Tech News

• Welcome to Ninjalane v3.5 - HTML5 Edition

  Published: Saturday, March 3, 2012 | By: Dennis

  For the longest time I was holding back on updating Ninjalane.com to the new HTML5 standard due to the lack of browser support.  Though as time rolled on I quickly that HTML5 is the future and while it isn't an official standard (according to the W3C) the fact that all modern browsers support some part of HTML5 was good enough for me to go forward with the update.

  

  As of this news post Chrome is still the only browser to fully support HTML5.  Both FF and IE9 support the majority of HTML5's new tagging structure but lack some of the other key components.  Personally I still think that 3rd party plugins are the way to go when it comes to some of the new HTML5 features so ultimately I'm glad they opted not to support them.

  Question:
  What about IE8 and IE7, don't they lack the basics when it comes to HTML5?
  It is true that IE8, IE7 and *shudder* IE6 are clueless when it comes to understanding the new tags in HTML5 but the browsers do support stylizing XML.  The trick is you must tell the browser what to look for and how to stylize them, after that it the browsers will render things like in newer browsers.  For the time being I've added a new JavaScript file that will create the additional code required to render HTML5 in these older browsers.

  If you are curious about the HTML5 upgrade or run into any rendering issues please stop by the forums and let me know.

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• Intel Confirms Ivy Bridge Core Processor Specifications @ TPU

  Published: Thursday, March 1, 2012 | By: Dennis

  Intel "Ivy Bridge" is so hot right now.  Let's hope the smaller process can sip power and clock higher than "Sandy Bridge"

  These include details of its desktop Core i7, Core i5 processor models, notebook Core i3, Core i5, Core i7, and their corresponding ULV variants, and so on. Specifications include model numbers, clock speeds, Turbo Boost 2.0 speeds, and basic features such as Built-in Visuals (integrated graphics), caches, HyperThreading, and fab process.

  TechPowerUp has posted some of the slides that show current processor architecture and where the new 22nm Ivy Bridge parts fall into the portfolio based on their new part number and performance targets.

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• Artificial Photosynthesis: Like Water for Gasoline

  Published: Thursday, March 1, 2012 | By: Dennis

  Harness the power of the sun to do more for you than we have ever imagined.  I like that idea but the question is. How?

  If you’ve ever sat idling in a tunnel with the car windows rolled down, you know why burning petrochemicals is bad for the environment. Internal combustion engines are woefully inefficient. But suppose the world could run on water and sunshine instead. Sound like unicorns and lollipops? It isn’t.

  The article describes the purpose of the research and alludes to the creation of an artificial leaf that will capture natural chemicals and use sunlight to convert those into a usable fuel.

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• GIGABYTE Battlefield 3 Cup North America Season 1 Tournament

  Published: Wednesday, February 29, 2012 | By: Dennis

  Do you like to play Battlefield 3??  Think you have what it takes to complete with the big boys/girls for top prizes from Gigabyte?

  

  Start forming your teams today because registration is now open!
  
  The tournament will be based on a mix of classic Battlefield 3 maps and Back to Karkand maps. If you think you and your team have the chops to climb the ladder and win the championship, big hardware and cash prizes await you!
  
  On this site, you”ll find information about the rules, standings, fantastic prizes and how to signup! We’ve made it very simple and straight forward for you to enter the tournament, but spaces are limited, so get moving!

  Think you have what it takes? If you do, then check out the prize pool waiting for the top champions:

  • 1st Prize: Eight GV-R797OC-3GD + USD $1600
  • 2nd Prize: Eight Unannounced Next-Generation Graphics Cards + USD $800
  • 3rd Prize: Eight K8100+M8600 + USD $400

  Total prize value: $12,000!

  The tournament begins on March 12, 2012, Finals begin on March 31, 2012.  Check the site for registration information and official rules.

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• Dell Joins Rival HP on Growing List of ARM Server Makers

  Published: Tuesday, February 28, 2012 | By: Dennis

  Here is a really great story, which could be a success for what nVidia has done with Tegra even though they were not directly mentioned in the article.

  When it come to enterprise servers, information technology folks care less about precisely what architecture of CPUs are going in them, but more about the impact that any architectural shifts might have -- such as computing power, power efficiency, and compatibility.
  

  Here is why this is good, and bad. 

