ASUS Announces Cobble SSD Enclosure

ASUS today announced the ASUS Cobble SSD enclosure, a stylish and durable external storage solution. Featuring a unique cobblestone-inspired design and IP55 water- and dust-resistance, ASUS Cobble combines stylish aesthetics with durable, reliable protection in the most demanding environments. The enclosure supports both M.2 NVMe® PCIe® and SATA SSDs, and features a USB-C® 3.2 Gen 2x1 interface for superfast data transfer speeds of up to 10Gbps. The tool-free design allows for easy installation, while broad compatibility with Windows 11, macOS, mobile devices, and game consoles makes ASUS Cobble perfect for gamers, professionals, and content creators.

 

Stylish cobblestone-inspired design

The ASUS Cobble SSD enclosure has a sleek cobblestone-inspired design that’s available in gray or black. Speckle-painting techniques enabled designers to incorporate organic textures and colors into the design, giving the enclosure a warm and natural aesthetic that perfectly complements any workspace or gaming setup. A special scratch-resistant coating offers a durable surface that protects the enclosure from minor impacts, and enables the sturdy metallic chassis to withstand high temperatures for long-lasting stability and reliability. 

All-round protection

ASUS Cobble has a rugged design and is engineered to last, boasting IP55 water- and dust-resistance for dependable protection against the elements and wear and tear from daily use. Its aluminum-alloy construction and built-in thermal pad ensure exceptional heat dissipation to keep the SSD cool, protecting it from damage and helping extend its lifespan. 

Fast transfers and seamless compatibility

The USB 3.2 Gen 2x1 interface enables ASUS Cobble to deliver lightning-fast speeds of up to 10Gbps, making it ideal for efficiently storing and transferring large files. It delivers exceptional speed and reliability for users looking for a storage device for gaming, content creation or editing, or managing large file libraries. The versatile ASUS Cobble supports both M.2 NVMe PCIe and SATA SSDs, with its tool-free Q-Latch and screwless-lock cover allowing for quick and easy installation. It seamlessly integrates into any setup and is fully compatible with Windows 11, macOS, mobile devices, and the latest game consoles such as ROG Ally, PlayStation® 5 and Xbox.  

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Hands-On with Kingston 2024 Mini Dragon USB Drive: A Compact Marvel Unveiled

Recently, we received a delightful surprise gift from Kingston – the limited-edition 2024 Mini Dragon USB Flash Drive, just in time for the upcoming Year of the Dragon.This surprise afforded us the opportunity to delve into its design, performance, and overall usability.

The Kingston 2024 Mini Dragon USB Drive immediately stands out with its exquisite package design. A charming, round green dragon, gracefully suspended in the clouds, takes center stage, encapsulated within dragon egg-inspired packaging. The drive's sleek rubber exterior not only provides resilience against falls and impacts but also offers a delightful tactile experience. Its tail is thoughtfully crafted as a key ring loop, enhancing its portability and ensuring you can carry your files effortlessly wherever you go.

Crafted with precision, the dragon scale patterns on the metal alloy casing provide a tactile feel, and the compact form factor ensures a comfortable grip. The build quality exudes durability, suggesting resilience to the rigors of daily use.

Despite its diminutive size, the Mini Dragon doesn't compromise on power. The USB 3.2 Gen 2 speeds are evident in the swift data transfer during our testing phase. It's clear that Kingston has managed to encapsulate a robust performance within this small package. The dragon-inspired design adds a touch of flair to the USB drive. It's not just a storage device; it's a style statement. Whether attached to a keychain or kept in a pocket, the Mini Dragon draws attention and sparks conversations, making it a conversation starter for tech enthusiasts.

In our first encounter with the Kingston 2024 Mini Dragon USB Drive, it has left us with a positive and lasting impression. From its enchanting design to its efficient performance, this USB drive is more than a storage device – it's a statement piece for tech enthusiasts who value both style and substance.Kingston has created a miniature marvel that packs a punch in both aesthetics and functionality. Kingston’s limited-edition Mini Dragon USB Flash Drive is available through Kingston’s network of retail and e-tail outlets at a MSRP of RM98.

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The Razer Viper elevates Esports with optical switches

Razer introduced the Razer Viper, a lightweight gaming mouse designed in collaboration with esports professionals and featuring the new Razer Optical Mouse Switches. Housing Razer’s 5G Optical Sensor and minimizing the desktop drag with the Razer Speedflex Cable, the Razer Viper has been fine-tuned for absolute control in competitive play.

