AMD Athlon II X2 255 Dual Main 3.1GHz Processor - The particular AMD Athlon II X2 255 is certainly the actual newest dual main Athlon II to be able to possibly be launched. Based upon referring to the actual Regor main, the actual Athlon II X4 255 offers you for a clock rate of 3.1GHz associated with that a 2000MHz HT link and consequently memory assist needed for both DDR2 (upward in order for 1,066 MT/s) and furthermore DDR3 (" up " to be able to 1,333 MT/s). Most these functions typically the AMD Athlon II X2 255 is available along with, cost at just also , a low value of $74.99 shipped.

Getting that a closer glance at just the actual Athlon II X2 255 processor together with CPU-Z 1.53 that you could find out the actual points on the this kind of 3.1GHz, 45nm indigenous dual-core die of the fact that is available within at just that a cool 65W max TDP. This specific brand-new dual-core processor provides that a 1MB of L2 cache per primary, but comes with absolutely no L3 cache. The particular Athlon II collection is considered to be AMD's earliest processor that comes with hardware C1E (also , a low-power state). Moving this kind of strength state out of the actual BIOS and as well , into typically the CPU microcode will certainly enable AMD in order to make certain a bit more dependable strength management implementation across platforms. The following is considered to be nice news as methods could end up being even more energy valuable as also , a end result of this excellent shift. The following processor sports the actual brand-new Socket AM3 938-pin micro-PGA deal and so this definitely will work within almost all Socket AM3 and so AM2 motherboards together with both DDR2/DDR3 memory solutions. Typically the AMD Athlon II X2 255 definitely will possibly be launched at just that a low $74 cost point.

The actual AMD Phenom II and furthermore Athlon II item add is simply good as normal associated with costs starting up out at just just $53 in order for typically the AMD Athlon II X2 240 and in addition rising upward to be able to $179 needed for typically the Phenom II X4 965 Possibly be. Typically the AMD Athlon II X2 255 is available at just the particular low value of $74.99 and also shipping. When an Athlon II X2 processor is almost certainly merged along with truly , a sub-$100 motherboard featuring the particular AMD 785G chipset, you actually can simply obviously discover that have AMD comes armed with for a excellent platform at just for a completely sturdy cost point.

Today, AMD is really announcing also , a completely new flagship processor, the actual Phenom II X4 965 Black Edition. This specific is almost certainly nothing even more more than for a velocity bump needed for the particular Dragon platform, but most of these rate bumps are starting up in order to add " up " and consequently the particular Phenom II X4 965 Black Edition processor runs at just an outstanding 3.4GHz. Typically the silicon itself is almost certainly the actual similar revision as the particular Phenom II X4 955 Black Edition that have we previously reviewed, so that the actual just thing just that offers you developed at specifications is really typically the max TDP. Typically the overall performance should scale predictably and furthermore , the particular cost of the actual Phenom II X4 965 Come to be could come to be $245, which usually is almost certainly what typically the Phenom II X4 955 was back within May 2009 when this 1st presented. That will indicates almost all of the particular several other processors definitely will surely have their costs a bit lowered within get just for this amazing completely new flagship processor to be able to enter typically the segment.

That comes with truly , a clock frequency of 3.4GHz, the particular Phenom II X4 965 Black Edition is truly the actual quickest clocked quad-core processor that will AMD carries ever produced. The particular finest piece of the actual Phenom II X4 965 is almost certainly that have is considered to be can certainly choose to be purchased designed for just $245 shipped. Established on the pricing alone, typically the Phenom II X4 965 could possibly be perfect when compared for the particular $220 shipped Intel Main 2 Quad Q9550 2.83GHz processor.

Getting for a closer glimpse at just typically the Phenom II X4 965 Black Edition together with CPU-Z 1.52.1 you actually can also discover the particular aspects on the the following 3.4GHz monster. The following processor is definitely established off the actual similar 45nm 'Deneb' primary just that the particular prior Phenom II processors and furthermore typically the primary itself was built simply by GLOBALFOUNDARIES at just Fab 1 module 1 within Dresden, Germany (previously AMD Fab 36) by using 45nm DSL SOI (silicon-on-insulator) technological innovation. Typically the Phenom II X4 965 comes with for a complete 6MB of L3 cache, that is simply for a must to gamers as well as strength owners. Typically the Phenom II X4 965 Black Edition is considered to be an AM3 processor, AM3 processors are 100% backwards appropriate associated with motherboards using only AM2 sockets, which often implies you actually do not surely have in order to run out and consequently pay for truly , a manufacturer brand-new Socket AM3 motherboard and in addition truly , a DDR3 memory kit for improvement in order to one of these processors. Any kind of Socket AM2 motherboard definitely will work, which usually is actually great as DDR2 memory kits are still value effective to get those at that a budget.

