26 July 2012, Keelung, Taiwan - Lian-Li Industrial Co. Ltd, today announces a silent brushed aluminum ATX supported chassis – PC-B12. The PC-B12 has many features to keep noise down to a minimum, including: a vent on the bottom of the chassis pulling in cool air, a downward facing exhaust baffle and noise dampening foam on the front and side panels.

The front panel of the PC-B12 has no visible vents. Instead of air entering in from the front, two 140mm fans behind the front panel pull in cool air through the 12cm wide (4.7”) intake vent on the bottom of the chassis. Four sturdy aluminum feet with rubber bottoms to reduce vibrations give ample room for air to be pulled into the bottom vent. The rear 120mm exhaust fan has an adjustable downward facing exhaust baffle on the exterior of the case with noise dampening foam that not only bounces the sound waves down, but also directs the hot air towards the floor.

July 26, 2012, Shenzhen, China – Giada's new MI-NAS25 motherboard is aimed as a solution for System Integrators. The MI-NAS25 is designed for network storage and file serving. Built around Intel's NM10 Express chipset and the 10 watt Atom D2500 CPU which is on-board, the MI-NAS25 has 6 SATA ports, offering the best connectivity to NAS (Network-attached storage).

Available in North America through its branch office in August 2012 for the recommend retail price of US$169.95, the Giada MI-NAS25 is driven by Intel's nimble Atom Cedar Trail technology and supported by up to 4GB of memory.

City of Industry, California, July 17^th , 2012 – GIGABYTE TECHNOLGY Co. Ltd., a leading manufacturer of motherboards and graphics cards, today announced the conclusion of its Z77 OC Contest hosted on HWBOT.org. The Z77 OC Contest invited the world’s biggest overclocking community to push Intel^® Ivy Bridge processors to the absolute max, with the winners offered an exclusive taste of forthcoming GIGABYTE Ultra Durable^™ 5 motherboards.

July 18, 2012, Chino, California – Genius is pleased to announce a portable Bluetooth speaker with a built-in microphone – SP-900BT. This compact speaker not only allows you to listen to audio or music from your smart phone or tablet at high volumes, but also lets you take phone calls / conference calls hands-free.

Taipei, Taiwan - July 17, 2012 - ADATA Technology Co., Ltd. today announced the start of shipments of the XPG™ Gaming v2.0 Series DDR3 2400G DRAM modules. These dual channel kits are designed and engineered to bring optimum performance to third generation Intel™ Core™ processors and the Z77 platform.

17 July 2012, Keelung, Taiwan - Lian-Li Industrial Co. Ltd, today announces a tall, slim brushed aluminum EATX supported chassis – PC-X2000FN. The PC-X2000FN keeps DIY builder's hardware neat and organized in the interior with its three separate compartments, while having a sleek, elegant feel on the outside thanks to the one-piece front panel with no visible vents on holes.

July 12, 2012, Chino, California – Genius announces their newest addition to their GX Gaming Series today - Lychas HS-G550 Foldable Gaming Headset. This GX Gaming Series headset allows gamers to listen to the sounds of the battlefield in one ear while still being able to hear their teammates sitting next to them thanks to the individual volume controls on each ear cup.

Ideal for LAN parties and competitions because of its individual volume control, the Lychas is easy to carry around with its swivel ear cups and foldable design. When both of the ear cups' volume is turned up, the GX Series' Lychas not only provides clear and accurate audio for a tactical advantage in any combat situation, but the large 50mm drivers also prevent distraction from background noises.

The in-line control box lets gamers easily tweak the master volume and mute the microphone in-game. Mounted on the left ear piece, the omni-directional microphone can be simply rotated out of view when not in use. The adjustable headband fits comfortably on any gamer.

Smooth, stable connections are guaranteed with the GX Gaming Series' headsets. The Lychas gaming headset does not take up valuable USB port space. Instead, the Lychas has an anti-corrosive gold-plated 3.5mm jack ensuring longer-lasting, high quality connections.

