Earlier on today here in Taipei we managed to cross paths with upcoming hardware from AMD and GIGABYTE. It is a good look at the hard work AMD has put into it Fusion APU technology and what GIGABYTE has done to seat it.

Specifically we met the upcoming GA-A75M-UD2H micro-ATX motherboard from GIGABYTE, which is based on the AMD A75 chipset with support for AMD Llano APU processors, using the FM1 socket configuration.

You may have seen this type of configuration before, but not like how you are going to see in the video above. We managed to overclock the AMD CPU from its default clock speed of 2.9GHz all the way up to 3.6GHz (150 x 24) using an FSB of 150MHz. In turn this also overclocked the DX11 Radeon HD GPU within the AMD APU from a core clock speed of 600MHz to 900MHz. This is really impressive and we even saw Crysis 2 running at 720p at around 40 - 45 frames per second and from a system without a video card (strange to look at, actually), that is rather good.

A few days ago Adobe released updated models of two of their tools, Flash Builder and Flex have been updated to version 4.5.1, boosting mobile application development support. The updated products support development of applications for various tech, Android, BlackBerry, RIM PlayBook and Apple iOS-based devices. The new upgraded versions of Flash Builder and Flex now cover all major mobile OSs for the first time with Flash Builder 4.5.1 and Flex 4.5.1.

Adobe said in a statement:

Eizo have unveiled their latest beast of a monitor, the 36-inch DuraVision FDH3601. The FHD3601 spots a native resolution of, wait for it, 4096x2160. The monitor is LED-backlit, features a 10-bit panel supporting 1074.74 million colors, 700cd/m2 brightness and a contrast ratio of 1000:1. The viewing angle is 176 degrees which suggests that Eizo are using a Sharp ASV panel.

The DuraVision FDH3601 includes all the advanced technology Eizo has been developing for the past few years, inclusive of their human presence sensor and the Digital Uniformity Corrector (DUE) that ensures perfect light homogeneity. Eizo plan to launch this puppy in Japan on September 7, 2011 at a price of 2.88 million Yen, or approx US$36,000. Eizo hope the FHD3601 appeals to example flight control centers, oh and me.

Just in time to make Crysis 2 relevant again, the DX11 patch is coming June 27. MyCrysis reveals that both the DX11-enabling 1.9 patch will also include the "High Res Texture packages" and will be available on Monday, June 27. The patch includes hardware tessellation support, which DX11 players will have to download. In order to see these spruced up textures, users will require 1GB of VRAM and a 64-bit OS.

The official change log is looking good;

Added Contact Shadows

Tax time is nearly here, but this year is a bit different - smartphones. There are now numerous apps out there to help you all by using your fingers to do the work. First up we have my Tax which was developed by a chartered accountant. my Tax allows you to calculate your annual personal tax for 2009, 2010 and 2011; PAYG, GST and FBT; and salary sacrificing. my Tax also includes a loan calculator, a tax rates summary, pay calculator, a BAS calculator and a CGT calculator. PDF reports can be generated and printed directly from your iOS-based device.

Next up is Aussie Tax Calculator for Android-based smartphones. It is not as feature-laden as my Tax, but is is free. With Aussie Tax Calculator, you'll be able to calculate your annual tax and PAYG on up to four incomes.

Another iOS-based tax program is Tax Rates & Thresholds Guide. This app is basic; its a list of all the tax rates and thresholds for the 2009/2010 and 2010/2011 financial years, for those who want to work out their own calculations. It also includes rates, offsets, CGT, FBT and super information also.

Nokia have unveiled their MeeGo device, the Nokia N9. It features a 3.9-inch AMOLED screen rocking a 854x480 resolution, includes no keyboard or physical buttons of any kind (apart from the volume rocker and camera button). Comes in 16GB and 64GB on-board memory options, 1GB of RAM and is hugged by a polycarbonate shell that is colored all the way through which means scratches and dents shouldn't show unless it's a deep scratch of course.

Connectivity wise the N9 packs quad-band GSM as well as penta-band WCDMA, Bluetooth 2.1, NFC and GPS. The N9 also includes a dedicated camera button for the 8-megapixel wide-angle shooter which is capable of aperture F2.2 for low light shots and true 16:9 720p video recording.

