB/s



PCMark 05

Overall: 7527

HDD: 6726



3DMark 05: 9047



Doom 3

640x480 @low: 220 fps

1600x1200 @ultra 4xAA: 53 fps



Time taken to…

Compress 200 MB files to RAR using ‘Best compression’: 52 secs

Encode 300 MB of WAV files to 256 Kbps MP3 at high quality: 60 secs

Encode 99 MB VOB file to Xvid at 75 percent quality: 102 secs



Performance

We decked up the board with high-end components and the board cruised throughout the synthetic and real-world tests. Except for being able to display steroidal frame rates using the SLI mode, the performance is comparable to that of enthusiast boards. The BIOS offers support for tweaking FSB, CPU multiplier and voltages. Using the preset FSB to memory ratios, overclocking on this board is a cakewalk. We managed to overclock the E6700 from 2.66 GHz to 3.4 GHz by increasing the FSB to 1360 which in turn cranked the memory speed from 800 MHz to 906.7 MHz (3:2 ratio).



Verdict

If you’re looking out for a mainstream board without on-board graphics, this is the best board in the category for Intel processors. Settle for this board if you need high performance without SLI support.

Sony Software Makes PCs Vulnerable

Software included with high-end memory sticks sold by Sony Corp can make personal computers vulnerable to attack by computer hackers, according to researchers with two Internet security firms.

Sony's MicroVault USB memory stick and fingerprint reader includes software that creates a hidden directory on the computer's hard drive, researchers with Finnish security software maker F-Secure Corp reported on the company's blog on Monday.

Such software that hides itself, which is known as a root kit, leaves room for hackers to secretly infect personal computers, they said.

Software that is installed on such hidden drives is not only invisible to the human eye; some types of computer security software are unable to detect viruses and other types of so-called malware, or malicious software, stored on them.

F-Secure's blog posting said it attempted to contact Sony before alerting the public about the software, but the company had not replied.

Sony spokesman Chisato Kitsukawa said he could not immediately comment on the situation.

On Tuesday, researchers with McAfee Inc. said they had confirmed the vulnerability described by F-Secure.

"The apparent intent was to cloak sensitive files related to the fingerprint verification feature included on the USB drives," said McAfee spokesman Dave Marcus. "However, software creators apparently did not keep the security implications in mind. The application could be used to hide arbitrary software, including malicious software."

This is not the first time F-Secure has found Sony software installing hidden directories on the drives of its customers. In 2005 there was a similar situation involving the electronics maker's digital rights management software, security experts say.

SA6 - The Earphones with EQ Control

Nothing could be more personal in the sound domain than earphones; discretion levels are at the max there, obviously, as the sound is literally right in your ears. So it's only predictable that one must be able to control the sound one hears so up close. Sleek Audio has come up with a solution that defines lateral thinking.The SA6 earphones, with 'dismantleable' parts to control EQ.

They have interchangeable parts that can either accentuate the highs or lows according to preference. The treble can be controlled by detaching (or attaching) 3 small parts. On the other side of each earpiece, there's a choice of three interchangeable bass ports that can add the thud which bassheads crave, or roll off the boominess in some badly mastered tracks. All parts are replaceable actually, even the cables. They are like the bearings in a futuristic gadget, straight out of Japanese animation.

The product ships in Mid october, at a retail price of $299, which sounds reasonable, especially because the company has quoted them to be 'In ear monitors'.

Limited Edition White PS2 Announced

Sony has just announced a limited edition PS2 (ceramic white) which will be bundled with the hit Karaoke game SingStar Pop. The bundle will include two USB Microphones and will be priced at $149.99. Here’s what Jack Tretton, president and CEO of SCEA had to say:

”With our expansive library of titles for PlayStation, led by social gaming experiences such as SingStar, and Buzz!, we have an incredible offering for first-time gaming families…

At $149.99, the limited edition ceramic white PlayStation 2, bundled with the family-friendly social gaming title, SingStar Pop, is an unbeatable value that will provide fun for everyone this holiday.”

No More 60GB PS3s With Sony

Next Generation brings word that Sony’s internal stock of 60GB PS3 has run dry, which means that there are none left in their warehouses. Most retailers however seem to have heaps of PS3 piling in their warehouses, so don’t rush into buying a PS3 just yet. Here’s what Sony Computer Entertainment America’s Dave Karraker had to say:

"We no longer have any inventory in SCEA warehouses. All inventory has been purchased and shipped to retailers.