  1. ARM processors tend to sip power while Intel CPUs are often power hungry and one of the reasons why servers are loud and require a crazy amount of cooling. 
  2. ARM systems have been getting more powerful, just look at Tegra 3, it comes with five cores, can play full motion video and FPS video games.
  3. ARM systems are not subject to Intel patents (yet) so more companies can build the CPUs and thus giving companies like HP, DELL, and nVidia the ability to pad their portfolio and create new markets.

  The bad: Unless you count Linux there is really no "server class" OS ready to run on ARM.  Not saying that excluding Windows from the ARM market is all that detrimental but you must consider it when pushing for a new hardware product with benefits such as these.

  No need to worry though, Microsoft is working on it.

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• NLL Review Block - Video Card Trust Edition x4

  Published: Tuesday, February 28, 2012 | By: Dennis

  Cardfire Round-up
  - OC3D: OverKILL-3D ASUS HD7970 Quadfire Madness
  - MSI Radeon HD 7950 Twin Frozer III review
  - MSI HD 7950 Twin Frozr III 3072 MB @ techPowerUp

  We haven't done many video card reviews as of late but the winds of change are a blowing, my only hope is they aren't blowing smoke in to a place that deserves no smoke.

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• Synology DS212 NAS Server Review @ Techgage

  Published: Tuesday, February 28, 2012 | By: Dennis

  It has been awhile since we reviewed a full on NAS box, which is kinda sad considering they offer so much to users without a home network or dedicated file/media server.

  It's been a while since we last evaluated a NAS device, so to help kick things back off, we're taking a look at Synology's 2-bay DS212 NAS server. Synology has long offered not only robust hardware, but exceptionally good software, so let's see if that still stands today, as our last look at a Synology product was a full three years ago.

  Seems like Techgage feels the same way.

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• ASUS Maximux IV Extreme Motherboard Review @ OCIA

  Published: Tuesday, February 28, 2012 | By: Dennis

  This is one of the great motherboards designed for the Sandy Bridge platform, it offers the user great control over the system and even features switches designed for LN2 overclocking.  (Assuming your chip can handle the cold)

  

  Today we are taking a look at a board from the latter series, the ASUS Maximus IV Extreme, a P67 B3 Revision board that throws caution to the wind by including virtually every bell and whistle one could desire. This board is specifically designed for Intel 2nd Generation Core CPU overclocking and supports Nvidia SLI and ATI CrossFire X multi-GPU configurations in addition to a treasure trove of ROG-specific features and applications.

  Be sure to check out our review of the Asus Maximus IV Extreme, you might find something you didn't know.

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• NL: Review Block - 2/28/2012

  Published: Tuesday, February 28, 2012 | By: Dennis

  New review block covering Cases and Coolers.  Got some good stuff in there.

  Cases
  - NZXT Switch 810 Hybrid Full Tower @ Pro-Clockers
  - Thermaltake Level 10 GT Snow Edition Review @ circuitREMIX
  
  Coolers
  - Swiftech Apogee HD @ PureOverclock
  - NZXT HAVIK 140 CPU Cooler Review @ Bigbruin
  - ARCTIC's Freezer 13 PRO and Freezer i30 CPU Coolers @ circuitREMIX
  - Noctua's DH-14: Air Cooling Keeps Up With Liquid?
  - SilenX Effizio EFZ-120HA5 Performance CPU Cooler @ Pro-Clockers
  - Coolermaster Gemini II SF524 Cooler Review @ HardwareLOOK
  - Phobya Shrouds Review on Technic3D
  - SilenX EFZ-120HA5 CPU Cooler @ Bjorn3D

  More to come.

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• ASUS Rampage IV Formula BF3 Edition @ Hardwareoverclock

  Published: Friday, February 24, 2012 | By: Dennis

  Have you been dr00ling over the Rampage iV Extreme but get lightheaded when you look at the pricetag?  Maybe the Rampage IV Formula is more to your liking.

  Mit dem Sockel 2011 bieten die neuen Boards jede Menge Features, die für die neuen Prozessoren notwendig sind. So ist das Board vom Aufbau völlig neu. Das Speicher Interface wurde wieder geändert, auf Quad Channel. Dies soll das Tripple Channel Interface des Sockel 1366 ablösen und noch ein wenig an Leistung zulegen. Natürlich ist diese Steigerung mit einem enormen Platzaufwand verbunden, da die Speicher-Bänke jetzt links und rechts vom Sockel sitzen. 

  I'll be honest here and say I have no idea what I just quoted but the pictures look good.

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