Typically the AMD Phenom II as well as Athlon II item add is really powerful as common associated with costs starting up out at just just $76 available for typically the AMD Athlon II X2 250 and furthermore rising " up " to be able to $245 meant for typically the Phenom II X4 965 Come to be that will we are seeking at just today. AMD obviously offers budget pleasant processors of the fact that surely have fantastic functions and in addition clock frequencies. AMD informed us that will they are cooking further up many enjoyable bundle deals at, or maybe shortly just after, typically the August 13th release of that processor. The actual main bundle they could possibly be promoting could choose to be the particular Phenom II X4 965 Choose to be processor mixed that comes with for a selection of motherboards in order to select coming from where the particular bundle is certainly discounted ~$40 or perhaps even more (based referring to the particular motherboard chosen). Seems just like AMD would certainly possibly be getting truly , a perfect push in order to have several of these processors picked "up" that comes with the particular launch of Microsoft Windows 7. Let's have truly , a glimpse at just information on how typically the AMD Phenom II X4 965 Come to be processor does against 29 additional processors.

The Apple iPad ships this week, and with its arrival, Apple may singlehandedly usher in the era of tablet computing—slate-style devices that look very unlike a typical computer. Bolstered by clever integration between hardware and software--as we've come to expect from Apple thanks to products like the iPhone--the iPad is a multi-purpose slate that holds the potential to be different things to different users. The various pricing options also reflect this: $499 (16GB), $599 (32GB), $699 (64GB). Add $130 to each of these Wi-Fi models for a 3G option in late April.

It's true that the iPad resembles an oversized iPhone, but in some ways, that comparison diminishes all sorts of new potential. The iPad's screen is three times larger than that of the iPhone/iPod Touch, and that extra real estate primes the iPad for activities you couldn't even consider doing with the comparatively tiny iPhone/iPod Touch screen.

Based on my initial launch-event hands-on with the iPad, this device's functionality exhibits both promise, and disappointment. The latter reflects its lack of flexibility as a full-on alternative to a netbook.

What's Inside
Equipped with the same underlying operating system as the iPhone and iPod Touch, it comes as no surprise that the iPad immediately feels familiar. The main menu mimics that of the current iPhone OS, with four icons across and four rows down, plus Safari, Mail, Photos, and iPod icons in a row at the bottom. Icons have the same characteristics as those on the iPhone, and include Calendar, Contacts, Notes, Maps, YouTube, iTunes, App Store, and Settings. One new item is a dedicated icon for Videos--a logical addition given the device's roomy screen. Beyond that, you can add apps from the Apple App Store; a separate section will highlight apps optimized for iPad. The 3G iPad won't have phone or traditional SMS functionality.

The iPad packs in 802.11 a/b/g/n wireless, and as mentioned, a 3G option is expected in late April. The iPad also has Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR, and is powered by Apple's 1-GHz A4 processor system-in-a-chip.

The 9.7-inch LED-backlit screen uses IPS (in-plane switching) technology to achieve better color and contrast, and a wide 178-degree angle of view. Its native resolution of 1024-by-768 pixels is sufficient for watching high-definition video, viewing photos using the slideshow feature, and for flicking-through content.

The screen dominates the device, with a wide black bezel surrounding its fingerprint unfriendly oleophobic (oil-resistant) display. That bezel almost seemed like overkill, until I took the iPad in hand. Then, I found the bezel necessary, as that's where my fingers automatically gravitated in order to hold the device in my hands. While the iPad is super slim (just a half-inch thick), I actually had some difficulty handling it steadily in anything longer than short spurt. At 1.5 pounds, and measuring 9.6 by 7.5 by .5-inches, I found it too heavy to comfortably hold in one hand, which is troublesome if you plan on using it as an e-reader. Other e-readers, like Amazon's Kindle 2 or Spring Design Alex eReader, are much lighter in hand and therefore make for a much more comfortable user experience. I found using two hands much more viable, but my relatively small hands then had issues trying to reach across the expanse of the vertical unit's on-screen keyboard. Furthermore, I quickly realized my hands would tire in this position after reading just a few chapters of a long novel.