We don't have visibility as to if that is on their store shelves or in their warehouses at this time. However, based on inventory reports from our retailers, there is ample supply still left in the channel."

Once the stock’s depleted from the stores, buyers will have just one option should they opt for the PS3 - the 80GB model. The company also announced that they have no plans for any further price cuts right now, but there are strong rumors suggesting that they might just consider one in the near future; we’ll keep you posted as and when it happens

Games of September 2007

This year is being hailed as one of the greatest years for gaming and supporting that theory is the month of September that has tons of good stuff coming your way.

Heavenly Sword (PS3)
Release Date: Mid September
Genre: Action/Adventure


The PS3’s very first potential system seller will finally hit Indian stands this September (as confirmed by Milestone Interactive). In case you haven’t been following this game, it’s all about an ancient weapon of great power called the Heavenly Sword that’s wielded by a crazy little bitch called Nariko. Her aim is to liberate the land of the evil king Bohan during which tons of gratuitous violence, killer context sensitive actions, gorgeous visuals and impressive boss fights ensues. There is a demo of this game floating about on the PlayStation Network so you may want to try that out before shelling out nearly 2,800 bucks on this game.

skate (Xbox 360 PS3)
Release Date: 11th September 2007
Genre: Sports

After exploiting the World War II scene (Medal of Honor series), underground tuner scene (NFS Series) and not to mention countless sports game (FIFA, NFL, Nascar etc etc) mega corporation EA have finally turned their sights to the world of skating. This particular genre was ruled by Tony Hawk and his 555,5555,5555 Tony Hawk games released on nearly every platform on the planet but EA now plan on giving developer Neversoft a run for their money with Skate. Those who want to experience the game for themselves can hop across to Xbox Live Marketplace for a hefty single player demo that allows players to try out some of the game’s unique features.
Halo 3 (Xbox 360)
Release Date: 25th September 2007
Genre: First Person Shooter


Umm yeah!

DiRT (PS3)
Release Date: 11th September 2007
Genre: Racing



One of the finest off road racers on the block right now, DiRT finally makes its way to the PS3 this month. The PS3 version of this game will boast of the same content as the Xbox 360 version; only it’ll probably run at a better frame rate. For more on the game, head over to our Xbox360 review here.

Stranglehold (Xbox360 PS3 PC)
Release Date: 14th of September
Genre: Third Person Action



Funny seeing this game here again huh? Well it’s a long story that goes something like this. The Xbox 360 as well as the PC versions of this game were to release on the 27th of August but they both have been pushed to the 5th of September. And the PS3 version that was to ship on the 14th of September is still on track so yeah, that’s the reason you’re seeing this game in this list all over again.

World in Conflict (Xbox360 PC)
Release Date: 18th September 2007
Genre: Real Time Strategy

What if the Cold War never ended? World in Conflict (WiC) will allow you to explore all those possibilities by immersing players in a World War II scenario where the Soviet Union wages war on American soil and against NATO forces all at once, in a bid to retain power. Unlike most of the RTSs on the block, WiC does not bother players with stuff like base building or resource gathering; instead it gives them a fixed amount of cash to purchase units and upgrades with, adding a new flavor to the strategy genre. To get a better understanding of the game, head over to our Downloads section for a shiny single player demo.

Juiced 2: Hot Import Nights
Release Date: 17th September
Genre: Racing



A sequel to the not-so-popular 2005 game, Juiced 2: Hot Import Nights will allow players to indulge in some street racing action all over again. The focus once again lies on the “Tuner Culture” so expect tons of car tuning, scantily dressed babes, guys called Razr (or something to that effect) and a brand new drift mode as well. Now I understand if you’re pretty skeptical about this game since the first game was a tad crappy (although it had tons of interesting concepts later adopted by NFS) so you can play it safe by heading over to Xbox Live to check out the single player demo of this game.

Warhawk (PS3)
Release Date: Mid September
Genre: Action

Even though this game was present on last month’s list, the retail version hits stores this September for around 1799. For those who have no clue as to what the game’s all about, here’s a slight heads up: Warhawk will play out like a next gen version of Battlefield with tons of players taking each other apart using a barrage of futuristic weapons and vehicles like planes, tanks and jeeps. The game was to have a single player mode as well, but that got scrapped as developer Incognito Games turned all their resources towards the game’s multiplayer component.