Sporting new Optical Mouse Switches
The Viper is the first Razer mouse to feature the new Optical Mouse Switches, Razer’s fastest switches that offer three times the actuation speed of traditional mechanical mouse switches.

Traditional mechanical switches send electrical signals via metallic contact, creating a residual bouncing effect that can introduce multiple signals. To make sure only a single click is registered, a debounce delay is used – resulting in a slower response time.

With Razer’s Optical Switches, no physical contact is required to send a signal. By using an infrared light beam that passes through a shutter to fire an electrical signal to the computer, the switches respond instantaneously to every finger press, making sure every action is executed to the player’s intent.

With each switch durable for up to 70 million clicks, the Viper’s Optical Mouse Switches are built to withstand the rigors of competitive matches, while delivering the speed and precision players demand.

Field-tested by the pros
Setting a new benchmark for esports mice, the Razer Viper has been field-tested by some of the world’s top esports athletes. MIBR CS:GO legend Epitácio “TACO” de Melo has been using a prototype of the Razer Viper in tournament matches over the past year.

“As soon as I laid my eyes on the Razer Viper, I fell in love with it because the shape is just perfect,” said TACO from MIBR. “The click of the optical switches feels smoother and faster, and the flexibility of the cable makes it awesome for CS:GO.”

Featherweight for hard-hitting performance
At just 69g, the Viper is Razer’s lightest wired mouse ever. The lightweight design is achieved without the need of a skeletal shell, resulting in a solid, ambidextrous chassis that does not compromise on strength and durability. The Viper’s low-weight chassis design is built to meet the rigorous demands of esports competition.

The Viper features the new Razer™ Speedflex Cable. Using a new, low-drag cable covering, gamers will experience less friction and snagging along the normal pinch-points, minimizing desktop and ‘edge drag’ to make large unhindered swipes and snag free movements.

The Razer Viper is fitted with Razer’s acclaimed 5G Optical Sensor, sporting a 16,000 DPI native resolution, 99.4% resolution accuracy and tracking at 450 Inches Per Second (IPS).


Extreme customizability
The Razer Viper is the product of Razer’s continuing collaboration with some of the world’s top esports athletes, resulting in several tournament-grade features for competitive play.

DPI settings can be fine-tuned through the Razer Synapse 3 software and stored using the Viper’s on-board DPI storage, allowing users to instantly access to their personal settings wherever they are. The Viper is fitted with eight programmable buttons, customizable with macros and secondary functions, giving users quick and easy access to critical actions.

“The Razer Viper has been designed ground up in collaboration with some of Team Razer’s best esports athletes”, says Alvin Cheung, Senior Vice President of Razer’s peripherals business unit. “With Optical Mouse Switches and Razer’s market-leading 5G sensor in an ambidextrous, lightweight mouse, the Viper delivers the high-performance precision and control needed to succeed in any of today’s competitive games.”

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Transcend extra slim portable storage StoreJet 25C3N

Storage capacity these days is becoming one of the most important aspects of technology, with games bloating up to tens of gigabytes and 4K video content becoming more and more mainstream. This is why even with the advent of new, fast storage such as SSDs, the classic portable hard drive is still in huge demand. The StoreJet 25C3N from Transcend is an extra slim portable hard drive for the consumers to provide them with storage solutions.

PACKAGING
The Transcend StoreJet 25C3N has a simple box with a plastic window that lets you see the hard drive itself. Inside its box, you’ll see pretty basic documentation and cable.

Transcend StoreJet 25C3N has 9.5mm aluminum unibody enclosure with beautiful chamfered edges. On its side, you’ll see the USB-Micro B connection and activity LED light on the left. The Transcend logo is located at the top left of the device. For connectivity, the 25C3N has USB 3.0 that can reach speed of up to 140MB/s.

PERFORMANCE
Of course, one of the more important thinks about storage is not how good it looks, but how it performs. We put the StoreJet 25C3 through its paces by running a couple of benchmark apps to see how it fares. Here’s our test bench specifications:

ATTO Disk Benchmark – a renowned benchmarking tool for measuring file transfers for different sizes.

Crystal Disk Mark – a tool that specializes in sequential read and write speeds. Unit used is MB/s and determines how fast can the files be transferred into the drive.

Based on the results, the Transcend StoreJet 25C3N performed exactly what we expected. The hard drive didn’t show any signs of high temperature during benchmarks.