Nokia's N9 measures 116.45x 61.2 x 7.6-12.11mm and weighs 136 grams. It also packs a battery capable of lasting up to 50 hours of music, 4.5 hours of 720p video and between seven and 11 hours of voice calls. It also includes turn-by-turn drive and walk navigation with voice guidance in Maps, a dedicated Drive app, proximity sensor and a choice of hue: black, cyan and magenta.

James Richard Verone tried everything in his power to receive medical attention by the book, but when he couldn't, he resorted to the only option he saw fit; rob a bank. Verone had worked for most of his life and although he was in need of medical attention, he applied for disability and early social security to which he only received food stamps.

His physical pains had included a protrusion in his chest, arthritis and carpal tunnel syndrome. Caused by his last job which was as a convenience store clerk, this led to his extensive injuries. His way out? To rob a bank. Verone sold and donated all of his furniture, paid his last months rent and gave his notice. He moved into the Hampton Inn for his last free days as a free man and on June 9 took a cab down New Hope Road and chose a bank at random; RBC Bank.

Verone did not want to scare anyone, so he took the most passive way possible. He wrote a note, handed it to the teller demanding one dollar and medical attention. He said "I didn't have any fears" and "I told the teller that I would sit over here and wait for police." The police came and arrested Mr Verone who then received the medical attention he required. Because the amount of money he demanded was less than what would merit the classification of grand larceny, Verone can expect a short sentence.

LulzSec and Anonymous have joined forces in an open declaration of war against the "freedom-snatching moderators of 2011." The attack is called Operation Anti-Security (#AntiSec), LulzSec called for like-minded individuals to open fire against any government or agency that crosses their path. The group have encouraged users to vandalize the opposition by plastering the word "AntiSec" on any government website or through physical graffiti.

The groups top priority is to steal and publicize any classified government information including email spools and documentation, with prime targets being banks and other high-profile establishments. LulzSec messages concludes with "It's now or never. Come aboard, we're expecting you... History begins today."

There are those who fear that LulzSec and Anonymous will bring on the "PROTECT IP Act" with US officials hot on the heels of any hacking attempts. But, on the other hand, if no one stands up for our freedoms, then what will change? The world is spiralling out of control with corruption and teetering on the edge of world wide economic collapse due to corruption from the upper echelons of finance and banking. LulzSec, Anonymous - whatever you do, do it for the people, not the Lulz.

id Software have their plate full right now, Rage is around the corner, Doom 4 begins work when Rage is finished and now the fresh off the press news of a Quake reboot is filling the dreams of PC-based FPS fans the world over. Eurogamer state there are "strong factions" inside id Software that are pushing for a return to the "bizarre, mixed up Cthulhu-ish Quake 1 world and rebooting in that direction."

Right now it is simply an idea, this is not concrete and as far as the world is aware there has been no work on a Quake reboot. But, a new reboot of Quake with a truly world-shattering, next-generation engine would be simple breathtaking. Quake rocked the entire FPS world and virtually started true 3D shooters and of course it was the spark that set the fire for online gaming.

Mozilla is ahead of schedule with Firefox 5 and have decided to release it early. It will be released "officially" on June 21st. Firefox 5 doesn't include any GUI changes with the design interface remaining identical to Firefox 4. Most plugins should have no issue working with the new version.

The latest stable version is said to offer more stability and improvements than the former test builds. For some download links depending on your OS, I've included them below:

Firefox 5.0 for Windows

Acer today introduce two new top-of-the-line multimedia notebook PC lines for both the US and Canada. The new Acer Aspire Ethos AS8951G and AS5951G are designed to deliver an unparalleled high-definition personal theatre experience for a wide range of activities, including graphics-intensive gaming, video streaming and enjoying high-definition DVDs, photography or videos.

The new Ethos-branded notebooks feature edge-to-edge frameless displays available in two sizes. Firstly, the Acer Aspire Ethos AS8951G includes an 18.4-inch full HD widescreen (1920x1080) display whilst the AS5951G includes a 15.6-inch HD widescreen (1366x768) display. The Ethos notebooks can be configured with Blu-ray drives or just the standard DVD optical drive while the screens included are scratch-resistant due to Corning Gorilla glass display tech.