Philips Introduces Aurea - The New Ambilight

Philips aims to take its critically acclaimed design concept, the ambilight, into newer and more flashier domains - with an upgrade.The new TV is called 'Aurea', catching on to the naming characteristics of its close competitors.

Aurea builds on Philips’ 11-year leadership in flat television technology and represents the next generation of Philips Ambilight FlatTV. It applies the latest advances in Philips TV technology – including a new, LED-based Ambilight system, discreet speakers and the Perfect Pixel HD Engine picture quality platform – into a minimalist design. Aurea, which goes on sale in Europe next month, will be supported by an innovative marketing campaign, under the theme Seduction By Light. The campaign will feature exclusive images taken by top Vogue fashion photographer Vincent Peters, and the dresses used in the Aurea imagery are designed by Alber Elbaz of Lanvin.

A important factor of the release will be the world premiere at IFA of “There is only one Sun”, a short film made exclusively for Philips by acclaimed director Wong Kar Wei, the jury president of the 2006 Cannes Film Festival. Inspired by the concept of seduction by light, the short film will be shown exclusively on Aurea televisions.

iRiver's B20 Released With TV Capabilities

iRiver’s B20 PMP that was released in Korea is going to be released in a few other markets. Which ones precisely, are not yet known. The B20 is a PMP with DMB (Digital Multimedia Broadcasting) and DAB (Digital Audio Broadcasting) capabilities. It also has an FM tuner as well.

It has a 2.45 inch QVGA TFT display with 262K colors and a pixel resolution of 240 x 320 pixels. It’s available in 2GB and 4GB capacities. The B20 has a set of 6 presets for its EQ including a customizable 5 band EQ. It can be hooked up to a PC via USB 2.0. It reads MPEG, WMA, ASF, MPEG4 SP and WMV video formats and of course MP3’s for music. It also supports external memory with SD cards. The B20 also supports Flashlite gaming and has built in speakers.

The price is not yet out, so we’ll have to wait and see what this player will cost, if it gets here.

Project Sylpheed

Over the years, the space simulation genre has branched out into enough sub-genres to satiate all sorts of gamers; for instance - if you like old school RPGs, a game like Escape Velocity: Nova would appeal to you; if you like action-RPGs, something like Freelancer would be right up your alley; for the RTS fan, there’s Homeworld; for the MMORPG addict, there’s EVE Online; and finally, for those who like space-dogfights, there’ve been games like Star Wars: Rogue Squadron and Wing Commander, and now there’s Project Sylpheed.

The game’s set in the 27th Century, 500 years from the time humanity started colonizing other worlds. The new worlds are governed by the Earth’s Terra Central Government (TCG) who’re deemed tyrannical by many other factions. The differences between the groups and the TCG leads to an uprising, after which the groups band together to form the ADAN Freedom Alliance (ADAN comes from Alberti, Delacroix, Angelico and Nold, the four systems that it comprises of) to start a rebellion. You play the role of a naturally gifted ace pilot in training (what a cliché!) under the TCG’s forces, who gets caught off guard in the middle of the war.

I know the story sounds a little lame, but it makes up for this with some pretty engaging action - you control a prototype ship in the game, which allows you to do everything from standard maneuvers, to special moves such as unloading all your weapons at the push of a button, charging through a barrage of enemies at lightening fast speed or slowing down in time to give you an extra edge! There’s a catch though – you can perform all these special maneuvers only at the expense of your ship’s shield energy, so you’re going to have to use them sparingly. I know that the action sounds very arcade-like (and it is), but that doesn’t mean that the gameplay lacks depth. In fact, it’s quite the opposite – everything from the game’s narrative flow to its intuitive lock-on system is well thought of and executed quite well.

The main draw of the game is the crazy amount of customization you gain access to - your ship has 3 weapon slots that can be retrofitted with a wide amount of weapons based on technology that you can research on as you progress. You have everything from cluster missiles to high intensity lasers at your disposal, and each weapon slot allows you to equip only a certain kind of weapon on it. The ship’s nose for instance, can be fitted with only low caliber rapidfire guns or lasers, that have to be targeted manually and are usually used as backup weapons. The other two slots allow you to mount missile delivery systems that’ll become your bread and butter before you know it. Since we’re talking about missiles, I might as well tell you that there’s no better feeling in the game than locking on a group of ships and unloading a huge payload of missiles to blow them to smithereens. However, if you’re not satisfied with your weapon and crave for something more powerful, you can do that too. The way this goes is that after completing a mission you get a bundle of cash depending on how well you fared in a mission; you use this cash to research new and powerful technology ranging from different types of ammunitions to some really powerful guns. This allows for a plethora of choices and the ability to customize your ship according to your play style; for instance, if you like targeting manually you research on the best nose mounted weapons out there; on the other hand, if you like a huge amount of missile and don’t mind losing out on some of the tracking, short ranged cluster missiles are for you. All these little things may add up to make the game sound a little complex, but don’t worry about that, the training gets you acquainted with all of it pretty well.

