Asus External 3D Blu-ray Writer

Asus has recently launched their new BW-12D1S-U, the world’s fastest external 3D Blu-ray writer. The new Asus 3D Blu-ray Burner replaces all Desktops and laptops because it’s all in one powerhouse device which can capable of playing high definition(HD) 3D videos and it also burn the Blu-ray disks at maximum writing speed up to 12X. With its USB 3.0 interface users can transfer the data with maximum speed of 5 Gbps. It has additional feature i.e, Optical Tuning Strategy (OTS) which offers optimized best writing quality available and high definition 3D playback of videos.

The current Asus 3D Blu-ray Writer supports both Dolby EX and 5.1-channel DTS-HD, 2D to 3D conversion and full 1080p HD with no quality compromise, it allows to upscaling of non-HD DVD content to HD standards. Unfortunately the Asus 3D Blu-ray writer price and availability was not revealed and we guessing that it will available around 500$.

Check out more reviews on HTC Flyer, Asus EEE Slate and Gigabyte Slate and subscribe for us in Feedburner, Facebook and Twitter.

Windows 8 Tweaker Tool Download

Recently the leaked version of windows 8 build 7850 has found on internet. The most interesting news in windows 8 is, it is equipped with many more features like Modern Task manager, Ribbon UI, Webcam app and PDF Reader. There is a simple free utility called windows 8 tweaker tool(available for download) which will help users to unlock all hidden features that was already disabled by Microsoft.

In order to download Windows 8 tweaker  v1.1 tool click here.

Auslogics Disk Defrag 3.2 Download

Defragging your hard drive is one of the most important parts of computer maintenance. There are many tools that can perform disk defragmentation, but Auslogics Disk Defrag is one of the most popular and trusted disk defragmenters. This program is well-known for its speed and the ability to optimize hard drive performance. And now with the release of new version Auslogics Disk Defrag 3.2 (available for free download)can do an even better job and defrag even quicker.

This release features several improvements, the most significant ones being GUI enhancements for ease of use, better usability, and improved defragmentation and free space consolidation algorithms.

One of the major Auslogics Disk Defrag 3.2 benefits is the addition of several new GUI elements. Now there is a new fragmentation map style (bars) and an option to view which files reside in selected blocks on the drive map. All this makes it easier to asses the degree of fragmentation and simplify program navigation.

In addition to that, Auslogics improved simultaneous defragmentation of several drives. Now the program has the ability to intelligently decide how to process multiple disks at the same time. Laptop users will be pleased with the new battery saving options, when the program locks automatically if it detects that the computer is running off battery power. Another handy feature is automatic program unload during reinstallation and uninstall.

Auslogics Disk Defrag 3.2 is free for home users and works on all modern versions of Windows. You can download it here.

Altec Lansing Orbit USB Stereo Speakers

A well known sound system company Altec lansing’s introduced their new ultra protable Orbit USB stereo(iML247) speakers for laptops, notebooks and PC’s.  With the help of USB support it satisfies the multimedia user needs with simple plug and play system. Every laptop users can know the inbuilt tiny speakers are not efficient to produce excellent sound quality because of these problem the Orbit USB Stereo was developed to enhance the existing sound quality and create a more dynamic listening experience. The most important factor in these mini sound system is its unique small design which helps to carry the speakers with our laptop every were from one place to another place.

The Orbit USB Stereo efficiently amplifies and enhances the sound of any laptop, notebook or computer without compromising portability thanks to its unique, compact design that interlocks the two speakers and stows the cord. There is no extra need of any battery and power outlet for these speakers. Just connect the speakers to USB 2.0 port of your laptop and play the music with outstanding stereo sound quality. Finally Altec lansing Orbit USB stereo will available in May 2011 at all stores with worthy Price tag $49.95.