Transcend also bundles in a free download of their Elite data management software, which offers automated backup and restore, as well as file encryption and cloud sync. All this is to make sure your data is as secured as possible, while still being light enough to bring anywhere. Transcend also offers a three year warranty on these portable HDDs.

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Unboxing of Transcend DrivePro 130 Dash Cam

Dash cameras are becoming pretty standard these days as a way for people to somehow protect themselves further in the event of an accident as it gives them solid evidence on how the accident occurred. Because of the rising popularity of dash cameras, brands like Transcend have begun releasing their own dash cameras during the past few years. The DrivePro 130 is one of Transcend’s mid-range dash cameras and we unbox the DrivePro 130 for you so you know exactly what you’ll be getting when you get this dash camera.

First off, the packaging of the DrivePro 130 is fairly simple and looks very much like the packaging of the company’s other DrivePro models. The front of the cardboard box shows what the dashcam itself looks like as well as a few of the device’s features. The front of the box also notes that the DrivePro 130, much like the company’s other dash cams, comes with a free 16GB microSD card.

The rest of the box, such as the rear and the sides, shows some of the other features and inclusions of the DrivePro 130 as well as its specifications, system requirements, and other details.

Inside the outer cardboard box is a plain white box which holds the camera and its inclusions. The box only features the Transcend branding and slogan as well as a small arrow to indicate where to open the box. Flipping it open reveals the DrivePro 130 dash cam itself, the included Transcend microSD card, and another plain white box, also with Transcend’s branding and slogan, which holds the rest of the dash cam’s inclusions.

Looking at the camera itself, the front features the lens, the microphone, an etched Trasncend logo, and the Wi-Fi icon to signify that the DrivePro 130 is Wi-Fi capable. As for the rear of the camera, it features the device’s display, an LED notification light, and four control buttons. Its left side holds the microSD card slot and the emergency record button. Thanks to the cam’s G-sensor, the impact triggers emergency recording mode to capture footage. The feature can also be manually activated through the red button found on the bottom-left side of the device.

The other side holds the microUSB port and the top of the device is where the slot for the mount is placed.

As previously mentioned, the DrivePro 130 comes with a 16GB Transcend High Endurance Class 10 Micro SDHC card, which is quite suitable for the DrivePro 130.  You do not need spend extra efforts finding a compatible and reliable micro SDHC card to keep your recordings safe.

And the smaller plain white box contains the charging adapter of the dash cam that you connect to the car’s cigarette lighter port as well as the manual, the suction mount, warranty information, and a product guide.

 The Transcend Dashcam DrivePro 130 also comes with a couple of alerts to ensure driver safety. The Headlight reminder alerts drivers of poor lighting conditions, something that automatically activates when needed. There is also the Parking Monitoring Mode which should shore up the potential incidents that may happen even while already parked. The Transcend Dashcam DrivePro 130 will need a constant power supply to keep it up (i.e. powerbanks) and functioning.

Sample video below shows the high quality that DrivePro 130 will record your driving journey. The DrivePro 130 uses a Sony sensor to capture high-resolution images with superb, rich color even in low light. Its built-in Wide Dynamic Range (WDR) technology balances the light and dark areas of captured images, ensuring that every critical shot is as clear as possible.

The Transcend Dashcam DrivePro 130 is a simple companion any vehicle owner will want to have. It not only captures photos and videos on the road but ramps up the safety precautions needed in today’s unpredictable world. The Transcend DrivePro 130 is available from several online and offline retailers for a fairly affordable price for a good quality dash cam, especially considering that it already comes with a microSD card.

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Transcend RDA2W Smart Card Reader: A Simply Way to Transfer Digital Camera Photos to Your iPhone without a Computer

Many photographers—amateurs and professionals alike—tote digital cameras with them when shooting, while the iPhone might be the most-used camera in the world now. The photos taken by the iPhone are still not as good as by professional cameras, especially the digital single lens reflex cameras. When taking photos with the iPhone's camera, images are saved right to the device, and you can share your work with the world instantly. Sharing from a digital camera is slightly trickier. If your camera comes without wi-fi, maybe the simplest way to transfer photos from camera to iPhone is to pop the SD card out of the camera, insert it to a card reader and then plug it into your iPhone's Lightning port.

