The Zone

We managed to get our hands on the ASUS P6T Deluxe with the OC Palm. For those not in the know this is an X58 board for the new Nehalem processor that comes with an external BIOS post device that also allows you to do some simple overclocking without accessing the BIOS. The OC Palm definitely makes the whole process simpler and comes complete with a hardware monitor (so you don't need to have separate thermometer and voltmeters to do overclocking) but it by no means replaces the BIOS settings. For a full review on the board and the OC Palm check it out in our latest issue of HWM ( HWM Dec 2008 ).

After the IDF (Intel Developer Forum), Intel was kind enough to release its ground breaking SSD for testing as part of its Nehalem platform reviews. Now most people today scoff at the idea of using SSD as a hard disk mainly because most SSD are only about 8GB or so, just barely enough to put the OS and the office suite. However, Intel's SSD is a whopping 80GBs which is about the size of a standard hard disk these days. While testing out Nehalem and its various boards we also got to play around with Intel's 80GB SSD and boy was it fun. Considering most 7200 RPM hard disks only get a score of about 4000+ in PCMark05, the SSD blew us out of the water with its score. Check it out below. For a full review of the drive and its Nehalem counterparts, check out the Hot off the Labs and our Nehalem board reviews in the latest issue of HWM.

Last week, Pioneer had a regional launch in Singapore for their upcoming second generation Kuro plasma TVs, which also marks the introduction of their 9th generation Plasmas to the market. We didn't manage to publish this on time for the November issue of HWM, so why not tease you with some of the images from the launch itself? The new Kuro TVs sport even deeper blacks than the previous-gen televisions, and one should certainly see them in action - seeing is believing, its what they say with the Kuro! Although Pioneer did not refresh the smaller 42" market, we saw a new 60" Kuro that boasts some really juicy specs, as below;

Full HD 1920x1080 resolution with 24p capability, Enhanced Optimum Mode - a seperate white balance probe can be purchased for on-the-fly claibration of both room darkness and hue, Five times the darkness as compared to previous Kuro models, a 100000:1 contrast ratio and the capability to blow your mind.

More images after the jump!

For the uninitiated, Logitech does not only make computer peripherals, trick audio systems and de facto standard racing wheels, they also manufactuer cool remotes which literally becomes the One Remote you'll ever need. More after the jump!

Taking a page from the hip world of fashion ASUS recently launched their latest N series notebooks and P552w PDA phone at the KLPac in the form of a fashion showcase. With clothes from fashion designer Key NG of the KN boutique line, models and a number of celebrities were on hand to sashay their way on the catwalk with either the N series notebooks or the P552w PDA phone.

The N Series Notebooks are meant more for mobility with three of the four models in the series designed for portability.

The P552w PDA phone features the latest touch screen functions with the GLIDE feature for easy navigation. 

For more details on the event take a look at our latest issue of HWM.

Right after the GO OC 2008, Gigabyte was kind enough to let us play around with their new P45 Ultra Durable 3 board. With a 2 Oz copper layer in between the PCB, as well as stronger components this board is quite likely what the Toughbook is to notebooks, the ruggedly tough version. We didn't manage to play too much with it in that we didn't push it too much (overclock) but the board does have custom BIOS function to do so. For more information and details on the board check out our full coverage in the latest issue of HWM.

The second stage of the Gigabyte Open Overclocking Championships 2008 (GO OC 2008) was a thrilling race to shatter the world's current overclocking records. Several World OC Records fell that day with a neck and neck race between Team Vietnam and Team USA 2 that culminated in a 5:4 win for the champs of the P45 Freestyle competition. For more details on the thrilling drama, check out our report in the latest issue of HWM.

The first stage of GO OC 2008 (Gigabyte Open Overclocking Championship 2008) is finally over and we have the top three teams for the P45 OC bash. They include team Sweden 2, team Russia and team USA 1. For more indepth info and who exactly is the champ (if you can't recognise them from the pic!) then take a look at our latest issue of HWM. Next will be the freestyle event and we'll really see how far these catz can take it to the next level.

Gigabyte's Open Overclocking Championship 2008 live from the Grand Hyatt Ballroom at Taipei. Check out all the boyz doing their thing in HWM's latest issue.

Above - DiGi and AIG General Insurance executives posing for a photo - complete with safety helmet

Below - DiGi's Albern Murty announces the plan details to members of the media

DiGi has announced some good news for its mobile subscribers; free accident insurance coverage by AIG up to RM10000 which also covers disability and loss of limbs. Its a 24-hour worldwide policy available to all DiGi subscribers which have been with the company at least for three months. To start your free insurance coverage, SMS 'INS YES' to 2000!

We're starting a new photography section in the magazine, and we would like to dedicate a page to all you shutterbugs out there, so feel free to email us your shots at editorial@my.hardwaremag.com! Don't forget to include your name and the kit you're using too, so send them shots over!

Other notebook makers are quickly jumping on the Centrino 2 bandwagon with their versions. So far we have seen improved notebook performance overall but nearly as impressive as the first Centrino 2 notebook we got our hands on. However, the other Centrino 2 notebook we tested had much better stability compared to the first, so take a look at the PCMark05 score and if you're interested, pick up the September issue of HWM for a more indepth analysis.

NVIDIA's latest entry level graphic card to hit the market is the 9500 GT. We managed to get our hands on the 512MB version and found a teeny tiny mighty single-slot titan waiting for us. At first glance it looks like it can barely hold its own weight in terms of gaming performance, but this miniscule card can even run Crysis with a reasonable amount of tweaking! Check out the 3DMark06 score below for an idea about the card but for a more indepth analysis go get the September issue of HWM 2008.

We finally managed to get our hands on the dual GPU HD 4870 X2 graphic card from AMD-ATI. So far, the card looks and feels more or less like a carbon copy of the HD 3870 X2, featuring the same long dual slot design. The card is still heavy as ever but it does boast a 3DMark Vantage score that blows everything including the GTX 280 out of the water. However, there are definite shortcomings. Read the full review in our September issue of HWM.

Intel's performance notebook processor, the Centrino 2 has hit the streets, with plenty notebook makers already beginning the churn out for notebooks with the Centrino 2 processor. We were quite surprised by its performance because it not only tries its best to beat out equal desktop systems, it is also quite successful. Check out the PCMark05 score below. For the full-blown analysis check it out in our September issue of HWM.