Altec lansing Orbit USB stereo Features :

• Great sound in a small package let’s your audio sound great wherever you are
• Plug & play with your USB port, no batteries or power outlet needed
• Retractable stand lets you aim the sound in any direction
• Hidden internal cord storage means no messy cables when you pack it up to take with you
• LED power indicator shows you if the speakers are on or off

OCZ announces 'budget' Agility 3 and Solid 3 SSDs

Continuing with its assault on the solid-state drive market OCZ has announced the latest additions to its Agility and Solid family of products. Like the Vertex 3, the new drives support SATA 6Gbps connectivity and are powered by a SandForce SF-2200 controller, but unlike their more expensive sibling the Agility 3 and Solid 3 are designed to cater budget-minded users in search of the best value for performance.

OCZ claims that the Agility 3 can deliver up to 525MB/s read speeds, 500MB/s write speeds, and up to 60,000 4KB random-write IOPS. That's a massive improvement over its predecessor, which achieved up to 285MB/s read and 275MB/s write speeds, and 10,000 4KB random-write IOPS. Meanwhile, the new Solid 3 SSD offers a remarkable 500MB/s and 450MBps, respectively for read and write speeds, as well as 20,000 4KB random-write IOPS.

The company's announcemet says the drives will be available in a new boot-drive size 60GB capacity as well as 120GB and 240GB options, with all of them featuring TRIM support to optimize performance over the drive's lifespan. There's no mention of price in the press release but Cnet reckons that the Agility 3 will cost $135, $240, and $480 depending oncapacity, while the Solid 3 is either $130 or $230 for the 60GB or 120GB model.

They will all be available for purchase later this week backed by OCZ's 3-year warranty

Tuesday tech deals: $300 off Optoma 1080p HD projector

Refurb Optoma HD 1080p Home Theater Projector for $650 + $5 s&h

Today only, Woot Sellout offers the factory-refurbished Optoma HD 1080p Home Theater Projector for $649.99 (choose between HD180 or HD20 models). With $5 for shipping, that's tied with a deal from four weeks ago and at least $294 under the lowest total price we could find for either model. Features include a native resolution of 1920x1080 (1080p), 1,700 lumens brightness, 3,500:1 contrast ratio for the HD 180 (4,000:1 contrast ratio for the HD 20) remote control, two HDMI inputs, and component and other video inputs. A 90-day Optoma warranty applies.

15.6" Dell XPS 15 Core i5 2.3GHz for $675 + free shipping

Dell Home offers the Dell XPS 15 notebook in Elemental Silver aluminum for $674.99 with free shipping via the directions below. That's tied with our mention from a week ago as the lowest total price we've seen for any Dell XPS 15 laptop with a Sandy Bridge processor. Sales tax is added where applicable.

Features include a 15.6" 1366x768 LED-backlit LCD, a dual-core Intel Core i5-2410M 2.3GHz, an Nvidia GeForce GT 525M 1GB, 4GB of RAM, a 500GB 7200RPM hard drive, dual-layer DVD burner, 802.11n wireless, Gigabit Ethernet, two-megapixel webcam, six-cell battery, and Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit. To get this deal: Click here to begin at $799.99, choose a one-year warranty (-$55), apply coupon code ""932N$0ZCCHWZB9" to drop it to $674.99 and then apply "HLSKSR06S9ZG0F" to bag free shipping.

Lenovo ThinkPad E220s Core i7 Dual 1.5GHz 13" Laptop $736 + free shipping

Lenovo offers its 3.23lb ThinkPad Edge E220s for $736.24 with free shipping via the directions below. That's the lowest total price we could find for any Lenovo ThinkPad Edge E220s notebook, although we saw one with a lesser CPU for $126 less last week (since expired). Sales tax is added where applicable. Features include a 12.5" 1366x768 LED-backlit LCD, a dual-core Intel Core i7-2617M 1.5GHz, 4GB of RAM, a 250GB 5400RPM hard drive, 802.11n wireless, fingerprint reader, webcam, and Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit. Coupon expires May 15. To get this deal: Click here to start at $719.04, choose the Core i7-2617M and 4GB of RAM, then add it to your cart and apply coupon code "ULTRA50911" to cut the price to $736.24.