Because of the larger display, pretty much all of the native applications we're used to viewing on the iPhone look and function better on the iPad. What I've seen so far of video playback of content purchased on iTunes appeared stunning on the iPad.

Like the iPhone before it--and unlike what we expect from future, competing Windows-based tablet devices, the iPad has a minimalist design, with virtually no complexities and smooth, aluminum back. At the bottom of the iPad are the dock connector and the speaker grille. The sole buttons are Home Button centrally situated beneath the display, and the volume rocker on the side. The iPad is missing integrated expansion (via USB or flash memory, or both); and, so far as we know before shipping, it's missing multitasking--which the bigger screen practically begs for in this Facebook-driven, always-connected age.

Yes, Apple will offer separate dock-connectors for accessing digital images via a USB port or an SD Card, but these are exorbitantly priced, and won't open the iPad for use in a way that mimics a more versatile netbook. And I find it stifling to think that a device capable of much more than my iPhone 3GS can't just take a USB flash memory drive and access any of an array of file types. This omission in particular is a serious limitation to iPad's functionality--and its ability to compete with less expensive, slightly heavier and bulkier, but more full-featured netbooks.

A little more on the iPad's integrated input capabilities. Simply put, if you plan to do a lot of typing, the iPad's touch keyboard is no match for the physical keyboard found on a netbook. The touch keyboard is a larger version of the iPhone's. But in the pre-shipping version of the iPad, the keyboard lacks the iPhone's letter magnification when you press a key, and I missed this visual cue immensely. It also lacks the haptic (vibration) feedback common to Android phones. So with no physical or visual feedback when you press a key, I found myself frustrated as I tried to pound out a long e-mail or note.

As I already mentioned, when using the keyboard in vertical mode, my small hands had difficulty maneuvering around the keyboard--my thumbs couldn't stretch across the whole device to reach the keys. Horizontal mode felt much more natural, but as a touch-typist, I still made more errors than I would with a physical keyboard. More critically, while I've gotten fairly speedy with tapping away on my iPhone 3GS' keyboard, I didn't feel anything near the same speed or affinity for the touch keyboard on iPad during my initial hands-on--something I attribute to the physical expanse of the device, and how my fingers aligned with it relative to the keyboard. To type, I needed to put the device flat on a surface, not a particularly comfortable experience. (Apple will soon have a $69 keyboard dock accessory.)

Application Deep Dive
According to what was known as of the launch event, the iPad runs iPhone OS 3.2 (which has not been released for actual iPhones yet). While the friendly, easy-to-use, interface gives the iPad an immediate built-in audience, the lack of a freshened design for the iPad feels like a let-down considering how long the iPad has been in development. There might be some as-yet unknown incremental differences between versions 3.1 and 3.2, but on the surface, the iPad's interface looked exactly like a blown-up version of my iPhone 3GS'.

In my hands-on before the iPad shipped, the OS didn't translate very well from the much smaller iPhone to the iPad. It's not so much about the touch aspect of the interface; in fact, navigating by touch is a huge benefit on the large screen, and superior experience to, say, the joystick-based navigation of the comparably sized, non-touch Amazon Kindle DX screen. But images, icons, and text weren't as crisp as I'd expected on the early model at the launch event's pre-production model. At times, I found the experience much like watching standard definition video on an HDTV, in that some aspects of the operating system's visuals didn't appear optimized for the iPad's display. I'll update this review after seeing the shipping product later this week.

On the whole, Apple has done a good job of optimizing its built-in core apps for the iPad's large screen.

As a photo viewer, the iPad shines. Photos looked superb on the iPad's display, and it uses all of the familiar multitouch gestures (flick, pinch to zoom) found on the iPhone's photo app. The iPad's ample screen showcase images well, and it permits you to preview many more images, more easily than on the smaller iPhone.

The iPad's photo application is much better than the iPhone's, too, with on-the-fly slideshow creation (complete with transitions). Simply choose from among five transitions and pick the music you'd like to add (if any), and you're off. I don't see the iPad replacing inexpensive digital photo frames, but I certainly do understand how an iPad might double as a photo frame while it's standing upright in its dock.

