Whenever Apple launches a new product, no matter where the location is, you’d expect an insanely long queue outside of those Apple retailers. However, that is not the case. We never thought that this is actually possible due to the reputation that Apple fanboys enthusiasts have but apparently, nobody in China actually care about the release of iPad 2 3G in their country.

Of course, there are so many theories on what actually led to this huge snore fest. First, iPad 2 has already out in China – the launch was madness – since few months ago although only as stand-alone Wi-Fi edition. Second, the price is rather steep at USD 733 (RMB 4,688) for a 16GB unit while consumers can technically obtain it at only USD 628 (HKD 4,888) in Hong Kong. Also, an important note is that 3G coverage in China is very awful, so probably nobody is anticipating it. It also could be that consumers want iPhone 5 more than iPad 2 right now.

You might have never heard of him but Greg “IdrA” Fields, the “ragequit king” is actually one of the most well-known StarCraft players in the world whether through his many achievements as a professional gamer or his “colourful” personality. Looks like all those fame and hard work have given him enough resources to own a Bugatti Veyron. Yes, the very car that only a select few in the world can actually own it…someone like the Sultan of Johor.

Before you start quitting your job to devote your time into becoming the best StarCraft II player in the world, do note that the clip above is just one of the promotional videos that Kingston have produced for its HyperX line of RAM. Evil Geniuses – IdrA’s current team – is sponsored by Kingston, hence his appearance in the video. As for the Veyron…well, we are pretty sure that is not his daily ride. Nice plate number though.

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If you’re thinking that the global fight between Samsung and Apple over patents related to tablets and smartphones is beginning to resemble the 7 Years’ War, you’re right. We’ve already seen dueling complaints of patent infringement filed in European courts, with Apple managing to block sales of Samsung’s Galaxy tab 10.1 in Germany and getting a similar preliminary decision in a Dutch Court. And of course, South Korea-based Samsung has moved to block iPhone 5 in Korea. But if all of that wasn’t enough, their tit-for-tat battle has become tat-for-tit thanks to the Coriolis effect, as they’ve expanded their battle into the Australian court system.

In August, Apple took Samsung to court in New South Wales alleging that Galaxy 10.1 violated several Apple patents connected to iPad; Samsung countered that Apple’s accusations were based on Galaxy Tabs sold in the US, not those sold in Australia. They presented 3 different models which differed considerably from US versions, prompting Apple to accuse Samsung of removing the offending components ex post facto.

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Developed by a subsidiary of Toyota Motors called Toyota Industries Corp., the arrow you see above is the three-wheeled Ku:Rin. Powered by compressed air, the Ku:Rin showcases Toyota’s expertise in developing compressors for automotive air conditioning systems.

Recently, the Ku:Rin prototype hit the track at Japan Automobile Research Institute’s test facility in search of a speed record for compressed air vehicles. The Ku:Rin’s posted top speed of 80.3 miles per hour should be enough to rocket it into the record books, and Toyota says it will submit the results to Guinness World Records.

Power for the Ku:Rin comes from a reversed A/C compressor that generates energy from the expansion of compressed air, while the vehicle’s on-board compressed air tanks serve as “fuel.” Though 80 mph seems reasonable, the Ku:Rin’s two-mile total range is laughable. This thing may be fast, but talk about range anxiety.

Nvidia reports that it has released a set of beta drivers that will reportedly increase the performance of Battlefield 3 by up to 38-percent compared to the 285.27 drivers. Located here, the new GeForce 285.38 beta drivers are being released just one day prior to EA’s launch of the Battlefield 3 beta for pre-order and Medal of Honor owners taking place tomorrow.

In addition to the Battlefield 3 optimizations, the beta drivers also offer an updated SLI profile for Battlefield 3 in addition to Batman: Arkham City, Dead Island and Dragon Age II. There are also new profiles for Diablo III, Need For Speed: The Run, and Saints Row: The Third.

“The 285.38 beta drivers are also the ones to get if you’re planning to play id Software’s RAGE next month,” Nvidia said Monday. “The long-awaited game is the first new intellectual property from id Software in many years and marks an evolution of the studio’s design style, previously having made linear ‘corridor shooters.’ With fantastic graphics, a lengthy storyline, co-op, and multiplayer, RAGE is a feature-packed release that offers fantastic value in a time of ever-shorter games.”

The company is also pointing users to its one-click GPU Analyzer for those who are unsure if their graphics card can run the Battlefield 3 beta adequately. This analyzer will test the system’s GPU to see if it meets the recommended, Nvidia-specific specifications for the game and (naturally) offer a “helpful” upgrade suggestion if the GPU fails the test.

For those who are primed, greased and ready for the Battlefield 3 beta, get your GeForce 285.83 beta drivers by heading here.

SOURCE via Nvidia

While we haven’t seen anything official from EA and BioWare here in the States, EA France revealed during the Eurogamer Expo in London over the weekend that Star Wars: The Old Republic will launch in North America on December 20 and in Europe on December 22.

“This is an incredible moment for everyone at BioWare and our partners at LucasArts who have dedicated their lives to building this extraordinary game,” said Bioware co-founder Ray Muzyka. “We appreciate the patience from the millions of fans who have been waiting for the game’s release.”

The announcement also revealed three subscription payment methods for the upcoming MMOG: €12.99/$14.99 for a single month, €35.97/$41.97 for three months or €65.94/$77.94 for a full half-year subscription. And as with most MMOGs, access to the game will be free for the first thirty days. Those who pre-ordered the game will get exclusive in-game content and early access although the exact date for the sneak-peek is currently unknown.

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We’re all running systems these days with at least a couple of cores in our CPUs, right? And we want to take advantage of those cores too. Windows 8 will do that in a way that Windows 7 doesn’t – in the turning on and off of your computer.

Windows 8 will leverage multiple cores in parallel to work together when the system is preparing itself for hibernation and resume. In previous versions of Windows, this would only matter for those who were hibernating their systems; but for Windows 8, nearly all shutdown and boot sequences will use some form of hibernation.

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