Western Digital 1TB Portable USB Hard Drive for $80 + free shipping

Today only, Dell Home offers the Western Digital Elements SE 1TB Portable USB 2.0 External Hard Drive, model no. WDBABV0010ABK-NESN, for $79.99 with free shipping ($0.08/GB). That's $10 under our January mention and the lowest total price we could find by $27. Sales tax is added where applicable. This drive runs completely from USB power; an AC adapter isn't included nor required.

ZyXEL 2-Bay NAS / Media Server for $90 + free shipping

Buy.com offers the ZyXEL 2-Bay Network Attached Storage and Media Server, model no. NSA221, for $89.99. With free shipping, that's tied with our December mention and the lowest total price we could find, this time by $20. This 2-bay storage server (it's empty, but holds up to two 2TB Serial ATA hard drives, for a total of 4TB) can automatically upload photos and videos to Flickr and YouTube, automatically download media files via FTP, Web, Torrent, and RSS feed, work as a iTunes and Squeezebox server to share streaming music, and more. It features USB 2.0 and Gigabit Ethernet connectivity.

rooCASE Case for iPhone 4, screen protector, stylus for $10 + free shipping

PC Micro Store offers select rooCASE Shell Cases for Apple iPhone 4 bundled with a stylus and a screen protector for $20.98. Coupon code "RCIPH4S995" cuts it to $9.95. With free shipping, that's $7 under a similar bundle deal from three weeks ago which included a pair of earphones and the lowest total price we could find. In all, 15 cases are eligible for the discount. Coupon ends after 1,000 redemptions.

Lenovo P950 Headset w/ Noise Canceling Mic for $14 + free shipping

Lenovo offers its Lenovo P950 Headset with Noise Canceling Microphone, model no. 57Y6605, for $29.99. Coupon code "USPC11MY26605" cuts it to $13.50. With free shipping, that's a buck below a sale from last week and the lowest total price we could find by $11. Sales tax is added where applicable. It features a noise-canceling microphone, 27mm drivers, 125Hz to 20kHz frequency response, and more. Coupon ends May 16.

Related Stories

Microsoft offers Windows Home Server 2011 online evaluation

Microsoft has begun offering an online evaluation experience of Windows Home Server 2011. It lets you try at least six aspects of the operating system: adding a user, using the client Launchpad, managing PCs to ensure its health and security, protecting the server and PC's data, adding server storage capacity, and using Remote Web Access.

Over the next few weeks, Microsoft plans to update its official WHS website, adding a full introduction portal to the online experience. Until then, the evaluation is available for all at this garbled URL: online.holsystems.com/portals/sbs/whs. Microsoft says the new site "provides customers the ability to walk through both client and server interaction freely, or follow a suggested demonstration path with the evaluation manual which will also launch with the online experience."

To use the evaluation, you'll need to meet the minimum requirements, which Microsoft has also jumbled up on the site. Your OS will need to be Windows XP with CredSSP enabled, Windows Server 2003 with CredSSP enable, Windows Vista, Windows 7, or Windows Server 2008 R2. You'll also need IE8+, Firefox 4.0+, or Chrome 10+, as well as .NET 3.5 SP1 and RDP 7.0.

Interestingly, Microsoft says it has no plans to release an evaluation version for download so that users can test the OS at home on their own hardware. This is because some of the embedded third-party codecs the company uses within WHS 2011 does not allow it to provide a trial version due to licensing agreements. The online experience manages to get around that, though the software giant does say it is working with its OEMs on additional evaluation experiences.

Windows Home Server 2011 was released on April 6, 2011. It is the successor to Windows Home Server, which was released on November 4, 2007 and was updated three times: Power Pack 1 on July 20, 2008, Power Pack 2 on March 24, 2009, and Power Pack 3 on November 24, 2009

Adobe releases three Photoshop apps for the iPad

As part of its Creative Suite 5.5 update, Adobe has released three Adobe Photoshop Touch apps for the Apple iPad: Adobe Color Lava ($3), Adobe Eazel ($5), and Adobe Nav ($2). You can grab them now from the Apple App Store.