Another convenience: The photo app provides different ways of viewing the images (including sorting by places, people, events, and a mini-thumbnail bar at the bottom of the screen to jump quickly to other photos in the album). Unfortunately, the sorting capabilities will only work if you're using iPhoto--which means that those of who use any number of alternative imaging applications for the PC or the Mac (the majority of potential iPad users) are left in the dark with regard to those features. And how convenient it is to use the photo viewer for non-Mac users remains a question I look forward to answering when I can try iTunes for the PC with the shipping iPad.

The e-mail app has been redesigned to take advantage of the spacious screen, too. For example, when in landscape mode, the e-mail app shows recent messages and a search bar at the left, and displays the selected message at the right--an approach that's not viable on the iPhone's smaller screen.

The Calendar app benefits greatly from the iPad's display. Now, calendar entries are more readable, and the day and weekly views in particular look terrific. For example, in the weekly view, a drop-down menu makes it simple to switch among different calendars for your household.

The reimagined, highly visual iPod library looks very different on the iPad. In landscape view, you can easily see video-playback chapters, or view info about the video while previewing it in a pane at right. hows how video-playback chapters look in the Video player.
The iPad as an E-reader

One of the big pitches for iPad is for using it as an e-reader. And here is where iPad has the potential to be divisive. On the one hand, Apple clearly has the retail digital download model down pat with its iTunes store, so it's reasonable to assume that Apple may be able to entice consumers to shop for digital books, too.

The bigger question is, how well does the iPad--with its glossy, glarey screen and slightly greater weight--do as an e-reader? Stay tuned for our full review of the shipping iPad, complete with a report of the Apple iBookstore and iBooks reader experience.

My first impressions on the subject? The iPad makes it easy to browse your library books, represented visually by colorful book covers. The iBooks app, in horizontal mode, allows you to have two pages on the display at once--and it tries to mimic the experience of reading a book, right down to the visuals of additional pages on the left and right, and the darker area in the center, where the spine would be. I could easily scroll along the bottom of a book to jump to a specific page, with no notable delay when doing so. And I particularly liked how the iPad showed the page number, and out of how many, you were jumping ahead to; and, how it indicated the number of pages remaining in the chapter. (Just one more chapter before I go to sleep...I swear!) Dedicated e-readers could learn something from this part of iBooks' design.

I found the iBooks reader's page-turn animations are both cool and annoying. The flicker for a quick page turn bugged me--nevertheless, it was better than suffering through the multiple flashes that one endures on most E-Ink readers as they try to redraw the page.

iPhone Apps: Not Made for Your iPad

One of the big concerns among developers and users before the iPad's announcement was whether iPhone apps would work on the device. Thankfully, they do, but the experience on the iPad isn't exactly ideal. You can either view an iPhone app as a small window or doubled to fill the display. On the pre-shipping iPad, I demoed the 3D-intensive Assassin's Creed and Oregon Trail apps, and was immediately put off by the obvious pixelation. Text in Facebook iPhone app looked fuzzy, too. Again, the analogy here is to standard definition content versus high-definition content on an HDTV.

Another concern remains Apple's lack of Adobe Flash support, which means as-is services like Hulu and the full YouTube catalog can't be viewed on the iPad. Even as some sites switch to HTML 5, the lack of Flash is disappointing, given the format's prevalence across the Web.
The Bottom Line (So Far)

Based on my initial handling of the pre-shipping iPad, I was a tad underwhelmed: The reality is that the iPad looked and behaved like an iPhone (or iPod Touch) on steroids--and that's not always a good thing given the potential for the iPad to make a run for replacing my netbook--or even my PC--for certain activities. I'm intrigued--but need to see the iPad-specific apps in use, and try the shipping version to get more of a feel of just how the iPad complements the existing pantheon of mobile computers. And how well it works together with the iPhone, in terms of sharing both data and apps.

Alcatel Tribe is very much a breakthrough model for the French phonemaker as it features a QWERT keyboard, a widescreen format, and a stylish, slim build that screams stylized business look.

To complement the business look and feel of the Alcatel Tribe, it comes packed with a couple of mobile apps, a 2 MP camera, EDGE connectivity, speedy interface, expandable storage and a widget bar. The last one, I believe, is something the incumbent doesn’t usually spot on its mainscreen area.

With the 2MP camera, pictures are not too shabby. Low-light is so-so but at least the video recording is passable when viewed on the PC. Sharing such files with friends is really easy since the Tribe comes with EDGE connectivity.

Even though EDGE makes it Internet ready, I’d rather see the more commonplace 3G on it. In fact, offering Wi-Fi would have been a plus if 3G is not present, but even that is absent. However, with EDGE connectivity, the Alcatel Tribe is sufficient for those who just want to check their emails and news feeds. In a way, it does show that Alcatel is clear with the clients it wants to focus on.