July 13, 2012, Shenzhen, China – Giada, a brand of Shenzhen Jiehe Technology Development, Co., Ltd, today announces the i53 Mini PC. With full HD 1080P video, high connectivity, support, and an attractive design, Giada's new book-sized i53 Mini PC is an ideal choice for home entertainment, web browsing, and document writing.

Join SAPPHIRE on a journey looking back across SAPPHIRE’s technological landscape and get a chance to win the latest HD7xxx oozing with innovation.

For the week between July 10th and July 17th, SAPPHIRE will tell you on their Facebook page (www.facebook.com/SapphireTechnology) the stories of their technology innovations counting down to the launch of SAPPHIRE’s latest breakthrough graphics card.

During this time you’ll be able to enter a competition for the chance to win the most highly anticipated card of 2012. Go to the SAPPHIRE Evo application at SAPPHIRE’s Facebook page, take a picture of your SAPPHIRE graphics card and send it to us. From the group of correct entries, one lucky winner will be selected.

Don’t miss this unique opportunity to take a look at the evolutionary history of SAPPHIRE’s graphics cards and maybe win our latest APEX Predator!

Late last week CNN/fortune magazine had an interesting article comparing the life cycles of the PC and Consoles. Because they have extended the life of the consoles out longer this generation it has helped the PC grow as console sales have slowly dropped. Its an interesting read for all of those interested. We also noticed there is a quote from Nvidia in there as well. 

Now a lull in the life-cycle of consoles is giving the PC a leg up. This spring graphics card maker Nvidia (NVDA) released a new cutting edge GTX 680 GPU that could spur a new wave of game development. "Toward the tail of the console life cycle, the gap between console and PC is just too big for developers to ignore," Nvidia spokesman Bryan Del Rizzo told Fortune.

LINK TO OUR SOURCE

Yesterday I came across this interesting project that someone put together. Those of you who are Starcraft 2 fans will really appreciate this, but I think everyone should be impressed with the whole process this guy went through. From modeling, to having the plastic shell made, to working on the details like the paint and wiring. This is the world’s first Starcraft 2 arcade stick!

All of the images and the story on how everything came together at the following link.

http://imgur.com/a/Tnq1F

My first Android phone was the Droid Incredible, after going with a Blackberry Storm, going to the Incredible was an eye opening experience. Of course I moved on from it to faster and bigger models as it aged. What only seems like a short time later, it’s important for any phone to have 4G as Verizon quickly expands their coverage. On July 5th Verizon is introducing their latest version of the Incredible, the DROID INCREDIBLE 4G LTE. With that name it’s clear that it will now be sporting the fast LTE speeds. With a 4 inch screen and a 1.2GHz dual-core Snapdragon chipset it is worlds apart from the original Incredible. HTC is also taking advantage of their investment in Beats Audio by packing in Beats technology in the DROID INCREDIBLE 4G LTE. Unlike past offerings like this, the device won’t include any headphones, Beats or otherwise, but it makes up for it with a low release price of $149.99 after a $50 mail-in rebate debit card with a two-year contract and data plan. In case you were wondering it has an 8-megapixel, rear-facing camera with autofocus, LED flash, BSI, f/2.2 and 28 mm lens. The phone will come with Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich as well as the latest version of the HTC Sense 4 UI, no waiting for updates here.

25 June 2012, Keelung, Taiwan - Lian-Li Industrial Co. Ltd, today announces a brushed aluminum EATX supported chassis with a front placed PSU – PC-V750. With the power supply placed in the front, the PC-V750 can hold the hardware that enthusiasts desire while keeping a smaller footprint.

Shorter than most EATX supporting chassis, the 440mm (17.32”) tall PC-V750 can hold up to six 3.5” hard drives with hotswap capabilities in the HDD cage with one 2.5” at the bottom of the cage. Two more 2.5” drives can be installed if only four 3.5” drives are in the cage.