The Adobe apps were developed using the Photoshop Touch Software Development Kit (SDK) in order to demonstrate the potential for new interaction between Photoshop CS5 and tablet devices. Adobe has already hinted that more Photoshop apps are coming and that it wants developers to create their own apps for Android devices, the Blackberry PlayBook, and iOS devices.

For the apps to work with your copy of Photoshop CS5, you have to update (don't worry, it's free) to version 12.0.4. For those who don't own Photoshop CS5, the updated version (version 12.1), which is part of Creative Suite 5.5, will also enable the Photoshop Touch app functionality.

The above is a step-by-step video to walk you through updating Photoshop CS5 to version 12.0.4, enabling Remote Connections, and connecting each of the Photoshop Touch apps to Photoshop. If you'd prefer individual videos for the apps, Adobe has uploaded those to YouTube as well: Adobe Color Lava, Adobe Eazel, and Adobe Nav.

For those who aren't as visual, here's a short description of each: Color Lava allows you to mix colors on the iPad using your fingers as well as create color swatches and themes that can be transferred into Photoshop, Nav provides more desktop space by enabling users to select and control Photoshop tools on the iPad, and Eazel lets you create paintings with your fingertips, which you can then transfer back to Photoshop wirelessly.

T-Mobile grabs SnapPad trademark, domains

T-Mobile has suddenly become very interested in the word SnapPad. Within the span of just two days last week, the company filed for the trademark at the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO, via Engadget) and also snapped up a bunch of related domain names.

More specifically, T-Mobile has registered SnapPad.biz, TMobileSnapPad.com, T-MobileSnapPad.com, T-MobileSnapPad.net, T-MobileSnapPad.org, T-MobileSnapPad.info, and T-MobileSnapPad.biz. Dynamite Inc currently appears to own SnapPad.com, which was registered in 2007, and TableTop Media owns SnapPad.net, which was registered in 2008. If T-Mobile tries to purchase either of them, it will only make us further think that the company is going to launch a product under the name SnapPad. Furthermore, in its filing, T-Mobile specifically asks for protection against other "tablet computers" that may end up trying to use the same name.

T-Mobile has already launched a tablet with its name on it: the LG Optimus Pad, also known as the T-Mobile G-Slate. We reviewed it, but readers didn't seem very interested.

It would appear that T-Mobile is going to try again. Currently, it's not clear whether the company is going to rebrand a tablet that has already been announced, or launch a completely new product. We're hoping for the latter, especially if it's some new form factor of a tablet that actually "snaps" one way or another. Otherwise, we think it would be a waste of the name. Unfortunately, that's all we know for now. There isn't even a launch timeframe that could give us a hint as to what T-Mobile has up its sleeve

Google announces Chromebook, Chromebox devices

Google has announced the culmination of its CR-48 pilot program: two Chrome OS-powered notebooks manufactured by Acer and Samsung. The machines were unveiled today during the second half of its annual Google I/O conference in San Francisco, and both "Chromebooks" share similar netbook-like specifications.

Acer's version will cost $349 with an 11.6-inch display, a dual-core Intel Atom processor, integrated dual-band Wi-Fi and optional 3G, an HD webcam with a noise cancelling microphone, two USB 2.0 ports, a 4-in-1 card reader, and one HDMI output. The 2.95lb device will reportedly offer up to six hours of continuous usage.

Samsung intends to charge a little more for its Chromebook with pricing set at $429 for Wi-Fi only and $499 for integrated 3G connectivity. That gets you a larger 12.1-inch display along with heftier battery that offers 8.5 hours of life, and those upgrades push the total weight to 3.26lbs. It also trades the HDMI port for Mini-VGA.

Both systems will be available for preorder on June 15 in seven countries: the US, the UK, Spain, Germany, France, Italy, and the Netherlands. Google also plans to offer a "Student Package" that will allow college students to pay $20 per month for a Chromebook and there could be similar plan for enterprise customers.

