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/

Taipei, Taiwan - June 13, 2012 - ADATA™ Technology today announces the launch of the DashDrive UV110, a slim, compact USB 2.0 flash drive which comes in a range of four charming colors: navy blue, milk white, cotton candy pink, and caramel brown.

This colorful USB 2.0 flash drive offers simple data storage capabilities while still staying fashionable. The UV110 can match anyone's personal style, and can be stored easily in your pocket, purse, or bag thanks to its small footprint.

When stored away, users don't have to worry about losing the cap for the housing of the DashDrive UV110 includes a thumb-actuated sliding USB connector. The integral strap hole even allows users to attach this elegant flash drive to their keychain or hang around their neck. The UV110 is poised to appeal to those who are looking for an economical but high-value storage device that can match one’s personal style.

The DashDrive UV110 is available in four capacities: 4, 8, 16 and 32 GB.

Availability

The DashDrive UV110 is available at selective channels in the USA and Canada. Suggested MSRP are:

• 4GB: $5.99
• 8GB: $7.99
• 16GB: $13.99
• 32GB: $21.99

More information can be found on ADATA's website at:
http://www.adata-group.com/index.php?action=product_feature&;cid=1&piid=179&lan=us

Twinsburg, OH - June 5th, 2012

Today AVADirect, a leading custom computer manufacturer, announced that they are now offering the new Nvidia GTX 680M graphics processing unit. The GTX 680M is based off of the GTX 680 desktop graphics processing unit that Nvidia recently released within the past two months. They produced ground-breaking performance benchmarks, and reached a whole new level of capabilities that were not tapped by the desktop graphics community. Now, the NVIDIA GTX 680M plans to do the same for mobile platforms across the world.

The GTX 680M includes all features the previous 670M series graphics cards offered. Specifications for the GTX 680M series graphics card includes:

The GTX 680M is a true Kepler-based design; not a resized, die-reduced design based on the previous 670M series mobile graphics cards. Due to this, heat output is significantly reduced. This make the GTX 680M a very worth contender compared to ATI's 7970M mobile graphics card, released within the last month. Accordingly to benchmarks, previously leaked to the public, the GTX 680M holds an average of a 30% increase over the ATI 7970M graphics card and a solid 80% over NVIDIA's previous GTX 580M mobile graphics card. As one can observe, from review the specifications above, NVIDIA has released a revolutionary graphics card that will improve and change the way we look at mobile graphic card performance forever.

AVADirect has begun offering the GTX 680M graphics processing unit in Clevo P170EM & P150EM notebooks. Although the option is available, AVADirect does not expect availability of the GTX 680M graphics processing units until the end of June 2012. Those interested in the GTX 680M solution are welcome to contact the AVADirect sales line for more information.

Charlotte, NC –  May 21, 2012 –  Verbatim, the global leader in data storage technology including portable hard drives, USB flash drives, CDs, Blu-ray discs and memory cards, has announced the retail availability of its latest stylish and innovative flash drives – the Store ‘n’ Go Micro USB Drive and the Micro USB Drive Plus. These rugged portable solutions feature a modern design for go anywhere storage that is tough enough to withstand rough handling.

Taipei, Taiwan, May 16, 2012 - ADATA Technology Co., Ltd announced a boost to its XPG™ Xtreme Series DDR3 lineup with the DDR3-2133X 8GB and 16GB dual channel kits. This new entry to XPG™ Xtreme Series satisfies enthusiasts’ increasingly stringent demands for high capacity and performance DRAM modules.

FREMONT, California — May 15, 2012 — Corsair®, a worldwide designer and supplier of high-performance components to the PC gaming hardware market, today announced major upgrades to the GS Series line of high-performance power supply units (PSUs). A new improved design boosts energy efficiency, enabling the new GS Series PSUs to achieve 80 PLUS® Bronze certification while also providing quieter, fanless operation at low power loads. The newly enhanced models are available in three wattage models: the GS600, GS700, and GS800.

Chino, California – May 15th, 2012 - Cooler Master, an industry leading chassis, thermal solution, peripheral, and accessory manufacturer, announces a CPU cooler with huge performance packed into a seemingly miniature package. That new compact CPU cooler is the GeminII M4 – a GeminII series cooler. 

May 15, 2012, Taipei, Taiwan - Genius is pleased to announce the world's first 120° ultra wide angle 1080p HD webcam, WideCam F100. Able to capture the whole boardroom or entire family within a single frame, this Genius high definition webcam is ideal for both business professionals as well as home users.

The New King Arrives: ROCCAT Savu – Mid-Size Hybrid Gaming Mouse Out Now

Dear everybody.

Built to reign supreme as the new titan of optical sensor mice, the Savu comes loaded with the world’s fastest Pro Optic engine and introduces an awards and achievements system to the world of gaming peripherals.

9 May 2012, Taipei, Taiwan – Genius today announces that they will be attending Computex Taipei 2012 from June 5 to June 9, 2012 in Taipei, Taiwan. Genius is extending an invitation to all Computex attendees to visit their booth (#L0418 Nangang Exhibition Hall 4F) and get hands-on experience with their latest product offerings.