For users who don't want an optical drive, an additional 3.5” drive can be put in the 5.25” bay. Two more 3.5” or three more 2.5” hard drives can be placed on the floor on the chassis adding even more storage potential.

Under the HDD bay a standard ATX power supply can be comfortably placed. A pre-routed cable for the power supply wraps around behind the motherboard tray for plug access in the rear of the chassis. The PC-V750 provides ventilation slits underneath the PSU with a removable pull-out filter to help increase the life and performance of the power supply.

The PC-V750 has ten expansion slots for future upgradeability. Graphics cards up to 380mm in length can fit, and an arm helps to support longer cards.

Five well-placed fans keep your hardware at optimal operating temperatures. Two front 120mm fans blow cool air directly on the HDD rack. Dual top 120mm and one rear 120mm fans keep the cool air circulating throughout the case by pulling hot air out of the chassis. Additionally, the Lian Li PC-V750 supports water cooling with two rubber grommet holes.

On the front I/O panel there are two USB 3.0, one USB 2.0, one e-SATA and HD audio ports providing high connectivity capabilities.

Because details are important, this elegant brushed aluminum chassis has many features that DIY builders can appreciate such as easy-to-remove pop-off panels for simple installations and upgrades and sturdy aluminum feet with rubber bottoms to reduce vibrations.

The PC-V750 comes in three varieties: silver (PC-V750A), black (PC-V750B), and internal black with a side panel window (PC-V750WX).

Specifications:

Product Information and detailed specifications:
http://www.lian-li.com/v2/en/product/product06.php?pr_index=612&;cl_index=1&sc_index=25&ss_index=61&g=spec

About Lian Li

Lian Li Industrial Co. Ltd is an Aluminum Chassis and Chassis peripheral manufacturer and provider of industrial wholesale as well as OEM & ODM services for the PC industry as required. With over 20 years of service excellence, ISO 9001 certification and a team of professional staff willing to do the utmost to deliver durable, superior quality products, all backed by a *2 year guarantee; your satisfaction is guaranteed (*conditions apply). To learn more about Lian Li, please visit their websites at www.Lian-Li.com

To celebrate Tahiti's (half) birthday (and to compete a little more with the competition) AMD has introduced a new version of the HD 7970, the HD 79070 Ghz edition. With all of their other models having a Ghz edition, this isn't a total surprise. While introducing the Ghz edition they have also slipped in another feature that might be familiar to some of you, AMD's powertune "with boost" works a lot like Nvidia's variation. Meaning the card will overclock itself slightly as needed when it’s not being pushed to use the full wattage. This is a great way to handle things, giving you the best performance possible in games and programs that don't push your GPU to the limit. With those two things, AMD is calling this the fastest and most versatile GPU on the market now. Until I get one in my hands to test out I can't confirm, but I will list all of our affiliate reviews of the card at the end of this news posting for you guys to see what they had to say. 

More pictures and links to the reviews in the read more

Update**

Saphire will be introducing a couple versions of the new HD7970 Ghz Edition in the next few weeks as well.

Within the next few weeks, SAPPHIRE will introduce the eagerly awaited TOXIC Edition and Vapor-X models in its HD 7970 family. The TOXIC Edition is a limited edition factory overclocked model – delivering best in class performance and targeted at the enthusiast. The Vapor-X models use SAPPHIRE's exclusive Vapour Chamber cooling technology to deliver optimised performance whilst retaining low noise and cool operation. Full specifications will be announced as the products become available.

iBUYPOWER is introducing their latest laptop, the Valkyrie CZ-17. Seeing that I have been on the market for a new gaming laptop the price for this one caught my eye. Starting at $1299 you end up with a full 1080p screen, an Ivy Bridge based i7-3610QM Processor, and a NVIDIA GeForce GTX 670M GPU. What is even more interesting to me is that iBUYPOWER is pulling away from the generic laptop designs that we normally see from most botique builders and going with a unique design specific just to them. This will help set them apart while still packing in the power than botique builders are known for. Click the read more for their full pr.