In addition to the Chromebooks, Google has teased a nettop running Chrome OS, unsurprisingly called the "Chromebox." Details are thin, but at least one model is in development at Samsung. Although it resembles Apple's Mac mini, the Chromebox is reportedly aimed at businesses and will come with various system admin tools.

While it remains to be seen if Google's cloud-centric operating system will gain traction, the company's web browser has witnessed continuous growth since launching in September 2008. During today's keynote, Google said Chrome is now actively used by 160 million people worldwide, up from the 70 million reported last year.

Budget Graphics Card Comparison

In the last few months, AMD and Nvidia released what will likely be the last additions to their current generation graphics cards: the Radeon HD 6990 and GeForce GTX 590. Although both products deliver incredible performance for single card solutions, they are reserved for the most demanding users with pricing set around $700.

For all the glory that comes with owning a dual-GPU video card, the reality is most hardware buffs don't have the coin to fund their desires. Instead, the typical system builder settles for a graphics solution in the $100 to $250 territory, which generally provides enough performance to play any modern game with reasonable settings.

Fortunately for cash-strapped gamers, intense competition between AMD and Nvidia ensures that the sub-$200 market is well stocked. Along with wallet-friendly HD 6000 and GTX 500 products, many older mainstream cards have been demoted to the budget bracket. We'll compare the most relevant ones in this review.

Folks looking to spend around $150 have several options to choose from, no matter what camp they root for. Nvidia's current-gen GeForce GTX 550 Ti is at $145, while the GeForce GTX 460 (768MB) is now only $150, down from $200 last summer. On the other side of the fence, AMD recently released the Radeon HD 6790 at $155.

Stepping down a level, AMD recently launched its Radeon HD 6770 at $120 and the HD 6750 at $110. It should be noted that both cards are rebadged versions of the original HD 5770 and HD 5750, barring a firmware update that adds support for HDMI 1.4a as well as hardware-accelerated Blu-ray 3D video playback.

AMD's Radeon HD 6670 also occupies the $100 territory, though it's not a rebadged 5670. The HD 6670 is based on a new core codenamed "Turks," which has a higher clocked GPU that boasts a more complex configuration. Meanwhile, the $80 Radeon HD 6570 and $55 HD 6450 are also updated versions of their predecessors.

Nvidia relies on its eight-month-old GeForce GTX 450 to compete with the Radeon HD 6770 ($120), HD 6750 ($110) and HD 6670 ($100). Priced at $110, the GTX 450 represents Nvidia's only offering in this bracket, and the company feels no urgency to change this because again, AMD's HD 6770 and 6750 are renamed 5000 series cards.

At the bottom of the pile, Nvidia's GeForce GT 430 will square off with the Radeon HD 6570 in the $70 range, while the $60 GT 520 will be pitted against the HD 6450.

Before placing your bets, we should note that AMD won our previous sub-$200 showdown. In fact, Nvidia notoriously focuses on the performance market and it hasn't recently had much of a presence in this price range, so it'll be interesting to see if the green team can pull an upset this time around.

Test System Specs & 3Dmark 11

Test System Specs
- Intel Core i7-920 (Overclocked @ 3.70GHz)
- x3 2GB G.Skill DDR3 PC3-12800 (CAS 9-9-9-24)
- Asus P6T Deluxe (Intel X58)
- OCZ ZX Series (1250w)
- Crucial RealSSD C300 256GB (SATA 6Gb/s)
- Gigabyte GeForce GTX 550 Ti (1024MB)
- Gigabyte GeForce GTX 460 (768MB)
- Inno3D GeForce GTS 450 (1024MB)
- Inno3D GeForce GT 430 (1024MB)
- Inno3D GeForce GT 520 (1024MB)
- HIS Radeon HD 6790 (1024MB)
- HIS Radeon HD 6770 (1024MB)
- HIS Radeon HD 6750 (1024MB)
- HIS Radeon HD 6670 (1024MB)
- HIS Radeon HD 6570 (1024MB)
- HIS Radeon HD 6450 (1024MB)
- Asus Radeon HD 5670 (1024MB)
- Asus Radeon HD 5570 (1024MB)
Software
- Microsoft Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit
- Nvidia Forceware 270.61
- AMD Catalyst 11.4