The one area the game doesn’t do too well however is its performance. The game’s got some really gorgeous visuals, vibrant colors and really nice particle effects, and everything from the nebulas you see in the backdrop to the ship’s design is top-notch. Unfortunately, you pay a rather high price for this through your framerate. Towards the beginning, the game runs pretty smooth and flawlessly, but as the game progresses and the dog fights get more intense with more bad-guys popping in and out of combat, the game starts to stutter a little. In a game with such fast paced combat, the stutters and slowdowns end up getting you killed or failing objectives quite often, which can become really frustrating.

If you can learn to live with the performance issues, Project Sylpheed is a really nice game, especially for those of you that love dog-fights. Personally, although it’s a pretty good game, I wouldn’t really bother buying it since I’m not too big on arcade-ish flight combat simulators. If you on the other hand are, then Project Sylpheed is a good buy since it’s one of the only next-gen combat flight games out there.

LG Xnote C1 Tablet

It has been some time since we had the pleasure of reviewing a Tablet PC. In fact looking at the functionality and convenience that tablets offer, it makes us wonder why manufacturers keep ignoring this segment of mobile computing. Very few manufacturers tend to release products in this range in India and when they do... the machines end up being sub-par and extremely expensive to boot.

LG recently released their Xnote C1 tablet. Is it able to escape the problems that have plagued other players in this segment? Read on to find out...

LG as a brand-name is far better known in India for their white good products. Though they have marketed and released laptops in India earlier too, they have not been able to achieve any kind of success in this sphere. Hence coming into this review, I was a little bit curious and wary on the looks and performance of this new product

Well my fears on the looks of the product were laid to rest quite quickly. The X1 is a 10.6 inch tablet and is surprisingly small and light. LG has opted to go with a plain white-black color combination for the Xnote. There is a strange color variation here though. The top lid of the tablet is piano-black with a smooth finish, while the area around the LCD Panel is a lighter matte finish and the keyboard area is plain glossy white. The whole effect gives the tablet a rather sober look and actually demeans the laptop - making it look less expensive than it is actually worth. Another irritating note here is that the top lid is a fingerprint magnet. Every little thumbprint shows up glaringly. In its defense however, LG has provided a cloth to clean the laptop. While this does solve the problem somewhat, a better selection of paint and a less reflective surface (like HP’s DV2000 series) would have been more appropriate. However once you get past this problem, the LG shines. The construction material used for the tablet is very sturdy. The hinges of the tablet are well secured and despite being flexed in every possible direction was free moving and without squeaks.

The keyboard of the tablet was one of the many surprises that we found in this product. Unlike standard keyboards offered on tablets of this size, the X1’s has surprisingly large keys, excellent placement and great tactile feedback. The normal cramping that one faces when typing on a tablet’s keyboard, was thankfully and conspicuously absent. In a similar vein the touchpad too was top-notch. It offers very good traction and a pair of surprisingly firm mouse keys.

IOGEAR Launches Portable Gadget Charger

Having a portable charger is definitely a step in the right direction. Who wouldn’t want to have something at hand that’ll charge your phone or players battery while on the move. The guys down at IOGEAR have managed to develop just what the doctor ordered with their Gear Juice gadget charger.

The Gear Juice charger has an inbuilt Lithium Polymer battery. By plugging in your own device using the charging adapters (six supplied) the device will transfer power from its own battery to the device plugged into it. It also has a power level; indicator to let you know when it needs to be recharged. According to the company the Gear Juice charger can provide up to 500 charging cycles. It’s also quite a sleek device as is. At the moment it’s available in the US for around Rs. 1,642 ($40).

NFS ProStreet Dated

Even though I was pretty disappointed with NFS Carbon, I must say ProStreet is looking pretty spiffy and like me, if you’re looking forward to the game as well you’ll be glad to know that it will hit Indian shelves by the 1st of November 2007. The only problem is that when you combine this game’s release date with the 100,000,000 other games releasing that very same month you have one major financial crisis to look forward too (and we all know that’s never a pretty thing).