The Transcend RDA2W is a memory card reader, supporting two popular SD and microSD cards. It is an indispensable accessory for users of Apple devices that own Lightning interface, allowing rapid two-way data exchange between iPhone, iPad with SD or microSD card. It is an MFi-certified card reader that meets Apple's stringent safety, performance, and manufacturing standards.

 The RDA2W is pretty much basic when it comes to packaging, similarly as to how other iOS accessories are packed.

It has an extremely compact design, with one end of which is the Lightning cable and the other end is a card reader. It is lightweight (17g), convenient for storage in your bag or backpack.

Specially designed to work in conjunction with Apple devices with Lightning ports, the smart reader requires installing the Smart Reader application in your device. At first use, the warning information will display on your device and suggest installation. You just press the App Store button on the user interface then the Smart Reader application is automatically downloaded without any further search. The Smart Reader application is quite useful, helping iPhone owners or iPad tablets easily back up data between external memory cards and devices Apple.

The RDA2W is an useful accessory that plugs into the lightning port to access files directly from SD or microSD cards. With the RDA2 in hand, camera enthusiasts, sports videographers, and professional photographers can upload or share high-resolution photos and videos straightaway to social media platforms.

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Palit custom-cooled GeForce GTX 750 Ti StormX Dual

The Palit GeForce GTX 750 Ti StormX Dual is one such offering, which sports the GM107 chip in 28nm size. For Maxwell, NVIDIA went with five Stream Multiprocessors (SM), which carries 128 CUDA cores each. This results in the GTX 750 Ti having 640 CUDA cores in total. The GTX 750, on the other hand, has 4 SM with 512 CUDA cores.

Aside from that, NVIDIA is also aiming to have these cards to operate at lower power consumption to fulfill the needs of Home Theater PC (HTPC) and Small Form Factor (SFF) PC builders. This also means that with lower heat consumption, it also results in less heat output.

With the front of the packaging highlighting GeForce features like TXAA, PhysX, and GPU Boost 2.0, the back of the box is more concerned with games that take advantage of said technology, including Dying Light, World of Tanks and Batman: Arkham Origins. The card also supports NVIDIA GameStream technology, which enables gamers to play their favorite PC titles on the NVIDIA SHIELD.

Due to the power-efficient Maxwell architecture, the card does not require a 6-pin PCIe connector. This is especially good news, as a typical mid-range budget card tends to require substantial amount of power.

The StormX Dual cooler on this Palit card incorporates two 11-blade 80mm fans dubbed 'TurboBlade' to disperse heat efficiently. Also a nice touch is the card’s signature gold-colored 'X' that's placed right between the custom fan coolers. The cooler are locked by four screws at the outer corner of the fans. The card definitely exudes an air of cool confidence with its black and gold color scheme.

The Palit GeForce GTX 750 Ti StormX Dual takes up two back panel slots. As for the output connectors, there are several to choose from, such as a mini-HDMI port, a DVI-I connector, and a D-Sub port. Maximum digital resolution supported is 4,096 x 2,160, where as for VGA is 2,048 x 1,536.

The Palit GeForce GTX 750 Ti StormX Dual definitely packs a punch. On paper, the card’s core clock has been boosted to 1,281MHz from 1,202MHz. As for the memory clock, it was default at 5,400MHz and received a tremendous boost to 6008MHz. Very impressive indeed.

3DMark 11 and 3DMark 2013 Results

First, we put the card through 3DMark 11's Extreme preset to test its performance, as it runs at 1920 x 1080 resolution with settings designed to stress high-end gaming PCs. 3DMark 11 makes extensive use of DirectX 11 features, such as tessellation, compute shaders and multi-threading.

Next, we tested the card using 3DMark (2013), the latest benchmark from Futuremark that consists of the Fire Strike and Fire Strike Extreme tests. Both are quite GPU-intensive and filled with tessellation, smoke sequence and simulation using computer shaders to properly gauge the gaming performance of the card. The Palit GeForce GTX 750 Ti StormX Dual scored 4,310 in the Fire Strike test.

On Fire Strike Extreme, the StormX Dual scored a commendable 2,151, which is quite a feat as it places the card close to the GTX 660.

Unigine 4.0 "Heaven" Results

The Unigine 4.0 "Heaven" benchmark tests GPUs with extreme tessellation, dynamic sky with volumetric clouds, real-time global illumination, and screen-space ambient occlusion among others. As stated on the results screen, the minimum was a sluggish 7.0 FPS, followed by a maximum of 47.6 FPS. At the highest setting with 8x AA enabled, the fan noise becomes immediately noticeable. Despite not hitting the 30FPS level, the card managed to pull through the Ultra and Extreme settings.