The 3Dmark 11 data indicates that the GeForce GTX 460 (768MB) is the fastest graphics card tested with a score of 5360pts, just ahead the Radeon HD 6790's 5276pts. The 6770 clocked in at 14% slower than the 6790, but it proved to be 5% faster than the pricier GTX 550 Ti.

The $110 GTX 450 and HD 6750 delivered almost the same performance with 3758pts and 3815pts, respectively. AMD's rebadged HD 6670 was 4% faster than the old HD 5670 while the HD 6570 and HD 5570 were 14% slower with virtually identical performance.

With 1923pts, the GT 430 was 23% slower than the HD 5570 and over 80% faster than the new HD 6450 and GT 520 graphics cards.

Using the medium quality preset -- otherwise known as "gamer" -- with anti-aliasing and anisotropic filtering disabled, we managed to achieve reasonable performance with many of the budget cards when playing at 1280x800, 1440x900 and 1680x1050 resolutions.

Rendering 57fps at 1680x1050, Nvidia's GTX 460 was the quickest card tested in Crysis, edging ahead of the HD 6790 about 3fps. Performance declines quickly after the 6790 with the 6770 averaging 47fps, which is about 2% faster than the more expensive GTX 550 Ti.

The GTS 450 and HD 6750 managed to average 40fps and at $110 they were 30% slower than the GTX 460 while being 27% cheaper. After the HD 6670's 32fps showing, performance dips below the 30fps threshold, making it hard to recommend the cards for gaming.

For reasons unknown to us, Crysis 2 is still a DX9-only title, but Crytek still reportedly plans to release a DX11 patch sometime this year. The game has been heavily criticized for being a console port and that is somewhat evidenced by the performance seen above.

Nearly all of the low-end GPUs presented playable performance at 1280x800 with anti-aliasing disabled (the PS3 and Xbox 360 are limited to 1280x720 and no AA). Even the GT 430 mustered 33fps, showing how underwhelming the GPU power of today's consoles is.

The performance does slip a little at 1680x1050, but the above trends remain much the same. The GTX 460 was again the fastest while the HD 6790 was 15% faster than the GTX 550 Ti. The HD 6770 fared 9% better than the HD 6750 and 21% worse than the HD 6790.

The Radeon HD 5670 and HD 6570 delivered practically the same numbers with a little over 30fps, while the HD 5570 offered only 28fps. Things degraded to a completely unplayable state when looking at the GT 520 and HD 6450, with each squeezing out a dismal 12fps.

Civilization fans hoping to play the latest installment with DX11 visuals will be please to find that the medium settings are not taxing at all. The GTX 550 Ti raced to the top of the chart with 87fps, ahead of the HD 6970's 78fps. The GTX 460 and 6770 also comfortably broke the 70fps barrier.

Even the HD 6750 managed to score 60fps at 1680x1050, while the GeForce GTS 450 and HD 6670 earned 58fps and 51fps -- very playable for a slow-paced game like Civilization. Interestingly, the rebadged HD 6670 was about 7fps faster than the older HD 5670 on average.

When maxed out, Dragon Age II is pretty demanding, but it tames down quite a bit when on medium. At 1680x1050, the Radeon HD 6790 claimed a momentary taste of supremacy with 92fps. The HD 6770 followed with 84fps, a notch ahead of the GTX 460 and GTX 550 Ti.

Performance dipped to 70fps with the HD 6750 and then to 63fps with the GTX 450, steadily decreasing by a few fps until we reached the GT 430 with 35fps -- 14fps below the 5570. Unsurprisingly, HD 6450 and GT 520 reminded us again they are unfit for gaming.