Honestly, I’m not too fond of QWERTY keyboard based phones. I find the keys too tiny or not as responsive when pressed. I’ve been told that it has to do with practice and I now concur since I quickly understood why so many prefer the QWERTY keyboard. One main discovery for me is realizing how convenient it is to SMS!

Texting is real breeze as the Alcatel Tribe has a really responsive keypad. Browsing the menus were the same since the directional keys and navigation button works well together. In fact, the scroll wheel (another classic) gives the browsing/navigating ability of the Alcatel Tribe another level of enhanced convenience, especially when it is used to browse the Internet and massive amounts of SMSes and emails.

“Comeback Kid’ or not, the Alcatel Tribe is certainly making a bold statement by coming in, not just neon geen, but four neon colors to boot. Certainly Alcatel is trying to make something out of its plans to be the “New Black”.

Did it work though? So far, many heads have turned to see what sort of phone I have in my hand since the striking green caught their attention. And many asked if Alcatel is making a comeback. Well, the Tribe does show that Alcatel is still keeping up with current times.

• Pros : Funky colors, Great QWERTY keypad
• Cons : So-so camera, No 3G, No Wi-Fi
  

Alcatel Tribe OT-800 Specifications :

• Standard Package : Alcatel Tribe OT-800, Battery, Mini USB charger, USB cable, Stereo headset, PC Suite
• Size/Weight : 111 x 58.2 x 13.9 mm / 102 g
• Connectivity : EDGE, Bluetooth
• Camera : 2 MP
• Display : TFT 262K color, 2.2 inches
• Storage : 20MB on board, Micro SD (up to 4GB
  

Motorola’s Droid is full of firsts: It’s the first smartphone on Verizon powered by Google’s Android OS, it’s also the first Motorola smartphone to use Android, and it’s the first phone in the United States that ships with version 2.0 of the Android OS. Unfortunately for Motorola, all of the good news about the phone is centered on the OS, while any ill tidings regard the hardware.

There’s a lot to like about the latest version of the Android OS. The ability to leave frequently used applications running in the background is a welcome change for long-time iPhone users. Whether it’s a Twitter client, instant-messaging app, or simply your email, this is the Android OS’s main competitive advantage over Apple’s product. Of course, you shouldn’t discount the value of a powerful API that allows app developers to tightly integrate their offerings with the phone. For example, Android’s default Facebook app automatically adds information from your Facebook friends’ profiles to your Contacts list—including phone number, current email address, and even their profile picture. This type of integration makes services like Google Voice even more useful than they are on their own—if you install Google Voice on an Android phone, you can choose whether to use VoIP or cellular minutes on every call, pick which phone number your caller sees, and even manage calling groups on the phone. In that regard, Android really is a revolution.

However, Motorola’s implementation of the hardware has some problems. The core phone functionality is sound: Battery life is acceptable (1.5 days under normal usage), the voice quality is excellent, and we love the haptic touch buttons on the phone’s front. Most of all, the 3.7-inch, 854x480-pixel capacitive screen is lovely—and welcome to anyone accustomed to the iPhone’s relatively low-res 320x480 screen. The omission of multitouch functionality, however, is a big letdown. No multitouch makes the onscreen keyboard much more difficult to use than it should be. We also find that the default Home screen application doesn’t make particularly good use of all those extra pixels—it includes room for just 12 app shortcuts (the iPhone fits 20).

Furthermore, the Droid’s hardware keyboard should be a huge advantage over both the iPhone’s onscreen keyboard and the tiny keyboards on the face of other smartphones. Unfortunately, the keys are too small and flat for most people to use without staring intently at the phone, and they’re lined up in a square grid instead of the more traditional offset layout used for most QWERTY keyboards. We don’t understand why Motorola devoted fully 15 percent of the space on the keyboard tray to an eight-way D-pad that you’ll rarely use when that space could have been used to make the hardware keyboard good. While the Android OS’s onscreen keyboard is decent, if Motorola is going to increase the size and weight of the phone to include a hardware keyboard, we want one that’s usable.

Android still needs a few additions to qualify for best-in-class—a better way to manage and automatically close open applications is desperately needed, for instance—but as far as we’re concerned, it’s the most exciting mobile OS today. That said, we highly recommend waiting for better hardware before making the leap to Android.