The Ethos 8951G includes Acer CineSurround with five Dolby-tuned built-in speakers and Acer Tuba CineBass subwoofer supporting low-frequency effects and vibrant audio for the ultimate movie and music enjoyment. The Aspire Ethos 5951G sports True 5.1-channel surround sound output, two built-in stereo speakers as well as Acer Tuba CineBass booster.

As June begins to roll toward an end, AMD are kind enough to release the next major monthly update with 11.6 WHQL. AMD report that this unified driver has been updated to provide enhanced level of power, performance, and reliability. The AMD display driver version is updated to 8.861. There are a few highlights of the 11.6 WHQL release:

New features:

AMD Steady Video: Steady Video is currently an AMD-exclusive feature based on AMD APP technology. By applying advanced algorithms behind the scenes, users no longer have to deal with shaky or unusable video ever again.

Danish-based Chill Innovation have just announced what they dub "The ultimate Media Keyboard on the Market", a bold statement. The Micro Wireless Keyboard with Touchpad supports not only standard PCs and HTPCs but also Tablet PCs, PDAs, Android and iPhone, iPad, Symbian, Windows Mobile and even the Playstation 3 - not only that, it'll work with any any device that has support for Bluetooth HID keyboards.

This bit is marketing awesomeness, with Chill Innovation saying it has a "Compact design and high WAF". For a minute, you'll wonder what the heck WAF is, well, WAF is Wife Acceptance Factor. This is a key factor in any marriage, tech that your wife will approve it. The keyboard boasts an impressive compatibility list, as well as standing out from the over-crowded keyboard markt with a compact size that resembles a TV remote yet still holds a fully functional 71 keys keyboard with an integrated touchpad.

The keyboard is also backlit and boasts a powerful integrated LED flashlight which makes looking around in the dark much easier. The keyboard is also equipped with several multimedia keys for easy music and movie navigation. The touchpad direction can even be rotated so that the keyboard can be used with one hand like an ordinary remote.

Google held a media event in San Francisco today where they talked about how they're tackling barriers on mobile, announcing that they're bringing speech recognition and computer vision technology to the desktop and took the next step for Google Instant - Google Pages. Google are right when they say the thirst for knowledge doesn't stop when you get off the computer, it continues on your mobile device. Mobile search traffic has grown 500-percent in two years with mobile search growing at a comparable pace to Google in their early years.

Google reckon that one of the driving forces behind this growth is speech recognition. Voice search doesn't require anything but your voice making it simple as pie to run searches from your mobile device. Today Google teach their English Voice Search system using no less than 230 billion words from real queries so that they can accurately recognize the phrases people are likely to say. As the quality has increased, so has usage; in the past twelve months alone, Voice Search traffic has increased by a whopping 600-percent and every single day people speak more than two years worth of voice into their system.

Today Google take the next step by introducing Google Instant: Google Pages. Instant Pages can get the top search results ready in the background while you're choosing which link to click, saving you yet another two to five seconds on the average search. Impressive, huh?

PhotoFast Global Inc. have released three new Apple products today. First up they have introduced the i-FlashDrive which is a two-way storage device between iOS-based devices and Mac/PC. The device doesn't require your iOS-based device to be jailbroken, the i-FlashDrive is a two-way file transfer accessory for the iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch. The product is Apple-approved and allows users to copy files from desktop to iOS devices and vica versa.

This allows greater flexibility in the form of backups, allowing receiving and backup of files for business trips, copy documents in class or even on an airplane. All it requires is to be plugged in, then disconnected - simple! It also includes built-in contact backup, importing photos from camera roll which allows users to keep a copy off-device. It also features the iCloud API which will be included in later updates of the device. MSRP pricing for 8, 16 and 32GB is USD$95, $115 and $185 respectively.

The i-FlashDrive also works as a normal Flash Drive and is compatible with all OSs, including Mac, Windows and Linux. It ships early next month.

John Carmack, the id Software god himself has revealed that once RAGE is completed, the core tech team behind it will focus their entire energies on Doom 4. Whilst Doom 4's single player is said to have a single player frame rate limit of 30fps, this is to allow "30 demons crawling all over" to keep the frame rate steady. Multiplayer however, gets bumped up to 60fps which should be a standard in multiplayer gaming in my opinion.

John has been quoted saying:

AMD Llano, we finally meet. AMD has officially donned the Llano chips with the Fusion A-Series name and are 32-nanometer APUs designed with desktops and mainstream laptops, taking a glaring stare at Intel's Core 2011 processors. AMD are claiming superior processing, discrete-level graphics and a whopping 10-plus hour battery life with Fusion A-Series.