The big news yesterday was the introduction of Microsoft's new tablet called the Surface. To give you guys an idea, here are all of the articles publish just by engadget alone!

Editorial: Engadget on Microsoft's new Surface tablet line

Microsoft pilfers Surface name from its smart table, now called the PixelSense (video)

Will Surface tablets use Microsoft's new MagSafe-like power and data connector?

Hands-on with Microsoft Surface for Windows RT, Touch Cover and Type Cover (update: video!)

Microsoft Surface tablets: the differences between Windows RT and Windows 8 Pro models

Microsoft one ups other tablet 'smart' covers with Surface's Touch Cover and Type Cover

Microsoft reveals its own Windows 8 tablet: meet the new Surface for Windows RT

Live from Microsoft's mystery press conference in Los Angeles!

It's interesting to see Microsoft's upcoming tablet, and the keyboard built into the cover is an amazing idea. I am curious if they will really be able to get market share away from the iPad. So my question to you is are you considering one? Do you have an iPad? If given the choice between the iPad and the Surface what would you get?

SteelSeries introduced their partnership with The Breast Cancer Research Foundation along with a new all pink Siberia v2 headset. 10% of each headset sale goes to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation, with a goal of $10,000 total. For pink lovers this headset is going to be at the top of a lot of wish lists, our experiences with Siberia V2's have always been very comfortable with great audio quality, something that is rare to find in most cheap pink headsets on the market. 

I also feel bad for our editor Adam's wallet, once again Steel Series has grabbed his wallet and spent his money for him. His wifes pc is almost all pink, combining that with his interested in SteelSeries products, I wouldn't be shocked if the $25 showing on SteelSeries's donation goal tracker were his. 

Nvidia introduced their latest beta drivers this morning. Promising performance inprovements from a few different games as well as what they are calling "user experience enhancements and a number of new NVIDIA Control Panel enhancements" for titles like Diablo 3. 

Furthermore, MSAA overrides Diablo 3’s post-process anti-aliasing blur, allowing you to see the game’s textures as designed by Blizzard’s artists. Specifically, focus on the Waypoint’s artistic flourishes and its shiny, specular edges that are now more vibrant. In motion the impact of this change is dramatic, and especially so in the later, more colorful chapters.

The dirver also includes new and updated 3d profiles and SLI profiles along with a few bug fixes as well. For those of you running Nvidia in your pc (like me), check out the link below to see the rest of the details and download the driver. 

http://www.geforce.com/whats-new/articles/nvidia-geforce-304-48-beta-drivers-released/

Engadget took a look at Intel's first phone in the android market. Last time I was in San Fransisco one of my friends from Intel was showing off one of their prototypes and promising crazy amounts of battery life. After reading Engadget's thoughts on the phone the battery life does sound like an improvement, I hope Intel continues to work on the rest of the phone to make their second offering something to remember!

 

In day-to-day use, we found the battery fared better, managing closer to two or three days between charges -- substantially better than many other smartphones we've used this year. Unsurprisingly, its runtime is directly related to how much you use it, but if you're not going to use those smartphone features, it will doggedly hold onto its initial charge very well -- close to that posited two-week mark.

http://www.engadget.com/2012/06/14/orange-san-diego-review/

For those of you who have been considering a mac for your next laptop, Engadget has taken an in depth look at the recently introduced Macbook pro. With an Nvidia based Kepler GPU pushing the crazy 2880 x 1800 resolution its something I would be all over if it was in my price range. Of course at over 2k for a 15 inch laptop, you are paying a very large premium to get the latest and greatest from apple. Engadget did have good things to say, like the quote below. Check out the link to read the whole thing!

It pushes and redefines the category, raising the bar higher than even its brethren can jump. If you can afford the premium and aren't set on a 13-inch model there's no reason to buy any Pro other than this Pro.

http://www.engadget.com/2012/06/13/apple-macbook-pro-with-retina-display-review/