Need for Speed ProStreet is a racing experience like no other. For the first time, you’re designing and building a car, competing in iconic locations from around the globe and battling in four distinct racing styles– grip, drag, drift and the all-new speed challenge. The atmosphere is electric – complete with energetic crowds, photo-realistic vehicles and billowing smoke – all designed to embody the pressure and intensity of the gladiatorial challenge known as Show Down. Need for Speed ProStreet is the realization of the power, aggression and rivalry that embodies street racing culture.

Want more? Step this way.

Kodak Easyshare Goes HD

Kodak today announced three digital cameras - the Easyshare V1233, V1253 and Z812 IS models - and the Easyshare HDTV dock which will enable consumers to display HD images on an HD television.

"The products announced today represent an important step in helping progress how images can be taken, viewed and shared, and Kodak is dedicated to supporting innovation that will continue to bring intelligent, easy-to-use HD solutions to the market," said John O’Grady, Kodak’s Managing Director, Consumer Businesses, European, African and Middle Eastern Region.

Kodak Easyshare V1253 and V1233 Zoom Digital Cameras

The Kodak Easyshare V1253 and V1233 zoom digital cameras can capture HD still images (16:9 aspect ratio) and video (720p at 30fps), and are equipped with 12MP resolution, a 3X Schneider-Kreuznach optical zoom lens and KODAK PERFECT TOUCH technology.

Both the V1253 and V1233 models boast Face Detection Technology, which automatically adjusts the camera’s settings for portrait shots, and Digital Image Stabilization to reduce blur caused by camera shake or subject movement. Images can be viewed in 16:9 aspect ratio on the large 3.1-inch LCD screen of V1253 and the 2.5-inch LCD screen on the V1233.

Kodak Easyshare Z812 IS Zoom Digital Camera

With 8MP resolution and an SCHNEIDER-KREUZNACH 12x optical zoom lens, the Z812 IS captures HD still images (16:9 aspect ratio) and video (720p at 30fps), as well as the ability to extract still images from videos. The camera’s click-to-capture (.23), auto-focus accuracy, Optical Image Stabilization and High ISO settings (up to 3200) will help consumers to capture brighter, clearer shots in low-light or fast-action situations.

The Z812 IS also features Face Detection Technology, and its Smart Scene Mode that will automatically adjust the camera’s settings depending on the type of scene it detects. The camera also allows manual settings for aperture and shutter speed.

Kodak Easyshare HDTV Dock


The Kodak Easyshare HDTV Dock connects to your HDTV to process pictures from Kodak HD-enabled digital cameras, SD memory cards or USB drives. The Dock allows HD-quality slideshow, editing of individual images, transferring images to a USB drive, and printing images to a connected printer. Along with being backward compatible with many KODAK EASYSHARE digital cameras, the HDTV Dock automatically charges the rechargeable battery so the camera is ready whenever needed.

Pricing and Availability

The Kodak Easyshare V1253 (€299), V1233 (€249), and Z812 IS Cameras (€299) will be available from September 2007. The Kodak Easyshare HDTV Dock will be available from October 2007 for €99.

LG Electronics has announced the India launch of LG Shine, the latest handset in its Black Label series of mobile phones.

LG Shine will be available both in a slider phone and bar phone version.

"2007 is the year to Shine with Style," said Bo H. (Bo-Hwan) Choi, LG Mobile Communications' Vice President of Asia, Middle East, and Africa. "The Indian market is one of our key markets, as it has the potential to grow at double digit rates annually. We are confident that this year we will have an even stronger presence in the market with our premium fashionable and advanced handsets and clear focus on stylish handsets, such as LG Shine. This launch signifies our commitment to be a leading mobile company."

The slim( 13.8mm Shine Slider and 9.9mm Shine bar) phone features a 2 megapixel auto focus camera by Schneider Kreuznach and expandable memory (Micro SD card). Access to the menu system is by a multi-function scroll key. Shine is also equipped with a media player with multi-codec support (MP3, WAV and ACC++) and real spectrum display. It supports GPRS and EDGE network compatibility, Bluetooth and USB connectivity and the all this controlled by a Multi Function Scroll Key.

LG Shine slider phone is available for Rs. 15999 and bar phone is available for Rs 8999.