AMD is also looking to take a break from the CPU plus GPU paradigm, this is not to say they're ditching Radeon cards, because they too can be coupled with an APU for a 75-percent boost in graphics performance, something AMD calls "Dual Graphics." The Fusion A-Series chips come in at just 228 square millimeters, quite tiny, ain't it?

The A-Series include no less than seven laptop APUs across three different families, offering up to 4MB of cache and clock frequencies as high as 1.9GHz in the dual-core A4 chips, with up to 2.5GHz if you include AMD's Turbo Core technology. Surprisingly, these chips are also stereoscopic 3D-capable, inclusive of USB3.0 support, DirectX 11, OpenCL / OpenGL, AMD Wireless Display and both 1600MHz DDR3 and low-power 1333MHz DDR3L memory.

This is quite the rumor, Intel's upcoming X79 chipset may have support for both LGA1366-based CPUs as well as the new LGA2011-based chips. Documents viewed by X-bit labs have taken a look at show two X79-based "Extreme Board" motherboards, the DX79SA (Siler) and DX79TO (Thorsby) for both LGA1366 and LGA2011 microprocessors. The DX79SI is geared toward no-compromise performance enthusiasts whilst the DX79TO is aimed at users who want performance but under the inflated enthusiasts level.

The DX79SI does not hold back, it has support for the LGA2011 processor with up to eight DIMMs supporting up to 64GB of memory. The motherboard also features three PCI Express 3.0 slots (!!) which will support three-way multi GPU setups, 12 SATA ports (6 x SATA 6Gbps), 4 USB3.0 ports, 14 USB2.0 ports, 8-channel audio, Bluetooth/Wi-Fi module, two GbE ports and probably a few other yet to be disclosed features.

The cheaper DX79TO board is not as feature-laden as the above DX79SI, it includes support for the LGA1366 CPUs, high-speed DDR3 memory as well as two PCI Express 2.0 x16 slots. 8 x SATA connections, 2 USB3.0 ports, 6-channel audio, GbE.

Acer is proud to announce their new slim and stylish Acer Revo RL100, a digital hub for the den or living room which connects to a flat-screen TV and includes a dual-mode wireless touchpad/keyboard for smooth navigation from the comfort of your couch, bed or bean bag. It also has the option of including Blu-ray.

Highlights from the Revo RL100 are actually quite surprising, it's the size of a game console and has the ability to lay flat or stand upright on a stand and connects to your TV via HDMI. It features the next-gen NVIDIA ION discrete graphics with support for 1080p/720p HD video playback as well as the ability for Web HD Flash acceleration. Sports an AMD Athlon II K325 processor at 1.3GHz, 750GB hard drive and 4GB of DDR3 RAM. Plenty of storage and power for a truly cinematic experience.

It's also enhanced with Dolby Home Theater V3 which allows the Acer Revo RL100 to provide and immersive, crystal-clear audio experience. Also, when Acer say it's thin - they really mean thing. The Revo RL100 measures up at just 1.0 x 11.81 x 7.09 inches! Look how thin it is! The RL100 will have an MSRP of $499.00 with the Blu-ray-equipped RL100 coming in at $569.99.

Steve Jobs has proposed a giant, ring-shaped office at the old HP location. I'm guessing he'll get it as I see Steve as the kinda guy who when he wants something, he gets it. Jobs approached the Cupertino City Council to sell Apple's plans to transform the old HP site. The new ring-shaped design is built to hold 12,000 employees and actually looks quite amazing.

During his presentation to the Cupertino City Council, Jobs said that Apple had pulled together "some great architects, some of the best in the world" to come up with the design that encompassed Apple. He added "there's not a single straight piece of glass in this building". Apple was able to achieve this design based on its knowledge of building Apple stores throughout the world and its particular experience in employing large pieces of glass in them.

The new proposed ring-shaped spectacular is a four-story building that houses an underground car park so it preserves Apple's plans to enhance the natural beauty of the property. Even though the proposed building looks huge, it will actually reduce the building footprint on the site by 30-percent from what stands now. Apple plan to turn the site from 20-percent landscape to 80-percent landscape after the re-polish.