Battlefield 3 and The Witcher 2 Results

Running at 1920 x 1080 resolution, Battlefield 3 ran at an average of 49FPS, which was no surprise as the StormX Dual seems to handle most graphically-demanding games remarkably well. For instance, the card did not even drop beyond the 40FPS mark in Battlefield 3 on Ultra settings. The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings on High settings, on the other hand, yield an average 50.5FPS, which is pretty commendable. However, running Witcher 2 on Ultra settings is a no-go, as the game's Ubersampling uses an extreme form of anti-aliasing, which will bring most mid-range cards to their knees.

Overall, the Palit GeForce GTX 750 Ti StormX Dual scored absolutely well for a mid-range graphics card, delivering an excellent factory-overclocked performance for the GTX 750 Ti series. With the pre-clocked core of 1,202Mhz (15 percent increase from reference model), this card is one that you should seriously consider if you're planning to build a mid-end DIY PC or even a SFF gaming rig. It also does not require a 6-pin PCIe power connector, while its minimal power requirement (400W) is equally impressive. Not to mention, the aftermarket StormX Dual cooler is very efficient and the bundled ThunderMaster software is also user friendly. All this for a tidy sum of RM599, this is one mid-range GeForce graphics card that should not be missed.

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A Seeing Flash – Kingmax UI-05

Kingmax UI-05 is the latest innovation of a USB Flash Drive with a glass ceiling. It allows you peer directly at the chip that holds your data, while keeping it waterproof and dust-proof. The glass casing on the top side of the UI-05 to reveal the drive’s inner flash die and wire-bonding structure. UI-05 is available in 8GB, 16GB and 32GB, and the one we have is a 16GB.

Feature:
•World most revealing flash drive
•High quality metal case
•LED indicator light
•Waterproof and dustproof

Specification:
•Capacity: 4GB/8GB/16GB/32GB
•Interface: USB 2.0
•Dimension: 42 (L)x12 (W)x 4.5 (H)mm
•Color: Metallic silver
•Warranty: 5 years

The glass casing on the top


USB2.0 Interface

A Blue LED to show the working mode of the device

 

 

We put it under water in fish tank and it’s still working after testing

 

Overall, Kingmax UI-06 is only a USB2.0 flash drive so that speed is not the fastest on the market. However, Kingmax likes to spice things up with world firsts, and exhibits an enthusiasm for the utilitarian product that can only be admired. We look forward to seeing a USB3.0 version of this drive.

 

 

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Hands-on: Transcend StoreJet Cloud 32GB

Transcend launches the new StoreJet Cloud, a wireless portable storage solution that is available in the storage options of 32GB and 64GB. The Portable Wireless drive can be used to extend the storage capacity of your mobile device by connecting wirelessly to iOS device and other devices that are WiFi-enabled for sharing music, photos, videos and other documents.

Compared with the regular HDD-based types, the StoreJet Cloud is noticeably smaller due to its use of flash-based storage. As a wired portable drive, the StoreJet Cloud directly connects to a computer via its USB 2.0 port.

It also comes with an USB 2.0 interface for connections with a PC and for fast file transfers, it has an integrated rechargeable Li-polyer battery that offers up to 6 hours of playback on a single charge. In addition to its Cloud Storage options, Transcend also introduces its new free StoreJet application, an all-in-one media player that was developed specially for use with both iOS as well as Android devices.

Once your device is connected to the StoreJet Cloud’s wireless LAN, the app connects to the StoreJet Cloud and you can open documents, stream music and video, look at photos and read documents.

The device can deliver photos (JPEG, BMP, PNG), documents (PDF, TXT, DOC, PPT, XLS), music (MP3, WAV) and movies (AVI, MOV, MP4, M4V) to any wirelessly attached device. All you need to do is open the StoreJet Cloud App (free from the App Store) for your iDevice, or use your browser on any other portable device and the content is immediately accessible
Transcend StoreJet Cloud is easy to set up, it is easy to use, and the performance is as good as could be expected over a wireless connection. It does have a lot of potential and I am definitely excited to see what the future holds for these types of devices. I would definitely rate Transcend StoreJet Cloud a solid 8 out of 10. Cloud computing is becoming popular, and will it make devices like this obsolete? We shall see.

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